Disclaimer: Yeah, I wish. pauses Hey, I really do. I mean, wish that all those bishies were mine...((BG)) to do with as I please. VBG Hehehe... ((VBEG))

Notes: Well, what can I say? Reviews make the world go round, don't they. And as for this chapter... Its form was really a first for me. I never realized writing dialogue could be so...difficult. If 'someone' is about to enter the picture, another certain 'someone' will have to be removed first so that--((blush)) Well... ((walks away)) You know. ((whistling innocently)) Guess who's talking, BTW. And about what.

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Not Letting Go

by Hotaru Muraki

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Chapter 7: Silence Is Golden

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"Taka, who was at the door?"

"Just the mailman. Apart from bringing us our mail he wanted to apologize for not delivering your mail-order any sooner, this being the last house on his rounds, yadayadayada..."

"He better should!"

"...Why?"

"I've been waiting for those for ages! You know I'll need them when I'll go to that cooking-class/camp-thingie in France this summer."

"..."

"What!?"

"I still can't believe you actually won anything at all, let alone something like that."

"What? ...What are you mumbling about?"

"..." sweatdrops "...Nothing. I was just thinking how lucky you are to have won such a prize in the mall-lottery."

"Mhm. You're right, Taka. ... But you're lucky too, you know."

"Huh?"

"Yes, you are!"

"How so?"

"Just imagine all the wonderful French dishes I'll be able to cook for you. I'm sure I'll learn lots and lots of good recipes. Ah... I can hardly wait!"

"I can. ...erm, I mean...I.....what...I wanted to say is that I can....almost imagine it. Your dishes surely will be......spectacular."

"Really? ...Thank you! Tamahome daisuki!!"

"Uuuuaaaaargh!"

Crash.

Tumble.

Sound of bodies hitting the floor.

"Miaka, get off! You're he—"

"Heavy."

An evil, black aura appears.

"You wanted to say that I'm heavy, right?"

"NO!"

Frantic denial.

"You're hearty today. That's what I wanted to say. Hontou ni!"

"Hontou ni?"

"Un."

"Hontou no hontou ni?"

"Un!"

"Hontou no hontou no ho—"

"...but this is hardly the right time and place to be saying such things, don't you think?"

"Oh."

"......."

"Gomen, Taka. I misunderstood. Can you forgive me? Please, Taka-darling?"

Big, teary eyes gaze imploringly at a rather dishevelled young man with dark-blue hair.

"Of course I forgive you, Miaka."

Sigh.

"Do you think you could get off of me now...?"

".......Oooops. Sure. Right away!"

Sweatdropping.

".................Thank you."

Blink.

"You're welcome."

"Ano ne,...... Miaka....."

"Naaaaa—ni, Tama-darling?"

„Don't call me that!"

„But it's soooo cute!"

„I. Am. Not. Cute!! I—"

Deep sigh.

"Never mind. It's not that important anyway."

Sounds of rustling paper.

"Here's your mail."

"Thank you, Taka-dar—ehehehee..."

Embarrassed flush.

"Gomen. Thank you, Taka."

A fond smile appears on the young man's handsome face.

"You're welcome, Miaka."

Comfortable silence spreads between the two of them, only punctuated every now and then by the sound of paper being torn, another letter being opened.

"Yatta"

"Gyyaa——aah! Taka... Bikuri shita... Don't scare me like that..."

A hand is pressed onto a rapidly beating heart.

"What are you so happy about anyway? Whatever it is, I don't think it's worth jumping and shouting like that..."

Pout.

"So...what's gotten you so excited, hmm...?"

"....."

"Well...?"

Sigh.

"...It's a letter of acceptance."

"Ano... You've applied somewhere!?"

Headache-in-the-making.

"You remember when I told you about applying for an internship during summer break?"

".............."

"But you do remember that I told you I wanted to raise and earn some money? For our future?"

"....................."

"I guess not."

Major sweatdrop.

"Well, as I already told you before—"

Pointed glance.

"—I've applied for a general internship at Kiryuu Industries. And this letter says—"

"WHAT!?"

Long-suffering sigh.

"—that I've been accepted. It starts about three days after you leave for France."

"But...but... You can't do that!"

Blink.

Blink.

"Huh? ...Why not?"

Flustered silence.

"Well... erm....ah... ...I..I would miss you!"

"Miaka... You will be in France. For the entire break, the whole summer long! So how are you going to miss me if it's you who'll be leaving in the first place!?"

"But I will!"

Sniffling.

Muffled almost-sobs.

"Besides, that company's rumoured to be rather ruthless in their business affairs. Maybe they're even connected to...'those' people."

"What do the Yakuz—"

Slender hand hastily clapped over the young man's mouth.

"Hush, Taka. Don't speak of...that. Someone might hear you."

Another long-suffering sigh.

"Miaka, you started it."

Blink.

Blink.

"Did not!"

"Yes, you did."

"Did not!!"

"Miaka......."

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't opened that stupid letter! Is money all you ever think about?!"

Sobbing.

Stumbling to their feet.

Then a door is opens and slams shut again with enough force to rattle the pictures on the wall.

A young man slumps down, burying his face in his hands.

All of a sudden, he feels so very, very tired.

"Why me?!"

No one answers.

Now the apartment is silent again, empty. An apt analogy for the blank page of a future that has yet to be written.

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Tsuzuku

AN: AAAAaargh! I did it again!! keels over Why, oh why do the keys for 'i' and 'u' have to be so near each other!? crawls back up Anyway, this one is for you, Ish ( ).

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Reply to review(s):

Ish ( ): ((gasps for breath)) Thanks a lot. ((pats back)) Guess your semi-question was answered, ne? As for Nakago and Tamahome coming face to face... That one's having me on the edge of my seat, too. pauses Wait a sec! ((realization hits - hard))Wwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... I'm the one who has to write that... ((runs off wailing))