Knock knock knock. Kyousuke lightly tapped his knuckles on the outside of a wooden doorframe that was just down the hall from his room. There was a small decoration hanging on the outside, displaying the name of the room's occupant. 'Kirino!' is what the sign read. He waited a few seconds, but a reply never came. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he raised his hand and knocked again.
"Kirino… I know you're awake. The light to your room is still on," He spoke loud enough to get his voice through the door, but quiet enough that their parents wouldn't be disturbed.
"…Go away. Die." A blunt reply came from beyond the door. The voice was a mix of sadness and anger. Kyousuke's eyes flinched in surprise for a moment, but they soon faded into a sunken and depressive state.
"Can we please talk about this?" His tone now matched his eyes, dreading the approaching topic of conversation. He could hear sounds coming from inside, the ruffling of sheets and eventually footsteps coming towards his direction. There was a short period of hesitation once the footsteps reached the door, but eventually the lock clicked from the other side. It was slowly pulled open, revealing an orange haired teen. Her hair hung down to her mid back, and her aquatic blue eyes stared directly into his. She was dressed in her pajamas, which consisted of a white and red babydoll gown hanging down just beyond her knees. Her eyeliner was smeared across the tops of her eyelids, showing that she had recently been crying.
A lot has changed for both of them over the course of the last couple years. After Kyousuke had his life miraculously repaired and set back on course, they had grown closer than ever before. Now that Kirino was a 17 year old girl, her attitude and personality had changed drastically. Puberty reconstructed her mental and emotional states, minimizing her ferocious tsundere personality. It wasn't gone completely though, she still had her moments where her old self would shine through. Her physical traits had improved as well; her breasts increasing slightly in size and her curves perfectly matching the small growth in her legs.
"Which part would you like to recap? The part where you're leaving me? Or maybe the part where you chose not to tell me until late this evening?" She grit her teeth in anger, attempting to slam the door back shut. Kyousuke braced his arm up against it, preventing it from fully closing. Her anger quickly subsided back into sadness, her grip on the door becoming nonexistent. She dropped to her knees, tears dripping from her eyes once again. Kyousuke slipped himself inside her room, quietly closing the door behind him. He knelt down in front of her and tried to put his arms around her, but he was forcefully denied as she shoved him away. He fell backwards, the back of his head crashing against the wall. He made a painful sounding grunt as he brought his hand up to the back of his head.
"Don't touch me!" She gripped onto her shoulders, wrapping herself up in her own arms, her sobs becoming louder than they were previously. Kyousuke sat himself up and looked to her with defeat in his eyes.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know how to tell you. I think we've both known it was coming though. I convinced Mom and Dad to let me continue living here for as long as I could. I even picked up a part-time job and saved back money, but summer is just about over and Dad is being persistent about-" He was interrupted by an outburst from Kirino.
"But why did you choose to go to a college so far away?! What about our plan of going to America once I graduate this year? What about my feelings? What about us…" Her voice dyed off into another round of tears. She reached up to her bed and grabbed one of her pillows, griping onto it tightly as she buried her face into it, attempting to cover up her sobs.
"Nothing is changing between us. We can still stay in contact through video chat, and I'll make sure to call you every night. I'll be home for major holidays too! It'll be alright," He tried to sound cheerful, forcing himself to wear a smile. She raised her head from the pillow, easily seeing through his words.
"I don't want video chats! I don't want phone calls! I don't want any of that long distance shit!" She retaliated, clenching and throwing her pillow into his face. He pulled it away from him, setting it down gently on the floor.
"I don't want it either! I didn't have much of a choice though; Dad already told me that I would be leaving this house by the end of summer one way or another. This college is the only one that I qualified for that I could also afford. I know it's not ideal for either of us, but the only other choice is to not go to college, and if I do that Dad will definitely throw me out. My hands are tied Kirino…" He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to fight back tears of his own. There was a pause between their conversation as reality swirled in the air around them. Kirino finally stood from the floor with her head hung low.
"Just leave," She demanded as she brought her hand up and pointed at the door behind him. Her eyes stayed glued to the floor, not bothering to raise her head and look at him.
"Kirino, I-"
"NOW!"
He stood to his feet and placed one hand on the doorknob, waiting a moment to see if she would look at him. She never did though, her head remained in its current position. With a saddened sigh, he opened her door and left. He moved back to his room and locked his door behind him, slowly maneuvering over to his bed. He pressed his face against his pillow as he plopped down onto his stomach.
"I'm sorry Kirino…" He mumbled to himself, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
Morning came faster than either of them wanted it to, the sounds of birds chirping from outside their windows filling the air. Kirino rolled over in her bed, her eyes still red from her night full of tears. She looked up at her ceiling, watching the fan that hung above her head swirl round and round.
'MeruMeruMeruMerume! MeruMeruMeruMerume!'
The alarm on her phone started going off, breaking her out of her early morning daze. In a fit of anger she reached for her phone and tossed it across the room.
"Shut up," She muttered as her phone left her hand. The impact against the wall snapped its fragile body off the hinges, silencing the alarm but also making it unusable. Rising from her bed, she moved over to her dresser, digging out her outfit for the day. It was expected to be fairly hot outside so she decided on wearing a black skirt and a pink t-shirt that had a yellow star in the middle of it. She rolled up a pair of thigh high socks before closing the dresser back shut. Once she was dressed, she slowly walked over to the other side of her room, resting her hand on the doorknob for a moment. Thoughts of the previous day and night passed through her mind, multiple scenes replaying themselves. She shook her head, attempting to clear her mind; it was too early in the morning for another round of tears.
