I know you guys are excited for the first Tsukasa and Tsukushi moment and I don't want you to hate me so I think this chapter is kind of long – just for the first Tsukasa x Tsukushi moment. :) I also want to let you guys know that the memories I'm going to write aren't in sequential form. They're from different time frames so I hope you won't get confused. This is the longest chapter I've written so far ((all thanks to the flashbacks/memories of some of our characters… and for my long, long Author's Notes…do you hate me for that? I'll try not to make too much comment next time if you do… LOL))

I do NOT own Hana Yori Dango or any of its loveable characters… please read and review… :)

The girl dressed in a simple lime green dress was checking the time at every five minutes while everyone around her was chit-chatting and dancing the night away while under the influence of alcohol. Tsukushi Makino, however, has the capacity of controlling herself from taking in an amount of alcoholic beverage. Unfortunately, her best friend Yuki doesn't. She sighed as she watched the girl in yellow dress almost flirting with one of their high school classmate – surely under the influence of too much alcohol.

She shook her head in disbelief. "That Yuki better not cause any trouble to me or I swear I'm going to send her back to her parents in their province!" she hissed to herself. A sound of 'tsk' even followed it afterwards.

"Makino-chan?" a familiar voice came from behind her.

She almost jumped at that while she turned around. The familiar face of Kazuya was standing right before her. "Oh, Kazuya. It's you." She acknowledged the boy's presence, not really sure if she's suppose to have a conversation with him or she should just ignore him and keep an eye on her drunk best friend. "How may I help you?" she asked, glancing over her best friend who is now being almost dragged in the dance floor.

"Are you alright? I mean, you don't look like you're having fun." The boy told her.

Tsukushi suddenly paused for a moment. Thinking the main reason why she was invited in this event in the first place. She forced a smile on her face and gaining all her courage to face the boy once more. "Of course, I am." She replied almost lying. "I'm just worried about Yuki." She added and Kazuya gave her a questioning look. "She's drunk and I don't think she'll be able to go home at that state."

She saw him nod, indicating that he had understood what she had told him. "But Yuki was more drunk the last time we had a reunion."

Tsukushi's eyes widened in surprise. "Yu-Yuki?" she asked in disbelief as Kazuya nodded. She was merely pointing at her own best friend who was dancing closely to the man whom she was talking to awhile ago. "D-drunk?" again, Kazuya nodded. She couldn't help but slap her own forehead at that.

"Makino-chan? Are you really alright?" Kazuya then asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Was all Tsukushi could answer and she stopped him from touching her. "Excuse me but I have to go and get her out of here before she'd bring shame to her own self." She added and began marching towards her best friend's direction, not giving Kazuya any chance to stop her or to reply at least.

--

Rui Hanazawa was sitting at the bench near the central park. He was facing the billboards of the famous model turned celebrity – Shizuka Todo. She was still the same girl he used to know – the 

only difference is how they used to have time together. Back in their high school years at Eitoku, there was not a day that they do not talk to each other.

Rui was playing the violin at their auditorium. The auditorium was empty and it was only him who occupied the place. He played the violin – he was playing it wholeheartedly, and as he was playing the violin, he couldn't help but closing his eyes as if every music that comes out from his violin was carrying him far from where he was right now.

The violin. The music. The emotions he had put in those moments are everything that he needed to make him feel that he is still breathing air. Music was the only thing that made him like life and living the life he has – a Hanazawa, the heir to the second largest company in Tokyo.

Soon after, he stopped playing the violin. He sensed a presence just near where he was. He slowly opened his eyes and there – a gorgeous young lady was standing few steps away from him. She was watching him carefully with a sense of happiness on her face.

"Why did you stop playing?" she asked.

Rui didn't answer. He merely looked away from the girl as he started standing from where he was sitting before.

"I'm sorry." She then told him as he was beginning to pack the violin on its case. He didn't turn to her but he just waited for her to finish her sentence. "I guess I might have disturbed you on your practice. I should have been more caref—"

"It's not you." He cut her off.

"Huh?"

He spun around to her slowly. He let out a deep sigh before continuing. "I'm just not used to play in front of anyone else. So don't think that I stopped playing because of you. It was more because of me."

