Ever After

"I might have said it before, but I want to be with you," intoned the orange-haired boy solemnly as the sun streaked down the horizon in the distance, its rays slowly bearing down on the boy.

In front of him was a small, white-haired girl, looking at him passively with great interest in his words. She was standing on the stone steps on a level above him, looking down at the baseball diamond in the distance, where a few students could be seen playing a game. At the level she was standing, her eyes were level with the boy's eyes, looking at him intently as he began to speak once more.

"It's because I…" trailed the boy off into silence, courage not coming to him momentarily for him to say the words he so longed to tell the girl.

The girl took his fumble as an opportunity to walk down the steps past him, stopping a meter away from him as his eyes tracked her progress.

"I… really… love you," the boy said suddenly, an imploring look on his face.

Without waiting for the girl to react, the boy took a big step, in more ways than one, and hugged the girl, gently cradling her in his arms, leaning her against his chest.

"I love you," he whispered once more, loud enough for just the girl to hear him.

She didn't react despite being hugged, but after a short while, she closed her eyes and a small smile appeared on her lips. She snuggled further within his embrace, and she continued to smile serenely for a short while.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" asked the boy tentatively, afraid that his actions may have ruined their current friendship. The thought of losing her caused him to unconsciously raise his voice by an octave.

"I will not accept your feelings," said the girl softly.

The boy felt stunned to his very core; his worst fears were confirmed. Right here and right now, the girl he had grown to love over time, a time whose length he didn't even have the slightest idea of, bluntly said that she was not going to accept his feelings.

In a pained voice, he asked her, "Why?"

The girl opened her eyes, still not looking at the boy, yet still locked in his embrace.

"If I accept your feelings, I'm going to disappear from this place."

Confusion punctuated the boy's facial features, as he could only ask, "Why?"

"The reason that I came here to this place, this 'afterlife'… it was all to thank you, Yuzuru," said the girl.

"What do you mean?" asked Yuzuru, still gently cradling the girl's head in his hands.

"In my life, I was able to remain living because of your heart," said the girl softly, gently placing her hand on Yuzuru's chest.

She wriggled out of his embrace, and looked at the boy in front of her.

"Even now, your heart is beating in my chest," said the girl quietly, placing both of her hands on her chest. "My reason for being here… my life's regret was that I was never able to properly thank the person who saved my life by donating their heart for my operation."

She paused momentarily, and then continued.

"I wanted to tell that person badly how much I was indebted to them. I wanted to completely express my heartfelt thanks to the person who had donated their heart to save my life. That regret was so great that I was able to enter this 'afterlife', a place originally for people who weren't able to live out good lives due to the skeletons in their closets."

"No way…" whispered Yuzuru, completely stunned and blindsided by this revelation from the girl he had grown to love. As he died in the previous life due to starvation and dehydration following a train accident, he had indicated that his organs were available for recovery and transplanting on the health card in his wallet. The odds that the person he had saved in the previous life was the person he had fallen for in the "afterlife" was too staggering to consider. Some people would like to call such a thing as "destiny", or "fate".

"But… how did you know that my heart was the heart used in your transplant?" asked Yuzuru.

The girl walked by him and said,

"I realized it when you first appeared in this world, not knowing anything. You asked me to prove that you couldn't die, so I stabbed you, as you may recall. When that happened, there was a gaping void where your heart should have been. Even now, you don't have a physical heart; that heart is beating within my chest, a clear sign of the regret that led me to this world to begin with."

Yuzuru moved to stand beside the girl, who was looking down at a pool of shimmering water that was located on either side of the wide stone steps that led down to the terrace.

"But how were you able to pinpoint that the heart you received was mine?" asked Yuzuru.

"In the infirmary, when I was recovering from an internal battle that came about from absorbing the five-score of aggressive clones that Harmonics created. While you looked after me, you fell asleep on my chest, right above where my heart is located. Your body recognized the beat of its own heart, and you recovered your memories, which you told me about the moment you woke up," said the girl simply.

Yuzuru was stunned into silence, while the girl closed her eyes momentarily, contemplating her inner turmoil. She also loved Yuzuru, and she had already thanked him. If she accepted his feelings, she would disappear. She didn't know what choice to take; to ignore his feelings so that she could physically exist near him, or to accept his, and by extension her own feelings, disappearing from this world afterwards.

