Author's Note: The setting of this story is fictional. I based the name of the setting from the original Shibuya, but that ends there. All the places in the story are all created by me since I am not familiar with Shibuya in Tokyo. I basically created a place where in my story will fit. So, to all those people who are familiar with Shibuya, please understand that this place in the story is not the Shibuya that you know. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gals nor its characters.

A River in Shibuya

Summary: The elders of the Otohata clan and Hoshino clan had made an arrangement a long time ago for the two families to unite. This can only be done once Rei Otohata marries Aya Hoshino.

Character Info:

Aya is 19 years old and studying Architecture at College of Arts and Sciences in Tokyo University.

Rei is 20 years old and studying Economics at the Faculty of Economics also in Tokyo University.

Chapter One: A River Divides Us

A girl sitting on a bay window in her bedroom, looking at the city skylight while the sun is minutes away from setting. She is still recalling what had happened earlier that day.

" You are to be married to Rei Otohata, as what had been arranged by the elders. This arrangement had been agreed upon long before you were born. You will be married to Rei Otohata within 3 months time." Aya's father suddenly said to her after being called to his office right after she came home from school.

Aya, surprised at her father's sudden announcement, asked, " What do you mean to be married to Rei Otohata? And why am I not aware of this arrangement?" However, Aya suddenly stopped her questioning because the look that her father gave her already tells her that her questions will be answered in due time.

" Rei Otohata has already been informed by his father of this arrangement as we speak." Aya's father said and that ended their conversation.

Back to Aya's room;

" Why now when we already agreed that we no longer have to do anything with each other. I have finally given his freedom to pursue his love." Aya thought sadly.

Flashback: Aya and Rei were walking in a park and heading toward an old wooden bridge.

" There was an old legend about this bridge." Aya broke the long silence; " Legend said that Shibuya has so many underground rivers running from north to south, east from west. The people from the olden days never knew that there were rivers underground. One day, two very wealthy families started a quarrel among each other. Nobody knows the reason of this quarrel but it divided the people of Shibuya. Everybody claim that they were right and there was no end to their bickering. Then one day, as if the gods of the river have had enough of their quarrel, a very strong earthquake shook Shibuya and the underground rivers slowly began to rise. The rivers divided Shibuya and its people. The elders of the two quarreling families saw this as a sign of the angers of the gods and immediately made an oath never to quarrel again. No one knows what has been the agreement between the two, but the very next day the two families worked together to build bridges to connect the divided areas of Shibuya."

"Right now, we are standing at the middle of one of those bridges of Shibuya that was built by the two families."

"However Rei, I don't think I can continue crossing this river like the one in the legend." Aya trying hard to prevent her voice from wavering.

" What are you getting at, Aya?" Rei said a bit annoyed.

" I …I don't think I can continue crossing the bridge to get to you Rei." Aya said almost inaudibly. " No matter how many times I cross the bridge for you Rei, you'll never feel any affection for me. You can't even treat me as a friend, what more for a girlfriend."

Reid said nothing, but never looking at Aya's face.

" My heart is so tired yearning for you. Can't you see it Rei? I made a fool out of myself for you! I kept throwing myself at you even if I know you'll reject it. And you know what's worst, I let myself love you even though I know you love my friend."

Rei look at Aya, eyeing her in disbelief.

"Are you blaming me for your disposition/" Rei said harshly.

Hurt by his words, "No…I am to blame Rei," Aya said defeatedly. " for I know what I have gotten myself into. That's why I am ending whatever it is that we have. You don't have to worry about me bothering you, for I will be doing the avoiding...good-bye, Rei" Aya said while backing away from Rei.

"You think that you can end this just like that?" Rei called after her.

Aya turning around, " Saying good-bye to you Rei is the only way I could save the little dignity I have left for myself." And then she was gone, leaving Rei still stunned to what had happened.

Back to Aya's Room:

Aya still sitting on her bay window, twilight illuminates her dark hair, thinking to herself.

"Has it been only a month since I said goodbye to him? It seems that it was only yesterday.

They never saw each other since that fateful night. They have managed to avoid each other. Their friends never knew that they have broken up. They thought that they were just to pre-occupied with their studies that they haven't had any opportunities to meet. They were too oblivious that they haven't noticed the sadness in Aya's eyes.

"Oh fate, why are you so cruel to me. I have gambled all my strength to say good-bye to him, but you kept on bringing him back."

The sun already had sunk and darkness fell in the room.

"Tomorrow…I will see him again. What am I going to do? How am I going to face him again?"

Looking at her window, Aya saw the first star of the night.

" It is silly of me to still believe this, but it won't hurt to try." Aya said while silently making a wish.

To the Otohata's Mansion:

Rei Otohata is pacing back and forth at the middle of his father's office.

"What do you mean that I have to get married?! This is absurd! I am only 20 years old! And I certainly don't have any plans of marrying some stranger!" Rei crossly said to his father.

"Rei, don't make me loose my patience with you." Rei's father sternly said to him. "As I have mentioned earlier, this arrangement has been made long before you were born. You have been promised to the girl to unite the two powerful families in Shibuya. And besides, you can't back away. The elder's decision is iron clad!"

"I don't give a damn on what the elders have decided!" Rei countered. "Tell the elders that they can disown me all they like but I will never succumbed to their wishes!"

"And what about your mother?" Rei's father said solemnly to his son.

Bewildered that his father mentioned his mother.

"Do you think that your mother will be happy if her only son had been disinherited by the Otohata clan? Rei's father continued.

"Mom's dead, Dad." Rei said angrily. " Don't make her part of this fiasco!"

"Your mother has also been a part of this decision of you getting married to that girl!" Rei's father loosing his patience " She had met the girl, if you had to know, and she approves of her."

Silence filled the room. Rei contemplating his next move. His back to his father.

Rei thinking to himself:

How can my sweet and caring mother do this to me? How can she agreed to let me enter this union when she do well know that I will fight against it.

Rei knows that he can't let down his mother. He had promised to himself, before his mother died, that he will always honor her, whatever the cost.

Defeated, Rei said "Just so you know, I am not doing this for the elders, I am doing this for mother. I will marry that girl."

"You've made the right decision, son." Rei's father said triumphantly.

Rei, before exiting his father's office, "By the way dad, could you care to tell me who am I going to marry?"

"It's Hoshino…Aya Hoshino."

End of Chapter I