Chapter four. Damn, already? Hahah. But for real. Some people have been asking me why I update so rapidly. Well here's the answer: it's always like that when I start new stories. I always want to get my ideas down onto the Word document before I forget. Anyway, this is chapter four, and I hope you think it's a good one.
Have you ever felt as if your heart's been ripped out by someone? Like its been ripped out and they threw it on the ground, and did the Mexican Hat Dance on it?

Well that's how I felt when Yuna screamed those six small, yet powerful words.

"I. Do. Not. Love. Tidus. Sasaki!"

I felt pretty sick then. My vision blurred. All I could see was Yuna, staring back at me.

She turned and said something to her friends Lulu and Rikku something, and stood up. She made her way across the room, headed towards me.

She stopped at the other side of the desk, and laid her hands on the table. She then turned to Wakka.

"Wakka-kun, can you excuse us?" Yuna asked.

He sighed and nodded, getting up from his seat.

"Sure, Yuna-chan," he replied, resting a hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it softly and he walked over to Rikku and Lulu, taking Yuna's seat, and they began their own conversation.

Yuna cleared her throat softly, and I turned away slowly, running my hand through my hair.

Yuna took a seat next to me and spoke my name softly.

I said nothing. I reclined forward in my seat.

I could hear her sigh, and I had the feeling that she was rolling her eyes.

"Tidus-kun… You know I didn't mean what I said… right?"

I could feel her hands creep their way around my waist, and he pressed herself against me.

"You know I love you, right?"

I hung my head, lower, if that was anatomically possible.

She said "love," but it wasn't the kind of "love" I wanted to hear. I knew she meant in a family member love, and I knew deep down that the only reason she said it was that she was provoked by Dona- that wench- but somehow, it wasn't good enough for me.

I put on my trademark smile and looked back at her.

"I know," I replied.

She smiled and bunny-kissed me, and kissed me again on the forehead.

"Good."

She rested her chin on my shoulder.

"I'm really sorry," she apologized again.

I shook my head, and slowly pried her arms from around me. I turned myself around in my chair, and took her petite hands in my own.

"I know you didn't mean what you yelled," I reassured.

She nodded. "Good."

Just then, our teacher came in, and we all took our seats, with Yuna sitting next to me.

School resumed as usual, and as the time went by, and transferred from classroom to classroom, I had one thing on my mind: I had to get away.

LUNCH

Yuna and I sat together on a bench in the lunch court, just like we always do everyday.

We laughed at our own inside jokes- as always, and fed each other food- as always. Though my I tried to smile and laugh as genuinely as possible, it was hard. What happened this morning kept bugging me, and it slowly ate away at my ability to show true happiness to the only person that ever made me truly happy. And unless I found out how she really feels about me, or if I told her how much I loved her, it always will.

"Say 'Ahhh!'" she instructed, holding a small a fork with a piece of anmitsu impaled into the prongs.

I smiled and closed my eyes. I opened my mouth widely, just as she told me. "Ahhh…"

She stuck the fork and the cold dessert into my mouth, and I closed my mouth on the fork, and I pulled my head back, pulling the anmitsu off the fork with my teeth. I chewed on it slowly, looking down at my lap.

"Is it good?" she asked, taking a bite of the dessert herself.

I nodded and shifted in my seat a little bit. "Of course! You know I love anmitsu."

She put down the bowl and the fork she was holding. "Well, you did eat the one I put in the fridge that I made that was meant for me the other day."

I chuckled and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"Heh-Heh… Sorry about that." I replied weakly.

"It's alright," she assured me.

She continued to eat the cold dessert, while I opened a box of strawberry Yan Yan. I pulled off the top wrapper and reached in for a biscuit stick and dipped it in the strawberry frosting. I was about to put it in my mouth, when Yuna spoke up.

"You're not going to feed me?" she pouted, mocking a childish tone.

I stuck the biscuit back into the frosting, and I shook my head and laughed.

"Fine," I complained exasperatedly.

She grinned happily, clapping her hands.

I picked up the biscuit and held it so that the frosting on it was sticking up.

