Mimicking Love [Clannad]

Chapter 4

Months passed and so did practice. More people joined the play and every day, everyone learned their lines and songs. The day of the performance grew closer and closer,  like Tomoya and Nagisa's bond. Then, one day, the bond tightened and would never let go.

It was a warm afternoon after practice was over. The floor was strewn with props and mostly everyone had left. Only Tomoya and Nagisa were left.

Nagisa looked around the room and sighed. "This place is a mess...who was supposed to clean up today?" She looked up at the chalkboard and gasped. Her name was written on the board. "Oh!" She looked around the room again and sighed. "This will take forever," she muttered. She wiped the sweat that was forming on her forehead.

Tomoya walked out of the bathroom and began to check his bag. He had something for Nagisa that he planned to give to her at the school gate after practice. "Hm...? That's strange. It's not here." He frowned. "I must have left it in the classroom..." He began to walk towards the drama club room. Nagisa would have to wait.

He began to think about the day he first met her. She was just standing at the bottom of the hill the school stood on. Her face looked extremely sickly and slightly familiar to him. Where had he seen her before? "Do you like this school? I really, really love it. But nothing can stay unchanged." Tomoya reached the drama club room and was about to open the door when he heard a loud thump from the inside.

"Fun things..." He opened the door and found Nagisa collapsed onto the ground.
"NAGISA!" Tomoya immediately rushed to her aid. She was breathing fast and her eyes closed shut.

"Happy things..."

Tomoya quickly picked her up. "Nagisa!" He cursed to himself when he realized they were the only ones left in the building. I have to take her back to the bakery!

"They can't all possibly remain the same."

He ran.

"Will she be okay?" Akio asked the doctor. The doctor nodded.

"It's nothing serious," he assured them. Everyone in the room sighed in relief. "It's just a small fever. Nothing like last time. She'll be good as new in a few days." Tomoya grinned and looked down at Nagisa, who was asleep on her futon. He sat by her on the wooden floor. Nagisa...

Sanae sat beside him. "She'll be okay," she told him.

"I know. I want to stay here with her, though." Nagisa's mother nodded.

"Oi! Don't try anything funny, brat!" Akio said, grabbing his baseball bat. "I'm going out to play with the kids. I'll be home soon." Sanae stood up.

"I'm going with him. It's been a while since I've seen him play. Take care of her, okay?" Tomoya nodded and looked back down at Nagisa. He heard the bakery door close and as if on cue, Nagisa's eyes opened. She looked at him, confused, since her memories were still a bit hazy.

"Tomoya-kun?"

"Yes?"

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"Hm..." She looked at him and smiled. "Are you going to stay by me?" He nodded. "That's good." She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "The classroom is still a mess."

"I'll clean it up," Tomoya answered.

"Tomoya-kun. Did we have a bouquet of roses as one of our props? I don't remember..." Tomoya's eyes widened. She had found his gift that he'd left in the room. He shook his head as tears began to swell up in his eyes.

"No..." Nagisa noticed the tears that were now running down his cheek.

"Tomoya-kun? Are you alright?" He nodded.

"Nagisa...aishiteru yo..." Nagisa's eyes slightly widened, but a smile quickly spread across her face.

"Tomoya-kun!" She attempted to get up, but Tomoya quickly laid her down.

"You can't get up, Nagisa!" He told her. She nodded.

"Tomoya-kun...I love you, too!" She closed her eyes.

"Nagisa..." Tears were streaming on Tomoya's tanned face and ended their journey on the wooden ground below. A smile formed on his lips.