This is a one shot I wrote after only seeing the movie once (My ship had gone out to sea before I could watch it again so forgive me if anything isn't quite in character). After watching the movie I felt the ending was cut off. It left us wanting more. So here is a bit of a continuation from the movie with a bit of diary in the beginning to remember where they both were coming from before the boat ride back.

I do not own these characters nor the movie.

Shun's Personal Journal:

What was I to think? I felt elated! Wonderful. It was so cool that a girl like her would acknowledge me. She seemed kind. I wasn't sure what to think when I found out she was the one raising the flags every day. An adult would have most likely done something like that. Not an adolescent. Not a cute girl in my own high school. I had to play it off. Not let her on. Be cool. But then she began to keep coming near. Words always choked in my throat when she's around. I'm no chatter box, but alone with her I can't seem to speak at all. My heart hammers. It's all I can do not to spill ink or drop a box. Why did it have to get so screwed up? I mean just as we both start falling for each other I find out she could be my sister! Of all things? My sister?! At first I'm just raging inside. I'm pissed off at fate for personally screwing with me. I tried to hold on to that hatred for as long as I could. Even avoiding her. But it couldn't last. My thoughts returned to the cute way she did her hair, the simple fragrance of her shampoo, or the grace in her walk… and her eyes. Now I'm disgusted with myself. She's probably my sister. Even if my parents could be someone else there's no way I'd be able to find out now. Not with the way the wars scared our nation. It's hard accepting this. I'm doing my best. I'm being her friend though it feels so weird; so wrong. How do you love a girl but not be in love with them? This sucks.

Umi's Diary:

My brother?! He's my brother? You've got to be kidding me! Now it all makes sense. The way he's been avoiding me all week. He was driving me nuts! Ya, he got my attention real quick by jumping off the school roof, but his poem touched me. I was drawn to him. I had to get to know him better. It's crazy, but even with my workload I spent time helping him just so I could figure him out. But I ended up liking him! He's so cute. I loved the way he looked at me from across the room. He could convey so much with just one look it could take my breath away. Then the 180. He acted so cold to me. Why was he pushing me away? I tried to be mad about it, but in reality I was just sore inside. What did I do? Now to find out that it was because we were siblings…. ugh I can't fathom this. Why in the depths of the sea did I have to love the one boy who I could never be in love with?

...

What were they supposed to think?

The little boat sped off towards shore with two stunned teenagers amid its gunwales. Shun couldn't help but blush at his stepfathers suggestive face, as he and Umi stood outside the cabin. There, side by side, the two of them leaned against the white railing stunned. The sea breeze whipped their faces while the salty ocean spray assaulted their senses, however neither cared nor noticed. Staring up towards the houses above, both sets of young eyes found the flags that had brought them together.

Was this all real?

They couldn't seem to look at each other in the eye.

Akio slowed the tugboat down as he reached a public dock. With a little bit of maneuvering he easily brought his vessel alongside an open spot.

"Now just wait a moment," Shun softly spoke, as he turned to hop onto the dock with a line in hand. Dropping the eye of the mooring line over the bit, Shun hurried back to help Umi step out.

Umi reached up for his hand not realizing it would make both of them blush just from that one simple courtesy. The moment her feet found solid footing on the planks, their hands fled from the other.

Akio nearly died of laughter inside the cabin from the little show he was getting. His son barely had the good sense in him to remember to cast the line back off for him.

"See you at home tonight!" Shun called out to his dad as he tossed the line onboard.

"I hope so!" he hollered back with a wink.

Shun withered inside. "I believe he's going to make me feel mortified for life," he grudgingly spoke to the sea.

"I like him," Umi easily decided beside him with a good foot of distance between them.

Shun finally looked down at Umi. She looked up at him as well. Slowly smiles crept up into their faces.

"Come on," Umi decided. "Let's head back already."

Shun nodded a silent agreement and turned to walk with her up to the street.

Side by side Shun and Umi walked at an easy pace. They were missing school right now but what did they care? It wasn't as if they would learn anything right now if they'd go back there now. Seagulls flew by and cars trucked on and with the rhythm of their steps and the swing of their arms their hand eventually found each other's as they now walked hand in hand.

Shun led Umi up a street she wasn't familiar with and when a dog lunged at its gate with a ferocious bark, Shun couldn't help but love the way Umi's hand tightened within his own from being startled.

"Where are we headed," Umi finally asked after a while.

Shun was lost in thought but in a moment snapped out of it and looked around. "Oh, well there is a small park up ahead where we could talk…. if you have the time. School hasn't let out yet so it should be deserted."

