Author's Note: RATED MATURE FOR A REASON! NO ONE UNDER 18 SHOULD READ ANY FURTHER.

Gomen. I should not be using a chapter for this note, but I felt I must explain something upfront as this grows into fruition.

This story was intended to be a one-shot, but I received several email requests for me to expand it. Therefore, I decided to give it a go, and see where it takes me.

Since it had already started out with Volume 8 of the manga, I had to try and backtrack. It was then I decided to take the "Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi" approach, writing and presenting chapters out of sequence, and let the reader try and follow along.

Please forgive my creative license I took with this approach, I hope it doesn't drive you too crazy!

That said, I also feel I must explain my feelings toward Hachi.

There are many Hachi haters out there, and even more Takumi haters. That's ok, these characters don't really belong to me anyway, I am just borrowing them for cathartic purposes. However I do love the Hachi and Takumi relationship. Yes, he's a bastard without scruples at times; he's arrogant, selfish and unable to express himself unless it's with his music... but I love him for all his flaws. He's human, and even though you might think it's for his outrageously delicious looks, or his unbelievably sexy hair, or his suave charm with women, or any of the other 250 reasons there are, it really boils down to my gut. My gut likes him. My libido loves him. ;-)

I don't promote infidelity, and am strongly against it. But Hachi is still growing... she's in her early 20's and trying to figure out life! Give her a break!

In regards to Nobu and Shin, these are two men in Hachi's life that helped form her as a mother and an full fledged adult. (This is conjecture on my part, since I'm only on volume 16 now, awaiting volume 17, and it's now November 2006)! HINT HINT! LOL

But my understanding is that Nobu and Shin will always love Hachi, and Hachi will always love them. They indeed play an important role in my story.

Consider this a "Behind the Scenes" story that delves deeper than the anime or manga, and comes solely from my own twisted perceptions of love, loss, and heartbreak.

Lastly, I'm not Japanese, and have never been to Japan, so please excuse any of misuse of the language, places or names.

Ja Ne!

PS. I work for reviews. Yep, I'm a review whore. So the more the reviews, the faster the story gets written. I would appreciate some insight as to what you liked, what you hated, and what your favorite game to play is... j/k on the last one!