Siopao: (1/11/2015) ...I don't even want to think of how long I've left this story hanging. I would apologize, but I simply don't think it's enough. I thought of giving up on this story multiple times. Yet, here I am, since I suddenly had an idea and also happened to have some free time. I had to reread my story to figure out what was even happening. Skimming the past chapters is highly recommended.

But basically, here's a RECAP:

- In the most previous chapters, Brick had collapsed at the skate park and Momoko took him in to care for him.

- Kaoru & Butch are together and happy. Kaoru still works as a waitress at Cure Maid Cafe.

- Miyako is still upset that Boomer hasn't turned up. Last time she saw him was back in ch. 4 when he saved her from a truck. Takaaki has his doubts about his own importance.

Setting: Mid/Late December-ish; Tokyo.

Disclaimer: I don't own PPGZ or it's characters.

This chapter will focus on the Takaaki/Miyako/Boomer plot. I tried to make it a bit longer. Please enjoy.

Love Chronicles

Part VII - The Rain

By: Screaming Siopao

(Takaaki's POV)

I want to believe she's into me. I want her to have feelings for me. I want her to love me, like I love her.

But I feel like her heart and mind have already been stolen away from me. It didn't happen recently, either. I have a feeling that it was stolen a long, long time ago. Maybe while I was still recovering in the hospital from my illness. Yeah, it was probably then. After all, a lot must have happened in her life during that time.

I don't know who this thief, who ran away with Miyako's heart, is... but it may be too late for me.

I might not have a chance, anymore.

She and I haven't really been speaking as often. Whenever we do, it's uncomfortable and awkward. I can tell she's struggling. Struggling to look me in the eye. Struggling to keep her feelings in about that other guy. I know she's confused; she herself doesn't really realize her feelings for me aren't there anymore. I know that my presence is just confusing her even more. I want her to be happy again.

I think it's time to set her free.

o0o0o0o

(Normal POV)

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day for all the students. Kaoru, Miyako, and Momoko all stood as they began filling their bags with books and papers to take home. It was Friday now, and the weekend was finally here after a long five days of classes.

Right now, the girls were all going through different predicaments.

As of today, Kaoru and Butch have been officially dating for almost two months. The pairing was a bit odd and unexpected, yet the two spunky teens were happy. Day by day, Butch would find a way to surprise Kaoru to all the more show that he was different. His acts were simple, yet meaningful, like waiting for her shifts to end at work and walking her home at night. The dark-haired girl never failed to notice his efforts and he often got rewarded for his deeds, for example, Kaoru allowing him to hold her hand. He was content with that. Kaoru, who was only initially working as a waitress at Cure Maid Cafe to raise enough cash for a skateboard, actually started truly liking the job and ended up staying there to work. She had come to not mind the itchy maid uniform as much. Plus, Butch had told her that she looked cute in it.

For Miyako, it had been over a month since she had seen Boomer. The blonde boy disappeared for the first time, after discovering that Miyako and Takaaki seemed to have a fairly intimate and meaningful relationship. He reappeared very briefly when Miyako absentmindedly stepped onto the street without looking. He saved her from a deadly accident that day, and Miyako felt forever indebted to him. She wished that Boomer would just return already. She felt guilty for thinking it, since Takaaki had been so nice to her up until now. But she missed Boomer, terribly, and it was very noticeable.

Momoko had run into Brick just the other week in the park, but he had been acting strange. It began to rain and she could sense that the red-head was not feeling well. As the rain began to pour, Brick collapsed and she felt obligated to take him to her house and care for him until he recovered. It was a part of Brick that she had never seen before. He appeared to be so weak and helpless, something that he never was before. He depended on her that day. It's as if he was shouting for help all this time, and she finally heard his desperate, yet silent, cries. She hadn't seen Brick ever since he left her house that day. Not even when she'd walk by the skate park. He, like Boomer, was no where to be found. He left her house not exactly with a full recovery. In the deepest corner of her heart, she just wanted to find him safe again.

The three girls sighed in unison as they all looked at one another.

"Shall we all head out?" Momoko suggested. She was not her usual hyper self.

"Yeah, I suppose," Kaoru bleakly commented. Though things with her and Butch were going well, she just could not be completely happy, due to her friends' unresolved problems. Butch, too, seemed to be troubled because of both of his brothers' recent disappearances. Kaoru just wanted everything to be sorted out so that they all could finally be happy.

They all had at last stopped their quarreling and fighting against each other, as rivals. They had finally outgrown that. It was time for everybody to get along.

