A/N: This is the last chapter before the epilogue, and so is longer than usual.

Thanks and happy reading!

***

Rena.

I clearly remembered back when I met Rena for the first time.

It was during a school trip in fourth grade, where I was placed in the same group with her and Alyssa. She used to be extremely bashful, as she always hid behind her best friend, somewhat depending on her. She struggled on properly talking to other people, especially me. As time passed by, though, she had slowly grown confident, despite stuttering a lot.

After the accident, we went seperate ways, although we remained at the same middle and high school. Despite the fact that I was the one who cut ties with her, she seemed not to harbor grudge against me. In fact, she had been staring at me during lunch time or when I have classes with her. In the hallways, we would just walk past as if we didn't know each other at all.

Neither I or her ever initiated a proper conversation, although her determined expression was enough to tell me that she wanted to be friends again. Being the heartless boy I was, I destroyed such chances many times.

I simply waited, expecting Rena to eventually despise me for being a jerk and move on, or at worst, plan some stupid revenge that girls loved to do... or so that was how my old self thought. However, she didn't expressed any menacing attitude, just the same determined face...

I have always wondered, why didn't she just hate me...? Was it that hard for her?

I had left her behind... wasn't that a good reason to hate someone already?

In high school, Rena finally took her stand. After three years of complete silence, she was finally brave enough to approach me, and managed to fix the broken pieces of our relationship. At first, I remembered not feeling anything when we were together... just pure blankness.

Regardless, we gradually grew closer through lots of interactions, and from there, I started leaning myself towards her. Our moments together began to fill up the emptiness that had been lingering inside of me. I didn't know why, but I just found myself trusting her easily as well.

She also taught me how to feel again... although it wasn't so easy, and sometimes, I had a hard time knowing what it was. Also, her selfless attitude quickly pulled me in, although it made her reckless at times. The walls I built around myself began to crumble little by little... allowing Rena to enter what was left of me.

Even after Lynn's passing, she remained, although I had pushed her away once more. She was one of those people who slowly guided me on to moving forward... and that was when the strange feeling blossomed.

It was responsible for my thumping heart, fluttering stomach and heating face whenever I saw her around, and making me feel so tense whenever she looked at me. It was also responsible for making me worry about my appearance and the fact that sometimes... I randomly have thoughts about her. Sometimes, it made me feel unusually light-hearted and relieved. At worst, I felt threatened whenever Rena got along well with another boy, although... they were just friends, nothing more.

My friends have told me that it was called having a crush... and as a result, they excessively teased me, especially Seb. They all got into my nerves, but there was no way I could stop them unless that feeling disappeared. It didn't, and in fact, it grew even larger... and now, I realized that it wasn't just an affection I was having...

...but I was madly in love with Rena.

They said love is a strong word, just like with hate, but... I couldn't find other descriptions other than it. I thought it was unbelievable that I loved someone dearly... but it was proven wrong, and now, I didn't mind it a single bit.

Like they always said, surely nothing was impossible.

There were just so much things Rena had contributed in my life. Her affectionate aura always made me feel at peace, and her kindness impressed me. She had brought the best in me... and pulled me away from the darkness I surrounded myself in for years. She have been through a lot of hard times because of me, but she didn't seem to mind suffering with me, all thanks to her selfless attitude. She, along with my family, had assisted me in my recovery.

...and here I was still couldn't find ways to return her the favor...

I sat quietly at the grasses, watching as Rena took pictures of the surrounding mountains. Her satisfied grin as she looked through them in her phone's gallery just warmed me up. She proceeded to take selfies, posing cutely. I didn't want to stare at her for too long... so I just looked away and focused on something else, like the scenery or the trees surrounding us.

"Ed, you know... now that we're here, we should t-take lots of photos together." Rena suggested. "I don't really have much photos of us both..."

"...Y-Yeah, of course." I stumbled between my words as I croaked out my answer. It all came out of nowhere, so that was why I was slightly thrown aback, and consequently, I stuttered. Surely I'm learning lots of things from Rena...

