Towa submitted his withdrawal form on the first day of the new term.
That guy moves way too fast. He could have stayed at school a little longer.
Even so, his official withdrawal date is set for the end of the month.
I asked Towa to stay at school at least until September, but he rejected it.
Towa told me, “I want to start working already. That’s why I’m not coming to school.”
Still, after begging him, I managed to get him to stay for one more week.
During that one week, Towa will teach me how to study.
I stay at school after class and have Towa teach me.
The people around me give me cold glances and whisper behind my back. But I am used to it.
People have been doing that to me since the first year.
So it feels like no big deal anymore.
Towa is acting completely calm, too. Honestly, what kind of nerves does this guy have?
Occasionally, Sakura watches us. Sakura looks over here with a terrifying expression.
But her friend who was at the scene the other day pulls Sakura away.
Well, there’s no need for them to worry about us anyway.
On the final Friday of that week, Towa and I were studying in the classroom after school.
When I happened to look out the window, I spotted Sakura walking home happily with that guy named Eguchi, the one who picked a fight with Towa the other day.
Seeing that, I looked at Towa’s face. Towa seemed to have noticed it too, and he wore a very painful expression.
And seeing Towa’s face like that made my chest feel tight.
No matter that it was for his girlfriend’s sake, to think I would go through such a painful experience myself.
✴︎
Starting the next week, Towa stopped coming to school.
People around me are saying things like, “Did things finally get too awkward for him?” or “Is he actually too shocked to come?”
And everyone is chiming in, saying it serves him right or that they’re glad the cheating bastard is gone.
Hearing that, anger welled up inside me, and I almost blurted out the truth.
But if I blurted out Towa’s circumstances here, Towa’s hardship and everything he has done would go to waste.
I endured it desperately. To think I have to keep this up until graduation…
✶
The next season comes around in a flash. Already two months have passed since Towa left.
I called Towa because I wanted to see him for the first time in a while.
I was relieved to find that Towa was still his usual self.
The weekend after I called, I was able to meet up with Towa at a cafe for the first time in ages.
He treated me just like always, and I was so happy for that time.
Towa was still worrying about Sakura, just as expected.
I felt a little down.
It made me feel like Towa still loved Sakura after all.
I told Towa, “Sakura is going to the same university as Eguchi, apparently. I eavesdropped on them talking.”
Hearing that, Towa looked dejected and said, “Is that so. I guess things are going well between them…”
Right after that, Towa went home.
But I chased after Towa because he had left his jacket behind.
I called out to him loudly—that was my mistake.
Because Sakura and Eguchi were walking together nearby.
Those guys noticed and came right over to us.
Sakura said something sarcastic, “You guys are still going strong. Of course, you are. You wanted to be with this girl more than me, after all.”
Towa immediately grabbed me and left the scene so as not to get in their way.
At that moment, the way Towa gripped my hand was quite tight, and his feelings in that moment were clearly conveyed to me.
At that time, I truly regretted that it was all because I called out to him that Towa had to go through such a painful experience.
✶
Time flew by. The new year arrived, and graduation was right around the corner.
My school life continued to be a lonely one, just as it had always been.
I thought I would be fine because I’ve always been alone. But the hole in my heart that opened up when Towa left never went away.
And just like that, graduation day arrived.
Ever since Towa taught me how to study, I stopped getting failing grades.
Thanks to that, I managed to graduate, too.
It really would have been nice if Towa could have been here with me…
Looking around, everyone is taking commemorative graduation photos.
I don’t have friends like that.
Since Towa, my only close friend, is gone, there’s no one for me to take pictures with.
“Sigh… I might as well just go home.”
Right when I thought about heading home,
♫
A message arrived on my smartphone… When I checked it,
『Iori, don’t just rush off home. Stay until the very end.』
It was from Towa.
“Why? He’s supposed to be working today.”
I replied to Towa’s message.
『Why do I have to stay? Especially until the very end.』
As soon as I sent that back, a reply came…
『Just stay, will you?』
Reluctantly, I decided to stay.
While everyone else headed off to their class graduation parties, I remained at school all by myself.
Gradually, the people dwindled away.
Among them, I spotted Towa’s ex-girlfriend, Yumi Sakura.
She noticed me too and glared at me. Her friend and Eguchi were by her side as well.
When Eguchi saw me, he smirked with an expression that seemed to say I was a lonely loser.
“None of your damn business.”
They went home without saying a word to me.
I was completely alone.
The early-spring wind brushed against me. The chill of the breeze was harsh enough to make you forget the changing season.
“…That idiot Towa.”
I was about to type “I’m going home now” to Towa.
At that moment, I heard a voice I hadn’t heard in a while.
“Iori!!”
It was Towa’s voice. Why?
Towa ran right up to me.
“What is the meaning of this!? What about your job?”
When I asked him that, Towa replied…
“Sorry for being late. Even though I tried to make sure our paths wouldn’t cross… I took the day off today. Because you’re graduating…”
“Idiot! Going out of your way just for my sake.”
Then Towa looked straight at me and said these words:
“Iori… a bit late, but congratulations on your graduation!”
At Towa’s words, tears overflowed from my eyes.
“Ugh… ugh, Towa…”
“Hey, don’t cry. Iori, you really worked hard this past year. And I’m sorry for leaving you all alone…”
I couldn’t stop my tears. He told me I worked hard.
“Towa, I did my best. All by myself I worked hard.”
To me as I cried, Towa placed his hand on my shoulder and said,
“Yeah… Iori, you did well. Truly. And thank you for cooperating for my sake.”
“Ugh… ugh”
My only friend…
“Truth is I wanted to graduate together with Towa.”
My true feelings. If not for those events, we could have graduated together.
Yet it was precisely because those things happened that I was able to grow close to Towa. If Towa’s parents hadn’t gone bankrupt. Towa would have stayed with Sakura forever and probably never even spoken a word to me.
I would have been truly lonely and maybe even my graduation would have been in jeopardy.
Though it’s something I shouldn’t really feel, I am satisfied with this outcome.
“Hey, Iori. I’ll take your graduation photo for you.”
Towa said to me with a gentle smile.
Towa must have come here thinking that I wouldn’t have anyone to take pictures with since I was alone from the start.
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, can I ask you for one favor?”
When I said that, Towa responded with a smile.
“I don’t mind. Anything I can do for you.”
I said through my tears with a smile.
“Take it with me.”
When I said that, Towa looked troubled and told me,
“With you, huh… But I didn’t graduate…”
I grabbed Towa’s arm and pulled him over to the front of the school gate.
“That doesn’t matter at all! This is our very own graduation ceremony!”
“…What is that supposed to mean, that makes no sense.”
Even as he said that, a smile leaked out from Towa. Seeing that made me smile too.
“Come on, get closer so we can take it together.”
I turned the smartphone toward myself and pressed up against Towa.
Towa looked a little embarrassed.
“Hey Iori, don’t press up against me so much.”
“What’s the big deal. You’re the one who used to tell me to get closer before.”
“Hey, that was just acting.”
“Alright, I’m taking it!”
Click!
A graduation ceremony just for Towa and me. The school’s official graduation ceremony was lonely, but now it’s different.
This is the best graduation ceremony ever. Thank you so much.
If Towa hadn’t come, I never could have felt this way.
Even if I can’t say it out loud, I’ll say it in my heart.
I love Towa so much…