Dream Star

The last thing Yumeko expected was to run into her boyfriend first. "Sorry I ran late; ah I used your umbrella!"

"It"s okay.."

The two of them were at a cafe now, since it was raining, n.o.body sat outside. They chose a table with an umbrella and huddled under it as the waitress placed two cups in front of them.

"So I"ll be straightforward," Atsuya said.

"Yes."

Atsuykun will break up with her, while she never wanted things to come to this. When she recalled his expression earlier in school and how bad their relations.h.i.+p has been, Yumeko understood. This relations.h.i.+p is over, and n.o.body can save it.

"Wait, let me go first," Yumeko interjected.

She should tell him honestly.

"I like...Haruka."

The words felt foreign when she said it. Yumeko questioned whether this was right.

"I see."

"I still have feelings for you. But I like Haruka more." Yumeko said.

Atsuya smiled, "I"ve always liked that honest part of you Yume-chan. No Yumeko, you were always looking straight forward without turning to look back."

"That"s..."

That"s because you encouraged her.

"I thought that perhaps I could still change your mind."

Did he know? How long?

He placed his hand on top of hers, "I"ll be leaving soon."

"Leaving?" Yumeko repeated.

"I"m going back home; that"s why..." Atsuya stood up and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her lips, "That"s why I want you to be happy. Tell Haruka what you"re feeling."

Leaving, he"s going? He won"t be here anymore. No, that"s not. She didn"t want this. Stop her. Tell her no. Just now he said, he wanted to change her mind? Why isn"t he? Before Yumeko could respond, Atsuykun"s phone beeped.

When Yumeko saw the caller ID, her eyes widened.

"Yume-chan, I need to go. I"ll come back so.."

Yumeko shook her head.

"Wait, don"t go."

Don"t. Don"t go to Selichan; she"s only acting this way because of jealousy. Why can"t he tell? Why. Atsuya, however, pulled her hand away and rushed off.

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When he arrived, it wasn"t just Selichan in danger and but Kannsenpai. Tsk. Several men were forcing them inside a truck.

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"Atsuykun.," Selia said weakly.

Huan looked at the men he knocked over and examined the surroundings; there"s no more. He sent a harsh glare towards Kannsenpai, "Are you crazy? Kannsenpai you would sell her off? She"s 13."

"I..."

The woman was shaking as though she realized what she did.

"You made a deal with the wrong people. Did you think they"d let you go? They don"t want anyone to know about the transaction." Huan yelled.

At that comment, Kanna immediately rushed inside the building.

".. Mikado!" Kanna exclaimed these were the last words Kanna said before she rushed inside.

"... Atsuykun.." Selia weakly called out to him.

Huan turned to the girl and wrapped his jacket around her. Selia looked broken, and it pained him.

She is only a child, to think she had to suffer like this.

Selia wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, "It"s all right, you"ll be okay. You"ll get through this. I"ll make sure of that..." he trailed off, "Selia, come with me." That"s right if she comes with him. He can take her to see Kyoko; surely she could help before he could say those words though. He hears gasping behind him and found Yumeko there.

"So that"s why you wanted to break up with me, I understand."

"Wait, Yumeko?"

______________________________________________

Isn"t she late?

He"s been waiting around for a long time. It"s raining too. Haruka glanced at the umbrella he was using. Well, this isn"t his either. It"s the one Lila gave him. It surprised him how the design wasn"t girly but conservative. She didn"t just leave her umbrella behind but several other things. It didn"t take him long to realize that she left it as presents for him. Geez.

"Oh, my that young couple left their umbrella behind..."

"Didn"t they seem strange?"

Haruka looked over and spotted a familiar pink umbrella. Huh? That"s. "Excuse me..."

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Haruka ran through the rain. Idiot, idiot. Idiot. His gaze fell on the message that was sent to Yumeko — leaving the umbrella aside, the phone too? But it"s because of this that he understood. He saw the message on the girl"s phone; he hates to admit it. But he would send something like this; it"s no wonder that Yumeko wasn"t suspicious at all. Not that Yumeko would ever suspect of being set up. He increased his pace; he was desperate. Haruka sensed that something terrible was happening. This is bad; the people back there said they heard the words break up, " It came from the girl. But it looked like the guy thought so mutually and she seemed upset. Maybe she wanted him to stop her."

