Hello, this is my 1st fanfic, please go easy on me for the comments~
Since there's a lack of Ichika X Char Fanfic, and i'm a fan of the pairing, i decided to pair them up! :D
Credits to Tsubasa Kuromiya as a beta reader, and helping me start up XD

The Silverio Gospel case had been resolved.

One hour had passed since all the lights were out throughout the seaside resort, but Ichika Orimura just could not sleep. He tossed and turned on his futon as he pondered about that incident: he was certain that he was almost overpowered by the rouge IS, but managed to drive Yukihira Type-2 through it when it suddenly loosen its grip, giving him an opening, and he shut it down permanently. It almost feels like someone had been manipulating the machine from afar…

Then another memory back from the night before came back to his mind once more. The shy but serious face of his childhood friend, Houki Shinonono, asked him if he saw her as a girl, whilst placing his hand onto her…breasts.

Heat crept across his cheeks at that thought and his sat up abruptly, his shook his head wildly to disperse the recollection. There was something that Houki wanted to say, he knew; he could tell from her expression…

'Argh! What the heck am I thinking about?' he ruffled his hair in irritation as said his thoughts out loud. Almost immediately after he had spoken, an alarm clock whizzed past him, centimeters from his face, and crashed onto the wall, where it broke apart. 'Shut up, you idiot – I'm trying to sleep here!' His sister, Chifuyu Orimura barked in annoyance before turning her back at him to sleep.

Ichika shivered and smiled weakly. He had forgotten that he was sharing room with his fearsome sister today, as she insisted that sleeping with anyone else but her could be hazardous. He sighed quietly, got up and tiptoed to the door. Before his finger touched the door frame, it was suddenly pulled open, and the person he had least expected stood in front of him, a wooden katana resting on her shoulder.

'H-Houki?'

'I…Ichika.'

They stared at each other for a moment. Then Ichika began first, 'Ah, Houki…There's something I want to ask–'

'T-this isn't a good place to talk. Come with me!' She dragged him roughly into an empty room that was conveniently next to his.

Once the door was shut, Ichika looked at Houki with a confused face and opened his mouth to speak, but the awkwardness that was emitting from Houki made him snapped them shut. Houki took in a deep breath and the words came out in a rush, her face scarlet, 'Uh, Ichika…y-you know, about last night… What do you think of me?'

'Huh? What do I think of you? Um…you're my childhood friend, right?'

Houki's lips twitched. Her body shook and he could feel a dark aura emerging from her back. She gripped the katana even tighter.

'I-Ichika… You idiot!'

The katana narrowly missed his head as she brought it down on him. 'That's not what I meant at all! Am I just your childhood friend to you? Am I nothing more than that? "

'I…I don't get what you mean!' Ichika was starting to freak out a little. But he thought something was a little off about Houki today, but he couldn't seem to tell what.

"You…you dumb oaf! Can't you see that I like you more than just a childhood friend?" Those words blurted out off Houki's mouth before she clasped them with her hands, as though she's trying to trap the words back into her.

"W-w-what? Houki, you mean… wait, this is…" Ichika, who has finally gotten the meaning of Houki's words, started to flush. H-Houki likes me? He thought.

"W-well? What's your answer? Do y-you like me o-or not?"

"Err…that's…."

"Ichika, answer me now-" Before Houki can finish her sentence, the door slide open, and with a sharp chopping action to the neck by a shadowed figure, Houki fell unconscious, to be caught by Ichika in the nick of time.

"My, my, this has become quite a troublesome situation…" The shadowed figure walked into the room. "Carry Shinonono to the sickbay, you idiotic brother."

"C-Chifuyu-nee? What's going on now?"

"Don't ask so much, just do what I say you moron."

After Houki was placed in proper care, Ichika was forcefully dragged by Chifuyu back into her room.

"Honestly, why do I have such an idiotic and insensitive brother like you…" Chifuyu gave a loud sigh. "Let me tell you this, Shinonono likes you, no, she loves you. And is not just her either, Laura, Cecilla, Rin and Charlotte also carries a torch for you. Gosh, what do those girls see in you…"

"W-wha… wait, wait a moment, this isn't some kind of joke, is it, Chifuyu-nee?" His reply was a flying sandal, hitting him squarely on the head.

"How dense can you be?" Chifuyu took out a wine bottle from her pocket. "This was found in Shino- I mean, Houki's room. Apparently, the little girl who cannot hold liquor suddenly thinks that she might be able to confess better with a drop of wine… how am I going to answer to Tabane about this."

