* Aoi [Shiroyama Yuu's] POV * 

" Takashima's gone.. " I thought as I looked at an empty seat he used to sit in. I tried my best to resist the urge to cry. Why didn't I talk to him? Why didn't I have the courage to go near him? He's not here anymore. I wont see him again. I stared outside our classroom's window and remembered all of the memories I have of him. He always played soccer with his friends happily..Smiling.

But I'm never going to see that smile again..I.. can't get over it.

*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~ 

School just ended. Aoi wanted to have some time alone, not wanting anyone to see him cry. He wanted to let all of his feelings out.

He headed to the place near their school. In that area, there's a small river and a bunch of trees which made you feel at peace. Not a lot of people went there. It was Aoi's special place.

Aoi sat down, staring at the cloudy sky and thinking about Takashima. [Uruha] A tear slowly rolled down his face,remembering the happy smiles of his beloved.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound behind him, near the trees. He turned around, but there was nothing there. He looked around, confused. 

Aoi grabbed his camera from his bag, wanting to take pictures of the beautiful scenery right in front of him. He took several pictures of the beautiful river, as well as the sky and trees. 

"Waaah. You're really good at taking pictures. " 

Aoi heard a familiar tone of voice behind him. Once again, he turned around and saw the amused face of Uruha. THE. URUHA.

"HOLY &!@!%*!&" Aoi got up from his spot and cursed out loud at the sight of Uruha. 

" C-Calm down.. Aoi. I'm just dreaming, yeah. DREAMING. OR MAYBE IT'S JUST A LOOK-ALIKE OF HIM. YEAYEA. " he thought to himself. 

Uruha began talking, and said. " Eh? Y-You can see me.. " 

" . I'm not dreaming?! " the voice of Uruha echoed through his head. He can't be wrong, it IS him! The same lips,eyes, and the height!! But..It can't be because......

Uruha's gone.

" T-Takashima-san.. Is that you? " Aoi looked at him from head to toe still shocked. 

" Haha! Yeah.. Surprising, isn't it? " Uruha said cheerfully as if nothing happened.

" B-But.. Aren't you.. I'm sorry... Dead? " 

" Yeah.. " Uruha looked down and tried to force a smile.. " I've... always had a weak heart. Heh. I even promised my self to make it through another birthday.. I guess I failed. " he said sadly. 

" I'm sorry..about that. " Aoi said sadly. On the other hand, he also felt really glad. Seeing Uruha again. Even if he's only a spirit. There's still a small part of Aoi thinking that what he's seeing is a dream. If it was... he surely didn't want to wake up. 

" That's okay. It's my fault for being wreckless xDD " Uruha smiled and sat down on the soft, green grass..Aoi followed. 

" Nee, Takashima-san.. Why're you here? " Aoi curiously asked. 

" Hm.. This place is kind of special to me, heh.. I always come here when I'm sad and stuff. Anyways! Don't be all formal with me (^-^) "Uruha" is fine :)) " 

" O-Okay.. Uruha...? " Aoi tried saying Takashima's nickname without getting all flustered. 

" Much better, and.. you're Shiroyama-san, right? (^-^) "

" H-He knows my name. " Aoi thought. " Ah, yeah.. Calling me A-Aoi is fine. " 

" Oh okay, Aoi ! (^-^) You stutter a lot. *laugh* that's kind of cute though. xD " 

Both of them talked and got familiar with each other. Aoi felt like he's floating in the clouds, not wanting to end the scene he's in. 

" Ehhhh..? Really? You're not that sociable? I thought otherwise. " 

" Yeah, I'm not, actually. I don't have many friends too. Only a couple. That's why I was kind of jealous of you. " Aoi said. 

" Haha! Jealous of me, who's always weak and in the hospital? *laughs* " Uruha joked. 

" Ehh.. Nope. I'm jealous of your sociable side.. " 

" Hmm.. then, you should make 100 friends in my place. " Uruha declared. 

