Author's Note:

Hey guys. I have something to say. I know I've let some of my readers down for taking so long to update this story. The reason why I haven't been able to write the last chapter was because of my anxiety.

Some of you may not know this, but I was in college when I started writing this fic. I majored in Journalism. After taking this course, I suddenly felt like my writing style changed. I decided to take a break from creative writing and focused on journalism since I wanted to excel in my field.

Then I realized that a lot of my readers had been waiting for the final chapter and so I started to write again. But I got frustrated because I didn't feel satisfied with the drafts that I made. I wrote and deleted and wrote again and deleted every word. I felt like I lost my touch.

Then my insecurities came. Writing didn't feel like my passion anymore. I felt pressured. Not just from school but also from this story as well. I want to finish this. I really do. It's just that at that time, I was in a bad place.

Whenever I started to write, I would feel all my insecurities and fears bubbling at the back of my mind. I'd get anxious and get panic attacks in the middle of writing. I didn't know how to fix it because I loved to write but at the same time it was making me feel so anxious. I honestly thought I was going crazy.

It's been almost two years since that happened. I've taken such a long break but I feel like it's time for me to come to terms with myself. I'm now ready to finish the final chapter. It may not be as well written as some of the chapters before it as I am still trying to conquer my anxiety with writing but I will do my best to give you a good ending.

I know that some of my readers have already left this story because they probably felt that I was no longer going to finish it. I understand them completely and I still thank them for giving this one a chance. For those who stayed and waited and for those who are new, thank you so much. Here's the final chapter and I hope it doesn't disappoint you.

Chapter 19 (Last Chapter)

The trees sway a calm rhythm with the wind. It's a little cloudy until the light turned dark gray. I guess it's going to rain. I look down and stare at the cold stone engraved with the name of the person I love the most. I stare at it long enough for my eyes to sting and tears threatening to spill.

"It's been a year," I mutter to the cobblestone in front of me. "One painful year of living without you." My eyes carefully let go of the tears.

"I still can't get over it, you know. I thought if I had cared enough, if I had been there enough for you, maybe—just maybe, it would've been different. I wouldn't lose you. But I was too selfish," I take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm so sorry. I will forever blame myself for everything."

As my tears kept pouring, so did the sky. Raindrops cover me as I stand in the middle of the cemetery looking helpless.

About a year ago…

Bright lights woke me. When I opened my eyes, I was already in the hospital. I felt weak. I tried to sit up but I felt a throbbing pain on my side and head. A nurse suddenly came in with a tray of food and medicine.

"Oh, miss, you shouldn't move. You fractured a rib on your left." she said as she placed the tray on my bedside table.

"My head hurts." I mumbled.

She smiled at me and fluffed a pillow. "That's because you were knocked out. Do you remember anything? There are a few policemen outside wanting to ask questions but you were unconscious so I told them to wait."

"Police? Wait, I don't…" I closed my eyes and recalled what happened.

FLASHBACK

Tora grabbed hold of the gun and pointed it at Usui's direction. I ran towards him but I was too late. He pulled the trigger but instead of hitting Usui, Hirose-san shielded his son and the bullet grazed his arm. I was tackled by one Tora's henchmen to the ground. He jabbed his fist on my stomach and almost rendered me unconscious. I shook the dizziness away and dodged a second hit from the man.

I managed to send a kick to his face which caused him to fall. Hirose-san's arm was bleeding but I could see the wound far from a serious one. The sound of shots fired caught my attention as I looked at Usui. He dodged the first bullet. I charged towards Tora's hand in an attempt to pry his fingers from the trigger.

"Misaki, it would be a waste to kill you now. Let go." Tora said in clenched jaws. I spat at him and pulled the gun from his hand but failed. "Very well." He added.

He quickly maneuvered his other hand at the back of my neck and slammed my face on his knee. I lost my balance and fell on the ground. It was only a split second before Tora fired once more. This time, Usui wasn't able to move away because of all the men tackling him at the same time.

