Disclaimer: Yumeiro Patissiere is not, and will never be, mine. All characters and places in this fanfiction is owned by the makers of YumPati. The song "The Way I Loved You" is owned by Taylor Swift. I only own my laptop and my ice cream.

I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain. It's 2 AM and I'm cursing your name. We were so in love that we acted insane.

I'll pick you up some time after 5? Let's go to the mall. I hear the movie you've been waiting for is out.

I can't come out til 5:30. My group and I have a practice session. It's nearly exam week.

I can wait.

Really? Okay. See you then!

Sure. Love you.

Ichigo blushed at the text message. Really, her boyfriend was so sweet. Rumi decided right then to look over the brunette's shoulder.

"Texting your boyfriend again, I see?"

Ichigo grinned at her best friend. "Well, Senji is taking me to the movies later this afternoon."

"Wow. Your guy is a great catch. He's so incredible! You've only been together for about a month but you guys have been going out on dates at least once a week... You didn't go out that often when you were with..." Rumi shook the thought away. "Uhh, nevermind. Forget what I was about to say. What are you going to wear?"

The brunette looked at her companion skeptically, while the said friend looked twice as guilty as before. Ichigo knew that Rumi was about to say 'Kashino', but she wasn't about to let the guilty girl know that.

"Well, he bought me this really cute dress last last week! I haven't had the chance to wear it yet, though. Maybe I can wear it tonight!"

Realizing that Ichigo was not about to talk about her past love, Rumi rambled on. "Your boyfriend is so sensible, really! I can't believe he thought of that! I mean, all Takuya sends me are chocolates, and chocolates, and more chocolates! Seriously, I've had enough of chocolates here in St. Marie, thank you very much. I'm very jealous, Ichigo. You're so lucky to have Kaitou Senji, but I guess I'm lucky to have Takuya, too."

Ichigo looked up from her book. They were at the library, studying for a long test. She sighed in exasperation, but it could've been because of her boyfriend or the subject they were studying about. Rumi wasn't quite sure. "I know that. He's a great guy. He's cute, smart, kind, respectable. Liking someone like him isn't hard. He's a great guy."

It hadn't occured to Rumi until then, but the brunette talked about Senji like she was telling not Rumi, but herself, all of those things. Like she was... Convincing herself of those things.

But, why?

Ichigo played with the hem of her floral dress before she opened the door that lead to the front porch of their dorm house. She smiled a bit when she saw Senji in his blue polo shirt and khaki pants waiting for her down the steps. It would have been almost fairytale like: the prince waits for his princess as she walks gracefully down the marble stairwell- if Ichigo didn't trip on her feet that caused her to fall.

His hand shot down to meet hers, but when they touched... There was nothing. Ichigo flustered a bit before she met his gaze. She blushed embarrassedly when she saw him smile.

"I'm such a klutz. Sorry about that."

Senji looked at her meaningfully, almost mesmerizingly sincere. "I don't mind. It's one of the things that I love about you."

It gives me a reason to protect you. Ichigo cursed inwardly as she tried to not think about that line. It had been a while since she thought of him last. It was best not to think of him at all.

She smiled up at her boyfriend. "Did you get that line from somewhere?" He always knew the perfect things to say.

He smirked at her, but she seemed unfazed. She knew someone who could've smirked better, which meant someone who looked more attractive when he smirked.

Again, she cursed inwardly for thinking that. She told herself not to think of him any longer. Until when could she keep this up?

"I'm way too suave to copy someone else's line, Ichigo," he said as he opened the car door for her. "By the way, you look exceptionally stunning tonight."

Ichigo blushed again, momentarily forgetting her past worries about a certain blond boy. "Senji, you say that all the time. Uh, thanks though. You don't look so bad yourself."

She got inside the car and inhaled. His car scent had changed from pine to... Strawberry?

He turned the engine on, the car's sound filling up most of the silence. Before he started driving, Senji turned to Ichigo and smiled cheekily. She grinned back at him and then stared at the road.

He laughed, his deep voice echoing inside the car. "You're so cute."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Enough with the compliments. Let's go see that movie!"

Rumi sighed to herself before getting up from her bed. She had already eaten dinner. Having gotten used to Ichigo's weekly dates, Kana had kept her company for about an hour as they talked and caught up with each other's daily lives. Kana had to go soon though, because she had to help some freshman study for her French exams.

Looking around, she noticed two things. One, her side of the room was too neat. Did she really run out of things to do when her roommate was out on a date? Two, Ichigo's side was a bit messy due to her clumsiness and forgetfulness. She just had a few of her clothes strewn around her bed. The poor girl had almost misplaced the floral dress she wore that night. Rumi picked up a few stray shirts and an oversized coat.

