The Guy I've Always Loved (Anime Story)

Chapter 26: Ready to Leave

- Takami's POV - 

I walked into the classroom and saw Sachie looking at her phone. "What you looking at?" I asked her. 

Sachie sighed happily. "Just Junto in his kimono for the Cherry Blossom Festival." 

I looked at her phone and saw Junto in a classroom a kimono. "He chose the ocean waves kimono?" 

"Yeah, but I preferred the other one." She started to make the photo her  wallpaper. 

"Really? I like the one he's wearing." I sat down on my seat. 

Sachie suddenly frowned looking at her wallpaper. "So that's how it is?" 

"What's wrong?" 

"Junto probably chose the ocean waves because you preferred it." Sachie fake smiled at me. 

"Pffft, that can't be possible. He likes you now." I smiled. 

"But no one gets over their crushes that fast." 

Bell Rings

"Everyone get in your seats." Ms. Ono walked into the room. 

Sachie turned back around and I looked at Aki's desk. "Where is he?" 

Time Lapse: 45 Minutes Later

I went to the gymnasium and tried to see if Aki was there. 

Junto walked up to me with his water bottle in his hand. "What you looking for?" He asked as he drank his water. 

"Is Aki here?" 

"Nope." 

"Damn." 

"What you need him for?" 

I closed my eyes. "Remember I told you about my situation? I really want to talk about it with him, but I guess I'll ask him about it tomorrow." I sighed and exited the gymnasium. 

- Junto's POV - 

Suddenly, my phone started to vibrate. I took it out of my bag and opened it. "A text from Akihiro?"

"What does it say?" Haru came closer to me.

"That he has to tell us something important."

At the Park

Haru and I walked into the park and headed for the basketball court. As we got closer, we saw someone waiting.

"Junto?" Sachie walked toward our direction. "Did you get a text from Akihiro too?"

"Yeah, we got it during practice." Haru looked around for Akihiro. "I wonder what he wants to tell us."

"Hey, guys." Akihiro walked toward us. "I see you got my message."

"You said it was urgent so we skipped class to come out here," Sachie told him.

"So what's wrong?" I asked.

He took a big breath and frowned. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

All of us were in shock. "What! Why!" We questioned in unison.

"My older brother wants me to come back home to help him with the company."

"Can't he do it himself?" I asked.

"He needs me to attend meetings and stuff. Ever since my father passed away, he took on all the burden and I... just ran away." Akihiro closed his eyes. "I'm really sorry."

Sachie started to cry. "Why... You just got here and now you have to leave?"

I put my arm around Sachie to confort her.

"Sorry, guys, but I have to go back to help my brother." Aki looked down at the ground. "It's also because he's blackmailing me."

"What?" Haru, Sachie, and I said in unison again. "What do you mean?"

"The company has the money to buy the school and shut it down. I can't let that happen to you guys." He smiled.

"Does he have that much money?" I asked.

"Yeah..."

Sachie whipped away her tears and walked up to Akihiro. "The question is... Do you want to go back?"

Akihiro closed his eyes and smiled. "Of course not. I love being here with all of you guys."

Sachie smiled as well. "Why don't we figure out a solution so you can stay?"

"That's a great idea." Haru replied.

"But how's that gonna work?" Aki asked.

"You're right, it's a good idea but it's not gonna work. He has to physically be there." I crossed my arms.

"Wait a minute." Haru looked around the park. "Where's Takami?"

Aki looked to the side. "I didn't ask her to come out here."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I don't want to make her upset."

Everything was silent for a few minutes.

"You're going to have to tell her eventually, Akihiro," Haru said.

Sachie put her hand on his shoulder. "We know that you like her, she's just too dense to realize that herself."

I walked closer to Akihiro. "That means you have to make the first move."

Akihiro sighed. "But it's best that I don't talk to her..." He took a pause. "It'll just make me not want to leave."

All of us sighed. "If this is what you want, then we can't stop you."

"But at least have a chance to say goodbye to her." Sachie tapped my shoulder and left the park.

As Haru and I started to leave the park, Aki grabbed onto our shoulders.

"One last match?" He asked while holding a basketball.

Haru and I turned around and smiled at each other. "Sure."