As the three girls stepped out of the classroom and into the hall, they all came to face with a blonde Takaaki, who returned to school the the recent weeks.

"Ah, Taka-chan," Miyako called out, surprised.

"Miyako-chan," he mouthed. He seemed troubled. "Er, I've been meaning to speak with you. Is that okay?"

"Sure," Miyako agreed, not really liking the tone in his voice. They haven't really been speaking with one another, as of late. After the truck incident in which Boomer had swiftly come to save her and vanish once again, things began to get awkward. Takaaki felt as if he could never have Miyako alone to himself. That the other guy was always there, somehow. "Kaoru-san, Momoko-san, could you wait for me by the front gate?"

"Yeah, of course," Momoko agreed. Kaoru simply nodded. The two girls left the blondes alone, hoping that everything was okay.

Once the two girls were out of view, Takaaki cleared his throat to say what was on his mind.

"Miyako-chan," he began. "Do you like me?"

It was so straightforward that Miyako thought that she must have been hearing things. Her cheeks subconsciously turned a pleasant shade of pink that she could not control.

"E- Eh? What are you saying, Taka-chan?" she stuttered nervously. "Of course I like you, since you're my friend."

"No, Miyako-chan," he breathed. He was obviously troubled and his eyes expressed both sadness and determination. "That's not what I meant at all. Miyako-chan, I like you a lot. But I feel as though you aren't interested in me at all. That there could be," he paused, looking down at the ground, "someone else."

Miyako gasped. This was completely unexpected. Had Takaaki really just confessed to her? Ever since they were small kids, she held a small crush on him. That crush grew each day, with the hopes that she would one day be reunited with him. Even when he never showed up, she still thought of him.

She wanted to like him so, desperately bad. She wanted, with all her heart, to say, "I like you, too, Taka-chan." Then they could be together and happy, right? That's what she wanted, ever since the beginning.

Yet, she could not bring herself to do so. Perhaps because she was afraid. Perhaps because she was still unsure. Perhaps because she knew that what he was saying might actually be true. There could possibly be someone else. Someone who had been occupying the deepest corners of her mind, no matter what she was doing.

It was Boomer.

She didn't know why, but she was thinking of the boy nonstop. She was just so captivated by him; so entranced by him. It's as if they were linked. All she could think of was when she would see him again. How much he had changed, how much she longed to see him, how much she wished for his safe return. Even at this very moment, when Takaaki was attempting to confess his feelings to her, Boomer was all she could think about.

She felt like a horrible person for that.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, after a few silent moments. "Taka-chan, I'm sorry."

"So I'm right?" he let out an exasperated sigh. "There is someone else?"

"Not exactly," she admitted. After all, she and Boomer had no relationship with each other. It was the truth. "But I just can't return those feelings, Taka-chan. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," he smirked in self-pity. "I guess I was too late, huh?"

Miyako was silent. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes. She was trying so hard to keep them in, but her efforts might soon be wasted.

"Well," he sighed. "I won't be bothering you anymore. I won't force yourself on me. I hope you find happiness, Miyako-chan." The boy took a step forward and was hesitant for just a moment. Then, he slowly pressed his soft lips onto Miyako's forehead and reluctantly parted away after a few dragged out seconds. "Thank you for always being there."

With that, the blonde boy spun on his heels and began walking away from a heartbroken Miyako. She stared down at her shoes as drops began falling from her eyes. She was crying, crying for a good friend that she may have just lost. Crying, for she felt so angry at herself for being so preoccupied in Boomer that she could not even acknowledge Takaaki's feelings. She felt terrible.

Boomer had disappeared because he didn't want to get in the way of Miyako and Takaaki's relationship. He didn't want to be a burden to her, just like how Boomer thought he was a burden to his brothers. And now, her precious Takaaki would also be disappearing because he didn't want to get in the way of Miyako's true feelings. It felt as if everyone was suddenly leaving her life. She did not want anyone to leave her, anymore.

"Wait, Taka-chan," she looked up, face stained with her sad tears. But he was already gone. "Taka-chan... I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she whispered into the empty halls. Her tears continued to fall. "Please," she sobbed, "don't go."

It was said in vain, for there was no one to hear her now.

Down the hall, Takaaki remained hidden by a wall. It was so painful for him to walk away from Miyako like that. She was so precious to him and it was such a difficult task to let her go. From his blue orbs escaped a few lonely tears, as well. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve.

