Natsukashii (AMBW AU) {SLOW UPDATES}

i

High school. The place where the young cherry blossoms bloom to be something great. My high school years were actually the best years of my life. I experienced things that changed my point of view on life. I wasn't a downer or anything, I've just become more positive about things. I met people who helped me to believe that there is a meaning to life and the choices that we make. They helped me anticipate every sunrise and love every second of my life.

We did have some downs though. Of course, no one lives a perfect life with only peachy events. We have to have sadness to be human, right? It's the only way we can grow to be a great person. Sadness can teach us how to love also. It may be hard to see it that way, but it's true. I actually learned from someone who personally learned how to love from sadness. He may not admit it, but he knows that it's accurate.

I remember the first day him and I met. Freshman year of high school, I was fourteen, and he just turned fifteen. He was a new student; coming in right after winter break. He was a little cutie, with his big marble eyes and his little pout. He was quiet for some strange reason though. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he wouldn't say a word. The worst thing about it was that kids in our class thought he looked mean; which to be honest, he did. I didn't let that phase me though, so I was the first to speak to him.

"Excuse me?" I tapped his shoulder, and he whipped his head towards me, staring at me with his huge brown eyes. "Hey, welcome to Miami High. I know it must be kind of-" I paused as he gave me this look.

He gestured towards his ear, shaking his head. "I speak no English."

"Oh!" I said, nodding slowly. I scratched the back of my neck, thinking of what language he could speak. I spoke two fluently, and I can kind of hold a decent conversation in one other language. I examined his face, trying to find out where he came from. "Are you Japanese?" I tilted my head, furrowing my eyebrows.

He shook his head once again, correcting me. "Korean."

"Ah!" I said excitedly, clapping my hands twice. "I'm Japanese/Korean/African American. I can help you," I assured him as I spoke in Korean, patting my chest. I spoke fluent Japanese since my parents met in Japan, and we even lived there also. I could speak some Korean, but not a lot. I knew exactly who could help me too.

He furrowed his eyebrows, staring at me with a puzzled expression. "You speak Korean?"

"Just a tiny bit. My dad is from Korea,"I said, putting up my index and thumb. "I can help you with your English if you'd like," I suggested, laying my hands on my lap.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks," he nodded, grinning slightly.

And that's how our friendship bloomed. Well, kind of.

By time he learned enough English, he tried getting rid of me. He found others to hang out with, even though those people used to bully him for not knowing their native language. I didn't let him push me away so easily though. I knew he was lost and that he was just trying to find himself. I was a geek that people bullied, and he didn't want to be associated with me anymore. But let me tell you, he stood up for me whenever he did see someone talking down on me. It was obvious that he was attached, he was just doing a horrible job at trying to break the string.

There was a small period in time where we didn't talk though. My father made us break contact once, when he found out that my friend was involved in gang activity. I couldn't do anything about it since my father is a cop, and he'll watch every move he makes outside of school and the house. But, we somehow kept contact when he needed me most. He would climb up the tree and knock on my window, and I would let him in quickly, before anyone could see. One time he came in, bruised and bloody. I had no idea where he had gotten the strength to climb up the tree.