"So that's it. No wonder she was acting a little weird just now,"

"That does not change the fact that she loves you though." The sister rebuked, "If you cannot accept her love, then I would suggest you to pretend that this event never happened at all. It will just become a realistic dream for you, and more importantly, for her."

"Thanks, Chifuyu-nee. I think I need some time to think this over…I think I'll go back to sleep for now."

"Hmph, take your sweet time thinking it through. After all, five girls to choose from isn't something easy… it's a bumpy road, whichever you choose…"

Daybreak soon arrived, and Ichika walked to the dining hall, only to find Charlotte Dunois there already. "Hey morning Char."

"Good morning Ichika."

"Hey, Char…" Ichika walked by her, and slipped her a piece of paper before going to his seat. Puzzled, she unfolded the paper.

"Meet me later after breakfast, the pond within the garden."

Startled, Charlotte look towards Ichika's direction, only to receive smile and a wink from Ichika.

"C-can it be? No, it can't be…but can it possibly…?"

These thoughts fluttered over Charlotte's mind during the entire course of breakfast and even until she went back into her room to change out from her yukata. "Why did Ichika want to meet me, and privately too? Does that mean…?"

Charlotte felt heat creeping up her face, and she placed her hands on her face. She was half-way to wonderland when a thought dropped her back to earth.

That's right, Ichika is a dumb oaf. He wouldn't understand love even if it hits him in the face." Giving a huge sigh, she returned to changing into her uniform. "I probably shouldn't expect too much from this…"

In the garden, Ichika was waiting patiently for Char to arrive.

"I believe that this is what I want. There can be no mistakes, my feelings… the one that I truly love is…"

"Ichika~ what did you ask me out for?"

Ichika looked back, and saw Char behind him. "Char, you are here. You see, yesterday…Houki confessed to me."

"W-W-What? Houki…confessed?" Charlotte was shocked at this revelation. Oh no. Houki has taken the first move! Charlotte thought. Being his childhood friend, she surely has an advantage over us. Don't tell me, he has already…

"S-so, did you…?" Charlotte can't seem to say the words out.

"I didn't." As though knowing what Char wanted to say, Ichika answered first. " I didn't really know how to answer her at that point of time…"

"Wait Ichika, why are you telling me all this?" Charlotte's mind was in a whirl.

"Because, Char, you are the one that I like." Ichika gave her a cheeky smile.

Those words took a little while to sink in.

"W-w-what? Ichika, that isn't something to joke about, really…"

"I'm not joking, Char. I'm serious. Yesterday, Chifuyu-nee gave me a little sermon after the incident, and I had the whole night to think about it. You are the one that I want to protect and care about." Ichika placed his hands on her shoulders.

"W-wait, Ichika, this…this is too sudden…"

"Ever since that time that you have been revealed as a girl, I have been in love with you, is just that, I didn't know that myself either… Char, is all right. You can depend on me, remember?" Ichika gave her a huge grin.

"R-really? Is that true? You aren't joking right?" Charlotte can feel the heat creeping up to her face slowly, from the confession. "I can depend on you, right?"

"Definitely. A man keeps his words, remember?"

"Ichika…I love you too." Char mumbled, and looked up at Ichika. Ichika brought down his face, and in that moment, their lips locked.

"Ichika… this is not a dream, right? I'm awake, right?" Charlotte appears to be rather scared. "I'm afraid that I would suddenly wake up and all this will become nothingness…"

Ichika sighed, and gave her a little pinch on her shoulder.

"Oww, what did you do that for?"

"See, you're awake. Nothing's changed." Ichika gave her a big, cheeky grin.

Charlotte's tears dropped from her eyes, and she hugged Ichika tightly. "If…if you dare cheat on me, I'll not forgive you…" Her face was still bright red, with a pouted face.

A little stunned at the sudden remark, Ichika recovered quickly, and gave an awkward smile.

"Of course not."

The two couple slowly walked back to the resort.

"Hey Ichika…why me? I mean, why not Cecilla, or Rin, or Laura?" There was still a little doubt within Charlotte. Of course, this is too good to be true for her.

"Hmm? To be honest, I'm not very sure of it myself either… I just love you the way you are. You are the one I want to be with together for the rest of my life, that is how I feel."

Upon hearing that, Charlotte blushed furiously. "Ichika you idiot…saying such things…embarrassed…" She held tightly to the side of Ichika, and placed her head onto him. "As punishment, you are going to feed me later…"

As they were walking back to the resort, little did they know they were being spy on, by Honne Nohotoke.

"Iyaa, I-Ichika and Charlotte? No way! I need to go back and tell the rest first…."