"I lost, didn't I?" he whispered. He smirked in self-pity. "I lost a long time ago."

At the gates, Momoko and Kaoru were still waiting for their blonde friend.

"Eh... Miyako has been in there with Takaaki for a while," Momoko observed as she stared at her watch. "It looks like it's about to rain, too." She looked overhead and saw puffy gray clouds that looked like they would release their heavy rain at any given moment.

"Yeah, you're right," Kaoru agreed. "My shift starts soon. I wonder if everything's alright."

"Hey guys!" the two girls heard. They looked back towards the school and saw that Miyako was running towards them, her blonde pigtails bobbing and all. "Sorry I kept you waiting!"

"What happened in there?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, you almost made me miss a new episode of my pop teen show! There's a totally hot model being interviewed today!" Momoko exclaimed. She was worried about Brick and she buried herself in her teen idol obsessions more and more as of late to keep her mind occupied. However, in the end, Momoko would always think about Brick, no matter how much she tried to keep busy.

"Sorry!" Miyako apologized with a bright smile. "It was just about some assignments. It's all okay now!"

Miyako was acting extra bubbly in order to hide the fact that she was just miserably crying inside the school. She didn't want to worry her friends, after all. She would just have to act normal until they all went their separate paths. Then she could cry all she'd want. She didn't want to be a crybaby in front of them anymore.

The three walked normally, with Momoko blabbering on about the hot model she'd be watching later on, Kaoru commenting on how the red-head needed a life. Miyako simply looked onward at her two friends and smiled subtly - she somewhat wanted to tell her friends what happened back in the school, yet she did not want to ruin this upbeat moment with her sad and pitiful life. Yes, she'd definitely hold it in for as long as she could, she decided.

"Miyako? You feeling alright?" Kaoru looked back at her usually cheerful friend with a worry of look.

"Eh?" Miyako chirped, surprised by the question. Was she being too obviously down in the dumps? "I'm fine," she smiled forcefully.

"You've been pretty quiet back there. Did something happen with Takaaki back at school?" Momoko asked. Even Momoko, who was normally dense and oblivious, was able to detect that she wasn't being herself. She teared a bit at her friends' worry and concern, but quickly shook it off.

"Honestly, I'm okay," she lied. "I'm just tired from the week. I think I'll nap when I get home," she stated with a smile that masked her sadness.

"Eh... Okay," Momoko replied, with doubt still present in her voice.

"If you need anything at all, you know where to find me," Kaoru suggested. "Well, I need to get to work from here. I'll see you guys." And with that, the black haired teen parted from her friends at the intersection. She was excited to work, for Butch would be visiting her during her shift, once again.

As the red-head and blonde girl continued to walk on, a single rain droplet fell on each of their noses.

"Ah, it's going to rain after all," Momoko whispered as she looked at the dark sky cascading above Tokyo.

"Oh, and I didn't bring an umbrella," Miyako sighed. Her day was just getting much worse.

"Me neither!" Momoko complained. "Your place is close right? I'm going to run home from here, if that's okay."

"Hai, I'll be fine," the blonde assured with a small smile.

"Okay, see you, Miyako!" the red-head bade as she sprinted away with a school book covering her head.

"Bye, Momoko-san," Miyako replied as she waved back.

Miyako looked at the dark, brooding clouds above her. The sky was releasing more rain as the seconds passed. Before she knew it, it was already pouring. Yet, she did not budge. She stood still, amongst the moving crowd, and just stared up at the raining sky.

In moments, she found herself soaked. The air was cold and the rain was piercing, yet she did not shiver. After everything she's gone through, Miyako just felt so numb. She stood there for a few moments, just allowing the rain to envelop her body. Her eyes were blank and she was silent. Then, after a few moments, she slowly released her withheld tears and cried along with the sky, glad that the drops of rain falling onto her fair face were able to mask her tears. Her slow-falling tears eventually increased in rate and soon enough, she was sobbing.

"Taka-chan, I'm sorry," she whispered. She felt like such a horrid person. She'd been waiting for him to recover all this time; waiting to meet with him and be with him outside of that dreaded hospital. To be with him in school, to go out on dates with him. Now that the time has come, her feelings were gradually changing and she could not stop them any longer. Her heart was longing for another blonde boy, right now. "I'm so, so sorry," she cried into the air, as raindrops continued to kiss her flushed cheeks.