Stretching my legs for a bit, I gingerly stood up and followed after her, where she asked me to get close so that I could fit in the frame with her. However, everytime my body made a contact against hers, I would just freeze in my spot and stiffened. I would then feel all fuzzy, but I forced myself to act neutral while Rena posed and took the photos. I even crept in a small smile, but I ended up cringing at the results.

"I looked... kinda strange, huh?" I commented as I scrutinized the pictures carefully. My only expression was either me with a completely blank look or simply a small smile, while Rena could do many expressions and nailed it. I guess I really haven't changed so much about it...

"N-No, I don't think so, Ed." Rena disagreed, shaking her head. "I t-think you look great and cute just the w-way you are."

At first I made no complains about it. Her compliments were seriously putting me to the edge, and I could feel the temperature building up in my face. This caused my skin to redden... when this wasn't suppose to be the correct time. What was worse, Rena was just an inch away from seeing it, so I just counted on my bangs to hide them for me. Either way, I have to say something as well, and so I did.

"You think so?" I mumbled under my breath.

"Obviously." Without hesitation, she replied.

"But I looked really stiff... especially how I smile, while yours on the other hand... is more natural." My voice sounded low, although I tried to make it louder. My hands were all damp, probably because of the sweat I excessively produced. It wasn't even that hot, as we were high in the mountains...

"Ed... um, you need to be more confident on yourself, alright? You already did good enough, and it's your best effort, so I-I can appreciate it." She affirmed. "Besides, you don't need to smile the whole time if it wasn't your thing. I'm not forcing you or anything. Even if you're not smiling, I can already tell that you're... h-happy."

Just like in the cartoons, there was a sharp feeling, like that of an arrow, that pierced through my wavering heart. Rena was seriously killing me inside with all of her overwhelmingly positive mood and her encouragement. The fire that burnt within me grew larger, which probably was why I felt like I was melting.

"Thanks..." I pushed myself to thank her despite some certain conditions as I scratched my head. "...but even so, I still have to practice on how to express myself clearly. I wanna smile not because someone's forcing me to, but because... I want to do so."

That was the truth. I couldn't just remain with the same straight face forever.

"... Well if so, you're already doing a great job, and I think you're way better than months ago. J-Just be comfortable with whatever you are now, Ed, and take it easy. I k-know this because I learn it from some experiences I have." She beamed. "T-There's probably still long way to go, but I would be right on your back whenever you need any support."

"...Yeah... sure..." I breathed as she was inwardly making me over the moon. I have never had this feeling in a long time, and that was making me feel uncomfortable and... strange, for no reason.. Before everything got worse, I lent the phone back to her and quickly broke my gaze away before she could see what I truly look like.

Through the years of my life, I have rarely encountered someone who was as tolerant as Rena. Most people would jeer me for being a blank slate, an emotionless jerk and a serial killer due to my looks. Obviously I agreed, so I never complained an ounce about it... and if I did, it was probably because they were getting too repetitive and obnoxious.

"Ed, let's go over there!" She exclaimed, pointing at a particular spot. "I think that's the best view for the other mountains!"

"Alright." I nodded, simply following with whatever she said. There we would take selfies together, where I wore the same, tiny smile over the course of the photos and she shifted her expressions quickly. Not just selfies, though... she would then ask me to take photo of hers.

For Rena, it was a different case. Even if I seldomly laughed and grinned, which was one of the things girls wanted to see in boys, she didn't seem deterred. All she wanted to see was the fact that I was having a good time, even if I have trouble expressing it. She was aware about these flaws I have, but she simply overlooked them. She didn't care if I looked like an emo... she didn't care about the scar on my eye... she never even cared about me not being as muscular as the other guys....

"Ed, you never had a photo of yourself... Why didn't you take one?" She suddenly asked.

"I would love to," I responded, "but I was never a fan of it... and I didn't look so good. I couldn't do.. good poses like you do."

"A good photo doesn't mean you need to do something like I do. Sometimes, my pictures can go really bad as well... so it's fine." She said between her laughs. "You know, you can just stand there and smile if that's the least you c-can do. What matters is that you being yourself, Ed... don't compare yourself to the others."

