Another Day, Another Life.

Looking at him she would then raise her hand and laid it gently on his, her eyes meeting his.

"Thank you, it means a lot"

Leaning forward a bit, making sure to miss the food so that it would not stain her clothing she kissed his cheek softly.

"Thank you for being my first friend Reizo-kun"

Sitting back down, she only returned to eating her lunch. Her hand leaving his so that she could pick up the slice of cheese pizza, but her eyes seemed to have lightened some the fear that was in them gone but it could have just been a cover so he would not worry.

Reizo couldn't help but blush lightly at the kiss to the cheek.

"Y-you're welcome." He managed to say, but didn't trust his voice to say much else at the moment right now, without fear of embarrassing himself.

Oh man, what if I start liking her more then just an friend?

* *

Classes passed by in a blur for the most part, Reizo paid attention yet it was fairly obvious his mind was elsewhere at the moment, or had taken a vacation. Regardless, before they knew it, their first 'lesson' in the Photo Club was underway. Reizo and Naomi worked together like they usually did, but some of the guys were jealous, wondering why some 'nerd' seemed to be on good terms with Naomi.

It was simple, far as the assignment went.

All they had to do, was go to the nearby field and take pictures of nature, not that far from the school. Reizo had no problems with it and even began helping her wit the camera as needed. He really wanted her to relax and have fun, she seemed so closed off.

Noami paid little mind to the kids they passed, so many of them had tried to hook up with her but she never accepted their offers. When classes where over, Noami just followed Reizo to the photo club, turning to look at Jasmine she let the women explain what they needed to do. Noami knew this was for school requirements but she still did not like the idea of leaving campus, the world to her was something she didn't want to understand; at least not at this current moment.

Noami sat with Reizo as he explained to her how the camera they where issued worked, she had seen the more buy and snap type camera's the cheep ones that still had film.

"How far are we going to be from the campus?"

Reizo shook his head. "It's not far Naomi, barely a mile if that." He was trying to be patient and understanding about this phobia of hers of being outside the school. Reizo wanted to help Naomi get over her fear because she was going have to get out the academy sooner or later. To that end the sooner she got over it, the better off she'd be when she graduated.

When they went to the fields(the campus still visible) there weren't much in the way of animals besides maybe birds and things like rabbits, pretty harmless things.

She was a bit uncomfortable as she stood out there, she kept looking over her shoulder back at the school as if it was just going to get up and just float away. Taking a deep breath she followed after Reizo, she could see him looking around and she just didn't really know why they had to take a picture of nature. Wasn't much out here and the animals that where there just bolted at the sound of them.

"Reizo-kun I don't think we are going to get much out here....the animals keep bolting"

She didn't want to state that she wanted to leave and head back, but it was clear that she did. She had let him have the camera since she still didn't know how to really work it without screwing something up, before they left they had taken a few snap shots. Each one ended up at a weird angle either he was tilted to the right, or there was a close up of her from accidentally hitting the button.

"Why don't we just take a quick picture of a running rabbit and head back?"

"I think we'll get something in a moment, I think.." Reizo scratched the back of his head. He really didn't want to give up that easily. Plus one of the original goals was to get Noami over her fear of being outside the campus, but he seemed to be doing a pretty bad job at it.

The question was, how to get her to loosen up and enjoy it?

Maybe a hands on approach, get her to take a picture of something..

As if to answer his prayers, a rabbit and two baby ones came out the bushes, chewing on some plants and for once not bolting. Reizo smiled and handed the camera to Naomi. "All right, soon but first this. Just remember what I told you, its pretty easy."Hopefully, this would be an start.

Naomi was looking around and then looked at Reizo then back at the Rabbits. Taking a deep breath she took the camera and she nodded.

"Alright after this we head back."

She would hold up the camera and faced the rabbits, they where just munching on the grass without even noticing them standing there. looking at the device in her hand she studied it a bit and would hold it up and put her finger on the button to snap the shot. But when she went to view it, all there was was a blank screen, the lid was still over it.

Sighing, she took it off and would try to take another picture looking at the rabbits through the little eye hole she snapped the shot then handed it back to Reizo.

"there i took it"

Reizo took the camera back and tried to hide how dissapointed he felt for not feeling like he had helped her at all. At least he had tried too, but there wasn't all that much he could, he guessed. He didn't say too much and before they knew it, the class was dismissed, allowing the class to close up and go home for the day.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow Naomi, take care." He said to his friend, adjusting his back pack before slowly walking away on his way home, seemingly to have something on his mind.

Naomi looked at Reizo as he started to leave and she would move after him and she spoke.

"I'm sorry I ruined the time off campus, I know you wanted to try and get me to get used to being away. I just well......"

She was some what uncomfortable to tell him, more so cause people where around and she eyed him. Taking a deep breath she moved up closer to him and whispered into his ear.

"I know its silly but I do not like the dark....and it was getting late....So I'm sorry my fear took the fun out of today's meeting."

