I See You
By Iluminos
"Perfect slices, not too thin, not too thick-" he kept telling himself as he sliced through the prepared batches of seaweed and rice. Preparing the best sushi rolls had become a goal Hikari had been trying to accomplish for the past five years of his life.
His concentration was so, that he missed the steps of an intruder barging into his sanctuary, a dark corner in the kitchen were Shintaro, the main chef, had begrudgingly let him practice his cooking skills, a direct command of the restaurant's owner.
"You did a great job today Hikari. Keep up the good work and you'll own your restaurant in no time boy."
At the mention of his name, Hikari lifted his gaze, puzzled at the sudden interruption; a soft hiss escaped his lips as a miscalculation resulted in a gash across his forefinger.
"Ouch, sorry-I mean, thank you Tomoko-san." He replied, taking his injured finger to his mouth as he blushed slightly. So much for a great job, he mused as he made a fool of himself before the restaurant's owner. The elderly lady had enough patience with him as it was.
She shook her head with a knowing smile that made her wrinkles pop up even more, and waved a hand at him, "You just need to keep your head on your shoulders and you'll be fine, you're always spacing out. Now, off you go, you probably have schoolwork, and Akari-san must be waiting with dinner already, let's not make her wait any longer." She winked.
Hikari nodded, wiping his hands on his apron, making sure to put away everything he'd used before he left. "I'll see you tomorrow Shintaro," he called as he exited the kitchen, the main chef replied with a grumpy "humph", to which Hikari was already used to.
Once out of the sushi restaurant, the sudden tease of rain drops on his face made him stare upwards at the darkening sky. It had been sunny a while ago, how fickle the weather was, he mused. As fickle as women, he chuckled at his private joke, but the sudden thought of an angry Akari had him moving again. He loved his sister and her family dearly, but he needed to move out of their home soon, he was a growing man after all.
That day had been like any other, he'd woken up late as per usual, managed a bite of toast on his way to community college and then arrived at his part-time job at the Midori Sushi. He was still the chef's assistant, and the pay wasn't much, but he got all the experience a 19-year old could hope for. Plus, he tried to keep himself busy; it kept him from brooding and spacing out into dark places he didn't wish to return to. It kept him from feeling alone.
OoO
"I'm home!" he called out as he pushed the door sideways, setting his school bag down and taking his outdoor's shoes off, replacing them with his blue slippers. His skin had absorbed all of the moisture from the rain he'd walked under, and he was thankfully dry. The smell of seafood stew had him nearly purring and he'd almost miss the extra set of shoes, lying innocently next to his nephew's on the porch.
Perplexed at the pair of pink sandals, Hikari held his hand out and counted; Itaru, Akari, Akira-
"Welcome home uncle!" Akira's bright eyes suddenly popped up before him, causing him to stumble backwards and fall on his back with a yelp. "Guess who came by~" he teased, taking off on a sprint with his school bag held above his head like a trophy.
Hikari cursed, "Get back here you squirt!" he called through gritted teeth and ran after the 8-year-old into the living room.
Akira ran around a tired Itaru, who had been sitting before the television. He waved at him in greeting while loudly chastising his son who'd gotten in the way of his favorite news segment.
"Ah, Hikari- welcome home." He heard his sister call from the dining table, just as Akira made a run for her.
Akari was done setting the spoons down, when he burst into the room; Akira hid behind his mom, tongue sticking out mockingly. "-we were about to have dinner without you, you almost didn't make it." She smiled sweetly, "We'll be needing that extra bowl after all honey~" she called behind him.
"I'll get it," he interrupted, turning towards the kitchen not wanting to impose on his brother-in-law's leisure time.
"I'll get it mom-Ah~!"
The soft yelp was the last thing he registered when he suddenly found himself nose to nose with his step-niece. "M-Miuna?" he gasped, gaping like a fish out of the water at the girl before him. She'd done quite a generouse growing up in the year she'd been away in college.
"H-hi, Hikari." She smiled despite her flustered state, clutching the soup bowl tightly against her chest.
