Yuko wasn't able to say anything more after that. By the time Ren and the others arrived, she had somehow blacked out.  Ren just called Taiga and took her home, and said that they should leave her alone.

Takiyo was sprawled across bed, thinking. What could have possibly brought Yuko into that state? The list should be long, but at that moment he couldn't think of anything.

But he could only thing of one thing. Yuko's face. She was crying and saying sorry, but he couldn't comprehend why. What could she have possibly done?

He kept thinking, eyes closed. But it felt like his thoughts were just running in circles. It kept coming back to Yuko. It was so painful...

His eyes flashed open.

Wait... painful?

***

"Arisu, you're phone is ringing!" Shiko yelled.

"Coming!" Arisu's voice called.

Shiko glanced at the caller's ID. "'Yu-chan', huh." She thought for some time, but she couldn't remember who that was. Dealing with all of Arisu's nicknames could be troubling sometimes.

Arisu came downstairs. "Got it." She snatched her phone out of Shiko's hands, answered, and held it up to her ear, missing Shiko's disgruntled mumble of "Jeez, stop leaving it around the house."

"Hello? Yu-chan!" Arisu said cheerily. "What's up?"

Shiko watched as a slight frown appeared on Arisu's face. She suddenly gasped.

"Okay!" Arisu went dashing down the stairs and put on the first pair of shoes she could find. Then she flung the door open, and before Shiko could ask where she was going, she slammed the door shut and went barreling down the street.

"Jesus Christ, Arisu those were my shoes!!" Shiko yelled. (In case you're wondering, Shiko got that from one of her boyfriends, who was an American transfer student.)

Shiko watched Arisu's frantically running figure, which didn't turn back.

"Honestly," Shiko sighed, leaning against the doorway. "What a kid."

"Oh? Where's Arisu?" Mrs. Kaneshiro asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

Shiko looked back at her mother. "Enjoying her youth." she grumbled.

"Eh?"

***

Takiyo had decided to finish off some homework, to get his mind off things. He was sitting in his room, listening to music and doing his homework. His window was open to let the breeze in. He exhaled, at peace. It was so calm and serene.

"TAKIN!!!"

Takiyo nearly had a heart attack. He jumped so badly he fell off his chair. He looked up and saw Arisu huffing and puffing at the door of his bedroom.

"Who on this cursed planet gave you permission to enter my room?!" Takiyo yelled.

"You mom did." Arisu answered simply. She looked around. "Nice place you've got here." She ran her finger all the edge of the bookshelf, and rubbed it with her thumb. "Your room isn't nearly as dirty as I thought it would be. It's actually neater than mine."

"A high-school girl such as yourself shouldn't just invite herself into a guy's room!" Takiyo shouted. Arisu looked at him blankly, then burst out laughing.

"Hello?" A voice called from her phone, which was held in her hand, dangling forgotten to the side. The voice reminded Arisu of what she was supposed to be doing.

"Anyway, this is not the time for that! I'll inspect your room some other time."

Some other time?

Seeing the look of Takiyo's face, Arisu pulled up a more dignified expression. "Who knows what you're hiding in here." She cast a suspicious look to his bed and closet. "Anyway, why are you sitting on the floor, Takin?!"

"Because this girl with the behaviour of an annoying sister came bursting into my room without any prior warning!" Takiyo replied angrily.

"Get up!" Arisu said, grabbing him beneath his arms and pulling him onto his bed. She sat down next to him, and held up her phone.

"I'm here, Yu-chan." Arisu reported.

"Okay, that's everyone." Yuko said. Her voice sounded nervous.

"Everyone?" Takiyo asked.

"Oh, hi Takiyo-kun. Syo-kun's here. He doesn't live far from us, apparently." Yuko explained. "I called Arisu-chan because I knew she would run to your house as fast as she could."

"No kidding." Takiyo mumbled.

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you all about something, and it's easier over the phone rather than face to face." Yuko said nervously.

At the other end of the line, Ren and Syo cast her confused looks. She was pretty much talking to them face to face. But then it occured to them that maybe it was not their faces that was difficult to talk to.

"What is it, Yu-chan?" Arisu asked, concerned, all while sitting more comfortably on Takiyo's bed.

"It's..." Yuko took a deep breath. "Senpai..."

"What about him?" They heard Ren's voice in the background.

"Senpai...he..." Yuko was hesitating. Then she finally let it out. "He confessed to me!"

There was total silence. Nobody said anything. Slowly, the news dawned on all of them.

"He WHAT?!!" Arisu yelled, shattering Takiyo's eardrums.

"Yes." Yuko replied, and they could picture her, looking down and blushing, in one of those oversized clothes she loves to wear.

"Wait...but Hirose-senpai..." Ren mumbled. "I don't get it."

"I don't understand either." Yuko confessed. "He just told me that, and I was so surprised. I ran away."

"You ran away..." Arisu muttered.

"So, he confessed to you, then you ran away. That's when you ran into Takiyo, right?" Syo's voice was a little unclear to them, but Ren and Yuko could hear him fine.

"Yes..." Yuko said quietly, and then she noticed Takiyo's silence. "Takiyo-kun?"

Takiyo was taking his time digesting everything. Yuko's love was never an unrequited love. Their promise was built on a lie? No, it's just that his side of the promise was fulfilled now. It felt strange... He shook his head.

"What are you asking me for?" he said. "This was our goal, right? You don't need my consent to be happy."

Yuko smiled. She smiled so brightly, but her eyes teared up.

"Guys..."

"You're crying again, aren't you?" Takiyo asked loudly, and Yuko gave a wet laugh. Ren grinned and bumped her shoulder. The mood lightened immediately. Arisu and Syo let out laughs as well.

"Thanks. Really, thanks everyone." Yuko said, laughing yet crying, wiping her tears.

"Told you that you cry too much." Takiyo said.

Yuko didn't say anything. She was was just so happy. They all were in support of her. Why would they ever turn their backs on her? Why would Takiyo ever turn his back on her? She felt stupid just for thinking that.

She had her answer. She loved this moment. She loved every moment she spent with them. She looked forward to everyday. She enjoyed everyday. She loved this, she loved her life. Only when you enjoy your life can you love your life. Your life defines you. If she loved her life, didn't that mean she loved herself?

I have the answer to my question, Shun. I love my life, I love everyday. You knew, didn't you?

"A person who has suffered a lot deserves more than anyone to be happy. It isn't wrong for them to be happy. It's wrong for them to be unhappy."

That was definitely what he would say.

Everyone smiled.

"Atta, girl." Takiyo whispered, smiling, but just a little.

Just a little.