DISCLAMIER: I do not own School Rumble or the songs mentioned here. Constructive criticism and reviews are welcome!

L.O.V.E. Four Letter Word

After high school graduation, with the load of all the exams and college life, there is one thing that shadows every young grad's mind. That is love. That inevitable feeling that takes over one's mind sometime in their lives. When that happens, people tend to act out of nature, and finds out things about themselves that they never thought was true. For two certain individuals, that is exactly what happened.

"Forget your illusions…forget what they say. Cause all your dreams of happiness, have just blown away. Once in a lifetime, you spirit will fly. That's what she told me before she told me goodbye." Those lyrics along with an acoustic guitar flowed into the couple of men at the local bar. "Heyyy…Kenji! I didn't know you played that American crapp!" An intoxicated bar-goer said to Harima Kenji, who worked part time as an entertainer at the local bar.

"Well I don't really care about the Americans, but I really can relate to that song old man…", Harima Kenji said to the old man sitting at one of the bar stools," That song is one of my favorites..."

"Well Harima-san, thanks for tonight," the bartender said, "You can leave now, and here is your well-deserved paycheck."

"Thanks boss, I'll be here 'morrow," Harima told the bartender as he left the bar. It was a few years after high school graduation, and Harima Kenji living on solely the pay of his odd jobs and his un-popular manga. He was feeling pretty crappy at the moment, and he wished that something big would happen. "God damn it…" Harima thought," that crap-load of a cousin Itoko can't be at the least nice in her life! She kicks me outta the apartment, and leaves me to these sad jobs and my dying manga." Harima walked to his usual place. He sometimes went to his apartment, but for some reason, he didn't feel like going all that way, so he decided to do what he used to do back in his junior high days: go and rest up in some alley in some abandoned street for the night.

After purchasing a light dinner, Harima retreated to a dark alley in the Tokyo streets. He set up a small bed using an old mattress he rummaged from an old dumpster. As he lay down on the soggy mattress, he looked up at the beautiful starry sky, which brought back so many memories. All those memories flooded his small mind, the fights, the good times, bad times, love. When he remembered love, he let out a grunt. Harima thought of Tenma, how he loved her more than anything, and all those terrible misunderstandings.

When Harima left to go on his journey, he swore that he would never think of any of this again, that the word "love" would be meaningless to him. He strictly lived by that golden rule now, that love was just a word, it didn't exist…at least for him. Now some reddening feelings were making its way back into Harima. More memories came to the front. He remembered the night when he went to this one girl's house, and how he shared an embrace with her that night, and how he technically became her fiancé. He remembered how she opened his eyes, and how he became a new person after their encounters. He then wished he could see her again, even a small moment would be enough. "Heh…," Harima whispered, "Ojo…"

About an hour before the explained events.

"Ha ha ha ha! So he really did that?" Suou Mikoto said to her friend as she laughed.

"Yup! He's SO talented!" Tenma Tsukamoto exclaimed to her friends. It was a reunion for four high school friends at their favorite coffee shop, Akira, Mikoto, Eri, and Tenma. A few years after Tenma moved to the United States, they have had numerous reunions. They were currently talking about Tenma's boyfriend, Karasuma.

"So Miko-chan! How is Hanai doing! Tenma asked Mikoto.

"Ah, he is doing very well," Mikoto revealed," He is currently going for a major in politics!"

"Well, he WAS always interested in that kind of stuff…" Tenma replied.

"So Eri-chan! How's YOUR love life going?" Mikoto asked as she moved in a little closer to Eri with a sly smile plastered on her face.

"Eh…Why are you asking ME?" Eri said with an unusual loud tone, with a shade of red appearing, "Why don't you ask Akira about hers?"

"No changing the subject," Takano Akira said with a mysterious aura.

"W-well…I recently dated a guy from the computer business department…"Eri said with a tone of embarrassment.

"Tenma and Mikoto edged even closer. "Really! How was he?" They begged for an answer.

