You're still the one

Chapter 20: The Final Goodbye

Alone in the shower Asuna cried to herself, as she didn't know what the end of this week would bring...

It was graduation day, everyone was running around the school in preparation. Asuna was also in the stir of things, she was getting the gowns ready and handing them out, she was helping with stage prep, and she was also handing out the yearbooks to all the students. It was finally just time for her to rest a bit after all the running around she had been doing all morning. She was now, just waiting for the afternoon to come, she was asking around to see if people would sign her yearbook as well. It was so strange, half of these people she hadn't talked with since middle school and now she was asking them to sign her yearbook. She noticed how fast the years had gone by, and her last few months might have been the best of her entire school experience. Sure there were things a bit unpleasant but, beyond all that she got to experience what love was, and what it felt to be loved, and at the same time love someone back. Asuna went looking for the person who made her experience all the better, but she walked around the whole school and couldn't find him, then she thought of the one place she didn't check. She walked outside, a bit far off from the school, she walked until she saw the glass room. She went in and just as she thought, she found Rin, but he was asleep on the dirty old ground that looked like concrete. She quickly ran up to him a started shaking his shoulder, "R-Rin!? Hey wake up, get off the ground!" She said in a semi loud voice. Rin began to mumble in his sleep, "Asuna....dnntlevme..." she couldn't quite make out what he was trying to say, so she listened a little closely and heard Rin mumble again, "Asuna...don't...leave me..." she also noticed a sad expression on his face. Asuna felt her heart breaking a little, it was like Rin already knew what was going on. Asuna tried her hardest not to cry, but small tears began to slip out. She noticed Rin starting to wake up, she quickly wiped away the tears and forced a bright smile, "Hey Rin...How are you?" Rin slowly opened his eyes to see Asuna smiling, he was happy to see her, so happy he pulled Asuna down to the ground with him just so he could hug her tightly in his arms. Asuna blushed a bit but she hugged him back, she didn't want his embrace to let her go and so in a quiet voice Rin said, "I feel happy but, I feel disappointed too." Asuna hugged him tighter as she felt him trembling a bit and she whispered to Rin saying, "Why are you disappointed?" Rin told Asuna, "Today you're going to move on, and I'm going to stay here." She gently patted Rin's back, it was that child like way he said those words, that's what pained her so much, and she said, "That's not true Rin. I'm still here aren't I?" He let go of Asuna and looked her in the eyes, "Asuna, you're not telling me something." She was shocked at Rin's sudden abruptly answer. She chuckled a bit and said, "Hiding what exactly?" Rin looked at her with all seriousness and said, "Asuna senpai, you're not acting like yourself. Your smile doesn't look like it should. What's wrong?" Asuna couldn't hide it anymore, she had to tell Rin because eventually she'd have to anyways. She stopped her fake smiling and looked at Rin with all seriousness as well. She said in a semi quiet voice, "Rin...I've been put in a situation of choosing....a long time ago I signed up for a scholarship with a college not near here. I've worked so hard my whole life to get into it. Apparently I was accepted, and now I was put in the situation of either going or....staying here with you." Rin's expression became depressed, he looked upset, but then he forced a smile just like Asuna had been doing before and said, "It's an obvious choice. After all it's the school you want to go to right?" Asuna was shocked, she couldn't tell Rin was just forcing the smile, so she felt a bit hurt to see him that way, "B-but I want to stay here with you too Rin!" He shook his head and said, "Asuna senpai, you worked hard for this, the choice you should make is pretty obvious." Asuna hugged Rin tightly and cried a bit saying, "B-but...I just got to be happy with you..." Rin hugged her back tightly and said, "Asuna, please. I don't want to be the reason why you stayed." She hugged Rin tightly and said, "N-no....why can't someone just tell me what I should choose!?" Rin whispered in her ear, "I'm telling you. Go Asuna, I'll be fine." She couldn't just leave him like that, she slowly got closer to him, without realizing just how attached to him she got. They heard the announcement from the school, "Everyone please come to the dressing rooms. The ceremony will begin in two hours and we need to start taking our places. Everyone please show up immediately." Asuna wiped her tears away and let Rin go. He kissed Asuna gently and said, "I'll be watched you when you walk on stage. Smile, but don't force it." Rin got up and started walking away. Asuna was left in the glass room with nothing but thoughts.