In a heartbeat like that of an angel, she knew the choice she would make. Opening her eyes, she continued to gaze down at the pool of water when she spoke.

"Please… Yuzuru," she said quietly, turning around slowly to face him with a smile on her face. "Say what you told me earlier once more."

The one action Otonashi Yuzuru would not want to repeat. He knew that if he told her what he felt about her once more, she would disappear from this world, leaving him behind. He didn't want that to happen.

""N-No! I can't do that! If I do that, you're going to disappear!" exclaimed Yuzuru in despair. "Your request is leaving me in despair, Kanade!" [1]

Undaunted, Kanade pressed on in her request; to hear the feelings of the person she truly loved once more so that she could finally be at peace.

"Please, Yuzuru!" pleaded Kanade.

A wave of anguish settled over Yuzuru, his hands on his chest.

"No… I just can't do it," he spat out, a pained look on his face, shaking his head vigorously.

"Yuzuru!" implored Kanade.

Yuzuru choked momentarily, and he knew that he had no choice. Tears began to drip from his eyes, while his facial muscles involuntarily twitched due to the bittersweet direction this was headed.

"Prove it to me! I want to also believe what you always believed, Yuzuru!" exclaimed Kanade, looking straight at his eyes. "Living is wonderful, you told me. So please, let me experience what you truly believed in."

And in a fell swoop, Yuzuru was won over against his own personal desires to have Kanade stay with him in this world. He closed his eyes for a few seconds while Kanade looked at him expectantly, the tears continuously flowing from them. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes a short time later; gritting his teeth at the deed he was going to do.

"Kanade… I love you," he whispered gently, belying his fears at what he knew was destined to happen.

He moved towards her and she moved towards him, and they met in the middle, embracing each other, trying to convey the fiery love they held for the other.

"Let's be together forever, Kanade," said Yuzuru, tears pouring down his face onto her shoulders, happy that she had accepted his love and sad that she was going to disappear from this world due to that same thing.

"Thank you, Yuzuru…," whispered Kanade into his chest.

"Stay with me forever… Please…," choked out Yuzuru, dreading the moment she would disappear from his sight.

"Thank you so much… for loving me," whispered Kanade.

"Kanade, I love you!" repeated Yuzuru, the anguish breaking further into his voice, as though he was imploring the heavens not to take Kanade away from him. He felt that the more he expressed his love for her, the more that God would take pity on him and let her remain with him.

She nodded, nuzzling his chest, and replied once more,

"Thank you so much for loving me…"

The two began to slip into calling each others' names, trying to convey the love they felt through saying each others' name repeatedly.

"Please, please, don't disappear on me, Kanade!" wailed Yuzuru in despair, sobbing uncontrollably now.

Kanade didn't mind in the slightest; she was cherishing this moment, a moment that she would surely remember when she crossed over into the next life.

"Promise me… Promise me that we'll meet again, Kanade. I don't care how, when, or where, but I want to meet you again, somehow," spluttered Yuzuru.

"This gift of life that you gave me… Thank you so much, Yuzuru," mumbled Kanade, nodding and nuzzling Yuzuru's chest for the last time.

In an instant, the weight that Yuzuru was cradling in his arms disappeared, and he nearly fell flat on his face due to his awkward position. He knelt on the ground, grabbing at the air, scrabbling for any remains of the girl he had held in his arms mere seconds before, but he found nothing. Not a trace of Kanade. It was as if she never existed, as if she never was in his arms, as if he never told her that he loved her, as if she never expressed that she felt the same way.

Yuzuru breathed wildly, a glazed look in his eyes, the tears still streaming uncontrollably from them. He looked skyward and hugged his own chest, an insurmountable void opening up within himself.

"Kanade!" he screamed in despair, looking skyward to a God he imagined to be there, sitting on his throne, knowing that he took away the thing he cherished the most on this world.

As Otonashi Yuzuru contemplated being alone for eternity in this world with the loss of Tachibana Kanade, he suddenly felt light; in fact, he felt like he was light itself.

