Seasons of Chances and Love 2: Perfect Love In Summer

It's Only You

It was a night that changed a lot about Fuji and Miyako.

It was a night that left a mark in their hearts.

And it was a memorable night—no matter what they had all felt that poured out after several confessions and confrontations—that had made them closer than how they had been before.

After all, it was a night of truth.

And that night was something that both of them cherished—albeit unknowingly to each other—even after a month had passed.

Busy schedule proceeded, as usual. Exams, extra curricular activities and friends kept them preoccupied. But not once had Fuji dared to miss a single instance to be with Miyako. Right after tennis practice for both the boys and the girls' teams, it was "alone time" for the two of them. It was such a lovely time that they wanted to live to the fullest.

Of course, their closeness was something that didn't go unnoticed to the rest of the Seigaku's population. To be specific, to Fuji's fan girls. To them, Miyako was a definite threat. But the fact that the girl belonged to one of the most prominent families in Japan was enough to actually scare them. The Yumemiya family wasn't just a rich family, but their reputation was also something to reckoned with. It was still a mystery to most of them as to why Miyako enrolled in Seishun Gakuen when she could've gone to Hyotei or any other more pretigious schools for that matter. But only Kana knew the real reason.

After all, that reason was something—or to be more accurate, someone—that even Fuji and the rest of his friends actually knew but never fully realized. Right now, whatever was the reason must remain a secret... until she was given the permission to reveal the truth.

-x-x-

Tennis practice was rigorous, as usual and it was no surprise to Miyako that she would be going home late because of that. And it was also no surprise to her that Fuji was waiting for her... again. It appeared that his team's tennis practice was finished earlier than her team's tennis practice.

"Aren't you supposed to head out somewhere today?" she asked. Well, Fuji told her about that yesterday when he said that he might not be able to walk with her home.

But no answer came out of the tensai's mouth. His face was serious, which at that point was something she considered a bit unusual on such occasion.

"Is there something wrong?" she couldn't help but to ask. She frowned as a result.

Again, no answer was spoken. Instead, he took out something from his bag and handed it to her. And he did so with a smile on his face this time.

Reluctantly, she took the gift-wrapped item from him. She couldn't help looking at him and the item on her had simultaneously. "What is this?"

Along with that gentle smile, Fuji approached her and embraced her tight despite the item in between them. Of course, she was surprised at that gesture.

"Seriously, Fuji-san, what's going on?" Confusion, surprise, and appreciation overcame her. She didn't know the right words to say other than to ask question about the situation and his actions.

"Happy birthday, Miyako..." he whispered to her ear that earned him a slightly loud gasp from her. But he expected that, though. After all, Mamoru told him that Miyako had a habit of forgetting her own birthday when she could remember every birthdays of her friends and family.

And right now, he was glad to know that he was the one who first greeted her on that special day... A day he though he never be able to celebrate with her. He knew it was the day she wanted to forget but as long as he was with her, he would never allow that to happen. He'd turn that day into something memorable for both of them.

As for the birthday girl, she fought the urge to cry in front of Fuji. In fact, she fought so hard in order for him not to know that. But it was undeniable that she was happy. The least person she expected to greet her on the day she tend to forget was the very first person that actually reminded her of it. It wasn't that she felt a little bit bitter towards her friends who didn't say anything with regards to her birthday. To tell the truth, they already knew that her birthday somehow held a painful memory. As much as possible, she didn't want to be reminded that it was her birthday.

But how come Fuji reminded her about it and yet she couldn't feel anything aside from gratefulness and joy? How could just one greeting and a hug from the tensai made it feel so different and... so special?

She had no idea how long Fuji embraced her. But the warmth she felt from his embrace was enough to make her realize a lot. Contemplating about it every night added up to that realization.

Yumemiya Miyako's birthdays that would come in the next years were definitely something which would never be the same again. At least, she figured that much...

...if everything between her and Fuji would continue as it was... or maybe even more...

