Eight Years Later

A young woman with golden hair gazed out the window as the plane came to a landing. She gripped the seat in anxiety with each second that was closer to her disembarking.

Though she was nervous being absent for eight years with no contact or explanation, she wore a tiny smile on her face, hoping everyone was well and wouldn't be mad.

As the plane was at a complete stop, with some assistance from the flight attendant, she grabbed her luggage from the top shelf. She pulled the handle and began rolling and carrying her bags to the gate. She walked through the tunnel thinking, It's great to be home.

X.X.X.

Outside an apartment complex in Nagoya, a man with reddish-brown hair knocked on his friend's door. "Fujisaki, I know you're in there!"

Right as he was about to slam his fist into the door, a man with purple hair opened it, rubbing his eyes. "Kirishma-kun, please come in," he greeted. The two walked into the living room. "Why are you up this early? It's barely eight." Finishing his yawn, he noticed the smile on his face.

"I quit my job after earning enough yen. And I've been bored since we graduated. I figured I'd check on you. What's new with you?" The same smile stayed on his face.

No matter how much it seemed suspicious, Nagihiko didn't question. "Same here. It's been boring," he replied. "Enough yen for what?" Though he wanted to know, he didn't ask because he also had enough yen to buy something.

The friends, after graduating high school, attended Nagoya University on a basketball scholarship. Neither of them knew what classes to take. They ended up majoring in engineering.

Nagihiko and Kirishma shared a conversation before the former went into his kitchen for food. He asked his friend if he wanted anything. All he requested was water. As the purple-haired man went to fetch the item, Kirishma looked around. Although he knew the apartment in his sleep, he had to act like he stumbled upon something accidentally.

When Nagihiko came back, he saw studying a picture by the window. He chucked the water at him prior to relaxing on the couch, sipping his water. Kirishma sat in the recliner.

"I couldn't help but see this. How is everyone doing?"

Kirishma flashed the picture at Nagihiko. It was his high school graduation picture – also known as the last picture with her in eight years. He was in contact with everyone, except one person, so he knew what they were up to. He went one by one through the people in the picture, omitting one person.

His sister got the chance to study abroad and perfect her dancing abilities in Europe. Tadase moved to Hokkaido to study law, politics and government. Amu was two and a half hours away; she was in Kyoto with her pastry chef cousin still deciding what she wanted to be.

Like Nadeshiko, Lulu was in Europe. She resided in France to follow her parents' footsteps of a famous chef and actress. Similar to Amu, Yaya was indecisive. For now, she was a nanny. Kairi, after hanging out with Ikuto, chose to become a police officer.

When Nagihiko finished explaining, Kirishma knew he purposely skipped her. He didn't say anything yet as he grabbed another picture. "What were these three up to?"

It was their college graduation. There were only five of them in the picture, opposed to the other one which had more. Everybody was busy except for Kukai, Utau and Ikuto.

Yukari allowed Utau and Kukai to travel to America to promote her career. While they were there, however, they did more than that. The two had eloped when they returned. Ikuto, on the other hand, had traveled to third world countries to teach and play music.

When the Tsukiyomi siblings returned from their trip for Kirishma and Nagihiko's graduation, they found an unexpected surprise in their house: their parents.

Once again, the purple-haired man had his friend up-to-date. His friend frowned as he reclined in the chair. He took a sip of water prior to bringing her up. "That's interesting. Are they still doing that? Where are they now?"

"I'm not sure. The last any of them responded was last week and they were busy preparing for something."

"I see." Kirishma paused seconds before resuming to his earlier thought. "You didn't mention Rima-chan." He smirked seeing his friend's reaction.

Nagihiko breathed in and out, regaining his calm composure. With sadness he mumbled, "I really miss her."

Pleased by his answer, Kirishma smiled. "That's to be expected." He wanted to keep the secret a while longer.

"I guess." Nagihiko looked up from the ground. "How do you and Yua-chan manage not being together so long as six months? You're stuck in Nagoya while she's all over Japan and Asia for her career! Do you ever wonder if she's well? Or if you're ever going to see her soon? That she's missing you as much as you miss her?"

Kirishma tilted his head. "Nah. All I think about is if she's flirting or cheating on me with other guys. I mean, uh…" He covered his mouth. That was the worst answer for his friend.

