Disclaimer: The characters from Chihayafuru are owned by the exceptional Suetsugu Yuki (thank you so much for creating them!) The concept for this story and the OC's are mine.

Warnings: Manga spoilers will occasionally be mentioned in passing (mostly due to Chihaya and Arata reminiscing about something in their past) Rated T for some brief sexuality in later chapters.

"Though a swift stream is

Divided by a boulder

In its headlong flow,

On it rushes,

And at last unites again."

-Emperor Sutoku, Poem 77

CHAPTER 1

April - May

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Arata looked up at the sakura blossoms above him. The delicate light pink flowers were in full bloom and a few petals drifted down onto the bench. As he admired their beauty, Arata thought back to how he had arrived at that moment.

After capturing the Meijin and Queen titles a few months earlier, Arata and Chihaya were able to get a recommendation for a small liberal arts college with a good teaching program. Arata knew that it was their shared desire to win and be together which helped them beat Suo and Shinobu that day. They had been hard fought battles that required the maximum amount of matches: Arata in 5 and Chihaya in 3. She had won first and it was so hard for him to continue playing when all he wanted to do was celebrate with her. Suo had taken advantage of his distracted state of mind and won the 4th match by a big margin. During a break before the 5th started, Chihaya flashed him a grin and said: "Do your best, Arata! I'm waiting for you!" That was all he needed to hear.

A ray of sunlight pierced through the branches of the sakura tree and Arata closed his eyes against the brightness. It helped him re-live the memory again; the overwhelming exhilaration he felt when he finally accomplished his dream. The media loved the emotional footage they got of them crying and embracing. Afterwards, Chihaya and Arata gave interviews and posed for pictures. They became the new face of karuta with headlines like: 'Teen couple captures the Meijin and Queen title with stunning display.' The frenzy had eventually died down, but the entire month of January had been a blur.

A bike whirred past the bench Arata was sitting on, bringing him back to reality. Here he was: waiting for his girlfriend to arrive at the college campus they would be attending five days a week. It was still hard for him to believe that six years of separation were now over. *Our life together can finally begin,* he thought with a smile.

With eyes still closed, Arata listened to all the sounds of life that surrounded him. He had forgotten how loud Tokyo could be. Then, through all the traffic noise, he was able to single out the most beautiful sound of all.

"Arata! Sorry I'm late, I missed my train and had to wait ages for the next one."

He opened his eyes to find a slightly disheveled Chihaya hurrying over. She was wearing stone washed skinny jeans and a white eyelet baby doll top.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, plopping down on the bench beside him. The star necklace he had given her for Christmas sparkled in the sun.

"Not long. About fifteen minutes," he replied.

A petal drifted down into Chihaya's windblown hair. Arata reached over to brush it away. Her flushed cheeks and shining eyes were so lovely that he leaned forward to kiss her.

Some girls passing by exclaimed, "how cute!" and they quickly pulled away.

He gave Chihaya an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. I forgot that people can see us."

"It's alright, I don't mind."

Her cheeks were more rosy than before. Arata had to look away to stop himself from kissing her again. He cleared his throat. "Well, we should probably go to the auditorium and get a seat."

Chihaya looked down at her wrist watch. "Yeah, you're right. The opening ceremony will start soon."

They stood up and Chihaya took his outstretched hand. As they walked down the long avenue of sakura trees, a current of happiness washed over him. Chihaya's smiling face told him that she was experiencing the same emotion. They didn't need to express themselves in that moment; their feelings had reached each other, without words.

*.*.*

Later that afternoon, Chihaya and Arata were sitting in a large lecture hall for Intro to Japanese Literature. They also had Psychology for Teaching and World History together in a few days.

Arata leaned close to her ear and said, "My landlord is the professor for this class."

"No way! Really? What's he like?"

"Strange, but he seems like an okay person for the most part. You'll see."

He arrived ten minutes late to his own class. "A thousand apologies everyone," he called out as he bounded through the door holding a bright green notebook and folder in his hands. "Inspiration struck and I had to write it down before the thought left me."

