Why didn't she realized it before? Why didn't she notice how much he meant to her? Why didn't she realize how she felt before all of it crashed down on them? She sat there crying along with the other two females in the room, regretting not returning his feelings earlier. Natsumi his beautiful, pale face as her tears continued falling. Just yesterday he was begging her for a date, but today... He laid almost lifeless on a hospital bed because he tried to save his friend. As she fell into a trance, memories of her school life with him flashed before her eyes.

Kanzaki Natsumi stood outside the door of class 3D nervously fiddling her fingers around the strap of her bag as she heard the teacher, Yamaguchi or Yankumi as she preferred to be called, finish introducing her. She looked down at her uniform again, annoyed that the head teacher had forced her to wear a skirt. It's not that Natsumi hated skirts or anything, she was the average girly girl, but who in their right mind would throw a girl wearing a skirt into a school full of boys? It's like throwing a sheep into a pack of wolves!

"Come in, Kanzaki-san!" Yankumi called and Natsumi slowly walked into the room. Gasps and yells were heard from all over the room as the boys asked the same questions over and over.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Can I get your number?"

"What made you come to this school?"

"Can we go on a date after school?"

"No, no, I don't know, and no," Natsumi answered in order. "But I'd like to be friends if that's okay with you guys. I'm Kanzaki Natsumi, yoroshiku ne?" She smiled sweetly at them, causing some of the guys to fall out of their desks or exclaim extremely loud.

"Since Ogata Yamato seems to be the only one that's not affected by a new girl coming, why don't you sit next to him?" Yankumi asked nicely. Nodding, Natsumi began walking through the room with eyes following her every move. As she passed by, she noticed one boy sleeping on his desk and drooling. One of the oher students, noticed her giggling at something and followed her gaze to his friend.

"Oy, Ren!" The boy yelled and began shaking his friend. In a few seconds, about four other boys began poking Ren also. Seeing their failure, Yamato decided to help by kicking Ren's desk, shaking the poor by up with fear.

"What?!" Ren suddenly yelled, startling Natsumi as the other guys laughed at him. "We're under attacked! Earthquake!" 

"Shut up you idiot," a blond boy laughed. "It's just a new student."

"The new student disturbed my rest?" Ren growled. "Where is he? I'll knock that kid out of this school!" The guys exchanged looks as Natsumi cowered a bit farther into her seat.

"Actually it was me who kicked you," Yamato pointed out. "But if you prefer hitting the new student, then that's less competition for the other guys." Confused at his best friend's words, Ren followed everyone's eyes to the quiet girl next to Yamato who was now cowering in fear.

"It's an angel!" Ren suddenly yelled and leaped over his seat and onto Yamato and Natsumi's desks. Everyone laughed at Ren's sudden change in attitude. "I'm Kazama Ren! Would you like to go on a date with me?!"  He was suddenly pulled off by Yankumi who pushed him back into his seat.

"Kazama! No more disturbing Kazaki-san!" Yankumi ordered, then noticed the other boys still staring at the poor girl. "That goes for the rest of you too!"  Through the entire school day, Natsumi would notice everyone would be socializing instead of paying attention to the teachers. Although she was listening, she would look around the classroom most of the time to take in how her new class is like. Also she felt a pair of eyes staring at her. Natsumi quickly scanned the room again and noticed a boy with highlights grinning while staring at her. What was his name again? Ren? Their eyes met for a few seconds and suddenly...

"Hi Natsumi-chan!" Ren hollered loudly even though he was only about two seats away from her while waving energeticly. The teacher and the rest of the class stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the two. Natsumi blushed and gave a small, embarrassed smile to Ren before facing her notebook.

Natsumi smiled through her tears a bit remembering the first day she met Ren. That day was the start of Ren's giant crush and the unforgetful year for Natsumi. She remembered how every day he would wave to her and yell "Hi Natsumi-chan!" in at least one class, driving the teachers so crazy that they made Ren and Yamato switch seats, hoping that Ren would be quieter. However it also led to another problem.

The first time he made her a bento

As she worked on her math problems, Natsumi felt Ren staring at her again and heard him let out a dreamy sigh.She chuckled softly and turned to him, causing him to blush from the sudden eye contact.

"Kazama-san, please do your work," Natsumi said. "It makes me feel uncomfortable when you stare at me."

"Oh! Sorry!" Ren apologized and gave her a cute grin. "I'll do my work now!" She giggled, watching him turn to his own paper and seemed to be having a glaring contest with it. Shaking her head, she went back to her own worksheet. However soon she noticed Ren taking quick glances at her and turned to him again.

