Disclaimer: I do not own full moon, but I do own the plot of this story.

Note: Reviews are welcome and very much appreciated.

Fate Was Here

By: Kikushi

Mitsuki sighed sadly as she stared blankly through her frost-covered window. Today was the day that the whole 8th grade had been waiting for. Early this morning, they had departed on a 3-day and 2-night trip to Hokkaido to celebrate their last year in middle school. Graduation was only two weeks away. As Mitsuki turned away from the window, she let her tears fall from her eyes and roll down on her cheeks. She recalled the sweet and bitter memory of yesterday when she had cheerfully teased her friends to get her a bunch of souvenirs when they came back, all the while holding the choked feeling that her heart was twisting out of her. Her friends had lovingly promised to bring her lots of things. Though their thoughtfulness had made Mitsuki smile, she had secretly wished that they wouldn't get her anything. She dreaded pity. She had gotten so many pitied-looks over the years that she felt the weight of it over her heart. Angrily brushing her tears away with a tightly-clenched fist, Mitsuki gritted her teeth. It was not fair. It just wasn't fair! Everyone knew that she had a tumor in her throat and that she would cough from time to time. But not letting her go on the trip just because of the possibility that something even worse might happen to her was just completely absurd!

She willed herself to walk to her bed, all the while dragging her feet. For a moment, her sight was blurred with tears and she forced herself not to blink so that the tears wouldn't escape. She thought back to the horrible feeling of being left behind and before she knew it, she was sprawled on her bed, muffling her sobs in her pillow. This day had been completely horrible. The 6th and 7th graders had given her odd looks and kept questioning her why she did not go on the trip. It was the trip that even 6th graders were already preparing for when they get to 8th grade. She was also laughed at and teased because she did not go. She was stuck with the few other 8th graders who did not attend the trip because of their misbehavior. She couldn't believe it. For two more days, she would have to be stuck with the juvenile delinquents. The clueless teachers had given her sharp looks, misjudging her and thinking that she herself was a juvenile delinquent. Mitsuki felt her face burn with shame and embarrassment every time she was ushered class after class by different teachers to their altered-scheduled classes together. Another misfortune was that she was the only girl there.

Halting her sobs, Mitsuki tore her face away from her pillow, breathing heavily and coughing. There were about five guys. She knew four of them- Toshi, Kuro, Kiyo, and Roki. They were the trouble makers and they were always together. Mitsuki was not at all surprised that they weren't going. They had incredibly horrible humor that the teachers frowned upon and Mitsuki did not like them either. They left Mitsuki alone, mainly because they knew about her sickness and for once, Mitsuki was glad that pity was on her side. There was another boy. Mitsuki recalled his name from the attendance call- Takuto, he was called. The 4 trouble makers left him alone too. He had a cold stare and he never did what any of the group was doing. The teachers yelled at him, but he just ignored them. Mitsuki had never met him before, nor did she exactly feel like wanting to. She had never met anyone with such distrusting eyes. He kept to himself the whole day and barely spared anyone else a glance in the room, though Mitsuki was half sure that she had caught his eyes in a split second one time.

Rolling on her back, she glared at the ceiling. If I hated today, I will hate tomorrow, Mitsuki thought bitterly. It was at that moment that fate happened to pass by and hear the child's silly thought. Everyone knew that fate had a knack for proving people wrong.

---

Just like yesterday, Mitsuki walked all alone to school, ignoring the 6th and 7th graders who happened to pass by. She lowered her head when she felt eyes on her and heard their giggles in her direction and walked faster. She rushed into the school gates and slipped away from the front entrance. She rushed to the back of the school and walked out into the track field, which was a rather lengthy way away from the school. Walking to the bleachers, she sat down. She heard the school bell ring and decided to ignore it. She knew that the teacher would call her grandmother and ask for the reason of her absence. She could only imagine her grandmother's face upon hearing about her class-skipping. Taking a deep breath, Mitsuki forced herself not to care. It was her grandmother's fault, after all, that she was not going on the trip. She would tell her grandmother that because she was left behind, the juvenile delinquents that she had been left with made a bad influence on her. Ha! Mitsuki smiled triumphantly. Serves her right, she thought, not feeling any better.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I wish I didn't care," Mitsuki whispered to the wind.

"Care about what?"

Snapping her eyes open, Mitsuki whirled her head around, looking for the voice. When she found none, the voice came again.

"I'm down here, you idiot."

Mitsuki peered down under the bleachers and found the owner of the voice lying down on the grass, hands under his head and his eyes closed comfortably. It was that kid- Takuto! He half opened one eye to briefly look at her and closed it again.

Poor Mitsuki was so startled that she forgot all about the question he had asked her earlier. She fidgeted with her hands and looked down shyly. "Oh… Um, what are you doing out here?" she asked politely, managing to sound civil.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Mitsuki sucked in her cheeks. She didn't want to talk to Takuto. She just wanted to be alone. Still, it was rather surprising that Takuto was actually talking. Even more surprising was that he was talking to her. There was a sound in the distance and Mitsuki realized that homeroom was over. The first period bell was ringing- the perfect distraction she needed!

