Yabu X Yuri

“Aahhhhh!!”

A moment of silence.

“Aahhhhhhhhhhh!!”

Again, a moment of silence.

“AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“SHUT UP!”

Seconds later..

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“I SAID SHUT UP!!”

“Why can’t they just close their mouths? It’s not like the movie’s scary,” I whispered to myself.

The person beside me stared at me as if I was insane.

“What?” I said.

She quickly glued her eyes to the movie screen, although I could actually see her eye balls turning a little to see what I was doing. What was wrong with people nowadays? First, some scream for no apparent reason. I mean, why would someone scream when the movie just started and all that was on screen were the advertisements? Second, some look at you as if you were senile. I mean, have they never seen someone shouting at someone else to keep quiet? Thirdly...

“OUCH!”

“Shhh...”

A boy walking to his seat stepped on my foot. I was expecting him to apologise when he actually just went and sat beside me without uttering a single word and acted like nothing happened. Just as I was about to say something, the boy behind him apologized for him.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

I nodded, keeping my mouth shut after that. As I was saying, thirdly, some people are so irresponsible and yet some are proper. The little incident that just happened was an example. The person who stepped on my foot didn’t do anything. Instead, the person who didn’t do anything apologized. Now, if you asked me what was weird, I’d say THAT was weird. I realized my life was full of weird people, including those two.

But right now, they weren’t my main thoughts. I was feeling quite low. I mean, wouldn’t you? If you were at the cinema all alone. No friends to accompany you. No one to talk to. No ‘him’ to keep you company. I had asked many of my friends but they all said they were busy and were going out with their partners. Lucky them. While they were enjoying themselves somewhere, I was all alone with no partner or companion to watch a movie about romance. And what’s more? Today was Valentine’s Day.

I guess it was my fate that I was meant to be alone on this certain day of the year. And maybe for the rest of my life. No one, I repeat, no one, has ever taken a liking for me. Unfortunately, I have people taking a hating for me, if there was such a sentence. I thought everyone was meant to be loved at least once. So where was my chance? Was I going to have a partner in the near future and experience love for the first time? Or was I going to be left on the shelf with not the experience of being loved?

The movie started. It was called Hana Yori Dango The Final (It’s a real movie). It was about this rich guy who fell in love with a commoner but their love was not accepted by his mother. In the movie, his mother at last agreed to their marriage but they had to go through certain challenges before their marriage. What they were going to go through was what I was going to watch. Matsumoto Jun, as the rich guy, had curly hair and spoke wrongly most of the time. While Inoue Mao, as the commoner, was the only person who dared to stand up to him other than his sister.

At the end of the movie, I sighed. I wondered why couldn’t my life be like Makino Tsukushi’s, Inoue Mao. Sure, she had a hard life, worse than mine, being a commoner. But gradually her life became better after meeting her true love. Yes, she did go through more hardships after meeting him. But what was the outcome? She still gained happiness in the end. So, if she had a chance of love, where was mine?

Everyone got up and left the cinema one by one. I could see many couples holding hands. Some whispered sweet nothings and mushy stuffs into their partners’ ears, making them giggle. I sighed once more. Sighing had become my habit. I always did so whenever I felt depressed or similar feelings, which was quite often nowadays.

I walked out the door and into the shopping complex just after it. Where should I go? The café? No. It would be full of couples. Clothes shops? No. Too expensive the clothes were. If they were cheap, the quality wouldn’t be good. So what was the point of buying them? The bookshop? Yes. Maybe that was the best place for me to head off to now. It can’t be worse than people stepping on my feet or seeing lovey-dovey couples all around me. Okay, that’ll be my destination.

Hello, books, I told myself the moment I entered. Tons were on shelves and even on the floor. I chose the romance section and took a book to read the synopsis. Halfway, I heard someone.

“Hey, girl with the red highlights!”

I turned.

But I could see no one I know or rather, anyone who said that. No one seemed to be looking in my direction. Maybe I was hallucinating. Too much thinking can lead to hallucination. I continued the book. Once again I heard the same thing.

“Hey, girl with the red highlights!”

As quick as lightning, I turned and got a shock. Who was it but the most popular guy in school who had girls fawning over him every single moment. My Prince Charming, they called him. But to me, he was just a normal person. Why? He was my childhood friend.

