Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango.
Chapter 22: Back to the Old Oak Tree
Rehearsals ended relatively early that night. It was Rui's turn to take Tsukushi home, and as she settled into the front passenger seat of his car, she glanced at the back seat and saw his violin case lying there. "Did you go to the park this afternoon?" she asked him as he got in his seat and started the engine.
"Nope. These days, it's too hot out in the daytime to go there. I've been meaning to pass by in the evening but lately we've been ending rehearsals at such a late hour."
"Oh."
"Haven't played my violin in a while. I must be getting rusty," he remarked with a rueful shake of his head. "Hey," his face suddenly brightened. "Wanna pass by tonight? If you're not too tired, that is."
"I'm not tired," she grinned. "And I haven't heard you play the violin in a long time too. Let's go to the park!" she enthused, tugging at his sleeve.
Thanks to the late hour, there was no traffic on the street so the drive to the park took all of five minutes. Once they got there, they set off to the inner section of the park on foot. Tsukushi was having a hard time keeping up with Rui's long strides, but once the tree house came into view, she broke into a run, leaving a slightly amused Rui in her wake.
The cheery chirping of the birds at daytime had given way to the more sedate sound of the cicadas' monotonous humming. Tsukushi hadn't realized before now how much she had missed the soothing nocturnal sound, the comforting scent of freshly-cut grass, and the relaxing solitude offered by the deserted stillness of the park. Maybe that's why she couldn't stop herself from running towards the familiar oak tree once she saw it.
Like an excited, hyperactive child, she made a beeline for the rope ladder hanging forlornly against the wide tree trunk. Her steps were nimble and sure as she skillfully clambered up its knotted rungs. The last time she was here was before she officially joined the band. Has it been that long? she mused to herself.
Below her, Rui could only chuckle and shake his head in amusement while he unzipped the leather case and took out his violin from it. He fiddled with it for a while, tightening the strings here and there to tune it. Shortly after, a light, up-tempo melody was drifting up to Tsukushi's ears. She waited 'til he finished playing the piece before peeking through the opening on the floor to address him. "No sad songs today?"
Rui could only look at her questioningly as he waited for her to climb down the ladder to join him where he was seated on the ground.
"Akira and Jiro mentioned before that you only played your violin whenever you were depressed."
He looked contemplative as he gazed at the instrument he had lain on his lap. "I guess that used to be the case before. Those times you heard me playing here, those were difficult days for me. It was around that time before Shizuka had left for the States. Yeah, you could say I was really depressed then." He looked up to her face. "But I guess by now I've gotten used to the idea of a long-distance relationship," he said as he shrugged. "I just felt like playing today 'cause I've been neglecting my violin for too long."
"You still miss her though, don't you?"
He let out a sad sigh. "Every second of every day. I still don't know what's gonna happen once her stint there is up, but I could only hope for the best." He shook his head, as if wanting to ward off the feeling of loneliness that inevitably engulfed him whenever Shizuka's name was mentioned. Wanting to change the subject, he asked Tsukushi a question. "So, how long have you and Tsukasa had this thing going?"
Tsukushi's body suddenly went rigid as she shot up with a start from where she had been leaning casually on the tree trunk just a few seconds ago. Why was Rui asking about her and Tsukasa? What did he know? Did he know about the kiss on the beach? Did Tsukasa tell him?
"Thing? What thing?" she asked in a high squeaky voice.
"The songwriting thing?" Rui couldn't help but notice her strange reaction. Even by the dim light of the nearby lamp post, he could see that her cheeks had taken on a rosy blush.
"Oh, that!" The breath that Tsukushi had been holding was finally released as she sighed in relief when she realized what Rui was asking.
"Yeah, that," his right eye narrowed as he regarded the girl beside him. "Why, is there any other 'thing' going on between you and Tsukasa?"
"I... uh... no, of course not," she stammered. "Um, we just started today... writing it... the song, I mean."
"You're blushing," he pointed out.
"No I'm not! It's just this stupid heat," she replied, fanning herself with her fingers to make her point. Never mind that there actually was a pleasant evening breeze blowing. She could feel tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she endured his continuous scrutiny.
A lazy grin slowly formed from the corners of Rui's lips until it widened to a full smile. "You like him." It was a statement, not a question.
