Forget to Love

Chapter 7 - Apart

A nice breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees. A few dying cherry blossoms, still pink in color, drifted along on the wind. Hitori reached out, catching one in his hands. He stared down at the little blossom. It was so small and fragile. Seeing them had always incited excitement and happiness in him. And now spring was over, they would be gone, he was watching the last remnants being stolen by the wind day by day. He wished the blossoms would stay. They reminded him of love and new life, the perfect symbols of springtime.

Nobody called his name. He stood alone. He felt like he had just awoken from a long dream, but he couldn't remember any of it. He let go if the blossom in his hand and watched it catch the wind, flying away.

You're right. I should get moving.

He began his morning walk like usual, passing street after street on his way to school. It was a beautiful day, but he was completely alone. Nobody skipped beside him, nobody ever had. Hitori passed a café, the people inside chatting and enjoying their breakfasts. It would be nice to visit a café some time. He continued walking and noticed a park in the distance with a volleyball net. He didn't like sports much, and volleyball looked difficult. A few minutes later, watching the horizon, he noticed an empty movie theater. He wondered what films were playing, though he didn't care much. He didn't watch a lot of movies.

He reached the school and climbed the steps, passing a group of students he felt like he should know, but couldn't place the names of. A short girl with choppy blonde hair was trying to grab something out of the hands of a taller boy with curly brown hair, who snickered and kept the object just out of reach. A quiet girl with long black hair hid her nose in a book. Then there was Mitsuka, who he only knew the name of because she was the most popular girl in school.

Another girl stood amongst them with a big smile on her face. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn't know why. She had long auburn hair that was pinned up by a red bow. She looked so happy. He smiled to himself before forcing himself to move on. He didn't want to look like some creepy stranger. Though he couldn't help but think to himself.

What was her name? Is she the girl that lives across the street? Sabishi?

Hitori continued the school day like normal. The girl sat near him in a few classes, but she didn't pay him any attention. He didn't mind. Usually, nobody payed him any attention, especially not girls. The day was boring, as always, and he couldn't wait for it to end. Finally, the bell rang and he was free. He packed up his things and hurried out of the building. His favorite manga had released a new edition and he couldn't wait to pick it up.

He passed the same group of friends on his way down the stairs. He stopped, looking back. They were making plans together. His heart ached slightly. Wouldn't it be nice to meet new people? He berated himself for thinking about such things. Those thoughts always led him downhill. Best not to think about it.

He tried to catch the eye of the girl, Sabishi, but she didn't seem to notice him, smiling at her friends. At least somebody was happy. He continued down the steps, making his way to his favorite bookstore. Hopefully today wouldn't be as boring as the others, and he could kick back with his favorite manga an hour from now. Yeah, that sounded fun.

Hitori's pace slowed while he walked through town. It was a beautiful summer day, but he didn't seem to notice, his wandering eyes settling mostly on his own shoes. As the minutes ticked by, kids were getting out of school, passing him on bicycles or on foot, calling each other's names excitedly. Younger children were playing at parks, supervised by parents. Cars went by, carrying important people to important places. He walked alone, to nowhere special. Was he being left behind?