3-1

-Normal P.O.V.-

"I'm in love with you. Please go out with me, Ichika-san!!"

Yoshino stood there; paralyzed. His eyes grew in shock. He wasn't expecting it. He couldn't think straight and leaned against the door which made a slight bumping sound; it caught both of the youths' attention to the door...

"What's that....?" 'Yamada-kun's' voice was heard.

Yoshino got flustered and ran quickly, in reflex, as fast as his legs can carry him. He huffed and puffed; panting heavily. He'd never run like this before. It was totally against his rules of life, his principles!!

He felt exhausted but it was nothing compared to his broken heart. He regretted everything, especially with what he'd heard.

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

-Meanwhile-
(Rooftop Scene)

"I'll be leaving now, if that's all." the girl said, calmly as she walked towards the door.

"W-Wait a minute, Ichika-san..!!"

It was too late. The door was already firmly shut behind her. She let out a sigh; looks like she's also trying to avoid this kind of situation...She opened her closed eyes and saw something shining at the corner, just below her skirt. She took a closer look as she leaned down; touching it with those delicate fingers of hers. It was a...

"I wonder what's this key doing here?" she asked to herself.

3-2

The next day (Phys.Ed period)

-Iroha's P.O.V.-

As usual, Yoshino-kun refused to step into the light. I'd just finished my morning aerobics and saw Ichika-chan sitting on the bench, where we first met, waiting for me. She smiled and gave me a wave as a greeting. I sat down next to her as I drank my water to quench my thirst.

"Umm...Nakatsugawa-san? Have you ever had a crush on someone?!" Ichigo asked curiously but hesitantly.

Upon hearing her every words, I choked in shock. Why's she asking me this question out of the blue?! She apologised as she tried to calm me down again.

"I-Ichika-chan, why're you asking me this question so suddenly?"
"It's nothing...It's just that Nakatsugawa-san looks like a popular person, so I.." she looked down to the bottle she was holding.
"You know what, Ichika-chan? I do have someone in my heart. You see...because of my blonde hair, I was always treated as an outsider; isolated in the past especially during my elementary years," I said as I reminisced the past.

Ichigo looked up to me, with a sad expression on her face, listening to my story without saying a word.

"And because of that, I've always hated my foreign blonde hair. I'd always asked myself 'why can't I be normal like the others?!' A friend. It was the only thing that I've always wanted, more than anything else in the world. That's when he came along. He was the shoulder that I cried on and I could always count on him; it doesn't matter if I was happy or sad, he was always there for me. He was my hero..." I smiled as I admired him.

Ichigo was impressed.

"He was one year my senior so I've never see him again after he graduated. And I was alone once again; I've always hated this feeling. To see him again, I started to work harder than anyone else just to be in the same school and grade he's in. And I finally did..."

"E-Eh? So Nakatsugawa-san, you skipped a grade?! To think that you're a year younger...isn't that amazing?!!" Ichigo was shocked.

"Oh...you're making me blush. Stop it!" I was flattered.

Note: Iroha IS a narcissist. Yoshino was right! (refer episode 1)

"So what happens next?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Hmm...you really wanna know??" I asked, playing with her feelings.

"Yes, please...!!" she pleaded.

"It's a SE-CRE-T..!! Now I'm really in the mood to listen to your side of the story," I smirked.

Ichigo looked at me; embarrassed and looked down again. I could see her face turning bright red. Her fair hands were on her chest as she took a deep breath.

"Okay." she finally spoke. "This is between you and me, okay?!"

I nodded in agreement; ready to listen to her part of the story.

"Actually...someone confessed about his love to me just recently..." she began her story.

"W-What did you say?!"

3-3

-Normal P.O.V.-

Ding, Dong Dong Dong!!

It's another day in the afternoon; lunch break. Yoshino grabbed his books as he left for lunch.

"Yoshino-kun, wait a sec!!" Iroha called out to him.

"Aahh..Nakatsugawa-san, hey!" he replied, solemnly.

"You wild beast!!" Iroha bumped his shoulder as they walked. "You've finally had the guts to tell her. That's so bold of you~ Why didn't you tell me?!" she smiled.

"Tell who what? What the hell are you trying to say here?!" Yoshino was confused.

"Don't play dumb! You heard me, why didn't you tell me you'd confessed your feelings to Ichika-chan already?" Iroha elbowed him.

"That's because I didn't do it...now would you leave me alone?"

Yoshino walked away, leaving Iroha stumped. What happened to him? He wasn't being his usual self today.