She was dressed in her gown, she walked onto the stage, and didn't force her smile like Rin had told her. After the bit of celebration she had with her family and friends, she sent Rin a text saying, "Meet me at the park with the fountain at 8. I've made my decision." She had thought very clearly of everything, and knew what her choice was.

Rin was waiting at the park, he was ready for any response from Asuna. He noticed her walking in a distance. He felt his heart beat race a bit as he thought what her choice would be. He forced a smile and he gently kissed Asuna. She looked at Rin with crystal glazed eyes, and she said in a gentle voice with tears on the verge of coming out, "Rin....I'm sorry....I love you. You're my first love, but I worked so hard for this. I can't just easily let it go..." Rin looked at her, he caressed her face and with the force smiled slowly fading said, "I guess I never had luck in love. I'm glad you made that choice, Asuna senpai." Asuna broke down in tears and said, "I l-love you Rin! I r-really do! I got s-so close to you I d-didn't realize how a-attached I became...p-please forgive m-me..." Rin hugged her and rubbed her back as she held him tightly crying, "I-I'm sorry...please don't go back to the way you u-used to be b-because of me...I'm going to work h-hard so that I can come b-back here quickly!" Rin chuckled and said, "Asuna, I hope you find all the happiness you need. Have you ever heard people say their first love always ends up being just that, a first love?" Asuna shook her head and said, "No! My feelings are for you and you alone. I won't let you just be that!" Rin chuckled and said, "It's funny how you're older than me, and even so you're so immature in things like this. Asuna I love you for everything that you are." Asuna cried even more and held Rin tighter, "I-I refuse t-to let you go Rin. I'll c-come back!" Rin felt like crying himself, but decided to stay strong for Asuna. He said in a gentle voice, "I love you Asuna. Your smile, your laugh, your personality. I love everything about you, and because I love you, I can accept you finding happiness with someone else." She shook her head and said, "W-we can still talk everyday. We can m-make this w-work somehow..." Rin continued comforting her and said, "Asuna, you know long distance doesn't work out." She cried and said, "I-I just don't want y-you to....go b-back to the way you u-used to be.." Rin said in an assuring voice to Asuna, "I can't promise anything, but I want you to know something Asuna..." Rin whispered the rest in her ear. She cried even more, after so much time of being in each other's embrace, they finally let go...

Asuna's p.o.v.
It's been two days since I told Rin what I decided, I'm packing up the car and finally getting ready to leave the only place I knew. I'm leaving so many people behind. Zen, My family, Rin....all these people that make my life special, but eventually I had to let go I guess. I cried so much within these two days. My heart feels broken, but it feels like I'm leaving a chapter behind and moving onto a new one. No matter what we think, life always seems to move on. We never stay the same way forever. The words that will stay recorded in my heart forever is the whisper Rin gave me of reassurance and the last kiss we shared that night. We came to an agreement that it was best if he didn't see me off as I left. It would hurt us both more. So that night, that final night; where we once confessed our love, was the place we also had to leave our love...

Rin's p.o.v.
Bella was my first love. Eventually that ended, my second love was Asuna. I feel like this is much different from that, this one won't end, and it'll pain me every time I think of it, but I'm going to have to find a way to make the pain hurt a little less. What I whispered in her ear, I said with all the sincerity of my heart, "Asuna...no matter who comes into my life, you're still the one." I'll never forget her. We may have decided that, that night would be the last time we saw each other, but I couldn't help myself. I watched from afar as she said her goodbyes to everyone. She stepped in the car and it began going farther and farther away. It was happening, she was moving ahead, going forward, and I stayed behind. I couldn't help the tears from falling. I never had luck in love I guess, since the person I fell in love with always ended up leaving. Even so, Asuna was a girl like non-other. She will always be the one to me, I hope she finds happiness where she's going, no matter how far away she goes, I don't think I'll be able to forget such a pretty smile...
The end.
(Thank you so much for following the fanfic up until now! It feels good to know I don't have to worry about updating too much. I'll be doing small fillers of this fanfic every now and then, but this is where the story ends. I hope you enjoyed it up till now. I'm not sure if this was that good of a chapter but I really tried. Bye bye (＾◡＾)づ) -Amaya senpai~
P.S.
I will not be responsible for any heart breaks.