7 Years From Now

Chapter 22: Alone In A Room

Haruto doubted his memories again. He didn’t know what and whom to trust.
“I’ll take my leave now..”
“going back to Ichiri again..I’m telling you. Don’t trust him.. he is nothing but a lie.”
Haruto left. 'there is no way that my memories were tampered… right.. I should go to the place where I promised Aoi.near that well..’
He went near the well..
‘ yes.. I remember. I helped her as she fell down in the well..
… I helped her?? …..
..
..’
He fell inside the well..
He felt a strong sense in his head..
It was dark. Haruto opened his eyes. ‘ right!.. I fell in the well.. did I loose my consciousness?.. ouch.. my foot hurts. Looks like it’s injured.. I need to get out of here..’
He waited but nobody came. He thought it’s done for him.. just then..
*Flashback*
Haruto was wandering around the well looking for some flower’s seed.
‘ahh I guess it’s down at the bottom of the well.. let’s look inside.. ‘
“Haruto!!!!! Haaaruutooo?”
He was surprised by the sudden voice and fell down inside the well..
Aoi rushed towards the well..
“Haruti!!! Are you okay? I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have surprised you..”
He looked up. It was Aoi..
“aoi .. why are you here??”
“I was… umm.. following you.. hehe..”
“Ohh yea the seeds.. “
He looked down everywhere but there was nothing..
“What are you doing down there..?”
“Ohh .. nothing..”
“Well I’ll help you now..so stay still..”
“Thankss..”
She took his hand and pulled him..
“Urghh just a little bit more…”
“Aoi.. you got cool strength..”
She pulled  him out completely.
“Ahh we did it!!”
“Thanks Aoi..”
“ hehehe.. anyways I’m sorry.. are you alright??”
“Yea don’t worry. I just have some leg injuries that’s it..”
“I shouldn’t have called you suddenly..”
“No don’t worry it’s alright”
“anyways, what were you doing here?”
“I was just looking out for seeds of some flower..”
“Flower?”
“yea ..they are called dianthuses. They bloom once in seven years. So I saw them blooming here and came here to look out for it. But seems like they trimmed it all. So I looked down the well to see if there were any left..”
“That’s why you were peering into the well..”
“Yea..”
“But why those flowers?”
“I wanted to give the seed of those flowers to you as a gift.”
“Fo..for me??!”
“I said such things to you so I wanted to apologize..”
“..”
“The dianthuses blooms once in seven years. So I wanted to see them with you again.”
“ I see..”
“But seems it can't be helped”
“ Haruto.. plants are much stronger than they look like”
‘'really?”
“yes.. so Haruto.. let's come back here after 7 years”
“huhh??”
“you and me together”
“..”
“You don’t want to?”
“No no.. that’s not it.. alright we’ll meet again..”
“Alright let’s promise.. I’ll write the date behind my ribbon, so that I can’t forget..umm..7 years from now would be.. 31 .. let’s make it 1 April.. “
“ Yea that’s easy to remember..”
“so the first of April it is..”
“Yes..”
“ right here seven years from now.. I’ll wait for you.. don’t forget..”
“Yes I wont forget..it’s a promise..”
*End of flashback*

‘right..! It wasn’t me who saved Aoi.. instead.. I was saved by her..and we promised.. ofcourse she exist!! But I wonder why it was all muddled.. why I thought that it was me who saved..her..’
Just then he heard a voice..
“Harutooo?!!”
He looked up. It was Saki and Riku..
“Are you injured??”
“No no I’m fine.. “
“Hold on there Haruto..I’m coming..”
He stretched his arm out.. they helped him get out of it..
“You alright??”
“Thanks a lot guys.. yea I’m fine..”
“Why were you in the well..”
“I was looking out into it and then I fell in..”
“What??”
“Yea.. well how did you guys know that I’m here..”
“Ohh .. that’s Honaka who told us that she saw you coming here from her window..”
“Anyways Haruto.. what are you upto!! We haven’t seen you since like 8? Years?”
They didn’t know that it was Haruto’s fourth time leap back again.. he thought..
‘ what should I tell them? That Kakeru and Honaka can’t be saved? Damn it..’
“You okay man?”
“yea I guess I’ll rest a bit. I’ll meet you guys tomorrow..it’s this leg..”
“Yea yea sure.. tomorrow at the hospital..”
Haruto left
‘'what am I doing? It feels like I’m running away from them.’
Thinking this, he went back home.. and slept..

The next day..
31 March, Wednesday..

He went inside Ichiri’s clinic. Just to run away from the hospital. He saw Kodama there..
“Here again?”
“Yea ..is the dr in?”
“Yea yea…he is..”
Haruto looked a bit down..
“Something off?”
“no it’s fine . Just a bit tired..”
“ ohh.. well I don’t know what to do.. but yea I can make you a cup of coffee..”
“Ohh sure thanks..”
“Yes..I just brought this machine recently.. it makes wonderful coffee.. and beans are expensive.. so  be drinking some fine coffee today”
“Mr Kodama you really like coffee huh..”
“yes.. wait.. did I ever tell you my name?”
“Yea ..um..I heard it from dr Ichiri.. “
“Ohh you can call me Kodama .. and yes I love coffee. I used to be a waiter at a café in my previous job. That’s how I got into it..”
“I see..”
“Yeaa.. and making these coffee .. I burnt my hand ..”
“ohhh”
“Yea.. have a look at this..”
He shows his right wrist.. Haruto was stunned. He remembered his dad saying that a man came in with a burnt wrist and he had a matchbox with a cat logo..
“Hahaha. It sounds so funny ..like burning hands because of coffee..”
He looked at Haruto.. he was shocked and his face went pale..
“ Haruto..??..

What’s wrong…??”

To be continued…