𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐒 - 𝐒. 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐀

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

ELEVEN
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      If Sayo were to describe her and Shinsuke, she would compare them to two magnets – one facing the opposite side while the other was at the correct side that would bind them together. There was always this natural pull that made her want to turn around and just embrace him, and she hated how stronger it was becoming.

      She represented the magnet facing the opposite side; the one that desperately tried to keep herself away from the natural pull's strong tugs. And the other one represented Shinsuke; the one who willingly tries to approach her and worked along with the universe's pulls.

      Sayo shook her head; she hated how fast all this was going. It was even all too ridiculous to be true to the point that she made a move to pinch her arm painfully more than three times, but no matter how much physical pain she would apply to herself – each time a part of her skin throbbed between her fingers that wanted to wake herself up from this 'dream', she would only be reminded of how real all of this was.

      It was like a fantasy that accidentally came crashing upon the real world, and Sayo hoped that maybe – just maybe, that all these feelings were just something that came from an alternate universe that got lost along its way, then accidentally finding itself resting within her heart.

      Or maybe even just a figment of her imagination – that all this was just something that her mind created to fulfill the gap between her heart, and it was just some forged reality that she unintentionally created to battle the loneliness that she felt each day.

      Although she wished that these were all just dreams, Sayo still couldn't help the nostalgic feeling of happiness that came upon her. She just could never deny the one thing that she had been wanting for so long, so, she decided to just embrace it while it was still there.

      She went home that day with a smile on her face as she opened the door of their small apartment, greeting her mother much cheerfully that caught her off-guard. Her mother gave her daughter a smile while Sayo brought out the food that she had bought from outside while she hummed softly.

      "So, what's got you all smiley today, Sayo-chan?" Her mother's coarse voice spoke up and Sayo's mouth twitched down for a moment at how rough it sounded now. But Sayo tried to shake it off, wanting the happy atmosphere to last longer and hopefully her mother would feel it too.

      Sayo brought the bouquet of Wisterias that sat carefully on the floor beside her then presented it in front of her mother with a bashful smile. She then said, "Someone gave me flowers today."

      "Oh? Is it a boy or a girl?" Her mother asked, feeling her own lips twitch upwards as she watched her daughter's eyes gleam while watching the lilac and pinkish buds that sat before her.

      "A boy."

      Her mother's lips parted in surprise before asking, "What's his name? And what's he like?"

      Sayo perked up but stopped herself when she noticed it, before calmy saying, "His name is Shinsuke Kita and he's the captain of the volleyball team. We're in the same grade and we first happened to meet at the library." Sayo paused and lifted her gaze up to the ceiling in thought then continued, "He's insanely smart and blunt. He doesn't smile as much as other people, but I've seen him do it around me sometimes..."