The Promise

Snow... Every human on earth must be fond of it, as it was beautiful and chilling weather in the winter season; children, teens, and even adults... They would spread their palm open in the air just to feel the coldness of it. The color white texture of it that makes the snow loved by everyone, but when the time it fell to the ground, it gets a problematic...

Hmmm. (They say coughing before introducing yourself makes a character makes him cool and intimidating) let introduce myself. My name is Haruto Shuuya, I'm 16 years old. I lived near Setagaya Prefecture. I'm a 1st year student in Seisen high school. If you're thinking that I was living my high school life in a lonely or downcast way, then you're wrong... but you're not completely wrong, I was an introvert who don't have that much friends, I only got like three friends since I become a high school student. I like writing stories and drawing. I'm not that athletic, but I do know soccer and badminton.

But it's not the same with myself... I could still clearly remember, When I was still in the middle school, I could see my classmates playing outside on the snow (It's not like I was jealous or something) looks like I have failed to make friends with them... I don't have someone to play with. It's a real pain in the ass to put off the snows on my shoe when I was going out. I always slipped from it. It was cold and if it the snow storm heavily falls, you can't see well on outside of your house. I have a lot of reasons to hate it. Even now that I already graduated from middle school. It's not like I'm blaming the snow for not making friends, it just reminds me of the reason, why I don't have friends...

Everything about my life changed when I met this girl... her name is "Yuki". It was a dream come true for me to get a girlfriend like Yuki. I confessed my feelings to her and she reciprocated what I feel... She's the one who helped me overcome my fear. She's my everything... we've been dating each other for almost 4 months already, I know the things she likes, especially with the foods she loves. We don't have that much problems and disagreements. Everything is going alright for the two of us.

Back to the present... We two agreed to each other that we're going to a date this evening. It was almost Christmas. So, I'm thinking of giving her a handmade gift and just introduce her as my girlfriend to my family. I already told my family that I'm going out for a while to pick up my girlfriend... Yes, it was my plan from the start. Since we are already going out and dating for months already.

"That settles everything! All I just need to do is to wait for her in the place we talked about" I murmured.

But still... Can I really handle this snow? I could still feel chill, even though I wore polo and my favorite hoodie on outside. Of course, I wore trousers and my shoe to match my upper clothes and to prevent cold on my feet. The snow on the road was still not that thick, but I don't know later when I was about to go home... I saw the news a while ago that the temperature this evening will keep in dropping down and expect that the roads will all be covered by snows and slippy. I decided to wait from a lamp post near the café, in that way, I could see her walking from the other direction. There are still a crowd of people walking here. I looked at my watch to check the time. It was already 9:23. After looking at my watch, I turned a look at the corner and saw her there walking that makes me feel relief and happy.

"Yuk-" I was about to call her name when I saw someone walking beside her. It's a boy. And they were holding each other's hand.

I didn't do anything in particular after that... I just stand from where I was standing and just watch them being flirty to each other. I heard Yuki said, "This is my stop, I could just walk from here. Thank you for being there for me" And what happened after that makes my world collapse from pieces. The boy grabs her shoulder and kissed her lips... They look so happy together... I didn't know that she's been cheating to me all this time with another boy. Different thoughts start bubbling up to my mind that I feel like kneeling down from the snow... I looked up at the sky and noticed that it was already raining from my eyes.

"What the heck is this? What the heck am I watching" I asked myself while grabbing my chest really hard.

I feel like my own world shattered... my chest hurts... The kiss didn't stay that long. I'm still standing from where I was, but this time I noticed that it was my tears that is dropping already... It hurts like hell... This was the first time I feel something like this. The boy said his goodbye and started walking the other direction. Meanwhile, Yuki was still there while waving her hand to the boy...

I waited for the boy to disappear completely and tried going to Yuki. But my tears were still dripping so badly. I can't... I was about to look back and walk when she called my name.

"Haru! There you are! I been waiting for you all this time" Yuki shouted while going to my direction.

What a liar. How could she still call my name like that, while cheating on my back. My tears started bursting out again from thoughts that I can't live anymore... I didn't turn my look to her because she'll probably go where I stand. I leave my gift at the ground that covered in snow and started running as fast as I could. There is still a crowd of people. I get bumped in the arms of many people that is on the way, but it didn't stop me from running. I could feel that they were looking at me and asking to themselves that "Why is that boy running with his head down"

Not that long, I've arrived at the pedestrian lane. I continued to ran cross the middle of the corner when I come to see that the traffic light was still red. I didn't notice it was red because I was looking downwards...

"W-Watch out" Someone shouted so loud in the corner I just crossed, that caused my sense came back to myself.

