Boy Meets Girl, Girl Meets Boy: A Love Story (Chapter 22)
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Chapter Twenty Two
Wait?
What does he want me to wait for? Wait...does this mean what I hope it means?
"Nani?" I casually glance over my shoulders. Why aren't you stopping me?? Please stop me and say you don't want me to go!! I don't want to go too!! Please say what I'm doing is wrong! Please -
"Uh...never mind. It's nothing..." He lets it go. "By the way, let me do the talking, okay? My mom's kind of...well, she might not - "
"What do you mean?" I ask as he leads me out of the room.
"You'll see..."
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Well, this is going well...
"WHAT?? YOU'RE BREAKING UP?? BUT...WHY??" Nino's mom cried. "Is it because of Satoshi? Aha, I knew it - you are gay!!! I can't believe this!! My only son really is gay!!! What am I going to do now?? There's no one to carry on the family name!!"
"Yes mom, I'm gay and in love with Satoshi-kun! We're planning to run away and get married and have two kids in Hokkaido!" He clasped his hands and fluttered his eyes. "Mom, for the last time - I AM NOT GAY!!! How many times do I have to tell you that??" Nino rolls his eyes and rubs his forehead.
"We're not really breaking up," I offered. "We're...more or less taking a break. From each other."
"But why??" She wails. "When I look at you, all I see is how perfect and in love you two are!! Wait - don't tell me!! There's someone else, isn't there?? Nino, have you been cheating with Satoshi behind Hanari's back?? Oh, my poor fragile heart is breaking..."
Nino coughs - "Maybe..." - and makes a face before we turn to look at each other. He gave me this 'I told you so' look. Shut up!! I thought you were kidding!! I mentally shot back, frowning at him.
"Okasama, hounto ni gomen na sai. No one has been cheating on anyone. We just thought it would be good for us to spend some time apart. We're both busy right now and I just thought it would be better to focus first on our...responsibilities. I know it must be hard for you but it's hard for us as well. I care for Nino very much but I don't want to get in the way of his work. He's got a lot on his plate right now and the last thing he needs is me bringing trouble..."
"Mom, stop overreacting. We...I mean, Hanari and I already talked about this and we feel that it's for the best if we part ways, just until after the tour. Didn't we, Hana-chan?"
I nodded, but not before slapping the back of his head. I told you never to call me that!!
"Please! I don't really want to hear about this anymore..." Sobbing, she stood up, covering her ears and walking out of the living room.
"Good job!! Congratulations on making my mom cry!!" Nino gives me an applause.
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"How is she?" I stand back as Nino comes out of one of the bedrooms.
"Oh, she's fine."
I stared at him dubiously. "Are you sure?" Because I heard crying, wailing, screaming and something about you being gay...
"She's fine, okay? Geez, you worry too much..." He scratches his head, sighing in frustration. "Here - I'll talk to her again once she's calmed down, okay?"
"I can stay, if you want - " I move towards the door.
He stands in front, pushing me back. "Oh no, you don't!! I think you've done enough." Gripping my arm, he leads me towards the door. "Thanks for coming but now you can go."
"Ouch!! Hey!!!" For a scrawny guy, he sure is strong. I shoved him away. "Alright, alright! I'm going." I gather my coat.
"Here, let me show you the way." He opens the door, letting me out.
As we step outside, I turn around and face him. "So..."
"So..." He crosses his arms over his chest.
I held out a hand. "Well, I guess this is it. Thanks - for everything. I hope, after this, we can still be friends..."
He looked at my hand, staring at them as if they were the last thing he wanted to ever see in his life. I bet if he stared hard enough, my hand would probably melt or burst into flames. "What? It's just a hand..."
That's what I was expecting, at least, but instead, he wraps his arms around me.
"Ah..." Okay, this was the last thing I was expecting. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do. I was hoping for something like this but I knew I had to stop dreaming. Yet here I am, with Nino's arms wrapped close around me - in public, no less!! - and I'm just standing here. I wanted to throw my arms and hug him back but I knew if I did, water would start covering my eyes. Instead, numbness washed over me. I just stood there, arms at my side, stiff and...blank.
If anyone told me that I would wake up today and it would be the last time I would ever see Nino, I would've probably laughed in their faces - if it was 3 months ago. But now, I guess I would...I would...
I closed my eyes as the reality hit me. The last time...it was the last time I would ever get to see him again. And it's all my fault. Why did I have to do what I just did? Was it all worth it? And for what? Trading it in just so the tabloids don't find out?? Breaking it off so everything could go back to the way it was? To have a normal life and never see his mouth curl into smile again? To never see his eyes close when he's tired or his face light up when he's playing his game boy? To never be in his arms like this again? To never hear his annoying, high-pitched laugh or his random thoughts when he's thinking out loud?
If this is what normal is, then I don't want it. I'd rather not be normal than not have Nino in my life.
His cheek brushed against mine, chin resting against my shoulder. I took a deep breath as his arms tightened around me, fingers gripping into my back. It was getting harder by the minute, trying to remember how everything would be. Heck, I was just having a hard time remembering what he smelled like (fresh rain after a storm), for it would be the last time.
Eventually he lets me go. "Thank you." His voice is soft and gentle, slightly wavering at the word 'you'. He is still holding my hand, giving it a light squeeze. For a moment, as I take it back, I swear I could feel his reluctance to let go, since his fingers were still entwined in mine.
My hand is shaking as I unhook each finger. As I walk towards my car, I fight the urge to turn back and say goodbye. Once I was safely inside, I chose to wave through the window instead.
"Goodbye Hanari." He said as the car drove away.
"Goodbye." I whispered. I was already going, but no sooner had I left that I realized my willpower flew out the window and decided to stay back there with him, as my defenses crumbled, tears falling down my face.
