Sometimes I really went back on time, following my memories, to the time everything changed. Was it the moment I decided to leave my “home”? Or was it the time when I crashed with him and, by coincidence or as I loved to think... DESTINY, I met him?

 

Everything changed inside of me. Everything broke and left space for me to rebuild it.

 

All I ever thought impossible turned possible. Every dream became reality.

 

I looked around. He was still sitting next to me, his hand entwined in mine, his smile stealing the evident protagonist of the blush in his face. I looked ahead. Ken was still laughing; Yumi was still driving fast across the almost deserted streets, her hair blowing exactly like her smile.

 

When had everything became so good? When did I find myself feeling like this?

 

... in place.

 

“Wooo! We’re here!” said Ken, still laughing like an idiot, only to turn to the majestic building we were slowly entering to park the car on its own parking lot, and simply gap in surprise and shock.

 

We were entering one of the 3 existing buildings, each of them with at least 10 floors, but looking like one of the those complex where and actual city bubbled inside. They were modern-like, yet elegant and classic. The illumination they were under made them almost glow beautifully.

 

I captured all this in a simple look, as Yumi entered the subterranean parking lot. Even the parking lot irradiated a subtle elegance that made (the 3 of us, excluding Yumi of course) gawk at the expensiveness it emanated. Not to mention that, as we looked for a free space, we passed through a selection of bright, new cars that flashed in the lamp’s glow. I could recognize some brands. Mercedez, BMW, Volvo, Rolls Royce...

 

As Yumi slowly parked in the slot #69...

 

‘Nice, now let’s wait for Ken and Yumi to get out, and let’s start honoring the number in the back seat!’

 

Deaf mode on!

 

... continuing with what I was saying. As Yumi parked in the slot, Ken’s high pitched squeal broke the silence by voicing our thoughts in a general “What the fuck!?”.

 

Yumi only laughed as she stared at an open-mouthed Ken, and then even harder as she spotted Tetsu and I’s similar expressions through the back look mirror.

 

“You shouldn’t be so surprised, Hi Hi-chan” she said with a smile as she got out of the car. Before we could react, Ken was out too, admiring a beautiful Mustang (newest model) completely costumed designed, that was parking on the slot next to Yumi’s.

 

“I thought you actually worked because you needed to” I said sincerely as Tetsu and I got out of the car.

 

“Long story, I’ll tell you later” she added, as she started heading to the elevator close by.

 

Tetsu and I followed, only to turn around later and grab Ken by the elbows, almost pulling him away from the Mustang.

 

Even the elevator was neatly perfect. Its metallic walls glowed in a bluish light which matched with the buttons of each floor. I gripped the metallic wall with all my might as Yumi pushed a button and the elevator started moving. I saw my own reflection in the wall in front of me. For an instance, I felt what any damn psychologist, doctor, engineer or any sane person would define as claustrophobia.

 

But, in an instance, it all faded away as Tetsu’s hand overlapped mine, caressing it really slowly. I looked in the wall in front of me and saw his beautiful reflection eyeing my own with a concerned look. I tried my best to smile, but all I could get was a nervous grin.

 

“Oops!” suddenly whispered Yumi, as she slapped her forehead with her hand “I’m really sorry Hi Hi-chan, I forgot you are a little claustrophobic. But it’s the 8^th floor and using the stairs wouldn’t have been convenient either, ne?” she said as she looked at me with a guilty look. I tried smiling again, but failed miserably. Luckily for me, we reached her floor before I started breathing hard and sweating like crazy.

 

I almost jumped out of the elevator (bringing Tetsu with me, for he was still holding my hand) as the metallic doors opened. I sighed, happy that it was over. But a little whisper of surprise coming from Tet-chan made me look around.

 

We were on a long corridor that ran to the left and to the right. It had an awesome pink-purple carpet that looked really soft, with some simple pattern on it. The walls were a simple white, cut here and there by a black, modern-looking lamp, which illuminated the way in a sky-blue light.

