"Why must we all suffer?" Oh golly. Now that was a phrase I haven't said in a while.

I grabbed my wallet and payed the driver. Oh, I didn't say this, but there was a festival right around here. I dropped down after the 30-minute drive. Okay, I was ready.

I went up toward the people celebrating the festival all together. It reminds me of home.

Their lamps, tinted with orange, lighted their way into an upsurge of welfare and well-being.

The frisky atmosphere almost caught me tearing up. I saw a few groups of friends talking viscerally: this reminded me of good ol' characters hanging out together after a hard fight or tough time.

I closed my eyes. Friends like those were too much to give up, let alone your own tender soul.

"Savor the moment, but don't let it pin you down," was what I typed down on my collection of original poems. Philosophies like these were never read again. It only helped me immerse myself in the everyday without getting sidetracked.

I walked around the parameter. I wore my hood and put on my earphones for a mood. My walk was undisturbed, peaceful, and thoughtful.

I couldn't deny it, but I saw Rino. She was sitting on a bench away from the crowd, but watching nonetheless. I didn't know if she was lonely, or she liked her atmosphere that way.

I walked up to her with arms remaining at my sides.

She raised a hand in greeting.

I was astounded by her dress. I didn't think she'd go here with no one to be with, especially with her outfit. "Hey Sasha," I replied.

"Uhh, what, do you have anyone with you?" She raised her eyebrows, brushing her hair back to place against the rushing wind.

"Oh, I don't."

"Well, want to sit beside me?" she whispered, still staring at me.

"Oh sure," I replied. We both looked down and back at the crowd of people enjoying the festival together.

"Uh . . . I was walking just a while ago—it helps me think. . . . How about you?" I asked, still staring elsewhere.

"Oh, yeah, I was, yeah, you saw me. I don't have much friends around here. I was, just enjoying, myself here. . . ." she blurted, wiggling unconsciously.

"Oh. Aren't I—you know—y-your friend?" I stuttered. Eeek! Was I her friend, though? I thought to myself.

"You stopped coming to my house," she continued. "I thought you hated me or something."

I reassured her: "What? I don't—Oh. I did stop coming. I didn't know you saw it that way. I don't hate you. Not at all."

"Oh, want to go around or something like right now?" She insisted, standing up voraciously.

"Sure!" I agreed, taking the first step to wherever we were going.

After a minute of silence, we didn't realize the storm brewing above us. We stopped at a convenience store to refresh ourselves.

"Do you have an umbrella?" She was putting down her things onto the table while I sat down, looking at the fresh apples.

"Hey, you want an apple?" I asked at the same time as her, but my voice was louder. I realized what she said a few minutes after.

She had finally sat down, looking at me then replying, "Oh, uh, is that fine?"

"Don't worry: I like apples," I assured her. "I was also planning to buy anyway."

She looked at me with surprised looks.

I noticed and asked, "Why?"

She was slumped down on the table, staring down like she was in deep thought. She heard me and replied, "Oh, it's just that I eat apples too. It's my favorite. Well, my second favorite.

"My first favorite's mango. I like the sweet flavor."

"Oh okay—cool."

The next minutes was me and her eating pineapples because it had "apples" in its name and was color yellow like a mango. I didn't know why we didn't eat apples. No, my apples!

I remembered this taste. It was when my mom bought me this when we traveled to a convention. She's normally the reason I eat many things I didn't previously like. I loved them now.

When it came to pineapple though, I rarely ate it when I was young, so I rarely bought it. Maybe it was a good idea to try buying one of these, but they were pretty expensive. I felt obligated just to stick to apples instead.

We finished the pineapples, but some dropped to my shirt.

"Hey, do you want a napkin?" Her hands were very soft. Okay. Why did I just think that?

"Oh sure!" I didn't want to prolong the silence, so I wiped the mess up immediately and handed it back to her.

Sooner or later, the rain ended, we didn't have to stay and wait, but we did. The silence was nice: no pressure. Ha. I didn't know why, but she was not awful. Oh, wait. Is that a bad measurement?

What I was trying to say was that she was really nice.

