So, the reviews are really joy inducing. I love seeing the notification of a review. And I love reading them. Thanks for the reviews. I would love to see more and more reviews and even story suggestions. Anyways, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my readers!

!

He forgot his coat and scarf! Kikuchi is being awfully nice to me. He spent lunch with me in that forsaken part of the library. I don't know what to think.

He was right though. I had to let go. Kou was gone, and I had to accept that. But how? How could I accept that fact?

A single tear rolled down my cheek

He would no longer be here for me. Never.

I wiped it off and silenced my cries. Enough of that. If I cry anymore, I'll experience dehydration. I leaned up against the bus stop sign. Today was a long school day. The sun was now setting. The committee meeting seemed bland with an empty chair beside me. It was definitely too quiet, even though Kou never really talked.

I shouldn't cry and be too sad that he is gone. I should be happy I met him... At least, that's what one boy said to me today. But, I couldn't help it! I missed him. If his spirit was looking down on me...no. If his spirit were beside me the whole time... He would call me an idiot. An idiot for crying over him so much. Then he would lightly flick me on either the back of my head or my forehead, just like the other times.

Tears began to flow down my cheeks. I laughed a little at the thought.

Eh! No! I can't cry like this! Not over Kikuchi's clothes! Stop stop stop stop stop!

OW! Something felt like someone flicking me on the back of the head! Just like how Kou did it. That genuinely hurt! The tears stopped and my head throbbed, but when I looked behind me, there was no one there. Strange and a little scary, but at the same time a little happiness surfaced. Just to feel something that Kou would do once more. But how did it happen? That was the mystery.

I looked down the street, then up the street, then once more down the street. I didn't hear the sound of a bus motor, not even a hint. Damn! This bus is running really late! Or am I early? What time is it? Am I late? I reached for my coat pocket looking around for a schedule. Nope, this is Kikuchi's coat. I felt around my skirt pockets. Still no! Wait. I gave my schedule to Kikuchi yesterday! Crap. No! This is not happening! It's such a long walk home!

"Yoshioka-san!"

I looked. It was Kikuchi-kun, running toward me. I still don't have the strength to talk. I haven't spoken with Makita, or Shuuko, or Kominato in days! I couldn't help my silence, or quiet tones.

He leaned against the sign post, panting strongly. He must have ran miles in his uniform!

"Yo-Yoshi-Yoshioka-san," he struggled trying to catch his breath,"you-you gave me this yesterday and I had-a feeling you might have missed the bus!" He held up the timetable for the 25 bus. Quietly I took it and opened it up. Indeed, I had missed the bus, by two hours, and the next time it would come was not for two more hours! Definitely I had to walk home. The feeling of that flick to the back of the head, the happy memories of Kou, Kikuchi's company at lunch, and his will to come back here just to give me back my schedule. I felt a little happy. Happy enough to speak a little.

"Yoshioka-san," he started,"I realize that you have missed the bus and a two hour wait is quite long and...I'd be happy to walk with you and keep you company for as long as you wish. I know it can be a long walk and-"

"Yes," I interrupted,"please."

He looked at me and smiled. We began walking.

Many blocks past in silence. He tried to speak, but I could only respond with a few words. Even though I felt a little better, I still could not speak much. He asked me questions about school, and life, about Shuuko, about Makita, and about me. I normally would love to answer, but most of my memories and answers brought back thoughts of Kou, and those hurt.

The streets of the city were empty, people were long gone by now. I reflected back. Kikuchi said,"I had a feeling you might have missed the bus." A feeling? What if I didn't miss the bus? Would that mean he would've went back for nothing anyway?

"Kikuchi-kun? Why did you come back for me?" I managed to ask quietly.

"I thought you would miss the bus. You were really sad, so I had an idea that you may miss the bus home."

"What if I didn't miss it?"

"I guess I would have had a healthy run then."

"You would have ran back for nothing."

"That's okay. I had to make sure you made it."

"Thanks, Kikuchi-kun,"I said under my breath.

A truck was coming up the road. On its flatbed trailer, was one of a train's passenger cars, mangled and smashed. It came from the wreckage! They were starting to clean it up. Seeing the train car brought tears to my eyes, the memory of seeing Kou's body, lifeless, the smell of shampoo and sweat still lingering among the smell of blood and railroad oil. It began to weep quietly. Kikuchi put his arm around my shoulder, then hugged me.

"Calm down. It's over."

"I-I'm sorry Kikuchi,"I said shakily through tears and sobs,"I'm getting tears all over you scarf and uniform coat."

"No, no, it's okay. It's okay, let it out. Just let it out."

I hugged him and held him tighter and tighter. Soon enough, I began to settle down. Tears stopped flowing, and my breathing settled down. Then, it was silence just us holding each other, tightly. I could hear and feel Kikuchi's heartbeat. It was steady and strong, but more importantly, it was warm. He let go after I let go and I looked up to him, eyes still wet.

"Thank you Kikuchi-kun."

"No problem."

Down the street, wear the intersection, we could see the site of the wreck. I moved in for a closer look, Kikuchi followed. Most of the stray cars had been removed, the ones that were free from the pile of mangled cars. The parked cars smashed from the wreck were also removed. All that was left was a small hill of smashed train cars, the same purple and white passenger cars that we travelled on daily to school, with their faulty lighting, noisy motors, etched on windows, and rocky performance. The same cars that had knocked me unconscious, and that made me wait at a station for hours just to get my coat back.

The stains of blood had been power washed from the street, like a large scale eraser. A crane was working on lifting the other mangled train cars. Another truck with a flatbed hauled another train car away. There were construction crews and large cranes and equipment.

"They must be starting to rebuild the train line,"Kikuchi pointed out.

"Yeah."

"Wont be long before they get the trains running again," he told.

"Yeah."

"Just got to fix the track, redo the system, and get a new train."

"Yeah."

"Soon, missing the bus won't be a problem anymore."

"Yeah..."

He glanced at me.

"Let's go Yoshioka-san."

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. He knew the presence of that location would eventually break me down. Thank you Kikuchi...

The sun was now lowest in the sky, and we were now just outside my house. Kikuchi had walked with me all the way home just to make sure nothing happened to me, and I had company.

"Thank you Kikuchi-kun. You still have to walk home. You didn't have to walk me this far."

"With a situation like this, you shouldn't be alone."

"..."

"And you won't have to be alone. I will be with you, every step of the way until you smile once more."

"Kikuchi-kun."

"Yes?"

"I may not be as happy tomorrow... I probably will be as sad as I was today, and I may never improve."

"I will not stop until you will be happy again. I will not lose."

This was eye opening.

"See you around Kikuchi-kun,"I said in the same low spirit voice I've used all day.

"Bye bye."

He was off. He forgot his coat and scarf once again. The absence of Kou in my life... The day's events, they reminded me of my memories with Kou. How we hugged each other. How I felt his warmth. Tears, rolled down my cheeks lightly. But, it wasn't Kou, it was Kikuchi. I enjoyed my walk home a little.