He was tall and young looking. In fact, he could have easily passed for a student with his casual clothing of jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt that was pushed up past his elbows. When he turned his back to the class, Chihaya saw that his hair was tied back in a small ponytail. Beaded bracelets slipped down his wrist as he wrote on the board. When he stepped back, Chihaya saw a list of personal details: Takashi Matsuyama, age 30, blood type B, Taurus, single. Hobbies include writing/reading poetry, baking, and gardening.

"You may be thinking these are insignificant details, but I've always believed that students should know a little about the person who will be teaching them." He smiled at the class, tucking a short piece of hair behind his ear. "If there are any girls who feel they would be compatible with me, please don't hesitate to ask for a date. I'm always open to love because I find it very inspiring."

Arata clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh, while half the girls in the class giggled openly at his flirtatious comment.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, we can get started on what you're all here for." He got out a stack of papers from his folder and handed them to a girl in the first row, who took one and passed them to her neighbor. "Survey classes cover a little of everything, but I'll be spending more time on poetry. Writing your own tanka will be one of your assignments.

There were groans in the audience.

"It's not as difficult as some of you may think. However, I am aware that this isn't my creative writing class and therefore, everyone will receive a passing grade regardless of skill level."

Chihaya suddenly remembered the poems she wrote while at the hospital recovering from her finger surgery. Two had been composed after her phone conversation with Arata. *That's when I first realized I loved him,* she thought with a smile.

The course syllabus eventually made its way over to them. There would be four papers, three exams, and the tanka. At the bottom of the page, Matsuyama had written: extra credit will be given for 5 additional poems. Chihaya found this somewhat reassuring since exam-taking was not one of her strong suits.

"Everyone, please open your textbook to page 15 and follow along as I read the introduction."

Afterwards, he wrote some historical notes on the board about ancient waka poetry. They were able to go over a few selected poems from the Man'yoshu before class ended.

"Read the page numbers I've assigned in your syllabus before next class. See all of you on Wednesday!"

As Chihaya and Arata packed up their things and walked down the stairs, Matsuyama looked in their direction and exclaimed, "Arata-kun, there you are! I couldn't pick you out of the sea of faces earlier." His dark, expressive eyes drifted to Chihaya. "And who is this beauty?"

"My girlfriend, Chihaya Ayase," Arata introduced.

His lips curved into a smile. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ayase-san. Feel free to stop by my house whenever you like. Having girls around will brighten things up considerably."

"Umm, okay. Thank you very much," she said, inclining her head.

"I hope you'll enjoy this class," Matsuyama commented.

"I'm sure I will because I want to teach literature in high school."

"Ah, in that case, the two of us will get along just fine," he replied with a wink.

Arata cleared his throat and said, "We'll be going now. See you later, sensei."

"Bye then. I hope you two have a nice day." He flashed them a genuine smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

When they were out in the hallway, Chihaya said, "He seems nice."

"Yes, but he's too flirtatious. You know what he said the other day? That he's the reincarnation of Ariwara no Narihira. Supposedly a psychic told him."

Her eyes widened. "Narihira who wrote 'Chihayaburu'?"

"Yeah, the famous playboy of the Heian period," he replied.

"That's incredible! To think that we know Narihira!"

Arata chuckled. "You actually believe him?"

"Sure I do. Even famous people must be reincarnated. He writes poetry and his personality fits so it's definitely possible," she insisted enthusiastically.

He grinned at her. "You're so cute, Chihaya."

She smiled back and slipped her arm through his. "I want to see where you live. Can we go there now?"

"Yeah. I have a few hours before work."

"Maybe I should get a job too," Chihaya said thoughtfully. "Do you know if the campus bookstore is hiring?"

"I don't think so, but I saw a sign up for the café."

"Oh that would be fun! I'll fill out an application tomorrow then. Will your roommates be at the house now?"

"Naoki probably will," he replied. "I remember him saying that he only had one class today. I'm not sure about Sai because we haven't spoken much."

"Why not? Is he rude?"

"Not exactly rude. He just keeps to himself. Maybe he's just intimidated by Naoki's loudness."