"What's happening to me?" he looked at his body in disbelief.

He was rapidly disintegrating into light, and before he knew it, everything in his vision faded to white.

"Mom, I'll go shopping for today's dinner now!" shouted Hanazawa Kanade[2] as she changed from her indoor shoes into her outdoor shoes. "We'll need basil leaves for spaghetti al-pesto, right?"

"The money for the greens is on the counter by the door Kanade-chan!" her mother called from the kitchen as she began to make preparations for kani salad as well.

"Roger that Mom!" called back Kanade as she took the cash from the counter by the door. As she stepped out of the door, the glazing heat of the early afternoon sun bore down on her mercilessly.

"Oh dear; I'm going to need something to shield me from this ridiculous summer heat," she muttered to herself.

She dashed back inside the house to grab an umbrella and a wide-brimmed hat that she placed neatly on top of her neatly trimmed hair that barely reached her shoulders. She noted that it was fortunate that she chose to tie her hair in a ponytail and wear a skirt on this hot day and set out from her house on the outskirts of the city towards the urban shopping district.

It wasn't exactly within walking distance, and to her dismay, her bicycle was in the shop for repairs; an accident the week earlier had left one of the bike's inner tubes busted. She opened the umbrella and sauntered towards the bus stop where she would take a 5 kilometer bus ride to the shopping district.

When she arrived at the bus stop, she saw that it was deserted save for a girl in a tracksuit who appeared to be steadily sweating. Kanade guessed that the girl was jogging to or from somewhere, but under this ridiculous heat? She noticed the girl's yellow ribbon affixed on top of her magenta coloured hair and immediately thought that that ribbon would completely absorb heat. The girl's hair was about as long as Kanade's and something about the girl piqued her interest; it was as though she had seen her before. Oddly, she thought that she had fought this girl before… Oh but no, that was impossible. Kanade was one of the least violent people in her school; sure, she had 1st dan in Shotokan karate but she only fought in self-defense, and ever since she put an unarmed mugger her age in his place did she actually put her skills in combat to use. She sensed that this girl would be really great to spar with, she also felt an onee-chan vibe coming from her for some unknown reason.

Shoving all these irrational thoughts aside, she looked at the girl, who caught her looking at her. The girl with magenta-coloured hair raised an eyebrow, and Kanade looked away in embarrassment.

For the next three minutes she waited for the bus, she felt the girl's eyes appraising her, staring at her, when she finally heard the low rumble of a bus headed toward her direction.

"The Doppler Effect in action," she thought absentmindedly, trying to distract herself from the piercing stare she knew that the girl in the tracksuit had on her.

The bus stopped in front of the station and Kanade got on, giving the tracksuit girl one last look before she boarded the bus. Their eyes met and instantly, both of them knew that they had met somewhere before, but neither could remember the circumstances of this event.

As the bus sped away, Sakurai Yuri[3] was wiping her sweat off, only beginning to wonder where she had met the petite girl in a jacket and skirt before...

Kamiya Yuzuru[4] was late. He was supposed to arrive at the auto-store about ten minutes ago for his shift, yet he was still at his home, hurriedly dressing up in a white shirt, a jacket with the scheme of military fatigues, and jeans.

"Damn, the chief's really going to murder me for being late on a Saturday," cursed Yuzuru.

He had woken up late because he spent the entire evening and twilight hours playing a visual novel. He only fell asleep at 6 in the morning when he was fed up with getting bad ends repeatedly due to innocuous choices such as "watching TV" or "resting and having a snack" after dinner. When he finally got his clothing into order, he left the house in a hurry without bidding goodbye to his parents, cursing the name "Matou Sakura[5]" while he took a brisk walk towards the train station that he lived near to. He had to take a short train ride to get to the shopping district, where he worked in a Mitsubishi auto-store.

Lately, he'd been getting this weird feeling that this day would be an important day in his life, a day that would have a life changing experience occur or something along those lines. As he was standing in the train, he thought about his personal life all of a sudden.

He was quite popular in his school, and he'd often get confessed to by multitudes of girls. He'd always turn them down though, because he was a believer in the single-bullet theory. He felt that his heart had been in someone else's all along, and when he met that person, he would know that she was truly the one.

