This is a tale of long ago, a tale of a girl named Lili and her best friend, Chale.
They gazed at stars together, shared their dreams and aspirations, and protected each other from their fears. There were no words needed when greeting each other-- just a simple hug was suffice.
One day, in the middle of one of her nightly walks, Lili discovered a hidden little steam glittering in the stillness of the shining sky. The gentle wind blew through the trees, playing a song of sweet tranquility. A sense of peace overcame her, and she smiled. Chale would definitely love this.
She ran to his house, nearly tripping over several fallen tree branches. "Chale! Chale! I found a stream in the woods!" she shouted with joy. The door opened slowly to reveal a messy-haired boy rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"It's too late in the night for this," he muttered.
She laughed. "It's only midnight! Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the woods.
"Wait-what?! I never agreed to this!" he protested, lightly blushing.
"But it's obvious that you're curious about it!"
"M-maybe, but I don't want to go see it in the middle of the night..."
"It looks so much nicer though! Oh! We're here~!" Lili let go of Chale's hand, and plopped down next to the stream. She turned to look at her awe-struck friend. "Isn't it just lovely?"
The corners of Chale's mouth twitched into a smile as he sat down next to her. "I suppose it is."
And there they sat for another few hours, admiring the beauty and brilliance of the secluded stream.
~
A few days later, school started. This time, Chale and Lili would have to go to schools based on their gender, and they would rarely get to see each other due to the fact that they will have to board at their respective schools. Chale was adoring; Lili was distraught.
"Don't worry Lili, I promise I'll try my best to visit whenever I can, okay?" Chale smiled at her and wiped away the tears staining her cheeks.
Lili nodded weakly and sniffled. "O-okay."
"At the end of the school year, after we both return home, meet me by the stream," he murmured.
They parted ways.
~
For the first few days, they did their best to stay in contact with each other, but it was clear that Chale was slowly drifting away. Lili tried to chalk it up to her imagination, but a few weeks later, while reading under the shade of the big willow tree at her school, she heard Chale walking past, laughing with his new friends. Lili excitedly jumped up and ran across the green field to greet him.
Crying tears of joy, she cried, "Chale! Chale!" and tackled him into a hug, only to be pushed away. The shock was clearly visible on her face.
He stared at her with cold eyes and muttered, "Stop doing that. It's embarrassing." Chale's friends whispered amongst themselves and pointed at Lili.
She took a hesitant step back and gave him a wavering smile. "Right. Sorry..."
Chale's facial expression did not change. "I guess I'll see you around town?" He then walked off without awaiting an answer, his friends following behind.
"Yeah...I guess..." Lili looked down at her book, trying her best to hide the tears falling from her eyes.
~
The school year had ended, and Lili returned home, dreading the meeting at the stream that she had found so long ago. She looked around; there was no sign of Chale anywhere. Would he even show up? she thought bitterly. She sat down and waited as patiently as she could. After a few hours, she decided to give up and go home. I'll check again tomorrow, she decided.
However, the next day came, and Chale still did not show up. Lili continued doing this for several more days, but eventually, she gave up. She knew that he would not visit. She had absolutely no intention to go to his house and remind him, for there was no point. He forgot about her. That is the simple, hideous truth.
Lili motionlessly sat down next to the bank, listening to the serene sound of the rippling water.
In the stillness of the shining sky, she reminisced about her loving memories while waiting for the bitter dawn to arrive.
(Based off personal experiences and the song Kagayaku Sora No Shijima Ni Wa, by Kalafina)
(Edit: And yes, I know that this post looks weird. I'm trying to fix it now, but I have no idea how to. :/ )
~Devi
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