His sudden shock turned into pure joy as he wrapped his arms around her, eliciting another yelp from her. "You're home! I can't believe it; you should have called you silly girl." He grinned at her, feeling her lean closer into his embrace after some hesitance. She smelled like the sea, he noted as he burried his nose into her dark mane.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't planned on coming today. My classes got canceled last minute and I was feeling unwell, so I asked for permission to be absent at the daycare. I figured I could spend the weekend over for once." Her cheeks were pink at their proximity, but her smile seemed forced.
Hikari leaned away slightly, not letting go of Miuna, her troubled eyes hinted that there was more to the story than she was letting on, but he would address her later on it. He was glad to see her, it had been almost a year since she'd been home, college and her own part-time job kept her extremely busy, she was studying to become a teacher, Miuna had always had a soft spot for kids. A three hour's distance from her hometown, had been impossible for her to travel regularly with her busy schedule. It didn't matter, she was here now, and he felt truly happy, he felt relieved.
"It's great that you two are catching up and all, but we're going to say grace and eat. Come on." Akari chastised them in a clipped tone, as she glared at Itaru for getting a mouthful of rice.
Both of them shivered at the subtle threat behind her words, breaking their hug and joining their small family at the table.
oOo
He was stuffed.
Hikari rubbed at his full belly, vaguely aware of the hilarious joke a lady had cracked on T.V. It had all of his family chuckling as they watched at the silly show after dining. They had gathered around the entertainment source, comfortably close as they enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere. He was lying on the floor, its coolness easing away the heat of the soup. Miuna was sitting next to him, her phone held between her dainty hands as she stared at its screen, worrying her lower lip between her teeth thoughtfully. She seemed upset for some reason throughout dinner, and he wanted to remove her frown, it didn't suit her.
"Wanna go for a swim?" he whispered at her, sitting up as he glanced sideways while scartching the back of his neck.
Miuna glanced at him puzzled at first, her lips breaking into a smile as she caught on. "Right after you, mister." She said playfully.
Hikari rolled his eyes at her and glanced at Akari and Itaru, who seem to pointedly ignore them for the comedy show. Akira was fast asleep on his mother's lap.
They both stood up at the same time, "We're going out for a bit-" Hikari announced. Miuna walked past him without waiting for her parents' reply, it was no use anyway.
"Mh." Akari and Itaru replied in unison, without taking their eyes off the screen.
oOo
"So you actually went out on a double date with Kaname, Sayu and Minegishi?" Hikari cackled, as Miuna giggled beside him.
They had been walking for about an hour now, at first they had gone around town, talking about what was new. Miuna had suggested visiting his father at Shioshishio, to which he had declined with a scowl. They'd had a row recently and he wasn't ready to see him yet. They had decided to head for the harbor instead, near the place where she'd discovered her Ena to be exact. As the years had gone by, they found themselves drawn to that place whenever they need time to think out of the water. It was always empty during the evenings, and the beach was there if they wanted a soak. It was perfect, if they were careful enough to avoid the machinery all over the place.
"So I did. It wasn't that bad, I got to try this delicious meat-cake, and Minegishi ended up taking me to my dorm after Sayu and Kaname vanished. I'm sure it was on purpose though; poor guy had this panicked look on his face when we were alone. Then his bike broke down and it started raining on us at midnight. We were both down with a cold the next day." Miuna shrugged, an amused smiled played on her lips.
"So much for a romantic date, eh?" Hikari shook his head; the beach was a couple of feet away from them as they slowly walked into the harbor area. "I haven't had a dip in a while, a proper one I mean." He said, glancing at Miuna who had just taken a seat on a boulder a couple of feet away from him. He hadn't made time to visit his home either, one of the reasons his father had been angry at him. He didn't understand why, but ever since everyone had moved away, it didn't feel the same. Strangely, he didn't feel at home. He only had time for those quick showers with seawater nowadays.
"Me neither." She replied, taking of her pink sandals and rubbing at her ankles.
The place was void of any life besides them. The moonlight was the only source of light. The breaking waves lulled him deeper into the shore as he felt the tickling of the water against his bare toes. He grinned and had the urge to run at the waves and disappear into the depths.
