A Truth-Seeking Lie

It's quite boring this weekend. I didn't even recognize how my first week at school quickly passed by. Guess I'm enjoying my youthful life.

"I'll just study History today." I muttered.

Ring. My cellphone broke the silence when my mom suddenly calls me, I think silence will never really bother me.

I lazily stand and get the phone at my desk, I answered it, "What does my noisy mom need from me?"

"Ohh don't be harsh Hideki, I just want to ask how school is going for you? Have you found your high school sweetheart?" said by mom.

"Huh? Why asked that question? Everything's going great for school except for that romance delusion you're starting to create."

"You're cured right? You need to enjoy your youth while you're at it you know." She teased.

"I don't have room for romance so stop bothering to ask that question."

"Hmp!" replied mom.

With that, the phone call ended.

"If I really was cured, then I suppose I would've enjoyed my youth."

Hours passed and I took a quick ride at a park near the mall where I and Yumi came the last time. While enjoying the summer breeze at the park, I closed my eyes while still hearing the words that my mom left me earlier, "You're cured right?". That words were still ringing to my ear up to now. I'm thinking whether my lies are the best decision that I made or did I make a big mistake?

"Ogawa-kun?"

"Huh? Who's that?" I turned. "Oh, Shimamoto-san. What are you doing here?"

"I love going here every now and then you know. Everytime I go here, my mood livens up." She said while giving off a lovely smile. "How about you? This is the first time I saw you here." She asked.

"I just went here to also clear my mind." I replied. "It's my second time coming here."

"Huh?" She confusingly asked.

"The truth is, before I got transferred into different place, this park is still not built. This is the city where I live but spent my middle school years at another place."

"May I ask where is it?"

She seems curious as if she's not convinced by my storytelling.

"No can do." I replied.

"Sorry..." she apologized.

"No problem, it's alright. How is the game working for you? What level are you now?"

"I'm at the last level. I love how the voice actors portrayed their characters, they're really on another level." She quickly replied.

"I know right." I'm running out of topics to discuss with her, I think I'm under high pressure right now.

"I'll be returning it back on you next week." Said Shimamoto.

"It's okay, no worries. I've already finished playing that so no there's no need to rush."

She's quite daring today, she's really cute. When I'm starting to notice these small things, I know something will go wrong. I'm starting to get hot again, shit. As the sky started to darkens, my disease is triggered again. This timing is really bad. I touched my head as it aches so bad.

"Ogawa-kun? Are you alright?" asked Shimamoto. Her words are starting to get unclear and my visions are starting to blur out.

I don't know what to do and I'm starting to panic, then, I suddenly fainted.

"Ugh, what happened?" I muttered to myself while slowly opening my eyes. "Ehh??!" I saw Shimamoto sleeping while she pillowed my head with her lap. I quickly raised my head and she didn't seem to notice me as well. That was really pathetic of me.

I waited for her to wake up, I wondered why I fainted back then, this doesn't happen when I'm at the hospital so its kinda new to me. After good five minutes, she waked up.

"Oh, you're awake. Are you feeling well right now?" She asked.

"Yes, thanks for that. Sorry I wasted your precious time right now." I apologized.

"No, it's alright. May I you a question?" she seriously asked.

I've got a bad feeling about this question of hers.

"It's alright. May I know what is it."

"Nothing, I forget it." She chuckled. "It's already seven so I'll be going now."

"Please let me accompany you. It's getting late so I wanted to drop you home as my thanks."

"Okay, Ogawa-kun. Thanks." After I fainted, she seemed to changed again to her side where she ignores me and started to be distant.

After dropping her home, I also went home and ate my food. Plus, I got her contact info. I think that's a good achievement for me, doing a normal high school boy thing. Before going to bath, I got a message coming from Shimamoto. It says, "Thanks for dropping me home!" with a very cute sticker. After those memorable events at the park. The night went off and Sunday came straight away. It's like a normal day for me, I read manga, watched anime, and played games. I texted Shimamoto to request recommendations about games.

"You there? Can you recommend me games to play? It's kinda boring, so I wanted to play something good."

"I have some here you know." She quickly replied. "By the way, I've finished playing the game so maybe you wanted to meet later at the park. I'll be lending you my favorite games as well."

"Is that alright? I'll just go to your house so it'll save you the time."

"Hmmm, my family is not here today so I think it's okay for you to come here." She replied.