This must be her dad's. She mused as she continued to fold it. She opened Ichigo's cabinet to put back the coat when something hard fell in contact with her hand. It was a small white wooden box. Rumi stared hard at it before taking it out, gingerly holding it with her delicate hands. She had seen this box before, countless of times actually. She just hadn't seen what was inside.

She quickly put all of Ichigo's clothes inside the drawers of the cabinet. Rumi knew that this was something private for her best friend. Ichigo had never even mentioned the box to her before. She felt like she was intruding on something sentimental, so she just put it down on Ichigo's desk.

Rumi marveled at the intricate designs on the wooden box. It was made by an amateur, which she was sure of. Nevertheless, that person obviously put a lot of love and effort into the treasure box. There were flowers carved on each corner of the box and Ichigo's name was embedded on the middle. It was four inches high, and was about as big as a book. She ran her hands down the little flower carvings on the side.

She snapped out of her reverie when she felt her phone vibrate. She fished it out of her pocket and answered without looking at the screen.

"Hello?"

"Rumi?"

"S-Satsuki?"

"Is something on your mind? Are you busy? I could call another time, you know."

Rumi laughed, her eyes twinkling at the ceiling above her head. It had been a habit of Hanabusa and hers to exchange information on their roommates' current love lives. After all, they were both worried about the well being of the people they currently live with.

"No, I was just surprised, that's all. Anyway, why did you call?"

"Uh, you texted me a while ago..."

Rumi flinched. How could she forget? "Oh right! Well, Ichigo went out with Senji again... And before that, when she and I were talking, I accidentally brought up Kashino, and she acted as if I didn't say anything at all! Seriously, I don't get that girl. She tells me that she and Kashino are still friends, but I can see that she obviously avoids him like the plague!"

Silence.

"Satsuki? Are you still there?"

"Yes. Sorry about that. Kashino went out so I can talk now."

"That's a relief. Well?"

"He's been talking in his sleep, you know."

Rumi felt herself nod. "You told me that two weeks ago."

"Well, he talks even longer now. Remember when he used to just say Ichigo's name? Well, last night was one of the longest nights ever. I swear." He ran his hand through his light green hair as he chuckled to himself.

"Care to share?" She asked slyly. She enjoyed phone calls with Hanabusa. It made her nights less lonely.

"He said, 'I'm sorry, Ichigo. I miss you so much. I'm sorry. I still...love you.' Again and again and again. Trust me, that last one made me want to cry."

It made Rumi's eyes water a bit, too, because the latter part of his short speech broke her heart intensely. She knew how much Ichigo and Kashino loved each other. She, Kana, Andou and Hanabusa had all been witnesses to their blossoming love. How could something so beautiful such as the relationship of her friends break apart so easily?

"Are you okay?"

He probably heard me sniffing, she thought to herself. She wiped her tears and then sighed into the phone. "I'm okay. I just don't get it!"

And he understood her, for he himself didn't understand any of the happenings between their friends anymore than the next person. He was frustrated, and a guy as handsome as was he should never get frustrated. It would give him wrinkles.

"We have to do something about this, Rumi."

Again, she sighed into the phone. "I'm afraid it's too late for that, Satsuki."

Hanabusa's shoulders sagged as she said this. Was this really it? Having to live with a guy who was obviously broken hearted and still yearning for his ex love? Having to see the said ex be with someone else, when it's pretty obvious that she hasn't exactly moved on either? It was the truth, and honestly, it sucked.

Ichigo smiled sheepishly as Senji opened her side of the door. For the second time that night, his hand shot down to meet hers, and she accepted it gratefully. Ichigo went up one step, but Senji hadn't pulled his hands away yet, so she faced him questioningly. "Goodnight. And thanks, I had fun."

He smiled at her and then moved closer. He was going to kiss her, but an alarmed Ichigo turned her head just in time for his lips to touch her cheek lightly. He lingered there for about a second before he moved away. He looked hurt and slightly confused. To avoid questions, Ichigo feigned innocence and confusion as well.

He sighed. "Goodnight." And he left.

She stayed there for about ten seconds, her eyes distant and blank. It had occured to her that whenever he would try to kiss her lips or her forehead, she would always divert it to her cheek. She had never kissed him on the lips yet. She knew that she was being childish, but a part of her heart longed for only one person, and that person was gone from her life now.

Ichigo knocked on the door the exact same time that Rumi hung up the phone. It startled her, but when she heard Ichigo's soft voice, she opened the door quickly. Ichigo giggled at the disheveled Rumi who nearly threw her phone out the window.

Rumi smiled. "Hey. How was your date?"

