Hey everyone! Thanks for dropping in to read my Toradora fan fiction! I do not consider myself an author, but I do enjoy writing, and hope that you all will enjoy it!
Recently I rewatched Toradora, and came to the realization that I actually liked Kawashima Ami's character the most. I feel that she had the most character development and while she had very big flaws it was nothing irredeemable. It is her relationship not just with Ryuuji but with Taiga and the other principle characters that I would like to explore.
After finishing the show, I read Mark629's excellent "Walk the Same Path", that picks up when Taiga leaves Ryuuji. After reading it I wanted to tell a different story. I do not hope to match the length nor depth of his story, his was far more excellent than I can hope to accomplish, but I do hope to capture perhaps a different element. To distinguish my story from his, my story picks up on Toradora upon Taiga's return. In "Walk the Same Path", between Taiga leaving and her return, Ryuuji and Ami fall in love, in my story, Taiga and Ryuuji reunite as seen in the after credits scene of the last episode. It is an Ami X Ryuuji fan fiction, but that is all I can say, spoilers XD. I have the first chapter ready, and will attempt uploading a new chapter at an interval of 2 to 4 weeks. I will also attempt to include some personal art to provide "cgs", I don't have any of the proper equipment nor am I even that good, but I hope to do well enough to provide some visuals for the story.
I have a brief character summary below for anyone who hasn't watched Toradora in a while or at all. I will be editing and coming back to this list if any new characters are introduced, I have only written my story out to two chapters, and will be uploading only the first on 4/19.
Characters :
Kawashima Ami -
A teen model and friends with Takasu Ryuuji. She met him at Ohashi High School after attempting to run from a stalker. She has known Kitamura Yusaku since childhood, and has a bad habit of putting up an airhead persona, fearing that she will not be able to make friends with others if they know her true personality. She however opens up to Ryuuji, and starts to fall in love with him when she realizes Ryuuji is friends not with the airhead but with the real Ami.
Takasu Ryuuji -
A scary looking student and close friend of Kawashima Ami. He had a crush on Kushieda Minori since he first saw her, but was never able to turn that crush into a mutual romance. In an attempt to get together with her, he decided to help his new neighbor, Aisaka Taiga, get closer to his friend Kitamura Yusaku, with the promise that Aisaka would in turn return the favor with him and Kushieda. Over the course of their cooperation however, Ryuuji eventually discovers he has fallen in love with Taiga.
Aisaka Taiga -
An often angry and violent girl forced to live on her own due to a fractured relationship with her parents. Her crush on Kitamura Yusaku forces her to team up with Ryuuji in an effort to get closer to him. While working with Ryuuji, Aisaka discovers she cannot leave Ryuuji and falls in love with him. She eventually decides that to mature as a person she needs to be away from Ryuuji for a while. She returns when her class has graduated.
Kitamura Yusaku -
Takasu Ryuuji's best friend and the object of Aisaka's affection for most of the series. He is an excellent student who was once in love with Aisaka. He also is childhood friends with Kawashima Ami, and is one of the few people she has let her guard down around. He eventually falls in love with a senior student, and after a rejection accepts his position as "Patron Saint of Broken Hearts".
Kihara Maya -
Outgoing and sweet, Kihara Maya is one of the first people to befriend Kawashima Ami at Ohashi High School. For most of the school year, she crushes intently over Kitamura Yuusaku, which eventually leads to an argument between her and one of her friends, Hisamitsu Noto. As a result of her crush for Kitamura, she often tries to force Taiga away from Kitamura and closer to Ryuuji.
Hisamitsu Noto -
Another of Ryuuji's friends. He often hangs out with Kihara Maya and Kashii Nanako together with the class clown Haruta Koji. He incorrectly assumes Ryuuji and Taiga are going out when he notices them spending time together. After a fight with Kihara Maya, he realizes he has fallen in love with her. It is unclear if the feelings are mutual, but it is known that at the very least he and Kihara do make up.
Kashii Nanako -
Kihara Maya's best friend and another of the first people to befriend Kawashima Ami. She is very close to Maya and is rarely ever seen apart from her. It is likely that they have been friends since childhood. She is aware of her best friend's crush on Kitamura, but never pushes her to act on it, simply standing in the background.
Haruta Koji -
The perverted class clown and Hisamitsu Noto's closest friend. For the class festival he proposed a maid cafe that ended up turning into a cosplay event, and other such attempts to get the class girls into more revealing clothing. He and Nanako never get much character development as they are more background characters.
Chapter 1 - Snowfall
For a moment I notice Ryuuji bolt back inside. Everyone is celebrating. People are cheering. People are crying. I smile slightly, I'm glad to see Ryuuji so happy. But I can't help but feel regret within. It was a long year for all of us, even longer for him. Perhaps she thought it would have been better without the personal goodbyes, perhaps she feared losing the courage to leave. I wonder what must be going through his mind right now…
"We promised we wouldn't run away. The klutz."
"What do you mean?" I recall a conversation I had with Ryuuji a few days after Taiga left.
"After I found out my mom had run away, I thought how childish an act it was. Only then it hit me that we were doing the exact same thing. After heading to my grandparents' place, we made sure she was alright. We both realized it was a childish dream. We came home, and as usual I prepared dinner for the three of us."
"And she never showed up.", I closed my eyes, frustrated with her. Perhaps I was more frustrated with myself however. I'm still not sure.
"I trust her though," he commented, perhaps noticing my disappointment. "We email each other everyday, and call each other each Sunday. She really does believe this will all be for the best."