"Well, what's stopping us now?" And he did just that without another thought, basking in the feel of the seawater surrounding him as he sank into its depths. His Ena lit up in the darkness, his eyes adjusted instantly underwater and he was able to see his surroundings, everything seemed to be asleep already, even the seaweed had a lazy swing about it. He felt giddy, like when he was a child and had been allowed to swim on his own, away from the village.
He wondered what had kept him from enjoying himself at the sea for so long. He felt oddly at ease as he thought about Miuna's arrival, her soft giggle as she told him about life at college and her job.
After finding out about her feelings for him, he had to tiptoe around her for a long time. There was so much going on at the time, he was fighting his own inner war, and he didn't want to hurt her. As time passed, he'd accepted that there was nothing that could change how things had turned out, but he kept hoping that Miuna would find happiness, she deserved better. A broken heart wouldn't make hers complete, yet he longed for her presence when she'd left town to pursue her studies, but Hikari knew she had indented to get away from him, from her unanswered questions whenever she'd stare into his eyes with longing, or his slack hold on her hand in the crowded train whenever they went to the nearby city to shop, and she was afraid of getting separated, even though they were old enough to manage on their own. The thought of all those years he had tried to dissuade Miuna from pursuing his affection while living and growing up with her, brought painful memories to him. It had been hard, taking unfathomable ammounts of restraint. He had to be careful everytime he talked to her, fearing he's say something to hurt her or give her false hope.
Miuna. He thought he should go back to the surface, she hadn't come after him, and he swam up. One he broke through the surface, he slowly made his way to the shore, a frown took over his face as he spotted Miuna, and she was staring at her cell phone again.
"You're not being a fun partner right now," he said, taking the phone by the plushie charm she'd attached to it. He dangled it over her teasingly.
"H-Hikari!" she struggled, trying to reach for it as he held it over her head. "Give it back!"
Finally, after years of struggle, Hikari was proud of his current height. Torturing Miuna, who was a head shorter than him with it was just a bonus.
"I'm serious, aren't you tired of responsibilities? I'm sure whoever is texting you can wait. You're clearly in dire need of some fun. Just let go of everything else for now." He teased.
Hikari had reached the conclusion that Miuna was having an unpleasant conversation via text. Whatever it was, he would cheer her up in the mean time. He was her step-uncle and friend after all.
Miuna pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your idea of fun isn't exactly amusing."
Hikari smirked, "Well, it takes two to tango after all."
Miuna shook her head; she smiled at him despite her irritation. A sudden and childish idea occurred to him at that moment. He enjoyed painting all kinds of expressions on the girl's face; she was so open about her emotions.
"Miuna, have you ever gone skinny dipping?"
Miuna's eyes turned impossibly wide, her mouth opened in a silent gasp of outrage as she softly hit him on the arm. "Sakishima Hikari, what are you suggesting?" she managed through nervous chuckling, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her knuckles as she looked at anywhere but him.
Her expression was priceless, he thought with satisfaction. Wagging his eyebrows at her, he elbowed her side, "Yeah, you know. I don't think you've tried that since you got your Ena right? It's not the same as when you shower, you have to feel it in the sea." He grinned, as he proceeded to tug his already soaked shirt over his neck. "Don't worry, it'll be like the hot springs," he teased, too focused on making Miuna more flustered and not thinking about the repercussions of his teasing.
Miuna had turned her back on Hikari once she'd figured out he wasn't joking, and his boxers were the last article of clothing remaining on him. She was sure he could hear her heart trying to break through her ribcage.
She heard a faint splash, so he had gone through with it after all. Miuna sighed, bending over do placer her phone by her sandals, along with her jewelry. Could she really humor him? They weren't kids anymore, and she wasn't exactly immune to him, she would never really be. Her mind went over the text she had received that morning. Make him look at you, before it's too late.
Perfect timing huh? She had a habit of showing up at the right time, always. Miuna turned around, Hikari was waist deep inside the water and his back was turned to her.
"I'm not going to peek, I promise. Just do it, and I'll stay here when you're done" He said honestly.
She toyed nervously with the buttons of her dress as she made up her mind; Miuna finally took a deep breath after careful deliberation. It was now or never, was it?
"H-hikari, have you ever kissed a girl?" she began in a similar fashion as him.
