Summary:Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? "Hey, long time no see, Kanata." —Actually, it was wildly different.

Disclaimer:I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! Nor any anime/manga. Which is why I'm making fanfictions and fanarts (the cover picture) that look nothing like the characters.

Waning Moon
(Subject to change)

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At noon of Christmas Day, Miyu woke up feeling minutes from her death. Her head throbbed. There was a single point in its dead center that strongly and incessantly pulsed. She could feel tremors radiate from it which rattled the rest of her brain. Miyu groaned at the pain, but that only intensified the throbbing. To escape further misery, she willed herself to go back to sleep.

After a few minutes of thrashing and tossing on her futon, it became clear that sleep will not come to her again. How had she managed to fall asleep before then? Clear her mind, and wait? But damn, her mind could only think about the pain and would only whine about it. Stupid, stupid brain! So, she had resorted to alternately contemplating how convenient it must be to die right now, and how she'll never touch alcohol in her life ever again, when a soft knock jolted her out of her depressing reverie.

It was Kanata, bearing her lunch and a glass of pineapple juice on a tray. Miyu's eyes followed his movements across her room. After gently setting down her lunch beside her futon, Kanata peered at her and smiled. "Hangover?"

She nodded feebly.

"Then, you must eat. You'll feel better."

Just as Miyu started to slide herself up, Kanata placed a supporting hand down her back and looped his other arm under hers to help her in a sitting position. With their faces close to each other, he clearly caught her muted thanks.

He thought of hanging around for a while in case any problems arise, but Miyu started squirming under his watchful eyes. Kanata had unconsciously stared; with one last sympathetic smile at her direction, he left her to eat in peace.

In the dining room, while eating lunch with his dad, Aunt Miki, and Uncle Yuu, Kanata was thinking about his conversation last night with Mizuki.

Mizuki had closed the door on the passenger side of his car after his sister, and turned towards Kanata. Seeking Kanata's undivided attention, the older man clamped a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I can't thank you enough, Kanata. For helping me get Mikan down the temple steps." And he chuckled, but his expression sobered up a moment after. "Amongst other things."

"Is this about Miyu again?" For some reason, it irritated Kanata that Mizuki had to thank him in Miyu's behalf (couldn't Miyu do that for herself?—he would like that better) or that he even had to ask favors for Miyu (what is he, her guardian?). And thanks to the alcohol, he didn't have problems showing it.

"It is." Mizuki could already feel Kanata's growing antagonism towards him, but decided to plunge on. It gave him grim pleasure spiting Kanata who really had no reason to be wary. "She might not look like it, but Miyu's heart-broken right now. Surely, you must have realized?"

"Of course," Kanata replied through gritted teeth. "But what makes you think I should be the one taking care of her?"

As if he didn't know the answer, Mizuki cocked his head to the side, pretending to come up with a suitable reply on the spot. It's so easy to pull Kanata's leg when it comes to Miyu—he thought wickedly. "Hm… Nothing special," he started, "just that she's here now, and you're here. And you care for her, don't you? I'm sure she still cares for you too."

Well, Kanata didn't need Mizuki to tell him that. In fact, he'd already planned to take Miyu back the moment he saw her again. Knowing she's currently single—who knew it'd be so easy. (Intoxicated Kanata's being a jerk.) It was his chance to do what he didn't have the courage to pursue all those years—confess her lingering feelings for Miyu.

The night had fully settled before Miyu woke up again. The time in the wall clock read 8:18. She had to squint to make out anything in the darkness of her room, and saw that the dishes she left after lunch had been cleared out.

Experimentally, she sat up and was glad to find that the room did spin anymore. The pounding headache was gone too. She almost whooped in joy, but then she heard a sudden thudding sound inside her room. Her celebrating became a strangled cry of surprise instead.

Except she wasn't the only one to yell.

Kanata did too. He'd fallen asleep slumped against the wall of her room. His body had slid down on the floor, and he was suddenly jerked awake.

Seconds later, Miyu was already clutching at her sides, breathless from laughing. She was exhilarated at her recovery, and Kanata's rare candid dumbfounded face was just too precious. But it didn't take long for Kanata to school the owlish wonder on his face into a cool, dispassionate glance at Miyu's direction. "I suppose you're feeling better now?"

"Yeah, yeah," she snickered some more. And stopped, took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll won't laugh anymore. You've been less of a bully today, so I'll stop now." She tried to keep a straight face. "So… what were you doing in my room?"

