Soul for a Girlfriend?

The last period was over and I was walking down the stairs with Tsumen next to me. We were talking about the things that happened today and included our results. They were out within a week only, but it was normal since the teachers prioritise grading our exam sheets. 

As usual, I got my fixed range of marks. Tsumen was also satisfied with his marks considering the fact that he opened his book on the night before the exams. And Reina also scored among the top three students in our class with 96 point something percentage that I don't remember now.

Recalling the events of homeroom, Reina seemed thrilled with her marks, but at the same time, I could tell there was something that was troubling her. Of course, it has been quite some days, and I didn't expect her to take this long to return my feelings. But eventually, she will fall for me. She has already fallen for me, it's just that she hasn't realised her own feelings.

The corridor was empty considering that me and Tsūmen left the class a bit late because I was waiting for Reina to do something, but she didn't. In the darkness, I heard footsteps approaching towards us and from the rhythm, it sounded like the person was running.

Suddenly someone grabbed my shirt from behind and said "Wait for me", between breaths. From her voice, I recognised who it was. 

So the time was finally up.

I turned my head to glance over my shoulders and saw Reina grabbing a hold of my shirt between her index and thumb finger. Her eyes looked at me like I was an alien.

"Don't go." She again said in a shivering voice. Her eyes were staring right into my shirt. Tsūmen was standing next to me with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Bracing her shoulders, I turned around and asked her in a soft voice, "Oi… Reina? Are you good?"

She looked at me with her dark eyes that were reflecting a little bit of light in the dark corridor, and said "I have to tell you something, so please don't leave yet."

"Tsūmen, I'll meet you later." I said and catching up on the situation he nodded and waved at us while leaving us two alone. Well too bad he won't remember something like this happening to me.

It was just the two of us standing alone in the corridor. Silence befalling upon with nothing but the sound of our breathing between us and the periodical tag of glances.

Noticing that she might be nervous because of the atmosphere around us, I walked up to her and raised my hand towards her. She averted her eyes, but I hit her on the head with a light chop.

She looked at me with a confused expression as I said, "Come on, we talk while walking too."

Resuming my walk down the corridor, she kept standing there for a few moments before joining me and walking next to me.

We were out of the building and now that a lot of sunlight fell upon her face, I could tell that she was as red as a tomato. Walking alongside me, she finally broke the silence between us with a deep sigh.

"What did you want to tell me?" I took the initiative of starting the conversation.

"Saishi… I…" She opened her mouth to say something but shut herself off mid way.

"Yeah?" I tilted my head and looked at her with curious eyes. 

She fiddled around for a moment and looked right into my eyes only to let out an irritated sigh and raising up her hands in defeat, "I don't know how to say this… give me a break…!"

"Ooof… I didn't say anything…" I said, showing her my palm as a gesture of my defense.

"Don't look at me like that…" She pouted and kept walking alongside me.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like that." She pointed towards me with her index finger.

"Wow, quite the explanation you did there." I said in a sarcastic tone.

"Shut up! I'm already so embarrassed that I can die." I could tell that she was embarrassed by the continuous blush that was on her face since we left the school grounds.

"Heh….?"

"Saishi." She suddenly looked at me and said in a sharp tone.

"Yeah?" I turned my attention towards her and looked at her intently.

"You said that you won't ask me for my answer that day…"

"Yeah I did say that."

"But I realised that whether you want it or not, I have an answer and I'll definitely tell you."

"Ahh… I see…"

"So… I…"

"I realised that it was you…"

"It has always been… you." She looked at me with a smile that I had never seen on her before. It was a genuine smile? 

"Eh?"

"You never left my side even though I treated you like trash sometimes…"

"I said hurtful things to you…"

"Reina…"

"Tried to push you off my life…" She averted her eyes from me as if she was guilty of doing that at that time.

"I'm sorry… and…"

"Thanks for staying with me…"

"Thanks for not leaving me behind…" As the words left her mouth, she confided herself in me and held my shirt with both of her hands.

"Thank you…"

"... for everything." Her grip got firmer and her tone was shivering.

"…I love you!" She said in a soft voice with her head resting on chest and her arms tucked in front of me, holding my shirt. 

"I love you so much, please don't ever leave me…" Her desperation was enough to make my heart melt.

"You made realise that I can be loved…"

"Thanks for falling in love with this weed." She smiled while her voice kept getting feeble with each word.

"I love you too, Reina." I wrapped my arms around her shoulder and pulled her into a tight hug as I could tell that tears were flowing from her eyes.

She was finally happy and felt validated about herself. She finally learnt that she was also someone who could be loved despite her down sides. She came to terms with herself and that's why she was crying.

The tears rolling out of her eyes weren't because she was happy. It was because she felt alive again. Her own image inside her head was finally blooming into the flower she was always meant to be.