A/N: OH MY! I can't believe there are still devoted readers out there! Thank you for sticking with me! Now, we are close to the ending, so what will happen between them now!? Keep reading!

Chapter 8 – Never Let Go

Silence.

It was only them inside a bubble where the noise was consumed by this round space. It took perhaps the waiter to enter this bubble of silence to finally break through the barrier.

"Is there anything I can get you to drink?" he asked, glancing down at the short, pretty blond dressed in a white sunshine dress with a white floral long sleeved blazer. She looked up at him and shook her head silently.

The waiter nodded and glanced over at the other blond, this time, male and asked the same question. "I would like two iced teas please. One for my date beside me."

The young blond girl looked at him, but said nothing. The waiter nodded and left quickly, not wanting to disturb whatever tension was building up with the both of them.

'Date?' Koboshi turned to Takashi. "I didn't need you to order for me."

Takashi shrugged. "It's fine. I mean, who else should start the conversation?" He glared over at Kotarou and looked away quickly. This was perhaps the most disturbing thing Kotarou and perhaps his alibi Misha have EVER done.

"So, have you decided what to order yet, Kotarou-kun?" Misha said, trying to relieve tension as she turned to talk to her boyfriend.

Kotarou, trying to avoid Takashi's eye contact earlier removed his face away from the menu and glanced at Misha. Takashi could actually see large beads of sweat pouring down Kotarou's face. "Well I think I'm going to have crab for dinner! What about you?"

"I don't really know! What about you Koboshi-chan?"

Koboshi looked up. "Huh? Oh….I don't know yet." She glanced with the corner of her eye towards Takashi, whose head seemed to be turned towards a young female waitress tending to a couple two tables down. She felt a sudden tinge of jealousy and for some reason she found that the bread in her hand was quite soft. Koboshi looked down and realized that the foccacia bread had crumbled in her hand. The blond girl quickly put the bread down on the plate and turned her eyes back towards her menu.

Takashi sighed. Staring off into space wasn't working, especially if that female waitress looked as though, underneath the mass of auburn air, was wearing a platinum blond wig, bright enough to be a lamp post. It was very distracting and he wished more than anything to pull that wig off than sitting beside Koboshi without a word. The silence was killing him!

The waiter came back minutes later with their drinks and set the glasses down beside them. Takashi, without looking grabbed the glass, but instead felt a warm hand against his. Startled, he pulled away and glanced over to find Koboshi was staring back at him. "Oh! Sorry…I thought…"

Koboshi shook her head. "No, I wasn't looking either. But your drink is actually on that side."

Takashi glanced to his right and noticed another ice tea. "Right." He cleared his throat and took that glass instead and started drinking. 'Note to self…remind me to kill Kotarou in his sleep!' he thought to himself. If only he had changed his mind the moment he stepped out of his dorm room.

...20 minutes ago...

"So, what restaurant are we going again?" He pressed the phone tightly in between his shoulder and his cheek, while multitasking to tie his tie around his the collar of his shirt properly.

"It's this nice Italian restaurant that Misha and I found while we went for a stroll!" Kotarou said excitedly. He seemed to be getting ready as well from the sound of Kotarou moving about so much on the other line.

"Okay, well I'm not going to stay that long. I have things to do."

"All right I gotcha! Listen, it's a fancy restaurant so you ARE going to wear something fancy right?"

Takashi sighed. "Yes, MOM!"

Kotarou chuckled. "Just checking."

"All right, so where is this place?"

"You know that ice cream place we like to go to?"

"Yeah?" Mentioning an ice cream place reminded him of the time he and Koboshi went out to eat there. No matter the outcome, it was still one of the most memorable moments he's had with her. He grabbed his black formal shoes and sat down on the bed and began putting them on.

"It's right across from it. It's quite hard to see because it's covered behind those tall bushes. It's a good thing Misha and I decided to see what was behind it. Wha-? Yeah, he is." Takashi thought for a moment on who he was talking to, then after a few moments of silence, he could hear Misha whispering to Kotarou on the other line. "I know I know! Sorry about that, Ten-chan. Misha has something to ask you actually, but she's too busy getting ready right now, but she wants to know what you're going to do with Koboshi-chan."

The blond knew this was coming. "Tell her, nothing. It's up to her to decide."

There was another silence as Kotarou repeated to Misha what his friend had said. "Yes, that's what he said! What? Okay…what!?" Takashi suddenly could hear muffled voices in the other line and he could no longer hear what they were talking about. It seemed as though Misha had mentioned something to Kotarou that shocked him and Takashi did not like the sound of it.

"Kotarou? What's going on? Did something happen?"

"Yeah! Sorry, Misha needed help with something! I'll see you in 20 minutes there, all right?"

"Yeah…okay…"

"Misha! What were you thinking!?" Click!

