The Winter Promise

Chapter 5: Love Clapping Hands.

“Sorry long wait.”

Riki waved his hand at us then sat right beside me. His face looked as happy as if he had just earned a huge pile of money.

“Where have you been?”

“Custom, there is someone who is acting again.”

“So famous people are difficult yes.”

“It was also because of you, I became like this.”

Riki felt annoyed after listening to my words just now.

“Sorry.. sorry..”.

Riki then sat down beside me and smiled to himself while imagining something. Seeing her face at that time, made me and Maul become disgusted.

“Is there anything that makes you that happy?”

“Hmmm..”

His smile widened as he heard my question which made him remember something more pleasant.

“I just got this.”

Riki showed us a letter in front of both of us. The letter was not very big and in the middle of the letter was a blue heart-shaped sticker.

“You're kidding right?”

Maul took the letter from Riki's hand and took out a piece of paper that was inside. Maul read the letter quickly, I could see her eyes shifting from left to right very quickly.

“Crazy!”

The usually calm maul directly slammed the paper into the table in front of him. With a face of disbelief, he immediately looked at Riki who was still smiling by himself.

I took the paper and read it.

Let's see what it is.

Assalamualiaum, Good morning, Riki. I'm Kirana, 2-4th grader. Will my sister have time after school? Can we meet behind the school? There's something I want to talk about. If the letter I sent only disturbed my brother, I apologize profusely. I am looking forward to our meeting after school. Greetings from me, Kirana.

This must be a love letter, no mistake.

Although he didn't write down his needs here, I already knew that he would express his feelings. It seemed that Maul had also realized that, hence she behaved like that.

“Why can he give you this letter?”

Maul still does not accept Riki can get a love letter from the underclassmen.

“You know who Mul is?”

“Lah! You don't know him?”

Maul was even surprised by my words just now and then she caught me in astonishment. It seems I'm the one who's uninformed about the woman named Kirana.

I just shook my head to Maul.

“She's the second prettiest girl in our school. There are even rumors that he will replace Rina.”

“It's that beautiful guy?”

I became curious after being told by Maul.

“What have you been doing all this time? You should've known it from your friends. He was quite talked about among third-graders.”

Maul held her head with her right hand like a dizzy person, she sighed a little.

“You know for yourself that lately I have been busy dealing with class.”

“Just if you want to know the person, you can see him after school later behind the school.”

I can tell what Maul is thinking, it looks like she will go behind the school and hide, then she will see what Riki and Kirana are doing.

“You know for yourself, I have to accompany Rina to the bookstore after school later.”

“I forgot it... Ah shit!”

Maul also kicked down the table in front of her and took a very long breath. I can hear the clinking of his teeth.

Riki and I immediately saw Maul with a slight fear enveloping our hearts. The two of us exchanged lyrics and gave the code to make Maul become ordinary again, in other words improving his mood.

“You all right?”

“Is it just me who is unlucky here?”

Ah he started again..

“You are so good to be home with a beautiful angel after school. While I only came home alone accompanied by street dust attached to my uniform. How lucky I am.”.

Indeed, like that attitude Maul, if he had dealt with the name of love, he would suddenly be poetic. He's gonna start writing a poem about romance.

“By the number you sent me yesterday is whose number?”

“That's the number of the person I met on the street yesterday, no one. I just feel sorry for him.”

I can't tell Maul that it's Miyuki's number. He could use that number to get close to Miyuki. It's not that I don't want Maul to be close or dating Miyuki. It's just that, I don't want to make Maul a hassle from being close to that woman.

It's not that I hate Miyuki, but I get a feeling that being close to her will only cause a lot of trouble.

“Oh so, the end is rarely you call me at a time like that. Especially telling me to track her phone number.”

Fortunately, Maul's curiosity was not so high. If her curiosity was high, she would ask me like a reporter was asking the source. He's gonna scrape away the information I have.

I won't let my friends get close to Miyuki, no matter what.

***

“What do you think about this novel?”

Rina showed me a high school romance novel. The novel is being talked about by everyone these days, and soon there will be a film adaptation.

“You should have known what my answer was. It was very boring.. I don't know if a romance in High School will be as beautiful as that, but the author has made many people have a goal to try it when in High School later.”

I looked around me, and we were on a novel rack. Although it is a weekday and time during the day, but many visitors who visit the bookstore.

I hope today I didn't do anything troublesome.

“But I think this novel is suitable for me to make reference.”

“Are we going to write a romantic genre later?”

“Sure, if you want our grades good instead of better writing about it?”

Where did the assessment come from, did the teacher really like something related about schoolgirl romance? Sucks.

“Hei! May I ask you something?”

“What's Ar?”

“Why don't you want to have a girlfriend?”

Rina suddenly became tense like she had just been hit by an electric current. He fell silent and the grip of his hand became strong. He took a deep breath and looked at me.

“I will answer it after you answer my question.”

“What is it?”

“Same question.”

“Shouldn't you already know why I don't want to date. I think for the time being, dating is a waste of my time and money. I don't want to spend my money on something uncertain. I better spend it with my friends.”

After hearing that, he immediately picked up one of the novels that was on the shelf and gave it to me.

