SPECIAL CHAPTER

[EDITED]

-----

"Good morning! I cooked breakfast! Though it's kinda...burnt"

Eichi opened her eyes and saw Baji first thing in the morning, holding a breakfast tray with the foods he tried to cook with love and wearing an apron without nothing beneath it except his underwear. Hair's in a bun too.

"Oh...you cooked. That's odd." she said with her husky morning voice and sat up, rubbing her eyes before wearing her glasses.

Baji nodded and excitedly walked towards her to give her a forehead kiss. "That's not odd. You just need to get used to it."

Used to it huh?

She chuckled.

"After all, we're married." he added that made her stop for a moment.

What?

"Yamada san? Wake up. The prof's already gone. You're the only one left here." to her surprise, Eichi didn't thought that she actually fell asleep during the discussion. She looked around and it's true that she's the only one there.

Week's been hell tiring and the requirements are nonstop that she barely get some sleep.

"Oh. I see. Thanks for waking me up." after thanking her block mate she gather up her things and left the room to go home.

It's been 5 years now and she's already on her sophomore year of being as a veterinary college student. She choose to stay and continue her studies until she graduated in Hokkaido which means she never gone back home except if it is holiday or semester break.

And in that span of years, there's no time that she stopped dreaming about him. It is mostly about the things that happened in the past or things that they planned to happen and sometimes it's just too random yet he's still involve. Just like her dream earlier.

Married to him?

She laughed it off. Thinking there's no way that's going to happen. Especially that she's the one who broke whatever tie and bond they have before.

Eichi dropped by the grocery store to buy her dinner before riding the train. Once she reached her apartment since high school, she right away started cooking for herself. After that she took a bath and gone to sleep.

Morning classes, organization events, home works, reports... It's the routine of her college life. She got busier and busier. But she still didn't forget to call her mom to check up on them.

-

"I like you, Yamada-san." Eichi sighed. This is not the first that someone confessed to her. But despite of that, she continuously rejecting each and one of them.

The reason is.... She's still not yet fully healed.

"I'm sorry. By my plate's so full now and I don't have time to date." That's what she's always saying. Creating a busy woman image to avoid them and yet they're just stubborn enough and keep asking to date her.

Why me though? I'm not even socially active...

The guy even gave her a hand written letter but she just put it inside a box where she keep the letters she's receiving since then, once she returned home. And it is a separate box that he gave.

The time flies so fast and the semester already ends. She would be a third year the next time she enter university. It is time to go back home to spend her break with her family.

"Yeah. I'm already here. Hurry up, it's freezing cold." she said on her phone talking to Saito.

Unfortunately, she got back in Tokyo at night as it is the only available ticket when she bought. She forgot to book, that's why.

While waiting for his brother at the station, she decided to buy some hot chocolate to warm herself. Eichi went to a convenient store and impulsively decided to get some bread and other snacks too.

"Wait a minute... Yama-senpai? Is that you?!" Eichi startle on her place before facing the one who called her.

Her eyes widened.

"T-takemichi?!" oh jeez. What a great time to bumped on him.

"Oh?! It's really you Yama-senpai!" he looked so excited that it awkward for her. "How are you? You're back! Are you gonna stay here for good now?" she got surprised a little but she suddenly thought that he might told Takemichi that she's leaving for Hokkaido that's why the guy know. But still, she doesn't want to talk to anyone whose involve with him. How am I supposed to move on when there's something or someone that reminds me of him?

"Just for university break." She answered and quickly grabbed the things she needed. "I'll get going now, my brother's waiting...sorry." Takemichi told her to take care and once she already paid for all of her stuffs she left the store.

Why are you saying sorry, Eichi?

"Eichi! Over here!" Finally her brother arrived and they went home.

-

"Ei-chan, do you want to come with me?" her mom peeked on her door.

"Where to?" Eichi asked, lowering down the book she's reading.

"Grocery store. We're out of stocks and Saito went out for a sec. Could you keep me company?"

Since she got nothing to do anyway, she nodded. She changed into something she's comfortable since it's just the grocery store. While attending college, her sense of fashion got quite a bit better and more mature than how she dressed before. Yet, she still loves to wear hoodies. Who wouldn't?

Eichi wore a hoodie crop top and skinny jeans. She paired it with her favorite white sneakers and decided to wear a facemask and her glasses instead of contact lenses.

"Wow. Are you this curvy before?" her brows wrinkled about what her mom said.

"Uh... What do you mean curvy, Mom? It's still the same." she consciously looked at the mirror.

"No. You're skinny and your curves are more defined now. Are you on a diet?" Oh I see...

Her mom is right. She got taller and skinnier the last time she went home.

