Disclaimer: SKU is not mine.

Author's note: This chapter contains some symbolism. If any of you care to figure out what it means, say so in a review or email me at Shimatta103@yahoo.com, k? This chapter just goes into what Miki and Kozue think about their little "episode" by the pool. The next chapter will reveal the cause of her death.



Chp.6:

The silver platter that Juri had been holding clattered noisily to the ground. Cookies and crumbs bombarded the floor. Her mouth dropped open along with. "She kissed you?"

I nodded sheepishly. "I was as much a part of it as she was."

"But, she was your sister," Juri mumbled, nearly incoherently. She wasn't prepared for what I had told her.

I was still sitting on the bed and I flopped backwards onto the pillows. They still smelled faintly of Kozue. "You have to understand, Juri, that Kozue and I...we weren't really brother and sister."

"What are you talking about?"

I struggled to find the right words. "We were very close. So close, we were essentially the same person. Sometimes I could feel what she was feeling, you know? It was stronger when we were young, but it never completely went away. So..."

"...it was like kissing a mirror," Juri finished for me.

"Yeah."

Juri bent down and began sweeping the mess together into a small pile, trying to keep her orange mane of curls from falling into her face simultaneously. "Can I ask you something, Miki?"

"Hm?" I closed my eyes.

"Did you want her to?"

I yawned and stretched. Now, that was a question worth answering...


The night of the dance, 11:30 pm:

My feet waded aimlessly in the water, back and forth. I stared straight ahead and put a finger to my lips, tracing them. I could still faintly taste strawberries. Kozue...

Should I follow her? No... I didn't want to ruin this perfect moment. She actually felt the same way about me. Or did she? My doubts overtook my mind. I had seen the way she treated boys over the years...was I just another pawn in her treacherous game? Another soul she had conquered and broken? I wanted to believe that a sudden transformation had come over her but, I knew her inside and out. I knew how conniving she could become when she wanted something badly enough. But, then, why did the kiss feel so real? Why did she have to sound so sincere? I thought back to that dream-like moment when I first saw her on the couch....what if I hadn't left the diary lying around? Would she have eventually found out? Would I have had the courage to tell her? My thoughts became bitter with regret but it had, in the end, turned out for the better. A lot of people went through life regretting certain moments but this would be one of the times when I wouldn't. Ever.

I stood up and searched for my shoes, making wet footprints along the concrete ground. They were lying nearby and I slipped my feet into them. That's when I noticed Kozue's high heels. She had left them behind when she ran out. I fingered the material for a moment and vaguely wondered where she had gone. I wanted to find her and ask if it had all really happened or if this was some kind of insane dream. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was.

I took a step toward the gate and noticed that it had closed itself again. A thick, metal chain secured it now, glistening in the moonlight...taunting me. Although it looked strong, I wondered if it might break under pressure.

I grasped it in my hand and pulled, but to no avail. A small white rose peeked from beneath it; seemingly growing from the gate itself. It was the perfect embodiment of purity, with its beautifully shaped petals and flawless leaves and I could have sworn it was fake. Music drifted through the air from the nearby party.

What would people say if they found out about Kozue and I? Would they think us disgusting? My heart told me to pay them no heed but my mind told me I was a moral offense, a disease that must be stomped out of existence. My hold on the chain lessened as the truth hit me. How could anyone understand what I felt for her? They wouldn't.

But, you know what? I didn't care. Society and all its rules could go fuck itself. I was in love and that meant I didn't give a damn about what they all said. I looked down at that chain and instead of being all shiny and perfect, it seemed now to be old and rusted. The flower too looked a little droopy and less brilliant.

I swept my hand over the chain and it snapped. The gate swung open creakily and I took a cautious step through, really breathing in the air for the first time. It smelled like...Life. As I ran through it and towards the garden, where I now knew she would be, the small, white rose burst into flames and dropped off the gate, its ashes to be blown away. I kept running.



Kozue ran up the steps and into the looming garden, her bare feet slapping the soil in time with her beating heart. Her breath came in short gasps as she collapsed to her knees, among the roses with her dress spreading out around her. It was nearing midnight and the moon, full and shining, lit up her surroundings. She had stopped crying, but her eyes felt puffy and dry.

The stars above were so beautiful; they twinkled slowly as she took them in. Everything was perfect in this moment. She smiled up at the sky and closed her eyes, whispering, "Thank you," to no one in particular, as a breeze slowly tousled her cerulean hair. She felt delicious, her heart bursting with happiness. She wondered what Miki was doing...or thinking...was he thinking about her? Did he really love her, like the journal had said? It was nearly impossible to believe, especially after the way she had treated him, and refused to play their song. If she could go back, she would play it a thousand times over just to keep from saddening him. She had spent all this time trying to keep his thoughts on her by making him worry as she cavorted with different men every week, but they had been on her the whole time. She had made a terrible mistake.

She had become vulnerable. He had broken the iron barrier around her and found nothing more than a flimsy butterfly inside; one which fluttered around blindly with blue wings, striking the walls. Love could do that to a person.

Her smile faded as she realized that he had pushed her away when she had tried to kiss him the first time. She repulsed him, that's why. She shut her eyes tight and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head. "He was just toying with the notion, wasn't he?" Tears began welling up in her eyes once more but she rubbed them away before they started down her face. In her rages of jealousy, she had only succeeded in pushing him away.

But, the second time he had kissed her back. Was it a lie? Did he just do it so she would leave? She just couldn't believe that the object of her desire for all these years really felt the same way. She wondered if she made all the people she had toyed with feel this way. Now she knew how much it really hurt.

She thought back to when they had been children. Once during the summer they were swimming in a creek; two ten year olds splashing around in the water and laughing. She could taste the sweet air on her lips even now as the sun beat down on them. Out of nowhere, he asked what she thought kissing might be like.

She giggled and said, "Kissing? I don't know."

"One of the boys at school told me it was really fun. Like eating the best ice cream ever!"

"Kissing is like ice cream? I wanna try it!" and with that, they swam to the middle of the creek together and kissed. It was kind of sloppy due the inexperience of their young lips.

They broke apart and she giggled, "Eww, you got spit in my mouth!"

"Sorry Kozue," he blushed. "Yeah, that wasn't like ice cream at all!"

"Ugh, I'm never gonna kiss anyone," she boasted, puffing out her chest. He poked her and they both laughed and went on swimming, their shared moment already discarded.

What had happened to their days of innocence? Life happened. She had promised to never kiss anyone else again. Did she really mean no one else but Miki?

She sighed and looked back up at the sky, never noticing the vibrant, black rose bud at her feet, amidst the sea of bloody crimson. It was on the verge of blooming, slowly turning white...



Author's note: Did you catch the symbolism? The next chapter is almost done so I'll put that up as soon as possible, k?