Aww... last chapter was so sweet... I feel like giving a hug to everybody!!!! Just kidding. So here's a new chapter update! Koji and Karen are finally getting along! Who knows, maybe they'll even go out with each other. When? I'll tell you that soon enough. So I hope you enjoy this new chapter! I had just came back from my Thanksgiving dinner with my family and now my cousins, except blackwolf, are being stupid. If they give me anymore ideas, I will probably shoot the next thing that moves!!! Just kidding. So enjoy!

Talking
Thinking/Memories
Important words/Emphasis

Chapter 10: Moving Day

The next morning, Koji woke up to yet another chilly morning. He ate his breakfast, put on his hoodie, finished work, and headed out to town. He still couldn't forget about Karen's voice. Her voice still rang in her head and it just warms his heart. Meanwhile, Karen had just woken up. She remembered about last night and the thought of seeing Koji made her very happy. She washed up, headed towards the kitchen, and found her shop being very empty. She looked around and noticed a bunch of boxes in the center of the shop.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry Karen but… we're moving…"

Her heart sank. Moving? She never had to move ever since she was 3. This came as a total shock for her.

"Moving?! We can't move! What about all my friends?! What about the shop?! What about…"

Suddenly, the thought of Koji hit her heart. Moving away from Koji was the last thing that she ever wanted to do. Losing someone dear to her made her feel like throwing up. He had always been there for her and now she's going away.

"I'm sorry Karen, but we haven't had business for a long time… since everyone was buying on credit so much, we had no choice but to find another place to live. I know it was short notice, but it was the only choice we had left. Karen, we're going bankrupt."

She couldn't speak. This was very new to her and it was something terribly bad. As Koji arrived at the inn, he found Karen and a whole bunch of wine bottles around her. Karen's body was limp and wasn't responding. She passed out from drinking her sorrows away.

"Karen? Wow, something must be really bad."

She lazily looked up to see who was talking to her and the only face she could recognize was Koji's.

"Koji?"

She got up and walked over to him almost bumping into everything in her way. Then, she collapsed on top of him.

"Karen! What's wrong? What's all this for?"

She wrapped her arms around him and cried onto his chest.

"(sniff)… Koji… hic! I'm… hic! moving…"

"Moving?"

He couldn't believe his ears. He just couldn't believe that the girl of his dreams is moving away from him. He held her head up high and tears were coming down from her sparkling emerald eyes. She wrapped her arms around Koji again and asked him to carry her over to somewhere where she could recover. She woke up inside of Koji's house 2 hours later. When she woke up, she found Koji holding her hand while sleeping on her tummy. She gently took off his hat and sifted her fingers through his brown hair. He opened his eyes and got up from his nap.

"You're finally awake…"

"Yeah…"

They sat inside his house for an extremely long amount of time.

"Isn't there anything that you can do?"

"I'm sorry Koji, but… Dad said that we had no choice. We were going bankrupt and we have to sell the shop…"

"This sucks… I can't believe you're going away…"

"I can't believe it either. I haven't moved away ever since I was 3… I don't wanna move away… I wanna stay here with my friends…"

She held Koji's hands and hugged him as much as she could.

"…with you… Koji…"

He embraced Karen and held her head towards his chest. He sifted his fingers through her hair the same way Karen did to him.

"What is it Karen?"

"I need you…"

Her eyes were covered with tears. Her sadness gave Koji the courage to hold her face close to his. She just can't move away. If she moves away, then Koji will lose someone very dear to his heart.

"…I need you too…"

Koji walked with her towards Popuri's house and she couldn't believe the news either. Popuri gave Karen a very long hug while Rick and Koji were outside talking with each other.

"I still can't believe Karen's moving… After everything we've been through…"

"Yeah… I remember when we were 8 She would always beg me to take her to the woods… I always would and she was so happy on that day… Koji, I wanna make this quick and simple with you… You're the only one who can truly make her happy… She doesn't need me anymore because she needs you… You are a huge piece of her heart that she just can't afford to lose…"

He stared and thought about Rick's words for a while. This was the first time that he ever heard Rick say something intelligently heartwarming before. Rick went inside to comfort Karen, while Koji stayed behind and sat on Popuri's porch for a while. Popuri went outside to check up on him and gave him a long hug.

