Ryo made her sit on his dusty bed, and sat on it facing her. Kaori kept on, hearing Ryo's words with large tearful eyes, about the aftermath of her accident she had faced. Ryo started "Listen to me Kaori. The accident you are talking about, didn't take place yesterday or anywhere even near it. It happened exactly a year ago. I still remember it as if it happened before a few moments. It's the one thing, I would never want to happen again ever in my life. Trust me Kaori, you have no idea how I have lived through the past year. You know nothing about it. I couldn't come back here because this place is full of your memories. Without you this I would have suffocated here. I lived on that terrace of the building we both went often to see the sunrise. You remember? A year has passed, Kaori, and yet, here we are, as if nothing had ever happened." Kaori was a bit puzzled, "Really? Ryo? You're not kidding right? A year? That's a pretty long time. How come I don't remember it but you do? Do u mean to tell that I have a bad memory?" with this words, the famous hammer reappeared in her hands, and she had a red face. Ryo looked in her eyes, "You were in a coma, Kaori. I didn't even know about it. I guess the news was purposely kept a secret by Saeko. Perhaps she had a suspicion… leave that, I'll see to the matter. The most important thing is you are safe. Kaori I have something to say. Please do as I say, just this one time. Please…. Kaori." Kaori looked at him with suspicion. She had a feeling that she knew what Ryo was going to say. This was the only thing that she feared. Her fears were proved true when Ryo spoke. She could hear him say "Kaori, I don't want you anywhere near me anymore. I don't want such a partner who'd clumsy me with a bad luck. Because of you I passed the past year without a single mokkori! As if that wasn't enough, I had a feeling that the accident was intended for me and not for you. So I had a feeling of guilt within me too! I just don't wanna see you here anymore." Ryo couldn't believe his own ears as he heard himself speak. Those were the exact words he intended to tell her. On one hand he cursed himself for hurting the only person on earth who was the dearest to him; on the other hand, he knew that he had to get Kaori as far from himself as he could. Because he knew he couldn't see Kaori getting hurt anymore. So this was a necessity, it was really necessary to hurt her so that she goes away from him. He knew very well how hard it was, to live each day without being able to see her. He didn't want to bring those days back, so he thought it best to part ways with the only girl he had ever loved. Although his inner self was breaking down, his voice was rock hard and there was a peculiar type of coldness in it, something that Kaori has only heard when Ryo was confronted with enemies. Kaori looked at him with tearful eyes, tried to say something, but Ryo stood up and went towards the window to see through it. Kaori tried to say something but she couldn't get it out of her. Instead she silently walked down the stairs and out of the door of the apartment, remembering to keep the keys of the apartment on the center-table in the ground, and pulling the apartment door behind her as she walked out through it. As she walked down the street to an unknown location, she could feel the vision of a pair of eyes on her back even when she was at a considerable distance from Ryo's apartment, their apartment. As she was walking carelessly, she ran into a man who was none other than Umibozu. She could have fallen on her back from the impact but for Umibozu, who quickly held her hand, and helped her avoid her fall. She didn't say a thing, just tried to get past him, when suddenly she heard him say "He has again hurt you, that idiot. Has he?" She could take it no more, she broke down in tears. Umibozu always had a soft corner for her as she was an orphan like himself, he just said "Don't create a scene here Kaori-kun. Come with me, let's talk it out at my place."
Miki san was doing the daily chores in the Cat's Eye café when she saw Kaori San and Umibozu entering there. Umibozu directly went behind the counter, handed Miki the groceries he went to the market for, and made Kaori her favourite – Cold Cappuccino. Kaori did not have the mentality of savoring the beverage. She sat on the tool which was always reserved for her, and kept her gaze fixated in her reflection on the beverage. "I am a mismatch for Ryo, isn't it? It seems that he deserves someone who can stand by him in the hour of his sore need, right Umibozu san? I can do nothing except clumsy him with a bad luck. He said so, and it is very much true. I could do nothing. All the people I love, goes away from me one by one. First of all brother Hideyuki, and now Ryo too! I am nothing but a bad luck. Isnt it?" Kaori suddenly asked with damp voice and a darkened brow, and she stood up and in a flash got out of the café and disappeared in the opposite direction they came from.
Ryo looked at Kaori as she walked down the street. It seems that she was crying, but it was important to save her life. Ryo couldn't stand to see her get hurt for him anymore. He looked at her as far as his eyes could follow her down the street into the crowd. When he could see her no more, he sat on the bed thinking about his behavior with her. It was rude of him to talk to her like that, especially when they've just met after a year. But it was more important to look for the person who did this to her. He climbed down the stairs, and as he looked at the center-table on the sitting room, his eyes widened. The keys of the apartment were lying there. That means Kaori has…. Oh man, won't this girl ever listen to her? He rushed upstairs, to his room, with a suspicion, hoping that he would be proved wrong. But to his dismay, he was right! Both the guns were missing. His favourite 0.357 Colt Python was nowhere to be seen, and neither could he see Makimura's dusty pistol on the bed. He shook his, and saved himself a laugh. This girl will never change. He locked the apartment door in a flash, and after a moment, was seen to be running down the street. "There is a faint chance that she might be….. Here!" he reached his destination as he was thinking. Cat's Eye café! Kaori could be here. It was more of a gamble, but he had to take his chance. As soon as he entered, he could see an iron cauldron flying towards him. It was a child's pay to dodge it when he could dodge bullets. As he dodged it, Umibozu's voice thundered in the café "What do you want now? What more do you want? Won't you ever learn from your mistakes? You hurt her again?" Ryo sunk in his chair, "So she was here?" he asked looking at the now-warm Cold Cappuccino. "Yes" Miki San answered "She was here. Seems like you have had a lot of talking with her. Fierce talking. Didn't you?" Ryo wanted to ask something more, but Umibozu cut him short "Off you go. Get out of here. Go to where you were, for this past year. Go away." Ryo got out of the café with a smile and with a Stallion-of-Shinjuku smile, stormed down the street towards the deserted building that once used to be his unofficial home.
