“That day was no ordinary day for me. It was the day when I finally found him! The person who accepted me for the way I am.”

“But back then, I didn't know the high price I had to pay for that...”

Part 1

The day, as usual, the two friends were talking cheerfully as if nothing bad and dangerous really happened yesterday afternoon.

Of course, it was truly an unfortunate accident... well, it could've been more unfortunate if the boy, Kyoko's savior, didn't come, but he came and stole the girl's heart immediately.

But the two girls were chatting to no end while one of them was walking the white dog with a leech that time who proved itself to be a true hero with guiding the boy to the drowning Kyoko before jumping into the river to retrieve her.

"I... really feel frustrated to not be able to thank him..." Kyoko said as she held her chest. "Nor ask his name..."

"It's fine, Kyoko. At least you're safe. And no matter where he is, he has my gratitude. You're one of the most important people I have in my life!" Emiko said.

"Fufu..." Kyoko's chuckle gave her slight shock, and her unusual mischievous smile and faint blush on her cheeks.

"Wait a minute..." All of a sudden, Emiko leaned her face closer to Kyoko, a suspicious look covering her face. "Is it that Kyoko fell in love with Mr. Unknown Savior?!"

Suddenly, Kyoko's face started to heat up and pinkish in color due to the brown-haired's theory.

Hm, it seems like Emiko was in triumph that day.

"W-What?! N-no, not really!" The purple-haired denied her friend's speculation. The obvious blush she had on her face raised Emiko's suspicions.

"Are you suuuuure?" Knowing she had figured out the soft side of Kyoko, Emiko teased the other.

"Y-Yes, I am!"

"Haha, have it your way." Emiko chuckled lightly. "But you have to thank Maxi though. The officers said there were teeth marks on your clothes. So it only means that she was the one who dragged you out of the river."

"Yeah, she was a true hero." Kyoko agreed.

"Woof, woof!"

We both laughed to ourselves, and our chat proceeded normally.

We talked about how her father sent multiple troops to search for her and saw her in the grass laying down.

She was hospitalized for the entire night, then she got discharged the next day.

Our friendship remained strong until another unordinary day came once again...

3 Years Later

A girl in her teens with a purple hair was sitting on a bench alone who sure had grown much more mature, considering the way her legs were crossed and the neutral expression on her face.

She was reading a book that was held in her right hand, and by the looks of it, it was another one of Sherlock Holmes' novels; Arsene Lupin.

A boy of the same age walked in her direction with a friendly smile who had shaggy brown hair matching with his eyes, wearing a white long-sleeved polo partnered with a blue necktie.

"Mind if I sit next to you?"

The purple-haired turned her head to the direction of the voice and met the smiling face of the brown-haired gentleman.

Shifting her gaze back to the book she's reading, she spoke, "Yeah, I don't mind."

The boy muttered a 'thanks' to the girl as he sat and crossed his legs beside her and gazed at the azure skies that looked so peaceful and beautiful, reflecting in his reddish-brown irises.

After a few minutes of silence, the boy finally stole a glance at the girl beside him. He couldn't control his eyes and unintentionally took a glance again, and soon became a stare, making Kyoko feel his stare without even looking at him.

"What are you staring at?" The girl asked. Well, she's not really bothered by it, but there are times she prefers to be alone.

"My apologies. I just can't help but notice the book you're reading." The boy replied. "That's a novel about Arsene Lupin and Sherlock Holmes, I believe?"

After hearing the boy's statement, Kyoko's eyes widened in shock. "You... you read novels about them too?"

The sound of footsteps that were accompanied by the crushing sound of dry leaves made their way close to where Kyoko and the boy were sitting.

Slender and thin fingers made their way to fix the position of half-rimmed oval-shaped glasses over the nose's bridge.

Dark brown hair was shining under the sunlight along with the lenses of her glasses as a white dog was marching ahead, right in front of her.

It had indeed grown in size over the last few years, but it remained as adorable, lovable, and friendly as ever.

Emiko Hayashi.

Her lips moved in a melodic hum as she adjusted the position of an instrument case placed on her bag with her unoccupied hand before she started moving her fingers in the air in sync with the song.

Maxi had already quit barking and was walking silently the moment Emiko began humming as if she was enjoying her voice as well.

By that time, I was cheerfully walking toward where she was, in hopes to get into a fun day with her again as we agreed to meet in the park.

However, I felt a great shock when I saw Kyoko sitting on a bench at our meeting spot with another person.

A boy.

Ugh, just the sound of that word makes me wanna puke...

"Looks like you two are having fun." Emiko approached them, venom dripping from her words.

"Oh, hello, Emiko." Casually, Kyoko greeted.

In terms of context, it was nothing to take offense from, but from her tone? It seemed like she was disappointed if not displeased.

"You could've just told me you had other plans." Emiko glanced at the boy from the corner of her eye in a disapproving way.

"You misunderstood it," Kyoko said, quite calmed. "We just happened to have a conversation."

