Yes, an update! Did I keep everyone waiting long?

I'm glad that there were those who had pretty close guesses as to where this story is going. But I was a bit disappointed that no one noticed the tiny detail I placed in the previous chapter. Everyone had been going on about Shohei and Mizuho, but none cared to notice Sayuri. Part of Wataru's sudden lack in confidence is also attributed to her. If you take a closer look at the conversation they had, you'd get what I'm saying.

Sayuri may be a non-canon character, but she's my character so of course I won't limit her to being a mere extra. Remember, she is also another indirect cause of all this mishap. So, yeah, I've got some plans for her as well. You could say she's an important extra.

Disclaimer: ONLY THE RING FINGER KNOWS does not belong to me. All elements below belong to Kannagi Satoru and its proper copyrights. The only things I do own are my original characters.

Note: These are not, I repeat, these are NOT the actual events of the fourth novel. This is what I guess you could call an alternate storyline. Please do not rely on this fic for information about the fourth novel or on any of the books, although I will be borrowing some scenes and events that took place there.

A dreadful feeling swept over him. He took the ring and anxiously placed it on his right middle finger. And, like magic, it fit him perfectly. Now, he was absolutely shocked! He peered into the envelope and saw a folded sheet of paper inside. He pulled it out, opened it and froze at the sight of the contents.

There, in Wataru's handwriting, were the three words he never wanted to see or hear…

"Let's break up."

THE UNTOUCHED RING

Chapter Fourteen: Eruption

There was only one solution.

Only one…

Wataru felt his heart clenching in pain, but somehow he knew it was the only way to resolve this matter. With this much doubt lurking about, and not to mention the trust has been broken, simply discussing it would not fix the problem. He needed to understand his own feelings first, otherwise everything could become a mistake for him. With that resolve in mind, he raised himself from the bench, slightly surprising the woman seated next to him.

"Wataru-kun?" she inquired curiously.

Wataru turned to meet her gaze; something was flickering in his eyes. He let out a gentle yet hurt smile then said, "I have to go now. There are still things that I need to do." Afterwards, he sprinted off, not even sparing a glance behind him.

Mizuho looked confused at the moment, but then took notice at the piece of fabric still clutched in her hand. The handkerchief! That boy had left it behind! She didn't know what to do. She couldn't just chase after him to give it back. Maybe she could just ask Yuichi to return it for her.

A few minutes passed by and the man in question finally arrived. As expected, he was surprised to see her there. He hurriedly ushered her into the house to warm her up. But before she could mention about the handkerchief, the young man had sped back outside. She had been observing him from the window. So much time has passed since the appointed meeting time, and still no sign of this woman he's dating. Mizuho sighed, disbelieving that anyone would be able to stand Yuichi up.

As she was about to turn to the kitchen to fix dinner, she caught sight of Yuichi's phone. There was a message displayed on the screen. He had left it earlier but found it odd that she didn't hear the ring tone. "He must've had it on silent mode," she thought, and picked it up. Thinking of it as an important message, she hurried outside to hand him the phone. The moment she saw Yuichi's face drop at the sight of the message, she didn't need to guess what it probably said. Silently, she ushered him back into the house like he did when he found her.

The handkerchief had now completely left her mind.

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Karin yawned drowsily as she stretched her arms. The climate was getting colder and colder that it was practically getting tiresome to wake up so early. She lazily staggered down the stairwell with the usual routine of fixing breakfast. But the moment she got down the last step, she instantly knew something was off.

"Wataru-chan?" she uttered, quite surprised. "You're actually up earlier than me? What gives?"

True enough, her brother was already up and about, dressed in his school uniform and looking as if he was about to leave. "I just decided to wake up early for a change," he replied. Karin frowned. She wasn't his sister for nothing. Growing up together, she already knew her brother's mood swings. Something was wrong, and even that couldn't escape her eye. "Wataru-chan," she spoke again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, still not meeting her gaze. He put on his shoes, tapping them against the ground by the toes to secure them. "I have to go. There's an errand I have to do."

"What errand?" she had a bad feeling about this.

"Just to deliver a letter."

