More Than Friends 
chapter 7
Manille

The pain Yusuke felt was too great.

He spent the rest of the day wandering around the school grounds, trying to avoid Keiko and wondering what reason she had for ending their friendship.

It happened so suddenly, without any warning, like an assassin’s bullet hitting his chest.

What did I do? Yusuke asked himself the thousandth time since Keiko left him staring after her like a convict in a prison cell watching his lover go away after a brief visit. What the hell did I do?

It was raining outside. Yusuke ambled across a deserted hallway and stopped at the window overlooking the school’s yard. He and Keiko had run across the yard yesterday, laughing and dragging each other in the rain. It was a very simple yet memorable moment.

But then again, every moment with Keiko was special to him. Every moment…

He pressed his palm against the cool glass and squinted. Keiko…I want to know…why did you break our friendship? I thought I’m very special to you…

I thought you loved me…

Yusuke felt that aching sensation in his chest once more, as if knives were twisting inside his heart. The ache was far worse than the wounds he received from Toguro.

An irritating twinge settled in Yusuke’s nose. He wanted to cry once again. He had spent the whole morning lamenting, trying very hard not to cry, but he couldn’t help it.

Yukimura Keiko…

What did he say to Kuwabara yesterday? That he believed he will not ever leave Keiko, and she’ll never leave him?

Keiko left him. And his heart broke. Kuwabara was right after all.

Sometimes, Kuwabara can be smarter than I am, Yusuke thought in amusement. But the short moment of diversion was suddenly replaced by the feeling of remorse.

I just love her so much, Yusuke said to himself. She’s so lively, caring…everything a guy wants to have in a girlfriend. I love her so much…

Yusuke didn’t bother to add a parenthetical "as a friend" at the end. Everyone loves his friend, after all.

He loves Keiko, who loves him as something more than her best friend.

Maybe she’s hurt because I don’t feel the same towards her. That’s why she decided to stay away from me—to forget me and not have her heart broken anymore.

Pain shot in his heart once more.

Perhaps that was it.

"Keiko, how can you be so sure that I don’t feel the same for you?" Yusuke whispered as if to address Keiko. "Would this be happening to me if I don’t love you?"

Yusuke gazed at the overcast sky. He asked for wisdom to know the truth in his feelings, and for the courage to accept it.
 

"Keiko, what happened?"

Keiko looked at the affectionate face of Tai, one of her girl friends. She wished she could have someone to talk to, but she knows she couldn’t. I can’t risk Yusuke’s life, she reminded herself over and over again.

And because of that, she broke her treasured friendship with him.

That devil Okada…!

"Keiko?"

Keiko managed to smile wanly. "Nothing. Nothing important, Tai. Really."

"But—"

"Tai…" Keiko interrupted. "I’m okay." She flashed another smile to assure her.

Keiko felt more like bluffing. She was being insincere to her friends. Maybe it won’t be long until all of her friends are gone.

I hate you, Okada. I hate your guts.

Krrring! The bell sounded, sending Keiko’s classmates scurrying towards the classroom door. It was dismissal and Keiko would have to meet Okada in the schoolyard.

What would Yusuke say if he sees us?

"I’ve got some work to do in the laboratory," Tai told her. "I’ll just see you tomorrow, then."

"Okay. Bye."

As soon as Tai left, Keiko felt more alone than ever. She had no one to go home with her tonight. No one but an insipid doggoned snake.

I miss Yusuke, she told herself. I miss you…

She looked up from the ground and saw the all-too-familiar green uniform and black hair. Against her will, she averted her eyes from him and turned the other way.

"Keiko, wait!"

Keiko sauntered faster. No, don’t come near me, Yusuke, she begged mentally. I can’t put you in trouble. Please.

"WAIT!" Keiko suddenly felt two strong hands grip her shoulders. She felt her body petrify.

"Keiko, could we talk about this for a while?" Yusuke asked in a huff. "Please…?"

"No," Keiko whispered. "I’m really sorry."

She shook herself out of Yusuke’s clasp and walked away.

She imagined Yusuke staring after her with a downhearted look she knew too well during the day. Everytime she saw him, she avoided him.

She knew that she was hurting him, although she truly didn’t want to.

When is this going to end? she asked herself. When?

"Hello, Keiko."

Keiko looked up and saw Okada’s smirking face before her. She noticed that she was already in the parking lot.

She heaved a huge sigh. "Hi."

"You don’t look happy to see me."

Yeah, right. You know damn well that I don’t want to see your ugly face. "That’s nonsense," said Keiko, smiling. "Shall we go?"

