Have you ever asked yourself what do light novels and earthquakes have in common?
Who am I kidding, you've obviously asked yourself that ques-
What? You haven't? And yet you call yourself an avid light novel reader?
Ha~ I guess there's no helping it.
Then let me ask a different question, have you ever read a light novel that ended after the protagonist had a single encounter with someone?
No. Obviously not.
There. Is. Always. A follow-up.
So what does this have to do with earthquakes? Well, an earthquake is a destructive event where the accumulation of stress builds up and is released in one explosive force.
However earthquakes don't end after a single burst of destruction, they come in waves, or aftershocks, events that in some cases can be equally or more destructive than the original impact.
Are you beginning to see the connection?
That's right, this is the cliché that is ever present in almost every story, and yet people don't give it the recognition that it deserves.
Cliché 15: The aftershock
The encounters that will always come after the original one, because the story can't have everything resolved in a single act am I right?
Of course, there's a little more to it than just that.
If we were to also follow the typical behavior of the protagonist, then naturally they would be passive and unprepared for the second interaction. Not taking the necessary measures in preparation for what is to come and being dragged by the flow of the story.
But not me! Unlike those naïve and clueless protagonists, I've been diligently gathering information… although at the expense of looking like a stalker.
Anyways, I can confidently say that I'm prepared for whatever this situation throws at me.
So… BRING IT ON TOMIKO!
I turned around to see the familiar silhouette of a beautiful girl standing in front of me.
She stood there in a confident pose, with her hands to her waist, her legs slightly spaced apart, and her lips curving into a confident smile.
The sun hit her from behind, casting a dramatic shadow in front, while the yellow strands of her hair seemed to flow smoothly along with the breeze of the nearby ocean.
Now that I think about it, I wonder if these girls intentionally wait to call me out at the most dramatic locations possible. Well I guess it wouldn't be the same if she called me out in front of a convenience store.
Regardless, for a second time I found myself being confronted by Tomiko. At least this time around there's nobody to watch us.
"Tomiko… how unexpected to see you," I said while faking a smile, but it was in fact, very much, expected.
"Is that so?" She said with an inquisitive tone, "I find that a bit surprising, I mean after what you said to me in the rooftop, I thought you would've been expecting me."
Well I was expecting her but for completely different reasons…
"About that… I was pretty sure you hated me." I replied.
"Whatever may you be talking about?"
I raised my arm and pointed to the side of my head, "You know, how you kicked me and knocked me ou-"
"I have no idea what you're referring to" she interrupted me while turning her head away in a dismissive manner.
This girl… so that's how it's gonna be huh…
"Ha~" I let out a sigh, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Tomiko stared at me for a moment. She seemed a bit irritated by my question, but I had no intention of following along. After all, playing dumb sometimes comes with its perks.
"I've come to finally give you an answer to what you said before" she replied.
"To what I said?"
"You know…" Tomiko proceeded to very subtly blush, and ever so slightly averted her eyes, "That thing, you told me to say…"
Tomiko nervously squirmed around, pivoting her foot on the floor.
"You're gonna have to be more specific than that, I say a lot of things all the time." I answered and in response Tomiko gave me an annoyed frown.
Of course, I know exactly what she's referring to, I'm not an oblivious fool. But this is likely the most straightforward way of having her be honest with herself, rather than putting of a confident façade.
"That thing!" She said while gritting her teeth, and after a moment of hesitance, she continued, "How you told me to declare my love!" she blurted out, with the pink hue in her cheeks growing stronger.
Love huh…
"That time in the rooftop…" she paused for a moment, "I couldn't say it then, and it was my fault to begin with… Suddenly calling you out like that in front of everyone, in such a public place. I should've thought things more thoroughly… but I was just so excited! and… well… after I had time to reflect and calm down, I think I'm finally ready to say it."
Watching her nervously stumble over her own words like that, only confirmed my suspicions about everything that I had seen and unfortunately it seemed my hypothesis was correct.
