Bridge

Part I

As Christmas drew near, the town became even more alive.

Dazzling lights and festive decorations could be seen everywhere.

The streets looked vibrant, and there were more people outside as stalls were set up along the roads.

Finally, there was the huge Christmas tree downtown that the Mayor had put up.

On the last day of school before Christmas vacation, I invited Ren to go sightseeing.

When we arrived, the town was even more bustling, and vendors were everywhere selling pastries and food.

As we walked by, Ren suddenly stopped.

There, was a stall that sold sweets and drinks, with plenty of options, ranging from plain to assorted ones.

When I looked at Ren, his eyes were glued to something.

I followed his gaze.

It was a custard sweet that was fluffy and glazed.

"Hey Ren-kun, where are you-"

I cut my words short after seeing Ren approaching the stall.

We then lined up at the very back of the queue shortly after I caught up.

"How much for this, sir?"

"This one? For one box, it's 200 pesos,"

The vendor said.

When Ren opened his wallet, his face turned blank as his head hung low.

Seeing Ren acting so gloomy, I patted his back.

"Hey, Ren-kun are you alright?"

He looked at me, still, and silent.

"Ren-kun, just what is that food?"

Looking down, he finally spoke.

"It's called Leche Flan,"

Ren mumbled.

"My Mom often buys these. It's really tasty."

When the man in charge overheard us, and saw Ren's expression, the vendor spoke up.

"What's the matter, boy? If you can't buy a box, do you guys want samples?"

Ren's face instantly brightened.

"Yes, please!"

The seller then gave us each a slice.

It was my first time eating it.

Sweet, Yummy, and Fluffy.

Every bite felt like it was melting on my tongue.

I still remember it to this day.

It definitely become one of my favorites.

"Whaa-what is this taste? So sweet and fluffy!"

"Right? Sir was too kind to us to let us taste it for free."

Ren beamed as he said.

"Y-Yeah!"

As we strolled down deeper into the market, we found some carnival stands that gave huge plushies, and more as prizes.

I hurriedly dragged Ren as soon as we came close, disregarding him still eating his food.

There, was a carnival shooting range that had a huge cute teddy bear plush as the grand prize.

I didn't know how to play, so I asked Ren to get it.

He looked very disinterested but he still did it anyway.

As soon as he started shooting, the owner of the stall turned pale.

Ren hit every single target. He popped all the balloons until there was nothing left, he didn't miss so he kept gaining extra ammo.

It was only a matter of time before Ren secured the points needed for the grand prize.

However, when Ren asked the shopkeeper to replace the targets the second time, the owner had enough and drove us away.

If Ren hadn't stopped, all the remaining balloons would have popped as well.

In the end, the shopkeeper gave him a small heart keychain as a consolation prize.

"Here,"

"I think it will suit you best if you wear it"

On our way back, we joined a crowd heading to the center of town.

The big Christmas tree.

It was my first time seeing it at night.

Sparkly and beautiful. Groups would gather around it, and some of them could be seen taking pictures under its branches.

Even Ren was in shock.

As I was busy thinking, Ren approached me.

He was holding something.

Then, without saying a word, he opened his hands.

There, lay a small penguin plush, about the size of a golf ball.

"Merry Christmas,"

He said while reaching to me.

"I wanted to give you a present but I couldn't think one, It is not much, but I want you to have this."

For the second time, my heart raced.

"Yesterday, my friends and I went to the arcade and played. We won a bunch of plushies that day, but the arcade worker took them when we were about to leave."

At that time I did not know what to say, I was so happy, completely overwhelmed with joy.

I couldn't stop blushing, and couldn't help but smile, unable to put my feelings into words.

"T-Thank you!"

"You're Welcome."

Ren wore a satisfied smile, he seemed cheerful and content.

That was the moment everything became clear to me.

As I spend more time with him, and as I often found myself by his side.

I didn't realised but the closer we got, the more I realized... I liked him... more than just a friend.

Part II

When we got back to school after Christmas break, everything changed.

Suddenly, being near him didn't feel normal anymore.

Every time I looked at him, I felt a heavy weight in my chest.

We had spent so much time together, that I didn't even think I'd caught actual feelings.

Sometimes, I would find myself gazing at him in class, and when he looked back, I'd hurry and turn away.

-I wonder if he saw me staring at him...

The following weeks became busy for us.

Vacation had just ended, so all the buildup activities and other schoolwork had piled up.

We also had an upcoming exam that month, so the two of us spent the days studying to prepare for the test.

"Hmm? What's wrong Hana?"

"H-huh?? No, it's nothing."

"Is something bothering you?"

"N-no I'm..."

-Hiii, to... too close.

"Are you okay? You look a bit flushed,"

Ren said, his voice dropping slightly as he leaned in closer.

As I was thinking, Ren suddenly placed his hand on my forehead.

His palm felt warm against my skin, making my heart do a sudden, violent flop in my chest.

"Well, you don't seem to have a fever... Hana?"

Eventually, the exams passed and the busy days were over.

The season of flowers had begun.

One afternoon, our class activity was to write Valentine's Day letters.

"Done!"

As I tidied my desk, a loose sheet of paper slid right off the edge.

My heart stopped.

Without realizing, my pen had moved on its own.

I ended up making a letter for him as well.

To make things worse, Ren- who was sitting next to me leaned over and asked,

"What did you write on your letter, Hana?"

Panic set in. As I desperately covered it with my hands, my face flushed with embarrassment.

