THE FORGOTTEN SPRING

CHAPTER 15

"THE FORGOTTEN SPRING"

by: Dark Flame Master

KAI'S POV

“K-Kai,” Haru began hesitantly, his voice soft and uncertain, “Can I ask you something?”

I glanced at him, already knowing what he was about to ask. I had a feeling this conversation was something I can't avoid, and for some reason, I felt like I could finally be honest with him. Maybe it was because of how persistent he’d been, or maybe it was just Haru being… Haru.

“Sure, but don’t ask anything perverted,” I replied, narrowing my eyes at him.

He immediately waved his hands in protest. “N-No! Why would I ask that…?” But then, I caught him glancing to the side, muttering under his breath, “...though I do want to ask something like that…”

“What did you just say?” I asked, even though I’d clearly heard him.

Haru’s face turned redder than I thought possible. “N-Nothing!” he said quickly, his voice higher than usual. “S-So, uh, you don’t like to be touched?”

The wind blew softly, brushing past us, and I found myself looking at him. He wasn’t teasing or mocking like usual. He looked… serious. It caught me off guard, and before I knew it, words started spilling out of my mouth.

“Yeah,” I admitted, leaning back against the bench. “It’s okay if it’s light touching, like if you’re just brushing against me or touching my clothes. But more than that… no. Especially if it’s a guy.”

I didn’t know why I was saying this. It was the first time I’d ever said it out loud. Yet, with Haru, the words came naturally, like they’d been waiting for someone to hear them.

Haru nodded, his face thoughtful. “How much am I allowed to touch then?” he asked suddenly.

I groaned and slapped his chest lightly. “I said no perverted questions!”

“How is that perverted?!” he shot back, looking genuinely hurt. “I just want to know so I don’t hurt you!” His voice cracked a little, and I realized he wasn’t joking this time. He really meant it.

“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “Try to hug me.”

Haru’s eyes widened, and he stared at me like I’d just asked him to do something impossible. “What? No! What if you—”

“Just try it,” I interrupted, standing up and opening my arms. I stepped closer to him, looking down at him as he sat frozen on the bench.

“A-Are you sure?” he stammered, his face turning red again.

I nodded. “Hurry up. My arms are getting tired.”

Haru hesitated for a moment longer, then slowly stood up. His movements were awkward, almost clumsy, as he wrapped his arms around me. The moment he did, the wind picked up, and a few petals from the sakura trees fell around us.I stood there, waiting for the familiar wave of panic to hit me. But… it didn’t.

“Are you okay, Kai?” Haru whispered, his voice close to my ear. “If this is bad, I can—”

“No,” I interrupted, and without thinking, I hugged him back. It didn’t feel wrong. It didn’t feel disgusting. Haru was a guy. He probably liked me. He was a p*****t. But… why was I okay with this?

“E-Ehh? Kai?” Haru stammered, his voice muffled against my shoulder.

“What?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.

“L-Let go of me, please! This is bad for my heart!” he exclaimed, his head leaning against my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes and pulled away, letting my arms drop. “Stupid Haru,” I muttered. “Fine. Friends?”

Haru stared at me, his mouth hanging open. “WHAT?!” he yelled so loudly.

“You don’t want to?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I mean, yes! Friends. Let’s be friends,” Haru said quickly, his words tumbling over each other.

We sat down again, the silence between us now more comfortable than awkward.

“You wanna know what happened to me?” I asked after a moment.

Haru’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t say anything at first. Then he shook his head. “It’s fine. You don’t have to force yourself to tell me.”

“Just listen,” I said firmly. “And no matter what, promise me you’ll let me finish talking, okay?”

Haru nodded, his expression serious.

“And hug me after, okay?” I added, trying to make it sound like a joke, even though I wasn’t sure it was.

Haru’s lips curved into a small smile. “I promise.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the words build up inside me. “You know I’m half-Japanese, right? When I was a kid, making friends was really hard because of that. But I did have one friend. He was older than me—a high school student at the time. I thought he was really cool. We were close, even though there was a big age gap. He lived in the apartment next to our house.”