I take a quick look at the right part of the road and saw a black car coming to me. I can't react on time... At this rate, I'm going to be hit by the car. The first thought that came to my mind was "I guess it's fine... dying right now" It's not like I could still survive in this kind of situation, it's already too late to move my body. I just accept my fate and closed my eyes for the second time... Then, suddenly I feel like someone pull my jacket really hard from the other side of the road.

I fall down from the ground because of the force of pull. Meanwhile, the car immediately stopped beyond where I almost hit by it. I was grateful and feel amaze that I got saved by a stranger, but my lower back hurt because of that force. I gently touched my back and slowly open my eyes to look at the person's face to check who is the one that saved me from dying. It was a girl. I feel like I've already seen her somewhere, but I can't remember it... (A girl around my age with a headset on her neck and a bag on her back) There were books that is behind her (probably her things, because I noticed that the zipper of her bag was open) Her head was facing the ground at first and catching her breath, but she suddenly looks at me with a furious eye, I feel like I was about to get scolded.

"Are you crazy? Why did you just stand in the middle of the road?" Her tone of speaking was high, she's clearly mad at me.

"Even after telling you to watch out for the upcoming car, and yet you still stand there doing nothing!"

"Next time, if you wanna kill yourself that badly. Do it with just yourself!"

I could know from her tone of speaking that she's angry, but at the same time; she was making a face of being relieved that she fell down too on her knees... I was speechless that moment because I really thought that I'm going to die for real. I wasn't expecting that someone will risk their life just to save me. We two are in the middle of the road, sitting like burden the whole world's problem. There are few people who are recording me and the girl who s

"I-I'm really sorry" I said in a low tone.

I really do feel embarrass after saying it to her.

"You should be!" She shouted at me at the second time.

"More importantly. Let's get out of here, before the police come here and take the two of us" she looks like so surprised after looking at my face, I wonder why...

She slowly stood up on his feet and shook off the snow that goes to her bottom clothes. After that, she gathered the books that came out of her backpack... As I more look to her, the more I think she's cute and innocent girl who knows nothing. After that, she offered me her right hand to me. I was still on the ground and still can't progress on my mind what just happened to me right now... But because of the fear of being taken by the police, I take her hand and we both run as fast as we could... Suddenly, the driver of the car come out and shouted "Hey, Are you alright?" It was a manly voice and kind of drunk. I couldn't see well the face of the driver because were already running away from where the incident happened.

I feel like we've been running from forever, and yet we two are still running away from where I almost got hit by the car... My face was already making the expression of "Please stop, I couldn't take another step" expression. I just notice right now that she's been holding my hand all this time. Her hands were so soft... And then all of the sudden, she stopped running that cause me to bump on her back.

"A-Are you okay?" She asked.

"Y-Y-Yes. I'm sorry for bumping to you"

My legs feel like giving up, so I tried to find a place where we could rest for a while. I looked around us and saw a bench...

"Can we rest for a while to that bench? I wanted to introduce myself, first"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure you're tired too because we are been running all this time"

I'm glad that she agreed to that we should rest for a minute, I just wanted to rest my legs for a bit. And I still haven't thank her properly, I don't have a single clue too on her name and where she lives...

"Finally! I could rest now my legs" I whispered to myself.

There were two separated benches. I sit from one of it, while she took a sit from the other bench. Minutes have already passed... And yet, she's not speaking at all! I peek at her multiple times to see if she's not getting an awkward feeling, but we met each other's eye.

"T-Thank you for saving my life" It blurted out of me.

I take that opportunity to thank her since I still wasn't thanking her since she saved me (the atmosphere was getting awkward too) I once look at her and saw her making a serious and straight face...

"You're welcome... looks like you owe me one, now, Haru" she said.

"Yes. Yes. I owe you one" I said while nodding my head.

Everything was going fine, until I heard my own name in her mouth... my expression could tell the world that I really get surprised that the one who saved me from dying was someone who know me...

Multiple questions start popping up inside my head... How did she know my name? Or did I just forget that I already introduced myself? No. No. It is impossible, I can't remember introducing myself.

"Wait... H-H-How did you know me?"

"Did I get it wrong? You're Haruto Shuuya from 1-B, right?"

I get even more surprised that we are attending the same school. More importantly, she knows my grade level and even my section too! As I more observe her face, she looks like we're same age... I just remember! The books that came out of her bag were the books of first year students. Everything is clear to me now, she's probably a first-year student too. But how I couldn't remember her name at all?

"Yes. That's my name..."

"But, how did you know me?"

But t's not that I just can't recall her name... I feel like it's the first time I met and talk to her this close. I once look at her face... and saw that she's wondering with I just asked her.

"Don't you remember me? We're in the same class" she said in a wondering voice.

I was suddenly get surprised with what she said... Seriously? Same class? Then how did I not know her?

"E-Ehh" I said aloud.

