The Rose Garden

Our 'Ten years from now' Promise - Chapter Four (Incomplete)

I hear the noise of the door opening. "Seiker..." it was Aeimi. "H-hai..."

"Sorry for blurting out such a ridiculous answer like that."

"It's okay... But is it the truth though?... Do you really love me?..."

"Y-yes I do... I really love you... being called the cutest girl in school is already too much for me to handle."

"What do you mean by that?" She walks in and I got up consciously. She gets in the bed with me and cuddles me. "I was so happy to find you but when I realized that you forgot about me, I was so sad. But, you were so nice to me even though you thought that I was a new person to you. I just want to be with you, that's all."

"Huh..." she looks up to me and all of a sudden, I remember a face similar to hers. "N-no way...." The flashbacks come back but this time fully colored and completely audible. "A-A-chan?!?" She nods her head in agreement and buries her head into my arms. "It's been a long time, Sa-kun..." She was crying tears of joy and I feel horrible for forgetting her. "A-chan... gomenasai... I'm such a horrible childhood friend..." I began to hold her a little more tighter. "Iie.it's not your fault. I'm the one to blame. I didn't keep in touch like I use too." I feel like crying but I couldn't. She looks at me again and wipes my eyes. "You never really cried, didn't you." She wipes a tear away. She begins to cry and buries her head in my chest. "Gomen.... gomen..." I held her tighter to me.

"A-chan....," She looks up to me with her crying eyes. I lean in forward and kiss her. Seiker..... I feel her ease up and relax her lips onto mine. I pull back at take a look at her. She opens up her eyes and connect with mine. "Better?"

"Much better... Hey... can I stay like this for a while?"

"Take all the time you need."

"Arigato." Instead of sitting up and cuddling together, she slowly pushes me down and wraps her arms around my neck. I wrap my arms around her and thought about that promise. I finally remember who was my missing link but what was the promise we made ten years ago? "Hey....A-chan...."

"What?..."

"What was that promise we made ten years ago?"

"Can you wait until the festival, please?"

"Sure... and A-chan..."

"What is it this time?...."

"I love you." She hugs me tighter and says,"I love you too."

Back in class, Aeimi and I were back to our normal selves. Since the both of us sits in the back of the class, we can see that her remarks from the beginning of the day still had an effect on them. They look uneasy as they sit and listen through the lecture.

During lunch time, the same exact group is students surrounds Aeimi and I. "So Takamura-san, are you going to tell us you're reason why you love him?"

"Sure, I don't mind." She gets up from her seat and walks over to me. She stands in front of me, leans in, and kisses me. "She just kissed him!!!" She pulls back and stares at me. "Arigato, A-chan." Everyone was confused when I said that. "No problem, Sa-kun."

"A-chan? Sa-kun? Why are you two calling each other that?"

"Why? Because Seiker is my childhood friend, that's why. That's my reason why I love him. We made a promise when we were little to love each other forever. And we made a "ten years from now" promise. In ten years on this one day, we promise to fulfill that promise. That promise happens to be on the upcoming festival." Everyone was amaze to hear her reason. "Wait... so you two are childhood friends... so that means you just reunited with Panettone-kun, without him even knowing that you are his childhood friend until you told him when you went to the nurse's office."

"Yup~"

"Please everyone, don't get mad us. I forgot about her and our promise. If I just remembered her from the first day, then we wouldn't have to argue."

"Don't worry Panettone-san. We understand. We won't get mad at you two anymore because it's a long love story behind you two. Don't worry, you have our support from now on. In exchange, you have to tell us that promise after the festival."

"Deal." Aeimi promises them. Everyone walks back to their desks and Aeimi hugs me from behind. She let's her arms hang down my neck and peers out to my right. I look at her and she smiles. I smile too and enjoy her hug.