Focus - (A Male Reader X Moca Aoba Fanfiction)

Chapter 48 - Reminiscing Bonds

When I met Ran, she was a rather sheltered and shy kid.

I would be minding my own childish business, going block to block and house to house looking for kids to play with or atleast something to do.

I would always see this ojou-sama like little girl over at the Mitake residence.

She would always be sitting at their porch, looking outside.

What is she looking at? I don't know either.

Whenever I got curious, I would peek out their front gate. She would spot me a few minutes later and would look at me like I'm sort of criminal.

Luckily, she never called her parents out to go and shoo me away. Rather, I think she liked my company.

I would peek out and hide over and over again. At first, she thought I was creepy and weird. But as days go by, she slowly started giggling. Until the day came when she finally started laughing.

One day when I took a peek, she wasn't at the porch.

I was surprised when she tapped me from behind. She was out with her father, and they just came back.

With a little bit of a joint explanation, we managed to convince her father that I'm friendly.

And with that, we became friends.

I was apparently her first friend at the time.

It took me some time before we could properly talk to each other and play, but we managed to get through.

She was surprisingly competitive and hated to lose, and I had fun challenging her to a lot of things just to get ourselves a laugh when we both couldn't accomplish it.

But it was around that time when....

I had to move away.

It was very sudden for me.

And that day... I couldn't hang out with Ran.

She was only able to tell me when we reunited a little while back but...

She kept waiting for me at that porch. For days.

And I was deeply saddened when I heard that she became an even more sheltered and shy kid after that time.

We left too fast, I couldn't even say goodbye to her...

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Reuniting was pretty bad. We didn't know how to talk to each other anymore. She seems.... Distant. She seems cold and was way out of reach.

I'm glad to know that she's found friends that stuck with her through a lot of things... But I don't think I can forgive myself for ever doing that kind of thing to her....

Not when I know that she's currently deeply affected by this....

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I immediately run out of the shop to chase after Ran.

I know what I have to do.... I need to talk to her.

It took me a while to find her for I didn't really know where she would stop at the time.

I found her by the station.

She was.... Singing.

She was sitting on the bench, with her guitar, unplugged. She sung her heart out.

And I just stood there. Taking everything it.

While Ran was weeping...

I was simply hurting.

As soon as she stops.... I go up to her.

"Ran...." I said.

She looks away from me and starts packing her guitar back to her guitar bag.

"I'm sorry... Please don't look at me..." She said.

From the sound of her voice, I knew she was close to crying.

But I stopped her from leaving by grabbing her hand.

"Ran please listen to me!" I said.

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"This is unfair..." She said.

"Back then... You leave me without saying a word... Come back into my life without saying a word.... And now... You're dating one of my friends... And you're just gonna go away again??" She added.

Her voice started breaking more and more as she spoke.

"You had the luxury to prepare to go away when yu couldn't even do something like sending me a letter every now and then or even saying goodbye...." She added.

I couldn't get a word in.

"And just as I was trying to get close to you again... You're leaving...???..... That's.....so....unfair...." She said.

Tears started falling down from her eyes ever so slowly.

"Why is it that.... Whenever I try to rebuild the bond you left behind all those years ago.... You choose to leave now?! Why couldn't we have fixed things.... Anon...kun....You were a great and dear friend to me.....please....." She sobbed and cried out those words.

I gave her a soft and gentle embrace.

"I'm very sorry Ran. If I had to go so quickly without being able to say goodbye. I'm sorry if I couldn't send you any letters.... I'm sorry if I couldn't get the courage to try and talk to you again properly after all these years.... I'm sorry Ran...." I said.

That was all I could say...

"Can't you stay for a little bit longer...? Can't we...." She said.

But I slapped her hands together.

"But don't say that I left and severed our bond behind! I never tried to cut our ties Ran! Sure... I couldn't say goodbye... But that's also because I was confident that that wouldn't be the last time I'll see you! I knew I'd meet you again someday Ran! That's why... I hoped.... That we can still be friends after all that... So please.... Don't ever say that..." I said.

After hearing such a declaration, Ran cried in between my arms. And I held her for as long as she would've wanted.

Years after I left, I tried looking for her through social media outlets. I even tried contacting the flower arrangement school that her dad owns, but they never responded to any of my messages.

Even when I was feeling alone and at the end of it all... I never lost hope that I would be meeting with that childhood friend of mine....

But Ran... Bonds aren't destroyed just like that. Even if we are separated by the great seas and even if we wouldn't see each other for a long time...

You'll still be one of my greatest friends.

That shy and sheltered ojou-sama that day... Never left my memory.

And even if I leave for school overseas.... Moca, Ran, Otae, Everyone.... I won't forget you.

- To be Continued -