The mind can forget... but the heart never!

Chapter 17

Seiya and Yaten were sitting on the sofa, playing a video game against each other, while Taiki was engrossed in a book on the armchair. It was already late when Taiki suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I hope you don't have any plans tomorrow evening. I promised Amy's mother that we would play for a couple of hours at the hospital's charity ball. The band they had booked canceled at the last minute."

Yaten rolled his eyes, and Seiya let out a sigh. "Could you please consult us on these things in the future?! I was actually planning to do something with Minako tomorrow," Yaten whispered to Taiki without looking away from the game.

"Come on, it's just a few hours in the evening, and you have the whole day free... what about you, Seiya?"

"Yeah, count me in. I didn't have anything planned for tomorrow anyway. Ha! Who's the best now?" Seiya exclaimed, jumping off the sofa and raising the controller triumphantly. Yaten tossed his controller to the other corner of the sofa. "That was just luck! ... Fine, I can't leave you two alone on stage."

Meanwhile, Bunny sat on her bed, reflecting on the day. It had been different with Mamoru today, so light and carefree. They had genuinely enjoyed each other's company. Thinking about their ice cream date brought a warm tingling sensation to her stomach. She pictured herself dancing with Mamoru at the ball tomorrow night, swaying gracefully in his arms.

But then, Seiya slipped back into her thoughts. He had indeed managed to make her kiss him earlier. The beautiful tingling sensation was replaced by a heavy, uneasy feeling in her stomach. Why couldn't she simply tell him to go away? Why did she lean towards him? She tried to find a logical explanation, but there seemed to be none. Seiya had the power to make her mind go blank. Her body reacted to him involuntarily, and that frightened her. She recalled their kiss in the park, a sensation she had never experienced before, leaving her breathless even now.

Suddenly, Bunny was startled by two loud knocks on her door, and her brother barged into her room with the phone.

"For you," he said, handing her the phone without explaining who was calling and quickly leaving her room.

"Hello? Who's there, please?"

"Hello, darling."

Bunny froze. Seiya. How did he get her phone number, and why was he calling at this hour? Her heart rate quickened. He had this strange ability to make her body react to his presence, even just on the phone.

"You? What do you want?"

"I noticed you didn't say goodbye earlier. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be okay? I was at the ice cream parlor with my boyfriend," she emphasized the word 'boyfriend' strongly.

"So, you haven't told him about us yet?" Seiya continued mischievously.

"What do you mean 'us'? There is no 'us'! I have a boyfriend whom I love!" Bunny's voice grew louder. Seiya chuckled.

"For someone who loves her boyfriend, that kiss earlier was pretty intense."

Bunny blushed; this guy was driving her crazy. She clenched the blanket with her free hand. Why couldn't he just let her be happy with Mamoru? Why did he keep reappearing? She struggled to find the right response to his statement.

"Darling? Are you still there?" Seiya inquired.

"Yes," she whispered.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to wish you a good night."

Bunny softened a bit, and a smile crept onto her face. "Thank you, I wish you a good night too," she whispered back.

"Darling, you have no idea how much I'd love to ask you out on a date."

"Seiya..." This was the first time she addressed him by his name.

"I know you're not ready for that yet. I'll wait, you should know that."

Silence lingered on Bunny's side.

"Okay, I'll let you go to sleep now. Take care of yourself."

"You too," Bunny breathed and hung up.

Although it was quite late, Bunny needed someone to talk to. Her fingers danced over the keys as she dialed Minako's number.

"Aino," Minako answered after the first ring.

"Hello, Mina, it's me, Bunny."

"What a coincidence, I just called you, but it was busy."

"He called just now," Bunny murmured into the phone. She was still very agitated, and Seiya's call hadn't helped.

"Who called?"

"Seiya."

"And what did he want?"

Bunny swallowed hard; she couldn't keep it all to herself anymore. She needed to let it out.

"He just wanted to wish me a good night."

"But that's actually nice of him. Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" Minako sensed the sadness in Bunny's voice and wanted to find out what was bothering her.

"We kissed again," Bunny blurted out.

Minako needed a moment to process those words. "What? When? How was it?"

Bunny exhaled heavily. "Yesterday, in the park. When I was on my way home, he suddenly appeared in the grass in front of me. I wanted to pass by, and then... Mina, I don't know what to do. That kiss... it was so... unique." She weighed the idea of mentioning today's kiss as well but decided against it.

"What about Mamoru? Do you still love him?" Minako inquired.

Without thinking, Bunny poured her heart out. "Yes, yes, I love Mamoru. Very much. But I'm afraid I also have feelings for Seiya." It was the first time she had said it out loud, and now there was no going back. She had feelings for Seiya too.

"Bunny, that's complicated. You can't exactly date both of them," Minako probed.

"I know. Please distract me a bit. How was your walk earlier?"

Now it was Minako's turn to fumble. "Uh... it was nice."

"Can you be a bit more specific?"

"Well... at first, he talked a lot about himself, his hometown, and how we might have met back then... and that he'd like to pick up where we left off." Minako paused for a moment. "I told him that there's no past for me with him... he looked really sad. Maybe I should have phrased it differently. When I put my hand on his back, and he looked at me with those bright green eyes... I almost caved in. We're meeting again tomorrow; we want to focus on moving forward, and he's willing to give me the time to get to know each other properly."

"That sounds nice. I genuinely hope he's the right one for you and that he makes you happy."

"Bunny, I hope the same for you. Just follow your heart."

"Thank you, Mina. Then I wish you a good night."

"Good night to you too, Bunny. If anything comes up, you can call me anytime."

Minako had it easy; she could focus entirely on Yaten, both with her mind and her heart. Bunny tossed and turned in bed for hours, with Mamoru and Seiya circling in her thoughts.

Her mind loved Mamoru; he was always there when she needed him, giving her strength and making her feel safe and protected like no one else. They had so many beautiful moments and cherished first experiences together; the thought of losing it all brought tears to her eyes.

But her heart burned for Seiya; confessing it to Minako earlier had been an admission to herself as well. Seiya's call had completely thrown her off balance. Bunny pulled the blanket over her head, trying not to think anymore, just wanting to sleep. Then, she began to hum a melody that had accompanied her for days, and finally, it carried her into the realm of dreams.