Flowers for both girls. Makes me happy. Thank for the update.

awwwwwwwwww,such a cute chap

hope everything's gonna be fine now with jun n kar,can't wait to see her reaction

please update soon

Lilies and rose petals
i'm glad Jun finally made a move to try and fix things, even though it was cuz of Sayuri-chan. i say this is progress!

...idk why, but for some strange reason i want Karina to hook up with Kozumu-san. idk. i just want that to happen. sorry, lol, went off there for a minute

i liked this chap. nobody was sad. and i didn't cry!

keep up the amazing work!

i just read your fic......seriously, at first, i felt like i wanted to strangle you or may be torture you to death but i have to wait til you finish your fic first....i cannot let you live this fic hanging...it was really sad between sayuri and jun but jun was selfish, poor kar...i understand his feeling since he really loves sayuri...then, nino...and then jun emotional breakdown...oh god i wish i was right in front of you right that moment cause i want to know why are you writing this kind of story...it is really depressing.....but, i did not manage to cry...anyway...i love it really...really...REALLY...LOVE IT. i can't wait for the next chapter... i love nino and sayuri since sayuri looks happy when they were together but i have doubt about her true feeling...last question...are you intended to make this fic more depressing and melancholic till the end...pl don't do it cause i might cry...anyway, gambatte

uwaaah!!..

how sweet jun!

haha.

he still can't let go ne?


do they still have a chance?


haha, please tell me. but i guess there none right?

sayuri is forcing jun to karina.


anyway....please update again!!

ahh... niska842003, don't torture me~!!!!

this story is getting harder and harder for me. hope no one will be disappointed with this chapter...

CHAPTER 20: Start of Something New

Jun found Karina in the park. She was wearing a white jacket with a pair of dark jeans, sitting at a bench. He was surprised to get a call from her the night before, asking to meet. The sky was turning blue, the sun was rising. Jun rubbed his palms together as he walked over to her. She turned when she heard his footsteps. "Ohayo," Jun said with an awkward smile on his face. It had been so long since they last talked to each other that Jun did not know how to act in front of her.

"Ohayo..." Karina replied. Jun took the seat next to her. Karina did not look at him, she had her gaze fixed on the trees in front of them. She was not sure what to say either. "Genki desu ka?" she asked him.

"Hai... genki desu... Karina wa?" Jun replied.

"I am doing fine..."

There was an awful long silence as they both did not know what to say. There were lots of things left unsaid when they last talked, and it was just too hard for both of them to find a way to talk about it. Jun looked at the ground. He was looking for words to say... Karina too. She kept looking at the trees around her. There was a lot of things she wanted to ask, but the words were stuck at her throat.

"Jun-kun..." Karina muttered. Jun looked up and faced her. She still was not looking at him. "Arigatou, ne..."

"Eh? What do you mean?" He did not expect her to thank him.

"Anou... I thought that this would be hard... meeting you, talking to you. I thought that it was impossible for me to see you," Karina said. "After all that had happened, meeting you was the last thing that I want to do. But, last night came as a surprise to me. I didn't expect any of it at all..."

"Kar... I just need you to know that I am sorry."

"I know you are. But I cannot have you apologising to me..."

"Doshite?"

"Because I don't know what I am supposed to say, or how I was supposed to react..." Karina turned and looked at Jun. Her eyes were brimming with tears. She quickly wiped them away and continued, "It was not your fault that you're still in love with her. I just wished you could learn to love me... but I supposed, it's impossible."

"Kar... I didn't mean to break your heart..."

"I know. That's why it's so hard to let you go. We don't belong together..." Karina said. She cupped Jun's chin with both of her hands. They were cold. She took a deep breath and said, "Jun-kun, I know that it is hard to watch her be with someone else, and that it is harder for you to let her go. You're not Jun, if it is easy. But, I hope one day, you'll let someone else take her place in your heart, because I don't want you to get hurt. It won't be me... I know that, someone else perhaps." Karina gave him a big smile.

