Hate Me? Love Me?

Move • Part 2

"So you're really going?" Tori asks me as we walk our way to school.

"Yeah, I don't have any choice."

"Well I'm gonna miss you, you know." She says as we turn to hug each other.

"Yeah I know.. I'm sorry. I wanna stay longer." I sadly say.

"I want you to stay forever. I won't have a friend like you here. Always open to new things, but can be clumsy at times." She giggles childishly.
"That's what makes you cuter."
I couldn't help but grow a smile on my face.

As we arrive at the school entrance, I greet everyone with a warm smile.
It's nice to be surrounded with good people... I hope it's like this in the USA.

"Hey it's Taru, you should greet him!" She grins.

"I'll only greet him." I say with a smile I regret.

"Good morning Taru kun. How are you?" I say with a genuine smile.

"I'm good Yuki Chan. How about you?"
His words are so nice to hear, if only I can hear his voice everyday.

"I'm fine... umm, I have something to tell you." I inform.

"Okay, what is it?"
As soon as he said those words the bell rang.

"I'll tell you later at lunch, meet me at the garden!" I say as I rush with Tori to the classroom.

I sit down at my rightful sit.
Making sure I have everything on my desk.

"Hey, what did he say? Are you gonna meet him later at lunch?" She curiously asks.

"I'm gonna meet him at the garden later at lunch, but it's not a date, okay?"
I answer.

"Fine fine, I'll eat alone then." She shrugs.

"No I'll be back once I'm done talking to him." I assure her.

"Okay you better."

~12 pm, lunch~
I grab my lunch box, rush my way downstairs and to the garden.
I carefully place my lunch on my lap as I sit down.

"Hey Yuki chan, what did you wanna tell me?" He sits beside me and unwraps his sandwich.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow." I say disappointingly.

"Ohh.."

"Yeah, I'll be staying in USA with my parents." I say, again disappointingly.

I look to see him frozen.
He's holding his sandwich he has not eaten yet.
I look at his face where it's directly looking down to the ground.
Is he disappointed?

"I'll make sure to call or text you. Umm not like girlfriend or boyfriend kind of thing.." I awkwardly suggest.

"I love you." I look at him with shock, that's great! I should be happy, but why do I feel like my stomach ate too much regret.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"I love you Yuki chan... I thought I could confess to you when we finally graduate." He says clearly with disappointing face.

"Taru..." I'm speechless. I never expected him to love me. I have always stalked and secretly adore him, shouldn't I be happy that he loves me back?

"I love you too Taru... but we can only be friends." I say without thinking. Why did I say that?

I quickly wrap my lunch and head on to my classroom. But then Taru grabs my hand.

"Do you really have to leave?" He asks.

"Yes. I'm sorry." I say without looking back.

I put my lunch in my bag as I sit down.
" So what happened?" Tori asks, carefully examining her lunch.

"It went well..." I lie.

"Hey, I know that face when you lie. What's going on?" She asks as she puts her lunch down and faces to me.

"I told him that I'm leaving tomorrow." I say.

"And??"

"He confessed..." I murmur.

"WHAT!?I KNEW HE LIKES YOU! I WAS RIGHT!" She says as she jumps off her chair and everyone in the whole classroom starts looking at her.

"SHH! Shh... calm down..." I slowly put her back to her chair.

"Sorry, and what did you say? Did you say yes? Like be his girlfriend and he be your boyfr-" I quickly cover her mouth so no one could hear, then I lean closer and told her the truth.

"WHAT!?" She jumps off her chair again, and everyone is staring at her, again.

"Tori!" I quickly put her back to her sit.

"Sorry sorry. Why? Why friends? You could've had the chance to be his gf!"
She asks.

"I just felt like it's not right." I confess.

"Well... maybe it's not love?" She answers curiously.

"You should eat Tori." I suggest.

"Yeah okay."

~6 pm~

I wave goodbye to my friend as I start walking off.
I look once again at my neighborhood.
It's quiet, beautiful, the sun starts to set with an orange yet pinkish color.
I'm gonna miss this beautiful place, the sunset, that cat sleeping on the fence, the fond memories of me and my friends.

Everything.

It's perfect here... why do I have to move? Can't I just stay.

I have no choice, but to be strong and face what comes. Face what goes ahead tomorrow.