AN: I should be doing my 5 page music listening paper, but..yea ^-^ Gotta keep the readers happy! I know the last chapter was a little..not really rushed, so to say, but.crammed ^-^;; Sorry bout that. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Read and Review Please!

~*^-^*~

"Kusakabe-san?"

Sazahka Yashiro sounded shocked, arm still wrapped tightly around Chiaki. Maron offered a wobbly smile as she fought back tears.

"N-nice to see you again, Yashiro." Her voice was choked with tears, that both Miyako and Chiaki noticed. Yashiro either didn't see anything wrong, or didn't care, and snuggled into Chiaki's side.

"You didn't wait for me.." Maron's chin trembled, the effort of keeping tears in too much for her to handle.

"Maron." Chiaki shrugged out of Yashiro's clingy hold and reached out towards Maron. She jumped out of reach, hands clasped tightly in front of her chest.

"Don't touch me." She hugged her waist and ran the short distance to her room. Miyako slowly looked up at Chiaki, who's eyes were pained and trained on Maron's door. "Chiaki...I'll go talk to her." Miyako excused herself, walking in the direction her friend had disappeared.

"What's wrong with Kusakabe-san?" Yashiro asked, wrapping an arm around Chiaki's waist. He shook his head and walked back into his apartment.

"Nothing."

~*^-^*~

Maron sobbed, hugging a small bear with a necklace that Chiaki had given her when she was leaving for America. Tears soaked the fur as Maron buried her face against it.

The door creaked open slowly, and Maron realized she hadn't locked the door. "Maron?" Miyako walked slowly into the room. Maron looked up and sniffled. She rubbed at her eyes and forced a smile.

"What is it, Miyako?"

"Oh, Maron. I'm sorry."

Miyako hurried to the couch and wrapped her arms around her friend. Maron whimpered before her tears started again and she hid her head in her friends' shirt.

"I'm so stupid, thinking he'd wait four years." Her words were muffled slightly, by both tears and fabric.

"Maron, you're not stupid." Miyako pulled back and looked her friend in the eyes. Maron shook her head and curled into a ball, stroking the bears' fur.

"I believed in him. I hurried back as fast as I could. I thought I would finally be happy, but.." Her grip on the bear tightened.

"Maron-"

"Why? Why Yashiro? Why?" Maron threw herself in her friends' arms and cried. Miyako gently rubbed her back, and soon Maron was fast asleep, tears drying on her cheeks.

"Chiaki still loves you Maron…Even if he is engaged."

~*^-^*~

It was a good four hours later before Maron awoke again. She was on the couch, a blanket tangled around her legs.

"Miyako?" She yawned and rubbed at her sticky cheeks. Grimacing, she stood and went to the bathroom. She looked terrible. Her eyes were both red- rimmed and puffy. Dried tears had made her cheeks red and sticky. Her hair was messy, some sticking to the tears that had trickled down her neck.

She hiccupped and numbly stripped out of her clothes, then turned the water on as hot as she could stand it. Letting the steam fill the small bathroom, she hugged herself and slipped into the shower. The hot water pounded on her back, the needles washing away tension. She turned and scrubbed held her face under the water, letting her tears wash away.

"Chiaki." She whimpered and fresh tears fell down her cheeks. She let herself cry, the salty tears mixing with the hot shower water.

Maron stepped out of the shower a half hour later, having used up all the hot water. Just as she had slipped into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, the doorbell rang. Maron sighed, still toweling her hair, and answered the door.

"Y-Yashiro, what are you doing here?" She forced a painful smile and moved to the side so she could come in. Yashiro absolutely beamed, and Maron hated her for it.

"I wanted to say welcome back!" 'You could have done that before' Maron thought bitterly. Nonetheless, she reached for Yahrio's extended hand. That's when Yashiro's true objectives hit Maron like a ton of bricks. Her left hand was outstretched, a small diamond ring sitting on her ring finger. It was simple, yet non-mistakably an engagement ring.

Yashiro caught her stare, obviously pleased with herself and smiled.