Fuji distanced himself a bit but didn't let her go. His hands were on her shoulders, as if making sure she wouldn't run away from him. Though if he analyzed it, that thought was something he doubted to happen. He stared at her, watching those silver eyes on the verge of crying.

"You don't have to hold it in, you know," he said with a smile. I should've brought my camera today, he added in his thoughts, albeit slyly. He fought the urge to show that in his smile.

But only a smile was something that he got as an answer before she looked away. She held the gift-wrapped item tightly that only made the tensai feel glad. Even though she hadn't opened it yet, it made him think that she appreciated it, at the very least.

She faced him after a few seconds. "Are you planning to take me somewhere?"

"Yeah. I do have a plan like that. But are you going to be okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You still have tennis practice tomorrow. You should be resting in order for you not to stress yourself out."

A raised eyebrow was the reply he got from her which made him chuckle. "Doesn't that goes to you, too? Your team had a reputation to maintain, you know. And besides, I doubt if I'll be resting at home as soon as I get there. My brother won't let me do that, anyway. Especially on this day."

"Okay. If you say so."

-x-x-

Well, Fuji did take her somewhere. But the place was something she least expected to go. And with the tensai as her companion, at that.

"What are we doing here?" Miyako couldn't help asking as she started looking around to scan the place. It was as if she was making sure the place wasn't actually a hallucination at all. She closed her eyes, then opened them again. The place was all there. Did he really take me here?

The place was actually the large sakura tree (now in its lush green color since it was already mid-summer) located at the back of Hondou Renji Memorial Hall. That tree, however, wasn't an ordinary tree. It held a legend that she and her friends couldn't help but to believe in. After all, that legend had made that particular sakura tree famous (only to a few selected people, that is) in its own way and made it be known as the "Lovers' Tree" and the most common one—"The Promise Tree".

But why in the world did Fuji take her there?

"The day Tezuka and Hondou-san became a couple—" Fuji started that made Miyako face him. He was looking at the tree, though. "—he told me about this place. I teased him to no end about it. But as usual, he was as stoic as ever. Though I can tell... that this tree was one thing that brought him close to Hondou-san. He treasured this place the same way he treasured tennis, his friends, and the woman I never thought he would love this much."

"You're not someone who would easily believe in such legends," she commented with a serious expression but her tone was light.

"Legends are usually born from truths..." he replied. "There was one person who told me that. It's up to you whether you want to believe that or not." And then he stared at her, his blue eyes pierced through the depths of her soul. It was just like the first time blue and silver orbs clashed together. The same feeling, the same intensity, the same surge of emotions... Both of them had felt it.

The only ones that made them not know about it were fear and uncertainty. For about a year, it was just like that. But maybe... there could still be hope... a way to be freed from those barriers...

"W-why are you telling me this? And why here?" It was a brave attempt on her part to ask such question but she couldn't keept it in any longer. Taken over by confusion, it was okay with her. After all, Fuji had confused her to no extent. But that confusion didn't stop her from feeling a strong emotion that she had never felt towards any other guy before.

Yes. Even to Kaito whom she felt she had loved more than what she had thought she loved anyone.

But the answer she wanted to hear didn't come.

"Aren't you going to open your gift? I want to know what you think about it since... I had a hard time letting that go," Fuji inquired. The smile on his face was angelic—something she was used to. But there was still something else in that smile. And those words... He said he had a hard time letting it go?

Just what are you planning, Fuji-san? She wanted to ask that. No words came out, though. Instead, she did what he suggested to her—and that was to open the gift he gave to her.

The rectangular item was veiled in glossy ice silver gift wrapper. The icy blue ribbon tied in a bow accented it beautifully. So as careful as she could, she untied the ribbon and unwrapped the box. And as expected it, it was a box. But the fact that the box wasn't an ordinary one wasn't the only reason why she felt surprised. Her heart was beating fast in anticipation.

With slightly quivering hand, she ran her fingers on the glass case. It was easy for her to see what was inside that box. It looked like a black leather-covered book and it was thick, too.