"This is it, isn't it?" Jun asked.

"Well... we just didn't end it properly months ago," Karina replied. She planted a kiss on both of his cheeks, her wet eyelashes brushed against his face. "Thank you for giving me a whole 10 months of happiness. Thank you for letting me love you... Thank you."

Jun wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes. The sweet scent of lavender from her hair conditioner filled his nostrils. The warmth from her hug made him feel safe. Her heart beat next to his. It was for the last time. "Thank you for loving me..." Jun whispered in her ear.

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"So, it's over?" Sho asked when Jun finished telling them of his meeting with Karina. The five of them were having a late supper after their bangumi shooting. Jun had been wanting to talk to someone about what took place earlier that morning. Actually, he wanted to talk to Sayuri, as she was the one who persuaded him to come to terms with Karina, and he wanted to tell her that he kept his promise, but it dawned to him that it might seemed a little unnecessary to tell her, I'll tell her whenever I meet her... he thought. So, he decided to talk to his band members over their supper.

"Yea... it is," Jun replied. He put a few more slices of beef onto the grill and waited for them to cook. "It was over before... we just need to get it out in the open."

"I thought you apologise because you wanted to get back together with her..." Aiba said. He took one of the beef slice that Jun grilled, dipped into the soy sauce and gobbled it. "Wasn't that the whole point?"

Ohno and Nino looked at Jun. Obviously, the two of them were thinking of the same thing. Sho who understood the situation better, decided to answer the question for him, "Obviously he didn't want to get back together with her... he's still in love with-" his sentence was left hanging.

There was a short silence. Jun avoided the looks on everyone's face and continued eating the grilled beef. Sho did the same thing too. "Ma... does this mean that you're single and available?" Nino asked, breaking the silence. His expression did not show any sign of anger from Sho's unfinished statement. Jun looked at him. "What I mean is that, are you ready to move on? Or you're going to stay single?" Nino continued.

Jun thought hard before answering. He was trying to understand what Nino wanted to know. On one hand, Nino could be asking him these questions out of pure curiousity, on the other, he could be asking, because he wants to know how long Jun is planning to hang on to Sayuri. "Well... yea, I supposed I am ready to date again, if there's anyone," Jun replied, simple-mindedly. The truth was he was not sure whether or not he was ready to date. The reality was that he was deeply in love with Sayuri, he did not know whether or not it is possible for him to love someone other than her. He did not want to hurt another girl, just like he hurt Karina. But, he couldn't possibly let his friends know that, especially not Nino.

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The season started to change. Summer has come to an end. The leaves turning yellow, and one by one fell to the earth. Rainy days came one after another. Eventhough she longed for the hot summer days, Sayuri could not help but felt happy with the change of season. Normally it was a sign of a new beginning. New season brings new hope, new light, new life. With Ellie's ideas, Sayuri came up with new recipes for the new season. The cafe had a makeover, they decided to change the interior to different shades of orange and yellow - the curtains and drapes, the napkins, the straws, the table cloth, the plates, the cups and saucers.

Nino became more and more busy. Sayuri hardly see him in a week. He would try to call, but the calls would end in just a few seconds. Although she missed him terribly, she did not want to complain. So, instead of waiting for him to call, Sayuri plunged herself deep into her work, trying her best to come up with new recipes. Her workload started to double as the cafe had started with their birthday specials. As Sayuri did not like to repeat her cake design twice - every cake is one of a kind in her cafe, customers get to choose what kind of birthday cake they want and the theme for the cake, and Sayuri would personally design the cake for them.

"Ahhh... I had enough!!!" Sayuri cried as she slumped into the booth after the cafe closed. The waiters were cleaning the dining area as Kozumu, Karina, Ellie and Sayuri sat at the booth by the window. Ellie had brought each of them a cup of jasmine tea to help with their tardiness. Each of the chef looked extremely exhausted. "I haven't slept in two days! Can you imagine that???"

