Behind Rejection

Chapter 8

We were in silence that time, I was not ready to listen to it but suspected my assumptions were true. For one month, I bought cheaper food to earn enough money for my real dream career, travel vlogger, it's all my blood sweat tears earning this amount of money and I only have one week to go home for a while. I usually pack my things advance,

"Hey, uhh, are you leaving?"Taya asked

"Next week" I answered

"I just thought you need to know this"

"I'm listening" I was packing my bag but I think I'm ready to know the truth

"Remember when we were in high school?" she asked

"Spill the beans" 

"Okay, so his name is Yano"

"Yano? What about him?"

"Doesn't ring a bell?"

"No"

"He was my first love, I used to bring chocolates or anything to him. He invited me to the festival one time and I brought you with me"

"And then?"

"I confessed to him, I got rejected because, of course, if someone doesn't like you, they'll reject you but other than that, he told me he was in love to someone else, I didn't want to know who she is but he showed me the picture. A short hair girl from the festival holding a coffee with a straight face. It was rude of him showing me the girl but then after I hit him in the face and walked away crying, I realized, she is worth loving, I laugh it out and then you saw me"

"Wait, that's a long time ago, what's the point of telling me this?"

"Stupid"

I think about for a second and was shook,

"The short hair girl-"

"Was you"

"Me?" I was speechless and couldn't say a word,

"The person you are hanging out with is the person who rejected me. He was the one who brought you home here, I thought he did something to you and feel guilty. He texted me through your phone saying 'What's your address?' it feels strange that you'd ask that so I realized you were with someone. As you two arrived, he lied you in the couch then I punched him. Then he left"

"So what?"

"I thought he deserve you, but after you get drunk, I got suspicious of him. he can't be with you!"

"You didn't even ask him what happened, you are idiot Taya!"

"Well then, what happened?"

"I don't know but I'll talk to him"

"How?"

"I don't know"

All these years, that stranger knew me since we were high school? What the hell? You are making my mind confuse, I knew Taya knew him for a long time ago but I didn't know that, he likes me, or liked, whatever. So, does that mean we didn't really meet accidentally? Are you really playing games with me? What the hell are you doing? It could've been so easy for us to know each other formally but why are you making things complicated? Are you out of your mind? Am I that mean not to be approached? All these questions, I may not know the answers but at least tell me why didn't you let me know who you are. Bus-stop guy, please.

Taya felt sorry about it and saw me in my room, she gave me a ticket and told me I should come there. An opening of an art gallery. 

It was a crowded place, too much noise which I hate, what do I expect? But I was wondering if Yano's art is in here, you know, his photographs. The ticket that Taya gave me, it could've been from Yano, right? The people are being aggressive, they pushed me on the edge. But I saw him in front of the crowd, dress neatly, he looks elegant. As the ribbon was cut, they entered the building. I was looking around, I guess I expect too much that my photograph will be here, ha. Then I saw a mosaic and look closely,

"Wonderful isn't it?" a familiar voice said at my back

"Ah, yes, but I don't quite understand" I looked back and knew it was Yano, "We need to talk"

I grabbed his hand and we went to a quiet place, I crossed my arms and said, "Why am I your subject?"

"Because I want you to be my subject" he's not looking to my eyes 

"Don't play games with me, Yano"

He laughed and said, "I guess Taya told you a lot of things"

"Why didn't you tell me your name?Don't you know how hard it is for me to be confuse?" I was starting to get mad and my tears were falling

"I- I just can't, I'm too afraid"

"Afraid of what? Exactly?"

"Afraid that you'll never talk to me once you know who I was, you know when your friend liked me but then I liked you, your relationship to her will be damaged to I kept my distance"

"But then you're stalking me"

"No, for the nth time, I never stalked you, I just happened to see you and be involved in your messy life. You know what, since we're here, why don't we just appreciate the art of photography"

"But we're not finish yet!" I said. I can't act mean to him, besides, this is why I'm here, to see him once again. I was against my heart thumping, jumping for joy when I saw him but what else can I do to stop this? I know it's cringy and I hated boys, but, who knew he's be an exception and FINALLY, I know now his name, after months of clueless me. 

We wander around the gallery and never felt this joy thinking that we both have the mutual feelings. I saw a painting, the creator left the ice sculpture while it was melting. I guess, not all story has a beautiful ending, I just hope the creator knew how to prevent the Ice sculpture like-,

"He should've put the sculpture in a cold place, dumbhead" Yano said,

"That's what I thought"

"But I couldn't blame an artist for painting a tragic art, but if I were the creator in the painting, I can't let it disappear like that,  he just passed time creating that"

"I think so too"

He looked at me and smile. Okay, so we both know our feelings, now what? Actually, we did not confess to each other, I just discovered his feelings. 

"H-hey" I said

"Hm?"

"Do you like-"

"Do I like you? no"

Okay, that was quick, I didn't know he was playing games with me all along, the crowd went near us and saw the art we were looking at a while ago but he said something that was not so clear,

"I love you"

"What?" I shouted hoping to hear it 'cause I have no idea what he said, I walk towards him and asked again, "What did you say?"

"Nope, you can only hear it once" he said, and whistle happily, I got mad and pushed him away from the crowd, no people around here, "What did you say?"

"I said," he said and grabbed my hand all the way to a mosaic where I began wandering ever since I entered the gallery. I looked at the mosaic closely and was shook again, it was a collage of my pictures he possibly had taken since high school and compiled into a picture of me,

"I love you" he whispered

"What the hell Yano"

"What? You don't like it?"

"No, I'm.... amazed, thank you, actually I don't need answers, I just need you"

I hugged him and unconsciously gave him a smooch.