" EH?! 100?! I can't do that.. " 

" You can.. I believe in you :) IF YOU DON'T I'M GONNA HAUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE >:D " Uruha said, wanting to pat Aoi's head. He reached out his hand but it just went right through. 

Aoi saw Uruha's disapointed face, not being able to touch anthing. " Okay.. I'll try. " Aoi said. 

Uruha quickly smiled and said "Good!!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~ 

" A-O-WEEEEEEEEEEE. Can you hear me AT ALL?! " Aoi's friend, Reita was shouting right in fron of Aoi who was dazed, as if in his own world. 

" A-Ah? Yeayea. Why? " Aoi said, startled. 

" Geez. I've been talking for a while now. You haven't been listening ever since (-.-) " Reita crossed his arms, annoyed. 

" Sorry,sorry. What was it you were talking about? " 

" Takashima-san! " Reita said. 

" A-Ah..What about him? " 

" It's tragic that he left too soon, huh.. He was such a hot,smart and talented person.. " Reita bluntly said. 

" Yeah.. He still is. " 

Uruha and Aoi have been seeing each other on that place near the river for a couple of times now. They talked a lot, about things that happened around them. Aoi grew more fond of Uruha, but still regrets not talking to him when he was alive. 

" Uruha, can I take a picture of you? " Aoi said, his camera in his hands. 

" Eh? You sure you want to take a picture of a ghost? xD " as usual, Uruha was up with his jokes. 

" Yeah.. " 

"Okay, then (^-^) " 

Aoi put his camera in front of his eyes and angled it to Uruha's direction. He wanted to capture Uruha's beautiful existence over and over again. 

Uruha gently smiled and looked at the camera.

*CLICK* 

" Do I look good for a dead person? " Uruha said, joking. 

" You look beautiful... " Aoi held his camera and looked at the image he captured. Trying to hold back his tears one more time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

*AOI'S POV* 

It's dismissal time again. I want to got to that special place again.. I wonder if I'll see him.. 

There he was, as expected. But.. something's wrong. He's slowly fading from below his body.I had the strong urge to catch up to him 

" W-WAIT !!!! URUHA DON'T GO.. " Out of breath,I shouted as I ran near him. 

" It's time, I guess.. Thank you for talking to a person like me :) I appreciate it a lot. " he said, still smiling.

" Uruha.. I love you. " the words I've always wanted to say to him slipped out of my mouth as a tear fell from my eye. " I do.. I really do love you " I said again as tears continuously flowed down my face."D-Dont go.." 

I saw him look at me tenderly, he reached out his hand to touch my face. It went right through the side of my head, not being able to touch. But strangely.. I can feel the warmth of his hand.. That's enough to make me happy.

" Aoi.. Goodbye. I'll see you sometime, okay? " at the midst of everything that happened, that beautiful smile on his face never disappeared. 

I stood right in front of him, speechless. Treasuring my last sight of him. At the moment his fading reached up to his neck, I saw a glistening tear fall from his eye and he  whispered... 

" Take care,okay? I love you too..

See ya. " 

Traces of glittering particles rose up to the heavens gracefully.. I sat down on the soft,green grass and  cried harder, wanting to spend atleast another moment with him.I always wondered why he had to leave too soon. But he's completely gone now..I looked up the sky and saw a slight twinkle. He remains only a beautiful memory in my heart.

I'l never.. ever forget him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

A few days passed..Aoi went to school like any other student would, but this time , he was smiling widely and socializing with a lot of people, in accordance with his promise to Uruha that he would socialize and gain friends more.. He wanted to make Uruha happy, with his own little ways. 

" Wah! Don't you think Shiroyama-kun changed? " one of his classmates, Ruki said.

" Yeahyeah.. He looks a lot better when he's smiling. " Reita said.

" TRUE!!!! " and another classmate, Kai, agreed.

A lot of people surrounded a certain object posted at the bulletin board, causing a commotion. 

" Wahhh! Shiroyama-san's photo is great. " the other students referred to the picture Aoi took, the time when he was with Uruha.

The other's stood infront of the picture of that special place, admiring it's ...transparent beauty. 

*~*~ THE END *~*~