"But you better love me for this," I warned.

I felt my heart pang right after I said that.

That wasn't exactly the smartest thing to say, especially when you consider earlier circumstances.

I lowered my head, and my hand holding the Yan Yan stick as well. I didn't raise my head, but I looked up at her, who was also hanging her head low.

'Why is she doing that? Was it what I said?'

Of course, dumbass.

I sighed quietly.

'I wonder what she's thinking right now. …Ehh, she's probably still upset about this morning.'

Anyway, I shrugged it off, and put on my happiest smile.

"Well if you're not going to eat it…" I finally spoke, ready to eat the frosting covered biscuit.

3…

2…

1…

She raised her head quickly, and grabbed my hand, seconds before I completely stuck the biscuit in my mouth.

"No!" she pleaded.

I shrugged.

"Well you weren't saying anything, so I just thought that I'd…"

I left my sentence open ended, and I reached over, and smeared the strawberry frosting all over her lips. She squealed and turned away before I could do any more damage.

She laughed hard and grabbed a napkin to wipe her lips off.

"What was that for?" she yelled in confusion.

I smirked and took a drink of Ramune.

"Consider it payback for Omotesando Hills," I simply stated.

She scoffed and slapped my arm playfully.

"Whatever," she replied.

We continued our lunch, and as we ate, I thought of more ways to plot getaway.

AFTERSCHOOL; STARBUCKS, SHIBUYA

After school let out, Yuna, Rikku, Lulu, Wakka, and myself hopped a subway to Shibuya, and walked into Starbucks. As always, it was packed with people, and it was harder than usual to find an empty table to sit at.

The girls decided that they would wait in line to buy our drinks, while Wakka and I looked for a table.

Easier said than done, because it isn't exactly like tying your shoelaces, especially when you're that the busiest Starbucks in the world.

After ten minutes of looking, we finally found a place to it, and it was a pretty good find I have to say; it was overlooking the intersection, Shibuya Station, and the Hachiko statue, with thousands of people surrounding it all, but then again, what else is new?

Just as Wakka and I sat down across from each other, the girls came with trays of iced coffee and mocha frappuccinos.

"That quick?" I asked them.

To you, ten minutes to wait in line for coffee may sound scandalous, but spend a few days in Tokyo, crammed in a subway car, surrounded by thousands of people at a busy intersection, waiting twenty years just to drive, and learning every damn honorific and title in the Japanese language, and you'll find that ten minutes for coffee is a deal.

Rikku laughed and handed me an iced coffee.

"Domo," I thanked.

She smiled at me and took a seat next to Yuna, who was sitting next to Wakka, while Lulu sat next to me.

Hmm. I think this would be a great time for me to give you my opinions on these people.

Rikku is Yuna's best friend, and they've known each other for quite some time. We talk every now and then, but, like when Yuna and I first met twelve years ago, we don't stray too far from small talk, and when we do, we don't usually dabble in deep conversation topics. She has pretty blonde hair, super tan skin, and she bends our uniform policy to match her obsession with ganguro fashion. But don't let that overshadow the fact that she's pretty brainy. She almost always receives high marks, and rarely does she ever get anything lower than an A minus.

Lulu is someone I don't know very well. In fact, she's the one I least know about of the three. I hate to admit it, but her Goth style kind of freaks me out at times, and sometimes she wears so much black make-up to the point that's been dead for five… years. But she is really brainy, and she is nice to me… sometimes. In layman's terms, we have this kind of "cool" relationship with each other; you know that kind of thing- we're pretty much in limbo- always have, and probably always will be.

Wakka is probably, other than Yuna, the only person I can relate to. And what's better yet is that he's a guy. Yuna tells me that I really need a guy friend, and I guess I can't blame her. We get along fine, and we agree on a lot of things. I guess I can say that he's a good friend of mine. But we still have some ways to go before I can call him a "best friend." Anyway, he's from Hawaii, and has this thick islander accent. His hair is really way out- it sticks up, and kind of curls at the end. I still wonder how he manages to keep it like that on a daily basis. His grades are pretty average- they're not spectacular, but they're not horrible either. But I bet, with some focus, he'll go far.