They talked about his roommates as they walked across campus. Chihaya found out that Naoki Fujiwara was an otaku majoring in graphic design, while Sai Hitoshi was a history major. They arrived at a two story house with a bright blue door about ten minutes later. A wind chime hung above the entrance and there was a colorful cherry blossom welcome mat.

Arata took a key out of his backpack and opened the door. Chihaya slid out of her light pink flats and set them beside Arata's gray converse.

"Here you go," he said, handing her a pair of slippers to put on.

Chihaya stepped up into a bright and airy living room with pale wood floors. She saw a boy lounging on the couch, watching TV.

"Yo, Arata! Is this the girlfriend you were telling me about?"

"Yes, this is Chihaya."

Naoki walked up to them and she noticed that he was about the same height as Arata. His short hair was spiked up off his forehead. He gave her a crooked smile and said, "Nice to finally meet you, Chihaya-san. I'm Naoki Fujiwara, but you can call me Naoki."

She inclined her head and murmured a polite greeting.

"Arata tells me that you're a karuta addict like him, but do you have any other hobbies?"

"I collect Daddy Bear merchandise."

His light brown eyes lit up. "Then you're a collector too! I buy anime figures. They're in my room, want to see?"

Naoki reminded Chihaya of an excitable little boy and she couldn't help but smile. "Sure."

Arata laughed. "Let me show her the yard first."

"Alright, I'll be waiting in my room," he replied, taking the stairs two at a time.

Just off the living room was the connected kitchen and dining area. The table overlooked a large picture window with a view of the back yard. Chihaya could see a maple tree and a small pond.

Arata was standing beside her and she pulled on the hem of his striped polo shirt. "How do we get out there?"

"It's just down this hallway," he replied, pointing past the kitchen. "I'll get our shoes."

*.*.*

After looking at Naoki's manga and figure collection, Arata took her across the hall to his room. It was small and looked out onto the street, but it had good natural light. He slid the window open to get some fresh air and the cool spring breeze made the sheer curtains billow out.

When he turned back to Chihaya, he saw that she was looking at the framed photos on his dresser. There were 5 total: young Arata with his grandfather outside of Omi Jingu, another with his parents after he graduated from high school, the two of them posing with the Meijin and Queen trophies, his karuta teammates after they won their first tournament, and the shot of them on the pedestrian bridge overlooking Tokyo tower.

"Do you have the other pictures we took on Christmas?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course," he replied, pulling a photo album off his small bookcase. They both sat down on the end of his twin-size bed to flip through it.

"There's still plenty of space," Chihaya said, looking over at him. "Lets take lots of pictures together this year and fill it up."

"Sounds good."

Chihaya scooted back on the bed and fell with a flump onto his stacked up pillows. "So this is where Arata will be sleeping from now on," she said aloud, gazing up at the ceiling. "It's comfy."

He returned the photo album to his shelf and then sat on the edge of the bed to gaze down at Chihaya. Her eyes were closed and she had a peaceful expression on her face.

Without looking, she reached up to touch his forearm. "Arata, will you lay here with me?"

A flush crept up his neck. "The bed is kind of small for both of us."

Chihaya rolled so that her back was against the wall. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "There, I made room. It will be nice and cozy."

His heart was hammering as he lay down beside her. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. A strand of hair was stuck to her cheek and Arata instinctively brushed it aside. Before he could lower his hand, Chihaya slipped her arm around his waist and pulled him close. Her heart was racing just as hard as his own.

"I've imagined us like this so many times," she murmured.

He felt something warm on his collarbone and realized they were tears. "Chihaya, are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm just so happy that it made me cry."

He rubbed her back. "I know what you mean. Go ahead and use my shirt to wipe your eyes."

"Thank you, Arata," Chihaya said with a small sniffle, wiping away her tears. She then settled herself against his chest. "Can we stay like this for a while?"

He smiled. "Yes. For as long as you want."

Eventually their hearts slowed to a steady rhythm. Arata took in the warmth of her body and the sweet smell of her hair. He closed his eyes, going into a blissful trance that eventually made him fall asleep.

They were jarred awake by Naoki's loud voice saying, "Welcome back, Sai!" in the hallway.

Chihaya jumped and looked up at Arata with a surprised expression.

