I spent the remainder of that lunch period talking to Remi—and getting to know Hoshino. The two of them became friends because they were in the same math class.
Apparently, the teacher once split the class into five groups for some competition. Remi was the leader of the group, but she hit a wall on the final question. For some reason, Hoshino decided to step in and help her out with it.
After that, whenever she needed help, she would go to him. He grumbled every time she asked for help, but he never actually said no. That's how they became friends.
I'd been skeptical at first, but if someone as serious as Remi trusted him enough to be friends with him, then why shouldn't I? Besides, he seemed like a fun person to hang out with.
That was three days ago. It was now winter break.
Today, I was supposed to have a little date with my boyfriend at a mall. He wanted to introduce me to his friends today, so I woke up at the crack of dawn. I was a young girl. Of course, I was flattered he wanted to "show me off." I couldn't disappoint him.
I spent four hours on my makeup, hair, and outfit. By the time I finished, it was already almost time to meet up.
Crap! I'm going to be late!
I grabbed my purse and flew downstairs. Mom was in the middle of watching the morning television, but she didn't forget to greet me as I entered the living room.
"Looks like someone's in a hurry this morning–"
"Sorry, Mom. Can't talk. I'm a bit late!" I shouted, slipping on my heels and yanking the door open. "Love you, bye!"
I shut the door and ran all the way to the train station. There was one major problem, though—I was wearing heels.
Tsk! This is why I hate wearing heels!
Every step felt like my ankles were seconds away from snapping—but luckily, I had training. I'd grown up playing football with my Brothers. Whether it was snowing or raining, they made me play with them all the time—and they never went easy on me. So I was used to running under terrible conditions. It still hurt like hell, though.
But you know what they say—pain is beauty. Or is it the other way around? Whatever.
I eventually made it to the train station. The wait for the train felt like an eternity, but it was actually only five minutes. When the train arrived, I dashed through the doors and clung to a railing.
After a few stops, the train arrived at my destination. I frantically texted my boyfriend, "Where are you?" as I stepped onto the platform. His reply came shortly after, and I ran to the food court.
By the time I got there, my sweat lightly soaked through my layers, and I was completely out of breath. But I didn't let a single drop show as I controlled my breathing.
I've worked too damn hard to look good—so I'm not going to let him see me as anything else!
I fixed a gentle, effortless smile on my face and scanned the crowd. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to me from behind.
"Ah, there you are, Luna!"
I turned to see my boyfriend waving, trying to get my attention. I didn't have any energy to run anymore, so I opted for a cutesy skip. When I reached him, I kissed him on the cheek.
"Sorry, I'm late," I said, wrapping my arms over his shoulders.
"No, it's fine," he replied, holding my waist. "We weren't waiting for too long, anyway."
My cheeks instantly flushed, and my head began burning up—the sweat disappearing along with it.
So this is how girls feel when guys say things like this... I completely get it now!
I suppressed the giddy grin that threatened to break through in place of the proper smile I had maintained.
Before I could say another word, a familiar, dry, sarcastic voice cut through the romantic air around us. "Uh, excuse me? Maybe it didn't feel long to you, but I waited a long ass time."
My body stiffened. My boyfriend's once-comforting hands now felt like a pair of cold, heavy bricks.
I know that voice…
I craned my neck and let out a soft gasp. My boyfriend hadn't come alone. He'd brought three friends. And one of them was Hoshino. We locked eyes, his blinking blankly while mine remained completely still.
"Wait… are you Luna?"
I nodded meekly. "Yeah… what are you doing here?"
He looked around as if lost, before letting out a contentious snort. "What does it look like I'm doing? Just chilling over here for no reason? Obviously, I'm with your boyfriend," he reasoned ruthlessly.
I thought that was the end of it, but he shot one last passing remark. "By the way, you look tired as hell."
Everything inside me collapsed.
He's… friends with my boyfriend? And worse—he saw right through me.
I could practically feel my soul leave my body, hovering somewhere near the ceiling.
All the makeup…
All the effort…
Four hours…
Gone, just like that.
A defeated sigh slipped from my lips as I hung my head, my bangs covering my face.
I-it's all over…
My boyfriend squeezed my hand and gently raised my head from my chin. He carefully swept my bangs to the side, revealing my teary eyes. He didn't say anything. He just shook his head.
"Don't listen to him, Luna. I think you look great."
At that moment, it felt like my breath had been taken away.
I… I love him!
I closed my eyes and leaned in closer. He did the same…
"Okay, love birds," Hoshino interrupted. "This is very sweet and all, but if you wanna be all lovey dovey, please—don't do it in front of me."
Without wasting another second, he spun on his heel and started walking away, the rest of the group trailing behind him. My boyfriend covered his face, suppressing a groan. "Sorry about this. He's just–"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," I cut in, laughing. "This is who he is. I go to the same school as him, so I understand. That's what makes him funny, though!"
My boyfriend let out a faint chuckle. "Yeah, he is entertaining in his own way."
Before the group could pull too far ahead, we laced our fingers together and caught up to them. We spent the rest of the day shopping, making jokes, and trying on clothes we couldn't afford. It was the most ordinary day imaginable, but with my boyfriend, it felt magical.
It was the teenage dream. The normal life that anyone would want. I wanted to stay like this forever.
But that's the thing about dreams.
Dreams are called dreams for a reason. No matter what happens, you are destined to wake up.
And once you do, you can't go back.