An Unexpected turn
813 Words
“Fate can be unpredictable. I had fortified my mind against any surprises it could throw at me, but I wasn’t prepared for this. The transfer student turned out to be my new neighbor.”
Genji arrived home to find visitors waiting inside. Finally relieved of Rosette’s endless persistence, he had planned to ask his aunt about the strange feeling he experienced earlier that day—only to be met with a shocking revelation.
“Aunty, I’m back,” he called out.
“Welcome home, Genji,” she replied warmly. “This is my nephew, Genji. And Genji, these are the Musashis. They recently moved in next door.”“Musashi…”
Where had he heard that name before?
“He’s quite a unique young man,” Mr. Musashi said with a laugh. “Our daughter should be around his age. She just started attending Josei Academy, so I hope they get along. Though, she can be a little eccentric.”
At that moment, realization struck Genji.
Rosette’s last name was Musashi.
The sudden discovery overwhelmed him, and he quietly stepped outside to clear his head.After some time, the Musashis finally left, giving Genji the chance to speak privately with his aunt.
“Aunty… I felt something strange today.”
“Oh?” she replied. “What do you think caused it?”
“For a brief moment, my chest started beating faster than usual. I don’t know why.”His aunt smiled softly.
“Well, let me ask you this. What comes to mind when you think back to that moment?”
Genji paused.
The only answer he could think of… was Rosette.
“Listen, Genji,” his aunt began gently, “what you felt wasn’t abnormal. When people genuinely open up to you, and you allow yourself to open up in return, you experience all kinds of emotions—both joyful and painful.”Genji stayed silent.
His aunt looked away briefly before continuing.
“To be honest… Rosette’s transfer to Josei Academy wasn’t a coincidence.”Genji’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean?”
“I'm saying ...I arranged it.”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
“What…?”
“I’ve known the Musashi family for a long time, and they happened to owe me a favor. Bringing Rosette here was me calling in that favor.”She looked directly at him.
“I hoped she could become the remedy for your loneliness. And it seems my instincts weren’t wrong.”
Then she smiled faintly.
“Remember what I told you before? Magic only happens when you’re willing to open up.”
Genji stood there speechless.Every encounter with Rosette replayed endlessly in his mind.
Unable to process everything, he rushed out toward the one place that always calmed him—the community lake.
Whenever he needed to organize his thoughts or escape from the world, that was where he went.
By the time he arrived, dusk had already settled in. The dark sky shimmered with countless stars above him.Lying on the grass, Genji slowly gathered his thoughts, but frustration continued to build inside him.
He felt like screaming.
The memories he had buried for years began resurfacing all at once.
His mother.
His father.Every bottled-up emotion came pouring out.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Genji shouted into the night.
“I just wanted to be left alone! So why…? Why do I feel this way?!”
Then, from the other side of the lake, a familiar voice answered him.
“It’s because deep down… you don’t want to be alone.”
Genji froze.“You’re afraid,” Rosette continued softly. “Afraid of getting hurt. Afraid of your past. Afraid of hurting others and repeating your regrets.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“But if you’re willing to share those burdens… I’m here to listen.”
She stepped closer.
“It’s okay to scream. It’s okay to cry. Let all your pain out.”
A gentle smile formed on her face.
“I told you before, didn’t I? I want to bear your pain with you.”Those words pierced Genji’s heart like a needle.
And before he realized it, tears were rolling down his cheeks.
“Why did she leave me…?”
“Why did he hurt me so much…?”
“Why do I even exist…?”His voice broke apart between sobs as the night grew darker around them.
Rosette quietly walked closer before slowly lowering herself onto the grass beside him.
She didn’t say anything this time.
Instead, she gently reached out and held onto the edge of his sleeve, as though afraid he might disappear if she let go.The warmth of that small gesture felt strangely comforting.
For the first time in a long while, Genji didn’t push someone away.
And beneath the silent night sky, he allowed himself to cry freely.
- Writer
