The Story of Us
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by summer dragonfly
Chapter XV
"Three Winters Since"
A/N: This takes place three years after the events of the last chapter, at Christmas time. I know
what you're thinking. "What in the world is she doing?! Christmas is waayy over!" Yes, well, in J-chan
Land, it's Christmas everyday! No, really, I got so caught up with school, swimming and other stuff
that I had no time whatsoever for writing. I'm very very sorry!! Well, it might be a month late, but it's
here...chapter 15! Hope ya like! ;D
PS: A lot of new, made-up-from-the-top-of-my-head characters will be added in here. They'll
all play prominent roles in upcoming chapters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rika! Over here!"
Rika turned and smiled. She walked over to where her aunt stood. She was smiling and gave her neice
a hug. "How was the flight, dear? Was it grueling?"
"Obasan, it was only an hour!" Rika laughed.
"Here let me help you with this," her aunt, Miho, said, taking her bag. "I expect that daughter of mine
to be back sometime soon..."
Rika can only grin and grin. She hadn't seen her cousin for the longest time, ever since they
were toddlers. "Where is she?"
"Probably stuffing her face as usual." Aunt Miho said. "It's amazing how that girl can eat and eat and
never gain a pound. She's a stick!"
Rika laughed again.
"So where's your mother, darling? Didn't she come?" Aunt Miho asked.
Rika shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not, Obasan. She had to stay. Some important business to attend
to. But she sends her best wishes."
"I see. I was afraid that my little sister couldn't come. After all, it has been three years since...
since..." Aunt Miho stopped there.
There was a momentary silence when they heard running feet from behind them. Rika turned around
to see a girl with long blackish-blue(A/N: Think Jenrya[Henry]) hair coming toward them.
Her jaw dropped. "Nagisa?!"
"Rika!" her cousin threw her arms around her. "I haven't seen you in like 20 years! How are you?!"
"I can't believe this is you, Nagisa Hayashida, you look so different!" Rika said in disbelief.
"The last time I saw you, you were a chubby little three year old."
"Thanks." Nagisa said, punching Rika on the shoulder.
"I'm only kidding....partly!"
"Hey mom, where's Aunt Rumiko?"
"Okasan had some stuff to handle. She couldn't come." Rika answered.
"Oh that's too bad." Nagisa said.
"Yeah."
"Oh!" Nagisa seemed to notice for the first time that she was holding a bag. "I got you some welcome
gifts from the shop."
"So that's where you were!" Aunt Miho sighed. "I thought you were pigging out on junk food again."
"Hardly." Nagisa said indignantly. "Airport food is gross."
"You shouldn't have..." Rika said, taking the gift bag gingerly. "I haven't anything for you..."
"That's OK, you didn't know! And besides, I bet that my Christmas present is a thousand times
better right?"
"...what Christmas present?" Rika joked.
Nagisa punched her cousin's arm. "Very funny. Well, open it!"
Rika opened the bag and took out its contents. There were multiple things: a photo album, a camera
and film, a mug, and a diary. "Wow, it's great, thanks so much."
"You like it? I didn't know if you had brought a camera or not, but with each picture you take
on that one, it has a little holiday caption on it."
"Oh really? That's nice."
"Well are we going to stand here all day? I want to get home before it snows again."
Miho said.
"It does snow a lot here." Nagisa helped Rika with her bags. "Does it snow this much in Tokyo?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"I bet you'll miss it."
"No, not too much. I'll be a little homesick, but I'm with family here, too, right?"'
"Right."
* * *
"Rika-chan? All settled yet?" Nagisa knocked on the door of the guest bedroom.
"Oh yeah, almost. Come in."
Nagisa opened the door and walked in. "So do you like it? The parental units just had it redone. Looks
a lot better than my place!"
"It's a really pretty room." Rika noticed. "Reminds me of my apartment."
"Good, that way you won't be too homesick."
Rika smiled. "Don't you live here normally?"
"No, I have an apartment about eight blocks from here. I'm staying only for the holidays..."