"Sorry. It's not very quiet around here when everyone's around."

She blinked and let go of him to check her watch. "It's already 4:15! Isn't your shift at 5?"

"Yeah. Guess we should go downstairs and eat." He was regretful about it. *I would have liked to spend the whole evening with her.*

She must have seen the disappointment on his face because she gave him a kiss and said, "Don't worry, we'll have lots of time together from now on."

*.*.*

Attending classes and working kept them busy for the rest of April. Arata frequently left the bookstore during his break to visit Chihaya at the café. Watching her serve customers in her energetic, clumsy way, always brought a smile to his face.

During an evening shift in early May, Chihaya was able to take her break at the same time. She sat across from him at a table in the back and listened as he told her about a barbecue on Sunday.

"Matsuyama-san has tatami mat flooring in his room and he said he'll clear it out for us to play karuta."

Chihaya put her cup of mocha down and gave him a big smile. "That's great!" They had only played a few times at the Shiranami Society since school began.

"I showed them our dvd at Omi Jingu the other day. Now they want to see us go against each other."

"I won't hold back," she declared.

He laughed. "I won't either."

*.*.*

Arata ended up winning by 7 cards.

"Couldn't you have gone a little easier on your girlfriend?" Naoki asked.

It was Chihaya who answered with, "Oh, I wouldn't want him to do that. We both have to push each other to do our best."

"Shall I move my desk against the wall a few times a week so you two can practice in here?" Matsuyama offered.

They both thanked him profusely and he looked pleased at their reaction.

Chihaya and Arata went upstairs to change out of their training clothes. When they came back down five minutes later, everyone was already outside. A cluster of bells on the side door jingled as Arata opened it. The slate patio was long, narrow, and somewhat cluttered with potted plants and garden statues.

Down a little ways was a rectangular table. Chihaya sat on one of the cushioned metal benches with Arata. Naoki was across from them, while Sai sat in a chair at the end of the table. He sipped his iced tea with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he pulled a book off his lap and set it down on the table.

"Isn't that the textbook for World History?" Chihaya asked him.

He looked up, brushing the long fringe out of his eyes. "Yeah. The first exam is coming up."

"I know. Me and Arata are taking that class too. You should sit with us sometime."

"I wouldn't be able to take good notes if I did," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Your attention span can't be that bad if you're attempting to study with us around," Naoki pointed out.

Sai shot him a killer glare, causing Naoki to cover his eyes and exclaim, "Ahhh, scary! Matsuyama-san, Sai is being mean again!"

She turned her head to hide her smile. That ended up being a bad idea, because when she met Arata's eyes, they both burst out laughing.

*.*.*

Chihaya and Arata planned a day trip to Jindai Botanical Gardens at the end of May on Matsuyama's recommendation. "The roses and wisteria are lovely," he told them. "I go to see them every year."

"With a different girl I bet," Arata added.

Matsuyama sighed. "Yes, unfortunately my relationships never last long. I wonder if I will ever find my soul mate."

His wistful expression made Chihaya feel sorry for him. "Maybe you're looking too hard and that's why you haven't met her," she commented.

"Perhaps." Matsuyama looked at them across the dining room table. "The two of you are very lucky to have found one another."

Arata smiled. "Yes, I'm grateful for it every single day."

*.*.*

Chitose picked out Chihaya's outfit: a light purple tunic dress with cap sleeves, cropped white pants, and floral print canvas sneakers. Chihaya's only stylistic choice was her Mammy Bear cross body purse that would hold her phone, wallet, and lip gloss.

"Here, put on lots of sunscreen since you'll be spending the whole day outside," she said, tossing a bottle onto Chihaya's bed.

"Thank you." She sat down and started applying it to her legs, arms, neck, and face.

"What are you going to do about your hair?" Chitose asked.

"I don't know. Probably just keep it down."

Her older sister shook her head. "It's too warm outside. I'll pull it back for you."

The doorbell rang ten minutes later and Chihaya ran downstairs to answer it. Arata stood on the doorstep with a sports bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hi," he said with a smile. "You look very nice."

