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"Makoto?" Mrs Tachibana said as she poked her head out of the kitchen just in time to see her son opening the front porch door. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the bookstore Mom." Makoto replied.

"Okay, don't be late for lunch then." His mother merely nodded and returned to her work in the kitchen.

Makoto smiled as he left his home. The late summer sun was warm against his slightly tanned skin but the cool sea breeze cancelled out any hot feelings he may have felt. The weather was just fine, not too cold, and not too hot. It felt just right for a walk. School was going to start again in less than a week; he would have to start preparing for it, finishing any homework he may have found unfinished in the last minute. But for the time being, he was going off to the local bookstore, a store opened by his fellow classmate; or rather her parents. She had told him earlier through messaging that the book he had wanted to buy was in stock and she could save him a copy so he needn't worry, he could come at any time he felt convenient.

He had been busy with swimming for the past several weeks of holiday, practising every day from morning to night. After all it was summer and there just wasn't any reason to say no. Besides, Haru was there, at the school's swimming pool, every day, so was Nagisa and Rei. Even Rin joined them sometimes. Being able to hang out with his friends, he really couldn't turn it down.

So in the end, he had to go pick up his book today.

"Arisu! How do you do question 15?" Midori whined as she tugged at Arisu's shirt hem. "Why does x become 4 when y is 2?"

Arisu couldn't help but heave a sigh. Currently she was at Midori's, coaching Midori to finish her summer holiday homework. For the past few days since she arrived Iwatobi, her time was split between home and Midori's. Every morning, she would wake up to make breakfast for Hayabusa and herself. Afterwards, Hayabusa would lock himself in his studio while she would go to Midori's to chill and hang out and more importantly, help her finish her summer homework. Then around noon, she would go back to prepare lunch for Hayabusa. Afterwards, she would stay home to read literature or maybe draw a bit; most of the time though, she would practise the piano, violin or cello.

Arisu gave another sigh as she tried her best to explain the question to Midori.

Somehow, she and Hayabusa just didn't have that much communication as she had hoped. The only times they were together were during meals and those time were brief. Maybe it was because of his sickness, he would barely touch his food and then as swift as he had appeared, he would go back to his room and lock himself in, leaving her by herself to finish her food and clean up. She had no one to talk to at home, and even if she went out, she had nowhere to go.

It made her feel like she didn't belong.

She was a stranger.

It felt awful.

Arisu? Arisu?! Arisu! Ari-

"What?!" Arisu jumped in her seat as she felt someone hit her hard on the shoulder. She quickly turned to her attacker and saw Midori frowning at her.

"What is wrong with you, Ari?" Midori pouted in annoyance. "Quit daydreaming and help me with my homework! At this rate I'll never finish it before summer hols ends!"

Arisu sighed again. Right, she still had Midori to talk to and go to… She wished she hadn't.

She was about to reach out to Midori's homework book when Midori suddenly caught her hand and looked into her eyes intently.

"What?" Arisu muttered her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I thought someone needed help with their homework."

"What were you thinking?" Midori asked. "You were thinking about Hayabusa, weren't you?"

"So what if I was?" She retorted. She hated how Midori would always act as if she knew everything. Well she didn't! Okay maybe a bit. But it's only a bit, a teeny weeny bit. She… she just didn't like people seeing her weak side.

"Do you know what his current condition is?" Midori continued to ask.

Arisu bit her lips.

Of course she knew. Hayabusa would never in a million years tell her what his condition was, so she had no choice but to go to the hospital on her own to ask. It had taken quite a long time and a lot of talking and confirming to get the information she had wanted. But she did and what she got didn't exactly make her feel better.

Hayabusa was suffering from leukaemia. It wasn't a rare type or anything; it was just that Hayabusa was refusing treatment. Why? The doctors didn't know. They only know that if he didn't accept treatment soon, he was going to die.

"Arisu." Midori said in a serious tone.

Arisu groaned and buried her head into her arms.

"Midori! Not now! I'd really appreciate it if you stop."

"But-"

"Midori?" Someone poked her head into the room they were sitting in. It was Midori's mom, her aunt Kana. "I'm going out to run an errand; will you look after the store for me please?"

Midori sighed in resignation.

"Fine."

"Oh and Arisu?" Aunt Kana smiled at her. "Can you help me put up some new books, please?"

"Okay."

Aunt Kana and Uncle Sano owned a bookstore; literally, a real bookstore. She could never really understand why they needed to open one in the first place, after all they were rich. Well, rich in the sense that they were self-sufficient, the two earned quite a lot from renting stores to others. So why the need to open a bookstore? She really couldn't understand.

Midori's house was like one of those home/store design, she didn't know what the exact term was, the front part of the house was the store and connected by a door at the cashiers, it led to the living room, dining room, kitchen, and the stairs to the upper part of the house.