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Chapter Twenty Two
Wait?
What does he want me to wait for? Wait...does this mean what I hope it means?
"Nani?" I casually glance over my shoulders. Why aren't you stopping me?? Please stop me and say you don't want me to go!! I don't want to go too!! Please say what I'm doing is wrong! Please -
"Uh...never mind. It's nothing..." He lets it go. "By the way, let me do the talking, okay? My mom's kind of...well, she might not - "
"What do you mean?" I ask as he leads me out of the room.
"You'll see..."
==========
Well, this is going well...
"WHAT?? YOU'RE BREAKING UP?? BUT...WHY??" Nino's mom cried. "Is it because of Satoshi? Aha, I knew it - you are gay!!! I can't believe this!! My only son really is gay!!! What am I going to do now?? There's no one to carry on the family name!!"
"Yes mom, I'm gay and in love with Satoshi-kun! We're planning to run away and get married and have two kids in Hokkaido!" He clasped his hands and fluttered his eyes. "Mom, for the last time - I AM NOT GAY!!! How many times do I have to tell you that??" Nino rolls his eyes and rubs his forehead.
"We're not really breaking up," I offered. "We're...more or less taking a break. From each other."
"But why??" She wails. "When I look at you, all I see is how perfect and in love you two are!! Wait - don't tell me!! There's someone else, isn't there?? Nino, have you been cheating with Satoshi behind Hanari's back?? Oh, my poor fragile heart is breaking..."
Nino coughs - "Maybe..." - and makes a face before we turn to look at each other. He gave me this 'I told you so' look. Shut up!! I thought you were kidding!! I mentally shot back, frowning at him.
"Okasama, hounto ni gomen na sai. No one has been cheating on anyone. We just thought it would be good for us to spend some time apart. We're both busy right now and I just thought it would be better to focus first on our...responsibilities. I know it must be hard for you but it's hard for us as well. I care for Nino very much but I don't want to get in the way of his work. He's got a lot on his plate right now and the last thing he needs is me bringing trouble..."
"Mom, stop overreacting. We...I mean, Hanari and I already talked about this and we feel that it's for the best if we part ways, just until after the tour. Didn't we, Hana-chan?"
I nodded, but not before slapping the back of his head. I told you never to call me that!!
"Please! I don't really want to hear about this anymore..." Sobbing, she stood up, covering her ears and walking out of the living room.
"Good job!! Congratulations on making my mom cry!!" Nino gives me an applause.
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"How is she?" I stand back as Nino comes out of one of the bedrooms.
"Oh, she's fine."
I stared at him dubiously. "Are you sure?" Because I heard crying, wailing, screaming and something about you being gay...
"She's fine, okay? Geez, you worry too much..." He scratches his head, sighing in frustration. "Here - I'll talk to her again once she's calmed down, okay?"
"I can stay, if you want - " I move towards the door.
He stands in front, pushing me back. "Oh no, you don't!! I think you've done enough." Gripping my arm, he leads me towards the door. "Thanks for coming but now you can go."
"Ouch!! Hey!!!" For a scrawny guy, he sure is strong. I shoved him away. "Alright, alright! I'm going." I gather my coat.
"Here, let me show you the way." He opens the door, letting me out.
As we step outside, I turn around and face him. "So..."
"So..." He crosses his arms over his chest.
I held out a hand. "Well, I guess this is it. Thanks - for everything. I hope, after this, we can still be friends..."
He looked at my hand, staring at them as if they were the last thing he wanted to ever see in his life. I bet if he stared hard enough, my hand would probably melt or burst into flames. "What? It's just a hand..."
That's what I was expecting, at least, but instead, he wraps his arms around me.
"Ah..." Okay, this was the last thing I was expecting. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do. I was hoping for something like this but I knew I had to stop dreaming. Yet here I am, with Nino's arms wrapped close around me - in public, no less!! - and I'm just standing here. I wanted to throw my arms and hug him back but I knew if I did, water would start covering my eyes. Instead, numbness washed over me. I just stood there, arms at my side, stiff and...blank.
If anyone told me that I would wake up today and it would be the last time I would ever see Nino, I would've probably laughed in their faces - if it was 3 months ago. But now, I guess I would...I would...
I closed my eyes as the reality hit me. The last time...it was the last time I would ever get to see him again. And it's all my fault. Why did I have to do what I just did? Was it all worth it? And for what? Trading it in just so the tabloids don't find out?? Breaking it off so everything could go back to the way it was? To have a normal life and never see his mouth curl into smile again? To never see his eyes close when he's tired or his face light up when he's playing his game boy? To never be in his arms like this again? To never hear his annoying, high-pitched laugh or his random thoughts when he's thinking out loud?
If this is what normal is, then I don't want it. I'd rather not be normal than not have Nino in my life.
His cheek brushed against mine, chin resting against my shoulder. I took a deep breath as his arms tightened around me, fingers gripping into my back. It was getting harder by the minute, trying to remember how everything would be. Heck, I was just having a hard time remembering what he smelled like (fresh rain after a storm), for it would be the last time.
Eventually he lets me go. "Thank you." His voice is soft and gentle, slightly wavering at the word 'you'. He is still holding my hand, giving it a light squeeze. For a moment, as I take it back, I swear I could feel his reluctance to let go, since his fingers were still entwined in mine.
My hand is shaking as I unhook each finger. As I walk towards my car, I fight the urge to turn back and say goodbye. Once I was safely inside, I chose to wave through the window instead.
"Goodbye Hanari." He said as the car drove away.
"Goodbye." I whispered. I was already going, but no sooner had I left that I realized my willpower flew out the window and decided to stay back there with him, as my defenses crumbled, tears falling down my face.
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