"Two days?" Karina exclaimed when she heard this. Ellie could only nod, as she knew what has been going on in her best friend's life.

"Yea... two days! I had to stay up all night last night to finish that cake for that spoilt little brat who kept on changing his mind on which superhero he wanted for his birthday cake. I could have sworn that I would kill him if he changed his mind again... I stayed up the night before to finish a Superman cake, only to be told yesterday that he wanted Spiderman and not Superman," Sayuri complained. There were dark eyebags under her eyes. She sipped the jasmine tea in front of her. Warmth filled her chest as the tea made its way down her digestive tract. Without her realising, her eyes slowly shut and she was swept away to her dreamland.

Ellie was the first to realise that her best friend had fallen asleep. She stood up and pulled her best friend's head so that it rested on her lap. Karina and Kozumu could only smile, as they watched Sayuri sleeping soundly like a baby. "I think I should go home now... I am so tired..." Karina said as she stood up. She picked up all the cups and saucers, placed them on the tray and disappeared to the kitchen.

"Do you need help to get Ojou-sama home?" Kozumu-san asked. "I can drive you both back..."

"Iie... daijoubu," Ellie replied softly. "Otsukare sama deshita, Kozumu-san." Kozumu-san bowed and walked towards the staff room to change. Ellie looked at her best friend. Sayuri was not aware of her surrounding, she looked so calm in her sleep. Ellie stroke Sayuri's hair.

-----------------------------------------------

Jun was surprised to see the lights were still on at the cafe. He just came back from having a drink with the rest of Arashi. As Nino and Aiba were drink, Jun and Sho had to take them home, Ohno had left earlier as he had a shooting the next day. Nino was the one who desperately wanted to go to the cafe, with high hopes that Sayuri would still be at the cafe. Sho took Aiba home, and left Nino to Jun. After getting tired of listening at how much he missed Sayuri, Jun decided to just bring Nino to Sayuri.

He was half-carrying the drunken Nino into the cafe. He found Ellie sitting by the window, with a cup of coffee and opened ledger book. She was surprised to see him. Jun put Nino into a chair where he quickly dozed off. "Sumimasen!" Jun apologised to Ellie.

"Eh? Nandesu ka? What are you both doing here?" Ellie asked. She was still sitting. Jun walked closer to her and saw the reason why Ellie did not stand when he walked in. Sayuri was sleeping soundly with her head on Ellie's lap. "She hasn't slept in two days. She fell asleep just an hour ago... I thought I'd let her sleep while I do the accounts here. What's wrong with Ninomiya-san? Is he drunk?"

Jun gave her an apologetic smile and took a deep breath. "He wanted to see Sayuri so badly. He was wailing, so I had to take him here just to shut him up," Jun explained. He looked over his shoulder to Nino, then turned and looked back at Ellie. "Hontou ni sumimasen. I didn't mean to disturb you..."

"It's okay... I am glad you're here anyways," Ellie said with a smile.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Well... It's going to be hard to wake Sayuri up... she's a deep sleeper. And besides, I don't want to wake her up. Not when she has not had any sleep in two days. But then, we need to get home. I can't possibly carry her up the bus and back to our apartmen," Ellie replied. "Now that you're here... it won't be a problem after all..."

Jun let out a small chuckle when he heard her explanation.

"Do you mind sending us home?" Ellie asked.

Jun shook his head. "I'll get Nino into the car first. Then I'll come back and carry Sayuri into the car. You just get ready to go back."

Ellie nodded. She slowly lift Sayuri's head off her lap and stood up. Sayuri tossed a little and then fell back to sleep. "I just need to clean this up, keep the ledgers and then lock up."

---------------------------------------

Ellie made a pot of tea as Jun half-carried Nino onto the couch in her living room. She had insisted that Jun stay for a cup of tea and let Nino sleep over at the apartment, since it would be easier for Jun, as Nino's apartment is far from his apartment. Jun sat on a stool at the kitchen counter as he watched Ellie making a pot of tea.

