In Our Corner of the World || y.h.

chapter five ; our corner of the world

The trip home was quiet and calm. Most of the students were fatigued and sleeping soundly on the bus. Misaki and Yuzuru watched a movie together on her laptop and it was an animated film by Studio Ghibli. By the time they were done watching Spirited Away, they had arrived back at the town.

Yuzuru and Misaki walked back home together, tired but sincere smiles on their faces and the quiet neighbourhood surrounding them. Once they reached her house, Yuzuru faced her and said, "It's going to be a while before I see you again."

"A week is not that bad." She stated, denying the fact that she will miss him dearly. Yuzuru let out a small laugh and nodded in a agreement.

Before he could continue his journey home, Misaki called out, "Hey, make sure to come back from that competition, okay?"

"I'm not going to war, Misaki." He said, "I'll come back for that answer."

She smiled at him and waved goodbye. As she walked towards her front porch, she grabbed her house keys and opened the door to her grandmother's house. She switched on the lights and went to the kitchen to get herself a drink.

Yuzuru got home and fell onto his bed immediately. He was completely tired from his trip and was already being informed to confirm his travel plans for tomorrow. But despite his fatigue, he was still thinking of what Misaki's answer would be. There was a possibly that she would reject him as much as there was a possibility that they would be together.

-

Morning came, and Misaki walked to school alone, and had to face the fact that the class will contain one empty seat throughout the week, where Yuzuru Hanyu would sit, right in front of her, and she wouldn't be able to see his hair that somehow grows back quickly after being cut, nor will she hear his lame jokes from time to time, nor will she get to see him goof off with Shoya and Kiyoko.

"Misaki-chan." Kiyoko called out, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Kiyoko."

"The trip was so much fun, right?!" Kiyoko said, filled with joy and enthusiasm, as if the tired feeling had completely been slept off overnight.

"It was." Misaki answered.

"Did anything happen between you and Yuzuru-kun?" Umi asked.

"Nothing much. Why'd you ask?"

"The underclassmen saw you two together that day on the Island of the Saved. Where did you two go to?"

"We went to the church, and he asked me something there." 

"What was it?"

"I think he confessed to me."

Her friends were both silent, in a state of shock, while she kept her poker face and continued to place her head on her table.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Kiyoko asked, "WHAT DID YOU ANSWER?!"

"I didn't."

Umi hit her forehead with her palm, frustrated, "Why did you not?"

"I told him to go win that competition of his and come back for his answer."

Kiyoko exclaimed in awe, "Misaki is such a romantic hard-to-get!"

"Indeed."

The rest of the day went by, and the group of friends went to the cafe to get something to eat. Afterwards, Misaki walked home by herself, skipping halfway and singing. Once she got home, she noticed there was something different in the house. The slippers weren't there.

She suddenly became cautious. Taking the small pocket knife given to her by her father, she walked into the kitchen and all of a sudden, she saw someone sitting by the counter, drinking.