Days passed quickly within a blink. With time, Yurika was becoming more confused. She had been quite close to Hirotaka now. They regularly eat lunch together, it's like their secret paradise to hide away from this world. Nowadays she yearns to have lunch with Hirotaka, if he couldn't come someday due to work, she feels annoyed and hurt. Most of the time she will stare at him from the window of the classroom.

She has noticed Hirotaka really likes to watch boys playing football in the ground, and she likes to watch him secretly though. She has been coming to school regularly only due to him. Those 40 mins of recess period define her happiness for the whole day.

Yurika was sitting on her desk with her head down, all these thoughts were puzzling her...

"Hey, Yuri! Are you okay?" Taki asked her. She looked up at Taki.

"My Goodness! Your face looks like a corpse! What happened to you? Aren't you sleeping at night? You look pale!"

"Taki, I think I have some disease! Something is wrong with me." Yuri replied in a deep voice with a serious expression.

"What's wrong with you Yuri?"

"I don't know, but I don't feel interested in anything, I don't concentrate on my jobs nowadays, I don't feel appetite, all I have been doing is thinking about him!"

"Him? Who is this him, Yuri?" Taki almost jumped in curiosity whilst adding more pressure on the word him.

Yuri couldn't come up with anything to answer her question. Well, how could she tell her about Hiro-san & her secret meetings!

Taki understood that she was feeling uneasy, she patted her back and said- "Okay calm down, you don't have to tell me his name. Do you like someone?"

"I don't know if I like him or not, I never felt this kind of emotions with anyone, it's confusing and troubling for me!" Yuri replied in a low voice.

"You are having trouble because you never have been in love with someone before, Yuri!! It's fine. Give yourself some time. You will eventually find it what your heart wants!" Taki comforted her.

..........

It was the recess period. Yuri was again waiting for Hirotaka on the terrace with a lemon soda.

'Why the fuck I brought lemon soda today also? Damn me! I don't have much money left, still why I am wasting money on this weirdo? I have been totally crazy nowadays!!' She was really puzzled while thinking.

"Did you got this soda for me again today?" She turned her head and saw Hirotaka was already standing behind her with a smile.

"Ahh no! I didn't get this. Well someone gifted me so I thought I will bring it for you," she tried to lie.

"Well Yuri, you really lie pathetically," he started to laugh.

"Okay okay, you win! I brought this soda for you, and I don't know why the hell I am doing all this! But I don't have much money left so I won't bring soda from tomorrow", she sulked and handed him the can.

" Were you trying to act cool before me Yuri? I think you were standing here and cursing me!" Yurika was shocked, she was actually angry with him and blaming him for her unstable behavior.

"Hiro-san! Can you read the mind or something like that!", She asked him in a serious voice.

"Haha! Well, I said to you before, I can just look through your heart.
And your heart seems to seek love!", Hirotaka replied while looking at her.

"How are you so confident?" She inquired him with a pouty face.

"Because I am 10 years older than you, so I have more experience!" He smirked at her.

Yuri still couldn't believe how can someone look into her heart directly like Hirotaka. "Come let's have lunch!" He called her. While eating lunch, Yurika's heart was happy, she wished for the time to pause now.

"What are you thinking so hard?" He asked while having lunch.

"Well Hiro-san, you seem to be popular with ladies, don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Well, I really don't have one.".Yurika somehow felt happy hearing his reply, so she smiled a bit.

"But I have a fiancée!"

"Huh?"

Yurika was shocked to death with this sudden announcement! She forgot to breathe for some moment.

"Yeah, I have a fiancée, sorry I forgot about that!"

"Is this something to forget about?? I can't believe Hiro-san!! How can you forget about your fiancée?" Yuri was disturbed.

"Well, it's an arranged marriage! My dad really wanted me to marry Ayame, so because of him only I agreed to this arrangement! We are not that much close. She is the daughter of my dad's childhood friend, so all these engagements were planned!"

Yurika was silent.

Hirotaka looked at her, he smiled & patted her head- "Don't worry, I never loved her!"

Yuri was surprised, she shoved off his hand as she was annoyed.
"Why do you hang out with me here when you have a fiancée?"

Hirotaka looked at the sky above him. "Well, looking at you really makes me feel that I am watching my inner self!! It gives me inner peace! I feel happy Yuri!"

"How can you enjoy being with me, when everyone tells me that I am cold as ice??", She was still angry.

"Well, I always prefer dark better than bright... I find peace being in cold than in warm. Whenever I am with you it gives me happiness. You calm down my dark soul! I feel free to live, I want to cherish these moments forever", he replied in a gentle voice.

Yuri couldn't help but keep staring at him, "How can you say all these when you are smiling always?", She was curious.

"I am not smiling, it's a mask...when you become an adult, you also have to put this mask on your face. We can't do anything but put a happy face on", Hirotaka smiled painfully.

Yurika stared at him for some time, whilst thinking about him, though Hirotaka never talks about his life he might have some deep wounds. A comfortable silence was filled between them.

"Hiro-san?"

"Yes?"

"Are you free this weekend?".Hirotaka didn't expect such a question.

"Why?"

"Well, I don't have work & I was thinking if you want we can go somewhere."

"Are you asking me on a date Yurika?", He smirked.

"Huh? Why do you always have to say stupid things Hiro-san!" Yurika was trying to hide her shy face.