“Why did you give me this?”

I looked carefully at the novel and read the synopsis on the back cover.

The novel was titled “If We Were..”. According to the synopsis that was there, the novel tells the story of a woman who sits in the first grade of High School is feeling what is called love, love, she liked a guy at the school. But because the man was too close to others, it made it difficult for the woman to approach him.

I know what he's trying to say, I'm sorry I asked him this.

“So love claps one hand huh?”

“...That is, even though the novel had a good ending, but the initial condition of the novel was the same as my current condition... If you have time, can you read it? I highly recommend this novel to you.”

“Well shall I read it.”

He looked happy and he immediately fell out with a very sweet smile to me.

At that time I also had time to think which man ignored women as beautiful as him. Although I currently consider that love is something troublesome, but if I knew there was a woman like Rina like me, my idealism would probably be eroded bit by bit.

“Why don't you try to love other men? Aren't the people who like you also many and not a few of them who have a good-looking face.”

“Looks like I can't forget him from my mind.”

“Think once then yes.”

“Hahahaha, you are absolutely right... Would you like to hear my story for a minute?”

Oh so he's willing to confide.

“I used to meet him when we were in SD. We are different schools but we are one school building. I was in the morning, and he was in the afternoon.”.

Hmmm..it is great that he can maintain his love even though it has long passed.

“...When we got home from school, our school always had a ball every day.”.

Waitaminute! It seems that there was a similar incident at my school.

“...Though at that time he had never competed at all, but he was always there to watch his friends compete. Until one day, when I was watching the game, there was a ball that was pointing towards me very fast, the horn was tight I did not have time to avoid it. Though I've resigned if hit by the ball, but he was there to save me..”.

It's great that guy, if I can't possibly react that fast.

“...He caught the ball that led to me with his hand. He's like an expert goalkeeper and that's when I started to have feelings for him.”

“Why didn't you reveal it when SD, I'm sure he'll accept you.”

“Then the incident, I never saw him again watching the game, I once passed him at the school gate. But she didn't recognize me at all, so I became reluctant to greet her.”

“Heeh.. Then now you know where she goes to school?”

Lina shook her head. His face was smiling, but in his eyes I saw the emptiness and sadness that was engulfing his heart.

“If I had known where he was, I would have entered the same school as him.”

Maybe Rina is one of the people I know who already felt love when I was at school

elementary, or just me when elementary school is just spent playing.

Usually I would rebuke her for being lulled by love, but since I saw her it seemed a little tormented after telling me that, so for this time I forgive her.

“So then, I don't know if your love journey is as sad as that, I was so bad when I asked earlier.”

“Heeh..not as usual, I guess you'll say I'm stupid.”

Rina immediately looked cheerful as ever, the emptiness and sadness that I just saw suddenly disappeared by her smile. It was as if what I had just witnessed was an illusion.

“For this time only I forgive.”

“But when you look around you do look like it.”

“Hah!?”

“Yes, from the way you walk, talk, even when looking at someone. You almost look like him, which is why I am so happy when I am near you.”

“Don't say anything stupid.”

“I'm serious, it's just that your attitude is opposite.”

“Of course, there is only one person in this world who has this kind of attitude which is me.”

I am very proud to say that, because I rarely boast in front of others.

“If you want to have a girlfriend, there are so many women in our school who like you.”

“I already know it.”

“Heeee... By the way later after graduation, you want to go to which school?”

“So please, I don't know where I'm going yet. Looks like I will follow the recommendation of the homeroom course.”

I have absolutely no preparation after graduation. Because I was so confused about which school to go to. Besides, I better follow the recommendations of my homeroom teacher so that I can easily get into the school she recommends.

“Hmm.. So so yeah.”

“If you are alone?”

“I am also confused, there are so many school options that I get from school. Looks like I'll take a school close to my house only.”

“Enak once if have many such options.”

“That's.”

Finally, after deciding which book to buy, we immediately walked to the cashier to pay for the book we bought.

The original plan was like that, but there was a disturbance in the middle of the road.

As we were about to go to the cashier, from a distance I saw a woman wearing a school uniform enter the bookstore alone.

The woman I'm referring to here is Miyuki.

Since the cashier table was close to the entrance, inevitably if I wanted to not meet him, I had to hide in one of the bookshelves that was there.

“..Eh Rina, there happens to be a comic I want to buy.”

I tried to sneak a glance at Miyuki to make sure she didn't see me.

“Oh is okay, I happen to want to see some comics there.”

“Alright, let's go there.”

I sped up my footsteps and walked behind the bookshelves to avoid being seen from Miyuki.

What's he here for?

I just remembered that yesterday he also invited me to go to the bookstore. I should have remembered what happened about it.

“This is no latest Narto comics!”

Lina took the opened comic and read it a few pages.

“You like that comic?”

“Sure, since it was on tv I so follow the comic series.”

“If you like to read comics, it looks like you should read this too.”

I also gave Indonesian comics that I often read over and over again..

“Alright, I'll read it.”

“Amar!”

And a female voice was heard calling from behind me.

I think I've been here too long.

the End Chapter 5