Chapter 3: The Promise (3)
I return to my home and ask my mom if Chitose already back.
"Mom, did Chitose return yet?"
"Um yeah, but after she returns, she locks herself in her room. Kei, what happens?"
I don't answer my mom question and just go upstairs to her room. Like my mom said, her room is locked. I try to knock on the door so she can open it for me
*Knock knock*
"Chitose, are you there?"
There's no reply from inside room
"Chitose, I remember that promise…"
"You are great, you still remember that promise even after ten years…deliberately return to Japan alone…..only to fulfill that promise…that's amazing"
"While I am….i am stupid. Not because fail in preparation test but because already give up before entering the entrance test"
"Chitose, I…..I will try once again, to take Touka's entrance test"
Yes, I will try again. It's not too late…there's still one month before the test…we must strive to the end…keep fight…and then…and then…fulfill our promise to your mom, Chitose.
The door is open, Chitose comes out from inside the room. although her eyes still reddish, she smiles sweetly to me, and say
"Let's try together, Kei"
One month later...
Right now, I'm currently at Narita Airport. I accompany Chitose to the airport, she's about to return to United States.
"Chitose, here"
I handed her a warm coffee, to get rid coldness that still remains in this month.
"Ah, thanks, Kei"
"Are your stuffs ready?"
"Yes, they are"
For a moment there's nothing to speak between us. Yesterday, the result of Touka's entrance test was announced. The announcement that already very waited. The result is….
Me, Kubota Kei….passed the entrance test
Koshikawa Chitose…..did not pass the test
One month before the test, we study intensively together for the entrance test. Chitose weakness in Japanese classics I help her to overcome, while Chitose teaches me in English. We help each other and bit by bit, our knowledge is increased. We both try our best to fulfill one promise, one promise that already waiting for ten years to fulfill
[If I can see you both wearing this uniform when growing up later, auntie will be very happy]
Nevertheless, although we already try our best in the entrance test….
"I'm sorry Chitose"
"Ah?"
"This is my mom's fault, which makes you…"
"No…it's not auntie fault at all. I'm glad auntie is okay…there's nothing to worry"
One day before the test
*BAM* …*BAM*
"Kei!....Kei!"
Chitose knocks my room's door hard to wake me up and shouting my name. With half sleep eyes, I open the door and ask what happen
"What's up Chitose?"
"Auntie…auntie is…"
Chitose looks panic and drags me to my mom's room. It's my mom that down with fever. After giving her medicine and put a wet towel in her forehead to make the fever down, I said to Chitose who still sit beside my mom's bed
"Don't worry, it's just a fever"
"...…."
"Chitose, get some sleep, we have a test tomorrow"
"I will take care…"
"Huh?"
"I will take care her until the fever down"
"What! Get real! You'll be lack of sleep later, my mom is alright"
Chitose didn't answer, instead she takes the towel in my mom's forehead, put it in the cold water, squeeze it and put it back in my mom's forehead. There are tears in the corner of her eyes
"My mom also have common fever…but later, it becomes pneumonia and she passed away…Kei, just let me do something that I can't do to my mom, please?"
Chitose takes care of my mom until morning. In the condition lack of sleep and tired, she takes the entrance test, and....you know the result.
"Chitose, what you going to do after this?"
"Maybe I will keep living at L.A, I already promise to my dad"
"Really…."
"Actually my dad against my will to enter Touka High School, but I'm failed. So I must return there"
"So, it's like that"
"Thanks for your kindness to me when I'm staying in your house for a month Kei. I will never forget that….forever"
Seeing Chitose like already ditch all her hope to enter Touka make me angry
"What kind of attitude is that?"
"Ah?"
"Is that easy for you to let go of your dream to enter Touka? You should not come here for the first time!"
"..."
"I…I ever mention I got a D grade in the last prep test, right?"
"Yes"
"I don't know why, but I still want to enter Touka, like something is pushing me to do that…although I don't remember at all about our promise with your mom at that time…..this must be…why I'm not giving up. Chitose, you also not give up that easily"
"..."
"Come again next year"
"Ah?"
"Come again and take the entrance test once again"
"Bu… but…"
"So what? Promise that already waiting ten years to fulfill, it's alright to wait one more year to fulfill. Try your best okay? Then together, we fulfill our promise to your mother. We will be wearing Touka uniform and going to school together, won't you?"
"Yes….*sob*"
Chitose's tears running down to her cheek after hearing my words. Until there's flight announcement
"All passenger Japan Airlines flight Tokyo to Los Angeles please boarding. We repeat, all passenger Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles please boarding"
"See you later, Chitose"
"Yes"
Chitose stands up from her chair and steps up toward me. We stand and look at each other until her face become so close to me and….
*Smooch*
Her lips landed on my lips.
"Ah?...um..this is kiss as greeting right?"
"No, this kiss….this kiss have different meaning…..see you, Kei"
After that Chitose left me and heading to the gate where her plane waiting for her.
I'm still standing dumbfounded thinking about what Chitose just said with the blushing face. My phone is ringing awaken me from this state. It's a phone from my mom
"Hello, mom?"
"Kei, you're still in the airport?"
"Yes, I'm about to go home now"
"Don't let Chitose go"
"Wait, what you just said mom?"
"Don't let Chitose return to U.S, get her before she's boarding Kei, I tell the detail later"
Without waiting for a second order, I run to catch Chitose. Luckily, she hasn't entered the boarding gate and me still able to catch her. After that, we go to the quiet corner and call back my mom.
"Hello, mom? Chitose's with me now. What happen?"
"Listen Kei, there's phone from the Touka High School. Chitose also accepted although only in reservation place. There's a chance she will be accepted because she's in the first reservation, and there's a high chance people will withdraw from Touka and take another school"
My mother words are no longer heard by me and Chitose. We already hugging each other with happy tears in Chitose's face.
"We will go to school together in the spring later, Chitose, wearing Touka High School uniform…fulfill our promise to your mom"
The sakura bloom this year…that will definitely very beautiful.
~END~
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SweetsTomato
SweetsTomato The next chapter is another story with the the title Love Rival
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