It was raining heavily. Hirotaka was sitting on the footpath hopelessly.

"I am tired. I am tired of everything in these 27 years of life!" He mumbled.
He didn't have the urge to live anymore, it's like an aimless life where you are slowly waiting for death!

"Um...Mister?"

A voice came.

Hirotaka didn't look up, he was still looking at the ground.

"Mister! Hello Mister?".It's the voice of a young girl, most probably a schoolgirl. Hirotaka felt disturbed,

"Damn! Why can't people leave me alone?", He thought.

"Mister why are you sitting in the rain? Are you homeless? Do you need food?" The voice asked. He didn't answer. He was just dead silent.

"Mister if you need food, here, take this bread, I am leaving it here, sorry I don't have much money, I can only afford this bread! I am giving my lunch to you so make sure you eat well!" She really left the bread near him.

He still didn't say anything, just took a glance at the bread.

"And Mister don't sit in the rain like this, it would be worse if you catch a cold in October! I am leaving this umbrella for you! I hope whatever trouble you are having in your mind it will solve soon!! Good luck!"

The girl left the umbrella near Hirotaka and started running away in the rain. He was quite surprised. Do kind people still exist in the world? He saw the girl from behind while she was running away. He took the bread and started eating it. "Ahh I was quite hungry, the bread tastes delicious!"
He looked at the umbrella, there was a name written there-

"YurikaNanami
Kanazawa High School, 2000"

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Hirotaka stood up holding the umbrella, "So she is a high schooler! That's the same school I got the call letter from! I will be joining the school in a few days, I will make sure to find her!"

Slowly he walked towards his home.

"Mom! I am at home!" He called his mom.

No answer.

He went straight towards the living room, his mom was looking at the photo album. "Mom, I am home!" He said again.

"Hmm!" A small answer came. He didn't say anything further, he walked slowly towards his room.

"Hiro!"

"Ye-yes Mom!"

"Do you know what I am doing now?", She asked him in a sharp voice.

"You are looking at the photo album Mom!" He replied in a soft voice.

"Yes! See the pictures, Hiro! We were a happy family before!!" She said in a low voice. He didn't answer anything.

"Your dad wanted to live a happy life with me! He always planned about his future, he was always looking forward to living a happy life!"
He was silent.

"But that night you destroyed everything, Hiro! If you haven't forced your dad to buy you a soccer uniform, he wouldn't have gone! He would have been with us today!" Her voice was teary.

"Mom, you will increase your blood pressure again!" He said in a worried voice.

"Why? Why did you do it, Hiro! Why?"

"Mom!"

"Your stupid nagging broke our happy family into pieces! I will never get to see my husband again! I am living a painful life now, thanks to you Hiro! What kind of son you are--"

"Just shut the hell up Mom!" He yelled suddenly.

"Hiro! You are yelling at your mother?"

"Yes! Shut the hell up for God's sake!" He was yelling like crazy! She was surprised to see this side of him. She never imagined her son will shout at her like this.

"Not- not only you have lost everything! I am suffering too! I lost my father too! I lost my dream too! I had to give up my dream too! I alw-always wanted to be a soccer player!! I had only one dream in life! But I lost that too! I am enduring the punishment of a sin which I never committed! I never- I never wanted to break my family! Was it really my fault that the truck hit our car? Was it my fault that the truck-driver fell asleep? Was it my fault I lost the strength of my leg? Was it?"His mother was silent! She couldn't say a single word!

"Every- everyday you will blame me for dad's demise! Have you ever thought about how it feels to get blamed for something I never did? I- I saw him dying before my eyes! I tried to save him but I couldn't! Why? Why I couldn't die at that time? Why am I living this fucking cursed life! What's my fault? Tell me? Say!" He was in tears.

"Hiro! Listen to me--"

"Don't stop me today! I have been awfully quiet till now but I won't be silent today! You- you lost your husband, right? You lost your love, right? You lost a happy life, right?

I lost my dad! I lost my best friend! I lost my support system! I lost my dream! I gave up everything in my life to take care of you! I had to apply as a school teacher to take care of your medicinal expenses! I had to bear every blame for these 15 years with a fucking smile on my face!

I haven't been happy for a single time in these years! I have to marry someone whom I don't love at all because that was my dad's wish! I had to fulfill every wish of you two by sacrificing my wish!! Not only my dad died that night! I died with him too! I died with him too!! My body is just an empty vessel now, waiting- waiting for the day I will finally get peace!! I- I am fucking tired of this dead life!!! Why couldn't I die that night! Wh- why I am living a cursed life!" Hirotaka broke down in tears & fell to the ground!

"Please- please kill me, Mom! I can't live like this! Please kill me, please! I want to be happy! I want to be free!" His mother was in tears, she couldn't say a thing. She came slowly to him and patted his head.