Miyako raised her head and eyed Fuji quizically. But he just gestured that she must take a look at it thoroughly to answer her unspoken questions. Without words, she complied.

But before that, she decided to sit first underneath the sakura tree and put her tennis bag on the ground. She didn't want to faint because of whatever she might find out in the book. She had no idea what could possibly happen at that moment.

Miyako took the book from the glass case and opened it as soon as she placed it on her lap. But the surprise she felt upon unwrapping the box was nothing compared to what she felt as she flipped the book's cover. She was just on the first page and yet...

He took so many pictures of her. And it wasn't just any picture. It was a picture she knew he took on the day she transferred to Seigaku. If she could remember it right, it was right after Seigaku had won in the Nationals. Everyone was happy and delighted that the mood around was contagious. But she transferred there during the time she felt her life was useless. Being happy along with her new schoolmates wasn't exactly the way she thought would help her at all.

The picture was taken while she was busy writing her manuscript on a bench near a large tree at the school grounds. Bit by bit, the color of autumn started to taint the leaves around her. But as usual, she took no notice of any of it. After all, her life at that time was dull and lifeless.

Other pictures were taken on that same day, but on different settings. The hallway, the rooftop, the garden, and of course, the tennis courts. Even as she went out of the school grounds, Fuji appeared to have taken photos of her. In that photo, though she was obviously in the middle of the crowd, the camera's focus was still on her.

She felt weird... in a good way. Overwhelmingly happy, too.

"From the start, I already knew you've held some sort of mystery. But you have the ability to hide it from everyone, so it wasn't easy for them to know that you were still in the middle of grieving. To be honest, I didn't know it was sorrow and grief. But I knew it was something intense—something that was hard for you to get rid of easily. Your cold exterior, your blank silver eyes... They all created a barrier around you in order to protect yourself from getting hurt again. It was a barrier that made you mysterious..." Fuji said that startled her and he noticed. "And your mystery had fascinated me to no end since then..."

Uttering any word at all seemed to be a bad idea for Miyako at this point. In fact, words had left her mind after hearing that from Fuji. She looked down and took a careful look at the photos on that first page. All of it clearly showed one emotion that probably made her mysterious, as Fuji stated it. It was probably her ice cold exterior which obviously hid what she truly felt at that time. That exterior was the barrier that she had surrounded herself which gave off that mysterious aura that Fuji said she had.

A smile crept on her face upon recalling so many memories as she saw those pictures. To think the tensai already noticed her on her first day at Seishun Gakuen was something she thought was impossible. But the photos had proven her wrong. As for her, she began noticing him a month after her transfer when she finally gave a care about her surroundings and when she finally met Aika and Hanako through Kana. If it wasn't for these girls who were actually close to Tezuka, Oishi, Inui, Kawamura, Eiji, and Fuji, then perhaps noticing the tensai ws still out of her list.

Just a glance of him, a smile from him—no matter how empty or angelic or even veiled in... something—that she always see, a greeting from him no matter how bad he treated him... They were probably enough for her to notice that a certain tensai named Fuji Syuusuke was actually out there, that he actually existed. And yet, there was more to him than what she had ever known.

Flipping the rest of the pages, pictures and quotes were written on it as she saw them. Captions on each of the pictures were there, too as it unfolded the stories lying hidden behind the scenes in those photos. And there were so many of them. As she continued to do so, she froze at te sight of one picture that she didn't know had existed. It was during the School Festival where she won for the singing contest that she participated into. She wouldn't be surprised if she saw the scene on it that actually portrayed her on the stage.

But that wasn't the case at all.

The picture was actually taken backstage, when she thought she was all alone and no one could see her cry like that. Those tears she had shed wasn't meant to express joy in winning. It was tears that expressed her pain and frustration. Pain because the English song that she sang ("Getting Over You" by Juris Fernandez) reminded her of Kaito and how she was having a hard time letting go. And frustration because the Japanese song ("Kimi Ni Todoke" by May's) that she sang before the English song category was making her think of Fuji when she didn't want to. She was frustrated by the fact that despite the pain and grief she was still feeling, a new emotion was trying to crawl its way through her heart and she couldn't even stop it at all.