 

I looked to my right and I realized I could only spot 2 doors in the, at least, 15 meter corridor, both doors metallic blue. I looked to my left and it was exactly the same. If Tetsu’s hand wasn’t still locked with mine, I would have felt I was lost in one of those dreams where you run and run, but never reach anything.

 

We were woken (including Ken, who was standing to my right, gawking exactly like Tetsu and I were) by Yumi’s command of “follow me” as she walked towards the right corridor, key in her hands.

 

We followed, completely mute, walking like a pack of scared little dogs, getting used to the new surroundings. We stopped in front of the first metallic blue door, labeled with number 11.

 

Number 11? I was sure Yumi said her floor was the 8^th...

 

As she opened the door, I realized that in a building so elegant, beautiful and BIG as this one, departments wouldn’t be as small as Tetsu, Ken and I’s.

 

There was the typical step which served as the spot to leave the shoes and enter the house. Beyond that, it was a very short corridor with both wooden floor and walls covered both sides by two rectangular pots with red flowers. This short corridor left to a lift of wooden stairs (just 4 steps). Beyond this simple, yet adorable, entrance was the most beautiful apartment I had ever laid eyes on.

 

The moment I stepped into the first floor, something really strange happened.

 

A feeling invaded me. The kind of feeling you get when you go somewhere you feel you’ve been before, but you find yourself unable to grasp when. It was though I’ve been there before... or more likely, like in the near future I’ll be spending a good deal of time there. I tried to grasp the feeling, failing miserably.

 

All I could do was stand there, as I felt really safe in the new surroundings.

 

When this flow of feelings finally subsided, I found myself astounded by the evident beauty of the place.

 

It was a circular room. Walls and floor in a wooden style, mahogany color. In front of us was a set of spiral staircases which actually went all the way to the ceiling and through it, to the evident second floor, and went down through the floor to what I thought would be basement. These stairs were made of black steel, a design elegant and old. Behind the stairs was a high squared window with no curtains, which showed the splendid view. Beyond the window was a huge part of the city showing, lights tickling in the distance. I noticed that to the right of the circular room was a threshold with no door, big enough for me to spot a reddish sofa that was probably part of the living room. To the left stood a similar threshold, showing a little part of the cozy kitchen.

 

For one reason or the other, as I stood next to some shocked-to-death Tetsu and Ken and a smiling/blushing Yumi... I felt in the middle of a dream. Like I was experiencing a strong deja-vu. I smiled to that thought.

 

For once, I fell like I really had to be there... alive. I didn’t belong under a pile of cold earth... like he wanted me to be.

 

Yumi woke us once again as she walked past us to our right and almost instantly turned on her heels, watching intently the wall behind us. We turned too, still in shock (as for me, in raw realization), and turned to the wooden wall.

 

There, covering from floor to ceiling, were many photographs stuck behind simple frames. I quickly scanned the photos, watching little Yumi in her dad’s arms, crying... then she was next to her mother, pouting angrily... then she was alone, evidently forcing a smile...

 

And then, she was next to me...

 

The photo was taken in the park we used to meet at. I didn’t know the photo existed, nor that I remembered it was ever taken. I was around 10 years old and she was around 6. I was holding her in a piggy back ride, her hands around my neck, my hands holding her little legs. The photo was simply beautiful. Just the two of us, the background painted with some blooming sakura trees. A genuine smile upon our faces...

 

“That’s one of my favorites too” she whispered by my side, eyeing me by the corner of her eyes. A little smile played on her lips as she noticed my shiny eyes, looking at the picture. If Tetsu hadn’t been on my other side, a sob would have surely escaped my throat.

 

Before Tetsu or Ken made a comment, she grabbed my hand and led me to the living room. Ken and Tetsu followed shortly after.