The bullet flew straight to Usui.

"Nooooooo!" I yelled. Usui slowly dropped to the concrete floor. Blood started to come out. I ran towards him but I couldn't get near because I felt pain at the back of my skull. A man slammed a crate on my head. I collapsed to the ground with Usui's image on the floor bathing in his own blood. I could hear sirens getting nearer and nearer before falling unconscious.

I opened my eyes and tried to get out of bed hastily.

"Wait Miss! You'll hurt yourself!" The nurse immediately grabbed hold of my shoulder and tried to push me back to my bed. I had too little energy to fight with her.

"I need to see Usui. Where is he? Is he alive?" I exclaimed.

The look on the nurse's face got me worried. "Miss Ayuzawa, please calm down first. Mr. Usui's still in surgery."

My heart sank. "Is he… Is he alright?"

Her face softened as I complied and went back to bed. "We don't know yet. It's been 7 hours since the operation started. He's lost so much blood. But we're trying our best."

"Oh God."

A knock came and my father's head popped on the doorway.

"Hey. Thank God you're awake." I took a quick look at him and I immediately knew he's had no sleep—what with his children and wife in the hospital.

"Dad." He quickly wrapped his arms around me, careful with my injuries.

"When I found you and Takumi unconscious on the floor, I nearly couldn't breathe. What were you thinking?" He said as he brushed my hair.

"You were there? How?" I asked as I looked up at his face.

He sighed. "Takumi called. He told me to get the police to the docks and that you've been kidnapped by Igarashi Tora."

"Dad, it's not his fault. Please, don't blame him. He was trying to protect me all along." I pleaded.

He smiled as he held my hands. "I know. I had a long talk with Takumi's real father. I don't blame him. But I'm just not sure whether getting involved with him is wise."

My eyes widened. "Dad, what are you saying?"

He sat down on the bed and held my hands tighter. "I'm saying it's not safe to be around him anymore especially since Igarashi got away."

I took my hands away from his grasp. "Usui needs us now more than ever. How could you even think that?"

"He has his father now. He can take care of his own son." He said.

I shook my head. I couldn't believe my dad. "So what? After you figured he was a burden, you're just going to let Tora get his hands on him? You're his father too!"

"I'm your father as well!"

I grew silent. "I can't lose you… Your mother, she… she knows about the situation and it hasn't helped her condition. If you're mother dies, you're the only one I have."

"Don't say that. Mom is going to get better. We're a family and we're going to get through this."

"But Misaki—"

Suddenly another nurse came in.

"Mr. Ayuzawa, the surgery is done." He said.

Dad quickly stood up. "We'll talk later." Then off he went.

"Take me to him" I said to the nurse.

"Miss, you're in no condition to walk around—"

"Goddamn it tell me where he is!" I yelled. I was full of it. I wanted to see him. I wanted to know if he was okay.

"Wait, let me get a wheelchair. I'll take you there." She said.

She wheeled me off to Usui's room. I wasn't allowed to go in yet because Usui's father was inside. So I looked at him through the glass window. There were wires and tubes everywhere. I thought of what my father told me. I don't want to leave Usui. I love him. And it was my fault. Everything was my fault. If I hadn't gone to Tora that day, he wouldn't be lying with wires as his lifeline.

I saw my father talking to the doctor and when he saw me, he bid goodbye to the doctor and walked towards our direction.

"What did the doctor say?" I asked.

He breathed in deep before answering me. "They took the bullet out. He was shot on his right shoulder so he won't be able to use his right arm for a while. They're checking on him since he lost a lot of blood. A shot to the shoulder can still be fatal."

He looked at Usui and sighed. "He's stable. For now."

He was unconscious for almost a week. On the fifth day, I went to visit him.

"Hey idiot." I said as I sat down and placed the crutches on the side. "How you doing?"

I held his cold limp hand as I spoke. "Dad and I fought again. He's still insisting that we part ways. Don't worry. I'm not gonna leave you. We'll catch that bastard Tora and we'll kick his ass together."