Shit, what have I done? Why did I asked her to go at her house.

"Is 4 PM alright?" She asked.

"Okay." I nervously replied.

Hours went by and my newly-cleaned bedroom turned into a complete mess, clothes scattered around the floor as I'm searching for my best clothes.

"Why am I so nervous?"

For me, this is a very new thing to do since I haven't gone to a girl's house before. I look at the time and was shocked that its already 3:50. I took a quick bath and ate before leaving the house, I bought a cheesecake near the station to bring for Shimamoto.

I pressed the doorbell and no one answered.

"What, am I lost? I'm sure this is Shimamoto's house."

"You're already there Ogawa-kun. I thought you're not coming so I bought some kitchen stuffs." Said Shimamoto as she appears at my back carrying a bag full of vegetables.

"Sorry I'm kinda late today, I fell asleep earlier so I didn't notice the time." I said while lightly scratching my head. The truth is, I lied about falling asleep.

We entered their house and she was right, there was no person other than the two of us. I gulped nervously.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." I replied.

"Are you feeling well? Yesterday you look so pale."

"Yes, I'm already feeling well. I've bought you a cheesecake." I said while handing her the food.

"Thanks, please take a seat. I'll be heading to my room and clean it a bit okay?" she said while going upstairs.

"Hope I'll be alright." I sighed.

After 30 minutes, she's not back. I became worried to Shimamoto so I called her out.

"Shimamoto-san? Are you alright?" Not even a single soul responded. "I'll be going up there okay?" I slowly walk upstairs to check on her, I saw the beam of light coming out from the dark hallway. It came from her slightly opened door.

"Shimamoto-san? Are you alright, huh?" I saw her lying in the ground while holding pills at her hand. She was unconscious.

"Shit what the heck happened here." I carried her to the bed and didn't know what to do, so, I went downstairs to prepare food for her.

After making the food, I went upstairs and saw her sitting down on her bed.

"Shimamoto-san? What happened back there?" I asked. "I made you a food so please eat up."

"Oh, it's nothing." She monotonously replied

Nothing huh? I guess you have your own secrets too.

"I'll be going down okay? Eat up and call me after you're done." I turned my back when she suddenly grabs my hand and forcefully pulls me at the bed. She quickly pinned me down with her on the top.

"Shimamoto-san?! What are you doing?" I nervously asked as I struggled. She was strong but I don't want to force her and hurt her like I did on Yumi before.

"..." She never responded at me and looked at me with dead eyes.

I'm starting to feel strange again. I think it was the disease and it's clearing my mind as hell. As I'm at the verge of giving myself up, she suddenly grabs a pill that she holds earlier, puts it in her mouth, then forcefully puts it in my mouth, in short, she kissed me. It was my first kiss, her lips were soft, I thought this development only happens at a manga plot. My eyes widen as she did that, she noticed that I ingested the pill so she stands up and offered me a water that I brought with the food earlier.

"Drink the water. You don't want the pill to get stuck right?" said Shimamoto.

"Okay." I replied, still shocked at the kiss.

"Why do you look at me like that? Don't worry, it's my first kiss as well."

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" I angrily asked.

"Disease XX, right?" replied Shimamoto.

"How did you know that?" I frozed.

"Of course, anyone with that kind of disease can notice if anyone has the same disease as them you know." Replied Shimamoto while letting out a small laugh. "The pill that I gave you can suppress the disease for about five hours."

"I didn't know the pill that you gave me. Do you know where can I buy that pill? I really needed that you know."

"You cannot buy that at any drugstore. It's a pill that was made by my parents, they're working on a facility on the other country so it's a lie that I told you that they're around."

What? Other country? It's possible that I met her parents in my stay there.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"What?"

"Is a kiss really required in ingesting the pill?" I asked. The question made her froze a bit.

She blushed and looked at me completely embarassed. "Idiot! The pill's effect was delay at me that's why I passed out. When I woke up, I remembered that I'm thinking about giving the pills at you. I also had the disease you know?! Hmpp!" she pouted.

"You didn't even answer my question."

"Please forget about that! If you don't... then I'll be treating you as an air, just like the boys at the classroom."

"Thanks for the pill. I thought I'll lose my cool back there. Let's forget about that."

Afterwards, she returned the game that she borrowed, lend me the games, then sent me home. The day ended quickly with a new unforgettable memory and quick development between me and Shimamoto. I wonder how I'll interact with her tomorrow on school.