The rain pounded harshly against the ground. Not a soul was seen walking about, no cars driving, it was as if all the world were asleep. Locked away in their dreams away from the harshness of the world.
A young man, his hair a dark chestnut, his eyes a softer shade of that brown, lay on the floor of his room. His eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling, not really taking in what they were looking at. A pair of square glasses sat upon the bridge of his nose. He wore a deep blue sweater, a white shirt peaking it's way out from beneath it. His legs clothed in a pair of tan khaki pants.
The room he lay in was quiet but for the sound of rain. His window pushed back a little allowed a few droplets to sneak their way in here and there. The sound of the rain, usually something that relaxed him, seemed to crash within his mind. He turned his eyes to stare out the window at the rain, a soft, sad smile upon his lips.
"I guess even madam nature is sad." He mumbled to himself with a sigh. His eyes remained on the pouring rain, but his mind was elsewhere. The memories of what had happened not but the day before playing over and over in his mind.
A bright sun shone in the sky like a cruel joke. Alluding the people who bathed beneath it's glow to believe that life was perfect, and nothing could tear it apart. At least that is how it felt for Keitaro. He smiled at the sun, the light bouncing off his glasses sending a strange sparkle into his eyes. He sat on a bench in the park. The park where he had first met her, lost her, and then took her back again. He had been sitting there for awhile. She had told him to meet her there at noon, but he'd left a little earlier wanting to enjoy the warmth of the day. It had been a long winter and he was grateful for the sun that now shone down on such a cool spring day.
His mind was remembering that day, two years ago, when he had made his decision and admitted his feelings for Naru. It had been the best decision of his life thus far. The two had made it into Tokyo U not long after that, and had begun spending all their time together. It was love, had to be. He had been spending his days since then in a peaceful bliss. An ignorant, but peaceful, bliss.
"Keitaro…" a voice said from beside him. He turned his gaze to see Naru standing next to him. He smiled and rose to his feet placing a small kiss upon her cheek. She smiled awkwardly before sitting down, his own form setting itself upon the bench once more.
"What did you want to talk about Naru-chan?" He asked a smile upon his face. Naru stared at him for a moment, her eyes seeming sad, her face distorted as though she weren't sure what emotion to display upon her features.
"Keitaro, I…" She began but trailed off and turned her eyes away from him to stare out at the park. A small sad smile played at her lips. "I have always loved this park, you know. It has been here for so long." She said before the smile faded to be replaced by a sad frown. "But someday I'm sure it will be gone. They'll tear it down to make a new one, or to build something else here. It won't last forever."
Keitaro tilted his head slightly as he watched her speak. She was acting very strange, even for her. "Naru-chan, is something wrong?" He asked his face showing only concern.
Naru turned her eyes back onto him, the sadness in her eyes growing, yet behind that sadness was something else. "Keitaro, I have enjoyed the time I've been with you so much. I was able to learn so many things, and feel things I hadn't before. I am grateful for meeting you and knowing you the way I have…" She said a bit quickly. "But…"
Keitaro's heart began racing. He clenched his fists, his heart already knowing what was going to be said next, but his mind refusing to believe it yet.
"I don't think that it's going to last. Love is a strange thing, it comes and goes. It can burn fiercely within your heart, and then without any warning, it can be extinguished." She said her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry Keitaro, but…I don't love you anymore, not like I should."
Keitaro sighed deeply and sat up from his place on the floor. He stared down at his hands, felt the hot stinging of tears wanting to battle their way forth. He shook his head ignoring them, forcing them back down. "I don't love you anymore…" He mumbled.
How could she just decide that? How could she just walk away from everything they had become together. She had left after soon after that. All he had been able to do was muster an "I understand" and a nod of his head. She left then, not even hesitating or looking back.
He didn't know how long he stayed at the park after that. For hours he was sure. It wasn't until the stars had scattered into the sky that he had found his way home again, back to the Hinata apartments. He vaguely remembered the others telling him that Naru had gone home, to visit she had told them. It was spring break after all, so that wasn't unusual. They had all stared at him with sad, knowing eyes. Of course, they probably all knew before he had.
