Title: Changing Fates
by dytia

chapter 7: Friends

Thank you for the many reviews. I felt happy that there are people reading this. It really does encourage me want to go on torturing the three. (me: evil laughter)

Nonki... I know I hated Umi too..A LOT!!!!!!! But you see this is my take on the Umi saga. I really do wish I can kill her off and *gasp* it really is a torturous sacrifice in my part to let her kiss Tsukasa... But I need some girl.. any girl to make Makino jealous. And Shigeru already gave up on him. Asai & Sakurako... (NOOOO!!!) Umi is much convenient and after this I can have the famous Doumyouji-jilting-Umi scene .. YEAH!!!

Doumyouji: Arghh.. I need all the Dethol I can get!!!!!!!
dytia: Don't worry Doumyouji.. Umi's only get to stay for one more chapter.. after this she's out of your life.. I promise!!!
Doumyouji: Why I have a bad feeling about this...? You evill....

piglet.. thank you for helping me with that.. I just knew I missed something. Going to update that chapter next.

At one point.. the fic does sounded it is going towards a R x T pairing, isn't it? The thing is I really do like the friendship between Rui and Tsukushi. I always thought if Doumyouji & Shizuka never came into the picture, Tsukushi would end up with Rui a long time ago. To all those RxT supporters.. enjoy it while it last.

Rui: Yeah!!!!!!!! (*hugz dytia)
Doumyouji: WHY YOU?!!! Makino's mine.. don't you hear me?? MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well back to the story..

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Doumyouji turned away to chase Makino. But Umi (me: baka Umi) grabbed his arm and pulled him away. " Why are you chasing after her? She does not even remember you."
" What do you know?"
" Kazuya told me this morning when I was waiting for you at your school. He said that Tsukushi have remembered that she's Rui's girlfriend. Isn't that a good thing? So why must you care for her anymore? She's Rui's problem now."

Slap...!! Umi collapsed to the ground. Her right hand slowly touched her right cheek. It was stinging with pain even by softest of touch. She looked up and saw Doumyouji the way she never saw Doumyouji before. The Doumyouji in the worst than insane mode. Terrified, she slowly moved away from Doumyouji. Glaring at her with those crazed eyes, Doumyouji started to mutter, " You have no right to interfere, you stupid girl. You said you love me but how much of me do you know, baka? The truth is, you know nothing of me. So, don't you dare to even say you love me."
" Doumyouji, that's not true. I.. I was only thinking for your own good."
" No.. you're wrong. It was obvious to me that you are only doing this for your own selfish needs. And you know what.. I hate people who use me for their own selfish means."

It was as if Doumyouji had just kicked her in the stomach. The pain was unbearable. Sobbing, Umi started to whine, " Why are you treating me like this? I was being so nice to you. How could you do this to me?"

Doumyouji nonchalantly shrugged, " You still don't get it, don't you?" He started to step away.
" It's simply because... Makino Tsukushi is million times nicer than you."

Umi stared at Doumyouji as he sprinted away from her at the direction Makino left. Tears running down her cheek as she refused to accept what Doumyouji just said to her. " I still don't get it.."

* * * * *

" Makino, " a soft male voice gently greeted her from behind. Makino could feel his warm hand tenderly clasping her shoulder, soothing her. Hastily wiping her tears, she turned around and looking up.

" Rui!" Looking very concerned, he asked, " Why are you here crying..? I thought you said you wanted to go to Doumyouji's.. What happen? Did he hit you?"
" No... it's not that." She angrily shook her head.
" Rui.. Could... you hold me for a minute?"

Rui reluctantly nodded. In his embrace, Makino leaned over his shoulder. " Do you love me, Rui?"

Rui just stared away. His hands were gently stroking her back. It felt so good to have her with him.

" Yes.. I love you. I'll always .. love you." Makino snuggled against him. " You'll never leave me.. promise me this."
" Makino.."
" Promise me.."
" I promise.."