Haru stayed quiet, his eyes never leaving mine as I continued.

“But things started to change when Cyrus and his mom moved in. They lived in the apartment next to his. Cyrus was my age, and I was so excited to finally have someone I could relate to. We became friends quickly and spent almost every day playing together.”

I paused, glancing at Haru. He still wasn’t saying anything, just nodding slightly to show he was listening.

“Reo-niichan, my older friend, started acting strange after that,” I said, my voice dropping. “He got distant, like he didn’t want to hang out with me anymore. At first, I thought it was because he was busy with school. But then I realized… it wasn’t that simple.”

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(FLASHBACK TO WHEN KAI WAS 7 Y.O.)

“Mom, did you see that kid who moved next to Reo-niichan?” I asked as I peeked through the window of our house. I could see a boy about my age standing outside with his mom. I wondered if we could be friends. But… where’s his dad? It’s just him and his mom.

“You want to go meet them, Kai? Let’s bring them some food,” Mom said, smiling as she packed a small box of snacks.

I nodded quickly, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. If we became friends, I could introduce him to Reo-niichan. I wanted him to meet my coolest friend. When we got to their apartment, I stood behind Mom as she knocked on the door. My heart was pounding. What if he didn’t like me? What if he was mean?

The door opened, and a beautiful lady greeted us with a warm smile. Standing behind her was the boy. I couldn’t understand what Mom and the lady were saying because they were talking in Mom’s language, but she seemed nice.

“This is my son. His name is Cyrus. I hope you two can be friends,” the lady said as she patted my head gently.

“H-hi! I’m Kai,” I said, looking at Cyrus nervously.

“Cyrus,” he replied shortly.

Suddenly, the door to the next apartment opened. Reo-niichan came out, looking messy and sleepy.

"Nande konna ni urusai no? Aa... Kai-chan... de, kono otokonoko wa dare?" (Why is it so noisy? Ah… Kai-chan… and who’s this boy?) he asked, yawning.

"Mite, Reo-niichan! Atarashii tomodachi dekita yo! Namae wa Cyrus!" (Look, Reo-niichan! I have a new friend! His name is Cyrus!) I said excitedly.

Reo-niichan grinned lazily. “Eh? Nani? Sai-chan? Sai-chan tte yonde mo ii?” (Eh? What? Can I call him sai-chan?)

Cyrus looked confused and asked, “What is he saying?”

“He’s asking if he can call you Sai-chan,” I explained.

Cyrus shrugged and said, “Okay."

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“Reo-niichan, asobou!” (let's play!) I said, as Cyrus and I stepped into his apartment.

"Benkyou shiterunda, Kai-chan. Asonde ii kedo, amari urusaku shinaide ne." (I’m studying, Kai-chan. You can play, but don’t be too noisy, okay?) he said, sitting at his desk with a book open.

I nodded quickly and turned to Cyrus. “Let’s keep playing!” I said, feeling excited.

We sat on the floor with our toys spread around. As we played, I noticed something about Cyrus.

“Pfft… hahaha! Your tummy is soft and squishy!” I said, poking his belly with my finger. It felt like a fluffy pillow, and I couldn’t help but think about how nice it would be to sleep on it.

“Wahhh… Kai! Ang bigat mo! (You're heavy) Stop touching it!” Cyrus said, pushing my hand away, but I couldn’t stop laughing.

“It’s so fluffy! Why isn’t my tummy like this?” I teased, poking him again.

Suddenly, Reo-niichan turned around from his desk. "Nani shiteru no?" (You two, what are you doing?)

We froze, thinking he was mad, but instead, he smiled. “Kawaii! Shashin torasete. Okaasan ni miseru yo" (That’s cute. Let me take a picture. I’ll show it to your mom) he said, holding up his phone.

“Ehh?!” I exclaimed, feeling a little embarrassed. But he was already snapping a picture of us.

