That was 2 days ago and now Tokiya is standing in front of her favorite spot in his apartment smoking his cigarette. Stop it!, I hate smoke!. He can still hear her angry voice in his mind. He tugged the fire of his cigarette then threw it out the window. He giggles when it hit someone’s head below while the person curses him with terrible words.

Tokiya feels there’s something missing in his life. How he missed her voice that has filled his life with happiness and bring back smile on his face. And with that she has melted the ice wall he had built around him to prevent him from showing his emotion after the death of his sister.

What did I just thought?!. Hmm…. maybe an afternoon walk will change my mood.

Tokiya grabs his jacket behind the door then he leaves. It was such a clear afternoon in winter. He passed the park that is filled with couples doing their romantic scenes.

I really hate to see a couple especially when they’re doing their terrible romantic scene, he murmured in his heart. Really?, or are you just jealous because you have no one to do such a thing with?. A voice inside his heart echoes. He shook his head to get off the thought.

Maybe I should let her help me in solving my problem. What?!, did I just starting to care about her?. Well, I think I just want to make things right.

He turns left at the edge of the street and then gets inside a game center. He chose Daytona race for his first game. There are 2 high school boys waiting for the right time to challenge him. He sits on the seat and starts the game by stepping on the accelerator below. It took him no difficulty to beat those high school boys as the result of 1st winner appears o the screen.

He was going to play Time crisis 2 when he saw 2 familiar faces in front of him. There stood a fat and tall boy while beside him stood a purple haired girl. They are playing the game noisily. The girl is playing smoothly while on the other hand her partner plays like an amateur. He was proceeding his way out of the place when suddenly the purple haired girl called out his name.

“Michan!”.

He didn’t even turn his head at her. Why am I feeling so angry?. After all she isn’t my girl friend…. is it…. jealousy?. No it can’t be! or could it be?.

“Michan, wait!” Fuko grabs Tokiya’s arm.

“Let go of me!. Just go back and have a good time with that giant gorilla!” he said.

She stares at him, a little smile appeared on her lips. “So… you are jealous with me and Domon, aren’t you?”.

“No, I don’t”.

“Yes, you do”.

“No, I don’t”.

“Yes, you do”.

Getting tired of arguing he  yells, “Yes, I do!. So what?!. Are you satisfied now?”. He was shocked when she encircled her arms around his waist.

“Fuko….” He said with trembling voice.

“Michan… if you hate me that much you can shove my arms away from you and I promise that…. I won’t disturb you anymore”. She closes her eyes waiting for his reaction and getting ready for the worst thing that will happen. Her eyes filled with tears of joy when he turn back and hug her closely.

“Don’t you ever let those dirty hands of that giant touch you again” he whispered.

“Michan…” she bumped her face on his embrace.

“No, your answer is definately wrong!. If you use perfect tense you must use verb III after the subject. Remember the formula I’ve told you before, subject plus verb III” he erases her answer that she has written on her exercise book.

“What is verb III anyway?” she asked him back.

“You don’t know about verb III?. I bet that you don’t know about irregular verbs either, do you?”.

“I have no idea about that” she shook her shoulders.

“OK then. Now write all of these on your note pad” he handed her a printed table of irregular verbs.

“I really hate English subject!” she mumbled.

“Just write down those words and stop complaining” he told her. He still can’t believe that he had fulfilled her request that is to be her English tutor. Why am I turning soft in front of her. Is she the answer to my latest dream?. Is she the one that will heal the pain inside my heart that I’ve been suffering since my sister died?.

“Michan”. Her voice brings him back to reality.

“What?” he asked.

She leans forward and hugs his arms then lean her head on it. “Let’s go somewhere and have some fun” she said.

“Get off me!” he pushed her body away from him roughly and this made her fell on the ground. “Sorry” he gave her a hand but she snapped it away.

“I don’t need your help!. I know you really hate me and those words you said yesterday were all lies!. Why are you showing your affection for but when I get near you… you pushed me away. I’ve got enough for this!!” she took her bag and slammed the door behind him.

