“Why you come here?” Mika asked when I ring her door. I rushed to her house from airport.
“Where’s Aki-chan?” I asked.
“Ohno-kun, you didn’t know? She’s not here anymore,” she said.
“Where’s her? I got a phone call. They said she met accident. I’m sorry, I can’t come earlier. She is still at hospital?” I asked.
“Ohno-kun, come in. You should have a drink,” she said and invited me into the house. I entered the house and sit at the sofa.
“Here, have a drink,” she said and gives me a glass of water.
“Which hospital? Where is Aki-chan?” I asked after drink the water.
“She’s not at the hospital, Ohno-kun. She died, 2 days ago,” she calmly said.
“What?” I asked her. It can’t be true.
“She’s not here anymore. She’s gone,” she said and takes a deep breath. Her eyes start to become teary.
“You’re lying,” I said in a very low voice.
“She’s not, Ohno-kun. She isn’t lying,” Natsuko said when she’s already out of the room.
“But, I just met her before I go. She’s okay at that time,” I said with a very low voice. I start to cry.
“Mika, go and take her box,” Natsuko said to Mika. Mika nodded and walks to Aki’s room.
“Be strong, Ohno-kun. I’m sure she didn’t want to see you like this,” Natsuko said.
“She’s my friend, Natsuko. My best friend since I was a little kid,” I said.
Mika comes out with a big box. She placed the box in front of me.
“We think, this is for you, Ohno-kun. Take it,” Mika said and push the box to me.
“And,” Natsuko opened a drawer in front of the table. “You should read this. Take it home with you,” Natsuko said while gives me a book, or more like a diary.
“I think you better go home. It’s late of the night,” Mika said.
I take the box and the diary with me to my house.
I sit on my bed. I open the big box. There’s a lot of White Roses that made by paper in it. Each and every of the White Roses has a number in it.
3 years ago…
“Aki-chan, what’s you wanna do?” I asked her.
“I wanna make 1126 of White Roses. I wanna make it by paper,” she said.
I laughed. “Why White Roses?” I asked.
“I don’t have to buy a colourful paper to make it. White paper is cheaper,” she said to me.
“You little stingy girl,” I said and she laughed.
“Why 1126 of it? Just make 2000 of it,” I asked her.
“I don’t have to tell you why. It’s up to me, right?” she said. I pouted. She laughed at me.
I opened her diary. I read the first page.
July 22 2007
Dear Diary,
I don’t know why I make a diary. Maybe I wanna state my mission here.
My mission is to make 1126 of White Roses by paper.
Why I wanna do this? I feel like it. I’m so crazy. I wanna make White Roses because White Rose is my symbol of my silence of love towards him.
Why 1126? It’s his birthday. November 26. I’m so crazy but I really wanna do this. Even though, it pretty obvious that I won’t have any courage to give it to him.
I can feel a tear is falling down my cheek. I wiped it. She loves me? I didn’t even know. I opened a random page.
April 14 2008
Dear Diary,
I wanna list out what I really want to tell him.
1. I like your quietness.
2. I love your stupidity.
3. I love your art work.
4. I like your face when you’re playing with the clay.
5. I love to look at you when you’re on your focus.
6. I love to cheat on you because you’re really easy to cheat on.
7. I love you because you care about others.
8. I love your spontaneous.
That is 8 things I like about him. If only I could tell him that.
8, it’s her favourite number.
“I want to put 8 tables in every corner,” she said to Mika.
“Akiko! Where to put this stars?” Natsuko asked her.
“Natsuko! The stars, it’s 9 of them. Make it 8. Throw away one of it,” she said to Natsuko.
“Why 8?” I asked curiously.
“It’s up to me. I’m the president. 8 is my favourite number,” she explained.
“Choose another number. You’re really irritating with your 8,” I said.
“Let it be. Every atom needs 8 electron valences to achieve stability. Look, Chemistry loves number 8 too,” she said eagerly.
I laugh a little. I wiped my tears. I opened the last page of her diary.
July 20 2010
Dear Diary,
I don’t know why but I feel like I couldn’t finish my mission. I’ve make 1124 of it. I should think that I could finish it, right?
I know, I make one White Rose now. And it will be 1125. One more to go. But I feel very tired.
If I can’t finish it, I want someone to take care of my mission, finishing it. And maybe help me to give these White Roses to him. If anyone ever read my diary when I’m already gone, please, please help me to do it.
I close my eyes. Another tear falls.
I take a white paper. I start make one White Rose with it.
“Aki-chan, teach me,” I pleaded to her. I wanted to know how she make rose with a paper.
“Just play with your clay. Don’t bother me,” she said to me.
“Onegai… Aki-chan…” I pleaded again. She looked at my face.
“Okay, but you can’t bother me after this,” she said.
I finished a rose. I take a pen and write a number in it.
1126
Your mission is completed, Aki-chan.
I don’t know when but that night, I sleep with her diary and White Roses.
I go to the graveyard. I approached the stone slowly.
Shimizu Akiko
June 27 1984 – July 22 2010
“Rest in Peace”
I place a bunch of White Roses on her grave.
I didn’t know you love me, Aki. And I hope you know now that I love you too. Goodbye, my love. Thank you for being in my life.
A/N : The dates in the story mean a lot to me… June 27 and July 22… The birthday of Shimizu Akiko is the birthday of someone that used to be closed to me. The date of Akiko died is the happiest day of my life that turned to be saddest day…
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