Reizo stopped in mid-step when she called out to him, when she finished, he turned around but he wasn't angry or upset in any way. "It's okay. It's just I wanted to help you so badly that I sort of rushed it. I just didn't want you to be scared of leaving anymore. So when it didn't ork I was just dissapointed I couldn't help you, I wasn't upset at you."

Noami looked at him and nodded, she could see that he wanted to help her in anyway that he could and she would move up to him and place her hand on his shoulder.

"Your a very kind person Reizo-kun, but its going to take longer for me to get over a fear that I've had since I was very young."

She would drop her hand from his shoulder, after all classes where over for the day and she started for the library like she did after class everyday.

Reizo was fighting with himself or something before he finally came up with a decision. He hurriedly went after Naomi.

"Wait a second, I'll come too. I don't want you to walk alone.." Really, he just didn't want her to get scared like the last time if it got darker then expected like the other day.

Turning to look back at him she would only smile as she nodded. Since she meet him she liked him, he was nice and didn't just try to get close to her to possible date her. No he really wanted to be her friend, moving to the library she pushed the door open, since school had gotten out so early no one was really around and she would look back at him.

"Since we got out so early Mr. Van didn't give us any homework, so did you want to do anything else? We got the school pretty much to ourselves."

"Uh not sure." Reizo admitted. "I usually just read or play video games when I have free time. Do you like to read Naomi?" Maybe he could find some interesting books in the library, after all he hadn't really had much of any time to really look.

"Well there is the game room that the school set up, filled with all sorts of things more than likely its packed full with kids but its a two stories building so we could find something there....."

She had been there once and she just left seeing as she couldn't really find anything of interest to play and kids where staring at her funny. Noami would then look at him and shrug at the reading thing.

"Depends on the book, but well....my favorite is...."

She bit her lip and she would set her book back down and pull out a well worn out book but with the title 'Beauty and the Beast'

"My mother read that to me when I was little, I've always loved it sometimes I wish I was like Belle able to conquered the problems before her and stick to what she believes...."

Her eyes seemed to go distant with the thought but she would shack her head clearing her thoughts and looking at him.

"Do you have any favorite stories?"

"There is one story." Reizo thought back for a moment. "The library doesn't seem to have it but the book was called 'Under the Red Fern.' It was about this family coming from another country coming to America trying to make a life here. It made me realize how lucky I am, that I didn't have to go through that. In the end there's an happy ending, plus its based on a true story. Happened a long time ago though.."

"It sounds like a good book, if I ever find it you'll be the first person I'll tell."

In truth she was right, who else would she tell about this book? She didn't have any other friends so she couldn't go and say anything.

"I think we are all lucky, in our own way. I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

Reizo felt his heart beat pick up and his cheeks turn a bit red at that.

Ah, calm down she just meant as friends...

"Thank you Naomi, you're very nice too once people get to know you.."

He trailed off a bit after wards, now what?

We'll, he probably should say something again instead of just standing there.

"If you don't mind me asking..were you born here?" He asked after a bit finally.

The question was bit of a shock she didn't think of ever having to tell anyone but she would look at him and she would shack her head.

"No, I was born in a small town 8 hours away from this city"

"I see." Reizo paused thinking before deciding to let a bit more about himself out, getting to know each other a bit more never hurt. "I wasn't born here either. I..think I came from New York or something and my biological parents moved here. I was too young to remember them when they died in a car crash but I got adopted into my new family shortly after wards.."

"..I'm glad I met you Naomi.." He said quietly. "Before you I didn't have any friends. We'll, ones my age." Reizo corrected lightly.

"I'm sorry for your loss, my mother died from a disease that some live through some don't she was on the side of thoughts that didn't make it."

She would then lean against the table slightly and would reach into her pocket and pull out a locket that he would have seen the first time he meet her, but she would open it and only music played no picture on the inside.

"this was hers, her mother gave it to her and she passed it to me before she passed away."

He studied the necklace for a moment, he had seen all kinds of things in his time at his grandfather's museum but this was an first for him. Reizo wasn't an expert but having grown up around Ryo he knew a piece of art when he saw one. It was finely crafted and more then that, had obviously been made in a way to ensure it would last for years to come.

"It's beautiful." Reizo said to Naomi warmly. "It's really well made too, I can tell. My grandfather owns a museum and has an eye for crafts and such. I picked up a bit from him, sorta."

"I don't know how old it is really, my mom's had it in her family her mother passed it to her and my grandmother's mother passed it on to her and so on. How old it is or where it came from I'm not sure, but iv tried looking up the song it plays but never could find it."

She would look at it, running her fingers over the locket before closing it.

Reizo didn't know what quite to say at first. Though he wanted to say something and not just stand there doing nothing. "..You said your father lives in town..what's he like?"

"Hes a bit like me, very quiet my mother was the 'wild' one."

She slid the locket back into her pants pocket where she usually always had it.