Okay, we get a little more into Akari's personality this chapter, I decided to make her a tad more snobbish, and that way I have plenty of room for character development! Let you me know you all think of her. Hope you all enjoy~

Song Lyrics ~Artist/ Song Title

Quote- Who/ Where it comes from

I wished upon a star. But I heard I can't tell you my wish otherwise it won't come true….. Huh, maybe that's why I don't own OHSHC yet.


Oikanawa slid down the wall next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. He doesn't say anything, merely rubbing his hand up and down my arm soothingly. "S-she…. Sh-she didn't belie-believe me again," my voice hitches as I struggle to force the words out past the lump in my throat.

He hums and responds, "I'm sorry that you have to go through this so much Akari-sama. How about we don't visit tomorrow… it'll give you a reprieve from th-."

"No!" I interrupt vehemently. "I'll try again! I'll keep trying…," I trail off morosely.

He sighs heavily at my stubbornness but I can't bring myself to care. "Very well, if that is what you wish to do. Come, we should get you home soon."


"A family can be the bane of one's existence. A family can also be most of the meaning of one's existence. I don't know whether my family is bane or meaning, but they have surely gone away and left a large hole in my heart."

Keri Hulme, The Bone People


I amble into the classroom without any incident thankfully; I don't think I would be able to handle it if I ran into the Hitachiins again. It was bad enough the first time; no way do I need to deal with them again with my sour mood. As soon as the thought registers I heave a sigh and run a hand through my hair. Maybe I'm judging them too quickly…. I mean I don't really know them so maybe they were just having a bad day or something. I frown at the poor excuse I came up with. That doesn't commend the fact that they were rude to Yui-chan and me to the extreme. No, I'm not doing anything wrong by wanting to avoid them.

"Why are you nodding to yourself?" an amused Yui-chan asks from behind me and I jump in surprise.

"Ah!" I yelp loudly, covering my hand with my mouth as soon as the sound escaped my lips and the classroom was silent as everyone stared at me. I laugh nervously and rub the back of my head sheepishly. A few people snicker at me but otherwise they go back to their original conversations. "N-no reason really, just thinking," I finally answer and I'm sure the grin playing on my lips looks ridiculous. Eh, who cares? I drop my hand back down to my side, surveying Yui-chan as she giggles to herself at me. "It wasn't that f-funny!" I protest childishly, somehow managing to cross my arms for emphasis despite the bag draped from my wrist.

Yui-chan bursts into even more giggles as she answers, "Yes it was! You should have seen how funny you looked!" I finally reach my desk and I sit down in the chair with a soft thump, setting my bag down in front of my and rustling through it to make sure I have everything.

"Oh sure, laugh at me why don't you," I mutter with a pout, the words not biting at all. My dry humor only seems to come out when I'm comfortable with the one I'm joking around with or no one can hear me.

"I'm happy that I have your permission," my friend winks and I roll my eyes at her good-naturedly. "Anyways, did anything interesting happen yesterday? How is your family doing?" she moves on, perching herself on the corner of my desk.

My smile drops slightly but I bring it back up as soon as possible. "They're doing fine, busy as always with work. My uncle on my mother's side might be visiting soon so it will be nice to see him," I ramble, not lying to my friend but not being honest. No one knew the exact state Mother was in and my family wanted it to be kept that way. Our business partners would start doubting our ability to function properly…at least, that's what Kotone told me once I asked. "Yours?" I prompt, looking up at her and setting my bag next to me.

"Same as usual," she shrugs. "I'll be going on a trip to Brazil in a few days so I'll be absent from school. Fill me in on everything when I get back okay?"

I nod in acquiesce and reply, "I'll just hang out with Aya-chan and Kiyumi-chan. How long are you going to be gone this time?" Yui-chan and her family travel a lot for business along with other random family get togethers or something like that. It's amazing how much a person can travel and still nearly ace all of her subjects. I don't how she does it; I barely manage as it is.

"Knowing my aunt, I'll be gone around a week and a half," she shrugs and I nod, keeping my resigned sigh in check. Yui-chan if the only person that I'm really comfortable around… I'm not close friends with Aya-chan or Kiyumi-chan. Yuhara-sensei walks in and everyone settles into their desks as she greets the class. I merely bite my lip and look out of the window from my vantage point in the middle of the room. I'll manage to get along somehow. I wonder what Mother would say if I talked to her about it….


