a/n: I do not own Shugo Chara!


magnolia
prologue

"there was something about you,
that i just couldn't ignore.
but you see,
this isn't love."

It was raining.

She listened to the pitter-patter of the droplets that hit her window as she sat on her bed, knees to her chest. Her room was clean, crisp, cold.

Empty.

Her right hand clutched her phone, knuckles white.

03:50:21

Their silent conversation would end soon.

Nine minutes and thirty nine seconds.

Nine minutes and thirty eight seconds.

Nine minutes and thirty seven seconds.

And then, their time together would vanish.

rewind

"Hey, hey – did you hear? Did you hear about..."

"Oh, didn't she..."

"And then, apparently, they were seen over at..."

"But isn't he..."

The voices of her classmates swirled in and out of her mind, catching snippets of the gossip that tumbled out of their mouths. She responded by sitting quietly at her desk, her amber eyes staring hard at a pencil mark on her desk.

Ignore them, she pleaded to herself. Ignore them.

The classroom door slid open. The girls stopped talking, the boys switched the topic of their conversations.

But their eyes followed the footsteps of their teacher.

Her face felt hot.

"Good morning, Tsukiyomi-sensei," a girl called out politely, voice chirpy, sugar-sweet, sickening. Her eyes turned venomous, teasing, cruel.

"Hinamori-san, aren't you going to greet our teacher?"

She stood up and tried to dismiss the realization that her vision was blurred and her cheeks were damp. Her head remained bowed, pink hair shielding her face.

Deep breath. She could do this. All she needed to do was listen to them and maybe they would get bored and maybe they would stop and maybe her life could go back to normal and maybe, maybe, maybe...

Please.

The class was waiting.

"Good morning, sensei."

Her voice was quiet, raw.

"Good morning, Hinamori-san. Everyone, go back to your seats and please turn to page 334 in your textbooks. We will begin the lecture for today."

His voice was smooth, clipped.

No, no, no.

rewind

"I... I think I like you!" She knew she was embarrassing to look at, but she didn't care. Her heart pounded against her chest from the adrenaline rush, the anxiety, the iron strong resolution that was pumping through her veins.

She heard him chuckle, and she smiled.

rewind

She was going to be late.

She was going to be late, and it was the first day of school.

fast forward

"Amu, four hours have passed."

"Amu, it's time."

"Amu, I'm sorry."

"Amu, I love you."

"Amu, goodbye."

It was raining.