A few yards away, in the shadows, someone was watching silently. Doumyouji yearned to take Makino away from Rui right then but he did not have the courage to do so. As he look at Makino's tear-stained face, he felt a sudden urge to wipe the tear away and kissing her senseless. But he knew that it was too late. It was obvious to him that now, the one Makino needed was Rui. Not him.

With a heavy heart, he walked away.

Rui felt instinctively that they were not alone. He looked around but it seemed there was no one. Perhaps I was imagining things? Makino's sobs subsided. He slowly pulled apart and saw that she had dozed off. Watching her peaceful face, he smiled and tenderly touched her cheek. It felt so warm.. in fact too warm.

" Makino.. Makino... wake up... You are burning.. Makino.." She did not stir.

Not now...

In her dream.. she was at the hill again. Searching the sky, she felt that there was something missing. But she could see that the moon was still there shining down at her. The stars was as if mischievously winking.. mocking her. She ran and ran but still she could not find what was missing. What is it?

Then, she could hear someone calling her. A tall young man with no face, a telescope beside him. He was waving at her. His voice beckoning her. When she got there, he pointed at the sky and there she saw the thing she have been searching. " Saturn, " she whispered." Beautiful isn't it?" He nodded. Then, she could feel him embracing her from behind. She could feel him putting something across her neck. A beautiful necklace with a Saturn locket. " You shouldn't have." She could feel him frowning at her.
" Why? Is it wrong for me to give something precious to the person I love?"

She could feel her heart beat quicken as the man slowly turned her around. He leaned towards her and slowly kissed her. A slow, lingering, passionate kiss. She could hear his rapid heart beat. Or is it mine?

It felt so warm in his embrace. Losing track of time, Makino let herself caressed by that stranger. Her head was spinning. She could not think. The feeling was akin to drowning. Yes, she felt it was as if she was drowning in the middle of a wide ocean with only this man's warm hand that could pull her to safety. This man's warm hand, which always protect her.

What would I do if I lose you? Without you, what would I do?

" Makino.. Makino..." she could hear him calling her name.. over and over again...

" Makino... Makino..." Rui?

Her eye lids felt so heavy. " Rui? Is that you.."

" Oh, I thought you are still delirious."
" Where am I?"
" At your house. It seemed you caught a high fever. It's all right. The doctor said it was just the flu. I guessed you are still weak from the accident."
" How long have I slept this time..? Where's my brother?"
" Your brother told me that he is at his friends' house. He'll return late but he did not want you to worry. You have slept since yesterday's afternoon.."
" I see... What is the time now?"
" It's already 8 pm."
" And you're still here. Gomennasai.. I have troubled you so much."
" No problem.. it was alright.. "

She tried to sit up. Rui wanted to help her but she pushed him away, " I can get up by myself."
" Don't be too hard on yourself. I told you I'll stay with you. Didn't I?" Rui... She looked up to his gentle-looking face. " You always have been so nice to me. How did I get so lucky? What did I do to deserve you?" Rui smiled at her.

I don't know. I have also thought of that. I cannot remember when I first fell for you. The feeling caught me unaware. Perhaps watching you with your determination.. strength that I could never have. But honestly, Makino, I did not know.

" You just rest. This medicine. Let me put it away. where should I put it." A bit embarrassed by her apartment, which barely has any furniture in it, she pointed towards a small cupboard. " I think there was a drawer in that."

As Rui opened it, a small, cardboard box fell out. Makino could see that there was a ball, a small stuffed toy and a smaller, velvet box inside it. Rui picked it out. " Oops.. I'm sorry."
" Ara.. Rui.. could you give me that..." Rui nodded. After he put the medicine inside, he brought the small, crumpled box to Makino. She opened it. First, she picked up the ball. It was baseball with a signature on that.