Below this photo, something else was written.

It was a poem. Did Fuji write it? And to think he even put a title to it...

"Even If It Hurts"... It sounded unusually painful—emotionally speaking, that is. Of course, it was just a thought.

But that thought alone made her realize that there was more to Fuji from before that she didn't know about. Specifically, from the time she met him through Kana. Before the poem was a note that was written beside the picture.

I wonder... How long will I be able to put up this kind of front? How long will I continue lying to you? I didn't lie to myself... I could never, but there's a lot I still don't understand. And I want to you understand you more than anything else, Miyako. You're in pain, wallowing in grief, drowning in sorrow—your eyes show them all at that instant. Your eyes kept on shouting "save me"...

And I want to do it... for you...

Just let me do it. I can save you... whatever it takes...

Open up your heart to me, Miyako...

That note which was written vertically was already surprising enough that her heart was hammering inside her chest like crazy. Yes, she was a romantic at heart. And even though the loss of her beloved fiance was traumatic enough, it didn't actually stop her from being romantic. Her experience of being in love with the man who loved her the same way was all conveyed through her manuscripts—through her novels.

But looking at the note right now made her realize that merely writing romantic words was nothing compared to actually experiencing it. Fuji didn't use flowery words at all. It was just simple words, easy to understand. But the impact it gave to her was more than what she had expected.

Didn't he even notice? She already opened up to him—through the novels that she wrote and her songs that she sang with all her heart. But he only heard her sing and probably he wasn't the person who would read her romance novels. Though she had to admit, the possibility was still there. She couldn't remove that possibility at all since almost all of the students at Seigaku had already read Aino Nadeshiko's books.

Shrugging that thought off of her mind for a while, she proceeded in reading the poem written below the picture.

I've met you in a world that gave you so much pain

They're enough to make you crazy; they're also heavy to gain

From what I can see, you've banished love from your heart

As all of your hope had come falling apart

It rains so hard even at night

And everything just doesn't seem right

But I'll keep on praying so hard

Just to be able to deal with our fate's card

But I only want to be with you

Even if you feel that your life was so blue

Maybe I could fade the pain away

And maybe we'll be able to be together one day

Even if you go away starting now

And the road of life starts to twist somehow

I promise I'll be with you till the end

Even if it hurts me as my faith starts to bend

The cruel world had changed your heart

And now it's starting to break apart

But I'll continue to love someone and it's only you

Even if it hurts, and happily ever after won't come true

Though Miyako wanted to say something after reading that, her mouth couldn't utter a single words. Not only that, her heart hadn't stop beating so fast that it was becoming painful for her to bear it. In addition to that, she knew she already turned deep shade of crimson as her mind had finally comprehend the thought of the poem.

No... it wasn't the thought that turned her red. Only one word made her like that. One word that she never thought would come from Fuji Syuusuke.

Her one hand clamped her mouth enough to prevent whatever sound that would come out from it. Fuji wasn't saying anything and seriously, at that point, she couldn't even look at him.

But she couldn't ask him anything anything yet. Maybe the book (or she would say the scrapbook) held more words that might let her know about Fuji's true feelings or intentions. She has to know before her imagination went wild with all that was happening at the moment.

With a deep breath and a pounding heart, she continued reading the book. Most of the photos there were definitely stolen shots whenever she felt she was just all alone or no one would actually pay attention to her. Notes and quotations were written either below or beside each photo, ending up being the caption that told the story of the photos. She couldn't help smiling and chuckling as quiet as she could in order not to draw attention—especially from Fuji—but somehow she couldn't really contain it for long.