We went back home through the same way.

The festival program already ended by the time we left, but there were people still wandering about, talking with friends and partners. It was indeed a refreshing, good night.

I put on my clothes: pants, white shirt, and sweater. I was a chill kind of person. I valued my comfort very much, thank you!

She was cooking up some food by the time I arrived. This looked wrong. Was I a dad now?

If my guitar was replaced with a suitcase, I'd be your average corporate slave. I hope offense wasn't taken by this statement. This person's opinions did not matter in this world.

"Hi!" she said.

"I made an effort to cook up some food for you, you piece of trash!" was what she'd say if this was a romantic-comedy.

She gave him the meal. He liked it. Of course he liked it. What would he like if he didn't like anything in this world?

Everything was going to be fine, she thought.

They started playing like just now. She didn't want to ask like she didn't know, but his flyer was open. This was totally still not a romantic-comedy.

Once he played the song, she almost forgot, but she told him about his flyer. He quickly zipped it up like nothing was wrong. Wow, she wished she was like that.

She asked him if he wanted a duo. He agreed.

They sang her song like he requested. He said he listens to my song every now and then to be inspired. Her mind was like, "Oh my gosh, kill me now."

She know what it was like to be praised by someone, but when someone said it in person, it was a whole new experience.

For sure, this guy was going to blow up. For sure. Well, he did blow up, but as in blow up, blow up. You get me?

"Hey, I was thinking," I said. I had a plan, but I would need to look for comrades.

"Yes?" Her voice cracked.

"Ah, do you draw? Or write? Not songwriting, I mean, write stories?" She didn't know how to ask without sounding insistent.

She thought for a moment and then replied, "Yes, I do! I write many, many! And draw too!"

"Oooh, oooh, oooh! That's great!"

I stared in silence for a second, almost forgetting what I wanted to say. "Hey, uh, I do those, too!"

The air strangled me: I didn't want to be here in the awkwardness.

"Do—you—want—to—do them together?" She looked at me with that smile. I felt like I've seen that before. Oh, it was when I first sat down with her on the bench... the awkward smile... that was it.

Our first drawing session was on one-portrait character illustration. I told her during the stretch: "I've always drawn characters like this. It helps clear my mind of questions that repeat itself."

The next round of comic creation was the character's background including the setting itself. We needed a fun yet meaningful story. I suggested a society of rebounds. A instance where the very idea of rebound resided until none could remember the difference of "dating" and "rebounding". I continued to propose the protagonist's place in the story. She, or he, could be part of a group of single adults. She could be an ambitious innovator who didn't associate herself with small talk. She was dedicated to her own happiness.

This was the case until one day, an intellectual gentleman came along with a slight interest in her. He was intrigued by her sincere passion to life. He managed a huge corporation and met her due to business matters. She ended up making a partnership deal with him which gave him a reason to talk to her.

They ended up as "friends", or how do I say this? Either debating, arguing, or agreeing, they engaged in intellectual conversation: philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, and science-fiction that could come true.

All the while this was happening, they loosened their guard and begin revealing their casual side, which resulted in an awkward self-awareness.

I asked Rino about this. She agreed with the premise and helped piece out the story line, expounding the possible story line.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

We had been drawing on our tablets all this time. I drew with my nifty stylus pet, but Rino used her mouse. I was dumbfounded: I had to stare at her hands every now and then to see if they hadn't broken yet.

"Hey, can I check your mouse?" She nodded, moving out of the way.

I handled the mouse. It was very light. Huh, I guess a heavier one is needed to break any hand, I thought.

"Rino, do you want music while writing?" I asked, putting out my phone.

She clapped her hands and replied, "Okay, I like dystopian music. How about you?"

I snapped my fingers and acknowledged, "I listen to rain sounds most of the time, but we can do dystopian music this time."

She grabbed her phone, connected it to the speakers, and played a dark ambience mix that resembled the "bad place" dystopias were known to be.

After several more shots at the comic, we arrived at a satisfactory spot and took a break. I asked her what she did whenever she needed to calm down like this. She answered, "I listen to songs or just lie down and close my eyes."

