Unspoken Droplets

5.

The bruises never stung more than the last fight, was it because of her?. It was not wounds, which throbbed it was something else.
Akio gently applied simple treatments to the bruises at his face, nothing more than just a few tiny marks. He stood before a mirror looking at himself with loathing.
Its obvious she heard what that girls spoke while leaving.

"No wonder he was the one who tortured that girl" it spun at his mind a thousand times.
The showering began outside the balcony, he could see. He walked over to it with a deep exhale. The only topic which hadn't came up with a conclusion was an unexpected reaction from himself when he saw her bowing. This scene was not something new, but why did it hurt the most? Why did it enrage him so much?. Moreover, Why was she there?. It all began to flow in, which did not happen last time. Its obvious there was nothing he knew about her in specific and the encounter caught him more curious and saddened at same time. Even if she felt so close, there was an unbearable space that he could only hope of getting filled up but actually did.
Putting aside anything else, the next day he appeared at school. Classes crossed till the lunch break. Students crammed around the campus enjoying at their own spheres.
The cloud kept giving warning of a second shower of day by crucial thunders.

Akio sneaked to their terrace for a quick convene. Had some queries which required immediate answers, and only a single person could provide with them: Hina.
Just a moment later, quick and sudden footsteps emerged. Hina came out to the terrace looking right at him.
By the sudden call, she could without a doubt recognise the reason for it.
"What is it?" Her voice was prideful as ever.
Akio decreased their distance with only one question. Why?.
Why was she there?. Why did she had to bow down before you?. What happened to her?.
Hina was not interested in revealing anything, but such serious glare Akio had upon, urged her to do the opposite, much to her annoyance. She revealed much of what she held in her capacity, almost the entire case.

Where Tanaka worked was a company belonging to Hina's father. For his only daughter, that possessive guy could do anything. Not long before they both met in a celebration for new accomplishments. The time she saw Tanaka, her mesmerizing beauty started creating a sense of jealousy and envy. Hina always had an urge of being under the spotlight but that night Tanaka had stolen it from her. Taking advantage of being the owner's only daughter, she made her life miserable. Her exploits was way out of limits only for the sake of revenge.
Hina stated not in much explanatory way but good enough to get the shape. Whatever said, not even a single glimpse of regret displayed in her face.
Nothing surprised him anymore, he knew much about her from years back. "As expected from a rich spoiled brat", he exclaimed.
Without saying a word further, he took his leave until Hina grabbed his hand from behind. He stopped and turned towards her, raising a brow.
"You can still come back to me, you know?. I am always there for you" her words intensified with loosing that usual arrogant look in exchange of a more gentle way.
He pulled back his arm at ease.
"I can't" he gently answered before he left.
She grit her teeth dropping her brows,  clutched her fist from facing such denial. It was quiet expected though, it still never losses to sting. The moment recalled a few memories, the time they held hands walking across nights. Everything until the incident occurred, it occurred for everyone to change their lives.
Akio sneaked out again, jumped over to the street and started running. All he desired for now is to at least talk to her.
She was sad, demeaned the last time he saw. There could've have been so much he could say, he could do to comfort her but nothing ever slipped out, he wanted to improve his mistake.
I want to see that smile again, his mind repeated the same words while his feet kept running with its complete might.

He leaped away the road towards the bridge.
The clouds began shouting to run even further, faster to get her and then when rain touched his face, his hope somehow increased. It was raining, his confidence made him believe that she would definitely be there, waiting.
He leaped over puddles, scurried the woods, passed the trees and finally, reached the bridge.
He did not stop for a single second.
For the first time he wanted to thank his gymnast teacher for daily cardio.
He finally crossed the bridge and when he made his way to their shed, she was not there, he paused, panting under the rain just to see the empty bench. His confidence broke to pieces.

Just like the rain emerged, he could see a glimpse of hope but as fast the rain stopped, hope felt like perishing too, it felt like escaping his grip.

The next rain passed, just the same empty it was. She did not appear.
Was this finally coming to an end?.