"N-Nothing!"

He continued staring with a puzzled look on his face. Looking utterly confused.

I finally snapped.

"What are you looking at?! It's rude to look at other people's letters, you know?!"

Ren flinched, falling completely silent.

A heavy, gloomy expression washed over his face as he slowly turned back to his desk.

Feeling terrible, I kept the letter in my bag intending to give it to him once the class was over.

However, my confidence failed me every single time.

There were a lot of chances, but every time I saw him I always fell back and my feet would pull me backwards.

In the end, my lack of confidence won.

I decided to keep the letter hidden instead.

As I packed my things after the bell rang, Ren approached me.

I expected him to be angry, but instead, he apologized for what had happened earlier.

My worries vanished instantly, and we walked together on the way home.

The remaining months before the end of school flew by fast.

At the same time, summer had started.

With our Moving Up ceremony drawing closer, the weight of my feelings grew heavier.

And so, after thinking, I had decided..

A few days before the ceremony, I would confess my feelings for him.

With all my gathered courage, I readied myself.

On our last day, I asked Ren to accompany me to a playground we frequently went to after school.

With my determination, I resolved myself to tell him the truth once and for all.

That noon, the playground was quiet and the afternoon breeze felt cold.

I took a deep breath, my heart racing, and told him everything.

How he was my first real friend, and how much he meant to me.

How he makes me happy, and how I enjoyed all the time we spent.

Everything that I felt, All of it.

"Ren-kun, I like you!"

I shouted, squeezing my eyes shut.

I waited.. but there was no response.

When I opened my eyes, he stood there.

Ren didn't say a word.

His back facing the sunset, he looked at me with a pause, and then...

He turned away.

His eyes fixed on the rusted swings.

I waited for a smile, a nod, or anything. Just anything...

Instead, he just stood there.

With a tightened grip on his bag, he didn't look back.

After a long, agonizing silence, he began to walk away.

"Ren-kun?"

I called out, my voice breaking.

He didn't stop. He never looked back.

He just kept walking, not stopping.

Soon, his silhouette faded. Little by little, until his figure finally disappeared.

It took me a long moment to realize that the world around me had gone blurry.

"Huh??"

Suddenly, tears spilled over my fingers as I continued to wipe my face.

It didn't take long before they touched the ground.

That was the last time I saw Ren.

On the day of our ceremony, his seat was empty, and his name was never called across the stage.

Eventually my turn came. Accompanied by my Mother, I walked up the stage.

Many were cheering for me, yet the applause of the audience sounded distant.

Shaking, my Mother held my hand. Followed by a comforting smile. As if saying everything's going to be alright.

After that, my anxiety vanished. And the awarding ceremony eventually concluded, bringing the event to a close.

When I asked our homeroom teacher about Ren, she hesitated.

However, our nearby classmates overheard. And so, they kept pressing her with questions until she finally gave in.

Completely defeated, she told us Ren and his mother had arrived early that morning to abruptly withdraw his school documents.

His mother had urgent business overseas, forcing them to skip the ceremony entirely.

In that instant, my heart shattered.

It wasn't fair.

He had left without a single word.

With no explanation, and no goodbyes.

I couldn't understand.

Why would he walk away without saying anything?

Why would he leave without notice?

I pondered and asked myself, But I couldn't understand.

It was only a matter of time before the final bell rang.

My time at school was officially over.

As my mother and I headed home, we saw Dad waiting for us outside the house.

He congratulated me, apologizing for not being able to make it to my ceremony.

After that, we headed inside.

Still thinking about him, I lay down the moment I entered my room and sulked until I fell asleep.

Part III

When I woke up, It was already dark.

Feeling hungry, I headed downstairs to check if dinner was ready.

"Ehh?"

There, a feast was laid out beautifully on the table that my Mother had prepared to celebrate my Moving Up.

I quickly hugged my Mom to give thanks.

My mood brightened up.

"I'm glad you like it, Hana-chan,"

Said my Mother with a warm smile.

Later that evening. While we were eating, my Mom told me that we would be heading back to Japan next week.

"Ehh? I thought it was next month?

I was shocked. I didn't know it would be this soon.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you earlier, Hana-chan. Your Dad already arranged the tickets, so we will be leaving next Saturday."

The feeling didn't really sink in.

I was still baffled, there was not enough time to process everything.

And so, just like that, it was only a matter of time before we headed back to Japan.

A day before our flight, I walked back to our empty house.

My chest felt completely hollow.

I still couldn't accept the reality of his disappearance.

As I began packing my final bag, my hand brushed against something soft hidden beneath my winter clothes.

It was the small, penguin plush Ren had given me under the giant Christmas tree.

Its blue fabric was slightly dusty, but looking at its round, silly face brought a sharp ache to my throat.

I then continued going through my things, only to stumble upon a piece of pink construction paper hidden at the back of my table drawer.

It was the unsent Valentine's Day letter I had frantically hidden from him in February.

I carefully unfolded the paper, I had been too terrified to say out loud.

'I really like you, Ren-kun. If it wasn't for you, I would still be alone. Just being with you made me so happy.'

'Thank you for being my very first friend and for being my bridge to everyone else.'

A single tear fell onto the words, blurring the ink of his name.

He would never read it now.

I carefully tucked the letter deep inside my backpack, right alongside the little penguin plushie.

They were the only proof I had that our friendship, and my first love, had ever been real.

After everything was ready, I headed outside.

My family was waiting for me.

It was time to go home.