Takashi stared at the phone for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened and hung up the phone.

...20 minutes later present time...

The restaurant was definitely packed. With Saturday hitting them tomorrow, it's no wonder a lot of couples could be seen wandering around town and find themselves inside this beautifully lit restaurant. It was a sight to behold. Fake vines were carefully manually wrapped around single chairs, while in booths, furnished wooden tables and seats were perfect to make it look as though you were eating in an Italian vineyard. Waiters and waitresses were dressed in an Italian attire to show which ones worked there. He looked around, hoping to spot Misha and Kotarou amongst the crowd.

"Ten-chan!"

Takashi heard Misha's loud voice and spotted them just in the corner of a booth. Misha sat across from Kotarou, but someone else was sitting with them. He couldn't see who it was since it was too dark and he approached them quickly, careful not to bump into any chairs in case someone was in the middle of eating something. As soon as he neared them, he paused and noticed that the person sitting next to the pink haired girl was Koboshi. She probably didn't know he was coming, since she also looked at him, shocked beyond words.

Kotarou glanced at Takashi apologetically and moved aside for his friend to sit beside him. It was awkward at first, but just like Misha, she would always do her best to make things comfortable for everyone. "Ah! Would you like to have something to drink, Koboshi-chan?"

Koboshi, with the corner of her eyes saw Ten-chan staring at the attractive looking waitress talking with the customers and jotting down their answers. The restaurant was getting louder as everyone who had reserved their seats earlier arrived for their evening meals. She looked away quickly, feeling as if her heart has been crushed by a giant's feet. 'How could he be staring at that pretty waitress after his confession to me?' She thought. She was feeling a little hint of jealousy and Kotarou could see it in his best friend's eyes.

"Hey." Kotarou nudged Ten-chan in the arm. "Are you two ever going to talk?" The purple haired man whispered to his best friend's ear. He was the only one, in comparison to Misha to have noticed that his best friends in the whole world had not acknowledged each other in the beginning. He was beginning to see Koboshi trying to suppress her own feelings of jealousy. "If you keep staring at that waitress so long, I swear you're undressing her with your eyes."

Shocked at this comment, Takashi turned his head to face Kotarou so he could say something, instead met eyes with Koboshi. In a fleeting moment, his heart beat and for some strange reason, as they locked eyes with each other, they felt each other's heart beat. Koboshi could not keep her eyes off of him, realizing only at that moment of how blue his eyes were. He was indeed a handsome man and it was no wonder he was quite popular with the girls during their middle school days. She felt her cheeks burning and she quickly turned away, hoping that the menu in her hands would keep her attention away from the handsome blond sitting across the table. However, she had forgotten that they had already ordered something and that she wasn't holding anything to keep her occupied.

"Ne, ne, Koboshi-chan?"

The blond girl looked up. Misha was smiling at her sweetly, looking at her with those bright green eyes. "What is it, Misha-san?"

"What time are you leaving for America tomorrow?" She had that sad look in her eyes and Koboshi knew that they were genuine feelings.

"I'll be leaving around noon," the blond girl replied.

Takashi tried to block out those words, but it was hard. He glanced at her again, but she was doing her best to keep her eyes only on Misha and no one else. Irritated, he turned away and noticed an attractive young woman walking in, dressed up in a sexy black dress. Most of the young men there were staring at the young woman, but Takashi wondered what it would be like to see Koboshi dressed up like that. "!" Startled at himself for thinking that, he turned away again and once more met eyes with Koboshi. This time, she had a hurt look in her face.

"Koboshi-chan?"

Koboshi jerked her head away from him and stood up, her hands clenched at her sides. "I…I have to go to the bathroom." Before Misha had a chance to stop her, the blond girl turned and headed for the bathroom.

'Okay, calm down…calm down….it's not like he cares anymore.'

Has he officially given up? Does he not care anymore? She wished he would at least care she was leaving, even though he had given up on her.

Koboshi stepped inside one of the stalls and closed her eyes. No…she wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to let some guy ruin the rest of her summer for her. She was leaving and in about a month, he'll get over her. He won't ever have to deal with her. "Maybe it's best that I will NEVER ever come back here for the summer…" She felt tears fall from her eyes. Why do I even care anyway? It's not like he was mine in the first place! He can look at any girl he wants!

But why…why does it hurt so much?

"EH!?"

Koboshi blinked. She recognized that tone of voice anywhere.

"EH!? What are you talking about, Koboshi-chan? You mean you won't EVER come back for the summer?"

Koboshi closed the door behind her and leaned her back against the cold surface of the stall. "What reason would I have to come back here, Misha-san?" She wiped her tears quickly, but they kept coming right out of her eyes. What is she supposed to do now?

"What about Ten-chan?"

