I've been sitting on this idea for a while. Depending on the way you look at it, it could be either WataDou or WataYuu. Well… here it is.

Chapter One: Sayounara

10/23, 6:15 am

I dreamt of the haganbana last night. I was kneeling in a meadow somewhere, maybe a park. Before me was a patch of the crimson blossoms, swaying gently in the autumn breeze. As I reached forward to snap one of the long, green stems, my mother's voice repeated the old legend that surrounds the flowers:

When you meet with someone that you are fated to never see again, the spider lilies shall carpet the path in red.

I ponder the meaning of my dream as I prepare today's lunch. Whom exactly shall I never see again? Maybe Doumeki is moving; that would be good, not having to deal with that expressionless jerk anymore. It can't be Himawari-chan; that would be too cruel. My mother? I haven't seen either of my parents anywhere but in memories and photographs for quite some time now. Or—

The kitchen knife is dangerously close to my fingertips. I focus on the steady, rhythmic sound of metal against wood and let all other thoughts drift away.

7:30 am

I decide to drop by Doumeki's place this morning. It's partially his lunch; it makes sense that he should carry it part of the way to school. Doesn't it?

As I pass the buildings, something seems wrong—no, missing. I glance at my watch and, seeing that I have time, I retrace my steps. It isn't long before I see a vacant lot that I could have sworn wasn't there before. There is no fence, yet two fence posts topped with crescent moons stand adjacent to the pavement, as if marking an entryway. I feel a tingling sensation as I pass between them, and nothing more. The lot looks no different from the inside.

Barren.

Desolate.

Ordinary.

As I turn to go, I see a splash of color out of the corner of my eye. I crouch next to the wooden post, examining the red flowers that are rooted next to it. I reach forward. No voice warns me.

As my fingertips graze the stem, I remember what I had heard the last time I had been here on this plot of land. I remember the final words Yuuko-san had spoken to me, exactly how she had said them.

"Farewell, Kimihiro."

7:59 am

The school gates are in front of me, though I don't remember much about getting here. Doumeki is nowhere to be seen. I didn't need his powers this morning. I never will again.

"Hey."

As if by magic, he's right next to me. I turn to face him, and a rare bit of emotion crosses his face. He takes today's lunch from my hands and replaces it with a handkerchief. "Clean up you face before Kunogi sees you," he says, striding away and towards the doors. I glare at him, then raise a hand to my cheek.

It's damp.

Soooo… that was chapter one. Chapter two is in progress. I was inspired to post this after reading chapter 117, as the flowers on the splash page were spider lilies.