The last photo was just like the one taken during the School Festival. Only the scene was different. There was another note and poem with a drawing of a chibi character in a bed looking up to the sky. The photo was a drawing of a fluffy cloud surrounding it, as if the chibi character was having a dream about her. At that point, she smiled since she found it cute and she couldn't suppress it anymore.

The photo was actually take during the ranking tournaments while she was seriously playing with the aim of taking down a third year member. That senpai of hers was too arrogant, overly cocky and had even belittled her and her friends just because they made it to the second round of the ranking tournaments. With all she got, she pummeled her senpai in a tennis match with a score of 6-0. Of course, the result caused an uproar to most of the third year members but their captain and vice-captain shut them up with just a glare.

The photo was beautiful in her own perception since it caught her doing one of her signature moves—a powerful two-handed stroke that she called "Photon Lancer" in which the resulted shot was actually fast and accurate for a first year like her—too fast and accurate for that matter. As far as she could remember, it was Sanada and Yukimura who helped her polish that move when she was still living in Kanagawa. The name was courtesy of Yanagi and Kana who combined their suggestions.

Anyway, back to the topic...

It would appear that Fuji had a talent for poetry and applied it in that notebook / scrapbook / photobook. And her heart melted at the words and the thought in it. The poem—as it appeared to her by the way it was written—was written for one sole reason: to remind him of the very first day he saw her. Not only that, it was also acting as a sort of motivation for him.

Or at least that was what she thought...

I met you unexpectedly amidst the crowd

Along with music and noise that keep on getting loud

You're the only one I see standing out

Despite the crowd that's running about

You're the reason of those sleepless nights

Hoping I could see you again, oh how I wish I might

But I guess I'm hoping for the impossible

Because my wish seems so unreasonable

Still, here I am lying on my bed

My eyes are close as I lie still like dead

But beyond those eyes that are closed

It's you I always dreamed of the most

It's a funny thing but it's also felt real

I couldn't tell you when I started to feel

Feel this emotion that is so foreign

But it's so warm it feels like heaven

As I watched my world slowly turning blurred

I only wish for one thing in this world

I don't want to spend another sleepless night

Without you and your love to make my life bright

Seriously, she had no idea what to say in reply to that. Much worse, she also thought that words would never be enough to express everything she wanted to say to Fuji.

And something hit her as she recalled the previous poem.

Did he just confess? Through that poem? And take note, he used two poems to do that.

Without knowing, she lifted up her head and was about to voice out her question. But something else happened that had most arguably gave her the greatest shock of her life. Her silver orbs opened wide, staring in shock into nothingness as she finally managed to comprehend the entire event. Everything around started to get hazy as an inexplainable warmth and fire surged within her. Fuji's soft lips pressed against hers made her feel all that and more.

Yes... Fuji's lips... she could feel them now, at that moment, underneath the Promise Tree which was special to her and her friends. And it was sunset, at that.

Wait a minute... Did something like this happened before? How come it all felt... familiar? Déjà vu, perhaps?

No... it wasn't déjà vu. But it was undeniably familiar. And yet her mind at that moment couldn't conjure the clear image she wanted to recall. Everything went hazy; her world was spinning. Her eyelids felt like they were slowly drooping. And then, her eyes closed.

Fuji's lips moved softly against her hesitant lips. Then slowly, the kiss went deep and she felt like drowning because of too much emotions overflowing. He gently leaned her back against the tree with his hand slowly reaching the back of her neck. Pulling her close and without letting her go (at all cost), she let him feel her through that wonderful. She wouldn't disappoint him—or at least she would try not to.

And feel her he did. She returned his kiss with equal passion that she wished everything would stay that way... forever. It was intense, but she liked it... Loved it... Cherished it...

It was heaven... until the need for air became overwhelming. Reluctantly, they let each other go as they tried to catch their breaths. She opened her eyes to look at the face of the boy who made her have that breathtaking experience (literally). And as she wanted to make sure that it was real, that was had just happened wasn't merely categorized as dreams, hallucinations, imagination, or worse, delusions of some sort. Of course, as far as she knew, she didn't take in anything that might have contained hallucinogens in them, right?

