As his fingers tapped their last keys on the piano, Kousei Arima sent one final penetrating gaze to the ceiling. His face dared to break into an ugly cry, but he fought back the involuntary action - he could not stop the tears however.

"Goodbye." He whispered under his breath, the last remnants of sound from the instrument lingered through the air. The entire theater had gone dead silent. Not something that was uncommon with his performances as of late. Standing up, the tears fell even harder. He couldn't help it, Kaori was... no. He had to stop thinking for now. All he could do was focus on his next action. Bow to the audience, and walk off the stage. He would do just that.

While he turned to the endless crowd of people, he noted the blurred reality he was facing. Was it the tears? Maybe. Or was it his own mind telling him over and over what he knew had happened.

As his body moved down, he couldn't help but linger in the position a few seconds longer then he should have. He just, couldn't seem to keep moving. His heart felt a pain he hadn't experienced since his mother. His throat ached with a wanting to cry out in agony. He felt like gagging.

The boy struggled to stand upright, but as he did a single clap echoed throughout the hall. Followed by another, and another, and within only a few seconds the entire place was screaming for Kousei.

"Encore! Encore!"

"Absolute Perfection!"

"Bravo!"

The cries of the crowd were muffled in Kousei's ears. Part of him felt proud, a small small part. The rest of him simply wanted to break down. So, like a robot, the boy mechanically walked off the stage as the screams grew louder and louder. Louder, and louder, the screams inside Kousei's mind grew. He screamed for Kaori, he screamed for her health, he screamed for her to stay.

He finally reached the back of the stage. Emi and Takeshi had already rushed from the audience to congratulate him. Hiroko and Koharu were waiting with big smiles. He could see Tsubaki and Watari rushing in from the audience as well. They all were so happy, they gawked at his performance. Was it really that good? Kousei didn't know, all he knew was his knees were buckling.

The boy crashed to the floor completely. A struggled scream escaped his lips and his eyes flushed out even more tears then before. His body curled in on itself, and as multiple hands rushed to his aid all he could do was weep. She was gone, he could tell.

Kaori Miyazono walked in the darkness. She had no real clue as to where she was, all she did know was that she had been in surgery. Was this what her mind was like? Was this...heaven? Did she not make it? Questions raddled her brain, but something drew her. A noise...no...music. Soft piano, Kreisler arr. Rachmaninoff - Liebesleid.

Love's Sorrow..."Kousei?"

Her darkness turned to bright light - and before she could even tell what had happened, she was witnessing Kousei Arima performing. His hands moved with such meticulousness, it was impressive. She watched his eyes following the rhythm with such precision, his arms flowing to the melody, his head bobbing with every press of a key. She began to remember how she had originally fallen in love with the dummy. To think the little boy who knocked over the piano bench was playing at such a high level. It was impressive no doubt, it made her fall for him even more.

Snapping out of her trance, she began to feel the music penetrating her mind. Its beauty, its grace, the...emotion. This, what was this? Kaori began to feel tears rush to her eyes, is he playing this right now? Was the audience listening to him pour his heart out onto the keys? Were they all crying the same way as she?

"Wait..."

Kaori found herself turned around looking directly into Kousei's eyes.

"Please don't go..."

'I don't want to'

"Pester me for canelés again!"

'I will! Please just bring me some canelés!'

"Call me to kill time again!"

'I wanted to all the time!'

"I don't care if I'm just Friend A..."

Kaori's eyes widened with sadness, 'You were NEVER just friend A!'

"Don't Go...Don't Go..."

Kaori could feel herself getting dragged away, she tried her hardest to fight it but the force was too strong. She wanted to stay! 'I don't want to leave!'

"Please don't go!"

She could see Kousei's eyes widen at her, what was happening! Was she dying!? No...No, No, No, please no!

"Please don't leave me behind!"

Kousei brought the piece to a climatic tone, his fingers pressing the keys roughly yet gently at the same time. She could feel herself start to disappear, but she could not accept it! She had thought she could make peace with it, she knew the operation was risky. But she could see the look in Kousei's eyes. She wouldn't leave him like this, she couldn't! She had a promise to keep, she promised they would play together again! Kaori Miyazono was NOT the person to break a promise. She wouldn't die, not yet!