The blonde girl surprised him with her fluent japanese. She placed a mug in front of him. The aroma of Earl grey tea filled in the air. It calmed Jun, brought him a feeling of peace and zenic. She took a seat next to him and sipped her cup of tea. Suddenly, Jun felt so awkward as they both had never been alone together. They had never shared a conversation that last longer than 3 minutes. He did not know what to say or what he should do.

Ellie found herself admiring the young man sitting in front of her. His eyes were the first thing that captivated her... She could understand how the girls across the world could melt at the presence of the guy named Matsumoto Jun. She, who grew up fantasizing about Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, had to admit that at that moment, this Japanese guy had made her heart beat faster than any other guy has.

"How's the cafe doing?" Jun broke the silence between the two of them.

"It's getting busier... we've been trying to hire new waiters and busboys, but I couldn't find one that is reliable enough," Ellie replied. She let out a small laugh. She knew that Jun and her did not really have anything to talk about, and it was kind of Jun to try hard to find something to say.

Jun laughed as he started to feel how silly he looked in Ellie's eyes. "Gomenasai... I just don't know what else to say..." Jun said.

Ellie smiled wide. "Iie... I know what you mean. I don't know what to say either. We've never really talked to each other..." Ellie said. She took another sipped from her mug.

Jun found himself smiling as they continued chatting. Ellie was so easy to talk to. They got so deep discussing about their Harry Potter frenzy - Ellie was a big fan too, just like Jun. And then, Jun found himself talking about his family and getting to know hers. He got to know that she used to be a ballerina and that she holds a bachelor degree in fashion designing. The blonde girl amazed him with so many things. She was too different than what he thought.

They talked until dawn break, once in awhile paused as Jun helped Nino to throw up in the bathroom. They didn't even realised how fast time passed them by. Nino and Sayuri were still sleeping like babies. Ellie was the first to realised that the sun had started to rise. They both laughed at this. They didn't know how long exactly had they sat and talk. Ellie stood up and took the mug in Jun's hands to wash. For a split second, Jun felt as if lightning went through his body as her fingers brushed faintly against his hands. He was stunned.

"Will you stay for breakfast?" she asked him. Jun looked at her, wide-eyed. He was still stunned. Ellie looked at him with a smile. "I am not really good at cooking, but it would be nice if you could stay. Unless... you have to go..."

"Ah... iie, it's my day off today... I'll stay," Jun replied.

Ellie's smile grew wider. She looked so happy to hear his reply. "Great... I don't have to eat alone. God knows when Sayuri will get up... I think I should give the rest of the staff a day off today. They looked so tired yesterday..." Ellie said. She took out a knife and chopping board and placed them on the kitchen top. "I am not really good with Japanese cooking... so, I hope American breakfast would do..."

------------------------------------------

Jun stared at his phone for a long time. Should I or should I not? he kept on dwelling in the question. He took his phone and started dialling a number. And then he decided against it. Why are you being such a wimp? Just call her...!!! his inner thoughts screamed out at him.

Finally, he dialled the number and pressed call. He waited as the line started ringing. Once... twice... she picked up at the third ring. "Moshi-moshi?" she answered.

"Hai, moshi moshi, Matsumoto desu..." Jun introduced himself.

"Ah, Matsumoto-san... nani ka?"

"Err..." Jun stuttered. "Are you free this Friday night?"

so Jun is going to try dating ellie? really? ellie? hmm, interesting development, though i will admit, i did sort of expect that. i mean sayuri is dating one of Jun's best friends, so Jun dating one of her best friends seemed likely to happen.

....or maybe i'm wrong and he called up a girl named Nana? *stares at cell phone's call log*

can't wait to see how the story progresses! hope to read more soon, and keep up the great work!!!

