"Len, it wasn't your fault. We know it was an accident," Hihara coaxed.
"Just leave him alone, it doesn't matter what you say.
It's his fault she's gone," Tsuchiura spat.
"Tsuchiura kun! It wasn't his fault! It wasn't anyone's fault. Tsukimori kun, are you all right?" Mio questioned behind tears.
"..."
"Let's just go, give him some time. Just know it wasn't your fault," Nao suggested. They all walked away with deathly silence of both Azuma and Tsuchiura. Nao and Mio were silently mourning, as Hihara tried to lighten the mood, but it was obvious he wanted to cry himself.
Drip Drip "It's raining! Should we really have left Tsukimori kun there alone? He will catch a cold!" Mio asked concerned.
"A little rain won't hurt him, his heart can't possibly be any colder," Tsuchiura sneered. Mio lowered her head as they silently headed for the car.
Len stood there staring at the picture set in the stone. Her golden eyes lit up when smiled, as her cherry locks cradled her pale face. The light trickle became a heavy pour beating down on his back and making the soil around the stone moist. He bent down and lightly pricked the soil with his index finger...
"Tsukimori-kun!"
"..." he fell to his knees resting upon the stone. Tsuchiura may have thought him cold, but little did he know that this would have the greatest affect on Len, than it did anyone else. He knelt in the rain for hours, forced to be cursed with the memory of losing the one he valued the most. I'm sorry...
~1 year later~
" It feels good to be third years right? I'm excited, but I haven't decided where I want to go for college!" Mio excitedly sang.
"Yeah, it feels pretty good but I don't want to leave the school yet..." Nao replied.
"You don't have to go yet! The year has just begun, so let's make it the best year ever!" Mio pledged.
"You're right. I'm glad your feeling better Mio, I was worried about you for the longest time..." Nao explained. Mio was silent for a moment, and her face went blank, but she immediantly brought herself back, "Yeah, well I should continue living how I would, that's what she would want, right?"
Nao half smiled," You're right... Let's go see if we're in the same class again this year," Nao said trying to erase the unpleasant vibe.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Mio yelled grabbing Nao's arm an rushing towards the crowd of people.
"Excuse us," Nao politely said scanning the board for their names.
" We're together! We're in class 2-B!" Mio shouted excitedly.
"Yea- "Excuse me," A green haired boy asked.
"Tsuchiura kun!" Mio and Nao shouted in unison.
"Hey guys. How's it going?" Tsuchiura greeted casually.
" We're good. We have the same class together, what class are you in?" Nao wondered.
"Well it seems I'm in 2-A," he answered.
A blue haired boy was making his way through the crowd. He was giving off such an unpleasant aura, people made way for him to pass. He walked right in front of the three to check his class.
"Oi Tsukimori-kun, say excuse me when you pass in front of people," Tsuchiura said. Len shot him a glare so cold it sent shivers down your spine. This was enough to warn Tsuchiura that he wasn't to be spoken to. Len trailed off after checking his class.
"What's his problem?" Tsuchiura said.
"Tsukimori-kun had never really been nice, but he's been giving off so much more of a hating aura, everyone's afraid to speak to him," Nao explained.
"He's been that way ever since that day..." Mio spoke looking down.
Tsuchiura mood instantly turned sour," Why should he be upset? It's his fault anyway."
"Tsuchiura-kun stop it! It's not anyone's fault! Kahoko would hate it if you kept saying that! How do you think Tsukimori-kun feels?" Mio screamed storming off.
"Mio wait!" "You know Tsuchiura-kun, that accident happened a year ago and we've all had trouble coping with it. And if you hadn't noticed, Tsukimori-kun has had the hardest time with it out of all of us. Think about that next time you want to accuse him of this," Nao scolded following after Mio.
Maybe that was too much... He thought.
"Mio, slow down. Are you all right?" Nao asked running to catch up to her.
"I'm fine, but I hate it when he does that! I know Kahoko wouldn't have wanted Tsuchiura-kun to say that to Tsukimori-kun. I don't think he ever fully got over what happened, and he probably blames himself. Tsuchiura-kun saying those things doesn't help him," Mio spoke.
"I know, but you have to also understand we all are going through a tough time now. But we have to learn to cope. Tsukimori-kun only opened his heart to Kahoko, but I know there will be someone else out there to slowly heal him. We just have to be patient, ok?" Nao reassured.
Ring Ring, the bell rung signaling everyone to get to class. Mio smiled at Nao's sweet words," Ok, let's get to class." I hope that someone comes along soon...
Tsuchiura started off to class, and arrived through the door. As soon as he arrived his mood went from bad to worse, the only two seats open were on either side of Len.
" May I sit here?" Tsuchiura asked between clenched teeth remembering what Mio and Nao said about Tsukimori-kun.
Len turned and looked at Tsuchiura with a emotionless poker face," Well seeing how there are only two seats open, and both are on either side of me, wouldn't it only make sense for you to sit there?