He stunned in silence. I think I’ve gone to far. He opens the refrigerator and grabs a can of beer. It is his third can of today. He has never drunk like that, not after he met her. He heard someone is knocking his door. Hastily he ran toward it, “Fuko, I’m sorry that…… Recca!, what are you doing here?!” he yelled as he saw the person standing in front of him.

“Geez!, please don’t yell like that. I just dropped by to borrow your English dictionary since Domon misplaced it somewhere. By the way, may I come in?” he uttered.

“Yeah… sure” Tokiya lets him in.

“I heard that you’ve just mentioned Fuko’s name. Well, what’s between the two of you?. It seems like you were having such a terrible fight” Recca sits on top of Tokiya’s desk.

“Please get off my desk before you broke it”.

“Hey!, you haven’t answered my question at all” he jumps from the desk.

“It’s none of your business!”.

“You love Fuko, don’t you?”.

“You’re wrong”.

“Just spit the truth out, Mikagami”.

“I’ve said the truth”.

“Oh yeah?, then what’s that?” he points at 3 empty cans of beer at the corner of the window. Tokiya doesn’t give him any answer and he turns his vision away.

“I’ve known you since a year ago, Mikagami. I know that you won’t be a drunken master like this if you don’t have hard problems and I think school problems won’t be such a bother for you so it is certain that you have some sort of …. Love problem”.

“Well, if I do I don’t need your advice at all. Here is the dictionary so just get lost now”.

“I think you should go apologize to Fuko” Recca told him seriously.

“Just get of my house!” Tokiya pushed his body. “And don’t forget to say that you care for her”. Tokiya closed the door and locked it. He leans against the door. Maybe what that stupid monkey has just said is right.

Fuko increases the volume of her stereo. She held a CD box of L’arc~en~ciel album of which title is “True”. She never thought that local band would sound so good since she only listened to foreign band. “I wonder why Michan like this song” she said as the stereo plays 4th avenue café.

Knock!, knock!, knock!.

“I’ll eat my dinner later, nanny!. I have something important to do”.

Knock!, knock!, knock!.

She walks to the door, “Nanny, I’ve said that I’ll…… Michan?!”.

Tokiya stands in front of the door his tall body seems to block her way out from the room.

“May I come in?” he asked.

“Yeah… please” she widened the door. They are in silence for a few moments.

“What is it, Michan?. I thought you’ve told me not to get closer to you forever” she broke the silence.

“I didn’t mean it”.

“After all I‘m not the one who is suitable to be your girlfriend since I’m not as pretty as her or even as feminine as her….”.

“I’ve prevented my self to love someone ‘cause I don’t want to get through the pain of losing the one I love. Honestly…. I….. I…” he began to tremble while their eyes met.

“What are you trying to say, Michan?”.

“I love you”.

She is astonished of what he just said, her jaw nearly dropped.

“When I saw you and Domon at the game center I was so jealous ‘cause I’m afraid of losing you but I’m more afraid to show my feeling for you and I keep pretending I have no feeling for you” he stopped for a while. He can see that she is listening to him seriously. “I thought it’ll prevent me from the pain but it just making it worst than before I….” he hasn’t finished his words but she has already hugged him tightly.

“I love you too, Michan. I’ve been loving you since the first time we met but you were only care for Yanagi” she whispered, her eyes glassy with tears.

“I’m sorry” he said and hug her back. They began to kiss passionately. They end it when they’re run out of breath.

“Let’s have another Time Crisis 2 battle” she dares him.

“If I win this time we’ll go to the karaoke and you’re not allowed to pick any song from foreign bands” he assumed.

“No problem!” she lifts up the CD box she has been holding in her hand.

He smiles and they walk out from the room. Outside the window the snow is falling, giving a romantic atmosphere for the new couple. No need to wait for another season ‘cause it’s the winter love.