emotions. Jikan would not replace Aiya but at least there was one person that could be in his life that reminded him of Aiya. Jikan hesitated slightly, he leaned forward to whisper to Maruki. Though uncomfortable, he remained hunched over his desk “the boys over there are mean to me if I eat in the cafeteria.” He whispered softly in Maruki’s ear.


Maruki’s brows furrowed at the boy’s words, even him and Aiya weren’t that bad. His lips parted for a moment before his gaze dropped to the floor.
“Uh, how about we eat in the music room?” having remembered the boy was lead of the music club it was the ideal place to eat. It was a quiet secluded room where no one would go to bother him. It took the boy a moment of thought and subconscious gnawing on his lower lip before he nodded silently. “Great. Shall we go then?” Only a few moments ago, Maruki was cocky with the boy, but after finding out he was like Aiya, he had a more calmed relaxed tone with him.


It took Jikan a moment to register what Maruki had said, he was still in shock and confusion that he had made a friend.
“R-right!” Jumping upright, stiffly positioned, Jikan stepped aside to allow Maruki to get out from his desk.


Seeing this boy more and more reminded him greatly of Aiya, but in moments like this it would be best to leave him out of it. The lunch they had shared together was quiet and uneventful. Jikan sat quietly on the piano bench, silently eating the bento box his mother had made for him. Anything but silent, Maruki sat at the full drum set, fooling around. Loudly banging on the bass and the snare with his fingers, Maruki liked the feeling that rumbled in his chest every time he tapped the bass. The silent Jikan caught his attention, distracting him from his loud play.
“Oi, you okei?” A blunt approach to small talk, but it got the boy to speak.


Jikan held his chopsticks between his teeth innocently as he looked to the upper level to where Maruki sat.
“Ano.” Nothing was really on his mind, but he knew Maruki would be waiting for an answer. “It’s nothing really.” An awkward yet honest thought rolled over Jikan’s mind, yet was not supposed to turn into words. “I have just never had a handsome friend like you.” In hearing his own words, Jikan darted his gaze back down to the piano keys, blushing in embarrassment.


Those sweet, round eyes widened at the boy’s thought, hearing him wrong would have been a miracle. His full bottom lip was sucked between his teeth firmly.
“Thank you. I think.” Maruki never thought himself as handsome. The only person who has ever said such words, made it an insult to him. The one person that Maruki would never forget, the one person he would never stop hating., Miyuki. Being an unpopular peer at his old school, not many people decided to even look at Maruki unless it was to insult him.
“Not something you hear from a new friend.” Though a blush came across his cheeks as well, he tried to act cool.


Maruki was a little unsure of Jikan now, but having known someone like him for so long, he brushed off his awkward comment quickly. He knew Jikan was nervous and possibly couldn't find anything else to say at the moment. Maruki stopped fooling around with the drums and silently spun on the round chair instead. With an awkward silence hanging in the room, and a blank white image in his mind, Maruki couldn't help but think of Aiya, hoping he was all right without him. Maruki subconsciously stared at Jikan, studying his fragility. In Maruki's mind, Jikan’s image changed to Aiya’s, sitting there innocently staring up at him.


Having noticed Maruki staring off in space, Jikan paused, his eyes darting from side to side nervously.
“Ka-Kaore kun? Why are you staring at me?” he didn't move for a moment, just stared back silently. “Kaore kun?” Jikan slid off the bench and hopped up to Maruki, tapping him on the shoulder. Though Jikan was no longer at the piano, Maruki's gaze remained locked over there.
He tapped his shoulder again, harder this time, nearly making Maruki jump off his seat.
“Kaore kun! I’m sorry! Are you all right?” it was an honest mistake in frightening Maruki, but he wasn't moving and that was frightening Jikan.


With wide eyes filled with surprise, Maruki stared up at the boy, panting slightly. He was completely lost in thought and the shock of being brought back down to earth had him breathing heavily.
“I, I’m sorry I was just thinking.” He took one final deep breath to calm his nerves, those sweet coffee eyes looked to the door where the clock was located. “We should go, the bell is going to ring soon.”