"No I don't!" she said a little too quickly. "Um, I mean, sure, I like him, just as I like you, and Akira, and Jiro," she amended. As she spoke, she fixed her eyes on a grassy knoll a few yards away from where they were seated.
"Tsukushi," Rui placed both his hands on her shoulders so he could turn her to face him. "Why are you so scared to admit you like my friend? Tsukasa's a great guy. Liking him is not something to be ashamed of."
She pried his hands loose from her shoulders and pulled her legs close to her chest as she returned her gaze to the grassy knoll. "Geez," she said in an irritated tone, "I don't like him, okay? I mean, not in the way you're implying."
His shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug. "Okay. If you say so." Nothing was said for about a minute or so, but just when Tsukushi thought he had finally dropped the subject, he spoke again in a mildly teasing voice. "He likes you, though."
She turned sharply to look at him when he said that. "What makes you say that?" Does he know about the kiss after all?
Rui rolled his eyes, as if the answer were painfully obvious. "I've known Tsukasa since we were kids. I was there when he first fell in love. The symptoms I saw then, I'm seeing now." Before Tsukushi could ask what those 'symptoms' were, he spoke again. "Besides, Jiro and Akira were teasing him about it after dinner awhile ago while you were upstairs in Akira's room using the computer." Tsukushi remembered that right after eating her dinner, she went up for a short while to use Akira's computer so she could check whether Yuki had sent her any e-mails recently. "I'm surprised they just noticed it now. The night at the beach was already a dead giveaway. But then again, those two were probably too piss-drunk to notice."
"The... night at the beach...?"
"Yeah. Remember when you excused yourself to go out for a walk while we were playing that drinking game?" At Tsukushi's nod, he continued. "Tsukasa immediately got up from his seat because he wanted to follow you. He was afraid you'd walk too far out 'cause you were alone. The three of us stopped him, and we told him you're capable of looking after yourself. He sat back down, but he kept on fidgeting in his seat and looking out towards the beach. I finally got up and made some excuse about returning to my hotel room because I was getting sleepy, and he took that chance as well to excuse himself from the drinking game."
Tsukushi could only stare at Rui wordlessly as she tried to process the things he had just told her.
"Anyway," he continued, "that's when I knew for sure he likes you. I already suspected as much, earlier, but I couldn't be too sure until that night at the beach. Believe me, Tsukushi. Tsukasa likes you. He really does. He probably doesn't know it yet but I think he's falling... and falling fast."
"Falling?" Tsukushi didn't think she liked the direction towards which this conversation was going.
"Falling in love," Rui supplied matter-of-factly.
Love? Did he just say 'love?'
All of a sudden Tsukushi found that she couldn't breathe properly. She stood up and took several deep breaths before sitting back down beside Rui. "Well... Even if he were, as you say, falling in love with me, then that's too bad. It would be impossible for me to return the feeling. I'll admit, maybe I'm physically attracted to him..."
"Just as you were attracted to me?" he interjected.
"I... you... why..."
Rui's shoulders shook in silent laughter as he watched Tsukushi sputter in indignation.
"Boy, you're so full of yourself, aren't you?" she huffed, crossing her arms on her chest as she looked at him pointedly. She couldn't deny it outright because what he said was true. She did have a crush on him before, from the time she first saw him playing his violin at this very place 'til she met him at Akira's basement when she tried out for the band. Of course, she had gotten over her little infatuation with him once she got to know him better and realized how in love he was with Shizuka.
He waved a hand in a dismissive manner as he spoke. "I didn't say that out of conceit. I was just stating a fact to prove my point."
"And what is your point, exactly?"
"Like I said earlier. You like Tsukasa. If this was merely a crush, you wouldn't be so skittish trying to deny it. You could just admit it and this whole conversation would be over and done with. But it's not merely a crush, is it?
"That's where you're wrong. Okay, I'm physically attracted to Tsukasa. Can you blame me? With a body like that... and that dimple when he smiles..." Tsukushi roused herself before she could get carried away enumerating Tsukasa's physical attributes which made her think he was hot. "But falling in love with him? Hah!" she scoffed. "Im-fuckin'-possible!"
"And why is that?" Rui was curious why she couldn't admit to herself what was so painfully obvious in his eyes.
