AN: I am basing this on the manga and the Japanese drama!! I do not own any of these characters and am writing just for my pure love of the drama! This is my first fic so please review!

I realized that I don't love him, I just have romantic fantasies to be held again.


'These past months have been some of the happiest and most confusing times of my life. From time to time Tsukasa calls me to check on how I am doing and who I am generally with. I don't know why but I always tend to avoid those kinds of questions by asking about he's been doing. That often led to him talking about how busy his schedule is and stuff like that. We never really told each other that we loved each other over the phone but then again I didn't think I would have to feel this lonely again. However when I am with Rui all that loneliness seems to disappear like magic.

I have also went to check on Tama and even Tsubaki at the Domyoji home when she was around. However all they have done is talk about Tsukasa and how they can't wait for him to return, and always chat excitedly about how he the huge diamond ring he gave me. That's just his style, the type of guy to keep me all to himself, and I feel that he only wants us to be engaged so quickly so as long as I wear this ring, I am marked as his. To be honest even though I miss him, I haven't seen him in a while so thinking about talks of marriage again scares me. To me they seem more excited about the future then I am, but I'm not even completely sure of what might happen.

I have also occasionally hung out with Shigeru, Sojiro, Akira, and the others. Even Yuki though we both moved away from the working at the Dango shop, sometimes we stop by to check how things are going, and reminisce on old times. Another pair of teenage girls work there, that almost remind us of ourselves, and for now everything seems at peace there, also as if we never left. Yuki's hair has grown long to how it used to be before she cut it, and she has even told me about the new guy she has been dating, who surprising looks a lot like Sojiro.

She is the only one who I don't lie to because even now like back then, I can trust her. Whenever I am with everyone else, they always mention Tsukasa and tell me not to worry because the final year was coming within reach for when he'd come back. Soon they would be on their last year and graduating from their universities and moving on to bigger things. Rui told me that no matter what even after he takes up his family business, he won't ever be too busy for me. Sometimes that man is all too good to be true.

It is obvious to point out that everyone notices that when Rui and I are together, we are attached to the hip as some would say. Silly as it is I feel closer to him then I have felt to anyone else, even Tsukasa at this point. I just fear he doesn't take our friendship the wrong way, I don't ever want him to look at me as if staring right at his enemy, it's frightening..'

"Makino.." She looked up to see Rui from her seat on a bench in the park.

"Heya Rui what's going on? Why are you looking at me with such worried eyes?" Makino locked eyes with Rui, as if challenging him to go on with what he wanted to say.

"Can we take a walk? We need to talk.."

Rui and Makino walked around for what seemed like a long time.

"How are you feeling?" Makino decided it was time to break the silence. Rui continued to keep his head down as if in deep thought.

"How well do you trust Tsukasa?" She instantly became nervous, it's amazing what this one man can do to her.

"Erm, why do you ask?" She tried to cover up her nervousness but with Rui it was damn right impossible. She felt cold sweat beginning to form on her back, the way he was talking didn't sound good, not at all.

"Do you trust him at all?" Her eyes widened, she wanted to trust him, but when they talked through the monitor she would sometimes see foreigners with big breast that made her feel uneasy. Not to mention the insults she used to receive about her own size such as being flat and such.

"How do you expect? I'm so afraid because lately I feel out of touch.. and this ring just ties me down to him, but he doesn't have anything on his finger to weigh him down.. why am I always the only one?" Tears suppressed in for so long finally all began to pour out and she knew that she couldn't hold it.

"What can I do?" Rui stared at her, as if he could stare deeply into her soul, as if he had knew her all along.

"Honestly, don't you know? I can't tell you how to live your life. But for some strange reason, I can't seem to convince myself why I am struck on the outside of all of this. To tell you the truth, even though I said I would step aside because your happiness would be enough… lately when It comes to him I don't see you so happy.. So why did I have to let you go?" Rui's mysterious smile hadn't changed over the years, and focused in on Makino. He began to rub the back of his head nervously as he had done so many times.

"I felt like I have said too much again. Forgive me Makino, just forget it. I just need to clear up the air between us in order for me to finally be able to try and let these sentiments go. But... How much longer will it take... for this lingering feeling to disappear? I feel that we have become too dependent on each other, so much to the point that I find it hard to control myself.." With that Rui's face flushed so slightly that it reminded her of that day where he confessed in New York.

'What the hell is GOING ON?' Makino's head was spinning, she didn't know what to say or what to think.

"Is it possible that I am probably not in love with you? Could it just be that I was so dependent on you that it felt like something so similar to love? I just need some help, I can't figure this out alone because with you I don't feel that emptiness anymore. Can you help me Makino? That is all I ask.." He looked down and refused to look back at her. This made Makino realize that he could have a point there. Ever since Tsukasa left, she had felt more dependent on Rui, even to the point where she would have probably have been intimate with him.

"I owe it to you as I owe it to myself. No matter what I know I have always loved you and that will never change. I want as both to feel better about ourselves before we can finally let each other go." Makino looked at Rui, and they ended up locking eyes.

Makino's eyes were so fierce and Rui's eyes were the most surprised she had ever seen them. She had wanted to wait until her honeymoon, but she realized that she wasn't a kid anymore and she couldn't continue to run away from taking a step into adulthood. Right now, there was no looking back, and with the removal of her ring, she no longer felt like she was suffocating under Tsukasa's powerful influence.