"Oh." She muttered as silence followed. The beautiful girl took in a lot of air upon gathering her strength back. She turned to him once more and smiled as she started walking towards his direction. "My name is Shizuka." She held out her hand as she introduced herself. "Shizuka Todo. I am the Head of Sakura Committee here in Eitoku."

Rui stared at her for a moment before he decided to take her hand for hand shake. It didn't last long for he let go of her hand instantly. "Oh, student council president." He rephrased it as though he did not care about any of it. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Really? Well, I hope they're all good."

He smirked. "Everyone idolizes you so basically, they're all blabbing about how you looked like or how great you are." He replied flatly and before Shizuka could answer with her happy face, he continued. "So basically it's all good, I suppose?"

He started walking out of the auditorium, leaving the girl in shock and speechless.

"I'll see you again." She called out before Rui could grab the knob on the auditorium door. He paused for a while. "I know we're not close friends but, I'll definitely see you again. I'll be in this area more often."

"I won't be coming here anymore." He told her and reached for the door knob. He didn't bother looking back at her.

"Let's see about that, Rui!"

He stopped completely. His face was full of shock. How she had learned his name surprised him. He didn't even tried introducing himself to her but still, she knew who he was and that's just plain weird to him.

Rui sighed at that memory. It was that very first day that he had come face to face with Shizuka. He stood up from the bench and faced the billboard of Shizuka. "You shouldn't have done that. You should have just let me be." He told to the billboard as if he was talking to the real Shizuka. "You should have just ignored me." He added before he turned away from the billboard.

--

Tsukasa had arrived at his own country hours ago, and yet he decided not to go to their Victorian house. He has been walking down the streets of Tokyo – sipping air of freedom. He had bought himself a large pair of shades and hat right after he got out of the plane.

He wanted to see how it feels like to be free from the world he had known. If he would show up on their house, the news would probably be everywhere on television as to why the heir had disappeared from New York and he doesn't want to cause any commotion as of the moment. He wanted to let people think that he had gone off to somewhere – at least he is sure that he won't be followed by his abductors at this point.

He inhaled air as deep as he could, his arms wide open as his eyes are closed. "Freedom at last." He hissed happily to himself, letting the breeze of the night touch his very skin. He misses this country so much. He misses seeing his own people – a place where he truly belongs.

He just came out of a bar and had himself a couple of drinks. What amused him though, was the fact that no one even noticed who he was. But who is he kidding? Out of all the total population of Japan, only a few people had seen how he looked like.

He opened his eyes and dropped his hands to his pockets. His wallet was still on his coat as his hand cupped it. He looked around but all he could find was another set of bar and disco houses – even casino stands. There is absolutely no hotel in sight. He needed somewhere to rest.

"I told you so!" he then heard a girl's voice coming not far from where he was standing. Basing from the girl's voice, it's as if she was scolding and at the same time, she was carrying something heavy.

He turned around and saw a girl dressed in green, she was carrying beside her a girl on a yellow dress. The girl wearing the yellow dress seemed to be drunk and out of balance. He wanted to help but he hesitated the moment the girl in green dress eyed him suspiciously. Their eyes met just a few seconds and they both looked away at the same time, breaking the locked gazes in each other. He started walking towards the pedestrian lane to cross the streets while the two girls went on a straight direction.

When he reached the other side of the street, he looked from left to right. He doesn't have a clue where he should go. He had his driver back then to do all the driving for him, but now that he is on his own, he half-blamed himself for not paying attention to the names of the streets they went into.

"Darn! Where the heck should I go from here now?" he asked himself, scratching annoyingly at his head. He doesn't know where he could ask for direction since everyone around him looks like they're not to be trusted.

He brought out a coin from his pocket. He was about to toss the coin in the air when he heard a scream from across the street. He quickly turned around and saw the two girls being attacked by three men.

"LET GO OF ME, YOU PERVERT!" the girl on the green dress yelled as she was pulling back her own hand. One of the men, however, managed to grab the drunken girl on his side while the two other men started walking an inch closer to her.