"Because I'm done with all that love crap!" she snapped. She was as surprised as Rui was at her own harsh tone. She looked at him apolegetically and he nodded to let her know he didn't take offense. "It's such an over-rated emotion anyway," she continued in a softer, almost defeated voice. "Remember that first time you said it was okay for me to stay and hear you play?"
He nodded in response. Of course he remembered. It was the night after Shizuka had left. Never in his life had he felt so lonely... so alone. And then suddenly he wasn't alone anymore, because this very girl who was sitting beside him appeared from nowhere and kept him company as he played his heart out that night. The pain that he was feeling in his very soul, he saw reflected in her eyes. And that's when he knew that he wasn't really alone. There was someone else who knew what it felt like to be left behind... abandoned.
"You asked me then if I knew what it felt like to be left behind by someone I loved," Tsukushi's voice broke into his introspection. "Well, I did. I do. When he left me, I promised myself I would never give anyone the power to hurt me like that again..."
As her voice trailed off, Rui turned to look at her face. Her eyes were a mirror of pain as she gazed, unseeing, at a point somewhere in the distance.
"Once bitten, twice shy..." he whispered softly.
Tsukushi remained in her position unmoving, the only sign that she heard him a bitter smile that crossed her lips fleetingly.
When she remained silent, he spoke again. "I understand why you feel the way you do. But sometimes... you just have to take a chance at loving again. I dunno... I'd be lying if I said I'm happy right now, what with the woman I love being an ocean away. But even so, just knowing that I've got Shizuka in my life, even if she isn't here with me now, it makes me feel..." Rui paused for a moment while searching for the right word, "... complete."
When Tsukushi turned to face him with a questioning look in her face, he attempted to explain. "When was the last time you felt complete? That you have everything you could possibly want and need? Sure, you've got friends, a great job, a roof over your head at night... but don't you feel there's still something missing? Friends are great, and a must, especially for people like us who no longer have family around. But they're not enough. At the end of the day, it feels good to know that no matter how bad things are, no matter how badly fucked up your life is, there's still that one person who'd be there for you, who'd love you, warts and all."
Tsukushi dropped her gaze to the ground as she pondered on what Rui said. Was it true? Was she incomplete?
He spoke again, interrupting her reverie. "By closing your heart to love, you just might be missing out on that chance to feel complete again. Think about it," he said as he lifted a hand to gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He tilted his head slightly to one side when he realized something. "Listen. Do you hear that?" he asked her as he pointed a finger upwards.
"Hear what?" she strained to listen. "I don't hear anything."
"Exactly. Even the cicadas have gone to bed and ceased their humming. It's getting late. I better get you home."
She agreed and allowed him to pull her out of her sitting position with the hand he offered. When they got back to the car where they both had left their cell phones, they saw that they each had missed calls from Soujiro. He had also left them identical text messages, informing them that he, Tsukasa, and Akira were at a club somewhere uptown, if they cared to follow.
"Wanna go and join them?" Rui asked Tsukushi as he started the car. She failed to stifle the yawn that escaped from her lips. "Guess not," he chuckled. He turned to drive towards the direction of her apartment.
Tsukushi pretended to be asleep on the drive home, but though her eyes were closed as she slouched on the seat beside Rui, her mind was still on the things he had said back at the park.
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A/N: Gomen, dui bu qi, apologies for this delayed update. I got sick after my beach trip and even after I recovered, it was so hard to get back into writing mode again. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for my absence. Yeah, well, not much is happening, but at least it's got Rui! Another reason why it took me so long to get this chapter out was because I had to re-write the entire thing to give Rui some face time. As one Winglin reader kindly pointed out, I've been neglecting him lately in the previous chapters. Sorry if the chapter's a bit cheesy... it's so hard to write a dialogue about love without turning mushy. Anyway, enough of my senseless ramblings. Hope you liked the chapter. Oh, and updates for the next month or so will be erratic, because I've got a ton of chores and errands to attend to.