"Sure. I'm not going to get too far behind if I don't get back to class today."

Shun sheepishly smiled. "Ya sorry about that."

"Why did you grab me in the first place?" Umi figured she knew but wanted to hear it from him.

Shun's cheeks seem to redden some as he guided them into the deserted park. He reluctantly let go of her hand so they each could sit on a swing. "Well, it was my dad- er step dad, but I don't call him my step dad. For me the parents who raised me are the only parents I will ever have. So ya, well when Akio called me he was frantic." Shun started to sway in his swing as he stared at the dirt. "He told me this was my only chance for the next several months to verify who my birth parents were. I brought you along with me because, well… you're the only reason why I even cared to find out," he said looking up at her now. "I don't know about you, but finding out we could have been siblings was a cruel fate," he said darkly.

Umi tried to smile but just gave up on it. The memory of her gloom was a strong one. Umi took a deep breath as she stared off at the boats passing in the distance. The park was high enough to see the water from there. "I couldn't believe how much I cared for you in such a short time," Umi revealed. "Even though you could jump from rooftops or command a crowd or speak you mind, you were my quiet source of comfort. Even the smallest compliment from you made my day," she lit up. "I found myself so easily in love with you and all you had to do was show me kindness. Giving me a ride, sharing with me… it meant a lot to me." Umi sighed. "I couldn't believe you could be my brother. I already had love for you by that point. I couldn't even keep it inside from you. But I never imagined you'd say you felt the same for me."

"Messed up right?" he offered a sad smile. "It was literally driving me crazy."

The two of them sat quietly then for a time. It was peaceful and warm. Everything was going to be different from now on and they both knew it. So neither of them wanted to rush through the change that had just happened between them once again. Eventually the noon bells sounded off in the distance bringing them out of their thoughts.

"You know," Shun began. "I still can't believe how cool and clever you are," he said smiling.

Umi blushed and looked away. "Speak for yourself."

"No I really mean it," Shun insisted as he began to actually swing a bit. "I was so hung up on the fact they were going to destroy the building I hadn't stopped to see why other than the whole 'Out with the Old and In with the New' campaign everyone has been shoving down our throats. We DID need to clean the place up and fix it up. I just couldn't see that at the time."

"Well that's not so much me but more of an outsider's perspective. It was fun. I'm glad it all worked out."

Shun dug his heel into the dirt to stop his movement. Had it all worked out?

"Umi… I just need to say this before I lose the words in me. I have still loved you every day. Every moment I was away from you I wanted to run and find you! You were always on my mind. But when we were together I tried to stay away. I'm a journalist for the school yet the one thing I wanted to shout out above the rooftops was the one thing I had to deny even myself. It seems so surreal now to finally know without a shadow of a doubt that we aren't related; that I can finally be in love with you and that it can be okay. I feel set free."

"It's the same for me. I had cried into my mother's arms nearly the moment she was home from America," Umi revealed. "She told me clearly you hadn't been her baby but she never imagined that our- I mean MY father could be yours as well." Umi shook her head at her blunder. "It wasn't until that moment did I realize just how much my heart was braking. I guess she put two and two together and called your dad."

"Ya," Shun agreed as an afterthought. He hadn't stopped to think why his dad would suddenly do something like that for him. His birth parents had never really been an issue before and it wasn't like his little question the other day was enough to spur such action. So it had to be Umi's mother. "I'll have to thank your mother properly someday," Shun spoke up to the clouds.

"You mean we," Umi emphasized. "We should both do something special for both of them."

Shun then stood. Umi followed. He gently took her hands in his and looked intently at the girl who had plagued his thoughts for so long.

"Be my girlfriend, only ever mine," he softly spoke.

"As long as you're my boyfriend, only ever mine," she playfully answered.

His smile grew as the last bit of fear and worry fell off him. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. "That I can do," he whispered. It felt so good to have her standing so near.

Umi felt so content. She turned her head slightly and leaned into his chest. He released her hands to pull her in tighter. It was a simple embrace but Shun and Umi felt too content to move. It was just enough for them to finally be at peace with the emotions they had been at war with to ask for anything more. The sun shimmered off the waters of Yokohama Harbor just beyond their silhouette. They might not know what tomorrow may bring, but for now they knew their thoughts mirrored the other. So what did they think? They thought they were finally in love and that was more than enough!

Hope you enjoyed it! Love these characters!

~Maybe we will get lucky and more people will start to fanfic this universe!

I'd LOVE a review! Perhaps I'll write more someday. I do have more ideas. We shall see.

God Bless...