A/N: Ohayo minna!

This chapter is going to be first-person for Miku and Eiji, so don't get confused!

Enjoy and comment onegaishimasu!

Chapter 14

Date?

-MIKU POV-

I was most likely going to be late for meeting Choutarou-chan, so I was in a hurry. I ran down the stairs and out the door, but not before my mom yelled from another room, asking where I was going.

"I'm going to the park!" I shouted back. She probably wouldn't remember who Choutarou was, so I didn't bother telling her.

I grabbed my bike and rode as fast as I could to the park. A few times, I heard someone behind me, but there was no one there.

Upon arriving at the park, I locked my bike up on the bicycle stand and started to look for my friend. Spotting him nearby, I headed over. He was leaning against a tree, arms crossed against his chest and a vacant expression on his face.

"Choutarou-chan?" I said, getting his attention.

"Miku-san," he replied, his eyes lighting up as he recognized me.

"Did you have lunch yet?"

"No, I got here early. You?"

"No, I'm starving! I was so busy getting ready it completely slipped my mind!"

"Where should we go? I don't exactly know this area…" Choutarou looked around.

"There's a burger joint around the corner," I suggested. This wasn't a "date", so it didn't need to be fancy.

"Works with me," my friend answered with a smile.

We walked to the restaurant, chatting about old times the entire way and laughing. I paid for the food, being more forceful than my passive friend.

After lunch, we visited some stores, and Choutarou talked me into letting him buy something for me, since I bought lunch. That something was a mood ring, complete with a silver design on the outside and instructions. Once I put it on my ring finger of my right hand, it turned yellow, which according to the directions meant that I was happy.

Since my friend had indulged me in visiting my favorite boutiques and venues with me, I showed him a top-of-the-line sports store that could fit a king. Or Atobe, if I'm feeling specific.

After all of this it was 3:17 PM, and the two of us headed back to the park and sat side by side under a giant weeping willow and chatted more about "the days."

Silence followed a recollection of a favorite story in sixth grade (for me) when I had to borrow some of Choutarou's PE clothes because I had forgotten mine, and since he was still way taller than me back then, they were HUGE on me. We both just stared up to the sky, which could be seen in blots through the green and brown tree leaves and branches.

The still and quiet moment went on for about five minutes, and then Choutarou-chan spoke up.

"Miku-chan."

Now there's a surprise. He never called anyone 'chan' unless… well, he never used it at all.

"What?" I said, somewhat suspiciously.

"T-there's a bug in your hair."

Random. But-

Oh shit.

"A bug? Choutarou-chan, can you-"

"Yeah, hang on, I'll get it. Hold still."

He leaned closer, eyes fixated on the cause of the problem at hand, and tongue slightly sticking out of the corner of his mouth. I just sat there, turned towards him, trying not to move. He gently plucked the insect out of my hair, but seriously, it took him forever.

"Got it," he said, somewhat triumphantly, holding the squirming creepy-crawly in his pointer finger and thumb tips. It was pretty small. "Only a centipede."

"What? I hate centipedes! That's…that's…" I shivered. "Disgusting."

He laughed, and tossed the bug far away. We went back to staring at the treetops, silence enveloping us once again.

"M-Miku?"

Whoa. Since when did he call me that?

"What is it?" I asked, looking over. His face was serious, and his dark brown eyes looked into mine.

"Can I tell you something? Please?"

"Yeah..."

He took a deep breath.

"I love you, Miku."

I hoped I didn't look as shocked as I felt at the moment.

"You...do?"

"Yeah." He laughed weakly. He was blushing, which turned his cheeks a light pink. "For a long time now. You wouldn't believe how much I've missed you these past few years."

"Choutarou-chan, I like you too," I started, and then sighed. In a quieter voice, I continued, "But not like that. I'm really sorry. But I missed you too, if it makes you feel better." I gave him a small smile, but inside I felt so guilty...

"Can I still call you just Miku?" Choutarou asked hopefully.