"Yoshino-kun..." Iroha was slightly worried.
"Oy, Nakatsugawa!" a voice was heard behind her.

It was a familiar face. He was a little taller than her but he had a smile brighter than anyone else.

"Aoki-kun..?"
"It's been a long time, huh?" he grinned.

Iroha looking quite shocked; her eyes grew bigger. She simply carved a sweet smile on her face afterwards and said,

"Yes...it has."

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(Yoshino's Scene)

Yoshino continued walking as he thought about yesterday. His heart still ached and he was still in pain. He still couldn't forget about it, even if he tried.

"E-Eh? Where am I?!"

The moment he looked around, he realised that he was in an unfamiliar surrounding. There were roses everywhere; all of different types and colours. It looked like a garden of roses but...'is it still a part of the school campus?' he wondered. He was lost; it was like a maze of roses. Everywhere he turned, he ended up in the same place, a dead end. That is until he noticed a small door behind one of those green bushes. He turned the knob clockwise and found that it was unlocked. He crawled in without further thoughts of where it would lead him to. The exit, maybe. Who knows?

He could see big cherry blossom trees which's in contrast with the fresh green grasses. Alongside it, he saw a lady having tea alone on a small rounded pure white table. He was about to leave, hoping that the girl would not be interrupted by his presence.

'SHAAKK!!' the crunching sound of stepped leaves were heard.

"Who goes there?" she questioned. "Show yourself, intruder!!"

Yoshino squeaked in horror as he was discovered.

"C'mon now...!"

He sighed and slowly turned his face to the girl. She had a long hair, black as ebony, eyes bluer than the sky above them and skin as white as snow. He noticed that she also had bloody-red ribbons tied at the side of her hair.

"Who..are you?" she questioned again as she placed her hair behind her right ear.
"Uhh..I-I'm Kiriya Yoshino from S-3, a freshman!" he fidgeted.
"A first year, huh?" she seemed satisfied with his answer.
"Umm..I apologise for intruding. I'm kinda lost, actually." he felt uneasy as he caressed his neck nervously. "I-I'll be leaving now."

Before he could reach the door knob to leave, she finally spoke.

"Do you mind accompanying me with a cup of tea?"
"E-Eh?!!" Yoshino turned around in surprise.

(Ichigo's Scene)

"Ichigo-chan, let's have lunch together!"
"E-Eh? Miere-chan?! I'm sorry, I can't. I'd promised to meet someone today." Ichigo explained.
"Oh well, that's too bad."
"Sorry, maybe next time." Ichigo apologised.

Ichigo and her friend, Miere, left the classroom to continue chatting.

"So..who's that lucky person that gets to eat lunch with you today?" Miere smirked.
"E-Eh? No one special..." Ichigo looked away, embarrassed.
"Aha! Could it be...your 'boyfriend'?!" Miere teased.
"Wha-What're you talking about?! Don't tease me like that!" Ichigo's face was burning red in embarrassment as her friend laughed away at her every reactions.
"Miere-chan, you're so mean!!"
"Hehe, I'm sorry. It's just so entertaining,"
"Geez! There's nothing fun about that...eh?!" Ichigo paused.

Ichigo saw Iroha happily talking with a male student. It was someone she knew. Silver hair and a pair of thick, black glasses. It was one of her childhood playmates, Aoki Sora.

"What's wrong, Ichigo-chan?" Miere asked.
"N-No, it's nothing." Ichigo smiled.

3-4

(Yoshino's Scene)
-Yoshino's P.O.V.-

On a closer look, she has this cold atmosphere around her. It felt like I'm in the middle of a blizzard storm. So bizarre...Despite the coldness, her warm smile really brings out her beauty and elegance as she sat up straight. She's acting just like a princess. With only one thing missing, a butler...

She clapped her hands twice but why? Is it a tradition before starting tea?!!

"How may I be of help, mistress?" a cool-looking butler suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

'Whoa! So that's what it's for..She must be a princess.' Yoshino thought.

"Kushieda, please be kind enough to pour Kiriya-kun a cup of tea."
"With pleasure, milady!" the butler bowed.
"AARRGGHH..!!" I shouted.

In just a blink of an eye, the butler was right in front of me; pouring tea into my cup. After doing so, he vanished in thin air. I frozed; still in shock.

"Kiriya-kun, your tea's going to get cold if you don't drink it now. Cold teas will taste awful, you know?" she advised.
"O-Okay!" I took a sip of the sweet aroma caramel-coloured tea.