"What about breakfast?"

"I'll stop by seven-eleven."

"Well, you do know that our parents will be coming back today, right? So try not to be late."

"I will…" The nonchalant tone in his voice was causing her great concern, and she eyed the letter quite suspiciously.

"Wataru-chan… What's in that letter…?"

"Oh, nothing… Just a Dear John note…"

"Dear John… Wait, Wataru-chan!!" Before she could stop him to interrogate him further, the door to their apartment complex was shut close, and Karin was left staring at a painted wooden door. She didn't like how things were playing out. Not one bit…

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Wataru didn't imagine that he would make it to Kazuki's house far earlier than he had anticipated. The house was pretty much still tightly locked, indicating that the inhabitants were still asleep. Surely, Kazuki was inside since the man did say that he had to look after Mizuho for the time being. The woman had probably seen his sleeping face many times over, and that vexed Wataru. He couldn't even remember anymore what Kazuki's sleeping face looked like.

He took out the letter and was about to place it into the mail slot but hesitated. His fingers trembled and he felt regret piling up inside him. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. It took every ounce of strength he had to let go, and he heard the faint sound of the envelope landing amid the others that comprised the morning mail. With a bitter sigh, he turned and left.

It's done.

And there's no going back.

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Wataru was sitting quietly at his desk, staring at nothing in particular outside the window, when he noticed Kawamura silently approaching. "Knock, knock," the boy said as he tapped the wood of Wataru's desk lightly. "Everything okay, buddy?" Wataru responded with a light "hn" and continued to stare off at nothing. Kawamura wrinkled his brows in concern. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak again, the door of their classroom rattled open quite loudly.

"Everyone! Big news!!" yelled Yamazaki, huffing and puffing as if he had run all the way. "I saw them again! And this time, I have proof that they're together!!" The entire class looked at him quizzically as he tried to catch his breath. When he didn't get the appropriate reaction he was hoping for, he elaborated. "I meant about Kazuki-senpai and that mysterious woman from the airport!"

The moment Kazuki's name slipped from his mouth, everyone turned their heads and gasped with surprise. Pleased with the attention everyone was giving him, he pounded his chest and huffed until steam came out his nose. "That's right! I saw them yesterday while I was crossing the intersection. They looked like they were on a date!"

"You're kidding!" the girls squealed. "Are you positive you saw them, Yamazaki-kun?"

"Sure, I'm sure!" he stated. "I was running a few errands for my mom when I happened to see them. And you'll never believe this, they were hugging!"

"EEEEEHHHHH????!!!!"

"It's true! Kazuki-senpai hugged her! It was catching everyone's attention, too!"

"That's a lie…" said one of the girls. "We don't believe you…"

"I thought you wouldn't. That's why I took a picture of it! Lucky I was carrying my camera…" he took out his digital camera from his bag and immediately showed the captured photo to everyone. Murmurs, whispers and loud gasps were heard as every girl in the room was suddenly rendered heartbroken. "This will definitely be front page picture in the school paper!" Yamazaki commented offhandedly (he's the editor).

On the other side of the room, Wataru gazed at them absentmindedly, his chin resting on his palm, with a blank expression on his face. "Hey Wataru," Kawamura called his attention. "It's probably not what we think it is. I mean, it's Kazuki. I don't think he would…"

"Doesn't matter," he cut him off. "I've already broken up with him, anyway."

"Eh? Broken up?" Kawamura was at a loss for words. "What do you mean… broken up…?"

"I gave him back his ring," he stated quite plainly. "I said in the letter that we should break up. Of course, I didn't sign it in case his family finds it and reads it. That way, his reputation is still intact."

"Wait… Wataru, back up!" Kawamura exclaimed. "You wrote him a letter? Talk about a Dear John, but… why? Is it because of all this talk about him having a girlfriend? Is it Mizuho-san? Or…"

"It's not important," he replied. "Not important…"

The tone of finality present in Wataru's voice brought the conversation to a closure. Kawamura knew better than to press on so he fell silent. He frowned as he clenched his fists, holding back whatever anger or frustration he had. He wasn't used to seeing his friend down and depressed—practically lifeless. The last time he saw Wataru like this was last year when the boy had a major argument with Kazuki—"cutting ties" with him—rendering him all gloomy for an entire week.

