Ch. 57 - Unexpected reconnection.

More often than not, whenever I would go to work, home, or to other places, and even on social media. The people who had known me before, or encountered me in unexpected circumstances. Has learned to tolerate my behavior, and decided that they wouldn't want to intervene with my daily routine or activities. They accepted the fact that I didn't want to socialize or establish any form of connections between me and them, they respected that I prefer to be left alone, unbothered. Atleast that was the case with the older people in the neighborhood, the youngsters meanwhile, aren't so sure whether they should view it with suspicion or insult. My father was quite popular in our neighborhood, we've only been here for about 4 years and I could always see him talking to different people just outside our home or in the nearby benches in the street. While my mother is much closer to the adolescents of the same gender. They're both hospitable, kind and welcoming, overall easy to get along with. The teenagers and adolescents around the neighborhood within the same age as me, including the ones a few years younger and older. Couldn't hold their curiosity and kept making stories behind my back, trying to assess what kind of a person I am. Whenever I went outside to buy something, jog around to the nearest park, do some exercises in the morning, or go to the gym in the evening. Within my peripheral vision, one of them always have their eyes fixated on me. It some cases I could even feel like someone is starring at me at random places, and the sensation follows me around for a few minutes before it suddenly disappears. I kept my social life to a bare minimum, I never talk to them and I am keen on further embracing my isolation, and to enjoy the new happiness I found within myself. But things didn't remain quite for as long as I expected. When my father was hanging out with their parents, some of them bring up that issue when they saw me enter the house after getting some groceries, and told my father.

"I dont mean to be rude, but your son is not a talkative person, huh?" Masao laughs.

"Yeah, he's always intentionally by himself, he's quite shy."

"Well, my daughters are wondering if you could tell him to come outside with them, you know? Just to spend some time with the teens his age. She couldn't exactly be able to bring herself here and ask him personally, cause she's too embarrassed to invite a guy."

They both burst out laughing.

"Yeah, I will talk to him about it."

My father shrug off the thought afterwards and went back inside the house to defile my mother that night.

However, they didn't stop there. A days later, when my mother was teaching the young girls in the neighborhood on how to easily remove the any stains with lemon and baking soda, to help them clean the houses more efficiently. They asked her questions about me, telling her.

"Excuse me, but what does your son often do when he's not working?"

"He often spends his time working out on the gym or in his room." She casually replied.

"Is he going to be busy tonight?" She asked. They pretty much asked for the same thing. My mother on the other hand, was smirking at that idea. And she was keen on making me go outside to socialize.

One day when I was flexing in my room after hours of working out. My mother knocks on my door, she opens it and says.

"Masahiko, there is somesomeone who is waiting for your downstairs." She told me.

"Im coming down in a second, mom."

She giggled and closed the door. Assuming it was just a another online delivery that arrived, I simply walked downstairs, sweating and only wearing a tanktop, drenched in my sweat. As I was closing in to the front door, I felt a trickle of sweat dripping on my forehead. So I grab the bottom part of my tanktop and lift it up to swipe the sweat on my forehead. When I look towards the door, I stood frozen in shock and was utterly speechless. I could feel my heart drop. Standing in the door was two girls, blushing and looking at me intensively. After a few seconds, I realized that I was revealing my abs to them and I was only wearing a tanktop. I wasn't properly or modestly clothed and I was revealing so much of my body. I immediately put down my shirt to cover it up, but my clothes has ripples on them, and it was soaked in sweat it was practically a see through. I was so embarrassed I ran back inside and told them.

"Wait, I'll be back!"

I couldn't help myself but to stare at him steadily, I watch as his sweat trickles down his chest, leaving him oiled like a baby otter. His specs was so smooth and his shoulders are broad and lean. I was thinking of turning my head away, but my body wouldn't comply. This was the first time I saw him again in several years. He's alot bigger now than he was before, he's completely different tham before. I wasn't expecting this kind of reunion, but definitely memorable. One of the girls thought.

As I was running towards my room, I could hear my mother talking and giggling.

"You see, my son is already a big boy." The girls giggled. I wipe off all of my sweat, put on some deodorant before wearing new, fresh clothes. I heard my mother knock on my door before entering my room with a smug look on her face.

"What was that about?" I frustratedly asked.

"Son, the girls wanted to invite you on the food bazaar nearby, I thought it might be time for you to go out and make some friends." She told me.

"Mom, im not a kid anymore, I dont need to do that!" I responded. "But you need to get along with the teenagers of this neighborhood though."

Said by my father as he intervenes with us.

"Their parents are also wondering why you're not communicating so much, they might look at you with suspicion of you don't get along with anyone!"