"Okay class, you have free time now," Yuhara-sensei informs us and we all move at the same time, chatter starting up instantly. I start to walk over to Yui-chan's desk but I see she had already moved over to Aya-chan and Kiyumi-chan. My brows furrow at the odd occurrence, she usually doesn't hand out with them until lunch. Did something happen? I adjust my path so that I walk up to the three girls huddled together and smile at them cheerfully.

"Hey, you guys!" I greet, giving a small wave before blinking in worry. Aya-chan sniffles quietly and Kiyumi-chan looks sad while Yui-chan looks angry. "Aya-chan? Why are you sad?" I inquire, moving closer to her and my hands move up to touch her but I think better of it last minute and let them hang in the air uselessly.

"I-it's nothing," Aya-chan murmurs pitifully and I resist the urge to roll my eyes slightly. A frown still manages to surface on my lips and I place my hands on my hips.

Yui-chan takes the words out of my mouth though. "Nothing?! This isn't 'nothing' Aya-chan!" she exclaims, her words slightly harsh.

Kiyumi shakes her head and advises, "Don't pressure her you two, that doesn't help anything."

"I'm not pressuring her!" we protest in unison, and then look at each other with slight grins.

A small giggle bursts from Aya-chan and our grins broaden. "See?" I motion to her. "She doesn't look pressured at all." Kiyumi-chan shakes her head at us but her lips curl up despite herself.

"Exactly. Now, Aya-chan, don't you think that Ri-chan has a right to know what happened?" Yui-chan asks, sounding firm but gentle. "You told Kiyumi-chan and me didn't you?" she adds. So much for not pressuring her.

I look at my friend hopefully, pouting slightly. Aya-chan nods weakly and I get pulled into the hallway. I stumble slightly but I manage to regain my balance, a small smile on my face despite her somber mood. At least Aya-chan is willing to tell me what happened. Maybe I can even help her! "I promise I won't tell anyone!" I swear and everyone chuckles at me.

Aya-chan wrings her hands nervously and I smile at her reassuringly. "Well, I used to be in the Hitachiin twins class and I developed a crush on Kaoru-kun," she starts and my eyes widen.

"You can tell them apart?" I ask in wonder. She must have known them well.

Her eyes dart around as she answers, "N-no. But Kaoru-kun seemed really nice. So I left a note yesterday to meet me in the courtyard this morning. When he got there he told me that I had their desks mixed up and that he was Hikaru-kun." I furrow my eyebrows slightly, doesn't this sound like what happened to Yui-chan? "He said that he liked me and asked if I would like him instead. I was really flattered and happy that one of them liked me so I said yes. He then called his brother out from the bush and told me that he was actually Kaoru-kun. Th-then they ripped up my le-letter and told me that I-I'm dis-disgusting," she finished explain, breaking into sniffles all over again. Kiyumi-chan fusses over her and Yui-chan stands with her fists clenched.

"Hey hey," I shush her, pulling her closer to me and giving her a hug. "You aren't disgusting Aya-chan, you're amazing okay? Don't let what they said get to you. They were just being brats. Neither of them deserves you."

"You know what; I'm going to go give them a piece of my mind! No one gets away with hurting my friend!" Yui-chan barks and storms off in the direction of the other classroom. I raise my hand to stop her, the word already on my lips but Kiyumi-chan grabs my shoulder and I glance back at her. She shakes her head and I bite my lip before sighing and letting my hand fall.

"Why should I let her go Kiyumi-chan?" I ask, looking at my friend imploringly. "She shouldn't have to deal with them anymore."

Aya-chan shakes her head, wiping her eyes free of any tears and answers, "Yui-chan isn't just doing this for me Ri-chan; she takes any chance she can to see them. Haven't you wondered why she always volunteers for taking papers to the other classroom?"

"Yeah but why would she want to see them?" I ask, tilting my head.

My two friends give me incredulous looks and I shrug defensively. "You really didn't realize? Yui-chan still likes Hikaru and Kaoru," Kiyumi-chan fills in and I blink repeatedly.

I open my mouth before shutting it with an audible click. "I-I didn't think she hated them b-but it never occurred to me that she would li-like them!" I stutter finally and I'm sure my face looks hilarious.

As if to testify to that, Aya-chan laughs at me slightly and shakes her head. "She already told you about how she confessed to them right?" she asks and I nod. "Well, she didn't really form a crush on them until afterwards. She's also determined to figure out which one is which."

Kiyumi-chan frowns at the statement and adds, "I don't see the point of it. They're both awful and all they ever do is break girls hearts." After she finished her statement she sends a pointed look to Aya-chan.