"I will pray....that you get a reason for your life, Hiro! I will pray!"

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

In November he joined Kanazawa High School as a teacher. All the colleagues gave him a warm welcome.

"Welcome to Kanazawa, Mr. Takeshi!" Mr. Yuki, the director of the school patted Hirotaka's shoulder.

"Thank you, sir! I hope I would be a good teacher here!" He replied with a smile.

"Of course you would be Mr. Takeshi! You are so handsome, that all the girls in your class will have a crush on you!" Miss Nami, his colleague teased him. He blushed and smiled.

"Ah Miss Nami, don't tease him!! He is already taken! He has a fiancée!" Mr. Yuki said.

"Ohh, that's sad! I feel bad for the girls!" Miss Nami was smiling widely.
Hirotaka felt a little happy with the warm atmosphere. He was assigned to take the Class 12 -Sec-C Psychology subject. He went to take the class.

As expected, all the girls were already going crazy over his appearance.
He didn't pay much attention and started taking attendance.

A name caught his attention!

"Yurika Nanami".

It's the same name written on the umbrella he got from the girl that day! And at the same school too!! Maybe she is the one! But she was absent! He looked at the desk & saw it was empty. So that's where she sits!

'Okay, we will meet soon Yurika.' He told himself.

It was the third day Yurika was still absent. He felt a bit agitated. What the hell? All the girls are regular in his class but what's the matter with this girl!

"Can anyone tell me why the last desk girl isn't attending the classes? Why isn't she coming to school?" He asked the class.

"Um, Sir! She has a sick grandma at home! Maybe that's why she can't come nowadays!" A girl answered.

"Okay! Are you her friend?", He asked.

"Ye-yes, sir! I am her friend! Taki!" She replied.

'So I have to wait for some more days!', He thought.

..........

After four days it was his class again, he walked into the class and straightly looked at the last desk. It was not empty. A timid girl was sitting here. He felt a bit happy, 'So! You are the one!' He told himself.

But she was quite nervous! To hide his happiness he asked the girl coldly-"Hey you, at the last desk! Did you come to my class by mistake today?" The girl was so nervous! She apologized to him for being absent & promised never to miss the class again!! He felt a bit happy!

While teaching he was already stealing glances at her! The girl is quite pretty! She had no makeup and the hair was tied simply but still, her face was adorable.

'She is cute!' He whispered to himself.

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

Days went by, he was taking classes as he was assigned. Along with that, Yurika never missed his class again as she promised. His life was peaceful but quite lonely! In the recess period, he used to sit alone on the terrace to have lunch. He couldn't sit among the colleagues for a long time, it makes him uncomfortable.

That day he went to school early morning. He had to do a review of some important survey information about the students. He was smoking in the yard before going to work, "Argh! What I am doing with my life actually! I am so tired of giving a fake smile always! I hope someday real happiness would find me!" He was mumbling to himself.

"Um, Sensei?" A voice came from behind! The voice was familiar. 

Yurika was calling him, she was carrying a small kitten in her hand...

"Sensei! This cat is injured, I found it on the road! I can't find any veterinarian here! Can you please look after it?" He looked at the cat and it was badly injured! He took the cat & her to the staff room; while treating the cat, he was stealing glances at her.

'Is it my fate? Whenever I am lost, you always come to my rescue!! Are you an angel?'  He thought quietly.

While talking with her he felt a bit relieved, she seemed more like him! Even she likes cats too! Hirotaka felt much relieved. For the first time, she smiled in front of him! He was gazing at her! "Your smile is really pretty!", He told her unknowingly.

As she couldn't take care of the cat, Hirotaka decided to adopt it!

He decided to name it, as the cat let her find him again!
"So from today- you are my Na-ri! I am thankful to you!! Because of you, she came to find me again!! I- I feel happy now!!" He was glad.
........
Some days later he found Yurika eating bread at the schoolyard alone on a bench during recess. This time too Na-ri helped him to find her!

'Wow!! She eats alone too!! I can't believe how similar we are! That means we both can get along quite well!' He told himself.

And to his surprise, Yurika offered him to have lunch together during recess at the terrace! He couldn't believe all this is happening to him in real!! Someone really wants to accompany him!

'Now I understand, I joined this school because I was fated to meet her! I am not alone anymore! I have someone who wants to be with me!! I have someone who is much like me! I th- I think I can be happy again.

I hope my fate won't snatch you from me!' He told himself with a small smile.

**Note for my dear readers-
Hello, my loveliest people!! I was on a hiatus for a week due to unavoidable circumstances but with hope & love, I started writing again! I appreciate the kindness & love you all gave me & my works!!
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Don't forget to*vote & *comment!!

Love you all❤️❤️ Let's enjoy the emotional roller coaster ride together ❤️❤️
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-To be continued.....