Chapter Twenty
“Riko-chan, didn’t Aiko contact you to tell you that she’s absent today?” Yuto have asked Riko during their lunch break. As a usual practice, four of them have went up to the rooftop to have their lunch. This time, was Yamada turn to get ready the lunch-boxes. Slowly, Yamada laid out the layers of the lunch-boxes, and picked out the pickles from one of them- it was because his boyfriend hates them.
Picking up the eggs from his lunch-box, he placed it over to another one. “But Sugihara-san doesn’t seemed to be the irresponsible person,” Yamada commented, as he picked up the box of food and pass it over to Yuto.
“Yu-kun, here, this is yours, without pickles,”
“Thank you, Yama-chan,” Yuto took it over, and nodded his head, agreeing to what Yamada have said earlier on. Yamada then took up the layer with have the most eggs inside, and passed it over to Riko. “This is yours, Riko-chan,”
Riko have reached over for the box and used her chopsticks to pick up one slice of the egg. Yet, before the egg reaches her mouth, she placed it back into the bowl. “Riko, what’s wrong?” Yuto asked. “I don’t have the appetite to eat, I’m worried for Aiko, I feel like something must have happened to her,she..” Riko stopped, and looked over to the Chinen who was sitting across her. “She… must have her own reasons,”
Chinen looked up, and realized Riko was looking at him. Smiling, he took over the lunch-box that was nearest to him, and started using his own chopsticks to pick up the contents inside the box to eat as well. “Chinen, I thought you don’t eat ginger?” Yamada asked when he realized Chinen picking up the Japanese ginger. Chinen stopped, and looked down. He was thinking so much that he didn’t realize he was about to put his hated ginger into his mouth. Putting the ginger back, and placing the box down, Chinen then said, “I’m done,” and he stood up, and left the rooftop.
“Chinen.. I wonder if he’s fine.” Yamada asked, as he looked worriedly at Chinen’s back.
“I’ll go after him,” Riko said, as she followed Chinen, placed her lunch-box down, and ran after Chinen.
“Yu-kun, I’m worried,” Yamada muttered after Riko have left the rooftop. “Worried for?” Yuto asked, as he placed down his own lunch-box on his hand, and turned towards Yamada. Yamada stopped what he was doing, and looked up to the sky. “Don’t you feel that something bad, terrible is going to happen?”
“Ah.. I feel that too,” Yuto commented. He then placed his hands under the chin of Yamada, and tilted his face till his face is diagonally facing Yuto. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Yuto smiled. Slowly, he closed the gap between the both of them, as their lips started to slowly to friction each other, enjoying both of their lips’ taste.
“Yu-kun..” Yamada muttered once again, once they break apart. Yamada lay onto Yuto’s chest area, while Yuto hand slowly runs through Yamada’s hair. “I’m here Yama-chan, don’t worry, I’ll protect you, there’s nothing to be scared of,”
Yamada just slightly nodded his head, as he allowed his hand to run towards the back of Yuto’s.
“Chinen-kun! Wait!” Riko have chased after Chinen, and was panting non-stop. Why does he walk so fast!? Chinen finally stopped when he heard his name, and turned around. “Takasugi-san?”
“Mou! You walk too fast!” Riko complained, when she finally stopped, with both of her hands on her knees, as she tried to catch her breadth. “What’s wrong?” Chinen asked. Riko took in deeper breadth, and faced up. “Chinen-kun, are you fine?”
Chinen gave a questioning look. “Ah! I’m fine, don’t worry,” Chinen assured Riko. Riko gave a doubtful look, and Chinen looked away. “I.. I’m intending to go to Ai-chan’s house today after school, I.. I’ll probably ask her personally,”
“I’ll go with you,” Riko volunteered. She then gave Chinen a thumb-up sign. “Don’t worry! I trust Aiko-chan!” Chinen smiled, and turned and walked back to his classroom.
“Chinen-san, can I speak to you for a moment?” Chinen glanced back, and realized it was Hiroyuki. They both walked over to the corner of the classroom, and started talking. A tense atmosphere surfaced, and most of their classmates just decided to avoid them.