The train called out his stop and he jostled amongst the other passengers, exiting the station and headed towards the Mitsubishi shop where he worked, dreading the wrath that his boss would have in store for him. He walked briskly, not taking note of his surroundings, when he heard a tune that he swore he had heard once before.

naiteru kimi koso kodoku na kimi koso

tadashii yo ningenrashii yo

otoshita namida ga kou iu yo

konna ni mo utsukushii uso ja nai hontou no bokura o arigatou

He turned to his left and saw a petite girl in a blue jacket and skirt, her angelic white hair in a ponytail, a wide-brimmed hat on her head quietly singing the song while leaning against the wall. She took her phone out from her bag and opened it.

The girl then eased away from the wall and she began to walk away, leaving Yuzuru to ponder just how he knew that song.

"My Song...," muttered Yuzuru to himself.

At that moment, it hit him; this girl was suddenly very interesting to him. He threw away all his worries for being late for work and turned around, walking briskly so as to catch up with the girl who was walking away. He reached her and extended his right hand, gently touching her on her left shoulder.

"Uh, excuse me, do I know you?" inquired Yuzuru in a gentle tone.

The girl turned to face him and their eyes met. In that instant, Yuzuru knew that she was the one, the girl that had his heart. He didn't know how that was possible, but he just knew.

A faint memory stirred within him, and he knew that there was one way to check if he was right.

"Yes?" inquired the girl timidly, looking at him.

"Can I ask you… What is your first name?" asked Yuzuru nervously.

The girl, sensing no hostility whatsoever from Yuzuru, felt that she could trust him enough to tell him her full name.

"My first name is Kanade. My name is Hanazawa Kanade. If it's not too much trouble, could you also introduce yourself to me?" asked Kanade.

Yuzuru's heart jumped in his chest; he was right, she was the one. At that moment, everything came back to him; the events of the "afterlife", his time with the SSS, and most of all, the days where he fell in love with Tachibana Kanade. Though her last name was different, he was sure that it was her. Keeping calm, he said in a steady voice,

"My name is Kamiya Yuzuru. Pleased to meet you… Kanade."

The girl's eyes grew wide and suddenly they shimmered in tears; tears that began to cascade down her face uncontrollably.

"It's you, Yuzuru. After all this time, it's you. I've been waiting my entire life for this moment, the moment where we'd meet again, Yuzuru," whispered Kanade softly.

"It was a promise, remember, Kanade?" chuckled Yuzuru.

"Yes. Yes it was a promise Yuzuru," mumbled Kanade as she moved forward and hugged Yuzuru, dropping the umbrella she held in her hands.

People began to stare at them but they didn't care; against all odds, Otonashi Yuzuru and Tachibana Kanade had met again in the next life.

"Kanade… I love you," said Yuzuru.

"And I love you too, Yuzuru," replied Kanade, tiptoeing and kissing him on the lips.

Angel Beats: Beat For You

This world is a sad, yet kind, place.

The souls of the children with regrets gather here so they can fulfill what they could not do while alive. They are given a chance to let go of their lives and pass on peacefully.

When I discovered this, I too, wondered at my existence in this world.

When would I be able to say "thank you" to that person?

When would I be able to let go of my regrets?

I waited in this world, presiding over the children who came here. I managed the rules to give them the experience they could not have while they were still alive. Because, every day, the heart inside me reminded me of my past, and my regret. My wish.

I waited, for that person.

And one day, he came.

It was fun, wasn't it?

These memories I was allowed to share with you, these moments I had with the friends you helped me make, this world, where our regrets disappeared.

It was wonderful, wasn't it?

I'm glad we were able to meet. I'm glad that I was able to fall in love with you. I'm glad I was able to thank you.

I'm glad I was able hear those words from you.

I'm glad I was able to hear you say, "I love you."

Even now, while the tears run down your face and into my hair, even as you embrace me with all your might, I'm happy. Because you were the one who fulfilled my wishes, I'm content. Because you were the one who helped me accept my regrets, so I have none.

So, don't cry, Yuzuru. We'll definitely meet again.

Because…

Can't you hear this heart, Yuzuru?

This heart which you gave me, this heart which was yours.

