Never to Forever

ɢ ʀ ᴀ ᴅ ᴜ ᴀ ᴛ ɪ ᴏ ɴ

f l a s h b a c k

Today.

Today is the last day.

I'm not going to the same university as any of them.

And I'm definitely not going to college with him. 

"Winona Kyun."

A standing ovation follows. 

"Valedictorian. Congratulations Miss Kyun."

"Please come up to the stage to retrieve your diploma and award." 

There was microphone feedback for a few seconds.

As my heels clack against the floor and my skinny 5'7 figure comes into view, I feel a pair of eyes follow me from the area around my seat. They follow me onto the stage, and they are replaced by the entire audience below the stage.

All I can do is smile fakely and think to myself,

What good do grades do?

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She's just great. 

Winona Kyun. 

I wish, in the future,

it will be Winona Park.

I can't control my eyes.

They just flutter to her.

I bet she knew it was me since I sat a row and a few seats away from her.

You know what, I'm going to tell her.

The boys know.

Her friends know.

It's just her that doesn't know.

Winona...

it's just you that doesn't know how much I love you.

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Finally. 

It's over.

And I can tell him.

It's the last day of high school for everyone.

We're not going to the same college so if he doesn't like me, then we'll never see each other again and life will go on. 

Right?

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Let's tell him. 

"Hey Winona. Graduation is tiring, isn't it?" He smiled his signature smile and I felt my spirit say 'yEeTuS dEleTuS' and fly away. 

"Yeah, I got super sleepy." I laughed and walked beside him, through the school garden.

He walks down the dirt path and stops by the pond.

Lotus flowers.

My birth flower.

"I've always loved this pond because it reminds me of someone." He smiles and bends down to look at the fish in the pond.

"Oh. Who does it remind you of?" I ask quietly, just to make sure no one's here trying to spy on him and I.

"You."

My eyes widen.

"Me? Why me?" I point at myself softly.

"Your birthday is July 3rd. Your birth flower is lotus." He announces matter-of-factly, his eyes never straying from the fish.

"Oh." 

Goddamn it Winona, couldn't you have said something more intelligent, you got a goddamn valedictorian award, where the fuck did your intelligence go?

"There are three things I want to say. One, you already know, whenever I pass this pond I think of you." He finally stands up and looks at me.

"Two, I like you very very much, and I hope we can be together in the future."

What?

Am I hearing correctly?

"Oh. Haha, uhm, thing is, I like you a lot too. And it's been a long time I've liked you." I blabber like I had no time to speak.

"Oh. Goddamn, really?"

I nod quickly.

"Well, let me say my third announcement."

"Go ahead." I look down at my feet and exhale.

"Close your eyes."

I close them tight.

"Are they closed?"

"Mhm, they are." I reply softly.

"Okay, open your eyes." His soft voice seems to be nearby.

Holy shit.

Is that a ring?