Disclaimer: I don't own Crystal Kay's "Konna ni Chikaku de" (which this installment was inspired by), or Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season. I also didn't translate the last lines of the song by myself; I Google'd the translation.

Everyone: Thanks for staying and continuing to read my stories~ I'm sorry if the updates are coming slower and slower; please know that I am trying my best and always will be. :) Love you all (honest!)!

Note: I've decided to do another angsty, Saeki-centric story. The other one, "Tonight", was short, and I still can't get over how brief it was. D; So I decided to write this one. It's longer (yay? ^^").

( This is written in Saeki's POV. )

--

Seven

Konna ni Chikaku de: Saeki

"Hey! What the heck are you eating?"

Where'd she get food? Without telling me, too!

"N-nothing!" I heard the sound of crinkling candy wrapper amidst the dark. "I-I'd already finished it, anyway…" Her voice grew sheepish, apologetic as she continued. "It was just a small piece of chocolate. Don't get mad."

"Chocolate, huh? Sounds good right now." I sighed as my stomach roared in agreement. The last thing I'd eaten was that curry bread, and that had already been digested hours ago. My stomach was empty, but I guess it didn't matter too much. "It's fine, though. I'm not mad."

"Thanks, Saeki-kun." The feeling of her warmth suddenly grew stronger as I felt her body move closer to mine.

W-what the…?!

"H-hey, what are you doing?" I closed my eyes, trying to calm the pulses that were coming faster and faster now. It wasn't that I didn't like it… Just…

"It's okay, right?" She whispered. "You don't mind? I'm…I'm kind of scared of the dark."

Well, if she had a reason… Besides, I liked it too much to push her away…

"F-fine." I cursed inwardly at how my voice shook.

How had this happened again?

Being stuck in a small closet with her? Megumi Shiroi?

The girl who randomly appeared to haunt me in my dreams at night? The girl who made me stupidly smile every time she walked by?

The girl who I…who I loved?

-

"You done yet?" I called over my shoulder, waiting for my cleaning partner to put her tools away as I had. I stood before the small closet, fixing the lopsided mop as it threatened to fall.

I heard her behind me. "Now I am—ah, crap!" Her body collided into mine, and we both tumbled into the closet.

I blinked as my legs became entangled with hers, not knowing what had happened for a while. Realizing in the next second, I quickly removed my legs from hers and scrambled to my feet. "Don't run so fast next time," I murmured breathlessly, my face slowly growing hotter.

I turned around to leave the small room.

The door was closed.

I twisted the doorknob and pushed against it.

The door was locked.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

I had no time to scold myself for my language. "Idiot! Did you lock the door behind you when you ran into me?"

"No, why?" Her tone was alarmed as I felt her stand up beside me. She grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and shoved her shoulder desperately into the wood.

Nothing.

"W-what the hell? There was no one else in the room with us, right?"

"Yeah! That's what I remember anyway…"

We decided to combine our strengths and took a step backward, until the wall behind us pressed up against our spines. Then we charged against the damned locked door.

Nothing.

We tried it again two more times. Never mind that our shoulders were starting to ache—we had to get out of here.

Nothing.

"One last time!"

Nothing.

Panting, I collapsed. I did not want to be stuck in this closet. With Megumi Shiroi. Megumi!

"Looks like," I managed between gasps of air, "we're stuck in here."

-

Oh, right. That was how it'd happened.

We'd finished our after-school cleaning duty—an exhausting two hours of scrubbing windows, wiping boards, and sweeping the floors—but before we could go home, the door mysteriously closed on us.

And now, we were uncomfortably pressed up against each other. Or at least, uncomfortable for me. Megumi seemed content to be in such proximity…

I turned to look over at where she was. I could only see a faint shape, the outer lines of her head, but I could feel her shoulders, rising and falling with each intake of breath. It felt nice, but I would never admit it…

After all, she saw us as friends only.

Didn't she?

Maybe…maybe now was the time to ask? We were alone, and she seemed to be more than happy to be so close to me…

"Hey, Megumi…"

I paused as a soft light appeared. Blinking—my eyes hadn't seen light in quite a while—I saw that it was the glow of her cell phone screen.

I couldn't say anything. My lips had abruptly become dry.

Because the light that'd suddenly appeared illuminated her face.

Megumi was smiling.

A small smile, true, but… She really didn't mind being stuck in here? With me?