So we conversed and drank, and watched gaijin take pictures and record videos of the intersection on their cell phones and digital cameras, which they really shouldn't be doing, but I guess if I were them, I'd do the same thing.

Soon after, we gathered out book bags, left Starbucks, and gathered at the Hachiko statue, sitting on the stone low-rising walls around the plaza.

We talked and talked, and as we socialized, the crowds, slowly waned and dwindled, until sun slowly set, and the neon lights and electronic marquees on the skyscrapers around us lit-up, one by one, and the crowds grew again. As the hours passed, we also watched some television on the giant screens that were built into the buildings, albeit the din from noise pollution.

It was around five o'clock, and we bid each other farewell. Yuna and I got on a subway back to our apartment in Bunkyo.

THE APARTMENT

We got home around five forty-five, and when we walked into the living room, we saw Auron on the couch, watching television.

"Kombanwa, Yuna-chan, Tidus-kun." He greeted, glancing at us.

We bowed quickly.

"Kombanwa," we replied in unison.

"You're home early?" I asked him.

He simply nodded.

"I thought you were working late?" Yuna wondered.

"I took off early," he replied.

We set our book bags next to a potted bamboo plant at the base of the stairs and joined him on the sofa.

"How was school?" he asked us.

Yuna and I looked at each other, recalling this morning.

"Good," we responded simultaneously.

We silently agreed that it was best he didn't know.

He smiled and nodded.

"Are you two hungry?" he asked us again.

Yuna spoke up first. "Kekko desu. I really should start on my homework."

She got off the sofa and picked up her book bag, and jogged up the stairs.

As she ascended, she spoke up.

"Oyasumi gozaimasu, Auron-sama, Tidus-kun!"

"Oyasumi!" we yelled in reply.

Auron and I heard her open her bedroom door, and close softly.

I got off my seat then.

"I should do the same," I spoke. I walked around behind the sofa, not wanting to block his view of the television screen. I stopped behind him and rested my hand on his shoulder.

"Oyasumi," I said.

"Oyasumi," he replied, looking up at me.

I took my hand off his shoulder and reached for my book bag. I walked up the stairs and slung my book bag over my shoulder.

I walked down the hall, and stopped in front of Yuna's door.

'I'm going to tell her,' I decided.

I had to. It was killing me! I can't begin to tell you how much it made my heart ache. I was gut wrenching.

I raised my arm to knock on her door.

Before my fist made contact with the door, I stopped myself.

I thought over the possible outcomes, and what would happen to us after I said it.

'Come on, Tidus,' I thought. 'Just say it: I love you.'

My fist shook in nervousness. My heart pounded so loudly, you could swear that you heard my chest echo down the hall.

I swallowed my fear, and my hand met the maple door.

'Knock, knock'

The sound rang down the hall, breaking the horrible silence.

The door soon opened, and sure enough, it was Yuna.

She looked up at me and smiled.

"Tidus-kun," she answered. "Do you need something?"

I froze. I swallowed hard.

I nodded slowly. "Yes… I uh… need to tell you something."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? Won't you come in?"

I raised my hand and waved it, declining her offer.

"No thanks… this'll only take a second."

"Okay, then," she replied. "What is it?"

I thought I was ready then. The keyword is thought. And that was then, and this is now.

But I couldn't back down. I already caught her attention, and I sought out to set out what I was going to do.

"Tidus-kun?" she asked.

I snapped out of my train of thought.

"Right, right. Anyway," I started. "What I was going to say was…"

She bent down, and turned to the side slightly, showing me her ear.

"You were going to say…"

'Dammit!'

"I love you!" I blurted out.

Silence.

Deafening silence.

Neither of us said anything.

After what seemed like an eternity, she smiled and giggled.

'Okay… I wasn't prepared for that. What the hell does that mean?'

She rested her hands on my shoulders.

"I love you too, Tidus-kun."

Sure, she said what I hoped she would say, but she didn't say it in the way I was hoping she would.

