Chapter 4

Moving Closer

"Good morning, sunshine. Good luck at work today."

Sawako smiled as she woke up to Haru's text at six in the morning on a lazy Friday. She could hear his voice as she read the words. He certainly knew how to put a smile on her face. It's been over a month since they started hanging out more often, but weren't exactly dating, even though they acted a lot like it.

She still couldn't really tell if Haru was still feeling nervous around her or he was just not interested enough to be more than friends with her. Either way, what they had now was still a good thing.

She swung her legs so that her feet would land on the floor, on the side of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, greeting the day. She felt like it was impossible for it to be ruined, now that Haru gave her such a great start.

Haru smirked as he put his cellphone down right after sending the text to Sawako, driving home from work. He desperately needed some sleep, especially since he didn't get the chance to do so the day before. He had been too busy hanging out with Sawako lately that he had forgotten that he still had himself to take care of.

He wearily entered his house and threw his blazer across the room and onto his couch, followed by the peach-colored v-neck shirt that he wore underneath.

He continued undressing himself as he made his way to his room until he was only wearing his boxers. He went inside, opened his cabinet and pulled out a plain white t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts, putting them on.

As soon as he finished, he picked up his phone and dialled Sawako's number, pressing it against his ear while he waited for her to answer.

Haru's place was a large, contemporary two-storey, four-bedroom residence. He and the rest of his family, which included his little sister, his big brother and his parents, used to live there half a decade ago, until his parents decide to work overseas so they could provide a better life for their children. Since his big brother decided to work at the New York Times, and his little sister was still attending NYU, the place was pretty much abandoned; the walls were decorated with cracks and water stains and the wooden floors were already old and coarse. Ever since he went back home, he has been trying his best to renovate the place and bring back its long-forgotten shine, but while he was successful in repairing the electrical circuits, so far not much has changed.

Adding up to the apartment's 'neglected attic' atmosphere was his bad habits. Empty cans of beer, as well as dirty pieces of clothing, were all over the place, and his empty dishes from last night were still dumped in the sink. A ball of takoyaki even decorated the keyboard of his open laptop, which was sitting on his couch. Probably the only thing that was in order was his car keys, which were hanging on the hook he carelessly fixed by the door.

It was pretty ironic. While Haru was great at presenting himself to other people, he just wasn't any good at keeping an entire house in check. At this rate, he might need at least five cleaning ladies before the place can be perfectly cleaned.

"Hello?" Sawako answered after three rings.

"Are you busy?" He immediately said. "You wanna hang out tonight? There's this pretty cool band that'll be playing at the Luca Label."

Sawako actually paused to think about it. She was having her breakfast when Haru suddenly called. He was developing quite the habit of asking her out on dates on such short notice. She didn't think she had a lot to do today, but being a teacher, a lot can happen in one day. One moment she's free, the other she could be busy for the rest of the night.

She'd definitely hate to have to turn him down, especially when she could imagine his expression of disappointment. He'd probably look like an abandoned puppy.

"I'll see if I can." She finally said. "If I'm free after school, I'll call you, okay?"

Haru smirked. It was almost a yes. "Okay. Have fun at work." He told her. "And be careful on your way there, okay?"

"All right, dad." She joked.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later." With that, Haru laughed and ended the call, throwing his phone lightly to the bed, watching it bounce against the pillow. He followed it and leapt onto the comfort of his single bed, feeling the softness of the pillow against his face.

Probably the reason his bed felt so comfortable right now was because he was tired. It was about time he went to sleep. He still had a date later tonight with Sawako, after all.

"No kidding!" Norimi gasped as she walked with Sawako. They were hanging out for lunch and somehow she managed to tell her old band-mate about Haru and how things were going really well. It really hasn't been that way for a while, after all.

"Keep your voice down!" She shushed her.

Norimi just laughed and kept looking at her. This was great news, knowing Sawako. She was expecting to tell her more than just his name and the fact that she's been hanging out with him for weeks now.

"You'll let us play at your wedding, right?" Norimi joked, causing her friend to blush furiously.

"We're still just hanging out!" Sawako insisted. She then sighed and looked up, tilting her head slightly. "Still, I can't tell if we're already dating or just hanging out or anything at all."

Norimi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" She said. "I mean, he's always taking you out on dates, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. He even asked me out again tonight. This time at the Luca Label. He said there's a cool band that's going to play." Sawako said. "It's just that we really haven't done anything that'll confirm that we're more than friends, you know? Like, hold hands or just show any affection at all."