Like what my smores buddy said... interesting development. That's all I'll say for now

It's time to sing camp songs! ^_^

yeah i also kinda expected it...i mean there's no other girl in the story and i thought u won't put a new one into it, don't know...... demo i think it's kinda wierd, he was so much in love with sayuri and couldn't forget her and even broke up with his girlfriend because of that,now he got over it so quick??
it's the same like in sayuri's case,ne.... maaa, i think i'm too much used to fairytale-like stories,so gomen hope u don't mind my complaints as allways
demo i wanna know how things will progress now with ellie ( such a lucky FOREIGN girl )

hope to get an update soon,so ganbatte,ne!!

eh?...friends to friends?

haha.

so now ellie will be on jun! yey!


hahaha...update more please!

i have been busied and i can't leave a comment yet on your update but i have copied your fic update and i will try to read it when i'm free...so i will spare you at the moment til i finished will all the mountains of works... but...i'll be back...after i read them...

jun and ellie? hurm... wouldn't that be a little too predictable?...

sorry for this late update... i've been very busy with school work and all. hope that no one will be disappointed with this.

CHAPTER 21: Memories

Jun did not know whether or not he was ready for this. He was not sure whether or not he wanted to do it. He was not sure whether or not it was the right thing to do. The words that Sho had said to him few months back, right after his meltdown were still ringing in his ears. They were painful, blunt words, coming from Sho, but it seemed to him that Sho was the only one who had the guts to say them to him.

"It's impossible to be like this... tears will not bring her back, they will not make anything better. Jun, be reasonable. She's dating Nino, I know that it is hard to let her go. But you've got to move on... meet someone new. Time will heal that broken heart of yours. But to stay like this, hanging on to a single thread, it's pathetic."

He was actually angry at Sho when he said this. He thought that Sho did not understand what he was going through. The truth was, no one in Arashi understood what he was going through. Not one of them ever been in a relationship with a girl as long as he had. Sure, they went out on dates, but they've never stayed long enough to get deeply attach. But after awhile, Jun realised that Sho said those words out of concern, Sho might not understand what Jun was going through, but he was still worried.

Arashi members had been with him through all his tough times. He could not remember even once that they turned their back on him when he needed someone. And, for their sake, he was doing this. Moving on. I cannot lose what I don't have... maybe this is for the best.. He was letting go of the memories that he had hold on for the past years, he was letting go of the love that he had for her... It was time.

Dressed in a simple black jacket, with a white t-shirt underneath, a pair of skinny jeans and leather boots and a cap, pulled down, covering half of his face, Jun walked down the cobbled street. She had asked him to meet her at 7, at the park. Jun had wished for a more private place, but he dared not to ask her, in case she would think that he was searching for something else. The streets were slippery as the rain had just stopped. The usually bustling park was slightly empty. Jun felt relief. He would be in big trouble if anyone recognise him, what more with a girl by his side.

Jun stood by an ice cream cart, waiting for her. A few kids with their parents stopped by to buy an ice cream, Jun hid his face. A few of them glanced at him, but paid no attention. The time was 6.45pm. He was fifteen minutes early. His heart beat faster as he waited for her.

----------------------------------

"Have you tried his cellphone?" Ohno asked Sho, who was grumpy. The two of them along with Nino and Aiba were enjoying their dinner together. It was their first Friday night off after so long. Sho had insisted on having dinner together with all of Arashi members. He had called Aiba, who then called Nino and Ohno. All of them agreed.

"Mochirom!" Sho snapped. "He rejected the call." There was one thing that Arashi member knew about Sho - he hates when anyone rejected his call, regardless what the reason would be. To him, if you don't want to be disturb, turn off your cellphone, leaving it on means that you're willing to accept any call.

Aiba, Ohno and Nino exchanged glances. "Maybe he's busy... look, our plan is last minute. Knowing Jun, he must have other plans..." Aiba said, simple-mindedly. "There is no need to get so heated up about it." Sho's eyes darted at Aiba, who squirmed at it.