"It's not that. School's just been very busy that sometimes I forgot to eat. But I'm fine mom. No need to worry."

always stay hydrated and don't skip your meals

She heard her mom sighed before they finally decided to leave. On the whole ride, she keeps wondering and questioning herself that why all the time, she keeps remembering him. Even in minor events or tiniest thing that you could find in the room, he keeps floating in her mind.

Eichi didn't notice for how long she keep thinking about the possible reason of that problem until she bumped into another cart. Oh jeez. I didn't notice that we're already here...

"I'm sorry." she looked at the person she bumped cart into. Baji...? Because of the guy's smell that reminded her of him, she thought of him.

But then suddenly she saw that the guy who's pushing the other cart ain't got no long hair unlike him and he's wearing a cap, she can't see his face. That's not him. She mentally told herself.

The guy nodded and she left the aisle to find her mom. "Stop hallucinating about him, Eichi. How are you supposed to get over it, huh?" she's talking to herself while pushing the cart. You won't make any progress if you think about him every time.

Shortly after that, they went home. And just what she was doing, she read the book again and again until Eichi didn't notice that it's already midnight.

"Oh my, I forgot to eat again." She mumbled and closed the book. She went downstairs to grab some foods. While waiting for the curry that her mom made for dinner to heat up, Toshi went down from stairs too. And of course, he's being an attitude again and ignored her.

I don't totally get it. Any other animals in our class is always clingy to me but when it is him, he's a bitch.

When the heating up the curry is all done, she went to her room again and eat there. But while she's eating she unconsciously looked at her window like she's expecting someone to pop up there. Eichi shook her head and finished her food instead.

-

"Mom, I'm heading out a bit." She informed her mom and wore her shoes.

Wearing a grey short sleeve cropped top blazer with black bralette for the inside and a high waist wide leg dress pants that she paired with a pair of high cut black converse, she left their house. Eichi is headed towards...some where, where her feet will bring her.

She headed outside and got the effort to dress up yet she didn't know where to go. She wanted some fresh air. It's been two weeks since she got home for a vacation but she hasn't gone out yet except for that grocery day. It is like she's catching up some rest like she did got the taste of.

In the end, she ended up going to a convenience store near where that incident happened years ago. She also ended up buying the popsicle she hasn't eaten since then because she's trying to avoid the things that would remind her of him.

Seating alone at the part and looking at the melting popsicle, she can't decide whether to eat it or not. Suddenly the memories she's been trying to forget for so long is slowly getting her again.

"Fuck this..."she sighed and closed her eyes, hoping that she won't cry in a public place like this. It's really impossible for me to forget him. She thought. Because if it really possible, after all those years, she should be okay by now. She should be finally accepted the reality that they're no longer together, that it's her decision and there should be no minute every day that she's reminding herself that it's all gone. There should be no regrets now...

She stood up and throw away the stick of the popsicle since it's all melted, there's nothing left to eat.

Eichi went home afterwards and lock herself in her room. She's not talking but her mind has a lot of things to say. To say for him...

She's silently laying down on her bed and not feeling anything.

"Just forget him already, Eichi." She said and pinched herself, thinking that she might open her eyes to reality.

-

The vacation ended so quickly that she wanted some more but she can't. She went back to Hokkaido for the first semester of her third year and prepared herself again for the stress she's expecting to face along the way again.

She's currently walking towards the university, wearing something so simple like a shirt and a high waisted jeans with a pair of white sneaker and tote bag. A few meters away from her is a small crowd, surrounding a guy.

She rolled her eyes thinking it was someone famous again. Eichi continued walking and for a moment she felt being pulled back that's caught her off guard.

"Sorry, I already have a girlfriend." a deep voice of a man that made her palpitate and sweat cold.

She felt being back hugged by him and it was tight that she barely could breathe. In front of them is the small crowd of girls looking all shock and envious of her. All of them said something that didn't sank on her mind to understand. When she snapped out of it, the girls are gone and she's being pulled away from them.

After a few walks, an small alley between the buildings she found herself with him.

"Sorry about that. I was in a hurry." he said like he knew it was her all along.

She was speechless and was taken a back for seeing him for the first time after years.

He changed. He chopped of his hair, he got piercings, taller and manlier...

"Keisuke..."she uttered out of nowhere.

On the other hand, Baji looked surprised for her calling him with his name. He hugged her tight but as expected, she didn't want that.

"What are you doing?!"she looked so angry so he took a step back. Measuring on what will she do next. Is she going to slap me? punch me? shout at me?

Baji didn't answered, instead he caged her between himself and the wall. Being able to see her these close again is making him want to ravish her but he stop himself.

Eichi couldn't move an inch, clueless on what is running in his mind. And the next thing he did, he closed the gap between them and stole a peck on her lips that stunned her.

"It's been a while...senpai."

-----

A/N: Check my profile. We'll be having a book 2 :)