Chasing the Clouds

Valentine's Day

    3:27 AM

    Makoto was laying in bed that night. For some unusual reason she was still awake. Thinking.

    About Haru, of course. But her future... it always made her a little depressed to know how much school was left. She still had to choose which high school to register for...

    Four more months, she thought as she lay there, me and my friends separate in just four months...

    She often wished she could just stay at her little elementary school forever. Stay with her friends... Haru.

    "Suki," she said aloud to the silent room, "I know you probably don't love me the way I do... but I love you. Oyasumi, Haru."

    No reply.

    Of course not. She was in her dark room, alone. No one was awake at this hour.

    She sat up, took one look around in the darkness, and bolted for the light switch.

    Flick. She would never tell anyone but Haru this, but she was afraid of the dark. Only when she was with Haru did that fear seem to melt away. The problem was that her parents often told her how expensive it was to keep the light on all night and she really didn't want to cause them to have to pay so much. But it was something she really couldn't fix.

    Buy a night light tomorrow.
   
    On that note, she fell quickly into a slumber of which she dreamt.

    It looks like she's in class. An odd thing happens... Haru sits on her lap, hugging her.

    "Makoto" she says.

    The dream doesn't last long, she wakes up.

    Great. Makoto sighed, still feeling tingly from the dream; now it's infecting my sleep.

   

    Upon awakening that next morning, she quickly realized what day it was. Valentine's Day.

    She didn't actually have anything planned. She grabbed her phone to see that Nagisa had already sent her a text:

    "Happy Valentine's Day, Makoto!!! (✧∀✧)"

    She laughed, imagining the bubbly blonde's voice.

    "Happy Valentine's Day ♡", she wrote.

    She looked at Haru's contact and opened up a new message.

    "Merry Christmas, Haru"

No reply.
   
    "Oh Wait," she composed, "Merry Valentine's Day." She loved to play around with Haru like this.

Still no reply.

    "Or is it Hanukkah?" She sent again. "Is it someone's birthday or something?"

    Haru's message read:

    "Omg"

    "Ohh, I know, Happy Valentine's Day!" 

    Haru replied with a funny picture. Makoto smiled. Haru usually wasn't too good with greetings.

    In fact, and Makoto hadn't realized it until Nagisa pointed it out recently, but Haru never even really replied to "hi". Of course in the mornings when she'd always meet her, Makoto could never help not saying, "Ohayo, Haru." But apparently it was just in Haru's nature to take it in and just remain indifferent to hellos.

    Makoto had a hard time not thinking about it since the blonde brought it to her attention. She often wondered if maybe it was that greetings are often shallow coming from some people. Not everyone actually wholeheartedly means a "it's great to see you".

    Makoto sighed. She was rambling in her head. She always wondered how in the world Haru tolerated it aloud. She shook her head. Enough getting off topic. After typing a "Happy Valentine's Day ♡" to Rei, she hurriedly dressed into her standard seifuku, packed up her swimsuit and megane for later, and closed herself into the bathroom.

    Makoto took a look in the mirror, brushed her hair and teeth, and she was done. She never felt comfortable in make-up and her hair wasn't bad-looking.

    She had a quick breakfast with her family and quickly set off on her walk to school, anticipating her day with her friends.

~~~

    By the time school was over, Makoto was exhausted. Her and Rei shared their last class, so they were walking out together. Rei was talking about what high school she was going to. Makoto smiled.

    "I'm sure you'll do great at that academy you were going to apply to."

    Rei looked at her, her hand over her chest, "Well I'm not so sure about the uniform. It's not that beautiful."

    Makoto laughed. It was just like Rei to worry about beauty.

    They met Nagisa and Haru on the grass in front of the school, as always. All of them talked for a while, and then Haru took out a candy gram.                                         

    The fifth graders at their school had been selling candy grams to raise money for science camp.

    Makoto's eyes widened a little as Haru lifted it over her head and placed it around her neck.

    "Haru..." she couldn't help but notice she hadn't bought Rei or Nagisa one. She smiled.

    Is Haru blushing??
   
    "Arigato, Haru." Her smile broadened.

    Makoto caught sight of her mother's car. "On that happy note, sayonara."

    "Jaa ne, Mako-chan!" Nagisa replied.

    "Bye, Makoto." Haru said.

    "Bye, Haru." Makoto said again.

    "Goodbye, Makoto-senpai," said Rei.

    "Bye." Said she while practically floating to her mom's car.

    "What's that?" Her mother questioned.

    "A candy gram. From Haru."

    "Aww, well that was nice." She cooed.

    "Yeah. It was." Makoto smiled.