I was sitting on my usual spot and everything looked familiar- The same old chair that had its colour faded, I recall it used to be polished brown but it seems with time things changes but the nostalgia of me sitting in this chair while gazing outside is still as green as the morning dew. It had been 6 years since I last came here, I was relishing the old memories, I closed my eyes and was taking a nap when I abruptly woke up by someone knocking on my door.

"May I come in Mr Karishima?"

I heard a soft voice coming from outside, I was so mesmerised by my emotions and that old view from my window it felt as if it was my fragile realm that could shatter anytime. It sounded as if the person outside was from another world and once again I was lost in my thoughts until I heard the voice asking again:

"Mr Karishima are you there? May I come in?"

Hearing the voice for the second time I recognised that it was Miss Asaoka, she was a journalist, although I never met her I heard a lot about her. While remembering that I was here for an interview, I fixed my hair and adjusted my specs, after a while, I replied in the affirmative. When she came in I would be fibbing if I say I wasn't astounded, her hime cut* was like an explanation for her name Miss Asaoka*. To be fair, I anticipated her to be an elderly lady but in fact, she was a young lady with hazel eyes and long black hair with Hime cut. The round glasses that she was wearing looked too big for her face. Her attire reminded me of Marilyn Monroe*, the same blue pencil skirt with a coat and the silver brooch she had that shined as the ray fell on her while she entered the room. Judging by her appearance people would say she was a novice but her etiquette said otherwise, she was a bold lady while keeping respectability.

Asaoka's P.O.V

When I entered I saw Mr Yume sitting in a chair, his pale skin was as white as snow and his silk black hair looked so smooth, it was no doubt that he was an extremely good looking lad but his most elegant feature were his eyes, they were striking raven, he was smiling but his eyes looked dead, it felt as if it was telling a tale of its own. He was wearing quite casual wear, a plain white Hawaiian shirt with black trousers, it surprised me that the author of such a famous novel would wear something so ordinary. But despite this, in front of him, I was the one who looked bizarre, wearing excessively too many clothes that too in Summer. After starting at him for too long I didn't even realise that there was an awkward silence until he broke the silence:

"Miss Asoka, please have a seat."

I was startled and when I was back in my sense, I saw Mr Yume gently smiling at me. Gosh, it was so embarrassing, he was like a lost prince in the land of dawn and I looked like someone who got abandoned due to self clumsiness. After embarrassing myself a few more times, I finally took a chair and sat opposite him. We only had a table's distance between us but that distance felt like seven seas. Mr Yume was a soul that was out of mortal reach.

Yume's P.O.V

After Miss Asaoka finally sat down, I adjusted my chair as well so that we could interact more formally. Despite her confidence earlier she looked quite nervous now, it was weirdly funny how she was constantly avoiding making any eye contact. After taking a good amount of time while she was examining her Lavalier microphone and going through her little grey notepad again, we finally began our conversation.

Asaoka: Mr Yume when did you realise you wanted to be a writer, did you ever take courses?

Yume: I precisely never thought I would be a writer, it was all a fluke. I won't say I didn't take any courses I did take a few but real-life experiences taught me more than any course.

Asaoka: What do you believe is a good story like?

Yume: When you can make your readers feel the same emotions you feel while writing, that's what a good story is like.

Asaoka (with eyes full of curiosity): Your most prominent novel "When I didn't turn away" is said to be inspired by your own life. To what extent is it true?

Yume (smiles gently): It is undoubtedly fair to say "When I didn't turn away" is inspired by my own life. But a tale is a tiresome chronology until you add vision to it.

Asaoka: When we read a story we all feel it with our own emotions, how do you feel those emotions while reading your own story?

...Yume smiles and a breeze flows by the window through his hair as if it's saying a tale of its own, the rays falling directly on his eyes making everything go silent, it felt like even the world was yearning for his voice. At this moment Asaoka can see the emotion in Yume's eyes, those pale eyes with no existence were saying something...

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Yume: Well that would be a"long story full of emotion".

