A/N:

Hi'ya!

It took me such a long time to add another chapter but it feels good to be back. It's just that I got caught up playing Harvest Moon again (kudos to my fellow HM fans!) and I also became quite busy and exhausted with life and other stuff.

And this is also the shortest chapter ever. HAHA. But anyway, I hope you still enjoy it. I really missed this story so I'll be updating it soon. It's not over yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own PoT. Sucks to be me, then.

CHAPTER FIVE

Not raining…yet.

"And…. We're here!" he exclaimed as he turned off the ignition. "Looks like it'll rain."

I got out of the car and looked at the sky. Sure enough, dark clouds appeared on the horizon.

"Aww." I complained.

He patted my head, "It's not raining yet. So, let's go." He took my hand and led me to the railings. The ocean was magnificent, the breeze was soothing, and the smell was, well, ocean-y.

I started to wander around while Ryoma just stood there, looking at the ocean, thinking God-knows-what. I was a few feet away from him when I saw a bottle. There was a paper inside of it. I picked it up, spun around to tell Ryoma about it, and then I stopped- because Ryoma had his eyes closed and the breeze was making the moment look so cinematic.

It was as if I'd shatter the peace if I make even the slightest of movements.

He looked so calm and free of worries, I knew I captured that moment in my mind forever. I took a picture of him there using my eyes and tattooed it into my soul.

Then - he probably felt me staring - he opened his eyes and looked at me. And the moment was gone.

"What's that?" he asked with a smile.

I realized a bit late he was talking about the bottle. "Oh, this? I picked it up." I walked towards him and handed him the bottle.

"You think there's a message in that paper?" he positioned the bottle upside down and started shaking it.

I laughed, "We're like pirates."

"Searching for hidden treasure. And this could be the map." And he started tapping the bottle and whacking it on his palm. "But we can't get the map out of the bottle."

"Arggh, mate. Maybe the treasure's not for us." I said. He gave up on the bottle and handed it back to me.

And then, we just stood there for a while, looking at the ocean. Not saying anything, just absorbing the fact that the ocean is there and we're there and that the memory will probably last forever.

"Hey, this is a good idea." I said after a while.

"What is?" he asked.

"You know, this road trip thing. We should do it more often. Beats Calculus."

And then, I had this crazy idea. I turned to him quickly and grabbed his left hand with my right hand and put his right hand on my waist before I placed my left hand on his right shoulder.

"And what are we doing again?" he asked, quite startled.

"Dancing!" I beamed and started swaying. He went along with me with a confused look on his face.

"I guess I forgot that this is the thing to do whenever you're at the ocean." He joked and I smiled. I didn't care if we sort of looked foolish because I was extremely happy.

"You know, I always had this fantasy. To waltz with someone at the ocean." I said matter-of-factly.

"Seriously?!"

"Yes." I lied. The truth was I never had that fantasy. I only thought about it a few moments ago.

"It's kind of weird without music though," I said. "In my fantasy, there was music."

"Nah." He said. "This is okay. The waves and the breeze will be our music."

"Aww." I made an exaggerated pout.

"That was too cheesy, I don't even want to remember I said it." He dead-panned and we laughed.

#

And then, it was raining. One minute you're having a moment with your boyfriend and the next second you're running towards the car 'cause it's pouring.

"Well, that was fun." He said while we sat at the car. We were parked in front of 7/11, a 10-minute drive from the ocean, and drinking hot chocolate.

"It was," I replied. "And then we'll catch a cold."

"You can't get sick; you'll have to be in Wonderland tomorrow."

And the nervousness suddenly came back. Ryoma probably noticed it because he added,

"Don't worry. You'll do great."

"I don't know. Will you be watching?" I sipped chocolate while looking at him.

"Of course, I have to admire the magnificent props." He shrugged. "Oh. And yeah, support my girlfriend."

I smiled. "Promise me you'll sit at the far corner in the back so that I can see you."