Sailor Angie: Wow Angie, I think your last review was the longest I've ever gotten! Thanks heaps, I do love long reviews. They give me a better idea of how I'm doing. Now on to the points you've raised regarding the last chap. I didn't dwell too much on how Tsukushi was feeling about the kiss because, as you said, and as the prior chapter had implied, she was confused and didn't know what to make of it. I did write that she was uncomfortable (remember when she got up from the couch and said she was gonna make coffee when she realized that it was the first time she and Tsukasa were alone together since the night at the beach?). As for the witty exchanges between them, well, as I said before, it's just not my forte. I'll try to come up with another scene with some good ol' bickering though, but I ain't promising anything. Lastly, I'm glad the slow pace is okay with you. I myself find things developing too slowly, but I'd rather not rush things. Also, sometimes new ideas just keep on popping in my head which slow things a bit more. So just be patient, LOL! Looking forward to what you think about this chap.
luna: LOL! When I first read your review, I thought you were flaming me because of my writing. Sorry for bitching about the weather here, but there are still two months of summer left so I can't guarantee I won't be complaining about it again. Maybe next time you can just skip my A/N? LOL! Thanks for reading and dropping a review! Hope to hear from you again.
XxSwtDreamerxX1: Heya! I really appreciate your leaving a review both here and at Winglin, so, LOL, it's okay if you cheated! Hope you like this installment.
otakuchique: Hi! Glad you liked the last post. Um, as for the lyrics, I really haven't decided yet. Just read on to find out, 'kay? Thanks for your support!
cherub girl: Hey girl! Sorry there's no T&T action in this installment, but at least it gave an insight on what Tsukushi might be feeling towards Tsukasa right? And we've got Rui to thank for finally cluing her in, hahaha! Thanks for reading!
goodietwoshoez: Hey there! Thanks for your review. Since this is a TxT fic, they will definitely get together. The question is how and when. So keep reading to find out.
flipgrl: Yeah, a blushing Tsukasa is just so adorable! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter.
Tinhamodic: Dude!!! You have no idea how happy I am to see your name in this site. When I didn't hear from you at Winglin for a long time, I thought you'd abandoned this fic already. Thanks for putting in reviews for the last three chapters. I really appreciate it!
kami: Aww, thanks for your kind words! I'm glad you still want to read this, despite my inability to come up with those scenes.
thidathai: Hi! Here you go, another update. It got longer than I had planned. Hope you like it.
Chapter 22: Back to the Old Oak Tree
Rehearsals ended relatively early that night. It was Rui's turn to take Tsukushi home, and as she settled into the front passenger seat of his car, she glanced at the back seat and saw his violin case lying there. "Did you go to the park this afternoon?" she asked him as he got in his seat and started the engine.
"Nope. These days, it's too hot out in the daytime to go there. I've been meaning to pass by in the evening but lately we've been ending rehearsals at such a late hour."
"Oh."
"Haven't played my violin in a while. I must be getting rusty," he remarked with a rueful shake of his head. "Hey," his face suddenly brightened. "Wanna pass by tonight? If you're not too tired, that is."
"I'm not tired," she grinned. "And I haven't heard you play the violin in a long time too. Let's go to the park!" she enthused, tugging at his sleeve.
Thanks to the late hour, there was no traffic on the street so the drive to the park took all of five minutes. Once they got there, they set off to the inner section of the park on foot. Tsukushi was having a hard time keeping up with Rui's long strides, but once the tree house came into view, she broke into a run, leaving a slightly amused Rui in her wake.
The cheery chirping of the birds at daytime had given way to the more sedate sound of the cicadas' monotonous humming. Tsukushi hadn't realized before now how much she had missed the soothing nocturnal sound, the comforting scent of freshly-cut grass, and the relaxing solitude offered by the deserted stillness of the park. Maybe that's why she couldn't stop herself from running towards the familiar oak tree once she saw it.
Like an excited, hyperactive child, she made a beeline for the rope ladder hanging forlornly against the wide tree trunk. Her steps were nimble and sure as she skillfully clambered up its knotted rungs. The last time she was here was before she officially joined the band. Has it been that long? she mused to herself.
Below her, Rui could only chuckle and shake his head in amusement while he unzipped the leather case and took out his violin from it. He fiddled with it for a while, tightening the strings here and there to tune it. Shortly after, a light, up-tempo melody was drifting up to Tsukushi's ears. She waited 'til he finished playing the piece before peeking through the opening on the floor to address him. "No sad songs today?"