She finally opened up the door, stepping into the hallway and then making her way down the stairs. She wandered into the kitchen to find her mother standing in front of the sink, washing a few dishes.
"Oh, good morning dear! I've got your breakfast already made for you, it's in the fridge. You can put it in the microwave and it'll be ready to eat in a minute or two!" She looked over and smiled at her daughter for a moment before going back to the dishes. Kirino looked over at the dining table, noticing her dad and brothers had already eaten and were no longer present.
"Where's Dad?" She asked, intentionally leaving Kyousuke's name out. She walked over and grabbed her meal out of the fridge, following her instructions and placing it in the microwave.
"He went into work a little early this morning so he could take your brother to the train station later and help him load all of his stuff. Oh! That reminds me," She paused as she slipped the rubber gloves off of her hands. She stepped out into the living room, returning a few seconds later with an envelope in her hands. "Kyousuke said to give this to you when you wake up." She smiled, handing it over to her. Kirino slowly accepted it from her hands, taking a bit to decide if she actually wanted to open it or not.
"Can you believe your big brother is going off to college? It feels like time is going by so fast. You'll be graduating this year too! Ah, it's every mother's nightmare! Having to accept that your kids are all grown up…" Her voice started to wobble, struggling to keep her tears held in. Kirino grew sad as well, reality once again caving in on her. She slowly began tearing open the envelope, revealing a letter that was tucked inside.
'Kirino,
You probably won't believe me, but I truly am sorry. I tried and exhausted every other option before committing to this one. Hopefully you'll read this in time… I decided to go out early to say my goodbyes to everybody around town. Dad will be dropping me off at the main train station in Akihabara around 4, and I'll be departing at 5. I would really like to see you, but I'll understand if you choose not to come. If you do show up, I'll be waiting by the platform next to the stairs. I'll still make sure to video chat with you whenever you want, and of course I'll call once I'm all settled in. Please take care of yourself.
- Kyousuke'
She crumpled the paper up in her hands and tossed it immediately in the trash after reading it.
"Stupid idiot…" She muttered. Just as she finished, the microwave started to beep. After spending some time eating, she thanked her mom for the meal and placed her dishes in the sink. "I'm heading out. I've got a modeling shoot in Akihabara." She stated, slipping on her shoes by the door. She didn't wait for a response, moving outside as soon as she was done.
She headed down the sidewalk, towards the closest train that would take her into the city. She had walked this path multiple times, but it has always been with Kyousuke. It was different going by herself, the walk felt much longer than normal. The silence dragged on, the day seeming to stay at a standstill. The ding of the approaching station was the first sound that made it through to her. She lifted her head upwards, checking the departure times. The next train would be leaving at 10:30 a.m.; the clock in the lower corner of the screen read 10:28 a.m. She hurried over to the doors, stepping inside. Looking around the train was practically empty, only a couple passengers on board. She made her way to the closest seat and sat down, leaning her head backwards against the side of the train, closing her eyes and attempting to relax.
"Good morning!" The sound of a young high pitched voice brought her back into the real world. She brought her head down and looked across the train, revealing a young girl that was staring at her. She was happily kicking her feet back and forth, her hands pressed against the edge of her seat. She had light purple eyes, and a similar shade of violet made up her hair.
"Good morning," She replied in a grumbled monotone before tilting her head back against the train. The little girl puffed out her cheeks, narrowing her eyebrows disapprovingly.
"It's rude to avoid eye contact when making conversation you know!" Kirino sighed and brought her head back down once more.
"Did you need something from me?" She snapped in annoyance. The girl shook her head and hopped up off the seat.
"No. Sorry, I thought you were somebody else." She gave a small bow before exiting the doors of the train just before they closed. Kirino watched her as she left, locking eyes with her for a moment as the train pulled away. She wasn't sure why, but looking at her caused an uneasy feeling to appear inside her chest.
"Eh? Kirino?" Another new voice appeared as a girl who was a few years older than herself had just stepped onto the train before its departure. A couple veins seemed to pop from her forehead as she turned her head to see who was interrupting her yet again.
"Neighbor girl?" The veins disappeared off of her head, but her annoyance level was still high. The glasses wearing, brown haired girl smiled happily, waving her hand at her. Her hair had grown out over the years, hanging down just beyond her shoulders. She was wearing a light beige jacket with a white undershirt. Loose purple pants went down just to her ankles, and a pair of sandals strapped around her feet. Manami looked around to the seats that surrounded Kirino, noticing that she was by herself.
"Is Kyou-chan not with you?" She asked, a bit surprised not to see him. Kirino folded her arms and crossed her legs, puffing out the right side of her cheek.
"No, he's not. We do have our own lives you know," She snapped back at her. Manami moved herself over and took one of the seats next to her.
"I know, I just thought that since it was his last day-" Kirino butted in before she could finish.
"Shut up! Don't say it like that. It pisses me off."
"Sorry, sorry." She waved her hands dismissively; afterwards her face sunk down as she started at the floor. "You'll miss him too, won't you?" Kirino's attitude calmed down a little, thinking about the question. A few seconds passed before Manami spoke again, "That was a silly question, wasn't it? Of course you'll miss him. He is your brother after all; in fact, you're all he ever seems to talk about." Kirino perked back up, raising a brow in her direction. "Every time I see him, he goes on and on about how he can't wait to spend time with his little sister." She paused and smiled towards Kirino.
