Kanna's eyes met mine, her gaze filled with a mix of concern and a hint of something unspoken.
"Fumihiro, Ema has been feeling lost lately. She's scared of losing you, especially when it seems like you're drifting away," she explained, her words carrying a weight of sincerity.
A wave of guilt washed over me as I absorbed Kanna's explanation.
The idea that Ema might be struggling silently, fearing our connection slipping away, tugged at my heartstrings.
"Why didn't she tell me? I want to be there for her," I confessed, a genuine worry reflecting in my eyes.
Kanna's grip on my shoulders tightened, her expression softening. "Ema is stubborn, Fumihiro. She tries to bear everything on her own. Maybe she thought she could handle it, or maybe she was waiting for the right moment to talk to you," she suggested, her words offering a possible explanation for Ema's silence.
"I just want to make things right," I sighed, a mix of emotions swirling within me. "I love her, and if she's going through a tough time, I want to be there for her."
Kanna nodded, her eyes reflecting a mix of relief and empathy. "She needs you, Fumihiro.
Sometimes, we all need a little help carrying our burdens," she added, her voice gentle yet hiding the complexities beneath the surface.
Kanna continued, her voice soothing as she tried to ease the storm raging within me.
"Fumihiro, Benjiro might have misunderstood things. It's possible he heard rumors or got the wrong impression. You know how gossip can spread like wildfire," she suggested, her words offering a glimmer of hope.
I wanted desperately to believe her, to cling to the possibility that Benjiro's words were nothing more than baseless rumors.
My heart yearned for a simpler explanation, a way to dispel the shadows that threatened our happiness.
"Do you think he could be wrong? That Ema didn't betray me?" I asked, my voice a fragile thread in the face of uncertainty.
Kanna's eyes met mine with a reassuring gaze. "Fumihiro, trust your heart. Trust Ema. Don't let the words of others cloud what you know to be true," she advised, her hands still resting on my shoulders.
Yet beneath her comforting words, her trembling hands betrayed uncertainty, leaving lingering doubt in the air.
After she said this, I even noticed some scratches on her arms, and her hair was a mess.
I then nodded, pretending not to notice her wounds and attempting to find solace in Kanna's reassurance, yet a lingering unease gnawed at the edges of my resolve.
The truth, however painful, hung in the balance, and I couldn't shake the feeling that the storm was far from over.
**Benjiro would never lie or misunderstand things like that, especially about cheating.
He told me that he once was with a girl who cheated on him after one month of happiness.
I didn't know Benjiro back then, but hearing his story was painful.
On the other hand, Kanna was the most sincere and truthful girl I've ever met.
She never lied, even in the worst cases.
I didn't know much about this situation; everything was too sudden for me to realize my feelings.
I didn't know if I felt sadness or relief.**
After Kanna finished talking, I noticed that Ema was not there with her. That made me worry a lot.
"Kanna..." I said, removing her hands from my shoulders. "Where is Ema?" I asked with a very serious tone, mixed with anxiety.
Kanna hesitated, her eyes avoiding mine for a fleeting moment before she spoke. "She wasn't feeling well, Fumihiro. I thought it would be best to get her home, where she can rest, so I paid for a taxi to take her home," she explained. Her words sounded like a delicate dance around the truth.
A sense of helplessness washed over me as I grappled with the reality that Ema had left, seeking refuge in her home.
"But... what happened? Why would she leave?" I pressed, desperation evident in my voice. "She always came to seek my help in these cases..."
Kanna's gaze finally met mine, and her expression softened with a mix of empathy and concern.
"She's going through a tough time, Fumihiro. I think she needs some space and time to sort through her feelings. It's not your fault," she reassured, her hands gently squeezing my shoulders as if to anchor me in the storm.
My heart ached at the thought of Ema grappling with pain, and I felt a pang of guilt for not being able to shield her from whatever turmoil had consumed us.
As I stood amid revelations and uncertainties, the road ahead seemed shrouded in shadows, with only fragments of truth to guide me.
"What the?!? "SORT THROUGH HER FEELINGS"?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!!?" This time, I shouted and was very angry.
"N-No! Don't misunderstand!! She Lov-" she tried to say in a desperate attempt to calm me down, but I didn't let her finish.
"Kanna." I stopped her. My voice became very cold and emotionless. "Tell me the truth, please," I said.
She looked down in guilt.
"Well... Well... I..." She mumbled some words, trying to find an explanation.
After some seconds of awkward silence, she said, "Ema was recently fighting against a very possessive jealousy. She's very obsessed with the relationship you have with Arai-Sensei."
She said, while looking me in the eyes.
"What the...? Are you serious?" I asked, in shock.