"That gave me hope. Thanks Kirishma," Nagihiko said sarcastically. When Rima left, they had broken up; Nagihiko knew if she fell in love with another person, there'd be no chance.

Kirishma sweat dropped. "It's probably not the same. Those two are best friends, but it doesn't mean they're that similar. I doubt Rima-chan would do that." It was silent for a bit until Kirishma checked his watch. "Anyways, it's past eight. We're going to be late if you don't get ready."

Nagihiko narrowed his eyes. "Where are we going?"

X.X.X.

Five minutes past noon, Nagihiko hit the brakes when Kirishma told them they arrived. His eyes widened when he saw that his friend led them to his house in Tokyo. Before he could question, Kirishma was already out, grabbing their bags.

Nagihiko shadowed and examined the house. "Kirishma-kun, why are we here? Not that I didn't want to see my parents…" he trailed. His dad called him some days ago saying that Rima's dad was helping him with the dance lessons in Tokyo. "Kirishma-kun?"

Sis friend was already standing on the porch. "I can't go in without you. You have the key after all."

Nagihiko walked to the porch and unlocked the door. Right as it opened, Nagihiko inched forward and Kirishma stepped back. "Kirishma-kun, you haven't answered yet. Why are we—"

In seconds of entering, a figure tackled Nagihiko to the ground. "Nagi!" she exclaimed.

He was in awe. "N-Nadeshiko?" His sister smiled as he helped him up. "Shouldn't you be in Europe preparing for—"

She giggled. "On the contraire, darling brother. My plans were in Tokyo." She yanked his wrist and took him somewhere.

Before going anywhere, Nagihiko hauled Kirishma. "If I'm going, he's going also." While they were walking the halls, Nagihiko whispered to Kirishma, "Are you a part of this? What are you—"

Nadeshiko stopped in front of the dancing studio. "We're here." She motioned for Nagihiko to open it. He did as he was told, wondering what they were up to. When the doors were drawn, he was greeted by a surprise. Shouts of his various nicknames filled the room.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked going forward. "Don't you have plan?" He looked at everybody. They were all here except one person.

A man with auburn hair laughed. "Our plan was for us to reunite in Tokyo." Kukai walked over to his friend and gave him a slight noogie. "We knew there was no better day than today," he winked. Amu, Yaya, Lulu and Nadeshiko whacked him, thinking he was giving away too much information. "I didn't say anything!"

"Say what?" Nagihiko was confused. He was even more confused when he realized that another person was missing. "Where's your wife, Souma-kun?"

Kukai held up his hand with a band on it. He pondered. "Oh, Utau? She's with—"

This time Ikuto, Kairi and Tadase hit him across the back. "Too much!"

That made Kukai shut up the rest of the time. Although Nagihiko was getting suspicious with what was happening, he pushed it away. The group of friends minus Kirishma, who vanished, caught up. During their friendly reunion, his and Rima's dad popped their heads in chuckling saying that they knew a secret.

Nadeshiko slammed the door in their faces before they could say it. She laughed nervously. An hour passed when Kirishma finally returned.

"Dude, where were you?" Nagihiko asked.

"I went to Rikka's, who by the way, wants to see you," he smiled. Nagihiko nodded and headed for the door. When the purple-haired man wasn't paying attention, Kirishma winked at the group.

They exited the Fujisaki household and went to the Mashiro's. The door was wide open. Nagihiko knocked on the front door, letting the owners know they were coming in.

Rikka, now a teenager, ran toward Nagihiko.

"Nagi-kun, I haven't seen you in so long!" she shouted.

Nagihiko chuckled. "Same. You've grown so much. I bet you're taller than your sister," he joked.

Rikka held onto her secret. "Yeah. Let's go in the living room!" She pulled on Nagihiko's wrist with Kirishma trailing.

Rikka's mother welcomed Nagihiko, offering him food. He rejected politely. Rikka turned the TV on and they watched for a bit prior to hearing a piano melody. Nagihiko had to investigate, telling Rikka to stay close. She rolled her eyes, making Nagihiko smile. She reminded him so much of Rima.

