I ran into the school courtyard and it didn't take long to find her.
'Kasumi.'
Under the fading orange glow of the evening sun, she sat there… on the same bench where we first met.
Her knees were pulled tightly to her chest, like she was trying to make herself smaller.
'…Go away.'
Her eyes stayed fixed somewhere past my shoulder.
Unable to meet my gaze.
'Kasumi—'
'I said, GO AWAY!'
She shot to her feet, her voice echoing through the courtyard.
'Y-You hate me, don't you?!'
'Then why… why are you here?'
Each word hit harder than the last.
'Please… just listen, Kasumi—'
'Don't call me Kasumi!'
Her hands curled into fists.
Then loosened.
Then clenched again.
'We're… not friends.'
She wiped her tears on her sleeves and stuck out her hand.
'Give me my bag,' she said, 'and leave me alone.'
'If… if I give it to you… will you listen?'
She nodded quickly.
'I promise.'
I handed it over.
The moment it touched her hands…
Her grip tightened.
However, she didn't take it immediately.
She lingered.
Thinking.
She made up her mind and tore it out of my hands, walking away.
'Kasumi… you promised.'
She stopped for a second… then kept walking.
'What?! So I'm not allowed to break promises, but you can?!'
My hand lifted… and fell back to my side.
'Kasumi…'
No response.
So I moved.
Faster.
I caught her wrist and she froze.
Slowly… she looked down at my hand and then back at me.
'Let… go.'
I hesitated.
'Please,' I said, quieter this time. 'Just listen.'
She stared at me.
'Fine.' She said coldly. 'But this is the only time.'
We walked in silence with Kasumi behind me. Through the halls and up the stairs.
*Squeak*
The rooftop door opened and we both stepped through.
'Why did you bring me here, Ku-reiji-san?' She stood by the door. 'You want to reminisce? Talk, I don't have all day.'
'I didn't mean what I said,' I started. 'I do see you as a friend.'
'That's it?' Her eyes widened.
She slowly walked toward me.
'No, I—'
'You didn't want to hurt me?' She cut in, her voice rising.
Tears spilled over again.
'Do you know how much that hurt?!'
She clutched her chest.
'Do you know what it felt like?!'
I couldn't answer.
'School… home… everywhere… I was all alone.'
'No one listened to me. No one cared about me. No one wanted me.'
'But then you showed up.'
She cried.
'You… you were the first person I could be myself with.'
Her fingers gripped her sleeve.
'For once… I wasn't just someone's daughter… or just a student going by…'
Her shoulders trembled.
'I was me…'
'Sato Kasumi.'
Tears slid down her cheeks.
'But then you said those things…'
'I thought it was a nightmare… all of it… fake.'
'…But it wasn't.'
She looked at me, forcing a smile.
'So I understand, Ku-reiji-san.'
She wiped her tears.
'It was my fault for thinking there was something between us.'
'The only thing that was fake is… our friendship.'
Run.
That was all my body wanted to do.
But then… a voice echoed in my mind.
If you can't fight with your hands, fight with your head. If not your head then your heart.
That is what makes you a hero.
My legs moved.
'Kasumi…'
My voice trembled as tears slipped free.
'I'm sorry.'
My hands clenched at my sides.
'I was scared… scared that if you stayed near me, you'd get dragged into something you didn't deserve.'
'That one day… you'd look at me the same way you did back there.'
'Afraid of me.'
…
I wiped my face, frustrated when the tears wouldn't stop.
'So I thought… if I pushed you away…'
'You would be happier… safer.'
'I told myself it was for your sake.'
'But that wasn't the truth.'
'I was running.'
'… and I… I didn't trust you enough to let you choose.'
'…'
I took a deep breath.
'The truth is…'
I hesitated.
'…I thought I didn't belong in this world… like… no matter what I did… I'd… I'd never have a place in it.'
'Until I met you.'
Her eyes widened.
'Before you… this world was just somewhere I existed.'
'But you… you changed that. You showed me a life I never had. You stayed with me even after everything I put you through.'
'And somewhere along the way… I started waiting for you.'
My throat tightened.
'That's why it hurts.'
'I-I knew I was destroying the one thing that actually mattered to me here.'
'…'
'Sniff… I'm weak… Kasumi.'
'Not because I can't fight.'
My gaze met hers.
'But because when it mattered… I chose fear over you.'
I stepped forward, wiping the tears in my eyes.
'So I'm not going to ask you to forgive me.'
My voice steadied.
'What I'm asking for is…'
…
'If you'll let me try again.'
'...'
Silence.
I was waiting for her to run. To scream, yell, anything to push me away, so I could at least get closure.
But…
She stepped forward… stopping close.
Close enough that I could feel the warmth of her body.
I didn't move.
I waited.
Her hand lifted.
Slowly.
It hovered between us. Not touching. Just… there.
…
I watched it. I couldn't look away. Couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes.
If she pulled back now…
I wouldn't stop her. It was her decision.
A second passed.
Then another.
She lightly touched my shirt and flinched.
Her hand moved closer… her fingers softly grazed my shirt.
And then she clung on.
But then she let go and took a step back.
My teeth clenched.
I thought this was it.
'…'
However, she didn't run or walk away.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.
'It may take me some time to forgive you, but…'
She jumped into me.
'I'm so glad…'
Her voice trembled against my chest. Arms, wrapped around me.
I froze.
Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't trust it. Didn't trust that she was really here. That she hadn't already walked away. That this wasn't all a dream.
Slowly…
My arms closed around her.
'I thought I imagined us…'
She held me tighter.
'That it was all a dream.'
'But… I'm glad.'
I felt the tears dripping onto my shirt.
'Our laughter, our time together… everything… it was real.'
'And now…'
She pulled back slightly, tears still falling.
"We cried together too."
She looked up at me.
'Di-ran…'
'You matter more than anyone else to me.'
'And I'm glad…'
She smiled.
'… it's real.'
——————————————————
The sun was slowly setting.
We both sat there, staring into the distance.
'… Hey, Di-ran.'
Her voice was quieter now.
'Yeah?'
I looked at her.
'Do you still have the bracelet?'
I reached into my pocket and pulled it out.
The metal caught the last light of the setting sun.
'Yeah.'
I held it out.
She didn't take it immediately. Her hand lifted… then hesitated.
Hovered just short of mine.
'Can you…'
She swallowed.
'… put it on for me?'
I stared at her delicate arm and then nodded.
Gently, I took her wrist.
Her warmth spread throughout my fingertips and I slid the bracelet back where it belongs.
My fingers lingered for a second too long. Addicted to the warmth.
But… I let go.
She looked down at it. Not smiling at first.
Just staring.
Like she was making sure it was real.
Then…
A soft, fragile smile graced her face.
'Let's make a new promise,' she said. 'An unbreakable one.'
I let out a quiet breath.
'Alright.'
She raised her hand. Pinky extended.
I looked at it.
Then at her.
'…You're such a kid.'
Her lips curved faintly.
'Aren't I one?'
I could've laughed it off. Could've kept things light. Kept things the way they were before.
But instead…
I reached out and hooked my pinky with hers.
'No matter what,' she said softly, 'we'll stay together.'
'And if we break it…'
She giggled lightly.
'… we'll eat a thousand rusty nails.'
I sighed.
'That's excessive.'
'So you're planning to break it?'
'No.'
This time… I didn't hesitate.
'Good.'
She smiled.
And this one…
This time… her smile stayed.