After a halcyon night of a dreamless sleep, Nowaki awoke to Takeiyo and Miko recklessly beating each other to the absolute pulp of themselves. Their whirls and kicks would awaken even a deeply asleep bear in the dead of a cold and rigid winter. It was not winter, however. September 2nd, to be exact. Miko and Takeiyo's first day of school. This day was only for them, as you can see. Nowaki was only at the age of four, so he was not mature enough to attend the six-year old program, also known as "Kindergarten."

"Take that!" Takeiyo shouted, sending a punch right into the left side of Miko's jaw. Nowaki heard the smack from underneath his pillow. It sounded brutal.

"Why you-!" Punching his puncher in the stomach, a loud expell of a wail leaving the receiver, Nowaki winced. He was not even involved in this brawl, but the sounds and expultions he was listening to were nauseating.

"Miko, you're such a jerk!" Pushing Miko to the ground, a loud boom of a noise heard upon the hard wood floor, Nowaki could only guess one thing: Miko had hit his head.

Tears had instantly welled into the boy of eight-years' eyes, the quiet whimper of pain coming shortly after. "T-Takeiy-yo, you're s-so mean, you idiot!"

Peeking his head out from underneath his pillow, Nowaki looked at the two warriors. They were all the way across the room, right by the window. Squinting his tired eyes, Nowaki could see the faint drabble of dark red blood trickling down Miko's forehead. He must have fallen on his face.

Running into the room, awe-struck and angered, Noami demanded for an explanation. "What on Earth happened in here!"

Pulling his pillow back over his head stealthly, Nowaki listened carefully to what was going to happen next. He thought that Takeiyo and Miko were best friends, but it appeared to him that even friends fight, too. The whole situation was just baffling to him, being the man of forty trapped in the body of four that he was. What could have possibly set them aflare?

"T-Takeiyo pushed m-me!" Miko complained, whines and cries still a part of his speech.

"He punched me!" Takeiyo defended. "Right in the stomach!"

"No, I didn't!" Miko lied, his tears muffling his words.

"Yeah, you did! Ask the brat!" "The brat". Takeiyo was referring to Nowaki.

Shrinking in his large, fluffy bed covers, Nowaki prayed that Naomi would leave him out of this dilema. She had noticed that Nowaki was scrunching beneath his bed sheets. She sighed. Nowaki-kun is exposed to far too much... she thought silently.

"Look! You two need to cool it!" Naomi said in a shout, her tone harsh with absolutely no compassion. "You have school today, in case you didn't remember, so get yourselves pulled together and get to class!"

Miko, wiping the final tears out of his eyes, got up from the floor in a stumble. Takeiyo and he had retreated from the room like scolded puppies, which, when you come down to it, they pretty much were.

Sighing as she held her forehead, Naomi lightly squatted down onto the floor. Her fingers working into the lightly forming wrinkles in between her eyebrows, Naomi began whispering secretive things to herself. Nowaki grew curious as to this. She was using a foreign language to him. Poking his head out from under his covers, his appearance somewhat like that of a joey, Nowaki watched as light, sparkling diamonds fell from Naomi's eyes, dripping onto the floor silently. Nowaki eyebrows creased in worry.

"Naomi-san?" Nowaki whispered in question. Hearing Nowaki's voice caused Naomi to jump to her feet.

"Ah! Sorry for scaring you, Nowaki-kun!" she apologized. Quickly walking over to his bedside, squatting down by her knees once more and placing her arms into a folded cross on Nowaki's mattress, Naomi began to rub to child's night-of-lacking-stars black hair. "Naomi-san was just thinking about some sad things. She'll be okay."

Nowaki's left cheek squished into his pillow, allowing Naomi to continue to brush his hair with her long, slim fingers. "Naomi-san, what were you saying? I couldn't understand you..." Nowaki asked, his tone full of air.

Naomi's eyes widened, but she let out a light laugh. "I wouldn't've expected you to understand, Nowaki-kun. I was speaking in English."

