~~**~~
I smiled and looked at the sky, it was so calming and the stars winked at me.
"Well, Akio, I met your grandmother at the train station." I replied.
It wasn't a lie, but it was indirect and incomplete. I couldn't tell him the whole context, so I just asked him something.
"And also, can I ask you something?" I asked.
Akio looked at me in curiosity and nodded. "Sure, go ahead."
"Do you... Remember anything from your accident? The train station incident. I've heard about it from other passengers." I asked. Why was that so hard for me to do?
"Actually, I can't remember anything... After the accident, I lost my memories. I remember most things, but majority I've lost." He replied.
I sighed in disappointment and decided to give up. If our relationship was just not meant to bloom, then let it be.
He doesn't know me, and it'll stay that way forever. And I couldn't even bring myself to tell him the truth and thank him for saving my sister's life.
He's the reason my sister's still here with us, fighting. And I can't even thank him for what he did.
And all he did was be nice to me, too. I just couldn't help but feel bad, I didn't want to embarrass or humiliate myself in front of him.
And after some more debate inside my head, I decided that, even if I look stupid, or foolish in front of him, I would tell him the truth. I owe him for saving my sister's life.
But before I could even speak up, he broke the silence first.
"But-, I think I remember a little bit about the accident. I think she fell, I'm not sure. I was in love with-"
"I know." I cut him off and put my chin to my knees. He looked at me and asked, "You know? How could you know?"
"Yeah, your grandmother showed me your portraits of her. You were inlove with her, that's why you jumped and saved her from getting hit by the train, right?" I explained.
"Actually, no. I was inlove with her sister. The woman who fell-, every Friday, we'd take the same train. Sometimes, we would talk and then she started telling me about her sister." He replied.
"And when she takes off, I get to see hee. By the sound of it, it is indeed love at first sight. Her sister used to tell me things about her all the time, which made me feel something new. And when I saw her, I just felt deeply attracted to her. The first time I saw her, I realized that all the stories her sister told me, we're true." I couldn't help but state at Akio. He looks like an angel that fell from heaven, he looks so beautiful even when telling stories.
"Sorry, I must sound so stupid right now." Akio chuckled. I was left speechless, I didn't know what to say. I mean, he's indirectly confessing to me right now and-, and... I don't know how to react.
"Everyday, I'd go back to the train station to try and sought for her. But they never arrived. Although, a few days ago, I spotted the exact same hair and wanted to approach her, but it was too late."
I didn't know what else to say. I just stared at him with my eyes glistening and my face becoming redder.
"After the accident, I can't remember how or what she looked like. I always tried to draw her despite only having seen her for a few seconds." He finished, giving me his sketch book and flipped thought he pages until we arrived at the end of the book.
Behind the pages were some blank ones until I saw some drawings from very far back. It was a drawing of me, my back. Because he couldn't remember how I looked like, he only drew what he sees and remembers.
It's really me, he drew me...
He looked down in disappointment and sighed, "I guess I'll never meet her again."
I sighed and sat there silently. I didn't have the courage to tell him, I'm scared.
While staring at the sky, I can feel Akio staring at me. I looked back and saw his eyes glisten, as if realising something.
"It's... It's you." He stared at me with those adoring eyes, holding my hand and inching closer to me.
I smiled and held his hand. "Yes, it's me... I'm sorry for not telling you, I didn't have the courage." I sighed and looked at our intertwined hands.
Akio took his other free hand and held my chin up so that our eyes would meet. I looked at him and started blushing profusely.
"I never thought I'd get to see you this close, Louise. You're so beautiful." He whispered, taking in the view and admired my face for a whole minute.
I couldn't help but chuckle at him, it was as if it's his first time seeing a woman, or a human.
"Well, you're close to me now. Let's make the most of it." I smiled at Akio who only smiled back with his face becoming red.
He pulled away and sighed. "But how?" He asked.
He looked back at me and stared at me with those eyes, I feel the butterflies in my stomach raging.
"I... It's a long story, do you want to know everything?" I asked, still holding his hand in mine.
"Yes, I want to know what happened." He looked back up at the sky with a contented smile.
"Well, the truth is... After my sister got into an accident, I started visiting her everyday, bringing in some books with me. But one time, I forgot to bring one. So I just talked to my sister, and I never felt more at ease after getting it all out of my system." I started, also looking up at the sky.
"And at the same day, the nurse asked me to visit you, because no one ever does. When I entered your room, I was immediately greeted by you, laying at that bed with no emotions. Though, you still looked gorgeous. I started to read to you and would do that everyday with you and my sister. And inside those weeks I visited you, I tried to find your grandmother and I did by the train station. When I offered to take her home, she started telling me stories about you. Like, how attractive you are and how girls used to swarm you everywhere, or how kind and gentle you are."
Akio looked at me with those adoring eyes. His eyes, it's like magnet and mine is like metal. It keeps attracting mine and they keep meeting.
I looked at him with a smile, still holding his hand dearly.
"But one day, after my sister got discharged from the hospital, bad news came in for us. Because of that, I was unable to visit grandma and I needed to go back to my hometown. And yesterday, I arrived back here. It's been a whole year and I've changed a lot. But I guess, when I saw you again, my feelings never changed."
Oh no, I regret telling him now! I slipped! Why did I tell him I have feelings for him!?! Wait, why am I asking myself that? It's alright, he loves me too! But-, ugh!
"You... You have feelings for me?" He asked, still staring at me. Though under his stare, I felt comfortable.
"I... I, I developed feelings for you when... I visited you everyday. You know, I was a shy person and didn't have anyone to talk to, and have NEVER talked to a boy before. You were the first one." I replied.
He looked at me and held my chin once again, making our eyes meet.
He pulled away from my hand and cupped my cheeks. Is this really happening? Is this what I think this is? Is what I'm thinking gonna happen!?
Our surroundings started to move slowly. The swaying trees, the falling leaves, the sound of wind rustling, the far away city becoming silent, and the whole place became silent.
Soon, our lips met. His eyes were closed, just like how it was when I first fell for him. I smiled in the kiss and closed my eyes, embracing the moment we're having.
While we kissed, the fireworks suddenly went off. So while we had our special moment, the fireworks made it even more special.
Nothing even rolled in my mind while we kissed, only him. He pulled away and smiled, holding both my hands with a huge grin.
"Thank you so much for letting me find you." Akio smiled and hugged me tight.
"Don't sweat it. Thank you for also explaining everything. My first love and heartbreak began with you." I chuckled and hugged him back happily.
We both pulled away and admired the fireworks in the sky.
"I love you, Louise."
...
"I love you too, Akio."
.~~**~~.