I took a glance at her again as she was looking in her phone.

"Umm.." I tried to get her attention.
"H-Huh?"
"Can I ask you...Why've you invited a stranger to your small tea party?"
"I was bored, that's all." she answered. "But that is...until you came in and discovered my secret hideout."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I won't come back here again, EVER!!" I promised.
"Rejected..!" she smiled. "You're always welcome to my tea party. It'll just be the three of us."
"Three? You mean, the butler too?" I pointed.
"No, silly. The three of us: you, me and my little sister." she wrapped her fingers around each other.
"A little sister? You mean the reason why you're looking at your phone frequently...was that her?"
"Yes, I was waiting for her. She'll be in soon," she chuckled.

As soon as she said it, the door opened. The person she was waiting for was finally here. She stood up and took her sister's hand.

"You're finally here!"
"Sorry...I'm late, sis. Did I keep you waiting for too long?"
"No...not at all. Come, I want you to meet someone new," she said. "Wait here!"

She walked towards me and whispered to my left ear with my back facing the two ladies. I blushed due to the sudden closeness. The sweet fragrance of roses in her hair, I could smell it. It was mesmerizing.

"My little sister is very shy to new faces so be friendly okay, Kiriya-kun?" she said softly.
"A-Ah.." I nodded as I drank my tea.

She pulled her sister towards her, in front of me.

"Ichii, this is..." she voiced.
"E-Eh? Yoshino-kun?!" a familiar voice was heard.
"!!" I choked and coughed. "Ichigo??"
"You know each other?" the girl was confused.

"What's going on? Yoshino-kun, are you a friend of sis?" Ichigo asked.
"W-Wait!! Ichigo...you're her sister?! You've a sister??!!" I was shocked as I looked at them back and forth repeatedly.
"Well, yes. She's a year older than me; she's a sophomore."
"My name is Ichika Ringo. Please take good care of me," Ringo finally introduced herself to me.

EEEEEEHHHHH??!!
(This can't be happening!!!!)

3-5

-Normal P.O.V.-

A while later...

Things got awkward. There was a long silence. Yoshino was dumbfounded, so was Ichigo.

"Ssoo..you guys know each other?" Ringo said awkwardly, breaking the silence.
"Um..well yeah. We went to the same elementary school together," Ichigo replied.
"How come I've never seen you before, Ichika-senpai?"
"Don't be so formal with me. Just call me Ringo, just like how you called Ichii," Ringo said.
"Sis!" Ichigo pouted, embarrassed.
"How come I've never seen you before, Ichika-senpai?" Yoshino repeated.
"Wow, you're a stubborn boy!" Ringo laughed.
"I'm sorry, I just don't want to be overly familiar with people I've just met," Yoshino looked serious.
"E-Eh?!" the siblings were surprised.

'So...he still doesn't like befriending strangers, huh?' Ichigo thought to herself.

"Is that so? Maybe it's because we went to separate elementary schools, that's why," Ringo answered.
"Elementary school..." he said softly.

'Yoshino-kun...' Ichigo was getting worried.

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Ding, Dong Dong Dong!

Classes were over and the students of Sakurasaka High went home. On his way home, Yoshino meet up with a friend.

"Oi, Yoshii! Over here!!" a silver haired guy waved to Yoshino.
"Hey, what do you want? Make it quick. I wanna go home, Sora."
"Geez, relax. The club's gonna start next week!"
"Huh, club? What club?!"
"The Drama Club, of course! You know, the one we signed up for.."
"Hey, wait a sec. I don't remember signing up for a stupid club!!"
"Ooppss.." Sora covered his mouth.
"Sora, I'm gonna kill you!!!" Yoshino was furious.

(Ichigo's Scene)

Ichigo was watching them from a distance and smiled.

"They never changed, those two..."
"Who?!" Ringo suddenly appeared.
"Sis..! Don't scare me like that.." Ichigo sulked. "Let's just go home, our car's just arrived moments ago."

'I'm so glad that Yoshino-kun didn't change so much after all those things happened. Good thing Sora-kun was there to help him...' Ichigo smiled; relieved.

"Ichii, why're you smiling by yourself? Are you thinking about your boyfriend?!" Ringo asked.
"Why do everyone keep saying that??!!" Ichigo gave out a loud, adorable cry.

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Author's Note:

Hey, it's me again. Sorry for the delay, hope you guys can forgive me and thanks for waiting all these times. Do correct my hideous english and typos too.

#Love to you, readers ;)