Great Pretenders

A Chance of Happiness Chapter 29: Great Pretenders

No matter how hard we try, no matter how much we wish it were so, nothing ever lasts forever. One moment it can feel like nothing can go wrong, surrounded by the people you care about. The next, you realize all too late that just like the memories and dreams, they all eventually… disappear.

In the fitness center, Vernon and Ayaka stood face to face, completely in shock. In that moment, there was no single word that could possibly describe the emotions running through the both of them.

“Is this some kind of joke? Why… is he here?” Ayaka thought to herself as she gathered her thoughts. “I’m not… ready for this…”

Across from her, thoughts began to run rampant in Vernon’s head too. “She’s here… why is she here? Did he… do this…?”

Ayaka took a couple steps back towards the doorway. “I can’t… do this…” Ayaka took another step back.

Vernon took a step forward. “I won’t…” Vernon grabbed Ayaka’s wrist as she continued to back away, startling her. “... mess this up!”

“W-What are you doing?!” Ayaka tried to escape from Vernon’s grip in a panic.

“We… need to talk.” Vernon looked her dead in the eyes with a determined expression.

“I can’t…” Ayaka whispered as her thoughts began to spiral. “I don’t want you to tell me to my face… I already know…”

“Why not?!”

“... that you hate me.” Ayaka broke free from Vernon's grip and took another step back. “I’m not ready! Not for this!”

“Neither am I!” Vernon yelled, his expression starting to break down. “But I’m still here… even though you hate me… I can’t…”

Ayaka’s expression quickly shifted to show her surprise as her thoughts continued to spiral. “He thinks…”

“I won’t… leave things like this!”

“But I don’t…”

“Even if it's just for a moment, even if you never want to see me again…”

“No… that’s not it… I…”

“I need to tell you… how much… you mean to me!”

Before Vernon could continue, Ayaka ran up and hugged him with so much force that it nearly knocked him over. Vernon extended his arms in surprise as Ayaka sobbed into his chest. The two fell to their knees as Vernon lowered his arms to hug her back.

“Ayaka… what are you…”

“Just shut up… you idiot.” Ayaka tightened her grip around him. “I never said… that I hated you…”

Vernon’s expression gradually shifted to show relief as he began to cry.

“But I thought…”

“Just… stop. Don’t think… just… talk instead… you’ve never been any good at thinking anyways.”

“That’s rich… coming from you…”

“Maybe it is…”

The two sat in silence for a moment. Surrounded by the relief and comfort from their company. And if only for that brief fleeting moment, they felt as if the world was simply standing still.

Vernon patted Ayaka’s head for a moment. “I really am sorry. For everything. I ignored you… gave you the wrong idea… and I never gave you a reason for doing any of it. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you what was going on because I was too overwhelmed with everything going through my head, and I… didn’t want you to worry.”

“Consider your mission not accomplished.”

“I guess I deserve that.”

“You probably deserve a lot more. But you… probably deserve an apology too.”

“But you didn’t–”

“Shut up.” Ayaka put her hand up to cover Vernon’s mouth. “I’m… sorry too. Even though I didn’t know the reason I still saw you struggling and yet… I couldn’t bring myself to ask. So I just played pretend and hoped that you would reach out to me, because I was too afraid to reach out to you. It was never my intention… to let things get to this point… I just wanted things to go back to the way they were…”

“Consider your mission not accomplished.” Vernon snarked as Ayaka lightly shoved him, holding her hand as he removed it from covering his mouth. “But I…” Vernon held her hand with both of his. “... don’t want things to go back to the way they were.”

“W-What? But…”

“I want things to be better. I… want to be better. To you. I don’t want to go back to hiding or playing pretend. I want to be the best version of myself, even if it means learning to accept the parts that I don’t want to show to anyone. But… you deserve that and more…”

“Wha-Wha-What are you saying?!” Ayaka shifted her position, slightly flustered.

“It’s okay… if you don’t feel the same way… but sometimes… I really do hate you.”

“Huh?” Ayaka tensed up in surprise.

“You’re arrogant, hot-headed, impatient, and at this point probably borderline abusive with the amount of times you hit me.” Vernon reached out and held Ayaka’s chin as he noticed her expression. “But sometimes… I think you’re incredible.”

Ayaka’s expression quickly shifted as Vernon continued.

“You’re talented, awe-inspiring, ambitious, considerate, and… beautiful.”

Ayaka’s hand began to shake in Vernon’s as he held it to stabilize it. Her face was covered from her cheeks to her ears with redness.

“Sometimes… I might hate you… find you absolutely annoying from your taste in music. But the rest of the time and even when I can’t stand you… from the moment I met you… I think…”

One moment it can feel like nothing can go wrong, surrounded by the people you care about. The next, you realize all too late that just like the memories and dreams, they all eventually… disappear. But that’s just the beginning.

Memories, experiences, and relationships can all fade away with time, but when some disappear, others can start to form. And some… still stay with you. Memories that etch themselves onto your very soul, reminding you of hardship and the lengths you went to overcome them. Experiences of joy, sorrow, and excitement that drive you to try new things. Relationships are no different. The ones that people fight for, preserve, and cherish can last a lifetime. Some relationships can become even more than they initially were… or bloom… into what they originally were to begin with.

Jin, Mina, and Kazuto sat in the shade under one of the class buildings near the fitness center.

Mina looked down at the ground. “Do you think… everything's going alright?”

“I wish I knew.” Jin began. “But… if I know Vernon… he won’t let this opportunity go.”

“To do all this for him… you really are amazing…”

“Thank you.”

Mina quickly covered her mouth, not realizing she said that out loud.

“And… your Mother? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“She’s still in the hospital. The doctors say there’s a chance she’ll wake up, they just don’t know when…”

“I’m sure it’ll be soon.”

Jin smiled. “Thank you. I hope so too.”

Kazuto leaned forward with a depressed expression on his face. “And all those things you said… I really can’t believe you managed to hide it all this time.”

“I… don’t know how either. It’s been so long and I don’t remember the last time I opened up to others… like this…” Jin looked back towards the fitness center. “I guess… we’re all just great pretenders.”