Say "I Love You" - Kimi Ni Todoke

8

Shota grasped her hand and ran through fields of gold as her parents smiled lovingly at the two children with their hands intertwined while they sat together on a birch wood bench. A mixture of pastel colours painted the sky as the sun gradually lowered itself.

A black van rolled up towards her parents and two bulky, burly men scrambled out of the vehicle and closed the doors with an ear piercing slam. They scanned the area until they eyes lay upon her parents. They carefully walked behind them, reaching behind there backs for an object. They reached them. Her parents felt something cold and metal brush against their backs. The men whispered orders into their ears before turning to face the children who had looks of terror plastered onto their faces. Her parents asked for one last moment with the children before they were taken away to where no one would ever find them.

The mother ran towards the two children and placed a hand onto their faces in an attempt to calm them down. Shota didn't seem scared but was shaking like an earthquake and the girl was on the brink of tears. The woman's eyes filled with tears as she looked between the two children that she had come to love so dearly.

"Please look after Sawako, Shota. She's my world and I just want her to be safe when I'm gone. We'll meet again soon but not in this world. Tell her that I love her. Tell her that every day and don't let her forget how much her mother loves her. I want you to know that I don't blame you for what your parents have done. I wish you were our child and not theirs. We will always love you as one of our own, even when we're gone.

She then turned to the trembling little girl who's face was wet with salty tears.

"Sawako. I will always love you. Remember that. I have to go now but Shota will take care of you. I will look after you from afar. I'm sorry that I have to leave you. Please forgive your mother and father."

Once the woman had said this to the young girl, she turned around and walked towards her husband and the other two men. The husband and wife shared a passionate kiss before being dragged to the van. The didn't go inside but behind it.

Back in the middle of the field, Shota was holding Sawako gently, worried that holding her too close would break her. His right shoulder was damp as a result of her tears. There was no other noise in the air other than her whimpers.

This was disrupted by a bullet shooting through the silence and the thud of people falling.

They were dead. Her parents were dead.

The next few moment we're a blur of thrashing and yelling as the men ran to drag Shota and Sawako away from each other. Shota elbowed one of the men where the sun doesn't shine and ran to help Sawako escape. Before he could reach her though, he was kicked to the ground and punched multiple times. He was then left there to gravel in the pain while the two men pulled a struggling Sawako to the black van.

He couldn't help her. He would never be able to do what her parents wanted him to do.

The pain surged through his body like a tidal wave. He tried to stay awake but couldn't and all he could hear were her screams as he faded into complete darkness.

A kettle whistled and Shota's eyes shot open. He was drenched in sweat and panting heavily like he had just run a marathon. 'What the hell? I don't remember any of that. Was that a dream or a memory? I knew Sawako before i met her in the park? Why can't I remember?!' His was going through inner turmoil due to the dream he had. He couldn't believe that he made all of that up. He must have wanted Sawako to be her. The one who he couldn't save. But how could be have known what she looked like at the age of ten? There were multiple different reasons for him to believe that it was a dream. Other reasons made him think that it was an old memory that he couldn't remember until now. He wanted answers. He needed them. First he would have to face Sawako. It would be awkward for him to ask her about such a thing, but he felt that she should be the first one to know about this dream or possible memory that he saw.

When he found Sawako in he kitchen, he was stunned at how beautiful she could look in the glow of the morning sunshine. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun with wisps hanging down in front of her face. She wore a slightly see-through vest top and white shorts. It was plain, yes, but Shota felt that he had been blessed by an angel from heaven.

Shota shook those thoughts out of his head and tried to focus on the task at hand. She looked so peaceful whilst she was cooking but he knew that he had to ask her now before he started thinking of bizarre explanations.

'How am I meant to know where to start? Hi Sawako. I had a dream where your parents were shot. Is it true? If I said that she would freak out. She would probably kick me out of her house and never speak to me again! What should I do?!?!'

He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of his nerves. He walked towards her and hugged her figure from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and his hands on her hips.

"Sawako. I need to ask you a question."

Those were the words that she had been dreading this whole time. Sawako knew that she would have to tell him eventually because he had forgotten what had happened. Well, almost forgot what happened. She turned to face him after switching off the kettle with a worried look on her face and her eyes met his.