"Some people come into our lives and quickly go,

Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our heart

and we are never the same."

The Inevitable Fate

Chapter 3

Morning dawned cheerfully, promising a better day than the previous. It was a bright day, if slightly chilly in the morning for it had poured heavily last night. A figure could be seen speeding down the sloppy road, two earplugs in each side as continuous music boomed into her ears and this of course was none other than Rika Nonaka herself, the famous teen model who was out of circulation for a period of time so she could continue her life as a normal high school student.

She pedaled her way down the bustling street, passing through several typical Japanese stores in one fluid motion, ignoring the constant changes of traffic lights, which of course was very typical for her to do so. She had always preferred to deal whatever matters in her own way, minding her own business as she struggled to survive in this corrupted community.

Wheeling through the hustle and bustle, she came to a bend and turned in idly without any hint of stopping. The bend led into a quieter road with several cars rushing by once in a while, lined with infinite sakura trees and substantially traditional Japanese houses with bamboo fences, encircling the front lawns. Apart from the scenic view of the strong Japanese presence, hills after hills greeted her in a cheerful manner as the even road started to roll downhill. The best part had yet to come, she silently concluded.

Accelerating at 100 kilometer per hour, she zoomed down sloppily, everything rushed by in a blurry manner. The world seemed to echo a silent tune, a tune only audible to her ears. How melodious it was. How very depressing yet…she sighed silently as memories of yesteryears flowed by unexpectedly.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The taste of blood lingered her mouth as the rain lashed her petite figure pitilessly. Her auburn hair hung straight down and covered half of her face, lank from the severe rain. She had obtained nasty wounds and bruises on both her knees and arms and bloods were spurting from the wounds. It was agonizing but she had held her tears back. No one was there to help her, to treat or at least to lift up this 5 years old girl. No matter how vulnerable she is inside, she forced herself to put up a bland face to conceal all her anxieties, doubts and most of all, her fears.

A tough girl she was by then for she had solemnly swore that she would never, ever depend on anyone anymore. Losing her dad in a young age was tragic to her and after that she had depended entirely on her mother who seemed to engross in her career so much that she had totally neglected her. Her life by then was nothing but a total disaster until that very day…

"Are you all right?"

She looked up instantly and an alienated face greeted her. A boy, much older than her, perhaps a year or two older, smiled affably at her and offered her a helping hand.

"Here…" his voice was obscured by the screeching wind and the hammering rain but still he did not back away but instead lifted her up easily. "Oh my…you are hurt. What happened?" He asked.

Upon seeing his sympathetic face, she felt nauseous and slapped his hand away, warning him to stay away from her. She need not pity from the others especially from cheeky strangers.

"Go away." She muttered and tried to stand up but fell almost immediately.

"Stubborn, aren't ya? Nobody would want a stubborn girl for their girlfriend…" he jested but upon seeing her murderous glare, he shut himself up and then picked her up in both arms. "Come, I'll let you stay in my house for a while."

"Let go of me!!!" she yelled and struggled rapidly to free herself but what can a five year-old girl do? Besides, she was enervated and thus was overpowered completely. Never in her life she felt so helpless and weak except when that time her father walked out of her life and was never seen again. The world began to succumb to darkness as exhaustion began to kick in. The last thing she saw before she totally blackout was a glittering blue thingy…

*~*~*~*~*~*

She halted in front one of the houses and turned down her Discman volume. Taking off the earplugs, her eyes settled on the dwelling before her and a slight smile was carved on her lips.

It's been a while…

Again, her eyes began to rove around with anticipation but the bamboo fencing had obscured her visibilities from getting a good peek. Tiptoeing, her heart gave a tremendous leap when she sighted a familiar figure sweeping the lawn. Enticed, she called out for him and was welcomed immediately by a feisty greeting from the other side of the fence.

"Reika!! *Rika's nick, something which I thought out. She had faked her name. This will be further explain as you continue to read the fic.* Is that really you or is it just me and me bad ol' sight?"

She responded with a soft laugh, "Iie. I'm her twin sister."

"Are you?" He gazed penetratingly and then chortled merrily. "Hah, haven't change a bit, do you?" and gestured her to come in but she declined it politely. "When did you move back?" he added.