Ichigo stopped for a moment, as if she was trying to remember what had happened. "He took me to see 'Remember When'. It was so beautiful, really! I actually cried when the lead actress died. And then after that, we went ice-skating, and then we got hot chocolate. And then, dinner! Yeah, that's about it."

Ichigo was rambling, like she was thinking really hard of what to say. The twinkle in her eyes had gone out, and she looked like she was memorizing a speech. Rumi wanted to say something about it, but figured that Ichigo was probably just tired from her date.

"That's nice, Ichigo. I'm happy f-for you." She bit her lower lip in regret. She knew that what she said was fake, because she wasn't happy for Ichigo at all. No, not after what Hanabusa just said on the phone earlier. She was still rooting for Kashino, and she always had been. She'd seen all the other boys fall in love, but all he seemed to do was work and study and work and study. So, when Ichigo entered his life, it changed him. And she was happy for her two friends for that. It was a lost cause now, and that just made her unhappy for her friends.

Unfortunately, Ichigo noticed the fakeness in Rumi's voice. "Is there something wrong, Rumi?"

The caramel-haired girl blushed red. "Uhh, n-no! Of course not."

Ichigo sighed and then nodded. She placed her bag on her bed and slowly began to untie her shoe straps. Rumi, in an attempt to leave for a moment, excused herself to go to the bathroom to wash up.

Ichigo slid into her pink nightgown and then sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes wistful. This was one of the bad days, she decided. She thought of him too much today. Was she ever going to stop?

Her lampshade flickered for a moment, and then dimmed. Ichigo turned her head to the direction of her desk and noticed a familiar box sitting on top of it.

How did this get here...? She took it from its place and held it lightly. Her touch quivered as her lips trembled slightly. She had not seen this box in over a month. Her fingers traced the small carvings gently, like it was made of glass. She held her breath and took her necklace out. The small key pendant slid inside the box's lock perfectly. Click.

It opened slowly as a soft melody filled her ears. She clenched her teeth and then took out the first thing she saw from the pile of pictures and letters and trinkets. It was a photograph of her and Kashino sleeping with their heads resting on the counter top of Group A's work area. She closed her eyes as a cold breeze passed from the open window. She did not even acknowledge its presence because right at that moment, she felt Kashino's white jacket atop her shoulders, smelling of chocolate. After a second, the ghostly feeling was gone and she was left alone with the picture.

She gulped as she placed the photo on her bed and looked at the next momento in the box. It was a photo of their battle with Koshiro Miya's team in the Cake Grand Prix. She and Kashino were walking down the stairs as the audience in the background marveled at the pink dress that was made of chocolate. She remembered her silly stage fright then, but she couldn't suppress even a chuckle. She placed it beside the first picture and then held the next item in the box.

It was a bandaid taped on a blank card. Ichigo racked her brains trying to remember what it was for when she saw her own handwriting at the back of the card.

"November 26. Kashino General Hospital."

Oh, right. This was the bandaid that the school nurse put on her cheek the day she fell down the stairs. She could vaguely remember Kashino's worried voice. "Amano-san, Amano-san!" He was breathing so hard, and she had never felt him panic so much in her entire stay in St. Marie. She found that fact almost comforting somehow.

"Ichigo?"

Rumi noticed the glassy expression in Ichigo's eyes and she couldn't quite guess why. She spotted the box and the two pictures on her roommate's bed. Fitting the pieces together, she understood why Ichigo's face was passive; almost grave. Ichigo didn't hear her when she called out, so she just watched.

Ichigo bit her lip as she took the next picture. It was the day he confessed to her, and she became his girlfriend. The picture consisted of Kashino with his left arm around Ichigo's waist rather awkwardly as Ichigo was poking his cheek and laughing. He had a small smile too. Ichigo noticed that that smile hadn't seen the light of day in so long, and it melted her heart completely.

Her hands were shaking as she held the next item. It was yet another picture, although this one wasn't as happy as the others. It was a photo of Caramel crying while Vanilla was consoling her and looking worriedly over her shoulder. In the distance, two silhouettes were shown, and their position gave away the fact that the pair had been arguing. It was the day Kashino and she had broken up after two lovely years together.

Ichigo's composure broke down as her hand flew up to her mouth, muffling her sobs. The tears flowed and flowed, and Rumi just didn't know what to do.

"I miss you so much."

And with those words, Rumi walked to her best friend. Ichigo buried herself in her arms and said those five words again and again and again.

"I miss him so much."

A/N: Heyyy! Has it been so long since I last posted a one-shot/two-shot? I'll be updating my other multi-chapter fanfic in a few days. I just wanted to try this one out. Please leave a review to tell me what you think. I love knowing what you thought about it! Oh, and I'm still thinking if this one should be a two-shot or a multi-chapter fic… I guess we'll find out soon enough!