The Dream

(Weeks Later)

Kanade sat near the window staring out at the flowers she had recently planted. Yuzuru. Her mind whispered to her. She didn't know who he was but she felt empty without him as if there was this tiny, little puzzle piece missing in her life.

"Hey Tachibana. Are you ok?"

She looked up at Yuri and smiled. Why wouldn't she be ok? For all she knew Yuzuru never even existed. "Yeah, just lost in thought I guess."

"You sure?"

Before Kanade could reply a large group of loud students entered the room signaling it was time for class. Yuri planted herself in the seat behind Tachibana and kicked her feet up on the desk.

The bell gave a loud ring and the teacher walked in.

"Alright class take your seats." Mr. Walker exclaimed as he sat in his seat and continued to talk, "I have a surprise for you today... Mr. Otonashi come on in."

A boy with long red hair covering one of his eyes quietly came in the classroom. He wore a plain red shirt with denim jeans. He looked to be at least boy looked like he was scanning the desks to maybe find a familiar face in the crowd. That is when he saw Kanade.

He stared. Thats it. Just stared at her with those big amber eyes. It seemed as if time just suddenly stopped for Kanade . As if there was no one else in the room but those two. Something flipped inside her stomach as Kanade stared back at him. That hair, those eyes , his whole being. It seemed so familiar to her. And for some strange odd reason, all she wanted to do in that moment was to run up to him, hug him, embrace him. Be with him. And by the look in his eyes, she could tell she wasn't the only one having these feelings. Kanade wanted to love him like she did in the-

"Ok Otonashi. Take a seat anywhere you want." The teacher`s voice said,snapping her out of her trance.

What was that? What just happened? Kanade tried to search her mind for an answer. She could've sworn she was about to remember something...special. Something important or at least she thought it was. Oh, forget it. She told herself. It was probably just a figment of my imagination.

As Otonashi passed by her to get to the open seat behind Yuri,Kanade quickly snapped out of her thoughts and tried to focus on her school can't worry with boys right now. She has her studies to worry about and her reputation. Besides,she was the student council president after all.

But still...that lingering feeling never left the back of her mind. She had always felt a little empty inside, even though she would never show or admit it. Its not like Kanade didn't like her friends or position on the school board. In fact, she loved them. But she always felt as if something or someone was missing in her life, as if there was another person who was supposed to be there and support Kanade believed that today she had found her missing puzzle piece.

…...

Ring. " You are dismissed for lunch." Mr. Walker said as he neatly started organizing the papers on his desk. Everyone started to shuffle out of the classroom in large groups, but Kanade just sat there staring out of the window once again, but this time not even mabo tofu could break her dream like trance. He was the only one. The one who had been haunting her dreams for months. So why did it feel... too easy?

Everything went black and she found herself standing outside large school with a group of strangely recognizable students. They wore a different uniform than her, but they welcomed her with a large smile.

Something was wrong, very wrong. With every step she took a classmate vanished as if swallowed by their own shadow. What was wrong with her? Was she summoning these creatures? There was only one person left. Although she couldn't see his face she knew it was him. Just one look. She thought. The boy was staring at the ground and wouldn't look up even when the the girl beside him had disappeared.

"Yuzuru!" She called after the strange boy.

He looked up at her with tears running down his face. His amber eyes showed no emotion. He opened his mouth to say something, warn her, but no words came out. Suddenly the foot between them was too much. She wanted- no she needed to be with him. She had to hear what he said even if it killed her. One more step. She thought know that if she took it he too would disappear just like always, but she couldn't stop herself. The foot began to stretch turning into yards then miles, until he was too far to reach. The earth began to crumble from underneath her causing her to fall into a black hole. A shadow. She screamed fell knowing she would never reach him.