Chapter 7:

New beginnings

Akio-san is My secret Admirer!

It had been a few days since Akio and I had that conversation. On that day, my world as I knew it changed forever.

Everyone at school started to question our relationship; they would ask things like,

"Why is a girl like Fujisawa-san hanging around a guy like him?"

I would often ask myself the same question- how was I this lucky? It felt as if I was on top of the world-I truly felt like I was.

I mean, after all we had been through, we were allowed to have this happiness.

"G-morning Tatsu-kun"

"Oh-G-morning Akio"

I still hadn't gotten used to being so close to Akio - the embers of our traumatic past still... burned within us.

I could feel everyone's gaze on me.

Jealousy? Maybe, but I still hated the Idea of being the center of attention.

How did I used to cope with being in the public eye like this?

"Tatsu-kun, you okay?"

Akio obviously could tell something was wrong.

I stayed silent.

As we walked through the loud silence of the school halls to our class, I would once again be reminded of how much of a "loser" this school deemed me to be.

"Who is that bottom-of-the-barrel guy, next to Fujisawa-san?"

"Ew, is that her type?"

Akio's eyes sent daggers through the halls.

We finally made it through the sea of silence I would've once gotten overwhelmed by, not anymore.

I had to stay strong for Akio. I didn't want her to bear the burden of my pain anymore... she had borne enough of it already.

"You shouldn't listen to those jerks, Tatsumi - they don't know the real you as I do."

These words were all the hope I needed, after all, I wasn't living alone anymore-I had someone standing there...right beside me.

Akio laughed.

Just then, her voice softened

"I don't even know why people care who I choose to hang out with if it's between those jerks and you, I'm in your corner... 100% of the time."

My face went red.

"How can you say such embarrassing things in public, Akio?"

Akio's voice became playful.

"That's easy, because it's about the person I love the most."

"Seriously, I said stop..."

My voice trembled.

"It's embarrassing when you say those things."

My voice softened.

"Even though - I feel the same way."

Akio smiled.

Our first class together began.

This time, it was Math, my worst Subject.

I seriously dreaded Math, not only because of the content. The teacher hated my guts.

She turned to the board.

"Kyoshiro-kun, what is the square root of Pi?"

The square root of...what?

Wasn't pie a type of food?

"Uh...1-"

The teacher's voice sharpened.

"Wrong!"

The class began to laugh.

All but one.

"Try aga-"

The chair next to me shifted.

"SHUT UP!"

"All of you, just be quiet! You always silently judge him, but what for?"

"Akio sto-"

Akio's eyes became watery

A fog of silence filled the room.

"You don't even know him...no one in this school does"

"All of you just sit there, every day making fun of him, have you ever thought - just how much that hurts him?"

"Akio wai-"

I felt a warm hand wrap around mine.

"Who cares who I love? Its not your decision who claims my affection."

Akio's eyes sparkle as she gazes at me.

"For me, I love this boy... he means the world to me."

My face turned red.

After that, the whole class was filled with nothing but silence - everyone in that room was stunned.

"Why was she sticking up for a guy like him? He's a loser."

The haunting whispers continued.

My chair shifted.

"I LOVE AKIO...MORE THAN ANYTHING."

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU DISAPPROVE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP. WHO ARE YOU TO DICTATE WHAT WE DO?"

I gazed at Akio.

"Cmon, Akio, let's go! I've had enough of this BS."

Akio smiled as we left the class.

Was this the right thing to be doing? I'm sure it wasn't, but in that moment, I didn't care.

Akio's head tilted towards mine.

"Look who's saying the embarrassing stuff now, dummy."

We both burst out in a fit of laughter.

"You shoulda really seen your face -Tatsu-kun, it was as red as a tomato."

"Oh, put a sock in it, you know I don't handle that stuff very well."

Akio leaned towards my ear, her voice softened.

"Thats what I love about you..."

My face began to burn up again.

"That was a cheap shot Akio...not cool."

The laughter continued.

In that moment, none of it mattered, not the backlash we were bound to get,

not the inevitable anger from our parents.

In this moment... we were safe.

Safe in this world built by shared trauma, grief and sorrow- at long last, we had finally grasped a hold of the helpless dream we both sought out for all those years ago.

We had made it to the roof.

Back to where this all started.

"Tatsumi, remember when we showed our true selves here to eachother for the first time?"

"Yeah, thank you, Akio."

Akio looked puzzled.

"What for Tatsu-kun?"

My shoulders raised, voice steadied.

"If it wasn't for you, we probably wouldn't be here."

"Guess you'll have to make it up to me on my birthday then, huh, Tatsu-kun."

"Your birthday...when is it?"

"August 15th, don't forget it!"

We both smiled as we tilted our heads back to face the world in front of us.