" Was I a baseball fan?" Rui shrugged. He didn't know. Makino grinned. She put the ball back and picked up the old, stuffed rabbit. It was a bit dirty and torn. " This.. I must have it ever since I was little. Look. Some of the stuffing already came out a bit. I really should have fix it." Rui eyed the rabbit with interest.

The rabbit looked very familiar.

Then, Makino's eyes fell to the small, velvet box. Could it be? She thought of her dream. Her heart skipped a beat. She fingered the clasp on the velvet box and pulled it to open. And just as she had expected to be, there it was. The Saturn necklace.

Rui watched her intently. Would she remember?

" Makino.."
" Did you give this to me?"

Rui did not answer he looked away. Her face fell. " Rui.. did I say something wrong?"

Should I tell her the truth? What would she do? Would she go back to Doumyouji? Should I lie?

Makino was alarmed by Rui's silence. She moved towards him with the necklace in her hand. "Rui.. I am sorry if I am upsetting you. But.. I just want to know.. If it troubles you, I won't ask again."
" No, I did not."
" huh.."
" I did not give you the necklace to you." He glanced at her. " It was not me.
Her face darkened. She looked away confused by the answer.

It could not be. If it was not Rui.

" Was it.. Doumyouji?"

Rui did not dare to look at her. He hesitantly nodded. Angrily shaking her head, she could not accept the fact...

" No.. you're lying...."
" Makino.. If I said I was the one who gave it to you, that would be a lie. Doumyouji was the one who gave it to you."
" Why didn't you lie and said that you gave it to me? If you said it, I'd believe it and nothing would change."
" I cannot do that. It would be wrong."
" No.. it wouldn't. You said that you love me. And I know that I love you too. All right.. So what..? I might be Doumyouji's girlfriend but now all I know is that I love you."
" But the past.."
" I no longer care about the past.. whatever feelings I have right now.. that's more important than the past and right now. And right now, I am sure.. I know.. that I truly, honestly love you."

Gripping the necklace tightly in her right hand, she raised it to hurl it out the window. Rui seeing that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the window. " Makino, what are you doing?" he yelled. Makino, holding back the tears, slowly said. " I don't want to see you sad. Now, I am throwing away this trinket. It does not mean anything to me now. If this will separate you and me, I rather losing it than keeping it with me."
" No.. When you remembered everything. You will realize that throwing this does not mean a thing. You might even regret it. Trust me. Whatever happens, I will always be with you. Nothing will separate you and me."
" Nothing?"
" Nothing."

* * * *

As Rui walked away from Makino's apartment, he had a feeling that he was being followed. Stopping, he turned around to face that person. There was no one but Rui trusted his instinct.

" If you want to talk, just say so, " Rui said loud enough for his stalker to hear. Sure enough, emerging form the shadows was Doumyouji.

" How's Makino?"
" Her fever is better. She just needed some rest." Doumyouji nodded. Then he turned around and walked towards the opposite direction.

" Didn't you want to see her?"
" What's the use? She wouldn't want see me."
" Why are you so sure? Don't you want her back?"
" Of course I wanted her back."
" Then why don't you fight for her."
" Because you are my best friend!" Rui was stunned. Doumyouji shoved his hands into his jeans pocket, surprised at his own admission. " Look.. All this time, I always afraid that Makino would suddenly change her mind and decided that she loved you more than me. I always afraid that when the day comes, my world would come tumbling down. And now when it did.. I realize it did not. I am still here. And maybe it was for the best."

Doumyouji..

" You've changed Tsukasa. The old Tsukasa would not give up Makino just like that." Doumyouji weakly smiled.
" Many things had happen. Yeah, perhaps that had changed me." Looking very thoughtful, he slowly said, " At that time in New York.. when I thought I had lost her for good, I already decided that if there's anybody would love Makino as much as I do, it would be you. And now I could see that you can take care of her better than I would. "
" Doumyouji.. there's still hope that she'll remember everything. And everything will return the way it was."
" No.. she was right. If the person she really loved was me, she would have remembered me. But instead she remembered you. Deep down, she still love you."
" Doumyouji.."
" Take care of her.. I know you can.."
" How about you?"
" I'll be fine. You are talking about me, the great Doumyouji Tsukasa!! After all, Doumyouji Tsukasa wouldn't be whimpering in the corner just because his girlfriend ditched him. Did you think so?"