“You are Saito Hiroyuki right?” Chinen said, as he glanced up and down. “Yea,” Hiroyuki said. “What do you want from me?” Chinen asked, obviously pissed off. What does this jerk wants from him?
“I .. I just want to tell you, I..” Hiroyuki looked up and down. Chinen eyed him for awhile, before he went saying, “Look here, I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t know why, but somehow you’re pissing me off with your face, and attitude,” Chinen finally said, before he pushed Hiroyuki away and went back to his own seat.
Lessons were boring as usual, and Chinen was looking forward to after school, as he probably gets the
chance to see Aiko again. “Alright, lesson ends here,” the last period teacher finally ends off the lesson. When everybody has bowed finish, the teacher have walked over to Chinen’s table, and told him something, with made him to take his bag and headed over to the teacher’s room. Afraid that something might be wrong, the three of them waited outside the staffroom. It took a very long time, before Chinen left the staffroom. By the time he left, it was nearly 8pm.
“Chinen! What took you so long?” Yuto asked, as he ran over to Chinen when he saw him coming out. “I don’t know! The teacher is acting weird! First, he asked me about my plans of my future, then he told me to stay on, and wait for his meeting to end, and that he had something to talk to me! Then, after his meeting, which took more than three hours, he said he had nothing to say to me, and permitted me to leave after I counted the papers for him. Then, he keeps insisting I counted wrongly! He ask me to count over and over again, until now, he said it’s okay to leave!” Chinen complained, as he slammed his bag onto the table.
“Now I have no time to go over to Ai-chan’s house! It’s so late, and my parents will be worried!” Chinen grumbled. “Thanks to the teacher, my plan is ruined!”
“Chill down Chinen. There’s tomorrow!” Yamada commented, as he patted Chinen’s back. Chinen then picked up his bag, and sighed. “Well, there’s no choice. Let’s get going. Sorry to make you guys wait for me for so long,” Chinen apologized. The other three shake their head, and walked back home.
Throwing her bag across the room, Riko slumped down onto her bed.
“Riko-chan, I’m sorry, one day .. you’ll .. understand, one day..”
Aiko’s sentence echoed inside Riko’s head. What did she mean by that sentence? What did Aiko meant by ‘you’ll understand one day,’
Riko stood up, and rummaged through my drawer. She took out the necklace that was hidden into a box. “Aiko-chan, didn’t you say you’ll not hide anything from me, and that.. we’re friends forever?” Riko mumbled, as she looked at the necklace, with the carvings of ‘Friends’.
“Aiko,” a voice called for her. She turned around, and saw Hiroyuki behind her. “Ah, Hiro-kun,” Aiko smiled, as she quickly hide away her necklace. It was indeed a necklace with the word, ‘forever’.
“A..Are you sure about this?” Hiroyuki mumbled, as he settled down beside Aiko. Aiko sheepishly smiled, and nodded her head. “I’ve no choice, Hiro-kun. I hope you understand,”
“Yea,” Hiroyuki answered. Then he stood up, and left Aiko alone there.
There’s no way Hiroyuki will understand. Only Chinen will understand her, right, Chii?
“Class, please settle down! It’s time for homeroom!” the form teacher came in, as he clapped his hand, for the attention of the class. The whole class grumbled, before they went back into their own seat. Riko turned to her side, the seat was still empty.
“Alright, I have something to announce!” the teacher replied, as he looked around the class. He then looked over to the empty seat beside Riko. Then, he diverted his eyes to another location. Riko, Yamada, Yuto and Chinen followed. It was Saito Hiroyuki’s seat. But, he wasn’t there.
“Class, due to some family problems, Sugihara-san and Saito-san have quitted from school, and return back to Singapore. Let’s hope that they’ll have a safe journey,” the teacher commented.
Riko looked over to Yuto, then Yamada, and lastly, at Chinen. Unable to understand, Riko rose up her hand. “Yes, takasugi-san?”
“Sensei! What do you mean, return?”
“They’re going back to Singapore,”
“When?”
“Takasugi-san, this is not the time to be asking such a question,”
“But I—“
“Please settle down now!”
Riko have no choice but to settle down. She looked over to the other three, before she decided to corner the teacher after the lesson and probed her on every single question she wanted to know.