"Do you like it? Chiaki got it for me." She pressed the ring to her cheek, a dreamy smile on her face. Maron's throat was dry and she suddenly couldn't breathe.

"I'm sorry, I don't feel too good right now." Maron ushered the girl to the door. Yashiro looked disappointed, but quickly covered it up with a smile.

"Aww, that's too bad. We were inviting everyone over for dinner tonight. I hope you feel better." She emphasized the 'we', making Maron wince. Yashiro gave one last giant smile before the door closed. Maron stared at where Yashiro had just been. Her whole body trembled slightly as she walked over to the bedroom. Mechanically, she pulled back the comforter and slid in, pulling the blankets up to her chin. Her eyes dry and tearless, she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

~*^-^*~

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Miyako?" Chiaki looked at the girl next to him. She nodded, offering him the plate of food she had been holding. He took it and sighed. "Ready?"

"Ready."

He sighed and knocked on the door with his free hand. He held his breath when he heard slow footsteps heading in their directions. Then, he panicked and began backing away. Miyako grabbed his arm and forced him to stay.

"Running away won't solve anything." She hissed as the door opened. Maron didn't look much better than when she had been crying, Miyako noticed. Although her eyes were dry, the rest of her appearance and aura told you how she felt. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Chiaki, but she said nothing.

"Maron, since you didn't show up for dinner, we thought you might want some food." She ushered Chiaki in, not consulting with Maron first. Maron took her time closing the door, then slowly followed them into the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry." Her voice was soft and hoarse from crying. Miyako winced inwardly.

"Well, I'll be going now.." She started off towards the door, but Maron grabbed her arm. Maron's eyes held a desperate plea for her to stay, and Miyako couldn't refuse. She nodded and sat down at the counter. Chiaki and Maron both stood awkwardly, not looking at each other. Miyako coughed, and they both jumped.

"Ne, Maron. I haven't heard from you in a while. What have you been doing?" Miyako glanced at Chiaki, trying to get him in on the conversation, but he avoided eye contact. Maron shrugged.

"I was offered a spot on the National American Gymnastics Squad (AN: B.S.! B.S.!) ..But I turned it back down because I was coming back here to...because I was coming back." Maron stumbled over the words. Originally, she had planned to tell them she had come back to see Chiaki again, but that was never going to happen now. "Really!? I wished I was there! Mou, you get all the fun, Maron!" Miyako nudged Maron in the stomach, trying to lighten the mood. Maron smiled, but it was void of meaning. Miyako frowned. This was not going over well.

"So, how was America? I heard that there they have-"

"Ne, Chiaki.."

Maron interjected softly. Miyako snapped her mouth shut abruptly, nearly biting off her tongue.

"Y-yea?" Apparently he wasn't expecting to do any talking tonight either. He glanced at her, but she was looking at her feet.

"When you told me you loved me...was that just a lie? When you told me that Yashiro meant nothing to you, was that a lie too?" Miyako couldn't help but gasp. She looked sharply at Chiaki, who's head was bowed, hands clenched in trembling fists. A thick silence filled the room.

"Yes."

~*^-^*~

AN" ::gasp:: Chiaki! -_- ::coughcough:: Another cliffhanger, gomen gomen! But I really should start that paper..and it's already..about 9:30 XP yuck yuck yuck. You'll find out more, including Chiaki's thoughts when he answered Maron's question, in the next chapter. ^-~ I'm so evil.

I don't really like Yashiro XP I don't know where that came from, but...Anyway, it's four years after the show ends, and I'm making her a little more...braggy/pushy/whiny/bitchy than she already was. (Or she's going to be a bitch, I should say ^-^;;

Please, if you're reading this, please please please go review my "Sweet Sixteen" Takuto x Mitsuki story! I want more reviews ::pouts:: But I won't be like "If I don't get 20 reviews, I won't update", cause that's just stupid XP Tho' if that's your way of doing it, don't let lil ol' me stop ya ^-~

Ja ne!

~*Neoshipper*~