"A year has passed since the apocalyptic battle and the dragons of heaven had prevailed. Twenty-one-year-old Subaru Sumeragi decides to celebrate a reunion at his apartment when Karen Kasumi starts acting suspicious. This leads to Subaru realizing some hidden feelings for the vibrant and young sixteen-year-old Yuzuriha Nekoi. Yuzuriha begins to feel the same for her friend Subaru but maturity and sense fog their judgment and keep them in denial of their true feelings…will they ever open up to the truth?"
Chapter One: "Healing"
(Subaru)
After my long walk with Karen in the park, she told me to go home and sort my feelings out. Try to piece these visions together and if I fail, put them aside and try to find in my heart what I feel is right, for both me and Yuzuriha. I unlocked my apartment and tossed my keys on the counter and closed the door. Putting away my coat in the side closet, I began to wonder if Yuzuriha would ever speak to me again. 'I'm starting to sound like a boy again,' I sighed. Stroking back my bangs with my fingers, I decided to go take a bath to ease my thoughts. After my bath, I put on my slacks and sat on the couch to take a breather. Feeling a bit tired, I glanced at my wall clock and the time read 10:01 P.M.
I decided maybe going to bed early wouldn't be so bad for once. Maybe looking for a job tomorrow would take my mind off of things. When I got up to go to bed, my phone rang. I had hoped it was Yuzuriha, but I highly doubted it because of the way I treated her earlier today. Answering the phone, it was Karen. 'Hi Subaru, so did my advice help you any?' she asked with hope risen in her voice. 'Well I'm trying it out, I've decided to go to bed and search for a job tomorrow, just get my mind off of things for now and sort things out later,' I explained. 'Very good, well then I shall let you go, and Subaru, if you need anything, just call' Karen said. 'Yeah okay thanks, bye' I said and hung up the phone. With a stretch, I noticed four minutes had passed since the phone call and I turned to my bedroom. 'I'll sleep and sort out my feelings tomorrow…' I told myself.
(Yuzuriha)
I had gotten home from the park after spending the rest of the day with Hinako. She had honestly cheered me up for the time we spent together, but the weight on my heart still burdened heavy and Subaru's cold words are still stinging within me. I thought he would at least comfort me and tell me like a friend! Why did he just turn into my enemy all of a sudden? I don't understand!
Tears began to come to my eyes when I troubled my thoughts of him. Did he even care? Whatever the case, I decided to take a bath. The steam clouded my thoughts and I ended up drifting into a slumber…
Dream
'Where am I?' I asked myself. I stood in a pitch black place with only a giant cherry tree standing before me and the feeling of a gentle breeze over me. 'Is this Ueno Park?' I wondered. Suddenly, a strong, warm pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist. A familiar young man's voice whispered in my ear, his lips against them and his words tingling. 'S…Subaru?' I questioned nervously. When I turned my head to see who it was, the man disappeared into a flurry of cherry blossoms. Much to my dismay, I was alone again. 'Yuzuriha!' a little boy's voice called. I turned around to see me as a child running playfully from a young boy who seemed a bit stressed. 'You're so silly!' my young self giggled.
'Yuzu-chan! Why do you run from me? I asked you what you felt about me!' The boy said. 'I told you, I like you…but only as a friend! I'm in love with Hideki-sama!" my little self insisted. "Hideki is too old for you! Why do you always fall for the older people? He's not a kid like us!' The boy looked almost as if to cry. 'I like older people because they can take care of me, Hideki is kind and gentle, and very mature, he isn't a crybaby or annoying or immature! I want somebody to hold me and love me…just one day…' my young self said. 'You're talking like an old lady! Well in that case, I won't cry anymore! I swear it, I won't let anyone have you!' the boy said. I figured we were around the ages of five and eleven. 'I don't recognize this boy…I don't remember this at all…I mean, I do remember Hideki-sama, he was a college student that worked for my grandma, he would bring our groceries home and sometimes he'd bring us dinner…especially when grandma was sick, he was a great guy…he's married now and has two adorable little girls. But, if I remember Hideki, then why don't I remember this boy?' I wondered.