Norimi could only nod. She understood her friend's predicament. She was longing for a little more affection since she really hasn't gotten any from a guy for a while now, or ever. "Yeah, it'd be great if this Haru guy stopped leading you on and actually made a move for a change." She suddenly laughed. "But I'm sure he's just getting cold feet. Girls like us, we're pretty hard to handle. Am I right or am I right?"

She wrapped an arm around Sawako's shoulder as they walked, and she could only laugh in reply. She was right, after all. "Yeah, but we don't need to put labels on everything, right? I wouldn't want us to move too fast anyway."

Sawko still hasn't told Haru about her high school days, when she was still a member of Death Devil. She wondered what his reaction would be if she told him. A secret like that was a secret for a reason, after all. Would he laugh at her, would he run in terror, or would he stay despite becoming aware of that?

Norimi suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. "Hey, how about you take me with you to watch that gig tonight? We can have, like, a double date!"

Sawako looked up at her. That sounded insane, but the idea wasn't really that bad. Being around more people will prevent almost everything from being awkward.

"Well, I don't think Haru would mind." She told Norimi. "But are you sure about this? Will it be okay with Shinji?"

She thought of Norimi's fiancé, Shinji, who was also pretty busy himself working as the manager of one of their favourite bars, Guerrilla Radio. With an invitation this late and this sudden, there's a huge chance that he won't be able to make it.

Norimi smirked at her friend, as if she doesn't know her at all. "Of course it'll be okay. It's not every day we get to be in a double date with you, Sawako." She said. "He'll come."

"All right, then. I'll just tell Haru later."

"How about now?" Norimi suggested.

Sawako looked at Norimi before realizing that it wouldn't be a bad idea either to tell him as early as now. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." She said as she pulled her cellphone out of her purse. "Let's see."

Norimi acted quickly and swiped it as soon as it exited her friend's bag, flipping it open and looking for Haru's number. "Hello, is this Takeharu?" She greeted after pressing the thing against her ear. He answered after the fifth ring, and Norimi could still hear him yawning.

Haru was sleeping peacefully on the edge of his bed when he received the wake-up call. He was going to decline it, but as soon as he saw Sawako's name, he just couldn't do it.

"What the heck are you doing?" Sawako demanded, but still whispering. Norimi completely ignored her.

"Yes, this is he." Haru answered a bit lethargically, groaning before he continued. "Is that you, Sawako? You sound weird."

Norimi smirked as she glanced over at Sawako, who was nervous as hell. "Good afternoon. This is Norimi, one of Sawako's friends. I just wanted to ask you something, if that's okay with you." She told him, as if he really had a choice. He yawned again, urging her to go on. "She told me about your little night out later and I was wondering if my fiancé and I can come with you guys tonight so we can have a double date. Will that be okay with you?"

It took a while before Haru answered. Then does that mean Sawako's really going tonight? "Oh, sure. Of course it's fine." He said, blinking. "It'd be a pleasure to meet Sawako's friends."

"That's good." She nodded. "Well, that's pretty much it. Sorry for bothering you, Haru, whatever you're doing. We'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, sure." He groaned.

With that, Norimi clicked to end the call, leaving the person on the other line to stare blankly at his phone. It looks like what just happened still hasn't registered into his head. He looked like he was still dreaming as he stared at it before finally letting it fall beside him, and in less than a minute, he drifted back to sleep, dreaming of pies once again.

"What did he say?" Sawako inquired.

Norimi looked at her impishly. She could tell just how anxious Sawako was to know. "He agreed. Said it'd be a pleasure meeting Sawako's friends. Ignoring the drowsy sounds he was making, he sounds pretty nice."

"That's because he was sleeping when you called." Sawako explained with a sigh. "You should have just texted him."

"That's the point. I called him using your phone. I was checking if you were important enough to him that he'd answer a wake-up call from you." Norimi pointed out, as if she knew him better than Sawako did. "Now that it's clear, I want you to do me a favour."

Sawako blinked. She had a bad feeling about this. "What is it?"

"Tonight, I want you to ask him just what the heck is going on between you two and put an end to your little game." She said. "You seriously can't expect it to go on like this, can you? Not knowing what you guys really are."

"I suppose not." Sawako thought about it. It'd really be nice if she was given a little clarity on this relationship.

"That's my girl." Norimi patted her on the head, giggling.

It was nine in the evening when Haru pulled over in front of the building where Sawako lived, where she had been waiting patiently for about five minutes.

After unlocking the car doors and opening the one that led to the seat next to him, he smiled at her and helped her as she climbed up and let her purse rest on her lap. She was smiling back, but somehow there was something really weird about her this time.

