The concert was soon over. Everyone jumped up and down and cheered because they loved Ami and me,they loved our music,they loved it all. Despite such praise,I couldn't shake a strange,overwhelming sadness.

As we stepped off the stage,I looked behind me out into the crowds,and noticed someone seemingly familiar in that vast throng of people. Was it Mother? I believe it was,but of course I'll never be sure.

After Ami went back into the bus,I decided to stay outside for a bit longer and watch the night go by,trying not to be so depressed. I was out there for quite some time,and it did me no good. I went back into the bus,hoping I would find something to do to take my mind off my sadness.

''There you are,'' Ami said as I walked in. ''you seemed upset at the concert,so I'm making sushi for you!''

Well,it seemed that Ami had definitely found something to do,and maybe she'd help me by doing so.

She had made quite a lot of sushi,and it's a little embarrassing to say that I scarfed down every single bite. But still,it did me no good.

After that,we both sat down on the couch. Ami turned on the TV,and I sat deep in thought,oblivious to everything else.

Why couldn't I just tell Ami the truth?

It was one those pleasant Autumn days,when it was lovely all around with the falling leaves.

I was in the backyard making a big pile out of them. When I was done,I watched as the rest of the leaves fell to the ground,or blown by the wind. I closed my eyes,took a deep breath,and let it all soak in,feeling perfectly happy. It seemed as if I had no worries at all for the moment,possibly because Father had been in the hospital for nearly two weeks,leaving me without fear for perhaps the first time in my life.

I leapt into the pile of leaves,and just as I was starting to make another,Mother called for me and I went back inside.

Soon afterwards the phone rang. Buyo came up to her after she answered it and asked, ''Who is it?''

''It's your father.'' She told him.

About halfway into the conversation,Mother seemed shocked about something. Buyo didn't ask anything,he just watched.

Finally she said,''All right,Boshi,we'll come see you later this afternoon.'' Then she hung up.

She kept her word;we DID go see him that afternoon. But first,Buyo and I sat and listened while Mother was talking with a doctor.

I was too preoccupied with keeping Buyo happy to pay any attention to either one of them. But,there was one thing that made both our ears perk up: ''...Yoshimura-san,he probably has three months...at the most.''

Now,what did that mean? Mother seemed rather upset about it,so Buyo and I didn't ask.

When we got to Father's hospital room there was not a word of it mentioned. Father,ill as he was,did not want to see me at all. Buyo,on the other hand...a completely different story. They were both glad to see each other.

The visit was soon over,and we left for home.

As the weeks went by,it seemed to be the same routine: we'd go and visit Father,and he would shun me as usual,and seeing him so happy with Buyo angered me beyond belief. The fact that Father was getting worse and worse did nothing to help me.

One evening after one such visit,the three of us were sitting on the couch together. Buyo seemed worried about something. Finally he asked, ''Mom...is Dad going to die?''

Hesitating for a moment,Mother told him,''Yes...I'm afraid so...you know how sick he is.''

Father had made me so angry the past couple of weeks (and for that matter,my entire life),and finally it all came out...did it ever!

''He deserves to die!'' I shouted.

Buyo was shocked at first,and then he glared at me.

''Yumi-chan!'' Mother said. ''Don't say such things!''

I didn't really think that there was anything wrong about saying that...it WAS truly the way I felt,what could be so wrong about saying my opinons?

Then came...that night.

Buyo and I had stayed awake longer than usual. After Buyo went to bed I could tell that he had fallen asleep right away,but I laid awake in bed for just a little while,thinking. I was just about to doze off when the phone rang. Who would be calling us this late at night? Then I knew: the hospital. Something had happened to Father.

After a few minutes,Mother came upstairs and woke Buyo up,then she came and got me.

''Get your clothes on,'' She said, ''we have to go to the hospital. Now.''

The drive from our house to the hospital was not a long one,and once the three of us arrived we quickly headed upstairs to where Father's room was. Mother led me and Buyo into the waiting room just as we were almost there.

''Wait here.'' She said to us,then left.

Buyo seemed very nervous and could hardly sit still,but there was absolutely nothing I could do for him.

I waited anxiously for Mother for what seemed like days,Buyo's troubles making it worse.

Then finally she came back. The look on her face clearly said that something was wrong...horribly wrong.

''What happened,Mother?'' I asked.

She sighed. ''Your father...''

There was a pause. Buyo looked at her nervously.

''...is no longer with us.''

The beautiful night glossed over the sorrow. The meloncholy sounds from the wind sang a song of a fallen beast,blowing it all into oblivion.

Mother,Buyo and the rest of my family stood mournfully at the tall marble gravestone with the bowl of incense at the base,the wind blowing the scent towards me. I watched them,standing far away at the statue of a dragon near the entrance to the cemetary.

As I looked away I thought of what I had said about Father. A wave of incomprehensible shock flowed through every bone in my body. Now I knew why I had made Mother and Buyo so upset. Worse,it meant that Father's death...it was all my fault.

I felt completely miserable inside,so much that I could hardly stand up. Mother and Buyo came up to me.

''What are you doing over here?'' Mother asked.

I sighed. ''I just...I just can't go over there...''

''Don't you have any regrets?'' Buyo asked angrily.

''Y-yes...'' I swallowed back my tears, ''I...I do...''

''Remember what you said?''

''Y-y-yes...''

Buyo glared at me. ''You...Yumi Yoshimura...are nothing but a cold,heartless murderer!'' He then rolled up his sleeves and prepared to hit me,but Mother stopped him.

''Buyo!'' She said. ''This is not the time for that!'' She then took him by the hand and started to walk back to the gravesite. ''Are you coming,Yumi?''

I sighed. ''No...I don't deserve to.'' The tears of guilt came at last.

And they still came. I cry in my sleep over it all almost every night,and I was fighting to urge to do so sitting there on the couch with Ami. Apparently she noticed.

''Is something wrong,Yumi?'' She asked.

I sighed. ''Yes.''

''What is it?''

I mustered up all my courage. ''Ami...do you want to know why I've been so miserable?''

''Yes,I do.'' She said.

''It's...it's...because...''

''What?''

''My father's dead...and...'' The tears began once more.

''And what?''

Finally I simply could not hold back my tears. ''...it's...it's...it's all my fault.'' I turned away so she couldn't see me cry.

But apparently she did. ''It's okay,Yumi,let it out.'' She said,giving me a hug.

''And that's...'' I sniffled, ''...why Buyo's been so upset with me.''

''So...you finally decide to confess,eh?'' Someone said. It was Buyo.

''Buyo!'' I said. ''You...you should just...just...''

''Yes?''

''You should just...go!''

He raised his fist at me. ''Not until I've finally made you pay!''

A/N: Aaaannnd...Yumi finally reveals her secret! Now do you see why the cemetary freaked her out a few chappies back? And we've got a little bit of a cliffhanger here too! Whoo!

Until the next chappie,please review and do make haste,flame me and my wrath,you will taste!

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