I didn't argue any further and just went on with their request, he did prove a point. Its not just my reputation that could be viewed with such perceptions, but also their. I reluctantly agreed to go with the girls to the bazaar. I never went to wonder where such places are found in our neighborhood, especially with other people other than my parents ever since I leave Misaki. So I was partly nervous and excited as I didn't know what to expect. I was walking behind the girls and keeping a considerable distance between them. Im being cautious that I might smell bad, I dont want them to be disgusted by me. As we continue to walk, I notice that they keep glancing back at me and they're walking slower each time they do. The next thing I know, is that we're walking at a snails pace, until they stop walking and looks at me. I silently stood still, steadily looking back at them.

"Um...You don't have to be shy you know." The girl says.

"Im not." I simply told her.

"Then come closer." She said. And before I could react, she grab my arm and walk by my side holding on to it. I try to remain calm as I felt a sudden thrill of exaltation as her hands encroach and wrap around my arm. She and the other girl were really close to me.

I began to feel anxious about my situation, but I took their unhinged reaction as a sign of assurance. I try to not be dull and boring, so I thought I should say something, it doesn't have to be a long conversation but just small talks to make them feel im invested to what we're going to do.

"Is it far?" I asked.

"Not really, its just close by." They immediately replied.

"So how often do you two go there?" They look at each other silently.

"Um, actually...this is also our first time going there..." The girl says embarrassingly.

"Yeah, that place is usually crowded and its hard for us to squeeze in." Then told me.

We arrive at the place and it reeked with the smell of meat burning on charcoal. There were alot of stalls with different foods to choice from, a wall of people stretched along each stall. They were right when they told me that this place is popular among teenagers, almost everyone I can see here is just around my age. They're all young, wearing fashionable clothing, with earphones on their ears and scrolling through their phone as they wait in line or the benches nearby. We fall in line and waited for our turn to order. But as I lool around I begun to feel reluctant about buying anything, as everything that is being sold here has too much calories in them, I am not willing to let it ruin my physique. I am standing in line beside them, only because they might get bump out or get cut off in line as it was really crowded. When it was our turn to order, she looked at me and asked.

"What would you want to order?"

"No, I will look for something else." I immediately responded. We went to two more stalls and we got out with their food. I turned to them and said.

"You two go ahead, I will look for something else."

"Of course, you need to be careful of what you eat because you're a bodybuilder, right?"

I responded with a nod and went off on my own. I explore the place that is full of alluring scent of food. The place is colorfully decorated and brightly illuminated in the silhouette of the night sky. It was a marvelous sight, I try to resist as much of the food that contains top much calories in them. But as I traverse through multiple stalls, I couldn't hold back anymore. I've been working out and cautious about what I eat for a month now, I was terrified to break that record but at the same time I think I should treat myself. All other bodybuilders have a cheat day, so I think it wouldn't be wrong if Iet myself eat something I want. I couldn't help but feel irritated as people kept looking at me as I walk pass them, but knowing this is probably the first time they saw me. I couldn't blame them. I came back to where we were with my food. I saw them waving at me from a table, their eyes inviting, Taiyaki on hand. I casually approach them with a slight smile on my face.

"Sorry if I took so long." I said.

"No, not at all!" She told me.

"Please take a seat~" Her friend says, both of them scoot over, offering me to sit either next to her or her friend. I sat down to the closest one and laid down my snacks. They seem really inviting and friendly, so I began to let my guard down and put away my stoic attitude. I want to relax and be more approachable to them, I have no reason not to.

"By the way, I haven't really asked your names. If you don't mind."

"Oh, right, im Nakaya Megumi. Nice to meet you." She formally said.

"And im Ishioka Kaede! Proud to be your acquintance!" She cheerfully introduce herself. So the quite, gentle and calm one is Megumi, and the cheerfully, energetic one is Kaede. This is the first two person I befriend in a long time.

"Your name is Akagi Masahiko, right?" Megumi told me.

"You know my name?" I asked. I was quite shocked when pronounce my name without mistake. It seems like this isn't the first time they talked about me.

"Of course! Don't you remember me?" She expressed in wistfully. I try to remember if I did met her somewhere else, but couldn't. However she does feel familiar.

"Im sorry, but have we met each other before?" I aksed. I feel like trying to lie and lie my way our of her would only worsen the situation. Her face shifted from frowny to smiling in almost an instant.

"Hehehe, its okay, its been a long time as well. Its me, we used to attend the same school when we were in Highschool!" She happily told me.

"Wait, back in Shizuka?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed in excitement.

"Im the one who use to caress and tease you about it."

She told me. I then suddenly got flashbacks from when I was im Highschool, she did use to do it from behind whenever im talking to the other guys in my class.

"Oh! Im remember you! You we're our class representative during that time." I passionately replied. She nods enthusiastically while giggling.

