Please enjoy my fanfic and review.

Oct 24, 2046 Earth

Noboru and Mikako's hearts were racing by the time they reached the bus station; partially from trying to outrun the pouring rain, but mostly from anxiety about what they needed to tell each other.

They dove into the first covered booth they saw, laughing and collapsing on the ground.

"Whew… I'm… soaking… wet…" Noboru wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.

"Really… coming… dow…" Mikako stopped mid-sentence.

Noboru realized why she suddenly became so quiet as he looked up and saw that when he fell, his right hand had landed under her soggy short skirt.

"Ah oh… sorry…" He quickly snatched his hand back.

"Why you… you… pervert!" Mikako yelled as she kicked Noboru back out into the rain.

-

"So, are you going to continue Kendo class when we go to high school?" Noboru asked.

"High school? Oh boy, it's still too soon to tell him, I can't." "I don't know. Are you, Noboru-kun?" Mikako replied, as calmly as she could.

"Yeah, I'm gonna. You should continue too, because you're strong."

"So you say, but you just want to be in the same class as me" Mikako stated with a doubtful look.

Noboru almost bit through his wooden chopsticks, "What are you saying?" He sputtered. "Does she know how I feel? I want to tell her, but I'm too nervous now."

"Why? Why can't I just tell him, he's going to find out sooner or later." She thought.

"What kind of man am I? I'll just say it." He thought.

"Um, Mikako?" He said as she was saying "Listen Noboru-kun".

They both laughed uneasily.

"Why don't you go first." Mikako said.

"No, no… go ahead." Noboru smiled.

"I insist." Mikako's smile stopped Noboru, did she always smile so beautifully?

"Oh… OK, um… Mikako, there's something. We've been friends for a long time now and… and…" Noboru stuttered as he looked at the ground.

"Go on" Mikako said as she gently grabbed his hand with both of hers.

Noboru looked up at her smiling face framed in the evening sunlight.

"Mikako. I think that we… that is you and me, uh, I…"

"That is… Mikako, I wanted to tell you that… "

Noboru closed his eyes, pointed out the window and blurted "That… that the sun is setting. We should head home!"

"What? Oh yeah… it is getting pretty late… huh?" Mikako looked out the window.

-

Mikako was delighted as she rode on the back of Noboru's bike. She placed her hands on Noboru's shoulders, closed her eyes and it felt like she was flying.

"Noboru-kun, look!" Mikako called to Noboru as she pointed to a group of fading lights in the sky.

"Those look like Tracers, the U.N. Army's mechanical battle suits."

"It's beautiful…" Mikako said.

Mikako closed her eyes again tightly. "He deserves to know"

"Noboru-kun… I…" Mikako's voice cracked. "…I am going to be onboard that. I've been asked to join the U.N. Army. I'm leaving for Mars, in four months."

Luckily, the bike was already stopped or Noboru would have been seriously hurt when he fell off it.

Oct 29, 2046 Earth

Mikako cried out as she was pushed against the metal lockers, she was able to steer clear of Noboru for a few days after her announcement but now she was trapped.

"Nagamine. Why have you been avoiding me?" Noboru growled.

"I haven't been doing anything of the sort." Mikako said.

"Liar!" Noboru spat as he squeezed Mikako's arm.

"Noboru. You're hurting me!" Mikako whimpered.

Noboru quickly let go and stepped back. "I'm sorry. But please, Mikako, talk to me."

Mikako rubbed her sore arm and looked away, "I already told you, I am going to join the U.N.'s Special Operations Force."

"But that doesn't make any sense to me! What about High School?" Noboru protested.

"What about it? I'm not going." Mikako stated.

Noboru shook his head as if to clear those words from his brain.

"Not going? I thought we were supposed to go together!" Noboru sighed.

"Well, things change. People change."

"What's that supposed to mean? I don't get why you're doing this to me." Noboru frowned.

"To you? This has nothing to do with you. This is a great break for me, I'm one of a few select members picked by the military. High school is nothing compared to what the U.N. is offering. Don't you see? As my friend, can't you just be happy for me?" Mikako said as she slumped to the ground with her face in her hands.

"Mikako? But… Mikako, I'm sorry. Please don't cry." Noboru said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not crying, you jerk!" Mikako said as she slapped his hand away.

"Now that you know, let's just spend these last months as best we can. I gotta get home now, but I'll see you tomorrow." Mikako smiled.

"Yeah… tomorrow." Noboru replied as Mikako walked past him.

"Wait." Noboru grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"You gonna rough me up some more? I know martial arts, you know." Mikako snickered.

"No, I just wanted to tell you that I am happy for you. I'm sorry, I said some dumb things, forgive me?"

"Noboru… yeah, I forgive you, dork. Now I really do have to go." Mikako said.

As Mikako walked away from Noboru, he suddenly called out he name again.

"What now?" She said as she turned around to face him.

"Mikako-chan, I like you! I mean more than just like friends!" He yelled.

Mikako sighed as she walked back to Noboru.

"Noboru, I'm sorry. But I don't feel the same… I just want to stay friends."

Noboru stayed with his head down.

"Noboru? Noboru, say something."

Noboru made a sound like a cough, which turned into a chuckle and then suddenly Noboru was holding his stomach and laughing out loud.

"Noboru?"

"Ha ha ha! I fooled you, didn't I? You thought I was serious? Geez, you're too easy to fool. Of course we're just friends. As friends, we have to be able to joke with each other."

"What? Yeah… good one." Mikako laughed.

"Yeah. I was just… kidding." Noboru sighed as he watched Mikako leave.