You are my Endless Memory: episode 28 ""A little distance""

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"Don't thank me. By the way I have a way to release stress when we are unhappy."

"Really? How?"

Joon smiled faintly. He walked toward Jumi and stood behind her. Jumi spoke out.....

"Joon! What are you going to do?"

"Just hold on tight."

Jumi grabbed the swing robes and held them tightly.....

"Alright! Are you ready? 3......2..........1......"

Joon counted and then swung Jumi strongly....

"Is this your way to release stress?"

"Yeah... Try closing your eyes."

Jumi closed her eyes as Joon had told her to. Joon smiled and said....

"When you do like this, it's like the wind is blowing your sadness away."

Jumi listened to Joon's words and smiled for no reason.................

Jum's diary entry....

"Can I still be close to Joon? I know I'm being selfish and stupid to ask this question but what should I do? It's just too hard trying to tell him to go away from me when my heart almost stops beating because of painfulness. Can I just do it? Can I just do this one little thing for myself this time?"

Next morning.....

Jumi was walking alone in the school hall. Accidentally, she ran into Joon who was also there.....

"Good morning Jumi!"

"Morning Joon!"

A pair of eyes was staring at them from a corner. Joon looked around and finally met those eyes. He shouted out.....

"Oh??? Hello Misa!"

Jumi turned and looked at Misa who was looking back at her and Joon expressionlessly. Without any responses, Misa turned around and walked away. Joon turned to look at Jumi whose face suddenly turn upset....

"That's ok Jumi! Don't be sad. She can't make up her mind now. Give her a little time."

Jumi looked at him and responded.....

"Alright! I'm ok with that. As long as I still believe she's going to be as normal as before one day."

Joon looked at her and smiled......

"Ok! Joon and Jumi! There are only 2 of you today since we've got to rehearse the ending part which the other casts are not needed."

The drama teacher spoke out. Joon asked....

"So, which part we're rehearsing today teacher???"

"The dancing part!!!"

"Dancing part?!?!?!?"

Jumi exclaimed out of surprising. She almost forgot that there's a dancing part in "Sleeping Beauty"......

"Yeah... You both have to dance today. Alright! Let's get on the stage."

Joon and Jumi walked up the stair and stood on the stage in drama club....

"Ok... So Joon! Put your left hand around Jumi's waist. Jumi! Put your right hand on Joon's shoulder. And Joon hold Jumi's hand with your other hand."

Teacher spoke out. They both did as teacher had told them to....

"I'll play the music now. You have to get your feeling into the song to dance beautifully."

"Yes teacher."

"Ok! 3.....2....1....."

Joon looked at Jumi and smiled. Jumi's face suddenly turned red and her heart thumped. She quickly turned to another direction. The slow music, "Once upon a dream", was played smoothly in the drama club. They started to dance along the song. Suddenly...............

"Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Oops! Joon! Are you ok? I'm so sorry!"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!"

Jumi accidentally stepped on Joon's feet hardly. She kept apologizing with guiltiness. Teacher spoke out.....

"Jumi! You have to concentrate when you dance."

"Yes! Teacher! I'm sorry."

"That's ok. Alright! Let's start again."

15 minutes later.............. 20 minutes later........... 45 minutes later..............

"Jumi! Look into Joon's eyes when you dance. Don't look at his tie or shoulder."

"I'm so sorry! I'll try to do better next time."

"Ok.... So this is all for today. You both can go home now. Make sure to come on time tomorrow."

"Yes... Goodbye teacher."

As teacher had already left, Jumi took her bag from the table near the stage. Joon looked at her and said....

"Jumi! Are you tired?"

"I'm not tired at all. I'm just a little bit guilty that I couldn't do a good job."

"Don't worry! There are quite several days left until the competition day. I'm sure you'll do a very great job."

Jumi looked at him and smiled faintly.......

They walked out of the drama club together. Joon spoke out.....

"Jumi! Let's go home together."

Jumi suddenly remembered Misa's expression this morning. She responded....

"Hmmmm... Joon! I'm sorry to say this but we should keep a little distance."

"Are you trying to tell me to go away from you again?"

"No... Joon! It's not like that. I ... I.. I just wanted to say that I can go home alone. We shouldn't be together almost all the time. You told me that one day Misa will understand but how can she understand if we keep doing things that make her misunderstands."

Joon stared at Jumi.....

"Please Joon!!! Do it for me, ok???"

Joon looked into Jumi's eyes. The eyes that making him unable to refuse.....

"Alright then! But I'll take you to the front door."

"Ok!"

Jumi smiled faintly.......

"Be careful Jumi!"

"Yes... You too! Goodbye Joon!"

"Bye!"

