Author's Note: Hello, everybody! This is the last chapter (well, besides the epilogue, so kinda not?). I can't believe this story's almost over! It's been a great time posting this, and hearing all your thoughts and getting emails telling me someone new has favorited/followed is the best thing ever. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 12

I don't know what the exact reason is, but the next day, during lunch, Tsukiko tells me that she's reported the bullies to her homeroom teacher.

"Really?" I say. "That's great!"

"Yeah . . ." She fidgets slightly. "I guess that I finally realized that unless I really did something, it was never going to change. And you are right most of the time, Senpai. People may lose respect for me because I went to an adult, but others . . . well, I suppose I shouldn't be friends with the people who would disrespect me for this in the first place."

"Most of the time?"

"Is that really all you heard?"

I laugh, and wrap an arm around her, bringing her closer into me, so that the closeness of our bodies can warm us up against the cold. "I'm glad you told someone," I say. "I don't like seeing you get hurt."

"Yeah. I know. You punched Omura-kun."

"He was a jerk."

"Undeniably." She lays her head onto my shoulder and says, "Anyway, I think I'm going to start trying again. To make friends. Maybe, without the bullies watching my every move, I can actually do it. There are my fellow club members, of course. And there are a few girls in class who might be receptive, I think. I've seen one of them reading a light novel, too."

"That is a good start, after all."

She smiles. "Yes, it is."

Sometimes, she still cries. Of course, that's not surprising at all.

She's started going back over to her house, but every now and then, she'll come over to mine, and we'll while away the night, not even speaking a word. Just a few small touches here and there, some slow kisses.

It hangs over us, the fact that she's going to be leaving soon. But we try not to concentrate on that fact. Because, right now, in this present time, we are together.

There comes a time when Omura tries to call her again. Both of us are a little shocked, considering the way things turned out last time we saw him, but as soon as she sees his name, and gets over the initial surprise, she hangs up. She doesn't even bother to answer and see what he wants.

I can't hide my grin.

She says, "He has no business talking with me, after all. He's the one who dumped me. And besides . . ." Her eyes slide over to me.

I lean back onto the couch. "As your boyfriend, I probably wouldn't really enjoy you talking to other guys anyway. Especially exes."

She rolls her eyes. "What are you, super overprotective and jealous?"

"I can be very jealous. And selfish. You probably should've figured that out before you started dating me."

"Well . . ." She moves a little closer. "If it's just about me . . . I don't think I'd mind as much."

My eyes widen slightly, and I can feel my pulse speeding up. I lick my lips, my mouth feeling dry. "I'm also very touchy with my possessions. It's really quite a wonder that I loaned you so many of my light novels. Normally, I wouldn't let anyone touch them."

She smiles. "So does that mean I'm special?"

"Ah . . . you could say that." I squint at her. "More like, I can't refuse anything you ask me to do."

"Aha! That sounds great. So if I ask you to do several somersaults and meow for me, you will?"

"Not a chance."

"Well, it was worth a try. Come on, now. Tell me more about these faults of yours." She leans closer and I can almost feel my heart wanting to jump out of my chest.

"You really want to know?" I ask. "They're not pleasant. I'm not a very pleasant person at all."

"I thought we already went over this," she says. "Besides, I love everything about you. Even your faults, your weaknesses, the fears you hold inside of you, and whatever darkness you think binds you. I want it all." Her face is mere inches from mine now.

I breathe in. "Okay . . . um . . . well, I can be really pessimistic at times. I like to think of it as being realistic, but if I'm truthful with myself, it's probably pessimism."

"Senpai, I could've told you that."

"I'm pretty sure you've tried, too."

She laughs. "Go on."

"Perhaps I'm shallow. I don't really care for other people's opinions other than my own."

"Senpai, really. Are you just realizing all of this now?"

I frown at her. "No, I've always known this."

"And yet you still act this way? You really are hilarious."

"I never really thought about changing anything about my personality before," I say. "But I'm going to try and be better now."

"Mmm. Even if I think you are already silver, a beautiful and pretty pure silver."

"What is with that description?"