Day after day, Maruki ate lunch with Jikan in the music room. Though they rarely spoke, it was nice to know that there was someone there to eat with. It was not like the past at all, him and Aiya would talk all the time, they always had something to talk about. They would even cook for each other, to see if the other liked it. Now with no contact with him, and knowing Jikan was not him, Maruki learned to accept the silence. Even though only months into school, living without his best friend was getting easier, now that he was settled into his classes. Every day at school academically was easy as well, getting straight fives once again and top marks in classes like PE, Maruki was just as he was at his old school. At home was a different story. Every night Maruki would wake up in a cold sweat and tears drenching his face from the same nightmare that haunted his dreams.


~ At a café under Tokyo Tower, overlooking a park sat Maruki waiting for Aiya whom wanted to meet with him. With a small white cake and a cup of hot chocolate in front of him, a small tap was felt on his shoulder taking his gaze from the table to the perpetrator.
“Ah, Ai chan. You’re here. What did you want to talk to me about?” Maruki's sweet, happy voice, the one only reserved for Aiya rang beautifully to Aiya. A sad, solemn expression was washed over Aiya’s naturally sweet, beautiful face. “Aiya what’s the matter?” Instinctually Maruki felt worry for Aiya, he never held an expression like that when he was around him, only when something was completely wrong.


Taking the only seat across from Maruki, Aiya remained silent for a moment. He lifted his swollen, puffy eyes to meet Maruki’s, only to be torn away again. He couldn't look at him as he confessed.
“Maruki. I, I decided I cannot be your friend anymore.” A sudden feeling of heartbreak ripped through Maruki’s chest in hearing Aiya’s quivering voice. a friendship, through good times and bad, only to come to a sudden stop like this, with no reasoning or explanation whatsoever after so many years. “I love you Maruki kun, I cant be around you anymore knowing that you don't feel the same way I do.” Kun, in their many years of being friends, he has never called Maruki by that.


Suddenly jolting to his feet, Maruki stood and bowed deeply to Aiya, not knowing what else he could do.
“Ai chan, why so sudden? What did I do wrong?” Holding his position strong, hoping to be forgiven for anything he has done wrong, he felt a soft hand reach for his cheek. He rose slowly, wide coffee eyes meeting Aiya’s again slowly.


Aiya’s beautiful eyes blinked slowly, a single tear rolling down his soft cheek.
“I’m sorry Maruki. I have to go.” Those sad doe eyes closed tightly, holding back any more tears. Letting go of his only friend’s cheek, Aiya turned and ran away quickly.


Still in sight, even through welling eyes, Maruki could see his only friend running away. Though it was only an image, it felt real to see the world fogged and blurry, and they were the only two in the world. Time seemed to slow down as he chased after his friend, bordering visions were blurred, all but what Maruki focused on, Aiya. Screaming after him down the street, Maruki chased his friend down the street quickly. Approaching one of the dangerous intersections around Tokyo Tower, Maruki screamed even louder for him to stop, hurt and scarce in his quivering voice. in a deep pit of sadness, Aiya would not listen to him, he continued to run, prying himself from his only means to live. Wiping his flooded eyes of his tears with his forearm, he mistakenly took his vision away at the wrong moment. Aiya had begun to run across the crosswalk, as it was turning red. A stray car with a driver whom was distracted by his cell phone had run that red light.


Still chasing after Aiya even into the street, Maruki reached out for his hand, only to miss it by inches. The sudden thud in the blink of an eye pried Aiya’s final touch from Maruki’s reach. The traffic had all stopped, the driver that hit Aiya screeched off into the opposing lane, shocked and afraid. Maruki’s already widened eyes, widened more. Those glassed coffee eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets. Maruki’s frozen body seemed to move only to look over at Aiya. A now lifeless, twisted body lay in the middle of the road, a crimson liquid pouring our from underneath, staining the concrete. ~


In a panicked state, jolting up from his pillow, Maruki panted heavily. A mixture of cold sweat and tears rolled down his flushed face. The young boy grabbed his chest, which had a great, tight feeling of heart break in it. He slowly lowered his stiffened shoulders, trying to catch his breath. There was a strange aura around that dream, it almost felt real it always worried Maruki afterwards.


Still in his shocked, saddened state, Maruki threw the blankets off himself and stumbled over to his desk. Rummaging through the top draw, Maruki searched blindly for his cell phone. The small device groped his fingertips, causing him to pick it up. Turning on the cell phone, his heart beat in his chest loudly, almost painfully. With an array of