His piercing blue orbs staring at her right now answered her questions. What had just happened wasn't categorized to anything she mentioned a while back. This was reality.

"F-Fuji-san..." she started. "W-what was—"

"I love you... Miyako. I always have. At least, I want you to know that." And just like that, he kissed her again without even giving her a chance to reply.

But for her, it doesn't matter.

This moment was the only thing that mattered to her. A moment that would change her life forever. And through that kiss, she would let him know that.

-x-x-

"Sadaharu, do you really want to die at this moment? If you don't stop snooping on your friends' personal lives, make sure you've already written your will before I kill you right here and now."

Inui twitched and abruptly stopped scribbling onto his notebook. Before he knew it, Hanako took the video camera that he had made Eiji hold.

"O-oi, don't delete that!" the bespectacled data man still managed to utter despite the fear he felt from his childhood friend's threat. But to his surprise (which he didn't notice easily), Hanako had a blank expression on her face as she watched the recorded video.

It was blank at first, then as slowly as it appeared, her face now showed yearning and undeniable pain.

"Hana?" he ventured. He wasn't used to this expression of his best friend.

A deep breath was the only reply he got from her. And before he could even stop her, she took the tape from the video camera and placed it in her bag. Hanako gave the device back to Inui.

Long before he could even complain, Hanako pulled the data man away from their hiding place where they had a clear view of the kissing scene between Fuji and Miyako under the Promise Tree. Eiji gave the leaving pair a bewildered look and chose to follow them with a confused "nya!" instead.

The red head acrobat doesn't have any plans of getting beaten to pulp—let alone get killed—by Hanako's iron fist (or at least that's how it felt to Inui who feared them since who knows how long). He must never forget that Hanako's true skill was the opposite of her name's meaning ("flower child"). That skill made her become part of the girls' tennis team's "Five Columns Of Seigaku"—which was a special title given by the tennis captain to the five first years who got the regulars' spots.

That must have made Hanako someone special to Inui (no matter how much he denied it). But only Inui knew who Hanako really was to him.

-x-x-

"So it's really him who wanted to kill Mi-chan a month ago," Mamoru uttered under his breath with his fist tightened until it turned pale.

"Killing her is an overstatement, Mamoru-san," a girl (with long mint green hair tied in a high ponytail) said soberly. "From his actions which was only implemented once, he only wanted to warn her. But with the progress between her and that Fuji Syuusuke-san, he's about to make a comeback. He continued to stalk her but not as stealthy as we do in our assignments. After all, Miyako is someone who could easily sense a foreboding presence because of her expertise and years of training with us."

Mamoru's hold on the brown folder tightened. That brown folder contained the information that the mint green-haired girl in front of him had given just now. And that information was enough for him to know that Miyako's life was in danger. Not only that, Fuji's life would get involved in it. Of course, Mamoru knew that his sister would never allow that to happen.

But then...

"Do you think it's wise for Mi-chan to know all this?"

No words came out of the girl's mouth. She just looked at him with such concerned eyes. At that point, he knew. Just like him, the girl was also struggling to find an answer to that.

All he did was to heave a heavy sigh just to calm himself down. Yes, he could do something to save his sister. And he'd do it in so many extent. But right now, only Miyako would decide that. No one else.

And he figured out right there and then, this was one of the situations where Miyako must let her love for Fuji prevail...

...whatever it takes to do it.

"Why must she undergo such predicament again?" Mamoru mumbled in total exasperation and extreme worry for his little sister.

Long silence passed by again. But the girl didn't seem to mind at all.

"I'm really sorry for letting you do all this, Julie. Right now, I can only entrust Mi-chan's problems on this one to you."

The girl he called Julie smile knowingly at that. "You don't have to apologize. I'm not only tasked to protect the little princess, anyway. I must also prioritize my family's safety. After all, it is my duty. Miyako is my cousin and the sister I never had. I treat her the same way as Kana and Hotaru. It's not only that the princess is worried about Miyako at this point, but she's also worried about her brother's friend Fuji Syuusuke."

