Today marks the last day of Ai's school year and she was more than happy to embrace her two months summer vacation before entering another year level. When the final bell rang, the students' gathered together in groups - discussing their summer plans together, some saying goodbye as it would be their last year in this school and others were planning on where to go and hang out for this afternoon.
"I'm gonna have to bail today. I'm suddenly being called in the academy." Ai says, re reading the text message she received from Ms Yamazaki earlier today.
"It's okay!" Nami says, putting the straps of her bag around her shoulder. "Why not me and Kairi head over to Harajuku and wait for you there?" She asks
Ai smiles, nodding her head. "That's better! I'll see you two later!" Ai bids, waving her hand at them before immediately dashing out of the school building. On her way running towards the main gates of the school, she found Mikey sitting on his bike.
"You look occupied" was the first words he told her.
Lightly gasping for air, Ai nodded her head. "I'm need in the academy for something." Ai shrugs her shoulders. "Could be something important or I don't know"
Smiling at her, Mikey handed her a helmet. However, Ai was hesitant to wear it. "What about you?" she asks
Mikey shook his head, took Ai's hand and handed her the only helmet he has. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. If anything were to happen, I'd rather face it than you." He says.
Before Ai could even protest, Mikey took the helmet in his hands once more and gently put it around Ai's head. "Why did I date a stubborn one?" He asks in teasing tone, grinning at her before placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.
Helping her sit behind him on his bike, the two of them sped off to Minato City where Ai's ballet academy is located.
. . . . . . . . . . ♡
"Congratulations! The Paris Opera Ballet School saw so much potential in you that they want you to enroll with them!" Ms Yamazaki spoke to her, handing the clip file of the foreign school towards Ai.
"They were really impressed with your twists and turns, Ai. Right after the show, they kept asking me questions about you. Questions like for how long were you dancing." Ms Yamazaki slowly nodded her head. "This is a big shot for you, Ai. You're so young and opportunities like this are already coming after you. You'd not only represent yourself, but represent the whole of Japan too!"
Ai stared down at the clip file, looking down at the French application that was neatly printed to her.
"This is overwhelming, sensei." She says, smiling a little at Ms Yamazaki.
"I know it is" Ms Yamazaki begins to say, "and I know it's hard to process it within the day so I'll give you about" Ms Yamazaki turns her head to the mini calendar on her desk. "Is two weeks enough?" Ai nodded her head.
"Then two weeks it is." Ms Yamazaki smiles at her, a tight lipped smile. "By two weeks, I'll call you back here so we can discuss about your future." She says, extending her hand out to place a hand on Ai's shoulder.
"Consider and think about this very hard, okay? Everything that you've worked for so long is finally falling into place." Ms Yamazaki pats her gently in the shoulder. "You are also the only girl whom they want to scout too. So be proud of it!"
On Ai's way out of the building, she didn't whether to accept the application was either the right or wrong thing to do. Right because finally someone or a grander institution finally saw her potentials. She'd make her older siblings proud.
Wrong because it meant leaving everyone behind.
"What did they say?" Mikey asks as Ai stepped out of the glass doors.
Biting her tongue, Ai shook her head and offered him a small smile. "Nothing important."
. . . . . . . . . . ♡
Ai spent her first day of summer vacation inside their kitchen, baking all the box cake mixes she could find inside their home.
"Have you found a new hobby?" Yuzuha asks as she walks inside the kitchen, her eyes instantly glimmering as she took a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie on top of the dining table.
"I guess?" Ai shrugs her shoulder, sitting down on the floor while taking another bite on the same cookie. "Or maybe this is my coping mechanism? Who knows?" Ai shrugs her shoulders once more.
"Tell me what happened" Yuzuha says, pushing a chair for her to sit.
"...I got accepted"
Yuzuha almost choked on the small block of cookie inside her mouth. "You did?! That's great!" she says, crossing her legs. "What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it." Ai says, putting the rest of the cookie inside her mouth.
"What's holding you back?" Yuzuha asks, leaning her side against the back rest of the chair. "Is it Sano?"
Ai remained quiet. When she heard the chime of the oven, she puts on the gloves and carefully took the tray out.
"Let me ask you one thing...is ballet still important to you?" Yuzuha asks. And Ai felt like a deer caught in the headlights. While placing the third batch of cookies onto the plate, Ai wondered to herself: was she losing herself in her relationship? Is she really going to put Mikey over everything and everyone she loves the most?
"If you're going to love someone, make sure you leave some for yourself. In that way, the break up wouldn't hurt so much. Don't give someone your all. Why give him your a hundred percent when he gives you so little?" With that, Yuzuha stood up from the chair and walked upstairs to her room.
"I'm sorry for calling you out so late, Hanagaki san."
"Just call me Takemichi. Hanagaki san sounds weird."
Both Ai and Takemchi sat down on the swing set, the same neighborhood playground where she and Mikey became together.
"I'm really fascinated how you can time leap, Takemichi kun" Ai smiles, hands holding onto the ropes of the swing. "Can you tell me how do I look like before I died?" she asks
Gulping to himself, Takemichi stared down in his hands then on the ground. "You still look the same, long hair and maybe grew a few inches in height?" Takemichi shrugs his shoulders.
"Did I talk to you in the future?" Ai asks, smiling as she looks up at the moon.
Takemichi embarrassingly nodded his head. "Yeah! You were really disappointed in me when I couldn't remember you." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head.
"That's so mean of you, Takemichi kun." Ai chuckles as well. "Did you...see a ring in my hand?"
Takemichi nods his head once more. "Do you want to know who?" He asks, as if challenging her.
As much as Ai wanted to know who she was tying the knot or have already tied the knot with, she shook her head. "I don't want to. I want it to be a surprise. Someone once told me to keep my heart open for possibilities."
For a moment, the two of them became quiet. Both Ai and Takemichi didn't know what else to talk about. Ai wanted to know more about her future self, but she held herself back from asking any further questions. Except one.
"How is Mikey in the future?" Ai asks
Takemichi didn't know whether or not if he should lie to her or tell her the truth. But for what it's worth, he'll wrap the truth with a lie. "Mikey kun...is really well in the future. He's still the president of Toman too."
"Say Takemichi kun, if I left the country, do you think you can take care of Mikey for me?" She asks, turning her head to face him.
Takemichi looked tense as she asks.
"I know he'd say something like I should go for it. Leave the country and improve myself. But," Ai stops, tilting her head. "I can't tell what's holding me back." A small chuckle escapes her lips.
"Huh? I didn't know you two would be here."
Both Ai and Takemichi turned around, there stood behind them was Mikey. Walking towards them, he stood behind Ai and started pushing the swing chair she's sitting forward.
"What were you two talking about?" Mikey asks, a gentle smile painted his lips.
"Nothing much" Ai smiles, enjoying the feeling of the cool wind on her hair and skin. "But I told Takemichi how you'd look handsome with black hair!" Ai lets out a small laugh.
"Black hair?" Mikey asks "Maybe soon I'd color my hair that way" Mikey smiles.
Takemichi could only watch the couple by his side have their little fun. In this year, Takemichi could see how happy they are together. But eleven years from now, Takemichi wonders - what went wrong between them?