The match maker (3)

I deliver Sato back to her home after we finish our meeting.

"Thanks for dropping me home"

"It's okay"

"Fukawa….do you still want us to walk together?"

"…."

It's a question that hard to answer.

"Don't get misunderstanding…I mean, it's not walk together as lover…just as a friend. Don't you want to see me again, Fukawa?"

For a moment, Hitoshi's face is flashing in my eyes. But I'm more surprised by the words that come from my own mouth…

"Actually…I want…we can walk together as a lover"

Those words….come sincerely from the deepest part of my heart, while my hand still grasping hard Hitoshi's letter in my pocket.

----

Next day, at school

"Hey, Fukawa"

"Ah, hey Hitoshi"

"So, have you delivered my letter yet?"

"Oh…"

"You're not forgetting I give you that letter, right?"

"Ah, not yet.."

"What? Not yet?"

"Sorry…."

"Please deliver that letter soon…I'm anxious waiting for the answer"

"Okay…."

"Thanks, I'm heading to class first"

"…."

What should I do?

"Hey…"

This time a girl's voice comes from my back. It's Sato's voice

"Hey, Good morning"

"Morning. Fukawa, you look pale, what happens?"

"I'm fine…maybe because of this cold weather"

"Take care yourself Fukawa….ehm…can we go home together after school?"

"Sure…."

"I'll wait for you in the bus stop, okay?"

"Okay…"

---after school----

"Hey Fukawa, you have a nice cap there"

"Huh?"

"Where do you buy that?"

"This a gift from someone"

"Hehe….this must be the gift from that girl with long hair"

"Ugh! How..how do you know?"

"I saw with my own eyes, you two have lunch together that Sunday in the restaurant. So, how about my matter? Have you give my letter to Sato?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean by huh?"

Thank God! He doesn't know that girl is Sato…I don't know what he will say to me if he knows that girl is Sato

"But I'm glad for you Fukawa…finally, you find a girl that like you. I'm glad to see you happy…it's about time for you to have a girlfriend, right?"

Hitoshi cheer me up by patting my shoulder

"Introduce her to me next time, okay?"

"Ah…."

How can I introduce her to you, Hitoshi. The girl who gives me this knitted cap is no one else than Sato Mao, the girl that you like.

At the bus stop…

"Fukawa!...you wear that cap…"

"Ah, yeah, it's cold so I wear it"

"I'm so happy…I never thought you will wear that at school. Oh right, Fukawa…."

"Yes?"

"Why can't we openly going together at school?"

"That's…..I'm shy"

"Oh…"

I can't openly show Sato is my girlfriend at school. If Hitoshi knows that will be complicated.

….

I'm Fukawa Yamato…I used to be a matchmaker. From my hands, there're some couples born from there. But suddenly a girl expressing her love feeling to me, and now I'm dating her.

What makes it worse is, she's the girl that my best friend has a crush for a long time. and now, I'm in the middle of this love triangle. In my room, I look at Hitoshi's love letter in my hand, I'm thinking hard how should I do with this letter.

Just if the letter from Sato come to my hand faster, I will not receive the letter from Hitoshi. As if this not collides to each other….i really don't know what to do.

….

" Hey Fukawa, take this"

Hitoshi handed me two ticket

"This…cinema tickets?"

I see the ticket in my hand.

"Yes, just a congratulation gift from me for you and your girlfriend"

"But I…."

"It's okay, just take your girlfriend to watch the movie"

"Hitoshi….Don't you want to ask Sato to watch the movie?"

"AH…I want to"

"Then ask her.."

"Why you said like that?"

"Hitoshi…I want to ask you. What makes you like Sato? What do you like from her?"

"Eeehh…why you ask that?"

He tries to avoid that question, it seems this question embarrassed him to answer. His face become red when I'm asking this question

"Just tell me please"

"Okay, you know my family owns a book store, right?"

"Huh?"

