The next day after seeing Shion for the last time, I proceed with my daily life as usual. The difference right now is I’m not talking with Senior Sakura after what happened. Wherever we crossed paths, she just passed at me without saying something.

  And this weekend will be our study session. I don’t know if she will come but I’m not hoping much.

  Kira didn’t asked about what happened to me and her. Usually, Senior Sakura and I exchange greetings whenever we passed each other. It seems I’ve hurt her much because of what I said.

  I admit, I got overwhelmed about it. But there’s nothing I can helped about it. I said it, and it won’t change anything.

  *****

  After school:

  I am one of the classroom duty today. Together with my other classmates, we clean the room before leaving. “You all can go now, I’ll do the rest here.” I said while carrying the desks.

  It’s only fixing the rows of the desk, I can manage it on my own. My three classmates, one boy and two girls left the classroom as I said. There are 45 tables and desks inside the classroom.

  I started arranging it one by one. Doing this makes me forget everything I want to forget. Especially, when Shion said she still loves me. I don’t know if that’s true, but that time I saw her crying, I realized her feelings are genuine.

  But I buried the feelings I had once for her. After that incident, after she told to her friends about me, I feel repugnant to myself. I disdain my existence, I started hating myself.

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  There’s no way I can forgive her. There’s no way I want to see her again. And there’s no way for me to fix everything between us, and for myself. The damage has been done, and I won’t ever forget about it.

  Without me noticing, I already arranged all the tables and desk. Dusk seeks at the sky, as the vermilion sun ray reflect on the open window. In the empty classroom, I stand and looks at the surroundings.

  “It’s empty, like what happened to me.” I mumbled. Yeah, right. I am really someone who can’t be with anyone. All that’s happened to me; the things I tried to forget, slowly resurface again.

  Why?

  Why this should happen to me? I don’t know what mistake I made for this to happen. I hold a deep sigh and pick my bag. Exiting the classroom, I saw a silhouette from the hallway.

  Standing there is a girl that glimmers on the sunset. The person I don’t want to see, standing there.

  I start walking towards that person and each steps makes my heart clenches. Why is she here? I told her we won’t see each other for the meantime, right? Why?

  Passing her, I didn’t say anything. “Haruki.” her voice echoed. I halted a meter from her. No words left from my mouth.

  “I know you said that you don’t want to see me, but….”

  She stopped from talking. All I hear is her deep sigh. And from there, she moves a step forward where I am. Grabbing my left wrist, I turn to face her. “I want to make up with you.”

  The words I never expected to hear engulfed.

  “I can’t attain this situation we have right now.” Her expression, showing mellow and worry lures to my view. “I know I made a mistake, but… I don’t want to be afar from you.”

  ”Huh?”

  The words entrails on her mouth made me agape. What is she trying to tell me? “I start missing you. I don’t want this to get bigger. I am sincerely saying sorry to you, Haruki.”

  Senior Sakura’s eyes, sparkling like a gem that made my heart thaws like a snow. I know I can’t endure the time we’re far apart, and I’m also feel sorry for what I’ve said.

  Yet, the dread feeling embraces me. What if that thing happens again? I grit my teeth, and heaves a deep, tepid sigh. “All right, I forgive you.”

  Right, this quarrel we had won’t be going somewhere. We’ll just keep avoiding each other because of what happened. The clean closure between me and Shion has concluded, and there’s nothing for me to hold on to it.

  “And I should also apologize for what I’ve said last time.” I added. Senior Sakura’s face show a wide smile. That moment, she loose the grip on my left wrist and opens her arms.

  And without me realizing, I got captured by her embrace. Our shadows cling with each other and my heart almost jumps off of my chest. “Thank you, Haruki! Thank you!”

  Her warmth, and the tears flow down her eyes caught me. It seems like she’s trying to hold these feelings. I know I said something awful to her, but we decided to forget everything.

  “Yeah, thank you. Senior Sakura.”

  I whispered and decides to embrace her back. Within this empty hallway, we swayed in the seconds of time together, feeling the warmth of our feelings fleeting at the dusk sky.