Oh my, it's been so long since I updated here! And longer still since my last PoT fic. (Double Story).. In any case, I was interested in writing stories for some of the other characters in that, but never got very far with any of them... And with job hunting and adjusting to working life and all, I didn't have as much time or energy to indulge much in writing. Anyhow! I've managed to kick-start this story, so here it is - Oishi's story. :)

It takes place in the same "universe" as Double Story, but although it's better if you've read that one before, it's not necessary to have read it before this.

To readers of Double Story (I wonder if you're all still out there? *looks around curiously and sheepishly* ), just FYI: the main story takes place quite a number of years after Double Story, although the (Short) prologue here is set a couple of years before DS. ^^

Lost Love

Prologue

Oishi didn't believe in love at first sight, but it was certainly like at first sight when he saw her in the library. She was standing in the anatomy section, flipping through a book, when he saw the book he wanted on the shelf just above her head. He said a polite "excuse me" and moved to take it.

She apologised profusely and stepped out of the way for him.

He smiled and assured her it was all right, retrieved his book and went off to the table where his friends sat. But he wondered who the girl with the long lashes was.

A week later, he had almost forgotten about her, but then he ran into her again. This time, she was with a friend of his from the Student Representative Council, who came to look for him to pass a message from the council president.

"Oh, you know each other?" Maruyama Sachiko said, seeing the expressions of recognition on both faces.

"No, not really. We just met briefly in the library last week," he answered.

"Ah. I guess it's my duty to introduce you two properly then," she joked. "Oishi-kun, Yamada Miyuki of the pharmacy school. Miyuki, Oishi Syuichiroh. Would-be doctor and the most frantic worrier on the council. At the rate he goes on, he'll have grey hair when he's thirty or something."

And that, he supposed, was where it began. Sort of.

He saw her occasionally after that. Usually when she was with Sachiko in university, and several times when they were on group outings with mutual friends. But he didn't see very much of Yamada Miyuki until one semester later, when Sachiko started bringing her along more often to their outings with a few of the other council members. Gradually, he began noticing other things about her – the soft brown eyes, the straight dark hair that was always pulled back in a neat ponytail, the way she dove into her studies with dedicated focus, and her fierce loyalty to her friends. At about the same time he started to wonder what her hair would look like loose around her shoulders, his friends started to kid him about showing symptoms of that most incurable of diseases.

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The more Miyuki saw of Oishi, the more she liked him. She wondered how it was that a guy like him had no girlfriend. He was, to all appearances, good at heart – and had the most startlingly kind eyes. Sure, the green colour was unusual enough, but the kindness in them was what struck her.

And then at one point, she noticed that he seemed to be looking at her more, talking to her more. It gave her a little thrill.

"You like him," said Sachiko one day, after she commented that Oishi was a really nice guy. "That's not an accusation or question, by the way. That's a statement."

Miyuki had been too flustered to deny it.

It all came to a head at the next summer festival when they went to see the fireworks. There was a huge crowd gathered to see the fireworks, and it was tricky staying together in a group. At one point, Miyuki suddenly found herself separated from the group – she seemed to have lost them in the mass of people.

Before she could decide whether to call them and find out where they were or to look for them, someone caught her hand and pulled her along. She turned and saw Oishi.

"They're over there," he said, smiling. "Come on."

He took only a few steps, weaving through the crowd easily, to reach the rest of the group. She thought it was rather ironic that they were actually quite near her; just that she had lost sight of them in the throng.

"Oh, Miyuki! There you are!" exclaimed Sachiko. "I figured you might have lost us when that other group just pushed their way through. Jerks." She cast a withering glance in the direction of a rowdy group of teenagers a little distance away.

Miyuki didn't have a chance to say anything, because the first fireworks went up at that moment. Within seconds, the sky was glittering with green and gold and red sparks. There was some clapping, cheering and a good deal of oohs and aahs from the watchers.

Then she realised that her hand was still in Oishi's. She missed seeing the next few fireworks because she was staring dumbly at their intertwined fingers. His hand felt warm…

Oishi suddenly seemed to become conscious of the fact that he was still holding her hand and hurriedly released it, looking terribly embarrassed.

"Ah… Er… S-sorry," he stammered, before turning back to the fireworks.

Miyuki stared at him for a while. Then she silently took his hand again. She felt warmth of a blush as she did that and turned her gaze resolutely up to the showers of purple sparks in the sky from the last big explosion. So she didn't see his stunned look when he felt her take his hand. Nor did she see the myriad expressions that flitted across his face when he looked at her.

I hope you're still reading? ^^ If you are... I'm so relieved! Frankly, am a bit worried I've lost my touch... Anyway, off you go to chapter 1!