The brunette rubs her neck sheepishly in response and attempts to explain, "Well, it's like a challenge almost. They're identical and every girl wants to be that one person that can tell them apart as if they looked like opposites. The Hitachiins keep everyone at arms distance so that just makes a girl want to get even closer. At least… until they uh… yeah." Her lame finish makes Kiyumi-chan rub her arm in consolation.

I bite my lip thoughtfully and mull over her words. So…. It's just as much of a game to the girls as it is to the twins. Everyone seems to get played. That's… that's awful. "That makes no sense," I argue. "Why would anyone want to get closer if all they ever do is hurt people?"

"That's what I say but no one else seems to have any sense," Kiyumi-chan chimes and Aya-chan shrugs.

A bitter smile is on her face and I frown as a thought struck me. How many girls get that on their face thanks to those two? How many people do they hurt? Maybe if doesn't go both ways like I thought. "Maybe we're just stupid for it but we can't help but want to get closer…" she trails off. Why does it have to be in the form of a crush then?

"Never mind that, don't you think that we should go get Yui-chan?" Kiyumi-chan suggests suddenly. "Nothing good happens when she's around those menaces." That word again…. are they really menaces? They have to be don't they? Always playing everyone for a fool. Right?


Kiyumi-chan ended up being the one that went to get Yui-chan, since she didn't want Aya-chan to go and she didn't think that Yui-chan would listen to me. I can feel her unshaking confidence in me. You don't? Oh, that's only because it doesn't exist. I sulk quietly at Kiyumi-chan's reasoning, I want to help. I want to be able to do something. But no, I'm stuck behind to deal with the heart broken friend- wait. No… I don't mean it like that. Aya-chan needs help and I can give it to her. Right, I'm emotional support. That's all I need to be. "Aya-chan?" I ask, continuing once she looks at me. "Are you... really hurt that they rejected you?"

She doesn't act like it. I had always thought that it would really hurt if someone you had a crush on you. I thought that you would cry and feel a little broken on the inside. That is kind of fairy tale sounding though isn't it… "Do you want me to be bawling?" Aya-chan asks with dry humor and my eyes widen before I wave my hands back and forth furiously.

"I-I didn't me-mean it like that!" I protest. "It-it's just, I thou-thought you would b-be more upset about i-it is all."

"When the twins reject you, they tear you apart." My hands freeze in the air and fall into my lap softly, the tone in her voice capturing me. "Any confidence and courage you have is snatched away like the last cookie from the jar, never to be brought back for a long while. It hurts." She brings a closed hand to her chest and closes her eyes. "I've known them ever since we were in elementary and I've liked them for almost two years now. I never thought that they would return my feelings but thinking something and experiencing something is so much different and makes more of an impact. The Hitachiin's know just how to put down a person. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. So yes, I'm hurt."


I've seen your flag on the marble arch

But love is not some victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

There was a time when you let me know

What's really going on below

But now you never show that to me, do you?

~Hallelujah by Peter Wentz, Patrick Stump, Andrew Hurley, Leonard Cohen, Joseph Trohman Covered by Imogen Heap.


I wince at her explanation and bite my lip harshly. "So-sorry for saying somet-something like that Aya-chan," I say softly, looking down at the ground.

"I understand Ri-chan, you didn't understand so you asked. I don't blame you for being ignorant," Aya-chan answers and pats me on the arm. "Yui-chan and Kiyumi-chan are back, we should go back into the classroom now." I get up slowly, my nails biting into my skin from the pressure of my clenched hands. I don't want to be ignorant though. I'm not ignorant. I don't want to be treated like some child you decided to become friends with because they do silly things.


"I'm home!" I call from the entryway and I hand my things to our butler, Takumi.

"Welcome home Akari-sama, I hope school was enjoyable," Takumi greets with a smirk and I roll my eyes at him.

"Yeah, having to deal with my heart broken friend is definitely something I enjoy doing," I say stiffly and then shake my head. "Aya-chan confessed to someone and they broke her heart in two. After that I tried to help her but I ended up messing up in all sorts of ways. I don't know what to do," I explain once he raised his eyebrow at me questionably.

"Sounds eventful, I'm sure that whatever you think you did wrong isn't nearly as big as you're making it. Go do your homework now Akari-sama, Rishou-sama called and said that he wants to have a family dinner when he gets home with Hideki-sama," Takumi informs me and I groan lightly. "Yeah yeah, I know. Now off you go."

