Don't be scared of what you cannot see
Your only fear is possibility
Never wonder what the hell went wrong
Your second chance may never come along
Hold on now, your exits' here
It's waiting just for you
Don't pause too long
It's fading now
It's ending all too soon you'll see
Soon you'll see
- Pete Murray, Opportunity
[from his See the Sun album]
Exits
Pausing by the door, he knew that it was the end. He heard it all. Yeah, he lost her. To another guy. Someone he didn't know. But what the heck. It's not like he needed a girl in first place. It was just a fling.
Yeah right.
Since when did Hiyoshi Wakashi ever have a fling?
He was bloody serious. And now he's been brushed off.
Never again.
That's for sure.
Hiyoshi stepped out of the exit of the school. If he entered alone in his first year of school, he'll leave alone as well. Afterall, humans were born without love, could live without love, it's not like they needed it.
---
sat on the bus, earphones bursting soft rock music into ears, her eyes closed, head bopping to the rhythm from the music.
"Oi, you." A male voice was heard, only slightly above the music. took her earphones out of her ears, and looked at the owner of the voice.
Hiyoshi Wakashi. A classmate. Glaring down at her.
"Eh? Hiyoshi-kun?" questioned him, puzzled. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah, move over. I can't cross between your legs and the seat. And after about five times of calling your name, you finally noticed that people exist on this bus."
"A mere 'May I sit down?' would have been easier and shorter..." grumbled, sliding over to the adjacent seat, allowing Hiyoshi to sit down next to her. She plugged the earphone back into her ear, as Hiyoshi took out a mystery thriller out of his bag and commenced reading. looked at him, surprised. He was actually reading on a rocky and moving vehicle.
"Don't you get sick reading on a bus?"
"No. But I do get sick of listening to your voice."
"Arsehole." muttered under her breath. Might as well be quiet. There was no talking to this prick.
---
"...I didn't remember you sitting next to me." Hiyoshi blinked at the girl with his mysterious eyes, as if he just discovered this for the first time in his school life. rolled her eyes, disappointed by the boy.
"Just because we haven't spoken before doesn't mean that you can have no idea about your surroundings." retorted. Hiyoshi scoffed.
"It just means you're not important enough for my attention."
"I don't think I want your attention. Then I would have to talk to you like I am now, and feel pissed off." sat down in her seat, muttering furiously about the moron who's been sitting next to her for half a year now, and as soon as he noticed her presence, he acts like such a jerk to her.
couldn't help but feel disappointed. The Hiyoshi who sat next to her was shrouded in mystery, enigma, and she was always interested in him. Too bad reality bites.
---
"Oh, Wakashi-kun!"
"I thought you'd never call me that again. You said that to my face, Maeda-senpai."
"Maeda-senpai? You stopped calling me Naomi?"
"Why can't I change back to formalities? It's not like we talk anymore. We haven't spoken for months now. And we don't even regard each other in the hall anymore." Hiyoshi stepped around the third year female student. "Didn't you say you wanted someone older? That it was embarrassing to be with a younger boy? Well...I got information for you." Hiyoshi began to walk away. "I should be feeling worse for being with an older female." Ruthlessly said, he still felt no satisfaction with the venom he spat at his former girlfriend. Walking further down the corridor, he passed the female student who had been introduced into his life that random bus ride.
"Your girlfriend?" asked, though still walking the opposite direction to him.
"Ex." Even though they were walking further and further away from each other, they still spoke to each other, their heads still looking forward, not turning to look into each eyes.
"I see. Knowing you now, it would be your fault."
"Hmph. I wished it would be my fault. Hurting people is always more easier that getting hurt."
turned around. But all she saw was Hiyoshi's back disappearing into the light at the exit of the corridor.
Hurting people is easier, eh? He was sure good at it.
But...sometimes, the one who is good at hurting others...was one hurt painfully before.
Wait a sec...did he just passively hint that he was hurt before?
raised an eyebrow. Still an enigma, Hiyoshi was.
---
"-san."
"Hmm?" turned to the voice, obviously owned by Hiyoshi. "You actually remembered my name?"
"Unfortunately." Hiyoshi scowled. "It's also unfortunate now that I have to ask for a favour...may I borrow a pen?"
rolled her eyes, lips curled in annoyance. "Usually no one would comply to such a crappy and rude request." She took a pen out of her pencil case and handed it to him. "Don't lose it. I like that pen very much." Hiyoshi took the pen, with no word of thanks. made a mental note to herself not to ever lend him things.
