The End of a Chapter. Part 2

The whole group of us sat in the café Misako and I visited way back in the previous year on our first date. The old man, Mister Ichiban, was surprised by the number of people that came in together. We were seated at a big table suited for all of us. I sat beside Hiroshi, Yuta and Misako’s mother. The rest kept their distance from me. I did not know what to say, I kept my head down. Mister Ichiban took our large order of drinks, and he left promptly.

“David.” My father said to me.

I kept still.

“David, look at us.” Mister Mitamo said.

I did not know what to do, I continued keeping my head down.

“Look up, David!” Misako yelled.

I did as she asked. In front of me, was a large white and blue cake. Misako and her half-sister, Yuki, held it in front of me. There were large letters on the cake, and the number “22” on top of it.

“Wh-What?” I asked.

“Happy Birthday, David!” The whole group yelled in unison.

I could not respond accurately:

“W-Why?” I asked.

“It’s your birthday, you dumb Alien!” Yuta yelled.

“Did you forget?” Missus Mitamo asked.

“No…why are you all here?” I asked, “Dad? Why are you here?”

“Why not? I am not allowed to?” He laughed.

“David, it’s your birthday. Your father came to celebrate with us.” Misako’s mother stated.

“Yeah, so eat up! Don’t be sad anymore!” Yuki said.

“You think we forgot about your birthday?” Missus Takahashi said.

“He definitely did think that. My best friend thinks we’re as dumb as him!” Hiroshi laughed.

I felt emotions rush through me like a cyclone. I held myself from letting them out. I promised myself to leave; to never cause harm or emotional scarring ever again.

“David,” Misako started, staring at me, “You’ve been a real dummy the past few months, but I forgive you, because I still love you. We are all here today to say Thank You, David. Thank you for being you. Thank you for bringing us together. Thank you for reconnecting me with my mother, and my past. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for saving Yuta, for saving me, for saving Hiroshi. Thank you for finding Hitomi’s watch. Thank you for coming to Japan. Happy Birthday, David.”

I could no longer hold in my emotions.

I cried.

I cried like a baby.

I let myself break down in front of everyone.

Hiroshi put a firm, but comforting hand on me.

“I definitely don’t forgive you; I haven’t studied one bit for final exams yet.” He snidely jested.

“How is that my fault?” I asked in between my sessions of waterfalls.

I could hear them all laugh. I wiped my tears from my face, but my vision was blurry. I looked at every single one of them. And they all smiled. I couldn’t believe myself, I let my own self-hatred put me off from being happy, like they were.

“I-I’m sorry, everyone. I’m sorry for being the way I was. I’m sorry.” I spoke.

“You better!” My Dad howled, “These people have all been telling me how great a kid you are!”

“David, there’s still time, let’s all just celebrate the festive season, together. You were the one that helped our kids, you were the one that brought them peace.” Miss Ishihara said.

I nodded.

“Can we eat now, PLEASE.” Yuta asked abruptly, “I’m HUNGRY.”

‘I Love these people. In a year, I’ve made such amazing, wonderful people.’

“Let’s eat, everyone.” I spoke.

And our group celebrated. We celebrated straight into the depths of the evening. We celebrated like it was our last day on Earth. We ate, until we couldn’t eat anymore. We laughed until our stomachs ached. We drank until we were not allowed to drink anymore. Yuta and Yuki had come up with a dance to repel aliens from attacking Earth. Hiroshi tried to flirt with the waitress, who was the granddaughter of Mister Ichiban the café owner. Unfortunately, I saw my father flirt with Misako’s mother all evening. Mister and Missus Mitamo told me stories about Hitomi when she was a child, stories I could never retell to anyone in my lifetime. Mister and Missus Takahashi lectured me on how to apologize to Misako properly; I took as much information in from them. Though, I could not conversate too much with Misako herself. I waited for us to go outside the café before I decided to really speak to her.

“Misako, can we talk?” I asked her as we stood outside.

“Oh, so you want to talk now?” She responded.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing, it was a joke.”

“Sorry.”

“Ugh, just push my chair already!” She commanded.

We moved along the night sky. Walking slowly, slowly. I swallowed, I needed to apologize, properly to her. We then walked past the old park from may months ago; the park I carried her to after we lost her wheelchair in the taxi.

“David, let’s go and talk there.” Misako said to me.

“Okay.”

I pushed her through the grass and placed her next to the bench. As I sat down she huffed:

“Excuse me?” She exclaimed.

“W-What?”

“What about me?” She asked.

“Oh, sorry…”

I picked her up. It brought me back to months ago. I seated her carefully on the bench. I sat beside her, admiring the stars above.

“How have your studies been? Our final exams are coming up.” She asked me.

“Okay, no issues. You?”

“If I’m honest with you, I haven’t studied one bit.”

“What? Why haven’t you?” I asked.

“I was worried about you for months. Obviously, that isn’t the main reason. I wanted to study with you.” She replied.

I held the fabric on my pants until my knuckles turned white.

“It’s my fault then…” I stated.

“No, I made the choice not to study, you dummy.”

‘Just say it…’ A voice rumbled within me.

“Misako!” I yelled.

“W-What? Why are you yelling?” She said, startled.

“I am SORRY. I thought that leaving you…and Hiroshi…and everyone else…was the best choice. I thought I only caused pain. I thought it was better to just-”

Before I could complete my apology, she kissed me on the lips.

“Shut up.” She blurted.

We separated. Her mouth was warm, soft. A feeling I missed.

“Now, we’re even.” She chuckled.

We sat together again. Misako rested her head on my shoulder as we held hands, admiring the sky.

“You promised we would be together through everything, through the pain and misfortunes. You lied.” She began.

“It’s my fault. It really is.”

“I love you, David. I want to spend my life with you. When you refused to speak to me, I felt like dying.”

“I don’t want to do that to you ever again.”

“We go through everything, together. We share everything, together. You hear me?”

“I do.” I agreed.

I gripped her hand tight, I was an idiot to abandon her, to abandon my friends. I made the choice that day, to never do that again.

“Misako, thank you.” I said to her.

From the darkness, Mister Mitamo appeared to greet us with Yuta asleep on his back.

“So, kids, when are we going to fix my daughter’s pocket watch?” Mister Mitamo asked.

Misako and I looked at one another.

“You never fixed it yet?” I asked her.

“Of course not, we’re going to fix it together.” She replied.

I looked at Mister Mitamo, he had a gentle smile on him.

“I want to go on a date with Misako tomorrow, for Christmas. But afterwards, we will visit you and fix Hitomi’s watch, together.” I decided.

“Together.” Misako agreed.

Misako and I held our hands together tightly, one might think we were trying to solder them together.