A/N: Experimented quite a bit with my style in this chapter. Lots of things happening. Things that are described in really weird ways, mostly. So, try to keep up, hope it's not too hard. I was eager to upload this, so again, I didn't proof-read. Sorry about that.

To whatever extent Ryuuji Takasu had used to have fun, it had changed a lot in the past month. For a boy who most of his life had been the actual personification of "all work, no fun", the amount of excitement in his life was almost ridiculous. Making a movie with his friends, partying with his friends, and so on. It was insane. Even so, he didn't really complain. It was a nice twist to his life, and he was actually nervous about how their transition to 3rd grade could take that away. Their upperclassmen would graduate in not very long, and it was sort of a scary thought.

Because of that, they had all just decided to make the most of it. They did their damn best with making the movie, but they all noticed how one person in the group seemed sort of terrified about the departure of their upperclassmen. No one really knew why, seeing as how this person had always seemed like this sort of apathetic human being. But one day, Ami had come to school later because apparently she had slept somewhere else and she was obviously sad about something and, as it turned out, it was because of their new friends from the movie club.

They all had their way of coping with it all, but Ryuuji just did his best to have fun. To enjoy things while they lasted. With time, he figured, he'd learn the importance of enjoying things for as long as possible. And with that in mind, time just kept passing. Rehearsals were had, scenes were recorded, parties were attended, and fun was a definite factor in all of it. Even during exams, Ryuuji kept his mood up.

And as time kept passing, creeping closer and closer to graduation for those who awaited it, things just kept changing. To some, these changes weren't as obvious. After Taiga and Ryuuji had entered an empty classroom only to find Yukuri and Ami making out at the teacher's desk, it was obvious to the both of them that a certain relationship had changed. The couple was happy for them both, and promised to keep it secret for as long as it was needed. It was definitely a surprise to both Taiga and Ryuuji, but they had no trouble accepting it.

Actually, stories like that are stories better told in detail. Maybe not so good for the girls who were caught red-handed, embarrassed out of their minds, but even so, a story best told in detail.

It had been a generally normal school day. Well, as normal as any day would get, really. Taiga and Ryuuji had gotten up early – together, actually, at the same time. Taiga even kept up her goal of helping with breakfast – and they'd arrived at school a little before they'd had to. They'd had normal classes, enjoyed lunch with their rowdy friends, and then had some more classes. And then school was out and club activities were over them, costumes were worked on – as that was the main focus point of the movie club at the time being – and then they too had gone home. Taiga and Ryuuji were headed home, planning on going to the supermarket later on to buy stuff for dinner.

"Ahhh, I can't wait," Taiga said, an obvious sense of longing in her voice. "Pork… pork… so much pork." She mumbled, her breath practically heavy with anticipation for the dinner of the day.

"Me neither. We got more than enough coupons, so we won't even be spending all that much. Today is a great day!" Ryuuji exclaimed, and then Taiga froze. She was staring ahead, as if she had seen a ghost. "Taiga?" Ryuuji asked, noticing how his girlfriend had come to a sudden halt. "What's wrong?"

"C-Coupons." She stuttered, trying to swallow a heavy lump that had seemingly gotten lodged in her throat. "I forgot my bag at school. The coupons… were there."

And then they were running, sprinting actually, as if their entire life depended on it, back to the school. They were completely out of breath, exhausted to say the very least, but even so they hurried on into the school.

"Where did you forget it?!" Ryuuji shouted, and they both moved through the hallways as if they were in some sort of action movie.

"Don't know! Homeroom maybe!" Taiga replied loudly, and to their classroom they went, and through their classroom door they barged, and-

"Uh." Taiga uttered, standing still just a few centimeters inside the room. Ryuuji had a bit more trouble stopping, but managed to regain his balance and stood not far from Taiga. What they saw was… well… Their friend, their old, good friend, Ami Kawashima, was sitting on the teacher's desk. Nothing extraordinary about that. Yukuri Haruno, their newer friend, was also there. She was standing on the floor in front of Ami, their old friend. That, also, was not extraordinary in itself.

"Uhm…" Ryuuji started, nervously. Yukuri Haruno, you know, their newer friend, was standing between Ami Kawashima's – you know, their good old friend – legs, her thighs running up Ami's skirt. Her hands were on Ami's hips, her lips were…

"We are so sorry." Taiga whispered, her eyes wide in terror at what they'd just done. "We will leave you alone. Ryuuji." She hissed, tugging at his sleeve as if trying to get him to snap out whatever shock he was in so they could get out of there.

Ami was scared, through and through. She had no idea what her friends would think about this. She had no clue what they would say about her being together with another g-

"Taiga, we can't!" Ryuuji hissed back, under his breath, nodding his head towards one of the desks. "Your bag. The coupons. They're there!"