 

The living room wasn’t round; it was rectangular, yet amazingly cozy. In the bottom wall was a wooden fireplace, simple, yet elegant. Above it was a canvas, filled with a mix of vivid colors. In the wall to our right was a huge TV screen which almost covered the whole wall. On the wall to our left was the big red sofa I had spotted before, above it was a little squared window with curtains made of fancy-looking dark green fabric. In the corner nearest to us, was a big potted plant, which added the last touch of refreshment to the room. In the middle of the room, between the TV and the sofa, was a beautiful kotatsu.

 

I smiled. She hadn’t changed after all. It was the same kotatsu her parents used to have on their bedroom, back on her old home.

 

“I’m home Niji-chan!” she said happily as we entered the living room, letting go of my hand and jumping like a little girl towards the red sofa.

 

My eyes located the little white kitten only when she held it in her arms, hugging it like a teddy bear.

 

A cat... an elevator... what else did she had? Maybe an evil man with a sadistic grin? Was she really trying to make me weep?

 

But she came back, still jumping, towards us. As she stood before us, I could see that the kitten had big blue eyes, and its fur seemed really soft.

 

I pouted unconsciously as she swung the kitten in front of me.

 

She was cruel... knowing that I loved cats, yet I was allergic to them...

 

“Meet Niji! My sweet, little kitten!” she said as she held the kitten by the belly and showed it to us. The kitten replied with a simple ‘miaow’, quiet and cute.

 

“Awww! It’s so cute!” was the instant response from Tetsu, as he scratched the little kitten behind the ears, and smiled with contained cuteness.

 

Ken’s reaction was similar, although he actually took the kitten from Yumi, and held it in his arms, patting him on the head and talking to him like it was a baby.

 

I just looked towards Yumi, hate behind my eyes. She just looked back at me and stuck her tongue out in a devilish manner, her hands in her back, like a kid caught doing something wrong.

 

“That’s not fair, and you know it!” I said quietly, but still with a bad tone... one that I didn’t use lately. I was really pissed off after all. She knew I always wanted a cat... and if I ever found one that didn’t cause me to sniff and cough every second... I would have called it Niji.

 

“Actually, I found it on a pet store... and guess what?! There was this man who said he was allergic to cats and the whole time he never sneezed! So I bought it... because it reminded me of you. Don’t think too badly of me Hi Hi-chan, I always thought that if I ever found you again, I would give you that cat as a present.” she said quickly, blushing midway in the sentence and brushing her dress in a nervous manner as she ended.

 

I could only stand there. Shocked.

 

The girl... no, the woman she had become... the woman standing in front of me had actually... thought of me. After all that happened, all the time that came through us... all the bad memories we had... she had thought of me when she bought that kitten. More importantly... she took the time to check if it was a good present... even if she knew that we may never meet again.

 

She stood there, her hands still brushing her pink and white-squared dress. She was smiling nervously... like she used to when we were kids, and she had done something bad. She was simply there.

 

Behind the curtain of her dress, I could spot the little girl she was. I could still see my little sister, for I always had considered her as one... the one that surprised me when no one else could. She was there, and she had always been there... waiting.

 

I gave her a little smile, trying to hold back the tears in my eyes.

 

Had she cried went we parted? Had she missed me when we stopped seeing each other?

Had she been happy?

Back on those days... had her days continued to be as hellish as mine?

 

All I could do, as Ken and Tetsu still patted the kitten, was hold her in a tight embrace. The smell of her rose-scent hair accompanied me as I whispered a simple “Thank you” in her ear. She just hugged me closer, as she giggled in her own way. I knew she was trying to hold back tears too, but neither of us said a thing as our embrace broke.

 

I turned to Ken and took the kitten off his arms, only to hold it on my own. It miaouw as I petted her, moving her tail in a happy manner.

 

I waited for the sneezes, coughs and puffy eyes... but after at least 2 minutes of petting her, I knew Yumi had really found it. She had found the kitten I always wanted.

 

None of us said a thing as Yumi guided us to the kotatsu, immediately sitting down and turning it on. Ken sat next to her, curiously watching her.

I sat still holding Niji in my arms, Tetsu sat next to me.

