Confession - II

Graduation was here. Kazuyuki and his friends prepared for their final day as high school students.

It had been a rough year for Kazuyuki. He spent the start of his final year trying to forget the girl that broke his heart, but despite eventually moving on, he had become cold and distant. It was only when Sanderson-sensei suggested he write his feelings on paper; Kazuyuki had turned away from the art of writing, but he decided to take up Sensei’s advice and write a short story based on his time in high school and his time with Fuyumi. This allowed him to properly move on and live his life like he used to, which made his friends very elated.

When entrance exams were incoming, all he did was revise and prepare for them. He was aiming for a university in the city. It was also the university that Fuyumi spoke about the most, so while he had convinced himself that he had moved on, a small part of him was hoping that he would see her there.

Graduation was an emotional time. Everyone was separating and going down their own paths: Kazuyuki and Kaede were going to the same university, Nori was going to study abroad, and Daisuke was taking up an apprenticeship in a well-known electricians company.

“I can’t believe we made it to this point.”

“Neither can I. It’s all so surreal.”

“Oh no. I think I’m going to cry.” Kaede said, wiping her teary eyes.

“We haven’t even graduated yet, and you’re already crying.”

“I bet you’ll cry as well, Ueno!”

“I will not!”

Daisuke cried throughout the entire ceremony.

When the ceremony ended, the students went to the front of the school to take photos and say their goodbyes. Kazuyuki went up to Sanderson-sensei.

“Congratulations on graduating.”

“Thank you, Sensei.”

“I read your new book. It’s short, but it manages to tell the story you wanted to tell well enough that it’s good.”

“Thank you.”

“Keep at it, okay?”

“Yes. I will try my best. Also, thank you, Sensei, for everything you’ve done for me.”

“The pleasure was mine. You’re going to go far, kid. I know it.”

“Sano-kun! Come over here quickly!”

“Thank you, Sensei.”

Kazuyuki returned to his group, and to his surprise, he found Ami, who had graduated a year ago, waiting for him.

“Ichikawa-senpai!”

“Congratulations on graduating, Sano-kun.” Ami said, giving him a big hug.

When everyone went home, Kazuyuki and Ami decided to take a stroll. March’s cool breeze and beautiful sunset made the walk feel calm and satisfying. They arrived at an isolated area and sat down on a bench.

“How does it feel to finally graduate?”

“It feels nice. I know I’m going to see my friends in the future, so I don’t feel too sad about it. And I’m excited to see what university is like.”

“Oh yeah, you’re coming to my university, right?”

“Yep. Kaede and I are both attending.”

“That’s great!”

“How has university been? It feels like I haven’t been able to ask you since you started.”

“It’s been good. The course I’m doing is pretty solid.”

“That’s good.”

“You’re going to be taking the same course as me, right?”

“Yep.”

“Nice.”

“Heh. I remember when you first asked me to join the Reporter’s club, I was hesitant due to past events with my father, but I’m happy you gave me that opportunity. It made me realise that I still had a passion for writing. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Sanderson-sensei’s the one who recommended you.”

“That’s true.”

“Sano-kun, I’m going to ask you a serious question, and I want you to answer truthfully. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“When we were in high school together, did you have feelings for me?”

“Huh? Ichikawa-senpai, why would you ask me a question like that?”

“Answer the question, Sano-kun.”

Accepting defeat, Kazuyuki decided to come clean and reply, “Yes. I had feelings for you.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologising?” She said in a panicked state.

“You were always so kind to me, and you cared about me. How could I not like you?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, I had feelings for you too.”

“What?”

“It’s true. I liked you more than anyone in my year.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kazuyuki paused. He wanted to admit that he was afraid to confess, so he didn’t.

“I wanted to confess many times, but I was too afraid to ruin our current relationship.” Ami said

“Did you know I had feelings for you?”

“I had a feeling you did.”

“I see.”

“I guess this was just unfortunate timing.”

“Yeah.”

The two sat there quietly. The awkwardness was elephantine.

“Sano-kun. Do you still like me?”

Kazuyuki paused. The girl that he liked was asking him if he still had feelings for her. He contemplated how he should reply. Did he still have feelings for her? Ami was a kind, gentle, and beautiful person. Anyone who knew her well would definitely have some sort of attraction to her. Remembering the times he spent with her and the way she treated him, he knew that she was someone he could lean on during hard times, and she was someone that he could love for the rest of his life. However, something had changed over the past few years, and Kazuyuki realised something about the feelings he harboured for her.

“No. Not anymore.”

“I see.”

“I used to like you so much, but now I think I’ve moved on. Ever since my first year of high school, you made me feel welcomed, and I was never alone because you were by my side. Eventually, people began to make rumours about us, and we would have to refute them. But it was at that time that I began to like you, but I didn’t want to ruin what we already had. A perfect friendship. So I decided to hold on to my feelings. Time went by, and you started dating other boys. I realised that you would never fall in love with me the same way I did with you, which I now know was a wrong assumption, so I gave up. There is still a small part of me that carries those feelings for you, and you will always have a special place in my heart. It’s just…”

“You like someone else now.”

“Yes.” He softly said

“I’m glad that you told me how you felt.” She took a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.

“What’s this?”

“I have a friend who works as a police officer now. He owed me a favour, so I asked him to search for someone’s address. He managed to find it in their database.”

“Is this…”

“Yes. That is Satō Fuyumi’s address.”

A rush of emotions engulfed Kazuyuki after he realised what he was holding in his hands. He had spent a good majority of his final year of high school trying to forget Fuyumi, but after receiving this, memories of their time together returned. The possibility of reconnecting with her made him feel both elated and anxious. But then a sense of worry overcame him, and he decided to hand the paper back to Ami.

“I don’t need it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t need to see her anymore. I mean, even if I did go up to her door and knock on it, what would I even say?”

“You tell her the truth about how you feel.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Sano-kun. This is your chance to tell her how you really feel about her. You have to do it before it’s too late. Don’t make the same mistake you and I made.”

“But what if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

“She does. I know she does. I’ve seen her eyes, and she looks at you the same way I looked at you when I fell in love with you.”

Tears began to fall from Ami’s face.

“Senpai…”

“Go to her. Tell her you like her.”

Kazuyuki contemplated what he should do, his heart wrestling with his conflicted emotions. He hadn’t seen her in a year, and to show up unannounced would be very shocking for her. But beneath that nervousness lay an unspoken desire – a yearning to tell her something. He wanted to tell her something that he should have told her when he had the chance. He took back the paper and looked Ami in the eyes.

“I’m going.”

“Go get her.”

Kazuyuki ran off, leaving a proud, yet heartbroken Ami by herself. He was given an opportunity to see her again and tell her how he felt, and he wasn’t going to let it go again.