It was more in a family way.

She kissed my cheek.

"Oyasumi gozaimasu," she told me.

And she closed the door.

I was left staring blanking at the door.

My heart sunk.

'She didn't feel the same way.'

My shoulders and my back slouched, and I let my book bag fall to the ground. I dragged myself further down the hall, slowly towards my room.

I stopped at my room and opened the door. Before I entered, I looked Yuna's door sadly.

I entered my room and closed the door softly.

I can't begin to tell you how many mixed emotions I was feeling at that moment.

Anger, rage, fury, madness, mad, fuming, bitterness, sadness, despondency, pathetic- name any emotion other than happiness, I was feeling it.

But most of all, I was feeling one sentiment more than anything.

Loneliness.

Everything we had worked so hard for- our happiness, our togetherness, our friendship, most of all, shattered, right before my eyes.

My fists balled up, and I threw my book bag all the way across the room. I barely missed the window, and hit the wall instead; a few more inches to the right and we'd have a serious problem.

The bag hit the wall with a boom, and my books and pencils all flew out, scattered across the floor. I jumped on my bed, and screamed my fucking head off. I took a pillow, and took all my anger out on it. I punched it, I tore at it, I kicked at it, and pretty much beat the hell out of the damn thing so much that feathers started flying out of it. I threw it to the side, and I buried my face in another pillow.

Most of you may think that I'm overreacting- she didn't necessarily say whether or not she loved me romantically, but I was so set on us becoming the perfect couple we always fooled people into believing we were, and having it backfire on me, well, I guess I can say that I was too much of a dumbass to think rationally.

The dejection I was feeling overwhelmed my rage, and I began tearing.

I wasn't crying. I was tearing. There's a huge difference, girls. Men don't cry.

But who was I kidding. I was drowned of all my pride that I simply didn't care anymore.

I let hot tears spill onto my pillow, sniffling occasionally.

To be honest, the last time I cried… was twelve years ago when I learned of the loss of my parents. I mean, I'm not gonna lie to you. There were times after that when I felt like crying, but I didn't. Until now.

I sat up, leaning on my right hand, and wiping my eyes with my left. I blinked the last few tears away, and I look down. I left quite a stain. I didn't think I cried that much, but whatever.

I got off the bed, and decided that the time to get away was now. I walked over to the closet, and dug through old clothes until I dug up my set of Louis Vuitton luggage that Yuna gave me for my sixteenth birthday. When I got it, I said that it was a pretty weird gift, but she told me that sooner or later, it would come in handy.

Boy was she right. I start grabbing shirts, pants, boxers, socks, anything I got my hands on, and stuffed them all in the carry-on bag. I zipped it up, and put the lock on it. I took my book bag that was still on the floor, and packed it with a notebook, my toiletries, my mp3 player, and other personal possessions.

I made my way to my desk, unhooked my laptop, and took the cords and the laptop in the carrying bag. I took a stationery pad, and quickly scribbled down a note for Yuna and Auron in permanent marker. I ripped it off the pad, and placed it on the desk. I whipped out my cell phone and a phone book from my bookcase, and looked for the number to Narita International Airport. Once I found it, I dialed the number.

"Moshi-Moshi?" I answered. "Yes, can you please book me on the next plane bound for San Diego International Airport?"

…..

Everything was set. But before I left, I had to make one more stop. It was past twelve, and my plane wasn't due until one, so I had time.

I silently opened Yuna's bedroom door, and noticed that the lights were still on. I found her passed out on her bed, sleeping soundly.

I tip-toed into the room, and kneeled at the bedside next to her.

"Hey, Yunie-chan," I whispered to her unconscious self.

"This may be the last time I may get to speak to you. So I might as well just say it. I love you, Yunie-chan. With all my heart. I just thought you should know, because you were the only person that really cared for me."

I began choking on my words. I felt tears run down my cheeks.

"You made me feel special; I'm forever indebted to you for doing so. This may be pointless, saying this to you in your sleep… but I just had to tell you, awake for asleep…"

I leaned in, and gently pressed my lips against hers, for the first, and probably the last time.