Joon had been looking at Jumi until he lost sight of her. Jumi walked slowly along the street. She could feel a little aching inside....

"""""This is the only way I can still watch over you without hurting Misa's feeling.""""""

Next morning, Jumi was walking alone as usual. She looked at the grass field behind the building where she had first met Misa. Immediately, she noticed a group of girls were surrounding someone. That reminded her of Misa. So she decided to take a look. What she saw from the distance really shocked her. The girl that was being surrounded was Misa. She was about to walk in and help her but having thought of the last time, she realized she wouldn't able to help at all. She was thinking of a way then she shouted out loud.....

"The guard!!! The guard is coming!"

That really works. After hearing that, those girls were startled and suddenly ran away. Jumi felt very pity for Misa whose face got beaten up hardly and her books were teared apart. Jumi walked toward her and tried to lift her up.....

"Misa! Are you ok? Let me take you to the infirmary."

"Senpai! I hate to let you see me like this. I want to stand up on my own. I don't need your help anymore."

Misa snatched her hand from Jumi's grabbing and said in tears. Jumi responded.....

"Misa! Why are you saying something like that? Though I always help you when you're in trouble, but I've never thought of you as a girl who can't stand up on your own."

"But I don't need your help. Go away from me!!!!!"

"Jumi is trying to help nicely. Why do you have to be so disrespectful???"

A guy walked in and spoke out calmly. Jumi looked at him and exclaimed.....

"Kei!!!"

"Come on Jumi! Let's get out of here. She doesn't deserve a help."

Kei said and dragged Jumi out of there....

"Kei!!! Wait....."

Without listening to Jumi, Kei kept holding Jumi's hand and walking without even looking back or realizing someone had been watching them from a distance. While Misa was sitting and crying alone on the grass field, someone walked toward her and held out his hand to lift her up......

"Kei! You shouldn't have dragged me out of there? I have to bring Misa to the infirmary."

Jumi said and was about to return to help Misa but her hand was grabbed tightly by Kei....

"Jumi! Don't go! Didn't you see the way she behaved?"

"But.... But.... She's hurt really bad."

"You shouldn't give a help to someone who doesn't want it."

Kei said and stared at Jumi's unhappy face......

At the infirmary.....

"I'm going back to class now. You can use that handkerchief and return it anytime u want. Take care yourself."

He was about to leave but Misa dissuaded.....

"Joon senpai! Wait!!"

He turned around. Misa continued....

"Thank you!"

Joon smiled and walked away. Misa took a seat on a chair in the infirmary. She was thinking back of the moment when Jumi walked toward her and tried to help her. Jumi's worrying face and words made Misa feel guilty with what she had said to Jumi......

"Ok! That's all for today. Jumi! You still couldn't look straight into Joon's eyes when you dance. Keep working on that, ok? The competition is near."

The drama spoke out after the rehearsal was over.....

"Yeah... I'll try my best. Sorry teacher!"

Jumi quickly tidied her stuffs. Joon spoke out....

"Jumi! Are you in a hurry?"

"Yeah... I think it's late evening already. I'm afraid it would be dark. I'm going home first. Good bye Joon! See you tomorrow."

"Good bye Jumi! Be careful on your way home."

A moment after Jumi had left, Joon prepared his stuffs and was about to leave. Suddenly he noticed something sparkling on the floor. He picked it up and realized it was Jumi's hair clip. As he thought Jumi wasn't very far ahead, he decided to run after her and return it to her.....

"Jumi!"

Jumi was surprised as someone called out her name when she reached the school front door. She exclaimed....

"Kei! What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for you."

Kei said with a sweet smile.......

"Waiting for me? Why?"

"There is an ice-cream shop, on the way to your house, which just opened. Do you want to drop by?"

"Um... But it's evening already."

"Please... please... please... Only 10 minutes... I'm going to take you home."

Jumi was a bit hesitant but she couldn't refuse Kei's begging....

"Alright then. Just 10 minutes??"

"Yeah... princess..."

Kei smiled happily.....

"Welcome to snowy ice-cream shop."

A friendly waitress walked toward Jumi and Kei and welcomed them with a smile....

"I want a table by the window."

"This way sir."

The waitress guided them to a table for 2 by the window....

After ordering, Kei sat and stared at Jumi for a second before speaking out...

"Are you tired with rehearsing?"

"Not really. It's fun though."

"But you're sweating so much."

Kei said and took out a piece of tissue to wipe the sweat from Jumi's forehead. She was very surprised. Kei looked at her surprising face and smiled without realizing.....................................

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To be continued

JuLinA

Sorry for the super late posting

As apologizing, this episode is longer than the other episodes... xD

Something special is going to happen on competition day....

So stay tune... ^^