"Last week. Sorry, ji-san. I happen to pass by here when I should be on my way to school." She consulted her wristwatch. "And time doesn't allow me to do so too anyway."

"So soon?" he moaned as he leaned the rake against the fence. "We barely talk for even one second!"

She nodded. "I've tarried too long."

A frown marred the face of the old man but knowing she was in a hurry, he could only sigh. "Before you go…"he started. " There's something for you."

Quirking a brow, she inclined slightly as she spoke, "What is it?"

"Matte…" and with that he paced abruptly out of sight, scattering the heaped pile of leaves he had raked earlier as he go and disappeared into the back lawn.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Everything seemed so white…can it be that I'm dead? But if I am dead, why do I feel so…warm?

"Hush now… you might wake her up."

"But I want to stay with her, 'ji-san….please?"

The five year-old Rika Nonaka, blinked woozily. Her head ached and her body stiffed as is it was made from a block of ice. She blinked again and the world stopped revolving abruptly and white ceiling met her eyes. White…? She didn't recalled having painted her room's ceiling white. Wait a minute… wasn't she supposed to be at….

"Awoke already, little girl?" a hoarse voice reached her at last.

She staggered and gingerly pulled herself up but the pains seemed to be kicking in once more. It was far more painful than she had expected it to be. Unable to withstand it anymore, she collapsed onto the bed with a soft thud.

"Another obnoxious kid…she's just like you. What am I suppose to do with her?" she heard him saying and then another loud voice belonged to a child shouted back. "I'm no obnoxious kid!! Want to fight is it, ji-ji?!!"

Her curiosity was plagued as she shifted a little to her right to get a better look at her life saviors but what greeted her was something she expected naught. An old man, with grizzled hair and extra long with beard was holding off a child single-handedly as the boy jumped enthusiastically in a boxing manner and was trying to hit him but with no great shake.

The old man on the other hand was laughing softly, enjoying the little combat. "You are still light years away from beating me."

"Don't be so glad yet, ji-san. How about this?" The boy tackled him with a swing of his leg but was caught perfectly by the old man.

"Let go of me, you old geezer!!!"

"Watch your temper boy, it may get you in hot water one of these days." He merely stated and with a swing of his decrepit hand, he turned the boy upside-down gleefully.

Rika, who was apparently torn between amusement and anxiety, watched them with unblinking eyes. It took them all while to realize that she was fully awake by then.

"How do you feel now?" the old man asked quaintly as he swayed the boy precariously and threw him aside without a second glance.

She disregarded his concern with a look of pure aloofness before nodding her head slightly. "Sorry for the disturbance. I… got to go," was the only words she uttered as she got up from the bed and pushed her away to the slightly ajar door, staggering as she moved.

"Wait –" the boy shouted, through a badly bruised head, but was stopped by the old man. "Let her go. We have not the will to stop her. Besides, she will be back…very soon."

"But –"

Crash.

Hurrying to the door, he was in time to see her forlorn figure falling, ever so slowly, as he barreled towards her.

Rika sprawled on the ground with the fragments of the shattered vase scattering all around her. It was a pitiful sight, as she stayed in that position and was sobbing uncontrollably. She tried to stop the flowing tears but it can't seem to cease. Cursing herself silently for being such a weakling, she soon aware of the sound of scuttling feet behind her. Automatically, her body became rigid.

"Go away," she uttered brusquely through a tearful voice.

"But – you're hurt…" he tried to explain though terrified at her demeanour.

"GO AWAY!!" she screamed.

Recoiling from her, the boy felt a light tap on his shoulder and a voice belonged to none other than the old man spoke to him in a clear tone. "I'll handle her while you go and fetch the first aid kit. Hurry."

Incomprehensive, he nodded fervently and disappeared down the corridor.

Upon hearing approaching footsteps once more, she yelled, "I said GO AWAY!!"

The old man however, did not recoiled from her. Instead, he kneeled down and patted her back reassuringly. She shivered at his slight touch.

