Chapter 1
I am Takemoto Sakura. Finally, this is my third and final year in this Keio High School. I was excited to meet everyone after holidays. I want to listen to their stories of what they did in holidays and what they have decided for their future.
I smiled as I walked through the gate of Keio High School. I stood there for a minute watching the Sakura petals fall. The bell rang and I was reminded that the class will be starting soon.
I ran towards the building. On the notice board outside, there were lists of our names class wise. I checked my name which was in Class 3-A.I looked here and there and I found many familiar faces as well as unfamiliar faces of first year students. I changed into my indoor shoes and went inside the class.
"Ohayou!" I wished as I went inside the class.
"Ohayou Sakura!" my friends wished me.
I went and sat on my bench beside the window. I looked outside through the window. The Sakura tree was looking really beautiful. Suddenly, someone covered my eyes with hands.
"Ah!" I was startled. "Ai!" I shouted as I found out the person who covered my eyes.
She laughed as she uncovered my eyes. I looked at her and rolled my eyes.
"Sashiburi!" she hugged me.
"Sashiburi Ai!" I smiled.
"Ohayou Minna!" I quickly looked behind as I heard that voice. That voice which I was longing to hear. That voice which gives me Goosebumps. That voice which makes butterflies in my stomach fly.
"Ah! Ohayou Sakurai!" others wished him.
Ai hit me on my hand and smirked as I looked at her.
"Nani?" I asked.
"umm...hmm" she nodded her head in no.
I saw him coming towards me. My heart started beating fast.
"Yo, Sakura! Sashiburi!" he smiled.
I kept mum and turned away my head towards the window.
"Doushitano?" he asked me what had happened to me.
I still kept mum.
"Sakura?"
"Sho-kun, she is angry with you." Ai told him
"Eh? Nande?"
"Nande te? Sho-kun, you didn't called her or meet her even a single day in the holidays. You didn't even reply her mails. Won't she be angry?" Ai told him.
"Ah! That's why she is angry." He then looked at me and turned me towards him. He leaned down a little bit and kept his hands on my shoulder. My heart was beating even faster now. I could smell his perfume and it was driving me crazy. Being in love with your best friend is crazy.
"Gomen, Sakura!" he apologized. "I wanted to be in contact with you and also wanted to meet you, but this work of Johnny's was not letting me do anything else. Hontoni Gomen!"
I wanted to forgive him but as a best friend I should not. I wanted to make an eye contact with him but he was too close.
Then, Sensei came at the right time.
"Everyone, get to your seats." Sensei asked us.
Everyone returned to their seats and Sho sat on his seat beside me. The class started.
In the lunch break I and Ai were having our bento in the canteen area. Sho came running.
"Sakura! Can I have my bento with you?" he asked.
"Ai, tell this person I don't know him and he cannot eat his bento with us." I told Ai without looking at him.
"Did you hear?" Ai asked him.
"Demo, Sakura!"
"Ai, tell this person to go away." I told her again.
"Sakura, yamete!" Ai asked me to stop it.
Sho left without saying anything and it hurt me. I realized that I was too bad with him. I sighed.
"Hora, I told you."
"Gomen Ai!"
I kept my bento and ran to look for Sho. I searched for him in the canteen, in the class and also in music club. But he was nowhere to be found.
I went outside in the ground to look for him. There he was, sitting on the bench alone looking at the Sakura blossoms. I smiled a little looking at him. We both love Sakura blossoms a lot.
"Sho!" I called for him.
He turned and looked at me. I ran towards him and stood in front of him.
"Gomen Sho, I should not have said it." I apologized for me rude behavior.
"Daijobu Sakura, I can understand the reason why you are angry, but believe me I wanted to be in contact with you and I also wanted to meet you but I was busy."
"I know Sho!" I sat next to him.
"Ano ne Sakura, I think I have been selected for the new band of Johnny's, I mean they told me that they are considering me." Sho told me.
"Eh!? Honto?" I almost yelled.
"Honto dayo!" he gave a wide smile.
"Sugee!" I was too happy for him. I know what music is to him. Seeing him smiling so widely, made me happy.
"Sakura, kirei dayo ne!?" he said suddenly and I was surprised.
"Eh?" I asked.
"Sakura no hana, kirei dayo ne!?" he said. "What you thought?"
"I thought you said to me."
"Eh!" he laughed. "Why would I say you are beautiful? You are the ugliest girl I have ever seen." He laughed and ran.
"SHOOOOOO!" I ran after him to hit him. "I am not ugly. Matte yo Sho! Don't run away!"
Few months were amazing but tiresome. Being third year students we had to concentrate on our future as well as making the last year of high school memorable.
Then the day came when Sho's future was decided. September 15. I watched the live press conference of Johnny and Associates. Johnny & Associates announced the group's debut on a cruise ship off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii. Johnny Kitagawa-san was asked to announce the members of the band. First member that was declared was Sho, followed by Ninomiya Kazunari-kun, Matsumoto Jun-kun, Ohno Satoshi-kun and Aiba Masaki-kun. The group was name 'ARASHI' meaning 'Storm'.
I was so happy for him. Finally, he found his future in what he always wanted to do. I always hoped that he could get what he wanted. Seeing him happy on the TV screen made me so happy. That day I smiled like an idiot. I mailed him 'congratulations!'
"Sakura, aren't you smiling too much today?" Mom asked me.
"Eh? Nai yo."
"You are. Because of Sho-kun's debut, ne?"
"Sou da kedo." I smiled . "Shinyuu dakara." I ran in my room.
I wondered what kind of songs will Sho write and sing. He always used to sing to me whenever he wrote anything. But now whole Japan will listen to his songs. What kind of members are the others? Will they support Sho as I used to? Will they listen to him whenever he will have something to say as I do? Will he become busy? Will he get time for me?
There were a lot of questions on my mind like these. I sat on my bed hugging my pink big teddy bear. I picked up the photo frame which was on the lamp table beside the bed.
"Sho, you won't forget me, ne?" I sighed. But tears formed in my eyes. I should be happy for him. Jaa, why I am crying? He will become busy with recordings, concerts, music videos, shooting and all. Of course he won't get time for me. I was happy for him but the thought that I won't be able to see him often made my heart break.
After two days, I went to school as often. That day, he came and everyone was surrounding him. I was shocked to see him.
"Sho!" I called him.
"Sakura!" he smiled at me and came near me.
"Why did you come here?" I asked him.
"Eh?"
"What about your band?"
"Ah! Daijobu, I am also completing my education. Demo, I won't be able to come to school often." He told me.
'Yappari!' I knew this would happen. I looked down.
"Sakura, I will try to meet you." He told me.
"Yakusoku?" I asked, almost with teary eyes.
"Yakusoku!" he smiled.
That day, our school felicitated Sho for his great deed. After the school, I met him.
"Omedetou, Sho!"
"Arigatou Sakura!" he thanked me. "Jaa, mata ne!" he waved me and ran to return home.
"Umm, mata ne!" I waved him back.
As he ran, I stood there watching his figure going far away from me.
That was the last day when we actually had a talk. We mostly used to talk on mails. He had told me that they were going to release their debut single on November 3rd.
The third year ended quickly. I didn't see him much. He used to come after the classes started and used to leave quickly.
He told me that he will be enrolling in Keio University as Sensei suggested him. I didn't know what I want to do. My parents discussed a lot about my future. They wanted me to study abroad. But I didn't want to leave Japan. As my drawing was good, I decided to do Fashion Designing. And then, my journey started.
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By mistake I deleted this part. So, I am reuploading it.
Take Care!
Mata ne!
~Priti