She only nodded, but she was looking me right in the eyes.
"She's like an older sister!! She's 30 years old!! Why did she suddenly become jealous of her? And WHY didn't she talk to me ?!?" I said. My tone was a little bit aggressive, but I wasn't shouting.
Kanna's revelation about Ema's jealousy of Arai-Sensei struck me like a sudden storm.
Confusion knitted my brows as I processed the implications of Ema's hidden struggles.
"Jealousy... of Arai-Sensei?" I echoed, trying to wrap my mind around the idea.
Kanna nodded sympathetically, her eyes reflecting the weight of unspoken truths. "Yes, Fumihiro. She's been feeling insecure, especially with how close you and Arai-Sensei have become. It's been eating at her. She has been crying a lot because of this, and she didn't want to talk to you... because... " You know how she's made," she admitted, her voice carrying the burden of shared secrets.
My mind raced, replaying moments with Arai-Sensei, trying to decipher the nuances of our interactions.
The revelation added another layer of complexity to the web of emotions surrounding us, but I calmed down. "I had no idea... I never meant to make her feel that way," I confessed, the weight of guilt settling on my shoulders.
Kanna's touch remained gentle as she reassured me, "It's not your fault, Fumihiro. Relationships are complicated, and emotions can be overwhelming. Ema needs time to work through her feelings. She doesn't want to ruin things between you and her."
A swirl of conflicting emotions churned within me – guilt, sorrow, and an unsettling realization of the fractures in our relationship.
But most of all, I was disappointed by Ema's behavior.
She always talked to me, even about the stupidest problems.
An issue about jealousy seemed way too strange.
Ema would never cry for something like this.
I felt like there was a storm of emotions inside my heart.
I didn't know who I had to believe.
Who was lying, who was telling the truth?
Kanna stood still, her messy hair and scratches on her arm visible.
She had a look of guilt all over her face, but I was too stupid to notice.
We stopped talking, and I said, "I'm going home. I'm tired of this. I need to think."
After saying this, Kanna tried to stop me and grabbed my arm again.
"Fumi... please." She said.
What did she want from me?
"It's a very hard time for Ema. Try to reassure her... She doesn't want to annoy you with her problems." She added, while looking at me with her wet eyes.
"Why the heck is she crying? What in the world is happening? Has everybody gone mad?!" I thought.
I freed myself from her grip and said, "You're right. Goodbye, see you."
I then started walking towards my home.
I was really worried about Ema, so I tried to call her.
I knew I should've gone to her. But our peaceful karaoke transformed into a battlefield of emotions.
I didn't care about anything in that moment; I was angry.
"Everything was normal three days ago..." I said to myself.
While walking, my phone rang.
I picked it up from my pocket and saw a message from Ema.
"Fumi, I'm very sorry for today... I'm home now. Kanna bought a taxi... can you come here? "I need to talk to you," the message read.
I only replied with "Okay. We'll meet this evening at your home."
She wanted to talk to me, but for what? Maybe she wanted to tell me about her jealousy issues?
Who knows...
I just kept walking towards my home, putting my earphones on so I couldn't hear other noises from the streets.
I couldn't stop thinking about what Benjiro said.
I never saw him so serious.
I felt like he was telling the truth, which is why I suddenly felt immense pain in my heart after what he said.
Kanna would never lie too... But her behavior betrayed her...
"Impossible... Ema would never cheat. I've done nothing wrong. I've always put her first; I've always been there for her when she cried... she always said she was happy with me. It's impossible... It's imp-" The voice of my thoughts was interrupted by a sudden small collision: I accidentally bumped into someone...
I dropped my phone and my earphones.
"Ouch...!" I said.
I then looked down and saw a beautiful girl with blue hair and green eyes who was standing on the sidewalk.
I accidentally bumped into her.
"Oh my gosh! I'm very sorry!!! I said.
"Oh... Aïe... C'est une belle bienvenue au Japon… ! Ahaha !" The girl said while scratching the back of her head. She was French and wearing very beautiful clothes and a red hat.
I couldn't understand what she said, but I was stunned by her beauty.
I looked at her with a guilty look, and I offered her my hand to help her get up.
"Oh...! Merci!!!" She laughed and grabbed my hand.
"She said... "Thank you", right?
She even picked up my phone and earphones from the sidewalk and handed them back to me.
"These are... yours, right?" She said, smiling at me.
"Yes. T-Thank you." I said, while taking my things.
"Are you from here?" She asked.
She spoke perfect Japanese.
"Y-Yes," I mumbled.
"Oh! Okay! Thank you! My name is Evangeline, and I'm from here!" She introduced herself, offering me her hand for a handshake.
"Evangeline...? This name is familiar..." I said to myself....