The first time I met him, I was a mess. My family was in a verge of being broken, my best friend loved and snatched my boyfriend after our fifth year anniversary and my school director had just told me that I had to quit school or pay them my tuition fees. I was emotionally broken. Everything I loved and knew just seemed to run away from me.

I stood at the side of the wall and saw somebody.

When he looked at me, I saw beautiful eyes. I was in the train station then. We were the only ones waiting for the train to arrive. I looked away from his piercing eyes, then he approached me.

'Can I talk to you?' He asked. Obviously, I knew he had spoken to me. It's not possible for him to suddenly talk to the ticketing booth a mile away from him. So I turned to him and smiled.

As sudden as he approached me, he asked me if he could have a date with me, once was enough was what he said. I was truly taken back. When I asked him why, he told me that he clearly liked me, I laughed. For the first time in three months, I laughed so heartily that even I didn't believe it.

I saw the train coming, and I saw his hopeful eyes. I didn't even know his name!

Slowly, I smiled a sad smile.

'Then would you save me from myself?' I asked him. Evidently he looked confused. I turned towards the rails and slowly walked. The train was drawing closer. I wanted to do what I came there to do. I wanted to die.

As I was only a step away to jump, the man who just asked me out seemed to realize what I had said and what I wanted to do. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to his side.

'Why save me?' I asked him. He liked me, that's what he said a while ago, but that's not reason enough.

'Now you owe me a date' he answered. His arms tightening around me, I felt his warmth. Though I did not want to, my eyes involuntarily cried.

After our little accident, we came down town to drink coffee.

We didn't say anything for a few minutes. I suppose the two of us didn't know what to say. I mean, who would? When the person you like wants to jump in front of a train, would you know what to say? That's definitely a no, I know.

As I sipped my vanilla cappuccino, I began to feel more comfortable with the silence, too bad it didn't last long. He asked me my name, and so I told him who I was, how old I was and how I didn't appreciate his presence at the moment.

Unexpectedly, he laughed. I had to smile to myself because of him. Just how crazy was this guy? I kept thinking.

He jokingly asked when our next meeting would be. I didn't answer him, I just kept sipping my drink.

When I realized that I still didn't know who he was, I asked him his name.

'Hyuuga. Hyuuga Natsume.' he answered.

I looked at him closely. He was handsome, gorgeous, even. The first time I saw his eyes, I knew I was captivated. I never knew crimson red was so devastatingly beautiful. I thought red was only for the color of blood. I only know him for a few hours, yet it felt like I knew him forever. His smiles were cute, he was cuter than a puppy. He was mysterious. It's like knowing something you don't understand.

We kept seeing each other for 3 months. Although, it was unspoken, we knew we loved each other. I shared my tragic story, I cried on his shoulders, he understood me, he loved me, and he cared for me. All those, I knew. What I didn't know was his story.

No. After a long three months, I still don't know anything about him. He didn't tell me, I didn't want to pry. We just kept seeing each other. If he doesn't want me to know anything about his past, then I could, can and will respect that.

It was then that I realized that I did know at least something about him.

He loved strawberries. He'll go as far as kill somebody for it. He didn't like me wearing something skimpy, he says it draws too much attention on me and he didn't like that.

Sometimes, he'd tease me, un-mercilessly. He says I look cute when angry. I didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult but nevertheless, I always forgive him.

Suddenly, my life was starting to turn again. Whenever I feel lonely and feel like I'm going to choke and suffocate, he's there. He helps me on my feet. He gave me something I want to live for. He saved me, saved me from my loneliness, from my pain, from everything that was fucking and destroying my life. He saved me from myself, from my darkness. And I don't know how to pay him back. Yes, I loved and still love him. But was that enough? Was my being beside him good enough? I kept on asking myself all these questions. For all he's done for me, I didn't think being by his side was enough.

After three months and three weeks, my mother and father finally and legally divorced. It was expected. I had known from the start that there will be a day when my family really will be broken as I have feared. Really, it was expected and I knew it but it sure didn't stop me from crying myself to death. That day I stayed in my room with him. He knew what happened. He held me the entire day. He never left me alone and he didn't mind my tears, sweat and snot drenching his shirt. He sure as hell didn't complain about it.