 

“You have a beautiful apartment, Yumi-chan” said Tetsu, trying to start a conversation. “Is it a 2-floor apartment?” he asked as he actually wrapped his arm around my back discreetly. I smiled. The cat was really cute, but he was cutter when he got jealous of a simple pet.

 

“It’s actually a 3-floor apartment” she said with a smile, something on the way she moved her eyebrows made me think she had seen Tetsu’s movement. “Ah! Well, you can count the rooftop too, it’s also kinda of part of the apartment... so that would make it a 4-floor apartment. Main floor, second floor, basement and rooftop, or you can call it garden too...” she said in a whisper, counting down with her fingers as she named the floors.

 

“Garden?” said Ken in a curious voice, as Yumi still counted and whispered things to herself.

 

“Eh? Ah, yes! I’ll show it to you later, it’s really beautiful!” she said as she smiled to Ken and pointed above with her finger. Ken looked at her and crooked his head to one side, a little smile playing on his lips. “But for now... why don’t we go for some dinner? Hi Hi-chan...” she asked as she looked at me, ignoring the cute smile still playing on Ken’s lips.

 

“Hai?” I answered, not sure what she meant.

 

“Ok. I’ll bring the pamphlet they gave so Tet-chan and Ken-chan can decide what to order, and the Hi Hi-chan and I will go buy it” she stated, not giving me and answer, but a commandment. As she said this, she gave me that look that made me feel like I was the little boy I once was.

 

“Hai...” I sighed. It wasn’t worth an argument after all. Yumi was Yumi. The little kawaii girl who had the power to command over me like a big sister. How lame I was.

 

‘And you call yourself a man when a 17-year-old girl rules over you...’

 

Whispered Chibi Ken in an almost inaudible voice.

 

How sickly lame I was. Being controlled by a girl AND hearing a voice that made fun of me all the time.

 

Yumi left the living room quickly, leaving us in a comfortable silence in the semi-lighted living room. It had a nice illumination... not too bright, yet not too dark. It was cozy and warm.

 

Niji jumped from my arms, apparently sick of being petted and lied down on the big sofa, almost instantly curving into a ball. Tetsu instantly freed me from his embrace and hid his hands under the kotatsu. When Yumi was coming back from the kitchen, pamphlet on her hand, I realized Tetsu wanted me to search for his hand under the futon... so I did it. The instance I found his hand, he gripped mine and entwined it, sighing in comfort as I smiled out of pure happiness.

 

Yumi put the pamphlet in front of Tetsu, so he took out from the kotatsu his free hand, trying to look innocent.

 

“It’s a Chinese food restaurant, hope you don’t mind. But it really is delicious, and the cook in there is actually my friend, so he always adds more food than he should” she said with a little giggle, as Tetsu handed the menu to Ken.

 

“I’ll take the Kum Pao with noodles” said Tetsu with a smile. I had to resist the need to kiss him right there. The low lighting of the room made him look even sexier and cuter than normal.

 

I bit my lip, concentrating hard on Ken’s voice who was telling his order and a quick joke, which Yumi took in a set of giggles. I took out my free hand and rested it on my chin. Tetsu was watching how Ken and Yumi shared the laughter, a little grin upon his lips.

 

For an instance, I realized how much I loved the red-haired next to me.

How attractive did I found him... all the time.

 

When he just woke up, when he was making breakfast, when he was getting ready for work, when he was working, when he was tiredly closing the café, when he arrived home and sighed, when he watched me cook dinner, when he got ready to bed... when he kissed my forehead and whispered ‘good night’... and even when got close to me and hugged me under the shits, smelling my hair and sighing happily.

 

His kind hands... his strong arms... his long and sexy neck...

 

His ears, his lips, his nose... his beautiful, round eyes...

 

I realized my sight had followed my thoughts when I reached his deep chocolate eyes and found them staring intently at me, as a small smirk played in his lips.

 

I blushed hardly as he, under the kotatsu, caressed the back of  my palm with his thumb, still smirking in a sweet way I hadn’t get to know.