"I... I'll try."

I gulped while I hesitantly agreed with her. In the end, I bestowed my phone to her so that she could use it for my pictures. She proceeded to direct me to the position that was suitable for me and where it also sustained the best part of the nature. I have not a clue what to do, so I decided to stand there, slipped my hands on the pockets of my shorts, and spread the corner of my lips.

Honestly I would never understand... but whatever the reason was, there were still a few people who didn't care about appearance... Rena being one of them.

Well... after all, that was why I fell in love with her.

***

07:59 PM.

We spend the entire afternoon wandering around the area, either for another amusing glimpse of the mountaneous surroundings and for photographs. Surprisingly, I had taken not one, not two, but many photos, as I had promised. I didn't know whether I should be glad or not, but... probably I should feel like I had done an accomplishment, because this was my first time I... was brave enough to do so. There's always something I have to be proud of.

We would also have a short rest and drank some cold drinks Rena had provided on her basket. Then, we would just settle down on the grass, looking at the thin clouds that soared above us. The next thing we knew, the sun was already descending low on the horizon, and we were able to witness its beauty and its effects on the skies. Its was like someone cautiously and fastidiously painted through it with a perfect blend of orange and yellow color.

Rena and I would then look at each other, where she instantly cast me a grin, to which I returned back by trying do so, although I was aware of failing. It's always okay to be myself... no matter what kind of setbacks I have...

Now with the sun gone, we were met with darkness, but it was somewhat repelled by the moon that shone brightly, along with the twinkling stars that scattered through the skies like ornaments I often see back in the town. They were more bright and visible, and I could see a great amount of them compared to down there. The chirps of the crickets have replaced the birds, which was equally soothing and keeping us from falling into complete silence.

As night fell, the cool but piercing breeze replaced all of the heat that was left during the day. Now with all of the temperature drop and my clothes being thin, my hairs on my skin stood up, and inevitably, I started shivering, but I was trying my best to hold on.

Come on, Ed... this isn't as cold as you think...

"Rena..." I decided to distract myself by talking.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever wonder... what kind of constellations are up there?" I asked, referring to the dispersed lights above. This was finally my time to prove to her that I was more... than just what was seen. Right now, we were lying down, beside each other, facing up to the beautiful sight.

"Yeah, I know a few..." Her voice was just right beside my ear, "...but I-I always had a hard time figuring out which is which, since you know... there are just a lot of stars to see. How about you?"

"My sister and I loved watching the night sky since we were both kids." I explained. "We would try to count stars, but we fail. We also read books about constellations, then we compete on who can identify them all the most, and those who get a lot wins. Sometimes I won... but at other times, it was her, but we have a great time."

"Aw... that's so sweet...!" Rena exclaimed. "So you and your sister are constellation experts, then?"

"Pretty much."

"Well... if so... h-help me identify them..." She requested.

"Of course." I prepared myself, and before I began, I let out a deep breath. I got closer to her so that I can easily show her. "Do you see the three brightest stars that formed a pretty large triangle?"

"Wait... give me a moment..." Rena scanned through the sea of stars, until her gaze finally landed on the three stars I had pointed. "Okay, yeah, I s-saw them."

"That's what we call Summer Triangle. It's one of the brightest constellations seen on summer, and for me, it's always easy to find." I revealed. "The three stars are known as Deneb, Altair and Vega. Well, I didn't really know which star has the name but... you get what I mean."

"Hehe, yeah, I do, and I don't blame you for that." Since I was in close proximity to her, Rena's giggles were really loud and I tensed up hearing it. "I just l-like just how the stars are placed on perfect timing so that they f-formed an image."

"Yeah, that's why I found them interesting." I remarked.

"I heard that there are a-always like stories to these constellations. Did you know about the Summer Triangle?" She questioned.

Thankfully, I always learned a little about those stories. If not, then I would be completely blaming myself for not reading enough.

