Junpei sat at his desk, scribbling into his notebook. His brow furrowed as his pencil stalled on the paper. He tapped his pencil against the desk, and groaned. As he grabbed the edges the paper, a blurry red object was placed on the notebook . He looked up to the perpetrator and saw his best friend Maeko with a big smile on her pale face.
She was small in stature and had delicate features. Her brown hair was cut into a long bob, framing her face. Soft pink lip gloss painted on her lips. She held a little red apple.
“Have an apple, it’s your favorite.” she said pushing it further in front of him.
“Not now Maeko, I’m trying to write,” he grumbled.
Pouting, she stomped her feet a little, “You can still write while you eat,”
He let out a loud sigh as he took the apple in front of him. Maeko’s smile widened. Rolling his eyes, he had a small smile on his face as he took a bite of the apple.
Maeko smiled at him and walked over next to him. She leaned over his shoulder looking down at his work. She hummed softly as she watched him work.
Junpei took another bite of the apple before putting it down, turning back to his paper and read over the words he had written once more. His words were a jumbled mess and made no sense. Frowning at it, he ripped out the page and crumbled the paper in his hands. He tossed it to the side ony to have it hit the edge of the trash can and bounced back to his foot. Irritated he kicked the paper with his foot.
“Wow, that was dramatic,” Maeko said with her head cocked to the side.
He slumped back into the chair and rubbed his eyes.
“I lost the will to write. I can’t explain myself in words.”
Maeko tapped a finger to her cheek as she looked at him. Suddenly she stopped tapping and her eyes lit up.
“You need to get out of this classroom,”
Before Junpei could protest, her small hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the chair. She held onto him as she sprinted into the hall.
Taken aback by her sudden movements, he started moving faster to match her pace. As soon has he gained his footing he turned to face her. “Oi! Maeko! Don’t run!”
“Where’s the fun in walking?” She shouted back as she raced him further down the hall until they reached the door. She was breathing shallow breaths as they slowed to a stop. Her grip on his hands weakened and he dropped his wrist.
“I said don’t run for a reason Maeko,” he protested.
“Hm, but it doesn’t matter anymore,” she replied.
Maeko slowly regained a steady breathing pattern and perked right up, a wide smile and a sparkling eyes. Junpei looked at her in concern but she just smiled and pushed the door open to the school courtyard. The cool air rushed in with the crisp sound of leaves rustling. She dragged him out to the large apple tree that stood in the center of the courtyard and sat him down. He watched as she excitedly grabbed an apple off the branch and plopped down next to him. She held it in her hands and looked up at him.
“Do you know how many seeds and average apple has?” she asked. Junpei looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
“Um no?”
“Well, I’m not so sure either, but we can figure out a way to find the answer right?”
“Like looking it up on the internet?”
Maeko frowned at his response and turned to face him.
“No Junpei, that doesn't require much thinking,” She took his hands into hers and placed the apple into his hand.
“So right now you have one apple in your hand right?”
“Yes?”
“But how many do you have above you?”
“More than I could count,” Junpei mumbled.
“Sometimes counting isn’t enough; sometimes it doesn't even need to be counted.”
“Ugh, Maeko! I’m not as good at math as you. I don’t even like math.”
“Junpei, I’m not even trying to get you to look at the math here, you’re a writer aren’t you?”
He looked into her eyes then down to the apple in his hand. He saw the shadow of the tree leaves shifting up and down on the apple’s surface. Sure it was an apple and he could leave it just as that. But it was also a small part of the bigger tree. It was the flower that changed. It was the sweet fruit of autumn. It was his favorite. Why had she picked this apple? What made it shine so bright despite being covered by the shadows? Why were red apples his favorite?
“See Junpei, you already know the answer, it’s about not having the answer.” She giggled as he brought his attention back up to her sparkling eyes. He gave her a small smile and laughed at himself as he let go of his frustrations.
“Maeko, you’re so much better at seeing the unseen. Are you sure that you’re not the writer?”
“Hey, stop teasing me!” she pouted.
He laughed and smiled, “I’m sorry Maeko.”
She gave his hand a firm squeeze as the cold wind picked up again. Junpei felt the cold air send a shiver down his spine and he was suddenly cold. Then he felt something fluffy wrap around his neck and saw that Maeko had wrapped her scarf around him His warmth slowly returned and he held onto her cold hand. He sat under the tree, taking in the sights and sounds of the autumn season.
“You have to go back now Junpei,” she said with a sad smile as she loosened her grip on his hand suddenly.
“Wait Maeko! I’m not ready!”
“I’m sorry Junpei, I’m sorry it happened all so fast.” she whispered as she took the apple from his palms. Junpei reached out to her but she was gone. He stood up into the sunlight, and everything turned white.
Junpei eyes fluttered open as he felt the hard wood desk under his cheek. He picked his head up and blinked down at the paper next to his head.
“Ah Mr. Hayashi, taking a nap I see,” his teacher scolded.
“Sorry! Mr. Wilson!” he shouted as he cheeks flushed. Junpei shrunk in his seat and lowered his head. He looked at the paper he had been writing. Across the top he had scratched down the words, Maeko’s Obituary. He frowned and crossed the words out. His head was still heavy from his lack of sleep; his eyes were still red from the tears. But he had to keep his promise to Maeko. He had to move on.