Mamoru straightened up as soon as he heard the words "little princess".

"By the way, how is the princess? Is she doing well?"

A nod provided the answer to that question. "She's okay. Her life in America is peaceful, along with her adopted brother. But even though she's living far from us, it was natural for her to feel worried for our safety here. That's why I can't go back to Munich until I make sure Miyako's okay. I must provide the good news to the princess."

"And we will. I can promise you that."

-x-x-

Having Fuji walk her home had never felt so blissful for Miyako. In fact, everything that had happened after that... lovely event still felt like a hazy dream to her. Even though the tensai was holding her hand along the way, it still wasn't enough to convince her of what was reality or otherwise. But the heavenly feeling never left her. She felt as if she was floating, her feet weren't touching the ground at all.

The silence that had surrounded them was comforting. The night sky was filled with shimmering stars. The summer night breeze felt just right.

It would've been perfect, but...

... something was still missing.

"Um... Fuji-san?"

He faced her with that ever-present smile of his. But it was a different one in her perception. At that point, she couldn't point her finger on it.

"Are you going to ask me about the kisses we shared a while back?" he asked in a teasing tone, causing her body to flush.

She shook her head rashly as her mind started recalling that particular event again. Seriously, how can she not predict this guy's thinking at all? They just come to her in a flash and definitely without warning. And now that she thought about it, it was seriously and incredibly frustrating.

But looking back, she realized that everything she had right now happened in a flash. Unexpected. Out of hands. An anomaly.

Truth be told, she liked it. A lot.

"You really have a way for breaking a good moment, do you?" she stated with a smile. Fuji chuckled. "But I guess that's one reason why I ended up like this with you."

And then... total silence. Both of them stopped to their tracks. Miyako faced Fuji in slight confusion and worry she couldn't hide. He wasn't looking at her, but she knew he was deeply thinking. The silence itself proved it.

"Fuji?" she ventured without a care about the fact that she said his name without honorifics or being called a worrier—maybe even a nuisance—to that contemplating silence.

"What you said a while back... Does that mean... you love me, too?"

She was startled at that reluctance in his voice and his hopeful stare. Did he not get the message earlier? She thought she had showed that to him. An amused smile appeared on her face, ignoring the heat that coursed through her body.

"Didn't you even feel it when I returned your kisses to me a while back?" instead, she asked that because she wanted to know. "You know, I don't usually blurts out my feelings until I get used to it. More often, it made me speechless the entire time. But I guess you still need words to assure you, huh?"

With that, Fuji thought of her words. Did he not feel it? Hard as he tried not to recall the event just until he reached Miyako's home, he failed. Slowly, he did his best to think about it. He needed to remember in order for him to know. There and then, it hit him—hard. The sensation, the response, the feelings—the answer was all there. He just have to feel it.

Before he could even voice out his answer with a sly smile, his eyes opened. It was quick but he felt it. A soft, warm lips landed on his cheek along with an angel-like whisper of words he had been meaning to hear from her since the beginning.

"I love you, Fuji... more than you know..."

He faced her and his heart thumped wildly again. Blame her rare gentle smile for that. In any case, he liked it so much. Now that he thought about it, he could only see that smile when he was involved. Her smile was different whenever Kana and the others were concerned. Another difference in her smile could be seen if his friends (Tezuka and the others) or their schoolmates were concerned.

How he wanted to have that smile for himself forever. God knows how much he wanted to have it all to himself. After all, it was that smile that changed a lot between him and Miyako a long time ago.

He stood in front of her without letting go of her hand. He just stared at her intently. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear that from you."

"Sorry I made you wait for that. I just... wanted to be sure of my feelings before I tell you everything. To be honest, I'm still scared. I don't know what to do. A lot of what if's kept running in my mind over and over if I tell you I love you. I'm so scared..." Her voice started cracking.

