Fallen

The confession

I then smiled and asked, "Who are you?" She let out a relieved smile and replied, "My name is Kako Miyu. Hitori, we've known each other since we were kids. We used to be neighbors before everything happened. But never mind that, how have you been?" I looked at her, grateful for the familiar face, and responded, "I'm doing fine, thanks for asking."

Kako mumbled something under her breath, but I couldn't make out the words. Lunchtime came around, and suddenly Hideki burst into the room, pushing me out with Kako following closely behind. "Bro, this reminds me of before you left. We would always eat together," Hideki said with a smile. They led me to the rooftop, and memories started flooding back, causing a throbbing pain in my head. I needed to escape this place, the overwhelming emotions becoming too much to handle.

Without saying a word, I excused myself and ran in a random direction, tears streaming down my face. I screamed in frustration, feeling lost and confused. "Where am I? Who was I?" Kako appeared behind me and embraced me tightly. "Welcome back, Hitori. I missed you. We've all been worried about you since you left, and I'm sorry for what I did. I've always loved you, but I didn't know how to express it when..."

I pushed her away abruptly, unable to bear hearing her words. "Shut up! I don't want to hear it." Kako nodded, understanding my pain. "Probably for the best, but eventually, you won't be able to run from your past." I ran away, desperately trying to escape, but the memories flooded back, piece by piece. Overwhelmed, I rushed to my room and collapsed, unconscious.

When I woke up, I found Kako looking at me in the hospital room. Confused, I asked her what had happened. She explained that I had run into a pole at school, causing me to lose consciousness. Then, I couldn't help but ask her, "Why didn't you show up on the rooftop?"

Kako's eyes filled with regret as she replied, "I was running behind. I was so happy that the boy I love was going to ask me out. I headed to the rooftop, and when I arrived, you were already gone. If I hadn't been late, your sister would be fine, and most importantly, your memories would still be intact, and you'd be with me."

I stared at her, processing her words. "So, you were going to say yes?" A genuine smile spread across her face as she confirmed, "Yes, I was so happy that day." She then leaned closer to me, her voice filled with sincerity. "Listen, Hitori, I still love you." And with those words, she kissed me gently. I looked into her eyes, feeling a mix of emotions, and finally responded,