"Kaori..." Kousei whispered into the vortex of cherry blossoms that had surrounded her.

Right as Kousei's face turned, and right before Kaori vanished, she whispered two words...

"I won't..."

It had been three days since Kousei's performance. Right after his breakdown, Hiroko had driven him home and watched him for a short while. She had to leave however, her child unfortunately took up a lot of her energy. At the time of Hiroko's leaving there had been no word from Kaori or her parents. But Kousei knew deep down what had happened.

Because of that, the black headed boy had locked himself in his house for the past three days. 113 missed calls, 97 unseen text messages and 53 voicemails. He wasn't doing well at all.

Takeshi had tried to contact him and tell him that he had won the competition. Kousei would almost certainly get accepted into his dream school now.

Nagi had gone with Hiroko a few times to try and shake Kousei out of his depression but his door was locked and she didn't know what to do.

Emi hadn't done much, she and Takeshi had gotten his number from Watari but she had sent just a few congratulatory messages. She was worried for him, but she felt useless and out of place in his world.

Watari had unsuccessfully tried to break into the boys house, but he found it impossible without breaking a window. Texts and calls would have to suffice.

Tsubaki... well Tsubaki hadn't really done anything.

She witnessed his outburst, she saw him breakdown. She wanted to just comfort him, to help take away his pain. That's what a best friend was for, right? But...every time she looked at him she could only see his eyes gazing at somebone else.

Kaori...

Tsubaki had visited the hospital along with Watari shortly after Kousei's shut in. She had survived the surgery and was in a medically induced coma. They didn't get many details asides from it would "just take time."

All Tsubaki wanted to do was to rush into Kousei's house and tell him she would be ok. She knew why he was like this, how could she not? She probably knew Kousei better then he did himself. Kousei loved Kaori. Kousei needed Kaori, but Kousei...he didn't need Tsubaki.

"Hunny?" Tsubaki's mom whispered into her daughters dark room, "Are you ok?"

Tsubaki sat up in her bed, "Yah mom. What's wrong?"

Mrs. Sawabe eyed her daughter with a pin-pointed gaze, "I need you to take this casserole over to Arima's house. We haven't heard from him in a bit and I'm worried... You should be worried too."

Tsubaki's eyes widened at her mother's words. Did she think she wasn't worried about him? Of course she was, how could she not be?! Kousei was her best friend! She lov-

"I-I am worried mom. We've all been calling and texting him, but...he doesn't need me right now. He needs-"

"Kaori?" Her mother finished while flicking on the lights and walking into the room.

"H-How did you?"

"I'm not blind sweety," Mrs. Sawabe took a gentle seat next to her daughter, "I know my daughter. And I know Arima. I can tell when you have feelings for someone. I still remember that Saitou boy."

Tsubaki's face turned a gentle red, was she really that much of an open book? Well, if Watari could read her no wonder her mom could.

"I'm not sure of everything, but I can tell you love him," Tsubaki's eyes widened at her mother's words, "and I can also tell that he doesn't necessarily feel the same way."

Tears began to fall from Tsubaki's face. Her hands clenched the blanket tightly and small sniffles could be heard from her nose. She leaned into her mother and began to cry. Her mom wrapped an arm around her and placed her chin atop her head.

"I get it. I know it's hard, I've been through it too. But you have to understand something sweety. He needs you right now."

Tsubaki's eyes widened once again, "w-what? I just told you, he doesn't need me. He needs Kaori."

Mrs. Sawabe stood from her daughters bed and lightly dragged the girl out from her shelter, "No. he doesn't. Well, of course he does. But there's something that Kaori can't replace...you. You are still his best friend dear. You still know him better then anyone. Just because something happened, that doesn't change what was already set in stone. You two are best friends. And he needs that right now."

*knock knock knock*

Tsubaki held the casserole tightly in her grip as she knocked on Kousei's door. It was late, around 10pm already. But she knew he was up. She knew him.

"Kousei!" Tsubaki shouted at the door, "I'm coming in!"

With his spare key already in her hand, the girl unlocked the door and walked into the barren household. It was dark, not one light was on. After placing her mother's casserole on the kitchen counter, she went on a search for the boy. Room after room she looked, yet there was no sign of him. Bedroom, no. Guest rooms, no.

