one [sachio ueda]

s i x t e e n : m a i

The sun was setting. I was sitting on the damp grass, watching Coco sniff around a patch of mud. Previously, she was chasing a dragonfly which sadly, she couldn't catch. I turned around immediately when I heard footsteps approaching but looked away right after. Sachio. That fucker. I had been ignoring him the entire day. I know I was overreacting but he deserved it. I should've started ignoring him long ago. Normally, a stalker would want to get close to a person.

He came and sat beside me a few inches away. He had developed a habit of copying the way I sat. I remember the first time I went to Yuken's house when he was there too. He hadn't changed his behaviour towards me one bit. He was as annoying as ever.

He cleared his throat, trying to draw my attention. When he saw that I wasn't even looking at him, he started speaking.

"It's been almost twenty hours and you're still ignoring me." He spoke softly.

"I'm not ignoring you." I replied immediately. "I just have nothing to say."

I could feel his heart shatter again. I guess this is what happens everytime he sits beside me and copies my posture.

"Look, I didn't mean to be ignorant." He spoke sorrowfully.

"It's fine." I still wasn't looking at him. "It doesn't matter that much."

"It does, alright?" Sachio straightened himself and turned towards me. "You haven't been spewing nonsense today. So yeah, I feel weird."

I finally looked at him and met his eyes, raising one of my eyebrows at him.

"Usually, you get on my nerves." He continued.

"So, is it not good that I stopped?"

"Not really." His tone changed. His lips quivered slightly as he rubbed his face. "You see, I like you."

I looked away from him and laid my eyes down on the grass again. I sighed internally so that it doesn't seem rude. He's been saying weird things again. What did he say? He likes me?

Wait.

Wait a minute.

Realisation struck me like lightning bolts.

I jumped and looked at him again. "What did you say?"

"Well, 'like' wouldn't be the word for it." He rubbed his chin. "Would it be 'love'?" He looked up at the sky in deep thought.

I gawked at him for a while as he fidgeted with the grass, plucking them and throwing them away.

There is no way that the Sachio Ueda, likes me, out of all the billions of people in the world. It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't possible either.

"You're not going to say anything?" He threw some more grass away.

I wanted to say so much but my tongue was stuck. Frozen. I couldn't even move.

"Forget it." He sighs, getting up. "I'm going back."