" That was the last straw," Now look here Ts-"
"Excuse me, please take your seat," the sensei asked.
"Yes sensei," Tsuchiura obeyed, annoyed that he got in trouble on the first day.
"Okay, class is beginning. First of all I am Kobayashi sensei, and we will start the year my learn-
"Sensei," a student from outside interrupted. "Come out into the hall please."
"All right, please wait a moment class," sensei directed walking into the hall. The class could only faintly make out what was being said.
"Yeah..."
"Oh really?..."
"Okay, alright..."
" Alright class!" Sensei said walking back in with an odd looking girl. Her skin was pale like a normal Japanese, but she had long blonde hair that came down to her mid stomach with bangs that were parted to the side and covered her left eye about half way. She had large chocolate brown eyes, that looked as if she was always analyzing everything around her, and a cute sneaky smile. "We have a transfer student from overseas. Please introduce yourself."
"Y-o Mi name is N-A-K-A-Y-A-M-A H-A-R-U-K-A! It's a play-sure to me-et yo-o oll!" she introduced in some weird language. The class stared at her utterly confused at the jibberish she spoke.
"Ms. Nakayama please speak Japanese to them," sensei instructed.
"Okay, okay it was just a joke. Hey everyone! I'm Nakayama Haruka! Nice to meet you!" she said smiling.
Everyone's face was the same," Oh she can speak Japanese." they all sort of giggled at her.
"Okay, everyone simmer down. She's from America, and her father owns a business here so she will be here for a while. Japanese is her second language, so please treat her kindly and help her if she doesn't understand something. Nakayama-san take a seat there," he said pointing to the seat on the left on Len.
"Okay!" she said walking over and plopping into the seat next to Len.
"Hey I'm Haruka!" she whispered to Len.
Len's face was plastered with annoyance," I know, you introduced yourself to the whole class," Len stated obviously.
"You're right, but I thought that since your aura is so terrible you might be too caught up in your gloominess to hear! So what's your name blue head?" she asked playfully.
Len's patience was wearing thin. Who does this girl think she is? Addressing me so casually and speaking to me so familiarly! Blue head? She will regret that, I'll just make her cry and maybe she'll go away. "It's Tsukimori Len, anymore stupid questions you would like to ask and waste more of my time?" he asked scowling at her.
She smirked," Oooh scary face you got there Tsukimori-kun! You should smile more because your pretty handsome, but when you glare like that you just look unattractive and frightening. But, you're gonna have to do better than that to scare me away!" she said patting his hair down as if he were a puppy.
Len shoved her hand away," Don't touch me so familiarly! Who are you to speak to me in such a way?" Len blurted.
"Tsukimori-kun, take your seat! I will see you after class!" sensei scolded.
Haruka giggled at how he reacted. Oh my, I haven't had this much fun in ages...
Tsuchiura looked over at Haruka impressed that she got such a reaction out of him. What's with this girl? The lecture went on, and soon the bell rang for lunch.
Len stayed after to clean the boards, while sensei went to lunch. "This is all that girls fault! How dare she!" Len mumbled to himself, wiping the boards down.
"That 'girls' name is Haruka!" she said popping up behind him.
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm cleaning, thanks to you that is..." Len insulted.
"Hmm, I see that attitude is bad as usual. It's actually your fault," Haruka calmly countered. "My fault? How is it my fault!" Len continued to raise his voice with more anger," If you would've just le-"
*Spray* *Spray* Len's face was dripping with water, and wide-eyed due to being shocked by her action.
"Are you calm now?" Haruka asked. Len was still silent. "Good, this is your fault because if you would've nicely said hello I would've been happy, and left you alone." "You know,back in New York I had a cat, and whenever he would get upset and throw a tantrum I would spray him with water to calm him down. It always worked! See, your calm now right?"
"heh, hahaha" Len began to slightly chuckle.
"You feel better right?" Haruka asked beaming.
"No, I'm laughing because you actually sprayed me with water, then compared me to a cat. Aren't you afraid I will hit you or something, I'm a pretty heartless person..." Len warned.
Haruka stared at him for a second, like a computer analyzing a text. She picked up a rag and began wiping a board," I did it because you're just like my cat. Feisty, and stubborn, but warm and cuddly. You're not cold-hearted, you're mistaken for that because of the way you portray yourself."
Len was surprised by her statement, but she had said it like it was natural. What is wrong with this girl?
"What's wrong Tsukimori-kun? You've been staring at me for a while... Have you fallen for me?" she jokingly questioned.
"Arrogant much?" he snapped back.
"heh, there's the cold attitude people keep mistaking... You should definitely smile more," she said finishing the board. See you tomorrow Tsukimori-kun," she said smiling and walking out.
"Tsukimori-kun!..."
He dropped the rag and slid to the ground. "Kahoko..."
Haruka was standing outside the door. "Kahoko, huh?" as she continued walking down the corridor.