Kanata lied smoothly, but it was obvious she'd see through that. "Reading. The lighting in this room is good. You just happened to occupy it at the moment."

"Yeah, yeah," Miyu didn't take the bait for another round of banter. Not that she didn't want to; she enjoyed their friendly teasing honestly. But right now she was so hungry now she could eat a cow. "Is it dinner yet?"

"Since you're already feeling so much better as to laugh at the almighty Kanata, why don't you join us in the dining room? It's almost time now." Kanata offered her a hand to pull her up. "Sorry it's a bit late; we saw your parents off to the train station before we started preparing for dinner."

"Oh yeah, I forgot we were supposed to leave today. But I guess staying here's good too."

There was a soft rap against his door, and Kanata could immediately guess who it was.

Miyu just came out of bath and was going to tell Kanata that it's now available for his use (Uncle Hosho's already asleep), but she was met with a peculiar sight instead.

"Uh… hey, what's up?" she greeted, hesitant.

Kanata was crouching on the floor, his head under the bed. His butt stuck out in her direction.

Miyu ventured on, still shy, "Uh… are you trying to hide your porn? Under the bed, of all places."

"Actually, no. I'm getting stuff from under my bed. Ah, there it is!" Kanata remarked sounding triumphant. He stood up, and pretended to dust his knees.

"Found the adult video you want to watch?" Miyu entered Kanata's room and walked over to him, curious to see what he was holding in his hand. It was a small rectangular box with a lid covering the contents.

"You can say that." Her face turned scandalized; Kanata couldn't help but laugh. Why is she acting so innocent about these things? But it was endearing, nonetheless. "Kidding! I was searching for your letters actually."

Curiosity replaced the shocked look on her face. "Now why would you do that?"

"I want to know."

"What?" They were now standing in front of each other, and it suddenly struck Miyu how much Kanata towered over her.

"Why you are here. In Heiomachi. When you haven't been here for the last five years. Why now?"

"And you think my letters have the answer?"

It was surprising how easily the teasing turned to a something serious, and Miyu grew rather wary of where this was heading.

"No, not really. But right now I don't know you. Not really. Sure, you are Miyu—cheerful, beautiful, my best friend from a long time ago. But you've gone through some things I didn't know, and even though you are the same as Miyu as before, you are also more than my Miyu. So I want to know who you are right now, before I ask you why you're here. And I intend to ask you one more time."

"Isn't easier to just ask me? I'll tell you." As though regretting what she said, she continued: "But I'm afraid you'll hate me. Would you still like to know?"

I can't hate you!—he almost retorted, but he caught himself just in time. After everything he said about how she'd changed almost as much as he did, he couldn't just claim his feelings won't change when he heard her story. Even so, he wanted to let her know his desire to help. "Miyu, I loved you. There was a time when I tried to hate you. When you moved on without me—I thought it was unfair of you. But I couldn't really hate you. Hell, I can't even move on from you. I love you, Miyu.

So please, let me help you."

At some point in his short speech, an uncomfortable lump had settled on Miyu's throat. So when she said her next words, they came out half-choked. "You really mean that?"

Kanata paused, and blinked sheepishly. Truthfully, he did mean it. But why is Miyu so persistent that he'd hate her if he knew. Where was all this insecurity coming from?

"Damn, Kanata. I hate myself already." But she laughed, at which he felt relieved that she didn't take his silence the wrong way.

"Just tell me already," he tried not to sound desperate, just when she'd already decided to open up.

"I broke up with my boyfriend."

"I think… that was obvious from last night."

"Are you sure you want to know?" There was a quiet intensity in her eyes that Kanata caught.

But he did not falter; this time, he managed to answer quickly and confidently. "Yeah. But better tell me his name first."

"What? You don't know?" Miyu sounded genuinely surprised.

AN: What the heck is this? This fic has a life of its own and is starting to move by itself. Tbh, I intended this fic to be a story of how Miyu and Kanata both moved on from each other, which is why it's titled Waning Moon, except I have abandoned that now for a new ending. I should also scrap the title.

Next chapter: Miyu's and ex-boyfriends' backstory. Oh, and he's OC btw (actually, inspired by a character from another anime which aired around the same time as Daa! Daa! Daa! Does this count as a crossover then? Nah.). And more Kanata pursuing Miyu.

Thoughts? (This chapter felt like a Naruto filler episode where nothing happens huh? That's right.) And thank you for the reviews so far. They keep this fic alive.