"That just makes him a perverted freak. I mean, who brags about wanting to spend time with their little sister? What a dumbass…" Her voice trailed off as she broke eye contact, looking away and down the rest of the train isle. She didn't know it, but the edges of her cheeks were lit up with a slight blush of red.
"You shouldn't talk so badly about him, he really tries his best you know!" Manami's voice rose, becoming defensive of Kyousuke. Kirino slouched her body, still not making eye contact.
"Perhaps you shouldn't praise him so much. You don't know even half of who he really is." Kirino's voice turned serious, aggravating Manami even more.
"I disagree. Who do you think it was that he talked to before the two of you reconnected? Who do you think was there for him when his little sister decided to head off to America?" Kirino turned her head fiercely back towards her.
"Just shut up! You don't know anything…" Manami let out a sigh, taking a moment to collect and calm herself before speaking again.
"You're not the only person that's upset about his departure… when he texted me out of the blue a few weeks ago it felt like somebody took a dagger to my heart-"
"Cry me a river. He didn't bother to tell me until late last night." She clenched her fist, pressing it against the underside of her chin, her elbow resting on her lap. Manami blinked in silence for a few seconds, unsure of what to say.
"I see… I'm sorry, Kirino. That must have been a very painful goodbye." Those words echoed through Kirino's mind.
Goodbye…
The two spent the rest of the trip in silence, tension thick in the air. When the train finally opened its doors, Kirino was quick to leave. She pushed through the small crowd of people that were waiting at the station until she made it to the sidewalk. The sound of the environment was much different than around their house. People were loudly talking as they walked down the streets and sidewalks, coming and going from the various shops that were along the way. Cars were honking their horns, vendors were shouting at those who passed by, and advertisements were playing on the large TVs that were attached to a few buildings.
Taking a deep breath in, she closed her eyes for a moment. She collected herself and renewed her emotions, putting a huge smile across her face as she tossed her arms into the air.
"Akihabara~!" She shouted joyously. She took off with a sprint, instinctively reaching her arm out behind her to grab onto Kyousuke's hand. Her steps paused, realizing that he wasn't there with her. She slowly brought her arm back down to her side looking down at her open hand.
"Stupid Aniki…" She shook her head, forcing her negative thoughts away for the time being. She began to move again, jogging down the road, glancing around at the stores. She knew this place like the back of her hand by this point, all the best eroge shops around, and all the short cuts through the city. She had a strong desire to go shopping immediately, wanting to try and distract herself from her thoughts, but she knew that she didn't have the time for it right now. Her photo shoot would be starting soon, and she didn't want to be late.
She took a turn off through an alley, going around the back of some buildings before emerging out onto another road, a very tall building that served as her modeling agency was just down the way. She moved at a slower pace as she approached the building. There were multiple cars that were lined up outside, as well as a mob of paparazzi flashing photos at some of the girls that were going in and out.
The cameras soon started flashing at her as got closer to the entrance. She was greeted by a tall, older gentleman that was dressed in a fancy grey and black suit.
"Ah! She showed up after all! Welcome Kirino!" He put his hands up in the air, moving towards her with a grin across his face.
"Good afternoon," She replied with an upbeat tone, a forced smile across her face. Her voice caught the attention of another girl that was behind the man, her ears perking up. Her face quickly turned around, lighting up upon seeing Kirino.
"Kirinoooo!" She cheered, forcing her way past the gentlemen. Her long dark hair bouncing with her steps, and her beaming violet eyes glued to Kirino's.
"Ayase!" Her smile went from forced to genuine, accepting the embrace of her closest friend.
"What are you doing here?" Ayase asked her, tilting her head in confusion. Kirino cocked her head as well, puzzled by her question.
"Huh? I was scheduled for this shoot today. What are you doing here?" Ayase looked to the other gentlemen and then back to Kirino.
"W-well since it's Kyousuke's last day in town, we thought that you would be with him all day. I promised him that as a going away present I wouldn't slap him today if he tried to hug you," She paused, stepping quickly over to Kirino, her eyes seeming to shrink as she placed her arm around her shoulder and moved her head very close to Kirino's. "But if he even thinks about doing anything else I will tear his soul from his body." Kirino sweatdropped and gently pushed her friend away.
"You won't have to worry about that. Anyways, I'm here for the shoot regardless. Hey, baldy, is it okay if we do a double shoot instead of single?" She looked over Ayase's shoulder, staring at the other man that was there with them. Fake streams of tears rolled down his face,
"It's just a receiding hairline and it's totally normal!" Kirino narrowed her eyes in annoyance, snapping him back into a professional state. "R-right… a double shoot shouldn't be a problem as long as you're both okay with it." He looked between the two of them, the pair nodding their heads in agreement. There was already a photo station set up outside, screen drops in place to look like a park was being displayed. They moved over to the set and got ready, putting on the temporary outfits and props.
Some time went by as they did multiple poses, making sure to get each one perfect before moving on to the next. Once the last shot was taken, the director dismissed them both, offering them to stick around for a while to relax and see how the shots developed. They accepted and entered the building, sitting on one of the couches in a break room, kicking their feet up and sinking into the cushions.
"It's been quite some time since we did a shoot together," Ayase grinned.
"Yeah it has. I forgot how much fun we could have doing these things," Kirino remarked with a smile.
"So… how are you doing? I know that you and him have grown very close over the course of the last few years, anybody with eyes can see that." Kirino scoffed at her remark, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I'm perfectly fine. He's just a dumb pervert anyways… I don't need him around…" She tried to sound tough, and to most people she probably could have fooled them, but not Ayase.