Rui smiled. Doumyouji smiled back. Rui playfully punched him at the shoulder. " Let's go home together. Just like old times." Doumyouji shook his head.
" It's all right. My driver is around the corner. After all, your house is in a different direction. And you already looked sleepy."
" No I am not."
" Huh.. so what's with that dopey, red eyes? You must have not get your usual 16 hour sleep."
" What do you mean 16-hour..?"

As they walk together, teasing each other just like old times, the two best friends were back in good terms again. It was surprising for two people who were as different as heaven and earth, both thought the same way, both ready to sacrifice their own happiness for the other. All because of friendship. Yup, at the end, friendship was what mattered the most.

Perhaps this was for the best.

Knock.. knock..

" Susumu.. is that you? He must have forgotten his keys.." Makino dragged herself to the door and was surprise to see it was Umi, not Susumu.
" Tsukushi.. I am sorry but I just have to see you. I.. I have flowers and I made you some soup. Err.. can I come in?"
Makino was reluctant but looking at Umi's naive face, she did not have the heart.

As they sat together in front of the small table, Makino apologized for not having anything to serve.

" No.. it's all right. I knew you had fever and I am sorry it was so late at night.. I had wanted to come earlier but I was lost..."
" It is all right." Umi was quieter than she had expected. In fact, she looked rather nervous.

" Umi, did you have something to say to me..?"
" Ano.. Tsukushi-san... what are your feelings with Doumyouji?"

What?

" I know I am being a busy body. But I have to know.. after all.. It is about the person I like.." Makino could sense the anxiety in Umi's voice. But that question.. That question, she also has not known the answer yet.

" Umi.. I am sorry but I really can't help you."
" Tsukushi.."
" I just told Rui.. that I do not care about the past anymore. And perhaps it is true that I used to love Doumyouji.. but this new me.. with no recollection other than the ones I had with Rui. It is really hard for me to say that I love Doumyouji instead of Rui. To say to Doumyouji I love him when my head telling me that I do not. It just too hard for me to accept. Perhaps I will regret it. But right now, I felt that was the best thing to do."
" But Makino.. Doumyouji told me.."
" I do not care what Doumyouji thinks.. I have already decided. Why you asking me this? I thought you said you liked Doumyouji."

Umi looked away in hesitation. She did not have the heart to say it but she must know. " Why did you ran away yesterday?"

Stunned speechless, Makino deliberately tried to change the subject. " When did I ran? I.. I .. I was embarrassed.. I mean there you were kissing.. and I.."

A flash of memory.. Shigeru half naked on top of Doumyouji. Makino running away.. Sleeping next to Rui.. Her hand holding his hand.

" Tsukushi.. what's the matter?"
" Huh... nothing..." Painful.. this feeling...
" Tsukushi.. I'm sorry I could see you angry with me.. I am sorry.."
" It's just that I saw something.. Hen da yo ne.. How did that happen? I must imagining things so much. It doesn't make sense.."

Just then, Susumu got back.. " Ho... I never thought we have guest this late."
" Umi.. this is my brother, Susumu. Susumu, this is my friend Umi."
" Yoroshiku, Umi desu. Happy to meet you."
" Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
" Tsukushi.. I guess I better get going.."
" Let me see you outside.."
" No.. it's cold."
" Nope.. I insist. I felt a lot better now. Please let me walk you at least to the door."

At the door, just before Umi left, she suddenly exclaimed, " I still don't understand!!"

Huh!

