Siopao: (8/18/2017) No reviews from my last chapter. :( But it's okay, I want to keep writing. Please continue to support me. Some fluffy Aya/Rei moments in this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gals! or Ouran High School Host Club.

The Space Between Two Worlds

Chapter XXI — The Tree On Top of a Hill

It was now mid-April and spring was in full bloom. The sakura had opened up their buds completely, exposing their annual pink beauty to the world. The sun shone high and warmed the faces of the people who were outside enjoying this perfect day. The breeze carried the scent of the blossoms all throughout the city. It was a beautiful sight to see, after such a long and bitter winter.

A certain couple was enjoying this particularly peaceful spring afternoon. Today was Sunday— these two would always find a way to be together on Sundays. It was their moment of relaxation together. Most days, they would find a quiet and quaint cafe to read in. Sometimes, they would make time to study if there was a test the following day. But, today, they seized the opportunity to bask in mother nature's wonderful pink canvas and strolled through a popular park known for its vast display of the sakura.

"Ahh. It's so pretty," Aya chimed as the mild breeze encircled her with a myriad of tiny pink petals. She giggled as some blossoms tickled her rosy cheeks. Her silky dark tresses gracefully flew around her face, making her look like she was truly in her element. Her companion looked on at her in amazement but quickly shook off his brief spell.

"Hn," Rei grunted as he turned away, feeling a speckle of scarlet crawling up his face. She was absolutely adorable to him and it was hard to contain himself, especially when she was being immensely alluring like this. In his eyes, Aya looked like an absolute goddess. She was a sight to behold and he did not fail to notice the multitude of eyes that gazed at his ethereal girlfriend.

"Thank you for taking me to this park, Rei-kun," she said happily, now trying to smooth down her previously wind-swept locks.

"Don't mention it. It looks like you're having fun."

"Are you having fun, too?" she asked thoughtfully, her eyebrows slightly furrowed with wonder. "I want Rei-kun to also enjoy himself."

He looked on at this interesting girl before him. She was always so worried that she was a burden to him. She was always so concerned if he was enjoying his time with her. Little did she know that her happiness was always his happiness. Her smiles lifted his spirit and always managed to liven up his day. It didn't matter what they were doing— they simply could just be sitting around and enjoying one another's company and he would still feel content. With Aya by his side, his dreary days were gone. Life was no longer bleak. He was still a dreamer, that much would never change. But, now, he could dream less often since reality had finally become better than his dreams.

"I am," he admitted truthfully, a small smile gracing his lips.

"I'm glad," Aya hummed. "I love the springtime. I feel so refreshed, don't you, Rei-kun?"

"I do, but—" Just before he could continue with his statement, Rei erupted with a small sneeze, startling the girl walking beside him.

"Rei-kun, are you alright? Do you have allergies?" she asked, concerned. She pulled a pink handkerchief from her beige purse and handed it to him, to which he accepted graciously.

"A bit," he admitted, surprising Aya. She had no idea he was so susceptible to pollen like this. "It's usually pretty mild but I forgot to take my medicine this morning."

"Ah, that's no good. Let's get you back inside, somewhere—"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm okay."

"But you're—"

"I'm fine, I promise. Plus, I'm having a good time out here with you. I won't let some dumb pollen ruin it," he stated, taking her by surprise once more.

"Ah, Rei-kun..." she said, staring towards him in a daze. "O- Okay. If you're sure."

"Absolutely."

"Th- Then... let's go up there!" she said, pointing to a large sakura tree, the largest one in the park, that rested in solitary on top of a tall hill. Rei looked on at the hill and inwardly thought that it looked like quite a steep trek. He initially felt dread but, once he saw Aya running up ahead with an ecstatic look on her face, there was no way he could say no. She just looked so happy and he couldn't handle seeing her crestfallen face if he declined the offer.

"Whatever you want," Rei replied, smirking as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Her childish side was shining through and he couldn't help but admire it. He followed her lead as she bolted ahead of him, eager to start their hike.

"I've always wanted to climb this hill. My friends never wanted to accompany me," she stated once Rei had finally caught up. The terrain wasn't too uneven or rough; a bright green layer of grass and scattered wildflowers covered the hill's surface.