This time, without hesitations, Tsukasa rushed towards the direction of the helpless girls for aid. "OMAE! RELEASE HER!" he ordered them, as if he was ordering a slave. He glared at the three men who just smirked at his sudden appearance.

"And if we don't?" one of them asked challengingly as his two other friends merely laughed.

He smirked at them as well. "If you won't, you'll be sorry."

--

"Don't you think that's a little too much?" Sakurako asked unintentionally as she was working late.

Akira, however, seemed not to care about her nagging at him for the moment. He poured more whisky on his glass and added some ice cubes as he gladly let it slip into his throat right after. Sakurako rolled her eyes in secrecy and shook her head in disbelief. Akira let out a breath after he drank all the whisky he had poured on his glass and just dropped the glass on the table.

Upon doing so, he felt a slight head ache as the alcohol was starting to get into him. He couldn't even look straightly as his own eyesight was moving on its own. Sakurako stood from her chair and quickly went to him for assistance.

Akira gladly accepted her offer of help. She put Akira's arm around her shoulders as she supports his balance through wrapping a hand on his waist. She led him to a couch and he sat there, looking hazily at her. Both her arms are on her waist as she stood right before him. "Honestly, Akira! How long do you want to keep a lifestyle like this?"

Akira smirked. "Whatever, Sakurako!"

She raised a brow at that. "Do you want to die young?"

He gave out another smirk. "Death comes without warning, Sakurako! Because if it arrives with a warning, then I would have prevented her death!"

Sakurako was then left in silence as she watched Akira dozing off to sleep. Alcohol had already taken over his body.

--

Tsukushi was mesmerized at what she just witnessed. The thin young lad who saved them is just like s hero which she often sees in the movies such as Spiderman and Batman films. He's fairly built but his strength is capable of knocking three goon-looking men in just a five inhalations of air. He watched their savior's back as he put back on his cap. Then, he turned to them.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, reaching out a hand towards her. Watching the actions happened in front of her. She completely forgot that she was pushed by one of those hooligans to the grounds, and that sudden question made her realize that her butt hurts.

She nodded.

The guy smirked and stretched out his hand more so as for her to be aware of the help he was offering. She started stretching her own hand when the groans of pain from the other girl made her turn her head. "Yuki!" she called panicky and standing from the grounds and went to her friend's aid.

Yuki was lying helplessly on the ground and Tsukushi started motioning her own body to help her up. "Let me help." The guy said once more and without any response from Tsukushi, he had already half-carried Yuki if only she hadn't stopped him.

"He-hey. That's not necessary."

The guy looked at her, although she couldn't make out what his eyes looked like behind those glasses he was wearing. "Hmm?"

"We can get a cab from here so you can just leave us alone."

"No problem." The guy merely answered and he gently put Yuki's feet on the ground and he made her lean on Tsukushi's body which when she received her best friend's body, she almost lost her balance.

"What the –" The stranger started walking away. "Hey, wait!" Tsukushi called out and he turned around.

"What?"

"Aren't you gonna help at least?" she asked.

Upon the reaction he made, Tsukushi was sure he looked surprised. "Am I not helping out a while ago?" he asked in return in tone of disbelief. He scratched his head. "I thought you're shooing me away and you don't want my help?"

"But I need to at least get ourselves a cab!" she demanded.

"And your point for stopping me is –?" he asked, clueless.

Tsukushi's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe how dense he is as of the moment. "Can't you at least get a cab for us? I mean, you obviously see how drunk my friend is and I can't carry her while I go get a cab, right?" she intoned as if it was the obvious thing in the whole country.

"You know what? I don't get you. I was carrying your friend as a form of help but you shooed me." He started. "And now that I'm going to wherever my feet brings me, you're going to stop me and ask for my help?" his tone was in between disbelief and insinuating. "Seriously! What the hell do you really want me to do?"

Tsukushi was about to answer back but she knew she wouldn't win this argument. She was, of course, aware that she's at fault. Darn that alcoholic beverage! She mentally blamed the alcoholic drink she had. She took a deep breath before replying. "Just help me out here!"

"Fine! I'm right there!" he retorted and started marching towards her and held Yuki. "Jesus! You don't have to be so demanding you know?"

