~Continuation
Days ago after Ume entered the jail thing that is not an actual jail[umm...lol? Ughh I forgot what it's called] and she hasn't done any single work there, all she does was sleep, eat, take a bath, and the rest of the day and night time that she didn't use as her working time all got wasted. Every night and day she's just on her small bed looking at nothingness but lucky for her to meet her roommate. That girl is the first one who reached a hand to her and helped her to understand the things she had done, but before that, the girl was actually the one that made her open up to others.
"hey..? Ume-chan, don't you want to do some work so that your days here can start to decrease?" the girl asked and Ume only 'hmm' in response but she still didn't get up so her new friend just left her. "I haven't said 'sorry' to Shinobu-san... I want it too, now. but what can I do when I'm here?" she whispered and she suddenly remembered what her new friend told her the first time she opened up to her. "Ume-chan.. we can't do anything other than pay for our crimes... If you really want to say sorry to her, then you should start working because even if you stayed here for a year and so on, the time that you need to be here won't decrease, so if I were you. well, I'm not you, but in my opinion, We should work hard..." those words kept echoing inside Ume's head, "If...If only I didn't do those stupid things... maybe I had made a relationship with those people and be close friends with them... If only I'm not stupid enough to think that way... maybe I wouldn't have been here... Shinobu-san, Gomen'nasai... min'na...Gomen.." She thought as she started crying. Thing isn't going that bad to her but it isn't also doing good... It's just, fine? but depressing..(let's just call Ume's new friend as Yuna)
And another two days passed, Yuna woke up early in the morning to see Ume was wearing her own uniform for working there while looking outside the window. "Ume-chan..?" She said, curious about why Ume was wearing the uniform. "Didn't you said that I should work hard so that I can say 'sorry' to her soon?" Ume said with a bright smile that made Yuna blushed for it is her first time seeing Ume acting that way. "Have you taken a bath?!" Yuna asked a little loud since Ume was already outside their room. "I did!!~" Ume shouted back. "She's right! I should start working or else I might stay here forever" Ume thought.
Two years later: Season-ending of fall (when they already graduate in high school, and after Ume got released)
It was a late celebration for them after graduating, Shinobu was walking towards their old classroom where the other Hashira was in still waiting for the others to come and join them. Suddenly Shinobu felt someone pulled her arm a bit and when she look up she saw Ume, breathing heavily but not sweating for it was already cold. "Shi...Shino-...phew!~ Good morning Shinobu-san" Ume said in a genuinely friendly way but still breathing a bit heavily. "Ume..." Shinobu said before giving the girl a hug that Ume grandly gave back. They thought about talking to each other for a bit before they go on separate ways and they went to their favorite spot in the whole school, which is the fountain near the pond.
"So.. what's up?!" Shinobu said to break the awkward silence surrounding them. "Ano...tch!. Eto... Shinobu-san if I may ask, why do you keep being so nice to me? please I wanna hear something, not like the answer you gave me the last time I asked you that! Don't you even hate me for doing something all those things?!" Ume asked. "Ohh... Of course, I hate you! I hate you for doing all those things. *smiles* But I'm not the kind of a person who can hate someone for years..." Shinobu answered and Ume immediately hugged her. "So... how are things doing... between you..and hi- Tomioka-san?" Ume asked not looking at Shinobu.
