Everyone has secrets. And everyday lies are being told, one person deceiving another and another person continue to spread the deception. All being done just to make sure secrets remain secrets. Either willingly or being forced to, we sometimes woven deception around us. Whatever the secret is, we might say we have to do what we do because it is protecting something that is bigger than the secret itself.

This is dilemma I supposed. Either you are deceiving or being deceived, it is fairly vague to tell them apart. Believe whatever you want but for me, there's a very high chance that the human itself might a walking deception.

I'm a human and I admit that maybe I'm a walking deception. Or am I? The human part, I mean...

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Fall 2005

(Tsukushi and Shizuka apartment)

Makino Tsukushi: New term. New school. New faces. New journey.

Have you ever faces moral dilemmas? The one like you have to choose between yourself and yourself? Yeah… I know what it feels. That's because I'm feeling it right now. You get up at dawn, choosing your best jeans, smoothing your hair, eager to make good impression by coming early on the first day but it was futile because you best friend cannot choose whether her white jeans goes better with black heels or the other black heels with tiny silver beads (I swear it could not be seen unless your eyes are 5 cm from those shiny shimmery things).

"Shizuka! We gonna be late! Just wear any of the damn shoes! Pretty please!"

"Relax..it's still early" glancing down her watch, "It's only 8.17. Don't be so whiny."

"I'm not whining! I just don't wanna be late okay. It's our first day you know. We have to make a good impression"

"Oh yeah? Good impression? I thought you don't want to arrive late to find all the backseat full and you have to sit in front?" she retorted.

"Well…that's another reason"

"Another reason? It is the only reason!"

Bubbles of laughter erupted. Well, she got me. She always got me. She knows me as much as I know myself. Even better. I know her as much as she knows herself. Even better too. We are best friends. We are sisters. Shizuka is a complex character, very sweet and kind, but also driven to control every aspect of her existence, as exemplified by her honor roll status and the way she balances school, work, and her friendships. Shizuka is very smart, sensible, levelheaded and confident. We'd been together since I could remember. We are still together. Elementary, junior high, high school and now college. There's three of us actually, Mimasaka Akira. But we get separated this fall as he will attend Eirin instead of Eitoku. Nevertheless, we will always best friends.

I hope that years to come will be as much fun and as much memorable as the years that have passed. Hand in hand, Shizuka and I were to embark a new journey, another crossing in our life.

(Eitoku Ground)

Toudou Shizuka: Life can change when you were least expected it.

Everything is going on smoothly. Me and my best friend going to Eitoku, we shared an apartment, get a part time job at a dango shop and having fun as we swear we would. Tsukushi always brings some much-needed comic relief to our life, as her sarcastic humor and high-strung tendencies lighten up everyone around her. I love her and the plan is that we would college together and while doing that, we will also having fun. For the first time in 18 years, we will be away from our family and try to embark a journey of our own at Eitoku. It is a bit dissapointing when Akira decided he want to attend Eirin. Nevertheless, we will always best friends

I love planning. And I hate it when things going unplanned. I hate surprises and I want things in my life always in control and I want only me to have the control. However, sometime I lost. Like at this very moment.

"Here's your book. Watch your step. Don't fall again"

I stared blankly at a pair of the most magnificent eyes. Just like two beautiful marbles, it gleam perfectly and hooded by long lashes.

"Excuse me. Your book?" his voice thundered and sending me to the ground where I had been rooted.

"Oh…sorry. Thanks"

He nodded. Turn his back and walk away, while I'm still rooted to the ground. Earlier, I had tripped on something and somehow lost my balance. And he, out of nowhere came like a Good Samaritan. Holding out his hand to help me up and picking my earthly books. Well, somehow I felt a bit dizzy. Might because the mishap. Is it?

"We are not alone. I can feel it"

"Of course we are not. There are three of us. Me, you and Yuuki"

"That's not what Rui meant Tsukasa. He said there are more than three of us"

"Well, I know what he meant!"

Yuuki smiled. Even Rui could not help to be amused. Tsukasa might his best friend. But they are world apart. Rui and Yuuki had the good fortune of being adopted by the Hanazawas who have no idea of the origins of their mysterious adopted children. They grew up in full of love. Rui and Yuuki met Tsukasa when they were 7 years old. 2 years after they were adopted by Hanazawas. Instantly, Yuuki knew that Tsukasa was bonded to her just like Rui's. And Tsukasa knew it too. Unlike Rui and Yuuki, Tsukasa has grown up in a very unhappy environment, being bounced around from various foster homes with neglectful caretakers who have given him no support or encouragement. When he was fifteen, he got emancipation from court and living independently on his own. 6 years later after his emancipation, Tsukasa should be proud because not only he has apartment of his own (modest but nonetheless keep him from rain and blistering summer) , working two jobs but also attending college. But far from proud, he grew bitter and apart of Rui and Yuuki, he trust no one. Rui and Yuuki has the privileged just because they are close to what he can call family.

They share a same secret too.

"I got flashes of images again last night. This is third time. And this time it was more vivid than the lasts." Rui places his right hand on Tsukasa's and left hand on Yuuki's. Their eyes tightly closed. After a few moments, Tsukasa eyes popped up. He jumped and breaking their connection.

"It certainly more vivid. But still not clear enough to find out what those images are or whether it can show us who really are or what really we are." said Tsukasa slowly.

"I don't know Tsukasa. What I can tell is we are not what we might think we are and there's more than three of us."

(Eirin College)

Mimasaka Akira: What the heck I'm doing here?

Walking alone. I felt something's missing. Yeah. Tsukushi and Shizuka. Too late too change anything. On the other hand, without those two… I could use some of my magic!

"Hi, I'm Mimasaka Akira. First Year. How about you?" the girl only smile and brushed aside. Well, that working good. At that very moment, I saw a girl across the hallway laughing merrily with some of her friends. Her hair was short, wearing bright yellow sneakers (it so stand up and I couldn't help to notice). When she turn, she caught me staring at her and smile. She is walking towards me now. Oh gosh…oh my…she's closer and closer…and..

"Hi, the name is Shigeru. What's yours?"

"I….I…" I stammered?

"Hey-hey Shigeru, picking on boys again are you?" I turn to the voice and the Nishikado Soujirou was standing beside me smiling broadly. I met Nishikado earlier in physics class. He sat beside me.

"You knew him?" asked Shigeru bewilderedly.

"Well, sorry if I knew him first. This is Akira." He introduced me to Shigeru and he snaked his arm around my neck. That cross it buddy!

"Urmm..hi Shigeru." She smiled and nodded her head. "Urmm….dude...Nishikado…" I disengaged myself from him. "No offence, but you are not gay are you?"

"What!" a little too loudly from both Nishikado and Shigeru. And they burst into laughter.

"Hell no dude!" Nishikado explain. Smiles. Three of us look each other as if something to be said but none were anyway. All we know is it is a beginning. I don't know beginning of what, but I know it is a beginning.