Me and Ai

Chapter 31: Unrequited

Chapter 31: Unrequited

Ah! I'm still crying! I don't like it when people see me crying. I'll just turn away.

"I'm sorry. Don't mind me. This is nothing."

"You have a habit of apologizing for everything, don't you?"
Masato-san goes over to me and gives me a handkerchief.
"Here, use it."

I took it and used it to wipe my face that was full of tears that eventually stopped after a while. Thank god my eyes stopped crying. My eyes were already a bit swollen.

"It's late already, you should head back t o your cottage."

"Eh?" I looked at my watch. "You're right! It is already late! I didn't notice!"

I got my things and placed them back in my bag.

"I think that's everything."

I was about to start walking back when I remembered that Masato-san was also out here at this time.

"Masato-san, aren't you going back too? What were you doing here anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk but I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't notice that I already walked so far. I was going to head back until I heard someone singing. I followed the voice and that's how I found you here."

"Oh...wait, how long were you listening to me then?!"

"Quite a long while."

How embarrassing. Why of all people...

"U-um...sorry if I was being silly. Please just forget about what you heard tonight."
I turned around and was about to start walking.

"Why? I think that your singing was wonderful."

I froze.
He said that my singing was wonderful...I...I...

"I think that my singing isn't very good at all. I feel that I'm not that good at all. Please don't say that to make me feel flattered or to feel better. I find that joke to be painful rather than funny. I don't deserve tha—."

"I wasn't joking."

I clenched my bag's strap tighter and turned around to face Masato-san.

"I was telling you the truth. Why do you say that about yourself? You have a talent for singing. It was wonderful."

I...I'm not that good Masato-san. That's what I wanted to say but my body refused to cooperate and it made it harder to talk. I was trembling a little.

"N-no. I'm not that good. I-I don't deserve your p-praise. I'm sorry."

Tears started to come out again but these weren't tears of joy, they were tears of sadness. They were heavy; it made my heart feel heavy. I couldn't hold them back anymore and fell to my knees. I covered my face so desperately and allowed my hair to serve as a veil or curtain for my face that was looking down towards the ground with my hands against it.

"Kaori, what's wrong?"

Masato-san was already by my side trying to comfort me but I just couldn't stop crying. He picked me up from the sand and held me as he guided me back to the cottages.

He let me sat down on a bench and got some drinks from a nearby vending machine. He calmed me down and helped me stop crying.

"Have you calmed down now, Kaori?"

I nodded and took a sip of the juice he bought gave me.
He sighed in relief.

He just sat there by my side and drank with me. Masato-san is really a kind person. I feel bad for causing him trouble.