"English?" Nowaki's thick Japanese accent had massacred the word, but nonetheless, Naomi nodded.

"Yup!" She replied back, her voice chipper. "I went to college in America." Slowing down her speech for Nowaki, she sounded out, "A-mer-i-ca."

Nowaki's eyes glistened at the sound of Naomi's American accent. "Naomi-san, say more things in English to me."

Naomi couldn't help but smile, every time Nowaki tried to pronounce "English". "Well, alright!" she said. Standing up into her normal, towering-to Nowaki-height, Naomi spoke, "Alright now, little Nowaki! Time to get out of bed!"

Nowaki smiled at her, unknowing of what her foreign tongue was saying. "What'd you say, what'd you say?" Nowaki asked, practically bouncing out of his low-set bed bunk.

Naomi giggled, helping Nowaki to his feet by grabbing his miniscule hand. "I told you that it was time to get out of bed, Nowaki-kun!" Nowaki's little feet pattered onto the floor, coming to a small stand. "You have social skills today, sweetie. Are you ready for them?"

Nowaki looked down at himself. Seeing that he was in his summer, button-down pajamas, he shook his head. "No! I'm not! I have to change out of my jammies, Naomi-san!" In a fuss, Nowaki ran away from Naomi, his direction toward his designated drawer in the room's dresser.

As Nowaki changed himself, picking out his own clothes like a "big boy", Naomi's solemn eyes looked down at her now empty hand. One day, Nowaki-kun...you won't need your "Naomi-san" anymore. You'll be all grown up. You'll be able to stand up for yourself against bullies like Takeiyo and Miko...you'll be very tall, too. Your eyes will shine like the ocean on a bright, sunny day, and your hair will still always be in those eyes, masking them like charcoal wisps of clouding. You'll find someone that you will fall in love with. You'll fall in love with them in an instant, I know it. The way you two will meet, it won't be normal at all. It'll definitely stick with the both of you, though...it'll stick to you as the greatest day of your life...

Skipping back to Naomi's side, Nowaki looked up at his "sensei", his dark bangs flushing out of his eyes. "Now! Now I'm ready, Naomi-san!" he cheered. Looking down at his clothes, tugging on his pale green, teddy bear shirt, he continued, "See? I'm all dressed now! No more jammies!"

Naomi crossed her arms. Bending downward slightly, she countered, "You still have one more thing that you have to do, Nowaki-kun." She pressed her right index finger into the thick skin of Nowaki's left cheek.

His eyes wincing at the strange feeling, Nowaki questioned, "What is it, Naomi-san? What'd I forget?"

Removing her finger and crossing her arms, Naomi gave Nowaki a very stern look. "You forgot my 'ohayo chu', Nowaki-kun."

This caused the small boy to give a worried gasp. "Naomi-san! I'm so sorry!" Quicking jumping into the woman's arms, Naomi automatically raising Nowaki high into the air, spinning him around lovingly, Nowaki's lips released Naomi's most cherished sound. When she cradled him around her hip, Nowaki pressed a very light kiss to Naomi's left cheek. "Ohayo!" he giggled.

Naomi smiled in response. Arching her neck up slightly, she pressed her own, soft lips to Nowaki's forehead. "Ohayo, Nowaki-kun."

Putting him back down onto the floor, Naomi clapped her hands together. The loud noise made Nowaki jolt slightly. "Okay! Time for class!" Nowaki nodded his head in a big fashion. Reaching his hand up for Naomi's, Nowaki smiled brightly, when her fingers fed their way through his.

Walking down the hall, when everyone else was in school, was something that Nowaki loved. Everything was so quiet and structured. No evil glares, no manical laughter, just the air. Looking up to Naomi, Nowaki's somewhat permenant smile faded. Like the saying goes, a child knows. Nowaki knew that something had been eating at his beloved Naomi-san.

When Naomi noticed that Nowaki was staring at her, she gave him a bright, yet pained, smile. Nowaki shyly smiled back, but he really wanted to ask her what was the matter. Whatever it was, though, Nowaki knew it was probably something that only an "adult" would understand.