By the time I stopped crying, it was night. The both of us were dying of hunger, after all, he didn't leave me alone and I never ate that day. He cooked, we ate, and we slept together. No we didn't do 'it'. Although we were fairly close to each other and love each other, we agreed that doing 'it' will be reserved for later, later being after we see each other for a certain time.

It didn't take too long for me to get used to my parents being divorced. I had to act strong at home for my little sister, Mika. She was only 8. Compared to her, I have gotten used to our parents constant arguing and fighting. Every time our parents shout, my poor little sister would cry and I would be by her side when they do. Now, my parents are fighting in court for me and my sister. Eventually, my father won and Mika and I now live with our father. I didn't know much about what happened to our mother after that. The truth was, I didn't care. I didn't care as long as I can see Mika and Natsume. My life was already a mess anyway, so why should I care about unnecessary things?

I wasn't really fond of my father. In fact, I don't have any good memories regarding my father. He was never really at home when I was a child. When he was at home, my mother and he would fight and shout, and then I would go hide in my room, singing something happy in hopes that I wouldn't hear any noise outside my room.

Even as my sister and I lived with our father, we never really got the chance to see him at home because he goes at work every day.

One day, he saw Natsume and I in the park. I was afraid, afraid that he might be against my seeing of Natsume. I was surprised when he frowned but told Natsume to come by our house for dinner that day.

My own sister did not know that I was dating somebody, so she was surprised to see me, our father and a stranger at home that night. She probably thought it was strange since our father doesn't normally eat dinner at home and it was rare that we have any guest.

Despite the fact that I didn't care about what my father will say about Natsume, I was still nervous. Sure, if my father says I can't see Natsume anymore, I still will. That didn't mean that deep down inside, I wanted my father to approve of him, for him to see what kind of man I loved.

My father kept on asking Natsume questions, many questions. My father never smiled throughout dinner, but after dinner, he told us to never do the thing that can make a woman pregnant and other embarrassing things I don't want to recall. All in all, he told us that Natsume was a good man and that he approves of us as long as we didn't do anything risky. My father, he smiled. When I saw him smile, I didn't know why but I was really happy. I could have jumped higher than Mt. Fuji because of happiness. I never saw him smile before, never. But now I could feel my tears forming in my eyes, unshed. I could see Mika thought the same thing because she hugged father and cried.

When I locked eyes with Natsume, I hugged him although I knew father was watching and was frowning again. At that time I thought that nothing could go wrong and destroy this happiness. How wrong I was.

I was at Natsume's small apartment when a stranger came and told Natsume to come home. At first I didn't know what it was about, but as Natsume and the stranger shouted, I understood. Natsume ran away from home. That was why he didn't want to tell me anything, it was because he ran away from his past. The stranger and Natsume yelled at each other. I could more or less hear and understand what they were saying.

'I told you, I don't want to come back!' Natsume yelled and grabbed the door to close it but was stopped by the stranger.

'Your father wants you to marry the Koizumi family as soon as possible. You will come home whether you like it or not.' The stranger told Natsume with a stern tone.

Natsume kicked the stranger in tuxedo and yelled 'Don't ever come back here again!'.

Natsume panted as he returned to sit by my side.

We were silent as minutes passed by, until a ring from my phone broke the silence.

I answered weakly, 'hello?'

I could hear the crying from the other line, It worried me.

'Sis… mama… mama, she- she's gone..' I hear between sobs. Dread spread in my veins. Panic reached my being and I immediately started questioning my sobbing sister who was replaced by my father's voice.

My mother was involved in an incident at a bank, she was killed as a police officer tried to talk sense to the hold uppers, the bad people panicked and started shooting at my mother. She had five bullet holes, one on her head and four on her chest.

When I heard about what happened, I didn't move for a second. Natsume asked what was wrong. I didn't even notice the tears were flowing in my face. I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything, I just kept on weeping silently. I felt warmth envelop me, Natsume hugged me. I hugged him back.

When I came to the hospital, Natsume accompanied me. I was truthfully scared of going there by myself, so I was grateful to him. When I saw my crying father and sister, I ran to them and hugged them tightly. My father asked me not to see my mother's corps, it was too horrifying and grotesque, I wouldn't be able to take it. My head had been pounding in pain because of crying. The whole time, the one who stood by my side and grabbed a hold of my hand was Natsume. I didn't care if he ran away from his home. All that mattered was that I loved him and that I'd never question him.