I exhaled a few breaths in an attempt to chuckle but I wasn't in the mood. Yet, I wanted to show Usui that I'm strong because that's how he knows me.

"I wish you'd wake up. You'd be able to help out the police in finding Tora then we can settle this once and for all." I felt his hand clutch mine a little tighter.

"You can hear me right? Usui, please wake up. Please. Mom's not getting any better. She wants to see you before... before she goes." I pleaded again.

I felt my tears running down my cheeks. Suddenly, Usui's hand wiped them off. I looked at his face and there he was. Awake. And alive.

"Usui…"

"Come now. Why is my Misa-chan crying?"

I immediately hugged him tight not minding his injury.

"Ow, Misaki—shoulder." He muttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said as I let go.

He chuckled and held my face.

"I heard you." He said.

I smiled and kissed him. It had been so long since the last time our lips touched. And I felt relieved that he was alive.

I broke off the kiss but our lips were barely an inch apart. He touched our foreheads together and closed his eyes.

"You're alright?" He asked.

"Better now." I answered.

He looked at me without taking his hand away from my face.

"I ought to give you a beating for being so stubborn." His eyes went dead serious for a minute but softened when he saw how guilty I looked.

"I'm sorry. This wouldn't have happened if I listened to you." I muttered.

"You wouldn't have saved my father if you listened to me."

I looked at him in disbelief and saw the most sincere smile plastered on his beautiful face.

"Don't ever apologize. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I brought you and your family in danger. I would understand if your dad doesn't want me around anymore." He added.

I shook my head immediately, "No. I talked to dad. He's be fine with you. With us. We can work together to catch Tora. Besides, he's never going to let me off the hook after the mess I did in his warehouse. It's better if we're together."

Usui snickered. "You really want to be with me that much?" He asked, as if teasing me.

"Yes." I confidently said.

I could tell he wasn't expecting my answered as his emerald eyes widened. It was my turn to laugh.

"I caught you off-guard, didn't I?" I smiled.

He suddenly kissed me quickly. "That's for being brave."

I smiled again. "We should call the doctor so they can check on you."

Two weeks after staying in the hospital, Usui was finally able to go home. But while we celebrated his recovery, we were saddened by the next events that occurred.

Present day

I look at the name engraved on the tombstone.

In loving memory of Ayuzawa Minako. A wonderful wife. An amazing mother. You will forever live in our hearts and minds.

I cry harder as the rain kept pouring down.

"I miss you." I mumble.

Suddenly, the raindrops stop falling on my cold skin. I look up and see Usui holding an umbrella shielding me from the crying sky.

"We miss you, Mom." He says while looking at the gravestone. He turns to me and hands me a handkerchief. "She wouldn't like you catching a cold."

I sniff and take the cloth but I don't bother drying myself with it. I hear Usui sigh.

"Nobody is blaming you, Misaki. I wish you would realize that she was happy when she left."

I sigh and recall the last moments I had with her. It was sad that she died when she was still at the hospital. Her last wish was to go home and have breakfast outside our house. We couldn't allow it so we decided to set up the hospital's rooftop like our house and had breakfast there.

My mom was so happy that day. We even invited Usui's parents. Little did we know, it was going to be her last breakfast with us. Her last breakfast, ever.

Usui's right, though. My mom was happy when she left. I held her hand that night when she finally rested forever. I still wish we had more time. Last year was so distressing and really took a toll on her body. But there's no point wishing for time to go back. At least now, I know that she's safe and well up there.

I smile weakly as I finally decide to wipe away the tears and raindrops on my face. Usui rests his arm around my shoulder ignoring the fact that I was soaked from the rain. We take one more look at the tombstone before going home.

"You're back." Dad says as we reach the front door of our house. "What happened to you?" He asks as he looks up at my drenched cold body.

"I let the rain wash away my guilt and sadness," I head to my room without bothering to look at the people left downstairs but not before hearing my dad utter 'what happened?' to Usui.

