A/N: Where have all the reviewers gone:( Oh well, I at least have ONE VERY committed reviewer for the time being! Thanks mary-sue hedgehog! XD Hey folks, we are close to the end now! I am thinking in about 1-2 chapters this story will soon end, depending on the situation! XD So what DID Takashi whisper in Koboshi's ear before she left? You'll find out here in this chapter! If you CAN! ;) Oh, I find that this is the longest chapter out of the other chapters so pay attention :P

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Chapter 7 – Kotarou-kun

She tossed and turned for almost a week, wondering what he had said on that day. It was beginning to disturb her deeply. It made her think so much that even as she got up the next morning, she couldn't figure out what to eat for breakfast. Koboshi swore she heard her cousin ask her what she wanted, but she wasn't sure what she replied with.

"Koboshi-chan?"

The blond haired girl looked up groggily. She couldn't concentrate. She saw a blurry figure, but she just stared and did not even blink.

"Koboshi-chan, are you all right?" Hinari waved a hand in front of her younger cousin.

What did he say to her? He wanted to know. It was because of the hard rain and the umbrella that prevented her from understanding what he meant. However, she could have sworn he said something about he would always be there for her despite the circumstances. Maybe?

"Koboshi-chan!"

"Huh? What?" Koboshi blinked and finally found her focus back. This time, the blurry figure she noticed before took the form of her older cousin, Hinari. "Oh, gomenne, Hinari-chan. I was just-!"

"In your own world, I understand," Hinari said, finishing the sentence for her. "What's on your mind this time?" She sat down and started eating her favourite cereal.

Koboshi sighed and sat up straight. "There's this guy…"

"You mean Takashi-kun?"

The blond girl looked at her. "Y-yeah…anyways, Ten-chan and I did something in which I wasn't sure should have happened. I mean…I don't even know what I was thinking when I did it. It was just in the moment and…and…"

"So you and Takashi kissed, is that what you're saying?" Hinari smiled, laying her chin down on her upward palm on the table.

"Yes." Koboshi stood up and grabbed her own bowl from the cabinet and sat back down. She poured milk in her bowl and some of her cousin's cereal.

Hinari nodded and leaned back on her chair and took a scoop of her cereal with her spoon. "Listen, he's obviously in love with you, no doubt about that. My question is…WHY did you kiss him back? Do you feel the same way about him then?" She took a bite of her cereal.

Koboshi stopped in the middle of her scooping cereal with her spoon and thought about it for a moment before saying, "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? Do you still love a boy from the past?"

The blond girl paused and looked at her. "How did you know that?"

Hinari shrugged. "It was just a hunch. Why else would you be hesitating with how you feel about him, unless you are still hanging on to your feelings for this other guy?"

"You're good." She took a bite of her own cereal and leaned back on her chair as well. Koboshi laid her spoon down on the table and took a deep breath. "And yes I still love Kotarou-kun. I cannot change how I feel but…"

"Koboshi-chan, it's obvious you're finally moving on. With you always hanging out with Takashi-kun and you sharing all your fears and your pain to him instead of sharing them with Kotarou-kun, it's obvious you're slowly returning his feelings. You're hesitating because it feels awkward for you, since you've always thought Takashi-kun as your best friend and you're slowly realizing there is more to it than that." Hinari finished with her last scoop of her cereal and stood up to dump the bowl in the sink. She turned and folded her arms across her chest, leaning her back against the sink. "You're scared."

The blond girl frowned and said nothing as she continued to eat her cereal.

Hinari sighed and sat back down on her chair. She studied her younger cousin for a bit before asking, "Did he say anything to you?"

Koboshi nodded. "He said something to me last night when I went to visit auntie in the graveyard, but I couldn't quite understand what it was."

"Then there's your excuse to go see him and ask him what he said so you two can finally figure out what to do."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Koboshi took a deep breath. "I'm going back to America tomorrow."

Hinari was silent for a while, before she shrugged and said, "Suit yourself then."