"Seriously, Kyoko? A boy? A boy?!" Emiko shouted while pointing at him "All they're good at is flirting with girls! They'll laugh at you with some pretty words, making you fall for them, then there'll be hell to pay once they start mistreating and abusing you!"

"Emiko," Kyoko calmly called, closing her book as well as her eyes. Then, she snapped her eyes open. "Not all men are like that. Stop generalizing. Not everyone is like your father, after all."

Ouch...

Those words were like a bomb dropped on her head heavily, earning a shocked gasp from her as she took a step backward.

Hot tears began rolling down her cheeks as her limbs shook, breath hitched, and chest hurt.

It was all too painful for her to carry ever since she was a child, her father's abuse and harsh raising methods... but those words raised the bar to a whole different level.

She couldn't take it anymore, so she ran away from the spot with tears in her eyes, unable to see clearly in front of her and leaving her dog behind.

"Woof, woof, woof!" Maxi called loudly as she ran behind her owner.

Part 2

Following her owner where she stormed off into, Maxi soon halted her running when she saw Emiko sitting alone on a bench with fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

Whimpering sadly at her state, the dog made its way to the girl while rubbing its head gently on her legs.

Emiko smiled to herself through her tears as she patted Maxi softly on her head, earning a happy bark from her.

And after drying all of the tears, the brown-haired took the instrument case and pulled a beautiful well-made and polished guitar out of it.

Her fingertips plucked the strings softly to test its sound before she started playing it, causing Maxi to perk her head up as she adjusted herself on the ground near her and listening carefully to her singing.

I close my eyes and I can see

A world that's waiting up for me

That I call my own

Through the dark, through the door

Through where no one's been before

But it feels like home

They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy

They can say, they can say I've lost my mind

I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy

We can live in a world that we design

'Cause every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

Taking a deep breath after she sang a verse of the song, Emiko's ears perked when she heard a cracking leaf near her, causing Maxi to growl as she took a position.

But when she lifted her face up, she saw something she never thought she would see in her life...

Across her, stood a teenage boy who looked around her age who had quite a slender build.

His unusual unkempt curly dark hair was glimmering in the sunlight as it cast beautiful shadows on it through the trees.

And his dark grey pupils beneath his black-framed glasses were staring right at Emiko's brown ones, completely mesmerized by her voice just now whose mouth was slightly open in shock.

"Is there something wrong?" Emiko narrowed her eyes while glaring at him.

"No, not at all. I was just passing by and heard you singing. And well, your voice is quite... beautiful."

Emiko didn't reply as she shifted her position on the bench, but Maxi slowly walked toward the boy and tilted her head at him as she looked up at him.

Suddenly, Maxi started barking while running around the boy and rubbing her head across his legs, making Emiko's brows knit from confusion.

As a response, the boy knelt down with a delighted smile and stroked the dog's head, making her lick his cheek as he laughed softly at that sudden affection from the dog.

"Haha, that tickles!" He laughed.

"Woof, woof!"

".......?" Emiko could only look at her dog in total confusion.

"What's its name?" He asked.

"...Maxi."

"It's a female then?"

"Yeah."

"The name's Ren Amamiya, what's yours?"

"Emiko. Emiko Hayashi."

Ren silently stared at the girl's face and nodded slowly before noticing dried tears on her cheeks and the edge of her eye.

Gently, he brought his palm to Emiko's right cheek then wiped the tears with his thumb, causing her to widen her eyes at the sudden gesture.

Why did he just...?

"Why were you crying? Are you alright?"

"None of your business."

Ren let a deep sigh escape his lips as he sat down next to her for he could clearly see that she wasn't in a good mood.

His eyes were glued up at the skies with a peaceful smile planted on his lips as the wind played with his dark locks, swaying them left and right.

On the other hand, Emiko was silently staring at him as Maxi rested her head on his lap while he stroked her gently once more.

For reasons she didn't know, the gentle laugh that came from him and his overall appearance stood out for her.

He didn't seem like a bad person... but a sweet and kind one instead.

Maybe, just maybe...

"I got into a fight with my best friend." Emiko blurted out of nowhere.

"....?" Ren looked at her as he adjusted himself.

Part 3

"Well..." Kyoko trailed, her gaze locked on where the other girl ran off to before sighing. "I fucked up, that's for sure."

All this time, the boy she was with before, was completely astonished at how the events unfolded.

A minute ago, he was just walking around then took a rest by the bench... and now, he got insulted and involved between a fight between two close friends.

Or maybe even the cause of the fight.

"Why would you defend me?" The boy asked, his eyes widened.

As a response, Kyoko looked back at him. He was standing there, almost frozen, clearly still shocked at the turn of events.

"Don't get me wrong. I love her more than you." Kyoko shrugged casually, despite feeling nervous herself. "Heck, I don't even love you. My mind's cluttered,"

Hearing her words, the boy chuckled softly. He immediately figured that despite the fact that the girl seemed carefree, but from her cluttered words, it is clear that she was scared at what happened.

"I can't lose her..." Kyoko suddenly blurted out, her face turning pale.

