"Haruka? Are you okay?" Ryoma asked as she continued to keep distance away from him.

"Wh-who are you?!" she screamed as a chill went along her spine.

Her question made Ryoma wonder, and aroused thoughts from him as well.

"Who am I? Are you okay? It's... me... Ryoma!"

"Stop it! Please!" she sobbed as she avoided his face. "I can' take it anymore!"

Ryoma wondered even more and took both her hands and forced her to face him. Her face was all soaking wet with tears as she closed her eyes, avoiding his.

"What's the matter with you?" he continued, still quite puzzled with her sudden shift of emotions.

Haruka sobbed and once again, took courage and opened her eyes.

Both their eyes met as Ryoma's puckered a brow.

"Ryoma...It's just that..." she stopped and tears went down unhealed as she looked into his eyes.

She slowly ran her fingers along his cheeks down his chin.

Her tears continued to flow, alarming Ryoma even more. She was so sudden that Ryoma panicked and failed to know what to do next.

"Ryoma... I'm sorry... It's just that... you... Your face... your skin... everything! And I had just noticed everything! You're the same! Just like him..."

Her last statement before she ran away left Ryoma more dumbfounded than he had been before. He's just too dense and stupid that he couldn't get what she said, but finally... a line of thought went along his head as he put the pieces together, and with that, he jumped and ran towards Haruka's direction. But then, he was too late.

Haruka was gone.

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

And just a few minutes later, at the Hot4's room...

Natsume was quite pissed as he slumped down his bed and stared blankly at the floor.

Without the raven haired boy's consciousness, Ruka sat just beside him and examined his face.

"I could tell you're worrying about her." He began and Natsume looked up in his wet look.

All three of them had been sweating when they arrived in their room, just after a long run. I don't heck know the reason why the three had to run, but they did, and fortunately, they left even before Haruka cried.

"So what? That idiot. She's just too impossible."

Ruka chuckled at the look of his friend's face, making the latter grunt in wonder.

"Are you that possessive of her? You know... Haruka's a girl, man. Nothing's wrong if Mikan's going to be friends with her."

There was silence between them for quite some time, as the room only filled with the droplets of water from the bathroom, where Yuu had his evening shower.

And for even once, Tsubasa's absence seemed to be a big loss to that once topsy-turvy little room.

"I don't know." Natsume finally said. "It's just that... There's something that's bugging me..."

"What?"

"It's... well... I don't know."

Ruka smiled and gave his friend's shoulder a pat.

"Face it. You're jealous."

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

The height... the hair... the face...

Tears sparkled as they fell tracing her pathway as she ran along the corridor with bitter eyes.

The voice...

"How could I forget?!" she cried just after she slammed the door behind her.

With every inch of her body weakening, Haruka slowly slumped down the floor as she leaned against the door, Ryoma's face kept flashing in her mind.

Or, better said...

Hajime's.

-Flashback1-

"I don't care." His husky voice came as he took a firmer hold on her skinny wrist.

"But, Hajime-kun! Aren't you glad your best friend had finally received an invitation? C'mon! This will be my first date!" she argued with twinkling eyes.

"I said I don't care!" he protested with firm straight eyes.

"But why? I'm going to be mad at you if you won't let me go!"

"Get mad at me. Just don't go with that suitor of yours. I'm the only one who you should go with from now on."

"Doshte?"

"Because... because I love you more than them! I love you, Haruka! Can't you see that?!"

Haruka's eyes reflected surprise as he pulled her in for a warm hug.

-End of Flashback1-

Haruka closed her eyes as another thick drop crawl down her chin.

-Flashback2-

Hajime smiled down at her as she blinked her eyes slowly. The wind continued to blow peacefully as the sunset came.

"Haruka..."

She raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him, her head resting peacefully on his lap.

"Do you love me?" asked he. His eyes twinkled as they met with hers.

"What a silly question! Of course I do!"

There was a pause for a while, until he spoke once more.

"How much?"

"How much what?"

"How much do you love me, Haruka?"

"I don't know... I'm not sure..."

"Then that's another way of saying you never loved me at all."

"But... The only thing I'm sure of is that... I love you more than I love myself, Hajime... But I don't know how much that is." said Haruka with a smile, and then she closed her eyes once again.

"You know, Haruka... you shouldn't be thinking, or saying that... you can't love me more than you love yourself. It's too much."

"And why?"

"Because... It's wrong."

There was silence, and Haruka felt her eyes getting sleepy.

"If that's what you think... then I won't. But always remember, Hajime... I will love you... forever and ever and ever..."

He silenced her with a kiss, and Haruka felt his turquoise hair tickle her face as he bent down at her.

Haruka chuckled with a blush as she sat up beside him, and they resumed until he slowly released her.

"And no matter what, Haruka... I'll always be with you. I will love you, and I'll never leave you. Death can never set us apart."

He embraced her tight, which made her wonder why. They seldom did this, which is why Haruka became curious for a moment, but when he had kissed her once again, she forgot about everything.

Just the thought that she loved him remained...

And she never even figured it was the last time he'd be kissing her.

-End of Flashback2-

"Haruka?" her sister awakened her from her thoughts, making her flinch for a second.

"T-Taka?" Haruka stuttered just after a damp tear came rolling down her left link of an eye.

Taka was a three years younger than Haruka, and she had the same long hair like that of her sister's. But this little girl had paler skin, and her hair was a little lighter than Haruka's dark raven one.

Both Haruka and Taka were close sisters, unlike others who always fought with each other, and so when Haruka realized that her sister was there for her, she felt a little relieved.

Taka smiled and embraced her sister, making her burst out once again.