"From your old school?"

"Un! Ran and Miyuu," she said with a proud smile.

"You miss them, right?" he asked as they continued their steep ascent. He wasn't going to admit it but the climb was a bit of a challenge. Good thing I'm pretty well-conditioned because of baseball, he thought. He noted that Aya didn't seem to be struggling at all.

"I do," she said a bit sadly, a small smile still planted on her pink lips. She was silent for a few seconds. "But I'm glad I made the decision to transfer to Ouran."

"Is that so?"

"Yes! Even though I miss seeing my old friends everyday, I've made friends with a lot of wonderful new people. I met Kana, Ryu-kun and Watanabe-kun, Mami-san, Yuuya-kun, the entire Host Club, and—" she paused for a moment. "Of course, I'm happy that I met you, Rei-kun. Because of you, I keep making happy memories," she said the last portion coyly. From his peripheral vision, he could see that she was blushing a cute shade of pink.

Rei was silent, like he usually was, but he allowed all she just said to sink into his mind. He never said much, especially when she candidly spoke about her feelings like this. She was always so much better at relaying her emotions. However, he appreciated the heartfelt sentiment and rewarded Aya for her bold confession by taking her hand in his. She smiled as she felt her cheeks rise in temperature a bit more. She always loved it when he initiated their contact.

The two finished their ascent up the hill hand-in-hand. After a few moments, they'd finally reached the very top and gazed at the massive cherry blossom tree in amazement. It's branches spanned almost the entire surface area of the hill's apex, providing ample shade from the sun. It's flowers looked like a humongous pink cloud perched on top of a thick trunk.

"It's looks even bigger up close," Aya commented, her mouth agape.

"It's probably the largest sakura tree I've ever seen," Rei said, also amazed at the tree's caliber.

"I think so, too," Aya said as she went ahead and approached it.

"It's... really serene up here," Rei noted as he looked all around them. No one else was in sight, probably due to the fact that not many would want to walk such a steep hike in order to observe a single tree.

But what really took Rei's breath away was the view before him. He was able to see the entire park and all the people walking through it. He was also able to see a large stretch of the city in the distance, including some of the shopping districts, tall corporate buildings and apartments, and busy intersections crowded by ant-sized pedestrians. Being on this hill made one feel so small and insignificant, yet it also gave you the effect that you were all-seeing and omnispective. It was quite a powerful yet humbling feeling, for Rei.

His gaze then wandered to the girl dancing under the branches of the immense tree, in a field of tall unkempt grass and colorful wildflowers. Her knee-length chiffon skirt twirled around her as she spun under the falling petals, laughing at the storm of pink engulfing her. Rei couldn't help but let all his defenses down and smile at the scene. Aya was like a free spirit to him. She was everything he aspired to be.

"It's windier up here!" she shrieked as a passing gust of wind lifted her hair around her face once more. She attempted to use her hands to keep her midnight strands under control, to no avail. Her laughter continued to resound throughout the air. Rei took a second to admire it's beautiful bell-like tones.

"Aya," he called out as he took a step forward.

"Hm?" she chirped, turning to look at her boyfriend.

She was taken aback as he once more took her delicate hand in his. His other hand traveled to her face, gently tracing the edge of her jawline from the base of her ear to her chin before finally resting it against her cheek. They were face to face, eyes piercing into one another's— his gaze was intense while hers was full of wonder.

"Rei-kun," she whispered. He still loved the way she said his name. He would never forget the time she first called him Rei, under the fireworks during the school festival. He loved it back then, and it was still music to his ears hearing it now.

"You know," he said softly and a bit gruffly, "you're such an unusual girl."

"Eh?" she said in surprise. The hand that was holding her cheek went to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, causing her to blush a deep shade of scarlet. He always had this type of effect on her. He then allowed his hand to slide down her slender arm to take hold of her other hand.

"You're so amazed by such simple things," he continued lowly. "Like this lonely tree on a hill."

"B- Because it's so beautiful, isn't it?" she replied. "Something so grand, yet it's here all alone. It's as if it sits here in solitude, silently watching over the city."