"hmm... things are well, for the whole two years that passed by. I-It was awkward when we're together and we would only talk about our selves when we're together with our friends, though.. it is VERY awkward, but we had too so that our friends won't worry about us..." Shinobu answered with a slightly sad smile. "Ughh! I feel so horrible that it all happened because of me... I'm sorry.." Ume said with a sad-looking face with a sign of guiltiness. "It's not your fault... We both admitted that we still love each other... but we just can't trust our selves to be together again... We think that we might end up hurting one another so we chose to give each other some space... until we're ready" Shinobu said with now a true smile. "You do both trusts each other before..but I destroyed that thing that makes you two a good match to each other" Ume said then Shinobu response to it by saying "It already happened, Ume. Just forget about the past, move on and do the good things you can" Shinobu said smiling at Ume who also smiled at her. "By the way, I wanna give you this-" Ume said as she searches for the thing inside her bag, then Shinobu noticed the hairpin she gave Ume last two years and took it out of her bag. "So took care of it!" Shinobu happily said as her eyes shine. "Of course I did!" Ume said not looking at her since she's still searching for the thing she wants to give Shinobu. "Why aren't you using it?" Shinobu asked with a pout. "Well.. I thought, that I didn't deserve to use it since it came from you.." Ume shyly answered then Shinobu pulled Ume's hair slightly to attach the hairpin which made Ume blushed and that made Shinobu giggle. "I didn't give you that because I want you to hide it in your bag... Use it!" Shinobu said with a reassuring smile and Ume nods her head before turning back to her bag and took out a slightly big box and gave it to Shinobu. "What's this? A gift?" Shinobu asked and Ume motioned her to open it so she did. Inside was a beautiful cute looking snow globe. "KAWAI!~ where did you buy it??" Shinobu asked as she kept looking at the gift. "I...I actually made it. for you. And I learned how to when I was still receiving my punishment, I guess going there is a bit useful" She said and they both laugh a bit. "I've also made a friend their.," Ume added. "Woah that's good! what's her name??" Shinobu asked. "Y-Yuna, but I called her Nana-chan" Ume said and Shinobu asked her where Yuna was but Ume said that She didn't know because Yuna was the first one who leaves the place. "She often visits me before but after some time she stopped coming back, luckily one of the guards there is close to me and he gave me Nana-chan's email address..." Ume said as they both smiled at each other. "Umm.. Ume. I have to go. Oh God, I'm late!" Shinobu said as she stands and then they both bid their goodbyes to each other but before they get separated from each other Duoma came. "Shinobu-chan!~ Ume-chan!~" he greeted. "Ehh?? What are you doing here Douma?" Shinobu asked. "Just want to say 'sorry' since I haven't apologized for everything. I'm sorry, really" Douma response, "It doesn't matter now. Apology accepted!" Shinobu said in a cheering way. "I think you should be a teacher Shinobu-san. You always make your enemy a friend by giving them a lesson" Ume joked making Shinobu laugh. "Yeah, she's right. I do also think that you'd do a great teacher!" Douma cheered with one hand pointing at Shinobu and the other one is raised above his head. "Haha that's a good suggestion you two, but sorry. cause this girl right here is going to the schools future doctor" Shinobu said with a proud look on her face. "Btw, I have to go now. you two get going too. Bye!~" Shinobu added before walking away from the two while waving her hand. "So what's your crime?" Douma asked. "None of your business punk, I gotta go" Ume said as she stands up waving started walking away while waving one of her hand without looking at Douma. "Heh??? Bye-bye!~ Ume-chan!!~" Was all Douma said as he watches Ume disappear.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Sorry I'm late!!" Shinubo said as she opened the door of their classroom to see all her friends smiling at her including Giyuu and a sigh a relief left her mouth as she smiled back at them.