"Of course! But you'll always be little Choutarou-chan to me." We both laughed, mine more cheerful than his.

An awkward moment followed, as did silence.

"Would… would it be possible for you to tell me who you like instead?" he asked, the corner of his mouth turned up in a smile.

I looked down at my hand, the mood ring now a blue-green, but more blue tinted than not. I remembered from the directions that green was stressed and blue was sad.

"Eiji Kikumaru." I said in a quiet voice.

Choutarou's shoulders slumped visibly.

"Well, if he's ever… you know, mean or anything, I'll come and hurt him for you," my friend said, and when I looked at him I could tell that he was serious. I also knew that in normal situations, he wouldn't hurt a fly, but when it concerned his friends, he'd be very nasty to the cause of his buddy's stress.

I laughed nervously, saying "I-I don't think that'll be necessary. Thanks, though, Choutarou-chan." I gave him a hug, and when I pulled away, he was looking away to try to hide his blush.

"I have to go now," Choutarou said sadly, standing up to his full height, which was very tall. "You know, for piano and violin practice. Thanks for today. See you around, Miku."

My friend walked away, a by no means happy expression on his face, but a swift pace carried him away all the same. His fingers ruffled his grey, messy hair every once in a while as he traveled farther and farther from me.

I sighed, and decided that I should probably be heading home, too. I picked up all of my bags carrying things I had bought today, and started home.

-EIJI POV-

I sat in a tree that only an acrobat could've climbed and was completely silent. I was wearing a dark green sweatshirt and pants of the same hue that I'd borrowed from Tatsuya. They were huge on me, so I had to wear a belt, and since I never wore a belt, I borrowed one from Aya. Consequently, it was pink, so I pulled my sweatshirt over it and didn't reach my arms above my head.

There was an extremely leafy branch hiding me, but I could still see my targets clearly through the foliage.

Ootori and Miku were sitting side by side (a little too close for my comfort) on the grass about ten feet away from the base of the tree I hid in, and were facing away from me and to the right. They were talking animatedly, but I couldn't quite make out everything they said. Something about sixth grade and Miku borrowing her so-called "Choutarou-chan's" clothes…

Hold on, intimate much? Just how long had they been going out?

My attention was brought back to the pair below when Ootori leaned closer to Miku and…

…kissed her.

That was definitely a kiss, accompanied by Ootori lightly running his fingers through Miku's chestnut-colored hair. My new enemy pulled away with a smile, and said something that I couldn't hear. I looked away and tried to resist the urge to tackle Ootori from above and make his life completely miserable.

"M-Miku?" Ootori's voice drifted up from below, and I tilted my head to the left to hear better.

"What is it?"

"Can I tell you something? Please?"

"Yeah..."

Ootori took a deep breath.

"I love you, Miku."

That was it. I couldn't stand this any longer. I jumped out of the tree, landing softly on the ground, and sprinted home.

As soon as I was safely in my room, sitting on my bed and staring vacantly at nothing, I reviewed the events of the past day. Pretty typical date; meal together, then shopping and all that crap. But then there was the park incident, which I wouldn't ever be able to forget. Why hadn't Miku said something? Why hadn't Fuji said something?

Miku, despite what happened today, it's impossible to be mad at you…

Ootori really pisses me off, though…

Is this what a heartache feels like? I've heard about them in the sappy romance novels that my sisters read, but never from firsthand experience…

The pain is worse than when I broke my arm when I was three…

I guess I'll have to call you Miku-chan again, now…

Eiji sighed, and a single tear ran down his face as he looked out the window.

Miku-chan, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

Well, did you like it?

I'm not telling where I got the last line from, but it's not mine.

Yeah, it's a shorter chapter, but since 13 was really long I have to make this one shorter to compensate...

Kinda OCD that way...or CDO for all yall who're really uber specific out there...

What will happen now! Dun Dun Duuuunnnn...

A bientot!

-the author ;)