Kawamura may act goofy and sometimes be the subject of humor, but he had a big heart. Wataru is his best friend, and he would never allow any real harm afflict the poor boy. This is the second time that Wataru had been down and depressed, and once again the root cause is Kazuki Yuichi.

I knew something bad was going to happen, he thought. Hearing of Kazuki's departure to attend to an ex-lover immediately brought suspicion to him. He had been dumped by too many girls to not notice the ways of love. And when he learned of Kazuki meeting up with Mizuho, he immediately thought that something might happen that could hurt Wataru. But he kept quiet and even brushed those thoughts aside, because he truly believed in the love that those two boys had.

Maybe he was wrong…

Tachibana clapped her hands together, silencing the entire classroom that was now buzzing like bees in a hive. She called for everyone to return to their respective seats as the bell began to toll, signaling the start of classes. None tried to cross her as a dark scowl was marring her features—one that appeared since Yamazaki began flaunting around that picture of Kazuki and the "mysterious woman from the airport."

The door slid open again, and the teacher walked in. As Tachibana took her own seat, her eyes glanced toward Wataru who still had an absent-minded look on his face, and a worried expression replaced the scowl on her face.

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Miho was in a terrible mood. The news about Kazuki's girlfriend was becoming more intense and showed no signs of dying down. There was even word that someone among the third years was able to capture the intimate moment on camera, and it was now the buzz of the entire school. But there were more things she was worried about. And with those worries in mind, she hurried off to the third year-floor.

"Um… excuse me," she mumbled from the door. "Is Fujii-senpai here?"

"Fujii?" The tall boy glanced around the room then shook his head. "Nope, Fujii's not here. It's lunch time so he's probably at the cafeteria or off buying bread. Chances are he's with Kawamura."

"I… I see…" she uttered, somewhat dejected. The tall boy scrutinized her and frowned a bit, apparently irritated that the famed Ookusa Miho was asking for Fujii Wataru. He grumbled a bit, wondering if the rumor that they were going out (which had spread a year ago) was true. Before he could voice this concern, someone's voice interrupted him.

"Huh? Ookusa? What are you doing here?"

"Kawamura-senpai!" Miho spoke. "Perfect timing! Just the person I needed to see!"

"H-Huh?" Kawamura stuttered, taken aback by the girl's utterance of needing him. "Ookusa…?" Before he knew it, the young girl had taken his wrist and dragged him off, leaving the other boy to look away in dejection. "Ookusa…!" Kawamura continued to protest. "Wait! Where are you taking me?" In his mind, he was considering the possibilities that perhaps this girl had fallen for him.

But that's not good! I'm already dating Mitsuki-san! Oh, why now…?!

As he mentally debated the possibilities, he didn't notice that they came to a stop near the stairwell. Miho had her hands on her waist, apparently looking cross and mad about something. "Uh, Ookusa?" Kawamura uttered. "What's wrong?" He was seriously getting nervous now. Miho was one of the girls he had harbored a crush on after being rejected by Tachibana. He never exactly made the move on her because of her involvement with Wataru and his ring. But even after that was resolved, he still did not approach.

"Oh, crap," he cursed. "This could possibly be the first time a girl's ever confessed to me. What should I do? I already like someone else so…"

"What are you muttering about?" Miho said, breaking his thoughts. "And what do I care if you already like someone else?"

"Eh? I had no idea you could be that aggressive!"

"About what?" she asked; really clueless of his ramblings. "You're really weird. How does Fujii-kun tolerate you as a friend?"

"Tolerate? That's a bit harsh…"

"Never mind. Where's Fujii? I didn't see him in your classroom, and I assumed he was with you."

"Eh? Wataru?" he reeled back a bit. So it was about Wataru again. Somehow, that didn't surprise him, but he did feel slightly disappointed that he once again failed to gain attention. "So… what about Wataru? Why do you want to talk to him?"