When they made their way to one of the old, abandoned nurseries, Naomi struggled with opening the door. Jiggling the knob left and right, back and forth, then kicking the lower half of the wooden door, Naomi had to stop herself from falling over. The door had burst open, a puff of dust wafting into Nowaki's face. His complexion scrunching up, Nowaki sneezed.

Warding the dust of with her waving hand, Naomi sighed. "Bless you, dear." Nowaki wandered into the old nursery. There were broken cribs and play things scattered here and there. "Naomi-san, why don't they use this nursery anymore?"

Naomi almost seemed agitated with her response. "Don't you see the place? It's an absolute mess, Nowaki-kun."

Nowaki picked up a small baby doll. It's eyes were made of buttons, it's dress of cotton. Holding it up to see it in the little light that was peeking into the room, Nowaki titled his head to the side. Naomi was too busy cleaning the place up a bit for the both of them to get their lessons done to notice Nowaki with the doll.

His finger tracing over the non-present mouth on the doll's face, Nowaki whispered, "A doll without a smile is like a baby without a mother."

Naomi froze. Slowly turning to face the young boy, she almost choked before she could ask, "Nowaki-kun...what did you just say?"

The doll in a loose hold between his childish fingers, Nowaki turned his head to look over at Naomi. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked, his ocean eyes worried.

Naomi shook her head. Stumbling over some toys to make her way to Nowaki, she bent down onto her knees. Holding his shoulders strongly, Naomi couldn't help the fact that tears were brimming her lower eyelids. "You're not in trouble, just tell me what you said."

Nowaki looked down at the doll, then back at Naomi. "I said that a doll without a smile is like a baby without a mother." Nowaki held the doll out for Naomi to take. "See? It doesn't have a smile. It doesn't even have a mouth."

Naomi looked down at the baby doll. It looked like a old-fashioned rag doll, to her. Taking it into her own hands, Naomi scanned the doll's face. Nowaki didn't lie to her. The doll was missing a mouth. It was most likely the style of the doll, but the fact that the mouth was missing seemed to really have bothered Nowaki.

"You know what?" Naomi asked, her expression now playful, as her tears began to dry up, upon her face.

Nowaki now looked confused. "What?"

Naomi held the doll so that it was facing Nowaki. Taking the doll's tiny arm into her fingers, Naomi moved it like a puppet. Making the doll wave at Nowaki, Naomi smirked. She placed the dolls hand over her invisible mouth. "I think this doll has a secret."

Nowaki's eyes lit up. "A secret?"

Naomi made the doll's head nod. "Ahh, she must have a very big secret, too." Holding the doll back out for Nowaki to take, Naomi smiled. "Maybe she'll tell you what it is someday."

Nowaki was cautious about taking the doll. When his hands finally encased the small body of it, he looked back at Naomi. "Can I keep it?"

Naomi nodded. "Of course. I'm sure the little girl that owned it wouldn't mind."

Nowaki smiled. "Thank you, Naomi-san!"

Naomi sighed, "Oh, you're welcome. But you know what? We're being very bad. You've got social skills that you have to work on."

Nowaki gasped innocently. "I almost forgot!"

Naomi shook her head. "Let's get started right away, then."

Once she and Nowaki were all settled and focused, Naomi held up a card. Pointing to the wording on it, Naomi explained, "Nowaki-kun, this word reads 'compliment.'" Placing the card down onto her lap, she cocked her head lightly to the side. "Do you know what a compliment is?"

Nowaki shook his head. He had never heard of such a word before.

Holding up the card once more, Naomi dragged her finger across a non-existent line below the word. "Nowaki-kun, I love your smile."

Nowaki, almost like a chain reaction, smiled. "Thank you, Naomi-san!" he giggled.

Naomi smiled. "What I just said was considered a compliment."

Nowaki's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Telling someone that you love their smile is a...a...a computer?"

