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10 years after graduating from high school, Aya is now a well-known fashion designer famous for her skills of turning even rugs into beautiful pieces of clothing. With her pink short hair, doe eyes, ethereal beauty, and extreme kindness paired with her skills as a Designer, she managed to catch people's hearts regardless of their gender.
Despite her busy schedule, Aya still made time to attend the high school reunion that she's been avoiding ever since after a very long time of thinking and having second thoughts if it's the right decision to actually attend the reunion. It's not like she's on bad terms with anyone since she's still in touch with most of her classmates, especially with her best friends of at least 10 years; Mao, Chizuru, and Narita. They are partly the reason why Aya finally agreed to attend the reunion while on the other hand, she plays the biggest role for her attendance at the event.
At the Event, Aya was sitting at the edge of the table like how she did at the prom from a few years back, but with the addition of a wine glass on her hand. There are few who tried to have a conversation with her but because of countless thoughts currently running inside her head, she can't really respond enthusiastically just like how she usually does in an event. While she's still lost with her thoughts, she suddenly hears a familiar background…
The same song that she sang for her.
"When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry"
"E-eh? That voice...!" Aya looked around, trying to search for the source of that familiar voice.
Until...
"You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so very special"
She saw her, staring intensely at her.
'It's really her...'
"Koga-san..." she spoke of her name in a whispering voice but despite their distance, it seems like the other person still heard her and her eyes started to smile at her while still singing.
Despite knowing she can't escape, just like what she did a few years ago, Aya decided to run for her life. To run away from that place, from the memories they shared together that she was suddenly reminded of, from her. And just like before, Mitsuki followed her.
Mitsuki chased after Aya until they reached a secluded place there's only two of them and finally, Mitsuki finally got to pull Aya to face her. It took them a few minutes of just trying to catch their breaths before Mitsuki finally opened her mouth.
"Oosawa-san wh—"
"...Why?"
Confused, Mitsuki tried to step closer to Aya but Aya took a few steps back to add more distance between, holding the wrist that Mitsuki pulled earlier, at the top of her chest.
"Oosawa-san... What's wrong?"
Her question made Aya laugh bitterly.
"What's wrong? There's nothing wrong, really. I... I was just shocked, yes. That's right. I just didn't think that, you know. You'll attend here since Narita told me last time that you're now a very famous musician. You must've been busy but I'm really glad to see you again. If there's nothing else, I'm going to leave firs—"
"Oosawa-san. What's wrong?"
"I told you, it's really nothin—"
"AYA!"
Mitsuki suddenly yelled at Aya using her first name, which shocked both of them. Mitsuki was starting to feel frustrated due to the obvious lies that kept coming out from Aya's mouth and so she didn't notice that she called her out using her first name in a loud voice.
Mitsuki looked at Aya and tried to step closer again to apologize just for Aya to step far away from her.
"Please, Aya. Tell me what's wrong."
Mitsuki pleaded while trying to figure out the reason why Aya's acting strange.
"I just wanna talk... Actually I... I'm the one who suggested organizing this reunion a few years back."
Due to her sudden confession, Aya was once again shocked and confused.
"Why?"
"Because I was hoping that you'll attend. I wanted to see you."
"...Why?"
"Because I wanted to talk to you. To clear things between us. To talk about us—"
"There's no 'us', Koga-san. There wasn't, and there will never be."
Because of Aya's sudden revelation, Mitsuki was left speechless. Not comprehending what just Aya told her.
"You're looking so lost and confused right now... I guess it's to be expected. You decided to run away after all."
Mitsuki, who is now indirectly being accused of being a coward, still can't figure out what's happening.
"What do yo—"
"What do I mean? I'll make you understand what exactly I mean, Mitsuki."
Aya stood up straight and looked Mitsuki straight to the eye.
"I love you, Koga-san."
Mitsuki's eyes widened but before she could even speak, Aya corrected herself.
"Let me scratch that. I loved you, Koga-san."
"Loved...? What do you mean?"
"After all these years... After all these years of slowly picking myself up from when you left me, you're gonna show up with that same song from before as if everything's okay now? HAH! You want to talk, right? Okay we'll talk. Speak."
Mitsuki stood there for a few seconds, before finally finding her voice to speak.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for whatever I did which hurt you, I swear I wasn't running away! I will never do that to yo—"
"But you already did, remember?"
"Wha—"
"That time. That time when everything was going so well between us. Remember? We were so happy and satisfied just being with each other. Whatever we do, even if we're just silently doing our own thing in your room, we were still having fun. But then, remember when you suddenly disappeared?"
The realization finally hit Mitsuki.
"Aya..."
"Did you know that I waited for you from morning to evening, despite having a high fever at that time, just so I can see you because we're supposed to meet at that time, right? We promised. But I don't know what I did or said, but you never showed up. I texted you again and again, I tried contacting your number and other socials as well. But you didn't even bother reading my messages... I looked so stupid sleeping at the mall, waiting for you, with those sticky white things you put on your forehead to lower your fever. I... I was so ashamed of myself..."
Seeing Aya crying, while explaining her side, Mitsuki started to feel like she wanted to go back to the past just to beat her younger self.