"Oh, that's the bell. I guess I'll be seeing you," Mitsuki said, hoping that she sounded friendly. She got up and rushed to go. It was only when she opened the door to her first period class did she remember the question that Takuto had asked her.

---

All through her morning classes, Mitsuki had tried to ignore the short and unexplained conversation that she had with Takuto on the track field. What was more awkward was when Takuto came in. Yesterday, he had come to class in the middle of third period also. Mitsuki guessed that this was a normal routine for him. He ignored everyone, including the teacher, as always. It was as if he hadn't spoken one word to her at all. Mitsuki frowned, thinking, Maybe I pushed him away…? I guess I was being a little rude…

Third period was one of her favorite classes. It was art class and they had to make a clay model of something they loved to do dearly. Normally, Mitsuki didn't have art, but since almost the entire 8th grade was gone on the trip (with the exception of her and the five guys) art class was scheduled for the six of them. Today was going as slow as yesterday. Mitsuki only needed to get through this day and the next day before she would see her friends again on Friday.

I only have today and tomorrow to go… I can take it…, Mitsuki thought, rolling a piece of black clay in her hands. She was sitting all alone in one art station in the front of the room. All the way in the back of the room was Takuto. He was also sitting alone in one art station. To her left, Toshi, Kuro, Kiyo, and Roki were sitting together and chatting loudly in another station of their own. She shot a short glance towards Takuto and almost giggled when she found him staring at the different colored clay on his art tray in confusion. It was rare seeing any expression on his face at all. Turning her head, Mitsuki looked towards the direction of Toshi, Kuro, Kiyo, and Roki. Their models were obvious. Toshi was making a soccer ball, Kuro was making a football, Kiyo was making a basketball, and Roki was making a baseball. Mitsuki stared at her own creation- a microphone. She loved to sing so much. She was just adding the finishing touches on her model when she heard mean snickers from the 4 trouble makers to her left. She strained to listen to their conversation, hearing only bits of what they were saying.

"…Probably… yell with it?"

"Maybe…. Announcement…."

"….big gray blob…"

Mitsuki had heard enough. She knew that they were making fun of her model. Lowering her head, she wished that she had never done a microphone. Why didn't she just model a simple thing, like a tennis ball? She missed her friends so much. She knew that her friends would have stuck up for her if they were here. Oh… her friends. She missed them terribly, even though a day and a half had just passed. She heard more mean snickers and lowered her head even more as tears sprung to her eyes.

There was a loud clatter to her right and something dropped heavily next to her model. Mitsuki looked up and her jaw almost completely dropped. It was Takuto. He had brought his untouched tray of clay over to her table to sit down next to her. The snickering stopped and an immediate silence followed. Mitsuki was so sure that the 4 guys to her left felt just as surprised as she did. Even the teacher looked up from his desk and watched Takuto with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Oh, h-hello…" Mitsuki stammered, managing to make a sound.

Takuto set his eyes on her and Mitsuki immediately froze. Her body was tense and her heart was hammering.

"Hey. You never answered my question." His voice was straight and forward.

Mitsuki forced herself to meet his stare. Once her eyes found his, she couldn't look away. "Well…" she began lamely, "About what others thought about me, I guess."

Takuto raised an eyebrow and looked at her microphone model. "You wished that you didn't care about what others thought about you?" he restated slowly.

Mitsuki nodded, feeling silly.

"Don't worry about it," Takuto said in a plain tone, making Mitsuki smile, "No one thinks about you."

Blinking a few times, Mitsuki pondered his last sentence. Realizing that he had just insulted her, her face grew red and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Hmph!" She turned away from him angrily, a little surprised that she did. She knew that if it were anyone else, she would have lowered her head, defeated, instead. She turned her head a little to give him a glare, but instead, she gave him a startled look. He was grinning at her, something that she was definitely not expecting. She felt her heart beating faster.

"It was a joke," he said, finally bringing his fingers to touch his clay.

Class after class, they spent their time together, surprising the teachers. Fate certainly was a funny thing. At the end of the day, Mitsuki no longer found tears on her pillow and instead looked forward to the next day she would spend with Takuto. Many days after that, Takuto and Mitsuki still spent time together, even though Mitsuki had her friends back and Takuto had his.

As she climbed into bed one night, many years later, Mitsuki thought back to the time when she had first met Takuto. She had thought that he didn't have any friends and that he was cold and heartless. She had been proven wrong. Smiling, she was glad to have been proven wrong. As she snuggled up next to Takuto and their four-year-old son, somewhere in her heart, she felt that she would never be alone again.

That's it. I hope you somehow enjoyed it. Reviews are welcome. -Kikushi