"I love you, Yuna Kuriyama."

I walked over to the door, and took one last look at her, before I turned off the lights, and closed her door.

I poked my head out from the top of the stairs. Auron was passed out on the couch, with the television still on.

I carried my bags down the stairs, and set them next to the door.

I walked over to him, and picked up the remote that lay next to him. I aimed it at the television, and turned it off.

I checked my watch. It was time to leave. My good-byes have been said, and my business was finished.

I walked over to the door, picked up my bags and took one last look at the apartment. I opened the door, stepped out, and closed it behind me.

…..

Out in the lobby, I was fortunate that it was empty. The receptionist was asleep at her post, and the security guards were on break, so I was pretty damn lucky that they were gone. If they weren't, they'd cross examine me and tell Auron and Yuna for sure.

Outside, I felt the crisp, cold breeze against me. I zipped up my jacket, and yelled out to the street, trying to hail a taxi.

After a few tries, a taxi finally came.

He stopped at my feet, and opened the trunk for me to put my luggage. I laid all my bags in side, closed the trunk, and stepped into the back passenger seat.

"Where to, sir?" he asked me courteously.

I looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror.

"Narita International Airport."

OH MY GOD. There's so much drama. I wrote this on the couch in my living room, and I swear there's so much drama that goes on. It's like a drama couch, so that pretty much helps me create the drama setting. Anyway, review, review, review! There's some defining that needs to go down, so I'll go and do it.

-Anmitsu: a traditional Japanese desert comprised of agar, azuki bean paste, and fruit. It also comes with a black syrup you pour on the jelly before eating. It's a cold dessert, so it's most popular during summer.
-Yan Yan: A Japanese snack that comes with long, skinny biscuit sticks, and either chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry syrup. You can find it in any Asian supermarket in places out of Japan.
-Ramune: A Japanese carbonated soft drink with a traditional "lemon-lime" flavor. "Ramune" is phonetically identical to "lemonade," validating the lemon taste in the drink.
-"waiting twenty years just to drive": Tidus said this during the Starbuck's scene. The age of majority in Japan is twenty, and teenagers cannot take a driver's test until they turn this age. And you thought sixteen years was long.
-Domo: "Thank you" casually.
-Kombanwa: "Good evening."
-Kekko desu: "No, thank you."
-Oyasumi gozaimasu: "Good night" respectfully.
-Oyasumi: "Good night" casually.
-Gaijin: "Foreigner."
-"watched gaijin take pictures and record videos of the intersection on their cell phones and digital cameras, which they really shouldn't be doing": Videotaping and photography of the Shibuya intersection isn't allowed in Starbucks.
-Moshi-Moshi: "Hello." You only say this on the telephone.

-Hachiko Statue: A famous statue of a dog named Hachiko, and is a popular gathering place in the Shibuya Station area. Hachiko was a dog who, even after his owner died, faithfully waited for him in front of Shibuya Station or over ten years until he died. Hachiko was popular among the food vendors who made business in this area, and he was honored with a statue in his likeness.
-Narita International Airport: Formerly, New Tokyo International Airport ("New Tokyo" to differentiate itself from Tokyo-Haneda International Airport in the Ota Ward), this is the main air gateway into Japan. It is located in the city of Narita of the Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo. Narita handles most of Tokyo (and Japan's) international commute, while Haneda handles mainly domestic flights.
-San Diego International Airport: Also known as "Lindbergh Field" to the locals (like me); this is the main airway into San Diego, California (that's where I live!). It is the busiest single-runway airport in the United States, and only the second busiest in the world. FACTUAL ERROR: San Diego International Airport handles very little international flights. Narita International Airport does not have any flights directly to San Diego; to get from Tokyo to San Diego, you must go through Los Angeles International Airport, and either take a two hour drive from LA to San Diego, or plan a connecting flight between LA and San Diego.

Again, anything I may have forgotten, please remind me in your review and I'll be happy to help you.

REVIEW. Or this will be discontinued. Try me.