• ATTENTION. READ OTHER CHAPTERS FIRST.

    Chapter 1 [Embarrassing I know, but it's exposition.]
    Chapter 2 [Better-ish?]


    The doctors at the hospital said it was fine for me to go home, so Suzumi's family and I went back to the house. I tiredly got into bed soon after we got home.

    I woke up the next day feeling shaken and frightened. I couldn't remember what I had dreamed of, but it made me feel uneasy, like I had forgotten something important.

    I reluctantly got out of bed, not wanting to have to face Kai at school. "Had the dream been about him?", I thought. I had a feeling that it had...

    Suzumi and I walked to school together. Things seemed awkward and quiet between us, but it made sense. No one liked being lied to. I felt like telling her the truth. I just couldn't.

    After we arrived at school Suzumi went off to talk to Chitose, leaving me alone to scan the crowd for Kai. It was better that way really, because then she wouldn't ask me who I was looking for. Once I saw that Kai wasn't here, I relaxed and went over to join Chitose and Suzumi's conversation.

    Then class started. The teacher was halfway through explaining the difference between circumscribing and inscribing a triangle when she was interrupted by a loud bang.

    "Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Yumori," the boy said hurriedly.

    I looked up at the sound of his voice. It was Kai. "I guess he isn't sick today after all..."
    He saw me and quickly looked away, an odd expression on his face. I couldn't quite decipher it's meaning...It seemed regretful, and a little distressed. I looked into his eyes. He looked like a puppy that had been abandoned on the side of the road with no where to go. It perplexed me.

    "I wonder what happened...he looks depressed," Suzumi wondered aloud.
    "No idea," I said.

    "No talking," warned the teacher.

    We stopped. Mrs. Yumori was a good teacher...but a little creepy.

    At lunch Suzumi brought Kai over to sit with us. I immediately stiffened when he sat next to me. "Too close," I thought, and scooted over closer to Chitose. When I looked back at him, I saw the regretful, distressed look again. "Did I hurt his feelings?" I thought. "Well, it's not like he didn't deserve it...he did steal my first kiss."

    But I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. During English, which I seriously fail at, I whispered "Are you okay?" He quickly whispered back that he was fine. He didn't seem at all like the rough, forceful Kai that kiss-raped me in the alley...he actually seemed sweet. Had it really been him? Was it just a dream? I looked down at the purplish bruise on my arm. "No," I thought. "Dreams don't give you bruises."

    Kai told me to meet him outside after English was over. A few seconds before class ended, I dropped my books and slowly picked them up. Suzumi was standing over me, telling me to hurry up.

    “You can go ahead Suzumi...you don’t want to be late, do you? I’ll be right there~”

    “You’re so slow, Kasumi. Fine.” She quickly walked off to her next class.

    Once she was gone, I quickly picked up the remaining books and rushed outside, feeling anxious. Why had I agreed to meet him alone? What if he tries to kiss me again? I looked down. Why would he even want to kiss me?

    I saw him leaning against the wall of the building, hidden from passing people by the shade of the roof. I reluctantly walked toward him.

    “You should be happy that I came. I’m missing class for you, be thankful that you looked so depressed today...”

    “Depressed?”

    I flushed. I hadn’t meant to say that much.

    “Ummm. No, not really depressed...I mean...well, that is...” I trailed off, looking as red as a tomato by now.

    He chuckled, but it sounded forced. He looked so...distressed.

    “Ah! I’m sorry!”

    “It’s okay...you’re cute when you babble.” He smiled awkwardly.

    I flushed a few shades darker, and started to back away from him.

    “Wait!” He told me, catching my arm and bringing me back. I gasped, and tried to pull away. “We’ll get caught here if you scream. And trust me, you don’t want to get caught.”
    I nodded mutely, until he let go of my arm. He stepped toward me, beckoning for me to get back in the shadow of the roof. I hesitantly followed him, ready to make a run for it at any moment. “You’re so skittish now.”

    “Well what do expect after what you did to me?!” I answered, outraged. “What was the point of meeting you here anyway?” I started walking away from him. “I’m leaving.”

    His arm reached for mine again.
    “And don’t even think about forcing me to stay here with you.” I glared at him. His arm dropped back to his side. I walked away, head up. Until I figured out that I couldn’t just appear in class 20 minutes after it started. “Urgh. Now what am I going to do?” I sat down behind a tree, making sure I was hidden from view. Not that Kai didn’t know where I was. I doubted that he would come after me, though.

    I sat behind the tree for a few minutes before getting up. I wondered where Kai had gone. Was he still standing by the wall? I stealthily peeked around the tree to check. I couldn’t see him. After debating for a minute, I stepped out from the behind the tree and walked toward the school like I had a purpose, trying not to look suspicious. But it came out like an awkward run. Kai was waiting for me by the wall, grinning at me.

    “You came back,” he pointed out.

    “I know that,” I answered, sticking my tongue out. He laughed.

    “You always were naughty,” he smirked.

    “Always? You just met me.” I looked up at him, confused. His depressed look came back for an instant, but disappeared as quickly as it had come.

    “You really did forget,” he said gloomily. And with that, he walked off. I started after him, thinking that it was time to go back to class. When he didn’t go towards the building, I got worried. Why was he acting like this? Happy one minute, sad the next. “It’s like he’s PMSing or something...”

    “Wait, aren’t you going back? We still have half the day left!” I grabbed the sleeve of his uniform. “I’m sorry if I said anything!” He roughly broke away from me, staring at me like I was a stain.

    “I have to go home,” he angrily answered. “Would you please let go of me?”

    I looked down at my hand, which had unconsciously grabbed for his. I quickly let it drop to my side. He walked off, leaving me staring after him. I glared at him. That b*****d! I thought.

    Knowing that it was time for me to get back to class, I slowly walked toward the building, not caring if anyone saw me. When I was safely in my seat, I stopped to think. ”What had Kai said...that I didn’t remember? What didn’t I remember?”

    I gave up trying to think and just stared out the window. Suzumi was poking me, asking why I wasn’t in class. I mumbled something about being sick, but she still looked skeptical.

    “Chitose said she saw you outside with someone,” she said.

    Shoot. How much had Chitose seen? I tried to appear confused. “Really? I don’t think that was me you saw.”

    “Um, Chitose is pretty sure. She said that she saw you, with a boy. Who was it, Kasumi? ...Kai?”

    “Yes,” I confessed, hoping that she wouldn't hurt me.