Valentine’s Day
By Anonymous Writefag #19
 
Shizune shot me a wild look as I laughed at her eating her ice cream. She was getting more and more annoyed as I wouldn’t tell her why she was making me laugh so much. It turns out it’s pretty hard to sign “You have ice cream on your nose”, even without having your own ice cream cone in your hand. She grabbed my arm and ground me to a halt, giving me a look that said if I didn’t tell her right now, she’d assign me a triple workload in the student council tomorrow.
Instead of fumbling around again trying to sign it with one hand, I simply flicked a piece of my own ice cream, put it on the tip of my nose then pointed at Shizune’s nose. She blushed slightly before wiping her own nose clean, then bouncing towards me and licking the ice cream from my face. I never thought she’d be this into Valentine ’s Day, but cupid’s arrow must have struck her right in the heart, as she was more playful than ever. Though seeing the fruits of her labour come to life, and all the students enjoying the festival she’d worked so hard to put together probably had a little to do with it as well.
“THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY WILL BEGIN IN 5 MINUTES” A voice crackled over the school PA system.
I finished up my ice cream cone and so did Shizune, as we headed over to the waste bin, I quickly looked around for Misha, but couldn’t spot her anywhere.
[The fireworks are starting soon, where is Misha? She is going to miss them.] I signed to Shizune.
I hadn’t seen Misha since school finished, and Shizune just said we would catch up with her later.
[She said she wanted to watch them in the gardens, away from the stalls and the crowds so that she could get a better view.] She replied.
Misha had been acting strangely all day, nothing drastic, but she just hadn’t seemed herself. A lot of people don’t like Valentine ’s Day for one reason or another, and maybe Misha had something in her past that made her not want to be too involved in the festival. Perhaps it was just that she didn’t have a boyfriend to share the day with. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t share it with us? Neither of us would have minded, and I enjoy having Misha around. She adds a light note to any situation, and I know she’d enjoy Shizune’s playful mood as much as I am right now.
[Maybe we should head down to the school gardens too? We’d get a great view of the fireworks from down there.] I suggested.
[I have a better ide-]
Shizune signed so frantically that I could barely finish interpreting what she had said before she’d grabbed my arm and we were running… somewhere.
“EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIHHHHHH… *BANG*!” The first fireworks of the display had started, erupting in a sudden, vibrant burst of pinks and reds, and exploding so loudly that I jumped slightly when their noise caught me off guard. Of course Shizune was unaffected. As that first firework went off and we headed for the school building, I heard a different noise from above, and I was sure that when I looked up to identify it, for a split second, I saw a flash of bright pink illuminated on the rooftop…
*******************
I peeked out of the door to the rooftop to see if any couples had snuck up here for a Valentine’s day getaway, but found myself alone.
“Hhhhhhuuuuuuuuummmmmmmnnnnnn~ “ I sighed, partly out of relief, and partly out of sadness and boredom.
Seeing no one around forced me to let out a lot of what I’d been storing up all day. I gave a small whimper to the night air and began heading over to the edge of the roof, so that I could see the festival and watch the fireworks. I was obviously visibly upset as I wandered towards the spot I’d eyed out, because the darkened figure that popped out from behind the AC unit and surprised me, sounded concerned when they said:
“Misha? Is that you? What are you doing up here? What’s wrong?”
I looked up to see my class mate Miki Miura, eyeing me with concern whilst trying to nonchalantly pull her shirt back down over her torso and straighten up her skirt and hair. I’d never seen her with much other than a cheeky grin on her face before. I noticed her breasts and midriff as she righted herself, and I couldn’t help but admire her body. She’d always been athletic, and though I’d never thought of her like this before, from a purely physical standpoint, her body at least is very attractive.
I heard someone else shuffling behind the AC unit and swiftly making their way to the roof exit, but I didn’t turn around to check who it was. It was fairly obvious what Miura had been doing up here, and I used the urge to laugh as energy to right myself and try to hide my emotions instead of trying to see who she‘d been up here with.
“WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~ What do you mean Miki? I could ask you the same thing! Have you been co-ordinating some extra curricular activities up here without letting the student council know?” I tried my best to impersonate her usual suggestive grin whilst I said this, looking at the gravel on her skirt. I think I spoke a little to fast to be believable, but she indulged me anyway.
“Hehehe, something like that Misha!” She replied, matching the grin I’d tried to pull moments before.
“But seriously, are you ok? You looked pretty upset a moment ago, and why aren’t you with Hakamichi and the new boy? Don‘t you all usually hang out together?” She questioned. She wasn’t going to let this go, so I had to make something up quickly.
“We aren’t glued at the hip Miki! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! Shicchan wasn’t feeling very well, and I don’t know where Hicchan is! Probably talking to some girls! WAHAHA~!” I said with my best smile on my face.
“I see… I thought Hisao and Shizune were together… You aren’t jealous of Shizune are you Misha?” There was that room brightening grin again, how the heck does she make her mouth go so wide?
“WAHAHAHA~! Not me Miki! I just came up here to watch the fireworks!”  I announced, pointing to the sky to strengthen my resolve. I think she is starting to buy into my performance, and believe that I am ok.
Miki moved in close and grabbed my hand with hers, squeezing it tightly and tenderly whilst looking at me with the most sincere, glare I’d seen in a long time.
“You sure you’re ok then Misha?” She paused and I nodded. “Alright then!” She was back to her usual smile now. “I’d better make sure my, uh, friend is ok. Enjoy the fireworks Misha!”
With that she darted from the rooftop, and I had another quick look around to make sure I was actually alone this time, before moving to the edge of the rooftop to look out over the festival. My little exchange with Miki had brightened me up a bit. It was nice to talk to someone I don’t usually talk to, and there was a little something overly friendly about Miki just now.
I’d overheard whilst we were talking that the fireworks were starting in 5 minutes, so the first one should fly overhead any moment now.
Bored of waiting for the sky to erupt, I scan over the festival below, looking at all the couples showering each other with affection and admiration, and my mood took a dive again. My knees weakened a little, and I grabbed the fence pole of the roof’s side railing to right myself.
“Don’t cry now, I don’t want to cry right now, I want to be happy.” I spoke into the night. I was several stories up, there was no one to hear me regardless.
I could see boys and girls holding hands, walking together, laughing, hugging, kissing. I saw one couple sat on a bench, waiting for the fireworks to begin, wrapped up in each other’s arms. The girl had a heart pinned to one of her jacket sleeves, and her boyfriend was using his position, arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm, to pin another one on her opposite sleeve.
“Why can’t I have that?” I half heartedly challenged the whole population of Yamaku, looking out over the school grounds.
There was another couple a few metres behind the couple on the bench. It looked like the boy was confessing to the girl. She must have accepted him, as they were hugging each other and looked happier than you usually see anyone at Yamaku.
I couldn’t watch, it brought too many painful memories of the only time I’d ever confessed.
Remembering that afternoon in the student council room with Shicchan was too much, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
“Please don’t cry Misha…” My voice was barely a whisper now, and I knew my protests were useless. I was just glad no one was around, as I’d be unrecognisable right now. I was the anti-Misha, quiet, soft and distraught.
I stood up, on the edge of the building. The side fencing was gone on this part of the roof, I had no idea why, it looked like it had been pryed away by someone who didn’t know what they were doing, or maybe someone who was blind, but I was thankful it wasn’t there. I stood as tall as I could and took in a large gulp of air trying to catch myself and embrace the night instead of shying away from it.
