A/N: The 1st patch of TMGS2 is now out! So head on over at gokusaishiki and be sure to give a big thanks to the wonderful people who made it all possible! XD

Pages of a Storybook

Chapter 11: October 28 - Disappointments

"Well, I have to go. Bye, dad."

With a flick of his wrist, Kei's cell phone flipped closed. His thumb absently rubbed the smooth surface of the cover, his eyes staring intently at the tiny screen's bright light and the steady blinking of its digital clock. He wasn't sure how long he continued to stare at his cell phone, but when he felt the tips of his fingers throb painfully for gripping the phone too tight, he let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and tucked his cell phone inside his pocket.

He walked towards the edge of the school's rooftop and looked down at the dozens of students milling about in the school grounds. They were all busy setting up for the upcoming school festival. He knew he should be downstairs and help out with his class' preparations and get the troublesome tasks over and done with, but he didn't feel like participating today.

It was as if there was an incredibly heavy load resting on top of his shoulders and it was slowing him down to the point that he felt strangely exhausted. He couldn't focus no matter how hard he tried because his thoughts kept on drifting further and further away.

He set his gaze on the view of the hundreds of houses and buildings of the city overlooking the sea, savoring the cool autumn breeze as it touched his cheeks and ruffled his hair. The clouds continued their lazy trek across the sky and occasionally brushed against the sun's path as it hovered with an unrelenting sense of duty.

The peaceful weather was undeniably serene and created the perfect atmosphere for him to fall asleep. But as he continued to stare at the distant horizon, the usual drowsiness he always felt never came to help him get rid of his unwanted thoughts.

His hands clenched into fists, his annoyance at himself growing as his mind replayed his dad's words once more in his ears. He had told him that they wouldn't be able to visit him again this year. His dad got his hands full on some major issues that were plaguing the company, and his mom's job was reaching its critical point now that the year was coming to an end.

Shouldn't he be used to this by now? He wasn't a child any longer and he understood very well that they had important matters to take care of. It had always been like this ever since he could remember, so why was it that every time this happened, he couldn't stop the feeling of disappointment from invading his thoughts?

Was it because he always expected that things would turn out differently every year? That he would be able to spend this year's Christmas not with his other relatives but with both his parents? But who was he kidding? His birthday wasn't even all that important to them, so why should Christmas or any other holidays be worth noting?

"Hazuki-kun?"

He didn't need to turn around to know who it was that called his name. He couldn't even force himself to be surprised anymore. After all, she had a strange habit of turning up in the most unexpected places. Sometimes he even wondered if she was keeping an eye on him just for kicks. "...Ah, it's you..." He drawled, his voice supporting his lack of interest.

He heard her footsteps coming closer until it stopped a few distance beside him. "That was your father?" He watched at the corner of his eyes as she leaned forward to place both her arms on top of the marbled parapet, a solemn look displayed on her face. When a cool breeze blew past them, she immediately rubbed her hands over her arms and hugged herself instead.

"...You heard it?" How long had she been listening to the conversation? Apparently, he had been so focused on the call that he'd failed to notice her presence, which should have been easy considering how loud and clumsy she was. Did she really hear all of it?

Her back stiffened at his slightly accusatory tone. "Sorry..."

He shrugged in response, realizing that he didn't really mind it as much. He was just thankful that she decided not to barge in at the middle of the conversation with his dad. He hoped that she had the sense not to ask him about his issues with his parents. He wasn't in the mood to answer any questions and he definitely didn't appreciate anyone who tried to get too nosy about his personal matters.

"But Hazuki-kun, your image is different when you talk to your family."

He sighed. Somehow, he had expected that she would bring it up anyway. She really was too nosy for her own good. But then again, it wasn't as if she was directly asking him what the problem was. She was just making an observation. "...Really?"

"Yeah, somehow you gave out a "good kid" vibe which I didn't expect from you..."

...And a very straightforward observation, too. Really, her bluntness never ceased to surprise him.

Kei stared at her for a while, noting her almost innocent expression as she continued to study him with an unwavering interest. She truly was a strange girl. Nobody in school would try to talk to him the way she was talking to him now. He wasn't entirely unaware of how the other students thought of him as a snobbish jerk, but she didn't seem to be affected by any of that at all. In fact, it even spurred her to come and talk to him whenever she got the chance.

He wondered if she just didn't care or she was just plain naive.

He was startled out of his thoughts when the usual cheerful glint in her eyes disappeared completely and was replaced with something that he couldn't put a finger on. He narrowed his eyebrows at her in an attempt to know what was going through her head, but was taken aback at what he saw. Her probing look struck him so deeply that he felt as if she was seeing right through him and was reading his mind.

"And you looked a bit lonely too..."

Why was she looking at him with such... gentleness? Or was that... pity?

His chest tightened as if something was squeezing his lungs and the only way to make it feel better was to hide from her searching look. He forced his mouth to protest, wanting nothing more than to stop her from reading him like an open book any further. "...You probably just imagined that." Desperately, he wracked his brain for something that would distract the incomprehensible girl from the conversation. "...Come on, let's go. There are a lot of things to do for the Culture Festival, right?"

He immediately tore his gaze from hers, the mixture of so many confusing emotions churning inside his gut made him sick and greatly uncomfortable. He wasn't even sure if the disappointing phone call from his dad was the only reason for his unease or if there was something much more to it.