He walked into where the piano was. Nagihiko's jaw dropped when he saw a woman with orange hair and blue eyes. She looked up from the piano and smiled. "Long time no see, Nagihiko." She got up, hugging the shocked man. "What, it's not great to see me?" she joked.

Nagihiko chuckled. "Nice to see you, Yua-chan. Does Kirishma-kun know you're here? He misses—"

Somebody interrupted him. "Of course, he knows she's here," a tall blonde with twin pigtails declared. She grinned. "Welcome back, Nagihiko!" she gestured for a hug.

The man chuckled once again. "Is this the big surprise your husband and others were trying to tell me?" Utau cursed under her breath.

"I knew it, Utau-san. You shouldn't have trusted Kukai-kun." Yua wagged her finger.

Nagihiko was puzzled as ever. Utau was already in Tokyo, so it was no surprise, but if Yua's return wasn't the surprise, what was it? "What's the surprise?"

The two beauty queens broke from their conversation about the soccer-loving dunce. "The surprise?"

"What's so special that Kirishma-kun made me drive here?" Nagihiko scanned his surroundings. "By the way, where is he and Rikka-chan?"

They gulped. Yua turned him around, putting his back to them. "We'll go find them. Just count to—"

Nagihiko felt a breeze. He didn't bother turning around; he knew they were gone. What a strange day, he thought.

He sighed and glanced at the pictures hung on the wall. A frown grew with each picture he saw of Rima. He mumbled her name before sighing again. Soon enough, footsteps were approaching him. A pair of petite hands covered his brown eyes. The frown disappeared and was replaced with a gentle laugh. "Funny, Rikka-chan. Where did the others go?"

There was silence before hand's owners spoke up.

"Glad to know you missed me." Nagihiko removed the hands. His eyes widened as he turned around. "Sorry, I disappeared for eight years, Nagihiko." The blonde woman's hands fidgeted under his gaze. "Do you think you could forgive me?" When the person across from her didn't say anything, she waved a hand. "Nagihiko? Nagihiko? Ugh, you're—"

He bent down and kissed her swiftly on the cheek. "Of course I missed you." He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "If you could forgive me so many times in the past, then I should be able to forgive you now." She eased.

Suddenly, a chorus of 'aww' rang. They broke from their hug and saw their friends and Rikka, a smile on each of their faces.

Kirishma and Yua stepped forward. "Kukai-kun, want to do the honors?"

Kukai walked up to Nagihiko and Rima. "Yo, Fujisaki-kun, the reason all of us were planning last week for our reunion today is because Rima's back!" He grinned.

Everybody laughed as they welcomed Rima home.

X.X.X.

A few days later

Nagihiko escaped into his old room after helping his dad with dance lessons. Gazing out his window, he saw Rima's; he fumbled for his phone, dialing the number. He waited for her to answer.

Rima bit her lip when she saw Nagihiko calling. "Kirishma-kun, Nagihiko's calling. What do I say?"

She turned to her childhood friend who was paying for their lunch. He shrugged his shoulders. "Just say you're with me. He can't be mad, can he?" With that, after paying, he excused himself for the bathroom.

Rima accepted the call. "Nagihiko?"

"Hey Rima-chan. I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date tonight."

No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't, not yet anyways. "I can't tonight, but I'll let you know."

Nagihiko frowned. "I-It's no problem. What are you up to right now? Do you want to—"

That's when he heard Kirishma's voice on Rima's line. "Rima-chan, we better get going."

"Uh, Nagihiko, I'll call you later."

The line went dead. Nagihiko's eyes widened as he rubbed his temples. He wondered why Rima was Kirishma. The day after the two arrived in Tokyo, Kirishma went over to Rima's house after her and Nagihiko's dates.

Nagihiko wasn't too worried, seeing as he was dating Yua. What if his college buddy, however, was falling in love with his childhood friend again? He couldn't just assume that because Kirishma and Yua went out on a date every night also. There's something bugging Nagihiko. Why did Kirishma all that yen for?

Nadeshiko walked into his room interrupting his thoughts. She was informing him that she was going to the mall and asking if he wanted to also. "With Utau-chan and Yua-chan, we might need somebody besides Kukai-kun to hold the bags," she stated.

He had the choice to mope with the idea of his friend stealing his girl or forget it for a while and be with his other friends.

"Count me in."

