5 Chapter 4
Not a single minute when Luca kept fuzzing over his bed, thinking at the upcoming festival. He haven’t had fun for such a long time. When did he experienced this kind of excitement? He barely remember. Howbeit he was sure that it was the time when her mother was alive. It was when his mother brought him to the amusement park on his 5th birthday. His mother gave him all he wanted since it was his special day however, all he wanted was his family to be together.
12 Years Ago…
“Mom, can we bring Dad here next time?” The five-year old Luca held his mother’s hand as they walked around the amusement park. It was his birthday that time, but all he wanted is his father to be with him on his important day. His father won’t even do that for his sake. He always wondered why, and wished he’d know.
“Dad is busy Cupcake. Dad will accompany you if he had time. Don’t be sad.” His mother petted Luca’s soft hair and gave him the sweetest smile she ever had. Holding his mother’s hand, he forced himself to smile. His father may not be by his side, at least his mother is there for him, always.
Until that fateful night happened…
He caught his mother and father arguing outside his room. The two did not know that their child have woken up due to the sudden noise they brought up. Luca listened carefully that he brought his ear stuck on the door.
“Why did you do this to me? Do you even love me? Do you even love our son?! Tell me, are we not enough?!” His mother’s voice broken as a sign for him that she was crying. Luca’s heart shattered, hearing his mother crying in front of his father. He wanted to hug his mother, tell her what was wrong, but he can’t manage to bring himself outside. He was afraid that he could not move his legs.
“I’m sorry. I love you, but I love her more. I once lost her, now that she came back, I don’t want to lose her again. I’m sorry Althea.” His father’s guilty voice rang over Luca’s tears. Anger and agony flashed through his face. He wanted to yell at his father, telling him how much of a scum he was. But he can’t, all he did was cry. He forced not to make a sound so he covered his wet lips with his palm, preventing any sound that escaped from his mouth. He closed his eyes, tears fall one by one. It was painful, knowing that his father didn’t love him, choosing another than being with his mother. For a boy in such a young age, he already experienced the deep pang of his heart. Seeing how his father left them imprinted a forever scar that could not be erased. And he chose to keep silent, what should he do about it then? He was just a child and was too small to fight back. And at the very first morning of his heartbreak, his beloved mother was nowhere to be seen.
He doesn’t know the reason why he was in this unfamiliar room, unfamiliar scent, and strange atmosphere. Luca’s dull eyes greeted the unfamiliar room and pondered why he was there. Later he knew, his mother sent him to his uncle’s house the moment his consciousness flew and met the cold floor of his tiny room.
Hideo looked at him, one could tell he took hours until he calmed down. Video's eyes were red when he hugged the tiny Luca.
After recalling those dreadful memories, he could feel the warm liquid trickled down his cheeks. He had already promised to himself not to recall the painful past, yet his heart and mind was unwilling to do so. He sighed, pushing all these thoughts away and stiffly wiped off the tears on his face. He hated himself for being too weak.
He got up from his messy bed and head towards the bathroom. His chaotic thoughts kept lingering inside his head and stared at himself in the mirror of the bathroom’s sink. Luca then pressed the faucet button, water gushed out from sprout. Luca scooped a hand of water and splashed it on his face, feeling the chilliness of the crystal water. He paused for a while as he pressed his palms in the both sides of the sink, supporting his body. Luca looked back at himself and smiled faintly.
“Look forward for tomorrow. Don’t look back at the past. You have a friend now. And you have a father you always have. I’m sure mother is smiling at us in heaven, so we should smile too, okay?” He said to himself and ready to face the obstacles in the present.
**********
Luca breathed at the spring air free-floating the atmosphere. The morning breeze cooled down his skin and Luca was amused seeing the Sakura petals falling every second. This was also why he liked to walk towards the school than riding in a transportation. It was as if he was walking down in a pink drops of rain in April, totally captivating. His smiled nearly touched his ears, and the loneliness dissipated when he heard the familiar voice coming from someone’s neighborhood.
“Luca!” Kisaki yelled as he rushed over to the cute young man wearing specs, covering his freckled cheeks. Luca then looked back, saw his only friend running towards him as if he was being chased by a dog. Luca chuckled on how funny Kisaki’s situation is and simply nodded towards the brilliant young man.
“I thought you’re going to leave me. You were early today.” Kisaki said, catching his breath. Luca sighed seeing the latter’s condition and handed him his water bottle.
“Drink. You’re out of energy.” Luca said, with a hint of shyness could be heard from his sentence. But this time, he didn’t stuttered resulting Kisaki stunned after hearing Luca.
“It looks like you finally opened up for me. Does little Luca finally trust me hmm?” Kisaki teased the shy young man and was grinning towards him. Luca’s freckled cheeks were crimson red after Kisaki managed to tease him. Hearing the sentiment somehow made him embarrassed and happy at the same time.
“I-Idiot.” Luca muttered shyly and immediately furrowed his brows. Kisaki on the other hand, was having his time chortling at the latter’s face.