"It's important. I really need to talk to him about all this mess."

"He's at the roof sulking. You can try talking to him if you like. I'm his best friend but even I can't get a word out of him."

"I knew it. All this talk of Kazuki-san and his girlfriend is getting to him. Things really need to get straightened out."

"Too late for that. Wataru just broke up with him."

"What?!" she exclaimed, not expecting that statement. She had to double back to make sure she wasn't hearing things.

"'Yup, they broke up. Returned the ring… the whole shi-bang…"

"What the…" she gritted and stomped off.

Kawamura sighed as he watched her climb up the stairs, hoping that she'd have better luck than him.

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"FUJII!!!"

Wataru flinched at the loud shriek of his name, but he didn't budge from his spot—leaning against the railing and staring off into nothing. He didn't even make a motion that suggested he acknowledged the presence of another person, even when the door burst open revealing a disgruntled and upset Miho.

"Fujii! Explain yourself!" the girl exclaimed rather forcefully. "What's this I hear about you breaking up with Kazuki-san?!"

"You heard…" he uttered quite plainly still not turning to look at her.

"Don't talk about it like it's nothing!" she stomped her foot with authority. "I heard it from Kawamura-kun. What's this about you breaking up with Kazuki-san? Why so suddenly…?!"

"……"

"Answer me, darn it! Just what the heck is going on with you? Why'd you break up?!"

"……"

"Is it because of all this worthless gossip?"

"…Word in Ryokuyo really travels fast," he sighed. "As long as it concerns Kazuki, it's bound to be headline news. I don't think there's ever been a bigger celebrity than him."

"Fujii…" Miho frowned. "Don't tell me you got cold feet because of that. Because if you did; then it's a shallow reason. You were the one who said you loved Kazuki-san no matter what! Or have you forgotten about it? That day… in Touko-san's shop… Have you forgotten about it? Fujii!!"

She was screaming, voicing out her concern. She knew that the rumor concerning Kazuki and this "mysterious woman from the airport" would escalate to something more. She became worried over Wataru because of this. Since Kazuki was no longer a student of Ryokuyo, he naturally didn't know of the rumors and gossips circling around. In other words, he's safe from all of it. But Wataru is another case. He's subject to it every single day until it eventually fades away and is forgotten. But the problem is that it showed no signs of dying any time soon.

"I haven't forgotten about it, Miho…" came the answer. "How could I possibly forget something like that?"

"Then why…?"

"……"

"This doesn't have anything to with that love-confession you got, does it?"

The love-confession was actually the reason why she sought out the boy. She was among the students who had witnessed that declaration, and was rather shocked by it. She had wanted to approach Wataru much earlier to ask about it but didn't get a chance to.

"It doesn't have anything to do with that," he answered plainly. "This is solely my decision."

"That's just absurd!" she shouted, stomping her foot on the ground again. "What's going on here?! Why'd you suddenly change your tune? That's not what you were saying a year ago!"

"……"

"What the hell… Don't brush this aside! Turn around and look at me!!!"

"……"

"Fujii…!!!"

When Wataru still had not turned around, Miho launched after him. Grabbing him by the arm, she forced him to turn and look at her with the full intention of berating him. But the moment she saw the look on his face, she faltered and was left surprised. She had never seen an expression like that before, and she clearly did not expect to see it. It was an expression that was mixed with pain, sorrow and a deep hurting. All those emotions reflected in his black eyes, so much so that she felt mesmerized by it.

"Fujii…" she uttered, suddenly losing her resolved.

"What do you want me to say?" he muttered under his breath. His hand curled into a fist and he clenched on it tightly that he wouldn't be surprised if he bled. "I've tried to make it work, but it's just not going the way I had hoped it would. It's impossible."

"What do you mean?" she was dumbfounded.

"He deserves better. There's no way I could compare…"

"What? Compare to what…?" she tightened her hold on his arm.

"I can't compare… whether it's to Mizuho-san or to you. It's totally unbelievable that someone like me could be Kazuki's lover."

"You're losing confidence over something like that? That's stupid!"