"So as for our celebration we would like to know how you can imagine your selves after graduating in college and what is your dream job," Uzui said. "I wanna be a musician that can play different kinds of instruments to give those younger ones hope to their dreams" Uzui added. "I want to be an Art teacher!" Mitsuri said happily. "I want to own a company in the future, a company that helps those people who're in need" Iguro shyly said. "Sugoi!!~" Mitsuri said as she hugs him on the arm. "I wanna... I want to be a teacher too!" Kyojurou said. "Huh?!! In what subject?!~" Mitsuri asked, unable to believe that most of them want to do the same thing in the future. "History!!" Kyojurou said loudly. "How about you Sanemi?!" Uzui asked. "I going to be a Math teacher because my little brother keeps failing on that one particular subject," Sanemi said making everyone laugh. "DON'T LAUGH AT ME!!" Sanemi yelled and everyone just laughs "What're you gonna do if your students fail? beat their asses? " Uzui teased and everyone just laughs again so Sanemi just did the same thing. "For me, I wanna be a P.E. teacher, who can discipline he's students no matter what" Giyuu claimed while raising his one hand. "That's cool!!~" Mitsuri said. "I would also be willing to become a teacher and help my future students to grow up.," Himejima-san said. "How about you Muichirou?" Iguro asked. "Oh, me? I think a wanna be a clown man..." Muichirou joked with his usual emotionless face making everyone laugh including himself. "So what about you Shinobu-chan?~" Mitsuri asked. "I wanna be a doctor in this school but before that I'm gonna study abroad so I can learn more" Shinobu answered making everyone silence. "what's wrong?" Shinobu curiously asked. "You're leaving?" Mitsuri asked as she started to have a teary eyes. "I'm sorry... I had planned it for the last two years... and I had to" Shinobu said sadly. "If that's the case! then at least let us take you to the airport when it's time" Mitsuri said while wiping her tears away. "I'd love it if you guys do," Shinobu said with a smile making everyone emotional, some of them were crying but they knew they can't stop her because they shouldn't. It's her life to decide and no one, not even her friends should get in her way. They all(yes, all) hugged her while some are whispering things to her. "Don't worry guys...I'll be back. And when I do.. We'll be able to be together again as the 20th generation Hashira's of our school" Shinobu said with a smile trying her best not to cry, but she immediately failed. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't be crying over this, but I can't hold it" She admitted and they all smiled and hugged her again. "I'll be back.. I promised!" She said still crying.
~~~~~~~~~~
After the celebration, they clean the classroom they used and went home. Giyuu and Shinobu went home together since they are both going on the same way. "Do you have to go?" Giyuu asked not looking at her. "yeah... A plan is a plan" Shinobu answered as she again started to cry a bit, she then bit her lips not wanting to let out any sound. Then Giyuu held her hand and said; "It's okay to cry, Shinobu..." He said since he was also starting to cry. Shinobu nods her head and they both cried all the way to their own houses. "When will you be back, Shinobu?" Giyuu asked, "Year XX in December" Shinobu answered with a bitter smile "If that's the case then I'll be waiting for you to come back, Good night Shinobu" Giyuu said with a smile. "Hm, Good night Tom- Giyuu-kun" Shinobu said and it made Giyuu feel great now that Shinobu is already starting to call him the she does before.
When Giyuu went home he was greeted by Sabito, Makomo, and Urokodaki-san. It was shocking because for the two that passed both Makomo and Sabito was not in the country, They once again chose to study abroad since their mom needs to be there dew to her business. He told them about Shinobu and all they did was try to cheer him up. he felt happy now that Urokodaki, the one who stands as his father and Sabito and Makomo as his childhood best friends like siblings are all there, but there's only one missing..... Shinobu and his sister tsutako.
When Shinobu closed the door behind her, She collapsed on her knees and her sisters helped her and made her sit on the sofa. She was crying so much but both Kanae and Kanao were there smiling at her, trying their best to cheer her up. they knew that them doing that isn't enough, but at least it helps Shinobu a bit. "Nee-san... nee-san... I-I'm... going to le-...leave them..." Shinobu said stuttering as she cries loudly. "Shh..it's okay, it's okay. A plan is a plan, right? All you gotta do now is leave them and do what's right and needed. then after that, you'll come back here to be with them, to be with him again" Kanae said trying to calm Shinobu who cried even more after hearing the words 'leave them'. Kanao goes to their kitchen to get some water to give to her elder sister, but when she came back, Shinobu was already asleep. She falls asleep on Kanae's arms which took Kanae back to the times where she had to hold Shinobu on her arms protectively just for the little girl to fall asleep.
~To be Continue