"I see."
"Hey, what's that?" Nagisa pointed to something glittering at the bottom of Rika's suitcase.
She quickly closed it. "What's what?"
"I thought I saw something glittering, like a jewel or something."
"A ring? No, there's nothing in there, really."
"Oh OK..." But Nagisa was still a little suspicious. "If you're all right here, I think I'm going
to go set up dinner."
"Oh wait, I've got to help you, it wouldn't be nice of me to just sit back."
"No, it's OK really. Wait...would you like to eat out?"
Rika shrugged. "Whatever you want is fine."
"I know this GREAT restaurant downtown, and after that we can go clubbing! I mean, Tousan's working
late at the office, and Mom's gone to set up a holiday event at her sewing club."
"Your mom's in a sewing club?"
"Yes---don't ask. Please."
Rika laughed.
"So how about it?"
"I don't know, Nagisa..."
"Rika!"
"It's cold and snowy and..."
"A Saturday night!"
"But I..."
"Are you 23 or 63? C'mon, it'll be fun!"
"Well, we ARE reasonably young..."
"I knew you'd see things my way!" Nagisa beamed.
"All right, just give me a minute to change."
Nagisa walked out of the bedroom with a triumphant look on her face. As soon as she had closed the
door behind her, Rika locked it. She went back to her suitcase and opened it, revealing the engagement
ring that Ryo had given her years ago. *I can't believe this was in here...*
*I was certain I left it at home...*
*It seems to follow me....wherever I go...*
She looked out at the gray sky. *It's a good thing Nagisa couldn't see it too well. I wouldn't know
how to explain it.*
After all, it wasn't everyday that the love of your life disappears.
* * *
"Oh Ray? Can you help me hang this up please?"
Ray turned to see that his coworker, Chihiro, a waitress, needed some help hanging up a large string
of garland. "Sure, I'll be right there."
He came over and took the other end of the garland, pining it to the wall. "There, is that better?"
"It's a lot better, thanks." Chihiro blushed.
"Anytime." He hopped down from the ladder and took her hand, helping her down. "Need anything else?"
"Um---that's OK, I'll be fine."
"All right then." He went off to join the other bartenders while she looked at him dreamily.
"Knock it off, you're making me sick." another waitress bumped into Chihiro, breaking her reverie.
"So what? I'm allowed to stare, aren't I?" Chihiro glared at the waitress.
"Please, little sister, it's not like you can ever have a chance with him."
"Oh shut up, Rimie." Chihiro waved her hand carelessly at her older sister by five minutes, Rimie. "I
don't know what you're talking about. We make the perfect couple."
"Ray would never go out with you." Rimie cackled.
"And why is that?"
"Because he likes me!"
"He does not!"
"Does too!"
"Prove it!"
"All right, I will!"
"Girls, girls, break it up!" an old man came between the quarreling sisters. It was Mr. Yoshida. "The
more time you spend arguing the less time we'll have to set this place up for Christmas! And you
know my motto---"
"Time is money." The two girls dully said in unison.
"Right," Mr. Yoshida nodded. "Now if you're done here, you can go help Ray and the boys set up the
tree."
The girls gasped. "Me!" they both yelled, pushing each other out of the way to get to Ray first.
Mr. Yoshida sighed. "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Mrs. Yoshida popped up from behind him.
"That the day I hired that boy that he would be the object of every waitress' affection in here!"
"Well, he IS a very good-looking young man, isn't he?" Mrs. Yoshida smiled. "It's no wonder that
every girl in here worships him." She looked over in Ray's direction, who was looking quite nervous,
surrounded by a flock of waitresses.
"Yes, but---" Mr. Yoshida said.
"But what?"
"Something's bothering him. And me."
"What is it?"
"It's like he has a soulmate set already. Out there, somewhere."
"Well we all do, dear."
"I know that, but...everytime the topic of girls comes up, he always has this look on his
face that kind of says, 'I already have someone.'"