Hikari faltered for a moment, almost turning around, but caught himself before he flashed Miuna with his, much to his embarrassment, enthusiastic manhood. He tried putting more distance between him and the shore, the water rising as he sunk a bit lower. He hadn't really thought things through. "I-uh, I-no." He admitted apprehensively, scratching at his cheek.
The only time he'd actively sought out to kiss a girl, he'd been far from sober, and he'd ended up with an angry hand-print over his cheek. "I- not on purpose anyway-" he regretted his words as the memory of waking up to Miuna hovering near his lips all those years ago after his hibernation, struck him. "I mean-what about you Miuna?" his face was burning. Not even his glowing Ena would hide his blush.
A splash broke him out of his stupor, and he tensed up. Okay, he definitely had to stop his mouth from opening before he got his shit together. He heard Miuna making her way over to him, stopping only a few feet from him. This was a bad idea, what had he done?
"I've kissed three guys." She admitted shyly after a long pause.
Hikari was surprised at her confession. Miuna had really tried moving on, had she? He wanted to punch himself. He was angry, at having caused her so much distress, he felt angry at those guys, and at himself for feeling irrationally betrayed.
"Minegishi on our last year of high school, and a classmate back in college during a cultural festival-" her voice grew weak at the end. "It didn't mean anything, but the first guy I kissed, I was trying to save him, he was special to me. He still is. I guess your first love has to be, right?"
He turned around slowly in disbelief; Miuna's bold statement had his heart racing suddenly. He was prepared for everything, except for the sight before him. Hikari's eyes widened as Miuna slid off her soaked dress, her arms hung still by her sides as she stood in her underwear before him. The white garment drifted away as the waves pushed it further and further from her. There were no cutesy bathing suits this time, no childish giggling or innocent bickering between them now. With each rise and dip of her curves, his cheeks reddened further, heat settling in the pit of his stomach. A lone strand of silky hair slid over her shoulder, resting atop her breast as she fidgeted slightly, her bright blue eyes never leaving his. In that moment, Hikari realized Miuna had become a woman.
"M-miuna?" He choked out, snapping his face to the side to avoid staring at his half naked step-niece, body trembling as primitive urges fought against his better judgment.
Miuna's cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, she was struggling to keep her breathing steady, but she wouldn't back out now. Make him look at you.
She was tired of keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself, and so her resolve hardened. "Don't be afraid to look at me, Hikari." She whispered gently, slowly dipping her lean legs into the water, the ripples dimming as she shortened the distance between them to nothing. "I'm not a kid anymore, and neither are you." Miuna stood but an inch away from him. They were so close; it would only take one more step to close the ever widening distance between them.
Hikari felt the tease of Miuna's long hair on his skin as it danced underwater, tickling his arms and chest, almost wrapping possessively around him. They were chest deep in now.
Her breath was hot on his neck, and for the first time he cursed his height. He'd always wanted to surpass Tsumugu's height ever since he'd woken up from his hibernation to find the brunet towering over him, and he'd managed to catch up with him as the years went by, looking down at everyone else with undisguised pride, yet in that moment he felt so small, the girl's breath against his neck, torturing that patch of skin that stood before her shinny lips made him feel at a loss.
"This isn't-what are you doing!" He hissed, unable to look at her. He didn't know what would happen if he stared into those light blue eyes then. He couldn't trust that he wouldn't end up doing something that would hurt them both afterwards. What was Miuna thinking about?
Miuna bit her lip, her dainty hand rose slowly, and she rested her palm flat on Hikari's chest, over his heart. His shivers encouraged her farther, "We're the same now, that's what you told me five years ago when I got my Ena, yet I couldn't help being left behind by you. We still weren't equals. Every time I reached out for you, you took a step further away from me." She let out a defeated chuckle.
Hikari took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure. He might have thought Miuna's behaviour outrageouse, but he was still a man. There was only so much restraint he could muster under the present circumstances.
"Miuna, you knew the feelings I had for...the feelings I had before." He stopped himself from saying hername;the memory was painful enough without verbalization. "I wouldn't forgive myself if I hurt you, and when I found out about- about the way you felt. I couldn't make you experience what I went through, ever." He grimaced, clenching his fists.
