A Story About How I Ran Away After Being Rejected By My First Love

“Good morning, Fujimoto-san.”

“Ah, Morning, Aoyama-san.”

“Nice game! Congratulations on your victory.”

“Thanks.”

The following morning, I greeted Fujimoto-san first instead of the other way around. Usually, he calls out to me as soon as I approach my seat. His expression looked distant and tense. The failed confession really took a toll on him.

Especially considering the three of us were classmates. Conflicts were not my greatest strength and I don’t want the two people who were always around me to get awkward.

Even so, I should pretend that I don’t know what happened. I just think that’s for the best.

It was not in my character to push people to talk. However, I wanted to do something for him.

With a soft, concerned voice, I asked him.

“Everything okay? You seem out of it.”

Fujimoto-kun shifted his seat towards me and answered me, forcing himself to act as if he was all good.

“No way man. I am all good. Whatcha talkin about? I just hit consecutive home runs in the last game too!”

“Way to brag about it! Well, wanna celebrate in the arcade later? You might be good at baseball but you’ll never beat me in racing.”

“You’re on! Bite my dust later.”

Well, don’t worry Fujimoto-san. I’ll do my best to cheer you up. You’ve got my back bro.

“Morning Kenta-kun!”

Sakamoto-san arrived after a while and greeted me with her usual cheery smile. She gave a small wave as she approached, clearly in a happy mood.

I casually replied back with a smile upon hearing her greeting.

“Morning, Sakamoto-san.”

As she was about to reach my desk, Sakamoto-san’s gaze drifted to the side and froze for a moment. She had noticed that Fujimoto-san had already been there.

The cheerful energy that she was carrying evaporated instantly and was replaced with a sudden quietness. Her smile from seconds ago was replaced with a more reserved one.

“Morning… Fujimoto-kun.”

Sakamoto-san’s voice was considerably low as compared to when she greeted me. Her gaze went back and forth towards me and Fujimoto-san, not sure whether to stay or leave.

“Morning, Sakamoto-san.”

Fujimoto-san’s voice was also low as he greeted Sakamoto-san. One can clearly see the tension in the atmosphere. It was suffocating. The usual banter between the two of them was gone.

“Huh? What’s this? Are you two fighting? That’s not good, you know! Apologize to Sakamoto-san immediately, Fujimoto-kun!”

I tried to play the broker between the two of them, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Fujimoto-kun did nothing wrong, Kenta-kun. There’s no need for apologies. Also, we are not fighting. Right, Fujimoto-san?”

“Yes…”

“Well, if you guys say so.”

Even though I know what happened, I pretended to not know and let it go. I’ll wait for Fujimoto-san or Sakamoto-san to open up. In the first place, it’s their problem and not mine.

“Ah, you have time later, Sakamoto-san?”

“Hm?”

“Me and Fujimoto-san will hangout later to celebrate Tsubasa High’s victory. Wanna come?”

I asked Sakamoto-san, trying to address this awkwardness in the air. Sakamoto-san’s eyes glanced at Fujimoto-san before answering back.

“Sorry Kenta-kun. I’ve already made plans with the girls later. Maybe some other time.”

“I see. Have fun then.”

After that, Sakamoto-san looked one last time towards Fujimoto-san before excusing herself. She then quickly moved towards her desk in a gloomy mood.

“You’ll tell me all the details later, right, Fujimoto-kun?”

“Hieek!”

I put on my scary face as I said this. After a while, the bell rang and class started.

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Awkward silence between Fujimoto-san and Sakamoto-san ensued the whole day. As the final bell rang, I nudged Fujjimoto-san with my elbow as I said teasingly.

“Ready to get wrecked?”

Fujimoto-san hesitated slightly but then gave me a small nod.

“Don’t come crying later okay?”

The two of us exited our way towards the school gates and through the shopping district where the arcade was located.

It was a hidden gem that was full of neon lights and buzzing energy drawing students and gamers alike.

Row of machines lined up on either side, their screen flickered with pixelated animations and high scores.

Fighting games like T*kk*n 8, Str**t F*ghter VI and Gu*lty G*ar were all clustered together on one side. Occasional shouts of victory or groans of defeat added to the existing lively atmosphere.

At the far corner, rhythm games stood out with their oversized buttons and flashing lights synced to the music beat. Most of the players were students and were furiously tapping along to the songs in perfect sync.

The racing games were near the entrance. It was a pair battling game on the last track.

Fujimoto-san and I slid into the driver seat, as we were greeted with the roaring sound of the virtual engines.

“So, you gonna choose Fujiw*ra? Get ready to get NTRed, Aoyama.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Real men don’t care about such things as women.”

