Because the moon is so bright. / Unrequited Love Literature Club
I will be participating again. Thank you for having me.
I closed my laptop and happened to look outside, and there it was—something round and beautiful.
“Oh, is it a full moon today?”
It was shining there, undeterred by the city lights.
“Yeah,” I said, stretching as I stood up.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a LINE notification.
“The moon is beautiful, isn't it?”
The sender was a colleague. I replied, “I know.” It was read immediately.
“You’re off tomorrow, right? Want to go for a drink?”
“Sounds good.”
I replied instantly, shoved my phone into my bag, put on some makeup, and headed out.
When I arrived at the designated bar, my colleague was leaning against the wall by the entrance and waved.
“Hey, good work today.”
I asked why he didn't just wait inside, and he replied,
“I don't know. I just wasn't really in the mood for that…”
He looked so pained, like he was about to cry.
I felt an urge to hug his back.
“She was out drinking with some guy.”
“She” must be the ex-girlfriend he broke up with just a few days ago. Apparently, she was the one who dumped him. It’s no wonder he’s shocked to see a scene like that while his wounds are still fresh.
“…Look. Don’t make that face. I’m treating you tonight. Come on, I know a good place.”
I patted his sad-looking back and urged him to walk. The place, about a five-minute walk away, is a cafe by day and turns into a bar by night. It has a terrace where you can drink, so it’s quite popular on sunny days.
“Wow, how did you know about a place like this?”
“Well, you know. Come on, the full moon is watching, so don’t make that face.”
“My bad, I almost started crying.”
He slapped his face, and the sadness vanished from his expression. Thank goodness.
“Sorry, I just suddenly wanted to see your face. Was it okay for me to come?”
His words, spoken the moment we sat facing each other on the terrace chairs, made my heart skip a beat, but I hurriedly hid it.
“Hmm? It’s a bit late for that, isn't it? It’s not like I have a boyfriend. Anyway, what should we drink?”
“Yeah, I guess. Maybe a beer to start?”
I pretended to look at the menu while stealing a glance at the colleague in front of me.
He’s not exactly a heartthrob, but he’s totally my type… When we joined the company as new hires, he was already with that ex-girlfriend, so I gave up on him back then…
We ordered beer, edamame, and jerky, and took a breath.
“Did you know that if you make a wish on a full moon, it comes true?”
My colleague said, looking up at the moon.
“You mean like a ‘moon wish’? I’ve never done that before.”
“I just did it a little while ago. I wished that once I turned her into a memory and moved on, I’d find a great girlfriend.”
“That’s great. I hope it comes true.”
The server brought our beer and snacks, so I took them.
So, he’s really trying his best, too.
“Maybe I should make a wish too. ‘Thank you for letting me find happiness with a handsome boyfriend.’”
I meant to say it jokingly, but when I looked at his face, my heart skipped a beat.
“When I made my wish earlier, your face popped into my head. I wonder why…”
“I, I don’t know! Come on, let’s toast!”
Don’t say ‘I wonder why’ and look at me with that expression! You’re making me want to say it—that I like you! But I won’t!
“What, are you already drunk? You’re bright red (laughs).”
It seems I’m no match for this guy. But it’s frustrating, so I won’t say it. Like in the manga I read, I’ll make him say it.
“The moon is beautiful, isn't it?”
“The moon is beautiful, isn't it?”
…My colleague, and I. Our faces are red.
#UnrequitedLoveLiteratureClub