With another sigh he crawled his way over to his futon, slipped beneath the covers and took off his glasses, setting them beside him. A good nights rest would surely ease his mind….surely.
As he slept, his body moving restlessly about the rain continued to pound outside. The roar of thunder and crack of lightning heard now and then. The storm raged, weeping onto the earth as it's residents slept cozily within their beds.
X-={ 6 Months Later }=-X
"Keitaro!!! Time to wake up, up up!" A soft girlish voice called out.
Keitaro rolled over once before blinking and fully opening his eyes. A tan face with wide eyes stared back at him.
"Byaaah!!! Su-chan what are you doing!?" He cried out as his body shot up from it's place within his futon. Su giggled and jumped over him to scurry out the door. "You're gonna be late!" She called back as her footsteps faded down the hall.
Keitaro took a deep breath before placing his glasses onto his face and sighing. What a wake up call. He smiled and shook his head softly. He yawned and soon went about his normal morning routine before classes.
It was after he finished all of this that he was walking down the hall to the dining room, the smell of Shinobu's cooking already tickling his taste buds.
"She says it's easier this way, I guess the college near her parents home was going to be her second choice anyways." A voice spoke from the room, a hushed tone set to it.
"I see. So Narusegawa won't be coming back after all. I had thought as much." Another voice answered back, calmly.
Keitaro walked into the room then, his face smiling and bright. "Shinobu it smells delicious!" He said and took his seat, seemingly unaware of the eyes that stared at him.
He ate his meal quickly, and quietly, a smile still playing on his face. Once he was finished he set his bowl down and rose to his feet. "Thank you for the meal, I must be off." He said and quickly left the room.
"Poor guy, he tries so hard…" he heard a voice whisper before he walked outside into the cool, grey, fall day.
His days had been going like this for some time now. Each one fading into the next, becoming blurred. A week would pass and he would not notice. His grades were slipping, and yet, he did not notice. He walked through his days, a smile on his face, and went through the routines of what he was supposed to do. It wasn't anything new, it had been like this for awhile. Six months had passed since Naru had left him, left the Hinata apartments.
She told everyone it was what she wanted. To go back to her family, to her little sister, to start over with them. Maybe it was true, but Keitaro could never shake off the feeling that it was because of him. Perhaps seeing him was too much for her, maybe she was disgusted by him now.
He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. It was best not to think of it. He had been doing so well lately, keeping her off his mind. But when the days grew dreary and a promise of rain hung in the air, her memory would float back. Her smiling face, her laugh, even the way his jaw hurt when she would punch him. All of it would start to come crawling back from the deepest corners of his mind.
So immersed in his thoughts was he that he hardly noticed when he slammed into someone. It wasn't until he felt his bottom smack down against the hard concrete that he was knocked back into reality. "Oww…" he mumbled and rubbed at his side. He rose to his feet and bowed to the person in front of him. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going and…" He began to ramble.
"Kei-kun?" A soft, sweet voice said in surprise. Keitaro lifted his gaze, his body following it and felt his eyes widen in surprise. Her hair was dark, braided in the strange way that it always was, two strands poking out from around her ears. Her soft eyes stared at him, surprised, and delighted.
"Mu…Mutsumi-san!?" He said bewildered. It had been ages since he'd seen her. She to had gotten into Tokyo U, but yet he had never really run into her. Actually, he was sure he had. But so wrapped up in Naru, he had hardly realized it when it did happen. Simply giving her a small hello before going about his way.
"Kei-kun, it's so nice to see you." She said the surprise vanishing from her eyes and being replaced instead by a warm glow. Her hands were placed in front of her, holding each other in the way that she had always done.
"You as well. How have you been?" He asked as he looked her over. She looked nearly the same as she had before, at least that he remembered. Her hair seemed slightly shorter, and there was a strange air about her. He supposed it was just part of the passing of time.
