Worlds Apart

Chapter 7- Rooftops

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina.

The day of the kissing incident, Yumiko and I became boyfriend and girlfriend. My fan group abandoned hope of ever pulling me away from the so-called "dark side" and the geeks and freaks (the "dark lords" of the "dark side") started treating me as one of their own. My worries about what people thought about me faded away. I spent more time with Yumiko than I'd ever spent with anyone. The problem was, the more time I spent with her, the more I fell in love with her.

It's hard to lose something you love.

~

One stormy night a few months after the incident, I heard a knock at my door. The rest of my family was at a funeral, but I stayed home because I always get sick at funerals. I opened the door, and there in the pouring rain stood Yumiko, smiling warmly.

"Yumiko? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Can I come in, or are you just going to let me freeze here?"

I let her in and closed the door. "What's wrong?"

"I ran away," she began, "They threatened me. This time, instead of threatening to kill my parents, 'Dear Mother and Father' said they would come after you instead. I don't know they found out, but they were serious."  Yumiko shivered. "It's cold in here."

"Maybe you should take a quick shower and change your clothes, since you're all wet. It would really be crappy if you got sick," I answered. She nodded and gave me a kiss on the cheek, then walked to the bathroom.

After Yumiko was done showering and changing her clothes, we decided that she would spend the night, since she didn't have anywhere else to go. We slept in the living room on the couches because she didn't want to be left alone.

"Yumiko…" I said.

"Yeah?" she answered, in my arms. (No, all you perverted minds out there, we were not sleeping together.)

"I love you…."

She turned her head and looked at me. She smiled, "I love you, too, Yoshi-kun…." I laughed and snuggled her.

"Oh, I have something for you," I remembered. I broke from her grip and got up to give her a decorative paper bag. Yumiko picked up the small black velvet box inside and opened it. Her eyes shone with delight and surprise.

"Yoshiaki, it's really-wow. Thank you so much, it's beautiful. It must have cost you a lot," she stuttered. I picked up the teardrop shaped diamond necklace with blue topaz stones bordering the diamond and asked her if I could put it on her. She agreed and lifted up her hair.

"You look stunning," I said after I finished placing it around Yumiko's neck and closing the clasp.

She had tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked and hoped that those were tears of joy.

"I don't want to leave you," she whispered. More crystalline tears fell.

"What? You're not going too, 'cause me and you are going to be together forever."

She did leave, and she took my heart with her.

I woke up alone and cold to the sound of the doorbell. From the couch, I could see through the window that the sun didn't come up yet. It must have been three in the morning, and whoever woke me up was going to feel my wrath.

When I opened the window, I expected to see Yumiko there. Maybe she went for a walk and got locked outside, I thought. Yumiko wasn't standing on my doorstep. A police officer was.

It's never good news when a police officer suddenly decides to pay you a visit at three in the morning.

"Hello?" I greeted a bit roughly.

"Yes, I'm officer Shinoda. I understand that you were associated with Yumiko Takayama?"

"Yes."

"You are the only person that will acknowledge her existence; we have already contacted her parents, but they refuse to admit they know her."

"Uh huh."

"Yumiko was involved in a car accident—" The rest of his words were a jumble that I couldn't make any sense of. "Collided with train…nothing left…No evidence of her body…reason to believe…dead."

Dead. That was the only thing I could think of when darkness took over and I felt the floor in the back of my head.

~

Mountain Rain: What did you think? I had GEPA all this week and no homework, so I had the time. Heh, I got new contacts and everything looks very weird, so if I misspelled something, just tell me. Oh yeah, do you know how many great songfics can be created from all the Story of the Year and Brand New songs?! TOO MANY TO COUNT!