Disclaimer: I don't own Hot Gimmick. Although, if she was my sister, she would let me say I owned this just for once.

Wee! This chapter will have a little fluff, but a lot of sadness at the end. HAVE A BOX OF KLEENEX AVAILABLE NEXT TO YOU NOW! DO IT! I'm warning you!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Twelve: Road Trip Down Memory Lane

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shinogu walked to his car, and unlocked it. He threw his briefcase on the passenger seat. He sat down on the driver's seat, and closed the door. He put on his seatbelt and inserted the keys in the car. He switched the gears to 'D'. He drove off.

Shinogu was driving down a highway on his way home from a long day of work, back home to his lonely apartment. The sky was a midnight blue and the road was empty. Being bored, Shinogu turned on the radio. An Avril Lavigne song was playing.

Na na, na na na, na na
I miss you, miss you so bad
I don't forget you, oh it's so sad
I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly

He was about to change it when he heard the next lines.

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Ooooh

Na na la la la na na

I didn't get around to kiss you
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't

Shinogu sighed. 'Hatsumi.'

Oooooh
I hope you can hear me cause I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Ooooh

I had my wake up
Won't you wake up
I keep asking why
And I can't take it
It wasn't fake

Shinogu noticed the song was about someone passing away, he didn't think he could take it so he switched stations.

"So now we return to Dateless. Is there anyone who feels like talking about themselves? Call CKFY at 77- Oh wait now we have a caller. Hello?"

"Hi. I'm Bob." The caller introduced himself.

"Hi Bob. So are you dateless?" the Dateless host asked.

"Not really, my wife left me a few days ago. She caught me in bed with my sister." Bob replied.

Shinogu chuckled. Any woman would leave a guy who got caught in bed with another girl… what an idiot that guy was. Shinogu switched stations. He heard a song, but he couldn't make out who the singer was.

I can never look at you the same way again (oh, I can never)

Deep inside my heart (heart)

Strangely, Shinogu liked this song. He increased the volume up a bit.

Even though we are so far apart (so far apart)

I will never forget (forget)


All the times we spent together (oh)

Hangin' on through the laughters and the tears (hangin' on through)

The hopes and fears (hopes and fears oh)

'Hatsumi.' Shinogu sighed again. He still couldn't believe she called him a few days ago. The fact that she still remembered his cell number gave Shinogu more hope.

During the summer time, they used to ride the swings on the playground, go swimming and do all sorts of fun things. Throwing leaves at each other during the fall. He remembered when they were little they used to play in the snow. He remembered when Hatsumi broke her ankle skating during the winter. He remembered sniffing the flowers with her during springtime.

'Oh Hatsumi, can't you see I'm crazy about you?' Shinogu thought to himself.

Even though we are so far apart

I will never forget

I will always remember

But I can never look at you the same way ever again

It's too late

You're gone

Shinogu sighed again and switched radio stations. He didn't find anything that he liked so he shut it off. His cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Shingo asked into his cell phone.

"Izu here. Hi Shinogu, I just wanted to say on behalf of your firm, we all congratulate you on your big case. Enjoy your – ow! What was that?" Izu screamed into the phone in pain.

Shinogu strained, to hear the whispering.

"You idiot! We haven't told him yet! Give me the god-dang phone!" A man whispered.

"Told me what?" Shinogu asked.

"Hi, Gary here, let me tell you that now. On behalf of the firm, we want to say congrats again, and to tell you that you are going on vacation for a whole 6 months!" Gary excitedly announced.

"You're kidding right? You all can't survive without me!" Shinogu chuckled.

"Ah, we did think about that you see, so we have done something very clever – we're taking your advice and going to those seminars about being your own boss!" Gary replied.

"Ok! Just promise me you won't screw anything up will ya?" Shinogu asked.

"Of course not, when you hired me I knew you didn't make a big mistake!" Gary replied.

"Fine, I got to go bye." Shinogu replied.

"Bye!" Izu and Gary replied as well. Shinogu snapped his cell phone shut and tossed it on the passenger seat.

'So Where should I go for my vacation? Nothing too hot, but maybe a cruise then travel around Europe… hmm… I would love to take Hatsumi with me…' Shinogu thought to himself.

'Beautiful Hatsumi, oh how I wish I could caress your body… shower you with kisses like raindrops in the springtime. How I wish I could touch that beautiful face of yours, to touch those tender lips would be to – no! What am I thinking!' Shinogu thought to himself again.

A bright light flashed in his eyes, and he saw a truck driving towards him. Shinogu pressed the horn very loudly, but the driver wasn't paying attention. Then the driver woke up and yelled, honking the horn loudly. Shinogu tried to swerve, but it was too late. The driver and the truck hit him front on.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He has a very slim chance of making it. We should call his relatives or parents, anybody!" The doctor told the nurse.

"I checked his wallet, there's nothing there, except his license, and this picture too." The Nurse replied, showing the doctor a picture of two girls, one young and one a little older, and a little boy. The doctor took the picture and checked the back. There was a note and it read "Merry Christmas Shinogu. Love, the Naritas."

"There, check the phone book for the Naritas." The doctor ordered.

"Yes doctor." The nurse replied and walked off.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well… I hope you had that Kleenex box ready.