Author's Note: The other day, I was looking through a couple of old fanfics, and I found this one from way back. I never gave it an ending, so I'm going to take care of this "unfinished business".

Originally, this was titled, "Aki's Diary", but I thought that the diary entries made Aki sound obsessive, so I ditched the idea and now it's just Aki connecting her memories of Ichinose to her everyday life. To begin with, I was really disappointed with the fact that Aki didn't exactly keep her promise to Ichinose and Domon. So, I created this AU and changed some things up a little. And by a little, I mean, a lot.

One minute, the three of us were playing together, laughing.

Minutes later, all I heard was your bone-chilling scream.

All I saw was your body over mine, motionless.

It took only a minute after that... to realize what I've done.

Unaware of how much time had passed, I opened my eyes in a bright room; hoping that the light was coming from the sun outside of my bedroom's window. Hoping that this was all some cruel dream.

The hospital's ceiling proved me wrong.

A nurse came into my sight, relieved that I had regained conciousness, and said that she'd return shortly.

All I could do was stare at the blank ceiling, and remember how it all came to this.

You, Domon, and I were playing football together.

"Soccer!", Domon would insist. "It's called soccer here where we live!"

We shrugged it off and kept playing. As expected, it was enough to make Domon forget about it and laugh with us.

We weren't anywhere dangerous. We were playing beside a shack that was far from the road.

Accidentally, I sent the ball flying into the heavens and beyond the horizon.

"Aki! That was Ichinose's new ball! You kicked it, so now you have to go get it!" Domon scolded. I instantly felt guilty and ashamed of myself for being so careless.

But you could've cared less.

You had a large grin on your face and said, "C'mon, Domon, don't be such a grouch! I'm sure she didn't mean to kick it like that. It happens all the time!"

Domon mumbled in reply, "Yeah, yeah... I know. But that was your new ball..."

You suggested, "Let's go look for it together! Whadduya say, Aki?"

I nodded, content that you had forgiven me, "Sure! Let's go!"

It took a while, but I spotted the shiny monochrome ball between a wide black carpet of asphalt. Overjoyed, I yelled, "Domon! Ichinose! I found it!"

I dashed to the ball, thinking about how redeeming it'd feel to return it to you and continue playing football with Domon. I imagined the three of us, laughing together again.

If only... my thoughts hadn't been louder than your warning and the blaring horns of the truck.

"AKIIII!"

BEEEEEEEEEP!

I closed my eyes again, only to watch the scene replay over and over on my eyelids. I didn't know whether it was better to keep them opened or closed. I decided that the first option was better.

The nurse and the doctor came in, and checked for external injuries. All they found were grotesque bruises and scrapes.

"Ichinose... what happened to Ichinose?" I muttered weakly, barely finding the strength to speak.

The doctor told me that another doctor was checking up on him, and that he didn't know. But I knew.

I knew that you were in far worse condition than I was. I don't know why I had hoped that you had miraculously recovered from the hit.

I tried to keep my tears from flowing out, while the doctor requested me to move different parts of my body. I stood up from the bed, finally, and the doctor had me walk to the x-ray room.

After verifying that my bone structure was likely to make a full recovery, I walked back to my room, this time, to see an unfamiliar face waiting for me.

"Kino Aki?" a man dressed in white asked.

"Yes, that's me." I confirmed.

"Ichinose Kazuya... wants you to see his last words." he confessed.

No... why? Why couldn't you just tell me your last words? Why did you have to write them down for me? Why, Ichinose, why?

I didn't want to read your message. I really didn't, but something inside me threatened me that I would regret not seeing it.

So I opened the note, and sure enough, your handwriting was on it. The handwriting that I loved the most.

"Promise me, that you'll keep playing football."

The last time I cried like I did now was when I was a baby.