Secrets Of Spring | Shigatsu Wa Kimi No Uso ;; Watari Ryota |

Chapter Twenty-Six

Maika
The Next Evening

The time on my phone displays the number 5:47 PM--the day has flown by that I forgot about the ballet that Watari and I are going to this evening. Catching a glimpse of him walking back from his summer classes reminded me and sent me into a frenzy to get ready. I've never been on an outing like this with him, what is he going to wear? What am I going to wear? How am I supposed to act? Will he be his normal self, or will this bring out a side of him that I never knew of?

I take a seat at my vanity and begin to apply my makeup and do my hair. As I bring the eyeliner pencil up to my eye, my hand shakes, and I have to grab my wrist with my other hand and I breathe out while looking down at the surface of my desk. I glance back at my reflection and a male figure stands behind me, next to my window. My father stares at me in the looking glass, with a kind and warm smile that I've always remembered him by. His expression vanishes in an instant, like a glitch on a TV and his face becomes misshapen and distorted, blood covering his entire body. I sharply gasp and turn around to face him myself, but the image of him disappears in the wind and the fluttering of my curtain. My heart races and I clench my chest desperately as I heave for air.

How could I go out and enjoy life when everything is my fault?

How shameless can I be?

I shut my eyes and hug myself when the image of Watari appears in the blackness of my sight. Him gifting me the tickets yesterday, the trouble he went through to let me witness my favorite ballet. His smile shines like the stars in the night sky that brighten the darkness and my heart settles down. 

"Don't worry, Maika, Watari will be with you... It'll be okay..."

I stand to close the window and then continue getting ready. I curl my hair in light bouncy waves and wear a sage A-line dress made of tulle. It's off the shoulder and the material drapes over the top of my arms like a shawl. The bodice embroidered with dainty flowers made of pinks and yellows hugs my torso until my waist where the fabric then flows down elegantly to my ankles. 

The time is almost 7 PM when I hear the doorbell resonate throughout the house. I grab my purse and run down the stairs. When I open the door, I find Watari on the other side. His hair is neatly combed back in a slick manner but with some hair styled to the front. He wears a white button-up with a green tie and a black vest with matching black slacks. Taken aback, I blush at his appearance and stare at him in disbelief.

"Hey--" Watari begins but then stops when he sees me. "Woah... You look really good," He compliments.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself," I giggle and reply while slipping into white ballet slippers.

"Shall we head out?" Watari asks while extending his hand out to me.

"We shall," I say and take his hand.

We stroll downtown to the theatre where the ballet takes place. When we arrive, crowds fill the lobby. So I don't get lost, Watari grabs my hand and leads me to our seats on the balcony.

"Is this a good view?" He asks and I nod.

"It's perfect, I can't believe you actually got tickets,"

Watari smiles. "Well, I knew it would make you happy, seeing you smile like that makes all that trouble of getting them worth it,"

My cheeks redden and I cover my face. "He's so... different right now. Not like the playful flirt I know but more like a charming gentleman, I almost don't recognize him,"

The lights dim and we face the stage, waiting for the show to commence. As the orchestra begins to resonate throughout the auditorium and the stage lights fade in. The memories of my past flow back into my mind, like a trickling stream that leads to a river and I grip the armrests tightly.

"Please... Leave me alone..."

• • •

"That was... Amazing! I never knew ballet was like that, and that ending, I never expected it," Watari comments when the show comes to an end after the curtain call.

I laugh. "You didn't even fall asleep once, that's a first"

"How could I during a show like that? I can't wait to see you onstage like that, you'd better take the lead role,"

My smile fades into a fake one. "I can't wait either,"

We leave the theatre and head outside, the warm summer breeze flowing past us.

"Here, I'll get a cab for us," Watari offers but I grab his wrist before he runs off. 

"Wait--why don't we walk? I mean it's a beautiful night and we've been sitting for so long,"

Watari nods and we start to walk back home. On our way back, we near the school, and I point toward it. "Do you think we can go to the soccer field? You watched a ballet with me, now I wanna see you play,"

"Really? Alright then, there's a back entrance, come on," He leads me to a small unknown gate near the back of the fields and he opens it for us to slip through. We run over to the open field and Watari grabs a soccer ball from the crate. He begins to do tricks with it, bumping it on his knees, alternating from one to the other, weaving it through his legs, and then kicking it into the net.

"Showing off now?" I tease.

"Is it really showing off if I'm always this great?" There's his cockiness again. I roll my eyes.

"Here," I run and grab the ball. "Teach me a trick,"

I have to hike up my skirt as Watari guides me. I bounce the ball on my knees and after many trials and errors, I catch the ball on top of my foot. Focusing really hard, I toss the ball up, and then kick it into the net, just like how Watari did earlier.

"Woah! You're a natural, who knew?" Watari cheers.

"Did you doubt me?" I ask, jokingly offended. My legs start to give out and I stumble to the ground, guess I did too much.

"Woah, you okay?" Watari asks while catching me. "You tired?"

"Uh, yeah," I fib. "Can you help me up?"

"Of course," Watari guides me to my feet. "We should get going now, here," He squats and faces his back to me. "Hop on since you're tired,"

"I-I can't have you carry me home!" I exclaim.

"Yes you can, now come on," He insists and I wrap my arms around him.

Watari hoists me up and we begin on our way home. The moon hangs above us, lighting the way back and he carries me in silence.

"Hey, Watari?" I say to cut into the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, I had fun today," I thank him.

"I had fun too. You know, one of these days you should teach me some ballet like how I taught you that trick. Maybe I'll be a natural in the arts!" He suggests and I rest my chin on his shoulder.

"I'll teach you one of these days," I reply.

"I hope I'll be able to..."