Fuji could hear her quivering, her had felt cold. She was telling the truth. He held her hand tighter but there was still hints of gentleness in his touch. In a way, it gave her strength.

"But I'm glad... that things turned out this way, no matter how unexpected it had been. One of the loveliest surprise I ever had in my life. I'll always remember it, I can promise you that," she continued before looking down. Her tears started falling and she just let them fall. "You have no idea... how glad I am to have met you, Fuji... Thank you... Thank you..."

His hand lifted to her face, cheeks stained with tears. He raised her face to meet his. His heart—despite thumping wildly—clenched at the sight of those tears. "Thank you? Why are you thanking me? What for?"

She met his gaze, no matter how piercing it was. Those words she achingly wanted to say for a long time, it was about time she let them out now. "Thank you... for saving me. Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for being there for me even though I didn't really ask for it. Thank you for not staying away from me even though I kept on pushing you away. Thank you for making me happy again. And thank you... for giving me your heart... your love... Thank you so much... for giving me a second chance to love happily again..."

"Too bad I'm not your first kiss..." he joked. At least, it worked. It made her smile despite the tears. And to his eyes, it made her radiant.

"Does it matter?"

Of course, that question had taken him aback. At least for a short while.

"Whether or not you're my first kiss, it doesn't matter to me. I love you and that's all that matters. More than a year ago, I was resolved to live my life in solitude and grief. Never did it come to me that I'd fall in love once again. Especially to you who literally annoyed and scared me at first." She chuckled at that part. Her hand touched his face. "You have no idea how much I've wished to let go of my past, of my regrets. I wanted to live my life free from those. And then you came... You saved me and it was already too much. But it made me fall in love with you even more no matter how I tried to avoid it. And I'll always be glad you did that to me.'

He only replied to such long words of the lemon-haired silver-eyed maiden with a smile that had seemed to have formed a message more than plain words could say. He knew he was good with words, at the very least. But the overwhelming feeling in his heart made him speechless at that point. His mind couldn't form a sentence that he wanted to say wholeheartedly. He was overwhelmingly happy and surprised to do so.

All he did was to pull her close to him and embraced her tight. The streets going to the Yumemiya state were dark, which he was thankful of. At least the darkness of the night obscured the faint tint of pink on his cheeks as he did so, probably he could blame his speechlessness for that. He wasn't know to be someone as such, he supposed.

"Onii-chan's right. I can never be happy if I continue avoiding you. I'm glad he told me that long before I lost my strength to fight heads on," she whispered which Fuji managed to hear, of course. Which makes it all the more reason why I can't lose you now, more than ever. So even if I have to risk my life protecting you, I'll do it. I can't afford to make the same mistake again, she added in her thoughts which made her a little scared of what tomorrow would bring to her.

But this was the risk she was willing to take.

She just hoped it wasn't a risk she would end up losing in the end.

-x-x-

Of course, not all hopes usually come true. Miyako found that out exactly that very same night. A foreboding feeling was hovering around and it was dreadfully familiar to her. Dare she say it, she was sure it was the same presence she felt more than a year ago on one of Kanagawa's beach sides...

...the ocean side where she lost Kaito for good.

Fuji left her after she entered the house and bid him goodnight. Of course, she did it with a wonderful gift that he wouldn't dare forget. A kiss was definitely all that it took to do it. It had never felt so good, in her perception.

But that good feeling didn't last long, however. That foreboding feeling kept on nagging her at the back of her mind. It didn't leave her at all.

I can't let this happen again! It was all she thought about as she prevented herself from entering the house. But she didn't act upon it on her own. The deed was on impulse—a dictation of her mind and her heart in unison.

She took off, somehow knowing where she should head off to find Fuji. But aside from Fuji, she also found someone else.

It was Kaito's brother and killer—Yoshimi Ryou.

But he was supposed to be in prison at this point, right? It only had been more than a year since the tragedy happened.