When a lovebird dies

Prequel to 'Love Anonymous'

Warnings: This might spoil the story of 'Love Anonymous'. Contains one curse word (naughty me)

--

"Heeey! Mizuki! Sano!"

Sano and Mizuki stopped walking and turned partially around, Nakatsu catching up to them, and loosely hooking both his arm's over Mizuki's and Sano's shoulders.

"He finally emerges", Sano mutters sarcastically. "I thought for sure you would be late" he continued, as they resumed walking down the paved walkway.

"Again…", added Mizuki, smiling jokingly at her befuddled friend.

"Give me a break! I was up studying really hard all night!" protested Nakatsu defensively, wearing his usual trademark grin.

"Sure, if you call watching television studying" teased Sano

"Don't sweat the little things! I need a break too sometimes!"

"Not when you have an English exam the next day you don't!"

Mizuki smiled affectionately up at both of them as they continued to squabble, barely suppressing a giggle. It was moments like these she truly cherished, she was so carefree, and it's true bliss to her. Nakatsu was like a brother. He was always joking and laughing, but he is there when she needs someone the most. And Sano - well Sano was the reason she crossed the ocean, and disguised herself as a boy. Her immature crush for him as a fan had definitely developed into something more deep, and meaningful. It hurt, that she couldn't express those feeling to him. And yet, to confess, and be forced to part from him, would be even crueller. So she had to be content just to stay by his side - as a friend.

"Mizuki!"

Mizuki snapped back into focus and immediately stopped walking, finding her face a couple of millimetres away from the school gate.

"That was a close one!" Sekime called out to them as he jogged up to his three friends from inside the school.

"If Sano hadn't called out, you would've definitely gotten close and personal with the gate!"

Mizuki rubbed her head, grinning sheepishly and apologising to her friends. Her three friends stood around her and laughed.

--

"Damn that English exam was a killer!" exclaimed Nakatsu, sighing, as he walked out of the classroom with his group of friends.

"I don't see how it should be, since you were 'studying' so hard last night" laughed Nakao

"Hey! Is it pick-on-Nakatsu day?"

"Something like that" Mizuki smiled.

"What about a pick on Nakatsu day week?" laughed Noe

"A month?"

"Or even better a year!"

"I am so going to kick your asses in PE!" yelled Nakatsu angrily

As everyone burst into laughter as they entered the change rooms.

"Oh god, you're so loud!" yawned an unamused Nakao, who then let out a shriek of terror as Nakatsu advanced on him

Mizuki was about to retrieve her gym clothes and shoes and discreetly excuse herself to the bathroom when-

"Oh no!" Mizuki cried distressed, as she shuffled through her school bag.

"What's up?" Nakatsu looked over his shoulder at his perplexed friend.

"I forgot my sneakers at the dorms!" She replied, close to hysterics.

"Don't worry about it" Sano said smoothly, as he ruffled Mizuki's hair in attempt to calm her "Just run back to the dorms and get them, we'll cover for you until you get back"

She always makes the biggest deal out of the smallest things…

Mizuki suddenly stopped searching, running the proposition half heartedly through her mind.

"You're the fastest runner in the school after all, I'm sure you'll make it" Nakatsu added, winking encouragingly at her.

"Thanks you guys" said Mizuki quickly, recovering from her anxiety, thankful for their words of encouragement, she hastily ran out of the locker room.

The only sound to Mizuki on her way back to the dorms was her footsteps pounding on the pavement, in tune with her speeding heartbeat. But, Nakatsu was right; she was able to make it back to the dorms with time to make it back. She fumbled hurriedly with her keys and burst into her and Sano's dorm room, slamming the door roughly behind her. Mizuki glanced at her watch. She had six minutes.

--

Sano kept on glancing worriedly at his watch all through PE

Where is Mizuki? Why isn't she here? It's been forty minutes…

"Focus Izumi!"

"Whatcha doing Sano?!"

"Keep your eye on the ball Izumi!"

Noticing the concern on his best friends face, Nakatsu gave him an encouraging slap on Sano's shoulder as he ran by.

The worried teen didn't even attempt to fake a smile to assure his friend he was okay.

"Ok! That's enough for today, it's time to hit the showers!" the teacher finally called out.

--

"Dam, Dam, Dam!" cursing quietly under her breath Mizuki frantically scanned the room for her shoes. The room was always clean and sterile, which is how Sano preferred it. But even then, she couldn't catch sight of her shoes.

She dived onto the floor -not caring if she skinned her knees- looking under the bunk bed, but was still unable to locate them. Silently cursing, she thought frenetically where she could have left them.

Wardrobe; no, training hall; no, bathroom… maybe.

Maybe was good enough for her. She sped into the bathroom; mentally taking note that she should probably slow down seeing that Sano had cleaned the tiled floor yesterday. But she didn't have time. Her eyes restlessly searched the room. And there they were, under the sink. She quickly crouched down and grabbed them, wondering why they were there, but at the same time, caring little. All that mattered was that she had them. Grinning slightly to herself in triumph she glanced at her watch. Two minutes. She had two minutes to make it back to school in time before PE started.

With only this thought in mind, and taking to no heed to her earlier caution, she ran, slipping backwards on the smooth tiles. As soon as her skull impacted with the hard porcelain floor, she blacked out.

"All students to the hall immediately! I repeat all students to the hall immediately!"

Sano and the rest of the PE class had barely walked into the change rooms before they heard the message over the PA. Nakatsu rolled his eyes, irritated.

"What could that be about? I bet it's another stupid drill"

"Who knows? But we'd better go anyway, otherwise we'll get into trouble" groaned Nakao

The group of friends walked quickly to the hall, eager to get it over and done with.

Passing a group of junior students talking excitedly, Sano caught a part of the conversation.

"-didn't you hear? There's a fire in the sophomore dorms"

Sano stopped dead in his tracks, his heartbeat stopped for a second. His earlier fears heightened and confirmed. He forcefully pushed the smaller student against the wall, easily overpowering him.

"Say what?!" Sano yelled at the startled junior student.

"What the hell?! What the fuck do ya want?!"

"What the hell did you just say?!" Sano barked, tightening his grip on the student's collar

"I j-just said, th-that there's a fire in the s-sophomore dorms!" The student stuttered pitifully.

Sano pushed him away heatedly, and sprinted down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Sano? Sano! What the hell are you doing? Get back here! " Nakatsu yelled after him.

Sano shut Nakatsu's desperate screams out, and thought only of Mizuki as he ran towards the burning dorm rooms.

I'll post the second half soon! I promise! I'm not like those horrible writers who promise and don't deliver cough Adelle. Just joking, I know your reasons must be legit. Anyway, please review! I love constructive criticism, but I don't take demeaning, meaningless rubbish. If you hate it, then at least tell me why. And if you haven't read the sequel, now is a good time to click on my profile, and read it! Cheers!

Thanks to my beta Adelle!