"Miyu!!" a certain brown-haired boy bellowed from the kitchen. "Get in here, now!"
Loud, vehement cursing issued from the hallway. A few moments later, a pretty blonde girl appeared in the doorway, scowling. "What is your problem!"
Kanata pointed to a mountain of dirty clothes in the corner. "The clothes' hamper is overflowing! It's your turn to do the laundry!"
"Quit bossing me around!" she yelled back, her hands on her hips. "I hate doing the laundry!"
He turned red with anger. "Someone has to! Wanya isn't here anymore to clean up your messes, you klutz!"
"Well, you don't have to yell!" She picked up the hamper (with difficulty, as it was quite heavy) and marched outside.
"That Kanata!" she fumed as she grabbed some washing machine detergent. "He couldn't even carry the basket for me! What a d— Oops!"
She accidentally spilled some detergent on the floor because her hand was shaking with rage.
Grumbling, she then started sorting the whites from the coloreds. She stuck her hand into the pocket of a pair of Kanata's school uniform. "I wonder how he'd react if I burnt all his stupid clothes and scatter the ashes. Ha, ha, ha…" Her hand touched something. "Hmm?"
She withdrew a small, slightly wrinkled, powder-blue envelope from the pocket. "What the—?" A small, red heart sticker neatly sealed the envelope.
Miyu's emerald eyes widened. "A… love letter?"
Her mind started racing. Maybe this is from Chris! Or from another one of his crazy fan club members? Or, god forbid… Akira Kijo?!
Stay calm, Miyu, she told herself. Don't rush to conclusions.
But she couldn't help it. Maybe this is a love letter from Kanata and he forgot to give it to his love! Oh, god, no…!
She hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then ripped the seal open. She unfolded the piece of paper inside and let out a snort.
"Floral pink stationery?" she mockingly said out loud. "Seriously? Are you, like, six years old?"
Miyu's hands suddenly started shaking. Angry as she was at Kanata, it didn't feel right to read his private things. Still… Curiosity overwhelmed her, and her eyes scrunched up as she began to read:
To the most beautiful girl in the world:
I wrote this letter to you because I needed to tell you something I do not have the courage to tell you face-to-face. Because I have always been shy, and never open about my feelings. You should know that; you know me pretty well. (In fact, I would say that you are the only one who knows the real Kanata Saionji.)
So it was Akira, Miyu realized. Kanata's best friend. She forced herself to read on.
I guess that's part of the reason I love you.
If truth be told, I love you for so many reasons that to put them in a letter would make it a novel.
I love you because you laugh too much.
I love you because you laugh too loud.
I love you because you let me know when I'm being a jerk.
I love you because you're absolutely beautiful but you don't know it.
I have loved you for so long — maybe even since the day we met. But I haven't been able to show you my true feelings. I was afraid of what you'd think, that you might not return my feelings.
I've been trying to repress these feelings, believe me. God knows I've spent countless sleepless nights, trying to get you out of my head. But it's never worked. You are the voice in my head, for better or worse.
Miyu's throat was dry. She remembered the nights when she would wake up to the sound of relentless footsteps, only to find Kanata roaming the halls of Saionji Temple.
She wanted to stop reading, she truly did. But her eyes were drawn to the paper, on which she now recognized Kanata's handwriting.
You were always the one I needed. Before you came along, I was a hollow shell. (I guess my mother's death had something to do with that.) But when I met you… It were as if I had waken up after a long sleep. The sun shone, birds sang, flowers bloomed… You are my inspiration, even if you don't realize it.
You helped me through rough times. Even when things just seem to go totally wrong, you've been a ray of sunlight. A shrine of optimism. (Honestly, I wish I could be more like you.) You are the song in my heart that keeps me going.
The hand holding the letter shook. Miyu leaned on the washing machine, hung her head, and started trembling with sobs.
She couldn't believe that Kanata Saionji — perfect, calm, cool Kanata — would go wild with passion over a girl.
It was Akira, she just knew it. Akira Kijo, the most beautiful and witty girl in Kanata's world… The girl she — scrawny, unladylike Miyu Kouzouki, eternally overshadowed by her genius parents — could never, ever measure up to.
"Kanata…" she whispered, her vision blurred with tears. The only guy I love is the one I can't have.
After a few minutes, she finally regained control. Gasping for air, she shakily straightened up, not bothering to wipe her face gleaming with tear tracks.
"I should have known," she said thickly, searching for a hanky to wipe her nose with in the laundry, "he was all over her when she came to visit."
She blew her nose on a large, extremely wrinkled, dark gray handkerchief.
A sound of disgust made her turn around. "Did you just blow your nose on my handkerchief?"
"Kanata!" she exclaimed, and immediately regretted speaking, for she sounded like she had a bad head cold. "What are you doing here?"
"I didn't hear the washing machine running and wondered why it was taking you so long to sort the clothes." He stared at her, or more precisely, the crumpled letter in her hand. "What is that?"
She hid it behind her back. "Um, nothing."
He leapt forward, his hand outstretched. "Give it to me."
"Give what?" Miyu knew she was being silly, but she would rather die — painfully and slowly — rather than let him know that she had been crying over Kanata's confession of love to Akira.
Kanata's eyes narrowed. "Miyu… Have you been crying?"
"What? No way!" She tried to make it sound ridiculous, but it only came over as sad and borderline pathetic. She hurriedly scrubbed her face with her free hand.
"Miyu." Kanata said very softly. He was looking at her with something like pity. "Please, give it to me."
Moved by his unusually polite demeanor, she reluctantly handed over the letter and the envelope.
He took it from her and said quietly, "Well, what do you think?"
Something seemed to be stuck in Miyu's throat, so she swallowed before sneering, "I'm sure Akira will be pleased. After all, she was all over you when she was here." Bitterness seeped into her voice.
"Akira? What does she have to do with this?" Kanata demanded.
"Isn't that who the love letter is for?" She put on a low, manly voice and quoted, "You are the song in my heart that keeps me going. What a load of horse dung."
He stared at her, openmouthed, for quite a time. Then he burst into laughter. "Good god, woman, are you really that stupid?"
"What did you say?!" she shouted, stepping towards him menacingly. She wasn't in the mood to be insulted.
"Why don't you read the entire letter before crying your eyes out?" He shoved the letter in her face.
Scowling, she read:
I'm utterly mad in love with, and crazy for, you.
Will you be my girlfriend, Miyu Kouzouki?
Kanata wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and said, "Does that clear things up?"
Wordlessly, Miyu launched herself at him. "Yes!"
"Yes to which question?"
"Both."
A grin unfurled on his handsome face. "You mean…?"
"Yes, Kanata, I will be your girlfriend." Suddenly, she kissed him on the lips.
They broke apart after a few heart-stopping minutes.
She laughed at his astonished face. "Get used to it."
"I plan to." And as they kissed again, Miyu felt her heart leap, grateful, for the first time, that she was the one to do the laundry.