He felt horribly vulnerable and he hated it more than anything.

"Hm... Yeah." Her reply was more of a whisper, as if she still wanted to say something else but thought better of it. He was forcing himself too hard to pretend that everything was all right and he knew very well that she wasn't fooled. His mood darkened considerably and even though he wanted to lash out at her to stop trying to pretend that she understood him, he couldn't ignore her heartfelt concern and how she continued to be nice to him at school and at work over the last few months.

But why...? Why was she so nice to him?

To his relief, however, she turned around and headed towards the door, her steps slow and slightly rigid. Instead of following her, his gaze sought the comfort of the sea, hoping that the peaceful scene would calm his already agitated nerves. He didn't think he could stop himself from doing something reckless if she tried to look at him that way again.

He didn't want anybody's pity, especially hers. He didn't need the help of a stranger who kept on trying to push her way into his solitude that took him pains to get used to.

But in the end, Fate had other plans.

"Hazuki-kun..." Her voice was somehow being carried away by the wind, but he could still hear her as clearly as if she was shouting directly in his ears. "Would you like to go to the forest park with me next week? The autumn leaves will help ease your worries away."

She was smiling at him. No. She was beaming at him with that unexplainable burst of energy that he was still struggling to understand. She was always so thoughtful, always ready to lend him a helping hand whenever he needed it. He never asked for it nor did he do anything to give her that impression. Why was it that she was still reaching out to him without second thoughts?

At that very moment, something inside of him snapped.

Everything happened so fast that the only thing that he could clearly remember was her frightened eyes as he stalked towards her and pinned her against the wall, his hands at each side of her face to prevent her from leaving. His emotions were raging against his chest, but his confusion and anger towards his parents and the baffling girl clouded his thoughts the most.

"Why?" What did she want? Why did she keep on trying to be close to him? Why would a stranger like her care more about him than his own family?

She was pushing herself more firmly against the wall, her usually vibrant brown eyes filled with worry. "H-Hazuki-kun...?"

"Why?" He repeated, ignoring the feeling of guilt that was tugging insistently at the back of his mind. She was breathing hard and a trembling hand clenched the front of her blouse, her confusion over what was happening causing her to panic. When she still didn't respond at his warning glare, he decided to goad her into answering.

"Is it because you want something from me?" All the people he'd met who tried to get close to him wanted something from him in one way or another. Why would she be any different? He didn't know her at all. The more his mind was filled with her malicious intentions, the nastier his mood became.

Was she the same as the other girls who wanted to gain his affections by pretending to be his friend? He had met a fair share of girls both in school and at work who were all like that and he hated those kinds of girls the most. How was he to know if she was any different?

He didn't know anything about her at all.

Kei leaned dangerously close... so close that he could feel her ragged breath fanning against his chin. "Do you... like me?"

Apparently, that question was all he needed to get a reaction from her. She didn't allow him to get any closer as she placed both hands on his chest, pushing him back with a strength he didn't know she had. As he stumbled backwards, he expected her to be furious at him, but when she only stared at him again with the same probing look she'd given him a while ago, his annoyance grew even worse.

"I'm sorry, Hazuki." Judging by the edge in her voice and how she had dropped the suffix from his name, she was anything but sorry. Her mouth remained open to say something else, but she hesitated and turned away. "I'm going back to class now."

Kei watched her shaking fingers fumble at the doorknob, his anger still in place no matter how hard he tried to chase it away. She didn't even try to defend herself from his baseless accusations. Did that mean that it was all true? That she really was the same as all the other girls? His stomach felt heavier than before and he couldn't even deny his disappointment at the realization that she wasn't as different as he'd thought her to be.

"I just feel like... I know you from somewhere."

His heart pounded roughly in his ears as her words made him jerk back in shock. She turned to look at him slowly, giving him a small grin even though he could plainly see how his hurtful actions had affected her.

"I don't know why, but it's the same feeling I get as if I've finally met a long lost friend."

Before he could find the right words to say, she was long gone, leaving him to deal with his guilt and the temptation to punch himself repeatedly for being such a fool...

...and for forgetting that he once had a childhood friend.

A/N: Ah... Kei's defense mechanisms had kicked in and caused this chapter not to end well for those two. But enough angst! Who here started playing TMGS2? XD I keep on telling myself to wait until the 2nd patch is released, but I just... can't... help... it! I'm starting to have a soft spot for Shiba and Hikami. Saeki's okay (his high-pitched "Oh!" cracks me up every time! XD), but Kei's still irreplaceable. Oh and I finally understand why a lot of girls are gaga over Waka-sama. He's really adorable! XD He's so different from Himurocchi! ^^; I am now a Waka-sensei fan, too!

Meresta: Thank you again, dear! Your reviews always leave a warm and pleasant feeling. And nah, I won't be writing any heroine POVs… too troublesome. ^^; Yeah! I want those gifts, too!

Nattie: You think these fan girls really do exist in Japan? Shoujo manga's are so full of them… Hazuki-kun's an unpredictable joker… I mean… when you date him in the museum and tell him that he looks like a primitive man, he'll be happy about that. I really dunno if he's teasing or he's just weird.

Anyway, thank you again for all the wonderful support! You guys are the best!