"Demo..." Sho started to argue.

"Aiba's right..." Ohno cut in. Sho fell silent. "We didn't plan anything earlier. It was all last minute. It was not as if he canceled on us. He rejected your call... he might be in a meeting, and forgot to turn off his phone, we don't know. So, calm down."

"He's not working... we all have the night off..." Sho argued. He sounded like a child, throwing tantrums because things did not go his way.

"Maybe he's on a date..." Aiba said out of the blue. The other three guys turned and looked at him, eyes opened wide. "He's Jun... and it's Friday night..." Aiba added.

"Like that's possible. We all know that he's still hanging on to -" Sho did not finish his sentence. His gaze fell on Nino, suddenly regretted all the words that came out of his mouth. Nino did not seem like he was about to say anything.

"Mouuu... what's the point in arguing about this? Let's order. Jun's not coming, why are we so troubled about it anyways?" Nino said. He tried hard not to let Sho's last words to affect him. Nino knew how much Jun loved Sayuri, and that knowing Jun, it would take years for him to move on. It would not be easy. Part of Nino wished what Aiba said was true. He wanted Jun to move on and let someone else into his life. Nino had not the heart to hurt Jun again. Although Jun did not admit it, Nino knew that Jun was hurt seeing Nino and Sayuri together.

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"Matsumoto-san!" a chirping voice called his name. Jun looked up and saw a tall young lady standing in front of him. Her red knee-length trench coat reminded him of Santa's elves. Her eyes sparkled in the light, her nose was slightly red because of the cold. She kept her hands in her pocket, trying to keep them warm. There was a sweet smile on her face. "Did you wait for a long time?"

"Iie... I was a little early. It was okay..." Jun replied. He looked at her, wondering whether or not he was doing the right thing - he still could not decide whether or not he should go on with it. After awhile, he nodded his head and smile. Maa.. I've got nothing to lose by trying. he thought. "Ja... what should we do?" he asked her.

"There's something that I've been wanting to do... iko!" she replied, excitedly. She started walking. Jun rushed to her side and walked next to her. She was humming an unfamiliar tune and did not start any conversation with Jun, honestly he was glad, because he was too nervous to think straight.

After five minutes walking, they arrived at a roller-skating rink. Jun became confused. Why were they here? His steps halted a few feet away from the entrance. She turned up his abrupt stop. "Doshite?" she asked.

"What are we doing here?" Jun asked.

"To roller-skate, of course. What else can we do here?" she replied. She grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him. "Come on... there are not many people around... they probably won't notice you..." She tugged his hand.

Jun did not budge. He was burning with anger. He shut his eyes and tried to calm down. There was no way that this is a coincidence. he thought. Roller-skating rink... she must have known about it. Jun shook his wrist loose from her grip. "This is impossible... I should have known," Jun said. Anger fumed deep inside of him. He turned around to leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked and grabbed him by the wrist again.

"Home. This is wrong. I should've not..."

Her grip tightened. Jun looked at her eyes. They were filled with determination. She really did not want him to leave. "You called... you said you wanted to move on," she said. "Going home will not help you to move on!"

"I called for a session! Not for a play date!" Jun replied, almost yelling. The corner of his jaws tightened. He was trying keep his temper down.

"Look, you wanted a therapy session. I'm the therapist, not you. Basically I am the one who can decide how the therapy will be carried out," she said calmly. She did not lose her grip on his wrist. She was determined to make him stay.

Arisu Hayaka-sensei - a therapist that Jun's manager had hired after his meltdown months ago. His manager was worried that the meltdown would repeat again. As Jun's ego stopped him from talking to his friends about his problems and feelings, his manager thought that a therapist would help him get through the tough times in his life. Jun burst into outrage at the suggestion. "I would rather die than going to a therapist!" he once said. To Jun, it was not the thought of going to a therapist, it was the thought of pouring his heart out to someone he barely knew. It was hard enough to talk to his friends about his problems, how would a therapist be any different?

