The less travelled one (pt 1)

“Good morning, please settle down and listen. We have a lot of ground to cover today,” the teacher said as she entered the classroom, carrying a small stack of papers. She moved between the rows, distributing the sheets.

She stopped by Mia’s table and hesitated for a moment. “You don’t have to fill this in.”

Haru stared at the piece of paper lying on his wooden desk.

“Career survey.”

Did they really need a whole form for this, he thought while playing with his pen. It wasn’t like there were many options.

The teacher sat down behind her desk, adjusting her glasses before addressing the class.

“Since this is your final year in highschool you are all required to fill out this form. Please return this to me by the end of next week.”

A lively conversation erupted among the students.

“Have you decided on where to study?” one asked eagerly.

“I don’t care… as long as it’s far away from here,” another classmate responded with a puff.

The teacher sighed, her fingers pressed against her head. “Since this topic seems to have captivated your attention already, let’s do a quick round.”

Her gaze peered through the classroom. “Please put your hand up if you are planning to study in the big city.”

One by one, the students raised their hands - all except Mia and Daichi.

“I’m thinking of taking over my grandpa’s noodle shop,” Daichi announced proudly.

A few classmates chuckled, but Mia wasn’t paying attention. She turned around, looking for his response.

And then she spotted it - his hand high in the air. Her expression shifted.

“You too…” her red lips whispered.

“Do you hate this town… like them?”

Haru shrugs his shoulders, having never given it much thought. For a smart guy like him, the decision was obvious - why stay in a place with no future when university awaited him in the city? This town was quiet, slow, stuck in time. It had nothing to offer him.

“Hate is a strong word - there are some scenic places after all…” he added after his mind wandered to a few of his favorite quiet places where he could sit and enjoy his books.

Mia grinned, tilting her head. “Why don’t you show me a couple after school?”

“They are not that special,” Haru said, Mia lightly pouting. “But if you insist..”

Her face lit up. “Okay, I’ll see you af-”

“Miss Mia,” the teacher’s sharp voice cut through the moment. “Please turn around and focus.”

Startled, Mia turned back and apologized. A few moments later, she scribbled something on a piece of paper and passed it to Haru.

“I’ll see you at the gate after school! Kiss XX Mia”

Haru gazed at the piece of paper, a soft smile formed on his face.

I guess I just got myself another date

He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.

But where do I take her to?

X

At the end of the school day, Haru was waiting outside of school, holding a small book of poetry in his hand. However, he struggled to focus - the words barely registering as his eyes kept wandering off to the gate, waiting for Mia’s blonde locks to appear. The straight-faced boy didn’t want to admit he was nervous… even though he was.

After much deliberation, he had settled on the ideal place - somewhere Mia would surely love. The place was a bit outside of town, though, so she shouldn't take too long if they wanted to be back in time for dinner.

“I am so sorry!” Mia proclaimed as she ran out the gate, slightly out of breath. She held up her phone in front of Haru. On the screen were a couple of pictures she had taken of a black cat that wandered the school courtyard.

“Isn’t it the cutest! Black cats are my favorite!” Mia added, the enthusiasm dripping off her face.

Haru smiled. “I guess it is.” That cat showed up around school once in a while, however, he never paid much attention to it.

Mia stared at Haru with questioning eyes. “You were going to show me around, right?”

“Ahh… right…” the startled Haru awkwardly chuckled while rubbing the back of his head.

“Please follow me this way,” he said, turning to walk uphill.

“It will be a bit of a climb, if you don’t mind,” Haru added, glancing at her.

Mia shook her head. “I am super excited, so no mountain is too high for me!”

As the couple followed the road leading outside of town, Mia asked Haru a question.

“So you are leaving this town soon for university…. which major will you pick?”

“English literature,” he said without hesitation.

“That’s awesome! That’s why you speak English so well, you must be really interested in Western cultures, right?”

Haru nodded. All this seemed obvious to him.

A mischievous grin formed on the girl’s face. “Is that why you can’t keep your eyes off me..”

His heart started pounding.

“N-nooo,” Haru responded, his cheeks feeling warm. “I just like reading,” he said, holding up the little book he carried with him as if it were a shield.

“I see... so you don’t like me…” Mia said with a hint of disappointment.

“I do… I do…” Haru stumbled. “Well, taking into account that we just met…”

Mia laughed. “That’s why I asked you to show me around - so that we could get to know each other better. I’ll only be here for a month, so I don’t have time to waste sitting around idly.”

As the duo stepped onto an unpaved road, the town faded behind them. Haru turned to Mia.

“What will you do when you return to America? Go back to school?’

Mia stammered her shoulders. “Yeah, just like you, I’ll have to choose where I want to go… but I don’t know. I might take a leap year, get a small job, and earn some money so I can travel the world. There are a lot more spooky places besides Hanabusa-”

She suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on a cluster of crooked trees ahead. Their tangled branches twisted toward the sky, like fingers. They had just stepped into the forest - exactly like Haru had planned to.

“-however they will have a hard time living up to this place,” she added, pulling out her phone. The soft shutter echoed through the trees as she captured this haunting moment.

Haru smiled at Mia - she looked like she was enjoying herself. She waved him to come closer.

“Join me!” she exclaimed, waving her phone. “I want to take tons of pictures with you.”

Haru hesitated. “I am a bit camera shy, remember…”

Mia chuckled. “I am not going to share these online. These are for me online. I might stick them all over my bedroom wall when I come home, so be warned,” she added with a wink.

With a sigh, Haru stood next to Mia. She wrapped one arm around him, holding her phone with the other.

“Say cheese!” she said, the phone shuttering.