She saw all the faces passing her by. They all seemed to blend together, somehow. Everyone looked the same if you didn't know their backstory or their respective lives. Each face passed by her without a second take. Many did not even take a single glance at her. She was invisible to them. She felt so small; she was just one weeping soul among millions. Of course, no one would care. She felt so insignificant; so minuscule and replaceable.

She averted her gaze from the crowd and looked back up towards the sky, which continued to relentlessly pour down it's rain. Her eyes glimmered with a hint of loneliness and self-pity. This was very unlike how she normally was. Her cheerful and bubbly self was gone, at this very moment. She had never felt lower than this.

"Boomer," she whispered, more tears falling from her bright, blue orbs. Of course, none of the passing pedestrians distinguish tell her tears from the rain, so she let herself cry all she wanted now. "I'm sorry, too."

"For what?" a deep voice from behind her asked.

"Eh?" Miyako's eyes widened. She knew that calming voice. It was a voice she seldom heard anymore. Was she dreaming? Maybe hallucinating? She did not budge. She was afraid to. If he wasn't there behind her, she didn't know what she'd do. So she decided to just keep facing forward.

"Miyako," he breathed. She felt a warm breath of air on the back of her neck. He was so close. Was it really possible, then? Maybe she wasn't imagining things. "Turn around."

She did was she was commanded and slowly spun around to see a pair of ocean eyes - it was her guardian, once again.

He placed his dark blue jacket over the girl's head in order to shield her from the rain.

"You'll catch a cold, Miyako," he worried.

"It's really... you," she spoke slowly, her mouth quivering from crying. Her tears were uncontrollable now and she bit on her bottom lip to hold in the sobs. "Boomer."

At that moment, he protectively wrapped his arms around the tiny girl, shielding her all the more from the frigid rain. She continued to cry in his arms and he did not question her. He just let her cry, to let out all her feelings of sadness and frustration. After all, he knew what it felt like to be the sensitive one. A good cry was all anyone needed from time to time.

"Miyako, it's okay, now," he assured her. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, anymore."

"Boomer, I'm so glad. I really can't believe it," she cried into his chest. "You've come back."

"I never left," was his simple reply. He rested his chin on top of her head.

"W- What?" She looked up at him to see his face. He was so handsome to her and a tinge of pink formed on her cheeks. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means I've been watching over you, to make sure you were always safe," he stated with a smile. "Is that creepy? It sounds a bit creepy when I say it like that..." he scratched the back of his head.

"N- No!" Miyako disagreed, the blush on her cheeks intensifying. "If Boomer was never there, I... I might be..." she thought back at the incident a few weeks ago in which she was almost struck by a speeding truck. "You've always been there to save me."

"And now," he mouthed, seriousness in his tone, "I'm here to save you from those tears." He took his thumb and wiped her cheeks, though it was still raining and her skin instantaneously became wet, once again.

He had longed to see her face to face like this again. He didn't know when it started, perhaps it was way back in the cafe when they both were spying on Butch and Kaoru, but he just could not get get Miyako out of his mind. That day, she showed kindness unto him that no one dared to ever do, ever. He pushed her away and she just shrugged it off; she helped him and comforted him, though his display was so cruel. She showed him it was okay to cry and now, he was telling her the same.

"You noticed that I was crying?" she asked, mildly surprised. No one was supposed to see. The rain was her mask. But, Boomer saw through it all.

"Of course. And also, I just had to tell you that you'll get sick if you don't get home." He looked up at the sky, who did not hold back its rain as the time passed. "Actually, we both will get sick if we don't take shelter soon."

She softly smiled at her savior before her and nodded. The sadness and pain from before had washed away. There was a glimmer of hope and happiness in her sapphire orbs once again. Boomer's presence had restored her strength, just a little bit.

Somewhere in the distance, she saw a dark rain cloud giving way for the sun. Miyako saw a sliver of light emerging from the gray horizon. Soon, the storm would end and the sun would come out completely. The raindrops were beginning to cease, slowly but surely.

"Hai," she agreed. "Let's go home."

Love Chronicles

Part VII - The Rain

Siopao: Please review, if you think I'm even deserving. It would be nice to know all your lovely opinions. You can yell at me too, if you want.

Here's a little update on my life, if anyone was interested: I'm currently in my last semester of undergrad and will graduate this upcoming May 2015 with my bachelor's degree for studying biology. Two weeks ago, I was also accepted into Illinois College of Optometry so I can pursue my dream of becoming an eye doctor. Cool, huh? It's another four years of school but I'm pretty excited.

Anyways, you guys are awesome if you're still reading up till this point. Review~