"Yes, I've noticed that too." Mrs. Yoshida remembered.
"And yet we don't know she is---I mean, face it, how I met him---it wasn't ordinary."
"That was when the club was still young, and you were still working as a night watchman."
"Yes, and remember how he had no clue who he was, where he was, where he came from...?"
"Ray has amnesia, I know."
"I wonder....maybe..." Mr. Yoshida was deep in thought.
* * *
Nagisa came out laughing with Rika on her heels. "Nagisa!" Rika shouted. "I can't believe you got
us kicked out like that!"
Her cousin was still laughing. "Lighten up! It was nothing, really."
"You threw your drink at the waiter!" Rika started laughing too.
"He was being stupid, though!" Nagisa said.
"How you passed the fourth grade, I'll never know." Rika smiled.
Nagisa pouted, then smiled. "Two words, dear cuz: pure genius." Nagisa smirked.
"How about ego maniac?"
"Shut up!" Nagisa pouted. Then she smiled. "So where do you want to go next?"
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"
"Well, we should get inside soon." Nagisa looked around. "It's starting to snow."
"Where to then?"
Nagisa thought for a moment. "Well we could always go home..."
"I like that idea," Rika started to walk toward the car when Nagisa stopped her. "Hey, what's the
big idea?"
"C'mon, you agreed to going dancing." Nagisa whined.
"Well, there's music at home...with a warm cozy fire and---"
"Please, Rika?"
"Fine, but as soon as I'm tired, we are SO going home."
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!!"
* * *
Everyone who lived within a twenty mile radius of After Dusk knew that it was the hottest spot in
town. Every Friday or Saturday night tons of people retreated to the trendy club to dust off their
stress. They would dance, drink, and just take time off with their friends.
And every girl within a twenty mile radius knew that the hot bartender Ray was about the most
eligible---not to mention cute---bachelor in the whole place.
Good-looking, tall and with an oh-so-charming personality(and smile, of course), Ray could win
the heart of any girl he liked.
But all the girls knew that Ray's heart was as good as his looks. He was never interested in getting
phone numbers with the rest of his coworkers. He didn't have to try, either. All he had to do was
smile and the girl would be his.
But there was only one girl that he wanted. The one he saw in his dream every night for the past
three years: the girl with the beautiful flowing brown hair and the mystical lavender eyes. She always
wore a necklace that matched the color of her eyes. A heart necklace, with an engravement on it that he couldn't
make out. He would even spend time thinking about the silly things, like who she was, where she came from, and
what kind of impact she had on his life. In fact, he was doing this now.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" The pretty waitress Rimie waved her hand in front of his face.
Ray snapped back to reality. "Oh, Gomen. What can I do for you?"
"Oh nothing, I just wanted to check if anyone was home." Rimie giggled(obviously flirtatiously).
Ray smiled that smile that had sent so many women into a daze. "Thank you, I kinda just got lost
for a moment there."
Rimie felt her heart beating. "Daydreaming, were you?"
"Yes." Ray said. "Stupid, huh?"
"No, not at all." She said dreamily.
"I guess it gets the best of us sometimes."
"Definitely." She was still in a trance.
He looked at her strangely, then he shook it off. "Well, we need to get a few more kegs before tomorrow
night. Excuse me," Ray touched her hand lightly, just to be sure she wasn't out of it. *OK...*
and he left.
It took Rimie a full two minutes after Ray left to realize that she was gazing out into space
absentmindedly. She held her hand where he had touched it and could feel her face burning.
"Love struck, aren't you?" another waitress came by.
"How could I not be?" Rimie stared at Ray.
"It's amazing how he doesn't have a girlfriend." said the waitress.
"He doesn't?"
"Nope. I'm surprised you don't know."
"How do YOU know all this?"
"Because...it's obvious isn't it? He never talks about a girlfriend, she never comes by..."
"But wasn't he just dating someone a little while ago?"