"Of course." Okada offered her his arm.

Sighing once more, Keiko hesitatingly accepted it.

Wasn’t it only a few days back when she and Yusuke walked together like this? They felt so happy and at peace together. She was happy to take Yusuke’s arm and walk with him.

But in a flash, she had painfully ended a story of friendship that took so many years to make.

But what other choice did she have? Shoo Okada off and leave him to kill Yusuke? No.

The sacrifices she had to make…why do they have to be like this? I broke Yusuke off and I’m starting to hang out with someone whose guts I hate the most.
 
 

Yusuke and I used to hang out in a grassy riverbank just a few minutes’ walk from our homes. We usually did nothing there, just talk about the latest happenings in school and at home. Otherwise, we’d just lie down and stare into the clouds, talking about things unexplored by human beings.

I remember this particular conversation I had with him. We were around twelve by then. I guess both of us were suffering with all the stress budding teenagers usually get.

"When you grow up, Keiko, what do you think you’ll be?" Yusuke asked me, opening up a topic.

I turned sideways to look at him. He was looking at me expectantly, with a blade of grass sticking out of his lips. "Maybe I’ll be a schoolteacher," I told him. "I always want to be a sensee."

"Yeah, I know." Yusuke propped his elbows on the ground and fixed his head on his fist.

"And you?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

I chuckled softly. "Are you confused with your way on the path of life?"

Yusuke snickered as well. "Yeah." Then, after some thought, he said, "Other than being a teacher, what else do you think you’ll be?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Yusuke shrugged. "Would you…like, be a single teacher throughout your life?"

"Ha-ha!" I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "What kind of a question is that, Yusuke?"

Yusuke sat up. "A serious one," he said, although he was smiling.

I laughed once more. "All right then, no. I don’t want to live my life alone."

Yusuke looked at me dumbly. "And…?"

"I don’t know. Maybe I’ll marry someone and raise at least two kids." I sat up with him. "Then…well, fate knows the rest."

The calm blue river scintillated beautifully under the setting sun. It was as if stars have fallen from the sky and settled on the river.

"Yusuke?"

"Yes?"

"Do you believe in wishing upon a star?"

"Now what kind of a question is that?"

"A serious one," I said, imitating him.

Yusuke kept quiet for a minute. I gazed at him. He was thinking hard. He seemed to be going back to his childhood and reminiscing those days.

"I once wished upon a star," Yusuke said softly. "It was the brightest one in the sky, but I noticed that it wasn’t twinkling."

"Perhaps it was the planet Venus," I suggested.

"Yes. Anyway," he continued, "o-kaasan got mad at me that day. The headmaster called her up and told her that I was being rowdy in school. So when I found that star, I became fascinated with it. I closed my eyes real hard and wished."

Yusuke stopped at this point. I found myself holding my breath, waiting for him to tell the rest of his story.

"I wished that I could be free as a bird, to do whatever I want. I wished I don’t have to go to school." He laughed bitterly. "Stupid, huh?"

"Tell me about it," I joked.

"Well, above all, I wished to be happy. I wished that…there would be someone who would make me happy. You know?"

I nodded, urging him to continue.

Yusuke looked at me dead straight in the eye. "And you know what?" he asked huskily. "The next day, o-kaasan and I went to your restaurant…and I found you."

I stared back, my heart pounding faster and faster as time flew. I held my breath.

"My wish came true, didn’t it?"

I felt myself redden.

"There were many other times when I wished upon a star. Some came true, others didn’t, but I still believe in wishing upon a star."

"If…you just…have faith in it," I said gently, "it will come true."

"Hey, maybe if you wish to be a teacher someday, it’ll come true."

I slowly smiled and motioned towards the river. "They look like stars, don’t they?"

"Yes."

I closed my eyes and followed Yusuke’s advice. Since then, I began to see Yusuke in a different perspective. He is stubborn as a cow and tough as the old meat of the cow, but inside, he is very different. He is a caring and sensitive person. Despite his hard-edged exterior, his heart is as soft as the petals of a rose.

I wish to become a successful schoolteacher someday. I wish to be the mother in a happy family. I wish to feel at peace in my entire life. I wish…I wish…

I opened my eyes and glanced at Yusuke. He had his eyes closed as well.

I smiled. I wish…Yusuke and I…will be each other’s best friend…forever.

Somehow, I knew that Yusuke wished for the same thing.

I leaned my head on Yusuke’s shoulder.
 
 
 
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