Sorry for the looong delay… I finished chapter 3 a long long time ago but I found myself confused when the 'real' ending came to me and then I wrote it… So I got frustrated about the whole matter 'coz I liked the first one I wrote, but I also liked the new one. And then when I finally decided on the new chapter, the pc got upgraded and I lost all my files… (Stupid me who didn't have a backup sniff)… And so I ended up writing a chapter entirely different from those two… Anywayz, chapter 3 is here now and yes, it's the ending chappie… I have to warn you though… this chapter is a sappy one, but if you don't mind then go ahead… hehehe

My thanks to all those who reviewed!

Chapter 3: Catching on

DISCLAIMER: Aint got nothing in here that's mine. Just um… the plot, I think… scratches head Enjoy reading!

She…

Loves

Me.

I…

Never…

Had

Someone…

who did.

Not since…

Mifuyu…

Who is gone.

And now.

Fuuko

Is running…

Away…

Away from… me.

She'll be gone.

And it hurts.

Because…

Outside, the steady patter of the rain grew stronger…

She'll be gone.

Raindrops, landing and echoing at every corner of this house…

And she can't…

Go.

The door slammed shut as I stumbled through the heavy rains outside.

And I ran… feeling the raindrops falling over my eyes, feeling my chest tightening with too much exertion. The ground had been slippery, and so when I stepped into a puddle of water, I slipped and landed on the wet ground. I can only stare at a figure fading into the rains… I can only hear the sounds of rain.

Knowing full well it was my fault for pushing her away, I can only watch her disappear… leaving mehere

In this lonely street…

The rain didn't seem to be harsh and cold anymore.

Not once.

Until this moment.

This moment…

"It's so unfair!"

"I love you!"

I love you.

I raised my hand trying to reach for her; but she was fading. I stared at my outstretched hand; it was shaking… as well as my entire body… I looked at her again. It wouldn't reach her no matter what. But I wanted her to stay… I wanted her to go back…

"Fuuko!"

The rain continuous to pour.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

The creak of the swing's movements yet again broke the silence of the park. I swept my gaze at the park for the umpteenth time and still found it empty. The sky was a bright red orange, signaling the setting of the sun. It would be night soon. I shivered as I felt a light wind course through me but I welcomed the cold. The cold makes your skin numb… you're cold… but at least you're numb, but I can't be numb, I cannot stand the cold…

It is an impossible wish… to hope that the cold would seep into my heart so I can somehow, know what and how Fridge-boy feels that will inadvertently direct me into a way of thinking Fridge-boy has, which I… in a masochistic kind of way, hope would make me worthy of him.

Boy, I sure am desperate.

Well… being Mikagami, he definitely wouldn't go for just any other girl. He's the one-woman-man type, the loyal kind of guy… And of course he'd like… he'd like…

He'd like her.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

But he'd never get Yanagi, not when Recca's around.

I could almost laugh. Like the way I'd never get him…

I found myself stifling my tears again and I tried to smile. I felt like an idiot.

Then again, years would come by, Mikagami will meet and fall in love with a beautiful, graceful, charming, intelligent, cheerful woman who'll melt his heart and they'll get married and live happily ever after like any other fairy tale should be…

The cold wind brushed again and I hastily pulled my jacket closer.

I do have the knack of torturing myself aren't I? I surmised bitterly.

Falling in love with him… it was a mistake in the first place. I reached out believing he'll open his heart to me in time, I was a fool. How can he like a tomboy like me, anyway!

It was stupid. I was so stupid! And why should I even like him! He acts all high and mighty around us, he's rude, he treats us like we're all beneath him, calling us monkeys as if his sister being killed is a passport for him to…

I gripped the swing's chains to stop my train of thought and stared at the sky for a moment… and then I buried my face in my hands, choking back sobs.

Stupid.

It wasn't his fault. It was the way Meguri Kyoza had taught him… had trained him. It wasn't his fault that he grew up to be this way… No one was there, he was alone, no one had… if there had been then he wouldn't grow up to have only one purpose in life… vengeance. But then…

I hate it… I hate it so much… how can he…

I felt the tears fall from my closed eyes and I hated it, so I shut my eyes tightly. And in the silence of my surroundings I thought I heard footsteps. I paused to listen and soon heard it growing louder and stopping in front of me.

"Fuuko…" went a voice I know so well.

I went rigid but I was not surprised, somehow… I expected this.

"Fuuko, I…" and then he faltered. There was a long silence after that. The only sound to be heard was the creak of the swing as I slowly dragged my body upwards to sit up straight, removing my hands in my face and resting it in my lap. I never lifted my head though; I chose to stare at my hands.

And he started again. "Yanagi told me…"

Yanagi.

"… it's been two days—"

"I'll get over it." I interrupted him with the most casual voice I could muster.

Stop it. Don't say anything.

Yanagi. You always mention Yanagi. I love you, you don't love me, that's one equation I'm trying to get through and yet you slap me with Yanagi.

It was painful seeing him… seeing myself this way.

It would always be Yanagi for you, right Mi-chan…?

"I didn't mean to dictate on your emotions." I continued. It doesn't matter to me now anyway, knowing he didn't care…

"I don't really even know what you've gone through. So just give me this day… I'm fine, I promise. It's done. Don't worry I'm attending school tomorrow. I was bummed. I'm sorry I said things I'm not supposed to say. I didn't mean it to end like this… I'm sorry"

I don't want to hear your voice.