"They broke up. I doubt it was little more than a fling." the waitress leaned closer. "The boys
are saying that he left her because of a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yeah. He must've seen an omen or something, otherwise he wouldn't have dumped her."
"Hmm." Rimie smiled happily. "Well, this just means that he's on the market again."
"I've been trying to ask him to dinner for about a month now, but I always get cold feet at the
last minute." the waitress sighed dreamily. "You never know, tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so maybe
I might get lucky."
Rimie scoffed. "Whatever. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna give him the best present of all!"
"And what, dare I ask, might that be?"
"Me!"
* * *
Rika looked around at the snow as they drove through downtown Kobe. The scene around her looked
wonderfully magical: tiny snowflakes falling blissfully onto the many people on the streets. Children
were running up to the shop windows and staring through the glass happily, families were singing
songs together while shopping, and couples ice skating together, hand-in-hand. It made Rika
feel great to be with her family, but it also brought a pain in her heart when she saw the couples.
Since Ryo had passed, she had moved on with her life. She was happy again. But as of that day,
she knew that she would always be filled with a bittersweet sorrow.
"Are you OK?" Nagisa asked suddenly.
"Oh!" Rika said. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing." she said innocently. "Just looking out the window."
"You haven't answered my question."
"What question was that again?" Rika said, feeling guilty that she had zoned out.
"I asked if there was anyone special in your life."
"Of course there is....you know, my family and my friends...I love them all."
"No, silly." Nagisa laughed. "I mean...THAT kind of special...you know---a guy or something."
"...no." she said casually.
"I see." Nagisa said. "I just broke up with my last boyfriend. He was weird."
"Oh? How weird?"
"He was just totally...strange. You know, he kept blanking out during our conversations and he's
always asking me if I knew a girl with long brown hair, purple eyes and a purple heart necklace."
"Nani?" Rika was suddenly interested.
"Yeah, and I said that my cousin looks like that, and he just nodded."
"Really?" *I wonder if....no...that's just stupid. Can it really---??* Rika thought.
"And we broke up---well he broke up with me---because he says that he didn't feel it was right. He'd
seen something in a dream."
"Are you serious?"
"Pretty much."
"What did he look like?"
"Brown hair."
*How can it...be?* Rika wondered. "Be a little more specific."
"He had a GORGEOUS smile."
"Go on..."
"And he had these enchanting eyes..." Nagisa remembered. "They were as blue as the deep seas. You can
totally drown in them."
The image of Ryo came to Rika's mind. After three years, it was still as clear as ever. She didn't waste
a second to interrogate her cousin further. "Where is he now?"
"He works as a bartender for the After Dusk."
"We should go there----now!"
"We are." Nagisa said. "Honestly, didn't you hear a word I said?"
"I'm sorry." said Rika. "I'm just a little out of it."
"Do you want to go home instead? We don't have to go tonight you know."
"Are you sure?" Rika really did want to go, now that she had learned the details of Nagisa's mysterious
ex. But then again, *I'm probably thinking crazy. Ryo? Here? Alive? Dream on, Nonaka.*
"Yes, I'm sure. I care for the well-being of my cousin more than some night club."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Arigatou. Let's go home."
* * *
The stars were out, the snow had stopped. Kobe looked frosted after all of the snowfall. And underneath
her warm covers, Rika Nonaka laid awake peacefully.
Well, maybe not THAT peacefully.
Her mind, her thoughts, her dreams were still on what Nagisa had said. She knew that she was being
delusional. There are plenty of cute blue-eyed guys in Kobe with brown hair. Guys who have crazy
dreams and like purple necklaces.
But there was one significant purple necklace to Rika. The one she had lost when she gave it to
Ryo three winters ago.
And she matched the exact description. Brown hair, lavender eyes.
Just what was going on here?!
*I'm being stupid again! It's not Ryo. It couldn't be.*
Just when she was absolutely certain that it wasn't her long lost love, something she had forgot
struck her. Hard.
She never asked Nagisa what his name was.
And sometimes, all you need is a name.