Haru just shrugged it off and started driving again, the smile still on his young face. He must be seeing things. "How was work today?" He asked her.

"Oh, it was okay. I had a lot more to do than usual, though." She sighed. She then looked up at him, noticing how serious he looked when he drove. It was the kind of face that made you want to just stop talking and leave the man to do what he's doing, for the love of God.

"What about you?" She still asked. Screw that.

She also just noticed that he was wearing only a black and gray baseball shirt underneath a brown leather jacket with jeans and blue Keds. This was probably the first time she's seen him wear something so casual.

"Ah, let's see." Haru twisted his mouth. "It was good, too, I guess. Today was a bit busier for me too. Must be a Friday thing."

She just nodded in reply.

"By the way, where will we be meeting Norimi-chan and her fiancé?" He asked her.

"Oh, his name is Shinji, by the way, and they're over at the Guerrilla Radio Bar."

"I see."

Sawako nodded again. "Yeah. You know where it is?"

"Yeah, I've been there a couple of times." He said. "Nice place. But why there, though? If you don't mind me asking."

"It's because Shinji works as the manager there." She explained.

And Haru could only nod. It wasn't long before they arrived at their stop, and both of them saw that the bar was still open. There was an alternative rock band playing inside, but the sound was muffled since the two of them were listening from the outside. There weren't a lot of people, at least not yet anyway; it was probably because the performers weren't that famed, and it was still pretty early.

Haru pulled over at the empty parking space in front of the building and turned off the engine, turning to his female companion.

"That's weird." Sawako said, checking her phone if Norimi left her any messages, but there was none. "Where could they be?"

Haru sat back and sighed tiredly. "It's okay. I can wait."

Sawako just sat there, wondering about her friend and her fiancé, trying her best to look worried. Haru was probably right, but she felt like she needed to seem occupied just thinking about them so he wouldn't have to ask if she was okay. She learned he could be quite observant; the quality must come with being an engineer and all. He must have already noticed how weird she's been acting since she got in the car.

She was never really that good at hiding her feelings, after all.

"Hey, are you okay, Sawako? You're being a little weird." Haru said straight up, but still looking worried.

Damn.

"Oh, what are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine!" Sawako said almost too loudly, laughing nervously and definitely being weird. "Yep. That's right. Nothing weird here."

Haru sighed again. "Man, I never really knew how much you suck at lying 'til now." He looked her straight in the eye, which made it really hard for her to look away. "Come on. Is something up? You can tell me." He insisted.

Sawako cowered at his gaze and tried to think of something smart to say. Would she really have to ask him that question now, before the night even begins?

Suddenly, she sees something outside the car, right behind Haru. It was...

"Norimi."

"Norimi?" He repeated. Haru raised an eyebrow, confused. "What? Is she the problem? Is she the reason you're acting so weird?"

Sawako shook her head and pointed outside. "No, it's Norimi. She's here."

Haru turned around and saw that Norimi and her fiancé were indeed already there, waiting just outside the car, smiling at the two of them. He immediately pressed the button that unlocked the doors and beckoned for the two of them to come inside, which they did.

"Sorry 'bout that. Have you been waiting long?" She asked as she pulled the door open and stepped inside the Innova, followed by Shinji.

Haru shook his head, smiling. "No, it's all right. We've only just arrived anyway." He extended his hand to her and Shinji for quick handshakes. "It's nice to finally meet you. The name's Takeharu. Takeharu Sato. Call me Haru."

Norimi gave a surprised look as she sat down, being able to lay eyes on Takeharu for the first time. Damn. She thought. Sawako really picked out a good one, even though he was a bit thinner than normal.

"Likewise. I'm Norimi Kawaguchi." She said, pointing to herself and then Shinji, who smiled at Haru as a greeting. "This is my fiancé, Shinji Sawada."

"Nice to meet you." Shinji said.

"You know, Sawako told me you were handsome, but I never expected you to be this handsome, Haru-kun." Norimi grinned as she glanced over at Sawako, who could only let out an embarrassed laugh.

Haru laughed at what she said, getting pretty embarrassed himself. "You flatter me, Miss Norimi." He even glanced at Shinji, who looked pretty calm as he watched the three of them. Haru was worried that with what Norimi just said, there's a chance Shinji might beat the crap out of him right then and there.

Fortunately enough, Shinji wasn't the jealous type. And he was well aware that his fiancée was only being friendly. He closed the door after sitting down and Haru glanced at the back, locking the doors again.

