A New Beginning?

"Marry Kanna?" Haruto repeated, still staring at Rensuke in utter shock.

Rensuke, smiling, replied, "Yes, Why not marry her?"

"Are you crazy? you just said it was over, forget her and move on," Haruto said, seeming astonished.

Rensuke, maintaining his smile, said "True, it's over, but you also admitted that you can't forget her. If you truly love her that much, then maybe, it's worth trying again."

Haruto fell silent, deep in thought as he considered Rensuke's words.

"Yeah, I'm saying you should talk to her," Rensuke urged earnestly. "Tell her how much you still love her. Lay it all out."

"She'll just reject me," Haruto said, his voice heavy with resignation.

"What if she doesn't?" Rensuke pressed. "What if she still loves you just as much?"

Haruto shook his head in denial. "I don't deserve her, she's on her way to becoming a doctor, and I'm nothing."

"Forget about that," Rensuke said firmly. "I still believe you are the most skilled and talented person I know, degrees don't define you. I have seen your potential."

Haruto fell silent, taking in Rensuke's words.

Rensuke pressed on, "Just give it a shot, what's the worst that could happen? If she says yes, then congratulations. If she says no, then move on. Work hard, push yourself, and become the best version of yourself. In the process, you will definitely forget her." 

"Well, actually, she texted me a few days ago," Haruto said.

Rensuke's eyes brightened with enthusiasm. "There you go! She must have feelings for you. What did she say?"

Haruto replied, "When she learned I wasn't attending the reunion, she reached out to confirm whether I was coming or not."

"Will she be at the reunion?" Rensuke asked slowly.

Haruto nodded, and Rensuke gave him a sharp jab on his shoulder, saying, "You're such an idiot."

Haruto grimaced and rubbed his shoulder. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Because you are an idiot," Rensuke replied. "She wanted you there. Now she will be feeling lonely without you."

"Really?" Haruto's eyes widened with realization.

"You missed your chance, you idiot," Rensuke said, his tone filled with frustration. Haruto fell silent, lost in thought.

"Listen," Rensuke continued, "I want you to make an effort. This is your last shot to avoid a lifetime of regret. Reach out to her, find out if she's still single, and if she is, propose to her right away. Got it?"

Haruto nodded slowly. Rensuke's smile grew as he said, "That's the spirit. By the way, how's your job?"

The two brothers continued their conversation, shifting to lighter topics…

As the sun rose, Haruto's family stood at the main gate, while Haruto stood just outside the house. 

"Haruto, please stay one more day. It's Sunday." his mother pleaded.

"I'd love to, but I have a lot of work waiting for me at home," Haruto said with a smile. "But don't worry, I'll visit again."

"Next time, don't just visit," his father said firmly, "come to stay."

Haruto smiled and nodded in agreement. He embraced each family member in a heartfelt hug, then, with a final wave, started walking away, his family watching him go, with tearful eyes and heavy hearts…

Haruto unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, his expression darkening as he took in the scene before him. The room was a chaotic mess, with belongings scattered everywhere and clutter overtaking every surface.

He sighed and muttered, "Looks like it's time for some cleaning." With that, he began to move through the mess, ready to restore order.

After a few hours of cleaning, Haruto stood proudly in an apron with his head covered, holding a dirty bag. Sweating but smiling, he surveyed his room which was now neat and clean

"Now that's what I call a clean room." Haruto said With a satisfied grin, he added, "Time to take a bath."

After a refreshing bath, Haruto settled on his bed with a bowl of rice. As he ate, he thought, "I'm really glad I came to visit my family. It really lifted my spirits. I suppose I'll be moving back soon." He smiled with satisfaction and continued his meal…

Later, Haruto sat on his bed, leaning against the wall with a cup of tea in hand. As he picked up his phone and started scrolling, he saw a new post from his school's grand reunion. He murmured to himself, "Looks like the photos are here."

He quickly opened his school's social media page and began browsing through the photos, smiling as he scrolled and sipped his tea. Suddenly, a group photo posted by Baku caught his eye.

Haruto smiled as he examined Baku in the photo, noting, "He's changed a lot. That's great." As he continued scanning the image, his eyes were drawn to Kanna, who was also in the group photo.

Haruto seemed stunned, his eyes fixed on Kanna's image with a mix of surprise and nostalgia. He sat up straight, unable to move his gaze away from her photo. 

Slowly, he whispered, "She hasn't changed much… Just like me." A soft smile spread across his face as he continued to gaze at her picture.

"She just looks more beautiful, more beautiful than ever," he remarked with a smile. He screenshotted the photo, cropped everyone out, and saved only Kanna's image. Leaning back, he kept gazing at her photo…

At night, Haruto was walking anxiously around his room, his mind racing. "Should I text her? Will it be okay? What will she think? What should I even say?" His nervousness was visible as he kept walking around his room.

He sat on his bed, opened Kanna's inbox, and stared at the screen. Though he was ready to type, his thumbs seemed frozen, unable to move.

Haruto took a deep breath and began typing, his nerves clearly visible with every keystroke. As he finished, he glanced at the message, which said "Hello Kanna, I just wanted to check if you're doing okay." His thumb hovered over the send button. After another deep breath, he pressed it, sending the message. He stared at the screen, waiting for a response, but Kanna was not online.

Haruto set his phone on the bed and quickly lay down, drifting into sleep.

At sunrise, his phone's persistent ringing was echoing in his room. 

Haruto opened his eyes groggily and sat up with a scowl. He rubbed his face, glanced at his phone, and saw Makoto's name flashing on the screen. His irritation evident, he picked up the phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Haruto? Where are you?" Makoto asked urgently.

Haruto stayed silent, his face set in a frown of frustration and annoyance.

"Haruto?" Makoto called again.

"Yeah?" Haruto snapped, his voice tinged with irritation.

"You are late! The boss is furious with you," Makoto said again.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Haruto replied curtly before swiftly ending the call and tossing his phone onto the bed. Frustration etched on his face, he placed his hand on his forehead, seemed frustrated, when suddenly a realization hit him. He quickly snatched his phone back up and saw that Kanna had replied to his message. Haruto stared at her response, his eyes widening in surprise.