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The days passed, and I started missing Reo-niichan. He was so busy with school lately, and I barely got to see him. I wasn’t too sad, though, because I still had Cyrus to play with. I got a new toy, and I couldn’t wait to show it to Cyrus. I ran to his apartment with it in my hand, but his mom met me at the door.

“I’m sorry, Kai. Cyrus is sick today, so he can’t play. You can go play with Reo. I just saw him earlier. Maybe he’s not busy anymore,” she said kindly.

I felt disappointed. I really wanted to show my new robot to Cyrus. But then I thought, I’ll show it to Reo-niichan instead!

“Reo-niichan! Reo-niichan! Re—” I called out, knocking on his door excitedly.

The door opened, and there he was. “Kai-chan, doushita?” (What is it kai-chan?) he said, looking a little tired.

“Atarashii omocha katta yo! Mite! Asobou!" (I got a new toy! Look! Let’s play!) I said, holding up my shiny new robot for him to see.

“Sai-chan wa?” (How about Sai-chan?) he asked, looking behind me for Cyrus.

“Guai warui kara asobenai nda" (He’s sick, so I can’t play with him,) I explained.

"Kyou wa oretachi futari dake da na." (Well, I guess it’s just the two of us today,) he said with a small smile. “Futari kiri nante hisashiburi da ne." (It’s been a while since it’s just been us.)

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I'm tired from all the playing. I looked over at Reo-niichan's bed—it looked so soft. Without even thinking, I climbed onto it and lay down.

As I sank into the mattress, Reo-niichan joined me, lying down beside me. That was strange. He didn’t usually do that. Then he hugged me tightly, pulling me close.

“Nani, nioi kaideru no?” (What are you smelling?) I asked, twisting my head to look at him.

“Ase. Kodomo tte ase ippai kaku yo na,” (Sweat, kids sweat a lot don't they) he said with a chuckle. What? Sweat? Did I smell bad?

“Chi...chigau yo! Kaganai de yo!” (Yo..youre wrong! Stop smelling me) I said, sitting up quickly. I didn’t want him sniffing me like that. It made me feel strange. I decided to go home and take a bath. But before I could leave the bed, Reo-niichan grabbed my wrist.

“Hora, Kai-chan. Hahaha! Joudan da yo, ase nanka kaitenai shi." (Take this, Kai-chan. Hahahaha! I’m just joking, you’re not sweaty,) he said, trying to make me laugh. Then he started tickling me.

“Pfft…hahaha! Ya…yamete yo! Kusuguttai!” (stop! It's ticklish) I giggled, squirming under his hands.

He stopped laughing suddenly and looked at me with a strange expression. His voice became quieter, but it sounded different—almost serious.

“Kai-chan, hontou ni binkan da ne. Koko sawattara dou naru kana?" (You're really sensitive aren't you kai-chan. What would happen if I touch you here?) he asked, his fingers hovering near my side.

His tone made me uneasy. He was acting so weird now. My heart started beating faster, and not in a good way.

“Nii-chan… boku… ouchi ni kaeritai…” ( I wanna go home) I muttered softly, trying to pull away.

But he didn’t let go. Instead, he looked even scarier. Then, out of nowhere, he started taking off his shirt.

“Reo-niichan! What are you doing?” I asked, my voice shaky and unsure.

“DAMARE, KAI-CHAN!” he shouted, making me freeze in fear. “Daijoubu, yasashiku suru kara.” (SHUT UP, KAI-CHAN! It's okay, I'm gonna be gentle)

“Omae, tou-san to mattaku onaji kao shiteru yo na. Au tabi ni tou-san wo omoidasu. Nande aitsu kekkon shiten da yo? Zenbu omae no sei da." (You have the exact same face as your father. Every time I see you, I can’t help but see him. Why does he have to be married? This is all your fault.) I didn’t understand what he was saying. Why was he bringing up my dad? What did I do wrong?

“Konna koto suru tsumori nakatta kedo, Sai-chan to iru omae wo mitara, shitto shichatta nda yo." (I wasn’t planning to do this, but seeing you with Sai-chan…it made me jealous) he said, his voice filled with something I couldn’t explain. My chest tightened. I wanted to run, but his grip on me was too strong.