We trash-talked to each other, hyping ourselves up. A smirk appeared on Fujimoto-san, some of his tension released.

Both of us leaned into the steering wheels, and we were focused on the screen. For a few moments, nothing existed except the race. I was ahead at first, however, I made a grave mistake at the last turn, being overtaken by Fujimoto-san.

“Told you I’d win.”

Fujimoto-san proudly said with a huge smirk on his face leaning on the driving seat as soon as the race was over.

“You’re just lucky I made a mistake at the last turn.”

Despite being down all day, I could feel that the tension from Fujimoto-san was alleviated.

We moved to the other games, hitting up the claw machines, fighting games, laughing and trading insults as we battled each other to our hearts’ content.

It was already evening when we stepped out of the arcade. The sky had darkened with a few stars faintly visible. The streets were busier, filled with people going to their homes.

“That was fun.”

I said, breaking the silence as we made our way through the bustling streets.

“Yeah. I’m glad you invited me to this.”

“No worries. Wanna grab some food?”

The convenience store that we went through was a popular chain called AlphaMart. It was a 24 hour store. It was a place with aisles filled with snacks, drinks and random food.

The automatic sliding door opened as we approached, welcoming us with the familiar sound of the door sensor.

Fujimoto-san and I split up into two different sections.

I made a beeline to the drink fridge first that was located to the back of the store, scanning the rows of chilled drinks. I then grabbed the iced coffee, knowing that this would give me a boost later on when I do my hobby.

Afterwards, I made my way to the hot food display section next to the cashier. It displayed freshly made snacks and among the offerings were hotdog sandwiches each nestled in a soft bun.

I asked the cashier for one and then paid for the drinks. Fujimoto-san ordered the same hotdog sandwich I had while having an ion-rich drink.

There was no space inside to eat, we took our food outside and sat on the nearby bench.

Fujimoto-san was unusually quiet as we ate our hotdog sandwiches. He was staring off into the distance again as if he was thinking really deeply about something.

After finishing his last bite, Fujimoto-san turned to face me and asked in a low voice.

“Hey Aoyama. There’s something I need to tell you.”

His words felt heavy, as if he was not sure whether to say it or not.

I sensed his seriousness and responded accordingly.

“What’s up?”

He took a deep breath with his fist closed as he continued.

“It’s about Sakamoto-san…”

“What about her?”

Fujimoto-san hesitated for a moment, struggling to find the words. He exhaled deeply and looked me in the eye.

“I’m… I’m in love with Sakamoto-san.”

There was silence for a moment with the quiet night amplifying Fujimoto-san’s confession to me. I blinked, pretending to act surprised.

My eyes widened and kept my expression calm before answering.

“Whoa! Are you serious?”

Fujimoto-san nodded in response, looking more vulnerable than I have ever seen.

“Yeah. Every time I see her, it just hits me. That I’m in love with her.”

I leaned my back to the park bench, letting Fujimoto-san’s words settle. This was a first for me having an acquaintance talk about romance. I mean, I don’t know what the right words to say are.

I took a deep breath before asking in a soft but direct voice.

“Have you told her?”

“Yeah… I did. I confessed to her after the baseball game.”

With his hand at the back of his neck, Fujimoto-san admitted shyly.

“So, what’s her response?”

My eyes widened as I asked him about it. Hearing it first hand is heavier than what I expected.

“She apologized… However, I… I already knew… that she only sees me as a friend. The classic, you know?”

Fujimoto-san let out a bitter laugh as he tried to play it cool. However I could see how painful that was looking at his face.

“I’m sorry, man. It must’ve been rough.”

He shrugged, still struggling with the rejection.

“It was. I thought I would be fine, but it’s harder than what I’ve expected. That’s the reason things were awkward between us. I wanted to act as if nothing happened but… it’s just not working out.”

I could only nod and listen as he laid out bare all his qualms.

Rejection was never easy, especially if it came from a friend. I experienced that first hand. How painful, heart and mind breaking it was.

“I don’t want to lose her. I am okay even as a friend. I just… I just don’t know how to act around her anymore. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

I placed my hand on Fujimoto-san’s shoulder, trying to reassure him.

“Don’t worry. You won’t lose her. It will be awkward for a bit, but that’s normal. Time heals everything. You just need to be patient.”

Fujimoto-san stared ahead, still lost in thought, then nodded slowly.

“You’re right, Aoyama. I just didn’t think it would be so hard like this.”

“You’re doing the right thing, Fujimoto-san.”

I offered him a small smile before continuing.

“Plus, don’t worry, I’m here brother. I’ve got your back.”

“Thanks, Aoyama… No, Kenta.”

“No worries, Yuto.”