"I'm sorry this had to happen Koji… I know how much she really means to you…"

She then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and went back inside. His head dropped to the floor. He put his hands on his pocket and stared at the ground. He just can't believe that Karen's moving. He wiped his eyes and tried to keep himself together. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't help but cry his eyes out. He started to remember the first time that he and Karen met. Her smile always made him melt. Her eyes were the most beautiful things that he has ever seen. She made him happy and he made her happy. Karen was the best friend he ever received. She was the first friend that he ever made. She was the only person that he can ever rely on with his problems. He sees that through all the drama that they had been through, their relationship kept growing and growing. His eyes were covered with tears and stayed on Popuri's porch until Karen finally came out. She saw how sad Koji was and she couldn't help but cry too. The loss of someone special has always been the saddest part, but the loss of the time that they spent with each other and the loss of their friendship was even worse. Koji offered to let her stay at his house for a while. Karen ultimately accepted and it was alright with her folks. Her parents realized that Karen needs a friend to spend time with and to be with for the last time. So she stayed at Koji's house.

"I still can't believe I'm moving…"

"I know…"

"I never wanted to move in the first place…"

"Things aren't gonna be the same without you… I mean who else will hang out with me?"

"You can always try Duke…"

"Oh yeah, and have a hangover every single day? Drinking nothing but wine? Yeah, that sounds like paradise…"

Both of them laughed a little and then got quiet again.

"Hmm… I'm really gonna miss your sense of humor… You always try to pull a fast one on me…"

"Yeah… I only do that to make you happy…"

Koji looked at his floor and racked up the nerve to say something important.

"You really mean a lot to me Karen…"

She blushed and smiled.

"I mean it's really hard to lose someone that you care about… all the memories… the time that you spend with them… they just fade away into nothingness once that someone is gone…"

He took Karen's head and placed it against his shoulder. He placed his hand on his back and rubbing her gently. Nightfall came and the two had already been talking for hours. He got into his bed and Karen slept in his couch. He turned off the lights and the two slept soundly. The next day was moving day for Karen. She came out of her shop with a backpack on and a teddy bear. Once she stepped outside, there was this line of close friends in front of the moving van. She clasped her hand onto her mouth and smiled.

"What's everyone doing here?"

Popuri stepped out in front of the crowd.

"We came to see you off… we thought it wouldn't be right without goodbyes from all your friends…"

She gave Karen a hug and Karen returned it.

"Goodbye, Popuri…"

"We're really gonna miss you Karen…"

She went over to hug Ann and Cliff.

"Bye Ann… bye Cliff…"

"Write back to us someday…"

Next was Rick.

"Goodbye Karen…"

"I'm gonna miss you Rick…"

Next was Elli.

"I guess this is goodbye…"

"I know… I'll miss you…"

And finally, was Koji. She walked over to him and gave him the saddest smile that he has ever seen.

"Hey there…"

"Hey…"

"Looks like this is goodbye…"

"Yeah… looks like it…"

"I'm sorry I had to move Koji… You really mean a lot to me too…"

"You too…"

Then the horn of her car called for her.

"Well… goodbye Koji…"

She gave him a long and warm hug with tears in her eyes. He hugged her back with the same tears. They pulled away from each other while holding each other's hands and stared into each other's eyes. And like that, she let go and left. She looked back with tears in her eyes and sadly waved goodbye to Koji and she was never seen again.

"Goodbye Karen… I'll miss you…"

It has been 2 weeks since Karen left. Koji still hasn't gotten over the fact that Karen moved away. Now every time whenever he sees the waterfall, he imagines all the times that Karen and him have been together. Whenever he looks at a bottle of wine, he still remembers how many times that he has visited Karen at the inn. When he walks past the store, he looks inside the window and still can't believe that its gone. The window now has a "For Sale" sign in front and all that Koji could see inside was darkness. He really missed Karen and still couldn't believe she's gone. The next morning, Koji was fast asleep, still dreaming about the times that he and Karen have been with each other. They didn't go out, but they were the best of friends. Possibly the best in the world. Suddenly, Koji was woken up by a familiar voice.

"Koji… Koji… wake up…"

He felt soft, gentle fingers sifting through his hair. He woke up and then…

"Huh?"

"Good morning Koji…"

He couldn't believe his eyes. Karen, in full view and solid, was sitting right in his bed in front of him. He had a surprised expression on his face. Tears came running down from his chocolate eyes.

"Karen? Is that really you?"

She nodded. Then he embraced her with all the warmness of his heart. She hugged him back with tears in her eyes as well.

"But… how?"

"My dad received a letter from some kind of art association. They bought his drawings and now…"

She smiled and held him again. She couldn't get enough of Koji's warmth.

"(sniff)…I missed you Koji!"

"…I missed you too…"

The two friends have been reunited. The care for each other have brought them back together. They say that whenever you lose someone, they're gone before you know it. Well this proved wrong.