By the end of the day, forgot to ask Hiyoshi for the pen back, not until she was at home, searching desperately for the pen.
"That Hiyoshi! Argh! I shouldn't have leant it to him!" started to plan a heist to get her pen back, when she heard the doorbell ring, her mother's footsteps heading to the door, opening it. And her voice calling out to .
"-chan!!! There's someone from your class here!" her mother cried. Running down the stairs, still couldn't work out who would be at her door, until her eyes revealed it to her.
Hiyoshi Wakashi.
"What are you doing here? How did you find out my address?" muttered, her mother already back in the living room watching television. Hiyoshi didn't change his agitated expression.
"Atobe Keigo. He's got access to the school database." Hiyoshi answered in a matter of fact tone. began to wonder if this would be counted as stalking. Hiyoshi rummaged into his pockets, and took out 's pen, offering it to her. He was puzzled be 's bewildered face.
"Didn't you say liked this pen, and that I shouldn't lose it? Well I didn't. And you never asked it back. I wanted to give it back before I really do lose it just to vex you." Hiyoshi took 's hand, and stuffed the pen on top of it. "Okay, I'm leaving. See you at school tomorrow." Hiyoshi turned to head back to his house, hands in pockets. stared after him.
He looked so lonely.
---
"-san."
"Huh?" was catching the bus again, earphones secure again, music bursting into her ears. And Hiyoshi happened to be the same person who called out her name, and asked her to shove over. His icy gaze at her was enough to tell her what he wanted. "Alright! I'm moving over." slid over to the next seat, Hiyoshi sitting down in her former one.
"Wakashi-kun!"
"Oh great." Hiyoshi grumbled. Naomi came to his side. He looked up ruthlessly at her. "Well...am I meant to stand up and offer you this seat? I thought your boyfriend should be doing that."
"Wakashi-kun...I was going to tell you before...but I already left him." Naomi smiled sweetly. "I realised that he wasn't for me."
"Good for you. I bet you told him that about me as well."
"Wakashi-kun..."
"I'm sorry. But I really don't give a damn about you anymore." Hiyoshi hissed back. "If you think that I'm spiteful to you because I'm jealous or I still care, then you're wrong. I'm spiteful because I can't believe I was so stupid to believe there was a possibility of us being together. And I was so wrong. But I have to thank you for teaching that to me, because without you, I probably wouldn't have learnt that the only person I can love is myself. Now if you would excuse me - " Hiyoshi stood up, bag slung on his shoulder. " - I'm going to walk the rest of the way to school, because you're presence disgusts me." Before leaving the stopping bus, Hiyoshi turned to .
"Sorry for letting you hear all of that. I didn't mean it, although I don't care if you know. I'll see you in class." And he left from the front bus exit. looked on as he left, and glanced back to Naomi.
"I think I know now. Why he's so mean to everyone." muttered, before standing up. "Stop the bus!!!"
---
Hiyoshi cursed. Stupid girl. Made him snap and reveal memories he rather leave behind him.
That's right, as long as he walked away, as long as he made sure no one ever got close to him, he'll be fine. He could do everything himself anyway.
He entered this world by himself. He'll be exiting it by himself anyway. Might as well live his life by himself.
Suddenly, he felt two earphones on his ears. Turning around in fury, he glared daggers at , his features softening slightly when he realised that she got off the bus after him. And then the soft guitar music started, a smooth male voice singing.
And so it goes another lonely day
You're savin' time but you're miles away
Your fly was drownin in some bitter tea
For seeing lost opportunity
"I happened to be listening to this song for quite awhile now." said, her head swaying to the imaginary music in her head. "After that scenario on the bus...I just thought...maybe it's a bit like you." Hiyoshi listened on.
Hold on now, your exits' here
It's waiting just for you
Don't pause too long
It's fading now
It's ending all too soon you'll see
His exits.
That's what he's been thinking all along. But that's not what the song's saying. He's leaving to throw his feelings behind. But the song was singing to him to leave only to find something new.
"Don't be scared of what you cannot see
Your only fear is possibility
Never wonder what the hell went wrong
Your second chance may never come along." Hiyoshi heard sang.
sang at the right time, as if she listened to this song so many times that she knew where it would be. She took the earphones out of Hiyoshi's ears.
"So...I don't know what you're wondering now in your head, but personally, I think you're taking it all wrong." started. "There's a barrier you've set up, and you're not letting anyone through. But I know you want to. I know...since you bothered to find my address and return me my pen."
