Disclaimer: Marimite is not mine.

A/N: The last chapter!! Pls R&R!!

Chapter 3: Hurt

Rei was restless all afternoon. She could do nothing to calm herself. She tried cleaning up the house but ended up breaking things. She tried making some cookies but ended up burning them black. She tried doing her homework but couldn't find the answer even for the easiest question. Her mind kept going back to Sachiko. Her eyes kept flashing Sachiko's image over and over again.

'Will she be okay?' Rei wondered. 'I think I should pay her a visit,' she decided.

Rei tidied her room briefly before going out. She walked to Sachiko's house using the usual route, which passed through a small park.

'Ah, the sky looked gloomy. I forgot to bring an umbrella with me. It's okay, I could borrow from Sachiko,' she thought as she glanced at the dark clouds darting through the sky.

Rei walked slowly until she saw two figures alone in the park, standing and facing each other.

'It's Sachiko and Suguru!'

Rei quickly took a few steps backwards and hid herself behind a wall beside the park, close enough until she could hear their conversation. She didn't intend to eavesdrop but she couldn't help it. Her curiosity rose within her.

"What do you want?" Sachiko asked coldly. Her stern eyes pierced through Suguru's calm ones. Suguru moved his eyes from Sachiko's gaze and looked at the yellow autumn leaves on the tree.

"Sa-chan," he called, ignoring Sachiko's question. His eyes were fixed on the tree. "Do you know how many leaves fell from that tree each year?" he asked.

Sachiko looked at the huge tree which was filled with golden leaves. It was such a pleasant sight. As the cool autumn breeze brushed past her, a number of leaves fell and landed on the ground. Sachiko looked back at Suguru. His eyes were closed and he was smiling when the wind caressed his face and stroked his dark hair. Suddenly he opened his eyes and flashed Sachiko a charming smile.

Sachiko was startled. Her heart thumped furiously against her chest. 'This guy… why did my heartbeat…' she wondered as she placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating.

Suguru approached Sachiko and took her hand.

"Sa-chan," he said. "I'm so sorry. Please let me explain. I admit, I lost my self control that night. I lost my mind. You pushed me too far. I didn't mean to say that to you. I'd never meant to. Never," he said in a soft voice. A voice that really shook Sachiko's heart.

Behind the wall, Rei watched as Suguru held Sachiko's hands and grasped them tenderly. Sachiko was silent and Rei knew Sachiko's feelings were mixed up at the moment.

"Sa-chan, please… Come back to me. I… I love you as much as you loved me. Believe me," he added. But seeing no reaction from Sachiko, he brought her hands to the left part of his chest.

"You hear this? My heart is beating for you. My heart… I felt like it was falling down, breaking into pieces when I realized what I did to you. Just like the autumn leaves. I was afraid that I will lose you when you ran away in the rain. As if you were going to leave me forever," Suguru said, looking deeply into Sachiko's eyes.

Rei gritted her teeth when she heard those words coming out of Suguru's mouth. She clawed her nails into the wall and forced herself to keep watching behind the shadows. To see Sachiko's response.

"Suguru… I…"

"It's okay, Sa-chan. I'm sure you need some time. Think about it, okay. There's no need to hurry. I can wait for you. No matter how long it will take. Even if you can't accept me, my heart is always yours," Suguru said quietly, releasing Sachiko's hands. With that last words, he turned away to leave.

"Suguru, wait!" Sachiko stopped Suguru dead on his track. Suguru turned at Sachiko.

"I… I was very disappointed when I heard those words came out of your mouth. Truly disappointed. You have no idea how much I cried. I even wondered why would I shed my tears for a guy like you. It was just a wasting of time, wasn't it?" Sachiko paused. Suguru didn't move his eyes off her, waiting for her to finish her words.

"Because I like you, Suguru. I love you," Sachiko finally said.

Rei couldn't believe her ears. She clamped a hand over her mouth as she tried to stop her tears from falling. And she couldn't watch anymore as Suguru pulled Sachiko into a hug. She let herself slid down the wall, choking back sobs.

'I wanted her to be happy. But I was the one who got hurt. For her sake… For Sachiko's sake…' she thought.

As she closed her watery eyes, raindrops fell from the sky and landed on her face. She opened her eyes and saw Suguru used his coat to shelter Sachiko from the rain. The only thing she could do now was staring at the couple as they walked closely together, away from her.

The heavy rain soaked Rei completely, leaving her shivering. She looked up the sky and let the rain washed away the tears that she could no longer hold.

'As long as I can see you smiling, I will smile with you… eventhough deep in my heart, the wound that you gave me won't be cured by any of your smiles…'

THE END

A/N: That was it. So tell me your opinion. Is the plot too stereotyping? Waiting for your reviews. XD