Daiki sat at the school terrace staring at him bento. He had been staring at it for quite sometime as if expecting it to move or something.

" OISHI!!!" he heard someone yell and looked to see Inoo sitting next to him stuffing his face.

" Nandayo?!! are you stalking me?!!" he yelled.

Inoo looked up at him. " eh?" .

Daiki smirked , " Never mind im going " he said picking up his bento.

" Ch...chotto matte!!" Inoo yelled getting up.

          " Your really mean you know that?" Inoo said as the two of them walked through the hallway.

" Yeah...it cant be helped" Daiki replied.

Inoo frowned " Demo doue? " he asked " Is it because you were held back a year?".

" Well...that and something else.." Daiki replied.

" What is it?" Inoo asked excitedly.

" Dont wanna talk about it " Daiki said.

" Hmph...thats the same thing you told Kaoru-chan..." Inoo said.

            Daiki stopped and turned to look at Inoo. " Kaoru-chan.." he said.

" Why do you call her so informally?" he asked.

" I've known her since middle school..." Inoo said.

' middle school huh? ' Daiki thought.

He then turned and continued to walk.

" OI! Chotto!!!" Inoo yelled.

___________________________________________________________________________

            'Ring...Ring...'

" Ah!! I'll get it!!" Satoshi yelled running towards the door past the picture of his dead sister.

He opened the door to be welcomed by a familiar face.

" Arioka-kun..." he said.

The two stared at each other for a while.

Its been almost a year since the two had seen each other and now they didnt know what to say.

Daiki grinned " Hasahiburi ne Satoshi?" he asked punching him lightly in the arm.

" sugoi...your almost as tall as me " Daiki said.

Satoshi smiled nervously as his mom walked up from behind.

Her expression of happiness changed to a neutral one on seeing Daiki. she forced a smile.

" Daiki-kun....hasashiburi ne?" she asked letting him in.

" I think you should pay your respects to nee-chan.." Satoshi said.

Daiki turned to see Rie's photograph and bowed. ' Hasashiburi ne Rie-chan " he said.

He felt a few tears well up in his eyes as he stared at her pretty face.

           " Daiki-kun" he heard Rie's mom call. " Hai?" he asked going towards the kitchen where the two of them (her and Satoshi) stood.

" Since your here...why dont you stay for dinner?" she asked.

" Ah...no thanks...I need to get going" he said.

" Souka....well it was nice seeing you after a while.." she said smiling. " Ne Satoshi? " .

Satoshi nodded " un!" he said.

" I bet if Rie-chan was here she'd probably take an hour to look pretty for you " she said.

" Rie-chan was always pretty " Daiki said smiling. Suddenly Kaoru's face popped into his mind.

" Tanaka-san..." he called as though by instinct.

      She turned around to face him. " Hai? "

Daiki hesitated a bit and then said. " There's this girl in my school and I know it sounds crazy but...she looks just like Rie-chan..." he said.

The two of them blinked in confusion. Mrs. Tanaka then laughed.

" Silly you, you must be imagining it!! No way she could look like her!! " she said laughing.

Daiki gave a hesitant laugh " Hehe...yeah...no way she could look like Rie.." he said.

               Satoshi just held a confused look on his face as he stared at the ground.

Little did the three of them know someone was watching them....

_______________________________________________________________________________

               It was almost 7:00 pm when Daiki left the Tanaka household. Rie's Mom kept insisting he stay for dinner and he finally agreed and ate a full couse meal.

" Itte...." he muttered as he rubbed his stomach and walked past the supermarket.

As he was walking he heard a small shreik and looked to see that a girl had dropped the vegetables she was holding. Being the friendly person he is he ran to help the girl up.

" Daijobu desu ka?" he asked as he helped the girl stand. Her head was facing the ground so he didnt see her face.

" Itte..Arigatou gozaimasu.." the girl said and looked up at Daiki.

Daiki's eyes went wide.

" Rie-chan?.." he said.

" Arioka-san anata?!" Kaoru yelled.

       Daiki then noticed that Kaoru wasnt wearing the glasses she normally wears.

" Ehh? why you?" he asked annoyed.

Kaoru puffed up her cheeks " Well sorry if you were expecting some super hot girl!!" she yelled.

Daiki smirked and looked down at the covers she was carrying.

" Are you sure you can carry all of that?" he asked.

She smirked " I dont need your help!!" she said.

              Daiki grabbed a cover from her hand and walked ahead of her.

" Ne!! Chotto!! " she yelled running behind him. " My house is that way!!" she said pointing to the opposite side. Daiki stopped , feeling embaressed he turned around and walked the other way.

" I knew that " he muttered and walked ahead.

         The two of them walked in silence until Kaoru spoke up.

" Ah...lets rest for a while im tired..." she grumbled as she sat on a nearby bench.

" How much farther from here?" Daiki asked.

" Not much..." she said.

Daiki looked up at the sky. " Im tired too..." he said as he sat down next to her.

Kaoru kept playing with her fingers until she spoke up.

" Arioka-san can I ask you something?" she asked.

Daiki continued to look up at the sky. " sure..." he said.

" Ano...why do you keep calling me Rie-chan?" she asked.

Daiki turned to look at her staring back at him with a serious expression on her face.

   ' Just like Rie-chan.... ' he thought

Flashback.....

     " FINE!! FINE!! I fought with my brother again okay?" Daiki said.

" Yatta!!" Rie said throwing her arms in the air. " Nobody can escape my killer glare!!" .

" Kowai yo!! " Daiki said earning a smack from her.

" Urusai ne!! Baka!!" she said laughing.

Now.........

        Daiki sighed and put his hands on his face.

" Fine I'll tell you..." he said, he then looked up at Kaoru who continued to give the 'killer glare'.

" You look just like my dead girlfriend..." he said.

Kaoru stared at him with a look of disbelief on her face.

" Her name was Rie and she passed away in a car accident.." he began to say but Kaoru stood up.

" I get it..." she said taking the cover from his hand.

" Oi!! Chotto " he said turning her around to face him.

He noticed she had tears in her eyes.

" Im sorry but as long as I have your girlfriends face I dont think we can talk to each other..." she said.

" I think its better for both of us.."

Daiki frowned " Dont give me that sentimental bull!! " he yelled. " Im sick of it already!!"

" Im sorry..." Kaoru said wiping away the tears." I was really rude wasnt i?".

" Ya.." Daiki stammered.

" Lets just start over again ok?" she said holding out her hand.

" Masamune Kaoru desu..lets be friends ok?" she said.

Daiki looked down at her hand and sighed. " Arioka Daiki desu" he said shaking her hand.

" Is it okay if I call you Kaoru?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded " I'll call you Daiki-kun..is it ok?" she asked.

   Daiki nodded and smiled at her.

' Its impossible to keep living in the past, right now the only thing I can do is live in the present

and hope for the best I guess '

  " Daiki-kun iku yo!!" Kaoru said as she went ahead of him.

Daiki smiled and followed " Hai...Kaoru-chan "

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Its been so long since I've updated this..:((

So how was it? :))

Please comment!!

-kaze27