It was finally happening. Naoe Riki and Natsume Rin were officially dating (though they were still trying to get used to the phrase). It wasn't a complete shock to everyone. It was undeniable. So everyone was happy when they walked into that baseball shed, proclaiming that they liked each other and decided to date. They congratulated, they teased, and they accepted it.

The plan is falling into place. His plan; Natsume Kyousuke's. Now he sees Riki and Rin are starting to mature a little. Just enough for him to take action with one final mission. But for that to happen, they needed to leave. It was time to say good-bye to Noumi Kudryavka, Nishizino Mio, and Saigusa Haruka.

Of course, they wouldn't leave too soon. Everybody had to say their goodbyes to the boys and Komari, who decided to stay for just a bit longer for the sake of Rin.

Mio walked up to Kengo, who looked glum and had his arms crossed, and began to say her formal goodbye to him. Though they hadn't had any one-on-one moments together, they both respected each other and were glad they met, even if Mio was very shy and quiet. With her final words and a pat on the head from Kengo, Mio walked over to Kyousuke to say goodbye to him.

Kud was slightly more upset than the others, but not as much as Komari. Standing in front of each other, the girls shed a few tears and hugged each other. They clung to each other for a few more moments because they both knew where they were going after this. They couldn't help but cry over this parting.

Inohara Masato was a man of strength; he rarely showed tears. At least in front of his friends. No, there were times when he thought he would lose Riki to someone or something like that. He was his best friend, after all. Tonight was a good example because he thought he would lose his best friend and roommate, but God bless Natsume Rin, his childhood friend, for allowing him to keep spending time with him. So he shed tears as he hugged the brunette, much to her embarrassment and protests.

Then a few minutes ago, Mio formed that usual yet sweet smile towards him. She even said she'd make him a bento as soon as they met again, that it was a promise. However, he knew it wouldn't be here on Earth when they met again. Well, not this Earth. So with a single tear, he patted the girl's head (Just like Kengo did) and nodded slowly.

It was a little different when Kud walked over to say farewell to him. She was so tiny compared to him! No wonder he always had fun when he let her ride his shoulders. It always made her smile, and it made the young man's day. She was so full of energy. Heck, Masato always thought of Kud as his little sister, literally. So when the little girl threw herself into his arms, it took a lot of strength for the black-haired man to hug the girl close to him. Both of them shed tears as they embraced.

Hiding his tears wasn't his best strength. However, he couldn't help but stare outside the window, too ashamed to talk to the others. He could tell by the tightness of his throat and stomach that his mind commanded him to cry and say goodbye to his friends, but his heart couldn't find the courage to do so.

"Oi, Space Idiot!"

Masato never thought she would say goodbye to him, but then he remembered she had already said goodbye to the others.

"Man, Komari-chan and Kud-chan are spilling tears over there that I practically need an umbrella! Maybe I should ask Mio to borrow hers. I thin-oi!" She began to notice that her friend hadn't turned around when she tapped him, so she groaned in annoyance and grabbed both of the man's shoulders, turning him around to face her. "Don't think you can get away with ignoring the great Haruchin! That's a great crime in this world, you know." She said with a smile and a disapproving wave of her index finger.

Masato only glanced downwards with a frown and murmured, "Sorry."

"Hey, Masato-kun? You're not acting like yourself. What's the matter?" She asked her friend, turning her cheerful mode to a lower level.

Masato sighed and closed his eyes. "It's beginning. Kyousuke's plan is finally getting close to finishing." He said in a gloomy tone. "I should be happy, for Riki and Rin's sake…but…I can't help but wish that this never happened and we all could be back to normal. I know I'm an idiot for thinking that…."

Suddenly, a Whomp sound was heard, and Masato felt a lot of pain at the top of his head. "OWWW! What the hell was that for, Haruka?!" He practically yelled at her, only making her glare at him more.

"Stupid Masato! How could you even think that!? Because of Kyousuke-kun's plan, Riki-kun and Rin-chan will become better people! Don't you want that, idiot!?" She asked angrily.

"But…"

"Ah ah ah! There are no 'buts' Inohara Masato! Butts are only used for sitting and using the toilet!" She joked with her signature smile.

"Haru-"

"What else is there!? Why must you keep whining like a girl?"

"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU GUYS!"

Silence filled the room.

"…I know I have Riki, Rin, Kengo, and Kyousuke. I've known them since I was little. But…but…when Riki introduced me to the rest of the group, I felt happy." Masato began to explain, staring right into the violet-haired girl's eyes. "Komari is sweet, but a little too much of it for her own good. When she joined the team, I had my doubts that she could do anything that would help the Little Busters, that she'd be more of a liability. But man was I wrong. She may not be strong like my muscles, but her heart could beat the crap out of my muscles anytime and anywhere."

"Kurugaya is smart and intimidating. We may not have gotten on a good start, but she's a good friend and outfielder. And I mean scary good; it's like she has teleporting powers or something! I'm glad she's on our team not only for her skills but for her wisdom."

