Public Park

Naoki and I started walking toward the public park, like last time.

Why did it happen to me now? I'm pretty sure my condition is getting better for the last 3 months. But, as soon I got here. That nightmare showed again, but not like the old ones—It's a new one.

"Ta..."

But, why is it new?

"Tatsu..."

And, the worst part, I can't seem to remember some parts of it. It's like my mind is rejecting the idea of me remembering that.

"Tatsuya!"

I was surprised by the sudden shout of Naoki.

"Yes?"

Naoki was sulking and pouting with her cheeks bulging.

All the thoughts that have been bugging, disappeared.

The only thing that was in my mind right now, was how I want to squeeze her cheeks so badly.

"Mouuuu... You've been ignoring me."

"Eh? Ah, sorry... I've been thinking of something."

"Hm? What is it?"

Wait, she doesn't know? I thought Aunt Ayaka told her about the thing earlier. Oh, why am I so dumb... She's been beaming with energy and her smile is brighter than usual.

"Hey, Naoki."

"Hm?"

"Are you asleep when Aunt called you?"

"Eh? No."

"You're lying, you still got a bed hair, look."

I pointed at her hair.

"Eh?! For real?! But, I'm sure I brushed it thoroughly.", Naoki said while panicky fixing her hair.

"Pfft, Hahahaha"

"Eh? What? Where is it?!"

"I'm just messing with you."

I laughed.

"Hahaha."

"Mouuu—", Naoki looked at me pouting with her cheeks bulging.

Seeing her like this, it's like a sedative to me.

"Hahaha, sorry sorry."

While I was still laughing, I patted her head.

"Heh?!"

Naoki was surprised by my actions, but instead of complaining she accepted it, and gradually her mood brightened.

I sensed some stares from our surroundings, I looked around and saw some mothers cleaning at the front of their houses and some clean sweepers looking at us warmly.

My face flushed out of embarrassment and stopped patting her, but I unconsciously grabbed her hands and walked at a faster pace to leave that area.

Meanwhile, Naoki who got confused by my sudden actions didn't question and only followed me.

We reached the public park.

"Sorry.", I apologized.

"What happened?", Naoki asked.

"Uhh, nothing, I'm just excited to jog.", I said shyly scratching my cheeks.

Naoki glared at me and I did the same, but I only looked into her eyes.

I gave up, and said, "People are looking at us."

"So?", tilting her head slightly which makes her cuter.

My face started slowly turning red, "They're looking at us with warm faces."

"What?", Naoki innocently asking me.

Naoki... Is she deliberately making me embarrassed, for what I did yesterday?

"Okay! I'm just embarrassed! They were looking at us like we're a couple!", I exclaimed and I looked down to hide my flustered face.

Then, I gradually glanced at Naoki.

Her face is beet red and she's covering her mouth with her free hand.

"O-O-Okay...", Naoki replied stammering her words.

"Y, Yeah"

As the awkward atmosphere got to us, someone called.

"Yooow!"

I saw a guy on his tank top and shorts which is the opposite of what I am wearing, I've got the tank top too but I'm wearing a hoody over it and lastly sweatpants. The guy who was running up to us waving—was Arima. He then stopped in front of us.

"Didn't expect you guys here!", Arima said while panting.

"Yeah, I'm just taking some fresh air.", I said.

"I just accompanied him.", Naoki added.

"Oooh, I see."

"How about you?", I asked Arima.

"Just part of my training."

"Oh yeah, you're part of the basketball club.", Naoki said.

"Yeah, It's part of my training regime since middle school."

"Oh, wow, you're quite a hard worker, I must say.", I said.

"Thanks, by the way, you told me that you two are not going out but...", Arima said then pointing his finger at our hands which are still interlocked at each other from the time I dragged Naoki.

Naoki and I both released our hands and our face flushed face.

"Soo~ the thing about yesterday was a lie.", Arima teasingly said.

"S-Shut up.", I replied exasperatedly.

"...", Naoki didn't say anything as she's holding both of her cheeks still blushing.

"Oh, great job yesterday.", Arima gave me a thumbs up.

"Huh?", I looked at him confused.

"Come on, I heard it, the thing about you saving Ikeda-san yesterday."

Oh, that one, I literally forgot about that one.

"Oh, how come you knew it?", I asked.

"Of course, it's on the front page of the forum, and the title even says 'Emo guy saves his beautiful girlfriend from the douche Oya'—Hahahahahahaha.", Arima continued laughing.

"For real?", I looked at Arima in disbelief.

Arima picked his phone and showed me the forum.

The title that Arima said was correct and underneath, it says 'The douche Oya got what he deserves! As he tried to woo the new foreign girl in Class-1A, even after getting rejected he didn't stop, and when he found out the girl got a boyfriend. But, his persistence still perseveres as he tried to woo her in front of her boyfriend. And then, the girl snapped and slapped him. After that, douchy as always the douchy Oya tried to hit her but the boyfriend-san intervene and grabbed his wrist and his face, he got so angry that he crushed the wrist of the douchy Oya and then threatened him. AND THE BEST PART IS THE DOUCHY OYA STARTED CRYING AND PEED HIS PANTS!!'

"What the... What is this exaggeration! There are even some parts missing in this! He treated Naoki like a she's a money-whore!", I exclaimed while gritting my teeth from anger.