"Kazama-san, do you need something?" asked Natsumi as she tried to hide her grin from his noticable blush.

"Can you help me with this worksheet? And possibly go on a date with me?" Ren asked the last part super quietly, hoping she was answer yes since she didn't hear. Or so he thought.

"I can help you with the worksheet," Natsumi answered. "But I won't go on a date with you." Ren pouted at his failed attempt, but smiled again when Natsumi leaned over to show him how to do the problems. "Do you understand it now?"

"Yes!" Ren answered enthusiasticly. "Thank you Natsumi-chan!" Again, his loudness caused the class and teacher to turn their attention to them. As Ren grinned, Natsumi blushed again from the amount of attention and tried scooting away.

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes again once she remembered all the times Ren tried asking her out or doing something sweet for her.

"Natsumi-chan, please go out with me!" Ren announced and handed her a bento as everyone began leaving for lunch. She felt bad for declining him when Ren probably spent a lot of time on the bento for her and he looked so...happy and hopeful. But she didn't think of him as more than a friend, she can't lead him on like that.

"I'm flattered by your feelings Kazama-san," she replied remorsefully. "But I don't think of you that way." She frowned as his smile fell as Ren felt worse seeing her frown so he quickly put a smile back on.

"It's okay Natsumi-chan! I'll make you like me one day, count on it!" Ren swore with a smile. "But at least eat the bento for me okay?" 

"It's the least I can do for you," Natsumi replied with a sad smile and spent her lunch with Ren that day, eating his bento. Well, not exactly. As soon as she opened it up, the smiles from both their faces fell seeing nothing but charred and burnt food in the bento.

"I guess you don't have to eat it this time," Ren nervously said as he pretended to knock on his head and make a stupid, yet cute face. "But when I get better, can you eat my food?"

"Okay, I promise," Natsumi laughed as he got on his knees and begged her over and over.

As she continued to remincse, she remembered some times where Ren acted like the adorable dork he was.

"Natsumi-chan!" Ren called just before an eating contest in class 3D started. "If I win this contest, please go on a date with me!" However before she could answer, Honjo yelled "start!" and the guys began eating viciously. She didn't want to make Ren feel bad and have crushed hopes if he did win so she had to turn him down now.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like you that way, Kazama-san!" She yelled over the noise. Hearing this, Ren lost his place as first and stared at her with wide eyes. The rest of the day, Ren whined and was in a slump pouting about the rejection.

When a kid had a crush on Natsumi

"Natsumi-chan likes me more!" Ren yelled.

"No, she likes me more!" A little boy yelled as the two argued back and forth. Apparently when Natsumi went to babysit, the child developed a small crush on her and now the child and Ren seemed about the same age.

"I like Natsumi-chan more! And I can do this!" Ren bragged before kicking a ball up in the air and the two watched as it disappeared from view.

"My ball!" The little boy yelled and turned back to Ren. "Well I can do this!" The boy began pretending to cry, causing Natsumi to run to him and carry him like a mom would. Since his head was over her shoulder, Natsumi didn't see the little boy sticking his tongue at Ren and mocking him when Natsumi said "A kiss to make it feel better" and kissed the little boy's finger. Not wanting to lose, Ren yelled out in pain. Natsumi quickly put the little boy on the bench for another volunteer to help him as she ran to Ren's aid.

"What's wrong Kazama-san?" She asked worriedly.

"My lips hurt...."Ren said childishly and puckered his lips. The little boy laughed thinking his idea would fail, but dropped his jaw when Natsumi laughed, kissed her two fingers, and then placed her two fingers on Ren's lips. Ren happily made a mocking face back to the little boy before fainting from happiness himself. "Natsumi-chan kissed me!" He sighed dreamily on the ground.

"Correction, my fingers touched your lips," Natsumi corrected as she tended to another child.

"Natsumi-chan kissed his fingers and touched my lips with them," Ren sighed dreamily again, not even caring about the big difference.

The time Ren got jealous

"Good job Kura!" Natsumi congratulated as she high fived him with both hands for beating Kamiya's score in karaoke.

"How?!" Kamiya complained. "His voice is horrible!"

"Don't be a sore loser," Honjo teased and stuck his tongue at Kamiya.

"My turn!" Ichimura yelled and took the mic from Kura.