"I've been very well, thank you. How about you? How are you and Naru-chan?" She asked with a smile. It was almost impossible to see the way his smile faltered, the way his body seemed to fall of balance for a split second. However the smile remained and he brought a hand up to scratch at the back of his head.
"Well, she went back home to live with her family about 6 months ago. I haven't heard much since then. I'm doing good, though." He said quite quickly.
A sad smile seemed to fall onto Mutsumi's lips. Her eyes softened, and her eyebrows bent down slightly. "I, I am sorry to hear that." She said sweetly.
"Oh it's alright. Nothing to be bothered with." He said and laughed a very forced awkward laugh. "How have you been doing at school? Decided what you are going to do yet?"
Mutsumi's smile returned to her face, though a familiar look still remained. It was that look of pity, of sadness that the other girls always had hiding behind their smiles. "I have actually. I've decided to become a school teacher."
"Oh? That's great news! I think you'd be a great teacher Mutsumi-san. I haven't decided what to do just yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out before long." He said with another awkward laugh.
"I am sure you will, and I'm sure you will be great at it to." She said matter-of-factly. She was quiet for a moment then a look of concern passed across her face. "Oh dear, I'm late! I'm sorry Kei-kun but I have to go. I am really happy to see you." She said and turned to leave and stopped for a moment. "I…I'll stop by sometime, if that's okay."
Keitaro smiled as he spoke, "That would be great. I'm sure everyone would like to see you again." Mutsumi smiled once more at him before turning and running down the street, turning down another. Keitaro stood there for a long while staring out after her. How long had it been since he had really spoken to her? He was sure it had been too long. She had come around for a little while at first after what had happened, to visit everyone. But slowly, she had just stopped coming. He was even sure there were times she had turned down another hall at the school, just to avoid him. But then, he could just be imagining things once more. With a sigh he pushed the thoughts aside and continued on his way to school, to ghost through yet another day.
It's funny how time passes. For so long it can feel like time is going by without you. That you are frozen in place, while others move about. It can feel as though it will never change. That no matter what you do, you'll always be stuck in that one moment. At least that was how it felt to Keitaro. However, the past few weeks he felt as though he were slowly crawling, almost catching up to time. He was out of his room more, for different reasons. The girls, one by one, were trying to catch his interest. A game party here, or a movie night there. He'd come out sometimes and spend time with them, but even then he still felt far away. Then, it was a few days after seeing her, that Mutsumi began to come over. At first she'd stay just a little while and chat with everyone over tea, but slowly she was coming more often and staying longer. All the girls and Keitaro were spending more time with one another, time was beginning to catch up to them. No, he was starting to catch up to them and time.
It was yet another rainy day. The ones he hated. The ones that made him think, that brought back memories he'd have rather forgotten. He sat in his room, staring up at the ceiling. Up at that hole that was boarded over. The window was open once again, stray raindrops finding their way inside. There was no thunder or lightning, only the constant pounding of the rain. He would have remained like that to, if not for the knock upon his door. He sat up and blinked pulling himself back to reality.
"Yes?" He asked his voice a bit shaky.
"It's Mutsumi, may I come in?" Was the reply.
Keitaro rose to his feet and walked over to open the door. Mutsumi stood there, that same soft smile on her face. "Yea, come in." He said and stood aside motioning her in. She walked into the room and looked around. "It is just as I remembered it." She muttered softly to herself.
"Heh, yea I guess I don't change things around too much." He said with a laugh. He sat down upon one of the pillows that were his chairs, much as they were for anyone. Mutsumi followed his lead and took her own seat. She was quiet for awhile, just gazing about the room before allowing her eyes to fall onto Keitaro.
"Are you alright?" She asked, sensing the sadness that hid beneath the smile he wore.
"Of course. Rainy days just make me…tired." He said and turned to stare out into the rain. Mutsumi watched his face as it turned away. Watched as a sad ghost floated through his eyes as the rain reflected off of his glasses.
"I'm sorry about what Naru-chan did." She said. Keitaro jerked his head back to stare at her, his eyes wide. She stared down at her hands as the fidgeted on the table. No one had mentioned her name, no one spoke about her. Especially around him.