Ever since we met… couldn't you hear?

This heart it…

Beat for you.

Thank you.

Cars whiz by on the busy street. The girl leans against the wall, humming a tune. She can't remember where she heard it from, but it is a kind song, a warm song, a hopeful song. She leans, she waits. She's waiting, for something to happen. And as she waits, she hums.

The boy walks by. She is just another girl on the street.

But then he hears the song.

He stops.

He turns.

Somewhere, in his mind, a heart is beating.

Kakerareru Koto

"Hey, Kanade."

Yuzuru tilted his head upwards, to the sea of stars in the summer sky. Beside him was Kanade, and beyond the cliff they stood on was the city in its bright lights.

"Hm, Yuzuru?"

"Sorry it took me so long to find you."

"It's okay. I didn't try so hard, either."

"It doesn't matter anymore, though." Yuzuri brought his gaze down to Kanade, her face and eyes brilliantly lit by the stars. "We're together now. And I'd rather cherish you tonight than worry about having you tomorrow."

Kanade nodded silently, and stepped into Yuzuru's embrace.

Yuzuru cradled Kanade's head in his hand. "Don't leave me again, okay?"

"I'm sorry," came Kanade's muffled voice. "I'm sorry, Yuzuru."

Yuzuru kneeled onto the hard soil and rested his chin on Kanade's shoulder. "It's okay, Kanade. We'll be okay from now on. I love you."

He felt Kanade's fingers grip his woolen sweater from behind. "I love you, Yuzuru," she said with a choked voice. "I love you."

Sweet Angel

Otonashi watched her with a keen interest. How could she fall asleep like that? in a situation like this? How could she reamin so calm like that? He sat at the foot of the bed, his chin resting upon the mattress as he knelt on the floor. He stared at her, just stared at her. He watched her flat chest rise and fall with steady breaths of slumber. This girl was a mystery to him. Kanade Tachibana, Angel, was a complete mystery to him. What made her tick? What kept her so collected? All he had in his head were questions about her, questions that he couldn't answer and questions that he would never ask her out loud. These were also questions that he would never ask Yurippe; she hardly knew anything about Angel to begin with so he doubted that she knew anything of this beautiful specimen's complexities and innermost desires and thoughts.

He just stared at her, watching her, intensely studying everything about her. He was memorizing her. The way her silver strands cascaded gently over tiny soulders, and the motion that her small chest made as she inhaled and exhaled. He allowed his eyes to travel along the gentle curve of her legs that were tucked beside her as she slept, propped against the wall. His trail stopped at the hem of her skirt however but hovered there for a moment, examining just how the fabrics folded along her body, and he followed the hem carefully yo see where it went.

And Otonashi caught a glimpse of something beneath the skirt. Her underwear were a light pink and although he couldn't see much of them, the color was all he needed to know. He closed his eyes, gulped a shallow breath and bound his lips tightly between his teeth. His fingers tapped against his belt buckle as he debated what to do with himself. She could wake up at any moment: this thought only made it more arousing to him and the extra room in his pants was decreasing with each second that he wasted by trying to think rationally about the situation. He ignored rationality for now and pulled his belt free from the loop that secured it to his waist. In an instant, the leather strap was on the concrete floor beside him and he was awkwardly working to unbutton his pants and tug the zipper down. His tongue ran across his dry lips, his eyes set on the petite girl sleeping only a few feet from him.

Otonashi panted and bit back and groan that caught in his throat as thoughts continued streaming in his mind like a movie that played only for him, a personal slideshow of every fantasy he had ever dreamed up, all of which starred Kanade Tachibana, the mysteriuous girl with the child-like figure and the beautiful sliver hair. His free hand gripped desperately at the sheet on the hard mettress, clawing at it hard enough to whiten his knuckles. He clenched his eyes closed, trying his hardest to make the images as vivid as possible, he needed to feel as though everything he was thinking up was really happening, he needed to put himself under the impression that Kanade would actually do these things with him, that she would be willing to fulfill everything that he was thinking up.

