Ryuuji yawn and stretched as his alarm clock roar at his side. He absent mindly shut it off as he sat up in his futon. Two hours before School would start that would give him plenty of time to cook breakfast for his mother, Taiga, and himself. He shook is head and corrected himself. He had plenty of time to cook for himself and his mother. He walked out of his room and headed to the bathroom. After finishing his business and brushing his teeth. He moved back to his room and to the door that would take him to his porch, grabbing the broom he used to knock on Taiga's window, but he shook his head. There was no in that apartment now.
He moved to the kitchen and put a pan on the stove burner. He was going to make some omelet's for breakfast this morning. It was simple and there would be meat in it to please Taiga, but he shook his head. Meat or no meat his mother would still like a plain omelet. Twenty minutes later he had his mother food sealed and put in the fridge for when she would wake up. He sat down to enjoy his food and just for a brief moment he wished Taigra was there sitting next to him. Complaining about the omelet not being cooked right or asking him for seconds. But he shook his head and told himself to be patient. Taigra would come back when she was ready. Finishing his meal he moved to the kitchen and made short work of the dishes. To be honest the dishes never had a chance against the wrath of his cleaning. After he was done with the dishes he grabbed his school bag and after saying goodbye to Inko-chan he walked out the door. The heat was a bit unbearable and in his mind he imagined Taiga complaining nonstop about the weather. He smiled sadly as he walked the street alone, but he shook his head, maybe the heat was getting to him more than he realized.
"Takasu-kun, attack, attack, attack!" Minori shouted pumping her fist in the air.
"Huh?"Ryuuji remarked as Minori latest crazy behavior caught him off guard.
"You got to fight this heat! Gotta keep it cool!" Minori shouted as she walked up to him.
The red head girl stared at him for a moment. She was studying him. A semester ago he would have been flatter at her curious behavior, but he no longer liked Minori in that way. He was in love with Taiga Aisaka and not her. He looked away from her gaze as the thought of Taiga popped up his mind again.
"Something wrong, Takasu-kun?" Minori asked getting closer to him then was comfortable.
"Do you not have club, this morning?" He asked putting a smile on his face and she jumped back and pumped a fist in the air.
"Nope, It was cancelled. So I was able to get a little more sleep then usual." Minori answered and Ryuuji sighed a relief.
"Well we should get going or we'll be late, see you later Minori." Ryuuji said looking at the clock on his cell phone.
Now the 'we' in his goodbye wouldn't have confused Minori if he hadn't used 'see you later, Minori'. Who was the second person in his party?
"Do you have an imaginary friend, Takasu-kun?" Minori asked and her question caught him off guard.
"What are you talking about?" Ryuuji asked laughing uneasily.
"Who's the 'we'?" Minori asked and Ryuuji stared at her.
"I can't believe you would forget about your cl-" He answered stopping mid-sentence when he realize that it was just him.
"Wow, the heat's really getting to me." Ryuuji said laughing and Minori stared at him trying to figure him out.
There was an uneasy silence in the air as she stared at him with her hands on her hips. "Want to walk to school together?" He asked breaking the silence.
"Okay, but remember Takasu-kun. You gotta fight the heat! Gotta keep it cool!" She shouted punching her fist in the air. "Yeah." He said as they started to walk to their school.
He had to keep his cool. Taiga was going to come back.
School it was lunch time and Ryuuji found himself hungry. He reached into his school bag and pulled out his bento. He opened it and laughed to himself. The side dishes were all vegetables. He could imagine the fit that Taiga would be throwing if she was here eating with him. With a sad smile on his face he started to eat his lunch. It was kind of lonely eating lunch by himself, but Kitsamaru was too busy with student council and Minori was too busy with the softball team. Ami had her own group of girls to eat lunch so he was alone. But he couldn't and wouldn't let that fact bother him.
The rice was making him thirsty. So as he put a lid on lunch he got up to go buy something out of the vending machines. He reached into his pocket to feel how much Yen that he had. He could almost hear Taiga behind him begging him to buy her a drink. He almost turned around to say yes to her, but he stopped himself. She wasn't going to be there. She was gone. He just shook his head and walked out of the class. He sighed running a hand through his hair and for what felt like the hundredth time he told himself that Taiga was going to come back.
He reached the vending machines and pulled out the correct amount of Yen in his pocket and slid the coins into the machine. He moved his hand down to his usual drink of Coffee Milk, but his hand paused near the Orange soda. Taiga had loved orange drinks, because of it being so sweet. He really wasn't fond of sweet drinks, but he found his finger pushing the button. Down popped the can and he reached down t grab the can out of the machine.
"I didn't think you like Orange Soda." Someone said behind him.
He turned around to see Ami smiling at him.
"I guess I wanted something different for a change." He told her before he slowly opened the can.
"Is that so?" The blue hair girl asked.
"Yeah." He answered taking a sip of the drink. He looked into the can and tried to remember the last time he had shared a drink with Taiga.
"God, your such an idiot." Ami said exhausted before turning around.
Whether he heard or not. He didn't show it, he just quietly sipped his drink.
"Ryuuji-kun?" Ami asked and he finally looked up from his drink.
"Do you miss her that much?" Ami asked and he stared at her back.
"Thought so." She said before chuckling sadly.
"Why are you so devoted?" She asked.
"Why are you so loyal?" She asked her voice getting softer.
"Why do you still love her, when she left you?" She asked turning to face Ryuuji.
He stared at her. He was speechless. Honestly he didn't know how to answer that question. He had come term with it when she first left him. She had her own problems that she needed to fix. She still loved him, he still loved her. She would be back. There was no doubt about it.
"Because I will always love her. That's all I can say is that I love her. I love Taiga Aisaka and nothing she could do will ever change that." Ryuuji said after a long moment of silence.
"Your such an idiot, Ryuuji-kun." Ami said before she turned around to leave.
He took another of sip of his soda.
"She'll come back." He whispered to himself.
******
He took a small sip of his tea as he turned on the TV. The news was on and it was explaining the economical situation in Japan. He sighed and looked around his apartment. His mother was off at work and he was alone besides Inko-chan who was sleeping right now. It was a bit lonely, but he would be fine. He jumped up as he remember there was still dishes to do. He grinned wickedly as he thought about his next conquest in cleaning. He stalked off into the kitchen for his prey.
After a short while he was finished with his last plate and he put in the drying rack. He sighed and checked his phone. It was only seven at night, it was going to be a long night. He was going to close his phone, but he left it opened. It was the picture of the single star that she sent to everyone. He through his phone across the room in a sudden fit of rage. It hit the wall and the battery came out as it crashed onto the floor.
He found himself sinking down to the ground and he tried to get a hold of himself. His teeth clenched along with his hands as he desperately tried to hold back the tears that was trying to burst out. He couldn't control it, he was tired of keeping his cool. He missed Taiga, he was lonely. His face fell into his hands as he let out a cry.
"Taiga!"He shouted as his tears found its way out.
Taiga wasn't coming back. Taiga was coming back. Taiga wasn't coming back. Taiga was coming back. Taiga was in love with him Taiga wasn't in love with him. Taiga was in love him, Taiga wasn't in love with him. Taiga was in love with him. He shook his head as tried to regain control of himself. He had to stay it. He had to stay it for his own sanity.
"Taiga is coming back...at least I hope."