"Whatever!" Tsukushi answered. "Just stay there and I'll go get a cab!" at that, Tsukushi started making her way to the lane where she could get a cab.

--

Sakurako was on the verge of cursing and swearing. She was supposed to be Akira's secretary – his assistant if you could put it that way – and not his nanny! She was driving him home, drunk, unconscious, and almost hallucinating as she could hear him moan in his sleep. She looked at her rearview mirror and saw Akira move a little as he was lying on the backseat of the car. She sighed. "How the heck did I end up working for you anyways?" she asked as if he could hear her.

She focused her eyes on the road as she relives a portion of her memory.

She was walking on the hallways of the hotel she was staying in at Australia. She was on a hurry – how on earth did she forgot to bring the papers for her presentation that day? For sure she'll be getting fired for being irresponsible. Then, just as when she was unlocking the door of her hotel room, she heard a loud thud across the room she was in.

Curious, she gently walked up to the door to check what it was. The door was about half-opened and all she would do is push it to let herself in. A body was lying motionless on the carpeted floor as blood came running through the wrist of the guy, his back facing her. Shocked, she went closer to him and when she turned him over, she was surprised to see who it was. "Akira!"

She was feeling for his pulse and she could hardly feel the pulsation on his carotid artery. She reached for her cell phone on her pocket and called for help. After a minute or two, help was already there. She stayed with him on the hospital until he gained back his consciousness and when he did all he could ask her was "why the hell did you help me for?"

"I'm your friend, that's why!" she answered in a bitter tone.

He fell silent at that answer. And when he found out that she was fired from her work, he hired her as his own secretary in return for saving his life – which he wanted to end anyway.

That was three years ago. And three years wasn't that much fun working for him anyways. They have been to Greece, to Russia, to California, and to Scotland for out of the country business meeting, and they've even been into Africa for a charity event. And after three years of being out of the country, Akira has decided to go back home and take care of the businesses he'd left. And for those three years of being with him, nothing had change – he was still a drunkard, a womanizer, and she pacifies him – because he is still her friend.

--

The cab that contains the three people stopped in front of a building – it is where Tsukushi was renting an apartment. After she had paid for their cab meter, she went out from it, followed by the unconscious Yuki who was being carried out by the stranger, and the guy went out afterwards for their help.

"Thanks!" Tsukushi said to the guy as she was having Yuki standing beside her once more in balance for the two of them. She was – obviously – having a hard time since Yuki is drunk that Tsukushi wished she had stopped her from getting too much drink during the event. "Here, you can take it!" she told him as she was reluctantly handing out some cash to the stranger.

The guy, however, managed to give a frown and questioning look at the paper bills she was giving him as he took of his shades. He shot a questioning look at her as well, not taking the money from the girl he saved earlier. "What the hell is that for?" he asked curiously.

Tsukushi sighed and rolled her eyes, still handing out the payment. "Your payment, baka!"

He looked taken aback at that. "Baka? Me?" he asked, pointing to his own self as he smirked afterwards. "Oi! I don't need your money!" he told her flatly. "What am I? A pauper?"

Tsukushi was the one who looked taken aback at that. She took a deep breath. "Alright, if you don't want money, then what the hell do you want in return?" she asked. Again, he just shot her another questioning look. "Look! I really appreciate your help a while ago. I don't know why you're refusing me to pay you for what you've done but…"

"Oi! Oi! Oi!" he cut her off. "I just did what I thought was right! So don't act like you're my boss and I'm your slave who did a service to you so basically, I don't need your money!"

"Then what the hell do you want?"

He put his finger upon his chin as he studies her physique. She wasn't thin and she wasn't fat either. Her body size is just right. He unconsciously grinned naughtily.

"Hey!" Tsukushi snapped at him. Whatever this guy's thinking, she knew she didn't like it. "What's with the stupid grin?"

The guy stopped himself from grinning and looked at her. "Hmm… How about taking me in?"

"Huh?"

"In return to what I did – you know, saving you and all…" he reminded her. "I don't need any money. I can have money on my own will." He started and Tsukushi waited for him to finish. "What I need though," he paused, looking Tsukushi straight into the eyes. "…is a house. I really need somewhere to sleep right now."