Koboshi stood up and dumped her bowl into the sink. She glanced out the window and noticed that the sun was shining brightly outside. "I think I'm gonna go for a walk."

Her older cousin nodded. "Have fun."

"I will." The blond haired girl walked out the door. She was barely out of the street when she noticed Kotarou walking towards her. Koboshi paused and waited for him to come to her. "K-Kotarou-kun."

Kotarou stopped in front of her and nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Koboshi-chan."

"What brings you in this neighborhood?" She avoided any eye contact with him as she walked passed him. She wished people would stop pestering her at this time. "I thought you were angry with me?" Koboshi added sarcastically.

Kotarou followed suit, joining her at her side as they walked down a narrow street. "I just wanted to apologize about what happened a few days ago. I was jealous…"

"Jealous over what?" She crossed an intersection to the other side and Kotarou followed closely behind her. "It's not like there was anything for you to be jealous over. Ten-chan and I are just friends."

"I know, I know I get it now." Koboshi continued to walk and Kotarou was getting irritated. "Can you please just stop for a second?"

Koboshi frowned and turned around. "No, I can't stop for a second!" She looked away from him. "Why didn't you tell me about Misha-chan? You KNOW how I felt about you!"

"Come on, Koboshi-chan! Aren't we over this yet? I've already told you my feelings a long time ago and you told me you were over it! How was I supposed to know I would get together with Misha and make you jealous? You know that's not what I intended to do! The last thing I would do is hurt my very best friend in the whole world!"

Koboshi was silent.

"Why are you being childish about this? Can't we just get over this and just be friends again? I miss that…" Kotarou knew he had said the wrong words at the beginning, but he didn't care.

What he said truly hurt her, but his honesty made her realize that she was being selfish. She knew he no longer belonged to her. He never did. He belonged to Misha and for so long she was denying that fact. Koboshi sighed and turned around to look at him again. "I do miss being friends with you, Kotarou-kun."

"But it will probably be a while getting used to it, ne?"

Koboshi nodded. "Hai, but I will try my very best."

-

"I was the boy with the rose."

Takashi opened his eyes. Morning became clear to him when the rays of the sun greeted him through the window. He lifted up his arm to block the sun and stared outside.

Again and again he thought about the night before. He had finally confessed to her, kissed her and told her the truth. He wished Koboshi would make up her mind, but if he told her that, it would be unfair for her. He didn't mind waiting, of course he has waited for years and he finally had the courage to tell her how he felt.

The blond man touched his lips. The kiss from days before still lingered there. When she kissed back, it felt quite wonderful to his touch. He didn't expect her to kiss back. He expected her to push him away and ask him why he did such a thing and that would have been his moment to let her know his feelings. He was surprised when she returned the kiss. Takashi's hand touched the cut from Kotarou's punch on the corner of his mouth and winced. Despite it happening a few days ago, the bruise was still kind of there. Just like Koboshi's kiss, it was still lingering, letting him know of the guilt that was slowly creeping in.

Should he feel guilty?

Part of him felt like he was and part of him felt like he wasn't responsible for it. Koboshi made a choice and it was her choice to turn to whoever she wanted to. It wasn't his fault she turned to him and not to the man whom he knows Koboshi will always cherish in her heart. If someone were to feel responsible, it should have been Kotarou. He wasn't there for her. Takashi was always there for her and only her.

"Takashi, you awake?"

A knock on the door brought Takashi back from his thoughts and glanced at the door. It opened slightly revealing Seika. It was unlike him to step into his room. Normally, it would be Kenji, for he was always the curious one. "Hey. Yeah I just woke up. What is it?" He sat up and searched for his slippers.

"Someone's here to see you." He opened the door wider to reveal a purple haired young man standing there.

Takashi frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

All three men stood there quietly, before Seika broke the silence for just a little bit. "Well, I'll be heading out to class anyways. See you later, Takashi."

The blond haired man nodded. "See ya." He waited until Seika was out before saying, "What is it, Kotarou? Have you come here to lecture me again about Uematsu? Just so you know, she's not with me, if that's what you're wondering. If it makes you happy, she said she'll think about what's going to happen between us. I haven't spoken to her in days so you can just forget about-!"

