Good-Bye Sengen - Chapter 5 Good-Bye Declaration
Early March. The graduation ceremony of Seiran High School was held with many of the students’ families in attendance.
The diploma awarding ceremony, the last words from the principal and the graduation song given by the younger students.
After a variety of other events, the third-year students graduated.
Many of the graduates were in tears.
Surprisingly, Akutsu and Ayase cried in our class.
However, instead of crying, I ended the graduation ceremony in a state of confusion.
The reason was that Nanase had not come to the graduation ceremony.
She was the only one of the graduates not to attend.
“Everyone get closer~”
While some graduates were taking commemorative photos in front of the school gate.
For some reason, I was playing with my younger sister.
“Onii-chan! Congratulations on your graduation!”
Momoka snapped a picture with her smartphone.
“Thank you. But aren’t you taking too many pictures?”
“What are you talking about? Since my brother was able to graduate, we should take a lot of pictures to commemorate the occasion.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m the one who just barely graduated.”
I’ve been going to school diligently since before summer vacation.
I even got accepted to a university.
“I’m really glad, though. If my brother hadn’t graduated, I would have been too embarrassed to go out.”
“You’re relentless, little sister.”
And I’m afraid I can’t tell if you’re joking or serious.
Momoka then went to look for our parents, who had disappeared somewhere.
Where did those parents really go on their son’s big day?
“What? Atsushi and Ayase are going to university together!”
“Well, yeah. I’ll have to stay with Saki.”
“That’s my line. Atsushi will be useless without me.”
“How nice~!”
“Yeah, I’m jealous.”
The Ayase group was having such a conversation.
Incidentally, Ayase and Akutsu have been officially dating since about the end of summer vacation.
As mentioned in the conversation, they are both going to the same university.
It’s like the ideal childhood relationship.
Then I looked around.
There were many students and their families, but still no sign of Nanase.
“…Nanase, why aren’t you here?”
When the graduation ceremony started, I didn’t care that much if she wasn’t there.
I was sure she’ll be late and appear more conspicuous than anyone else.
That’s what I thought.
But from the start of the graduation ceremony until now, Nanase hadn’t shown up at all.
“It’s the last time, so let me see her.”
There was one thing I hadn’t told her yet.
I was going to tell her that today, but…”
“Hey! Kakeru!”
Suddenly, my name was called.
I looked over and saw Shuuichi coming towards me, looking rushed.
“Congratulations on your graduation, Shuuichi.”
“Oh, oh, thank you. That’s not what this is about!”
“…What do you mean it’s not?”
“I just heard from a teacher why Nanase didn’t come to the graduation ceremony.”
The moment I heard that, I grabbed Shuuichi’s shoulders and pressed him tightly.
“What do you mean? Where is Nanase?”
“C-Calm down, I’ll tell you now.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
When I let go of Shuuichi’s shoulder, he spoke about Nanase.”
“Listen, Kakeru. Nanase, she’s going to study in America.”
“What…”
I had never heard of her planning to study abroad.
“And she’s leaving today on the afternoon flight. Do you know what that means?”
“What that means…”
“You idiot, if you take a bus or something to the airport now, you might make it!”
“R-Right!”
“Just go! You were so preoccupied with Nanase during the graduation ceremony.”
“! How did you know!?”
“You’re my best friend, so of course I knew! Now get the hell out of here!”
“O-Okay.”
With Shuuichi’s encouragement, I decided to head to the airport.
“Go for it!”
“Yeah! I’ll do my best!”
After replying to Shuuichi, I started to head for the airport.
But there was one thing I hadn’t said, so I turned around to look at him again.
“Shuuichi is my best friend!”
Shuuichi’s eyes widened in surprise at my words.
Then he smiled calmly.
“You idiot. Of course I am.”
Shuuichi said embarrassedly.
“I’m off then!”
“Hey! Just go!”
After exchanging a few words with my best friend, I started running towards the airport.
Nanase, please don’t go yet.
There’s something I have to tell you.