Without trying to get closer to Aya anymore, Mitsuki tried to think of an explanation but even she can't think of any reason why she did such a thing before.
Aya fell down on her knees to cover her face with both of her hands while still trying to do her best to speak as clearly as possible, even though it's very obvious that by doing so it's causing her too much pain.
"After... after that day I never stopped waiting for you. I don't wanna look like I'm trying to be clingy or something so I didn't message you too much so I only sent one text once every month for at least 4 months straight... Not until I saw your posts... With someone else... You looked so happy with her... And I..."
"Aya... Please... Don't..."
Mitsuki, who's also crying now, begged Aya to stop talking anymore because it's obvious that just by thinking of the past, Aya's breaking. Her Rock 'n' roll's breaking and she can't even do anything about it because she caused it.
"It made me feel like I wanted to die that day..."
"Wha—!?"
"How can you look so happy with someone while I am left here thinking what did I do wrong for you to just suddenly leave me without even telling me why? And I can't even ask anyone for help because... Because I feel like if I told them about what happened, about my feelings, about everything, they might hate you for your actions... And I don't want that. I want you to remain the good person that you are in their life so I had to endure everything alone. All the pain, my doubts, my confusion, my loneliness, everything. But I still can't blame you for anything because at the end of the day, I loved you.
I was at the point where I blamed myself cause maybe, maybe I was being too much already. That I'm being too clingy, too loud, that I'm nothing but a bother to you so what you did to me... They're all valid and something that I deserved..."
Mitsuki was feeling too much pain from everything that she just heard to the point she didn't even notice that she's already sitting at the ground with countless tears falling from her eyes.
"... It's not like that, Aya... I swear I was jus—"
"You're just what? Scared? Confused? Didn't know how to talk and explain things properly to me? Is that why when you finally decided to talk to me again, through text by the way, you told me you found someone else that you like?"
Mitsuki fell silent. She finally remembered that time when she was so confused about her feelings for Aya, so she decided to keep her distance from her. But during that time, she met this girl who reminded her greatly of Aya... So she ended up liking that girl instead, since if it's her, then she wouldn't have to think of losing Aya if she ever confessed her feelings to her and it's not mutual. Or even if it's mutual, what if they break up?
In the end, she indeed chose to run away from Aya for this other girl thinking that by doing this, they can remain as friends and she'll no longer have to fear of rejection or breaking up and losing her but at the end...
"... I'm sorry..."
Aya didn't respond to Mitsuki's apology and instead, cried her heart out as if she's been waiting for this moment for her entire life. A moment where she can finally free everything that's hurting her from her very core.
And Mitsuki... She silently listened to Aya's cries as if silently telling her that she won't run away again from her responsibility and that it's okay now for Aya to let it all out. Mitsuki knows that Aya only forced herself to admit everything she experienced to hurt her, but she also knows that this is hurting Aya more than it's hurting her right now.
This went on for a few more minutes until Aya's cries were no longer as loud as before. She silently took something from her handbag and gave it to Mitsuki.
Confused, Mitsuki took what Aya gave her and she saw that it's a thick notebook. Before she can figure out what's inside, Aya explained:
"I was supposed to give that to you, that day when you... Anyway, I compiled every picture we had from the very first one, to the last and put it in a notebook. I also wrote some things and even added songs that we used to listen together inside... It took some years for it to finally reach your hands, but I guess it's fine now since it finally reached its supposed to be owner."
" You know... Despite never looking back at me when you suddenly disappeared, and suffering in silence for years, I finally managed to rebuild my life and be happily at peace."
Mitsuki quietly stared at the notebook that she's now holding and quietly thanked Aya... She doesn't even know what's there to say when all she's feeling right now is regret.
Aya silently wiped her tears away and stood up. Before she can take a step, Mitsuki asked looked at her back and asked:
"Can't we... Can't we try again?? I swear I'll be better this time!! I—"
Before she could even finish her sentence, a woman, a few inches taller than her appeared. She's calling Aya. Her Aya.
"Aya-chii! I finally found you! I was worried when I suddenly can't find you inside the event hal— Wait, are you crying?"
The unknown woman touched Aya's face, showing extreme worry on her face.
"I'm okay, I just saw....an old friend of mine and we ended up reminiscing about things from the past which caused me to tear up a little."
"Is that so??? Are you sure you're okay, love?"
'love?'
Mitsuki can already guess who this unknown woman is but still, she's hoping that even for just a little bit, even if it's impossible, that she guessed it incorrectly. Still looking at Aya's back, Mitsuki waited for her to respond.
"... I'm okay, love. I'm just really tired now."
Aya hugged the woman in front of her, who is obviously her girlfriend, without looking back at Mitsuki.
Right then and there, Mitsuki finally realized it. She's no longer part of Aya's world. She's no longer her Aya.
She... She no longer has any place in Aya's heart.
"Let's go home?"
Aya's girlfriend can't seem to see her since she's still sitting on the ground. She put her arms around Aya's shoulder, trying to support Aya's body while Aya smiled warmly at the other girl and responded,
"Let's go home."
And with that, Aya left Mitsuki just like how Mitsuki did years ago....
Without ever looking back.