Promised I'd be back, didn't I?

Also, check out MrVault101's 'American Displacement Disorder'. (Which ties in with this story :3)

Also, check out WarbirdHD's 'Best Case Scenario'. (Which hasn't been updated in a while, to my great sadness; it also ties in.)

Also, check out ArmchairLegend's 'It Costs An Arm And A Leg!' (Though, honestly, you probably read it already)

ACT I: REDUX

"Right... See you soon then..."

Jamming my thumb at the corner of the phone's screen, I end the call.

Honestly, this screen is as good as blank in this sun.

I glance behind me at the streets of Shiogama.

Even after this long, I can't help but feel a foreigner sometimes. It's just how the town is.

And it has been a while, five years and still going.

The passing of a fishing boat stirs the water, splashing my shoes with hundreds of tiny droplets.

I smile, wishing I could jump into the water to cool off.

"What a hot day...It's wonderful, though."

My words go by unnoticed, disappearing somewhere in the town's usual noise.

I smile. Better that way.

Guess I should head up to the shrine then...

The quickest way is up that dreadful flight of stairs. But I guess I shouldn't keep Kanon waiting.

I start my climb, taking one step at a time. Going through the motions, I let my mind go back to the first time I saw her.

It was my first day of school in this town. I've just come down these stairs when we noticed each other.

Our eyes met, but I didn't look away. Neither did she.

The moment I noticed that...I think that's when I fell for her.

Day in, day out, we'd meet at the bottom of the stairs. It'd be a long day, and both of us would be tired.

It was kind of a game, to see who'd make the first step. You'd have to climb all the way up in one go, no stops. If you failed, you'd have to carry the other one's bag up to the top.

No matter what happened, you had to do it. It's simply what we agreed on.

Of course, back then, neither of us knew what love was, or even how relationships worked.

But in time, it started to make sense. We got closer, we even became a couple.

It was a day not too different from this one.

The cherry trees were in full blossom, and the sun was shining.

She asked me to meet her at the temple, said I should take the stairs.

When I finally got there, I saw her. She was waiting for me at the top, looking more beautiful than I've ever seen her.

She wore this yellow dress. It really isn't anything fancy, but at that moment, there was nothing in the world that would've looked better on her.

I made my way up, not sparing myself.

Of course, it was too much for my lungs to handle, and I ended up losing my breath on the penultimate step.

I'll never forget her smile, or the way she looked at me then.

"Go on Mikhail, take the final step."

A single step changed everything...

"..."

Come to think of it, I'm feeling as winded as I did back then. Perhaps I should take a break...

I check my watch, noticing that it's just past noon.

Damn, I'm late. She won't let me hear the end of this. Guess I'll just push on...

The shrine is where we had our first kiss. It wasn't perfect, we hardly knew what we were doing... But it felt right.

As we let go of each other, she was blushing. I smiled, and she smiled back.

She took my hand, and we started walking, neither one of us able to say a word.

We haven't stopped smiling since.

...

But damn, what's with me today? I'm losing my breath too fast...

It's the heat, it has to be... I shouldn't push myself.

Grabbing onto the railing, I take a moment to rest.

Just as I do so, my phone starts ringing.

"Hey Kanon."

I hear something like a soft gasp, like she didn't expect me to recognize she's calling.

"You know calling me by name like that makes me feel weird..."

I grin. "Sorry, I can't help it."

There's something like a stomp on the other side, followed by her voice again.

"Just hurry up, ok?"

"Don't worry, I'll be there in a flash."

I turn of the phone again, heading up the stairs once more.

It wasn't much of a rest, but it'll do.

Just a bit more, and I'll see her again.

There's so many things to do, so many opportunities.

Every day, just the two of us. I'll ask her to drink with me, she'll know what i mean by that.

After all, that's why I love her. It's not just her looks and charm. It's the way she can understand the meaning behind everything I say, and how she understands why I say it.

Sometimes, it's seems like it's the words we never actually spoke that mean the most.

With summer break just starting, we'll have all the time we would ever need.

Late nights at the beach, plenty of booze, music... Young people enjoying themselves, gathering stories and living life the way they want, with nothing to hold them back.

I slowly start drifting into my fantasy...

"..."

No...no, not now, dammit!

I miss the final step, my foot bending in an unnatural angle.

Pain shoots through the entirety of my leg, startling me and sending a shiver up and down my spine.

My balance lost, I feel myself slowly falling backwards.

Failing my hands wildly, I try and grab hold of something, to no avail. I'm standing in the middle of the stairs, and the railing is just beyond my grasp.

Air escapes my lungs, carrying with it a sound that barely sounds human. After that, I can't hear anything anymore.

Slowly, the clear blue sky overtakes my vision, the safety of firm ground out of both sight and mind.

In some way, I make peace with what's about to happen. There's only a single thought in my head.

"What a hot day..."

Pain becomes my world for only a moment. After that, it's all black.

...