◆◆◆
“The graduation ceremony should be over by now…”
I muttered to myself as I sat down in front of the airport security checkpoint.
Today was the graduation ceremony of Seiran High School.
However, I had already decided to study in America in order to fulfill my dream of becoming a Hollywood actress, and due to the audition schedule I was already scheduled to attend there, I had to leave on today’s flight at the latest.
“In the end, I couldn’t tell Kiritani-kun about it.”
Studying abroad itself had been decided long ago, so I had been trying to tell Kiritani-kun.
However, I couldn’t find the right time to tell him, and the days passed by so fast that I couldn’t tell him in the end.
I’m really sorry for what I did to Kiritani-kun…
“So, I guess it’s time.”
I stood up with my suitcase in my hand.
It was almost time for me to board my flight. Normally, I would have been able to board and leave earlier, but due to an accident, my flight was delayed by about an hour.
“When I get to America, I’ll have to work even harder than I already do.”
I was alone with my enthusiasm as I headed for the security checkpoint.
That’s when it happened.
“!”
I looked back. But there were only a lot of people passing by.
That’s strange. I felt like someone just called me.
I wondered if it was my imagination, but I started walking again.
“…Nanase!”
I knew I was being called!
I turned around once more and saw only one person coming towards me out of the crowd of people. And that person was someone I knew very well.
“Nanase… I’ve finally found you!”
It was Kiritani-kun who appeared, out of breath and sweaty.
◇◇◇
After leaving the school, I managed to get to the airport in two hours by bus, cab, and train.
I was lucky enough to have enough money in my wallet to pay for my transportation today.
After arriving at the airport, I checked the time and boarding gate of the flight to the US.
Then I looked around for Nanase, relying on that information.
“Nanase! Nanase!”
I kept calling out her name without worrying about the people around me.
Thanks to this, people around me looked at me like I was filming a drama.
Even so, I continued to call out her name while looking around everywhere.
As a result…
“Nanase… I finally found you!”
I finally found Nanase.
“Kiritani-kun, why are you here…?”
“I heard about your study abroad. You’re going to America, right?”
“I’m sorry. I was actually going to tell you properly…”
Nanase turned her face down apologetically and said with a gloomy expression.
“It’s okay. I wish you would have told me, but I got to see Nanase before you left for America.”
I don’t have much time.
I have something I really want to tell Nanase before she leaves.
“Nanase, there’s one thing I want to tell you, can you listen to me?”
“Something you want to tell me?”
Nanase tilted her head.
But her expression tightened as if she realized the importance of what she was saying when she saw my face.
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Nanase agreed and I began to speak after a short pause to calm myself down.
“I’m very grateful to Nanase.”
Before I met Nanase, I was living a dull life.
I went to school as much as I could get credit for, and when I skipped school, I played video games and read manga all day.
I didn’t have any goals in life, I just went through the motions of digesting the day.
At the time, I was fine with that, and I didn’t think I needed to change.
But thanks to meeting Nanase, my life has changed drastically.
At first, I thought Nanase was a terrible troublemaker.
As we spent more and more time together, I became fascinated and admired her way of being herself at all times, unlike me, who just went with the flow of the moment.
I wanted to be like Nanase.
And because of that, I was able to have a dream.
I was able to work hard to pursue my dream. I learned the joy of getting closer to my dream.
If I hadn’t met Nanase, I would have gone to college without a dream and without any plan.
That’s why I’m really grateful to Nanase.
When I told her that.
“No, I didn’t do anything important. It’s all thanks to yourself that you became the Kiritani-kun you are today.”
Nanase replied in an embarrassed tone.
Her cheeks were slightly red as she did so.
“So, did you come all this way to tell me thank you, Kiritani-kun?”
“Yes, but not exactly.”
I shook my head left and right in response to Nanase’s question.
It is true that I wanted to express my gratitude to her, but what I really wanted to say was something else.
“…Phew.”
I took a breath to control my racing heart.
