It had been 4 days since that Wednesday and it was now Sunday, and she didn't even utter a word to me after what happened, I didn't understand why she was being so distant with me because of the fact that we had known each other for much longer than we had thought, it didn't make much sense, anyone would be surprised for sure about our little realization, and most people would feel exhilarated afterwards, but not Hana, she was giving off a tone of anxiety, she wouldn't even look at me in the eyes during our homeroom, and did everything to avoid me, and she obviously didn't tutor me as usual.
I was sitting at the fountain in the front courtyard of my school, on top of the stone walls keeping the water in, it wasn't comfortable but it was a good place to think, the sound of the running water really cleared my head, I clasped my hands together and turned my gaze towards the clouds.
"God, Hana what are you doing?
*****
Hana was not in the club room, in fact no one had seen her period. I had learned this from Haga Ayumi, the girl that greeted me on my first day in the photography club.
"The last time I saw Yamada was Friday at lunch, otherwise I have no idea where she is."
"Well thank you anyways Haga, I'm just worried about her."
"She did seem somewhat cold and distant during Thursday and Friday, but I thought nothing of it because I like to mind my own business."
Haga paused, her eyes lit up like fireworks, her mouth open in an aghast fashion.
"Did you ask her out, Sato?"
I put my hands up, my palms facing Haga as I shook my head vigorously.
"No no no, you're getting the wrong idea!"
"Oh no, I think I have a very amazing understanding of what's going on, good for you Sato, she's so cute."
I spun around and proceeded to exit the club room, this was going nowhere.
"Im outta here, I'm looking for Hana."
"Haha, alright see you next sunday."
"Likewise."
I walked out of the classroom with my phone in hand, most likely hana was not in the school, she had to be at home doing god knows what.
Just then I felt a sharp and audible buzz in my hand, someone had just texted me.
Yamada Hana : [Meet me at the storage room, near our homeroom.]
I stand corrected.
Yamada had texted this to me out of nowhere, which was shocking to say the least, but it was also relieving to see she could still talk to me, even if it was over text, and she wanted me to meet her in the storage room for some odd reason.
Sato Masaichi : [Alright.]
I would ask why she was inviting me into a dusty un-used storage room, but I didn't want to be too confrontational with her, god only knows how concerned I am for her, I needed to hear her out.
*****
My hand was hovering over the door knob to the storage room, I looked through the window and saw her sitting on a desk next to the window, staring out into the street below, the sunlight shone over her figure, and bled into the dimly lit room, she was wearing something most people would consider wearing for a date, she was wearing a long black skirt that reached her shins, and a black blazer that covered her blue t-shirt.
I took some deep breaths, and opened the door to meet Hana once again, after days of pure silence.
The door creaked open with relative ease, Hana had not locked it behind her luckily, though I had no idea why I suspected she would have, it would have been something she would have pulled if we were at our normal state.
"Hana?"
Despite the door opening with a quiet groan, it took me saying her name to finally turn around, her face was red and streaked with tears, and yet despite that she was smiling at me, her mouth quivering at the edges.
"I have probably confused the hell out of you, haven't I Masaichi?"
I crossed my arms and looked down upon her, I was closer to her now and I saw that by the looks of it she had been crying for a while, the bottom of her nose was rubbed raw and a whole box worth of tissues were thrown into a nearby metal garbage can.
"Jeez Hana, what's going on?"
Hana moved her gaze from me and back out to the window, she put her hand up to her chin and rested it on her palm.
"Do you know how many times my father has forced my mother and I to move homes?"
"Huh?"
"11 times."
Hana chuckled half heartedly, before speaking.
"You know friends came and went, I didn't really have any that stuck around during my childhood, each good friend I would get, I would lose by the end of the year."
"Oh."
Hana turned back away from the window and stood up and faced me, both her hands gripping the edge of the table.
"Inevitably, I'm going to have to move away from here, my cousin, and you, it's just been the pattern that has repeated my whole life."
Hana let go of the table and grabbed my shoulders tightly, but unlike last time I didn't flinch, I let her do it.
"I thought I would be used to it by now, but for the first time I feel..."
Hana paused, her smile began to fade, tears began to flow once again, her voice cracking as she stammered out her words though a sudden sob.
"Scared."
Suddenly Hana let go of me, and sat back down on the table, tears streaming down her face as she began to blow her nose, it all made sense now.
She had really grown on me, and was afraid to lose me, and after discovering what we did on Wednesday, it only amplified that fear.
I snapped back to reality, Hana needed her friend more than ever, and I would gladly give anything to make her feel better. I turned back towards the door to make sure no one was watching, I didn't want anyone to make a spectacle of what I was about to do, it looked like the coast was clear, no one was in the hallways.
I walked closer to Hana until I was close to the edge of the table, standing just 2 feet from her.
"Masaichi what are you doing?"
I sat beside her on the table where we were sitting shoulder to shoulder.
"Hana, I don't care what happens, by god you're not moving again, I'm making sure of that."
Hana coughed and chuckled, clearly she had not taken me seriously.
"Its going to happen one way or another, even if you try and stop it."
"I'm going to try anyway."
"Well, I appreciate the thought."
I paused before speaking once again.
"Hana, I really admire you, you know?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, despite having to move over and over again you haven't let it affect you, in fact I would say you're more resilient and tough than most other people would have been, plus your grades are amazing."
"Oh."
Hana stopped crying, her expression blank, she put her box of tissues down and stood up from the table, as she wiped her cheeks with her forearm.
"Masaichi, close your eyes real quick."
"Its not going to be as bad as last time is it?"
"Just close your eyes idiot."
"Alright…?"
I closed my eyes and was immediately met with darkness, but also another sensation of someone's arms wrapping around my back and tightly squeezing me and I couldn't move, I was in shock, Hana hugged me.
I opened my eyes to be met with her head on my shoulder, my arms were limp, I had no idea what to do, except hug her back. I moved my arm across her back and my other to the back of her head and pulled her into me, I could feel her shallow breaths though lungs, her heart beating out of her chest, and the warmth of her body coursing through mine.
Then as quickly as she had pulled me and she pulled away, I let her go.
"Well, that was…"
"Nice?"
"Sure, it felt strange, but nice."
We stared at each other in silence, having no idea what to say after that.
"Wana get out of here? This place feels more dusty than my grandmother's basement."
"Oh haha, also yeah for sure."
Hana and I walked out of that dusty room with a new found understanding of each other, and an acceptance that we were not going to let anything separate us, or at least for the foreseeable future.