"Oh." Taiga mumbled, a finger to her lips in thought of how they should proceed. Ami and Yukuri didn't move from their position, but instead just looked at them in a confused daze. "We should get them." Taiga whispered, thinking the girls couldn't hear her. "But then again, we shouldn't disturb their… you know… intimate time. You know how it feels to be walked in on while kissing!"

"Yes, you're right… I wonder… what should we do?"

"Get your damn coupons!" Ami wailed, her face flush with a bright red color, and Taiga and Ryuuji jumped into action, scrambling towards the bag in a desperate attempt to get it. They kept bumping into each other as if racing to the bag, even though it didn't matter which one of them got their hands on it. Eventually they stood there, bag between them, their hair a bit disheveled. The two girls stared at them, and Taiga and Ryuuji stared back. And they started walking, slowly, towards the door.

"We are so sorry." Taiga whispered, a look of absolute despair on her face.

"We'll leave you to it." Ryuuji followed up, looking pretty much the same as his girlfriend.

"No one needs to know." Taiga continued.

"Our little secret." Ryuuji whispered, and then they were gone, the door closed silently behind them.

"So, uh…" Yukuri gulped, looking back at Ami who was still sitting on the desk in front of her. She wasn't really sure how Ami felt. Her best friends had just found out about the two of them, but it didn't seem like Taiga and Ryuuji had had anything against it, which was good, of course. "What should we-"

"Shut up and kiss me." Ami deadpanned, and Yukuri did, and Taiga and Ryuuji could hear Ami's happy squeal from where they stood outside of the classroom door.

"That's our Amin." Taiga grinned, looking up at Ryuuji.

"Sure is." He smiled back. Taiga gave his lips a peck, and then they left, eager to get to the supermarket.

Every story needs and end. But every story also needs a beginning. That's a given, of course. But, even in endings, there can be beginnings. Some stories end, and some begin. So, this is the story of a beginning.

There was a boy. The boy was holding a controller in his hand, pressing away at buttons to make his character in the video game move around. There was also a girl. She was doing the same. They were both sloppily dressed, the boy wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, the girl wearing pajama shorts and a tank top.

"God, why is it so warm in here?" The girl asked, squirming a bit where she sat on the edge of a bed as if trying to shrug off the warmth.

"Same reason it's always warm," The boy mumbled idly. "No windows. Computer. Playstation. Gets warm with all these machines, you know."

"God, you're such a shut-in sometimes." The girl groaned, ignoring how hypocritical that statement was at the moment.

"Well, you're the one who didn't want to go to the party tonight."

"I'm too tired for that. Been to so many of them either way."

"You make good points," the boy sighed, leaning a bit back in defeat after losing another round to the girl who then went to put in a new game. "Take a co-op one. No, not that one. Yeah, that one's good." He said. "But, I mean, people are graduating soon. Won't be any more of those parties after that. But then again, it's not like we'll completely lose contact with people after that."

"Of course not," the girl huffed, slumping back down on the bed, this time at the far back with her back against the wall. Her legs were stretched out completely, and she rubbed her feet together, looking almost tired with the way she dallied with herself, the controller in her hand limp in her lap. There was something in that room that was hiding. An elephant of sorts. One that didn't want to be talked about, and the two people there tried to ignore it. Not to let it get to them.

"No, you gotta go to the right. In here. Christ, what are you doing?" The boy groaned.

"Not like it's easy to coordinate with you all the way down on the floor. Come on, up." The girl said, patting the spot next to her on the bed. The boy complied silently, slumping down next to the girl. These two people were usually energetic. Beaming with smiles, that's what they used to be like. But alone together, they were calmer. Especially now, with the elephant in the room. "Shit, shit!"

"Come on!" The boy exclaimed, suddenly a bit more focused on the game. He let out a sigh. "Damn. Nice work there, with the… the thing."

"I know when to use my damn supercharge." The girl huffed, also looking a bit relieved. They kept playing, ignoring the time. It was late. Nearing midnight. They kept playing. The elephant didn't leave. After a while, the girl spoke up. "I got in."

"Huh?" The boy asked, barely even registering anything that happened outside of the game.

"Edogawa. I got in. Got the letter yesterday."

"Oh." The boy mumbled, trying not to react too much. "Congrats."

"What about you?" The girl asked, suddenly seeming a bit more focused on real life. There was a hint of worry in her voice.

"Nothing yet. Probably not." The boy replied. He wasn't confident in his chances, that much was obvious. "Probably Kurume for me."

"I… see." The girl mumbled, looking down at her lap. She was no longer playing.

"Hey, I'm losing here." The boy said, and after a second of hesitation, the girl picked up the controller and started playing again. When they were out of danger the boy popped some snacks into his mouth. They tasted great.

"Kurume is… quite far away from Edogawa." The girl said with a hushed voice, almost as if she never really wanted to say it.