X.X.X.

Nagihiko was bored. He told his friends that he'd meet up with them later. Kukai wanted to go also, but Utau wouldn't let him. She wanted his opinion on the 12 pairs of shoes she was considering. "I'd rather take my chances with a squirrel!"

The purple-haired man strolled through the park. He bought ice cream at a cart and sat on a bench next to a fountain. Everything was peaceful. He sat there a while longer before standing and going the rest of the way.

He smiled to himself, nearly forgetting his earlier problem. It would've been forgotten if he hadn't spotted Kirishma and Rima in the corner; he hid behind a tree to watch them.

For the longest time, they just sat and talked. Nagihiko sighed in relief, thinking he was over-reacting. When he was about to go on his way and not mention him spying, he saw something.

Kirishma got down on one knee in front of Rima. He pulled out a box and extended it toward her. Nagihiko heard those words.

"I love you so much. Will you marry me?" he asked.

Rima paused. Without hesitation, she smiled and replied, "Yes."

Nagihiko was stunned. As he walked off, he snapped a few branches, leaves and twigs. He quickly went the way he came in, hoping they didn't hear or see him. He reached the mall. Stepping in, he immediately bumped into someone. Nagihiko reached out for their hand. "Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No worries, Nagihiko. I was actually looking for you. Kukai-kun needs helps carrying the bags. Utau-san pounded it on him." Nagihiko's eyes widened prior to dropping her hand. He stared at Kyoto's famous model, knowing she didn't have a clue what her boyfriend and best friend were up to. "Something wrong?"

Nagihiko shook his head. "Nothing. Where are they?"

Yua led the way. When they were almost there, he received a new message from Kirishma. Nagihiko thought that he must've seen his escape. He sighed and decided to read it later.

"Nagihiko, you sure you're alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

X.X.X.

A week later

Nagihiko was leaning on the walls of the dance room cross-legged with Rima's head on his lap. She was on the verge of losing it. Her head jolted and she faced Nagihiko.

"How long are our dads going to take? Do they really need us here?" she fumed.

Nagihiko chuckled. "Now, now, Rima-chan. Be patient. They probably stopped by the kitchen." He actually knew where they were, but he didn't want to tell her.

Her head fell onto his shoulder. "I'm hungry," she complained. "I can't stay here all day, it's boring." She pouted and crossed her arms.

Same Rima as ever. He put an arm around her and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Does that make it better?"

"No," she replied flatly.

Nagihiko pretended to be offended. "Really? Then I guess I'll go to the opposite corner and work on being more entertaining." He got up, causing Rima's head to nearly hit the floor, if she hadn't stopped herself in time.

"I was kidding, purple-head." She glared. "When can we go? We're adults now, but our parents still treat us like kids! And what's wrong with you? This past week, you and Kirishma-kun have gone cuckoo. Is that what living in Nagoya does to you?" Her stomach rumbled. She continued with her questions. "What time is it?"

Nagihiko glanced at the door and saw their dads. They gave the signal and ran off, wishing him luck. The purple-haired man nodded and grabbed Rima's hand. "It's time to go."

"What about—"

"Who cares? You're hungry, right? Let's get dinner."

"Alright." As they exited the room, Rima thumped him on the head; he glared. "Why didn't you think of that earlier?" Nagihiko rubbed the spot. They passed the living room then went out the door. "Weren't the others in there when we were dragged into the dance room against our wills?"

Well, everyone except Yua who had an important interview and photo shoot.

Nagihiko shook his head. "You must be hungrier than I thought." He rubbed her stomach playfully.

"Funny," she commented as they got into the car.

X.X.X.

They arrived at a fancy restaurant. Rima's eyes widened. "We're eating here?" She examined her informal attire of a shirt and skirt and glanced at Nagihiko's nice clothing. "Why didn't you say we were eating here?"

He helped Rima out of the car. "Rima-chan, what you're wearing is fine. Trust me."

She followed him into the restaurant, feeling people's stares as the waiter showed them to a table. He handed them menus, giving them a few minutes to look it over. Before he left, however, he dropped a velvet box into Nagihiko's hand. He hid it in his jacket pocket as Rima scanned the menu.

She looked up. "You never took me to a restaurant like this when we dated," she observed.