Rui could only look at her questioningly as he waited for her to climb down the ladder to join him where he was seated on the ground.
"Akira and Jiro mentioned before that you only played your violin whenever you were depressed."
He looked contemplative as he gazed at the instrument he had lain on his lap. "I guess that used to be the case before. Those times you heard me playing here, those were difficult days for me. It was around that time before Shizuka had left for the States. Yeah, you could say I was really depressed then." He looked up to her face. "But I guess by now I've gotten used to the idea of a long-distance relationship," he said as he shrugged. "I just felt like playing today 'cause I've been neglecting my violin for too long."
"You still miss her though, don't you?"
He let out a sad sigh. "Every second of every day. I still don't know what's gonna happen once her stint there is up, but I could only hope for the best." He shook his head, as if wanting to ward off the feeling of loneliness that inevitably engulfed him whenever Shizuka's name was mentioned. Wanting to change the subject, he asked Tsukushi a question. "So, how long have you and Tsukasa had this thing going?"
Tsukushi's body suddenly went rigid as she shot up with a start from where she had been leaning casually on the tree trunk just a few seconds ago. Why was Rui asking about her and Tsukasa? What did he know? Did he know about the kiss on the beach? Did Tsukasa tell him?
"Thing? What thing?" she asked in a high squeaky voice.
"The songwriting thing?" Rui couldn't help but notice her strange reaction. Even by the dim light of the nearby lamp post, he could see that her cheeks had taken on a rosy blush.
"Oh, that!" The breath that Tsukushi had been holding was finally released as she sighed in relief when she realized what Rui was asking.
"Yeah, that," his right eye narrowed as he regarded the girl beside him. "Why, is there any other 'thing' going on between you and Tsukasa?"
"I... uh... no, of course not," she stammered. "Um, we just started today... writing it... the song, I mean."
"You're blushing," he pointed out.
"No I'm not! It's just this stupid heat," she replied, fanning herself with her fingers to make her point. Never mind that there actually was a pleasant evening breeze blowing. She could feel tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she endured his continuous scrutiny.
A lazy grin slowly formed from the corners of Rui's lips until it widened to a full smile. "You like him." It was a statement, not a question.
"No I don't!" she said a little too quickly. "Um, I mean, sure, I like him, just as I like you, and Akira, and Jiro," she amended. As she spoke, she fixed her eyes on a grassy knoll a few yards away from where they were seated.
"Tsukushi," Rui placed both his hands on her shoulders so he could turn her to face him. "Why are you so scared to admit you like my friend? Tsukasa's a great guy. Liking him is not something to be ashamed of."
She pried his hands loose from her shoulders and pulled her legs close to her chest as she returned her gaze to the grassy knoll. "Geez," she said in an irritated tone, "I don't like him, okay? I mean, not in the way you're implying."
His shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug. "Okay. If you say so." Nothing was said for about a minute or so, but just when Tsukushi thought he had finally dropped the subject, he spoke again in a mildly teasing voice. "He likes you, though."
She turned sharply to look at him when he said that. "What makes you say that?" Does he know about the kiss after all?
Rui rolled his eyes, as if the answer were painfully obvious. "I've known Tsukasa since we were kids. I was there when he first fell in love. The symptoms I saw then, I'm seeing now." Before Tsukushi could ask what those 'symptoms' were, he spoke again. "Besides, Jiro and Akira were teasing him about it after dinner awhile ago while you were upstairs in Akira's room using the computer." Tsukushi remembered that right after eating her dinner, she went up for a short while to use Akira's computer so she could check whether Yuki had sent her any e-mails recently. "I'm surprised they just noticed it now. The night at the beach was already a dead giveaway. But then again, those two were probably too piss-drunk to notice."
"The... night at the beach...?"
"Yeah. Remember when you excused yourself to go out for a walk while we were playing that drinking game?" At Tsukushi's nod, he continued. "Tsukasa immediately got up from his seat because he wanted to follow you. He was afraid you'd walk too far out 'cause you were alone. The three of us stopped him, and we told him you're capable of looking after yourself. He sat back down, but he kept on fidgeting in his seat and looking out towards the beach. I finally got up and made some excuse about returning to my hotel room because I was getting sleepy, and he took that chance as well to excuse himself from the drinking game."