I didn't even realize it, but the friendly smile I had put on slowly faded away.
Tomiko seemed to notice this and stepped forward with a reassuring smile herself, "No need to be so stiff Naoki."
I've always said that the volatile emotions of a girl are hard to predict.
"There's no one around us anymore. No more annoying onlookers, no more spectators, no one to interfere. So there's no need to keep your guard up."
But even at times like these, I end up asking myself one way or another, do girls fall in love so easily to begin with?
"I'll admit, you took me by surprise with your declaration on the rooftop, but that won't happen again I assure you."
The answer is no. Girls don't fall in love so easily.
Tomiko took a deep breath and closed her eyes. After holding the air in for a few seconds she slowly exhaled. She straightened her posture, and her fine, long eyelashes began to open up only to reveal a stern and resolute look in her gem-like eyes.
After performing her little ritual, she began to speak.
"Naoki… I…." she spoke slowly, softly and with a tender tone, "I love… I love y-"
Before she made the mistake of finishing her sentence, I abruptly interrupted her.
"Stop." I exclaimed.
Tomiko looked perplexed by my sudden interruption.
"…Eh?"
I'm sorry fellow readers, once again you have been denied a love confession.
But I can't let this girl throw those words away so carelessly.
After all, what this girl is feeling isn't love.
At first I thought she was simply the typical Ojou-sama archetype. The type who acts all high and mighty while flaunting her wealth at others. A personality somewhat similar to Nishida, and something that would explain why she was always by herself… but things weren't adding up at all.
In Nishida's case, people were fighting just to talk to her and fall on her good grace, even with her stuck up personality. But with Tomiko it was a complete 180, with people standing on the sidelines only to observe her and going out of their way to avoid her as much as possible.
Only after talking to Lulu did it become clear what Tomiko is experiencing… Reverse princess syndrome.
If princess syndrome calls for these rich girls to act like narcissists that are superior to everyone else, then the reverse calls for everyone to treat and see her as some sort of untouchable royalty.
That would explain why despite her best efforts to get along with those in her class, she was met with a wall. This is also probably what Lulu referred to when she said the others were keeping each other checked. It seemed they were afraid to taint their princess somehow.
Little did they know, their actions have driven the person they adore and respect so much to the point of confessing to a complete stranger, mistaking him for someone else. Perhaps even worse is the promise she made as a kid.
A promise like that by itself does not hold much significance, but now she's giving it so more meaning and treating like a life or death vow.
Anyways, knowing this, it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.
Her sudden confession on the rooftop, the reason she treasures so much a promise she made as a child and the reason she mistook me for someone else, it all makes sense now.
That's right, this girl isn't in love.
In fact she has mistaken her feelings.
What this girl is suffering from is loneliness.
"W-what do you mean stop Naoki?" Tomiko spoke nervously.
"Tomiko… I think you should reconsider." I replied.
"Reconsider? But… you were the one that said…" She said with a tone that struggled to keep composure.
She's correct. Regardless of my original motivations to steer negative attention from both of us, it's an undeniable truth that I have led her on.
But accepting her confession now is no different than taking advantage of a vulnerable girl. Which is why more than ever, I must take responsibility.
As such I need to let her off carefully and gently.
"Tomiko, what I said in the rooftop wasn't exactly right either…" I replied.
Her forehead furrowed and the once confident smile on her face disappeared into thin air.
"Back then, you said we made a promise when we were kids, and even if that was the case… right now I'm nothing more than a stranger, and you just can't be confessing to anyone especially a guy you just met."
Tomiko flinched upon listening to my response.
"But we have met before already…" she whispered in a low tone.
Again with that huh… I guess she really can't come to terms with the fact that I'm not the guy she's looking for.
"Even if that were true" I continued, "How do you know I'm still the same person that you see in your memories? How can you be sure I haven't changed?"
