Sakura

Chapter Three

Practice games have been stressing out Yuta lately. Playing in an international soccer league has always been his dream. A dream he easily got because of passion and determination.

He was in fifth grade when he realized what he wanted, to play soccer full time. He's happy that his parents are supportive of this dream. That she encouraged him to do what his heart wants.

He should have done the same for her.

A blue envelope was on top of the box. Maybe that was the letter he was reading before heading to bed last night. Letter number fifty-five. The realization of her dreams.

He's been reading it countless times that by now, he memorized how her letters start.

'Hi, Yuta. How is soccer going?'

It would make him smile. Her cursive penmanship and the little doodles at the edge of the paper.

'I think I just found my dream. I want to be a mom someday.'

He remembered how it surprised him. She likes to draw. Back in elementary school, she would always tell everyone that she'll be an illustrator or an artist. Now that she's in her second year of college, she wants to be a mom?

But her explanation of how amazing kids are, how their eyes widen in curiosity made him convinced that this is really what she wants. She's always like that, she notices the little things in life. Yuta never imagined her as a mom before, she's so childish when they're together.

But now, she's different. More matured. More responsible. Like a mom. She really did achieve her dream. Chicago had done so much to her.

—-

It was the last day of their tenth grade. Yuta was lying down on the grass, his head on Y/N's lap. He just came from soccer practice and his body is already beat that he just wanted to lie down and sleep. But his mind had been whirling, unable to focus on just sleeping. "Are you really going to Chicago?" he asked, which made the girl nod. "Can't you just stay here? You can just stay at our house. My mom can talk to your mom."

But she just smiled. "There's only me and eomma left, I can't get separated from eomma." Yuta hummed, that's true. "I also don't want her to miss the opportunity of going to Chicago."

"But it's halfway across the globe. It's nighttime there then daytime here," he said, sitting down with his back facing her. He doesn't want to look at her right now. "You promised that we'll go to the same college."

"I did. But Yuta, you'll go to sports and I'll be an art major, we won't be together as well." She reasoned out. "Besides, I'll write to you whenever I have the chance. I'll tell you everything."

He pouted that made her laugh. They're already high school students yet he still looks like a child. "You'll have to learn English." She giggled at that. Of course, she has to. And he wished that it was enough to stop her from going somewhere that's 13 hours away by plane?

—-

"Just tell her that you're in love with her," Taeyong claimed once while they're cleaning their homeroom. What? "Maybe that will stop her from going away."

"I'm not in love with her," Yuta said loud enough that his voice echoed through the room. Luckily, there's only him and Taeyong. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Taeyong just shrugged, feeling hopeless at his friend. The door opened and she peeked into the room, checking if they're finished with their cleaning. "Yah, let's eat tteokbokki."

It was their favorite hang-out place, a tteokbokki near their school. And although Y/N can't eat so spicy foods, Yuta would always ask for a mild one with lots of cheese. Taeyong would always share things happening in the broadcast club and she would share things from the art club. Yuta, as competitive as he is, would share things from the sports club.

But today, he's just staring at the plate of cheesy rice cakes. "Yuta, are you alright?" Y/N asked which made him nod, staring at her. He took some tissues to wipe her fingers full of the sauce that made Taeyong smile.

"You're going to miss this when you go abroad." She only nodded. Taeyong just watched the two of them. "Oh, I forgot. I have to do something, I'll go first." And he just left, surprising the two of them. Y/N mumbled that he is weird and Yuta nodded.

His phone vibrated, a message from Taeyong 'Tell her you love her'. Yuta rolled his eyes, closed his phone, and kept it in his pocket.

His first regret. He really should have done it.

—-

It was still 4 am when Yuta's phone vibrated that woke him up. He almost sat up in surprise that startled his manager. "What happened?" Mark asked, completely woken up. The older just shook his head that made the younger go back to laying on his bed.

"Mark!" The younger sat up in annoyance. "She messaged me." Who? Yuta showed the younger one his phone that has a message from someone named Y/N. 'Yuta, it's Y/N. Can I call you?' "Mark, what should I do?"

The younger clicked the small phone button on top of the screen that startled Yuta. Her voice can be heard saying hello and Yuta coughed lightly to regulate his voice. "Hi. Sorry for disturbing you." She said that made him shake his head. "You have a game today, right?" How did she know that? "Jae told me."

"Yeah. Later." He answered coolly and he heard Mark chuckle. He threw a pillow at him. "Are you watching?"

She hummed. "Jae didn't go to school today. He wanted to watch you." He didn't go to school? "Now, he doesn't want to eat lunch. So, can you talk to him?" She asked shyly. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Yuta."

"It's fine. Let me talk to him." He heard shuffling in the background as well as her voice calling out for him. A cheerful hello can be heard and he lightly chuckled, "Hi, Jae. It's Yuta."

"Are you practicing now?" he asked but before Yuta could answer, he raced him in talking. "You have to win the game. I know you'll do great." He smiled, leaning on his bed, just hearing his voice. "Eomma and I will be cheering for you, samchon."

Yuta chuckled. He's so cute. "Okay. I'll do my best, buddy. But please listen to your mom and eat lunch." A whine escaped his lips that made the older laugh. "You can't cheer loudly if you don't eat." He was about to revolt when he continued, "And I can't score if you can't cheer loudly."

"Okay. I will eat lots and lots so you can score a lot of goals." Yuta laughed. He's so cute.

He heard how Jae called for his mom saying that he's going to eat and to give him lots of rice so he can cheer loudly. "Thank you," Y/N said from the other line, and Yuta smiled. "He's so talkative. It's new."

He is. "You were like that when you were young." He heard her giggle and he smiled. "The game will air at ten pm in Korea. Are you going to wait that long?"

She gasped, obviously surprised. "Jae will get mad at me if he misses it." Yuta chuckled once again. "Thank you for your time, Yuta. You can go back to practice now. Sorry."

"It's still 4 am here." She muttered an 'Oh my God' that made him laugh. "It's fine. I'm going to train early." That took Mark's attention.

When Yuta put down his phone, his manager just shook his head. "You sound like a dad talking to his wife and children," Mark commented.

He threw a pillow at him while watching him head to the bathroom then shook his head. That's not a bad thought.