"I just came here to apologize, Ten-chan," Kotarou interrupted.

Takashi said nothing and walked out of his room, pass Kotarou. "Wow and it took you three days to think about it? Or did it take a lot of Misha-san's convincing for you to apologize to me?" He grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and turned around to face Kotarou while sipping on the water.

"That's not fair Ten-chan. I'm apologizing to you here right now and you're acting like a jerk about it. I just had a lot of things to think about."

Takashi sighed. "Look, I admit that I don't want this friendship between us to end over a little quarrel, but dammit Kotarou…" He glanced at Kotarou and rubbed the side of his face where his best friend had hit him. "You hit a mean punch! Where did you learn to do that?" He chuckled.

Kotarou smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "From you."

"Really? Oh wow…" Takashi grinned and began clenching and unclenching his fists. "I guess all those physical activities really helped improved my skills, eh?"

The purpled haired man's smirk grew wider. "You wish. Hey listen, did you talk to her yet ever since that day?"

Takashi shook his head. "I thought maybe I should just give her some time and space."

"Are you sure? You do know she's leaving tomorrow, right?"

Takashi choked on his water. He coughed and swallowed quickly before regaining back his breathing and said, "What?"

Kotarou nodded. "Look Takashi, I thought about my feelings for so long. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was just jealous with you two always spending time together and her not telling me everything about her aunt."

"So you don't love her?"

"I thought I did, but I don't think so. I love Misha. Koboshi-chan's been away for so long, she never contacted me, never wrote a letter to me, except to you and I felt like she was distancing her friendship away from the both of us."

"Really? I know she still loves you."

Kotarou nodded. "Yes, I know."

The blond haired man chuckled. "This is perhaps the FIRST ever adult conversation we had."

"Wow, isn't that something?" his best friend smiled. "And I thought we would end up with a fist fight again. Usually that's how we resolve things right?"

Takashi rolled his eyes. "You wish. How did you know she was leaving tomorrow?" He was trying to speak as casually as he can, not showing any concerns towards his best friend, but he knew it was useless since Kotarou could read his face like a book.

"I talked with her before I came here. So what are you going to do about Koboshi-chan leaving?"

"Oh, that's good you guys are all right now." The blond haired man put his empty glass in the sink. "What can I do? It's her choice after all. If she chooses not to speak to me about our little situation, then so be it. I am through waiting for her."

Kotarou studied him for a moment before saying, "Are you sure about that?"

Takashi stared back at him, then swore and looked away. "Kuso! Don't do that." He crossed over to the living room and plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. "I hate it when you always know what I'm thinking."

His best friend joined him on the couch seconds later, chuckling. "Of course! Best friends ALWAYS know what each of them is thinking! So is this a truce?" He lifted up a knuckle towards Takashi.

Takashi glanced at his best friend and nodded, hitting Kotarou's knuckle with his own gently. "Yeah, truce."

-

For hours on end, Takashi and Kotarou talked about their childhood past that included Koboshi. Throughout the conversation, however Kotarou would always ask Takashi if he has decided yet whether to approach Koboshi on their matter before she goes back to America. Takashi would always hesitate with an answer before deciding to say 'no.'

"You can't avoid this forever, Ten-chan," Kotarou advised. "You have to resolve this problem between you two before she goes back. I'm sure she'd want that from you." He grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bag that Takashi was holding in between them.

"Kotarou, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to hassle her anymore than I already did? If she wants to think about it, then I'll let her think about it."

"Yes, let her think about it in America too and once she's decided for example that she'd date you, it would be a long distance relationship and if she decided against dating you, then there's no worries, your friendship will end right then and there. You don't EVER have to contact each other. She can move on with her life and you can move on with yours."

"EXACTLY!" Takashi tossed some popcorn in the air and caught only half of it with his mouth, while the rest scattered around on the floor. He leaned over and picked them up and placed them on the table where he would remember to pick it up later and toss it in the garbage.