 

“Let’s go, Hi Hi-chan” I heard Yumi’s voice, like she was 20 feet away from me, with her hand upon her mouth.

 

He blinked, his smirk disappearing, and cast a sweet smile at me as he indicated with his head towards where Yumi’s voice came from.

 

“Hi Hi-chan!” repeated Yumi, this time her voice reaching me directly. I turned towards her, at last braking the magical eye contact with my lover, my mouth wide open in the paradisiatic feeling, my mind still blinded by that smirk... a smirk that hid something  I hadn’t seen in him before.

 

“Let’s go” she said as she took me by the arm. The moment she touched me, Tetsu’s hand left mine.

 

Next thing I knew, Yumi was leading me out of the apartment as Ken’s laughter played in the background... Tetsu’s warmth still lingered on my fingers.

 

“Really... you are in love” she said between giggles, as she closed the metallic blue door behind her.

 

I blinked, trying to focus on her and not on the comforting warmth. “Hai?” I whispered.

 

She giggled even harder, hugging me by the waist.

 

“He’s got you drooling over him, and he definitely doesn’t give himself too much credit for it” she said matter-of-factly, adding a hand gesture here and there.

 

“He’s just so innocent...” I whispered, trying not to sound too old fashioned.

 

“Really? Do you really know that much about him?” she said as she crooked her head, a curious smile upon her lips.

 

I got quiet. That was what I thought. He was just an angel, my angel.... so innocent. Yet, I really didn’t know too much about his past. Was he really as innocent as he looked?

 

“Anyway, leaving that behind... you are SO in love with him, yet I don’t know anything!” she said as she stopped for a moment, as we got to the elevator, and pushed the button to go down, then turned around and looked at me like I was crazy. “You need to tell me EVERYTHING now! Yumi deserves to know everything, even the dirty secrets! Tell me... he seems like a good kisser, is he!?” she said happily as she smiled.

 

Luckily for me, the elevator doors opened and I laughed before entering. A little claustrophobia and a chance to think of a way to tell her everything didn’t seem too bad for the moment.

 

 oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

When we got to the restaurant, we ordered Tet-chan and Ken-chan’s plates, and asked for some random ones for ourselves. We sat down on a table nearby. I was already in the part when Hikari was first introduced to me as Tetsu’s girlfriend, and she was already crazily expressing her hate for her.

 

We went through the whole story, ignoring the customers that came and went near us. I told her everything. Every detail was important to her, I knew it, so I told her everything I could remember. The feeling of our first kiss... that feeling of freedom and revival. That feeling of hate towards Hikari when we thought she was turning Ken against us. How he laughed when I hugged him suddenly. How he smiled at me when I was brushing my hair. I told her everything, and she took it all with a smile on her face... there was only one topic I left out. The only one I wanted to find out for myself.

 

In the back on my mind, next to Chibi Ken, was that thought safe... his look... her voice. Kokoro.

I wanted to find out about his family by myself, so I kept quiet about that with Yumi, yet she didn’t mind it... or maybe she didn’t even realize it.

 

“Ma~... this story is just so romantic... it feels like I’m reading a romance book” she said as she giggled and rested her chin on her both hands. “But I really do like how you look with Tet-chan... you make a nice couple!” she said with a smile.

 

I smiled back at her, blushing a bit. Before she could add something else, they called our name, meaning that our order was ready. A thought flashed through my mind... and I voiced it quickly, without thinking. “I think you would look good with Ken-chan” I said and I got up quickly, hearing her high “EH!?” as I got near the main table.

 

All the way back to the apartment she kept saying things as “He’s too tall for me!” or “He smokes, ne? I don’t like smokers”. I just kept smiling, aware of the fact that she had taken the topic too quickly, instead of dropping it. Who knew... maybe she did found him attractive. I kept ignoring her and rolling my eyes as she hit me on the shoulder saying things in her defense. Even in the elevator she kept whispering things to herself. By the time we got to the apartment I was seriously considering planning a double date, for she kept denying my statement.