"Listen to me first, Sato is our regular customer, she always comes every day. Fukawa, you maybe don't know her expression when reading a book. She looks so alluring, the glimmer in her eyes, the brightness in her face, looks so happy…. I just keep looking at her, and suddenly I feel I like her. Gone with the wind, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, head cliff….i try to read that classic literature that she buy and try to search what makes her so infatuated with those books…please don't laugh at me because of that"

Sigh…Hitoshi really likes her. He even going that far just to know her…

When I'm home, I hold Hitoshi's letter in my hand. This letter…I must deliver it. I must convey Hitoshi's feeling to her. It's something that I should deliver at the first time.

-----next day-----

"Wow! Watching movie….Gone with the wind! I like the story! I already read the story several times! It's great"

I give Sato the cinema ticket that Hitoshi give to me.

"Sato…will you go to watch the movie with Hitoshi?"

"Hah? Hitoshi? Who is he?"

"My best friend…"

"Fukawa….I…I don't understand what you mean"

I take the love letter from Hitoshi and handed that letter to Sato

"This…love letter from Hitoshi….he's a good man, and he like you more than I am. You will able like him…just go watch the movie with him"

Sato only holds the letter in her hand….she look confused…for a moment there are no words come from her.

"I remember now…'the matchmaker'…that's what your friend call you. You're a good matchmaker who already makes some good couples, many people ask for your help. But as a man…you're pathetic. Alright, I will go to watch the movie with him, you ask me to go out with him, and then I'll go out with him. How about that Mr. matchmaker? Are you satisfied now? ….. Goodbye"

After saying that, Sato left me with tears on her eyes. I can only watch her back that leave me with a painful feeling in my chest.

---after school, my room---

*Riinnggg….Riiinnnggg*

"Hello…Fukawa? It's me Hitoshi! Hey, listen! I have a date tomorrow with Sato Mao. She asks me to watch a movie"

"Is that so? good for you…"

"You must already deliver the letter for her"

"Oh.."

"Thanks Fukawa! You're really my best friend. See you tomorrow"

"….."

---next day, Shibuya----

Hitoshi is wearing his best clothes going out with cheerful feeling in his face. Today he has a date with a girl that he like since long time ago. When he arrives in front of the cinema where he had an appointment with Sato before, he sees Sato already standing there, waiting for him. She wearing her glasses and a hat covering her head.

"Hey, have you waiting for long?"

"Not really"

"Sato, it's still some time before the movie start. How if we eat first? Where do you want to eat?"

"Wait….Hitoshi…look at me first"

Sato takes off her glasses and then removes the hat that covering her hair. Her long hair now is dangling down her shoulder and to her back.

"Ah!....you…actually…."

---Fukawa's house----

*DING DONG…DING DONG*

I open the door because no one currently at home except me. I see Hitoshi standing in front of the fences. Maybe he comes here to tell how his date with Sato to me. I open the gate and see Hitoshi

"Hitoshi, how's the date? Is it good? Is it fun?"

Hitoshi didn't answer my question, instead, his fist is hit me and make me fall because he hit me hard enough.

"Hitoshi? Why?"

"Is that hurt? That must be hurt…I also hurt…but Sato must be hurt more"

"???"

"I already hear all from her…you silly, you feeling guilty because I ask you to deliver my love letter then try to deny your own feeling to her"

"Fukawa…I did ask you to give my love letter to her…but it's up to Sato to choose the man she like…and she choose you"

"What?"

"You must also love her, although you have to hurt her feeling…just go now"

"What you say?"

"She's waiting for you in City park, waiting for your arrival. Go on….just go Fukawa!"

Me as a matchmaker…I don't remember how many couples I've managed to match…but I'm so incompetent to handle my own love affairs. I'm hurting my best friend feeling, also hurting my girlfriend feeling…and also my own feeling…I know how that pain feels….but...

That pain makes me feel grateful when realizing that love is not leaving me

Since today, I will hold that love and never let it go again.

Just like when I see Sato with the smile on her face when she sees me, and our tight hug to each other.

~The End~