"Mio is quiet and kind of strange. Just like Komari, I thought she wasn't gonna do well. So when she became our manager, I thought she did an amazing job. Not only did she keep our team together and working in practices, but she showed kindness to everyone. She showed us that anyone could become a Little Buster member, even without any skills in sports."

"Kudo's tiny and klutzy, but she could brighten any rainy day with us. Giving her rides on my shoulders was my favorite thing to do with her. Seeing that smile every day would always make me forget about the negative things in this life; the lies, the hardships, the feeling of waking up every day to the same day. If we were ever related, I would think of Kudo as my kid sister."

"Then there's you, Saigusa Haruka." This got Haruka's attention because the look in his eyes looked more hurt yet determined at what he said next. "You're loud, a prankster, a troublemaker, and a little bit of a bad cook. But you are also cheerful, caring, and beautiful." Masato realized that last part and blushed a little. To his surprise, Haruka also blushed slightly at that last comment. Deciding not to make things more awkward than it was, he kept going. "When you came into the classrooms, you always seemed to annoy me with your pranks, especially the ones involving me. But when you joined Little Busters, my opinion of you changed. I'm trying to explain that I'm glad I got to meet you, Haruka."

She couldn't believe what she heard from Masato, the idiot who would do his stupid muscle dance whenever someone only mentioned the word 'Strength.' What he just told her sounded nothing like what Masato would usually say. This Masato was too severe and spoke seriously to her. This moment must be bringing him down a lot. Enough for not even his strength or muscles could stop. She began to wonder what would make him say these things. Sure they're friends and teammates, but nothing more. Right? Just friends.

Although, there were times when the prankster saw the muscle man differently. She did have a slight crush on Riki, but she knew Riki would end with Rin since they were childhood friends. It hurt at first, but Haruka eventually got over it.

Then there was the time when her twin sister, Kanata, posted all those flyers, and Haruka became a wreck. All she could think of was how evil her sister was and how enjoyable it would be to bring her pain as payback. At that time, she bet how she acts, and her many mischievous pranks must have annoyed everyone, including the Little Busters. But she was proved wrong when Riki and everyone else gave her such words of encouragement.

Words that pulled her heart out of the darkness of despair. They saved her; Little Busters' Mood Maker. Not only did Riki's, Komari's, and Kud's words touch her, but Masato's too.

"This isn't like you, Psychotic Bazooka. What happened to the punk who ate my katsudon? I won't be at my best if you're not up to mischief with a smile on your face.

"Here, let's fight again sometime. Take them…"

And when she took the marbles from his strong hands, she couldn't help but feel a little heat go to her face. Even when she caused him so much annoyance with her pranks, he told her to keep going at it so he could be at his best.

Haruka Saigusa couldn't have been happier to be with her new family and friends.

If their situation were different now, she'd probably let out her tears and hug the raven-haired man before her, thanking him for saying such excellent words to describe her. However, they don't have much time left. So, Haruka brought her hand up to her watery blue eye and dried up the remains of her soon-to-be tears. Once she lowered her hand, she smiled her usual perky smile, pointed her right index finger, and placed it on top of Masato's forehead. "Nice try, muscle head. That's still not a good excuse for your droopy mood." Then she added a grin. "I want to leave here knowing you guys will be alright without us."

"I don't know if it will be the same without you three. Sure I can put up the act around Riki and Rin, but how am I supposed to go on knowing I can't talk to you guys? Not only that but Riki and Rin have to start to go through more problems starting now. But I won't be able to help them. So now I-"

In the middle of his ramble, Masato was cut off when Haruka lifted her finger from his forehead and took a few more steps towards him, standing face-to-face. Haruka scoffed. "Geez, what a pain in the neck. If you're really gonna complain about this, I have no choice."

Suddenly, she lifted her two hands. One of them went for Masato's clutched fist, bringing it up in front of their chests, while the other hand was raised towards her pigtails on top of the side of her head. With one graceful swift, Haruka pulled out the pink-sphered band from her shortest strand of hair.

"What…" Masato wanted to ask, but Haruka simply ignored him, as if he hadn't said anything. She took the pink band and placed it through Masato's hand, stopping it at the beginning of his wrist. It was secured and tight.

He was about to open his mouth, but Haruka again ignored him, using her free hand to reach up to her other band and take it out. She then attached the band to her wrist, the one holding Masato's hand. Her hand was now securely holding his. "I'm going to let you borrow this for a while. Think of this as a comforting present, to make you feel better when you feel gloomy. But this is also something…something to remember me by." Haruka said, a slightly faded blush appearing on her cheeks.

"I…Wait! I can't just take this from you. This is something that you share only with Kanata." The raven-haired man said.

"Oh, calm down, bandana boy. As you can see, I have two of these. I will use this one to be connected with Kanata," She explained as she motioned to the pink band on her free wrist and then motioned to the band on her wrist that was holding Masato's hand. "and as for this one, I can stay connected with you."