" What is it, Umi?"
" Doumyouji told me that you were million times nicer than me. I could not accept that. All my life, I have tried to be nice to everybody I know. I liked helping people and I liked people liking me. To have the person I liked saying that I was not being nice for other people. That I was doing that, making use of other people for my selfish needs. I cannot accept that."
" Umi.."
" What did you do that made him like you so much? Why didn't he like me? I had been so nice to him but he said you were nicer than me. Is it wrong being nice to somebody in order to get him to like me. Is it??? I just don't understand."

Makino suddenly slapped Umi really hard.. effectively silencing her. " I am sorry, but to me you really need that." Umi yelled back at her, " Why? You too.. Tsukushi. Why all of you so mean to me? Doushite??'
Makino calmly explained," I am not being mean to you, Umi. I didn't know what had happened between you and Doumyouji. I honestly don't know why he liked me but Umi.. You are wrong in saying that you have to nice to other people in order to make them like you. It does not work like that. Blindly working so hard at being nice to other people to make them like you. But at the end of the day, you might even end up hurting yourself. Even other people. It is more important to have people like you by being yourself."
" But.. what if they don't like me."
" Does it even matter?"

Umi looked up to Makino. Her eyes flooded with tears. Makino continued, " When I realized I cannot remember anything, I was so scared. I was so worried that I'll be alone. But then I saw that I have lots of friends that care me just like that. Even though I could not remember them, they stayed by my side. Always telling me the road I should follow. Always looking out for me. I knew that I was not the nicest person on earth but I have great friends that would stand up for me. It felt a million times nicer than having everybody liking me for not being what I am. That it does not matter how nice I was to them, they will like me for being me."
" Tsukushi.."
" Umi.. you have good heart. It is good to be nice to other people but only by being yourself, you can find real friends that would accept you no matter what person you are."

Umi nodded. " Thank you, Tsukushi..."
" You're welcome though I am sorry for hitting you." Umi laughed.
"Then would you be my friend, Tsukushi-san?"
" Of course.. why wouldn't I be? Do you feel better now?" Umi finally let go of her.
" I felt better now. It's getting late. I better go. Ja ne..Oyasumi.."
" Oyasumi.."

As she descended the stairs... all of a sudden, Umi called her out, " Tsukushi.. if you see Doumyouji.. tell him.. that I have understand everything now. tell him I am sorry and that I won't bother him again. Could you tell him that?"
Makino nodded. Umi smiled. A very sincere smile. Her eyes lit up as she said, " Tell him I will pray for his happiness.. and you too, Tsukushi."
And with that she skipped away. Her steps light with joy of knowing that even if she had lost the person that she really liked, at least she have gained her first true friend.

Makino sighed. As she closed the door, she wondered if she can be as happy as Umi. She glanced at Susumu who had already fallen asleep. There's no sign of any worries on his face. She grabbed a mirror. Gosh.. I looked terrible. Compared to Umi, it'll be like comparing a weed to a rose flower. So stupid of Doumyouji ditching the beautiful Umi for her.

There I go again.. it's always Doumyouji.. Doumyouji... Why am I still thinking of that jerk when I have Rui?

Am I still in love with Doumyouji? No, it can't be. Why do I want to love somebody as violent as that guy?

Perhaps, she had taken the wrong decision. No, I have decided and I won't go back from any of my decisions. Only a coward does that and Makino Tsukushi's not a coward.

I have decided to trust in Rui. I have chosen Rui's kindness and tender loving care over Doumyouji's smoldering stares. I have decided for Rui's happy memories.

She went to her futon and brought out the small velvet box. As she stroked the necklace gently reveling upon its beauty, she thought of her dream. That intoxicating kiss. It felt so real but it was only a dream. It was only a dream...

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Ok that's it for today.

Next chapter: There'll be something happening at Eitoku. But I am not telling you. Arghhh.. Doumyouji .. Stop strangling me!!!

Doumyouji: How long are you going to torture all of us?
dytia: errr... a few more chapters...
Doumyouji: Arghhh!!!
dytia: Hey.. I did gotten rid of Umi. Be thankful for that at least.