"You have to ask my sister for that.. ...but from what I know... Altair and Vega used to be lovers, but then they were seperated by some sort of a barrier, which was uncrossable... and supposedly, it's the Milky Way." I clarified.

"Oh no, that's h-heartbreaking. I know it's a myth, but I hope that somehow... they could find each other back." I could hear the disappointment on her voice. "... but what's Milky Way...? Um... s-sorry if I sound stupid..."

"It's fine. Not all people know about it." I dismissed. "Milky Way is the a name of a huge galaxy where we are all living in right now."

"That's awesome, but a weird n-name for a galaxy though..."

"Yeah..." I reverted back at the stars. "Alright, if you look closely, Rena, you can see two constellations that looked like a spoon. It's like they're chasing after each other. I'll help you fi-"

"Hey, that's the one I have been trying to tell you!" She interrupted, pointing at the constellation that was high up in the sky. "I know for once, that's Big Dipper... I knew it from a website."

"Yeah that's true. The Big Dipper also helps you find the Little Dipper which is a little harder. That's where the northern star is." I informed. "That star helps you find where the north is."

"Oh, so that's why you can actually use the stars for navigation!" She exclaimed.

"That's what people in the past do." I shut my eye while I listened to the rustles of the grasses around me. I could also hear Rena shifting as she probably changed her position.

When I decided to glance aside, I realized that she was literally facing right at me, and despite the darkness, I managed to see her amused look. I abruptly stopped with whatever I was doing, and I could feel every parts of my body tightening up. Regardless, I didn't look nor did I distance myself away.... instead I also did the same as she did, without breaking my gaze. The frigid air might lower external temperature, but it was never able to cool the warmness forming in my cheeks.

"Space never fails to amaze me." She whispered. "It's just fascinating to k-know that we're really tiny compared to the stars above us."

"Well, there are also a lot of things that I haven't learned about universe, and I'm i-interested in doing so." I stammered once more. Inevitably, I also flipped aside, directly looking at her mesmerizing blue eyes. At this point, only my feelings for her lingered inside my mind, and this urged me to just close the gap between us. I wanted to wrap my hands around her and embraced her...

"You know..." She began. "I've been thinking... time really goes so fast. I know that our holidays might still be long, but without k-knowing it, we'll be back to school... but as juniors."

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Remember when we were just kids, Ed?" She breathed, her face screamed nostalgia. "We used to p-play a lot... usually it's the both of us or with Aly, Seb and Raph... Even in high school, we all loved to hang out together, although Raph wasn't there this time. Whenever I feel down, I always try to remember about those good memories... and everything back then feels like it happened yesterday."

"I miss those times as well." I added.

"...but I have a-always cherished those moments with you, Ed." She was referring to me. "I mean... you're one of the people that... h-helped me shape who I am today. You might not realize it, but you encouraged me on how to get things done on my own, and how to get over my anxiety of talking to strangers. I still stutter though, but it's much better than the years before. It's really difficult, but I made it."

"M... Me...?" Shocked was an understatement to describe my reaction upon hearing her gratitude. "... I... I didn't even do anything, Rena... what are you thanking me for? I should be the one thanking you instead. You have helped me so much that I literally lost count... and I... I couldn't repay most of them. I'm sorry."

"I'm actually the one returning the favor. You're the one who firstly helped me, and I wanna thank you lots for it. Compensating someone doesn't mean it need to be in a physical form, Ed." She was literally inches away, and I could feel her breath hitting against my face.

However, that didn't bother me anymore.

The nature noises gradually faded out... All I was focusing was Rena... and Rena only. The lights above us and the grasses and trees didn't matter to me. I didn't give damn whether if there were some sort of a barrier between us... like the one that seperated Altair and Vega. All I wanted was putting my hand above hers, holding it tight, so I did it, pulling her even closer to me.

"You're the one who's there for me... and I have always come to appreciate that. Even if I hurt you, you never have any sorts of grudge against me. I made our friends grown apart after that accident, but through your selflessness, you brought them back together." I confessed. "I managed to get back with Alyssa and Raphael... I managed to also appreciate Seb a bit more... it's all because of you, Rena, so... thank you."