"Look up my dear child. Here…" the old man cooed. "Don't be shy." He lifted up her chin and stared into her teary eyes. "Your eyes…they bore great grief and desolation. Are you lonely not?" He paused a while to pull back streaks of her hair, revealing a beautiful yet unyielding face of a five year-old girl. "It's not good to keep everything to yourself. Sometimes, it's important to at least share your thoughts and doubts with someone. You will gain naught by evading the world but only constant loneliness that will never ceased. That is why even the happiest man on earth needs a companion, or why would he be declared as one?" He laughed softly, caressing her dampened cheeks as he did so.

The five year-old Rika stared upon the face of the kind, compassionate soul and instantly felt at ease. She brushed away her tears rapidly with her cherubic hand and the first smile of the day formed on her lips.

"You look better when you smile," another voice called out.

Averting her eyes to the source, she saw the same young boy who she had shooed away like a pesky fly, standing in front of her with a smile akin to the Cheshire Cat as he bent down and began to tend he wounds with utmost care.

Instantly, she felt ashamed of herself to throw tantrums at him for no apparent reason. The most appropriate thing to do at that particular moment was to apologize but only air seemed to escape from her mouth. Torn between hesitation and the feeling of guilt, she could only look away, unable to confront him.

As he pressed a cotton bud gently on her wounds, she winced slightly, obviously couldn't withstand such agony.

"Just a few second…." He assured and addressed her wounds with a stripe of white bandage. "There you go, all done. Say…what's your name??"

"Startled by his sudden question, she stammered as she spoke in an inaudible tone, "Riii….kkaa.."

"Reika is it? Douzo yoroshiku." And he smiled.

Mesmerized by his smile, she pondered on his face and felt indebted to these two complete strangers who cared so much for her even though they barely know her.

Arigato……

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Take this!" the old man hurried back and flung something towards her, causing her to snap from the trances of yesteryears.

She caught it perfectly and furrowed an eyebrow when she lifted it up and inquired in an almost foxed voice, "An apple?"

"The apple tree had finally bare its first fruit after so many years of planting it. Go on, try it. How does it taste?" he gestured good-naturedly.

Chewing the crispy red fruit, she managed a thumb-up, unable to talk through a mouthful of apple. As the sun began its lazy trek across the almost bluish-hued sky, she bowed low as a gesture of gratitude before pedaling off into safe distance.

The old man grinned to himself, happy that she had finally open-up herself and stopped denying the people around her. He hadn't seen her smiling so blissfully for quite sometime and began to wish that he had lengthened their little conversation. As he watched her solitary figure dissipated into the distance, a loud yawn was heard coming from behind of him. He glanced back and was greeted by a sleepy looking youth on the door.

"What are you doing so early out here, ji-san?" he asked, compressing another escaped yawn with his hand.

"Early?" the old man scoffed. "The sun's up high and you're still in your pajamas, Ryo."

Feeling a little disoriented, a baffled expression streaked across his dazed feature. "WHAT??!! Why didn't you wake me up, ji-san??!! I'm LATE!!!!" he panicked and disappeared into the house with the speed of a rocket.

Chuckling to himself, the old man continued sweeping the lawn in absolute peace before hearing the front door being opened and closed subsequently.

"Ittekimasu, ji-san!!" Ryo cried. And with a toast in his mouth, he dashed down the street on his faithful bike without another glance.

"Itterashai!!" the old man responded and watched him from afar. Instantly, he felt something was amiss by then. He had forgotten to tell him that the girl he had saved eleven years ago was finally back but after contemplating for a moment, he was actually glad that he hadn't mention her at all.

He's bound to know too anyway….

His final thought then dissolved into the springy morning, leaving nothing but an evanescent feeling of contentment and surreptitious.

There, done with the third chapter. Sorry for the constant flashback. Oh yeah, when Rika was five years old, she met Ryo for the first time but she didn't know. After that, she moved away and Ryo couldn't find her.  That was my assumption for this fic. Ryo stays with his grandfather and dad, another assumption of mine. And Rika doesn't know the name of the kid that saves her and neither do Ryo realize that it was Rika that he had saved.  Err…feeling confused? Hehe….you'll understand later. *strech herself* It's so late already!! Ah!! Nite, people!!

And oh yeah, please REVIEW!!

Signing out *yet again^^ *,

Psycho_kyugurl