"No no, it's quite alright. It's in the past right?" He said with a forced smile. However Mutsumi's eyes did not move. Her face was sad, her body trembling slightly.
"You smile at me Keitaro, but it's not real. You laugh and I hear the cries behind it. I know how much you are hurting, I know how you feel." She mumbled softly.
Anger pinched at him. It was not just her words, it was his own thoughts. The anger he had held in him, the sadness. He tried so hard to ignore it, to not let it surface. The feelings he felt. The resentment, the grief. "How would you know?" He snapped and saw the way her body twitched back from his anger. "I…sorry.." He said.
"I do know Keitaro…I know…I…" She said trailing off her voice trembling. She raised her eyes to meet his and he saw the tears that glistened, the ones she fought to hold back. "I know what it feels like to love someone, and for them to deny your feelings. I know what it's like to fight for someone's affection, and to lose." She said with a shaky voice. Her hands trembled. "I fought Keitaro, I fought so hard. I tried to get your attention, I tried to make you notice me. But you had eyes only for her. I….carried my feelings for you for so long…"
"Mutsumi….." He said softly reaching out a hand towards her, but pulling it back as she stood up from her spot. Her eyes seemed angry, tears slowly slipped their way down her face.
"I still carry them! I still fight and yet you continue to ignore them!" She cried and with that said she ran from the room, out the large sliding window and into the rain. Her feet pounded against the wooden floors that ran along the outside of the apartments. "Mutsumi-san!" Keitaro cried out and took off after her.
The rain pounded against his body, covered his glasses making it hard to see. Yet he could see her form in front of him, running. He followed her down the stairs and out onto the grass. Her form kept moving until, as she ran, her foot slipped upon the slick wet grass, her body crashing to the ground. Keitaro ran towards her and grabbed her arms pulling her to her feet. "Mutsumi-san, are you alright?" He asked.
Through his glasses he saw her face, he could not tell where the tears began and rain ended. Her body shivered, her eyes stared at him, so full of sadness. "I waited for you Keitaro, I waited and waited and you never came for me. I kept hoping, dreaming that you'd show up one day. But dreams are for fools. You said it yourself, are they not just a place to run away to?" She said through her tears.
Keitaro stared at her, words escaping him. His heart was racing, pounding in his ears. What was this feeling? It was…it was time. He had caught up. He could feel it moving with him, not without him. He felt, in that moment, happy. His frown began to bend until a smile broke out across his face. "If I came to you now, would you even take me?" He asked.
Mutsumi looked at his face, his smile, so real…so warm. "If I had to wait another 2 years I would, I'd wait for eternity." She cried, the warm tears soaking her face even more.
Keitaro wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against him. She felt warm, despite the cold rain that soaked her body. She buried her face into his chest, her fingers curling into his wet shirt.
"I've come for you Mutsumi. You fought long and hard, and now you've won." He whispered against her hair. "I warn you though. I can be a handful. I'm dense, clumsy, and a bit of a pervert."
Mutsumi cried harder against him holding tightly to him. "I don't care, I love you for all of those things Kei-kun. I want to have all of them, the good and the bad." She mumbled against his chest.
Keitaro smiled and lifted her face up by the chin with his fingers gently. He stared into her wet eyes and pulled her tighter against him. "It's been a long war Mutsumi-san, but..you can rest now." He said softly.
He bent his head down then and softly placed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened in surprise her body grew rigid. However soon the warmth of his lips passed through her. Her eyes slowly shut, her body felt weak, and she pressed herself to him tighter, his arm holding her close. Their lips held tight against one another for what seemed eternity. It was like time was offering to stop for them, to allow them to stay within this moment. But instead Keitaro pulled back from the kiss, urging time forward. Time he was ready to spend, with her. He smiled down at Mutsumi, a warm and glowing smile.
"You win Mutsumi, you win….." He whispered as the rain fell down upon them, as though the clouds themselves were weeping with joy.
And though the rain pounded against the earth, though it was as if not a soul were alive. Time continued on, moving forward, moving, with them.