"You know, as much crap I give him about being indecent, he truly does put your happiness above his own. It's almost honorable how many slaps and kicks he's taken from me, but he endures it all because ultimately he's determined to see you happy." She hesitated for a moment, her cheeks starting to blush. "Somebody like that would make an amazing boyfriend…" Kirino tensed up at the mention of the word boyfriend. Did she know? Did he tell her? Did she let something slip by accident?
Her mind was put to rest though as Ayase continued speaking. "…and yet, you're lucky enough to have somebody like that as your brother. I remember that time a few years ago, you and I were having that huge fight about your 'hobby'. He put on such a perverted display, just to make me more upset with him than I was with you." She laughed to herself, looking over to Kirino afterwards. Her face changed to concern, noticing a stream of water coming from her eye.
Ayase leaned over the couch, attempting to reach out to her, but was stopped by Kirino's hand and gently pushing her away. She quickly wiped the tear away from her cheek before standing up off the couch.
"I'm sorry Kirino, of course it's probably a sensitive subject. I can be such an idiot sometimes…"
"No, it's okay. I should probably be going soon though; I've got some shopping to do before going home. It was nice having a shoot with you again. I'll make sure I stay in touch! See you later!" She put another forced smile on her face, waving goodbye to her friend. Ayase waived a sorrowful goodbye in return, watching Kirino as she exited the room. She walked back out to the streets and began wandering around, lost in her own thoughts.
"He's such a dumbass… why does he have to leave? Does he even care about my feelings?" She took a breath in, letting out a long exhale afterwards. "…Of course he does. Like Ayase said, he probably cares about my feelings more than his own… I'll have to scold him for that later."
She kept walking for a bit, planning on hitting up one of the close by eroge stores. She was stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green, when something caught her eye. Way across the street, seated at an outside dining table, was Kyousuke. He wasn't alone though. Across from him, was another one of her close friends, and was his ex-girlfriend, Ruri Gokou; more commonly referred to as Kuroneko.
It was a fairly nice day outside, not too hot, not too cold. Kyousuke managed to look up from his phone when he noticed the chair that sat across from him was pulled out, a slender pale arm grasping at it. A smile crossed his face, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
"Ah, thanks for coming on such short notice," He muttered to the thin girl. She had a white summer dress on, accompanied by a straw sun hat. A blush line went across her face as she took a seat, setting her purse down next to her.
"O-of course. I was actually hoping you'd call…" She squirmed in her chair, her face more flushed than before. The waiter that was servicing the outside area walked by their table, dropping off a couple glasses of water for them. Kyousuke thanked him and then took a sip, the cool water refreshing his dry mouth. Just as he set his glass down, a sudden gust of wind pushed a trail of leaves next to him, capturing his attention. For a split second, he thought he could spot a familiar orange haired girl across the street, but as the crowds of people quickly moved through the busy intersection, the vision disappeared.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Kuroneko piped up, noticing he was spacing off. He shifted his eyes back to her and straightened himself in his chair, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"W-well, I didn't really have anything in particular in mind. I just wanted to talk to you in person before I left, I felt like I owed it to you. I tried calling Saori as well, but she didn't answer."
"Ah, I see…" She tilted her head downwards for a moment before looking back up at him. "How are things going?" Kyousuke let out a sigh, taking another sip of water afterwards.
"Things are going smoothly I suppose; I finished packing last night. Dad took the evening off from work so he could take me to the station later, so that's nice. The campus I'm staying at looks-" Kuroneko stopped him by holding her hand up in the air.
"You know that's not what I mean. How are things going with her?" Kyousuke looked away from her eyes, lowering his head at the mention.
"Well… you know Kirino. She didn't take it very well." Kuroneko folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes towards him.
"I told you waiting to tell her last minute was an awful idea. For once, this curse of misfortune was self-placed."
"I know I know… I regretted that decision immediately. It's not like you have a lot of room to talk though either. I seem to remember a certain black haired individual that didn't even bother to tell her boyfriend at the time she was leaving." Kuroneko puffed out her cheeks, mumbling a quiet response.
"T-that was different… besides, it all worked out in the end. All I ended up doing was transferring schools!" Kyousuke raised a brow at her response.
"Exactly. So tell me again how this is different?"
"It's different because I chose not to say goodbye to my friends and… loved one." She paused again, her blush becoming more prominent. "Even if it's just a single day, making sure you say goodbye is the most important thing you can do. That's why I appreciated your call asking me to meet you here. That said, I don't think that's the real reason you called me, is it?" His eyes widened at her words, trying to think of an excuse to give her, but nothing came. She was right.
"You've seen right through me," He placed a hand on the back of his head, giving out an awkward laugh. He slowly placed his elbows down on the table, interlacing his hands together and resting his chin on them. "I don't disagree with you, about saying goodbye that is. I've dedicated my entire morning and afternoon to wandering around and finding everybody."
"Except you're wandering around by yourself. The one person I expected to be glued to your side is not with you. It's a fairly safe guess that you and her have not said your proper goodbyes yet, have you?" He slowly nodded his head in reply.
"Yeah… she was so angry with me last night, I didn't get a chance to do it then. Plus I left pretty early this morning to meet up with people, so I haven't even seen her today at all. I've tried sending her messages, but I get no response. Even when I try to call her it goes straight to her voice mail. I left her a note at home, but I'm assuming she didn't read it since she's ignoring me so heavily…" His voice teetered off with sadness.
"Do you even have a brain? Obviously you'll need to go find her and do it in person," She stopped and glanced at the time on her phone.