After a few days, it was my birthday. Although it was supposed to be a happy day, I, my family and Natsume couldn't bring ourselves to celebrate. My mother died just a couple of days ago and her dying isn't as easy as her and father divorcing. Them divorcing wasn't as bad, it didn't mean that I'd never see any one of them ever again. It was too painful, we didn't get over it even after a month.

After an investigation, the police told us that my mother had been preparing for my birthday, which was why she was getting money from the bank. At hearing this, I cried again and again. I remembered her smiling at me when I graduated pre-school, remember her feeding me when I was still small. All those things might be little but I treasured them… they were the only reminder for me that my mother had cared for me when she was still alive, and she did care for me, I just learnt it in the harshest way.

At home, my father was trying his best to look strong. He worked day and night then bid me and my sister goodnight every day. He was looking more and more tired by the day.

Meanwhile, Natsume never left me alone, literally. My father granted him permission to stay at our house for a while to take care of me and Mika when he's not around at day. Mostly, I figured why Natsume wanted to stay by my side the whole time, he probably thought that I'd try to kill myself again. Why not? I told myself. Mother's death was my fault. If she didn't get money for my birthday then… then she'd still be alive today.

The whole day I kept an eye on the kitchen knife. I didn't know why I wanted to live anymore. Was living this painful and difficult? I didn't know anymore. Then, against my will, I remembered my father, my sister and most of all, Natsume. Would they go through the same pain I'm going through if I die? My father, will he be able to take care of himself and Mika if I were to die? Will Mika mourn for her sister? How about Natsume? Would he blame himself? Would he care that I died? Would he go back to his home and marry someone suited for him? A shot of pain came through my chest. The idea of Natsume with another girl was achingly painful. Even imagining it would be enough to kill me. I stopped it all. I stopped thinking about all of it.

As days pass by, I slowly got better, thanks to my family and Natsume. I didn't think much about mother's death anymore and I tried to turn my attention to my sister and my father. I worried about my father's health, he was working too hard for the past few weeks, I told him about it and he just smiled and told me to stop worrying. Even Natsume was starting to worry me, he had been visited by unwanted people every week and it was wearing him down. His family was desperate to bring him back.

When I told him that he should at least visit his house and tell them what he really thought, he dismissed it immediately, claiming that his stubborn father would never listen to him because his old man never did when he had been at home. I kissed his hand and told him it would be alright. He embraced me and muttered a small thank you.

After two weeks, our life was back to normal. We never really moved on about my mother but we learned to accept that she wasn't in this world anymore. We were happy. There was a day when all of us, including my family and Natsume, went to a family park and had picnic. It had been fun and enjoyable. For me and Mika, maybe even my father, it was the first time that we had a family time. We all enjoyed it. We had barbeque cooked by natsume and a large packed bento made by Mika and myself. The day had been really good when I accidentally found my best friend and my ex-boyfriend. It was awkward to say the least. I didn't love Ruka anymore and I couldn't say that I hated my best friend, so I invited them over to our picnic. Although it was downright awkward, I could see that Hotaru and Ruka really loved each other. And I was truly happy for them, even if I did loath them once upon a time.

For a couple of hours, we were talking and happy again. Then Natsume and Ruka confessed something. It turned out that the both of them were best friends. Through Ruka, Natsume learned about me. Natsume fell in love with me and Ruka fell in love with my best friend and I was left broken hearted at the worst possible time. Then the train station incident and I fell in love with Natsume and everything worked out. That was the summary explanation of my best friend. And I loved her for it. I sincerely missed my best friend. Thank god I didn't lose her.

At that time, I had hoped that time would stop. It was everything I wanted. I fixed my friendship with my best friend and ex-boyfriend, I have Natsume and my family and we were all happy.

I truly wished that time would stop…

(AN): I feel like it's still missing something… too short? Maybe… Anyway, please R&R and tell me what you readers think about this story. Is it too depressing? Too much drama or something?

Btw, I'll add up a second chap if the readers liked it. It can be a two-shot story if people know what I mean…

For those who's got an idea about one-shot stories, if you want to suggest something then please pm me or review. See, I got a literal mind block. My laptop won't start and chapter 9 of FM is inside, I can't just redo it, it's not that easy. I'll feel really nauseous whenever I try to redo it. And so, I need some inspiration. please help me on this ^^