Who was she kidding...Tsubaki knew exactly where he was.

The girl slowly crept to the piano room, the lights were off but she knew he was there. Where else would he be? As she creaked the door open, she let out a rudimentary cough just to let him know she was entering. After flicking on the lights and entering the room she was met with a startling sight.

"K-Kousei!"

The boy was sitting at the piano, his hands still at the keys. But his face was mushed into the top of it, he was out cold. Papers scattered the floor, she began to have Deja Vu. Tsubaki ran to his side and grabbed his shoulders, "Kousei! Hey, come on! Get up!"

The boys face shifted slightly, but he failed to follow the girls orders. She noticed his phone on top of the piano and she grabbed it. Kaori got a closer look at his face this time, his eyes were stained red. Probably tears. His glasses were shoved to the top of his hairline, and he had those creases you get when you take a really long nap. She smiled at him, but then she began to grow angry, "Kousei! You get up right now! Do you have any idea how worried we all were?! How many texts and calls we made!? Watari almost broke in here before I stopped him!"

This got a reaction, as soon as Tsubaki mentioned Watari breaking in, Kousei's face shot up in disarray, "W-What? Watari did what?!"

Tsubaki took a deep breathe and grabbed the boy by the collar, "Come on!"

"Agh! Wh-What are you doing!?"

"Getting your sorry ass out of here! I bet you haven't left this room in days!"

"Ts-Tsubaki!?"

Tsubaki dragged him straight out of the room and down the stairs into his living room. The boy seemed fairly rattled by the sudden change of scenery but that did not stop Tsubaki, "Kousei look at this!" She held up the boys phone which showcased the countless missed calls, voicemails, and text messages he had received. His eyes widened slightly but they slowly fell back to their downcast position.

"I'm sorry..."

Letting out a sigh, Tsubaki tossed the phone into his lap and took a seat next to him, "You know Kousei, for someone as smart as you are - you can be the biggest dummy."

Kousei dared to crack a smile, but the feeling drained almost immediately, "I know."

Tsubaki looked at the boy, then glanced away. Her fists tightly wrapped around the hem of her skirt, she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for making things weird with us."

Kousei turned in wonder at the girl, "Tsu-"

"I'm sorry..." Tsubaki bit her lip, "I know you're not an idiot Kousei, I know you know I have feelings for you. I basically told you anyway."

Kousei's eyes widened slightly, so she wasn't just making a joke that backfired. She really loved him? Why?

Tears were starting to stream down the girls face, Kousei's tear stained eyes widened, "Tsubaki I-"

"I'm sorry I...I never," she frantically wiped her eyes, "I never meant to put you in a position and then confuse you, and I never wanted to ruin our friendship over something so stupid like this."

Kousei shifted to face the girl and put a hand on her shoulder, "Tsubaki, you have it all wrong. I kept trying to talk to you but you seemed so distant. I never wanted our friendship to get ruined, I just..."

"No Kousei," she wiped her eyes one last time, "It's my fault. I was childish, I knew you loved Kaori and I acted like a baby. Hell, you still love Kaori, and I'm not going to lose my best friend over some feelings."

Kaori...that name stabbed Kousei's heart a thousand times over. He had seemed to forget for a minute why he had been locked in like this, but as Tsubaki mentioned her, it all came back to him.

"I just need to get over it Kousei, cuz we've been together through it all and I'm not gonna ruin it. I don't want to lose you."

Kousei looked at Tsubaki, "I never want to lose you"

Tsubaki painfully smiled at the boy, "It might just... take me some time, you know? It's hard... and I don't want to act irrationally and stand in the way of you and Kaori. Because... I know I said you didn't before, but, you have a real chance with her Kousei."

Kousei looked at the girl like she was wild, "What?"

Tsubaki grew a look of confusion, "What do you mean, 'What?'"

"Why are you talking like Kaori is still alive?"

Tsubaki's eyes widened and her mouth opened ever so slightly. Did he not know? Was this the reason he was locked in his house for days?

"Kousei, do you not know what happened?"

Kousei's face grew even more confused, "No, what happened?!"

Tsubaki let a smile creep onto her face, "Kousei... Kaori she...

"She's Alive"