It was true, which is why Nagihiko chose this place. He sipped the water that was already on the table. "Yeah, because I knew you didn't like them. Besides, since we aren't dating, then—" he slightly chocked as Rima kicked him from under the table.

"Excuse me?" Nagihiko was shocked. She interrupted him earlier than he thought. "Come again? We're not dating?" She laid a hand across the table. "Nagihiko, I know I was gone for eight years, but, um, well… I still like you..."

Nagihiko kept his cool. "I like you too, Rima-chan, but you can't date an engaged woman," he stated casually.

Rima blinked once. Twice. On the third, she kicked him under the table again. "You can't date—I'm engaged! Since when! And to whom?"

Nagihiko was starting to sweat. "You know. Kirishma-kun. Last week, I saw him propose to you at the park. It took me for a shock, but I accepted it. So when's the wedding?"

Rima face-palmed and flicked him in the forehead. "You were spying? Wait… That's not the point! You actually thought Kirishma-kun was proposing to me? He loves Yua! He was practicing saying it to her on me. He didn't even have a ring; it was an empty box!" Nagihiko knew that already though. "I can't believe you'd think I'd do that to Yua. And especially since I love you!" Her face flushed as she avoided the eyes of the person across.

Nagihiko stood up now and headed for the door, smiling that everything was timed perfectly. He handed the waiter some yen before Rima caught up. He exited; Rima desperately trying to understand what just happened.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rima questioned.

"Just get in the car," he ordered.

She got inside and Nagihiko drove through Tokyo. Rima tried asking him where they were going, but in reply, he turned on the radio. He tweaked the station until he got to the right one, pleading he didn't miss it.

"... On her interview earlier, Sakurai-san's childhood friend and long-time boyfriend proposed to her." The person announced. "Coincidentally, those two started dating after a friend of our favorite model confessed for her. To that friend, you did a good thing. You got to love—"

Rima flipped the radio off. "There, you happy! Those two are engaged. I'm not engaged and I doubt I'll be getting anytime soon." She glanced at Nagihiko, then faced the other way.

Nagihiko chuckled, pretending to be shocked. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Rima."

"Humph." She refused to look at him, having no acknowledgement on how he truly felt about her. It was quiet for a while until Rima's gurgling stomach broke it. She shushed it. "So where are we going?"

"We're getting dinner. You're hungry, right?" He winked at her. "And this time, it's a date."

Rima rolled her eyes. "If you hadn't gone crazy at that restaurant, we could've eaten there, no matter how much looks I received for being underdressed."

The short blonde woman muttered incoherent words when there was no response.

A few moments later, the car stopped. Nagihiko pulled into a grainy parking lot. Rima peered out the window. She saw a trace of the sun setting on the horizon; waves were crashing to the shore. "Why are we at Uchiura beach?" She rotated. "Nagihiko?"

Her door opened. "Come on." He held out his hand. "See, you're not underdressed at all." He removed his jacket, slipping the velvet box into his back pocket.

"You didn't answer my question, purple-head. Why are we—"

Nagihiko took her hand and led her to the beach where lights, lanterns and a table for two were waiting for them. "Dinner is served," he smiled.

Rima stared in shock. Nagihiko helped her through the sand to the table; he pulled out the chair. Sitting down, Rima was still confused. "How did you do this?"

Nagihiko sitting across started laughing. "Why do you think I stalled in the room for that long? Everybody went to get this ready." He pointed at the table and empty beach.

"How come you took me to that other restaurant?" she asked, examining the food.

"I had to get something and to kill time. Don't be afraid; Nadeshiko and Lulu-chan made it." He chuckled. "I knew Kirishma-kun was proposing to Yua-chan, at least after he explained everything; I went with him to get the ring. I needed a way to get out of the restaurant, so I brought up that I spied on you." He sipped his glass of wine. "I waited for his message to say that he proposed to Yua and expected it to be announced on the radio."

Rima pouted, not understanding why he did that. She threw her hands in the air being stubborn and refusing to accept Nagihiko's idea. "What was so important you had to get at the restaurant? Did you—"

Nagihiko silenced her as he stood from his chair and kissed her softly. "I'll tell you after dinner."

X.X.X.

