Counting Unlit Candles

"Kanji kara me no genshou
itsumo madobe de shuujitsu mousou
Tsumaru koto nai nichijyou
wari ni awanu esa bakari" I sang as I skipped down the road. I was as happy as ever. I walked into a Hello Kitty store and started looking at everything I wanted but couldn't afford. At least not yet. I looked at a big plushy and decided to buy it. Even if I couldn't buy much more after that, food-wise. I then walked into the next door candy store and bought a lot of lollipop's. I then decided to go home, and as I was skipping on my way back, lollipop in mouth and holding my new plushy in one hand and the bag with the rest of the lollipops in the other, I bumped into someone, sending us both flying to the ground. "Aah, I'm sorry!" I said and held my hand out for the man to take.

"It's okay, it's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going.." the man said and took my hand. I giggled as I noticed that I was a couple of inches taller than him. "Oh, please don't tell me you're as young as I think you are!" he grunted and I laughed.

"How old do you think I am?" I asked and he looked at me from head to toe. I had on my favorite outfit, the cat ears and tail were black.

His POV

I looked at the girl, trying to figure out her age.

"Hhmm.. 14, maybe 15?" I said an she giggled.

"Wrong!" she said and hugged the Hello Kitty stuffed toy she was holding.

"Then how old are you, really?" I asked and she grinned.

"I'm not telling you!" she sang and skipped past me. I sighed and shook my head, then walked to the cafe where I was meeting the guys.

Her POV

I laughed at I skipped past the guy, onwards to my home. I unlocked the apartment and walked inside, sighing at the complete and utter emptiness. After doing nothing for an hour I decided to walk out again. As I walked down the street, looking down at my feet, I bumped into someone. I looked up and saw the guy from before. I smiled.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked in a joking tone and he blushed a bit, scratching the back of his head.

"N-no! Not really, I just.. I'm sort of lost.." he confessed and gave me an embarrassed smile.

"Well, were are you going then?" I asked and he told me the address of where he was going and I started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

"Well, you're on the right path.." I said, still laughing. "Come on, I'll show you.." I said and turned around and started walking towards the address, five houses from where I lived.

"Oh.. Well, thanks..?" he said and I realized I hadn't told him my name.

"It's Yuriko." I said and smiled. "And you are..?"

"I'm Ruki." he said and smiled.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Ruki-san." I said and turned to leave.

"Wait!" I stopped and looked at Ruki. "You still hasn't told me how old you are."

"And I'm not going to either." I said and poked my tongue out. "You just have to guess!"

"Want to come in? I bet my friends won't mind.." he said and I smiled.

"Sure, I have nothing better to do, so why not.." I said and smiled as I walked up the stairs and stood next to him. He knocked on the door, and after a while a man with blond hair and a blotch of brown with a cloth covering his nose opened the door.

"Hey, Ruki, you're late!" the man said, then he noticed me. "And you brought a friend, I see.. Hi, I'm Reita."

"Nice to meet you, Reita-san." I said and bowed slightly. "I'm Yuriko."

"Come in, both of you." Reita said and stepped aside to let us in. I slowly walked into the apartment, a bit nervous. I tend to be nervous when I'm in an unknown persons apartment. Ruki walked to the living room, where three other guys were sitting. I bit my lip and just stood there, nervously.

"Ruki! Dude, you're like, really late!" A guy with brown-ish blond hair said and smiled.

"Well, I got lost, but then I found Yuriko here.." Ruki answered, a bit embarrassed and gestured to me. I blushed a bit and waved to the unknown guys.

"I hope she's not a fan girl.." the brown-ish blond guy whispered to a blackhaired guy with a lip ring.

"A fan girl of what?" I asked, a bit confused. The guy who whispered it looked very confused and shocked. "I have very good hearing.." I said and looked down at my feet.

"Oh, well.. I guess you're not." he said. "I'm Uruha, and this is Kai and Aoi." he said with a smiled and the other guys waved at me.

"Nice to meet you, Uruha-san. Kai-san, Aoi-san." I said and bowed.

"There's no need for the -san, Yuriko-Chan." Kai said with a smile, and I noticed that he had dimples.

"How old are you by the way?" Aoi asked and I grinned playfully.

"I'm not gonna say.." I sang and Ruki just sighed.

"She's not 14 or 15.. At least, she says she's not." Ruki muttered and sat down on the couch.

"Hmm.. Well, you can't be older than 17, that's for sure.." Aoi said and I bursted out laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked and I calm down.

"Oh, you'll never get it right.. I said and wiped my eyes from the laughter tears. "I'm actually 22.." I started laughing again when I saw the guys jaws drop.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Reita said after a few moments of silence.

"Nope, I really am 22 years old!" I said and took out my ID from my wallet. Here, see for yourself."

The guys took my ID and passed it around, and they all realized that I actually was 22 years old.

"But you look, and seem so.." Uruha said, in loss of words.

"Childish?" I asked and the guys nodded. "Well, it's because when I was a kid I had to be the adult in the house, so I never really got a real childhood. So, now that I am free to do what I want, I am also able to have the childhood I never had, even if I do have to work.." I said and smiled at them.

"Oh.." the five of them said in unison and I laughed.