"Arisu sensei, hanashite kudasai!" Jun said. But the therapist would not let go of his hand, instead, her grip tightened. Her face appeared calm, in contrast to Jun's. "I told you, it's impossible!"

She looked at him in the eye. There was something in the way she looked at him that calm him down. After a few minutes, she let go of his hand. "You're not ready... Sumimasen. I am not supposed to force you to stay. You can leave," she said, a small smile appeared on her face. She bowed at him. "Ja... when you're ready, be sure to give me a call. Oyasuminasai." She bowed at him again and turned, she walked towards the rink.

"Chotto matte!" Jun called after her. It took him awhile to realise what he just did. He did not know why. He had been wanting to leave ever since they got to the rink, and now he was not so sure that he wanted to. He was terribly confused.

Arisu sensei turned and faced him. "Nani ka?" she asked.

"Where are you going?"

"To roller-skate, of course... I wanted to roller-skate, remember? That's why I brought you here," she replied. "Eventhough you're leaving, it does not mean that I can't skate, does it?"

Jun fell silent. Her calm reply with a 'it's an obvious answer, don't you realise that?' tone irritated him a little. Why do you have to choose this place, of all the places in Tokyo, to conduct this therapy session? Jun thought. Arisu sensei waited patiently for him to say something, the smile on her face had not fade.

"Matsumoto-san? Is there something wrong?" she asked, as she saw a disturbed look in his eyes.

Jun shook his head. "Iie..." he replied softly. His eyes trailed to the roller skating rink nearby. His mind went down the memory lane, his past... "Gomen ne..." he apologised. Arisu sensei was surprised at this. "I called you, saying that I am ready to talk... but now that we are actually here..." Jun's voice trailed off.

"Daijoubu desu. It's not as easy as everyone thought it would be. It'll take time..." she said.

Jun looked at her face. Perhaps it was because she's a therapist that she could be so calm and understanding, it made Jun feel a little comfortable with her. He took a deep breathe and said, "It's the roller-skating rink..."

"Eh? What about the rink?"

"This was where I took her on our first official date... the night I asked her to be my girlfriend..."

Her hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a baby blue tank top and a denim skirt. Eventhough the sun had set, the summer night was still warm and humid. He had been waiting for her, she was not late... he was the one who came early. He was too excited and anxious.

"Jun-kun!" she called his name. A huge grin curled on her face. She came alone, which was a surprise to Jun. Sayuri was never allowed to go out on her own. Even to school, she was always accompanied by two men in suit - they were her bodyguards. As her father was one of the most feared yakuza in Tokyo, they were many who would want to hurt Sayuri just to get to him.

"You came alone?" Jun asked. He looked around, trying to look for her bodyguards.

"Hai! Daijoubu deshou... I came together with them along with Tanada-san and Kozumu-san. They went for a walk around the park, they let me come to the rink alone..." she explained.

Jun smiled at her. It was the summer of their first year in high school. Jun had been so busy with his Junior life, that he hardly had any time to spend with his friends. When he was told that he was getting the weekend off, there was only one person on his mind that he want to spend it with. He had missed her so much.

As it was in the middle of summer, the rink was slightly crowded with people of all ages. Sayuri and Jun stood by the side, watching other people roller-skating. They changed into the rented skates. "Are you ready?" Jun asked her. She looked at him, wide-eyed. It was her first time to skate, Jun had promised to be the one to teach her to skate. "Are you scared?"

Sayuri pressed her lips tight. She did not want to admit that she was scared, but Jun knew she was. Sayuri was never a fan of an activity that could give her any external injury. She sat on the bench and tried to remain calm, although her insides felt like it was about to burst out. "Don't worry... I'll be by your side. I promise!" Jun assured her as he held out his hands to her with a smile. Sayuri took a deep breath and took his hands.

