Chapter 2:
Till We Meet Again「Mitsuki」
Two Points
I ran. I ran with all I had.
I’ve never run like this before, even during my track competitions.
If I stopped for even a moment, if I wasted even a single second—I might not see him again.
That’s why, I had to run.
I might just barely make it to the station like this.
I was breathing heavily. It felt like I was about to pass out at any moment—but I didn’t care.
Run. Run. Run.
“H-huh?”
Before I even noticed it, I tripped face-first into the ground. I quickly tried to stand up once more, nothing seemed to hurt.
I had no time to worry about any injuries. I needed to keep moving forward.
If I hesitate, if I stop, it will all be over. I had no choice but to keep running. Until my consciousness fades, until my legs give out, I will keep running—that’s what I’ve decided.
After running what seemed to be kilometers, I eventually arrived at the station.
However—
The only thing that awaited me was the blaring noises of the train that passed by. The wind it created was strong enough to make my hair flutter in the air. I clenched my fists and bit my lip at this cruel reality.
I was too late.
I dropped to my knees as tears began to stream down my face.
I painfully watched as the train slowly disappeared into the distance. The wind vanished along with it, and eventually—the only thing that remained was me.
There was nothing I could do.
But why?
Why can’t I stop crying? Why won’t the tears stop flowing?
I desperately tried to wipe them off, but they just won’t stop.
Why does my heart ache so?
Then.
That’s when I saw it.
I wasn’t alone.
On the other side of the tracks, he sat alone on the bench. I immediately ran over to him, not even paying any heed to my surroundings. I didn’t care.
“Taiyo-kun!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
“M-Mitsuki?!”
The sadness that once filled my heart was now gone. Warm feelings of excitement replaced them.
I hugged him tightly as tears flowed.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” I sobbed.
“It’s alright. There, there.” He patted the back of my head.
If I could, I would never let go.
“I thought you already left.”
“I was waiting...”
“Waiting?” I asked.
“For you.”
My face turned red, and I headbutted him. I felt a pain in my forehead for a moment.
“Oww… What the hell’s that for?!” he shrieked.
“Idiot...”
Lots of questions floated in my mind, and I don’t think I had much time to ask him the answer for all of them.
“W-what’s wrong, Mitsuki? Why are you… crying?”
“I overslept and… I thought I’d never… get to see you one last time...”
I was a mess as I wept and wept. I was really hopeless.
I wouldn’t blame him if he was disgusted at me. Ugly crying in front of someone you loved, it was embarrassing, but I just couldn’t bring myself to stop.
I longed for him, for his touch—to be able to embrace him one last time.
However, he wasn’t that type of person. He only continued to comfort me, and I was reassured.
It was then that I remembered—the reason why I desperately wanted to see him.
I reached for my purse and tried to find it.
“Mitsuki? What are you looking for?”
Did I drop it when I tripped?
I began to panic as I frantically searched my purse.
I spot a shimmer from the corner of my eyes.
I was able to catch it as it fell. Thank god.
“A-are you alright?!”
I was a bit flustered but—
“I’m fine!” I grinned.
I breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then I tried to calm down to prepare myself for what I had to do next.
As soon as I felt I was ready, I raised my head and looked at Taiyo-kun in the eye.
Don’t mess it up. Don’t mess it up. Don’t mess it up.
“Taiyo-kun...”
“Y-yes?”
“Hold out your left hand.”
“My left hand? O-okay.”
I clutched his left hand with my own. I then took the ring that was on my other hand and put it on his ring finger.
“W-wait a minute, Mitsuki! This is…!”
It fit. Perfectly.
“Please accept it, Taiyo-kun.”
“It’s my… parting gift to you.”
The ring was a spare that my parents gave to me.
“There’s… a moon on it?” he asked.
“Y-yeah… I spent the entire night making it and trying to put it together with the ring.”
“I see... thank you.” He gave me a wide smile. In response, I did the same.
“It’s so that you won’t forget me, and...”
“And?”
“If you ever feel alone, you can look at the ring and be reminded that, I’m always here.”
I scratched my cheeks. Saying that made me feel a little bit embarrassed.
“I also have something for you...”
“What?”
I blinked my eyes repeatedly. Was I hearing things?
He scoured through his large bag.
And he took out a matching ring, no—his had the sun instead of the moon.
“Can I borrow your hand, Mitsuki?”
I didn’t know what to say. I simply stood in silence.
“Mitsuki?”
“Huh? Ah, er… y-yes...”
I felt the gentle touch of Taiyo-kun’s fingertips slowly wrapping around my hand. Then he slowly and carefully put the ring on my finger.
“Now, even during the night, the sun is there. The moon won’t be alone anymore.”
“Thanks...”
I spent some time just looking at the cute ring on my hand. I hadn’t even noticed that my face cracked a goofy smile as I gazed at the ring.
“When is the next train coming?” I asked.
“In a few minutes. My parents allowed me to stay for a bit to wait for you.”
“I’m happy… thank you very much.”
Ah. Speak of the devil. I looked to my left and spotted the train approaching.
“So this is going to be goodbye, huh?” I squinted.
My smile quickly changed into a frown. No matter how much I mentally prepared myself, I could never truly accept it—I could never say goodbye.
“Mitsuki...”
I heard Taiyo-kun call out my name. When I looked to check, his face had become much closer to mine all of a sudden.
“T-Taiy—”
W-w-w-what just happened?
This feeling, this feeling was familiar.
The warmth of Taiyo-kun’s lips.
It was just like last night.
When our lips separated, the train had arrived just behind me.
I didn’t know how to react.
“S-sorry for just doing that out of the blue...”
“No. Thank you.”
I simply smiled.
“Thanks… well, I’ll be going now.”
“I...”
What were the right words for me to say next?
My mind came up blank, and no words came out of my mouth.
“Mitsuki, I won’t ever forget you. Please don’t forget about me too. Our promise, let’s meet and get married in ten years.”
He held out his pinky fingers. I gave mine.
“Pinky promise, if I lie, I will swallow a thousand needles and cut off my pinky.”
Together we sang the short pinky promise song, and with that, it was about to end.
“I will...I will write you letters,” I said awkwardly.
Taiyo-kun smiled and replied, “Yeah, I’ll write you letters too.”
After that awkward exchange, he made his way inside the train.
I couldn’t believe it. It was really about to be goodbye.
And after a few minutes, the train prepared to leave. I never said a word to Taiyo-kun even once after he boarded the train.
Was I really going to let it end just like that?
“TAIYO-KUN!!” I yelled.
Taiyo-kun peeked his head out the window.
“Ittekimasu!” I said.
He took a moment to reply.
“Itterashai.”
A single tear trailed down my cheeks.
The train began to leave.
It was really about to be over.
I watched the train slowly become smaller until it could no longer be seen.
And just like that, Taiyo-kun was gone.
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