That was Misha…straight to the point even though at times, the blond knew the pink haired girl didn't know what she was saying until it made sense to the people she was talking to. "What about Ten-chan? Didn't you see the way he was staring at those girls? It's obvious he's over me now."

"Koboshi-chan…no man can EVER get over you." The pink haired girl had that gentle tone in her voice as she spoke. "Sometimes when a person loves someone, they can never forget how important they are to them. Ten-chan has never forgotten how beautiful you are and I know in his heart, part of him will always belong to you. I think that even as you go back to America, that part of him that loves you will never be erased."

How does she do it? How can she say those things and not pretend that they were true? More tears fell from her eyes and seconds later, she found herself almost kneeled to the ground, her hands over her mouth, trying to suppress her cries. She was losing it. 'Damn her!'

"You just have to trust him."

The blond girl could hear the older girl moving about. She could hear the water going and then seconds later, turned off before the footsteps could be heard moving again. It seemed she stopped right in front of her stall, contemplating whether she should continue to comfort her, instead she turned and left quietly.

He knew what went wrong. A ticking time bomb had gone off and Takashi was in the middle of the rubble. Misha had come back with a sad look on her face. At first, she didn't look at Kotarou and himself and then when she sat down, she gave such a solemn look that she was about to cry.

"Misha, what's wrong?" Kotarou asked, putting his arm around her.

She turned and glanced at Takashi. "She's sad, Ten-chan."

Takashi didn't know how to reply to her, so no sound came out of his mouth. Misha was waiting for an answer, but as she looked into his eyes, she knew that he didn't need to.

"Ten-chan," Kotarou called.

The blond glanced over at his purple haired friend. He looked away and said nothing.

'Okay, calm down….calm down!' Koboshi thought to herself. She took a deep breath and left the bathroom stall. She looked around cautiously, making sure no one was there, checking for anyone's presence in the stalls. When she was positive no one was there, she washed her face, hoping to get rid of her red face, but try as she might, there was still a little bit of indication that she had been crying. Koboshi walked over to the paper towel dispenser and grabbed at least ten before wiping them all over her face. She sniffed and sighed.

Suddenly, she could hear someone coming in. Koboshi paused, but kept herself as casual as she could before turning around to head back to the restaurant.

"!"

She paused.

Takashi was standing there, looking at her with a sad face. Koboshi's eyes widened. "Ten-chan? What are you doing here? This is the girls' bathroom."

The blond man didn't say a word, instead he leaned against the bathroom door to block anyone from coming in and continued to look at her.

"Ten-chan, we have to get back to the restaurant. We left Kotarou-kun and Misha-san there. I mean, they invited us." She moved to open the door, but Takashi was blocking the door knob. She felt his hand move to grasp hers gently.

"What are you doing?"

Confused, Koboshi looked at him.

"You want to be with me, don't you? Tell me you do, because I KNOW you do."

Koboshi looked away. She felt her heart beat. He had seen her face. "Ten-chan I have to leave tomorrow morning, I can't be with anyone right now. It would be hard for me. Please move out of the way."

Takashi stared at her. He had seen the sad look in her eyes. Takashi could tell that she had been crying, just as Misha told him. He hated seeing her cry and he moved his hand under her chin and lifted her face to him. "Why are you crying?"

She couldn't escape it anymore. "Because…because…" She felt a single tear fall from her eyes. Koboshi jerked her head away from him and closed her eyes. "Don't do this to me now, please. Don't make it harder than it already is."

It was official. She knew. She loved him.

"I won't." He gently moved her face to him again and looked deeply into her eyes. Then and there, he swore to himself that he would NEVER make her cry and Koboshi seemed to know that too with the way he looked at her. He had that strong look in his face. He leaned closer and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Takashi moved his hands on her hips and pulled her in for an embrace.

Koboshi closed her eyes and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. More tears fell from her eyes as she continued to kiss him. Takashi broke the kiss seconds later and kissed the tears that were falling with such gentleness that Koboshi found herself kissing him again.

She loved him.

He loved her.

"Stay with me," Takashi whispered, leaning his forehead against hers after a few moments of passion. He held her hands in his, still leaned against the door. At one point he felt someone push through the door to get inside, but he had put all his weight against the door that none of the women could push it. Koboshi's weight was also added to that mix because she had leaned against him.

"What about my parents? They're going to wonder where I am."

"So? It's not like they're ever home."

"I can't."

Please don't tell me that, Takashi thought to himself. But he knew her life was in America now. He had to ask her, because if he didn't try, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life not knowing how she felt about him. For once, he made a wise choice in his life. He knew this was one of the good choices he's made. He kissed her again and they walked out of the bathroom together, to the shock of the girls waiting by the door.

A/U: Woot! I FINALLY finished this one! Now, where will this lead the couple? Check it out in the epilogue! ;) Has Koboshi gone back to America, now that Takashi and her are together? Woot! Check it out!