Jun shut his eyes as the memory from his past replayed itself on his mind. The roller-skating rink held so many memories for him. For the past five years without Sayuri, he would go to the rink and tried to recall all the moments he had shared with her - their first date, their first dance, their first kiss...

"I cannot remember the first time I fall in love with her..." Jun said out of the blue. Arisu-sensei was surprised at this. "Everytime I see her, I fall in love with her all over again. Perhaps it is because we have known each other for a long time... or maybe because she is the only one who truly understands me... I don't really know...

"Ever since I saw her for the first time, behind the school building, crying on the first day of school, after being bullied by our classmates, I have sworn to not let her shed any more tears. I promised to keep her happy, to always find the smile hidden within her tears," the words flowed out of Jun's mouth without him realising it.

At that moment, Arisu-sensei smiled. Jun had started to open his heart to her. Listening to his words, she could feel the love that he has for Sayuri. His eyes sparkled when he talked about her, his smile did not escape his lips. "Matsumoto-san... do you still love her?" she asked him.

-----------------------------------------------

Sayuri sat in her living room with a box of photos in front of her. She had Tanada-san packed them into the box after she left home five years ago. She had not opened the box ever since then, not even once. It was sort of a way for her to move on from her past back then, a way for her to let go of everything she had once held so close to her heart.

Now that she was in Tokyo, everything had changed. Sayuri decided that it was time to take out the photos from the box. She tied her hair into a ponytail and sat on the floor. She unlid the box and took of a stack of photos. Her memories came gushing through. Most of the photos were taken during her high school years. Her lips curled into a smile as she recalled all the happy moments of her life.

"Ahh... what's all this?" Ellie asked out loud as she sat down next to Sayuri. She picked up one of the photos and looked at it in detail. It was a photo of Jun and Sayuri at a roller-skating rink. "When was this? Both of you looked so different!" Ellie said with a surprised tone.

Sayuri took a look at the photo. Her smile started to fade a little. "It was during the summer of our first year in high school..." Sayuri replied.

"Ah... you both looked like you had so much fun..." Ellie said.

"We did..." Sayuri replied. She started to smile again as she recalled the memory. She remembered how Jun never let go of her hand as he taught her to skate, she remembered how he would try his best so that she would not fall, she remembered how happy she was that night...

"Anou... Sayuri..." Ellie called her name, snapping her back to reality. Sayuri turned and looked at Ellie. "I thought I'd ask you first, before I actually do it..."

"Nani?" Sayuri asked curiously.

"There's a show this weekend that I really want to see..."

"Ah, sou ka? Sure... I don't have anything to do anyways..."

"Iie... that's not what I mean..."

"Eh?"

Ellie hesitated at first. She did not know what was the best way to ask her best friend about it. At last, she just blurted it out, "I was planning... I was planning to ask... Jun-kun to go with me..."

Ohh! He went to see the therapist eh? That's good, Jun! The first step to solving the problem is to acknowledge that you have a problem! LOL.
And Ellie is serious about Jun ne? How will Sayuri respond to that?
Sho calm down, listen to Aiba! He is smarter than you right now hehehee.

Excellent job on the chap. Thanks so much for updating!

*sighs contented*
yay a new update!

......

a therapist? hmm, interesting. so a session for darling Jun. that's good. at least its not like...a real date. lol, im not ready to see Jun with another girl yet XDD it's too soon for me

i wonder....will Sayuri-chan get jealous that Ellie likes Jun? i wonder...hmm *hopes that Sayuti will get jealous....*

just wishful thinking lol. thanks so much for updating. can't wait till the next update

HAHA Interesting twist! As with most, I thought it was MatsuJun and Ellie but a therapist XD Good one! LOL

Poor Nino XD Having to hear that from Sho-kun HAHAHA But very interesting chapter! This was a good memory and wonder how Sayuri would react to Ellie wanting to bring MatsuJun @_@ LOL