center u Chapter 2: /u

b Kin Erizawa /b

i "I had a black dress" /i

She stood there, the wind messed up her long, wavy black hair as she stood there. The priest droned on and on and on about the deceased.

Why was she there? At the funeral of a man she didn't even know? At the funeral of a man who was practically a stranger to her? Who was this man? And why was she mourning him with a black dress? A black dress that fit her adolescent curvature, a black dress she had bought with her long saved money. Why spend so much money on something she was going to wear once? Why waste it on someone she didn't even know?

Not a tear was shed at this funeral… not from her anyways although the people standing around her were crying, couples held each other, comforted one another and held back tears of their own.

Several of this man's closest friends were there, crying, wearing suits and elegant black veils that looked like they cost hundreds of dollars-she was wearing a knock off from a surplus store- and they all had something to say about him. They were all talking about how great he was, how well they knew him. The occasional joke was made to brighten the mood but Kin didn't laugh at these nor did she cry at reminiscence of him.

Great? How great of a man was he really? She might seem cold by thinking this but it was true. She really didn't see what was so great about him.

Then again, how could she judge a man she didn't even know? How could she come to a conclusion of who he was when he was a stranger to her? A mere acquaintance in her life.

She watched as the casket was lowered into the grave, the crowd threw single flowers and plentiful bouquets wrapped with red ribbons. White flowers, pink flowers, even a few roses and carnations were thrown in there.

Kin had nothing to add to the pile, not a word, not a flower, not a thought.

Who was this man you ask? Who was this stranger?

The funeral ended and everyone left, the clouds left the atmosphere dull and bland but she stood there and she stared down at the mahogany casket that held the corpse.

She kissed the tips of her fingers and blew on them in the direction of the coffin.

"Goodbye…whoever you are…" Her voice held a solemn tone as she walked away from the funeral of the man she didn't know…

Her Father…

She unlocked the door to her car and sat in the driver's seat, her fingers tightening around the wheel and she bawled, hiccupping loudly with each set of shallow inhales and breathless exhales. Why tears? Why now? Why her? She had just lost her father and she hadn't even expressed her loss at his funeral, she barely cared, until of course realization struck.

She leaned her body against the seat and tilted her head backwards, staring at the roof of the car. She was alone now, all alone with nowhere to go, sitting in her car after a funeral.

A shrill scream escaped her lips as she stomped her foot hard on the gas pedal, it was a good thing the key wasn't in the ignition.

Tokyo. He mentioned Tokyo once, mentioned he had been there, and told her about how great it was, about how she would love it there and that he would take her there one day.

He couldn't very well take her there now though, could he? So she'd have to take herself. /center