"Well, if Ryuuki-kun trusts her, I trust her." I smiled at Ryuuji, I... lied to Ryuuji.
"You have nothing to worry about Kawashima." As usual, Ryuuji was able to see right through my facade. Idiot. It isn't fair. Perhaps it was my fault though. I pushed too hard, I tried for force things, even as I attacked my friends for doing the same thing.
"I trust you though Ryuuji-kun. I always will." I still loved him. I still love him. I wasn't lying when I told him that. And yet it was so painful to utter those words. In a sense, it felt final. Perhaps even more than when I confessed my love for him in the shed only weeks ago.
He smiled gently, before bowing his head. "Thank you, Kawashima."
I wanted to change subjects. "So, how has the palmtop tiger been?", I didn't care, but I wanted to get my mind off of things. I had too. I felt sick to my stomach. I bit my tongue, hoping the pain would hold back the tears.
He raised his head, "she's been fine thankfully. She's already started classes at her new school. I suppose she didn't want to leave her mother alone after all that had happened. She's even started to learn how to cook, though from the pictures she's sent me, she still has much to learn." Ryuuji looked genuinely happy as he scrolled through the few pictures he received over those past few weeks.
The topic change didn't help. I scrunched up my fists in my lap, begging myself not to break down right then and there.
"I haven't had the time to message her after saying hello the first time.", Ryuuji almost certainly knew that wasn't true. He almost certainly knew I didn't have the courage to write to the girl who stole him away from me. But oddly enough, I wasn't mad at her. When Ryuuji confessed he loved her, anger nor jealousy directed at her ever passed my mind. "No matter what happens, I'll be there to support you. Never forget that Ryuuji." His brow raised slightly.
"And I will always appreciate your support, Kawashima Ami." He looked up, and gave me that wonderful smile I had come to be obsessed with. That smile that scared away so many others, and yet was treasured by a select few. Just this once, his smile was for me alone.
I smirked, and lifted myself from my desk. "Ughh, this is getting too chummy for me. I'm going to get something to drink. Lunch is going to end soon, I'd rather not go thirsty for the next three hours."
"Still the same as ever, Kawashima." I paused as I heard those words uttered from behind me. All I could think of doing is to turn, wink, and stick my tongue out as I always used to.
Back to my usual spot. I walked down the hallway and spotted a pair of athletic legs taking up my spot.
"Oh, it's you. What are you doing in my spot?", I asked the red-hair girl. Her lips curled upwards, as if to say, "I really want to be happy about this" but they were fooling noone. Her eyes said it all.
"No wonder you like this spot Amin. It's oddly comforting." She stood up, and moved out.
"Lunch is about to end, you better come back to class soon!" With those words the usually bubbly and energetic Minori Kushieda drifted back to the classroom.
Left alone to my thoughts, I sat in that confined void between the two vending machines where I would wait and wait for Ryuuji to come along. How many times I sat and waited. How many hours he never came. When he would finally show up, he was almost always getting a drink for Taiga. He had the patience to talk to me, ask me what was wrong. But he was too damn dense to ever figure it out. So many hints dropped, so many failed attempts to let him understand. But it was never meant to be, Ryuuji loved Taiga. Even after breaking her promise, and leaving him without warning, Ryuuji STILL loves Taiga. Did it really have to be this way?
I wish I could hate her. Even when I first met her, I didn't. I wasn't even jealous of Ryuuji's love for her. I was jealous of the fact that people liked her when she was just herself. I can only come to hate myself. As I attacked Kushieda for playing an airhead, I couldn't be honest with Ryuuji until it was too late. Too hard I tried to be the nice girl, only now do I realize this should have been the one time I was selfish.
After hearing Ryuuji's words, after uttering my own final words, my body couldn't hold back any longer.
"Ryuuji… Ryuuji... Ryuuji!", between a flood of tears all I could say was his name. The tears flowed and did not want to ever stop. I placed my hands over my face, embarrassed at the possibility of a passer-by seeing me in this state. But at that moment, the bell marking the end of lunch rang out. Another flood started to rush, students from across the school ran back to class. I wanted to shrink, I wanted to disappear. "I must look awful right now", I told myself, yet no one seemed to notice my presence. All energy was drained from my body, and I collapsed. I leaned against one of the vending machines for support, and closed my eyes.
The school day came to a close, I never returned to class.
"Oh well, I'll catch up tomorrow. I can ask Kitamura for a summary", I got up and begun walking down the flight of stairs that I still recall so vividly watching Kushieda and Ryuuji dart down to find Taiga. "It must be nice" I thought to myself, "having friends that love you as much as they do, Taiga".
The bitter winter winds were still holding on strong even this late in February. A late snowstorm was forecast, and I could tell from the imposing clouds approaching from the west that it would hit soon. "Snow storms always look so much more menacing than they really are". Just then a gust pushed against my back, I had to grab onto a pole else fall onto the concrete. That's when I noticed I was alone. For most of the year, I was accompanied by Maya and Nanako. By then they too were occupied by other matters. Hisamitsu finally gathered the courage to ask Maya to go out with him, and Nanako never left Maya's side. As such, I had started to walk on my own. "Damn it" I muttered to myself. "If this is what happens when I'm myself, it isn't worth it."
Soon I noticed soft white balls of cotton float across my face. I thought it was a curious sight, "wait, what am I saying?".
It wasn't long before there was a thin white coat covering the town. Foot steps were marked clearly along the sidewalks. I noticed I was following a pair up the streets. "I wonder what they could be up to." Soon the footsteps split off, and I realized I had followed them past my own home. "Silly me".