'3:04 PM'
"Your train leaves in just under two hours. You have until then to find her. Take it from me, if you leave without saying anything to each other it will tear you apart…" Kyousuke started blankly for a moment, but then stood from his chair.
"I think you've been spending too much time around each other, you're starting to sound just like her," He smiled at her, walking over and resting his hand on her head. "Thank you for the advice. I'll make sure I still stay in contact with everybody." Just as he turned to leave, he felt her reach out and grab onto his hand. She pulled herself up and leaned into him, planting her lips on the side of his cheek.
"Make sure you visit, or I'll damn you to every circle of hell." Even though her words were harsh, her voice was very light and sincere. It was kind of cute. He nodded his head, turning and embracing her in a hug. She gladly accepted, waving goodbye to him after they parted.
He moved quickly through the town, navigating his way to the closest station platform, which also happened to be the main one in the city. There were three separate trains that were going various places. Two of them were leaving the city, one of them he would be getting on later to head to his university, the other would take him back towards his house. The other one circled around the town, making a few stops at other stations along the way. The trains were a lot busier than usual, forcing some people to have to stand and grip onto the handles dangling from the rails. Kyousuke was one of those unlucky people, unable to enjoy the cushioned seats of the train. The doors made a dinging noise as they closed, the voice of the conductor coming across the radio. He looked up to the speakers, but something caught his eye just as he did. The middle train of the three had just departed, leaving a gap in between the other two. Standing and gripping onto a handle aboard the opposite train, was Kirino.
He pushed through the crowd, plastering his hands up against the window. The window started to slowly move as the train began to run its course. Her head was hung low, her eyes scanning the area on the train. He banged his hands on the glass, desperately trying to get her attention, even though he knew it wouldn't work. His hands slowly squeaked down the window as the pounding stopped. Right before the train started to pick up speed, she raised her head. The two of them locked eyes across the tracks. They both sprung to life upon seeing the other, Kirino doing the same as Kyousuke. They lined their hands up on the glass, perfectly reflecting onto the others. Her hand was smaller than his, but that just made them fit perfectly together. Her train had started moving as well, heading in the opposite direction. Their eyes stayed glued to each other's until it was no longer possible.
Kyousuke reached for the phone in his pocket, typing in her number as fast as his fingers would let him. It was no good though, it went straight to her voicemail yet again. He tried multiple times, but he never had any luck. Defeated, he slowly moved back to his handle, weakly gripping onto it. He did have to meet his dad back at the house, but he was mainly going back to check and see if Kirino was there, which clearly she was not. There wasn't enough time to circle back around, once he was home, he was stuck there. Enough time to grab his bags and hop into the car with his dad, and then it was back to the station and off to college.
He spent the majority of the ride lost in his own head, playing out multiple different scenarios, desperately searching for one that ended with her and him in the same place. When the doors dinged and opened, he sluggishly stepped outside and tucked his hands in his pockets. He walked the all too familiar path back home, dreading the coming hour.
Time passed quickly, his house now within view. His eyes narrowed in sadness as he approached the front door. He easily opened it and stepped inside, kicking off his shoes.
"I'm home," He announced. As he was placing his shoes neatly on the rug, he noticed there was an extra set that he knew didn't belong to Kirino, but they did look familiar to him. He spent a second looking at them, trying to figure it out when his mom's voice called to him from deeper within the house.
"Kyousuke, come to the living room! You've got a visitor!" He raised a brow and cocked his head, making his way to the room. The door was already open so he walked right in, revealing a familiar blue haired girl sitting on the couch.
"S-Saori?! What are you doing here?" Kyousuke gasped, not expecting her to be at his house, let alone show up without her usual getup. She wasn't wearing her glasses or her usual green plaid shirt, she was actually dressed in a very nice violet dress.
"Ah~ Kyousuke! I got your voicemail and came to find you! You didn't think I'd let you leave without giving you a proper farewell did you?" She teased him as she stood from the couch. His mom was seated in the chair, smiling and giggling to herself.
"I didn't think you'd come all the way to my house though! S-sorry Mom, do you think we could have a minute?" He turned and asked his mother. She happily nodded her head, moving from the chair to out of the room, pausing as she walked passed him.
"Oh ho ho, is this perhaps a secret girlfriend? You should have told us! She's a very pretty girl," She nudged his shoulder, making him blush furiously.
"N-no! She's just a friend of mine!" He defended himself, waving his hands around in the air. His mother dismissed herself with a wave of her hand, stepping out and shutting the door behind her. Kyousuke sighed, but then motioned for her to take a seat, moving over and joining her. There was a light blush across Saori's face as well, the flattery his mother was saying reaching her ears.
"So, did you really come all the way here just to say goodbye?" Kyousuke asked, leaning back on the couch, tossing his arms over the top of it. Saori laughed and reached for a small cup of tea on the table that his mother had made for her.
"But of course! You and your sister have been dear friends of mine for quite some time, I naturally made time to come and seek you out!" Her outgoing personality was a strange sight to see mixed with her classy outfit. Kyousuke crossed his leg over his lap, placing his arm on the side of the couch and resting his face up against his hand.
"I see… well, thank you. It means a lot that you came here," He told her. She smiled slyly, giving a small nod.
"There is also another reason. There is something I wanted to discuss with you, but it needed to be in person." Kyousuke's body tensed up, butterflies filling his stomach. He wasn't sure what to expect, multiple ideas bouncing around in his head. She looked over to the door, making sure it was fully closed.