Haru cleared his throat and checked if everyone was fine in their seats, giving Sawako a lingering gaze to remind her that he still hasn't forgotten about what he noticed before Norimi and Shinji arrived.

"All right," He said, now looking forward. "Off we go."

The Luca Label was already packed with people when Haru pulled over at the last available parking space in front of the bar. The place was already lit up, and the music can already be heard from blocks away, even though the band was only playing acoustic. People kept coming and going.

He unlocked the doors and watched as Sawako hurried out along with Norimi, leaving only him and Shinji, as they excitedly made their way into the bar to experience all the action.

Haru could only shrug it off. He waited for Shinji to get out of the car and shut the door before he came out himself.

Shinji laughed as he walked to the spot next to Haru. "You know, I was told this was going to be a double date." He said. "If this is their idea of a double date, then the night just got really weird."

"Well, at least the ladies are having fun." Haru laughed, putting the keys in his pocket. "Wanna drink before watching?" He offered.

"Sure, sounds good." Shinji replied, following Haru into the bar.

The Luca Label was large and classy, a great place for people who just want to listen to good music while having a nice, expensive. The place was filled with comfortable loungers, ottomans, and circular banquettes, so that guests who came in large groups could feel like they were having their own little party at every table.

Shinji and Haru stepped inside with their eyes scanning the place for the two girls who left them. There were so many people, plus the place was dimly lit. All they could see clearly were the pastel-colored drinks that glowed in the darkness along with the sets of candles on each individual table, as well as the band that played on the stage.

"Where could they be?" Haru said, still looking around.

Suddenly, Shinji felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and immediately picked it up, flipping it open. It was a text message from Norimi.

Table #23 ;), was all it said.

He blinked as he stared at the text before finally tapping Haru's shoulder to get his attention. "Norimi told me they're at Table 23." He said, scratching his bald head. "Do you have any idea where that is?"

"Oh, yeah." Haru said. "Follow me."

And indeed Shinji did. It wasn't that long before they finally found the girls, who were already sitting at a round table for four, chatting.

"Hey," Haru greeted.

Norimi and Sawako looked up at them. "Hey, what took you guys so long?" Norimi said.

Haru took a seat next to Sawako while Shinji sat beside Norimi, of course. The band was already playing an acoustic cover of the Cure's Boys Don't Cry in the background.

"We just weren't as excited as you girls were." Said Shinji.

Norimi laughed. "Sorry about that." She turned to Haru. "I gotta say, this is a nice place. A bit hard on the wallet, but still, very nice. Do you come here often?"

"Yeah, it's one of my favourite places in the city." He said. "A lot of great bands play here."

The cocktail waitress suddenly appeared in front of their table, immediately recognizing Takeharu and giving him the most pathetic flirtatious smile. Haru was a regular at the Luca Label, so he knew most of the employees. Or more like most of the employees knew him. Norimi rolled her eyes, thinking it was the lamest thing she has ever seen. "Hey there, Haru," She said, "How have you been?"

"Hey, Kana." Haru greeted back. "I'm great, thanks. How about you?"

Kana giggled. "Same, same. By the way, there's a lot of rumour spreading around about how you and your band are going to play here for some sort of reunion performance. Is that true?"

Haru raised an eyebrow and scoffed upon hearing that. It was probably the dumbest rumour he has ever heard in a while. He shook his head. "That's crazy. All my bandmates are working overseas now, so that's kind of impossible." He said. "And I don't play anymore, so yeah. Where'd you hear that?"

"I don't know. Around?" Kana shrugged. "Too bad, though. It would have been great if you played." She glanced at the other three, who were all staring up at her. "Anyway," she cleared her throat. "What can I get you?"

"Appletini, please." Norimi said immediately. She then waved a hand in front of Sawako's face, causing her to snap back to reality after spacing out. "I-I'll have a Cosmo, please." She mumbled.

Haru nodded, turning to Shinji now. "What about you, man?"

"I'll have a Bellini." He told Haru.

Haru then smiled up at Kana. "Make that two Bellinis, then. And put everything on my tab."

Kana then hurried away to fetch their drinks, leaving the four to all look at each other before the three of them finally looked at Haru.

"What is it?" He blinked.

"I didn't know you were also in a band, Haru." Norimi pried, leaning on the table. "What instrument did you play?"

"I played bass. It's no big deal, I'm not that good anway." Haru laughed off, being ever so modest. He didn't seem to like talking about his time with his band or the fact that he played a musical instrument. A normal guy would have bragged about it, especially to a bunch of shallow, pretty girls. Guess he was different.

He then pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes from his pocket and sloppily slipped one between his lips, offering Shinji some. "Thanks." He said as he took one.

