Chapter 17 - The End Part 2

~ Three weeks later ~

Makoto's POV

I woke up, got out of bed, dressed and went out into the living room. I looked at the kitchen and debated if I should get something to eat before going out. I decided to skip breakfast and continued towards the front door. I took my keys of the hook by the door and opened it, stepped outside and locked it behind me. Looking to my right I saw Rin and Sousuke outside the door of Rin's apartment. They were kissing.

"Good morning, you two."

They stopped kissing and turned to look at me, both of them blushed as they realized I had seen them.

"G..good morning, Makoto," an embaressed Rin said.

"You're going out?" Sousuke asked me.

"Yeah, I'm gonna do a bit of shopping," I said and smiled at the both of them.

They looked at each other but didn't say anything. I knew what this was about.

"Makoto..." Rin started after a few moments of silence but I interrupted him before he could finish.

"I'm in kind of a hurry, see you both later!" I said and hurried down the stairs.

"Makoto wait!" I could hear Rin shout as I continued down the stairs.

I hurried out of the doors of the apartment complex and headed for my car. I few minutes later I pulled out of my parking spot and drove out onto the street. I continued down the street until I reached the main road. I knew the way by heart so I didn't pay too much attention to my surroundings as I drove. It didn't take me too long to reach my destination. I parked in an empty parking spot and stepped out of my car. Just like usual there was no one there exept me. I hadn't gone shopping at all. I had lied to Rin and Sosuke and they knew it. That's why they acted the way they did when I said I was gonna go shopping. I closed the door to my car and approched the iron fence. A fresh breeaze hit my face as I leaned upon the fence and stared out at the big, blue ocean before me.

Nagisa's POV

"Come on Rei-chan! Can't we go see a movie tonight!?"

"I can't. I am much too busy with my research at the moment," Rei-chan said through the speaker of my phone.

"You meanie! You never have time for me!" I said with an angry tone in my voice.

"Nagisa, please understand. My research is very important to me."

"More important than me!?" I said, still with anger in my voice.

"That's not what I said! Of course it's not more important than you but it's still important! I promise we'll go out and do something next weekend okay?"

"Okay. I guess there is no helping it then..." I said, slightly disapointed.

"I'm sorry Nagisa but I really have to go know. I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, see you tonight. I love you, Rei-chan."

"I love you too, Nagisa. Bye!"

"Bye," I said and hung up the phone.

As soon as I had hung up, my phone rang. I looked at the display and saw that it was Rin-chan calling.

"Hello Rin-chan! What's up?"

"It's Makoto. He did it again."

I understood exactly what he meant.

"Nagisa, we have to do something," Rin said.

"I know, but what? I have tried talking to him but he doesn't want to listen!"

"But he can't go on like this! Going to that place and staring at the ocean all day! That's all he does everyday and it's not healthy!" Rin was shouting now.

"You don't think I know that! You can tell by just looking that he's not sleeping well and that he's barely eating!" I was shouting now too.

"Whatever, this is not getting us anywhere. Me and Sousuke will be right over to pick up you and Rei and then we can go to that place and try to talk some sense into him once and for all!" Rin said with a determind tone in his voice.

"Rei-chan is working so he won't be able to make it but I'm in!"

"Okay, we'll be there in a few minutes. Bye!"

Haru's POV

"Haruka! Time to get up!" I could hear my mother shouting from the living room.

I didn't want to get up. In fact I had barely left my room since the day I had come back home. My mother came to my room everyday with my breakfast, lunch and dinner but I didn't eat it.

"Haruka, please come join us! You can't continue like this!" My mother was now standing outside my door, still shouting at me.

"I don't want to! Leave me alone!" I shouted back at her.

"Fine then. I'll leave your breakfast out here," she said through the door.

"Don't bother. I'm not going to eat it anyway."

"Haruka..."

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!" I snapped at my mother.

I could hear her picking up the plate and hurry back to the living room.

I knew I was being childish but I really didn't feel like doing anything. All I could think about was Makoto, Makoto and Makoto. I didn't understand it. We hadn't known each other for that long but somehow his smile and personality had stolen my heart and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't think about anything else. His smile kept popping up in my mind and everytime it did it felt like my heart would burst.

"Makoto, I want to see you!" I thought as I burrowed my face into my pillow.

Makoto's POV

As I stood looking out at the ocean I saw the figure of a woman standing a few feet away.

"Where did she come from? I didn't see her coming," I thought to myself.

Suddenly she turned to look at me. She smiled and made a gesture telling me to come over.

"I didn't realize there was anybody else here," I said as I reached the place where she was standing.

"Well, I knew you were here. You have been coming here everyday for three weeks after all," she said and smiled at me.

"Huh? How did you know?"

"I have been coming here too," she answered.

"Really? I haven't seen you."

She laughed a little before answering.

"The way you have been staring at the ocean I'd be surprised if you even noticed a fly landing on your nose."

"I noticed you today."

"That's because I let you notice me," she said.

"Let you notice me?" What did she mean by that?" I thought.

"My name is Minako by the way," she said and stretched her hand out.

"Nice to meet you Minako, my name is Makoto Tachibana," I said and took her hand in mine and shook it a few times before letting go.

When I shook her hand I noticed it was very cold and something about it just felt weird but I didn't pay too much attention to it.

"So why are you coming here everyday, Makoto? Oh, is it okay if I call you Makoto?"

"You can call me Makoto if you want. I don't mind."

"So why are you here then?" she asked me again.

"That's..." I began.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me. I am only a stranger after all," she said and smiled.

After she said that she turned to look at the ocean again.

"I've really missed this place," Minako said.

"You're from around here?" I asked her.

"Yeah, but I haven't been back for a really long time," she answered and when she said that she had a sad sort of expression on her face.

"But three weeks ago I finally got the chance to come back."

"Really? What happened?" I asked Minako.

"You could say I got a call."

"A call? From an old friend or something?"

"I guess you could say that," Minako said and smiled at me again. Something about that smile made me feel uneasy.

"Do you like the ocean?" Minako asked suddenly after a moment's silence.

"Huh? No, I'm actually afraid of the ocean..." I answered honestly.

"Then why would you stare at it all day, everyday?" she asked.

I figured it wouldn't really hurt to tell her since she probaby wouldn't believe me anyway.

"Well, that's because..." I started but I was cut off by the sound of an approaching car. A familiar car stopped at the side of the road and an equally familiar person stepped out of it.

Nagisa's POV

Me, Rin and Sousuke was riding in Rin's car on our way to talk with Makoto when my phone rang. I looked at the screen and noticed it was a number I didn't recognize but I answered it anyway.

"Hello, this is Nagisa Hazuki. Who am I speaking to?"

"Oh, It's you."

"We're on our way too talk with him right now."

"What!?"

"Nagisa? Who are you talking to?" Rin asked me.

I put a finger to my mouth to tell him to be quiet.

"Yes..yes, I understand."

"We're coming as soon as we have picked him up!" I said and hung up.

"What was that about? Would you mind telling us what's going on?" Sousuke asked me.

"It's Dr Hamada..." I answered.

Makoto's POV

"Makoto! You have to come with us right now! It's Dr Hamada!"

"What do you mean Rin!? What about Dr Hamada!?"

"Your father called and he said some government people have come to take him away so we're heading to the research facility right now. Are you coming?" Rin asked.

"You guys go ahead. I'll be right behind you."