I laid back and closed my eyes, pressing down against my eyelids. "I see."

"Do you want some apples?" She was lying down on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

I tugged at my shirt collar and massaged around my neck. "Oh, yes please!"

She poured a glass of water and handed it to me. "I didn't know you were into art."

I took the glass and drank it whole. "Yeah, I'm. I'm into creative stuff."

She put her hand to her mouth and burped. "'You like writing,' you said? What kind of genres do you write?" she managed to say.

I licked my lips, thinking of a clear answer. "Oh, genres? Uh, hmm, anything, I guess? Anything except romance and comedy."

She undid her ponytail and shook out her hair. "Oh, that's nice. I'm more of a dark psychological thriller kind of person. I don't like too much "happy-go-luckies".

I stared at her as she moved back to her seat, and then stared at the empty glass.

She rested her chin on her left arm. "It's just not for me, I guess. The horror genre also described my interests in a way. But the sheer horror of dark, morbid things made one delve deep into his soul and think."

I sat upright, giving a bitter laugh. "I see."

"Why? You're not into horror I'm guessing?" She tilted her head toward me.

"Oh, no, not at all. I'm a fan of the ones you mentioned: horror, psychological, thriller. I just didn't think anyone would . . . like those things too, you know?"

We continued the comic until sunset, taking a few breaks. We stretched from time to time, even having to get up from our seat to get our body in peak condition.

Before I walked through the door of my home, I asked her if she wanted to hang out at my house this time. I told her it wasn't spacious but it was enough for us to hang out.

The next morning, I got up, put on a sweater, and walked out the door with a couple bucks to buy my irreplaceable serve of goodness—apples.

I took off my dark-blue cap, entering the store and asking the girl behind me,"Do you have a cat?"

She yelped. "You noticed? Yeah, I do. Didn't you see it?"

I grabbed a few items, specifically apples, apples, and apples, handing them to the cashier. "No, not yet. What's he like?"

Slowly, she described her pet friend: "He's handsome. He's, he's a cat. He's also a cat. Why do I need to explain?"

"D-d-don't you care about what he looks like at least? Not everybody has a cat you know!"

"Oh yeah, he's color blue. Oh, oh no. I mean his eyes are color blue."—I showed her my arm hair, rubbing it to point out what I meant—"His fur? Well, That's for another story. See you next time on Daily TV for addicts!"

"Uh, yeah. I-I gotta go." I humorously got up as if to leave, sitting right back down.

She had grabbed me, laughing. "I was kidding, come on!"

I put my soul into it, hoping to find an answer worth something. I couldn't tell what the feeling was, but it was certainly something I could imagine. I tried my hardest, but nothing came out. I asked Rino what she thought I could be missing. She said, "Oh, probably the end style of it."

"Wha . . . end style?" I gesticulated, a little bummed that she said it without hesitation.

"The 'end style' is defined by the connecting of the dots when it comes toward or for the end and how you do it. That's all."

On leaving the store, Rino told me she wanted to buy something from the market.

"I understand. Should I go as well?" I asked, suggesting I accompany her. "I haven't been to the market or anywhere for that matter since I transferred."

We strolled down a lane not far from the convenience store, but deep enough for me not to have noticed. I was ecstatic at the flower arrangements that piled up on the fronts of stores. The "market" in my head was not at all as beautiful as this. I was very pleased with the color schemes.

Since I was a kid, it all cornered down to me having to get a life after all the frustrations I've been through.

I didn't reckon there was such a life waiting for me if I stood my ground to get out and check. I didn't much like socializing and being outside, so it became a nuisance to me. I was here now, wasn't I?

Most of the people stared at me as I trudged through. I had forgotten how distinct I was outwardly in contrast to the majority of my peers.

I was mistakenly ominous by the people I had been with at military training. It wasn't pleasant.

I bought a few flowers and brought it home with me. I lay down on the bed, raising a hand to cover my eyes.

I wondered why I went home. "Oh, yeah, it was because she told me: 'What are those flowers for?'"