"But is it really? Just look around!" he exclaimed, suddenly gaining some fire. "No one considers me as Kazuki's love interest. Why would they? I'm a guy, for crying out loud! A guy… Think about it for a moment… a guy as a partner to the famous Kazuki Yuichi… Don't you think it's a horrible joke? No one even considers it seriously. No one!"

"Fujii…" Miho loosened her grip on him until she eventually let go. But she didn't move completely away. There's no way she could, especially when she saw the raw emotion spreading within those dark eyes.

"Heck, even if I was a girl, no one would still consider it as a possibility!" he continued, raising his voice 'till he was practically shouting. "I'm mediocre—normal, average! There's really nothing special about me! What achievements do I have that's worth praise? Nothing!"

"That's not true!" she found her voice to argue. "You're a special guy! A good person! People would have to be totally blind not to notice that!"

"You're missing the point, Miho," he exasperated. "When people see me and Kazuki together, I'm seen as the 'younger brother' or 'the kohai.' That's all I am to their eyes—not even someone at par with him. But when they see Mizuho and Kazuki, suddenly everything is perfect! This school even attests to that! Have you ever heard anyone utter one bad comment about this 'mysterious older woman'? None! Even his fan club adores the idea that he's got a girlfriend who matches him in beauty!"

He ran his hands though his hair, messing it up in further display of his aggravation. His dilemma was clear in his face as he showed the most anguished expression imaginable. And Miho was rendered speechless.

"I mean, no one even notices that they're years apart!" his voice was strained. "Though the gap is eight years, Kazuki easily fills that up with his own charm and outstanding achievements. Truth is, they just have to keep quiet about their ages, and no one would even realize the gap!"

"……"

"While I… My gap with him is just one year… One year... and yet it feels like an eternity… I can't even fill in that small gap. I'm always behind him. I can't even walk beside him like an equal!"

"…So, what's this? A case of inferiority-complex?"

"The fact of the matter is… whether it's to Kazuki or Asaka; it's just not possible for me!"

"…??"

"…Even though we walk on the same pavement… the both of us are worlds apart!!"

He screamed the last part with an air of finality that left no room for argument. His breathing was ragged and he huffed heavily—as if his lungs would burst. Even though the words came from his own mouth, he found it more disbelieving than anything else. "Worlds apart…" he faintly murmured as if he was assessing his own words.

"Fujii… What do you…" Miho quickly recovered from that outburst, but was taken into shock at the sight that soon followed.

Something was flowing out from Wataru's eyes.

They were…

Tears…

Wataru is crying…

"Fujii…" she uttered, mesmerized by the sight, as her eyes widened in surprise. Wataru, noticing the young girl's reaction, brought a hand to his cheek and was stunned at the presence of the salty substance—as if he, himself, did not sense the flowing of his own tears. "Uh," he muttered, slightly feeling mortified that he had once again revealed a crying face in front of someone. "I… I'm sorry…" he used his hand to wipe them away, but the more he did the more the tears flowed. Embarrassment and self-consciousness crept in him, and he felt the need to get away.

He made a sprint to leave, but Miho promptly caught him by the wrist, pulling him back to a stop. Unfortunately, the sudden motion threw Wataru off-balance, effectively causing him to fall face-flat on the floor. He could feel his nose wince in pain as it collided with the pavement. He sat up, rubbing the hurt area with the back of his hand. "Wh—What're you doing?" he grumbled, but still trying to stop his tears from coming out.

Miho knelt down in front of him, but her expression was unreadable—hard to determine with her bangs suddenly covering her eyes. "Even guys can cry, huh…" she muttered. Wataru looked at her incredulously and said, "Cry? Who's c-crying? There's just something… in my eye…"

"DUMMY!" she barked and launched herself forward, draping her arms around the space between his neck and shoulders. "It's okay to cry!" she said again, her own eyes shimmering with tears. "Who said it was wrong for guys to cry about love? So go ahead… No one's looking, anyway…"

Wataru felt all resolve break and closed his eyes, relaxing himself against her touch and leaning his head against the crook of her neck. He could smell her scent. It was a nice scent—as expected would be of a woman. Her embrace was also very warm. Being held by her made him feel immensely at ease, and exposed his emotions.