Then I saw the final straw to break my back, and my heart. The final nail in my emotional coffin. Shicchan and Hicchan were eating ice cream together, arm in arm. Shicchan looked so happy and carefree. She looked so beautiful… Without me. I stood and watched the two of them, and I could feel myself edging towards her, every part of me was reaching out for Shicchan, and I was getting far too close to the edge of the roof. I wanted her. I wanted love, and I wanted everything that I didn’t have on this day, everything it stood for. I wanted the walks in the park, I wanted the hand holding, the nervous butterflies when you tell the person you love how much they mean to you. I wanted the nights alone together, and the days with each other and everyone you both cared about. I wanted to have someone to keep me warm on a cold winter’s night, and someone who I could pin love heart badges onto… I wanted to eat ice cream and enjoy fireworks with someone who genuinely cared about me too…
When I looked back down to find them, they had taken off running, running towards the school buildings. She would soon be out of my sight, and I didn’t want her to leave, the sight of her enjoying everything I couldn’t possess  was all I had left right now, on this night. Even if it was with someone other than me.
Just before they left my sight, the first fireworks exploded above me, and their loud rising and swelling brought everything I had been holding back rising up through me, and in one burst of strength I screamed
“SHICCHAAAAAAANNNNNNNN~!”
The tears were flowing now, and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. She was gone, and around me, all the couples of the town were joined in unison, enjoying the fireworks together, and feeling nothing but each other.
And yet, I was alone.
I was alone not only on the roof, but I was alone here at Yamaku, I was alone here in this town, I was alone on this day, and it felt like I was alone completely.
The fireworks kept whirring above, red and yellow, red and green, red and orange. Then a large burst of Red and Blue erupted in the sky, and once again I was reminded of Shicchan. She was nowhere to be seen.
Neither was I.
The fireworks were earth shatteringly loud, they seemed as big as planets and were the only thing anyone within a mile could be looking at. I could jump now and nobody would be any wiser. I looked down at the ground, and it seemed far enough away that I wouldn’t feel anything, but also that I wouldn’t draw attention to myself over the fireworks.
“I could do it now, whilst the fireworks are peaking.” I said to myself, letting go of the support railing next to me to sign out what I was saying to no one.
Then I realised that I was signing to no one and chuckled a little. I felt like a complete mess, like a carnival, with abandoned rides that were no use to anyone. I was stood here on the edge of a building, laughing to myself with tears rolling down my face. I thought about what Shicchan would say to me if she saw me right now. I imagined her signing away with her concerned but solemn and official look on her face, then me explaining to Hicchan what she was saying. I remembered that she was the reason I had learned sign language, and that she needed me just as much as I needed her. I had to see her, and I had to talk to her about something, anything. I wanted to feel needed by her, and I had to do it right now.
I backed off the edge of the building, and gulped down some of the cool night air to recompose myself. The smoky, residuary smell left after fireworks explode was tingling strong in the air, and it felt like it gave the air a little something extra, urging me on to go now, to find Shicchan, and to live. I hadn’t noticed a firework go off for a few moments, and thought the display might be over. I assumed Shicchan and Hicchan had gone to the student council room, as the large windows had a nice view of the grounds, and would have been a great place  to see the fireworks unbothered by the other dithering couples. If I rushed, I might catch them there before they leave.
I started briskly walking towards the door leading off of the rooftop, wiping the tears from my eyes and trying to tidy my face a little. A massive explosion went off above me, and I looked up to see what must have been the final firework, as it was the biggest and loudest of them all. It was a deep blue, and contrasted so perfectly against the hunters gold of the full moon far away in this perfectly clear night sky. It made me think of Shizune even more, and it was the final spark I needed to ignite everything inside of me. With it, I began sprinting towards the rooftop door.
With every step through the hallways of the school, and every corner I took and stairway I bounded down, I could feel the Misha from the rooftop leave me, and I was becoming myself again.
I turned my last corner, and could see the door to the student council room ahead. I fixed on it and ran even harder, there’d been no sign of Shicchan and Hicchan anywhere on my way here, so I was so sure that she would be in there, I could practically smell her distinct perfume filling my nose, and see the reflection of my own blazing pink hair in her stylish glasses. I was smiling now, the first unforced smile that had spread over my face in what felt like forever. I burst through the student council door ready to bounce over to my friends and hug them both.
When I entered the room, I saw something that shattered the thought and self image of myself I’d recklessly allowed myself to build back up as I had run towards this place.
