Monday, February 26, 2001

A/n: Hey everyone! ^^ Here is chapter four! ^^ Thank you for all your reviews, they mean a lot to me, so I can keep writing this story! ^^ Anyways, I was originally planning add this chapter to chapter 3, but then it would be too long for one chapter since the last two only 5 pages. It’s coming to the end now, and for the couple I finally decided it! ^^ Leeki/Henrika!!^^ Gomen nasai, Ryo/Rika fan, really sorry! I know that a lot of people voted for Ryo/Rika, but more people voted for Leeki, and I personally like Leeki better^^ I like Ryo/Rika too, I think they make a cute couple too. Thanks for all your reviews Ryo/Rika fan! ^^ And don’t leave because it’s a Leeki, the ending is going to be better than you thought it would be^^. Please read and review, and hope you like this chapter! ^^.

Chapter four

“Actually I have something I meant to tell you long time ago…Rika…” Ryo said softly.

“Then say it.”

“Um…I…you see…I…” Ryo tried to say it, but he couldn’t bring the words together. Rika got annoyed again.

“Just say it already!”

“Okay, here goes nothing. I really like you Rika!” Ryo blurt out. Rika suddenly stopped walking and turned her head to look at Ryo shocked. They stared at each other in silence, it seemed like years and years have passed by, finally Rika found her voice.

“What…what did you say…?” She asked in a shaking voice. Ryo closed his eyes, and then opened his eyes again to see her.

“I said…I really like you Rika…” Ryo repeated as calm as he could. Rika finally took her eyes off him, and lowered her head.

“Don’t joke around with me Ryo, it’s not funny, and I don’t like jokes.” Rika said in the equal tone. The rain seemed getting bigger, as they stood there.

“I’m not Rika…I mean it…I really do like you…” Ryo replied. Rika looked at him again, confusions could be seeing in her eyes.

“But why…? There are so many other girls out there prettier, cutter, and better than me…I’m so cold to you…to very one…why would you possibly like me?”

“No, you are not. You are not as cold as you looked; you are not as mean as everyone says you are. They can’t see it, but I can, I understand you Rika. I know you are just distance, not really mean…and I sincerely do like you…” Ryo walked up to her closer and hugged her. Rika was shocked; she had never been this close to any boy before, not even Henry. She quickly pushed herself out from his grip. Ryo looked at her with sadness in his eyes, but he tried not to show it.

“I don’t expect you to like me back…but I would like to have a reply from you Rika…” Ryo said slowly. Rika looked down again, the raindrop splashed onto her and Ryo’s shoes making the bottom of their pants wet.

“I don’t know Ryo…this is so sudden, I mean…I don’t really know what to say and to think right now…I need a little time to clear things out…I’m afraid I can’t give the answer now…” with that Rika walked away, the rain got heavier than ever as Rika walked alone on the street. Ryo didn’t follow her this time; he just stood there watching her as she disappeared in the rain.

***

After Rika got home, her mom was worried about her being alone in the heavy rain. Rika however, took a shower first, and then after the shower she went straight to her room. She changed into some fresh new cloth and lying on her bed with her wet hair scatter on the pillow. Rika started thinking about what just happened, the words ‘I like you’ still flowing in Rika’s head. Her face got redder when she remembered those words. She then turned her body sideway, looking straight at one direction blankly.

‘Why…? Why do I feel guilty about it…? Why do I feel I don’t want Ryo to like me…?’ Rika thought, trying so hard to sort the questions out.

‘Is it because I don’t like him back…? But why…? Ryo has always been nice to me…even when I was being cold to him, he’s a good friend indeed, but…why didn’t I answer him back there?’ Rika closed her eyes, obvious tried from thinking all those complicated questions, which she couldn’t have an answer for. But she didn’t give up, she continued on thinking.

‘There must be some reason I don’t like Ryo…or do I…? No…I don’t like Ryo…because…I like someone else…?’ It was more like a question than a statement. Rika opened her eyes again and spotted the small clock placed on the table beside her bed. 6:00 pm, she got up from her bed and walked from her room, it’s time for dinner and she sure could use some food.

***

As for the following days, things went just as normal as it looked, nothing really happened during these days. Rika and Ryo still talk, but they never talked about that rainy day, they acted like that day never happened. But inside both Rika and Ryo, they both know they are getting more distance as every day passed by. Sometimes Rika avoid him on purpose, the more they tried to act normal, the more they act weird, and that’s when Henry noticed their weird action. It was one of those school days during lunch, Rika was sitting in her usual spot, and Henry walked up to her with his lunch in his hand.

