Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

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CHAPTER SIX: Farewell and Homecomings

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"So, this is goodbye…" Shizuka smiled at Rui, a bit of sadness was in her eyes.

They were at the airport's departure area early that morning.

Rui gave a charming smile as he tugged Shizuka to him and hugged her tightly, as if sending all the feelings he could give to her. He sniffed on her hair as if memorizing her scent.

Shizuka's tear dropped as she sobbed, "Fuck it, I really hate to say goodbye, after I met you, I suddenly don't want to leave behind everything about this place." She looked up to Rui with a tear-streaked face. "But…I also want to travel and go around the world."

"I know…" Rui murmured as he cupped her face to his both hands and kissed her softly at the forehead and both eyes lightly before kissing her on the lips. "I'm also sad that you're leaving, I'll miss you. Hell, how I wish you could be with me for always….but I'm so confuse," he frowned sadly.

"And I'm not the girl for you…" Shizuka smiled as she traced Rui's face with her fingers. "But still, I'm glad that I met you. You're one of those few interesting men roaming the world and I'm lucky that I happened to meet one. Whoever's that girl, she's very lucky."

"And I'm also lucky to meet you…you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen and held…"

Shizuka arched a brow, "Don't take me for a fool," she gave Rui a playful shove, "I met the Hana last night, and they're all beautiful…I'm definitely sure that they'll rock the men's world once they appear on the public's eye after they release their first album."

Rui smiled, "They're still young ladies…and you're a woman….that's different…but I agree that you're all beautiful."

"A-huh…" Shizuka wrapped her arms around Rui's neck as she pulled him for a kiss. "How I wish we still have time to make love."

Rui raised an amused brow.

"Y'know, added memory."

"You're really something, Shizuka…" then silence took over between them, only their eyes were talking as they kept staring at each other. Rui caressed her face.

"I promise I'll keep your secret 'til the day I die…" Shizuka murmured.

"I know…"

Shizuka's tears were once again falling heavily as she heard her flight being called.

"Shhh…" Rui wiped her tears away. "We'll see each other again."

Shizuka smiled bitterly, "We both know we won't, ever. 'Coz I'll travel everywhere while you look for your special someone…" she laughed almost hysterically as if mocking herself, "Stupid me…at first I thought I was a grown woman to suggest that we have fun 'til it lasts, but now…it feels like I'm the one who doesn't want to let go." She hiccuped, "I love you Rui….I love you…" she caressed his face gently, longingly. "You don't have to be worried or anything, I know that you're not feeling the same way….I-I just want to let you know what I feel before I go, so that wherever my foot brings me, I won't have any regrets because I said what I wanted you to know. I love you and the times we spent together were the precious times of my life 'coz I know that it won't last."

"Is it okay if I say that I adore you?" Rui looked solemn and sad. How he also wished that she was the one and yet another face of a girl was appearing on his mind. 'Fucking indecisive mind!' He thought. If Shizuka was the right girl for him, he could have stopped all of this from happening whether she likes too or not, but now, he was powerless. His inner and deeper emotion was craving for someone else. Someone bubbly and cheerful. Someone who sees life in a positive way. Someone who live life as if it's all worry free.

He went out of his inner musings when he heard Shizuka said, "That would be more than enough." Then they shared a passionate kiss for one last time. Shizuka rubbed the lipstick she left on Rui's lips, "I wish you happiness and that you find the right girl for you…"

"I wish for your happiness too…and the right guy for you…"

"I'll miss you and I love you…"

"I'll never forget you, Shizuka….if you have time maybe you could come here again."

"Nah…" she looked around the place. "I told you once that I don't come back to the places I've already been."

Rui nodded, "Won't you even give me your contact number or something and don't you want to get my address or number, just in case."

"No need, let's pretend that what took place between us was just a wonderful interlude. Worth remembering, but only remembering, because we can't go back."

"Ah, such independence!" Rui smirked.

"I'm an independent woman, wolf man." She joked in a silent voice.

They both grin then laughed.

Shizuka held her head high and without a trace of sadness anymore, all Rui could see was the woman he first saw at Grand Pierre. After she gave Rui a last nod of goodbye, she walked away with dignity and independence, as if she didn't feel any sadness or emptiness, her head straight never bothering to look back. For when she look back, she was afraid that she won't have courage to leave and run back to Rui's warm embrace. She knew that she'll regret not turning back later, but it was for the best.

Rui thought that Shizuka was like a queen looking down on her subordinates as she walked. He smiled thoughtfully, he recalled that it was the same thing he thought when he first saw her.

With both hands on his coat pocket, Rui walked away to leave the airport, he sighed. 'This is the place where sadness and happiness starts and sometimes ends'. He gave a one last look at where Shizuka had been before he left.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Where have you been?" Tsukasa asked as he met up with Rui at the staircase, Rui's obviously going to his room to sleep.

"Airport."

"Airport?"

"Shizuka left early this morning." Then he started to climb the stairs again.

Tsukasa frowned before he shrugged and continued descending the stairs.