...end of Chapter XV!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by summer dragonfly
Chapter XV
"Three Winters Since"
A/N: This takes place three years after the events of the last chapter, at Christmas time. I know
what you're thinking. "What in the world is she doing?! Christmas is waayy over!" Yes, well, in J-chan
Land, it's Christmas everyday! No, really, I got so caught up with school, swimming and other stuff
that I had no time whatsoever for writing. I'm very very sorry!! Well, it might be a month late, but it's
here...chapter 15! Hope ya like! ;D
PS: A lot of new, made-up-from-the-top-of-my-head characters will be added in here. They'll
all play prominent roles in upcoming chapters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rika! Over here!"
Rika turned and smiled. She walked over to where her aunt stood. She was smiling and gave her neice
a hug. "How was the flight, dear? Was it grueling?"
"Obasan, it was only an hour!" Rika laughed.
"Here let me help you with this," her aunt, Miho, said, taking her bag. "I expect that daughter of mine
to be back sometime soon..."
Rika can only grin and grin. She hadn't seen her cousin for the longest time, ever since they
were toddlers. "Where is she?"
"Probably stuffing her face as usual." Aunt Miho said. "It's amazing how that girl can eat and eat and
never gain a pound. She's a stick!"
Rika laughed again.
"So where's your mother, darling? Didn't she come?" Aunt Miho asked.
Rika shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not, Obasan. She had to stay. Some important business to attend
to. But she sends her best wishes."
"I see. I was afraid that my little sister couldn't come. After all, it has been three years since...
since..." Aunt Miho stopped there.
There was a momentary silence when they heard running feet from behind them. Rika turned around
to see a girl with long blackish-blue(A/N: Think Jenrya[Henry]) hair coming toward them.
Her jaw dropped. "Nagisa?!"
"Rika!" her cousin threw her arms around her. "I haven't seen you in like 20 years! How are you?!"
"I can't believe this is you, Nagisa Hayashida, you look so different!" Rika said in disbelief.
"The last time I saw you, you were a chubby little three year old."
"Thanks." Nagisa said, punching Rika on the shoulder.
"I'm only kidding....partly!"
"Hey mom, where's Aunt Rumiko?"
"Okasan had some stuff to handle. She couldn't come." Rika answered.
"Oh that's too bad." Nagisa said.
"Yeah."
"Oh!" Nagisa seemed to notice for the first time that she was holding a bag. "I got you some welcome
gifts from the shop."
"So that's where you were!" Aunt Miho sighed. "I thought you were pigging out on junk food again."
"Hardly." Nagisa said indignantly. "Airport food is gross."
"You shouldn't have..." Rika said, taking the gift bag gingerly. "I haven't anything for you..."
"That's OK, you didn't know! And besides, I bet that my Christmas present is a thousand times
better right?"
"...what Christmas present?" Rika joked.
Nagisa punched her cousin's arm. "Very funny. Well, open it!"
Rika opened the bag and took out its contents. There were multiple things: a photo album, a camera
and film, a mug, and a diary. "Wow, it's great, thanks so much."
"You like it? I didn't know if you had brought a camera or not, but with each picture you take
on that one, it has a little holiday caption on it."
"Oh really? That's nice."
"Well are we going to stand here all day? I want to get home before it snows again."
Miho said.
"It does snow a lot here." Nagisa helped Rika with her bags. "Does it snow this much in Tokyo?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"I bet you'll miss it."
"No, not too much. I'll be a little homesick, but I'm with family here, too, right?"'
"Right."
* * *
"Rika-chan? All settled yet?" Nagisa knocked on the door of the guest bedroom.
"Oh yeah, almost. Come in."
Nagisa opened the door and walked in. "So do you like it? The parental units just had it redone. Looks
a lot better than my place!"
"It's a really pretty room." Rika noticed. "Reminds me of my apartment."
"Good, that way you won't be too homesick."
Rika smiled. "Don't you live here normally?"
"No, I have an apartment about eight blocks from here. I'm staying only for the holidays..."