"So do you," she replied, surveying his tan chino pants and light blue button down shirt. Chihaya moved aside so that he could come in.

"I made a bento for us to eat on the train," she said, walking towards the kitchen.

Chitose was already inside and Chihaya introduced them.

She nodded politely and said, "Nice to meet you. Take care of my little sister today."

"Yes, I will."

Chihaya noticed that Arata's ears were red. *What's with this reaction? Does he like Chitose? Or is it only because she's famous?*

When they left the house, Chihaya couldn't help but blurt out, "Arata, why did you look so embarrassed around my sister?"

"Oh, you noticed that?" He touched the back of his hair and gave a nervous laugh. "I saw her photo books at the store I used to work at in Awara City. Meeting her in person made me remember something."

"Remember what?"

"Well I imagined you when I saw one of her pictures, you know, since you two resemble each other," he rambled.

"Which picture?"

Arata's face was red. "A bathing suit one."

Her eyes widened. "You've thought of me that way before?"

"Sure, I mean, it's only natural." He looked down at his sneakers. "Are you disgusted with me?"

"Of course not." She felt herself blush as she said, "You can see me in a bathing suit if we go swimming this summer."

Arata gave her a relieved smile. "Okay."

*.*.*

Seeing all the different colors of roses from the terrace was a stunning sight. They descended the steps to reach the sunken, rectangular garden. It took them a while to walk around the paved paths because of the crowd. It was hard to choose a favorite variety, but Chihaya especially loved the white ones edged with fuchsia along the top of the petal.

Miniature potted roses were being offered for sale and Chihaya exclaimed, "Look, Arata! These are so cute." She pointed to some bright pink ones.

"I'll get them for you," he said.

"Oh you don't have to do that."

"I want to." He took out his wallet to pay for them.

The lady behind the table offered to keep them there so they wouldn't have to carry the pot around with them. "Just put your name and phone number down on this," she said, giving him a plastic plant label.

"That would be great." He quickly jotted down his contact details and the lady stuck the tag into the dirt.

Chihaya slipped her hand into his once they left the table. "Thank you, Arata."

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile, threading their fingers together.

After looking at all of the roses, they sat down at a table near a large spray fountain. Arata got out two bottles of water from his bag and handed Chihaya a portable umbrella to shield herself from the hot sun. They rested for about 15 minutes and then went in search of the wisteria colonnade.

"It's like something out of a dream!" Chihaya exclaimed, looking up at the trailing vines of purple overhead.

Arata observed quietly, but was still full of admiration for their beauty.

They managed to see the tropical greenhouse and the water lily pond before Jindai closed. Their very last stop was to pick up the little rose bush.

Chihaya texted her mother when they were on the train. A minute later, a message came in with an invitation for Arata. "My mom wants you to stay for dinner," she told him. "It's too bad that Chitose is home because then you'd be able to spend the night."

"That's alright. I don't have a change of clothes anyway." Arata secured the plant in the space between their two seats.

They spent the ride home looking at all of their pictures and video clips.

*.*.*

Chihaya went outside with Arata after dinner. The sun was starting to set and the sky was suffused with a warm pink light.

"Saying goodbye to you is always my least favorite part of the day," she said, touching the sleeve of his shirt.

Arata's expression softened. "Mine too, but we'll see each other on Monday."

"I know." Chihaya looked into his eyes. "I wish I lived at Matsuyama-san's."

He laughed. "I doubt that you'd like being around a bunch of disgusting men all the time."

"I'd gladly put up with it in order to be with you every day." She stretched to her full height in order to clasp her arms around his neck.

"Chihaya, your neighbors are going to see."

"I don't care," she murmured, breath against his neck.

Arata returned her embrace and they held each other for half a minute before letting go. Chihaya watched him until he was out of view. Then, with a sigh, she sat down on the front steps and gazed at the brilliant sunset; heart full of love.

A/N: "Renaissance" by Giovanni Marradi was playing as I wrote the closing scenes :) English translation for poem 77 was taken from etext library. I referred to pictures and youtube videos from Jindai Botanical Gardens in order to describe it. More information about the story can be found on my profile and live journal :D There will be appearances by lots of canon characters next chapter!