The Guy I've Always Loved (Anime Story)

Chapter 32: Cherry Blossom Festival

- Takami's POV -

At Night

"Hey, mom, do you have a kimono I can wear?" I looked through my closet viciously.

"Why did you leave it to the last minute?" My mom was walking up the stairs.

"I thought I had one, but I can't find it." I continued to look through my closet.

My mom walked into my room. "What about that one?"

"Mom, that's a modern kimono. I need a traditional kimono." I took out the kimono that my mom pointed out.

"Well, I don't have one, so you're just gonna have to wear it." My mom smiled. "It doesn't even look that bad."

I sighed. "Everyone's gonna stare at me if I wear this."

"You'll be fine." My mom walked out of my room and went downstairs.

I put on the kimono and looked at myself in the mirror. "This is really short..." I walked downstairs and opened the front door.

"You ready...?" Sachie looked at what I was wearing. "A modern kimono? Okay." She turned around and walked out to the streets.

I closed the door and followed Sachie. "You know... Junto would say you look great in that kimono." I smiled.

"He'll probably say you look great first." She chuckled and smirked.

"Look, Sachie, we only have a week left before we don't see them as often. I don't want you to regret being Junto, I mean, you have been waiting for a long time." I slightly smiled.

She took a deep breath and thought about it. "I guess so... Also, let's hope that we get into the same high school."

In Front of the Shrine

"Good, you guys are here." Haru smiled and breathed heavily. "Because I need help carrying Junto up these stairs."

Sachie and I giggled and helped bring Junto up the 50 steps stairs.

"Thanks, guys." Junto was set down on the ground.

"You're pretty heavy." I giggled.

"Well, athletics gotta eat a lot." He pouted and looked over at Sachie. "You look great." He smiled.

Sachie looked at me surprised. "Um... thank you."

Junto smiled and let Haru roll him.

It would've been more fun with Aki here... I sighed.

"You okay?" Sachie asked.

"Yeah, just thought it would've been more fun with him here."

Sachie put her arm around my neck. "We can still have fun... Things will just be like old times when Aki wasn't here."

I looked down. "It's hard to erase someone who you spent so much time with."

"Come on, it's a festival, let's not be gloomy." She smiled and ran over to Junto and Haru.

I smiled as well and ran over to them. Unexpectedly, I tripped and almost fell to the floor until someone's arm was around my waist. I looked up and my eyes widened. "You!"

He giggled. "We gotta stop meeting like this."

I got off of his arm and controlled my balance. "Thanks for helping me. Again." I giggled.

"You here to see the first cherry blossom blooming in spring?"

"Yeah, I'm actually here with my friends...?" I looked back and didn't see them anywhere. I sweat-dropped. "I guess they left me."

"So wanna wait for my friends with me?" He smiled and tried to avoid eye contact.

I giggled. Cute. "Sure."

We both stood at the top of the shrine near the stairs.

I looked around because we continued to stand there without saying a word.

"So you wore a modern kimono to the festival?" He chuckled.

I looked down at my kimono. "I couldn't find a traditional kimono in my closet, so I had to wear this one." Suddenly, my phone started to vibrate. I took out my phone and read the email that was just sent out. My eyes widened in excitement. "I got into Fukuoka High School!" I was so excited that I, suddenly, hugged the guy and he hugged me back.

Eventually, I realized that I just hugged a guy that I don't even know the name of. I backed off and looked at him. "I don't even know your name."

He giggled. "It's Kiyoshi Sato."

"I'm Takami Hirota." I smiled as my arms were around his neck. "Maybe next week, you can show me around campus."

He smiled. "I can't wait."

Suddenly, his phone started to vibrate. He took it out and read the messages from his friends. "Apparently, my friends' can't make it." Kiyoshi put his phone back in his pocket and started to walk down the stairs to go back home.

"Wait, hy don't we watch the cherry blossoms bloom together? I'll be more fun if you watch it with someone."

He turned around. "Sure, why not? I'm already here."

We both walked toward the direction of the cherry blossom tree with stalls to our sides.

"Since we're gonna soon go to school together, you should probably know that I'm on the swimming team."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would I need to know that?"

He scratched his head and tried to avoid eye contact. "Because it'll be nice if you visited me some time."

I chuckled. "Of course." Then, I held his hand. "Let's go see the cherry blossoms." I dragged him toward the cherry blossom tree and we sat in the middle to watch it bloom.

"Takami!" I looked back and saw Junto, Sachie, and Haru calling out to me.

"Your friends calling for you?" Kiyoshi pointed at them.

I looked back and forth between them and Kiyoshi. "Come on, why don't we join them?" I got up and put out my hand for him to grab.

He grabbed my hand and we both walked toward them.

"Takami, who's this?" Sachie asked.

"This is Kiyoshi. I met him at the mall when we were picking a kimono for you."

"It's nice to meet you, guys." He smiled and then looked at me.

"Look, the cherry blossoms are blooming!" Haru pointed at the tree.

We all watched it bloom into the pink color that we haven't seen for a year.

"I'm glad I didn't leave when my friends said they couldn't come." Kiyoshi smiled.

I responded. "I'm glad too."