“Sensei!” Riko called out. Behind her, was Chinen, Yamada, and Yuto.
“Is there anything the matter, Takasugi-san?”
“Sensei! Please tell us when is Aiko-chan leaving Japan! We want to bid her goodbye,” Riko begged, as she bowed down. The other three followed. The teacher looked at them, and sighed. “Actually.. I didn’t really agreed to Sugihara-san doing this either, after all, it’s only left with half a semester. But either way, I promised her. Sorry, Chinen-san, for keeping you that day. It was Sugihara-san request, since she didn’t want you to go and find her,” the teacher paused, and Chinen’s eyes was widening.
“They’re both departing back this evening, one hour from now,”
“Both? You mean.. Saito and Aiko is going back together?!” Riko shouted. The teacher jumped, but nodded his head. She then looked over to Chinen, who already seemed like he had the urge to rush over to the airport.
“Go!” Yuto shouted towards Chinen. “Go!” Yamada followed. Riko looked over to the pair, and grabbed Chinen by the wrist; they rushed over to the airport. Who cares whether they have lesson in the evening?
“Aiko! Aiko!” Riko shouted in the airport. She was finding for Aiko frantically. There is no time, Aiko’s aeroplane is departing soon.
“SQ2345 departing for Singapore, last call. Please check in now. I repeat, SQ234d departing for Singapore, last call.”
Riko cursed and sweared as she saw Chinen lacked the motivation. She then held onto Chinen’s wrist, and ran towards the Check-In section. Then, when they were about to give up, she saw a familiar figure.
“AIKO!” Riko shouted. There was no way Aiko could hear her. She was already on her way deeper into the Check-In place, and on her hand was her luggage, with Hiroyuki’s hand over her shoulders. Chinen looked at Aiko’s figure diminishing into the crowd.
“Takasugi-san, it’s alright. It’s fine,” Chinen replied, as he patted onto Riko’s shoulders. Riko turned over, and she boxed the panel of the airport. “Damn it! Why didn’t Aiko say anything?!”
“This is probably the ending she wants,” Chinen replied, as he turned around and walked away. “This is her way of saying, ‘I’m doing back with Hiroyuki,’”
The clouds started looming across the sky. Then, rain started falling down, washing away the trails of tears found on Chinen’s face. Yuto and Yamada have rushed out of the school when Riko contacted them. Holding the umbrella in one hand, Yuto and Yamada have shared their umbrella. “Chinen-kun, don’t catch a cold,” Riko said, as she ran over and sheltered Chinen from the rain.
All Riko remembered for that day was that- it was the first time she could see Chinen’s tears, although it was covered up by the rain. It was the first time a person’s tears could hurt her heart so much too.
It was a few months later that all the three of them have graduated from the high school, and moved on to universities. Unexpectedly, all of them have got into the same school, although it’s different lessons that they learnt.
On the day of the graduation ceremony, Yamada and Yuto, the little couple, decided to go back to the classroom to have a last look of their times around here.
Riko and Chinen was behind. Both of them have become the best friend, right after that day. “Riko-chan! Remember, this is where you punch me,” Chinen said, as he went to the area, and lied down to the position where he got punched by Riko. Riko laughed, as she slapped onto Chinen’s head. “Mou, Chii! Stop reminding me!”
Chinen laughed, as he got up.
Four of them started burst into laughter, with the YamaJima pair holding onto their hands. They knew they’re going to be together from now onwards- the four of them.
Just when they’re about to leave, their eyes scanned through the classroom, and Chinen decided to stop by Aiko’s table. “It didn’t really changed much, just that someone’s missing,” Chinen commented, as he touched the top of her table. Riko smiled, as she followed to the side of Chinen. “It’s useless, she’s cutting all the ways that I could contact her,” Riko gave a bitter smile.
Chinen then realized a few words was carved on the top of Aiko’s table. Bending down, he read out the words.
"Thank you for the times here."
Chinen smiled. Aiko did have an enjoyable time when she was here. Although he could not get to be her ‘only one,’ and didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to her, but.. at least he knows that, she enjoyed her time here.
And that was the most important thing to Chinen.