The Grumpy Jerk

Chapter 43

...It's so cold. My body trembles not just because of the cold but with fear as well. I fear I will die right here. Dad, am I going to join you now? But what about mom? She will be all alone and...

"Sarada! Hey! Wake up!" I can hear a voice calling out to me.

...Who are you? Am I dead? No... Please save me...

"Sarada, open your eyes, please," the voice keeps calling me. Who would it be? I want to know. I force my eyes to open but they don't want to. I can hear the beat of my heart. It beats slowly.

"Sarada..."

One more call and my eyes open. It's unclear who's in front of my eyes. I blink my eyes slowly. They don't have the energy to move. Now, the person is caressing my face.

"Sarada... Look at me..."

"Boruto..." it's Boruto. I figured it out. My vision is blurry. I think I lost my glasses. He looks so worried. He got teary eyes looking at me.

"Thank goodness," he says and hugs me. Is he crying? I can't tell as I got my vision slowly vanishing again. The place turns entirely black and I...

Kawaki's POV

Why do I have to join this camp? This is so boring. They are so busy with the bonfire activity and I am here in my room. I got a single bed for myself. I was not in any group and I don't intend to hang out with others as they are all annoying. A knock at the door wakes me up from thinking.

I leave the window to open and entertain who's outside and behind the door. When I open it, it's our class adviser. What does she want now?

"Kawaki, I noticed that you are not outside so I thought you would be here and I guess I'm right. Please, go outside and participate in the activity," she tells me but I don't want to.

"I am not interested in it," I refuse but she is insistent and it's annoying.

"Come on, you need to enjoy yourself a little," but I don't want to go.

"They won't like having me around," I keep refusing.

"You won't know unless you try," she is getting pesky now.

"Okay, I'll go," I say. I know she won't leave me alone.

"All right, see you there, Kawaki," she finally says and leaves me standing outside my room. I scratch the back of my head. She's annoying like that dork. Well, she kinds of remind me of her.

I just close the door and leave for the bonfire activity. They are already doing the fire when I arrive. They look so happy. I wonder what so happy about it.

"This marshmallow tastes good when toasted," that fatso best friend of the dork utters and they laugh at her. The dork seems to enjoy the moment too.

"Why don't you join them, Kawaki?" it's her again. I turn my back at them and aim to get back inside but she stops me.

"Hey, wait. Where are you going?" she asks while grabbing my arm.

"I'll go back. It's cold here," I lie. I just found everything so boring here.

"Enjoy the remaining days of your high school, Kawaki. You would not be able to experience it again," she says. I think I've heard it somewhere else. It makes me stop from my tracks and I try to recall where I heard those words from. No, there's something that urges me not to remember where and who told me about the same thing.

"Kawaki, I know I won't be able to see you grow and I won't be there when you achieve your dreams. But please, live a meaningful life for my sake because you will not be able to turn back time and I don't want you to regret it..."