“Kou-chan! What are you doing here?” I asked, happy to have company.

“Looking for books? And someone?” he replied.

“Oh,” my face fell.

I had thought I was lucky to have found at least company for the rest of my day. But I guess luck just wasn’t on my side. “Who’re you waiting for? Do I know her?”

He nodded. “Yeah, you know her very well.”

I nodded. I knew who he was waiting for now. My other childhood friend, Shida Mirai. We used to be the trio, Kou-chan, Shida and me. But, Shida moved and Kou-chan became popular. Leaving me in the depths of my own loneliness. After Shida came back, I thought life could go on as it had before. But I was wrong. Shida changed, She became a fake. She only talked to me when Kou-chan was near. She pretended to be my best friend when actually she was acting. In front of Kou-chan, she had lied. Too many times, that she was a living lie herself.

But, Kou-chan didn’t seem to realize it. He thought the world of her. She was beautiful. She was smart. She was popular and she was rich. All the essence of a fine young lady. Who wouldn’t want her? I, on the other hand, liked Kou-chan but never had the courage to tell him. I was a coward. I was afraid. Afraid of rejection. Afraid that he would never bother me ever again.

“You know, I’ve been liking her since we were young. But I didn’t show it. Today’s a special day. I want to show her how special I can make this day for her.” He told me.

“So.. you’re going to confess to her?” I asked, my heart breaking into a million pieces.

“Yeah. So how do you think I should go about it? I mean, you’re a girl. And I’m sure you know what girls like and how they can be satisfied with words.”

“Well, you can just confess straight at her face,” I suggested, knowing well Shida would agree no matter what method he used.

“Okay. Well then, Yamamoto Yuri, would you be my valentine?”

-----
“Open your mouth. Ahhh...”

“That’s what I’m doing.”

I giggled.

Life couldn’t be better. I was having the time of my life. With me feeding Kou-chan ice-cream and with him opening his mouth like a snake ready to swallow a cow, I couldn’t feel any happier. Ever since Valentine’s Day, the day he confessed to me, my life had an abrupt turn of things. From a boring, loveless life to a life full of happiness that can’t be measured. I am twenty-two now. And so was Kou-chan. Five years had passed and we were still together. It was December and very cold. In a month’s time, Kou-chan will be twenty-three. I’ve not thought of how to surprise him. But I’ll make sure it’ll be his best birthday ever.

“Hey, stop leaving the ice-cream in midair. The wind can’t eat you know,” Kou-chan grumbled.

I laughed and shoved the spoon into his mouth.

All of a sudden, Kou-chan’s expression changed. He started groaning in pain. “What’s the matter?” I got alarmed.

He pointed at his mouth as if it was in pain. “Oh my God! Did I shove it in too hard? Oh no!”

“Ouch!” he said.

“Are you alright? What am I supposed to do?”

“Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Kiss me,” he repeated.

At that moment, I realized his prank. I hit him on the head. “Hey! That was not funny. Did you know how worried I was?”

“Sorry.”

“I’m not speaking to you for the rest of the day,” I told him. The last time I did that, he pestered me, singing in my ear until everyone we passed stared at us. I should have learned my lesson but unfortunately, I didn’t.

“Aww... Come on. I just wanted to know whether you still cared about me.”

I ignored him.

“Come on. At least, if you don’t talk to me, can’t you answer with a nod or a shake? Please!! Please!!! PLEASE!!!”

I looked at him and sighed, a habit, long gone but had came back.

“Will you marry me?”

My eyes grew big. Did my ears hear right? Or were they not functioning properly? I stared at him. He took out a small box and opened it. In it was a diamond ring. “I saved money to buy this half a year ago, but I didn’t know how to ask you. Now that I have, I hope you’ll agree. I mean, think about it. We’ll have a home together and then we’ll have babies. And can you imagine how cute our babies will be? You’re so pretty while I’m so handsome. We’ll be others’ envy. We’ll live together until we’re old and wrinkled and...”

Without waiting for another word, I hugged him. “I do,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “I do.”

He pulled me off his and planted a kiss on my lips, which meant eternal happiness.

-brenda-