"I can't believe you're happy in a situation like this," I mumbled. Truthfully, though, I was starting to smile myself…

"I know it's silly, and you can make fun of me all you want," she said quietly, "but…I'm always happy when I see this picture."

"Yeah…"

Wait, what?

Picture?

"What picture? You don't have perverted stuff on there, do you?"

"N-no!" She swiftly protested. "Here…this picture." Thrusting her cell phone into my face, I took time to adjust my eyes to the light before making out the aforementioned photo.

On the screen, amid tiny icons of an address book and BrickBreaker, was a grinning Megumi. Her cheeks were flushed and the smile she wore was exhilarated. I couldn't help but stare. She looked absolutely beautiful.

Then I saw arms around her waist.

I traced the arms up to a guy with dark red spikes and a crimson blush on his face. But just like Megumi, he was smiling.

I clicked on the camera icon and selected "Photos" from the menu that popped up. Pictures of Megumi, Megumi with Hisaoka Mizushim from the same class, Megumi with…

"What are you doing with my phone?" I ducked as she reached out.

"BrickBreaker," I fibbed.

Megumi with the same guy from the home screen. Holding hands, piggyback rides, wearing matching yukatas, looking happy on the beach…

Hariya Kounoshin.

I should've seen it sooner.

"Damn, I died. Anyway, your screensaver is…cute," I forced the statement through my teeth as I gave it back. "So you and…Hariya are together?"

I didn't want to hear the answer. And yet, I did.

Even if the dark, I could hear her turn red. "Y-yeah." There was a smile in her tone.

"For how long now?" I wanted to know. I had to know.

"Let me see… Oh! This upcoming Saturday, it'll be our four-month anniversary," she laughed softly, shyly.

"Oh. That's…nice." It wasn't. At all.

"Yeah."

Learning that, all I wanted was to get out of here now.

"Does your cell phone work? Or no signal?"

"No signal," she sighed. "I've been trying since earlier."

Great.

-

It was nighttime. I could hear the faint sound of the crickets through the wood; I could hear the soft howling of a lonely coyote.

Megumi was asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. Her breathing was deep, her pulse was at a calm pace…

But I, in contrast, wasn't sleepy one bit.

Not when my mind wouldn't let me, instead tormenting me with thoughts… Images of Hariya and Megumi together, embracing, kissing, saying "I love you"…

"Hariya-kun…"

It'd come from Megumi.

She was dreaming of him, wasn't she?

Not me. Never.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. I didn't mind her weight on me. She wasn't heavy at all, really.

I glanced down at her sleeping figure. I couldn't see anything, except the lines of her face again. Closing my eyes, I imagined. The shape of her delicate lips, the stray locks of hair that soundlessly fell onto her face…

When people are asleep, they can't hear, can they? They can't hear you whisper their name, or ramble on about how beautiful they are.

She can't—she won't—hear me confess.

"You want to know who I love, Megumi?" I began, smiling as I murmured into her hair. She smelled like…vanilla and cherries… "It's this girl that, one day, when we were little, I kissed her by the beach. It was my very first kiss." I paused to remember the sunset that had painted the sky a breathtaking blend of different shades of orange, yellow, and pink. "It's this girl that, one day, fate put me in a closet with her and locked the door on us. Unfortunately, though, she has someone else. It's not okay with me; it never will be."

My vision blurred as the tears began to crawl up my throat. They had a distinguishing taste—bittersweet. "But right now, I'm happy that she's sleeping, and in my arms. You know who she is, right?"

Megumi didn't say anything. Her silence was starting to bother me.

"Hey, if you love me, say Hariya's name again." I chuckled at how unreasonable, how ridiculously senseless, my request was.

I stopped talking to let it sink in, and waited for her input.

"Hariya-kun…" She finally whispered, breaking the soft silence of the dark.

A single tear fell from my eye and ran down my cheek, creeping onto my chin, and falling into her hair. I smiled.

"I thought so."

-

Although remaining as friends and not confessing

Might be better than love,

Because I'm not able to do it anyway.

Truly, truly, I've always loved you.

I always, always want to continue loving you.

I want to send these feelings to you,

I whisper them to the blue sky.

I'm so in love with you…

--

Note: Once again, my apologies if anyone is dissatisfied…

I hope you'll continue to stay with me!

Arigato, danke, gracias, salamat, THANK YOU for reading!

Please review if you have the time. ^^

Next shall be: Majima Tarou!

I'll get started right away. (;