That Summer

Chapter 15

I opened my eyes to blinding sunlight. I heard wooden chimes violently clacking in the wind that made me feel disoriented. I moved my hands around a bed that felt familiar but not comfortable. My hand touched several stems and I picked it up realizing that there were over seven white chrysanthemums. When my eyes finally adjusted to the brightness in the room, I saw a figure in black clothes sitting on the bed next to me with their arms crossed over their chest. I slowly looked up and saw a familiar smile with no eyes staring at me. I saw the silver hair and blinked my eyes slowly trying to understand the situation with my grogginess.

    "What a nice expression. I didn't realize that your glazed-over eyes could be used in more than one situation." His face came closer to mine.

    "Who are you?" I rubbed my eyes.

    "Don't pretend you have amnesia. This isn't a soap opera. It would be an overkill if it was." He rubbed my head a little too hard.

    "Where am I?" I sat up realizing that I was back in Haru's apartment.

    "You blacked out." He laughed while handing me a cup of water.

    "What's going on?" I failed to grasp the situation.

    "You still don't know how to swim and yet you go near places with water. You are worse than a daredevil. You got a deathwish." He looked closely at my face again.

    "How did I end up here if I fell in a river?" That was the last thing I could remember.

    "After realizing that you weren't at home and playing with a friend you didn't tell me about, I took the pleasure of altering their memories into believing that you went home early because you had an exam to study for." He laughed as if he did something good.

    "You altered their memories?" I wasn't sure why I was getting worked up about it.

    "Why are you getting so worked up about it? If anything, I should be irritated that you did some of those things behind my back when we're supposed to be on this journey together." He sounded like an upset child.

    "First of all, you left me, remember? I've been waiting for you to return. If you're not here, it's lonely so of course, I'm going to find a way to kill time." I sipped the cup.

    "Oh, you're lonely without me. How nice. But, was it really just to kill time?" He grabbed my chin so I had to look at him.

    "Not really, that friend I made intrigues me. I can't leave him alone." I wasn't lying.

    "He intrigues you enough to hide him from me." He smirked.

    "It wasn't like that. Our friendship was a coincidence." I didn't know why I was trying so hard to explain myself to him.

    "Oh really, a coincidence? Whatever, I'm not mad that you made a friend here. I'm mad that I can't leave you alone for one second without you almost drowning." He stood up and helped me place my flowers on the nightstand.

    "Well, thank you for saving me. I actually thought I was going to die at that time." I put the water on the nightstand too.

    "Well, you're lucky you didn't. But, you've been asleep for so long that there are only two weeks left before your summer break ends." He smoothly slid that sentence in.

    "I've been sleeping for a week?" I wanted to stand up but my legs felt weak.

    "Like a log." He laughed.

    "This can't be." I thought about my classes and Hiro.

    "Don't worry about your classes. I made it so it's like you've been there the whole time or at least that's what everyone thinks." He laughed again.