Chapter 1. He wasn't a liar

"With every spring comes a new beginning" that is what I believed but my beginning was a treacherous new city, new home, new school and new people. It was the start of a new semester when my father, Mr Karishima Kiyoshi called me over to live with him for my further studies, due to his job as the professor of the medical department he lived in on the mainland. For 14 years I lived in the countryside with my Aunt Saeko, she was an old lady with a plump figure and her Ben Franklin glasses which was as precious as a jewel for her, every evening she used to go around neighbours and give Taiyaki* to the neighbouring children this earned her a name "Taiyaki Obaasan". Life there was simply peaceful and leaving everything unexpectedly was indeed very overwhelming but despite that, I accepted to live with my father for my studies. I still remember the last day in my hometown, I went to the mountains where there was a spot from which one could see the "Orange tree" the name of that tree was given not because it was an Orange (fruit) tree but because of the leaves it had when the light passes through the leaves it appeared Orange. I spent a long time sitting there just refreshing my senses until the evening when one of the neighbourhood children's 'Keto' came.

Keto: Yume-nii, brother is looking for you everywhere, won't you see him before leaving?

Yume: I would like to spend my last day here without any interruption.

Keto: Isn't that just an excuse for your cowardice?

Keto looked at me with a frown. I was indeed afraid of facing the truth, not being able to answer Keto's question, not being able to answer myself and not being able to say the truth, I was standing there vulnerable and ready to run away. A few minutes passed and my aunt came to inform me that my father have come to pick me up. Keto had last hope in his eyes which was shattered as I walked away with my aunt.

Keto: Yume-nii! you're a Coward!

I could hear the despair in his voice, it still echoes in my ear. I bit my lip, swallowed the facts and went away. Before I would go inside my father's car, my aunt told me something that I still remember.

Saeko: Yume I may not be in the position of saying this but always remember sometimes we should just say the truth before it turns into a lie.

I looked into her eyes, it was the eyes of a concerned mother, the eyes filled with love along with the anxiety of losing someone but it wasn't about losing something that belonged to her. At that time I didn't understand those eyes but now I realised those eyes were concerned not because she would lose me about because I would lose myself. Growing up without a mother, I never knew what a mother's love was but with aunt Saeko, I can say certainly that I never missed that mother's love. I hugged her for the last time and went inside the car. I saw my father talking with my aunt and giving her money for taking care of my expenses which she politely refused and went inside the house which I will never forget. The fact that I was leaving my hometown didn't impact me until I heard the car engine starting and my heartbeat started to beat so fast that I could hear it. Thousands of thoughts were lingering inside my head, so many things were there to say, so many broken pieces were left to be made again and yet I was running again. I wanted to tell him the truth, I wanted to see him just for the last time, just once. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even hear my father calling me.

Kiyoshi: Yume, are you feeling alright?

Yume: "..."

Kiyoshi: I am sorry I couldn't contact you sooner but I was very happy when I heard that you're glad to come and stay with me. I am sure you will love the new place.

I could tell that my father was trying to cheer me up which I honestly appreciate. But seeing my father after a long time was awkward, I wanted to ask about my mother but he would never answer so I gave up after some point. After all "You can't change a clock's hand to move backwards". I was looking outside the window but unlike my usual room window, today the view outside was moving well, of course, it was moving since we were in the car. But when I saw the tress, the sea, the road and the wind, I once again wanted to be free but deep inside there was a voice that kept asking me "How long will you run in name of freedom"?

Again there was an awkward silence when suddenly my father said:

Kiyoshi: You know, when you were living with your aunt I was very lonely so I was living with a student of the Academy where I teach. He's a bright student but unfortunately, his parents live outside so he's living with us.

Yume: "Huh?"

Kiyoshi: Yea that way I am not alone and he got a guardian, you'll see that he's very nice you should get along with him.

As much as I didn't want to go there in the first place, now I might hate that place but despite that, I didn't say anything. Tho I won't deny that my head was a mess. After a long journey of almost 8 hrs, we finally reached my father's house or most likely "my house". As tired, I already was our apartment was on the 5th Floor and oh what luck, the lift wasn't working. So yeah we had to take all our luggage and start climbing. My thoughts were repeatedly saying ", it's a bad omen maybe I shouldn't go". When we finally reached the apartment, my father rang the doorbell and we could hear someone's footsteps coming when the door opened. A young boy, much older than me and taller, with slightly long blonde hair and hazel eyes, was wearing a pair of blue pyjamas with red rectangular glasses. He took a glimpse of me said:

"You must be Yume! Nice to meet you!"

Is this the bad omen my head was warning me about? kill me...