The rain...It won't stop. Clear droplets fall onto my bedroom window as I scroll on my phone. All my friends are having fun with their families. Drinking hot cocoa, playing board games, even cooking together...and here I am listening to my parents screaming at each other in the kitchen. 

I've been in my room all day, I just wish the rain would stop already. I lay back onto my bed and contemplate what to do for the rest of the day when my phone vibrates. I look over and it's Yuri, my friend. She wants to know if I can come over to hang out...I say yes. I get up, put my shoes on, and slip out my window. 

I instantly regret going out the window, because i slide down the wet roof and into the soaked bushes below. "Augh, really! Now my pants are wet.", I grumble as I get up and grab my phone where it landed nearby in the grass. I look at my phone and wipe it down with my hoodie sleeve. Its a rough walk to my friends house in the storm but its not that bad because she only lives a few blocks away. 

I arrive at her house in a few minutes and let myself in. "Yuri!", I yell as I take off my shoes. "SAKURA', she screams as she hurtles herself down the stairs, almost wiping me out. "Calm down girl it's only been 2 days", I enter her living room and sit down grabbing the tv remote. "They're back at it aren't they?", she questions as she notices my stormy attitude. 

"Yeah, I wanna ask you something Yuri.", I whisper. "Yeah?", she looks skeptical as she waits for an answer. "Can I come live with you for a while? Things keep getting worse, and they won't stop arguing.", I start to cry as she blankly stares at me. "I-I'm Sorry Sakura but we can't", she blinks and walks away. 

 Im seriously dumbfounded as I watch her leave. She has never rejected me. I get up to leave when I see Hiroyuki walk down the stairs. He looks angry as usual, I wonder why he always looks so upset. I've never seen him smile, not once in the entire time i've known him has he even looked as though he wanted to smile. 

He stares at me with a blank expression and I wonder what he's thinking about. He's only spoken to me once the entire time i've known him. His voice reminds me of the freshly baked cookies me and Yuri would buy at the bakery in town. Sweet and smooth, his voice is...beautiful. 

I look at him and walk to the door. I put my shoes on and he looks at me and opens his mouth as if to speak, but he walks away instead. I leave, and instead of going home I choose to walk around town for a few hours now that the rain has stopped slightly. I realize that my dad has probably realized that I've left but I don't care. I just keep walking.

I wonder what life could've been like if mom didn't die, if dad didn't remarry. I just wish that life could go back to the way it was. Warm matcha friday nights, cooking together in the kitchen, when mom would cook my favorite soup. All of that is important to me, I could never forget mom.

I walk without realizing where I'm going, and I end up at the Kyushu Jangara Ramen, my mom would always bring me here when I was feeling down. "Maybe its just a coincidence?", I think. I walk in and head towards the table me and my mother would always sit at but somebody's already there. It's dad!

 "Oh crap", I think and spin around to leave. "Na-a-a Sakura, get back here.", he says softly. I turn around expecting to be met with a glare, but instead there's a soft smile on his face. After a lengthly conversation and some ramen we head out to go home. When we get home Hana, my step mother, is gone. She didn't leave a note or anything. 

None of her stuff is in the house and her car is gone. The only thing left of her is her ring on the kitchen table. It's hard for me to comprehend this all, she left without saying anything. She just disappeared. I instantly call Katsuo and tell him what's been happening. He sympathizes with me and asks me to come over, I do. 

I arrive at his house and he has a cup of tea and cookies prepared. I sit down and cry, I tell him all my issues, even everything about Hiroyuki. I instantly regret it but It makes me feel a little bit better. Katsuo is like a brother to me, he's never hurt me. he's one of the friends that you can't lose. We have been friends since 1st grade, inseparable friends. But that's it..just friends nothing more.