"Sure." He finished his choco.

"No, promise me!" I whined like a child.

"I promise." He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Good." I beamed contentedly.

Then, we sang more songs in the car while driving home. He dropped me off in front of my house and I kissed him on the cheek before I got out of the car. And we waved goodbye and I put the bottle on my bedside drawer thinking I'll try to get the paper out tomorrow. And I practiced my lines before I fell asleep.

Then, I did fall asleep and started dreaming of two pirates dancing waltz on the ocean.

#

"Good morning, Alice-chan!" Tomo-chan beamed when I got to the school auditorium. "You okay?"

She was acting quite jolly despite of the fact that I went off yesterday without her permission.

"I don't know." I said truthfully. "I think I could do it. I just don't know if I'll be convincing."

"Just do what you normally do at practice and we'll be fine." She said, handing me my costume.

"Where's Sakuno-chan?" I suddenly realized.

"She won't be here today." Tomo-chan scowled.

"Why?"

"They broke up, she's not feeling well."

My jaw dropped. "When did they break up? And…. WHY?"

"I don't know when. And I really don't know why. Let's cheer her up later, okay?" Tomo-chan helped me put on the costume.

"Yeah, let's go to her place later and cheer her up." I agreed. I suddenly felt like a rotten friend.

#

I found Ryoma under a tree, near the gym. He was holding his phone, and whatever he was reading made him scowl.

"Hey." I said, running to him. "I've been looking everywhere for you. It's about to start."

He turned his scowl into a smile when I got to him. "Oh, look at you with a cute ribbon on her hair."

"I look like a little kid. A little stupid kid in wonderland." I pouted.

"Well, someone's feeling great today." He laughed.

"I'm just… really nervous." I confessed.

"You'll do great."

"How do you know?"

"I just do." He shrugged.

He got something out of his pocket. It was a small box, wrapped in silver paper and with a gold ribbon. He grabbed my hand and placed the gift there.

"Oh. What's this?" I suddenly felt so giddy - and my heart was thumping faster than usual with surprise and excitement.

"You won't know until you open it." He said, but before he finished his sentence, I was already done ripping the paper. I opened the box inside and found something silver.

It was a necklace – with a message-in-a-bottle pendant. I'm not into jewelry and accessories, but because it was from him, I loved it immediately. And it was the best reminder of our trip yesterday.

"Aww." Was all I could say.

"Don't cry. It's just a necklace."

"It's not just a necklace." And I almost was crying.

"You're easily touched." He laughed and patted my head.

"Don't just pat my head!" And I hugged him. He just kept on laughing.

"You're kind of sweet." I said.

"Yeah, well, don't tell anyone. It's kind of a secret."

I punched his arm.

I had to leave because the play was about to start but I suddenly wasn't feeling nervous anymore – because I can't keep my mind off my new pendant and the happiness it sends all over my body.

#

I said a silent prayer before I went onto the stage. Everyone patted me on the back and wished for me to break a leg. The curtain opened and music started playing. I was on the stage. I was saying my lines.

There were lots of people but I kept my eyes fixed on the corner at the back of the room. Searching.

Where is he? I kept on thinking. Because he was supposed to be there - but he wasn't.

The play went on chapter by chapter, one scene at a time. And my eyes kept going back to that corner. I was having this weird feeling but I couldn't quite place it.

And through it all until the play ended, until everyone finished congratulating me, until I got off my costume, until there were no audience left on the seats, I kept on thinking,

Where the heck is he?

#

Ryoma sighed and looked at his watch. It was almost dark.

This should be the place. If it isn't, I'm going home. He thought.

The breeze reminded him of yesterday at the ocean but he can't think of that – not now. But such is the strangeness of life that we are reminded more of the things we are trying the most not to remember.

Ryoma sighed again. He was not feeling well – in all aspects of his being. He took a deep breath, and then stepped forward.