(Subaru)
I tried to sleep that night, but I had a nightmare of Seishirou killing my sister Hokuto, then Yuzuriha showing up smiling at me and being murdered by Seishirou as well. Losing one of the people I loved was too much, but both of them would be unbearable, but Seishirou is gone, dead and buried beneath the grounds of Tokyo now…so why does he still haunt me? Whatever the case, I got up and decided to get a drink of water out of my dehydration.
When I turned on the kitchen lights, I had heard a scream, but not with my ears, but in my mind…telepathically I could hear Yuzuriha suffocating under a blanket of no oxygen…wait, moisture of some kind…could it be water? Yes water, drowning she is! Then a vision came: Yuzuriha in some sort of trance, unable to wake up and drowning in a bath. "I must help her!' I dropped my glass on the floor and pulled on my shirt, grabbed my keys and sped off down the stairs to her rescue, hoping I won't be too late. Please Yuzuriha…don't die on me!
Chapter Two: "Rescue Me"
(Yuzuriha's Dream)
I watched myself ignore the boy some more and run farther down the hill until I could no longer see the boy, yet I could still hear his voice. Suddenly, a heavy rainfall poured down over me washing me down the hill screaming, I can't breathe! What's going on? A flood? I do not know but I straddle for my life, trying to get out of the pool of water. I see my younger self being rescued my Inuki and disappearing into the vast darkness beyond the water. Where is MY Inuki? Where am I? Will I die, here, in somewhere I don't know where? Help! Help me! I shout out for someone…then to my surprise, I call out 'Subaru!' in a loud, shrill, threatened cry. I reach out my hand and feel someone pull…a light! I can breathe! Could it be…I'm coming out of this nightmare? Oh god please, let it be true!
(Subaru)
I finally made it to Yuzuriha's home and found the front door unlocked. Worried for Yuzuriha, I dashed to the nearest bathroom and found it empty. I then hear a muffled scream from the other bathroom and hurry upstairs. I knock down the door to find Yuzuriha drowning in the tub just as my vision had been. 'Yuzuriha!' I cry and pull her out of the bath and onto the floor. I pressed my hands beneath her chest pumping the water out of her air passage, but she still doesn't breathe.
I then give her mouth to mouth CPR and she startles, her eyes flutter open and she coughs. Oh dear god, thank you for letting her live! She sits up and I grab a towel and wrap it around her. She seems a little out of it but she soon snaps out of her trance and gives a confused scream. 'Yuzuriha! Calm down, you were drowning…and I saved you,' I say to her after clamping her mouth shut with my hand.
Tears are in Yuzuriha's eyes and to much of my surprise, she leaps out and embraces me. 'Subaru! My dear Subaru! Thank you…so much for saving me! I knew I was going to die but I couldn't wake up! I was so scared!' She said between sobs. I felt the fear in her voice and I returned her embrace, stroking her hair with my hands to calm her. 'Hush now, I'm here…' I whisper. Yuzuriha's eyes widen, 'This is just like in my dream! A young man holding me and whispering those exact words into my ear! But when I turned to see who it was, they disappeared!' She explained to me. 'Your dream? You mean, you had fallen asleep?' I asked her.
'Yes…but then, I couldn't wake up for some strange reason…hey, h, how did you…know to rescue me?' She asked me with confusion in her eyes. 'I had a vision…and I heard your scream, I wouldn't let you die!' I said. Yuzuriha made a small smile, trying to hide it beneath her scars. 'I thought…you didn't…care' She whispered. But of course! I wanted to tell her that I cared more then anything for her, and that I loved her…but I couldn't. I just held her in my arms and rocked her gently until her pounding heart slowed to a soothed pace.