“Do you mind if I sit here with you?” he asked politely. Rika shook her head slightly meaning no. Henry smiled then took the seat besides her.

“Is there something going on between you and Ryo?” Henry asked. Rika shook her head again; Henry looked at her for a moment then sighed.

“Okay, if you say so. But if you need help, just tell me okay?”

“Okay, thanks.” Rika replied. Henry smiled, and then continued eating his lunch, but he left as soon as Ryo came to sit with Rika. He didn’t want to bother them, cause he know they probably have something to talk about.

Lunch passed just as fast as it came, Rika first afternoon lesson was English, and then she’s having history with Henry. Two and half hours went by just as fast, students rushed out from the classroom to their locker. Rika walked to her locker and opened it, as soon as she opened the door of her locker, a small piece of paper fall down from the top section. She bent down her knees and picked the small paper up, unfolded it and began to read the note on there.

‘Rika, please meet me at the library 4’o clock today, we need to talk. Ryo.’ Rika read the note over again, and then stared at the note for a moment.

‘Should I go?? No…I…I can’t…but…’ she put the note into her jeans pocket and started walking out of the building. It rained on the way to home; some people were running as fast as they could, some were busy finding a shelter, but Rika didn’t care, she was too busy thinking about the note Ryo wrote to her, too busy deciding whether she should go or not. By the time she got home, it was raining really heavy. Rika knocked on the wooden door of her Japanese styled home, then waited for a short moment, the door opened with her grandmother showed up with an umbrella over her head. Her grandmother was surprised to see Rika like that, all soaked from head to toe.

“Oh Rika! You…you are all soaking wet! Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

“No, I didn’t know today was going to rain, so…” Rika’s grandmother hand the umbrella to Rika, she took it in her hand and then walked towards her room. Rika stepped into her room putting the wet umbrella on the wooden floor, glancing at the clock on the table, 3:30, less than an hour until 4. ‘The rain is so heavy, he probably wouldn’t be there anyway.’ Rika thought, then heading to the bathroom for a shower.

***

Ryo waited patiently in the rain, he stood against the wall outside the library. Head looking down at the ground, rain drops dripping down from his soaked hair. Rising up his head looking to the cloudy grey sky as the raindrops poured onto his face, he then switched his gaze to the watch on his wrist, 4:40, it showed, he had been waiting for half an hour, but Rika still didn’t show up. He looked at the direction where Rika would probably come from, but once again to his disappointment, no one was there, the street was as empty as a box with nothing in it. Ryo kept on waiting as the rain got heavier and the sky got darker.

***

Rika walked out from her room with fresh clothes on, her half wet half dry hair scatter around her shoulder with a white towel underneath it. She had just had a long shower, after walking in the cold rain with sharp wind for so long she couldn’t even feel herself, and a hot shower was exactly what she needed. Now she’s heading for the dinning room, where her mom and grandma were waiting for her to start dinner. However, the rain was still going on, it’s like it doesn’t have an end. Rika was still worrying, she was afraid that Ryo would stay there and wait for her until she comes. Rika walked into the dinning room, her mom and grandma smiled at her, she smiled back weakly. As soon as she arrived they began eating, so did her mother started talking about what had happened to her at job that day.

“Oh, you won’t believe what happened today!” Rika’s mother said in excitement.

“Oh? Tell us.”  Rika’s grandmother said.

“My new manager and I got picked to go to America to work there!”

“Really? How long are you going to be away for?”

“See…that’s the problem.” Sighed Rika’s mother, putting down her bowl on the table and the chopsticks on top of it. “I’ll be away for at least 5 years, that’s why the company suggest us to bring our family along. That’s what I want to talk to you about.” Rika’s grandmother looked a little surprised at the thought of leaving the country, which she had lived in through her life.

“Well, that’s really sudden, but I’m sure I’ll get use to the life there soon. What about you Rika?” she turned her attention to her granddaughter. At that moment Rika’s mind was in a totally different world, she didn’t pay any attention to the conversation between her mother and her grandmother, she was too busy thinking about Ryo, and whether she should go check on him or not, she didn’t even hear her grandmother asking her the question.

“Rika??” her grandma called again. Rika snapped out from her mind and at looked at her grandma puzzled.