"Kuroneko texted me a little while ago, and told me you're in quite a bind. You and Kiririn haven't confessed your goodbyes to each other yet, have you?" Her voice was surprisingly serious. He slouched into the couch, nodding his head.
"Yeah, that's right. I originally came home to see if she was here, but I know that she's not. Just as my train was leaving to bring me back home, we saw each other on separate tracks. She could be anywhere in the city right now, and unfortunately I don't have the time to go and find her." Saori put a frown on her face, gently setting the cup of tea back on the table.
"Fate can be a cruel mistress sometimes, that much is true." There was a moment of silence that passed between them, eventually Kyousuke the one to speak again.
"Is that what you wanted to ask me?" His voice was quiet, sadness starting to set in once again.
"It's something that I wanted to ask you, but it's not what I was referring to earlier. I have another question to ask first, the main topic of discussion will come afterwards. I've talked with your mother already, but what I want to ask you is this; I was wondering if I could have the honors of escorting you to the station." She had a large grin across her face, the most genuine face of friendship he had ever seen.
"Huh? What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.
"Just as I said; I would like to take and drop you off at the station in Akihabara. Your mother has already called your father and has given me permission as long as you're okay with it." His eyes blinked a few times, still processing her request. Eventually though, he smiled at her and stood from the couch.
"I'll gladly accept your offer. Thank you, Saori," He bowed at her, which she quickly dismissed.
"Now now, that's not necessary. We should get going though, don't want to be late!" She stood as well, walking in front of him, motioning him to follow. Just as Kyousuke was about to step out of the living room, a thought crossed his mind. He hadn't seen any of his luggage, he was certain that he had left them against the walls of the living room but they weren't there. He opened his mouth to say something, but Saori beat him to it. "You bags are already outside. I assumed you would say yes, so I've already had them moved." She turned her face over her shoulder, smiling at him. He returned the smile, continuing to follow behind her. As they approached the front door, his mother was standing there clenching a handkerchief in her hands, fresh tears coming down her face. She opened up her arms, to which Kyousuke happily accepted her embrace.
"You make your father and I so proud sweetie. Any time you feel homesick just let me know okay? You'll always be welcome back to this house whenever you want," She patted the back of her sons head briefly before letting him go.
"I will. Thanks Mom. I'll make sure I call often to check on all of you," He replied.
"Have fun! Your father and I love you very much!" She moved to the side so that he could get out the door.
"I love the both of you too. See you later." He waved goodbye to her before following Saori out the door. Parked on the street in front of his house was a long black limousine, a man dressed in a black tuxedo and sunglasses standing near the back door. He nodded his head towards Saori as they approached, opening it up for the two of them. To Kyousuke's surprise, there was already another person sitting inside. Outfitted in her white summer dress, was Kuroneko.
"Long time no see," She teased, waving for him to step inside. He chucked, lowering his head and taking a seat. Saori entered behind him, the man outside the vechicle closing the door afterwards.
"Why do I get the feeling this was planned from the beginning?" He asked lightheartedly. Kuroneko giggled before replying,
"Who do you think brought me to Akiba in the first place?" He let out a sigh, happily being fooled by two of his closest friends.
"Now then," Saori spoke up. "Since we're able to speak freely here, we have some questions for you, regarding your relationship with Kiririn…" Kyousuke gulped down the saliva that was in his mouth. His eyes looked back and forth between the both of them, a slight panic starting to form. What did they want to know? What did they already know? He straightened himself in his seat, preparing himself for whatever questions they were about to throw at him.
Kirino wandered mindlessly through the ever growing crowds of people that were moving about the city. She wasn't really sure where she was going, but after seeing her brother having a private meeting with 'the black one', her heart was even lower than where it was originally. Unsure of what to do, she decided to head towards the closest train station. Perhaps going deeper into the city and surrounding herself with more shops would help ease her mind. There was one close by, just a few blocks from where she was currently. She headed that direction, her legs moving very slowly.
Upon arriving, she took a seat near the entrance of the doors, not wanting to get stuck in traffic when she was trying to exit. The train was starting to fill with people, gradually starting to fill up.
"Mommy?" The voice of a little girl spoke up from the train. Kirino looked up to see a familiar violet haired girl standing next to an exhausted looking pregnant woman. Kirino stood form her seat and approached her.
"Here, you can have my seat. I don't mind standing," Kirino forced a smile to the woman. Her eyes lit up with joy, thanking Kirino profusely as she traded places with her. Kirino helped her get settled on the seat and then turned to find the little girl, but she was gone. She gripped onto the handle of the train her eyes searching around for the girl. She tilted her head downwards, losing herself in her thoughts for a second.
Kirino!
Kyousuke's voice ran through her mind, like he was calling for her. She quickly jolted her head back up, looking directly out of the window and across the tracks into the other train. There he was, hands pressed against the glass looking directly into her eyes.
"Kyousuke..?" She muttered to herself. "Kyousuke!" She pushed through the crowd so she was near the window. She placed her hand on the glass just like he was doing, reflecting them into each other's. His hand was bigger than hers, but that just meant they fit perfectly together. Both trains started picking up speed as they moved in opposite directions. Their eyes staying glued to each other's until it was no longer possible.
The conductor dinged across the intercoms as the train began to leave the station.
"Attention passengers, due to emergency construction on the north eastern station, our next stop will be at the north station which is just few miles away. We apologize for the inconvenience." Kirino grit her teeth hearing the announcement.
"Of freaking course… stupid ass construction…" She didn't realize it until she saw him just now, but she needed to see him again. She had to say goodbye. If her last words to him were 'Just leave', there's no way she could forgive herself.
