Watanuki decided to restart the "Bringing-Him-Lunch" Routine. With the lunch made, he started off to school. Passing Doumeki's house, he peered in through the shrine gates. There he stood, dressed in the Japanese formal hakama, raking the leaves from his yard. In the flashback of a memory, Watanuki remembered the time when he was raking Doumeki's yard and his arm got caught in a spider web. That was the beginning. When Doumeki made an effort to try and save him. He didn't think that anyone would spend time and effort to try and save him: someone who didn't matter to the world. Watanuki smiled melancholically.

'Hmmm...thinking about those memories won't get me anywhere. I need to make the effort that will get him to pay attention to me again. That's what all my efforts are for right?'

"Hey, Doumeki!" he yelled.

With the most surprised look that stoic face could pull off, he looked up.

Watanuki laughed at himself. He was happy over eye contact? He had sunk to this?

"...What?" he asked. His face turned back into that expressionless mask he usually wore. That brief moment of surprise. Was it only his imagination?

"I brought bentou again. Come meet us where we usually eat. Under the tree in the sakura garden." Watanuki reminded him in case he had forgotten. Would the memories of their times together be forgotten so quickly?

Watanuki stalked away, not wanting to hear his answer. No doubt he wouldn't come. It was not even a possibility. But it was worth a try though.

Walking a bit farther down the road, Watanuki spotted the school. As he walked through the halls, Watanuki kept on wondering just maybe if this was the day that Doumeki would come, no matter how large the odds were against that little thought. Entering his classroom, he saw Himawari-chan opening her bag and placing her books on her desk.

"Himawari-chan!" Looking up from her desk, she smiled up at him.

"Watanuki-kun! What a surprise! You came earlier than usual!

"Uhn. Listen, today, I invited Doumeki to eat with us again. Is that ok with you?"

"Yes, of course! With Doumeki, where will we be eating today?"

"The usual. Under the tree in the sakura garden."

"Alright! I'll meet you there!" The pair of friends nodded and looked at each other and grinned.

Being Himawari, of course she knew about his little "crush" on Doumeki. Being a girl, she could almost read emotions. So, of course she knew.

Surprisingly, class went by quite quickly, as if God was speeding up time so they could meet. Did that mean the fates approved of their relationship?

The bell rang and everyone was dismissed to lunch. Watanuki walked out of the classroom to the sakura garden, hoping against hope he would be there.

Watanuki opened the gate and looked.

A chill of cold air blew through his hair, as he looked at the empty space under the tree.

Slowly, he walked over and sat down. What had he been hoping for? Did he really think that Doumeki would come? How stupid of him. He smiled again.

Watanuki had been smiling a lot lately. But they weren't smiles of happiness. They had been smiles; tortured because of the love he had lost.

"Watanuki-kun!" yelled Himawari-chan, walking up to him.

Hurriedly, she sat down.

"Where's Doum- Oh, never mind." she said, quickly changing the subject. She didn't have to be psychic to know Watanuki was going to be touchy about it.

Watanuki gave her her bentou and opened his. He tried futilely to forget about the unforgotten bentou that was still sitting in the wrapping.

Himawari smiled.

Suddenly, something cold touched the top of Watanuki's head.

Shrieking, he almost dropped his bentou, turning around angrily, ready to yell the shit out of the perpetrator.

Standing in front of him, stood the miracle that made his life worth living.

"Here," he said, placing a milk tea in front of Watanuki, a strawberry milk in front of Himawari, and green tea for himself. "Is that bentou over there mine?"

Watanuki stared in astonishment. He had been well convinced Doumeki wouldn't come.

Doumeki had already sat down, taking his chopsticks from the case and picked up the egg roll.

Watanuki looked down furiously at his bentou. How could he let himself get angry over that jerk?

Their lunch was eaten in silence, but you could tell that Watanuki was furious, yet over the moon in his happiness, Himawari was almost bursting with the thought that her two best friends might get a second chance at love and Doumeki, well Doumeki, had no expression as usual on that expressionless mask.

They finished lunch quickly and Himawari waved them goodbye. Doumeki was about to leave but was stopped by Watanuki.

"Oy, tomorrow is the same, ok? Meet us here again." Watanuki said in a rush, rapidly walking away in an effort to leave quickly. But because Watanuki's back was turned, he didn't see the small smile flit across Doumeki's face.

It is I. LaviLane. I apologize for the long wait. Did you at least enjoy the new chapter?