The dream.

"Echoes of Love: A second chance."

[Chapter 30 Start]

The first part of the athletic test was now about to start. There were a total of 27 clubs participating. I changed into my club's uniform. To win the athletic test, The one with the highest points would win. There were a total of 900 points. 300 points from each part of the athletic test.

To win the whole club battles. You would need the highest points out of 2000. 900 points from the athletic test, 500 points from the written test, and 600 points from the festival test.

I reached the playground where the test was being held. Out of the 27 participants, only 15 of them looked like they could be troublesome. But the dangerous of them all, Jun was going to be there. However,

I couldn't find him.

There were a lot of participants showing off. But he wasn't there.

"Look Haruno, I'm going to win this event and bring our club to the top of the school!"

I heard Jun. He was coming to the playground... with Miki-san?

Our glances met.

"Oh! Iharu, you're here! Meet my friend Haruno, She's the vice president of the student council and our underclassmen. She's also my childhood friend!"

"Oh,"

"Haruno, he's the new friend I made. He looks the toughest out of everyone!"

We stared at each other in awe.

"Huh? What happened?" Jun confusedly asked.

"Hi, Kanamura-kun. Didn't expect this musclehead to be friends with you."

"Huh? You two already know each other?" Jun asked.

"Yes, We met today in the student council room. You know Chako-san right? He's her closest friend."

I was surprised to hear that Chako considered me the closest to her. I felt a spark of happiness.

I heard the bell indicating the race is now going to start. I firmly established my position and took my stance. Ready to go at any time. But I still felt uneasy. Uneasy because of the dream I had today.

It goes something like this:

I woke up in my hospital bed. I scanned around me to find Aoi sitting beside me slicing apples for me to eat. I felt happy and comfortable.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Aoi asked.

"Ah, yes. You were taken away from me. I couldn't get to you."

"I wouldn't go away from you without telling you." She chuckled as she replied.

All of a sudden, she fell. The scene had now changed. I was standing in a plain black void as Aoi kept falling. I reached as far as I could, but it wasn't enough to reach her. An arm wrapped around my arm, pulling it backward.

"It's okay, It's alright. I'm here. You need no one, for I am the only one for you. Let her fall and die. You only need me." I turned around to find Saika beside me with a crazed look. I pushed her away.

"NO! YOU NEED NO ONE! I AM HERE! DON'T PUSH ME AWAY!"

The scene changed again. I was standing in a garden, and in front of me were 4 kinds of different flowers. White ones, Blue ones, Purple ones, and Pink ones. The white flowers started to wither and in no time, destroyed themselves. It was now nothing more than a graveyard of flowers. I still had three kinds of flowers left.

I go back to my house and sleep. The next day I woke up to find the purple flowers half withered. I watered them as much as I could. I went back home and slept again. I woke up to find the purple flowers recovered. There seemed no form of a day-night cycle. I went back home and slept. I woke up and reached the garden to find...

Nothing.

There was nothing. Everything disappeared. I tried my best to dig and search for flowers yet none were present.

All of a sudden, I heard a scream and woke up in real life.

I called Aoi to find out if she was alright. I felt a sense of relief to find nothing happened. Yet, I felt uneasy.

"It's okay my enemy! Give me everything you got!" Jun said as he gave me a shoulder pat.

I snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, You're right."

"I shouldn't let a dream drag me down." I thought.

I saw Chako looking at me with eyes full of compassion.

"3,2,1, Start!"

[Chapter 30 End]