The only one

I bit my lip as if I was about to chew her out.

"Tatsu-kun? you okay?

Sakura-san repeated that name one more time.

My voice softened. My resolve wavered.

"Don't...call me that."

Sakura-san tilted her head. Clearly trying to act aloof about the whole ordeal.

"Uh, ok...Kyoshiro-kun...why can't I call you that? If Tsumigi-kun gets to call you Kyo-kun, why can't I call you Tatsu-kun? It's only fair."

Sakura-san's attention dropped to her hands.

Her voice began to quiver.

"I want to stand out too, Kyoshiro-kun."

I clenched my fist, desperately trying to keep my emotions in check. These were strangers after all. They didn't deserve to share the pain of my burden with me, nor did I expect them to.

"Just stop sticking your noses where they don't belong."

My gaze met Tsumigi-kun's

"That goes for both of you."

The tension in that moment was suffocating. No one in that room said anything; they just stared.

"Tch, see you two tomorrow."

Tsumigi-kun's fist clenched. The words he truly wanted to say in that moment failed to spill out.

"Yeah, see you... tomorrow, Kyo-kun."

The door slammed. Pratically coming off its hinges.

Sakura-san's gaze met the doorframe, her fists clenched.

"You haven't changed a bit...have you, Tatsumi?"

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On my way home now, I couldn't help but reflect on my first day.

Naomi Sakura. She's a weird one, huh, Akio? I wonder what you would've done if you were there?

You'd probably chew her out.

Something like: "Only I get to call him that," and then tease me afterwards because she knows I hate embarrassing talk like that.

Yep, that's so you, Akio.

BZZZ

Who was that?

No way. It was Akio.

What had she been up to?

But she hasn't called me since the summer? Why now, of all times?

As my finger got closer to the call button, I could feel my heart rate skyrocket.

I answered.

"Hello, Akio?"

I was desperately trying to hear her voice. After all this time, living this quiet life, it was my only salvation.

"Heyy Tatsu-kun, you missed me, didn't you?"

Akio had that same teasing tone in her voice, the one that brought me so much comfort. The one I longed to hear.

"Me? Miss you? No chance."

"Aww, you're always so stubborn!"

Akio's voice softened.

"For me, Tatsumi, I can't stop thinking about you..."

My chest tightened, the kind of pressure that didn't hurt but made it hard to breathe, like something was slowly closing in from the inside.

"y-yeah...me too."

"Phhh, aww, is my Tatsu-kun getting embarrassed. How cute."

I guess all that time apart made me vulnerable to her teasing again, huh?

"Shut it-"

Akio's words carried a sense of heaviness to them.

"I miss that, y'know?"

"Me too...I miss it. As annoying as it was...it's what made us 'Tatsumi and Akio.'"

"Yeah - I loved those days - the days I spent with you."

Not one of us said a word.

The air felt heavy.

"Yeah...those days were really special."

Akio's voice started to perk up.

"So...anyway, Tatsumi. How was your first day?"

If only she knew. She'd definitely get mad if I told her about Naomi

"Eventful to say the least. What about yours?"

"I haven't actually started yet. Out here, we start in mid-to-late August. HAHA Tatsu-kun."

She is such a child sometimes i swear.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

My voice steadied.

"Akio...I love you."

"Love you too, Tatsumi."

At that moment, nothing else mattered. This was something special; we both knew that. Even so,

I had to hang up. Talking any longer would've spilled out feelings I so desperately tried to hide.

I had to keep them hidden. I didn't want to worry, Akio. This was my problem to deal with this time. I didn't want to hurt her more than I already had.

Just hearing her voice was enough for me.

Even if it hurts.

This is for the best for us, right?

That's what I wanted to believe.

So why was I feeling like this? So...lonely. This was not the same loneliness as those bygone days... it was more of a sense of longing rather than anything. Seriously, when was Akio coming back?

Ever since she left, I've been having this unsettling feeling. What if she's found someone better? Thoughts like that. It's been seriously messing with my head.

Even though I know Akio would never do that, I can't help but wonder.

In that moment, my eyes started to get puffy.

The tears began to flow.

Seriously, why was I like this?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just then, I heard a voice call out to me.

"Kyoshiro-kun! There you are...I've been looking all over for you."

Naomi Sakura. What was she doing here?

"Sakura-"

"Naomi. Just call me Naomi."

My fingers wandered the ring, the ring that started it all.

"R-right Naomi...what are you doing-"

Naomi's voice sharpened.

"Why did you walk out just now? That was pretty rude, y'know?"

I didn't care. There was only one person allowed to call me by that name. Wait-

y'know?

Her mannerisms...they were the same as Akio's.

Why did I feel like this?

"Why should I tell you?"

Naomi's head tilted towards me.

"That's a secret, 'Tatsu-kun'"

This girl...why did she remind me so much of Akio?

I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Aww, is someone crying-"

My gaze sent daggers towards her.

Her voice hitched, obviously holding something back.

"n-nevermind, forget it. Someone like you doesn't need to be consoled by me. You have her for that, don't you?"

Her?

What did she mean?

I still had yet to fully grasp what she meant.

College was supposed to be a fresh start.

But standing there, with Akio's voice ringing through my ears and Naomi's voice dancing around in my head. I realised something.

No matter what path life took me down, when it came to Akio, I would wear my heart on my sleeve. I loved her to a fault.