After uttering that sentence, Tomiko slightly lowered her head, and her bangs covered her eyes.
"Listen, I'm not saying I don't want anything to do with you, but perhaps it would be a better to get to know each other just a bit first."
"Why?" she suddenly cut me off.
"Huh?"
"Why do you pretend to not know? Why do you pretend not to recognize me? Why do you pretend to have forgotten?" she said with a heartfelt voice that showed the slightest hint of trembling.
Tomiko unexpectedly began to walk closer, until her face was just inches from mine. Her emerald eyes shined as she stared intently at me, while an adorable frown formed on her face. Her long, fine eyelashes framed her eyes, and her cheeks held a soft, rosy hue. While the sweet and delicate fragrance of peach surrounded her. Her lips were plump and-
Get ahold of yourself man! I screamed to myself in head, trying to hold onto my own composure. It seemed I was still vulnerable to some attacks after all.
I began to slowly back up, trying to create distance once again,
"I'm not pretending or faking anything." I replied, trying to appease her emotions, "It's just that…"
"You think I made a mistake." She exclaimed with a disheartened tone.
"What?"
"You think I made a mistake. You think this is just me being crazy right?"
Damn it, this isn't going where I wanted it to go.
"Not at all! I'm just trying to say that we should become friends first, get to know each other and stuff… and who knows maybe you will come to realize you confused me for someone else after all."
Tomiko looked up, but her expression reflected betrayal.
"I see… of course… right! How could I have not thought of that?! Silly me, right?!" she said while covering one side of her face with one hand.
Her reaction made it clear that I had messed up, but I couldn't figure out how.
Am I missing something? Did I overlook a piece of information?
"How could I mistake the person I made a promise to right? I must have been out of my mind!" She continued, "But say Naoki… when we were on the rooftop what was the first thing, I ever said to you?"
The first thing she said to me? Why would that be important? I mean it was just…
"My name…"
Right… how could she possibly know my full name if it was our first time meeting.
It was at that moment that I realized. I fucked up.
"Tomiko I-"
"It's Kido." She interrupted.
"What?"
"I said it's Kido; it's always been Kido, you keep saying Tomiko this, Tomiko that… as if you didn't call me Kido before… I don't get it" she said as her voice began to tremble.
"All the times you visited me, all the times we spent together, all the memories we made together… all the promises we've made."
Promises? Plural?!
"I've been alone for a long time… always feeling like I don't fit in… always the subject of jealousy, ridicule, envy! … I missed you… for a long time."
Don't. Please don't tell me this
"I wanted to see you again, so I was planning to visit you one day, but then!- Then I saw you transferred into our school. I thought it was a miracle; it was as if fate itself wanted to reunite us! I thought I would get to see once again the one person who meant so much to me and who understood me… what a fool I was wasn't I?"
The silence hung heavily in the air, her eyes looked at me as if they were pleading, desperately looking for the one thing she wanted to hear.
"...So I will ask one last time, Naoki-kun. Do you remember me?"
"I…"
I can't lie to her.
"I'm sorry, I don't remember."
Kido's eyes slanted upwards, and her eyes began to glimmer even more than before, but she quickly clenched her teeth before something threatened to spill.
"So that's how it is huh… Again… once again… I'm being pushed away again…", she murmured, "Sorry for troubling you."
Without batting an eye and trying to hide her face as much as possible, she began to run away, not looking back even once.
Cliché number 3… the sudden sprint of sadness.
I extended my hand out as if I wanted to reach out to her… as If I wanted to stop her.
But I didn't say anything… I had no right. And I watched her fade into the distance.
I let out a profound breath of air before falling back into a nearby patch of grass. Who knows how much time passed after that. I simply stared at the clouds up above, thinking.
Just like I wanted I was now calmly observing the sky above me.
And yet I did not feel any better, my heart only felt heavy.
I thought this time would be different, I thought I had gathered enough information, but it still wasn't enough.
Where and how did I meet her.
Who is she?