When I Dream
by crystal tiara

Disclaimer: I don't own "Kimi no Nozomu Eien". No copyright infringement intended.

He takes my hand, and it has never felt this warm.

Takayuki... to spend even just a little time with him is a moment of bliss for someone like me. His response to my confession of love for him was the last thing I expected. It never even crossed my mind that he would show an interest in me as well. Though we started off on an awkward note, things worked out quite smoothly. In his arms, I feel secure; I feel loved. As long as I'm with him... I'll never want our love to end.

I look deeply into his dark-colored eyes. He still has the warm, romantic look on his face that I've always seen and loved. It's as if time stood still for me... as if nothing at all has changed. And I'm content having it this way. Somehow, I feel like I've awoken from a long dream. But, I don't want everything to be a mere fantasy. I want to be with Takayuki, to hold on to him for as long as I can.

"Are you all right?" There is a trace of concern in his voice, almost as if he's afraid of losing me. He's always been like that- always so caring, constantly looking out for me. He's the only one I've adored for so long, and so entering a relationship with him was a dream come true for me.

"I've never felt better," I say in reply, giving him a demure smile to show my point. He smiles at me in return. His smile is so warm that I can feel that I'm not dreaming. Memories of that time when we made that promise come flooding back to me. Under the stars, we uttered a spell to seal our love forever. I wonder if he remembers, but I dare not ask. At that time, I believed in our promise, even if I knew that nothing could last forever. But nothing else mattered to me back then. I knew that I loved him so much that I could never let go. And to this day... I still love him.

The cherry blossoms flutter about in the wind as we take the opportunity to savor the moment together. I haven't seen him in a long time, and how I've missed him! Of course, nothing is better than spending time on a fine spring day, under the shade of the cherry blossoms. The sky is bright and clear, and no other noise is heard other than the soft chirping of birds. From here, we can even see the tree where all four of us hung out- Takayuki, Mitsuki, Shinji and I. But right now, it's just the two of us together, and everything else is calm.

"Do you like it?" I nod and smile. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy. I want to say those words, but I decide to keep my silence.

He squeezes my hand tightly. "I'll stay with you for as long as you like. I won't leave," he utters. His words are coated with sweetness and romance, and any hopeless romantic would surely blush and giggle in sheer delight. Typically, I would. I'm supposed to be assured of those words of his; to know that I am the one he loves.

But it doesn't feel right. Somehow, everything doesn't feel right.

Suddenly, it seems as if I truly have awakened from a long dream. It seems as if my eyes have been opened after a seemingly never-ending sleep. Everyone and everything has changed, but no one has seemed to notice. Or am I the one who has changed? I'm confused, but one thing is for sure- things don't feel the same. I'm lost; I'm out of place. I feel like everything has been changing and I've been left out of it. Just like a fish out of water, everything looks familiar... but there is some unfamiliarity to each and every single thing I see.

The cherry blossoms flutter in wisps of pink, as I dream of the past and a future that never will be.