EPILOGUE

[EDITED]

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"The ranking for your finals has already been posted at the bulletin board. Also, you third years only have a week left before your graduation. Congrats to all. Class dismissed."

Their class adviser left the room. The chatters began as each and everyone talks about their looking forward new life at high school after graduation.

Eichi stood up and left the room. She wanted to see the rankings, not because wanted to see what her rank is or if she maintained being on the top spot but rather, she wanted to see Baji's.

Did he do well?

Reminiscing those times where she helped him study for him to be able to passed the quarter, she smiled. Half of it is because she's happy that she had that kind of memory and half of it because she actually misses him.

After a few walks she arrived in front of the bulletin board along with other students. It took her for a while to see his name listed at the 75th spot which is better than before.

I guess he can do well without my help at all...

She was about to leave the place since she already saw what she wanted to see, but the moment Eichi turned her body she unexpectedly saw him. Few meters away from her place also looking at the ranks.

Baji suddenly felt that someone is looking at him and there he found Eichi looking at him.

"It's 75th. Great job." that's the only thing she said before she left.

Eichi sighed as she walked away returning to their room to pick up her things since classes for the day is done.

It's for myself right? I wanted the pain to vanish that's why I decided that and he agreed. But why am I feeling regrets? I thought I know it's the best for us?

Eichi took a deep breath after those thoughts.

Maybe I fell out of love and can't take anymore chances to risk? Or... Did I felt scared?

"Yama senpai!" her thoughts stop talking to her when she heard Aya. Eichi stopped walking and smiled at Aya.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked. But then Aya suddenly got teary eyed and immediately hugged her like this is going to be the last time they're going to see each other.

"Wahh... Senpai, I'm going to miss you" she said, crying.

Eichi chuckled because of her cuteness. She patted Aya's head.

"Me too. You're going to run for the President title right?" she asked.

"Hai."

"Then, you shouldn't be crying like this. You need to have a strong aura and be confident to yourself." how ironic of her saying all of those, when she totally have the anxiety of being the President before and just masked it up with that strong intimidating personality.

"But only you can do that, senpai!"

She chuckled again. Only if Aya truly knows.

When Aya stopped crying, she also stopped hugging her then wiped her tears. "Oh my, I got emotional for a sec." She said then laughed." Anyway, senpai. We have a farewell party for you after your graduation, so you better be there! "

After that small talk with Aya, she went home. Slowly, day after day after she ended their relationship, she's getting used to not having him by her side every time she went and come home from school.

Just how sad it is, by she need to move forward and live the rest of her life carrying those memories with him.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home." she raised her head when she heard Saito's voice instead of her mom. Eichi walked inside after she switched her footwear.

"You're home early. Where's mom?" she asked to her big brother who's eating a popsicle. It's the same brand and flavor we ate before...

"She said she'll be home late. Which means, you need to cook us dinner for today." she rolled her eyes and walked upstairs. It's not like she didn't want to cook and she didn't understand that their mother will be home late but the way Saito said those words irritates her somehow.

Like agreed she cooked dinner for the two of them. And around 11PM their mom arrived home coming from work.

"Welcome home, mom" Eichi said after she met her mom front door. She literally stayed up late to wait for her.

"Oh, you're still awake, Eichan?"

"I was waiting for you."

Eichi went to the kitchen to prepare food for her mom that she can eat.

"Thanks, Eichan."she nodded before she turned her back to her mom. Eichi grabbed herself a mug and started preparing milk for herself.

"By the way, Eichan. Your dad, said he already found an apartment for you to stay in at Hokkaido. Next week's your graduation right?"

Oh right. We agreed that I'll be studying high school at Hokkaido just like what Dad wanted.

That's the other problem she's keeping inside before and didn't choose to tell Baji. Because if she told him, it would have been more difficult for the both of them since she's not a fond believer of long distance relationship that works.

"Yup. It's next week." she sat down after she prepared her milk.

"Well, then. I guess next weekend would be a great time to move out. Start packing your things, alright?"

"Okay..."

-

Just like what Aya said about the farewell party, she attended that after their graduation.

It happened inside their SC office that others also called as their club room. There are only three of them third years so she's not the only one who's leaving the club.

They had a small program for the three of them. Reading farewell letters that is mostly for her, giving flowers as a farewell gift and saying their good luck for their new high school life. They also took a lot of pictures.

After the party, she decided to walk back to her locker as she need to take home all of her things inside including the other gifts and letters coming from other students, mostly kouhais, which she received earlier.

"Wow, you got a bunch of them, senpai!" Aya said, expressing how shock she is after seeing Eichi's locker that is full of colored papers and flowers as well as small boxes and such.

"That's why I called you to help me." she said and chuckled. Luckily, she found a plastic bag enough to hold all of those which she got from the farewell party.

"Wow. I' m well aware that you're famous but I still got shocked by this many gifts." Aya said

"I'm not famous, jeez." Eichi replied.

"You are, senpai! You're just not aware." she said, "Look at this! This came from my classmate and this one too! And this! See? Is this how you interpret of not being famous?" Aya added sarcastically. She just laughed.

After they're done taking all of her things, Aya insisted to walk with her until they reached the gate. She just can't say no so she nodded.

" Wah. There are guys fighting over there. Should we scold them, senpai?"

They stopped walking through the hallway as Aya pointed out the small fight outside. Eichi looked closely and immediately saw a who it was.

