"You know, you hole up in there, and you're just going to be miserable," Usopp called from outside Kaya's room, the blonde busy giving the wall a vacant, tear stained stare.

"I've ruined it, Usopp-san," she quivered, squeezing her pillow to her chest. "I've ruined it."

"It doesn't sound like you ruined anything to me," he muttered, crossing his arms and staring at the door handle. "Open up. You sound pathetic."

"I'm never leaving my room again."

"You need to take your exams. I bet you haven't studied."

"Of course I've been studying," she whimpered, "it's the only thing that will keep my mind off the fact that I…I…"

Usopp waited patiently for her to continue, sighing when all he got was the muffled hiccuping of a girl walking the same path he'd had to only a few short years before.

"I hope you're not crying because you regret what you did."

"Of course I regret it," she wailed. "Nami-san will never want to talk to me again."

"From what I understand, she was also taking part. And I went through your text messages. You haven't replied to anything she's sent you."

Kaya gawked at the door. "You went through my text messages?"

"You're looking at this the wrong way, you know."

There was no answer. Just defiant silence. Usopp wasn't used to this kind of Kaya; shriveled up and feeling sorry for herself. Actually, no. To make this an official part of her character it would take much more than one mental breakdown over a high school girl. This was probably just…her breaking point. Usopp could recognize a comrade knee deep in conflict with himself when he saw it. Part of him felt some responsibility.

But seriously, this was not good. Every day for the past two weeks, she'd dragged herself home from school, practically a ghost, and cried in her room under the pretense that she was studying. Poor thing couldn't even let herself go, even under this kind of emotional stress.

Well, at least that means I can reason with her.

"You know, if you like her, you shouldn't deny yourself any contact with her," he said, finally deciding to test the door knob. As he thought: she hadn't even locked the door. He smiled.

"I'm the worst. Nami-san went to all the trouble of trying to encourage me, and all I did was make a bigger fool of myself." Her tears had carved cracked, red, painful looking river beds into her cheeks. Usopp sat beside her blanket encapsulated figure and patted her head.

"Are you crying because you don't think you should be able to feel that way about her?" he asked, handing her a tissue. She blew and sniffed, not looking him in the eye.

"I wondered what might be wrong with me when I first started liking Luffy," he continued. "Nobody else liked guys, and I cried a lot before I finally decided to tell him and move on with my life."

She blinked at him and giggled a little. "That's a lie, Usopp-san. You told me Luffy-san kissed you before you could tell him."

"Details, details. Yeah, he took the initiative. But the point is, whatever gets you to point B, you know? Don't regret something that made you happy."

Kaya sniffed again and crumpled a new tissue. "I just wish we might've talked more. I'm really not sure about what this means now."

"I for one applaud men and women of action," he said flatly. "Letting you talk yourself out of it probably would've ruined everything like you keep saying."

"I almost did," she admitted. "Nami-san believes in me, and she told me I can do whatever I want."

"Because you can," he emphasized, shaking his head. "When are you, for yourself, going to realize you can have whatever you want? That poor girl is probably waiting for you to confirm that her own feelings aren't being taken advantage of."

Kaya dabbed her eyes and shook her head. "The last thing I want is that. Especially after all she did for me."

"Then what's stopping you, huh?" he asked, grinning. "You should call her."

"Her suspension is finished after this weekend," she said softly. "I'd feel better talking to her in person."

"Then at least call her and tell her that," he advised, kissing the top of her head and lifting himself off the bed. "I'll make the tea. You wash your face or something."

She didn't protest and stared at her cell phone, smiling a little as she dialed Nami's number.

I hope she can forgive me. Even if I've been stupid and she wants to go back to the way things were…even if she doesn't even want to be friends anymore…

Long silences accompanied the dial tone, her heart sinking more with every second the phone was not picked up.

And then it soared when she heard a voice ask tentatively, "Hello?" Her look changed to confusion when she didn't recognize the owner of the voice.

"Kaya-chan? Is that you? This is Nojiko."

"N-Nojiko-san, how are you? Is Nami alright? I'm…I'm a bit confused. This is Nami-san's phone, right?" Kaya immediately felt herself go cold. "She's not hurt is she?"

There was some laughter, and then some enthusiastic reassurance. "No, no, she's perfectly fine. Better than fine, really. She left me her phone while she's in California."

Kaya froze up. "…California?"

Nojiko was silent for a moment before she muttered a conclusive, "Ah. I see. That's why she was so upset."

"Nojiko-san, what do you mean? Nami-san isn't here?"

"She was offered a job as a researcher at one of the larger producer's in the states. She took the college entrance exam's early, and we've been in contact for some time. They know she's very capable. She's been thinking about working there for a few years now." The older woman's voice grew softer, "She couldn't get ahold of you when she got the request that she go spend a few months interning before deciding if she would take the official position."

Kaya fingered the sheets around her, trying not to let her voice quaver. "I…I see. How long," her voice broke a little, "how long before she comes back?"

"Four months. They want to let her get used to the country. She's told me she'll write, but she's only been gone about three days…"

Three days. That last cryptic text message…

I'll see you soon, Kaya.

"I can call you if you like," Nojiko offered, hearing some sniffling on the other end, "when the letter's arrive, of course."

"Might I…request the mailing address?"

"Of course. Here…"

Usopp watched from the door with the tea as Kaya wrote down the address and closed her phone, seeing her visibly cave within herself and shake with self pity.

"I'm an idiot, Usopp-san."