Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm back from a rather long writing hiatus. :D let's all hope I'll get to finish all my ongoing stories this year. :D or maybe next year. (sweatdrop)

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who kept on reading my stories and giving me feedback. You guys keep me going. :D I also want to thank everyone who favorited me and my stories. That was very much appreciated. It makes me happy to know you like the stories I have to tell. (deep bow) thank you very much.

Second, my apologies for not responding to messages and reviews. I promise to be more diligent this time around.

Anyway, here's another one from me. The writing style is a bit different, and this idea just kept on begging to be written. It is a bit sad, though. I still hope you'd enjoy it.


Departures

It was raining the day she left. With her suitcase in one hand, her violin in the other, she had walked out of his life.

She had taken all of the things she had come with, and then some-his happiness, his life, his love. And yet the only sign of his promise-their promise-she had left on top of the kitchen counter.

So it came to this?

With a heart crushed beyond any salvation, he watched her leave from behind the living room window.

Just as quickly that she had entered his life, so she had left. Just as quickly that she had shed light into his life, so she had plunged his world into darkness.

From that moment on, Yunoki Azuma told himself, never again. He told himself, even if she comes back begging, he won't let himself fall in love again.

So when he saw Hino Kahoko standing in front of his doorstep, shivering in the cold, summer rain, red hair tousled in the wind, he couldn't understand why he didn't send her away.

He wanted to slam the door in her face, wanted to wretch at her for leaving, wanted to break her for crawling back.

Yet the only thing that ran through his mind when her gold, gold eyes met his was, God, she's so beautiful.

She was beautiful when she left, and she still was when she came back.

And now, the only thing he wanted was to embrace her. He wanted her in his arms, wanted her in his bed, wanted her in any way he can, and Dear Lord! Even after all the crushing heartache, he'd give anything to have her in his life, if she'd only let him


It was raining the day she left. She had her suitcase in one hand, her violin in the other. Before she left, her fingers had instinctively played with the band on her finger, the sign of his promise-their promise.

She had hesitated.

But hers was a life of turbulence, and the girl he had made that promise to, the girl he fell in love with, no longer existed. With a heart heavier than the weight of the world, she slid the ring off her finger and left it on the kitchen counter.

And so, she set on her journey out of his life, and she told herself, never again. She told herself even if her heart and mind begged for it, she wouldn't come back.

She couldn't come back.

So when she found herself about to ring the doorbell to his house, she had been thinking herself crazy.

Right as she was thinking this, the door had opened, and there he was, mouth agape, purple hair gently swaying in the rain's cold wind.

She had wanted to do run up to him, wanted to embrace him, wanted to apologize for leaving.

And yet the only thing that ran through her mind-the sole thought she had at that time-when she looked at his face, his handsome, handsome face, was that she loved him.

And she had thought out loud.

Azuma could hardly believe what Kahoko had blurted out. His eyes widened in shock, and the only thing he could say (quite dumbly, he thought to himself) was, "What?"

"I love you," she half-sobbed. And she didn't know what else to say or do. "Azuma, please, I-"

Before he could check himself, he had closed what little distance there was between their bodies, and kissed her to the point of insanity.

And he couldn't get enough. No matter how much he had touched her, kissed her, or had her; no matter how much she caressed him, kissed back, or sighed his name, he couldn't let go.


At that time, all that mattered was that she was back and that he had taken her back.

When she left again, it was raining. This time, though, she had taken only one thing with her-his love.

(But she would never come back.)

He sighed as he sat on the marbled floor, his fingers slowly tracing her name etched in gold lettering.

His chest tightened at that action. This, he thought, will be the closest he will ever be to touching her again.

He knew his heart had already been broken, but seeing her name on the cold, cold floor only crushed it even further.

His fingers readily caressed the ring on his finger-the sign of their promise-and he smiled ruefully.

She had left it then, and she had left it again. And with it, she left an emptiness in him that no one could ever fill.

He slid the ring from his finger and laid it on top of her name. And at that time, the only thought he could articulate was that he loved her.

"I love you, Kahoko," he found himself sobbing. "Kahoko, please, just-

"Just wait for me."

And with that, he set off in the coldness of the summer rain.

FIN


Thank you so much for reading. :)