Her eyes were in circles and her mouth was slightly dangling open. When they started growing glassy, as if tears were pooling in them, she abruptly used her other hand to wipe them off. Despite so, she still remained smiling, while her face began to flush pink.

"I just d-did what I have to do." She commented.

I mentally gulped, since I, at long last, finally found the correct timing...

"...but after all these past friendships we have, I can't help but to have feelings for you. With all of that, I don't think we can stay as friends anymore... I wanted to take it to the next level. I wanted to deepen our relationship, so that we could learn even more about each other. I have wanted to say this for almost about a year, Rena... but finally... I have the guts to."

Here goes nothing...

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

There, I said it.

I finally did it after all of these weeks... I managed to accomplish something after staying useless for the entire summer break.

However, there was still one thing I have to watch out for... Rena's answer. She seemed to be contemplating about it... but would she be ready to accept it? Or would she reject me? Maybe... she would think over it...? Am I doing it right... or doing it wrong? Would she get mad...? Would she-

Before lots of questions stumped me more, Rena instantly reacted, without the need of speaking any words. She suddenly drew in even closer to me, and it all happened too fast that I couldn't ever perceive it. The next thing I knew, she closed in the gap between us and her mouth gingerly landed perfectly on me.

The world around us abruptly halted, and the outside noises had completely disappeared. I didn't know what or how to respond... but the only word that popped out in my head to describe... this entire scene was... magical.

After a such a long time, I finally felt genuine peace washed over me... erasing any other irrelevant thoughts. Rena's lips were warm, moist and entirely soft, and could taste her strawberry balm that she had applied. My heart was jumping all over the place, the flutterings of my butterflies grew savage, all while I felt my body... began to melt away.

When I was able to process what was happening... I realized that Rena was unexpectedly kissing me for the first time... and I have to admit that it was wonderful... I closed my eye, trying to feel the effects of the kiss taking over me. I slowly snaked both of my hands around her waist as we continued for a few seconds, until gradually, she broke it apart to catch her breath.

Rena's face was somewhat glowing with complete delight. I have never seen her like this before, but we knew that our faces were literally like rippen tomatoes. We continued staring at each other in silence... like nothing else mattered.

"...I was about to ask you the same question. I guess you're still more courageous c-compared to me..." After literally five minutes, she finally gave out a response, and I could still catch it despite coming out as a ragged whisper.

"So... that's a yes...?" I dared myself to ask.

"Well, why did I kiss you then?" Rena sheepishly laughed, throwing my question with another one. At her loafing around, I tried to keep her as close as I could to me. I really wanted to force myself to chuckle, but... I couldn't... so I decided to stick in with the smile.

"I'm so glad I met you, Rena." I mumbled.

"Me too." She proceeded to move forward and give me another kiss.

This was the best day I could ever have.

This was the moment that I have been seeking for after being passing through a lot of stormy days. Something was telling me that the pain and suffering I was forced to confront was all worthed it because without them... I wouldn't be able to achieve this far. I wouldn't be able to experience many ups and downs that I could be able to share... with many people.

After all, Rena was the reason why my life regained back most of its colors after spending most of its years... supposedly pointless, dark and gloomy. She sprinkled lots of sweetness on it as well, making it more spiceful and intriguing. I couldn't even forget that day on the Ferris wheel... where I firstly developed feelings for her. She also had taught me to slowly accept the past... no matter how terrible it had been.

She, along with my family, have led me the way to find the purpose of my existence. I couldn't express anymore gratitude for them, especially her... but there was one more thing that shouldn't be left unsaid.

I couldn't slide this one over... because I was also about to tell her through that undelivered letter.

"Rena..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I love you."

At my words, Rena simply gave me one of her widest grin ever.

"I love you too."

I didn't hesitate cuddling her. I slowly moved her bangs off her forehead and slowly planted my lips on it. This was the exact spot where Rena had kissed me for the first time on the Ferris wheel, and so, I returned the favor.

And I'm glad I did it.