"Hn. Quite a strange thought you have there," he said, looking over and scrutinizing the tree. "But I guess I wouldn't disagree."

"Rei-kun, do you really think I'm unusual?" she asked curiously. He returned his gaze to the girl before him and noticed that she was examining his eyes. He gave a low chuckle.

"What's wrong with being unusual? You're different, Aya. Different from anyone I've ever met before," he stated. "You're... special."

"I see. Then, you don't dislike the fact that I'm different from you? That we— we, you know, come from two different worlds, that is," she stammered nervously.

"Are you kidding? I love that about you the most. Honestly, I envy you," he said, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead on hers. He was significantly taller and had to bend down quite a bit in order to achieve this. "Your life is simple. You don't have superficial and pretentious people surrounding you from the day you were born. You weren't brought up with money-controlled adults making decisions for your life. You don't have the pressures of taking over any family business. You're so free."

"Rei-kun, I... I had no idea you had that on your shoulders." She, too, closed her eyes. Rei-kun must have all these worries weighing on his mind quite often, she thought sadly. She recalled all the moments she would catch him staring out of the classroom windows in such a deep daze. Was he thinking about all his problems all those times? Was he thinking about what it would be like to be free?

"Dad is a CEO of a major hotel chain and I'm his only child. It's pretty much set in stone," he sighed. "You can be anything, achieve anything. That's why I'm doing things that I want to do for now, like baseball and modeling, even though that last bit is kind of annoying. It's all because I know that I can't do any of it once I graduate from Ouran."

"Rei-kun..." she was at a loss for words. Her heart felt an aching sensation knowing that Rei had his fate pretty much laid out for him, without anyone ever asking what he truly wanted.

"But, you know, now that I've met you, I think it'll be a bit more bearable," he admitted.

"I'll try my best," she said firmly.

"I know," he said. He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes once more. He would be forever grateful to the gods for sending Aya into his life like this. She was his angel, saving him like this.

"Rei-kun," she said suddenly as she wore a flustered expression. She clutched onto his shirt sleeve. "I'll do anything to help. I'll support you the entire way, no matter what. Please just tell me what to do."

"Thank you for saying that," Rei replied, a small smile on his handsome face. There was the smallest speck of beet red on his cheek from her statement just now. There was only one thing he needed from her, at this point. "Just stay with me."

"Always," she affirmed with confidence, nodding her head once.

"Aya."

Then, he leaned in again, but not to rest his forehead on hers. His lips approached hers ever so steadily and she could do nothing but to watch him draw nearer with growing eyes. She held her breath in anticipation and, alas, the gentle impact of his soft lips crashing onto hers caused a wave of pleasure and bliss to wash over her entire being. She closed her eyes and allowed this euphoric feeling to completely take over her her entire body— her whole mind and soul felt electrified by his touch. This was the first time she had ever been kissed, as this was also Rei's first time. He tenderly held her face with both of his hands, caressing her soft, delicate skin. He was gentle and cautious with his lips, careful not to overstep any boundaries. He reluctantly parted from her and stared deeply into her dark, chocolate eyes. He exhaled slowly, his warm breath hitting the skin on Aya's neck. She shivered at the contact as she, too, continued to drown in his dreamy slate orbs.

"I love you, Aya," he mouthed once he parted his lips from hers. It was the first time he'd ever said it aloud, even though he's said it a million times in his head by this point. Aya's eyes widened at the fresh statement.

"I— I love you, too, Rei-kun," she breathed, still taken away from his kiss and, now, his confession.

"Did you hate it?" he asked half-jokingly. He caressed both of her hands in his, rubbing the tops of them with his thumbs.

"N- Not at all!" she said a bit louder than she would have liked. He smirked at her embarrassed reaction but was relieved. He was nervous, he had to admit, but was reassured to see that he didn't do anything that she wasn't ready for.

"I'm happy," he sighed in contentment.

"Me, too," she added.

Then, another sneeze erupted from Rei's being. Aya giggled.

"Let's go home, Rei-kun."

Chapter XXI — The Tree On Top of a Hill

End.

Siopao: Whee~ their first kiss! Hehe. Please don't be a ghost reader and kindly review. Thank you!