"I see."
"Hey, what's that?" Nagisa pointed to something glittering at the bottom of Rika's suitcase.
She quickly closed it. "What's what?"
"I thought I saw something glittering, like a jewel or something."
"A ring? No, there's nothing in there, really."
"Oh OK..." But Nagisa was still a little suspicious. "If you're all right here, I think I'm going
to go set up dinner."
"Oh wait, I've got to help you, it wouldn't be nice of me to just sit back."
"No, it's OK really. Wait...would you like to eat out?"
Rika shrugged. "Whatever you want is fine."
"I know this GREAT restaurant downtown, and after that we can go clubbing! I mean, Tousan's working
late at the office, and Mom's gone to set up a holiday event at her sewing club."
"Your mom's in a sewing club?"
"Yes---don't ask. Please."
Rika laughed.
"So how about it?"
"I don't know, Nagisa..."
"Rika!"
"It's cold and snowy and..."
"A Saturday night!"
"But I..."
"Are you 23 or 63? C'mon, it'll be fun!"
"Well, we ARE reasonably young..."
"I knew you'd see things my way!" Nagisa beamed.
"All right, just give me a minute to change."
Nagisa walked out of the bedroom with a triumphant look on her face. As soon as she had closed the
door behind her, Rika locked it. She went back to her suitcase and opened it, revealing the engagement
ring that Ryo had given her years ago. *I can't believe this was in here...*
*I was certain I left it at home...*
*It seems to follow me....wherever I go...*
She looked out at the gray sky. *It's a good thing Nagisa couldn't see it too well. I wouldn't know
how to explain it.*
After all, it wasn't everyday that the love of your life disappears.
* * *
"Oh Ray? Can you help me hang this up please?"
Ray turned to see that his coworker, Chihiro, a waitress, needed some help hanging up a large string
of garland. "Sure, I'll be right there."
He came over and took the other end of the garland, pining it to the wall. "There, is that better?"
"It's a lot better, thanks." Chihiro blushed.
"Anytime." He hopped down from the ladder and took her hand, helping her down. "Need anything else?"
"Um---that's OK, I'll be fine."
"All right then." He went off to join the other bartenders while she looked at him dreamily.
"Knock it off, you're making me sick." another waitress bumped into Chihiro, breaking her reverie.
"So what? I'm allowed to stare, aren't I?" Chihiro glared at the waitress.
"Please, little sister, it's not like you can ever have a chance with him."
"Oh shut up, Rimie." Chihiro waved her hand carelessly at her older sister by five minutes, Rimie. "I
don't know what you're talking about. We make the perfect couple."
"Ray would never go out with you." Rimie cackled.
"And why is that?"
"Because he likes me!"
"He does not!"
"Does too!"
"Prove it!"
"All right, I will!"
"Girls, girls, break it up!" an old man came between the quarreling sisters. It was Mr. Yoshida. "The
more time you spend arguing the less time we'll have to set this place up for Christmas! And you
know my motto---"
"Time is money." The two girls dully said in unison.
"Right," Mr. Yoshida nodded. "Now if you're done here, you can go help Ray and the boys set up the
tree."
The girls gasped. "Me!" they both yelled, pushing each other out of the way to get to Ray first.
Mr. Yoshida sighed. "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Mrs. Yoshida popped up from behind him.
"That the day I hired that boy that he would be the object of every waitress' affection in here!"
"Well, he IS a very good-looking young man, isn't he?" Mrs. Yoshida smiled. "It's no wonder that
every girl in here worships him." She looked over in Ray's direction, who was looking quite nervous,
surrounded by a flock of waitresses.
"Yes, but---" Mr. Yoshida said.
"But what?"
"Something's bothering him. And me."
"What is it?"
"It's like he has a soulmate set already. Out there, somewhere."
"Well we all do, dear."
"I know that, but...everytime the topic of girls comes up, he always has this look on his
face that kind of says, 'I already have someone.'"