She grins. "You really have gotten a lot better. Even if you still think you have these faults of yours, I believe that you've changed. Even before trying, you began to change."

"Is changing like that so easy, though?" I ask her. "While I won't argue that meeting just one person can change you and your perspectives of life, just meeting one person cannot change your fundamental personality. I think it takes more work than that."

"Of course," she says, her tone serious. "While I'm glad that I was able to change you to an extent, and I'm also disappointed that I can't do more than that, I suppose it's almost a relief that I can't. Because I believe that for a person to really change, they have to want it themselves, and they have to want it from their core. You are the person who can change yourself. I am just the person who prompts you to do so."

"From gray to silver, huh?"

She smiles. "Yes. And I believe you can do it." She pokes me — and not even too gently — in the chest, right where my heart is. "I love you."

My mind reels from the sudden words. It's not like we haven't said them before, but we don't say them that often, and not just out of the blue. And . . . it still gets me every time.

"I love you, too," I say, my voice a little rougher than usual.

Her smile widens, but then it slowly fades away. "I can't believe . . . this is one of our last days."

"We're trying not to talk about that, remember?"

"You're graduating! And I'm moving! Mayuzumi-senpai, if there's one thing the bullies have taught me, it's that sometimes you have to face things head on."

I tap my fingers against my leg. I can't deny her reasoning. Sometimes, it's better to get things over sooner than later; talk about things rather than push them aside. "Okay. What do you want to say about it, then?"

"I . . . don't know. Honestly. These past few months with you have probably been the happiest of my life. I'm serious. You've made everything around me brighter. Even when you glared at me or told me to shut up, I found myself coming back to you every day."

"That kind of sounds like masochism."

She laughs. "Doesn't that mean you're the sadist?"

"I feel like we've had this conversation before."

But that aside, shouldn't I be the one saying that she makes everything better? How could I make the world around her bright? I am . . .

She continues. "I've loved all of our discussions about the light novels, and I loved going to all your games and watching you play. I'd love to see you in a game where you went full strength."

"I don't think I'm going to play basketball anymore."

"Are you serious? But you're so good!"

"I'm not . . . that good. Average, at best. I probably seemed better than I was simply because the rest of Rakuzan was an exceptional team."

"I don't think that's true."

"Tsukiko, you're just way too optimistic of a person."

"And like you just said, you're really quite a bit of a pessimist."

I cock my head, and then we both start to laugh. She coughs into her hand slightly, choking on her giggles, and says, "My goodness, Mayuzumi-senpai. Don't be such a downer on yourself. You gotta be more confident in your own abilities. What are you going to do in college anyway?"

"I don't know. Right now, I'm just going to take some general classes. And . . . see where that takes me."

"I see. Aren't you good at physics?"

"Mmm. Yeah."

"What college are you going to again?"

I feel heat beginning to rise in my cheeks. I say, "Have you ever thought about what you're going to do in the future?"

"I don't know," she says, not noticing the subject change. "I like cooking, but I don't think I want to do that for the rest of my life."

"You'd run a good homemade restaurant."

"I like light novels, but I don't think I'm cut out for a writer."

"You're good at English."

"That's not even the same thing!"

"Maybe you should do something with hair," I say, twirling a purple lock through my fingers. "Learn how to do different styles. Make-up, whatever."

"That's so . . . flashy."

"It seems like you, though."

"I guess I could give it a thought. Oh, and I was thinking about getting a new color. The purple's fading pretty fast now. What do you think next?"

"Hmm. So you've done teal, red, and purple now?"

"Yep."

"Rainbow."

"Are you serious?"

"Not really. I don't think I would even like that, and I totally support all your colors."

She tilts her head, considering. "Maybe not rainbow . . . but a few different colors would be cool. I've only done one up until now." She bites her lip. "I don't think I'd have enough money for it, though. Dying your hair is expensive, and even just two colors would be really costly."

"I'll pay for it," I say.

"What? No, I can't ask you to do that."

"Think of it . . . as a graduating present. For passing your first year. And for being my girlfriend. And just because." I shrug. My parents have always been well-off, and I've never really wanted for anything, so the issue of paying for her hair dye is quite small, in fact. I think she knows this also.

