CHAPTER 9 - I Love You

“So she’s been contacting you for 3 weeks already since you caught him cheating with a dude?” She repeated.

“She is a very persistent one..” Herwin added.

“Why don’t you tell me?” Maeve queried.

“Because your relationship has nothing to do with me,” Herwin stated.

Maeve sighed.

“Could it be, even you didn’t believe how serious my relationship with girls was?” She guessed.

“I don’t have time to believe or disbelieve things like that..” He replied.

“Say, Herwin..” Suddenly her tone changed as she sits bringing her knees to her chest and leaning on the wall side by side with Herwin.

“Did you remember our first meet?” She continued.

It will throw them back from about 2 years ago.

“At that time, I came over to your house like this, because you stopped coming to school, and after a couple of weeks, you finally start coming to school again.” She proceeds.

“That had nothing to do with you coming here, nor our first met, I just remember how I loved tuna wrap from the school cafeteria.” Herwin denied.

Maeve chuckles.

“As always, Herwin never says 'thanks to you' to me. I'm supposed you will never say 'I love you' to me as well,”

“What did you say, I’ll never say it, it’s gross..” He replied to the statement with a revolted look on his face.

“Right?” Maeve agreed.

“Stop digging up the past, you sound so lame..” he scoffed.

“It’s just you, so it’s fine.” She assured.

“Because it’s me, it's not fine..” He continues to scoff narrowing his eyes as an annoyed look.

“Are you okay about it? About her?” He mentioned.

Maeve blinked once.

“You do know I like Inessa, right? I’m fine..” She pronounced.

“But your Inessa will never accept you anyway, stop bothering innocent girl like that..”

“What?! so rude..” She objected.

“If it wasn’t because Priscilla, I probably will stay alone in that class..” Seems like Maeve wasn’t done yet with her stupid throwback.

“I said, stop it already,” Herwin complained.

“Don’t interrupt my flashback memories, idiot! You’ll make me forget it..”

“That day, over a year ago... I just sit in that class for only 2 months..” Maeve began.

***

“We’ll take attendance, tell me the name of the person that you can’t see today..” Their homeroom teacher, Mr. Dean ordered.

“It’s Herwin again, Mr. Bean!” Alan responded.

“I see, so today is Olwen's presence?” He asked ignoring how Alan addressed him.

“We can see him today, sir.” Another classmate responded.

“Good..” Mr. Dean replied as he scratches his head.

Maeve just looking at her weird classmates and homeroom teacher one by one without a clue.

“Err... Francisca?” Mr. Dean suddenly called out someone’s name.

“It’s Francis Priscilla, sir.” A girl with a long soft pink-haired responded to that.

“Uhh.. whatever.. anyway, I would like to ask you to go to Wisteria’s place to deliver something today,” he announced.

“Eeeeehh? Why me?” She protested.

“Because girl usually checks on her absent boy classmate, and….”

“...so since you are the only girl in this class so….” That guy never completed his sentence.

“The heck was that..” Priscilla grumbled.

But later in the afternoon, when Maeve was about to leave the class, she was approached by Priscilla.

“Hey, Wren. So, according to what Mr. Bean said earlier, why don’t you get to know a little bit about that Herwin? Since you are a new girl?” She proposed.

“It’s not necessary..” She responded.

“Please, help your sister out. I have something important today. Here, you just need to hand this letter to him. Ask for the address to Mr. Bean.” She said as she placed a letter in her hand, forcefully.

“Then I will just tell him you make me do things..” Maeve refers to Mr. Bean.

“Hmm.. do you think he cares..?” She quizzed.

Maeve thinks, and yes, that weird teacher probably won’t care.

“Thanks!” Priscilla ended the negotiation and hastily left.

“Hey!” Maeve called out.

“Sorry for the wait, let’s go, I will show you the nice sneaker…” can be heard as Priscilla talk to her friend.

“Something important, my ass.” She muttered.

“So, that’s how I ended up meeting you here.” Maeve ended her story.

“That was sure a stupid backstory..” Herwin commented.

“Herwin, why exactly did you stop going to school anyway?”

“I forgot,” He answered.

“Come on~” She pleaded.

“It’s your fault didn’t ask me when I still remember..” Herwin replied sternly.

“I asked you, didn’t I..”

Back then...

“Mr. Bean asked me to pass this to you..” She handed the letter and Herwin took it knowing what would the letter say.

“Who is that?” He questioned.

“Our homeroom teacher.” She answered.

“Oh..” He replied as Mr. Dean’s face come to his mind.

“My name is Wren Maeve by the way. I’m a new student in your class.” Maeve introduced herself.

Herwin lift his gaze then rolled his eyes means he didn’t care.

“You want today’s notes? I can lend you one..” She suddenly offered.

“ I don’t need... notes from class C student..” He muttered.

Maeve didn’t respond for a moment. Herwin didn’t give a damn.

“Hah, thank god... The truth is, I didn’t have one... I’m glad you don’t want..” She admitted.

“Then why did you offer it, you weirdo..” He quipped.

“Hehe..” She just grinned.

“Open it, what does it say?” Suddenly she leaned over as a gesture to take a look at the letter together.

“A-are.. you serious…? We just met..” Herwin said in disbelief at how insensitive this new girl was.

Maeve just gave him a sweet smile.

“Go home.” He ordered.

“Did you try that hard to make me hate you?” Suddenly she turned serious.

“What..?” He found that he’s hard to understand.

“Hey, are you sick? Did you have a family problem? Or did someone bully you at school?” She continued goofing around which of course, annoyed him.

“What are you talking about? H-hey..”

“Tell me.” She leaning closer.

“Enough! Go away! Leave me alone!” he suddenly fumed and yelled as he pushed her away from him.

That’s pretty much how’s their first met.

‘Even till now, I'm still trying hard to annoy him so much... I cared for him too much and annoyed him, we argued a lot..’ Maeve talked to herself in her mind.

‘I was the one who tried my best to make him hate me.. not him. I wonder if it’s working? If I can say it now, can I actually say it?’ She continued talking in her thought.

“Herwin..” She called out his name as she suddenly kneel and hugged Herwin. She immersed her face on Herwin’s soft hair.

Of course, Herwin would freeze with that sudden act.

“Please don’t say you’re gonna die soon, please don’t ever lose your hope, I would take your place if I could... You will live for another ten years, for a long, long time more..”

“W-what are you doing, stop it..” He responded.

“I’m sorry, Herwin.”

“Huh?”

“I love you.”

- CHAPTER 9 ENDS -