Fragments Of Past - Forgotten Promises

Chapter 12 - first meeting

Point of view changes (nakano)


I stared at the door to the café, heart pounding in my chest like a drum. My hand hovered over the handle.

Why am I this nervous? It’s just coffee... with Aiko. I swallowed hard. Just coffee with Aiko Fujimoto. My old neighbor, my... crush.
No, no, that sounded childish.
Crush?
Who am I, a middle schooler?

Well... you kind of are, a voice in my head mocked.

Taking a deep breath, I finally pushed the door open. The bell above the door jingled cheerfully, and I spotted her immediately. She was sitting by the window, sunlight hitting her face just right, making her look... perfect. Way too perfect for someone like me.

How am I supposed to do this? I took a few shaky steps toward her, trying to focus on my feet rather than the panic rising in my throat. She hasn’t seen me yet. Maybe I could turn around, leave, and—

“Nakano! Over here!”

Damn. Too late. She waved, a huge grin on her face. God, she made it look so easy, like it was the most natural thing in the world to just... exist.

“H-Hey... Aiko.” My voice cracked, and I forced a smile as I sat down opposite her. My palms were already sweaty, and I hadn’t even started talking yet.

“How’s work at the school been? Still surrounded by kids all day?” Aiko asked, taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She always had that playful, teasing edge to her voice, the kind that made me feel like she saw right through me.

“Y-Yeah... same as usual. Lots of kids, lots of... cleaning.” Smooth, Nakano. Real smooth. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying not to sound like an absolute idiot.

Aiko leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand.

“You always work so hard. I bet the school would fall apart without you.”

My face flushed instantly.
“I-It’s not that bad. I just... do what I can.”
Why am I like this? I should be able to handle a simple conversation. I’ve known her forever. But every time I’m around her, it’s like my brain just shuts down. And today... today was even worse because... I was here to... ask her out.
Ask her out?! How do I even do that? My mind spun, every scenario ending in me embarrassing myself. Maybe I shouldn’t do it. Maybe I could just—

“So, what’s up?” Aiko’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
“You said you wanted to talk about something important?”

My heart nearly stopped. Now? She’s asking now? I wasn’t ready. I needed more time. I hadn’t even touched my coffee yet.

“Uh, w-well...” I stammered, reaching for the mug in front of me. My hands were shaking slightly as I lifted it to my lips. The hot coffee burned my tongue, but at least it gave me an excuse to pause.

“I... I’ve b-been wanting to... um, s-say something for a while,” I started, my words stumbling over each other. I could feel my face heating up again. Why is this so hard?

Aiko tilted her head slightly, her eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Oh? Something for a while, huh?” There was that playful tone again, but her eyes were soft, encouraging. She wasn’t rushing me, but that only made it worse. The kindness in her eyes made my stomach flip.
Just say it. Just tell her how you feel.

“I... I’ve been thinking... a lot... about us,” I mumbled, my voice barely audible. Oh no, that sounds weird. What am I even saying?
Aiko didn’t respond right away. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, watching me with that same curious smile, like she was trying to figure me out.

I tried again. “I-I mean... I’ve been wanting to... I w-want to...” I stumbled over the words, my tongue refusing to cooperate. I couldn’t even form a complete sentence. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.
Why am I such a disaster? I should’ve just stayed quiet.

Before I could make an even bigger fool of myself, Aiko chuckled softly. “Nakano, you’re cute when you’re nervous.”

Cute? Did she just... no, she couldn’t have meant that the way it sounded. I blinked at her, feeling my throat tighten even more.

“I-I’m not nervous,” I lied, but it was painfully obvious.

Aiko raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.

“Oh, come on. You’ve been fidgeting since you walked in here.”
I froze, realizing she was right. I had been fidgeting. My hands were still shaking slightly, my leg bouncing under the table. I couldn’t hide anything from her.

“Well... I-I...” I stammered again, feeling the words clogging up in my throat.
And then, before I could stop myself, I blurted out: “D-Do you want to go out with me?”

