Chapter 10: Gazing

"What? Orimoto, what are you talking about?" Kouji said.

Izumi motioned him to walk outside the bus. Kouji stood there, hands in his pocket like always.

"Kouji, my family and I are being transferred back to Italy. It's his job. He doesn't have a choice. My dad basically supports the whole family. My father is great, and I don't mind moving, but this is the first time I actually make real friends, and I don't want to leave, but I have no choice…"

Asami joined them, who was listening from the bus window atop from them, ran off the bus, joining Kouji and Izumi's conversation.

"Izumi! What do you mean your leaving!"

"I'm sorry," she said, as a crystal teardrop fell, and dropped on the snow, and turned into ice.

"But I don't want you to leave, Orimoto…" Asami said softly.

Kouji stood there, pretending he didn't hear that, but he knew it was true.

"Orimoto… I-I—" Kouji stammered, "I don't … want you to leave Jiyuugaoka," he said, straight out, with a touch of angst, but feeling. He was looking at the ground, though. Asami stood there. Izumi standing there, hands together, crying. Her father came to Izumi's side, and put his hand on her shoulder

"Izumi, we have to leave in five minutes. I'm signing you off to take your name off of Jiyuugaoka School. We'll come back some time," her father said, and walked away, while his shoes crunched in the snow.

"I guess, this is goodbye…" Izumi sobbed, crying even harder.

Asami came and gave her a hug, a few tears slowly streaming off her face.

"I know I haven't had much time to get to know you, Izumi," Asami said.

Kouji offered the two of them tissue. Kouji had tears, but held back. Izumi turned her crying face to Kouji. She came to him, put her arms around his neck, and gave him a goodbye hug. Kouji at first didn't do anything, but at the last minute patted her back, then pulled away, and stared at the ground.

"Thank you for everything, Kouji" Izumi said quietly.

Asami took something out of her pocket. It was a silver necklace she had. "This is a necklace I wear from time to time. I want you to remember me by it since we had such little time to get to know each other. Please take care of it, Izumi."

"I will," Izumi said and hugged Asami.

"I…I really don't have anything to offer…" Kouji said, looking sympathetic. Izumi stared at him with great feeling, and tried to think of something.

"Look in your pocket," Izumi said quietly. "Something of mine is in one of your pockets. Please keep it." Kouji remembered that he had stuffed Izumi's hat into his jacket when Izumi fell through the ice and the hat was floating in the water. He looked into his pocket and took it out. Izumi put her hand on the hat, of which touched Kouji's hand.

"I'll be back for this, I promise, Kouji." Izumi said, with a last small tear dripping of her face, and slid her hand off Kouji's hand. Kouji didn't know what to say. This time, he gave her a hug, but a very shaky hug. After three seconds of being uncomfortable, he broke off from her.

"Thank you," Kouji said very quietly, and went back to staring at the snow.

"Izumi, its time to go, " her mother said, and took her gently by the hand. She walked away, staring back at Asami and Kouji with cold watery eyes. She walked into her parents car, crammed with luggage. Asami and Kouji stared at her leaving, while Kouji grasped the hat he was just given. The car started, and Izumi stared back at her seventh grade class, and of course Izumi and Asami. Then, her father slowly drove off. Izumi kept her neck turned till her class was out of sight, while her father kept driving. Kouji, Asami, Yanagimoto-sensei, and the rest of class watched till Izumi's car was out of sight. Izumi quietly dried the remaining tears on her face. Back at the Iwate-san Mountains,. Yanagimoto-sensei led the two of them back to the bus, the class acting like nothing had happened. Asami and Kouji sat down across from each other on the bus, looking dispirited. They both were back where they started. Alone.

"Come, let's go…" Yanagimoto-sensei said quietly to the bus driver, Mr. Hoshino. Kouji and Asami felt somewhat subdued and depressed. Asami stared out the frost-covered window. She knew she did not know Izumi at all very well but felt she was missing something. It wasn't a great loss since she never became a true friend for her in the first place. Kouji stared at the floor. He missed her, but didn't want to show it, and let his mind deny it. They both stared out the window, gazing the whole way back to Jiyuugaoka.