The Journalist

Part 28: It's About Yuna ....

Let's travel a little further, into my teenage years. To be exact, in the time I knew Yuna and managed to win her heart ....

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Sakurai Yuna, the only girl I love. My relationship with him has been going on for eight years. We were dating when we entered our final year of school. But before that, I had harbored my feelings for her for two years. In total, ten years of my life, I have used it to love her.

My teenage years were not like that of a boy in general. I'm not comfortable getting together and sharing stories with others. I prefer to be alone and observe the situation around the school from the roof of the building. From that habit, I wrote down some things that I found interesting into a paragraph that I would then stick on the notice board like a newspaper article.

I can't believe that many have faithfully waited for my writing to simply find out what happened at school. One of the students who faithfully read my writing was Yuna. For some reason, the feeling of like suddenly appeared from the moment I often saw him come to the notice board just to read my writing that is not named. However, I realized he was too impossible for me to achieve. Loving in silence was my choice at the time.

Yuna is my classmate. It could be said he was highly highlighted in our school. Beautiful, friendly, smart and have a high social spirit, anyone would be interested in such a character. My only luck to be looked upon by him is to be his toughest rival in the class. Yes, Yuna mastered all the subjects that required calculations. While I mastered lessons that used a lot of theory, including English lessons.

Everyone has been ensnared by their own feelings. That happened to me too. The acute level of my love was when I found out that he wanted to surpass the academic values I had, and I voluntarily relented so that his wish could be realized. Yes, suppose on the exam I have the potential to get a score of 100, then I will make the wrong answer in some number. So too in some lessons that I can easily conquer.

In the second year of school, I decided to express my feelings for her. On the roof of the building that became my favorite place, I wrote her a love letter. Unfortunately, I have no experience writing love letters. I was able to write narratives, descriptions, and even arguments, but I was foolish to write down poetic sentences used to seduce women. I don't know how much paper I packed and threw away, then replaced with new paper and writing.

Another bit. Almostdone. In the midst of my seriousness in writing a letter, suddenly there was a loud voice of a woman who was practicing English speech. His voice was so screeching the ears that it made the concentration become crumpled. I even forgot to write the closing sentence.

"Ladies and gentleman ...." He repeated his speech again. This time it was louder until his vocal cords almost jumped out.

Argh, I can't take it anymore. I clenched the love letter into a ball and threw it at him. That bunch of nameless love letters was really right about his forehead. However, disaster seemed to hit me as soon as I knew the noisy girl was Yuna.

Yuna, who was shocked after receiving a throw from me, opened the lump of paper and read it.

"Dear Sakurai Yuna ...." He read the opening line of my letter, "mom-isn't this love letter to me?" he was half shocked.

I'm thorny. Hearts hit. No, the letter wasn't supposed to arrive that way. Plus, I haven't finished the last sentence. I tried to peek out of the chair. His head looked to the left and right. Of course he didn't realize I was here, because I was hiding behind a pile of chairs.

My heart was pounding more and more as he walked towards the pile of chairs. I stood up, trying to avoid it. But instead I hit a chair that made the chairs on it fall down and hit my feet.

"Geez, sick, sick, sick!" my little scream while holding the end of my shoe.

"Ayano-kun?"

Ah, crap! He caught me directly. I no longer have a way to hide. Even his eyes were immediately fixed on the similar clumps of paper that were strewn with my pen. He picked up one of the clumps of paper, then read it. Yes, of course the content of the letter core was the same as the one I threw before.

"Ayano-kun, is this from you?" he asked quietly with an expression of disbelief.

I'm silenced. I felt my face flushed like a boiled crab. He approached me, but I immediately turned to avoid him. He moved quickly and confronted me.

"Suki desu!" said suddenly.

(I like you)

"Eh?"

"I know you're always here at break time. I also know you're here to write and publish your writing on the notice board. Looky!" He pointed at the door and said, "do you not realize why the door is always closed every time you want to get out of here? Ever since I saw so many juniors giving you gifts and love letters, I shut the door every time you came here" she said in a quick and lively tone.

"Is that so?" kataku jerked.

He nodded in confirming.

"Then ...." My words just stopped. My feelings right now are unfathomable.

"Then don't we ..." he said with a sentence that also floated.

Spring is in each of our hearts. That day was the beginning of our relationship.

Until the end of school, Yuna took me to her home for the first time. Introducing me to her parents. With a fear of raging, I ventured face to face with her parents.