She says, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Get whatever you want. I'll fully support you. Unless it's rainbow. Then I might puke."

She laughs. "Even you, Senpai?"

"It'd give me a headache."

"Don't worry. I don't think I could handle it either. But, Senpai, really, you never told me what college you're going to."

Oh. She did notice that I changed the subject and didn't answer her question.

"Um . . ."

"Have you not decided? No, that can't be it. You're graduating in two days!"

I say nothing.

"Are you not going to college?!" She jumps to the worst conclusion. "Are you actually going to just skip it and go straight into work? Or — Senpai, are you moving really far away? Are you going to America? Or did none of the colleges accept you, and you're too embarrassed to tell me?"

I push my hand over her mouth and she gasps, but quiets down. "None of that!" I say. "Sheesh. Your imagination, honestly."

"So . . . what is it, then?"

My cheeks go bright red.

I hope she doesn't notice.

She does.

She traces a finger across my cheeks and grins. "What's that look for?" she says. "What's so embarrassing about this college of yours? I'm really curious now."

"It's not that it's . . . embarrassing. It's fine. It's just . . . It's . . ."

"Spit it out."

"Are you trying to imitate me now?"

"C'mon, just tell me, Senpai! I'm dying to know!"

I sigh. "The college I'm decided to go to . . . ah . . . it's in Tokyo."

For several moments, there's silence. Then she says, "Tokyo? Like, Tokyo, Japan? The place where I'm going? Where I live? That Tokyo?"

"What other Tokyo is there? Silly."

"Oh my goodness."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?"

She grips both of my arms and pulls me into her so suddenly that I don't know how to react. Her lips slam into mine.

I melt.

Then, just as quickly, she separates from me. Her eyes are huge. "You're moving to Tokyo!" she cries. "You're coming to Tokyo! You're going to college in Tokyo! Yes? Yes? Right?"

"Yes," I say, and I laugh, though my head's still ringing from the kiss. "I'm moving to Tokyo. I'm coming to Tokyo. I'm going to college in Tokyo!"

"Which means . . . how far are you going to be from me? Mayuzumi-senpai, how far is it?" She shakes me so hard that I almost feel my bones rattle inside me.

"About twenty minutes," I say.

"So you did look it up," she says, grinning. "Is that why you chose a school in Tokyo?"

"Well . . . it is a good school. And I've always wanted to move to Tokyo, anyway. I like the big city. And there's a lot of cool stuff going on there. And they have a lot of promising programs there."

"Senpai . . ." She narrows her eyes at me.

"Fine," I say. "A few months ago, after you told that you were moving to Tokyo, I looked up some schools, and applied without thinking. One accepted me."

"And . . ."

"And it was an easy choice," I say, sighing and shaking my head, helpless to her gaze on me, "seeing as you'd kissed me right before I saw the letter."

"Senpai, you're so easily manipulated sometimes."

"Only by you."

"What is that? Are you telling me I'm your only weakness?"

"Oh, I have a lot of weaknesses. You're just the worst."

"Is . . . that a compliment? I can't really tell, because 'worst' makes it sound bad."

I draw her into me and lay my head on her shoulder this time. She wraps her arms around me. I say, "It's probably a compliment."

"Probably?"

"Definitely, then."

"That sounds better."

"What is it with you and always fishing for praise?"

"What's wrong with praise? Don't you like getting praised?"

"Not particularly. It makes me feel like they're just trying to get on my good side."

"You're so pessimistic."

"So I've been told."

"But Mayuzumi-senpai, I can't believe that you're moving to Tokyo . . . aha." She lets out a small laugh. "Everyone at my new school is going to be so jealous. I'll be dating a college boy."

"Is that something to be envious of?"

"Totally! And you're very good-looking, too. We'll go on lots of dates and I'll take lots of pictures, and I'll show them off to all my awesome friends, and they'll be oozing with jealousy."

"Good-looking?"

"Mayuzumi-senpai, is that all you focused on? Did you not care for that compliment?"