I didn't know why I bought flowers in the first place. I didn't know. Maybe it was for her, but it was advisable not to give flowers whenever I liked.

I wanted to give them to her, but then, I remembered. I wanted to live... alone. Gosh, I could live happy with her anyway. it was advisable to tell her how I feel. I didn't care any more.

I removed my shoes. It was time to say it. But first, we were going to finish what I came to do.

"Hey, Sky. Is it okay to call you Sky?" She was adding a few touches to the storyboard.

I was caught up in my thoughts. She repeated the question to me.

I came to my senses. "Oh, h-hey, what's up?"

She stopped and peered at me. "Can I call you Sky?"

"Okay."

"Hey Sky, since we're finished, you told me you wanted to say something?"

"W-what are you talking about?" My chest ached.

"You know? When we were at the market?"

I stared confusedly at her.

"You told me this: 'Rino? I'll tell you something later after the stuff later, okay?'"

"Ah, yeah. I did tell you that." I scratched my head, sweating from my forehead.

"So, what was it you were going to tell me?" She fixed up her things and put them in a stack.

"I-I . . . wait! I'll get you something—wait!" I ran across the pathway, huffing every couple steps I took. I barged into my house, looking for something. I found it dangling on my desk. As I took it, I made sure to remember my words and just go do it.

I arrived at Rino's house with her looking curious. With flowers behind my back, I struggled to bring out the few words I had left for that day: "I-I think I like you."

I gave her the flowers. She jolted, startled by it all. I could have taken longer than what I hoped for.

It was a good thing I woke up the next day, realizing it all really happened. I struggled to maintain my excitement, hoping I could die—I mean faint—oh wait, it was advisable just to take in the happiness—no dying here.

I asked her out. It was the important next step to my confession. She still couldn't understand what was going on. She said "yes". But she was still dumbfounded.

I also didn't know how to look at her now. It was extremely difficult telling a new friend you have feelings for her. It was easy considering the short time we had being friends. I could only imagine how difficult it would turn out to be after a couple months or years.

I remembered my last crush. She was insanely beautiful and sincere, but it all fell short due to my fear of intimacy.

I tried hard to live a life independent from intimate relationships, but after meeting Rino, it was just difficult spending good-fashioned time in the same room as someone so easy to talk to. I liked her as a friend, but if not for the fact that she was my ideal girl, I wouldn't have had feelings for her.

Honestly, I had practiced keeping calm during considerably harsh conditions or times when my heart wanted to show up on my face. I did so much I looked pretty much stone-faced.

For Rino, however, I didn't fall for her immediately. It was just my heart slowly slipping out as she exceeded my expectations to differ so much as to make my heart leave me.

I was ready to have her go. I just didn't think she'd stay.

Thank you Rino. For showing me what it meant to have someone, even if it meant we would never see each other again—I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I had to make a joke at least once.

So I was on my third day. Of being her—oh gosh. I couldn't say it. My tongue was tied.—girlfriend—oh wait, that wasn't right.— I mean—

"Sky. Where's the fruit stand you said you saw?" Rino's dark-blue dress resembled a wing from her belly to the top of her shoulders. She said it was supposed to represent this "rorscyhach test". I felt like I had heard that term before, but I couldn't quite remember what it was supposed to mean.

"Oh, too late, we passed by it around 10 minutes ago. We walked pretty zigzag remember? So 10 minutes of walking straight back won't work."

"Oh, that's too bad. For my second date, at least something has to happen, right?"

"Rino, the very best date for me is when you and me are doing the things we love best together. That's what I want." I shivered as I said this.

She didn't say anything and dragged me through the streets. I tried to stay calm, and I did.

"Hey, do you know what the 'roryscratchmyback' supposed to mean?" I asked her, wobbling as I wobbled from getting dragged along by a hefty girl.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I wanted the date to go well, but I didn't know how. So I thought running around was the best way."

"Common way perhaps? But we got our own thing, you know? And that's what makes us special." Where in the heavens were these words coming from...? I was enlightened.

I still didn't know what the "roarshock" supposed to mean.

We were invited to a place, far from our homes and away from solitude.