“Stop! It hurts!” I cried out as he tied my hands together. I struggled, but it only made it worse.

“Damattero. Janai to itai me miru zo." (Just be quiet, or you’re going to be hurt.) he said through gritted teeth. His voice was cold now, not like the Reo-niichan I knew.

“Kowai…nii-chan…” (It's scary) I muttered, tears streaming down my face. My voice was small and shaky, but he didn’t care.

"Damare, Kai-chan. Kuchi akero." (Shut up, Kai-chan. Open your mouth,) he demanded, leaning closer.

I couldn’t move. My whole body felt frozen, trapped in a nightmare I didn’t understand. I wanted to scream, but my voice wouldn’t come out. All I could do was cry and hope someone would save me.

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(PRESENT)

"Pretty stupid of me, right? Being scared until now," I said to Haru, forcing a smile. But I could feel my lips trembling, betraying how I really felt. My chest felt tight, and I didn’t know why I was even telling him this—telling someone so annoying, someone I thought was nothing but a p*****t.

"I thought we were friends… If it wasn’t for Cyrus, I think..." My voice broke, and I stopped, my smile faltering as tears began to pool in my eyes. I couldn’t hold them back. I hated crying in front of people, but the weight of my words made it impossible to stop.

"Cyrus," I whispered, my throat tightening. "That day… even though he was sick, he still tried to find me. His mom told him I was going to show him something, and he got worried. He came to find me... but Reo-niichan pushed him. He hit his head on the wall." My voice cracked as I remembered. "Cyrus...he passed out."

I paused, wiping my face with shaky hands, but the tears kept coming. "Cyrus's mom noticed he was gone and came looking for him. She found us. She saved me."

I could feel the lump in my throat growing as I tried to continue. "She called my mom and dad. After that, she decided they had to move away... because of what happened." My hands clenched into fists. "But I met him again—Cyrus. He didn’t change at all. He’s still the same. He saved me... but maybe his mom doesn’t like me."

I let out a shaky laugh, trying to lighten the mood, but the pain in my chest just grew heavier. My tears were falling freely now, and I couldn’t stop them.

Haru stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around me, and I froze for a moment. Then, as if his warmth broke something inside me, I burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably against him.

"She saved me," I whispered through my cries, clinging to Haru’s shirt. "But I hate that I needed saving. I hate how weak I was."

"It’s okay. You're not weak," Haru said softly, holding me tighter. "Just cry it out. I’m here now."

His words only made me cry harder. The guilt, the fear, and the shame I’d buried for so long spilled out all at once.

"I’m really sorry about the things I said," Haru muttered into my hair.

"I’m sorry too," I whispered. "I’m sorry for ignoring you… and for saying those things. I shouldn’t have said them. I shouldn’t have been so cruel, especially when I’m the one who’s disgusting and dirty." My voice cracked again, and I could barely breathe through my tears. "I’m afraid of showing my face. I can’t even go outside without wearing a stupid mask."

"Don’t say that," Haru said, his voice breaking. I could feel his tears soaking into my shirt.

I pulled back slightly, blinking at him through blurry eyes. "Hahaha... are you crying too?" I asked, my voice shaky but teasing.

He nodded, his face scrunched up with emotion. "I promise I’ll protect you. Really, I will. I’m sorry for everything I said. I’m sorry for calling you a liar."

Haru’s voice grew quieter, almost like he was speaking to himself. "So this is why you didn’t show up that day..."

I stared at him, confused. "Hey, I’m really curious about that. Do I really know you?" I asked, my tears slowing as curiosity took over.

Haru’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t answer right away.

"My mom doesn’t remember any Haru," I continued. "But you keep saying we were childhood friends. Why don’t I remember?"

Haru’s grip on me tightened, but his eyes looked distant, like he was searching for the right words. I waited, my heart pounding, wondering if I even wanted to hear the answer.