"Well, if it's coming from you . . ." I straighten up and look her in the eyes. "Furthermore, when are you going to stop addressing me so formally? We are dating, after all. I don't mind if you call me by my first name. You had me calling you by your first name from the very first few times."

Her eyes widen slightly. "Y-your first name?"

"What are you getting all embarrassed for?" I chide. "Didn't you call Omura-kun by his first name?"

"Well, I did . . . but you're different."

"I don't understand."

"I mean, obviously first names are a huge step forward. Omura-kun and I began to call each other by our first names quite early on. And, to be honest, I had you call me by my first name because . . . I wanted someone to say my name. Someone else other than him. I didn't want to hear his voice staining my name anymore. It was a selfish request. I'm sorry."

"I don't mind," I say.

"Senpai, are you cracking your knuckles?"

"Never mind that. Continue."

"Ah, anyway. I suppose I'm still calling you 'senpai' because I wanted our relationship to be serious before I decided that I would call you by your first name."

"This isn't serious?" I blink a few times and begin to lean back, but she stops me.

"No. No. That's not what I meant! Don't get me wrong. I would never have said I loved you if I didn't think it was serious. I do think it's serious. I just suppose . . . these last few months, I've gotten a bit comfortable. And calling you by your first name seems like another big step." She blushes.

"That's not fair," I grumble. "I've always called you by your first name. So I don't see how you should get away from saying mine. Besides, if we're going to still be dating when I'm in college, there's a chance you'll meet my parents. And they're both Mayuzumi, you know? Then that's weird."

"But they'd be –san, and you'd be –senpai. Difference."

"Stop trying to get out of it."

"F-fine! Mayuzumi-senpai, I'll do it!"

"You just contradicted yourself, I think."

"I — I mean, Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch—"

I snigger and she glares at me. I cough. "Take your time. I have nothing going on."

"Chihiro," she whispers.

I feel a slight shiver down my back.

After finally saying it, she seems to brighten, returning to her normal flamboyant self. "Or," she says, "I could call you Chihiro-chan? Chi-chan? Or — hey, what about Chi-cchi? That sounds great!"

"Don't you dare."

She lets out a loud laugh, and says, "Chihiro, then?"

"That's fine as it is. You're just Tsukiko, after all."

"Just Tsukiko?"

"You know what I mean."

"Chihiro," she says again. She smiles, a broad grin that creates flutters in my stomach. "I like it. I'm glad you made me say it, Sen— I mean, Chihiro. That's right. I can't call you Senpai, anymore. Especially if you're graduating."

"Yes, so your differentiation between –san and –senpai wouldn't have even worked."

She gives me a small scowl. "No need to point out my flaws in reasoning. Chihiro."

"I think you're saying it weird."

"Weird? What's weird about it? Chihiro. Chihiro."

"Not that's really weird."

"I am not saying it weird! I'm just trying out . . . different inflections."

"That's saying it weird."

"Whatever, Sen— Chihiro."

I just smile. "You'll get used to it. As much as you're saying it."

"Yes!" she says. "I'll make it my personal goal to use it in every sentence I say. Chihiro."

"Now, I'm not quite sure I can handle that."

"You're the one who wanted me to start saying it!"

"But that's just overkill."

In reality, I don't really mind. I actually love her saying it. Because, honestly . . . why wouldn't I?

Tsukiko stares at me, her lips slightly parted, and her eyes with a curious look in them.

I say, "After I graduate, I'm moving into the college dorm. I've already found a roommate. He seems like a decent enough person. Hopefully he won't annoy me."

"That would be so awful."

"My parents might be getting an apartment in Tokyo, too. For whenever they decide to live in Japan."

"I'd like to meet them."

"They'd like you. Probably more than me."

"Sen— Chihiro, you really should stop acting like that."

"Sorry. I'll do better next time."

"More importantly," she says, "I'd like to confirm something else. Since it could be said we're still on the topic of us separating — but not really separating?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"When I first came up to the roof, and started talking to you, did you foresee this?"

"Can't say that I did. Honestly, I just saw you as an irritating first-year."

She smiles. "That's what I thought."

"What about you?" I ask. "Did you think this would happen?" I motion to my arm around her, and her shoulder pressed against mine.