Junpei took a deep breath and picked up the pencil, gripping it gently. He let the pencil glide across the paper.
Words to the Story.
She was small in stature and had delicate features. Her brown hair was cut into a long bob, framing her face. Soft pink lip gloss painted on her lips. She held a little red apple.
“Have an apple, it’s your favorite.” she said pushing it further in front of him.
“Not now Maeko, I’m trying to write,” he grumbled.
Pouting, she stomped her feet a little, “You can still write while you eat,”
He let out a loud sigh as he took the apple in front of him. Maeko’s smile widened. Rolling his eyes, he had a small smile on his face as he took a bite of the apple.
Maeko smiled at him and walked over next to him. She leaned over his shoulder looking down at his work. She hummed softly as she watched him work.
Junpei took another bite of the apple before putting it down, turning back to his paper and read over the words he had written once more. His words were a jumbled mess and made no sense. Frowning at it, he ripped out the page and crumbled the paper in his hands. He tossed it to the side ony to have it hit the edge of the trash can and bounced back to his foot. Irritated he kicked the paper with his foot.
“Wow, that was dramatic,” Maeko said with her head cocked to the side.
He slumped back into the chair and rubbed his eyes.
“I lost the will to write. I can’t explain myself in words.”
Maeko tapped a finger to her cheek as she looked at him. Suddenly she stopped tapping and her eyes lit up.
“You need to get out of this classroom,”
Before Junpei could protest, her small hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the chair. She held onto him as she sprinted into the hall.
Taken aback by her sudden movements, he started moving faster to match her pace. As soon has he gained his footing he turned to face her. “Oi! Maeko! Don’t run!”
“Where’s the fun in walking?” She shouted back as she raced him further down the hall until they reached the door. She was breathing shallow breaths as they slowed to a stop. Her grip on his hands weakened and he dropped his wrist.
“I said don’t run for a reason Maeko,” he protested.
“Hm, but it doesn’t matter anymore,” she replied.
Maeko slowly regained a steady breathing pattern and perked right up, a wide smile and a sparkling eyes. Junpei looked at her in concern but she just smiled and pushed the door open to the school courtyard. The cool air rushed in with the crisp sound of leaves rustling. She dragged him out to the large apple tree that stood in the center of the courtyard and sat him down. He watched as she excitedly grabbed an apple off the branch and plopped down next to him. She held it in her hands and looked up at him.
“Do you know how many seeds and average apple has?” she asked. Junpei looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
“Um no?”
“Well, I’m not so sure either, but we can figure out a way to find the answer right?”
“Like looking it up on the internet?”
Maeko frowned at his response and turned to face him.
“No Junpei, that doesn't require much thinking,” She took his hands into hers and placed the apple into his hand.
“So right now you have one apple in your hand right?”
“Yes?”
“But how many do you have above you?”
“More than I could count,” Junpei mumbled.
“Sometimes counting isn’t enough; sometimes it doesn't even need to be counted.”
“Ugh, Maeko! I’m not as good at math as you. I don’t even like math.”
“Junpei, I’m not even trying to get you to look at the math here, you’re a writer aren’t you?”
He looked into her eyes then down to the apple in his hand. He saw the shadow of the tree leaves shifting up and down on the apple’s surface. Sure it was an apple and he could leave it just as that. But it was also a small part of the bigger tree. It was the flower that changed. It was the sweet fruit of autumn. It was his favorite. Why had she picked this apple? What made it shine so bright despite being covered by the shadows? Why were red apples his favorite?
“See Junpei, you already know the answer, it’s about not having the answer.” She giggled as he brought his attention back up to her sparkling eyes. He gave her a small smile and laughed at himself as he let go of his frustrations.
“Maeko, you’re so much better at seeing the unseen. Are you sure that you’re not the writer?”
“Hey, stop teasing me!” she pouted.
He laughed and smiled, “I’m sorry Maeko.”
She gave his hand a firm squeeze as the cold wind picked up again. Junpei felt the cold air send a shiver down his spine and he was suddenly cold. Then he felt something fluffy wrap around his neck and saw that Maeko had wrapped her scarf around him His warmth slowly returned and he held onto her cold hand. He sat under the tree, taking in the sights and sounds of the autumn season.
“You have to go back now Junpei,” she said with a sad smile as she loosened her grip on his hand suddenly.
“Wait Maeko! I’m not ready!”
“I’m sorry Junpei, I’m sorry it happened all so fast.” she whispered as she took the apple from his palms. Junpei reached out to her but she was gone. He stood up into the sunlight, and everything turned white.
Junpei eyes fluttered open as he felt the hard wood desk under his cheek. He picked his head up and blinked down at the paper next to his head.
“Ah Mr. Hayashi, taking a nap I see,” his teacher scolded.
“Sorry! Mr. Wilson!” he shouted as he cheeks flushed. Junpei shrunk in his seat and lowered his head. He looked at the paper he had been writing. Across the top he had scratched down the words, Maeko’s Obituary. He frowned and crossed the words out. His head was still heavy from his lack of sleep; his eyes were still red from the tears. But he had to keep his promise to Maeko. He had to move on.
Junpei took a deep breath and picked up the pencil, gripping it gently. He let the pencil glide across the paper.
Words to the Story.