Disclaimer: I do not own Kimi Ni Todoke nor any of the characters. I am merely unleashing my imagination here.

The Woven Bracelet

Everyday, there are many unremarkable encounters,
but later on, there will be an encounter big
enough to change your life.
-Koizumi Risa, Lovely Complex Plus

Mornings are the best time of the day for Kazehaya Shouta. They often bring with them a promise of hope—every dawnbreak leading to a new beginning, a new possibility. A chance to live up yesterday's dream and tomorrow's anticipation.

He also believed mornings to be the perfect occasion to reflect on things, this and that.

And so on this particular morning, his thoughts decided to dwell on this one definite possibility.

He wonders if today would be the day, if now is the right time to let all his feelings out for the one girl who owns his heart. He envisioned himself telling her how much she means to him and more. He'd imagined her a bit surprised at his revelation, but then, a smile would break through her lips and finally, she would tell him that she is actually feeling the same way for him, too.

Boy, he wished it would be that easy. But then, he just couldn't find the strength to do it.

To his dismay, he let out an audible sigh.

"Kazehaya-kun?" the girl of his dreams had inquired, and that girl happened to be Kuronama Sawako. "Is there anything the matter? You're unusually quiet today,"

"Oh, am I?" he played it non-chalantly, remembering that morning strolls with Sawako to school are also something to look forward to everyday. "Sorry."

Sawako eyed him curiously. "Y-you could tell me anything, you know," she said slowly, a little unsure if it was the right thing to say.

His chest tightened. This could be it.

"Actually, Sawako… I…" his throat went unbelievably dry. "I, uh-"

"…there's something I'd like you to have."

He hastily took one of her hands and secured a bracelet to her tiny wrist.

And Sawako didn't know what to make out of this.

"There." Kazehaya pulled on the bracelet gently, making sure it's tightly knotted. "It's not much but I'd like you to keep it… as a present…because…" sadly, the words simply refuse to form themselves.

"...you've been a great friend," he explained sheepishly, glad that Sawako's focus was on the bracelet and not on his flaming cheeks.

She brought the bracelet closer to her face, admiring the woven strands of blue, red and white. Then she smiled. White is her favorite color; Kazehaya, blue. And red? Well, she had let her imagination soar.

"Thank you very much," she replied meekly.

"You're welcome, and Sawako…uh…" he stared deep into her dark, hopeful eyes. He could've told her right then but he remembered that Sawako was simply too naïve, too pure to be confessed to. And besides, she just barely started opening up her heart to people—it's a privilege that he doesn't want to hog up all to himself just yet.

"…please don't lose it," he ended up saying; and there it was-another chance that he deliberately missed.

"Of course!" Sawako replied abruptly. "I promise, I won't!"

"Good." At least, she's happy. "Oh, and I'm bringing Maru-chan to the vet later… would you like to come along?"

And so they continued their way to school, chatting about nothing in particular.

Some few hours later…

...

It's raining.

Kazehaya yawned, the steady splatter of raindrops against his umbrella almost lulling him to sleep. Today is a long day and he's more than ready to leave and proceed to his other activities.

Five… ten… fifteen minutes since the school bell rang. However, Sawako was still nowhere to be found.

"Oy, Kazehaya!" a familiar voice called. Kurumi. "Hey, you're almost soaked!" she remarked, eyeing his already drenched school pants and shoes.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Um, Kurumi-san, I was wondering. Have you seen Kuronama? You've last class together, if I'm not mistaken."

"Actually, yes. Told me to go ahead. But no mention of you, waiting here." She teased. "How about if you walk me home, instead?"

Before he could come up with a decent reply, she laughed. "You don't have to tell me anything, Refreshing-kun! You're too transparent! What I couldn't bring myself to understand is why you haven't confessed to her yet,"

"Kurumi, I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Oh, whatever, lover boy. Good luck then," she chuckled and left.

He decided to dismiss Kurumi's remark and waited some more. He called Sawako's mobile a few times, but to no avail. Finally, he surmised that standing here under this pouring rain would bring him no good, so he just went on his way to look for her.

After a few ramblings here and there, Kazehaya finally found what he's been looking for. Right in the middle of the softball field and without an umbrella.

"Sawako, what are you doing?" he asked, immediately rushing to her side.

She was so drenched and muddied and crying? he realized and this instantly bothered him.

"Kazehaya-kun!" she turned to him, despair evident on her voice. "I couldn't find it! I was so sure I still had it before fitness class!" Then she knelt down and continued her frantic search on the grass.

At this, Kazehaya was rendered silent for a moment. Then, he was on his knees beside Sawako to confirm what he just heard.

"Wait, you think you lost the bracelet?"

When she nodded, he helped her looked for it until they both cleared a good portion of the softball field, drenched in the rain. They even searched on practically every corner of the school that Sawako had been to during the day.

But it was of no avail. And nighttime was fast approaching. However, she wasn't about to give up easily so they went back to the softball field to do a quick last search.

The bracelet, unfortunately, was never found. It seemed to have literally disappeared into thin air.

"You wouldn't find it." He declared.

She didn't listen and went about on her search.

Exhausted, he slumped on her side and touched her arm. "You wouldn't find it, Sawako. Let's head home."

"But I want it back!" she told him, tears once again streaming down her cheeks, much to her chagrin.

Kazehaya held her shoulders, trying to convince her. "It's okay. I'm not mad, Sawako." and really, he wasn't.

"But—"

"No buts. Let's head home."