"Yes, I've noticed that too." Mrs. Yoshida remembered.
"And yet we don't know she is---I mean, face it, how I met him---it wasn't ordinary."
"That was when the club was still young, and you were still working as a night watchman."
"Yes, and remember how he had no clue who he was, where he was, where he came from...?"
"Ray has amnesia, I know."
"I wonder....maybe..." Mr. Yoshida was deep in thought.
* * *
Nagisa came out laughing with Rika on her heels. "Nagisa!" Rika shouted. "I can't believe you got
us kicked out like that!"
Her cousin was still laughing. "Lighten up! It was nothing, really."
"You threw your drink at the waiter!" Rika started laughing too.
"He was being stupid, though!" Nagisa said.
"How you passed the fourth grade, I'll never know." Rika smiled.
Nagisa pouted, then smiled. "Two words, dear cuz: pure genius." Nagisa smirked.
"How about ego maniac?"
"Shut up!" Nagisa pouted. Then she smiled. "So where do you want to go next?"
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"
"Well, we should get inside soon." Nagisa looked around. "It's starting to snow."
"Where to then?"
Nagisa thought for a moment. "Well we could always go home..."
"I like that idea," Rika started to walk toward the car when Nagisa stopped her. "Hey, what's the
big idea?"
"C'mon, you agreed to going dancing." Nagisa whined.
"Well, there's music at home...with a warm cozy fire and---"
"Please, Rika?"
"Fine, but as soon as I'm tired, we are SO going home."
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!!"
* * *
Everyone who lived within a twenty mile radius of After Dusk knew that it was the hottest spot in
town. Every Friday or Saturday night tons of people retreated to the trendy club to dust off their
stress. They would dance, drink, and just take time off with their friends.
And every girl within a twenty mile radius knew that the hot bartender Ray was about the most
eligible---not to mention cute---bachelor in the whole place.
Good-looking, tall and with an oh-so-charming personality(and smile, of course), Ray could win
the heart of any girl he liked.
But all the girls knew that Ray's heart was as good as his looks. He was never interested in getting
phone numbers with the rest of his coworkers. He didn't have to try, either. All he had to do was
smile and the girl would be his.
But there was only one girl that he wanted. The one he saw in his dream every night for the past
three years: the girl with the beautiful flowing brown hair and the mystical lavender eyes. She always
wore a necklace that matched the color of her eyes. A heart necklace, with an engravement on it that he couldn't
make out. He would even spend time thinking about the silly things, like who she was, where she came from, and
what kind of impact she had on his life. In fact, he was doing this now.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" The pretty waitress Rimie waved her hand in front of his face.
Ray snapped back to reality. "Oh, Gomen. What can I do for you?"
"Oh nothing, I just wanted to check if anyone was home." Rimie giggled(obviously flirtatiously).
Ray smiled that smile that had sent so many women into a daze. "Thank you, I kinda just got lost
for a moment there."
Rimie felt her heart beating. "Daydreaming, were you?"
"Yes." Ray said. "Stupid, huh?"
"No, not at all." She said dreamily.
"I guess it gets the best of us sometimes."
"Definitely." She was still in a trance.
He looked at her strangely, then he shook it off. "Well, we need to get a few more kegs before tomorrow
night. Excuse me," Ray touched her hand lightly, just to be sure she wasn't out of it. *OK...*
and he left.
It took Rimie a full two minutes after Ray left to realize that she was gazing out into space
absentmindedly. She held her hand where he had touched it and could feel her face burning.
"Love struck, aren't you?" another waitress came by.
"How could I not be?" Rimie stared at Ray.
"It's amazing how he doesn't have a girlfriend." said the waitress.
"He doesn't?"
"Nope. I'm surprised you don't know."
"How do YOU know all this?"
"Because...it's obvious isn't it? He never talks about a girlfriend, she never comes by..."
"But wasn't he just dating someone a little while ago?"