She tapped her foot impatiently, constantly waiting for the train to come to a stop. Her eyes kept glancing at the time that was being displayed across the advertisement rail that circled the train. '3:45' was the current time, because of the construction their stop would not take them about twenty minutes instead of the usual ten. There wouldn't be time for her to ride full circle and come back to the station; it would be too late by the time she got back. Her only option was to exit as fast as possible and go by foot. She started preparing herself for the quick run, pulling a hairband of her wrist and putting her hair into a ponytail. As she was stretching her legs, she realized she would have to be careful sprinting since she was in a skirt.
Time couldn't have gone more slowly, each second feeling like minutes. Finally though, they pulled into their stop and the doors opened. Kirino forced her way out through the crowd, starting her sprint the moment her foot hit the ground. She raced through the streets, adrenaline fully coursing through her body. Her heart was beating faster than ever, determination burning brightly through her eyes. Her foot stomped down as she rounded a corning, pushing all her weight onto it so she could make a sharp turn. She had just started to accelerate again when her body came to a halt. She crashed into another person that was walking through the busy streets, they were carrying multiple shopping accessories. The pile of boxes and bags had stacked up so high that they could hardly see where they were going.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!" The voice of a younger male exclaimed. They quickly stood back up and reached their hand down to Kirino.
"It's okay, I wasn't watching where I was- wait, don't I know you?" Kirino looked at the man who had his hand extended to her, his figure closely resembling Kyousuke's. His hair was a slightly darker shade of black, and he was dressed in a casual white t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. He narrowed his eyes at her, taking a moment to analyze her face before flashing a smile to her.
"Ah! You're Kyousuke's sister right? I haven't seen you in quite some time." He helped pull her to her feet before tending to his own bags, picking up the scattered games and novels that had fallen out. Kirino knelt down to help him, finally realizing who he was.
"You're my brother's friend right? Kouhei Akagi?" She asked, her face twitching a little as she picked up a game title 'MUSCLE X MUSCLE: BULDGING BICEPS EDITION!' With a blush of embarrassment, he took the game from her and placed it back in a bag.
"Y-yeah, that's me. Sena is leading me on another wild hunt… we came here to meet with Kyousuke earlier, but afterwards she went into one of her moods and started forcing me to carry all of her stuff." He let out a sigh as the last game was put back in a bag. He stood back to his feet, starting to place the bags back on his arms. He paused when he saw a disheartened and painful expression come across her face. "You look just like he did earlier. I thought something might be wrong, but it wasn't my place to butt in at the time. Seeing you the same way though, I can't help but ask. Is everything okay between you two?" His words took her off guard for a moment. He continued speaking, noticing that she was struggling to find words. "Perhaps it still isn't my place, but I can relate to what it's like. Sena and I went through the same thing when I left for college last year. It was hard on the both of us at first since we had subconsciously become dependent on each other, but in the end it all worked out. She ended up joining me at the same university once she graduated and it's actually made us closer than ever. The most important thing is making sure that you part ways on a good note; it'll make the passage of time go faster." She perked her head up, realizing that she was on a very short time limit.
"Thanks for the advice. I've got to go, make sure you tell my brother that he's an idiot next time you see him!" She smiled and waved before taking off again. Akagi smiled back, watching as she took off down the road. Just as she left, Sena had emerged to take her place.
"Let's go Aniki!" She shouted in a deep and monstrous sounding voice. Her sudden appearance startled him, causing all the bags to get tossed up in the air and scatter once again. Sena sighed but then started chuckling as she started to pick up the items. She helped her brother to her feet, giving him a kiss on the cheek afterwards. She had an innocent smile across her face, but the words that came out of her mouth were anything but.
"If even one of these cases are scratched I'll flay you alive." She giggled innocently before turning and happily skipping away. Akagi stacked all the bags together before starting to follow behind his sister once again, a look of bliss crossing his face. A red line was displayed on his face, blushing from the soft kiss Sena had given him.
"I hope everything works out for you two, Kyousuke," The thought passed through his mind as he took one final glance over his shoulder.
Kirino ran as fast as she could, but it was becoming increasingly difficult as more and more people flooded the streets. She wasn't sure exactly what time it was, but she knew she was pushing the limit. The increase in traffic meant that people were starting to leave work, so it must be getting close to 5. She had a little bit of luck on her side as the crosswalks turned green the moment she got to them, not having to stop and wait for any vehicles. The area surrounding her was becoming more familiar, the shops starting to stand out more in her mind, recognizing them from when she had arrived earlier.
"I'm almost there! He had better still be there, or I swear I'll break his stupid face!" She grit her teeth, not wanting to think about the outcome where he was already gone. The tracks of the station finally came into sight. She ran do the edge of the sidewalk, grabbing onto the railing that was on the edges. From her current location, she had a pretty good overview of the station. Her eyes scanned the area, knowing that Kyousuke said he would be waiting for her near the platform by the stairs. It took her a few seconds, but she finally found a set of descending stairs just a little ways down the road she was on. From there she looked around for the platform, and for any sign of her brother. Her eyes lit up and a smile appeared on her face as she spotted a dark haired individual leaning up against one of the walls of the station. He had his arms crossed and kept taking glances at his phone. She wanted to shout at him, but she knew her voice wouldn't carry across the sea of people that were crowding around her. Her face sank though when he tucked his hands in his pockets and started to walk away from the platform, a very sadden look appearing in his eyes
. She quickly started running again, moving as fast as she could to get to the stairs. Squeezing between and forcefully shoving her way through people, she made it to her destination. She grabbed onto the rail that divided the stairs into two sides and sat on top of it, sliding her way down to the bottom. She stumbled when she hopped off, but was able to maintain her balance.
