Chapter 57: You like Who?

Hina and I sat by the bench beside each other lighting a cigarette of our own. It's ironic how I would always meet Hina out of nowhere whenever I fell asleep drinking. It's getting a bit cliche now. 

"Want a beer?" Asked I, trying to offer a bottle of beer to Hina.

"I'll take one. But aren't you driving?" 

"Yeah. But I'll stay the night inside the car so I'll probably be good to go tomorrow morning." 

Hina took a sip from the bottle of beer I just gave her. I opened the other bottle and started drinking as well. 

It was dark considering how it's almost midnight. The cold breeze of the air made me regret not wearing a coat before going out of the vehicle. The lake was surrounded by the tiny lights being emitted from the houses around it. The night sky above us made this very moment scenical. Still, my mind has drifted somewhere thinking of Yukino. 

"So? What happened?" Asked Hina after a few minutes of silence accompanied us.

"Yukino broke up with me." 

"What? During the trip? That's- unexpected." 

"Yeah, who would've expected that? We were having fun up until this morning. Even last night. I guess I failed to see the signs." 

I handed Hina the letter Yukino left me. She read through it for a couple of seconds before giving it back to me. 

"I think I know why she did this." 

"I think I know as well but I can't accept it right now. Though I have to, I just can't." 

"I won't say that I understand you Aoi. Nor would I sympathize with you right now considering that you probably won't want it anyway. But it'll take time for you to get a grasp of the situation." 

"Thanks for understanding Hina. The company is enough already." 

"Want to spend the night in my house? You'll be greeted by my little sister and aunt though." 

"I'll gladly take you up on your offer." 

"You can leave the car there." 

"Will it be safe?" 

"Yeah, so hop on." 

I hopped on Hina's car which still impresses me even when this is my second time seeing it. I'm not really a car enthusiast but the exterior and interior appearance of this car is enough to make me understand how much she spent on this one. 

A few minutes later, we arrived at the lake as Hina parked the car. 

"Here it is, our humble abode." 

I expected a much more extravagant house considering how rich Hina is but this house is a rather simple one. Not too small and not too big. Just right. 

"What? Are you expecting a mansion just because I drive a nice car?" 

"Can't say I didn't but this is a nice house. I'll live here for the rest of my life given the chance." 

"No need to be polite. Anyway, can you walk?" 

"Probably. Why?"

"Come, follow me." 

I followed Hina for a few minutes to arrive at a place where no house can be found but just a field of grass and a couple of trees. The place overlooked the neighborhood as well as the lake. I yearned for a cigarette but doing so in a place like this might mess up the beauty it held during the night where the moon and the stars are out giving us light in this dark place. 

"Not half bad right?" 

"Yeah. I guess you enjoy places like this Hina." 

We stared at the view for a couple of minutes before Hina started talking again. I wasn't really in any mood to talk so being the listener would be best suited for me right now. It was a bit awkward anyway being with the girl who rejected me alone this late at night just right after my girlfriend broke up with me. 

"You know what Aoi? I envy Yukino." 

"Why?" 

"Because she has the guts to tell you how she really feels despite knowing that she's dying. I wondered how hard it was for her to bottle all of those emotions just to not get you involved in her life. I can't blame her for taking so long. If I was her, I probably wouldn't have told you." 

"Yeah. I'm just glad that I was able to bring out her true feelings." 

"Aoi." 

"Yep?"

"I like you." 

"Huh?" 

"I like you Aoi." 

"Yeah, I heard you the first time but what in the world are you saying?" 

"Just as I said it. I like you. But I chose to reject you. That's why I am kind of responsible for how you are feeling right now." 

"Wha-?"

"Don't talk right now and just let me explain, will you?" 

I never had the time to process all of what Hina is saying right now. My mind was already in a mess on its own after all that happened today. Thank you for mixing it up even more with what you're saying right now. If Hina said this to me last year I would have been ecstatic but now I'm just surprised. I can only see her as a friend right now so I'm just surprised hearing all of these. But I still wonder, what did she mean when she said she's kind of responsible for how I ended up feeling this way? Isn't that between Yukino and I? 

"You're probably wondering why I rejected you despite liking you. I'm scared of loving again. I had a boyfriend way back in my first year of middle school. We dated until my second year in high school." 

"Did you guys break up?" 

"We didn't. He died of a disease. So I think we're in the same boat after all." 

As soon as those words left Hina's mouth. I felt regret after I said all those harsh words to her back in the pub. I acted like a child and told her that she didn't understand any of it, when in truth, she understood me the most. I agonized and let out an apologetic look which Hina waved off by laughing.

"Why the long face Aoi? I guess you're surprised huh? After all, you said those harsh words to me back in the pub haha." 

"I'm sorry."

"I'm just kidding! Don't sweat it. I knew how you felt at that moment so I'm not in the least bit mad at you. So where were we?