I was always your smile || An anime love story

Chapter 15: Giving up?

I stare out at the opening horizon blankly thinking about 'stuff.' I was let off out of the hospital and we came back to Natsumi's house to gather my things but it seems I needed some time to think to myself. Oh right, Jun already left without saying goodbye or anything, told Ryo he needed to get back to work.

All sorts of things about Jun's words came flooding back to my head.

"You've done enough for me already. You've always been my smile, I'll be yours from now on, through your toughest times, and through your happiest."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Am I that worthless to you? I spent my whole three days trying to find you and you don't even seem to care."

"I've had enough of chasing after you, I'm not that kind of Jun anymore."

"Ah. Don't talk to me again, will you?"

"Hey." I hear a familiar voice as the person takes a seat beside me. I realized then that it was Ryo. Seeing me, his eyes peers through my face. "W-what?" I ask looking away. "Tears." Ryo answers. "Huh?" Then I realized my tears were falling so I quickly wipe them away. "A-ah. Dust came into my eyes."

"Ah, really?" He asks looking away even though he knows that wasn't the real reason.

"Hey..." I start as we're both staring out at the horizon. "Remember what you told me during our third year of high school?" I ask curiously with my eyes still fixed on the horizon.

~3rd year of high school~

"Ryo." I call his name as we're walking along a bridge during our field trip. "What?" He asks in an annoyed tone. I stare at him a taken and paused in track. "Are you...tired of me too...?" I ask as some tears are being held back. Ryo quickly turns his head to me and sigh as he realized what he just did. "Hey, I didn't meant to do that. I've just been tired from practices." Then his arms crosses against his chest. "What is it that you wanna say?"

"Ah...um...can you do me a favor?" I ask as I quickly wipe the tears that were about to fall out while looking away then looked back at Ryo again. "Yeah, sure." He smiles.

"Then...no matter what happens to me...promise me you'll always be by my side...okay...?"

"What's up with the serious tone? Of course I'll be by your side. Why, you judging my loyalty as a friend?" He snorts. I chuckle. "'As a friend' you say." I repeat his words with a smirk. "So you're over me?"

"That's not what I meant!" His arms casually throws around my neck. "Why do you seem so happy? Huh? Huh?"

~End~

"Ah, that." I can see him nod as he remembers the moment. "Thanks...for still being by my side." I gave a forced smile as my mind is wrapped up in another thing. "Yo." He goes as he squeezes my cheeks in one hand, turning it side to side. "You say thank you but you're smile is off."

"Let go! That hurts!" I complain with words stuck up by his squeezes. "Then stop making that face okay? Stop making me worried about you." He says as he lets goes of my cheeks and look back at the horizon. I just stare at him. "Did..." Just as I was about to ask about Jun, I stop myself. "Um...what happened while I was away?"

"Well, the whole Tokyo place has been wondering why Jun's work has been on hold since he was trying to find you." Ryo answers. I look down at my hands sadly. "I heard..."