Kotarou frowned. "Do you really want that to happen?"

Both gentlemen looked at each other, before they were interrupted by the phone ringing. Takashi sighed and stood up. He walked over to the kitchen where the phone would be hanging on the wall and answered it. "Moshi moshi."

There was silence on the line.

"Hello?" Takashi spoke again. He stuffed some popcorn into his mouth and began chewing while he waited for someone to answer on the other line.

"Ten-chan…" It was Koboshi.

Takashi coughed and choked on a piece of popcorn that went the wrong way. He punched gently at his chest and managed to get that piece of popcorn out. He coughed again. "Hey."

"Ten-chan, I'm not sure if you've heard…I'm going back to America tomorrow."

It was real. He thought he was dreaming when Kotarou mentioned that. "Oh, I see. Yes, I have heard that from Kotarou."

"Kotarou-kun spoke with you?"

Takashi nodded as if she was actually standing there looking at him. "Yeah. We're all right now."

"Oh, that's good. I'm glad to hear that."

"Yeah…"

"Well, that's all I wanted to say."

"Really? Oh okay, have fun in America." He knew he sounded cold, but he couldn't do this anymore. If he ran after her, what good would that do? If she returned his feelings, she can't stay in the apartment with three guys. What would her parents and her cousin say about that? She would eventually go to American, unless she decides to live with them…

There was silence on the other line.

Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, Uematsu, I can't talk right now. I have some things to do."

"Okay…I-I wish you good luck."

"Yeah, you too." He stayed on the phone, silently listening to the other line. Takashi could hear Koboshi sigh before hanging up the phone. He pulled his ear away and stared at the phone, trying to understand what just happened and put the phone back on its receiver.

"You are such an idiot," Kotarou spoke behind him.

Startled, Takashi turned around and frowned. "Do you like to listen to people's conversations or something? And don't call me an idiot."

"Well you are." Kotarou went to the refrigerator and rummaged for something to drink. He found an orange juice container and poured himself a glass. "You're going to be spending your whole life regretting your decision not to tell her. And if you ever decide to tell her through the phone, you would know right away that she would have a boyfriend or maybe even a husband."

Takashi's frown continued to etch on his face. "That's not funny."

"I know it's not, but it could happen." He took a full gulp of his orange juice until it emptied out and poured himself some more. "Hey listen, tonight Misha and I are going out to dinner. What are you doing this evening?"

"Studying."

"On a Friday night? You've GOTTA be kidding me!" He stared at his blond friend's face and noticed that he was quite serious about what he had said.

Takashi shrugged. "I have finals."

Kotarou shook his head. "No, you're not."

"Nani?"

"I said no you're not studying on a Friday night. You're joining me and Misha for dinner. It will be my treat."

"Fine," Takashi replied, finally giving in.

-

"What? You want me to come to dinner with you and Kotarou-kun tonight?" Koboshi pressed her ears closely against the phone to make sure she was hearing right. She was just packing her stuff for tomorrow when she leaves when the phone rang. Misha had called her and was practically begging her to come to dinner with her and Kotarou. Her excuse was that the dinner itself was for her going away get-together thing. At first Koboshi didn't feel right intruding in their dinner especially if it was just the two of them, but…?

"Please! Please! Pleeeeeeaaaaassseeeee, Koboshi-chan!" Misha pleaded.

Koboshi took a deep breath. "All right, all right. You have to stop begging me like this, Misha-chan or else I won't answer the phone anymore."

"I promise!"

"Fine, should I wear something fancy or anything?"

"Yes! Something pretty because Kotarou-kun is picking the restaurant! He said it would be something fancy!"

"All right, I'll see if I can pick up something from my closet."

"Good! See yas tonight! Bye!"

"Okay, see ya." Koboshi hung up the phone and glanced down at the clothes already packed in her luggage. What have I gotten myself into now? She thought.

-

A/N: WOOH! THAT was a long chapter! I thought I might put all the conversations in here to show that Kotarou is all right with the both of them now! Yeay! About maybe 1-2 chapters left, depending on how it turns out! XD