The Fading Moon Chapter 9: The First Confession

Read chapter 9 of The Fading Moon by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

September arrived quietly. The heat of summer slowly faded. Cooler winds drifted through Tokyo's streets. The leaves had begun changing color. Everything seemed to be moving forward. Everything except Mike. Because his world had become trapped between two emotions. Love. And fear. The more time he spent with Jessika, the stronger his feelings became. Yet the stronger those feelings became, the more terrified he felt. Terrified of losing her. Terrified of saying goodbye. Terrified that every memory they created might become a memory he would someday have to live with alone. The thought haunted him. Day and night. Without mercy. One Saturday afternoon, Mike was sorting through photographs on his computer when his phone buzzed. A message from Jessika. Jessika: Emergency. Mike immediately sat up. His heart jumped. Mike: What happened? Three seconds later: Jessika: I'm hungry. Mike stared at the screen. Then at the ceiling. Then back at the screen. Mike: One day I'm going to block you. Jessika: You love me too much. Mike nearly dropped his phone. His heartbeat skipped. For several moments he simply stared at the message. Love me too much. The words were obviously a joke. Obviously. Yet somehow they refused to leave his mind. Before he could think of a response, another message arrived. Jessika: Meet me at the park. Mike: Why? Jessika: Emergency hunger. Mike: That's not an emergency. Jessika: It is for me. Mike sighed. Some things never changed. And strangely... He was grateful for that. An hour later, they were sitting in a small park near the river. Jessika was eating snacks she had convinced Mike to buy. Mike was pretending to be annoyed. The usual routine. Yet today felt different. Because lately every moment together felt important. Every conversation. Every laugh. Every smile. As if his heart was desperately trying to memorize everything. Just in case. The thought made him uncomfortable. Jessika noticed immediately. "You did it again." Mike blinked. "What?" "The serious face." "What serious face?" "The one where you're thinking too much." Mike looked away. Unfortunately, she knew him too well now. "Maybe." Jessika smiled softly. "You worry too much." The answer came so naturally that it almost made him laugh. "You are literally the reason I worry." For a brief moment, Jessika froze. Then she smiled. A small smile. One that didn't hide how much his words affected her. And suddenly neither knew what to say. The silence felt different. Heavier. More meaningful. The kind of silence that appeared when emotions remained unspoken. That evening, they walked along the river together. The sunset painted the sky orange and gold. People jogged along nearby paths. Children played in open fields. The world felt peaceful. Jessika seemed happier than she had in weeks. Healthier too. At least for today. She laughed more. Smiled more. Teased him more. Mike found himself enjoying every second. Then suddenly she stopped walking. Mike looked back. Jessika was staring at a small photography exhibit set up near the riverside. Several local photographers had displayed their work. Nature photographs. City photographs. Portraits. Stories frozen in time. Jessika slowly walked closer. Examining every image. A smile appeared on her face. Then she looked at Mike. "You could do this." Mike frowned. "What?" "Photography." The familiar subject returned. Again. Recently, Jessika seemed determined not to let him forget his dream. Mike looked away. "It's too late." Jessika immediately shook her head. "No." "Yes." "No." "Jessika." "No." Mike sighed. The argument was hopeless. Then she suddenly pointed toward one photograph. A moonlit landscape. Beautiful. Silent. Almost magical. "It reminds me of you." Mike blinked. "What?" "The moon picture." "Why?" Jessika smiled. "Because it looks lonely." Mike stared. "Thanks." "You know what I mean." Unfortunately, he did. And somehow that made the comment even worse. As darkness slowly covered the city, they eventually reac