"It is. It's fine, though. Still got Skype, you can bother me there." The boy replied, almost as if he didn't really care at all. The girl put on a smile she knew he wouldn't see, which was good, because it was a sad smile. The elephant was there. The girl wanted to talk about the elephant, but the boy seemed reluctant. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't sure how to make it without him, and that the most important thing to her was that they could go to the same university. Or, at the very least, that they could live close to each other. That they could be like they had been for years, that they could visit each other and play games and talk about life. But to her, it didn't seem like the boy felt the same way about things.

"I can visit you." The boy suddenly said, not taking his eyes away from the screen. The elephant was more visible now. "Whenever I get the chance, I can come stay with you. Holidays and all that."

The girl was surprised, but she did her best to keep her eyes on the game. Her black hair wasn't braided now, and it was just flowing freely. She felt relieved. That boy, her best friend in the world, the boy she never wanted to be away from, wanted to be with her too. She smiled again. Happy, this time. But she was tired, and as tired people do, she eventually fell asleep with her head on his shoulder. He kept playing on his own.

When it was 2 am and the boy was almost starting to doze off, his door opened. His older brother stood there, trying to be as quiet as possible in case his younger brother was asleep. He had just gotten back from town, but he wasn't especially drunk. "Yo, Tamura." Takuo Harayoki said, waving a letter in his hand. "Forgot to give you this earlier. Came in the mail this morning. Figured it might be important." He smiled. He walked silently into the room so as to not wake the sleeping girl, and gave the letter to his brother. "Good night, bro."

"O-Oh, thanks. Good night." Tamura said, looking a bit surprised. He put away the game controller and looked at the letter for a while after his brother had left the room. 'Edogawa University' it said. Nervously, he opened the letter as slowly as possible. He read it slowly too, taking it all in. He wasn't really sure how to react. He suddenly stood up, and the head that belonged to Torya Mamuri slipped down and she fell flat down on the bed, and then she woke.

"I'm up!" She exclaimed, sitting up with a drowsy look on her face, wiping some slobber away from her cheek. She looked up at Tamura who stood there, staring down at a letter in his shaking hands. "Tamura? Tamura, what's wrong?"

"I got in," he whispered, looking at Torya with big eyes. "I got into Edogawa! I was accepted!"

"What?!" Torya exclaimed, and before Tamura could do anything else, she'd jumped from the bed and into his arms, not even touching the floor as she hung with her arms around his shoulder. She hugged him tighter than she ever had, but the weight was too much for them and they fell down on the bed. They lay next to each other, just looking into each other's eyes as they laughed. They were so happy. Tamura suddenly sat up.

"Now that I know for sure…" He started, and Torya sat up with a questioning look on her face.

"What is it?" Torya asked, looking at him with big eyes.

"I was kinda waiting just in case, but-" He couldn't even finish, as Torya had already launched forwards and put her lips to his. She pulled away, but her face was still only inches away from his. "I love you, Tamura."

"I love you too. God, I love you too, Yunyun." Tamura said, and the elephant was out and everything was just the way it was supposed to be. The two of them made love that night, knowing that they would never again have to be apart.

Such was the beginning of a new story for Torya and Tamura. Other stories end, and some stories haven't even started yet.

The story of Taiga Aisaka and Ryuuji Takasu would probably never really end. But a new story began for them too. A month was left before the school-year was over, and they would be finished with second grade. But before that, a new story would begin. Keep in mind, whoever is listening, that this story is not a happy one. The story that would begin for this couple would be one of pain and hardship. But what else can anyone expect from life?

"You think you did well?" Ryuuji asked as they walked down the road towards their home. A home they shared.

"I hope so. With your tutoring, I can't really imagine anything else." Taiga said, sounding very light-hearted. Life was so great for her, shared with the person she loved most in the entire world. "But we'll see when we get the test back, right?"

"Yup." Ryuuji smiled. He felt good about the test. He was sure he'd get a top grade on it. There was nothing better than feeling that he'd aced a test. They went home that day, feeling calm and happy, and when they got home, Ryuuji's mother was there too. She wasn't really supposed to be, but she was. She wasn't exactly waiting up for them or anything. That wasn't really like her either way. She was more of the sleepy type. But passed out on the kitchen floor was not all that normal.

"Yacchan?" Taiga uttered as she saw her, and she was completely frozen in place. Ryuuji came into the kitchen, stretching his arms.

"Guess I should start making dinner. Huh? Taiga?" He asked, but before he needed to ask any more, he saw his mother. "Mom? Mom?!" He exclaimed, rushing over to her. He checked her breathing, took her pulse, and tried to get her attention. He put a hand to her forehead to check her body warmth.

Taiga just stood there and watched. She felt helpless. Terrified. A person she cared so much about was lying there on the ground, looking practically lifeless. She'd seen that once before. She'd seen Ryuuji close to death, and she had never wanted to see that again.

"Taiga!" Ryuuji shouted, and she snapped out of her daze. He was looking at her, calm shock in his eyes. He was terrified too, but he managed to control it. "Call an ambulance."