Say it Right
“Jun?”
Jun’s eyes widened at the distress he heard in Mana’s voice. “Mana? What’s wrong?” he asked, speaking quickly into his phone.
“Can we… can we talk?” Mana asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” Jun said immediately, “What is it?”
“No-not over the phone,” Mana said quickly, “Can you come to the playground on 15th Street?”
Jun glanced at the clock on his desk. 4:30 pm. It was almost sunset, and this late into December, it would get dark quickly. But…
“I’ll be there,” he said.
“I’ll see you there,” Mana replied, ending the call.
As he got ready to go, his mind whirled with questions. What did Mana want to talk about? Why did she sound so distressed? Did something happen?
The feelings he realized he had for Mana on a warm summer day in D.C. had only grown deeper as the months passed. The more time they spent together, either with the band or just the two of them, the more he realized how much he loved her.
And the more he feared rejection if Mana didn’t feel the same way. For now, he was content with keeping his own feelings a secret and maintaining the status quo, with him and Mana only being friends. So far, it had worked.
Gliding down the road on his bike, he slowed to a stop as the playground came into view. He secured the bike on a nearby rack and made his way toward the swing sets, where Mana always waited. The afternoon sun was sliding below the treetops.
As expected, Mana was sitting on one of the swings, dragging a foot along the sandy ground. She looked up and turned around. “Jun!”
Jun gasped. Mana’s eyes were puffy and red, and she was sniffling.
“Were you… crying?” Jun asked softly, sitting in the swing next to her. “What happened?”
“I…” Mana swallowed. “I got in a fight with Samantha and Cara this afternoon. It was a bad one.”
Jun nodded, listening. Samantha and Cara were Mana’s close friends and rarely fought. “What was it about?”
“It was that stupid rumor that went around school earlier this year,” Mana said scathingly, “The one about me flirting with Samantha’s boyfriend.”
Jun scoffed. “Even I know that’s a dumb rumor.”
“But you know how gullible Samantha is,” Mana shot back, “And she brought it up again because apparently her boyfriend started asking about me.”
Jun looked up suddenly. “What?”
“Yeah,” Mana said, “She said he wanted to know if I was free because he wanted to ask me out.”
Jun’s mouth suddenly went dry. “And what did you say?” he asked faintly.
“What do you think I said?” Mana said sharply. “I don’t want anything to do with him! I don’t even know his name, let alone want to go out with him!”
“And you told Samantha that?”
“Of course!”
“Did she believe you?”
“No.” Mana sighed. “And the more I tried to explain, the worse it got. Cara took Samantha’s side and both of them ganged up on me. I ended up screaming at them to get off my back because I’m in love with somebody else.”
Immediately, Jun’s blood ran cold. His eyes widened and he took a sharp breath. It took all his strength to maintain his composure.
“I… see,” he croaked out.
Mana turned to stare at him, looking distraught. “No,” she said, her voice rising, “No, you don’t get it!” She got up from the swing and started to pace. “I hadn’t even admitted it to myself,” she said agitatedly, “but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense!” She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. “But you just won’t get it!”
“What do you mean?” Jun demanded, confused.
“You idiot!” Mana shouted. “You’re the one I’m in love with!”
The world suddenly flipped on its axis. Jun took a deep breath as her words sank in.
You’re the one I’m in love with!
Oh. Oh.
Mana suddenly gave a hysterical laugh. “Forget it,” she said, turning away. “It’s useless trying to convince you.”
She started to walk away, but Jun immediately got up and grabbed her hand.
“Wait,” he said. He drew her closer, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. “I’m sorry. What you said just surprised me, that’s all.”
“Do I need to hope for a miracle,” Mana murmured, “for you to feel the same way?”
“I already decided that,” Jun answered, “Months ago.”
Mana looked up at him. “What?”
“I was afraid you would reject me,” Jun said softly. “So I kept it a secret for as long as I could.” He reached up to stroke her hair. “Now I wish I had told you sooner.” He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.
“I love you, Mana.”
Notes:
Yikes. This got intense. Leave it to Mana to blow things out of proportion!