Forced to Grow Up

Part 7

While Michiko felt her love life was in ruins, Masato felt like he could finally get over everything with Suno and just be a happier, kinder person, brother and son.

He hung out with his friends more, now that his time was devoted to following Suno around buying her whatever she wanted. He felt better and free.

After hanging out with a few of his friends, Masato decided to walk home and take in the fresh, crisp night air. His hands rested in his jacket pockets and he held is chin high and proud.

Although, that all changed the second he saw Suno with her friends, directly in the path he was walking. They were there just talking, he saw them look at him and then start saying something to Suno. Suno gave him a quick glance then turned back towards her friends.

Masato shrugged them off and continued to walk right past them. He wasn't going to let what he was feeling be taken away. 

He had walked a little bit away from them when he was stopped because of the yelling he heard coming from the group. He turned his head slightly to better hear what was happening.

"I don't even know why I was ever friends with you people! You're all superficial and uncaring! If you guys were truly my 'friends' you wouldn't have ever said something like that or even thought it was okay to say something like that." Suno yelled, then quickly walking away from her friends in Masato's direction.

Masato was internally heated. Hearing those words, 'superficial' and 'uncaring', coming from her mouth. He couldn't believe just how hypocritical she was being.

As Suno noticed she was getting closer to Masato, she ran across the street and disappeared down another. Masato shook his head and continued his walk home.

The next day at school, he noticed Suno wasn't there. He just figured it was to avoid the girls she had just broken things off with, so he didn't really pay much attention to her absence.

However, he started to think something was off when she also didn't show up for the next couple of days. Suno never missed a day, let alone multiple in a row. He thought maybe she had taken a vacation to somewhere, but that thought was immediately rejected when he was reminded of when she was telling him all of her plans for this month. A vacation was not apart of those plans.

As much as he wanted to just ignore it, he couldn't. He felt it was his job to go and make sure she was okay. Even though she broke his heart and used him, he still cared for her.

When the school day was over, Masato took a seat on a bench right outside of the school. He pulled out his phone and began to dial Suno's number.

He waited a few seconds before Suno had picked up. "Masato?" She questioned.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Nothing?" She said with a questioning tone. "Why?"

"You're still in town right?" He continued to ask questions.

"Yeah...?"

"Great. Go to Coffee House." He told her.

"Ok, but why?" She questioned.

"Stop asking questions and just go." He said as he hung up the phone and proceeded to walk to the cafe known as 'Coffee House'.

When he arrived, he sat down at one of the various tables and waited for Suno to get there.

He heard the bell on top of the door ring as someone walked in. It was a female. She began to approach Masato, and as she got closer he soon realized it was Suno. She looked completely different. Her face was make up free and her hair was no longer straightened, but instead naturally wavy. She looked absolutely stunning. Masato's heart beat became fast and hard.

Suno gave him a small wave as she took a seat in front of him. He just continued to stare at her without meaning to. "Masato?" She questioned.

He snapped back to reality and realized what he was doing. "Sorry, sorry. You want a coffee or anything?" He asked.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." She said, kindly declining his offer. Masato was extremely confused. First her appearance was no longer the same and secondly she denied his offer to buy her something. Was this the same Suno he had known?

"So why are we here?" She asked.

"You haven't been at school lately? Where have you been?" Masato asked her.

"I've been... dealing with personal stuff..." She said shyly.

"Personal stuff like what?" He questioned.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, okay?" She told him.

"Suno. Come on. You're not one to miss school. You can trust me." Masato reassured her.

"I don't know..." She sighed.

"Suno, you know I care about you. Even after everything that happened."  Masato looked deep into her eyes to let her know he was sincere.

"Fine..." She gave in, "But can we talk somewhere else? Somewhere more private?"

"Yeah, of course." They both stood from the table and walked out of the cafe.

They walked together down the street in silence. Masato wanted to ask again what was going on, but he knew Suno would speak her mind when she was ready.

"Masato." She spoke.

"Yes?" He answered.

"I'm sorry. For everything I did to you. For using you." Suno apologized. Masato didn't say anything, he internalized her words. He had wanted to hear those exact words for so long, and now that he heard them, he wasn't sure what to say back to them.

"There's just been a lot going on lately... You saw what happened with my friends..." Suno sighed.

"What was that about?" Masato questioned.

"They said something that they knew would hurt me." She answered.

"Something that could hurt you? You're Suno. What could possibly hurt you?" Masato joked around. Suno gave him a serious, sad look.

"I know the way things ended between us, you think that I was truly only with you for your money... and I know it seems that way, because I made it seem that way. I only wanted it to be that way... because I was scared." Suno admitted.

"Scared of what?" Masato asked, extremely confused. Suno took a deep breath in and prepared for what she was about to tell him.

"When I was younger, I lived with both my mom and dad. In the public, they seemed like the perfect couple, we were a 'perfect' family. However, in the privacy of our home, things were the exact opposite. My parents would always argue and yell at eachother. A lot of the time it would get worse than that. My father would beat my mom until she was black and blue. When my parents weren't fighting or my dad wasn't beating my mom, he would be cheating on her. So one day while dad was out, mom packed some of our things up and we left. So I vowed that day I would always be in control of my relationship and I would never let my feelings get deep. Because that's what kept my mom from leaving sooner. She genuinely loved my dad, but he lost love." Suno explained.

"Suno... I'm so sorry."

"I was scared to have feelings for you. You seemed so great, but I was afraid that I would fall for you and you'd end up being like my dad." Suno admitted. Masato quickly brought her into a hug.

"I would never, ever do that to you, Suno." Suno hugged him back and began to cry into his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Masato. I'm so sorry." She cried.

"Sh... Everything is okay... Everything is going to be okay." Masato said as he stroked the back of her head.

"I know I screwed up. But please Masato... give me another chance. I want to see what this can actually become." She looked at him with her large blue eyes that were now bloodshot from crying.

Instead of saying anything, Masato placed his hand behind her neck and brought her in for a kiss. Everything once again felt right to him.