"..." Hiyoshi turned away, and started to walk the opposite direction. "We've got school."
"Hiyoshi-kun! Just leaving it aside like this won't solve your problems!" cried out, wanting to throw a textbook at him. Hiyoshi kept on walking. "If you keep leaving everyone behind...then how are we going to help you?! Even if want to help, we can't!!! Hiyoshi!!! Are you listening to me?! Hiyoshi!!!"
And she really sent that textbook flying. Which smacked Hiyoshi firmly in the head.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Hiyoshi roared furiously as he spun around, eyes flaming menacingly. As tried to retrieve her book, Hiyoshi walked over and stepped on it, preventing the girl from picking it up. "Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again."
"It's that attitude which made her leave you, even if you both did love each other."
SLAP.
held cheek, her eyes wide, allowing the action to settle, before the pain hitting her. Hiyoshi just slapped her. She looked up at him, not knowing what to say. Hiyoshi felt his hand shake, the pain seering in his hand. He didn't mean to. It...just happened. He told himself that he would never physically hurt a girl, it wasn't part of his principle.
And he just did.
"I'm so sorry." Hiyoshi stuttered, panicking. shook her head, tears brimming at the edge of her eyelids due to the pain.
"That was the last straw..." pulled the book so strongly from under Hiyoshi's foot, standing up furiously to him. "I HATE YOU, HIYOSHI WAKASHI! JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN SELFISH EMOTIONS, I HAD TO ENDURE THIS!" And she slapped him hard with her book, tears falling out. Hiyoshi let her hit him repeatedly. He knew deserved this.
He screwed up. In life. In love. And whatever chance he had left, disappeared with the tears which fell from 's face, the tears burning the slap he left on her face.
---
School was back to being uneventful. managed to find an excuse for the red mark on her face, while Hiyoshi told the teachers that the bruises he got were from intense training at his family's dojo.
And they went back to ignoring each other's presence again. Hiyoshi knew that this was right. Alone again. Never realising 's existence.
Only now... thinks of Hiyoshi of someone vulgar, not cool and mysterious as she thought before...
...and Hiyoshi could never return to not realising 's presence anymore.
---
"-san."
"What?!" turned and snapped rudely at Hiyoshi. School was over, and she was about to leave the building. If Hiyoshi did not stop her.
"I want to just tell you I'm sorry for being a jerk."
"It's too late now." turned to leave.
"Wait, I'm not done yet, you can leave and we'll never talk again once you let me finish." Hiyoshi stopped her, determined. "I'm sorry that because I didn't want to involve anyone anymore, you got involved. I'm sorry for slapping you, it wasn't a humane thing to do. I'm sorry for entering your life, but I'll be exiting it now. Goodbye, and I wish you luck with life." Hiyoshi stepped around , leaving through the exit of the school, leaving behind, only to look after him, not yet absorbed all he said yet. And when it finally sank, he was already long gone.
suddenly wished that Hiyoshi didn't mean what he said that he would be exiting her life. She ran out the door, after him, or what where she thought he would be going.
Or maybe...
She ran back to the place where she let him listen to Opportunity. And much to her surprise, he was there.
Humming.
Humming Opportunity.
It was unusual to see a boy of his type hum, but at least she understood him just a bit more.
"Hiyoshi-kun." Silence fell between them. smiled, and offered her hand.
"Let's start again. , yoroshiku! I always thought you mysterious and cool, and always wondered what you'll be like." She introduced playfully. Hiyoshi looked at her hand and blinked. What was she doing? Didn't she hate him?
Wait...she was only angry with him. Which meant she cared. Hiyoshi felt his heart loosen and relax, something which hasn't happened in a long time. Hiyoshi slowly stuck out his hand, taking 's offered one.
"Hiyoshi Wakashi. I never knew you existed until recently...but I rather meeting you late, than never meeting you at all." And a warm smile appeared on his lips, laughing happily, and they walked home, be it silent or chatting cheerfully, starting a precious and unbreakable bond, and whether they exit life like this, or never drift from each other, or become sealed together with something more powerful than friendship...
Well...only time would tell, and whatever opportunity reveals for them to follow.
But Hiyoshi and wouldn't have it another other way.
...soon...you'll see...
fin.
_ k a r i n u i
26.March.2006
Lyrics from Pete Murray's Opportunity. Beautiful song. Left playing on
repeat just for me to write this friendship DN. Well...I think it's a friendship
DN. I left room for people to think otherwise. *shrugs*