"Look!" Honjo suddenly yelled. "Momo High girls!" Ichi dropped the mic as he and the other guys except Ren and Yamato jumped to stalk the girls with their eyes from the glass room.

"I don't need any other girls," Ren bragged. "I got Natsumi-chan, right, Natsumi-chan?"

"Sorry," Natsumi apologized as nicely as she could. "But I don't like you that way Kazama-san." Ren pouted and gave her a puppy dog look as the guys for another rejection from Natsumi.

"Yamato, we know why Ren isn't interested, but why didn't you stare at those girls?" Kamiya asked as they looked over to their silent leader.

"Not interested," Yamato scoffed. A thought popped into Natsumi's head as she accidentally voiced it.

"Could it be that Yamato-kun is gay?" She asked aloud. Her hands flew to as silenced followed. No one said or did anything for a few seconds into Kura suddenly burst out in laughter, getting the other guys to lose the ability to hold in their laughs. Yamato yelled at them when Ichimura accidentally fell over in laughter and hugged Natsumi to maintain blance. Noticing this, Ren threw Ichimura's arm off Natsumi's shoulders.

"How come you get to hug her?!" Ren demanded and then turned to her. "I want a hug too!" He threw his hands out, waiting for her to hug him back. Feeling bad for him, Natsumi decided to give him a hug, but realized it was a big mistake when Ren got too excited and and crushed her in a bear hug.

Another time Ren was jealous

"How come you agreed to go out on a date with him but not me?!" Ren asked disappointed when he saw Natsumi and another guy holding hands. "Is it because he's from an elite school?"

"That's not it," Natsumi replied with a frown as she saw how upset he was.

"Then why?" Ren asked. "I know for sure I love and care for you more than he does!" He threw his hands through his hair and let out a loud sigh.

"Kazama-san, you're not my boyfriend," Natsumi stated. "I don't appreciate you acting like one just because I found someone. And I don't know okay? I guess I wanted to give him a chance since I think it's possible for me to like him."

"But how come you didn't give me a chance?" Ren asked with tears in his eyes as he placed both hands on her shoulders. "This isn't puppy love that I'm feeling, it's true! And I'll change if it gets me a chance with you! If you want a guy with a brighter future, then I'll get more serious about school and get into a good college, university or whatever job that's good enough for you! If you want a guy who dresses like that, I'll change my clothes! If you don't like guys who fight, then I won't anymore."

"That's enough Kazama-san," Natsumi said in a shaky voice. "I'm very happy that you feel that way towards me and how much you're willing to do for me. But I just don't feel that way towards you. I see you as only a friend. But please don't change yourself for me. Just because I don't like you the way you are, doesn't mean another girl won't. You're perfect the way you are."

"Then why won't you give me a chance?" he asked, seriously crying by now. "And even if another girl likes me this way, I won't like her because I already like you! No, I love you!"

"Don't use that word so easily!" Natsumi suddenly yelled. Although she's been mad at him a few times before and at others, she's never yelled before. So her sudden outburst caused the two of them to become silent, unable to say anything. Soon Natsumi found her voice again. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. But you can't say you love me when we've never even gone out before. Anyways, I'm late for my date with Takagi. Please excuse me." Natsumi ran away with tears in her eyes as Ren sank to the ground, punching it over and over trying to get rid of the ache in his heart.

"Even if you don't see it now, no matter how long it takes, I'll make you fall for me Natsumi," Ren whispered and quickly wiped his tears.

Remorse filled her even more as Natsumi remember the pained expression on Ren's face when she rejected him for what seemed like the thousandth time. Why didn't she see everything back then?

The day she began calling him Ren

"I'm going to kill that guy!" Ren screamed and tried to go, but was held back by Natsumi. She didn't go to school that day so being worried, Ren decided to skip school and search for her. He found her crying on a bench in the park and comforted her. Once he heard that Takagi cheated on her with a girl from Momo High, Ren lost his temper and punched a dent into the bench.

"Please don't!" Natsumi begged as her grip on his hand tightened.

"But he made you cry!" Ren retorted.

"It doesn't matter!" She yelled back. "If he's the kind to cheat, then he's not worth my time nor yours. Just let him go, he'll get his punishment one day." Sighing, Ren dropped his fists and pulled Natsumi into a hug.

"I like the kind heart you have for people, but right now it's annoying me!" Ren stated. "That guy hurt you and he needs to be punished for that. I know how much you cared about him and I know you aren't okay. Can't you be weak in front of me? You're always acting strong. Why don't you open up to me like you do with the others?"