Tsukushi could only stare at Rui wordlessly as she tried to process the things he had just told her.
"Anyway," he continued, "that's when I knew for sure he likes you. I already suspected as much, earlier, but I couldn't be too sure until that night at the beach. Believe me, Tsukushi. Tsukasa likes you. He really does. He probably doesn't know it yet but I think he's falling... and falling fast."
"Falling?" Tsukushi didn't think she liked the direction towards which this conversation was going.
"Falling in love," Rui supplied matter-of-factly.
Love? Did he just say 'love?'
All of a sudden Tsukushi found that she couldn't breathe properly. She stood up and took several deep breaths before sitting back down beside Rui. "Well... Even if he were, as you say, falling in love with me, then that's too bad. It would be impossible for me to return the feeling. I'll admit, maybe I'm physically attracted to him..."
"Just as you were attracted to me?" he interjected.
"I... you... why..."
Rui's shoulders shook in silent laughter as he watched Tsukushi sputter in indignation.
"Boy, you're so full of yourself, aren't you?" she huffed, crossing her arms on her chest as she looked at him pointedly. She couldn't deny it outright because what he said was true. She did have a crush on him before, from the time she first saw him playing his violin at this very place 'til she met him at Akira's basement when she tried out for the band. Of course, she had gotten over her little infatuation with him once she got to know him better and realized how in love he was with Shizuka.
He waved a hand in a dismissive manner as he spoke. "I didn't say that out of conceit. I was just stating a fact to prove my point."
"And what is your point, exactly?"
"Like I said earlier. You like Tsukasa. If this was merely a crush, you wouldn't be so skittish trying to deny it. You could just admit it and this whole conversation would be over and done with. But it's not merely a crush, is it?
"That's where you're wrong. Okay, I'm physically attracted to Tsukasa. Can you blame me? With a body like that... and that dimple when he smiles..." Tsukushi roused herself before she could get carried away enumerating Tsukasa's physical attributes which made her think he was hot. "But falling in love with him? Hah!" she scoffed. "Im-fuckin'-possible!"
"And why is that?" Rui was curious why she couldn't admit to herself what was so painfully obvious in his eyes.
"Because I'm done with all that love crap!" she snapped. She was as surprised as Rui was at her own harsh tone. She looked at him apolegetically and he nodded to let her know he didn't take offense. "It's such an over-rated emotion anyway," she continued in a softer, almost defeated voice. "Remember that first time you said it was okay for me to stay and hear you play?"
He nodded in response. Of course he remembered. It was the night after Shizuka had left. Never in his life had he felt so lonely... so alone. And then suddenly he wasn't alone anymore, because this very girl who was sitting beside him appeared from nowhere and kept him company as he played his heart out that night. The pain that he was feeling in his very soul, he saw reflected in her eyes. And that's when he knew that he wasn't really alone. There was someone else who knew what it felt like to be left behind... abandoned.
"You asked me then if I knew what it felt like to be left behind by someone I loved," Tsukushi's voice broke into his introspection. "Well, I did. I do. When he left me, I promised myself I would never give anyone the power to hurt me like that again..."
As her voice trailed off, Rui turned to look at her face. Her eyes were a mirror of pain as she gazed, unseeing, at a point somewhere in the distance.
"Once bitten, twice shy..." he whispered softly.
Tsukushi remained in her position unmoving, the only sign that she heard him a bitter smile that crossed her lips fleetingly.
When she remained silent, he spoke again. "I understand why you feel the way you do. But sometimes... you just have to take a chance at loving again. I dunno... I'd be lying if I said I'm happy right now, what with the woman I love being an ocean away. But even so, just knowing that I've got Shizuka in my life, even if she isn't here with me now, it makes me feel..." Rui paused for a moment while searching for the right word, "... complete."
When Tsukushi turned to face him with a questioning look in her face, he attempted to explain. "When was the last time you felt complete? That you have everything you could possibly want and need? Sure, you've got friends, a great job, a roof over your head at night... but don't you feel there's still something missing? Friends are great, and a must, especially for people like us who no longer have family around. But they're not enough. At the end of the day, it feels good to know that no matter how bad things are, no matter how badly fucked up your life is, there's still that one person who'd be there for you, who'd love you, warts and all."