She didn't know if she just imagined it, but for a fleeting moment, there was this strange smile on Kazehaya's lips just now.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself, Sawako. Believe me, I'm not mad at you for losing it." Kazehaya reiterated, realizing that neither of them had uttered a word until they're finally standing on her doorstep.

She sighed heavily.

It wasn't just any ordinary woven bracelet. It's a gift from Kazehaya—the boy she truly adores. And it's the first time he gave her something—on no occasion at all. She simply felt too ashamed to lose it all too suddenly when she just had it this morning.

"Sorry, I'm too careless. And you missed Maru-chan's check-up, too."

Seeing Sawako's dejected expression, it was his turn to feel tremendously guilty.

"Um, Sawako… th-there's this secret…" he began, almost too randomly. "But I can't tell you about it now."

Her remorse has been replaced by confusion. "What?"

Kazehaya tried figuring out a way to clarify things. "Just remember today." He fumbled, not knowing where he was exactly headed. "The secret's about to happen and I just couldn't tell you yet,"

"Why? What secret?" she had no idea what has gotten into Kazehaya that he randomly blurts out things incoherently.

Instead of explaining further, he held her hands tight while staring into her eyes. "Trust me. I am going to let you know someday. We'll just have to wait, okay?"

"Okay," she end up nodding, though everything he's telling her doesn't make any sense.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow, then!"

And so those were his final words to her before he left.

He raced home as fast as he could, his heart almost madly thumping inside his chest. It was just unbelievable. Too unbelievable that Sawako had lost the woven bracelet right before sunset. And it was a cause of great joy that only he could ever comprehend.

"She's the one! Woohoo!" he shouted on top of his lungs, not caring about the suspicious glances that other people had thrown in his direction.

What Kazehaya hadn't told Sawako was an unexpected occurrence last night as he was heading home…

Last night…

...

He was homebound, like any other high schooler whose day was drawing to a close. It was just like the days before except for this certain encounter with an old woman who accidentally dropped her basket of trinkets as she was crossing the street. Being the gentleman that he is, Kazehaya immediately rushed to help the old lady collect her things.

"You are a kind, young man," she remarked.

"I just did what I ought to do, Ma'am," he replied modestly.

The old lady stared at him earnestly, her eyes, as if prodding deep into Kazehaya's soul. "You do have a special someone, yes?"

To this, Kazehaya fell quiet. Why is this old woman asking him a personal question, all of a sudden?

"And I can see that you love her dearly," she added mysteriously. "But you haven't confessed to her yet?"

He wondered if this was how transparent he is. Even a stranger could read him like an open book.

He would have said it's none of your business but he was never one to be disrespectful. "Ma'am I'm not-" but before he could finish, the mysterious old lady put something in his hand.

"It's a lucky bracelet. Give that to your special girl."

"This is not really necessary," he protested, meaning to give it back. He was no fan of the occult, anyway.

"Young man, listen to me," the old lady insisted. "All you have to do is to bind it around her wrist. Not too tight, not too loose."

Then he almost gasped after hearing the old lady's next words.

"If that girl loses the bracelet, then she's the one you'll marry someday,"

The one. I'll marry. Someday. Kazehaya's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Yes, he's in love but he thinks it too early to be pondering about such mature and distant things. The statement began messing around his already muddled thoughts.

"What? Wait—" he looked around. This is totally weird. "Are there hidden cameras or something?"

The old woman slapped his left shoulder. "This is no joke, I'll guarantee it! And don't tell her or she'll lose it on purpose!" then she turned to her heels and left the kind, young man who was at the moment, too dumbfounded to ask anything more.

He inspected the bracelet that the old woman had given him. Frankly, it didn't appear magical or anything; just an ordinary hand-woven bracelet.

But was it just coincidence that the bracelet's colors happened to be his and Sawako's favorite colors as well? He thought eerily. This definitely beats Pin's visions of tiny grandpas playing around his cup of coffee.

There's no harm in trying, he told himself. Whether she loses it or not, it wouldn't matter to him. He and Sawako would end up together if they're really meant to be together, with magical bracelet or without. The thing is, he's got a present for Sawako tomorrow. And maybe, just maybe, he could confess to her right then…

12 years later…

...

"Shouta," Sawako suddenly remembered. "There's this secret you owed me."

"Secret?" he repeated, trying to figure out this sudden random thought.

"Back then, you gave me a present… a woven bracelet, remember? And I lost it. Later that day, you mentioned something about a secret you'll reveal someday," she reminded him, relishing every detail of that strange day in her memory. "So now… I'm kind of wondering if it's about time,"

Kazehaya laughed a good, hearty laugh, while reliving the scenes of that day which were vivid in his thoughts as if it just happened yesterday.

"Yeah, I remember now." He then took one of her hand, the one whose ring finger was embraced by a wedding band.

"This," he said, pertaining to the ring that perfectly matched the one around his own finger, "was the secret, Sawako."

And so he begins telling her of that fateful encounter with this mysterious old lady he met on his way home, one night…

- E N D -

Author's Notesy-notes:

Thank you so much for reading. I haven't gone far in watching this series but I decided to make this without really digging on who the characters are. But I can see that it's a great series, so if it's OOC, I hope you bear with me. I just want to add up to the small number of KnT fics that were written in English. And I'd like to ask for a review, too, since you're here and all *just a few more spaces and there goes the review button* by doing so, you'd help me and inspire me to do better next time.

So thanks again in advance. And hope you'd read my other works (if I get the inspirational pull to write another KnT!)