"He was…an ass. The usual type of guy that thinks he loves a girl, but gets caught making out with some other damn person."

"Aww…" Tenma and Mikoto let out a sigh. "Well it's hard to find the right guy I guess." The pair said in unison. Eri couldn't really take any more of this, so she decided it was time to leave.

"I-…I have a very important meeting tomorrow, and I must get some rest. Please excuse me!" Eri started to get up. By the look on her friends faces, the easily deciphered that she was obviously lying. They understood though. "See you guys later, bye!" Eri spoke as she headed for the exit.

"Good bye!" The three friends said in sort of unison. Eri walked out of the store then. She could have called her trustworthy butler, Nakamura to pick her up, but Eri told him to take a day off. Eri knew he wouldn't, but wanted to respect what she said to him. Eri then decided that it was time to walk home. During the journey back, she pondered deeply on love.

"So many of my colleagues are moving on, getting into relationships," Eri thought to herself," Why can't I get lucky too? Does god hate me? I am one of the richest people in Japan, I have a great personality, I have a good education, and I'm beautiful! How is it so hard! All those negative thoughts flooded her delicate mind like rain. She really couldn't take any more of this. "If only he was here… The only man that I really…, what am I thinking? I will never get anybody…I am just condemned to the sad fate I have received… Love is just a four lettered word…"Eri started feeling even more down than usual. "Boy, do I HATE men…"

Eri then decided to take some shortcuts through backstreets and alleys to reach home faster, as in her current state of mind; all she wanted to do was take a long and hot shower, and then sleep. It started to drizzle, but then it was transformed into a fierce downpour. "Crap! I thought life couldn't get ANY worse!" the umbrella-less Eri thought as she started to run. Eri then looked at the rain closely, and realized something. She is like that rain. It just keeps falling, and though it will get back up for a while, its destiny will make it continue to fall for eternity. Eri was deeply saddened at that thought, but before she could get any more pissed, she took a fall in one of the alleys. She didn't even try to break her fall. There was an echoed "THUD!" as her body met the ground.

Eri couldn't even get up, that's how much it hurt. Not just the physical damage, but the mental damage as well. "I…I hate myself…"Eri thought, "I wish I would just die…" Then all of a sudden, a small footstep was heard, and then an extremely large hand was set close to her face.

"Hey girl, are you alright? Let me help ya up." The man said. Eri took one look at the nice man who wanted to help her, and when she met eye contact, she almost screamed.

"H-H-Hige!" she stammered.

"Ojo!" The man said, who was obviously Harima. "What a coincidence Ojo! You've stumbled upon my little resting place." Harima said with some dignity, though most of it was lost.

"R-really? Eri managed to say with a red face," So you live in the alley ways?"

"No," Harima said," I just like to relieve some old times once in a while."

"O-oh…" Eri couldn't speak a bit. Here she was thinking about love, and the man she..."

"So Ojo, what the hell are you doing out here?" Harima asked her, with a questioning look in his eyes, which hadn't had the usual sunglasses on. Harima thought, "Wow, I was thinking about love, then she appears."

"I was just getting back to my home" Eri stated. At this moment, Eri desperately wanted Harima to ask her to let him walk her to her home. She'd say no, saying thank you, and then leaving. Then Harima would grab her hand and insist to take her home, and that it was very dangerous to be alone at this time. Then they would have this nice little romantic walk, the perfect clichéd scene. Her warm thoughts were then suddenly interrupted by Harima.

"Well nice seeing you again Ojo…, but I think you should head home now…"Harima told Eri with a sort of serious look on his face.

"The NERVE of him!" Eri thought to herself as she began to walk out of the alley, "I was a complete IDIOT to think that I thought he would do that!"

As Eri began to leave, she felt a very warm hand grab hers. She looked back, and Harima was right in front of her, turning her face all red. "Hey Ojo... I think I should walk you home…It gets pretty dangerous out here at this time, you know?"