Thank you for waiting even though it took me a while to remember my plot and this story. Also thank you for your reviews... I'm not sure if this chapter is up to your standards cause it has been a while since I had type a fan fiction... well again thank you for your time.

Chapter Nine

Running through the neighborhood, he searched and searched. Time quickly went pass and the sun had already set. Rukawa panted as he continued to run through, his eyes looked everywhere hoping to get a familiar figure. He hoped to spot her, not caring if she's afar, he would run to her. To stop her from running farther away from him. He walked to all places that they both went together during the short period of time they had spent together. The park, beach and all the places he could have thought of yet there was no sign of her anywhere.

'Where are you? Haruko!' he asked himself, hoping for answer.

Unaware to him, tears slowly streamed across his pale cheeks. Covered in layers of sweat, he was losing her and he didn't want to accept this fact. Walking slowly as he had lost his strength to carry on, he finally saw a familiar figure in front across the road. Quickening his pace, he finally reached her. Stretching out his hand to turn her around, his heartbeat quickens.

'Please let it be Haruko!' he wished and hoped at the same time.

"Haruko," he called out her name when he had turned her around, he thought his heart had stopped beating.

"What are you doing sir?" the young lady with similar hair style shouted when she felt a strong force pulled her. Looking at her Rukawa's heart broke.

'There's no more hope is there? Is this what you had wanted, Haruko? To see me like this? I'm hurting so much that I don't want to live anymore! Haruko where are you?' he screamed and cried in the inside as he felt his heart stinging.

"Gomenasai," he said before turning his back. 'It hurts,' he placed his hand on his chest where his heart was. With no more hope, no more meaning to live, he walked home. It had already passed midnight before he knew it. Turning the door knob he opened the door to his apartment where he thought he could live with her.

It was dark and silent until he noticed a bright light had caught his attention. Turning on the lights he saw a pile of gifts in one corner, gifts he didn't see and had missed when he left the apartment to search for Haruko. Each of the gifts had a tag with it. He picked one of the gifts and read the tag 'Merry Christmas Rukawa!' he had a bad feeling when he noticed that this tag with the others had the same handwriting. He ran back to his room where he had dropped his letter. Looking at both of them, his heart sank. There were probably 30 gifts piled up and all of them were from her. One by one he picked and read the tag, it was all numbered from one to thirty. He fell onto the floor of his apartment.

'No… This is not right,' he cried.

The gifts were for him, it was all his future Christmas presents where Haruko knows that she couldn't be able to buy for him. She had thought that she would not be with him in the future Christmas, she had bought a total of thirty gifts for him; thirty gifts for thirty Christmases.

"Why are you so stupid Haruko? Why are you doing this to hurt me more? Haruko," he cried out her name desperately wanting her to show up and say "surprise!" but he knows that it won't happen. It probably never will.

Thoughts about the past began to haunt him. Her smiling at him when she slept in his arms. Thoughts of her blushing face whenever he kissed her. Her happy face when they met once again after seven years. Her tears when he told her that he would look after her. Everything of her began to haunt him. It was difficult to forget her when all these thoughts haunt him. His heart began to pain so much that he couldn't feel the tears streaming across his pale face. One by one they fell onto the floor unseen.

'RinGG…RIngg' looking at the phone, he was unsure whether he should answer it or not. He didn't how long he had sat there, how long the phone rang. All he wanted was time to go back, back to then where he could have opened up to her. Back to prevent all this.

The phone continued to ring yet he stayed in his sit. Finally after many rings he walked up to the phone and answered it.

"Moshi Moshi," he answered in a low tone.

He pulled the phone away from his ears when he heard Sakuragi shouting on the phone.

"Dobe, what are you trying to say?" he asked when he heard no sound coming out from the receiver.

"Why didn't answer the bloody phone? Do you know how much time I had wasted listening to the ringing tone of yours?" he shouted through the speaker again making Rukawa removing the phone away from his ears.

"Dobe, it's late and I'm tired. What do you want?"

"Oh yeah! It is late!..." there was a pause before he started speaking again.

"Wait… I should be lecturing you not you lecturing me. What are you doing Kitsune? Shouldn't you be looking after Haruko-chan? Can you tell me why you are not here with us? Aren't you lucky that Gori is not here to lecture you? You could be dead by now you now!" he continued his shouting over the telephone.

"What do you mean with you guys late at night like this?" he questioned.

"What? You don't know what happened? Oh My God, Kitsune! Haruko is in the hospital! Hurry up and come! Where were you all this time? She's in the emergency room now! They say her condition had worsen and Gori is coming tomorrow night." he said.

Without another word, forgetting about tiredness he had, he ran again. Heart beating like there is no tomorrow.

"Haruko! Why? Please be okay!"