The Unwanted Choice | ✔️

Chapter 5

CHAPTER V

L E T T E R

A big event in school, the Cultural Festival, is coming up next week. Each class have assigned tasks; they'll choose what type of booth they want to entertain people with. And we chose to have a play, a gender-swapped Romeo and Juliet. Edward was chosen to play Juliet and Charlotte was chosen for Romeo. Charlotte really looks cute acting as man while Edward is a little awkward. But, I must admit that they look good together, it gives my heart a little ache. Edward doesn't want the role but the teacher somehow bribed him that if doesn't take the role, he will take a demerit on his grade. On the other hand, I just happened to be not in the act and all my work is just to help for the play.

Wait, I almost forgot, does it mean Charlotte is going to be in a man's outfit? I want to see it! I bet it'll be interesting! That's right! I need to tell Rebecca— Oh right, we're not in good terms now. I wonder how she is.

Charlotte looks at Brian and notices that he looks down as he was looking at his phone.

Me and my classmates were hammering some props. I suddenly noticed a thing on my pocket, it was the haniwa that Rebecca gave me. I somehow feel sad when I look at the present she gave me. Being careless as ever, I dropped down the haniwa and it rolled down towards the thing my classmates been hammering for minutes. I reached out and with perfect timing, my hand got hammered down.

I was sent out straight to the clinic. I thought coming to school for a change of pace would be good. Charlotte heard the news and was alerted. Charlotte came to me gasping hard for breath. She came in with strong steps and said, "Hang on a minute!" "What?" I replied. "A minute! Wait just one minute!" She continued catching her breath for a whole one minute. Seems like she rushed and ran hard coming here. After a minute, she turned to me and asked, "Are you okay?" "Yes. The pain is slowly fading away." I replied.

"I was surprised when I heard you were hurt."

"Oh, this? I'm an idiot, right? I even scare myself sometimes."

"You're acting weird today, Brian. Did something happen?"

"I got what I deserve."

Then I changed the topic of the conversation.

"Anyway, it feels like we haven't talked in a while! You always seemed busy. You were always surrounded by people as well. Before I realized it, we hadn't talked for almost a month."

"I was under an Imperial Ban. I banned myself from being around you. It's not fair to Rebecca. If I start liking you even more than this, my heart won't be able to take it."

I was speechless and she went out from the clinic after she said that.

A day after, Charlotte went to see Rebecca. They spent their time eating and chatting. Their main topic is yet again about Brian. Charlotte asked if what happened between her and Brian. "You know, it's weird." Rebecca replied. "I don't want to see him, but it's lonely without him. I feel strange."

I met Freddy, the guy from the Ministry, in school. I asked to talk with him outside. I told him my recent complications with Charlotte and Rebecca. He said that he had a similar case in his line of work.

His story went like this: A particular boy had a girlfriend he'd been dating since junior high school. One day she got her notice. She said "I love you" to him and she swore that she'll reject her assigned match and marry him. The boy was too scared to take the risk. He loved her but wasn't excited about marriage. He found the idea embarrassing. He didn't have the courage or confidence he could make her happy enough to reject the partner the country had chosen. So they broke up.

It was kind of a sad and disappointing story. "But you know," Freddy said. "after he got his own notice, he realized how precious she actually was to him. He just couldn't see the truth. Now that I think about it, there was probably only one correct answer to him."

"One answer?" I asked.

"He should have been true to his own feelings."

I can sense that the story he is talking about is his own story. I can tell it from his expressions. He said that I have far more reasons to fight and if I want to make Rebecca happy, I have to prove it with my actions. Such wonderful advice from a man who also had the same path as me.

I texted a long message to Rebecca asking how she's been doing and if she remembered the promise back then where she will come and see burial mounds since I told her about it so much. And, I didn't get a response from Rebecca this day.

Three days have passed and still I didn't get a response from her. I got out from bed and went out from my room. My mom called me and said, "Yukari. Come here. You have a letter on the table." It's a letter from Rebecca.

This is what she wrote in the letter:

Dear Brian Gaidsen,

How are you faring in this lingering summer heat? I'm sorry I couldn't give you an answer. I don't have my feelings under control yet, so I didn't know how to answer you. The reason why I really listened to you when you told me your dreams was that you were serious when you were telling me about them. There are lots of people in the world, so there might be a few will make fun of you straight away. As long you are sincere when you talk, there will be plenty of people who will listen. Have more confidence in yourself. I hope we can go see the burial mounds together someday.

By the way, I heard from Charlotte that your mind was elsewhere when preparing for the cultural festival. You only get one cultural festival during your first year of high school. You have your own things to contribute, so do your best! Take care in the heat.

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Martin

The letter made me drop a tear. She told me to do my best at the cultural festival. So, I head out to school running with such excitement.

While in school, Charlotte was thinking deeply about things. The moment when Rebecca said, "I don't want to see him, but it's lonely without him." "That means you're in love." I wanted to say that, but I stopped myself. It felt like I had lost everything. In the same school, in the same classroom... I was supposed to be satisfied by just looking at him. When did I become this selfish? I'm just like a little kid, scared someone will buy the toy in the window they keep staring at. I'm glad Brian's partner is Rebecca. They'll get along well. But I hate that she's his partner. He'll fall in love with her someday. No. He might have fallen in love already. If I say a word, they might realize that they're truly in love. So... Zipping my mouth is my best option. It's a cruel thing to fall in love.