Sugar and Pepper X (52.5)
FIFTY-TWO
* FIFTY-TWO.FIVE *
01.
Who is that sleeping in the corner?
Him? He is Ohno-san's friend.
Oh-chan's friend? Ah, then he is welcome!
02.
A slight figure made it's way across the deserted courtyard. Up in the crowded classroom where laughter rang out and conversation flowed smoothly, he looked out the window and saw that single figure. From his vantage, the slightly hunched back looked so forlorn out in the open that his own happiness dwindled. So that boy was Satoshi's friend.
He wished he knew the reason for the sadness that seemed to be set on the shoulders of the lonely boy.
03.
At first Kazunari was just a presence, a friend of a friend, and then Kazunari became a person, name and a face. Kazunari came with feelings. Kazunari became a friend.
He was a friend with beautiful eyes that lit up with mischief, that lit up with life. Kazunari laughed into crooked elbows and into small hands. His lower lip pursed when he thought; lips that curled up with a mocking smile that no one knew the secret to.
He always had an urge to touch that bottom lip, that thinness, the paleness. But Kazunari would glare at him if he so as much as mentioned his thoughts, so he never had the courage to even reach out his hand. But sometimes when he wasn't thinking, his fingers would find it's way to Kazunari's smooth cheeks anyway. And then he'd blush and apologize and take his fingers away. His fingers would tingle all day with the remembered warmth.
04.
He saw the way the mischief that he loved in Kazunari's eyes died sometimes. He saw the loneliness that wrapped around Kazunari's small figure sometimes. He wished he had the strength to know everything. He wished Kazunari would rely on him and share the burden.
When the Christmas lights twinkled beautifully around them and he watched in awe, he turned and saw the same look of despair on Kazunari's face. His feelings overwhelmed him and it was part happiness and part sorrow. He'd never felt like this before and it burst out of him. He leaned in next to Kazunari's cheek and whispered, "I like you."
Kazunari pulled away and the gulf that ripped between them left him cold and hanging. Even then, he wished he could hold and comfort Kazunari.
05.
"I like you."
"I'm sorry."
The box of chocolates in his outstretched hands felt so heavy he thought his arms would break from the weight. Kazunari's eyes clouded over and he couldn't let it be because of him. So he laughed even though his heart tore open.
"Well, I knew it. I tried. Can we still be friends?"
06.
The sweetness of the chocolate mixed with the saltiness of his tears. His eyes and his chest stung. Sweetness and pain enveloped him. He knew he shouldn't be sad. He had loved, still loved, and it was a beautiful feeling that Kazunari had given him.
So even if he cried and his heart was in pieces like the chocolate, he told himself he would be okay. He would greet Kazunari with a smile.
* *
FIFTY-THREE
* FIFTY-TWO.FIVE *
01.
Who is that sleeping in the corner?
Him? He is Ohno-san's friend.
Oh-chan's friend? Ah, then he is welcome!
02.
A slight figure made it's way across the deserted courtyard. Up in the crowded classroom where laughter rang out and conversation flowed smoothly, he looked out the window and saw that single figure. From his vantage, the slightly hunched back looked so forlorn out in the open that his own happiness dwindled. So that boy was Satoshi's friend.
He wished he knew the reason for the sadness that seemed to be set on the shoulders of the lonely boy.
03.
At first Kazunari was just a presence, a friend of a friend, and then Kazunari became a person, name and a face. Kazunari came with feelings. Kazunari became a friend.
He was a friend with beautiful eyes that lit up with mischief, that lit up with life. Kazunari laughed into crooked elbows and into small hands. His lower lip pursed when he thought; lips that curled up with a mocking smile that no one knew the secret to.
He always had an urge to touch that bottom lip, that thinness, the paleness. But Kazunari would glare at him if he so as much as mentioned his thoughts, so he never had the courage to even reach out his hand. But sometimes when he wasn't thinking, his fingers would find it's way to Kazunari's smooth cheeks anyway. And then he'd blush and apologize and take his fingers away. His fingers would tingle all day with the remembered warmth.
04.
He saw the way the mischief that he loved in Kazunari's eyes died sometimes. He saw the loneliness that wrapped around Kazunari's small figure sometimes. He wished he had the strength to know everything. He wished Kazunari would rely on him and share the burden.
When the Christmas lights twinkled beautifully around them and he watched in awe, he turned and saw the same look of despair on Kazunari's face. His feelings overwhelmed him and it was part happiness and part sorrow. He'd never felt like this before and it burst out of him. He leaned in next to Kazunari's cheek and whispered, "I like you."
Kazunari pulled away and the gulf that ripped between them left him cold and hanging. Even then, he wished he could hold and comfort Kazunari.
05.
"I like you."
"I'm sorry."
The box of chocolates in his outstretched hands felt so heavy he thought his arms would break from the weight. Kazunari's eyes clouded over and he couldn't let it be because of him. So he laughed even though his heart tore open.
"Well, I knew it. I tried. Can we still be friends?"
06.
The sweetness of the chocolate mixed with the saltiness of his tears. His eyes and his chest stung. Sweetness and pain enveloped him. He knew he shouldn't be sad. He had loved, still loved, and it was a beautiful feeling that Kazunari had given him.
So even if he cried and his heart was in pieces like the chocolate, he told himself he would be okay. He would greet Kazunari with a smile.
* *
FIFTY-THREE