"Dummy," she softly whispered amid her own sobs. "I couldn't even have you… You're the one that's unattainable…"

…The tears flowed down his face once again.

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Kazuki sighed as he tossed and turned on his bed. He ended up not going to school today after all. He thought his fever was manageable, but something had upset him so much that he couldn't even budge. Hence, he ended up spending the entire day at home.

"Feeling better?" Mizuho asked as she brought in a tray of hot soup. "I brought something to warm you up."

Kazuki propped himself up on the bed, allowing the older woman to set the tray on his lap. Taking in the aroma, he could feel his tummy grumbling. "Smells good," he said. He scooped some with the spoon, blew it to cool off then gulped it down in one swallow. "It's delicious," he remarked. "As always, you're a good cook."

"You flatter me Yuichi," she said, sitting at the edge of his bed.

"No, I'm serious. You'd make a great housewife."

Mizuho flinched a bit. "I'm also serious when I say you shouldn't flatter me so. Else, I'll misunderstand what you really mean."

Kazuki was a bit stunned at that. And then his conversation with Touko began to repeat in his mind. Being around Mizuho had always been so natural for him that he never took into account what other people thought. It never bothered him that they might be mistaken for lovers; after all, the people seeing them were practically strangers. It was of no concern if they start spreading rumors since there was no truth to any of it. But he supposed he was being a bit cruel. He had always been sensitive about other people's feelings, easily deciphering their emotions, but perhaps just this once, he failed to realize a crucial factor.

That his careless kindness and compassion were hurting not one but two people…

"Mizu—"

"Yuichi—"

They spoke at the same time, causing them to exchange bewildered glances. After a few moments of silence Kazuki broke the ice. "Sorry, you first. What did you want to say?" Mizuho glanced uneasily at him at first, wondering if it was okay to ask. But finally she decided. "She didn't like the ring, did she?" she asked very solemnly. Yuichi looked confused for a moment, obliging her to elaborate. "The girl you're dating… She returned you the ring, didn't she?"

It took a few moments before her words clicked in his head. Of course! Mizuho had come down the stairs when he discovered the ring. She was the one who urged him to say in bed and take care of his fever. So naturally she saw the letter and the ring. But since the letter wasn't signed, it was a natural assumption that the person he was dating would be a girl.

"I don't get it," Mizuho continued. "Why would she return it? By giving her a ring, it'd mean that you were serious with her, weren't you?"

"……"

"I can't believe any girl in this world would dump you, Yuichi."

"…And what do you call yourself?" he found her statement quite humorous.

"That's a different case. Circumstance would not allow us to be together. We both agreed, didn't we?"

"That's…"

"If she was able to leave you so easily… then she clearly does not deserve you."

She leaned forward, touching her forehead with hers. Yuichi could clearly see the eyelashes of her closed eyes, almost able to count every single strand. For some reason he felt hot, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the fever. The bridges of their noses were barely touching, and her breath was practically upon his lips. All he had to do was lean forward… just a little bit…

"You're fever has gone down," Mizuho whispered softly, not breaking the contact they had. She slowly opened her eyes, and there was a haze mixed within those black orbs. Yuichi could clearly see himself reflected in those eyes, and he felt something thumping in his chest. Was it his heart…?

Before he could determine that, Mizuho had pulled away—not immediately, but her action held a bit of reluctance, as if she wanted the contact to go further. When she had pulled back, Yuichi caught a clear view of her face that was burning with a maddening red color. He was amazed at what he saw. When was the last time he saw her so flustered? It was…

…The time when he first confessed his feelings for her…

"Mizuho…" he uttered, astonished at the discovery. Realizing that her thoughts have probably been read, she inched farther away from him while her hands covered her reddening cheeks. "I, uh…" she stuttered. "I'll go… I'll just come back for that bowl when you're done…" And she fled out the room, unbelieving that a woman her age would still get embarrassed like a high school girl.

Left alone in the room, Yuichi had time to ponder over his own actions. He brought a hand to his mouth as he had a look of absolute surprise. What just happened? Did he just… think for a moment that… Mizuho was still…?