I trudge down the hall to my room, pushing open the door while grumbling to myself. "And here I thought my niece was raised better than to grumble to herself," a voice says gruffly with a slight Scottish accent and I jump, whirling around to see Uncle Roger sitting on my bed. The thick-set man was all muscle, a squared jaw and stubble outlining the beginning growth of a beard. His deep set blue eyes twinkle at me in amusement and mock sternness. "I also thought she would know how to greet her kin."

I bow at the waist promptly. "Hello Uncle Roger, I didn't know you were coming so soon," I say, keeping my face neutral.

"I thought I said kin not stranger. Stop loitering over there lass and come give your Uncle a hug," the man commands and I grin at him widely.

His large arms engulf me and I mumble into his suit, "It's good to see you again [1]Brathair-mathar."

His tenor chuckle makes me relax even more and he releases me so that I can breathe. "How has the land been to you lass? I hear you've been managing along like you always do," he clucks proudly and I shake my head in amusement at him.

"You make it sound like I'm a social outcast that wallows in silent misery while smiling all the while," I say dryly. "You've been reading [2]Matertera la's books again haven't you?"

"You know me too well lass, too well," Brathair-mathar laughs. "But really, how have you been managing yourself?"

I wave my hand in the air dismissively, "Not bad, I've made a few friends so that's always good. My grades are pretty good and nothing new has really happened."

"Has a lad asked you out yet?" Brathair-mathar wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and I'm sure my face turned a hilarious shade of red as I struggle to sputter a coherent word.

"N-N-No!" I finally manage to get out, my mouth still opening and closing like a fish. "Wh-why wou-would you as-ask t-tha-that?!"

My Brathair-mathar's booming laughter fills the room and he throws back his head to guffaw at me. Stupid old man. "You're too fun to embarrass lass! You look like a cherry!" he bellows, the mirth obvious in his crinkled eyes.

"I'm not!" I protest, crossing my arms with a huff. His laughter eventually dies off and I shake my head at him. "How long are you going to be here Brathair-mathar?"

"Oh, about a week or two," he answers easily and grins at me. "Why? Are you eager to get rid of me?"

"Yes," I deadpan.

"You wound me!"

"Happy to hear it."

"To think my own niece would treat me like this!"

"I do."

"Come on niece! Don't treat me like this~!"

"Too late."

"Roger-sama, Akari-sama?" a voice questions and we both stop our banter, turning to look at my maid.

"Hey Kotone," I greet brightly with a small wave.

"Kotone, it has been too long!" Brathair-mathar booms and we both wince slightly. He can be a little…. Loud. I've adapted thought. Maybe that's why I can deal with Yui-chan easily.

"Rishou-sama and Hideki-sama will be arriving shortly, dinner will be served as soon as they arrive at the table," she goes on as if she hadn't heard Brathair-mathar and I grin proudly at her.

"Come then, let us go into the dining room!" Brathair-mathar proclaims dramatically as if he hadn't been ignored and he pulls me out of my room. "We shall wait for the arrival of our kin!"

"Why do you have to say it like that?" I ask, my perturbed expression obvious on my features.

"It sounds cool doesn't it?" he asks, glancing back at me with a confident grin.

"Not really, just weird."

"You're lying!"

"No, no I'm not."

Kotone chuckles as she follows us.


"Rishou, it has too long since I've seen you," Brathair-mathar greets as Father and Brother walks into the dining room.

"It has Roger. How have you been?" Father answers politely, a small smile on his face.

"Good good, Scotland is a wonderful place to live in and Maria has been making sure I'm kept busy. Hideki! My nephew, things have been good for you yes?" Brathair-mathar asks Brother and grabs him in a hug.

Brother returns it before pulling away. "Yes Uncle Roger. Father had been letting me get more involved in the business so I've been busy," he answers and everyone settles down in their seats; Father at the head, Brathair-mathar at the opposite end, and Brother and I along the sides.

"I hope that you'll be staying long enough so that you can come to a dinner at a business partner's house," Father hints heavily and Brathair-mathar laughs.

"Of course, of course. I'll be here for at least two weeks Rishou, don't you worry," he answers easily and claps his hands together. "Now, how about we have dinner, I'm starving!"

"When is the dinner Father?" Brother asks as Takumi and Kotone bring out the dishes on platters, the aromas filling the air.

"In a few days, I expect everyone to be on their best behavior as usual," Father answers.

I smile at him and nod. "Of course Father," we answer in union. We always are in public.


1-Brathair-mathar is Scottish Gaelic for uncle on the mother's side.

2-Matertera la is Scottish Gaelic for aunt on the mother's side.