"Whoa, calm down.", Arima said.

"I'm okay, it's just that..."

Then Naoki started patting my head, "It's okay, don't mind them."

"But...", I looked at Naoki in bewilderment.

"Okay, calm down, tell me everything first.", Arima said in a serious tone.

I told him everything that had happened yesterday.

"Damn, it's more serious than I thought.", Arima said in a serious look.

"I thought, Ikeda-san only got irritated at him.", he added.

"Yeah, but the thing about his wrist was real...", I said.

"Wait? For real?! That was real?! I thought it was just an exaggeration.", Arima looked at me in surprise and bewilderment.

"Yeah, the committee warned me about his parents filing a lawsuit."

"Oh... Yeah, that'll be a problem."

"But, Naoki's mom said she will handle it.", I said.

"Yeah, my mom said that.", Naoki added.

"Oh, that's good then."

The atmosphere turned awkward.

But, then I saw a short brown hair and petite body— It was Arima's childhood friend.

"Hey, Arima, is that your childhood friend?", I pointed out to Arima.

Arima looked in the direction, I'm pointing at.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Are you guys jogging together?", Naoki asked.

"No way! I told you, we're not close anymore.", Arima exclaimed.

"It's just that she used to be part of the track and field team...", Arima added.

Then his childhood friend saw us and started running towards us.

"She's coming here.", I said.

"Y-Yeah.", Arima said.

The childhood friend stopped in front of us.

"I see that you've got new friends.", Ide-san said.

"Yeah...", Arima replied.

This is hella awkward...

Are these two really childhood friends? There's this awkward air around them.

"Finally, you can stop bothering me since you got new friends.", Ide-san said while glaring at Arima.

Arima glared back, and said, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, because you've been a pain in the ass."

"Because I've been telling you that he's no good!", Arima shouted.

Naoki and I saw the impending fight between the two so we step back a few steps.

"And, I keep telling! Just leave me alone!", Ide-san shouted.

"Why are so stubborn!"

"I'm not, you are!"

And the back and forth insult continued for a while.

I looked at Naoki who's clueless about what's going on, so I leaned and started whispering to her.

"What do you think?", I whispered.

"I think they're fighting because of the Nagasawa bastard.", Naoki replied in a whisper.

"Yeah, thought so"

"I think Arima-san liked her."

"Yeah, I thought of that too."

"And then, I think Ide-san was chasing the Nagasawa bastard."

"Yeah..."

"What did she see on that bastard?"

"You really hate that guy, huh."

"Of course, he reeks of hypocrisy all over him.", Naoki whispered while furrowing her eyebrows.

"Hypocrisy, huh, I guess you could say that."

"Right? The way he called me yesterday, there's a slight tone of intimacy tone in his voice."

"For real?", I looked at Naoki bewildered.

"Yeah, that's why I got more pissed. He looks so fake, I don't know why those girls are chasing after him. Just seeing his face or hearing him makes me vomit. He's so fake."

"Eh? How did you know?"

"Of course, I met many guys like him, who would create this good boy image but deep inside they're all scumbags underneath their masks."

"In middle school?"

"Yeah... Many guys tried to woo me. Many of them would create these images of themselves just to get to me or get close. But in reality, they're just making a fool of themselves, there were even some guys who tried to woo me like a playboy and ended humiliating themselves."

"Why would I be surprised by now, you're a beauty on a whole different level."

"Y-You mean it?", Naoki's face gradually got flustered.

"Of course, I know, my mom and sister are in a league of their own, and I could totally say that you're the same as them. Even though, I'm kind of naive in these kinds of things when I was young."

"There's even a point that I thought my mom's beauty was totally normal, or maybe I'm not interested in people that time, I even thought that it was just an exaggeration at how other people react whenever they see my mother when I was younger. But, as I grew, I gradually understood, and the most insane parts, was the stories of my mother's time when she's was a teenager that my dad told me."

"Fufu, yeah, I know.", Naoki giggled.

When I heard that, I let out a bitter smile.

Even though, I have so many questions for her, right now. I rejected the idea of asking her now since I'm pretty sure like my mom she will not give me an answer. But, I'm 100% that she knows me too well. She's been unconsciously spilling stuff to me.

Though, unlike mom, I don't know what will happen if I ask her that question. What's her reaction? Will our relationship change? Will she be distant? Because I know... the way she looked at me with guilt whenever I say something relating to my problem. I'm scared. I don't know why, but I know, once I told her about that, she will distance herself from me.

Even though I'm scared of the outcome, there's a thought that had been bothering me, if she knew me... Why she didn't visit me at the hospital? or her parents? I've been staying there for almost a year and a half but they didn't visit me. Just thinking of this a sudden pain struck my chest. Even when I got home... They didn't visit me... Are we really close? I think we are... But, why though? Even if I don't remember them, they or at least Naoki should've visited me.

I then looked at Naoki who's still giggling.

I forgot that...

She's been living a normal life all those years...

I bet that she even got a boyfriend that time. Maybe, that's why...

Just a thought of it, another pain struck my chest.

I looked at Naoki with pain expression.

"Why didn't you least visit me at the hospital.", I bluntly said.

I was surprised at what I said.

Naoki looked at me stunned.

"A-a-ah, s-sorry", I then ran.

Leaving the Ide-san and Arima who's still insulting each other, and lastly, the stunned Naoki behind.