"What's with that boy?" Akira asked while looking at Rui's back.

Tsukasa told his brother what Rui told him.

"Why look so sullen then?" Akira rolled his eyes. "It's not like she's for him or anything."

"Don't be mean, Akira," Soujirou muttered as he heard his brother's conversation. "We know what had been going on between Shizuka and Rui."

Akira snorted, "Our inner self was really tricky one, eh."

"Speaking of tricky," Soujirou raised his brow. "I accidentally sniffed Tsukushi's scent last night as I carried her at the stage, and I smelled our brother's scent on her and not to mention a bite mark claiming her as his own." He looked meaningfully at the blushing Tsukasa.

Akira made a face, "That Rui! What a joker! And I thought he's so sad with Shizuka's departure but he already marked Tsukushi…"

"What the fuck!" Tsukasa gave a possessive growl.

Soujirou snorted, "Stop babbling, Akira. Geez, you're becoming dense! Maybe it's the cause of always hanging out with your girlfriend."

"Don't call Sakurako dense!" he defended, "Who the fuck are you talking about anyway, I thought our topic was Rui!"

"You're a slowpoke then…" Soujirou amended with a smirk.

Akira made a face as he pouted. "Are you gonna tell me or what?"

"I meant Tsukasa!"

Akira looked at the now seething with jealousy Tsukasa . "You marked her as your own last night, you didn't try to pounce on her, kill her or anything? Just bit her. How did you do that?" he said with curiosity.

Tsukasa shrugged, "I happen to finished satisfying my lust to someone else when she saw me with the girl, that means I'm turning back to human when I bit her. Before she saw me, she doze off."

"Does that mean, since she's already marked by you, that when it's full moon and you transform, you'll recognize her and automatically look for her?"

"I have no idea."

"So, we'll just have to wait, ne?"

Tsukasa nodded.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Eitoku High….

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After the bell rang for the end of the last class that day, Tsukushi made her way to her friends classes…

"Hey, Kushi…." Sakurako greeted as she saw her friend poking her head inside the classroom.

"Going home?" Tsukushi asked.

Sakurako shook her head, "Me and Shigeru still got some cheering practice."

"Okay, I'll look for Yuki and we'll leave for the house."

Tsukushi was about to leave when Sakurako called her, "Ne, Kushi…"

"What?" Tsukushi looked back at her friend.

"Could we borrow your car, I mean, we have to stay 'til noon so Shigeru and I really need the car. Especially when there's a psycho that's lurking around Tokyo."

Tsukushi suddenly remembered the strange guy she saw last night. She shivered at the thought as she automatically rubbed her bite mark, though it shocked her that despite her shivering, she felt something else, as if it was desire, longing, and excitement.

'Knock it off, Tsukushi!' she lectured herself. How could she be excited about the event that happened to her near the dark alley?

"Sure, you can take the car, I'll just ride a bus with Yuki." She handed the key to Sakurako.

"Thanks."

"See you later at the house then."

Sakurako nodded.

After leaving Sakurako, Tsukushi went outside the school building to look for Yuki, she knew that after class, her friend always went to her tennis practice. She even raised an amuse brow to see her friend playing tennis with Soujirou, not only that, she was actually smiling and her eyes twinkling.

"Hey guys!" Tsukushi greeted.

"Hi, Kushi!" Yuki said almost yelling as she tried to run after the ball.

"I see you're both having fun."

They just both laughed.

Tsukushi rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I was wondering if you want to go home with me though we'll just take a bus since Sakurako borrowed the car."

Yuki stopped for a while from playing to wipe her sweat, Soujirou was walking toward them. "Sorry Kushi, I still want to have a match with Jirou. Is it okay if you go by yourself?"

"Of course, I know your true intentions anyway," Tsukushi gave her friend a conspiratorial wink.

Yuki shove her towel to Tsukushi playfully, "Shut up, he's coming!"

"Anyway, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone with your rematch, later," Tsukushi walked away while whistling some tunes she was still trying to develop into their possible new song.

"She need anything?" Soujirou asked with a frown.

"No," she shrugged, "She just asked me if I want to go ride a bus home with her."

"Where's her car?"

"With Sakurako."

"I better call Tsukasa…" Soujirou muttered as he took his cellphone.

"Why?" Yuki looked at Soujirou curiously.

"My brother likes…or better yet…loves your friend…"

"What!...Really!" Yuki's eyes widened because of surprise.

"Yeah."

"Wow!" She grinned, "That's why Tsukasa looked at Tsukushi last night so intensely."

"That's right."

"I'll tell Tsukushi later…"

"No." Soujirou said firmly.

Yuki frowned, "Why not?"

"Let my brother make his own move. Let's just wait, we can't interfere, we have no right to interfere."

"Whatever." She shrugged.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tsukushi was getting on the bus when Tsukasa saw her, he hurriedly run toward the bus and hopped inside. He saw Tsukushi sitting at the second to the last seat leaning on the window, one of her feet was up comfortably while she looked like she was writing something at the piece of paper she was holding. He walked toward her silently.