Sawako looked at Haru. She didn't know he smoked. It was the first time she saw him do this since they met.

Haru lit himself up with his Zippo, which was engraved with his initials, and handed it over to Shinji, who did the same. He then exhaled the smoke to the side, so as not to disturb the ladies with all the bad air.

Suddenly Shinji felt Norimi's heel against his toe as soon as he took a long drag from his cigarette, causing him to cough out smoke as he looked at her. "What is it?" He asked, and immediately cowered as he saw her glare. She was telepathically daring him to take another drag.

He reached for the ashtray and laughed nervously as he killed the cigarette. What a waste. Haru laughed as he looked at them, especially Norimi, who was giggling, acting as if everything was okay.

Another cocktail waitress then arrived at their table and served them their drinks. Sawako immediately took a quick sip upon receiving her Cosmopolitan.

"Whoa, easy there, Sawako." Said Norimi, doing the same with her Appletini. "There's enough to go around."

"Speak for yourself." Shinji laughed.

The band just finished the song and the four of them heard everyone in the bar clapping their hands and cheering for another song. Haru sighed as he watched them, getting all nostalgic. This felt almost the same as when he played with his band during high school, when they scored their first free gig. He remembered being so nervous that he almost forgot everything he learned on the night of the performance.

"Ah, this brings back memories, doesn't it, Sawako?" Norimi sighed dreamily. "I wish we can get to play like that again."

Sawako only laughed nervously, casting a warning glance at Norimi, telling her not to go any further. She didn't seem to get the message.

Norimi turned to Haru. "I bet you didn't know Sawako here used to be an amazing guitarist back in high school! She was even a singer!"

Sawako was shaking her head, getting all hysterical. Her face was turning red, which made Haru stare at her. He pretended to look surprised as he smiled at Norimi. "Really? I didn't know that." He said. "Was she in some sort of rock band too?"

"N-No! It's just..." Sawako desperately struggled to find the words. It really was no use now.

"Oh, come on, Sawako, don't be so shy about it." Norimi nudged her friend's arm. "You were amazing!" She said. She then turned to Haru again. "We even performed just recently, during one of our batchmates' wedding reception. She still hasn't lost her touch."

"I'd love to see you guys play sometime." Haru eagerly told Sawako. "Do you guys still play?"

Sawako hesitated, but answered his question anyway. It was no use trying to hide it from him now. All she could do was hope that the fact wouldn't scare him away. "We still keep and touch and even hang out whenever we have the time. But we don't play anymore." She managed to say. "We're just too busy now."

"Oh, that's too bad." Haru nodded.

She suddenly stood up, pulling Norimi along with her. "We're just going to use the ladies' room. Please excuse us." She said, laughing it off.

Haru and Shinji could only watch them as they left, and then looked at each other. Shinji shrugged and laughed, taking a sip from his champagne flute. "Women. Go figure."

Norimi put the lid down on the toilet seat and sat down. Luckily, the two of them were the only ones in the ladies' room since everyone else was too busy watching the band outside. At least this way, they could talk without worrying about being bothered by anyone, especially by Haru and Shinji.

"What's up? You don't seem like yourself at all tonight." She told Sawako, who was busy brushing her hair in front of the mirror, staring blankly at her reflection.

Sawako then looked down at her feet. "I'm not sure if I should ask him that question tonight." She said. "I mean, what if his answer isn't what I expect?"

Norimi sighed. She should have known. This was about a boy, after all. It was only natural for Sawako to be so expectant and anxious and scared all at the same time. Even if Haru hasn't disappointed her so far, there was a chance that he might do that tonight, when he answers her question.

She shrugged. "Then Shinji and I will be here for you." She said. "Besides, you keep expecting the worst. Try to trust Haru a little. He looks like a really nice guy."

"And he is." Sawako looked at her. "And I trust him. I don't know. I just feel really nervous. It's not all the time I get to meet a guy like him. Sometimes I think he's just too good to be true. I mean, this whole thing's too good to be true. If it is true, then it's just too good to last."

Norimi then stood up and flung an arm around her friend's shoulder, grinning at their reflection in the mirror. Suddenly it was high school all over again. "Want me and Shinji to give you two some time alone?"

Sawako shook her head. "No, don't. Please. That'd make things ten times more awkward."

"Fine." She sighed. "Just try to look for an opportunity and take it. Don't worry, I'll be helping you out."

Sawako smiled. "Thanks."