Of course, nothing has been the same since mom died. I gradually pushed people away. My friends, my team, Usui and my dad. I felt like I don't deserve the comfort and kindness they were giving me considering how much I messed up in this lifetime.

I was deep in my thoughts when I hear a knock on my door.

"Misaki?" I open it and see my father with weary eyes. I give way for him to come inside my room. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess." I mutter.

He sighs and sits on the stool of my study desk. I plop down on the bed knowing full well he wants to have a decent conversation which I had been avoiding for one whole year.

"Misaki, how long are you going to keep this up?" He says.

I look up at the ceiling and answer him, "So long as I am to blame."

I hear him sigh again. I look at him and finally notice how much he has aged since mom died. The lines on the corners of his eyes and mouth have become more evident. His eyes that were once so alive are now full of worry and sorrow. It hurt me so much seeing my father growing older and wearier by the minute. Once again, the blame is on me.

"Honey, there was nothing we could do. Even if we exhausted all our resources, it was already done. You're mother and I, we..." he pauses as if trying to pull back a sob at the mention of his late wife, "We tried our best. She definitely fought hard for us. There's no point pointing fingers when what's done is done. Do you think I like living in this house knowing your mother has painted these very walls with her love and spirit? Everything I see reminds me of her and as much as I want to lock myself up and wallow in my own sadness, I still have a family here. I still have you."

I feel my eyes sting at his words. My father and I were very much alike. Although I inherited my mother's features, Dad and I had the same character. We were both very hesitant about showing our emotions which is why it took so long for me to admit my feelings to Usui. And how much I disliked showing a tinge of weakness to anybody.

I look away as my tears threatened to relieve the sadness inside me.

"Would you look at me? It's been a while since you did." My heart hurt even more. I slowly turn to face him and I could see him in the brink of tears as well. He moves to sit beside me on the foot of the bed. My eyes shift to my feet. I could tell my father was not used to talking like this with anybody. Neither was I.

"I'm sorry." I half whisper.

"I am, too." He says. I rest my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arm around me. "We're going to be fine, Misaki. There are still so many things we can do in this life. You're mother wouldn't want us to spend it sulking. The time for mourning is over now. We deserve to be happy. It's what she would've wanted."

I nod as I silently cry.

We spend the entire afternoon catching up on everything that had happened for the past year. It was great to see my father's smile as we talked. I know things have changed but that doesn't mean we can't feel happiness anymore. Dad's right. We deserve to be happy.

It's Monday. And it's the last Monday that I will be spending inside the campus. Yup, that's right. I'm graduating. I'm finally going to college. It's also Usui's graduation day today so he won't be coming to my ceremony. His parents are so excited to watch him receive his diploma on stage since they never really got the chance to watch him grow up. This is something they're very emotional about.

"Takumi! Hurry up!" I hear his father shouting from the foot of the stairs.

"You're dad's calling you" I say as I fix his uniform.

"You know we can just skip the whole thing right? It's boring and the speeches are all really condescending and hypocritical." He says with his hands on my waist.

I giggle at his whiny retort. "We're both going to give out speeches as Top students. Stop being a brat." I give one final tug at his tie before letting go. "All done."

"Not yet." He hugs me tighter and kisses me briefly. "Okay, done."

I smile and grab his hands. "Let's go."

We head downstairs and my dad and Usui's parents immediately usher for us to stand beside each other for a photo. We take a lot of pictures before finally going to school. Of course, we had to part ways.

In the stadium, I'm seated at the very front. My dad waves at me from the bleachers with a camera in one hand. I smile and mouth for him to sit down because he was a getting a little too excited.

Finally, they begin to call out our names and one by one, students of Seika High line up and enter the stage.

"Ayuzawa Misaki"

I proudly walk and shake hands with all the Heads of the departments and stand at the center for a good two seconds before going down the stage. I take a glimpse of my dad and see him wiping his eyes while smiling. I chuckle at the thought of him crying.