We were invited to a convention. They arranged a competition for singers and musicians alike.

I still didn't know if it was a good idea to go. She said she was going, and I said "okay." I couldn't say "no."

"Oh gosh. This is too much for your wise old man to bear. Let him rest."

"Sure 26-year-old man." I was on the 36th day of my "unindependence". Okay, okay, I was still independent. It was just now, I'm partnered, I guess? Well, not exactly married, would I be? I really hoped I knew what I was doing.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, "Let's do this!" Looks like someone was excited.

After the convention, we arrived home. We were hoping to find a good place to get our way and have fun alone, but everyone was either watching from 5 meters away or crowding us every so often. I even got to have the feeling of seeing bodyguards blocking fans away from us. It was surprising, really.

I was quite demoralized by the bunch of "no-nos" I was getting from this.

She was at my house. Our writing session's end was at hand, and my heart kept beating on how to explain myself.

She sat down, finishing off what she called the most romantic story of all time.

"Can we just be friends?"

After a while, she said quietly: "Oh okay. Don't worry. I-I had a feeling this would happen, but since you asked if we could be friends instead of forever blocking me off. I might be able to take what you just said."

"Ah, t-thanks..."

The night grew cold, or the air con in my room was too strong and needed to be lowered. I notice I never use the air con in my room, unless I get itchy or if room temperature just makes me dizzy instead of calms me down, then air con would be very useful and needed.

Well, she told me she'd cry, and she did. For some reason, even after all that, she walked up to me, sat on my lap, and cried, leaning toward me. She trusted me. I couldn't let these moments be wasted memories. She was a good friend, lover, and person. I won't let you down, Rino.

I touched down on my keyboard, hoping to get an answer. Why can't I write!?... writer's block? You... you... can go away now.

I couldn't force this. I needed to breathe. Where was my creativity wake-up pills?

Early morning got me kicking at the gym.

"Soon enough, I'ma be huffing like your dad on daughter-protection-service." A veteran commended me, not for my muscles, but for my jokes. That's still good. I think. Should I cry? Yeah, yeah, I think I should.

"Rino told me she needed space for a while. She needed to breathe like I do when I'm pushing weights. That's a bad analogy, isn't it? Whatever, just sign the papers!" The veteran guy laughed again. Hahahaha. That was a bad joke, why did you laugh?

Okay, after finishing my rounds, I got up and walked straight home. It was another fantastically weird day. Rino had urged me to visit the gym at least once.

She was right about it being cozy with its glass windows perfectly showcasing the rainy weather outside. With its air being dampened by humidifiers, my allergies didn't pop out from the intense, rigorous lifting I went through.

The glass windows might have been soundproofed, but that was not where the "music" of the gym came from. They came through the roof and from the roof we felt immensely calm. Intensely relaxing.

It was nice living the life with a few "itches" on the side for guidance.

I got to connect with my fans during a conference nearby. I didn't like traveling too far, so I only attended this one for the year. My fans were bummed I could tell.

I never once neglected my writing, even after I got writer's block. I still pushed myself to make ways, whether simple or complex, and "take a beating" for my creativity back. Until I realized, all I had to do was force myself to write.

Rino and me continued working again. It was fun seeing Rino smile. She tried not to smile back, but she couldn't help it.

I had gotten myself to indirectly send letters of my constant love, even if it was not romantic any more. I was very happy for her recovery.

I knew she was very dependable deep down inside, but I hadn't let her get the chance to show it most of the time. I waited for her to show up when I asked her through a letter I sent several weeks after the break. She did, and I was glad she did. I hugged for the first time after it all. I was happy she was back.

We repeated an attempt of incorporating a few new things to our schedule: going outside once in a while to get the stress off our shoulders and talking to each other about certain things.

We tried the entire schedule once. It was rigorous. So we toned it down to a sensible niche. We were not overworking myself now, everyone.

Communicating was going to be a mess. Get me out there someone. Oh, wait, Rino said she'll help. Save me Rino!

I hoped we soon reach our mark for our comics, novels, and music. I don't want to end up draining myself to death. So let's not do that, shall we?