"They sure are taking their sweet time." Shinji told Haru impatiently, tapping his foot as he glanced over at his wristwatch. They had already talked about college and IBA cocktails while the girls were away, and now they were pretty much out of things to discuss.

Haru snickered as he looked at Shinji, taking along drag from his third cigarette and slowly blowing out the smoke. They had been waiting for about more than fifteen minutes already, and as much as they both understood that all women were like this, they just couldn't help but get a little impatient.

Still, they really had no choice but to wait. Girls will be girls.

"Say, Sawada-san," Haru started, leaning on the table. "How long have you and Norimi been dating before you, you know... popped the question?"

Shinji put a hand on his chin and actually thought about it. "About two years, I guess. It's been three months since I proposed." He said.

Haru nodded, acknowledging what he said. He didn't even know why he suddenly asked Shinji a question like that. Perhaps to have something to talk about, but why did it have to be proposals all of a sudden? It made him feel like a total idiot.

"What about you and Sawako?" Shinji inquired. "How long have you two been dating? Do you plan on proposing to her already?"

Suddenly Haru's face turned bright red, but Shinji really couldn't notice it because place was a little dark. It took a while before he finally answered. "Ah, no." He shook his head. "To tell you the truth, I can't even tell if we're already dating."

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Yeah, I know it's stupid, but I don't know, man." Haru tried to defend himself, but to no avail. "I'm just as clueless as you are."

"Well, you'd better figure that out soon. Don't wait until she's gone before you actually figure things out." Shinji recommended. "Girls like Sawako and Norimi, they're pretty hard to handle. You may have not figured that out yet, but you will as soon as you find out exactly what you two are doing."

"Really." Haru blinked. He swallowed that lump on his throat. Suddenly everything was a lot scarier than before. Now he was even more nervous.

"Really." Shinji repeated.

Haru then cleared his throat and carelessly stood up, grabbing his pack of cigarettes. Suddenly he felt guilty and nervous and just everything bad. "Um, I... I think I need to go outside for some air." He struggled to say. "I'll be right back."

Shinji could only watch the younger one as he left the table, heading for the fire exit that lead up to the rooftop, shrugging the whole thing off. Guys like Haru were way too uptight. He needed to loosen up.

And somehow, like some sort of perfect sense of timing, the girls returned to the table, smiling at Shinji as they sat down. "Where's Haru?" Sawako asked, looking around.

"Went out for some air." Shinji answered plainly.

"Oh, okay." Norimi said. She then whispered to Sawako, "That's good. Take the time to prepare."

And Sawako gave her friend a quick nod. She really did need a lot of mental and emotional preparation. She quietly said a little prayer as she asked the gods for a little more courage.

May this night not suck so bad that she has to weep about it for months and lock herself away from love forever.

Sawako glanced over at her wristwatch. It read 11:32. The show was almost over, but Haru still hasn't returned to their table. The bar wasn't as crowded as it was when they arrived, and the band was already singing the last couple of songs on their setlist.

She looked over to Norimi and Shinji, who were both still busy listening to the band while enjoying their drinks. They were holding hands as they did so, making Sawako a little envious. She was starting to look like a third wheel in this little date now that Haru abandoned her for some so-called air. She was getting impatient. Just where could he be and what could be taking him so long?

Shinji could feel a hand tapping his lap. He looked up and saw that it was Sawako. "Where did Haru say he went again?" She asked him.

"Yeah." Norimi said. "He still hasn't returned, has he?"

"I saw him climb up the fire exit." Shinji answered her. "He took his cigarettes with him. He must still be smoking up there." He found it pretty ironic; Haru smoking up the fire exit.

"I see." Sawako said, standing up and grabbing her purse. "I'll go check on him."

Norimi smirked. She knew just what Sawako was up to now. This is the moment of truth. She looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile, somehow letting her know that no matter what happens up there, the two of them will be down here.

Sawako smiled back as she walked towards the fire exit. She sighed before climbing up the stairs. This is it.

"Haru?" Sawako called as she opened the door to the rooftop. She looked around for any signs of who she's looking for and as expected, there he was, sitting with his back against the wall, smoking a cigarette while holding a can of Coors.

She walked over to where he was and he looked up at her, giving her a blank stare. "There you are." She sighed. "Everyone's looking for you."

Yeah, right. You were the only one looking for him.

"Ah, sorry about that." He groaned. He then slowly tried to stand up, still leaning against the wall. "I didn't notice the time. It just felt so relaxing, sitting all alone here. Not much, but it's like my own private heaven."

"Mind if I join you?" Sawako inquired, tucking her long, brown hair behind her ear as she sat down next to him.