…Better not think about that…

He ran a hand through his hair in a show of aggravation. Why are things suddenly getting so complicated? Everything was fine a few weeks ago! He glanced at his desk where his ring laid—the very same one he copied off from Wataru—next to it was the letter he received. The simple words "Let's break up" seemed to be jumping out of the paper to bite him.

He clenched his fist tightly, feeling his temper rising once again. With the grit of his teeth, he flung open his closet and tossed a few clothes on the bed. There were things that needed to get straightened out!

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Wataru was listening to a few songs by Siam Shade in his room. Lying down on the bed, his head was resting upon his crossed arms, while his legs were tapping to the beat. His eyes were still a bit red and puffy from crying. He was still feeling slightly ashamed that he had broken down in front of Miho, not to mention the recent events have left him tired and exhausted. Plus, he still had the term's final exams to worry about. If he ever passed, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

As he immersed himself in his thoughts, he hardly noticed the loud tapping on his door. "Wataru-chan?" Karin called from the other side. "Wataru-chan, are you okay?" She knocked even louder until finally she was able to get through the loud music booming in the boy's room and straight to Wataru's ears. "Karin?" he responded, and hurriedly turned the volume down on low. "What's up?" He got up from the bed and made his way to the door. He was half-way across when he heard his sister's voice speak again. "You have, uh… you have visitor…" she said rather nervously. Wataru raised his eyebrows quizzically. There have been two cases when Karin showed nervousness in regards to persons visiting him. And both of them involved…

"Wataru," the cool voice penetrated the wooden door and reached his ears. His hands that were about to unlock his door and turn the knob instantly froze. His entire body went stiff and rigid with surprise.

Kazuki?!

What was he doing here? He had already imagined a scenario wherein they'd eventually meet, but not this soon!! And on the very same day they broke up! He really had the inevitable fate of being drawn into awkward situations.

"Wataru," Kazuki rapped on his door again. "Open up. We need to talk." He heard someone shudder and gasp a bit—he was guessing it was probably Karin. He had no idea how awful the elder man's mood was, but by the tone of his voice, he's guessing it was probably enough to murder him with.

"W-We can talk just fine like this," he stammered.

"What're you talking about?" came the perturbed tone. "Quit playing around and open this door!"

"No, I'm fine!" he persisted. He didn't want to see Kazuki. It was already bad enough to hear his voice, what more if he was to see his face?

"Wataru! Stop being a kid and open this door!" he shouted. "There are a lot of things I want to discuss with you, and I have no intention of doing so with a wooden door between us!"

"……"

"You open this door or I'll break it open!"

"You do that and you'll owe me a new door!" he panicked. "You break it, you pay for it!" Kazuki wouldn't really break the door down… would he?

"Ah, no, Kazuki-san!" Karin interfered, letting them know that she was still present. She feared for the damages, and not to mention the fact that their raised voices were probably disturbing the neighbors. "P-Please settle down a bit. It's late and our parents will be coming home any moment…"

Though she uttered those words, she felt absolutely ignored. She really hated doing damage control.

"Wataru, I'm telling you open this door!"

"Will you stop griping about the door?!" Wataru barked. "How do I know you won't murder me upon sight?!"

"Then at least explain this to me! This letter… you slipped it into our mail, didn't you? What the hell is going on?! First, you stand me up, now you want to break up?! How am I supposed to process all of this at once?!"

"You're the smart one…"

"Wataru!!" Kazuki exasperated. He pounded hard on the wooden fixture until his knuckles went red. "Dammit! I won't accept this! There's no way you could expect me to accept this!!"

"What…?"

"If you're going to break up with, at least have the decency to do it in person!!"

"I should say the same thing about you!!!" he shrieked back. "You're the one who sent me that… that letter!!! And the ring… you're keeping quiet about the ring! There's also Mizuho…"

"Don't bring her into this!!"

"Well, what am I supposed to think?! It's true, isn't it? You're still in love with her!!"

