Runo breathed in and out for a few moments. She relaxed and calmed down. She wasn't confident, but she knew that her friends needed to know.

"I always knew my parents weren't perfect...when I was five, my parents argued for the first time. " Runo stated, beginning her story. She cleared her throat and continued.

"Oh please! You're blaming me for what you did!" Mr. Misaki yelled at his wife.

"What I did?! You were the one who insisted me to eat that jelly! Because of that, I got cancer...and my slim self has grown!" his wife shouted back at him.

"You mean you turned FAT!" Mr. Misaki elaborated, making Runo's mom even angrier.

The two adults argued on and on, not realizing that their 5 year old daughter was listening to all this.

The five year old Runo spied on her parents, thinking to herself what could her mom and dad be talking about at the night. But instead of them talking, she found them arguing.

'Mamma, pappa' Runo thought, not wanting to accept the fact that her parents weren't perfect as she thought they were.

She, not wanting to, cried to all her heart. But in a few moments, the shouting stopped. Runo decided to leave so that her parents wouldn't get suspicious.

The next day

At school , the art teacher handed paper and pencils to the kids. "Alright kids, today, you can draw what you want." she announced as all the kids took their pencils, not knowing what to draw. But Runo knew what exactly she wanted to draw.

10 MINUTES LATER...

"Very nice drawing, Paula!" the teacher commented on a little girls drawing in front of Runo. The teacher went to Runo's table.

"And what have you decided to draw Runo?" the teacher asked her. Runo took her hand off her drawing. The teacher's's face turned surprised. The child's drawing seemed to be of a boy and girl fighting and a little girl in a dark corner, crying.

"Runo, sweet, what...is everything okay?" she asked. Runo shook her head, not wanting to let her teacher know the truth.

A few months before her 9th birthday

"Honey, you didn't clean the mailbox." Runo's mom reminded her husband for the tenth time that morning. Runo's father grew really angry.

"Oh, really?! You're the one who piles me up with chores!" he shouted at her.

The arguing began. The two adults just shouted at each other, not even realizing that their daughter was missing.

Once Runo knew that the arguing began, she ran out of the house, at top speed, to the park where she met Dan for the first time. Little did she know that that brunette was actually her future boyfriend.

"Boy, these are the times where I wish that little strange boy was here.." Runo thought.

She decided to walk to the far corner of the park. Once she reached, she cried her heart out, wishing that her parents wouldn't fight.

There were many more incidents Runo narrated to her friends, who were speechless. Runo had gone through a lot and she never told anyone.

By the time Runo finished telling them about each and every fight her mom and dad had, she was crying into Dan's chest. She didn't care the fact that even Shun and Alice were in the room. She just wanted to cry it out until all the pain went away. Dan sighed and gently patted Runo's back in a kind of pattern. 'Thud-thud, thud; thud-thud, thud'

Alice and Shun just didn't know what to say. Instead, they just decided to silently let those two have a moment. The only sounds to be heard were Runo's sobs and squeaks and Dan's whispers, all he said was "Shh..."

Runo didn't care. She sobbed every itty bit of pain out of her mind.

Shun's phone rang. "Hello?" Alice answered, picking his phone. "Ar you serious?! Shun, hear this!" she told, passing him the phone.

"Hello? Wait what!" The two teens were out of the room.

'Geez, what was that about?' Dan wondered. But he pushed those thoughts away when he realized Runo stopped.

"Kid?" he called out.

"Why does this stuff keep happening to me?"

"Aww,come on. Its not your fault."

"I hate this life sometimes, you know?"

"Don't say that, kid..."

"I don't want to. But that's the truth, everyone's life isn't easy."

"Mine is."

Runo looked up to Dan. 'How is YOURS easy?" she asked

Dan smiled at her. "Many reasons. I know that there are people around who care about me, I've been through many things and each incident's taught me something new. And mom always tells me this 'With each new challenge or test, you earn a little something.' But, do you know the last one?" Dan asked her

'No, what is it?' she asked.

"I have you, that's why" he replied. Runo smiled. "Even though you're a complete doofus, I love you." she told him.

"I love you more!"

"No, I do!"

"No I do!"

"No I do!

"No I do!"

"No, I-"

"You both do, alright?!" Alice interrupted the two. "Now, come on! Shun wants to make an announcement!"

The three of them went to the living room. Shun was beyond happy

"Man, what's the occasion? I've never seen you this happy ever since we were kids!" Dan told Shun. He rolled his eyes, laughing.

"Kay, dude! You're creepin' me out." Runo admitted that Shun sounded and acted as creepy.

"What's the announcement Shun?" Alice asked.

"Well, that's Doctor Shun to all of you!" Shun told them. Everyone gasped. 'Dr. Shun Kazami'

"Dude, you mean..." Dan started.

"Yeah, Dan! You're talking to Dr. Kazami! I got accepted! And my post is in Wardington hospital!" Shun finished his statement. Dan cheered so loud it shook the building. Becoming a doctor was Shun's top dream. Ever since his mom went into a coma, all Shun wanted to do was to at least help at the hospital and make up for his mom's death. He can make his dream come true.

"That's amazing Shun!" Runo congratulated Shun. He was like a brother to her and she was really happy for him.

Alice hugged Shun so tight he was almost about to choke. "I love you, Shun!"

He gasped. This was way better than the first news!

'Alice...what...did you just.." Runo started

"I love you Shun and that is how it always was and will be. I love you, i love you, i love you" she repeated over and over again. Shun started letting out tears of joy. The two of them kissed so passionately, even Dan started getting teary-eyed.

"You idiot! Bring the camera!" Runo reminded him. He brought the camera and him and Runo began taking pictures.