Once all the speeches were given, we go outside to take photos with my team and friends. At the end of the day, my cheeks were aching from all the smiling. Dad and I head home after a tiring day. Usui's family and mine decided to celebrate our graduation day together at my house since it's only dad and I and a couple of my relatives.

"Congratulations Misaki!" Usui's mom says as she hugs me.

"Thank you. Congratulations to you, too." I smile and hug her back.

She exhales and brings out a bright grin. "It feels so great seeing Takumi walk up on stage. I must admit I did get a little emotional."

"What do you mean 'a little'? She cried a river." Usui grunted.

His mother rolls her eyes. "I better go check the food for the guests. I'll be back."

"Don't work too hard." I remind her.

Usui and I head out to the balcony to avoid the busy bodies inside the house. "I told you speeches are condescending and hypocritical."

I laugh breathlessly into the cold night. "We're finally going to college."

"Yeah." He answers.

It was quiet before he speaks again, "What will you do now, Misaki?"

I look up and think about everything that had happened in my life. It's been such a roller coaster ride and right now, I only want to go up.

"I'm thinking of studying politics. Maybe go into Law School. I want to catch that bastard Tora and lock him up," I say with clenched fists.

He chuckles and says, "I think I want to be a doctor. Maybe I can help people like your mom someday."

I was surprised to hear him say that. I look at him and see that his eyes are directly on mine. Suddenly, my hands find their way to his face. Before I know it, my lips are on his. He kisses me back softly. His palms cling to my body bringing me closer to him. He deepens the kiss but I break it off before we go too far.

"Not here." I whisper.

He looks taken aback and I realize my words a little too late, "I mean... Not like that. I just- there are people. Someone might see us."

He smirks but doesn't let go of his hold on me. "So what do you want? Bedroom?"

I turn beet red and lightly punch his chest. "No!" I yell.

He laughs at my reaction and nuzzles his face on my neck. "Misa-chan is so cute."

"Shut up." I say with my hands tangled on his hair.

"You know, for what it's worth, I'm glad I got to be your brother for a while." He says. I push him back a little with a confused look.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, if we hadn't become siblings, we never would've met." He answers.

I raise an eyebrow at him and he just laughs.

"You must like me so much that the thought of me being your brother disgusts you." He says cheekily.

I merely roll my eyes. "Well, it does."

He embraces my small frame tighter. "I'm glad I have you."

I smile and bring my mouth closer to his ear.

"I love you, Takumi." I whisper.

I feel his heart beat a little faster. It was the first time I ever said his first name in front of him. I was too embarrassed to do it before but now it feels alright to call him that.

"Again." He demands.

I chuckle and hold him tighter as I say it again. "Takumi, I love you."

He sighs. "And I love you."

We stay still like that for a while. The festivity inside the house seems distant. It's as if we were in our own world- wrapped in each other's arms. We're finally able to be together. There were so many things, so many people against the thought of me and him but right now all of those are a blur in the past. And although I know problems are going to come, it doesn't matter anymore. This is the happiness that I deserve. This is what we both deserve.

So now my brother turned into my enemy, turned into my best friend and now the love of my life. I guess you can say that I'm in love with my brother. Okay, no let's not add those together. Let's just say, I'm in love with Usui Takumi. Yeah, that sounds perfect.

-END-

It's finally done. I've tried my best to fill in the plot holes. It's been such a long time that I already forgot the initial plot of this story. I had to read the whole thing again to gain some insight on what to write in the last chapter. I must admit I've gotten a little rusty over time. I'm definitely planning on making another fic but one that's not too focused on romance. I maybe want to put in a little bit of my life in the plot. I'm still thinking about it though since this isn't something I talk about lightly. Anyway, what did you guys think of it? Please leave some reviews. There are lots of things I probably missed and I apologize for it. I may have to practice writing again. But thank you so much for finishing this story with me. It's been such a journey and it still warms my heart whenever I read your past reviews. They give me so much strength. I'm forever grateful. I love you guys! Xoxo