"Wha—?" Kazuki felt like the wind was knocked out of him. "In love with her… Where'd you get that idea? Look, I don't know what you've heard or where you've heard it, but there is nothing between me and Mizuho!"

"…You're lying," Wataru murmured, scratching his side of the door with his fingernails. He had the same anguished look on his face as he did earlier, and this fueled his resolve even more to not open the door. He didn't want to be seen like this… "You still love her, Kazuki. It's subconscious. You're not aware of it, yourself, but I'm sure you still have an ounce of feelings left for her."

"That means nothing," came the reply. "You're the one I'm with, right? Look, we passed a year of being together. Don't tell me you want to end it this soon…"

"Why not? There are couples that have been together far shorter than we have…"

"Wataru!!!" His level of aggravation was rising and it was just about reaching its limit. "Whatever you say, I absolutely will not accept this! There's no way I'm ever letting you go!!"

Wataru's heart jumped a bit at hearing those words. He was tempted to open the door, look that man in the eye and just fling himself into his arms. But he couldn't… No matter how much he wanted to do… he just couldn't.

"I love you, Kazuki," he admitted; his voice laced with nothing by sincerity. This sudden utterance brought surprise to the man outside, and he was rendered speechless. "I love you… I truly do…" the young boy continued. "I love you so much… it actually hurts…"

"Wataru…" Kazuki murmured. He did not fail to notice the change of the boy's voice—how it seemed strained and hurt. "Wataru… are you… crying…?"

Wataru jolted in surprise, as he took notice of the tears streaming down his face. "I… I'm not," he stifled a sob.

"Liar. I can tell you're crying. Now open up and let me in."

"…No…"

"Dammit!" Kazuki let out a desperate cry. "Just open this door, please! Let me see you're face. God, I'm dying just to see you. Please… if you love me then don't break up with me…!"

"…I can't…"

"…??"

"I don't know anymore, Kazuki. I don't anymore… our feelings for each other… Don't you see? I've lost confidence in not only how you feel about me… but also how I feel towards you…!!!"

Those words brought a painful pang in Kazuki's chest. He couldn't understand what this deep hurting was, but it was unbearable. His heart was breaking apart. "Wa…taru…" he muttered, unsure of what to say. He also didn't know what kind of expression he had, but it must've been terrible because not even Karin could speak.

"Wha… What's going on…?" another voice shot through the silence. Karin turned around and gasped in surprise. "Okaasan! Otousan!" she exclaimed. "Y-You're back…" Now, was the perfect time to go into panic-mode. They couldn't have heard everything the two boys have been talking about, could they?

"Kazuki-kun," Mrs. Fujii's face reflected that of astonishment and concern. But it was the mixture of confusion and fury written on their father's face that said it all. Karin looked uneasily between them, feeling unbearable tension rise. She really hated doing damage-control.

Kazuki sensed the distress the young girl was going through, and thought it pointless to stay any longer. He glanced back at Wataru's door, feeling the other boy behind it, but no matter what he did, he couldn't reach him. With a heavy sigh, he bowed in respect to the adults and quietly made his way out of their home and into the street. The painful throbbing of his chest wouldn't stop, and it was the worst thing he's ever felt before.

Still inside his room, Wataru scrunched up against the door, his back against the wood while his arms tightly hugged his knees. This was probably a day he would never forget. It felt like everything he had inside him erupted like a volcano, then slowly turned into ashes. A soft knock was heard again, and Karin's voice called out to him, but he ignored it. The only sound he could clearly hear was the low whisper of Siam Shade's song echoing in his small room.

"If only we could meet in an embrace…

Whoever you love, these images will reach them, right?

If only you had said so in your dreams"

"Even if my love reaches the breaking point, 1/3 of it won't reach you

My true feelings are just spinning on air; my heart isn't even saying 'I love you'"

To be continued…

Sad… so sad… Why is this story filled with so much drama and angst? I end up asking myself the same question. I really didn't want to put in so much drama, but when I write, it's like my hands have a mind of their own…

Please review.

Next chapter: Picking up the pieces. Yes, Asaka is more than happy to fill in that role. And Shohei has something to add to it.