Bittersweet Memory : Unforgotten Past

“Arima-kun! Don’t do that!”

Saito senpai pulled me away from the rail. When does she arrive here?

“Please! Arima-kun, don’t do this again!”

With her trembling voice, she hugs me tightly. Her hug is filled with sincerity, and I can feel all the emotion she had now. It’s so warm. So, this is how the feeling when senpai is hugging me. Did she come here to find me? The rain continues pouring so hard now.

“Senpai, should we go inside now?”

“Yes.”

Both of us go back inside for now.

“Are you okay now, Arima-kun?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m okay now. Let’s return to where the other now.”

Saito senpai and I walk back to where Fujimiya senpai and others are gathering. When we arrived there, we found that Hiroshi’s mom had fainted upon hearing tragic news about his son. Hiroshi’s dad walking toward us.

“Thank you everyone for being my son and daughter’s friends. I don’t know how to respond your kindness.”

“Just call us if we can be some help to both of you, Hirota-san,” said Fujimiya senpai.

“Alright.”

Then, Hiroshi’s dad goes back to where his wife was treated. The time now is become quite late. We need to go back now. Minami said her aunty will pick her up later. She had call her aunty before. Takeda senpai offered to take Saito senpai and I home. In the car, Fujimiya senpai asked Saito senpai and I where we were before. She also asks why our clothe look so wet. Saito senpai tell the story about what really happen at the rooftop.

“Arima, I don’t know what to say. Tonight, you should have a nice rest. Never think too much about what happened earlier,” Takeda senpai said to me, try to give some comfort to me.

“Okay.”

We reach at my house. Takeda senpai are surprised to know that Saito senpai and I are neighbors. Saito senpai helping to explain to him about situation. Only Minami did not know about this. I thought I should tell her earlier, but I missed the chance to talk about it. After Takeda senpai and Fujimiya senpai bid us farewell and left, Saito senpai and I were left to our own devices. When I wanted to enter my house, Saito senpai stopped me and asked me.

“Arima-kun, are you okay?”

“Don’t worry about it. I am okay.”

“Can you stop saying ‘don’t worry about it’ ? “

“You should not worry about me senpai. I am okay.”

“But your face shows the opposite. Follow me to my house first. I don’t want to disturb another neighbor.”

“Wait senpai!”

Saito senpai pulled me into her house. What does she wants to do with me? I noticed this is first time I enter senpai’s house.

“You can sit on that sofa first. I will make hot chocolate for us.”

“But my cloth still wet. I should take a bath first and change my cloth.”

“I forgot about that. Can you come here again later after you take bath later? By the way. If you don’t come here later, I will spread weird picture of yours to other people.”

“Alright senpai.”

I return to my house first and take a bath. I change my cloth. I went to senpai’s house as promised. I knock on the door first. When Saito senpai the door, I am so surprise to see what senpai is wearing now. Saito senpai was standing there, dressed in nothing but a bath towel. My heartbeat so fast.

“Please come in, Arima-kun! I need to wear some clothes now. You can sit on the sofa first. The hot chocolate that I prepared; I have put on coffee table.”

“Okay, senpai.”

I sit on the sofa first. I take a sip of hot chocolate. It feels so delicious while it keeps my body warm. A few minutes later, senpai is dressed properly by wearing pink pajamas.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Then, can you tell me why you need to see me now?”

“For this hot chocolate.”

“Really?”

“I just want you to relax. “

I took a sip of hot chocolate again. It’s so delicious. I think my mind has become clearer now. my heart started to become lighter. Senpai decided to keep the lights off. The mood became so nice. The atmosphere becomes more peaceful. Saito senpai and I did not talk to each other for five minutes. To break the silence, I gathered my thoughts and started talking to Saito senpai.

“Senpai, do you want to hear about my story?’

“If it can ease your heart, I will hear the story.”

“This story begins with…”

We are best friends. All of us have plead to stay friends forever. We became friends since grade school.

“Everyone, I have divide all of you into groups. In one group, there are four students. Every group needs to write about the animal that I have assigned to all of you. Make sure that work done by next week.”

“Okay, sensei!!!”

“I will be the leader of this group. My name is Ono Kojima. Nice to meet you!”

“Kojima, who said you should became a leader?”

“Youta, you need to know that boy like me should become leader.”

“My name is Natsukawa Raina. Nice to meet you.”

“My name is Minato Minami! Nice to meet you.”

“My name is Arima Youta! Nice to meet you too!”

This is our starting point in before all of us start to know each other. For our group’s topic, we have been assigned to write about cats. Minami has a cat and we decided to write about her cat. Without knowing, we became much closer with each other. During our presentation, I can sense our teamwork also increase. After the presentation, we still became friends with each other.

“Guys, should we create our own group?” Suddenly, Raina asks us one day.

“What do you mean by that, Raina?” ask Minami.

“Look, we all have become close to each other, right? Maybe its nice for us to stay together like this.”

“I agree with that!” Kojima, who is quiet from before, stated his opinion.

“Leader-sama, you know what I mean.”

“Of course, Raina! How about you, Youta?”

“If everyone is happy with it, I’m in. How about you Minami?”

“I’m okay with it too!”

“Everyone agrees with the idea. What should we name our group?” asked Kojima as he really wanted to create a name for our group.

“Four friend together,” suggest Minami.

But Kojima said it don’t have impact and too simple. Instead, he tried to suggest naming our group as Four Musketeers. Then, Raina is not agree with that name as it don’t have its originality. I quite surprise she know the word originality as we still in grade school.

“Youta, do you have any idea?” ask Raina.

“Best friend forever.”

“I always heard about that. How about we name it as Fourever Buddies. I try to combine all the names that we suggested before,” said Raina.

“I like it, Raina!” said Minami.

“I agree with that name! It sounds cool to me,” Kojima tells his impression about the name.

“I think it’s a nice name. We should always use this name, Raina.”

“Really, Youta? I feel so happy hear that!”

“With this name, Fourever Buddies, will be use as our group’s name. I, Ono Kojima will always become leader.”

“Wait! I did not said that I approve you to become this group’s leader,” said Raina.

“I also don’t agree with Kojima become our leader,” Minami state her opinion.

I try to voice my opinion.

“Look, Kojima. You should not decide by yourself that you will become leader. Not everyone agrees with it.”

“No, this is challenge I need to face to become leader. I will strive to become the best leader to all of you!”

Minami, Raina, and I stopped voicing our opinion after hearing Kojima’s resolution to become the leader. We gave up on him. If he is happy, that’s fine.