Haru looked down at her as she sat down and he sat back down again, gulping down his beer until there was nothing left. He then put out his cigarette and put it inside the empty can, dumping it on the spot next to him.

"You're right." Sawako said. "This is pretty relaxing."

They could still hear the band playing downstairs, and sat in silence as they felt the cold, yet gentle breeze. Haru was smiling as he closed his eyes, absorbing the good music that was hovering over the air along with the coldness. The beer was making his head feel ten times lighter.

He then leaned back, slightly raising his chin. "Say, Sawako... what do you think of me?" He inquired.

Sawako turned to him and stared blankly at him. It was a pretty broad question, and besides, she could go on for days if she was going to answer him specifically. Was he even being serious or was he just drunk, thinking aloud?

"Hmm... I think you're nice." She said. Might as well answer a broad question with a vague answer. He'd probably be too drunk now to remember anything tomorrow anyway.

"Nice, eh?" Haru smiled, almost mocking the answer. "Everybody thinks I'm nice." Sawako really had no idea how wrong she was.

Her eyes then widened as soon as she felt Haru's hand creep down so he could hold hers. His skin felt so cold and his hand was shaking, must be from all the beer, but the feeling it gave her was warm. She really had no choice but to let him hold her. This is probably the first time he has ever shown any affection since they both started hanging out.

But then she hesitated and put her hands on her lap, causing Haru to look down at her again.

"Hey, I have something to ask you." She said, staring at her hands.

He raised his eyebrows. "Sure, what is it?"

"This... this thing. What are we doing exactly?" She struggled to say before she hesitantly looked him the eyes. She could tell that the question confused him, but she waited for a serious nevertheless.

Haru blinked. Is this the reason she's been acting weird all night?

"We're sitting on the rooftop, talking. Hanging out." He said plainly.

Sawako sighed. Thank you, Captain Obvious. He was clearly drunk now. Would it still be worth it if she insisted that he answer the question properly? "No, that's not what I meant." She said, shaking her head. "I mean... what are we? What are we doing? Are we dating, or are we just hanging out? Are we still just friends? Tell me."

She waited for an answer, but nothing but a long, uncomfortable pause came. She looked up at Haru again, and she found him sitting there, just staring at her. He didn't look like he was going to answer anytime soon.

"You're probably too drunk now. Maybe I'll just ask you again some other time." She sighed. She then started to stand up, but she felt Haru's moist hand on her wrist, stopping her, and she sat back down.

Haru chuckled as she sat next to him again. "I was kidding." He said. "I've been wondering about the answer to that question myself, actually. I mean... do we really have to put labels on everything?"

The band was playing an original song, Moving Closer, now. It kind of fit their little scene pretty well. It was as if everything had turned into a romantic scene in a movie and the perfect background song was playing.

When you smile, everything's in place.
I've waited so long, there can be no mistake.
All I am, reaching out to you.
Can't be scared, gotta make a move.

"Not necessarily. I just don't want to get my hopes up and get serious when you're actually just fooling around." She told him. "That could happen."

He nodded. "Yeah, it could." He said. "Look, there's just a lot on my mind. I just didn't want to rush things. We were having so much fun. We were having such a great time hanging out. I didn't want to ruin it by... you know, rushing before you were actually ready." He smirked as he took her hand again. "It was fine with me. I could've waited if you wanted to take things slow. I'm can be very patient when I want to."

While we're young, come away with me.
Keep me close and don't let go.

Sawako couldn't believe what she was hearing. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, escape from reality...

Snap out of it, Sawako! She thought as she shook her head. This is definitely not the time to be singing Bohemian Rhapsody in her head. What the hell is wrong with you?

"I... I don't know what to say."

Haru kissed her forehead. "It's okay." He said. "I like you a lot, Sawako, so whatever you want to do from here on out, I'm with you."

Inch by inch, we're moving closer.
Feels like a fairy tale ending.
Take my heart, this is the moment.
I'm moving closer to you.

Sawako closed her eyes and let him hold her for a little while longer. Everything was suddenly so warm and reassuring. It was all so new to her.

But Haru didn't settle for just amazing. He made it even more amazing by looking down at her, tucking her brown hair behind her ear and removing her glasses. She was a lot prettier without them, anyway.

Suddenly she trembled. Was he doing what she thinks he's doing?

I'm moving closer to you.

Haru leaned in and gave her lips a light peck, causing her to blush. He looked at her and smiled, assuring her that there was nothing to be anxious about. He planted another kiss, this time lasting longer than the last, and she reluctantly kissed back, even though she didn't quite know how to do it. He could feel her getting more nervous, and so he did it ever so gently, slowly robbing her of her senses. She could taste the bitterness of the beer and tobacco in his mouth, but strangely, it was the sweetest thing she has ever tasted.