 

My sinister thoughts were cut when we entered and hear Ken’s happy voice yelling to Tetsu in a mocking tone.

 

“Have you!?” he yelled from the living room. His voice echoed all through the apartment, even reaching us at the entrance.

 

“No! I have not!” yelled Tetsu back, in an embarrassed tone, like he was trying to shut up Ken.

 

“Oh! Come on! I was gone for a while!.... Have you!?” he kept insisting. A sound of skin over wood reached us. He was probably emphasizing his point by hitting the kotatsu table.

 

“I said no!” insisted Tetsu back, clearly embarrassed.

 

As Yumi and I entered the living room, food on our hands, we found a laughing Ken-chan whispering “I don’t believe you” and a blushing Tetsu, looking annoyed at Ken. The very moment they spotted us, they stopped their little rant. Ken stopped laughing only to scream “Food!”, and Tetsu kept blushing but looked like he was glad Ken had dropped the topic.

 

I sat next to Tetsu, and Yumi next to Ken, like before. If I didn’t know her better, I would have said she was blushing. She excused herself quickly as she whispered “I’ll bring something to drink”.

 

By the time I met Tetsu’s hand under the kotatsu and looked at him curiously, Ken was already separating his chopsticks and saying “Itadakkimasu”. Tetsu only looked at me by the corner of his eyes, and smiled reassuringly, yet his blush didn’t disappear from his face.

 

Yumi came back with 4 glasses and a jug of lemonade. Without really wanting, I broke the hand-contact with Tetsu, so I could grab my chopsticks. Ken was already lost in his food, yelling “Oishii!” there and then, as we all said “Itadakkimasu” with suppressed laughter.

 

Dinner... went well. You can say it went well when you don’t mind your best friend telling stories about your childhood!

 

Dinner was lost between laughter. Yumi kept telling things about me as a child, which Ken responded by telling stories about Tetsu. Tetsu and I took turns in blushing, yet we all laughed at the silly jokes Ken kept saying.

 

“Remember the time when we asked that old man what he was doing, Hi Hi-chan?” said Yumi, suppressing giggles.

 

“Oh, hai! That time when he actually said ‘Just watching beautiful kids play’?” I said as I laughed hardly.

 

“Oh my god! A pedophile on a child’s park... and they say I’m innocent!” added Ken, making us all laugh on the way.

 

“Oh! And when that little girl chewed on earth because her mother didn’t buy her ice cream!” said Yumi, as Ken laughed by her side, imagining the little girl.

 

“Hahahha! Hai!” I said laughing uncontrollably.

 

“Oh my! Hahaha... you know, Hide-chan has been saying ‘Hai’ to everything all night long! We shouldn’t call you Hide! You should be Hai-do!” he said, only to laugh after it.

 

“Why ‘do’?” I asked, trying to sound innocent.

 

“Because it’s manlier” said Tetsu by my side.

 

I looked towards him, my eyes round as plates. A roar of laughter erupted as I hit Tetsu saying things like “Are you calling me a girl? Red-haired girl!”

 

“So Haido it is!” yelled Ken, as I still punched Tetsu, laughing along with him.

 

Dinner went on. Jokes, laughter... friends.

 

There, under the warm and comfortable kotatsu, watching my currently 3 best friends, my thoughts couldn’t be sad. There, my world wasn’t as cruel as it once was.

 

As we kept laughing, food long forgotten, I tried to imagine a way to stop time.

 

Maybe it wasn’t possible, but for a moment it felt like time did stop. For a moment I felt that, if I was with them... easily chatting... nothing else was so hard.

 

My head was spinning, my jaw hurt of so much laughter and my hair was a mess... but my heart was warm.

 

I smiled.

 

I finally felt home... next to them.

To be continued...

.•º ĻŭŧħĩЭи Êlяĩς Ŧąĸăŗåî º•.

 

Thank you for reading chapter 14, hope you liked it

As always, please leave a comment n_n