Naomi laughter heartedly. "Not a computer, Nowaki-kun. A compliment. Say it with me. Com-pli-ment."

"Com-pli-ment," Nowaki mimicked. When Naomi nodded her head at him, Nowaki knew that he had said the word correctly. "So, telling someone that you love their smile, it's a com-pli-ment, right?" Nowaki asked, trying to fully understand this new skill.

"It is, but there are many more compliments that you can give people," Naomi explained further. "Why don't you try giving me one!" Crossing her arms over her chest, Naomi gave Nowaki a challenging grin, wondering silently to herself if Nowaki could actually do this simple task.

Pressing his index finger to his lips in thought, Nowaki looked up to the rusted ceiling of the nursery, searching for an answer. His bright blue eyes shifting back down to look into Naomi's own, Nowaki smiled brightly. "I think you're very pretty, Naomi-san!" Removing his finger from his lips, Nowaki tilted his head to the side in wonderment. "Did I do it right?"

Naomi nodded. Ruffling Nowaki's dark hair in praise, she replied, "Yup! That's it! When you say nice things to people, you're complimenting them." Nowaki's eyelids squinted, at the form of praise.

When Naomi had stopped, she laughed quietly to herself. "You know what, Nowaki-kun? We're actually done for the day! That's all that we had to go over, and you're such a smart boy that you've learned the lesson in under twenty minutes!"

Nowaki stood up quickly, his face illuminating the musky room with his bright smile. "Does that mean I can go play now?" The boy before Naomi was practically bouncing with excitement.

Still, she shook her head. "Not so fast, Nowaki-kun. I need to tell you your homework first."

Sitting back down reluctantly, Nowaki looked up to Naomi. "Okay. What's my homework?" he asked.

Naomi held her index finger up to Nowaki, indicating the number one. "You have to give someone, anyone, a compliment, and that someone cannot be me."

Nowaki nodded his head. "Okay. I'll do it. Can I go play now?"

Naomi's lips curled into a tired smile. "Yes, you can go play now, Nowaki-kun."

It didn't take him another second to think, before Nowaki was up and running toward the door of the nursery classroom. Gasping at himself, Nowaki spun on his heel and ran back to the old changing table that he and Naomi had used as a desk. "I don't want to forget about her," Nowaki informed, picking up the small baby doll into his hands. "She probably wants to play, too," and with that, Nowaki ran out through the difficult door.

"No running!" Naomi tried to scold, but Nowaki was already too far out of range to hear her. Smiling warily, Naomi stood herself up. Brushing her shirt off of dust, Naomi walked over to the smeared window of the nursey. Looking out to the grassy fields over the horizon, Naomi took in a deep breath as she watched visions of her childhood play out before her eyes.

"Take care of my baby doll, Nowaki-kun," Naomi whispered, her fingertips leaving fierce imprints as she touched the surface of the dirty glass.

Hello there, everyone! Long time no see! It's Chappy here. (:

I know it's been a VERY long time since I've updated this story; 8 months to be exact! Have you missed me? ( Probably not. XD )

Anywho, I'd like to thank all of you for staying with me, if you have, and if you haven't, I totally understand! 8 months is a long time!

If you're a new reader of this story, then welcome! I really appreciate it!

I hope that I can update this story faster than 8 month intervals, so please stay with me! w

If you want someone to thank, thank kc creation for pushing me into gear.

I told her to threaten me, if I didn't update this story by the weekend, and boy did she threaten me brutally... =.=

Anyways, thank you all for reading this chapter! It means the world to me! Shoot me a review to tell me what I can do to improve!

- Chappy.

P.S. I was looking through my chapters, a long time ago, and I realized that I used the name "Rika" twice! I'm such a failure. =.=

( This is what happens, when you take so long to update your chapters, Chappy! D: )

(( I know, I know! Don't hate me! D: ))

I'll be sure to watch myself, next time. =.=

So please, don't get confused by Rika the lunch lady, and Rika the angsty teenager! XD