"Yo, Tsukushi." He greeted with one side of his lips curving into a smile---or rather smirk as he looked down on her. "May I sit here?"

Tsukushi was a bit startled with surprise as she looked up. "Hey Tsukasa," she greeted back with a smile as she make a room for him, "Of course you may sit here."

"Thanks," Tsukasa slid next to Tsukushi. "So, what're you doing?" he leaned closer to her to look at the sheet of paper Tsukushi was writing with.

Tsukushi was surprised to see Tsukasa's face leaning so close to her but she didn't voiced it out to avoid embarrassment, she took a silent sigh as she smiled, "I was just making some new lyrics…."

"I see…what's the theme? I mean, last night your band's theme was like dark and romantic."

Tsukushi pouted as her forehead creased, "I still have no idea, the new lyrics was still a work in progress, I just happen to think about it while whistling while walking the school's hallway."

"I guess you're a brilliant lyricist, you could make and think lyrics by just whistling." While Tsukasa was saying this, his eyes darted at the mark he made at Tsukushi's neck. Possessiveness for this girl was getting stronger everyday.

"So," Tsukushi felt conscious, she has an idea what Tsukasa's looking at. "Why are you riding a bus, you have a car right?"

"Well…err…" Tsukasa's brow furrowed as he thought of a possible excuse. Actually, he left the car behind the school when Soujirou called him that Tsukushi's taking a bus. 'Now what?' he thought clueless-ly. Right just in time, he saw some truck towing a car. "My car was at the car shop….something wrong about the engine…"

Tsukushi nodded silently, "I see."

"What about your car?"

"Oh, Sakurako borrowed it."

"Anyway, congratulations again for last night…" Tsukasa said with a smile.

Tsukushi blushed, she first thought that he was talking about the mark on her neck, 'Fool, how could he know anything about that!' then she smiled trying to hide her embarrassment, "Thanks."

"So, does your band sign a contract yet?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

Tsukushi shrugged, "We're still thinking about who's gonna be our band manager, I mean, of course the record label could provide us one but we still like to have someone that we could feel at ease with. You know what I mean…"

"That's easy, pick one from either Akira or Soujirou, they're Sakurako and Yuki's boyfriend's anyway." He said simply.

"Soujirou's not yet Yuki's boyfriend," she corrected.

"But soon they will be."

Tsukushi rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I'm surprise you're not suggesting yourself. I could understand about Rui 'coz he's kinda lazy or something."

"Well, public stuff isn't really my thing, not to mention on the spotlight." He shrugged. 'Yeah right!' he thought sarcastically.

They were still talking when Tsukasa's cellphone rang. "Yo!" he greeted.

"Don't yo me you idiot!" a female's voice boomed at the other line.

Tsukasa held the phone away from his ears. "Tsubaki, what's up?"

"I just called to say that I'm coming there in Tokyo and to tell you that one of you there pick me up at the airport."

"Okay."

"And did I mention that I'm also coming there to look at the progress of the four of you." She said meaningfully.

"We can assure you that everything's okay here and we're doing fine."

"Shut up! I'm going there and not another word from you. See you then."

"Baka onna," Tsukasa murmured at the phone as the other line went dead.

"Who was that?" Tsukushi asked in curiosity. "I'm sorry for asking."

"It's okay," he pouted, "Just our annoying elder sister, Tsubaki."

"I see."

"Here's our stop." Tsukasa mused as he escorted Tsukushi out of the bus.

"Hey, thanks for escorting me." Tsukushi smiled, her eyes twinkling as she smiled.

"Oh, well, that's why I'm here for." He said as they both walked together toward their houses.

She giggled.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tsukushi was just walking to the stairs when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi Tsukushi, it's your mom, sweetie."

"Hi mom."

"How rude of you to sound uninterested." She could actually picture her mother pouting.

"How are you and dad, mom?" she made her voice a little softer.

"We're fine, and how I wish you're here with us."

"Me too." Then she changed their topic, "Hey mom, our band got a contract from one of the biggest music record in the industry."

"That's great sweetie! Say my congrats to the other girls."

"I will. So, why did you call again?"

"Oh that, I just want to tell you that your cousin Umi is coming there for a vacation."

"WHAT!" her voice could be heard at the whole house as she yelled. "No way! Not Umi!"

"C'mon sweetie, she's your cousin and she just want to stay there for a vacation. The poor dear was heart broken."

"That's great!" she cheered.

"Tsukushi, you're being mean. Since when did you start hating your cousin, anyway?"

"Since forever!"

"But she's a sweet young girl."

"Maybe when she's sleeping while snoring!"

"Anyway, I'm still expecting you to be polite to her when she comes there. I'll talk to you later, bye sweetie." The phone clicked.

"Mom?...Mom!...wait!" Tsukushi hissed as she put the phone down. "Damn!" 'So, good things really come along with the bad, ne?' she thought wryly.

Ooooooooooooooooo

THAT'S ALL, LATER!