This is the first time in my life that I’ve done this, so I guess I’m getting nervous.
At first I thought Nanase was a person I didn’t want to get close to, then I began to envy her for being herself, then she became something I admired, then she became something I wanted to be.
And finally….
“I have feelings for Nanase Rena…”
I was about to say, but I stopped myself.
I was actually going to tell her how I felt, but when I saw Nanase in front of me, I stopped.
I felt like that wasn’t the right thing to say to her here.
“…What’s wrong?”
Nanase has a strange expression on her face.
Now she’s going to cross the ocean to make her dream come true.
If that’s the case, there are more important things than my feelings.
“Nanase, we should definitely make our own dreams come true.”
“Eh… Yes! I’m going to America to become a Hollywood actress for sure!”
“I’m sure you can do it, Nanase! I’m going to be a teacher too.”
With that said, I held out my hand.
She blinked her beautiful eyes and looked a little surprised.
But finally she chuckled and shook my hand.
“I was surprised. I didn’t expect Kiritani-kun to shake my hand.
“At least for the last time.”
We naturally laughed at each other as we talked like this.
“Ah, it’s almost time. I have to go.”
Nanase muttered as she checked the clock at the airport.
It seemed that the time to say goodbye to her had finally come.
“See you soon, Nanase.”
“Yeah, see you soon, Kiritani-kun.”
That was the last thing Nanase and I said to each other.
Nanase rolled her suitcase and walked to the security checkpoint.
That’s right… Now Nanase is really going to America…
I thought I had prepared myself for this by the time I came to the airport, but seeing her go away like this made me feel inexplicably sad.
I wish I could have spent a little more time talking, playing, and spending time with Nanase.
More specifically, I wish I had gotten to know her when I was a freshman.
It’s too late to think about that now…
I was feeling a little regretful at that moment.
“Kiritani-kun!”
I heard my name called out in a loud voice that echoed through the airport.
When I looked up, to my surprise, Nanase, who was supposed to be on her way to the security checkpoint, was coming back to me, leaving her suitcase behind.
“Hey, Nanase! What are you doing—!?”
A moment later, I felt a soft touch on my cheek.
Nanase kissed me gently on the cheek.
It’s the first time I’ve ever been kissed by a member of the opposite sex, and it made my heart beat rapidly.
But before I could say anything, she pulled away.
“The last year I spent with you, Kiritani-kun, was a lot of fun! Thank you!”
That’s all she said, and Nanase went back to the suitcase she had left behind.
Too many things happened at once, and my mind was in turmoil.
But… Nanase thanked me.
The year I spent with her was not a waste of time for her either.
I was relieved to know that, but at the same time, I felt sad that Nanase was going to America.
“Bye-bye, Kiritani-kun!”
Nanase waved at me with her suitcase in hand, smiling at me like usual.
I really miss her, but I can’t be so selfish.
That’s why I have to say goodbye to her.
“Bye-bye, Nanase!”
When I waved back, Nanase’s face broke into a smile of satisfaction and she went back to the security checkpoint.
Then she turned around and waved again, this time with a big smile on her face.
“Goodness, Nanase…”
I said, but I waved again.
There are some people who don’t dare to look back because they don’t want to feel sad at such times, but apparently, she is different.
I knew that she was the one who would do everything in her power even when we were parting.
After seeing Nanase off until she was out of sight, I started walking in the opposite direction of her.
If this is a movie or a drama, I would probably see Nanase again someday.
Even if it was… I somehow felt that I would never see her again.
I don’t know why, but that’s what I thought.
Maybe she thinks the same thing.
Because at the end she said “bye” instead of “see you later”.
Maybe I’m mistaken, but I’m sure she did.
That’s why I decided to tell her one last time in my heart.
What I couldn’t tell her in the end.
I was in love with Nanase Rena.
And then I said good-bye to Nanase.
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ZInZardarean
Haven’t really had the opportunity to read stories that ended in such a manner. Felt that bitter sweetness taking away my breath during this chapter but cheers!