 
In front of me, Hisao was sprawled over a desk, naked, with Shicchan on top of him, sat on him, wearing nothing but her glasses and the most honest and shocked look I’d ever seen on her face. It turns out they hadn’t rushed off to watch the fireworks after all.
Their clothes were flung around the room, and they were both bathed in sweat. Shicchan’s face had exploded in colour, like one of the red fireworks I’d seen moments before, and her breasts were heaving up and down, glistening in the moonlight as she was panting, trying to catch her breath. She jumped off of Hisao and tried to grab an item of clothing to cover herself. Hisao was just as speechless, throwing himself off the desk they had been on, trying to find a way to cover himself too.
Shicchan moved towards me, and made a gesture as if trying to grab me and root me to the spot so that she could explain, but it was no use.
There was another explosion, but this time it came from inside of me, and again it started me running, faster than before. Faster than I knew I could run. I turned and left the room, sprinting towards the staircase. I just wanted to be away. Away from Hisao and Shicchan. Away from the student council, and classrooms, and festivals, and fireworks. Away from couples, away from love, away from feelings and away from Valentine’s day. I wanted to go as far as my legs could take me.
I was out of the building, and sprinting through the school grounds in moments, and the faces were just a blur as I ran as hard as I could. I wondered how my face looked right now, as I couldn’t tell if the expression that was forcing itself onto my face was an angry or a heartbroken one. It was probably a mixture of the two.
The school gates were in sight now. Thankfully they were open past curfew tonight to allow the visitors from the town below who had come for the festival to leave. I pushed even harder towards them, thinking I’d feel better once I was outside the school limits.
“MISHA!!!” I heard someone shout out. I looked up to see Miki looking at me running. She was arm in arm with another girl from the school, and this threw me off my concentration for a second, nearly causing me too fall over.
She had the same concerned look on here face from the rooftop earlier, and seeing that just made me hurt even more. It was just another thing I couldn’t or didn’t want to understand.
“MIISHHA WAAiittt” She shouted again, but her voice faded into the distances, as I’d run past her now. I was out of the school gates, and running down the hill towards town. The festival hadn’t cleared out yet, so there were only a few groupings of people walking down the hill, and it made it easier to get away from the school.
I reached the town and started running through familiar streets. The only thing that could match the throbbing pain in my legs now was the throbbing drum beat of my heart in my chest. I’d ran a long way, and I’d never ran this far before. I started to slow down, but when I did, the pain in my legs was replaced by a bottomless feeling in my stomach and a pain in my heart. Slowing down meant thinking of what I’d seen in the student council room, and I couldn’t do that.
I hadn’t planned my route, but I realised too late that the reason I was running down familiar streets was because I was subconsciously running towards the Shanghai. I looked up and saw the tea house that I’d spent so much time in with Shicchan, and it made me angry. This new feeling surprised me, and made me forget just how fast I was running. I lost my balance and fell head first into road beneath me.
*THUD*
I’d hit my head pretty hard, and immediately felt dizzy and sick. I collected myself and sat up for a moment, but when I righted myself, I was right outside the windows of the Shanghai, looking right into the teahouse. I couldn’t stay here, so picking myself up, I started stumbling away in any direction, too dizzy and exhausted to even think. All I could focus on was my deep breathing, gasping for air, trying to catch my breath.
When I could next scramble a thought together, I was stumbling through the public park in the centre of town. It was quite dark in here, as there were very few street lights on it’s paths, and the trees above blocked out any moonlight. My feet felt like anchors, my legs felt like lead pipes and my stomach felt like a parfait, not to mention my head felt like it might be split open. I was in too much pain to care, and I was freezing, but I was alone.
Thoughts of everything that had happened over the last few hours rushed into my head, and I couldn’t go on anymore. I dropped to my knees and looked around. There was a large flower bed directly in front of me, with a section of what looked like dark blue roses, and right next to them, a section of pink lilies.
“Wahaha-aaahhhh!” I gave out a small laugh, followed by a sharp cry of pain. If this was going to be where I stopped for now, I’d picked as good a place as any.