He relooped his belt through his pants after zipping and buttoning them up and he leaned himself against the door of the cell, his knees acting as armrests. The walkie talkie next to him buzzed with the unpleasant sound of static followed by the even more unpleasant sound of Yurippe's voice. Had she interrupted him, the moment would have been ruined and his private film would have been cut short. When Otonashi heard her voice, all desire in him disappeared completely.

Unforgettable Love

It was a hot summer. "Maybe I should go swimming today, hmm maybe Takeuchi will join me.` *Calls Takeuchi*

"Hey Takeuchi, how are you?"

"Hey baby, I am fine. How are you?"

"I am fine hehe, it's kinda hot today. Do you want to go to the beach with me?"

"Yeah! I will pick you up in 15 minutes."

"Ok see you soon" *Hangs up*

15 minutes later

*The doorbell rings* Ding-Dong!

"I am coming!" *Opens the door*

"Hey Kanade" *gives kiss to cheek* "How was your day?"

"It was boring like always, nothing fun happened and yours?"

"I picked up my driver's license and now I can drive a car. That's why I wanted to pick you up, we are going to the beach with my new car. So are you ready to go?"

"Almost let me switch into my Bikini."

*Kanade switches to her bikini*

"So what do you think Takeuchi?"

"You are so beautiful Kanade! You look like an Angel."

*Kanade blushes*

"Really? Thank you!"

* Takeuchi kissed Kanade"

At that moment Kanade suddenly received a shock and she fainted. So Takeuchi placed her on the couch. While Kanade was unconscious she remembered a boy's face, but she doesn't know who it is.

*Kanade wakes up"

"What's wrong Kanade? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah I am okay, I remembered something weird, but I don't know what it is."

"Maybe we should not go to the beach Kanade, you should get some rest."

"Okay, thank you for helping me Takeuchi."

"No need to thank me, I love you Kanade."

"I love you too Takeuchi."

When Takeuchi left Kanade went to get some sleep. In her sleep she dreamed about the boy whom she still doesn't who it is. She and that boy were lovers, but something happened that separated them.

The Next day

Kanade went to school and it was just like all the other days. After school she went shopping with some friends of her.

"Hey Kanade, how is your relationship with Takeuchi?"

"It's going well, yesterday we kissed but then I fainted for no reason."

"Maybe you were nervous because it was your first kiss?" *Mitsuki started laughing*

"I don't know, but when I was unconscious I saw a face of a boy whom I never met or even saw."

"Maybe it's a boy you were friends with in your childhood?"

"I don't think so, when I went to sleep I had a dream about him. We went to the same school and the school uniforms were different. We were lovers but something separated us."

"What a weird dream. You sure you don't know him?

"Yeah I am sure. Anyways let's finish shopping and go home."

When Kanade was home, her father was home too. She was tired from the shopping so she took a shower before going to sleep. During the shower she was thinking about who the boy might be, but she just couldn't remember. After the shower she went to sleep and she started dreaming again, but this time it was different than yesterday. It was about her past with the boy.

Otonashi faced Kanade when they went outside before a brief glimpse at the rippling water in a pool. "Hey, Kanade? I kind of just realized it. You know... there are others like Yuri and Hinata and the rest who couldn't find their way here right?"

"I suppose," Kanade answered.

"And they might end up staying here, like Yuri, being sad, suffering... and resisting life."

"I suppose."

"But if we stay here, we can teach them, like we did this time, about how the satisfactions of life and help them graduate." Otonashi looked down for a minute. "Maybe I came here to play that role... So won't you stay with me?" The wind tugged at Kanade's hair, whom put it back into place. "If I stayed here," Otonashi said, "I wouldn't be lonely, even in this world. I might have said it before, but I want to be with you." Kanade walked down the stairs as Otonashi said the words. "Because, I... I really... love you." Otonashi stepped forward and hugged Kanade. "I love you."

Kanade closed her eyes at the confession. "Why aren't you saying anything?" Otonashi asked.

"I don't want to," the silver haired girl said softly, opening her eyes. "Because if I tell you my feelings, I'll disappear."

"Why?"

"Because I came to this world to say... 'thank you' to you."

"What do you mean?" Otonashi asked, puzzled.