Masato only stared at the young girl (whose purple hair was now flowing like cascades).

"So remember what I'm about to tell you. If you dare forget the advice of the great Haruchin, I will curse you with a thousand years of bad hygiene." She took one deep breath, closed her eyes, and let out the breath, giving him a look, not the regular mischievous she would give him. This was now the serious Haruka. "Don't lose yourself, Inohara Masato, no matter what. Don't doubt everyone around you, either. If you just remember who your friends are and what they have done for you, you'll see the bright light eventually."

About a moment after that touching statement, Masato let out a laugh.

"W-Wha…? Y-Y-Your laughing? At what I just said!?" Haruka asked in disbelief. She just gave this man something deep and personal, and he was laughing at her.

"Ha ha ha!" He only laughed even harder at her reaction, bending over to place a hand on his knee.

'I can't believe…he's laughing. After all that, I said to him. What I feel towards him….'

"Err! You complete idiotic muscle jerk! How could you laugh like this?" He started to calm down, but Haruka got the picture and began to lower her hand from his. "Just shut up, you-"

The action of Masato grabbing her and pulling her into an embrace made her shut up.

"Sorry, Haruka. I'm not laughing at you."

"Then why did you?"

"It's just…weird. What is about to happen to Little Busters is ticking me off and makes me want to punch someone, and I thought I'd just brood about being a part of this plan for the rest of my life. But here you are, giving me advice and telling me not to give up on everything." He admitted with a lop-sided grin, shifting his hands, placing them on Haruka's shoulder and back. He gave a little chuckle. "And what a coincidence; I gave you almost the same advice when you were upset." Haruka nodded against his chest and wrapped her arms around his back.

"Also, with this comforting present, I promise never to let it leave my sight. I will definitely think about you and the other girls when I need to cheer up. Hopefully, this will work."

Haruka smiled. "Of course, it'll work; it's a piece of something from me, Saigusa Haruka."

He chuckled. She is so random and strange, yet that's what he liked most about her. "Right. Thank you, Haruka."

After a few more moments, and thinking the Mio and Kud are about done (and she doesn't want to let them see her and Masato like this), Haruka jumped back from Masato's arms, though she started to feel a little regret about it. "Okay! Okay, enough mushy stuff before I turn into melted ice cream."

Masato grinned and patted Haruka's head. "Really, or was it the size of muscles too great for you to handle?"

Yep, he's back.

Haruka glared at him and playfully punched his arm. "You and your muscles. Someday it won't get you anywhere, you know?"

"Sure it won't." He said in a sarcastic tone. She smiled at his response, eyes closed with a smile. The sight of that and her long flowing waves of pink hair made him feel weird inside and a little light-headed. Deciding to hide it, he turned his back to her and his view to the wind, arms crossed. "Guess you should be going." He said with no emotion towards the sentence.

"Looks like it," Haruka said in almost the same tone. She wanted to say more things left unsaid for him, but she and the other girls needed to go. So she could only give him a small smile from behind.

"See you around, Space Idiot."

"Back at ya, Psychotic Bazooka."

She turned and joined her two friends. Kyousuke could only stare at the girls and give them a final nod, telling them it was time. Komari glanced at the ground, afraid if she looked up, she'd burst into tears again. Kengo stood against the lockers, arms crossed and eyes closed. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he just remained the way he was.

Mio smiled with a bow.

Kud wiped her tears and gave a small wave.

Haruka gave a flip of her long pink hair with her hand and then gave a 'peace' sign.

With that done, the three girls started to walk towards the door. Mio went out first, and then Kud went out second.

Haruka took one more step before stopping directly in front of the door. She turned to her right and looked at the man with the red bandana. The man who believed in the power of his muscles. The man who couldn't go without one day without knowing what Riki's been up to. The man who was an idiot.

That idiot. The person she might have developed a crush on? Maybe even have strong feelings for. Chuckling at herself for thinking such things, she stepped out the door.

That was the last time the 4 Little Busters members saw Nishizino Mio, Noumi Kudryavka, and Saigusa Haruka.

The last time Masato would ever see the girl who gave him the pink-sphered object that would provide him hope and remembrance of her.

So guys, what do you think? Good? Bad? I apologize if I used bad grammar. I am awful at that. Also, this is my first Little Busters fan fic! It was sad that this awesome anime rarely gets a few fan fics.

Did I make Masato or anyone else OOC? If I did, sorry again. As you can tell, I am a big shipper of these two. So how about a review? Come on. You know you want to. Since I am Captain of the MasatoxHaruka ship. I always loved seeing them together in the anime scenes, even if it was a moment. I don't consider this a weird ship. I think it is almost like Yui and Hinata from Angel Beats. You know, the love-hate relationship.

Who wants to join my crew? Don't make me force you to walk the plank!

Well, I'm tired, so goodnight, everyone! Happy Rainy Tuesday!