'Of course I care…' I said. I rocked her gently in my arms to calm her. Yuzuriha rested her head on my shoulder and I knew she trusted me. Later, I waited on the couch petting Inuki while Yuzu went to change her clothes. She returned to the room wearing a mint green sweater and a short tan skirt. She sat beside me and cuddled on my shoulder, "Will you talk to me a while?" she asked me with willing in her eyes. 'Yes…I should talk to you anyway…I have to apologize, I didn't mean to hurt you with my harsh words, it was all an act…I take it all back, please…forgive me," I pleaded. Sure I sound weak, but in order for her to ever trust me I must ask for her forgiveness. I looked down into my lap and clenched my fists, for what I'm about to say is going to be harder then asking for her forgiveness.
'And…the truth is, I really…love you, but seeing how hurt you were and how bad I felt, I realized I'm nothing…without you," I blurted out. I felt my face grow hot and I knew I was blushing. (Memory)
"I just wanted to tell you that... that... I really... l-like you... a lot" Yuzuriha's voice was shaking because of the nervousness and her remaining confidence she had and continued to speak "I like you... more than a friend and I hope that you feel..." She blushed and stopped abruptly. "That I feel the same way?" I had asked with a mocking and taunting tone. "My dear, dear Yuzuriha you can't possibly think that a man like me can yearn for a girl like you? Did you?" I had smiled evilly to her. (End Memory)
Yuzuriha looked at me with an astonished expression but it eased up. "Oh Subaru…" She seemed to have lost her words. She placed her hands on mine in my lap and closed them over mine. "Why did you not tell me before?" She asked with concern, "Did you…fear for me?" she asked quietly. I nodded, "I thought it would be for the best, but I…I was wrong…" I shook my head. "Oh Subaru…I forgive you, I feared my own love!" She cried. Looking into my eyes, she stroked back my bangs with her soft hand.
A rush of energy pulsed through my body and my heart began to race. I placed my own hand over hers and guided them down my face having her hand touch my lips to where I kissed it. I noticed Yuzuriha smile and she had practically leaped onto my lap in an embrace. "I love you!" she whispered. I kissed her cheek softly and responded, "I love you, too". I began to stroke her soft, black hair and kissed her neck. She lolled her head back in ecstasy and rubbed her hands up and down my arms, giggling when my lips tickled her neck. I then felt a run of guilt and I pulled away. "Maybe…maybe this isn't right," I replied. Yuzuriha raised her head and touched my cheek, "Nothing is wrong…when we love each other," She whispered to me seductively. Before I could respond, I heard a sound of howls out front. Yuzuriha leaped off my lap and straightened out her skirt and hustled to open the door.
(Yuzuriha)
Before I could have Subaru continue kissing me, I heard grandmother return home with the dogs. I got up and fixed my skirt and hurried to answer the door. "Welcome back grandma," I replied with a bright smile. "Yeah, yeah…here, take the dogs" Grandma handed me the leashes and stepped inside tiredly. "I'm going for a bath then I'm heading off to bed, you might as well get to bed as well child," Grandma added walking into the living room. She stopped when she saw Subaru on the couch. I hurried in after grandmother to introduce them. "Grandma, this is my…friend, Subaru Sumeragi," I explained. "Handsome young man…ah! Sumeragi? This man is the leader of the Sumeragi Clan! Ah yes I know well who he is!" My grandmother smiled. Odd…I thought, how does she know Subaru? Shaking off the thought, I helped Subaru up from the couch. "Pleasure, Ms. Nekoi" Subaru had said. "Pleasure is all mine," I heard Grandmother chuckle. "Ah, I should get going…" Subaru said glancing at the wall clock above the television. "Yeah…I'll walk you out," I nodded. I took Subaru to the front porch where I hoped he'd kiss me…but he only stood there staring at me, it was quite awkward. "Goodnight, Yuzu" He broke the silence with a smile. "Goodnight Subaru," I smiled back. I then gained the courage to stand on my tip toes and give him a kiss on the cheek.
To my surprise, he had picked me up in his strong arms and gave me a real kiss…
"My first kiss!" I thought.