"I was able to stay alive because of your heart." Kanade put a hand to Otonashi's chest. Otonashi's eyes widened as he absorbed the words. Kanade pushed him away from her and put a hand to her chest. "Even now, your heart is beating inside my chest. My one regret was being unable to say 'thank you' to the person who saved my life. I wanted to tell you so badly that I got lost and wandered here, to Afterlife."

"No way..." Otonashi said. "But how... how did you know it was me?"

"I realized it when I first stabbed you - you didn't have a heart."

Otonashi checked his heart, and for sure he couldn't hear or feel the heartbeat. "But from just that..."

"You also regained your memories when you were sleeping on my chest. Your body recognized the sound of its own heartbeat."

"No way..." Otonashi gasped.

"Please, Yuzuru... say what you said earlier once more."

"I... I can't! You'll disappear!"

"Yuzuru... please!"

Otonashi looked down and shook his head, "I just can't do it!"

"Yuzuru...!" Kanade urged him, gathering Otonashi's attention. "Let me believe what you've always believed. That living is wonderful!" The words made Otonashi about to cry.

Otonashi couldn't help but repeat his words with difficulty. "Kanade..." he said, stepping forward to hug Kanade. "I love you... Let's be together forever..."

Kanade walked up to him and wrapped him in her arms, which Otonashi could not help but do the same. "Thank you, Yuzuru."

"Stay... stay with me forever!" Otonashi's eyes leaked tears, but Kanade continued anyway.

"Thank you so much..." she said as Otonashi tightened his grip on her, hoping that she won't disappear in his tight grip.

"Kanade!" Otonashi forced out behind his crying stature.

"Thank you for loving me."

"Please don't disappear! Kanade...!"

"This gift of life you gave me... thank you so much..." And she was gone.

Otonashi stumbled forward, the weight of Tachibana Kanade gone to support him. He fumbled for where she originally was, only grasping air.

Otonashi, taking him three seconds to realize she had accepted her regrets and passed on, hugged himself; the only entity in the Afterlife school grounds. Tears streaked his face. In anguish, he threw back his head and cried out to where God would be, in the skies:

"KANADE!"

Kanade woke up screaming: "OTONASHIIII!"

She remembered who that boy was, it was Otonashi. She started remembering all about her Purgatory. She cried that she left Otonashi alone and that she couldn't be with him.

Now that she remembered about him she wondered if Otonashi is still there. Since that day she tried to go back to Otonashi, but will she succeed?

Beyond the AfterLife

The sun shone brightly above my head, not a single cloud in the sky to swallow the blazing orb, allowing it to glare down at the busy city streets with its warm gaze. People and cars were milling about, doing their daily business with the usual haste of a sprawling metropolis. I took my time, slowly walking down the street. I still had twenty minutes until my classes begun and the college was only a couple of minutes away, so I was in no hurry to get there. I enjoyed the warm spring weather, and watched the other people all around me. With so much happening in the area surrounding me, you'll forgive me for not at first noticing the short girl standing nearby, leaning against a wall. I only noticed when I passed her.

She was wearing a white blouse and a small, blue jacket, and a white skirt played calmly around her knees, caught by the soft breeze. I couldn't see her face, due to the hat and her downcast stature, but I could tell that her hair was short and silvery from under the brim of the hat. It seemed to gleam and shine in the warm sunlight. She caught my attention because, compared to all the people around us, she was the only one who did not seem to be in a hurry to get anywhere. She seemed content with simply standing there, leaning against the wall behind her.

As I passed by where she was standing, I realized that she was humming a tune, very softly. It was quiet and soft, almost melancholic in tone, and it enticed me. For some reason I couldn't quite grasp, it seemed familiar to me, even though I was fairly sure that I hadn't heard it before. At least I could not remember having heard it. Yet, the tune now compelled me. I stopped, and turned back towards where the girl was standing, to find that she was now walking away in the opposite direction.

I didn't really know what I was doing, yet I didn't hesitate for more than a moment. School was forgotten as I walked after her, my pace quickly increasing to a light jog in order to catch up to her. My hand reached out, and my fingers grasped her shoulder. I felt her startle against my light grip, and she spun around. A pair of beautiful golden eyes, wide with surprise, stared up at me. Only now did I realize that I was at least a head taller than her. I looked down at her cute face, at an awkward loss for words.