“Luca-san, what a tsun-tsun you are. How cute!” Luca pinched his biceps making him winced in pain. Luca huffed and proceeds to walk ahead of him. Sometimes, Kisaki’s actions could be misleading. His chest almost seems like to beat in an abnormal way. Thanks to him that he managed to dodge it.
“Wait for me!” Luca was leaving the poor Kisaki behind, avoiding his face to be seen or else he thought Kisaki would laugh seeing how red his face became.
.
.
.
.
Luca was reading a book in the literature club together with their club members; Ishikawa Kenji, Suzuki Haruki, Yamamoto Kaede, and Inoue Hinata. Luca thought that there were more girls in their club. It seems like the President is the only female member of the literature club. He was surprised, but he doesn’t show it on his face.
Luca was having a hard time towards his social barrier. He doesn’t know what he would do with them so he only opened a book on the corner and pushed himself to read what was on the page. Kaede noticed Luca’s isolation and talked to the three about it.
“Why is he there? We should invite him over here.” The two, Hinata and Haruki nodded their heads, except for Kenji. The truth is, Kenji didn’t hear Kaede speak because he was too focused staring on the young man with specs who was sitting in the corner of the shelf, trying hard to isolate himself. Ishikawa Kenji didn’t know why his heart races when he saw Tanaka Luca’s face. It was as if his heart was just like a galloping horse in the middle of the race. His heartbeat quickens and his chest tightens, and all around him seems like full of blooming flowers. He doesn’t even hear Kaede shouting to him.
“Hey big ice berg!”
“Shut up.” Kenji said as he looked at the three. The three felt like it’s snowing in the middle of the spring and they all inwardly sighed.
“Fishy.” They all thought.
“Fine, fine! We’re just going to sulk here.” But Kenji didn’t even looked at them and walked himself towards Luca. The three were dumbfounded, no one had seen this kind of Kenji before, especially them whom they thought he had a lot of difficulty for them to approach him.
“I think he already melted.” Hinata said as he looked at them smilingly.
“I agree with you.” Haruki grinned as he thought of writing them a cp story. Kaede, who was clueless at the two’s topic had a question mark above his head.
“What do you mean?” Kaede asked the two and they just shrugged and opened their books. The poor Kaede just sulked and growing mushrooms in someone’s closet.
On the other side, Kenji sat by Luca’s side and also opened his books. Luca was cross-sitting on the floor, so as Kenji. Luca was surprised of why Kenji approached him but he just shrugged it off. After all, the two knew each other as acquaintances. But, for Kenji, it was just a bliss as he sat by his side.
“Tanaka.” Kenji said solemnly and Luca lifted his head and pushed his specs with his index finger. Seeing the others beautiful face hidden with those hindrance specs, the tip of Kenji’s ears were flushed red along with his nape. Thanks to his grown hair, no one could see it.
“Y-Yes?” Luca stuttered as he asked him. He was still not used to speak to everyone as long as it’s not Kisaki. He feels so stupid after he realized himself stuttering in front of a person again.
Kenji was speechless, It was like he was being cursed for being mute. He was terribly in fear that he hid his shaken hand.
“For you.” He picked up the book in his bag and gave it to Luca. Luca was shocked. No one had give him something before, especially this book “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. Not just a book, it was also a limited edition. Luca’s eyes sparkled, but he doesn’t know if he could accept such gift from someone he’s not close.
“But this is…”
“I have one at home. You can take it as my welcome gift.” Kenji uttered, lying. The truth is, it was his favorite gift given by his mother. But knowing that this person likes books, he doesn’t mind giving it to him as long as he’s happy.
After he found himself feeling like this, he was distressed. How come he feels like this towards a man? How come his heart reacted seeing his face? He doesn’t know. All he could say to himself is that he was happy as long as the other is happy as well. He was upset if he has someone else by his side. He was confused. This was new to him. He wanted to find an answer but he just can’t find it.
“Thank you Ishikawa. I will take care of this book for you.” Luca said and smiled widely. This smile he saw was the sweetest smile he encountered to his life. Seeing the latter’s white teeth and his red tainted freckled cheeks sent shivers to his heart. His heart wanted to escape from his ribs and he lifted the corners of his lips faintly.
“Luca! We have to go to class!” Kisaki exclaimed as Luca excitedly nods. Somehow, he saw a different Luca when he was facing this young man Kisaki. Kenji’s mood became bitter as Luca happily approached Kisaki as if he was the only person he set his sights into. He hated it. He skillfully hid his feelings inside and looked at Luca and smiled.
“Ishikawa…”
“Call me Kenji.” He said serenely and Luca smiled. Luca then thought he found a new friend. He was happy. But what cause his mood even better was being by Kisaki’s side.
Kenji looked at the disappearing back of the two until they were totally disappeared. He frowned as he felt a deep pain into his chest.
He doesn’t know why he was feeling like this.