I dropped once more, lying on my back now, and I couldn’t move a muscle. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about anything, but the tweeting of some nearby birds was too loud to let me clear my mind, and I looked around to try and find the source of the noise. As if too mock me, there was a pair of magpies in the tree branches above, singing away too each other.
I couldn’t take any of it any more. The physical or the emotional pain. I simply closed my eyes and let go, letting myself drift into unconsciousness.
 
*******************
 
“MISHA! MIISHHAA! MIISSHHAA! Oh God Misha, please wake up!!”
I came too in a cold, wet, hard place. I tried to open my eyes, but the pain in my head was far too much for even that effort, so I kept them shut. I didn’t even want to attempt talking. I was freezing, and I couldn’t feel my hands and feet, so movement was out of the question as well. The only thing I could feel besides the pain in my head was a hand wrapped around the top of my left arm, and something large sat on tops of my legs.
“Natsume! Quick, call an ambulance!!”
That same voice called out again, it was filled with dread and worry, but also affection. I couldn’t place it right now, I couldn’t place anything right now, I couldn’t remember where I was or why I was here, but I felt terrible, so I put 2 and 2 together and knew whatever was going on, it couldn‘t be good. I wanted to hang onto this feeling though, this reassuring grip on my arm that was gently shaking me. It was the only good thing I could feel right now.
“Misha, please wake up! If you can hear me, if you can hear anything I’m saying, please do something!”
There was the affection again. It was definitely coming from this person who was holding my arm. My thoughts were clearing up a bit, and I assumed that the voice belonged to this person holding my arm. I think they are sat on me right now. Whatever they are doing, they are compelling me to respond in anyway I can, so I fought back the pain in my head and forced myself to move. I lifted my right arm and grabbed at the hand that was still wrapped tightly around my left arm.
“Misha!” The voice cried out again, this time with some relief. Then a sensation I was not expecting overcame me.
It felt as though I was being hugged. The person who was sat on me had let go of my arm, and had instead thrown their arms around me. If I could feel anything other than blind pain right now, I know I would be feeling shocked but appreciative.
“Don’t worry Misha, help is coming!” This voice proclaimed, releasing me from the hug. I still didn’t have any idea who this was, as there was no way I could think hard enough to figure out that mystery right now, but I did know one thing. It wasn’t Shicchan.
The pressure on my lap subsided, and my senses were starting to wake up as well. It sounded like the person who had been sat on me had gotten up and was now sat next to me. The incessant grip on my left arm was replaced by a soft, almost caring stroking of the same spot. I didn’t care how much it hurt, I had to find out where I was and who this was near me.
I opened my eyes, and the first thing I noticed was the sun rising. It was a dark orange colour, and it cast a light brown haze around the few clouds that were off in the distance. It was an effect I’d never seen before, and it was entirely beautiful. Come to think of it, I’d never seen a sunrise before at all. I’d seen plenty of sunsets, but never a sunrise. This one was more enticing than all of the sunsets I’d seen before.
I then looked to my side, and saw Miki beaming down on me with yet another sight I’d never seen before. It was a characteristic wide smile spread ear to ear over her face, but it wasn’t the teasing, arrogant smile you could always see on her when she talked to the boys around school. Instead, it was a genuine smile of happiness. I’d never seen this look on her before, and for the second time recently, she had stunned and impressed me.
“Don’t worry Misha, help is coming, and I’ll stay here.” She said, having calmed right down.
I forced myself to sit up, and I was looking out at the sunrise again, guessing that I’d been here in the park all night, and that this was sunrise on the day after Valentine’s day. It definitely was a new day.
Miki pulled on my arm for attention, clinging into me a little bit, and I turned too look right at her, meeting her gaze.
“You’re going to be alright Misha.” She said reassuringly.
I thought about this for a second, then, I realised she was right. For the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was going to be alright. That I was going to be alright. I smiled fervently back at her:
“WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! You know what Miki… I think you’re right!!!”
 
-The End-