"What do you mean?" She asked with tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"You call all of them by their first names, even Yamato," Ren pointed out. "I'm the only one you call by his last name. Why is that?"

"I didn't want to raise your hopes or lead you on in any way," answered Natsumi.

"Can you call me by my name too?" asked Ren. "It makes me feel bad about myself when I hear you calling them like that while I gat Kazama-san."

"Okay," she agreed. "Ren." The side of Ren earlier disappeared and was replaced by a child.

"YES!" Ren suddenly yelled and pumped a fist in the air. "She called me Ren!"

But now that's all gone. Ren's no longer with them, but on a hosptial bed attached to so many machines. The scene of what happened just a day ago replayed itself in her head.

Natsumi pushed open the doors as she finally reached where the boys are against another gang.

"Ren! Yamato! Kamiya! Honjo! Kura! Ichi!" Natsumi yeled as she entered.

"Yamato!" she heard Ren yell and push past a few guys. She watched in horror as Ren tore the other guys away from Yamato, protecting him. Her fear rose when she saw the other gang push Ren out of the way, causing him to tumble against a heavy shelf with a bunch of steel rods. Everything happened in slow motion as the steel rods fell from high above and crushed Ren's body underneath.

"REN!" They all yelled as the other gang ran away, in fear of getting caught. Sirens approached the scene as the six of them moved to push the rods off Ren.

Her fingers found themselves tangled in his highlighted bangs and soon going through Ren's silky hair as her tears wet his cheeks.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered so softly that it seemed like she was mouthing words. "Please wake up. I realize it now. Please? I miss your idiotic tactics. Wake up." Silence followed as Yankumi and Kaoruko looked up at the youngest girl in the room. "Wake up, REN!" Natsumi suddenly felt unstable and screamed for him to wake up at the top of her lungs, causing Yankumi and Ren's sister to hold her. Gaining control again, Natsumi slowly dragged herself over to Ren's body. "Please wake up, Ren. I didn't know how important you were to me but I do now. Please wake up. I love you Ren..." She buried her face on his chest crying as her body shook.

"Can you say that again?" A weak and hoarse voice gasped. The three girls looked up at Ren and around the room. "What did you say?" They rushed to the bed in time to see Ren's eyes flutter open.

"Ren!" the three girls yelled and embraced him before his sister told them they should back off a bit when she saw his heart monitor drop a little.

"Natsumi-chan, repeat what you said?" Ren asked again.

"I said I love you, you idiot!" Natsumi yelled and helped him sit up. Ren then had a huge smile on his face as he had his arms open to hug her. Natsumi rushed into his arms with relief and wouldn't let go even when Ren put his arms down.

"Don't you think it's a bit too early to say you love me? I mean we haven't dated yet," Ren teased, trying to use the words she used on him months ago. Natsumi suddenly slapped him lightly, but still surprised him.

"I was so worried you idiot!" She yelled, tears streaming down so much that it seemed like a river was about to form. "I thought you would be gone! How can you still joke at a time like this?!" Ren's calm and happy face came back when he got over the shock.

"It's because Natsumi-chan loves me now," Ren replied with a grin. "Can you be my girlfriend now?"

"You idiot," Natsumi laughed as she ran her hand through her own hair. "If I agree to be your girlfriend would you make sure you never worry me like this again?" Smiling at her crying face, Ren kissed her on the forehead softly. 

"I promise, Natsumi-chan." Yankumi and Kaoruko came back into the room with a nurse who took Ren to have a doctor examine him. When they went out to the waiting room, Yankumi announced that Ren finally woke up, sending the class into cheers. Everyone went outside and waitied anxiously for Ren to exit the hospital. The awaited moment finally arrived and everyone rushed to attack Ren with hugs and punched for worrying them. They parted slightly to make way for Natsumi as she hugged him.

"Oh yeah guys, another announcement," Ren yelled. He grabbed Natsumi's hand and raised it up in the air. "Natsumi-chan agreed to be my girlfriend now!" Hoots and congratulations were heard from the guys as Ren crushed her in a bear hug. "Can I hear it one more time?" Ren asked with a cute smile as he raised up one finger.

"I love you Ren," she repeated and looked away when the guys yelled again.

"I did it!" Ren bragged. "Natsumi-chan loves me! And I woke up! I'm almost glad I fell into a coma!"

"I'm glad you fell into that coma a bit too," she honestly stated. "That's how I realized I love you."