“Are you okay Rika?” her mother asked. Rika turned her attention to her mother.

“Oh yeah, I’m fine. I’m finished.” She put down her empty bowl on the table and the chopstick beside it, and then walked out from room to her own room. Her mother and grandmother stared at her as she disappeared.

“Well, why don’t you tell her some other time, when she’s concentrating.” Rika’s grandma turned her attention back on her daughter.

“Yeah, I guess so…hope she wouldn’t be upset.”

“Oh don’t worry…so when are we leaving?”

“Um…maybe after next month or so.”

“Oh…so who is this new manager of yours?” Rika’s grandma asked again.

“ Oh, she and her family just moved to here two month ago, and she told me she has a son named Ryo…”

***

Rika lying flatly on her bed, eyes looking at the ceiling. She turned her head to see the clock on the table besides her bed, 6’o clock. It was still raining, and it’s already dark outside, but she couldn’t help it, she felt guilty already that she’s going to refuse Ryo, she can’t just leave him there wait for her. Finally Rika made up her mind, she will have to tell him soon or later, so why not tell him sooner. She got off from her bed, tied her hair quickly then put on her jacket and walked towards the door. She stopped for a second, picking up the umbrella she left on the floor then left the room.

“Rika! Where are you going?” she heard her mother calling her from inside, but she ignored it then ran out from the house. Rika continued running towards the library direction, she didn’t care when the rain splashed onto her pants. She ran as fast as she could and finally she slowed down when she saw a figure standing against the wall of the library, for a moment she was breathless, then she walked slowly towards that figure. Ryo heard the sound of foot steppes coming closer to him, he rise up his head and looked at the direction where it came from. He smiled when he spotted Rika, Rika stopped in front of him, she was shocked when she saw Ryo was all wet, and his face was really pale because of the cold temperature.

“I…I’m sorry…” that was all Rika could managed to say. Ryo smiled again.

“I guess I must have accidentally wrote 6’o clock instead of 4.”

“I…I’m really sorry, I made you wait for me for two hours in the rain. I didn’t want to come because…” Rika didn’t get a chance to finish it when Ryo cut her off.

“ It’s okay, I’m glad you came at last.” He smiled again; Rika felt guilty inside and lowered her head. They stayed there in silence, for a moment there were only the sound of rain dripping.

“Ryo…I’m sorry, I think we should just be friends…I just don’t like you in that way…I’m sorry.” Rika said, finally broke off the silence. Ryo was expecting that, he smiled sadly at Rika.

“It’s okay Rika…I knew the answer from the beginning, but I just want you to know how I feel.” He paused for a moment, waiting for Rika to say something, but she didn’t.

“Is it because another person?” that was the question Rika had asked herself since the beginning. So is it because of another person she liked? Rika didn’t know.

“I don’t know…I really don’t…” that was all Rika could answer. Ryo just looked at her, and then sighed.

“Well…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow…bye Rika.” With that he walked to the opposite direction, leaving Rika alone standing in the rain.

***

Rika closed the door of her room, and then went straight to her bed; she lied there silently, her face pressed down, her arm collapsed at her side. She stayed in that position for a short moment then flipped her back, so that now she’s facing the ceiling again.

‘What’s wrong with me anyway? It should be natural for me to refuse Ryo…but…but why do I feel something’s missing…like a reason why I refused him. Like he asked…is it really because of another person…? Who then…’ Rika turned her body to the sideway so now she’s facing the wall.

‘Now I feel like one of those girls in the stupid TV show…’she laughed at herself at that thought, then closed her eyes.

‘I’m not suppose to feel this way…I don’t need a reason…I just don’t like him. But that’s not what my heart says…my heart says I don’t like Ryo because I like…’ Rika was getting to her answer just when her mom cut her off.

“Rika! Are you okay?” her mother called from outside her room, she sounded very worried.

“Yeah I’m fine mom!” replied Rika. Then she heard her mom’s foot step getting further and further until she couldn’t her it anymore. Rika closed her eyes, she was too tired to keep on thinking, too tire to open her eyes.

‘Henry…’ was the last thought on her mind as she fall into sleep…

***

End of Chapter four

A/n: that was a long chapter….sorry didn’t post it sooner..^^… and so the couple is decided, yep, it’s gonna be a leeki/henrika!^^… sorry ryo/rika fans! But please keep on reading and reviewing! Arigato! Guess you probably figure out what I’m going to write next…