That"s natural, Yumeko wants Atsuya to stop her. Even if she liked him or whatever, she would never date him. Haruka understood that. But that stupid Atsuya, he didn"t notice at all. Yumeko didn"t mean what she said at all; she wanted him to tell her he will still try. Atsuya probably broke the news to her then about leaving. Ah geez. What on earth is going on, Haruka"s thoughts broke off once he saw a hospital van loading someone inside? Seeing a badly injured Mikado and hardly conscious Kannsenpai, he rushed over.

"Senpai?" Haruka called out.

"... Haruka.."

He spotted Selia"s scrunchie in Mikado"s hands and recalled the shopkeeper"s words and then Yumeko"s.

"The guy had to rush off.."

"Atsu-kun, do you think he"s interested in Selia?"

Haruka grabbed Kannsenpai"s shoulders and said dangerously, "What did you do? No, wait; was it you?"

"... It was me.."

He would never hit a girl. But right at this second, Haruka proceeded to do so, but an arm shot out and stopped him.

"Mikado."

"Don"t blame senpai; she"s sick. She needs help Haruka.." Mikado said weakly.

Haruka looked over at the trembling woman and recalled several conversations he had with her in the past. He supposes that adds up.

"Haruka, wait. Please, I love you. Don"t go to Yumeko."

Haruka looked back at Mikado then back at senpai, he quietly sighed. She fell in love with him, and Mikado didn"t she? How could he have been so blind, he didn"t notice a thing? Haruka shook his head, "Sorry, there"s something I need to settle." he apologized.

For him to meet with Lila adequately in the future, he has to settle everything now. With that in mind, Haruka rushed off.

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Meeting with Kannsenpai helped him locate where Yumeko and Atsuya were. Sure enough, he found them. On the other side of the street, Atsuya had grabbed hold of Yumeko"s hand.

"Wait, you misunderstood Yumeko."

"It"s Yumeko, now you"ve broken up with me?"

"Please... don"t misunderstand. Didn"t you see the situation back there? This isn"t the time..."

Yumeko slapped his hand away, "Well then sorry for interfering."

"Yume-chan..."

"If you like Selichan that much you should have said so from the start, instead of playing me for a fool."

"..."

Tsk. He can"t watch this any longer; it"s obvious someone is tricking them. Yumeko said nothing more and rushed out on to the road. He spotted the van coming at Yumeko at an unusual speed far too late, but before it could hit her. Atsuya rushed over and pushed the girl away, Yumeko landed exactly in his arms, as though Atsuya intended it to be this way.

"Take care of her."

Screech.
.

.

"You can"t die, dammed it! Damm, if you die, you..."

But his words were futile, the man who was his best friend, the first person who became his friend. The one who helped him gain something precious remained unmoved on the ground. His friend surrounded in a pool of blood. And the face of the girl he loved was pale; the site froze her in disbelief.

"Yumeko?"

"No... No. Nooooo!"

When he saw the bright light around her, his eyes widened.

.

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J Hospital.

Three people rushed into the emergency room area. He barely avoided the blast and ended up injured himself. But that didn"t matter. The pain from these wounds, they are mere scratches to the pain in his heart. In contrast, the pain and regrets that Yumeko will have. It will be a lot worse. How could this have happened? Why did it happen?

"Harukkun." A voice called out to him; he looked up and saw Selia.

Selia"s state pained him. She made it clear for a while that Mikado was abusing her and yet what did he do? If he were smart enough, he would have caught on to what Atsuya was doing and helped. If he did, then Yumeko wouldn"t have misunderstood. This wouldn"t have happened if he noticed about Kannsenpai too.

"... You should ask for a change of clothes."

"I feel dirty. So dirty, I don"t know what to do. " Selia explained, her words breaking.

Haruka walked over and grabbed the girl"s hand; he didn"t even have to do this to know that she was still trembling. "I"ll get you some help. Kannsenpai too. I"ll help the two of you, so, please... When Yumeko wakes up, please be there for her." Despite what Yumeko said, he understood one thing. She doesn"t blame Selia; she"s just frustrated not knowing.

"Atsuykun...."

"He..." Haruka paused.

He recalled the news the doctors just said a moment ago, "There"s nothing more we can do, I"m sorry for your loss."

He"s dead.

He"s gone.

But how does he tell her that? Even he has a hard time accepting it.

Atsuya, he will never hear him talk again, ever see him again.He...