"What's your name?" ask Yuna's father who was also accompanied by Yuna and her mother.

"A–ayano Kei," I said lowered my head without daring to look into his eyes directly.

"What are your parents doing?"

"My father .. professor at Keio University's law school."

"Oh, professor Ayano Kaneshiro?"

"No one knows him. He is also an expert on state governance and legal experts who are often asked to be a resource to criticize the performance of the government," he said with a slow tempo, "then, how long have you been in a relationship?" ask again.

"It's been a year. But, we've known each other from first grade."

"Then, what are your plans after this? Are you going to college where your father taught?"

"I ... still don't know" I said, squeezing my knees.

I saw Yuna's father furrowing his sharp brows. "How can you protect Yuna if your own future can't be determined."

I'm speechless. Really, I don't have an answer to his question yet. At that time, I did not know what kind of ideals I wanted. I just love to write about important events I've experienced and seen.

"How do you make sure Yuna stays safe with you going forward?" ask again.

"As much as possible .. I'll be careful with condoms" I replied with a slight stammer.

My very answer as it is makes Yuna's father and mother growled, but Yuna seemed to close her mouth with laughter. It seemed, I misinterpreted Yuna's father's question to the point of making her growled.

"Dad, don't worry, Kei-chan is also a judo athlete."

He looked at me from top to bottom, then threw a pamphlet on the table. I glanced at the picture of a man wearing a military uniform in the pamphlet.

"A man who approaches my daughter must have determination and courage. Dare to face all the risks that lie before him. Not only does he look handsome, but he can protect my daughter. If you're serious about him, I challenge you to get into the Japanese Martial Arts army school!"

Without thinking much, I immediately accepted the challenge. With the zeal to have Yuna completely, I conquered the army camp. I also tried to become a superior warrior candidate in order to get recognition from Yuna's father.

Everything changed since I got out of the army Self-Defense force. The fruit of my viral writing, Yuna's father became the media moons for being considered the most responsible for what happened in the Japanese Martial House all along. The student urged him to resign.

Yuna's father was reluctant to talk to me again. In fact, when I drove Yuna home, her mother pushed me out of the fence while bringing her child in. They treated me like a criminal who just got out of jail.

I didn't give up on proving to them that I was worthy of Yuna. I received a scholarship from a renowned Japanese media to study at Harvard with a major related to the journalism profession. We had to get separated again and have a long-distance relationship for three and a half years. Even so, we can always go through it. Year after year, until now.

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I closed the flashback of my past with Yuna. It didn't feel like I was standing at the end of a cliff for an hour and staring blankly ahead. Yeah, I'm alone. Yoshizawa had long since left after poisoning my mind with her words that kept ringing in my head. He also managed to make me waver, after years of trying to stand up straight so that it could be solid to be the only backrest Yuna had.

Of course I know Yuna's father has lost respect for me since the article I wrote went viral in the public. Of course I know Yuna's parents stopped supporting our relationship after I removed the pride uniform from my body. Of course I know the way to unite with Yuna will be even more difficult. I realized it all first. However, I tried to deny it all.

Yes, right, I am that selfish creature!

I returned to the tent with a lump of raging feelings. I immediately lay down and turned my back to So. My body suddenly weak and lackluster. It feels drowning and difficult to breathe because of the flow of this complicated relationship

"Hey, where have you been?" ask So.

I didn't answer. Even ignoring my phone that just sounded the incoming message notification. I covered this head with a backpack to dampen the sound of Yoshizawa who was still clumsy and felt constantly making fun of me.

Do I have to let Yuna go? This fate is too evil for both of us!

It did not feel like the morning was welcome. Woke up myself who was still asleep. We plan to go back to the refugee camp today. Unfortunately, I was still late and immersed in a dilemma. So probably thought I wasn't feeling well because I wasn't awake yet, so she decided to go alone to cover the morning atmosphere in the refugee camp.

About an hour later, So came back and woke me who was still in a sleeping position.

"Ayano-san, Ayano-san!"

"Ayano-san!" So sat closer towards me while shaking my shoulders.

"Hum ...." I cleared my throat with my eyes closed.

"Ayano-san, I saw it! I saw!"

"Good, don't forget to record it or at least take a picture as proof" I said in a sleepy voice.

"Not .. It's not about that. I mean ... I saw the woman! The woman you took to the refuge until you got lost. Oh . I forgot his name. But, I'm sure it's really him!"

So's words managed to make my eyes open wide instantly.

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