Class finished and half pf the classroom was empty. Ayano Tateyama, the kind, cheerful girl, was asleep after a hard day. Shintaro Kisaragi, the tsundere and genius of the class stayed behind until it was only him and Ayano left in the room. He had a crush on Ayano since she accepted him as a friend.
"Oka-san....." Ayano muttered in her sleep. Shintaro stared at her and stood up. He was about to walk out of the classroom when Ayano muttered, "Shintaro-kun......don't leave me.....". Shintaro froze and turned his head towards the brunette. He smiled and walked towards her.
"Oi, Ayano, wake up. Class dismissed." He whispered as he tried to shake her awake. Ayano groaned but didn't stir. She kept a calm face and continued to sleep. Shintaro sighed and bent down on her. "Ayano, wake up." He tried again. This time, Ayano's eyes fluttered open and she looked up.
"Oh, Shintaro-kun...has class ended?" She asked as she rubbed the sleep off of her eyes and yawned.
"Yeah. A few minutes ago." Shintaro shrugged.
"I'm sorry. I was up all night." Ayano sighed and started to pack her bag. She finished packing up and swung the bag over her shoulder.
"Wanna walk home together?" Shintaro asked, avoiding the brunette's gaze. Ayano stared at him and flashed a smile.
"Sure." She answered. Both walked out of classroom in silence.
Ayano and Shintaro continued walking, Shintaro's gaze occasionally landing on Ayano.
"Ne, Ayano?" Shintaro turned to the brunette.
"Hm?" Ayano tilted her head towards him.
"What was your dream?" Shintaro asked casually.
"Um...." Ayano fiddled the end of her red scarf. "I don't really remember. Why? Did I talk in my sleep?"
"Yeah. Though, it was nothing embarrassing."
"What did I say?"
"Well, at first it sounded like a nightmare. You said, "oka-san". Then you said, "Shintaro-kun, don't leave me"."
"Hm. I don't remember. Oh, wait, I think my dream was a nightmare."
"Why do you sound happy?"
Ayano simply smiled. "Because everytime I get a nightmare, everyone's happiness increases."
"So you're fine with getting nightmares?"
"Yeah. As long as there's happiness, I'd go through all the pain and suffering in the world."
"Why?"
"Well, you see, Shintaro, ever since I was young, I did my best to make mom and dad happy. Now that I have three siblings, I have new people to pass happiness to. They've been through a rough childhood that didn't let joy enter. So now that they have me, I can pass them some. As long as my family and friends are happy, I'm happy."
"Why did you mutter "oka-san"?"
"Oh.....well, actually, a few days ago...oka-san and oto-san....were caught in a landslide....and only oto-san survived....." Ayano bit her bottom lip as tears dwelled up in the corner of her eyes. She smiled sadly as the tears started to fall.
"I'm sorry for asking, Ayano." Shintaro apologized once he saw the tears slide down her cheeks.
"Iya. Daijobu da yo." Ayano sighed and wiped her tears away. The next thing Shintaro did, though, caught her off guard. He engulfed her into a hug.
"Let out all that pain, Ayano. It'll never leave you alone unless you do." He whispered. Ayano's eyes widened but returned to normal. She nuzzled into Shintaro's shoulder and continued to weep.
Minutes passed by and Ayano stopped weeping. She tried to part from the hug but failed.
"Sh-Shintaro, you can let me go now...." She said.
"I don't want to." Shintaro shook his head and hugged Ayano tighter. Ayano blushed lightly at this. She looked up at Shintaro and saw him in tears.
'He was crying silently this whole time?!' She thought as she looked away.
"I know what it's like to lose a family member." Shintaro sighed.
"You lost one too?" Ayano asked.
"Yeah. I lost my dad. He died years ago when he saved my sister from.... drowning...." Shintaro sighed again.
"I-I'm sorry...." Ayano whispered.
"Nevermind me. Let's walk you home." Shintaro managed a smile that made Ayano's heart lift. Shintaro continued walking, leaving Ayano to follow. Ayano smiled and took off her red scarf. She wrapped it around his neck and pulled him lightly. She planted a kiss on his cheek and giggled.
"Arigatou, Shintaro-kun." She said as she took the scarf from him and wrapped it on her neck again. Shintaro nodded with his emotionless face back again and made Ayano giggle again.
|years later|
Shintaro sat on his seat and sighed. He looked at the empty seat beside him then looked at his classmates. They were carrying flowers and walking towards the seat beside the raven haired boy. Ayano's seat. Shintaro's eyes widened and he grabbed one of his classmate's arm.
"O-oi, what's that for?" He asked.
"A-Ayano-chan...committed suicide..." She answered with tears streaming down her sullen eyes. Shintaro's heart sank. The day before, he saw Ayano crying in the room all by herself.
'Did Ayano kill herself because no one comforted her? I saw her crying but.....why didn't the thought of talking to her cross my mind?!' Shintaro thought angrily to himself. He pulled the girl he was holding onto closer.
"Where and when did she do it?" He asked demandingly.
"Y-yesterday on the rooftop..." She answered, trying to stop the tears. Shintaro let her go and the girl walked towards Ayano's seat, placing the flowers on her desk.
At lunch time, Shintaro ran godspeed up to the rooftop. When he reached it, he stared at the place where Ayano fell from. As he felt tears roll down his eyes, Shintaro walked towards the certain place. He held onto the railing and sighed.
"Aya.....no...." He muttered as tears ran endlessly out of his eyes. His knees felt weak and without warning, dropped him to the ground. Shintaro continued weeping, remembering the times Ayano tried desperately to get his attention. And that one time when he left her on the roadside. She helplessly held onto his hand, but all he did in return was yank his hand away from her.
"You're so annoying!" He remembered himself shouting at her. "Get away from me!"
"I won't leave, Shintaro!" Ayano shouted back. Shintaro had had enough nonsense and so he turned his heel and left Ayano alone.
"Ayano..... I'M SORRY!" Shintaro yelled and continued weeping. "I....I love you, Ayano...." He mumbled.
In the heat haze, Ayano could feel her head bearing Shintaro's message. She smiled.
"Shintaro, gomen ne, daisuki da yo."