"You have a poker face when you are embarrassed! Haha!", He was teasing her.

"Enough Hiro-san, stop teasing me!"

"Yes!"

"Huh? What yes?", She asked.

"My answer to your question Yurika, Yes! I can follow you anywhere!", Hirotaka replied with a gentle smile. Yurika smiled with satisfaction on her face.

..........

It was Sunday. Yurika couldn't sleep last night in excitement. Still, she couldn't believe that she is actually going on a date with someone special, she was preparing to leave.

"Yuri?"Yurika looked and saw her grandmother standing at the door.

"Oh, Granny? Do you need anything? Why did you come here? I already made food for you? Do you want me to feed you?" She was asking restlessly.

"Ahh, Yuri I just came to see you! You always work too hard for me, I must have been a burden on you, honey!"

Yurika hugged her grandmother, "Granny! You are all I have in this world. You will never be a burden on me, I love you so much."

"I love you too my Yuri! Well, where are you going on your day-off?? Is it a date??"

Yurika felt embarrassed, "Ahh no it's not date- I just- umm, well I am going with fr- friend!", She was nervous.

"Haha! Well, you don't have to be nervous honey, just give your best if you really like someone. Remember, your Granny will always love you", she patted her head.

"Yes, I will." Yurika was glad.

..................

Yurika was waiting for him at the bus-stop. From a far distance, she saw him coming, when she smiled looking at his figure.

'I am not alone anymore, I have someone who cherishes me the way I am', she quietly thought.

"Sorry Yuri, did you wait long?"

"No, I just came here 5 mins ago," although she was waiting for him for more than a half-hour.

"Okay, let's go".

"Where do you want to go Hiro-san?"

"Umm, I want to go to Amusement park", he replied in a soft voice.

"Amusement park? Haha!! Are you a kid Hiro-san?", She was laughing.

"Hey what's wrong there? I really love to visit the amusement park", he was pouting. "Okay let's go".

They took the bus together. When they reached the park, Hirotaka's eyes were gleaming in happiness like a child. Yuri was continuously staring at him.

"Yuri?" He was staring at her with a dense gaze.

"Yes?"

"Let's go to a lot of rides. I brought my camera with me, we will take many pictures here," he was really happy. Yurika smiled and nodded.

"Come," Hirotaka held out his hand with a smile and Yuri joined him with a smile. They were walking holding hands together. Yurika's felt her life has been fulfilled with happiness. 

'Maybe I am hoping for an impossible wish! Maybe when I will wake up tomorrow I will find these moments as my dream! But still, I don't want to wake up, I want to continue dreaming! I want to walk by your side forever by holding hands. Since when did you become so special to me Hiro-san?', She told herself.

They spent the day happily while walking to the bus-stop, Hirotaka brought ice-cream for her.

"How did you know I like chocolate ice-cream Hiro-san?"

"Well, our choices are alike. I like chocolate ice-cream so I thought you would like too".

Yurika smiled."I felt really happy today, Thank you Hiro-san"
"Hey, you still have a poker face now!! I think you are still shy!" He teased her again!

"Stop teasing Hiro-san!", She nagged.

"Well Yuri, I was happy too. You came into my life and gifted my dark life with happiness. I am grateful to you Yuri!" He said with a smile.

"Hiro-san, can I ask you something? Why you describe your life as a dark one?".The joy in his face suddenly faded, he remained silent for some time.

"I...I always wanted to be a soccer player. I was a happy child with a loving Dad and Mom. The day I was going to buy myself a uniform for joining the soccer team of my school along with my dad, our car met with an accident... Somehow I survived but my dad couldn't, but my right leg was severely injured. Doctors told me that I can't play soccer again as the injury was too deep. But the injury to heart was more severe than my leg. My mom became severely depressed and blamed me for dad's death, she is still getting therapy for her mental health. No one cared about my pain, all I had to do was carrying a burden of irreplaceable loss from such a young age. All I could do was weeping on my dad's grave & asking for his forgiveness."

Yuri saw the pain in his face, she grabbed his hand and comforted him, "I don't think you are responsible for your father's demise Hiro-san. I also lost my Mom when I was only 4years old and I lost my dad when I was 10. But my Granny never blamed me for it. Whatever is written in destiny, it's meant to happen. So stop blaming yourself Hiro-san."

Hirotaka smiled with tears in his eyes, "Maybe these are words I only hoped someone to say for me! I just wished someone would say to me- it's not your fault! But no one ever said to me that, everything I bore alone in my heart. I decided never to love anyone again in my life because they turn into my obsession. I still get angry when I see other boys playing football when I couldn't. Fate always snatches everything I ever treasure...but I want to believe you, Yuri. You are a ray of hope in my life. I am grateful to Na-ri who let us find each other".

"Me too, Hiro-san"

"Let's come here again someday Yuri".

"Okay!!"

Hirotaka was too tired as he was dozing off on the bus. Yuri was thinking of all the moments they spent while returning home. Suddenly Hirotaka put his head on her shoulder in sleep. She gently caressed his hair while looking at him, he was sleeping like a baby. She gently kissed his head and her eyes filled with tears.

"Damn! I really love this man so much! How troublesome!"

** Next part will conclude the backstory of Yurika. Thank you for reading my lovely readers❤️❤️❤️

*Don't forget to *Vote* & *Comment*❤️❤️