Once they finished dinner and watched the sunset, they walked hand-in-hand along the shore, not before Rima removed her shoes. Every couple of steps, the water rushed to her ankles. She'd shiver from the temperature. Nagihiko asked if the water was cold. Rima smirked before bending down and splashing water at him to see for himself. "Rima!"

She laughed and ran ahead. "Catch me if you can." Her bare feet pounded on the wet sand.

"You're really going to ask that." In moments, Nagihiko not only caught up with her, but splashed her back.

"Hey!" Nagihiko laughed. "Why I ought to…" In an attempt to push him, Rima ran forward. She tripped on her own feet in the process, however.

Nagihiko caught her. "Was that your attempt to push me in?" he smirked. "Still not the athletic type, huh?"

Rima pulled away and pouted. "It's not my fault. Besides, I like the way I am," she stated.

Nagihiko grinned and knew that this was his chance. "Hey, Rima," he called. She rotated and narrowed her eyes. He moved from the wet sand to the dry. He sat down and gazed at her. "There, I fell," he laughed.

"Is the wine is starting to get to you. I'm driving the way home." She reached out for the keys.

He shook his head in response. "I'm not drunk. I have something to tell you."

Rima snapped her fingers. "That's right! What did you need to get at that restaurant?" No response. "Didn't you hear me? Did you get sand in your ears? Did—Nagihiko?" She watched in silence as Nagihiko began writing something on the sand. Her eyes widened as Nagihiko stood, cleaning off his clothes, then kneeled on one knee. "What are you doing? Couldn't you just tell me without having to do—Never mind, you don't have to tell me! Just can you—"

Nagihiko pulled out the small velvet box he asked Kirishma to drop at the restaurant so he could hide it from Rima. He chuckled at her reaction. "Kirishma-kun wasn't the only one who had enough yen and thought he needed a ring."

Rima smiled softly and waited for Nagihiko to speak.

"The moment you left, I already knew I wouldn't like anyone in the same way as you… I still feel the same as I did when I first met you through our windows. I realized that I will always love you, no matter what. You may be stubborn and impatient at times, but you're funny and caring most of the time. Rima, I love you so much. Will you marry—"

She blurted, "Yes!"

Nagihiko laughed. "Emphasis on impatient at times." He stood and placed the ring on her finger. He wrapped his arms around her waist while she put hers around his neck. Nagihiko lifted her up and kissed her softly for a bit. They slowly broke apart.

"You know what I'm thinking?" she questioned innocently.

"How crazy our moms are going to be planning the wedding?" Nagihiko joked.

"Okay, that," she halted, "and how things can change to be perfect."

"You're still bringing up Nadeshiko's theory of that?" He paused. "It is true though." He placed his forehead against hers.

He placed her gently on the ground; she inched away. "I was kidding. I had another thing in mind, but you'll have to catch me again." She grabbed her shoes and ran for the car.

Nagihiko was about to chase her but stopped when his phone rang a thousand times with missed calls and messages from friends and family asking if she agreed. He chuckled and decided to wait to get home and tell everybody in person.

He gathered the plates, cups and utensils they used for dinner in the tablecloth before going to the car. Rima was putting on her shoes. "Took you long enough," she teased. "I win!"

Nagihiko let her have her victory as he dumped the silverware into the backseat and got into the driver's. Rima sat in the passenger seat. In the middle of their drive, Nagihiko grasped Rima's hand. "I will always love you, Rima."

Rima smiled, thinking of what she meant to say earlier. Perhaps Nagihiko could understand.

She died inside every day being apart from Nagihiko. She waited for the day she was able to return without fear that he'd be angry at her. The chance arrived and she found him with his heart still belonging to her. Rima's loved Nagihiko for all the time she was gone and even before that when she moved in. She'll love him for years to come when they're married and have a family.

Nagihiko smiled, holding her hand tighter.

Here's to a thousand more memories together.

End.

And that my friends concludes 'Everything Can Change.' I want to thank everybody for reading to the end and sticking with me through laziness and procrastination. I wouldn't have finished it without you! :)

If you'd like to help decide my next story (I currently have 3 ideas), send me a PM, please!

Happy Heart Day!

P.S. Thanks Lilypad, Halo and Gemmy for helping! (Like you had a choice though.)

~Hallie