Shuichi had woken up to the faint sounds of dripping water, coughing up water out of his lungs. His eyes, slowly opened. His vision was obscured. He couldn't see anything, until he blinked a few times, clearing up his vision. He looked around his surroundings, confused. He didn't really know anything about his surroundings, except that he was in some type of cave. He slowly sat up and looked down in his lap to see Imani, unconscious. The both of them were drenched from head to foot. He tried hard to remember what happened, until it finally hit him.

"I had tried to save Imani as she fell off a cliff". He said to himself, staring down at her. "She would have been fine, since she is an excellent swimmer. Why did I rush in to save her?" He asked himself, still staring down at her unconscious form.

Shuichi gently caressed her cheek, tucking a strand of  her damp, curly hair behind her ear. He checked her skin to realize she was freezing. He then checked for a pulse and sighed in relief when he found she had one. After that, he checked to see if she was breathing. She wasn't.

"Damnit, Imani. You're not going anywhere. It's not your fucking time, yet, princess". He groaned as he laid her on her back, lifted her chin slightly and breathed air into her lungs through her lips, before doing chest compressions.

He had learned CPR in health class at school. He wasn't certified, but at least he knew what to do. He never suspected that he would actually need to do it to anyone.

Shuichi repeated his actions, until Imani coughed up water into his face, before laying back down, breathing normally, resting. Shuichi chuckled as he wiped his face with his damp sleeve.

"I knew you would pull through". He whispered to her, before relaxing as he sat down on the ground beside her. He stared at her and watched her sleeping form and noticed that she started to shiver. They were both wet and it was cold in this cave. He gently pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly inside his jacket as he tried to warm her with his body warmth.

Shuichi couldn't help, but laugh at himself. When did he become so gentlemanly towards women? He would have never jumped in to save any other girl like he did with Imani, especially not without a second thought. Again, his attitude towards Imani puzzled him. Slowly, but surely, Imani was changing him into something good and it scared him. How and why? He looked down at Imani again and watched her sleeping form.

"What kind of magic spell do you have over me?" He asked her, touching her cheek again.

Again, there was this pang in his chest as he stared at her. His index finger lightly traced over the shape of her lips. His heart raced, so quickly that he was afraid that it would jump out of his chest.

"Fuck", he groaned in irritation.

"What have you done to me, Imani?" He asked as he combed through her curly hair. "How can one person change you so much and make you feel so strongly for them?" He asked. "What is it about you that makes me feel this way?" He asked, though not expecting an answer. "Is it your beauty? Intelligence? Wit? Stubbornness? Courageousness? Kick ass attitude?" He asked, still combing through her hair. "Why you?"

Shuichi sighed and let his hand fall down to his side.

"Shit, I am in love with you, Imani".

He stared at the cave wall in front of him, more like through it. How could he let this happen? How could he let himself catch feelings for someone he can't have? For someone else's girl? For Haru's girl?

Shuichi looked at Imani again. "I guess it couldn't be helped". He shrugged his shoulders.

Imani was an amazing woman. He swore that she was Super Girl or some shit or perhaps Wonder Woman? This girl had unbelievable strength, physically and mentally. Shuichi had never seen a girl like Imani before. She was definitely one of a kind. She saw something in him that even he couldn't see. She knew him better than he knew himself. Him falling for her was bound to happen. Shuichi just wished that perhaps she had met him first then perhaps Haru would be in this position and not him.

"Imani, I know that you cannot hear this and I prefer it to be that way. You are truly an amazing girl and I am glad that I have met you". He whispered to her. "You are so amazing and out of this world that I cannot simply describe it with words". Shuichi started caressing her cheek again. "Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise".

Shuichi's heart leapt out of his chest. Staring at such beauty made it hard for him to calm his heart.

"Imani, I have come to a realization that I have fallen in love with you. I was so confused and puzzled because I have never felt this strongly for any other person. You are my everything and I just wish that I have gotten to you first". He confessed to her sleeping form.

"I know you can't hear me and perhaps it's for the best, but I wanted you to know my true feelings". Shuichi sighed again. "I know I always joked about my feelings towards you, but I have come to another realization that it was merely to hide my true feelings from you and from myself". He admitted. "Perhaps in another life we will meet again and perhaps then we can be together. I'll wait for that day".

Shuichi bit on his bottom lip, before continuing. "Because of these feelings I have for you, princess, I can no longer stay in your life. I can no longer come whenever you summon me. We can no longer see each other. I don't want my feelings for you to put a damper on our friendship or your relationship with Haru. I finally see what you see in him. He is a pretty cool guy. I just wish I saw that sooner".

"After this day, you will no longer see me. I will disappear from your life forever. I will be nothing, but a distant memory to you. Please, don't worry about me. I will be fine. I always knew how to take care of myself. I don't want you thinking about me, but I do want you to always remember me, even just faintly. Can you do that for me?"

Shuichi gave her a small smile. "I'm glad I was able to convey my feelings to you, even though you can't hear me. It was great to get it off my chest. Thanks for everything Imani. I will always love you". He said, leaning down and giving her a deep, long kiss on her lips. He wanted to make it last, so he will forever remember the soft and warm feeling of her lips.

What Shuichi didn't notice was the tears that trickled down Imani's cheeks as he kissed her. She had heard his whole confession from start to finish.