When Winter Ends || Modern Naruto Love Story

12

"So that's how the american literature started. With the helps of William Shakespeare and Henry Adams, their playwrights impacted significantly in our world," Kakashi explained while he tapped on the board with his chalk.

The room was filled with silence as occasional pencil scratches echoed through students' papers. It was another snowy day, quiet as it can be. "Speaking of William Shakespeare, does anyone have a favorite from him?" he asked the class. Then there were a few hands shot up in the air.

As the class lecture continued, Sakura turned to look at the motionless blond gawking his tired eyes out the window with the deepest frown upon his lips.Tilting her head on the side, she grew worried by the expression he made; blank and empty.

Naruto has always been like this in class for the past few days now; his face is very solemn and pale. Nobody knows why he's behaving like this. One day, he's always been the energetic kid in school since the day high school started. And now all of a sudden, he's been down in the dumps.

The school bell tolls indicatiing for the students to start taking their lunch break as everyone immediately stood up from their chairs. "Now, listen! There's a big test coming up and I expect every one of you start hitting the books, understand?" Kakashi ordered.

"Not unless you show up on time on the day of!" Kiba shouted.

"Hey, Naruto...," Sakura approached him with calm eyes, her voice gentle as it can be. She watched him standing up and slowly packing his materials in his bag. "Why don't we go to the cafeteria where everyone is waiting?" she suggested. "I heard they're making some awesome curry. Want to get some? I'll pay."

Naruto finally finished, hoisting his backpack on his shoulder. "Uh, sorry, but thanks anyways," he said lowly. "A-Are you sure?" she asked again in concern. "You haven't been hanging out with us lately."

"I'm okay. Maybe later," he tried bringing up a small smile at her, but it faltered quickly once he turned around. Sakura watched him walked away from her as she felt a tinge of guilt surpassing her. She wondered whatever happened to him to make him this depressed.

--

Since there's no other reason to stay in school for the rest of the day, Naruto decided to ditch. He made up an excuse calling in sick and he wasn't feeling good, which it wasn't a complete lie. He figured there wasn't any motivation for him to stay any longer, plus seeing people he knows pity him.

Walking aimlessly through town, the cold air gotten breezier every time he took a step. The streets seemed emptier than before, probably he knew it was barely noon.

Moments later, Naruto was standing by a stoplight, waiting for the sign to blink red. It took him nearly a while to figure where he's standing as his eyes examined carefully on the street. Then he finally realized that this is the exact spot when he officially met Mayumi, saving her from passing cars.

How oblivious he is... Now he finally understood why she would commit such an act. She was already dying.

Mayu... His eyes shakened as they were about to sting. His hand shot up to his face as regret was washing over him. He wasn't too sure if he really helped her or not. He can already imagine her with tears pouring down her crying face, how she just wanted to disappear from the world.

Later, Naruto kept going until his legs came to a stop. His own being brought him to another familiar place down the street as a busy crepe shop opened up. People walking in with amusing smiles and walking out with the sugary cone in their hands.

And unknowingly, Naruto bought himself one. Not to eat, but to look at this delicious pastry, signifying as a memoir of Mayumi. He was hoping to see her in there, perhaps getting herself one too. But he gotten unlucky.

Sitting back lazily on a rubber seat, Naruto pushed himself back and forth on the swing set, alone and lonesome. Letting his blond hair fall over his eyes, he held the vanilla cremed crepe in his hand, letting it hang over his knees.

He had no idea how much Mayumi took effect of him, like there was a chunk of himself missing. She's alive, but she's going to be gone soon enough. Her last words wrapped around his head like a towel. It was hard to understand, and it was challenging to apprehend.

She have until winter ends. There's not enough time for her to live.

"Naruto!" his eyes shot up through glaziness, but he didn't see a blue headed girl coming towards his way. Instead, he sees Sakura approaching him as if she's been looking for him. "Sakura?"

"Hey!" she grinned widely, stopping in front of him with hands on her knees. She panted.

"W-What are you doing here?" Naruto asked. "Well, I didn't see you come back from lunch when class started. So I figured I would go look for you," she explained proudly, and then viewing his surroundings. "So... This is what you've been doing."

Coming back to realize this, Naruto looked away from her as his blue orbs lowered sadly. Sakura felt like she intruded something. "You didn't have to do that...," he muttered in a low tone.

"I was worried, you know. Since you didn't come back, I thought something might've happened to you," she said. "'Cause... you've been acting so strange and stuff."

"I...," he began. "I just don't want to be around anyone today." But then Sakura twitched her palm by his answer, letting her own green eyes narrowed at him. "Mind if you tell me what's going on with you?" she asked. "I get it, you want to be alone. But I've let this gone for too long, and you're still keeping this up."

Naruto was bit hesitant when she asked. He felt like no one can help with this matter, but it has been a few days since he barely spoke a word about her. Looking up at Sakura who is patiently waiting for his respond, his eyes overwhelmed and then his gaze fell back to the ground.

"Mayu...!" he whimpered, and then he gradually sobbed the more he thought about her. And Sakura knew it was something about her. Ever since he met Mayumi, Naruto has been up and down. "Sakura... What can I do? To help someone who has such little time in the world."

Baffled by his questions, she felt her heart clinging to her chest. "What do you mean?"

Sobbing, his large hands came up to his trembling eyes. "Mayu... She... She's dying," he cried. "Please... I don't want her gone. Anything but Mayumi! She doesn't deserve this fate. Why, out of all people, does it have to be her?"

He can see her angelic face in his mind. The times when he was with her, Naruto can tell Mayumi is struggling, knowing why she is unable to smile. Her time is slowly ticking each day she lived. She's been living such an unhappy life, knowing that her time will be over.

Touching his shoulder, Sakura knelt in front of him with saddened eyes. Her expression says it all. She felt the pain what he's going through, finally understanding why he's been so depressed lately. "Naruto...," she whispered, but there wasn't much she can say. Instead she let him cry, letting out his emotions and expressed how deeply sad he is.

She never seen him get so worked up about anyone before.

"I love her, Sakura!" he yelled, at the same time clenching his teeth. "I love her so much... I just... can't believe she's going to die!" Love... This is what Mayumi was afraid of; falling in love with her. It is merely the most tragic things that Naruto is aware of, falling in love at a complicated time.

He realized his feelings when it's going to meet an end.

"Me too, Naruto..." she comforted him gently. Her eyes almost tearing by his voice. "I can't believe it either..."

As the snowy day carried out his tears, the fallen white snow rained over their heads while noon was approaching. The echo sounds of Naruto's gasps reached throughout the empty playground when the cold breeze blew pass their bodies. While time has come, more white snow built up on the messy crepe dropped from Naruto's hand.