In all honesty, he knew that the real reason behind his indifference towards Miuna's feelings had been fear. He remember the constant frustration and insecurity he had suffered for years during his youth, and when he'd finally mustered his courage to make his feelings known, everything had gone downhill with her. Everyone had remained friends after the events that followed the hibernation and the almost extinction of mankind, but they had changed. Everyone had gone a different way, moved to study abroad, consumed by work, studies and family. What would happen to him and Miuna? Did he want what they had change too?
Hikari had been the only one to stay in the rustic port town. Manaka had moved away after finishing school, the sea had always been her greatest love, and when it was threatened yet again by mankind, following the perfect balance they'd established after the Ofunehiki, she couldn't stand and watch it all happen again. It seemed humans all over the world needed to be taught how to live in harmony with the sea, their home, her home. It had been clear that she had cared for him deeply, relied on him, and she'd considered his feelings carefully, with all he could offer and all he could not. She knew him well enough after all, but during her slumber, the connection she had shared with the Sea God had changed her, or rather, it made her realize something. And suddenly, it was like had she finally found the missing piece of the puzzle, what completed her, and it hadn't been him or anyone else for the matter. It was so much bigger than all of them.
"You know how I feel." She had whispered with a wide smile that made her eyes shine with love and compassion. And they had left it at that. She loved him, she loved Chisaki, she loved Tsumugu, and Kaname. She'd come to love the people from the surface, his sister's family, their classmates. She had so much love to give, but she wasn't his, and never would be. Her heart was taken, and his competition was unfathomable, intangible. He was happy for her, after he'd come to terms with it. She left on a mission to protect what she loved from contamination and corruption. Her light would be strong enough to do the job, Hikari was sure.
Then there was Miuna, his step-niece, his loyal friend, the girl who had been in love with him since she was nine-years old. The brat who had been waking him up every single day after the Ofunehiki. The girl who blushed whenever he laughed, and who would chastise him for neglecting his studies over procrastination. The girl who would tend to his wounds whenever he'd been caught in a fist fight or cut himself at the sushi restaurant he worked at part-time since he was fifteen. Her feelings hadn't vanished, and he had been painfully aware of them for the past five years.
"But I ended up in your place anyway, I fell in love with someone who viewed me as a friend," she smiled ruefully, her eyes watering. Hikari turned to look down at her, pained by her verbal statement of what he had been secretly blaming himself with for years. Because he didn't want that, he didn't want a life without her. He didn't feel at home without her. Hikari felt his own eyes sting as he stared into Miuna's tear-stained face. Despite her pain, here she was, still loving him, and braving another rejection. Why had he been hurting her for so long? Did he really believe that keeping his distance would save her from the same heartbreak he had gone through with Manaka?
No. It wouldn't, because he loved her, he was in love with her and he didn't want to ever hurt her, and he'd gone and just done that. He wasn't going to be a coward anymore.
Miuna sniffed, she hugged him tightly, water sloshing around them. "I'm here; I've been here for a while now."
She was important to him, to the point he thought he would never experience again. This was Shiodome Miuna. The girl who'd sacrificed herself in order to bring back his happiness, his dormant heart that slumbered underwater for five years. She who remained at his side through his highest and lowest.
Hikari saw Miuna, he had always seen her, ever since he had met her when she had been a young brat who stuck gum to the walls to express her feelings. He was tired of fighting against it. Love had never been an easy matter to him, but he was not a kid anymore, and neither was Miuna.
Happiness and pain came hand in hand, one had to be brave to accept that one brought the other, but together they could make it. He was stubborn, and Miuna was strong.
What an idiot he'd been all of this time, his happiness had been with her for a while now, it had gone and returned with her, like the tossing waves at the shore, and as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose into her damp hair, he felt at home at last. Surrounded by her warmth and the scent of the sea. She was his beautiful sea.
"I know Miuna, I see you. I always have."
Author's Note: Since the anime's ending was pretty much open, I said, what the heck, and this happened. And just who is our mystery texter?Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the ride.
Also, I'd like to thank those who have reviewed this story, know that your words touch me and are greatly appreciated.