Oh god. Did I actually say that out loud? My heart practically stopped as the words hung in the air. I didn’t even have time to process what I’d done before she reacted.

Aiko blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, I thought I’d broken her or something. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, waiting for her to say something—anything.
And then she smiled. A slow, warm smile that made my chest tighten.

“You know... I was wondering when you were going to ask.”

Wait... what?

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand again, her eyes locked on mine. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out, Nakano. Took you long enough.”

My brain short-circuited. She’s been waiting? My mind couldn’t comprehend the words. All this time... she knew? She was waiting for me to... I’m such an idiot.

“I-I didn’t think you... I mean, I thought...” My words tumbled out incoherently again. Why couldn’t I just talk like a normal person around her?

Aiko laughed, and the sound was light, easy. “You really don’t give yourself enough credit. I’ve always liked you, Nakano. I just figured you’d ask when you were ready.” She paused, then added with a wink, “Though I was starting to get a little impatient.”

I blinked at her, my brain still trying to catch up. “Y-You like me? For real?”

Aiko grinned, and it was like the sun coming out after a storm. “Yes, for real. You’re sweet, and you care about people. Plus, you’ve got this awkward charm that I kind of... really like.”

She likes me. She actually likes me.
I couldn’t believe it. For years, I’d been too scared to say anything, too convinced she’d laugh it off or tell me she wasn’t interested. And now...
she was saying she liked me. I didn’t know what to do with that information.

“I... I don’t know what to say,” I mumbled, feeling a strange mix of relief and disbelief.

Aiko smiled again, her eyes soft. “You don’t have to say anything, Nakano. How about you just take me out instead? Saturday night?”

I nodded, a little too quickly. “S-Saturday. Yeah. I can do that. Dinner?”

Aiko chuckled. “Yes, Nakano. Dinner. We’ll keep it simple.”

“Simple. Right. I... I can handle that.”

“Just relax, okay? I’m really looking forward to it,” Aiko said, her voice soothing my frazzled nerves. 

I swallowed hard, managing a shaky, “Y-Yeah... me too.”

The conversation paused for a moment, a comfortable silence settling between us. I felt the tension in my chest easing, but just as I was about to speak again, a sudden bang shattered the quiet of the café.

Everyone turned toward the source of the noise, myself included. My heart jumped into my throat as I saw a familiar figure crumpled on the floor near the door. 

Yuki?

It was Mr. Takeda's son—Yuki. The kid I’ve seen around at school, always so quiet and serious for his age. But now, he wasn’t quiet. He wasn’t standing. He was on the floor, motionless.

My body moved before I even had time to think. I rushed over, my mind racing, instincts taking over. Kneeling beside him, I gently lifted him into my arms. His small frame felt so fragile. I could barely feel his breath. What happened? Why did he collapse?

"Nakano, who is that?" Aiko’s voice was filled with concern, but I could barely register it. My focus was on Yuki, who looked pale and dazed in my arms. 

I turned to Aiko briefly, my words rushed. “He’s... a kid from the school, his father used to work there too...”

She stood up, worry etched across her face, but I didn’t wait for her reply. I needed to get Yuki help. Fast.

“I—I need to get him to the school. There’s a first aid room,” I muttered, more to myself than to Aiko.

Without another thought, I bolted out of the café, forgetting everything else. My date with Aiko. The fact that we were supposed to have Saturday dinner together. None of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was getting Yuki to safety.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, Yuki still limp in my arms. His breathing was shallow, but he was alive. Thank God. I pushed through the crowded street, weaving between pedestrians, barely aware of the strange looks I was getting.

What’s wrong with him? Why did he collapse like that?

My mind was a whirlwind of panic, every thought overlapping the next. He was always quiet, kept to himself, but this? This was different. Something felt off, and I couldn’t shake the growing sense of dread gnawing at the back of my mind.

The school wasn’t far, and I pushed myself harder, ignoring the burning in my legs and the weight of exhaustion creeping in. I had to keep going. For Yuki.