"Kyousuke!" She yelled, hoping that he would hear her. She frantically looked around, but found no sign of him, or their father. "Kyousuke!" She shouted again, even louder than the first. Again though, there was no response. Her eyes started to tremble, and her heart began to sink when the doors let out a dinging sound, signaling that they were closing. Her legs felt like jello from running across town, but she fought through it and tried to push her way up to the train.
"Excuse me miss, it's dangerous to be that close when the train is leaving!" One of the attendants reached out and grabbed onto her arm, pulling her backwards.
"Let go of me! I have to say goodbye!" She shouted in reply, desperately fighting to break free of his grasp. Tears started to rain down from her face, her legs kicking back and forth. The train slowly started to move, inching its way along the tracks. Her body couldn't keep up the struggle though; it had finally reached the point of exhaustion. As the train pulled away, she felt the hold on her arm be released. She wanted to run after him, but her legs wouldn't move. The attendant bowed his head in apology before taking his leave. The crowds of people started to thin, most of them boarding the various trains that had just left. She took very slow steps in the direction the train was heading. She kept going as long as she could before the station dropped off to just the tracks. She watched with streams of tears as the distance grew father and father between them.
"I have… to say goodbye…" She sobbed in a hushed whisper. She clenched her fists, dropping down to her knees. The mass of people was now practically empty as time went by. For the next few minutes she remained in her current position, staring mindlessly out across the tracks.
Thump
A light chopped smacked her in the back of the head, breaking her trance.
"You shouldn't be this close to the edge, it's dangerous," The voice immediately calmed her for a brief moment. She slowly turned her head over her shoulder, staring in disbelief. Knelt down beside her, was Kyousuke. "I would never dream of leaving without saying goodbye." He smiled sincerely at her, causing the tears to pour down her face once again. She turned around to face him, pausing for a moment to pull her fist back as far as it would go. She let it fly and punched him right below the jaw, the impact nearly causing him to fall over. She reached out and grabbed onto him before that could happen though, diving into his chest afterwards. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, squeezing him harder than she had ever done before. He returned the embrace, placing one hand on the back of her head and the other around her body.
"You're so stupid! I hate you! Stupid, stupid, Aniki!" She pounded her fists lightly into his chest. He removed his hand from the back of her head and gently grabbed onto her fists, stopping the impacts. He tilted her head upwards to face him and kissed her on the lips. Any anger that was in her body disappeared, completely captivated by the kissing sensation. They kissed for a few seconds before Kyousuke pulled away. They stared deeply into each other's eyes, happiness spread across both of their faces.
"Y-you idiot, what if Dad see's us?" She whispered, blushing and breaking eye contact. Kyousuke smiled and looked over his shoulder, staring towards the top of the stairs.
"That won't be a problem." Kirino followed his line of sight, revealing two of their close friends standing next to a black limousine and waving at them. Kirino looked to him with a puzzled expression. "I went back home to look for you and to meet up with Dad, and instead I ended up meeting with Saori. She offered to bring me to the station, and I accepted. She told me on the way here that you had accidentally let it slip that we were a couple during one of your online sessions, and that both her and Kuroneko have known for quite some time." Kirino blushed in embarrassment, puffing out her check and looking away from them.
"S-so what, they promised not to tell anybody," She hissed at him. He placed his hand on top of her head and patted it a couple times.
"Let me finish dummy. It was quite a surprise, but I'm not mad or anything. After I explained our situation, she offered her assistance yet again. She's invited us to stay with her at her house tonight so we can all have one final night together. She would then escort us to the campus tomorrow morning." She lightly swatted his hand away, a smile appearing on her face again. She stood back up on her feet and waved back towards the two on top of the stairs.
"That… sounds nice. You'd better not embarrass me in front of them though, keep the mushy stuff to yourself. It'll make me sick." She started to walk away from him. He let out a sigh and slowly trailed behind her. Seeing the siblings make their way towards the stairs, the others had gotten back into the vehicle. Once they were out of sight though, Kirino quickly turned herself around and flung herself onto his body. He was startled at first, but he adjusted his stance to catch and support her. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. She put her lips onto his, kissing him with every ounce of passion she had inside of her. He happily accepted and returned the favor. They remained locked in the kiss for quite a few seconds before she finally pulled away, unwrapping her legs and placing her feet back on the ground.
"I love you," She whispered to him, resting her forehead against his.
"I love you too, Kirino." She smiled brightly and reached out to grab onto his hand, pulling him behind her as they raced up the stairs to join their friends. This is the smile that Kyousuke had been longing to see. He knew that after seeing her like this, that everything would be okay. This wouldn't be goodbye for the couple; this would only be farewell until they meet again.
*AN* I've recently had my passion for the OreImo series reignited and i really wanted to put together another story. This was just an idea that had been floating around in my mind for awhile, and I've finally gotten around to putting it all on paper. I'm very curious to see how many people still check this category for fics, or even follow the anime/light novel in general. I would certainly appreciate a review, telling me your thoughts and opinions. I know this particular story doesn't have near as much fluff as my other ones do, but i wanted to come from a more realistic approach. They've been together for quite some time in my universe, and i wanted to explore some other options. If this ends up flopping then i know that the fluff is where it's at and i'll remember that for next time XD.
PS- IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK BABYYYYYYYYYYY