She says, "No. I didn't think so either. I never thought I'd fall in love with you. I never even thought we'd really be that good of friends. I thought . . . maybe we'd become friends. I really just wanted someone I could talk to, and I thought maybe you could be that person. But what I got was better than I ever imagined . . . and when I realized I was beginning to like you . . . a lot more than I ever cared for Omura-kun . . . it kind of scared me at first. But then it was a wonderful feeling as well. It was liberating, like the cage around my heart was beginning to unlock. Like I could step anywhere, go through any door. I kind of wanted to do it with you."

"You . . . felt all that?"

"Yeah. What did you feel?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes. I want your honest thoughts. And besides, Chihiro, when have you ever not been honest with me? Even to the point of brutality?"

"Well . . . I might've just thought that you were the only person that could alter my perception and make me do things that I wasn't accustomed to. And that I really kind of wanted to kiss you."

"Wow. That's really deep."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Ah . . . do I have to answer that?"

I roll my eyes, but I draw her closer once again, and kiss the top of her head. She breathes in, and grips the front of my shirt, ducking her head underneath my chin and pressing her forehead against my chest.

"I can feel your heartbeat," she says.

"Feel it? Not hear it?"

"Was that a strange choice of words? I thought that maybe 'feel' might work better in this instance. I mean, I can hear it, too, but I can feel it beating. It seems so strong and safe and steady. And I'm glad . . ." She trails off, not finishing.

"You're glad that what?"

"I'm glad . . ." Her voice is very soft now. "I'm glad that I could be the one to hold it. Your heart."

My breath catches. "You really have it all, you know."

Even though I can't see her face, I can almost feel her smiling. "All of it?"

"All of it," I say, surety flowing through me.

"That makes me happy . . . because I don't think you're the type of person to say that lightly."

"You're right. I'm not."

"Does that make me special?"

She's asked that question before.

She doesn't know how much.

I lift her head up, and her eyes shimmer as they stare into mine.

"You don't know how much," I whisper.

She smiles.

And I can feel it inside me, the feeling that started out small but then grew into something so big and overwhelming that it never seems to disappear anymore and that I can't seem to remember what it felt like for it to not be there . . . I can feel it growing even more and more, till it feels like it might explode inside of me.

I say, "Thank you . . . for everything. I love you. Tsukiko. I love you."

"I should be saying the same thing."

"Maybe we should say it together, then?"

"Okay. Together. That sounds . . . really nice."

We link our fingers together, and by some internal countdown, we both say, "Thank you." We smile at each other, unable to contain the joy bursting within us. "I love you."

A/N: So cheesy. I'm not very good with romances sometimes, I think? Anyways, a lot of talk in this chapter (and she finally calls him by his first name!). A bit more lighthearted than the last few. Also, I meant to make a note on this before, but on Japanese colleges . . . well, obviously I'm not Japanese, so I'm not entirely sure how their college stuff works. In all actuality, I think most kids in Japan start thinking about what they want to do in their second year of high school, with help from their homeroom teacher, and choose a college based on that and stuff. There are entrance examinations, cram schools, and recommendation stuff. It's most likely a very involved process. As such, I probably portrayed it wrong in this story. But . . . oh well. Too late to change it now.

I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up, but hopefully not too long. I'm actually going to an anime convention this weekend, and I'm super super excited! I hope to see lots of Kuroko no Basuke stuff. Oh, and I think I'm going to be posting the Midorima/OC story next. What do you guys think? After that, it'll be the Aomine one. And I'm currently writing a Kise/OC with a parallel Kasamatsu/OC story. And then I have ideas for an Akashi/OC. . . . I have all these KnB stories I wanna write and post, but not enough time . . . ;_; Anyways, if there's any that you guys want me to try and make priority, I can hopefully make a better effort in it! I can be a bit lazy sometimes, haha. But I definitely do this all for you guys (and plus, writing these stories is just fun), and I love hearing your thoughts and knowing you enjoy what I read makes me really happy.

Wow. Super long author's note. Sorry about that. Well, it is the penultimate chapter. Until next time!

~ J. Dominique