"I guess we shouldn't interfere, Aya. It kinda looked like a serious fight of boys."

"But senpai, until this day ends. You're still the council president."

Eichi sighed. "Alright. I'll check up on them alone before I head home." she got the plastic bag Aya's holding and bid her goodbye. She didn't bother to wait for her response and immediately left the building.

-

"Baji-san, I thought I see Yama-senpai looking at our direction from third floor." Baji stopped punching the idiot  guy he just wanted to punch then looked at Chifuyu.

"What?"

"It's their graduation day, today right?"

He actually remember what day today is. And it just happened that he saw some idiot. Baji dropped the guy and snatched his bag from Chifuyu before walking away without saying anything.

Baji arrived at the back of the building first so he waited for a while.

-

"Clean up your mess and go home. It's already graduation day yet I'm still here scolding the shit out of you guys." she said to the guys, including Chifuyu, frowning.

The guys bowed 90 degrees to express how sorry they are before running away. But unlike them, Chifuyu stayed.

"Sorry for the trouble, Yama-senpai." he said.

"It's alright." she replied completely switching her tone.

"I see you got a lot of gifts there." He said pointing at the three plastic bag she's carrying.

"Yeah. It's kinda heavy though but I can manage."

"I'm feeling a bit guilty but here," he suddenly handed her a small box with a cute ribbon on the outside. "It's just a small graduation gift, a thank you for what you have done for us." for us?

"Thanks."

She put it inside of the bag and bid goodbye to him. And for the last errand for the day, she made her way at the back of the building. She can feel how her heart beats fast but she ignored it after a while of walking. There, she find him there already waiting for her.

"Sorry, I'm late." she said and pursed her lips.

Baji stood up straight and gave her a small smile. Eichi immediately notice how tall he got for a short period of time and how his hair grew longer.

"So... Do you want to talk?"

Instead of answering Baji got something from his pocket. It's a piece of pastel blue paper folded into three, lengthwise.

"I just wanted to give you this." he said. Eichi received the paper." Can you read it when you got home? Its a bit cheesy but yeah... "

It somehow pains her how they acted like nothing happened between the both of them. Like it was a period of time where she enjoy being in loved.

"Then, I'll get going now. Thanks for your time... Senpai."

He was about to turn his back but he felt how she grabbed his wrist.

"I.... I'm going..." she said, almost whispering. Baji got confused. She's literally going, right? What does she mean by that.

Eichi took a deep breath before saying a word, not having an eye contact with him. "I'm going to Hokkaido... I'll be studying there."

Baji's eyes widened in surprise. But immediately went back to normal as he remembers that, he got nothing to do with her decisions anymore.

"T-that's good to hear."

That's not Eichi wanted to hear but she still managed to smile. "I guess...well, then I'll be going. Thanks."

Eichi walked away as Baji silently watches her. Seeing things that he used to walked by her side before.

When she's already out of sight, Baji didn't notice that tears are already falling from his eyes. So he just laughed it off, thinking it will ease the pain of their last good bye.

I've lost her...

-

Hi Eichi senpai!,

Remember the time I told you that I'm going to make a scrapbook out of the pictures I've taken? Actually, it was a lie at first but I realised it would be a great thing to make especially it's made out of memories. So I made one!

Every time I got a chance to take a picture of you, I always forgot my camera so some of the pictures are low quality as it was taken from my flip phone. I also compiled the things you gave me, even though you probably forgot some of them. I also made a lot of letters for you, they're inside the box if you wanted to read them. Just... Please read them when you're alone, alright? And don't tease me about it, it's my love language!

I know it's too early to say this, but I see no one but you with me in the future. Although, I'm not quite sure if it is the same for you but still it's the truth.

Please always keep yourself warm, always stay hydrated and don't skip your meals. I don't want you to be sick prone person. And also, when will you call me by my name? Like 'Keisuke', 'Kei-kun' or 'Keisuke chan'? You always call me by my family name :3. Anyway, that's all, stay safe Eichan!

Love Keisuke <3

After reading the letter, Eichi couldn't stop herself from feeling sad. It brings too much memories. But when she's about to fold back the letter, she noticed something that is written at the back as well.

Hi again...so about the box. I actually filtered it out and picked some things out that you probably didn't want to see. I don't know why you suddenly decided to break up with me but if it will make you feel better, then I guess that's just how it is. I gave the box to auntie, you can ask her if you want to see that or not. Thank you for your love, Yamada senpai.

"Mom..." she stood up and run to her mom's room. "Mom! Did Baji gave you something like a box?"

"Kei-kun? Yeah. He gave me a box and said I should give it to you if you asked. Wait, let me find it."

She waited for a couple of minutes after her mom gave her the box. Eichi run back to her room that's already cleaned up as this is the day of her moving out.

She opened the box and saw a lot of pictures. Mostly stolen shots of her alone. There's only a few pictures of her together with him. And the remaining others are already the letters he made as what he mentioned.

She decided to read them as she still got some time but after reading those letters, she found herself crying silently.

She realized that she just lost a precious diamond of her life. She made the worst decision and there's nothing she can't do about it anymore but to accept that after all of those what happened to their lives. In the end, they're destined to be strangers again.

Strangers who knows that they still have feelings for one another but sadly they're just a chapter of each others story.

------The end------