Tsukushi dropped her gaze to the ground as she pondered on what Rui said. Was it true? Was she incomplete?
He spoke again, interrupting her reverie. "By closing your heart to love, you just might be missing out on that chance to feel complete again. Think about it," he said as he lifted a hand to gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He tilted his head slightly to one side when he realized something. "Listen. Do you hear that?" he asked her as he pointed a finger upwards.
"Hear what?" she strained to listen. "I don't hear anything."
"Exactly. Even the cicadas have gone to bed and ceased their humming. It's getting late. I better get you home."
She agreed and allowed him to pull her out of her sitting position with the hand he offered. When they got back to the car where they both had left their cell phones, they saw that they each had missed calls from Soujiro. He had also left them identical text messages, informing them that he, Tsukasa, and Akira were at a club somewhere uptown, if they cared to follow.
"Wanna go and join them?" Rui asked Tsukushi as he started the car. She failed to stifle the yawn that escaped from her lips. "Guess not," he chuckled. He turned to drive towards the direction of her apartment.
Tsukushi pretended to be asleep on the drive home, but though her eyes were closed as she slouched on the seat beside Rui, her mind was still on the things he had said back at the park.
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A/N: Gomen, dui bu qi, apologies for this delayed update. I got sick after my beach trip and even after I recovered, it was so hard to get back into writing mode again. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for my absence. Yeah, well, not much is happening, but at least it's got Rui! Another reason why it took me so long to get this chapter out was because I had to re-write the entire thing to give Rui some face time. As one Winglin reader kindly pointed out, I've been neglecting him lately in the previous chapters. Sorry if the chapter's a bit cheesy... it's so hard to write a dialogue about love without turning mushy. Anyway, enough of my senseless ramblings. Hope you liked the chapter. Oh, and updates for the next month or so will be erratic, because I've got a ton of chores and errands to attend to.
Sailor Angie: Wow Angie, I think your last review was the longest I've ever gotten! Thanks heaps, I do love long reviews. They give me a better idea of how I'm doing. Now on to the points you've raised regarding the last chap. I didn't dwell too much on how Tsukushi was feeling about the kiss because, as you said, and as the prior chapter had implied, she was confused and didn't know what to make of it. I did write that she was uncomfortable (remember when she got up from the couch and said she was gonna make coffee when she realized that it was the first time she and Tsukasa were alone together since the night at the beach?). As for the witty exchanges between them, well, as I said before, it's just not my forte. I'll try to come up with another scene with some good ol' bickering though, but I ain't promising anything. Lastly, I'm glad the slow pace is okay with you. I myself find things developing too slowly, but I'd rather not rush things. Also, sometimes new ideas just keep on popping in my head which slow things a bit more. So just be patient, LOL! Looking forward to what you think about this chap.
luna: LOL! When I first read your review, I thought you were flaming me because of my writing. Sorry for bitching about the weather here, but there are still two months of summer left so I can't guarantee I won't be complaining about it again. Maybe next time you can just skip my A/N? LOL! Thanks for reading and dropping a review! Hope to hear from you again.
XxSwtDreamerxX1: Heya! I really appreciate your leaving a review both here and at Winglin, so, LOL, it's okay if you cheated! Hope you like this installment.
otakuchique: Hi! Glad you liked the last post. Um, as for the lyrics, I really haven't decided yet. Just read on to find out, 'kay? Thanks for your support!
cherub girl: Hey girl! Sorry there's no T&T action in this installment, but at least it gave an insight on what Tsukushi might be feeling towards Tsukasa right? And we've got Rui to thank for finally cluing her in, hahaha! Thanks for reading!
goodietwoshoez: Hey there! Thanks for your review. Since this is a TxT fic, they will definitely get together. The question is how and when. So keep reading to find out.
flipgrl: Yeah, a blushing Tsukasa is just so adorable! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter.
Tinhamodic: Dude!!! You have no idea how happy I am to see your name in this site. When I didn't hear from you at Winglin for a long time, I thought you'd abandoned this fic already. Thanks for putting in reviews for the last three chapters. I really appreciate it!
kami: Aww, thanks for your kind words! I'm glad you still want to read this, despite my inability to come up with those scenes.
thidathai: Hi! Here you go, another update. It got longer than I had planned. Hope you like it.