Sal: Um. This is for the one and only Kei-san, someone who really understands me. Sure, I have lots of awesome friends like River-san and iDoodleAzu-san and Mella-san and so on, but this story is dedicated to Kei-san.

The thing is, Kei-san didn't ask me to do this, nor communicated to me for the past few months. But our friendship is one I would never forget, even if Kei-san doesn't respond for a hundred years. I really hope she'll read it (ahahaha, no one would so weeeeeh), because...well, because it's for her to begin with. I mean I had trouble sleeping last night (17 April) because this suddenly popped up in my head and stories like coming up at the wrong time so poor me. But, unlike my past self, even if I want to do homework or play a really awesome game, I'm writing this because Kei-san is such an important friend to me.

The day I will be posting this story, according to the time of the place where I was born and raised (aka my home country), it will be on the 19th of April 2014. Hopefully I got the date right.

Gomen if I didn't.

It would have been the 19th of April... if this site didn't decide to NOT ALLOW ME TO MAKE IT INTO A WORD DOCUMENT BEFORE I COULD UPLOAD THIS WHEN I TRIED SO MANY TIMES. I FEEL LIKE CRYING IS THIS WHAT YOU DO TO ME I'M SO SORRY KEI-SAN FORGIVE ME PLEASEEEEE DAMMIT FANFICTION

Managed to post it on the 20th though, so...

Um, basically, this is somewhat ShinAya and KanoShin/ShinKano, but it really depends how you look at it. To me, it's just friendship (*insert random smiley face here*) but eh. Because I remember asking Kei-san what pairings she supports and ShinAya came up, and along the way I mentioned KanoShin/ShinKano and stuff happened and yeh.

Hopefully Kei-san won't dislike this story because if she does I will spend the next few days crying because of my lameness.

If she hates this I will turn into an extremely lame version of Shintaro. And also cry.

So yeh.

OH AND SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME WITH THE GENRES PLEASEEEEEEEE—

There it is again.

The familiar classroom he always studied in. The familiar windows he always looked out to the outside world when classes didn't seem to have any significance to him. The familiar red flowing scarf. Her nice, long brown hair that ended at her back. Her smile that always seemed to bring happiness to so many. The girl who always managed to brighten up his day, even when it seemed too dark for him to see any point of it.

But it was only a dream.

It was always like that, though. Sometimes Shintaro would dream the same dream, but each dream would be longer than the previous dream.

That is, if Shintaro doesn't move at all in his dreams. He can partially control these dreams, but if he moves even only an inch, it would just end right in front of him and he would have to face another cursed day of his life.

And he doesn't even know why it had to be so cruel to him.

Why can't he just say, "I'm so sorry for being so useless. I'm sorry for not doing anything."

Why can't he just move, and wrap his arms around her so she won't go away, and leave him to deal with his miserable life?

And that melodious, wonderful voice of hers and her heat would be gone until god knows when.

If there was even a god to believe in.

So he learns to stay still. It seems like the only thing he can do is move his eyes. He leaves his head lying on the table with his arms around it.

He hears her approaching. Each step becomes louder and louder.

"Hey."

Shintaro hears her gently say. He knows, even without looking, that the expression on her face was one with a smile, but was it really a happy one? Shintaro knows otherwise, contrary to what everyone else thinks.

Which is why he doesn't like his classmates. They can be too oblivious to how people is hurting and suffering.

Yet, why didn't he do anything at all when he saw her crying all by herself?

He hates himself more.

"O-oi!"

Her laugh. Shintaro would be lying if he said that laugh didn't bring him any comfort at all.

But he remembers not to laugh along with her. In a way, he doesn't like that contagious laugh of hers, because it takes some effort to stop himself from laughing along. He keeps his mouth shut.

"Don't tell me you feel asleep in class again!"

Another laugh, and a sigh.

Shintaro was glad it wasn't one of those sad, long sighs she seemed to be giving when she thought she was alone.

"Dad's gonna get mad."

Hell if Shintaro cares.

She laughs again, patting him on the back.

Now that was unexpected. Because somehow it didn't seem like it was following the other dreams.

Shintaro remembers it all. Normally after that line, she would just keep on saying about how he wasn't supposed to sleep in class and so on. And that pat was a little too hard to be just one small pat on the back.

It was enough to draw a small gasp from him, which he immediately tried to stop, but it was too late, and in his mind the only thing it had was oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no—

But somehow, the dream continues. Shintaro was surprised, if he didn't say so himself.

Suddenly the topic changes.

"You didn't forget, did you?"

Forget... what?

Wait, there was no way he would forget her. Then what about all the effort he put in to make sure he didn't forget her?

His reply came out on impulse.

"No, I—"

"Really?"

That question surprised Shintaro, and not another word was spoken for a while.

Then, Shintaro realised nothing was happening.

No. This was his chance. He could say something. He could just do what he wanted to all this while.

"I—"

His eyes flew open. The first thing he thought of was, "Where am I?"

He lays there silently without any movement.

As his memories came back, he thought.

"Ah. That's right."

Reality.

"Good morning~ (or maybe not)! Had enough beauty sleep yet?"

Shintaro turns his head to look at the source of that annoying voice with an emotionless stare.

"Oh, come on~! Don't look at me like that~! It's already past four in the afternoon, you know~! You skipped your breakfast and lunch! Don't you know it's not good for you to sleep so long and miss your meals?"

Gazing straight into his cat-like eyes, Shintaro doesn't even mouth a word.

"It's a very~ important day today, don'tcha know?"

That irritating voice of his. Somehow, whenever it came out, it always had this hint of teasing. What was his name again? Kono? (That would be weird; it sounds almost like his pet rabbit. Huh? Pet rabbit? He had a pet? What was its name?) Kane? Mr Cat?

"Kano Shuuya."

Oh, right.

Kano. Shintaro remembers his name.

Not wanting to deal with the younger boy, Shintaro turns to the other side, facing the wall.

"Hnn~ Seems like you don't wanna talk, huh?"

Kano sounds disappointed. But who knows, the 16-year-old might not really even care.

The room becomes silent. No one utters a word for a while. Kano was... probably bored?

At least that was what his face showed.

"See ya."

Softly, Kano says before walking out of the room and closing the door.

Sal: Um, happy birthday, Kei-san. Thanks for everything. It was really fun.

Nothing happens.

Shintaro gets up. He notices a wrapped up box with a little card beside it.

He stares at it for a moment.

What was it? A present?

"What for...?" Shintaro says out.

Picking the box and the card up, he places them on the desk, not even bothering to check what was inside the box or read the card.

He sits on the bed, waiting for his half-awake brain to think of something.

After a few minutes, Shintaro decides to go back to sleep. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could see her pretty smile again.

Outside the room, Kano stops leaning on the door and puts his hands in the pockets on his pants.

He grins. But it wasn't really the usual mischievous grin he has. It was... kind of a bitter smile.

"Looks like you really did forget, huh." Kano says softly, walking off.

The next few things he said came out in a whisper.

"Well, who's the liar now?"

Kano takes one last glance at the room.

"... Happy Birthday, Shintaro."