V2 - Saki's Determination: Part Three

 “It— it’s because Yumi told me about your decision.”

Katsumi’s mind went into panic mode. She told Akito about that? She let everyone know how I hurt her again? He expected it, but still, he didn’t actually think it would happen.

Scenarios about how he’d be outcasted even more ran through his mind. As Katsumi’s mind was in a frenzy, Saki continued.

“Yumi told Yui and I that you sorted out your relationship and that you’d distance yourself from her.”

What?

“She seemed happy, like you finally did some maturing.”
That doesn’t make sense… Arata wasn’t happy about it…

“And even with how I feel about you… I have to admit, you made a good choice. And because of how fondly Yumi spoke of you, I thought I could maybe rely on you for this.”

That isn’t right… That’s all garbage. Arata wasn’t happy. She never said it was a mature thing for me to do. She lied…? for my sake? To make me look better? Arata… how much did you lie about? To get Akito to gloss over the addiction and everything else?

“Is that enough of an answer for you?” Saki asked.

“Y-yeah…” Katsumi struggled to make eye contact. He lingered in the doorway for a brief moment more, then left.

Arata said something like ‘I used to be in love with you,’ didn’t she? If she lost her feelings for me… why would she lie like that for me?

Katsumi let out a deep exhale.

You’re still in love with me, aren’t you?

Katsumi had been walking for ten-minutes, nearing campus. He thoughtlessly passed storefront after storefront, but as he walked by a tailor, a display showing off a familiar burgundy suit caught his attention.

He lingered for a short moment then shook his head to break the trance. He continued down the sidewalk.

There was a break in between classes. Katsumi’s previous one, English, and his next one, world history, took place in the same classroom. So naturally he lingered there during the break—sitting at a desk mindlessly gazing at a group of people.

That group wasn’t just anyone though, it specifically being Jackson, Saki, Yui and a few other of their friends. Including—

Arata…

Yui said something with a nervous smile and Saki laughed. Jackson gave a light smile and they went on talking.

Mayumi unexpectedly made eye-contact with him, causing it to dawn on him he’d been staring for way too long. He darted his eyes onto something else as quickly as he could.

Katsumi followed his usual route home, the same one he took almost daily. To combat the boredom of seeing the same scenery, storefronts, and often the same people, he sometimes tried to find ways to occupy his mind. This time, he counted the storefronts as they gradually appeared and disappeared from view.

He waited for the train to pass at a railroad crossing. The yellow and black arms slowly lowered as a dinging sound filled the air. Trees accompanied by a few bushes had slowly crept up on the crossing-signals over the last two decades—now slightly obscuring the white poles the lights were attached to.

“Yo.”

Out of the right corner of Katsumi’s vision stood an American man—Jackson.

“Yo…” Katsumi replied, slightly mocking his greeting.

Jackson took his place next to Katsumi—the commuter train rolled past them, filling their silence.

“I didn’t think you lived over here…”

“I don’t, no, but I wanted to ask you something.”

“You followed me for multiple blocks to ask a question?”

“Nah, I was heading this way to see a friend when I saw you, so I thought I’d intercept you.”

What’re you, a fighter-jet? Such a weird way to phrase it.

Jackson had an air about him that gave the vibe he could either build into his question with small talk—or he could cut straight to the point. And as someone would expect, Katsumi had zero interest in the small talk.

“So? What’s your question?”

A smile spread across Jackson’s face. “I just can’t get what Kiki told me about you and Arata out of my head…”

“Of course she had to tell you.”

Jackson smirked. “What she did tell me though felt off… I don’t know how to explain it.”

That’s right. Because Akito was lied to by Arata.

“It’s not hard to tell, Murakami, I think that what happened between you and Arata wasn’t the same as what I was told.”

As Jackson was getting uncomfortably close to the truth the two had crossed the tracks and were into the residential neighborhoods.

“You think Akito is in love with me? She seems unable to stop talking about me.”

“Hm… I think I’d call it more, ‘hateful obs ession’ rather than love.” Jackson matched Katsumi’s sarcasm.

“Sounds about right…”

“...Kiki was telling me more about you from back in high school.”

“Is that so?” Katsumi delivered the most unamused sounding sentence he ever had.

“I didn’t see you as the kind of person to help others as often as you did… The student council, assisting in arranging events for clubs, the festivals. She told me you were right there with them everytime. You even would go out of your way and help other students study.”

“It feels like she always has something to say about me ”

Jackson glossed over Katsumi’s comment as he continued his speech. “What I want to know is, why is it then when someone comes to help you, you push them away?”

“it wouldn’t have been fair if I accepted her help.”

“Self-destructive behavior like that only works for kids seeking attention.”

They reached an intersection and stopped—waiting for the crosswalk’s light to turn green.

“But I can understand why you stopped… It never leads anywhere. There’s always something else they want. Always another layer to discover and more problems that come with it.”

Katsumi met Jackson’s eyes. “...Yeah.”
“Anyways, it was nice chatting. I’ll see ya.” Jackson turned left and waved.

While watching Jackson’s back get further away, Katsumi’s memory of his conversation with Saki pricked in his head.

Haa~ damnit…