What was I doing? I had no idea what I was going to do at this point. Going after the girl had been almost an instinct, and I had not planned for what I was going to do when I reached her. I simply stood before her, dumb-founded, my brain desperately trying to scramble some words I could say to explain myself. But nothing seemed to spring to mind. I could do nothing but just standing there, gaping slightly. People walked past us, oblivious to the strange meeting that was taking place in the middle of the sidewalk.

Her golden eyes stared at me, scrutinizing me. If I were to guess, I'd say she was probably trying to decide if I was crazy or not, having just run up to someone I didn't even know just to stare dumbly at them. I couldn't really blame her, either. I had no real idea why I had done exactly that, and I was already regretting my actions. I was about to stutter an apology and hurry away from the embarrassing situation, when I noticed a change in her expression.

Her golden eyes were narrowed, and she stared at me intently. Her head tilted slightly to the side, and I felt as if her eyes were staring directly into my soul. Then her golden orbs widened in surprise, and she opened her mouth to speak. "Yu-Yuzuru?" Her voice was light, and tainted with a tremble that I could distinguish quite clearly. I stared at her as she spoke the name. It wasn't the name I had been given at birth, but for some reason it felt familiar. It felt right.

Without warning, memories I never even knew I possessed began flooding back to me. I gasped as I suddenly remembered everything. I remembered having died in my previous life. I remembered the afterlife. Meeting the Afterlife Battlefront, all the missions we had performed, everything we had done to save ourselves. I remembered the moment when we had realized that everything we had done up to that point was wrong, and that there was only one way to leave the afterlife. I remembered how much it hurt when she had left, leaving me alone in the afterlife, crying her name to the heavens.

I stared at the girl standing before my eyes, seeing her now in a completely new light. I knew who she was. She smiled back at me, her beautiful golden eyes moistening. "Do you remember me now?" Her voice was trembling, but she was doing her best to conceal it. I didn't answer; I just took one step forward and embraced her. I placed my arms around her and pulled her smaller body close to mine. I felt her hugging me back, her cheek resting against my chest. "Kanade," I whispered, and I felt her hug me tighter. "Yes," she breathed, trembling in my embrace. She was crying, I realized.

How many years hadn't we lived, without ever knowing of each other's existence? How long had these memories been locked away somewhere inside us, only coming to the front if we by some chance met? As I held her close, I felt like the whole world just fell into place around me. Everything felt right. We were finally together again, in another life. Smiling happily, I held her tighter, and I could feel her wet cheek against my shirt. "We're together now, Kanade," I whispered. Her only response was a happy nod, as she looked up at me with tear-stained cheeks. Everything would be alright now.

In the middle of the pavement, with busy souls walking all around us on the way to their next destination, we held each other. We had both done the almost impossible. Two souls had found their destined partner and become one, and we could ask for nothing more. We only hoped all our friends from the afterlife had been so lucky in this life.

Not Again

I can't believe that I am actually doing this again...

I just need a little time alone to get me sleepy, but she suddenly turned up our of nowhere and rested her head on my shoulder - that pesky little seitou kaichou, Kanade Tachibana.

I could have sworn that my head feels hot because of her, my heart may be beating way too fast for comfort and I am fighting back my urge to kiss her.

Well, we are dating.

If I kiss her now, I might be waking her up.

Hold on, she was the one who slept on my shoulder without warning in the first place!

I dived straight in for her lips.

Her lips, tastes like Mapo Tofu and maybe a little strawberry.

I feel my nether regions itching, and so I had to push her down, very gently and then continued my kiss.

We are seeing each other for a long time already, so she would not mind, even though this is called "rape" by a healthy person standard.

I gasped as I turned back and saw her dazzling yellow eyes staring straight into mine.

Before I could say anything, she forced herself on me, our clothes are flying all over the roof, we are feeling our own nudity, and we kissed all over and made out until we climaxed.

Those perverts, especially Hinata and Yoshidayama (I must get his hair, or rather haystack harvested with my Gunblade), were all looking at us when we had breakfast at the cafeteria later that morning.

…because Matsushita found our panties hanging on a tree when he was walking here from his morning exercise.