He wished for her not to be there even though he was sure she was.

"So, you're just here." He told her, it was weird to have it sound like there was no emotion on his voice when he was, deep down, overflowing with different kinds of emotion.

"I knew you'd be the one who could find me." She said to him without looking at him. She was just sitting at the grass, looking at some flowers at her hand.

"Don't say that as if it means something. I just came here to get you home. Do you know what time it is?" Ryoma took a step closer. "Is that liquor? Since when did you start liking that? I thought you hated the smell."

"I want to stay here." She said, not looking at him.

"Well, that's not a good idea. How many bottles have you had?" he said as he bent over to pick up empty bottles – which reminded him of the pendant and Alice. He had no idea what to say to her tomorrow but he had to deal with the problem in front of him first.

"I want to stay."

"No. You have to get home. I won't wait around for you forever. If you don't stand up right now, I'll call..."

"Don't bother. He won't care."

Ryoma sighed again. He was losing his patience.

"I'm not even supposed to be here." He told her.

"Oh yeah. You're supposed to watch the play but you came for me."

Hearing that irritated Ryoma more.

"Again," he started "don't say it as if it means something."

"You came for me today. Why is that? Were you feeling guilty that you didn't come quickly the last time?"

"You are…" and he couldn't find the right word to describe her. "I'm going home." He snapped.

As he turned to leave, she grabbed his arm, "Don't go."

"Then get up and go home!" he yelled. It reminded him so much of a lot of fights they had before. He was always the first to lose patience.

"Stay."

"You can't say that-"

"Stay here with me."

And all of a sudden he felt like shouting – from the frustration and the anger and everything else in between. He clenched his jaw to keep calm.

"I don't even know why I came here because clearly this is a big mistake."

"We made lots of mistakes."

"You're drunk."

"I'm telling the truth." She stood up to face him. As she did, she swooned a bit. "You know, I've hated you since that day and I've always loved you too. Does that make sense?"

"No." he answered immediately. "But I've hated you too since then."

"And yet you're here for me right now."

"…"

"You were never good at lying, Ryoma." She told him.

"And you were great at it." He said before he could stop himself.

"I never lied to you. I mostly just lie to myself."

"So what kind of lies are you telling yourself now?"

"I'm telling myself… that I don't love you anymore…"

"…"

"… even when I know I do." She finished.

The wind blew and it made Ryoma feel really cold

"Sakuno…" Ryoma took his arm from her grasp, "That's the biggest fucking joke I've ever not laughed at."

#

"Have you seen Ryoma?" I asked my classmates as we got ready to go home. It would probably rain later because dark clouds were fast approaching so we had to go quickly – if I could just find him.

"No, haven't seen him all day." Horio-kun answered. "Why?"

"Nothing. He's also not picking up his phone. That guy…"

Horio laughed. "He's probably just busy doing something. Don't worry about him."

"Yeah, well. He promised he'd watch the play and that we'll eat sushi before going home but I guess I'll have to go without him. I'll just send him a message." I couldn't help but sigh.

He broke his promise! He'll surely be sorry when I see him tomorrow.

I started walking while typing a message to tell him I'll be going ahead - when I bumped into someone.

"Oh sorry." We said in unison.

"Alice-chan!" he exclaimed.

"Momo-senpai? I thought you'd left for the States?" I was shocked.

"Yeah, but I'm here, huh? It's quite complicated. How was the play?" he smiled a forced smile.

"It went-"

"Listen, have you seen Sakuno?" He asked with intense urgency.

And I suddenly had this weird feeling.

"No, haven't seen her all day." I said automatically as I remembered Horio-kun saying the same thing to me. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Momo-senpai scratched his nape and said, "Well, not really. I just couldn't find her. And I really need to talk to her."

I looked at the message I was typing. The wind blew and it reminded me of the ocean. It made me feel really cold all of a sudden.

I was also suddenly terrified.