Tsukushi's lip curled up. "Not a chance!" she shot him. "What if you're a rapist? No way I'm going to…"

"I am not a rapist!" he cut her off once more. "Just let me in for the night and tomorrow, I'll be gone." He told her truthfully.

"What assurance do I have that you're not a rapist?" she asked.

The guy sighed. "I saved your life over mine!"

"Eh?"

"I was about to look for a hotel where I could stay but instead of doing so, I saved your life, didn't I? So basically, you owe me a place where I can stay – even for just a night!"

--

Author's Note: ((find your names again guys! look down! Lol)) Okay, so that's just about it. I'm sure you guys already knew who the guy was but still he hadn't introduced himself to our heroine because I don't know if I'll make Tsukasa introduce himself as Tsukasa or he'll be using a false name or an alias (he's in danger remember?) – so, any suggestions? Lol :D Don't worry, there's still a next chapter. And I'm pretty sure you all have your guesses with you once again. ((I really love it when you guess – especially when all of you are close to what I have in mind…lol))

and I also want to inform you guys that I might take a while ((maybe more than a week)) before I could start writing the next chapter since I'm facing a real difficult phase of my life right now – my mother's mom (my grandmother) just passed away (today) so yeah, that's just about it. hope you guys would understand. By the way, this chapter is for you who have been waiting for the first Tsukasa and Tsukushi moments. so I'm sorry if this chapter isn't as great as you expected it to be. I am – uhm, can I just say it with this line instead: "sorry for the inconvenience due to brain malfunction and emotional depression" hope you guys would understand. :)

so anyway,

to FilmMaker, thanks for having faith in my fic…what you said on your review somehow kept my spirit high…your review, once again, had put a smile on my face… :D anyway, with regards to Tsukasa and the other members of F4, there's a history behind them and I can't wait to write that particular story about our four main guys… lol, I think I'm giving out a spoiler again! :) anyway, I agree with you when you said "to be in love is such a beautiful thing" in your review at my first songfic "for the first time" ((thanks for that review))… :)

to shidchil, just like what I have said to FilmMaker, thanks for having faith in me with regards to my fic…you also made me smile because of that… :) again, with regards to F4, I'll be using some characters to tell a tale about each and every one of them or the four of them together… :D and oh, "onegai" is the shorter form of "onegaishimasu" which means "please"… so, I hope you will keep on reviewing, onegaishimasu! ((and for reviewing my songfic, I thank you once again for that)) :D

to blueprincess16, I actually love reading long reviews ((don't know why, I just do)) :D…anyway, I don't know what your guess is but I think I do have an idea of what it was…lol…and yes, I did not base this on the drama/anime/manga but I got some of my ideas on the scenes I have watched and somehow I change them in some way…anyways, thanks for the constant review ((and for the compliment)) I really appreciate all of them… :D

to hana yori dango forever (anonymous reviewer), whoever you are, thanks for reviewing and for the spoiler ((though I also knew about that…lol)) and I can't wait for the movie…like you, I'm also sad that the movie will be the last installment of HYD, though I have to agree with you on one thing: watch HYD over and over again ((only problem is, I need to find where I could buy myself my own set of DVD copies! Lol))… :D

to anime07, I'm sure you're as excited as everyone else… lol… thanks for reviewing… :D – yup, I'll be doing some more HYD ((TxT)) fics in the future so don't worry…thanks for the review on my songfic… :D

to mgril955, thanks for the constant reviews…I really liked your poem and it went to my favorites' list :D and thanks for the review on my songfic "for the first time" :)

Author's Note 2: I'm writing too much again…ack! I'm just really thankful to all of you… and I just want to let you know that I'll be writing another HYD fic as soon as I have more time in my hand… thank you, arigato gozaimasu, gracias, and what else? All my thank you's go to all of you guys! :D

No previews available for the next chapter. Sorry. My head's all about circulatory system – our topic in anatomy ((just to forget some bad memries for the moment)) – particularly blood ((want a preview of that instead? Lol)) :D