"You were always piled up with work because our teacher entrust you with taking care of some papers." I added. "Correct." She said in a playful manner.

"I was often pent up and stressed...that's why I always squeeze you to relief some of it." I look at her suspiciously before asking.

"Why me?" In a jokingly manner.

"Among the guys in our class, you're one with the toned body physiques. So I have some muscles to squeeze on you. And you were innocent and naive compared to everybody else, so you neither enjoyed or complained about it. Which makes you a really preferable choice." She told me before she laughs.

"I wish I could've done that as well." Kaede mumbled.

"Eh?"

I looked ay her surprised.

"Hey, you did get to hold his shoulders when we were walking around!" Megumi told her.

"Yeah, but that was only his arms." She reasons.

Are these two perverted or something?

"Sorry if we're creeping you out, but we are growing an interests in working out. We always see you workout and jog everyday, and now that we get to see how your muscles got bigger. We couldn't just hold our excitement." Megumi told me.

"Yeah, we're sorry~." Kaede added.

"Its alright, im fine with it. Im glad to hear that you two want to start exercising." We laugh together, it felt good to be with people again. Its kinda amazing that after all these years, Megumi. One of my former classmates still remember me. The night felt quite blissful, so memorable. Minutes later, a girl approach our table and look at us.

"Hello~ Sorry im late." She says as she sat down with us.

"Oh, Rin-chan! Glad you make it." Kaede says.

"Is she with you guys?" I asked.

"Yeah, she came over from Kawasaki." Megumi replied. "Kawasaki..." I mumbled. Rin's eyes widen as she laid eyes on me. She seems to recognize me but I dont know when did I meet her.

"Wait, your Akagi, right? Akagi Masahiko." She asked.

"Oh, you knew each other?" Kaede aksed.

I look at her and shook my head in confusion. I sat down patiently anticipating for her to tell me where and when did her and I met, as I am curious as well.

"Do I know you?" I politely asked.

"No, but I know who you are!" She said.

"I see you almost everyday." She sat down and look at me dead in the eye.

"You're Misaki's boyfriend, you use to go to the university to see her everyday."

I didn't know what was I expecting to come out of her mouth, but hearing that name somewhat woken a forgotten emotion buried deep in my heart. Like reigniting the embers that use to burn scorching flames of hate and sorrow.

"Oh..." I said disappointingly.

"Why did you leave her? She was devastated when you left her." She declared. I dont feel like reminding myself of what happened back there, what happened between us. Im beginning to feel the pain again, im not ready to embrace it yet.

"Its a long story, I don't want to talk about it." I replied.

"Why not? You know, many have been seeking an answer of why you left such a beautiful girl like her. You don't know how sad she got when she saw you left her without saying anything." She told me in a sassy manner. I didn't respond and

remained silent. I eat my food while Kaede and Megumi talked to her and for a moment, everything is going great for me. Until they both decided to get more food, leaving me alone in the table with her.

"You two are so lovely together! She was your childhood friend, what could've gotten wrong between you two?" She told me. Still trying to interrogate me about what happened.

*Scoffs* "I said I don't want to talk about it." She leans back.

"Fine, but I just think you should've been more considerate of your actions." She responded. Is she implying its my fault?

"Excuse me, what do you mean by that?" At this point I feel like my innocence is being attacked.

"Well, you're quite fast to leave her, if you knew and love each other you should've tried to fix the problem first." She argued.

"She cheated on me, there was no fixing that." I told her in a straightforward manner with a grimly voice.

"Can you blame her?"

...

"I knew what happened, I knew what she did. But for me, I believe she has as reason to do it. She wouldn't do that unless you make her feel like she has to." My blood was starting to boil.

"I dont think I should be held accountable for something she had done. She was fully aware what she was getting herself into."

I replied.

"Come on, if you really love her, you would be more understanding, more patient and forgiving. Try to think from her perspective." "Well how about how I feel?" I angrily said.

"Ever think about that? I was working so hard so I could build a better future for the two of us. She knew that, yet she still chose to have fun with another guy."

This woman thinks they're never wrong and men don't have emotions. Trying to justify a malicious act is as bad as committing one.

"But don't you think you could've have prevented it from happening if you we're only willing to sacrifice a bit more?"

"Im prepared and was already giving my all, as long as she does the same. Im not into one sided love."

I camly respond. I realized that its no use to further elaborate it with her, she is not willing to hear my part of the story. Or neither does she care about my perspective of the situation. She wanted to reason with me even more, but I just sat down silently. I didn't say anything back and when Kaede and Megumi returned. She slowly back down was forced to change the topic. I try to blend in and laugh along with them for a several mimutes before leaving. I should just ignored her provocations, however I felt like making a case for myself. This isn't the first time her friends questioned me about this, and I knew this wouldn't be the last.