Chapter # 4: Understanding Love

He woke up to the sound of a doorslam and that was followed by yelling, screaming ... And what sounded like sobs. He climbed out of bed and opened the door, stepping out.

"Shh, Shh, Jiji, I'm here, I'm here," Keiko was saying, holding onto her friend. He continued down the stairs.

"Ryuichi, being frustrated, won't help any of this ..."

"She's gone Dad! GONE!"

"Ryuichi ... Please, try and get a hold of yourself ..."

"WHY SHOULD I?"

"Ryu-chan?" A quiet, nervous sounding voice said from the bottom of the stairs.

He looked towards the staircase, tears rolling carelessly down his cheeks, making trails that stained his skin. He felt so lonely and sad and all of his emotions were just catching onto the moment that much more.

"Ryu-chan, are you alright?" The voice questioned him.

"I'm fine," he lied.

"What's happened? Jiji is crying upstairs in her room ... And you're crying down here ... And what's all this about someone being 'gone'? Who's gone? Has someone gone missing, or something like that? Mr. Sakuma, I'm scared ... What's happening here, everyone seems to know, except for me ... And I really don't want to be left out of all of this and be so clueless ..."

"Well, last night ... Ryuichi and Jiji's mother ... She, uhm ... She passed away ..." Mr. Sakuma said sadly, bowing his head.

Shuichi's eyes grew,

"She ... Passed away ...?"

"Yes ... She was in the hospital ... She was very ill ..."

Shuichi's face turned sad,

"I'm so sorry to hear that ... I know how it feels ... To lose your mother ..."

Ryuichi grabbed his coat and put on his shoes,

"I'm leaving ..." He said simply, taking off.

"That boy ... He's gonna wind up hurt ..." Mr. Sakuma said with a sigh.

( RYUICHI'S LOCATION OUTSIDE!! )

He approached the quiet area with caution, as though, if he didn't do as such ... Something bad might happen to him. He could see him, clear as day, sitting on a swing, all by himself. His hands gripping the swings chains, he stared down at his feet.

"Ryu-chan?"

The male looked up and saw Shuichi standing there, staring at him, with an understanding expression on his face.

"What?"

"Do you, mind if I sit on a swing? Talk to you a bit maybe?"

"I don't wanna talk ... But, you can sit if you want to ..."

Shuichi sat down in the swing located to the left of Ryuichi's. There was a long silence. Then ...

"When did you lose her?" The sorrow-filled voice asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I was really young ... I was six ..."

"What happened to her?"

"Hm ... She had cancer ..."

Ryuichi remained silent.

"I remember I'd go to see her everyday after school ... And I'd stay there for at least an hour ... And then, one day ... I didn't go to see her after school ... I remember telling my father, 'I'll go see her later dad, don't worry ... I just want to go play at Hiro's for a bit.' And I remember, when I came home that night, at seven ... My dad had a really sad look on his face, like he was trying not to cry ... And he crouched before me and he hugged me tightly and he whispered, 'Shuichi ... We can't go see mommy tonight ...' And I asked him, 'why not daddy?' ... And his voice was cracking and he whispered to me ... 'Because she's with the angels now ...' "

Ryuichi looked over to his friend. Shuichi's eyes were watered and he sniffed lightly,

"So Ryu-chan ... I know how much it hurts ... And I understand your position right now ... It's not easy to deal with ... But, it's something you just have to try and get through ... If you're lucky ... There'll be people who are there, supporting you the whole time ... Hiro supported me through my crisis ... And ... I intend to support you, through yours ..."

"... Thank you ..." Ryuichi's sad, quiet voice replied.

"Hey, we're friends ... We understand each other ... We have to stick together ..."

Shuichi smiled past his tears.

"Just wait, things will be ok in the end ... It'll take some time, that's all ..."

"Yeah ..."

"When you have great friends beside you ... Things always end up alright in the end ..."

"Yeah ... You're right ... They do ..."

"Ryu-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Bet I can swing higher then you can!"

Ryuichi laughed,

"Bet you can't!"

"On your mark!"

"Get set!"

"GO!" They announced in unison

( BACK AT THE HOUSE!! )

"I never went to see her Kei-chan ..." Jiji said sadly.

"I'm sure she knows that you love her ..." Keiko said quietly,

"Even if you didn't go to see her ... That doesn't really matter, she knows you love her ..."

"But, how can she if I never even got to say it to her?!"

"Jiji-chan ... Yelling won't make any of this any better you know ... I know all of this is really hard for you ... But, sometimes, things like this, they just ... Kind of happen. She was suffering Jiji-chan ... She can rest now ... So, be happy Jiji-chan ... It's what she'd want for you ... She'd want you to smile ... Not cry ..."

Jiji looked to Keiko, who's green eyes seemed calm and relaxing.

"You're right ... She'd want for me to smile ... But, I have nothing to smile about ..."

"What about me?"

"Hm?"

"Aren't you happy I'm here? And staying with you?"

Jiji's eyes grew slightly,

"A - A little more then just happy ..." She whispered, her cheeks lighting up.

"Ahh, does someone have a crush?" Keiko whispered lightly.

Jiji's cheeks turned an even brighter shade of pink,

"N-N-No ... I don't know where you'd even get that idea! I - I just ... I mean! I ...!!"

It was then that she was silenced by Keiko's lips being pressed to hers.

( A.N: How did you like my ending? And Ryu and Shu's moment was cute, ne? )