Recollections, Kouji's POV

I hurried down the stairs as the doorbell rang. I hate people to interrupt me while I'm trying to straighten my thoughts alone. I pulled the door open and said, "If you are going to sell some useless products, you had better go before- oh, sorry Izumi, I thought it was some random salesman wanting me to buy their 'wonderful' stuff.

"Is it a bad time for me to pop over?" Izumi asked.

"No, not at all, I've been too engrossed in my thoughts and for no reason, I've become aggressive. Sorry."

"It's ok, so can I come in?"

"Er... of course, please come in," I said, inviting her into the house and feeling myself blush. How could I be so ignorant to let Izumi stand outside like a statue? I must be some kind of nerd!

Izumi bounced into the kitchen to greet my stepmother as usual. I wonder how she manages to be polite and keep smiling even she has just gotten ticked off.

"So, why do you come today?" I asked casually.

"Why do you ask?" Izumi 'retaliated'.

"Isn't it obvious? I asked you for a reason, duh!" Okay, I'm being a bit hard, but hey! Who cares? I'm usually like that. Moreover, Izumi isn't the type of weedy girl who cries when she made a smudge on the clothes or something silly. She's more of a great mate, as in friend, to us boys. Well, maybe it's just the normal Izumi way, although she sounded a bit cranky and irritated on the phone call earlier.

I stared at Izumi as she stared at the books on my bookshelf.

I tried to drag her away from my books, "Um... it's holidays already, so you shouldn't stare at the books. Let's have some fun!" Ok, I've tried, haven't I?

To my surprise, Izumi suddenly stepped up onto my bed and threw herself off, landing on the floor with a crash. "Zoe!" I yelled frantically, helping her up. If she wants to commit suicide, she had better NOT do it in my house, especially in MY room. Hey, I'm not being sarcastic, just my usual self, people can't help with their thoughts, can they?

"Is everything upstairs fine, Kouji?" My stepmother's voice came from the kitchen.

"Fine," I replied.

I shut my door and helped Izumi up to her feet. "What happened to you? Are you trying to kill yourself?" I demanded.

"I don't know how to answer you. To that question, answer is yes, I'm trying to, but I don't think I want to end live so soon, so I decided to jump off the bed instead of going to some tall building and jumping off from there. I still want my friends," Izumi answered, her face was pale.

"You gave me a big scare!" I complained in a friendly way, smiling at her. I doubt if she saw it because she had her head hung down.

I grabbed her hands and plopped her onto the floor. She seemed taken aback but I didn't care.

"Spill it. I know something's bothering you."

"I said nothing."

"There is something, I know it. I can feel it. Come on, Zoe, I'm your friend. Friends are supposed to help each other when in need and I'm here to help you straighten your thoughts!" Ok, I admit, I was lying, but how could I think of something cruel and sarcastic a time like now? Oh well, so far about thinking of straightening my thoughts.

"I suppose there is something bothering me..." Izumi mumbled.

"Well?" I prompted.

"All right, all right, I give up! I'll tell you everything!"

I grinned. She continued.

"My mum had this friend and she has a daughter. This friend of hers-"

I was getting confused. "Whose friend was it?"

"Aw... get real, Kouji, my mother's friend! She had divorced her husband because of some I-don't-know-what reasons. Anyway, I'm not going to find out. My mother's friend, Mrs. Carioki, has a daughter named Bianca and they are going to move in with us until they've found a flat."

I don't believe she could say all that in one breath. "And when they've found an apartment, they'll move out. So what's there to worry about?"

Izumi frowned. "Knowing Mrs. Carioki, I don't think she'll search for her own flat so soon. I bet she'll stay with us as long as my mother will allow. And my mother isn't that heartless to let them go around the town and sleeping on roadsides."

"At least you'll get a companion to talk to. What's her name again? Is it Banka?"

Izumi laughed and continued, "Not Banka, silly, Bianca! And no, I don't want Bianca to hang around and bug me. Mrs. Carioki has already winded me up with all the goody-goody stuff about her precious Bianca. Bianca sounded interesting and nice. Not."

I couldn't help smiling. Out of the blue, a bell rang in my mind. Bianca Carioki, hmm... that name caused a bell in my mind to ring. Bianca Carioki... where have I heard her name before? Sounds very familiar, but I don't remember that clearly. Hey, maybe Kouichi will know... nah, he wouldn't. We hadn't even met me till now. Ah, I know! Kouichi's mother! She used to be my mother!! Nah, will she know Bianca? It'll be a big coincidence if she knew. I know, I'll ask my dad! Childish thoughts are cramming my mind, but I didn't care, I was ten, still a kid. I still had to find out more about Bianca, though. "Um, Zoe, do you know Bianca's middle name?"

"Nope, I just know she's going to be stuck up and bossy. I've prepared myself to hate her!"

"It can't be that bad," I teased. "Anyway, I got to do some research about this Bianca, her name rings a bell."

Izumi widened her eyes in astonishment. She pressed on for details but I refused to tell her. She might think I was too childish. I'm younger, so obviously my thoughts are going to be naïve for her. "I'm not spilling anything, Zoe, till I got the facts. Case closed."

Izumi looked downcast. I shrugged my shoulders apologetically. "If you don't mind, I should be heading home," Izumi's voice rang through my thoughts. I waved and continued thinking.

A week later, I happened to pour over the photographs I had taken in school. As I looked through, I saw the name: Bianca Carioki. That's it!! That's the Bianca Izumi's been dreading to meet. Bianca, my old friend who moved out of town about two years ago!!

In a hurry, I grabbed the phone and dialed Izumi's number. One ring... come on, pick up the phone, I have great news... two rings... three rings... four rings... Orimoto Izumi, please be at home... five rings... six rings... After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, somebody finally picked up the phone. "Hello?" Izumi's voice floated through the receiver and into my ears.

"Izumi, is that you? I'm Kouji... not Wada Kouji, silly, Minamoto Kouji!! I've got news of that Bianca Carioki!"