"They broke up. I doubt it was little more than a fling." the waitress leaned closer. "The boys
are saying that he left her because of a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yeah. He must've seen an omen or something, otherwise he wouldn't have dumped her."
"Hmm." Rimie smiled happily. "Well, this just means that he's on the market again."
"I've been trying to ask him to dinner for about a month now, but I always get cold feet at the
last minute." the waitress sighed dreamily. "You never know, tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so maybe
I might get lucky."
Rimie scoffed. "Whatever. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna give him the best present of all!"
"And what, dare I ask, might that be?"
"Me!"
* * *
Rika looked around at the snow as they drove through downtown Kobe. The scene around her looked
wonderfully magical: tiny snowflakes falling blissfully onto the many people on the streets. Children
were running up to the shop windows and staring through the glass happily, families were singing
songs together while shopping, and couples ice skating together, hand-in-hand. It made Rika
feel great to be with her family, but it also brought a pain in her heart when she saw the couples.
Since Ryo had passed, she had moved on with her life. She was happy again. But as of that day,
she knew that she would always be filled with a bittersweet sorrow.
"Are you OK?" Nagisa asked suddenly.
"Oh!" Rika said. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing." she said innocently. "Just looking out the window."
"You haven't answered my question."
"What question was that again?" Rika said, feeling guilty that she had zoned out.
"I asked if there was anyone special in your life."
"Of course there is....you know, my family and my friends...I love them all."
"No, silly." Nagisa laughed. "I mean...THAT kind of special...you know---a guy or something."
"...no." she said casually.
"I see." Nagisa said. "I just broke up with my last boyfriend. He was weird."
"Oh? How weird?"
"He was just totally...strange. You know, he kept blanking out during our conversations and he's
always asking me if I knew a girl with long brown hair, purple eyes and a purple heart necklace."
"Nani?" Rika was suddenly interested.
"Yeah, and I said that my cousin looks like that, and he just nodded."
"Really?" *I wonder if....no...that's just stupid. Can it really---??* Rika thought.
"And we broke up---well he broke up with me---because he says that he didn't feel it was right. He'd
seen something in a dream."
"Are you serious?"
"Pretty much."
"What did he look like?"
"Brown hair."
*How can it...be?* Rika wondered. "Be a little more specific."
"He had a GORGEOUS smile."
"Go on..."
"And he had these enchanting eyes..." Nagisa remembered. "They were as blue as the deep seas. You can
totally drown in them."
The image of Ryo came to Rika's mind. After three years, it was still as clear as ever. She didn't waste
a second to interrogate her cousin further. "Where is he now?"
"He works as a bartender for the After Dusk."
"We should go there----now!"
"We are." Nagisa said. "Honestly, didn't you hear a word I said?"
"I'm sorry." said Rika. "I'm just a little out of it."
"Do you want to go home instead? We don't have to go tonight you know."
"Are you sure?" Rika really did want to go, now that she had learned the details of Nagisa's mysterious
ex. But then again, *I'm probably thinking crazy. Ryo? Here? Alive? Dream on, Nonaka.*
"Yes, I'm sure. I care for the well-being of my cousin more than some night club."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Arigatou. Let's go home."
* * *
The stars were out, the snow had stopped. Kobe looked frosted after all of the snowfall. And underneath
her warm covers, Rika Nonaka laid awake peacefully.
Well, maybe not THAT peacefully.
Her mind, her thoughts, her dreams were still on what Nagisa had said. She knew that she was being
delusional. There are plenty of cute blue-eyed guys in Kobe with brown hair. Guys who have crazy
dreams and like purple necklaces.
But there was one significant purple necklace to Rika. The one she had lost when she gave it to
Ryo three winters ago.
And she matched the exact description. Brown hair, lavender eyes.
Just what was going on here?!
*I'm being stupid again! It's not Ryo. It couldn't be.*
Just when she was absolutely certain that it wasn't her long lost love, something she had forgot
struck her. Hard.
She never asked Nagisa what his name was.
And sometimes, all you need is a name.
...end of Chapter XV!!