Currently, Arisu was putting up books at one of the shelves and Midori was sitting at the cashiers, constantly giving her the I'm-not-done-with-you-yet stares. Arisu could only sigh and continue her work.

Well good luck in making me tell you that, Midori. Not. Gonna. HAPPEN!

Just then the door opened, and a customer came in. Arisu smiled and turned to greet him.

"Welcome…" She stopped in the middle of her sentence and felt herself paled.

There stood in front of her was a boy of her age, his eyes shone like the most beautiful emerald. She had seen him in the photos Midori had sent to her in the years she had left Iwatobi, hell she would have recognized that face no matter where she went.

Makoto's eyes widen in surprise as he stepped inside the store. A girl with strawberry blonde hair was gaping at him with her hazel eyes was as big as saucers. She wore a navy blue sundress which accentuated her porcelain skin and sandals that matched her sundress.

At that moment, it was as if the world stood still for the two of them. Not a word passed between them but somehow a connection was made.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Yuuk-chan?" Makoto said hopefully. Could it be her? After all those years, could it really be her? Had she finally come back? "Yuuk-chan? Yuuko!"

However the girl only took a step backward, her eyes full of fear and shock. Then she turned on her heels and quickly stumbled towards the door leading to the inside.

"Wait!" Makoto lunged forward and caught the girl's hand, effectively stopping her from her dash. The girl could only stop and stand there with her back to him so that he couldn't see her face.

"Yuuko? Is that you?" He asked again, still hopeful and his heart thumping in his rib cage loudly.

However, his hope was immediately shattered.

"My name is Arisu. Sakamoto Arisu, Tachibana-san." She replied icily. With that, she suddenly flung her hand so hard that Makoto lost his grip on her. Now that she was without constraints, Arisu ran through the door at once and was out of sight.

Makoto frowned.

How could she not be Yuuko? She had called him Tachibana-san so surely she is Yuuko. But then why did she call herself Arisu? And why did she call him Tachibana-san instead of Mako-chan like she used to? Could it be because…

At the same time he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"Ah Makoto-kun." He was momentarily pulled back to the present by a voice. He looked up to see his classmate, Saito Midori.

"I see you've met my cousin."

She didn't know how long she had been siting there hugging her knees and burying her face in her knees like that. The only thing that kept repeating in her mind was Makoto. She hadn't expected to meet him there and she was sure she had made a mess for herself again. She shouldn't feel that way; she was here to forget about her past right? She shouldn't care about him anymore.

But she couldn't stop her trembles.

He must hate her so much…

"Arisu?" She heard Midori calling her from afar. Shortly, she heard footsteps and someone sitting down beside her. Midori softly patted her head and hugged her, letting her rest her head on the crook of her neck.

"It's okay, Arisu." Midori cooed, patting her soothingly on the back. "He's gone now."

She could only nod.

Makoto trudged home with a heavy heart.

Yuuko…

What had happened to her? She had looked so fidgety and had avoided eye contact with him. Why? He remembered what Midori had said.

"She is Yuuko, well, as in the same person. But literally she's not Yuuko anymore because she's Arisu now."

"She changed her name when her mother married, so she's Sakamoto Arisu now and not Nakamura Yuuko."

There were so many things he wanted to ask, so many so many so many. Why did she leave? Why didn't she contact him? Why did she come back? So many whys, and no one there to answer his questions.

Midori had said, "There are things you should ask in person and not through someone else".

"Give her some time, in time she'll learn to overcome whatever she's facing and come clean to you, I'm sure."

Makoto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Things she needed to overcome, well he might know a few…

Makoto ran up the stairs and saw a little girl sitting in the steps, hunched in a corner hugging her bruise scattered legs and sniffing.

"Yuuk-chan!" He cried out and crouched next to her. "What happened?"

This only made the situation worst, Yuuko instantly burst into tears. Makoto panickly patted Yuuko on the back and hugged her.

"It's okay. Just tell me. Did the bullies get you again?"

Yuuko nodded as a respond and continued to cry.

"Mommy…and Papa…" She sniffed in between sobs. "Got into a fight again because… Papa wouldn't come down for dinner… And Papa… Papa wouldn't let me keep the cat… He also… also yelled at me… for touching his things…"

Makoto grimaced as his flashback came to end. Before she left, Yuuko was under constant attacks of bullies, her parents fought all the time and her father yelled at her for any small things she may have done. Back then, she always had a bruise here or there and she cried a lot.

It made him felt bad then, and even now. If only he could have helped her, maybe then she wouldn't have to go through so many things.

But now that she's back, I can make it up to her.

Makoto smiled at the thought.

And she had grown so much over the years. She was thin and had grown a lot taller though not as tall as him. Her hair was still long and curly though. And her body with that porcelain like skin and -

Makoto blushed fiercely.

What was he thinking?! Stop it Makoto!