"You're really a hopeless one"

I saw her take a sigh and suddenly stand in front of me.

"It's me, the class president of our class, Shinomiya Natsuo." She's proud of it, I could tell that she's proud with it because she put her two arms besides her hips with a proud face.

Just now, she sounds so confident with what she said. It was a big surprise to me, to found out that I've been saved by one of my classmates (she probably loves being the class president) she calmly sit down again to the bench after introducing herself. That explains why she become calm after seeing my face on the road...

"I'm sorry for not remembering your name, president" I says formally

"And I would like to thank you once again from saving my life" I immediately stood up and bow down my head to show my appreciation to her.

"R-Raise your head up, Haru. It's fine, don't mind it"

"I'd like to say sorry too for my behavior just earlier, I didn't know that it was you, Haru... maybe you really just didn't notice that the traffic light was still red. Be careful next time, okay?"

What a... I didn't know that I have a classmate like her (I kinda feel moved for some reason... I should make friends with everyone, starting with her) She's like an angel that fell to earth to help a poor person like me. She even thinks of a reason why I didn't move a single part of my body when I was about to die...

"Don't mind it either, it's fine"

"Thank you..." she responded.

I still haven't forgotten what happened to me just earlier before Shinomiya saved me... I swear to myself that I wouldn't love again another person as long as I was still not fully healed from what Yuki did to me. I will prioritize myself and swear that the next girl I will love will see the best version of myself. My mind was already decided for what I should do from now on... I should start with gaining friends.

"H-Hey Shinomiya... Can we become friends?" I stood up again and bow down my head, I think it's how they ask a person to become friends.

"W-W-Why are you bowing down your head again? Of course, we can become friends?" Shinomiya asked, but for some reason she was panicking, her hands were

"Ehh... but isn't this how they formally become friends"

"What era are you from?" she responds in a funny way.

"Haha... I'm just kidding"

"Once again. Nice to meet you, Shuuya" she offered her left hand to me, it looks like she wants to shake hands as proof of our friendship.

I raised my right hand and hold her hands

"T-Thank you..." I was filled with joy that I made friends with someone who had a great reputation in our school.

After some seconds, she put down her left hand and smile again at me.

I don't know why... but her smile makes me feel at ease. I smile back at her and saw that she was thrilled and blushed a little.

"But. how shall I address you?" I asks jokingly.

"What do you mean how? Everything is fine, you know"

"So, S-Shinomiya is fine" I stuttered a little that makes me embarrass a bit.

"Yes, Haru" she looked at me again with a smile on her smile.

A snow fell down in front of me and look at the dark sky... I look up and saw that the snow was already falling down from the heaven. It is getting darker now and the snow was falling more than these past days. I gaze upon at the pitch-black sky and closed my eyes; I could still remember clearly what did my girlfriend did to me, I already decide that I'm going to break up with her, all I want was to see her happy after all, and I failed to give it to her alone...

"Achoo. H-Hey... don't you think it's time go home? It's getting darker and the snow was already falling" Shinomiya said while she was covering her cheeks with her two hands.

I grab my phone to check what time it is and saw that it was already 10:34. This is bad, I'm going to get lectured. I should get home as early as possible.

"You're right, it's getting late now"

"Let's walk together, I can't afford to see you walking alone this late" I added.

"Yeah..." she responds.

She looks like she's thinking about something, but I can't ask her about it because I don't want to act so friendly with her now that we just know each other. I put my phone back to my pocket and stand up. Meanwhile, Shinomiya was still sitting on the bench (I take a look at her face and notice that she was beautiful), I don't want to bother her with what she was dealing, but I can't help myself worry about her, especially now that it was late in evening.

"Yoo, Shinomiya. Let's walk now before our parents get mad at us" I tap her head a little to make her sense come back to her.

"I'm sorry, looks like I was staring again into nothing" she immediately stood up and grabs her backpack that it was on her side.

"No need to be sorry, it is fine"

Shinomiya and I started walking away from the bench we just we sat. I could tell that my house was just near here because me and my childhood friend used to walk here sometimes (specially the houses and the candy store near us) As we two are walking, I notice that the snow was not that thick, unlike what the news caster said on the T.V. with this, I'm sure we could get home as soon as we could, I'll just pray that we will not encounter the one car that I almost crashed with. I can't wait to go home... I want to drink a warm milk chocolate with marshmallow on its top... In that way, I could relax a little.

"H-Hey, Haru" I get surprised when she grabs the back of my hoodie and called out my name out of nowhere.

"Is there something wrong?" I turned my look to her and asks.

Shinomiya breaks our eye contact and says "Forget what i just said"

I really don't like prying to someone's life, but she just saved my life, at least i could help her by being at her side.

"Ahh... Okay"