She has never felt so safe. So this is what it felt like to have someone return your feelings. It was amazing. She was praying he'd never let her go.

He let himself fall back she could gently push him down while they kept their lips in contact with one another. She was being surprisingly dominant, which Haru really didn't mind since it saved him from having to teach her what to do. He was smiling as they kissed, and she could feel the corners of her lips curling up.

Sawako then pulled away, blushing. Haru chuckled at the sight of it, causing her to giggle too, and she lay right beside him, resting her head on his sturdy shoulder.

"So..." Haru stared up at the empty sky. "Did that clarify things?"

She smiled. "Maybe. I might need another kiss."

Haru laughed and kissed her again, this time on her forehead. "I love you, Sawa-chan." He mumbled before he actually started to feel the alcohol in his head. He was laughing for no reason. Sawako giggled as she pressed her forehead against his. Even in his drunken state, he was still the most adorable thing in the world.

So everything did turn out as she expected.

She breathed in his scent, which also reeked, letting out a faint whiff of beer. "I love you too." She whispered.

"I love... I love... BACON!"

Haru screamed himself awake as he snapped back to reality and away from his dreamland full of bacon. He looked around and realized that he was still at the rooftop of the Luca Label, at eight in the morning, with Sawako sleeping soundly right beside him.

He looked up and sighed. So last night really did happen. The rays of the sun caused him to wince and cover his eyes with one arm. It felt like he was being attacked by one giant laser. The hangover was just starting to sink in.

He glanced over at Sawako, who was using his leather jacket as a blanket. She was still fast asleep, purring as she snuggled next to him, hugging his arm. Her hair was a little frayed. He kissed her forehead again as he leaned back, still struggling to absorb everything that happened last night.

Ha, I can't believe it. I kissed her last night.

"H... Haru?" She mumbled, her eyes fluttering open.

Haru couldn't help but grin. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, sunshine. Did you sleep well?"

"Y-Yeah... kind of." Sawako rubbed her eyes, looking around for her glasses. They were sitting on top of his empty beer can from last night, and he quickly picked them up, giving them back to her.

She closed her eyes and opened them after her specs found themselves over her eyes again. "What time is it?" She asked him.

Haru took a quick glance at his wristwatch. "8:06."

"What?" She screamed out, just realizing that it was already morning, and that she didn't actually sleep in her own apartment, but instead at the rooftop of the Luca Label. She mentally cursed herself, along with Norimi and Shinji, for not even bothering to fetch them and take them home.

Sawako started fixing herself, and Haru stared up at her, still staggered. She dropped his jacket on the ground, not even bothering to pick it up as she started wearing her flats, hurriedly hopping on one foot as she did so.

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" She kept shouting.

She then fixed her glasses one last time before she started sprinting track team style into the fire exit and out of the bar, leaving an even more dumbfounded Takeharu staring after her, wondering just what the hell happened.

Sawako felt like she was racing against time as she kept her incredibly rapid pace. She leapt over a short fence and turned quickly on an intersection, barely making it before the lights turned red again on the pedestrian lane. She ran a little further until she finally lunged forward and came to a full stop after performing a quick roll in front of the gates of Sakuragaoka High, surprising a couple of spectators. Her eyes were glowing with a terrifying fire.

Her head snapped up and she looked at the gate. It was locked. The school was closed. One corner of her mouth twitched up in shock.

Suddenly her phone rang. It was Haru. "H-Hello?" She answered, still staring at the empty school.

Haru sighed over the other line. He had just unlocked the doors and stepped inside his Innova. He found no sign of Norimi and Shinji, so he assumed they have already made their way home and he drove off, heading for Sakuragaoka High.

"Sweetie, it's Saturday. You don't have work on Saturdays." He said plainly. "Hang on, I'll pick you up."

Sawako stared at her phone. Crap.

A/N: So that's the product of my long weekend right there. Reviews, both positive and negative, are still welcome. :) And do hold on to your panties because this isn't the end of this story. In fact, it's only the beginning. I hope you guys continue to tune in. :bd

By the way, about that song, Moving Closer; it's actually from a new local band, Never the Strangers, which is also the new theme song for Close-Up. It's a really nice song, and if you listen to it, you might also think that it fit that rooftop scene pretty well. Here's a link to the official music video: /5Gr-ZMV8F2o.

And stay tuned to Wild Rock. :bd