Her statement confirmed the boy's observation.

No one could survive and not care about a fight that just happened between their best friends, unless if they are not real ones.

Emiko was pretty much the only one she had apart from her parents─who were pretty much busy every day─and stayed beside her, who offered her company. Whether if it was a fun and crazy story or conflict, Emiko listened and was always there to comfort her.

That very girl did nothing but good to her.

And now, she made her cry.

Kyoko knew that she was wrong, touching such a sensitive issue. She regretted it badly in every way.

But the problem was, this was the first time she encountered such a problem.

After all, Emiko was her first friend. Plus, she was deemed as the perfect girl who barely made mistakes.

She didn't know what to do.

"Apology is the key," Suddenly, the boy stated, catching Kyoko's attention who was quite shocked. "This is the first time you encountered such a problem, no?"

The boy read her like an open book.

"S-shut up," Kyoko blushed in embarrassment as she looked away.

Part 4

"Oh... So that's what happened." Ren said with his eyes slightly wide.

"Kinda shallow... isn't it?" Emiko said as she let out a sad laugh.

"At least, it's not a heavy fight." Ren paused. "It won't be hard to fix, believe me. The reason why you were deeply affected by a simple fight is only a sign that you cherish your friendship with her very much."

Emiko opened her mouth to say something, but only to close it once more, letting Ren's words sink deep in her head.

He had a good point, she admitted that had the small fight didn't affect her, then her friendship with Kyoko didn't mean much.

For the lavender-haired meant dearly to her, and she couldn't afford to lose her.

Not today, not ever.

"I... I'm sorry..." Emiko looked down, face twitching in pure regret.

"It's fine, but isn't it time for you to make it up with her? She's the one you should apologize to, not me."

"Yeah, you're right." Emiko stood up, eyes flaming in determination. "Thank you, Amamiya. Now I know exactly what I should do."

"Glad I could help."

"Come on, Maxi! We have a business to take care of." Emiko grabbed the dog's leech.

"Woof, woof!"

"Goodbye, Amamiya."

"Take care, Hayashi-san."

With a nod of acknowledgment, the brown-haired ran away with the dog following her, leaving Ren behind her who was smiling gently while watching the girl take off.

His grey eyes were glued up to the cerulean skies again, a peaceful expression on his face as he let the gentle breeze tickle him kindly.

Part 5

A certain brown-haired girl was running in a rush, as she traced back her path when she ran away before. Her grip was tight on the dog's leech she held, where Maxi was connected to. The dog ran with her, barking from time to time as if to bring her hopes up that she won't lose her one and only friend.

Suddenly, Maxi stopped running, causing the girl to stop her tracks as well.

Emiko lifted her gaze to see an embarrassed Kyoko, looking away as she stood in her place.

Gathering her courage, the lavender-haired met the other's gaze quite confidently now. Then, she proceeded to walk toward Emiko, who stayed in her place.

Kyoko was silently praying that everything that the boy said would work.

"Mi, I'm sorry..." Kyoko trailed, regret dripping in her tone. "I shouldn't have said that─"

"No, I'm the one at fault." Emiko said. "You're right, I shouldn't generalize. Not all men are... bad,"

"I have proven that today," The brown-haired chuckled wholeheartedly, remembering the boy he met earlier who comforted her.

Hearing her words, Kyoko shook her head slowly. It seems as though she was trying to prevent her tears to come out without warning.

"No, I was wrong as well. I shouldn't have touched such a sensitive topic," Kyoko clears out, then a smile crept across her face. "I'm glad you did. And I'm proud of you for thinking that way,"

Both girls exchanged soft chuckles, though still reserved. They truly didn't expect that they'd be laughing again together just like that, just after a fight that evenly affected both of them.

They truly didn't expect it to be this easy, thinking that they might get into another fight if ever they disagree.

Now, both of them were feeling relaxed, with smiles on their faces. Clearly, they were glad that it was solved in a civil way.

"Hey, Kyo-chan─"

"Hey, Mikki─"

At the same time, both called each other, seemingly to have something to say at one another. Both smiled wholeheartedly and gave a small chuckle.

"You go first,"

"I'll go first,"

Again, at the same time, the girls spoke. This time, they laughed even more at how Kyoko just directly said that she'll go first.

"I know you'll say that, so I thought of saying it ahead of you." Kyoko laughed, even proud that she was right. "Seriously speaking though, maybe we should say it at the same time."

"Sure," Emiko nodded in agreement, a smile on her face.

Then, both girls took a deep breath, and said─

"I don't ever want to lose you."

“That day, I couldn't be any happier that I was able to fix a problem between us.”

“At first, I thought it would be hard to open up. But gladly, it ended the best way.”

“And that day... I also met him.”

“It was a fortunate event. Or so I thought...”

A/N:

CHAPTER 4 IS FINALLY DONE! Things are really getting spicy, yeah? After all, the four main characters are finally introduced!

And plus, two new ships are introduced!

#KyoKechi
#RenEmi

Mwehehehe~

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xoxo,
Eth.