"Now please leave."

Please, go.

You'll just keep saying Yanagi.

And then there was a long silence again after that. And I was glad this time. I want him to leave. It was bad enough that he has to reject me; he also has to see me looking like this… In his eyes, I probably look like a monkey that got her banana stolen. He must be disgusted. It's only because of Yanagi that he's here. I don't have a reason to hate Yanagi but right now I wanted something to break his and Recca's princess.

But oh yeah, she's the princess, of course she'll always get the prince. It's just too bad for prince charming here that she chose the ninja instead. I guess he was too cold for her. And I… what am I? The monkey who fell in love with the prince?

I stopped my train of thought then, realizing something.

I've become bitter… I could never hate Yanagi… but…

If that is so then… when will this monkey fall out of love with this ice-cold prince?

After this… I smiled bitterly, feeling my chest tighten. I don't have a reason to be with him anymore… I didn't even had the chance to say goodbye…

It was then that I heard footsteps coming towards me again; I stared at the ground and saw a pair of shoes directly in front of me. Mi-chan? I wasn't sure anymore.

"You know…" he started and I stilled.

Mi-chan… he didn't go?

"It was because I was afraid that you would know… and then you'd be scared, like you did."

Afraid?

I was about to look up but Mi-chan's warm hands around my face stopped me. At that point, the days I spent just wandering around and sobbing with self-pity finally took a toll on me… My mind went blank.

"Afraid of what Mikagami? I don't understand."

"I just answered your question."

"My question… What question?" I said tonelessly.

"Your question."

My question… my mind dimly registered flashes of what happened the last time we were together. "On why I look afraid." I stated.

"Why should I be afraid of your company, Mi-chan?" I asked, vaguely recalling that I had asked him this question before.

"I was afraid that you'd know… And I don't want you to leave me." He said.

It didn't make sense. Mi-chan didn't make any sense to me. But I felt it, even in the steadiness of his voice…. what was it? Uncertainty? And fear… He tightened his hold on my face.

"Why did you run away?"

There was something in his voice that told me that there are so many things he wanted to say. But he couldn't…"You didn't stop me." I said.

"You struggled."

"You let go."

And it was silence again. I felt him letting go but I brought up my hand to touch his'. "But I understand…"

Slowly, I removed his hand from my face to finally meet his gaze. His eyes were ice cold blue, but this time I didn't feel cold.

I smiled at him. "Finally melting huh?"

He smiled back… I gaped at him for a moment. My mind suddenly recovering and starting to function. He actually smiled, I can't believe it.

And it would have been a movie-like ending for the two of us if he didn't suddenly waver and started to fall.

"Mi-chan!" I screamed and rushed… more of lunged at him in an effort to break his fall but his weight truly appalled me because I always thought of him as a little bit skinny, which was a big mistake for I lost my balance and we soon landed on the ground.

I stared dumbly at nothing for a while. Was I dreaming?

I stared at the guy I held in my arms. I couldn't believe it. He just fainted on me… I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

I decided to laugh when the dark circles around his eyes caught my attention. I brushed a lock of his hair away from his face and proceeded to inspect on his pretty face. I hovered my hand over his nose to make sure he was breathing. Well, I sighed, he seems fine. I gazed at him again, suddenly hypnotized with the rise and fall of his chest.

He hasn't slept. I painfully realized.

I heard a bird squawk somewhere so I quickly averted my eyes to the sky to watch the black bird soar across the sky. It was then that I noticed the bright red-orange hued sky… the sunset.

I smiled. Silly Mi-chan, it has been 3 days… I looked down at him again noting that he looked thinner and the uniform he wore was filthy. I had a stinking suspicion that it might be the uniform he was using the last time I saw him… which was 3 days ago… I was taken aback. And he said it has been 2 days…

His uniform really needs to be cleaned…

He never went to school, I deduced point blank.

Evidence of the fact that his sense of time was seriously distorted, I could only guess that all those days, he had never been conscious of what have been happening to him. I guess he went and wandered too

"Mi-chan you're an idiot!" I cried at him. "Considering you're a genius, you're the biggest idiot when it comes to this!"

Did he really need to torture himself this way just to realize that… wait… he didn't even say he loves me… That piece of…

"Hey Mi-chan!" I shook him. "You're supposed to tell me you love me, not faint on me you bastard! I don't suppose you want me to decode all those words you said to me, it didn't even make sense! And how am I going to carry you home?"

I heard the bird squawk again and I became silent.

He still didn't say it…

I stared at the bird for a moment.

Shit.

I gazed intently at him having this idea that he'd somehow say 'I Love You, Fuuko' in his sleep.

But does it matter? I thought for a while. It must have been pure torture for him to ask someone to stay with him… to come up with the courage to open up to me and tell me not to leave him…

No.

It doesn't. No way am I leaving him now that he'd tell me I can't leave him! I'd stick with my Mi-chan no matter what.

I smiled.

Yeah… my Mi-chan.

END

Nyahahahaha! I'm not sure on what I've done here. Um…

I figured that a confession from Mi-chan won't come easy (and I'm quite sure he won't make anything easy for himself), so I made him go sulk and torture himself like any other angst-y anime character would do for 3 days before he'd go find his happiness and open his heart to Fuuko. I'm sorry, but that's how I understand Tokiya's character. I hope you enjoyed the story anyway. And feel free to inform me of any grammatical errors or violent reactions about the fic.

So, until the next fanfic ya'll!

immortalsoul