A little girl is in bed, breathing heavily. She could hear the sound of the pot steaming from the kitchen. Another girl, around fifteen, enters the room with a weary smile. The girl then rests her loving hand on the other girl's burning forehead.

"Ema, you really outdid yourself this time." Her sister says, sighing. Ema tries her hardest to focus her hearing, but fatigue prevents her. "You might need to go to hospital at this rate."

"Onee-chan...What about your entrance exam? Isn't it today?" A young Ema worriedly asks. Ayame shakes her head.

"Don't worry. Your health is much more important to me than anything. I don't care about an exam or two." Ayame tries to reassure her with a bright smile, but to no avail.

Ema tears up, feeling pathetic. "I'm so sorry...I know how much you wanted to go to Bright Centrair...but now you might have to go to a local school because of me..."

Ayame frowns disapprovingly at Ema." Ema, don't blame yourself. If you're going to blame someone, blame Dad. After all, if he weren't slacking off in a foreign country we wouldn't even be in this mess."

Ema glares daggers at her, no longer crying. "Don't insult Dad." She sulks, covering her entire body with the covers.

"Ahh~ don't do that, Ema! Your fever will rise! I'm sorry for being mean to Dad, okay?" Ayame anxiously begs her sister to stop, but her only reply being a pout.

Ayame then climbs into the bed and starts to tickle her little sister. "Take that!" She shouts. Ema laughs unwillingly, but then eventually starts to cough uncontrollably, making Ayame panic.

"Ema? Are you okay? Oh- I'm so sorry- I didn't-" Ayame profusely apologizes, but is stopped by her sister.

"I...cough, choked on my spit." Ema explains.

Ayame exhales, looking as if her life was shortened by a few years. "Phew...You gave me a fright, there."

Ema, upon seeing her sister's fast pace of emotions, chuckles.

"Hey, what are you laughing at, young lady?" Ayame jokingly scolds, huffing. Ema giggles even more. "That's it, sweet cheeks. Take this, hug attack!" Ayame then swiftly tackles Ema, though still holding back against the ill girl. Ema giggles hysterically, and weakly tries to push her off. Eventually, the two of them run out of energy, and rest on the futon.

"Nee, Onee-chan?" Ema tries to gets her sister's attention.

"Hm...?" Ayame mumbles, puffing.

"Are you sure you're okay with not being able to go to Bright Centrair? You did study your but off, after all..." Ema wonders sadly. To Ema's surprise, her sister doesn't reply immediately as usual, so she comes to her own conclusion.

"I knew it, I'm so sorry-"

"No." Ayame replies.

"Eh...?"

"Actually, I feel quite disappointed that I can't go. After all, I did study my hardest for this, like you said. But you know what? I definitely would've regretted it more so than if I went then stayed, Ema." Ayame smiles reassuringly. Upon realizing that her sister was being completely honest, Ema felt teary. A crystal tear drops down her cheek, then another, and another.

"Hey, what are you crying for? Does something hurt?" Ayame jumps up.

"...Nope, nothing at all!" She starts giggling, creeping out her sister.

"...I'm starting to see the resemblance between you and Dad."

"Yay!" Ema pumps her fists into the air.

"Hey, that wasn't necessarily a compliment, you know..."

"I know, I know!" Ema smiles, and soon drifts off to sleep in together with her dear sister.

"...Ema?" A familiar voice resonates throughout her head, destroying her distant memory. Ema awakens from her dream, mumbling her sister's name.

"Mm..." Ema moans, her head still feeling heavy, but better. She opens her eyes to the presence of her sister and three of her new brothers. Ayame sympathetically caresses her hand.

"How are you feeling? Does your head hurt?" Masaomi asks.

"What...happened?" Ema asks, accidentally leaving Masaomi hanging. However, Masaomi doesn't take any offense and gently explains.

"You suddenly fainted when we we're watching T.V. Kaname and I carried you here. "

"Oh..." Her gaze lazily wonders to Kaname, who in turn winks at her, causing her to slightly blush.

"Geez, you gave me a fright. I'm gone for one second and you're fainting out of nowhere." Ayame sighs irritably, but contrastingly slides her hand lovingly through Ema's fringe.

Ema frowns, feeling quite guilty for worrying her sister and new siblings. "I'm sorry for worrying you...But I feel better now. Sorry."

"Hey now, you don't exactly need to apologize, you know..." Ayame says, feeling bad for unintentionally making her out to be the sinner.

"It's exactly as Ayame-Chan says, Imouto-Chan. You don't need to say sorry." Kaname says reassuringly.

"I'm sorry...Ah." Ema realizes that she just contradicted herself, earning a face palm from Ayame. "Oh lord..."

Ema laughs awkwardly.

"Well, in the worst case scenario, we do have a physician." Ukyo chirps in.

"A paediatrician, though. But tell me if you do need anything." Masaomi requests of Ema, which she agrees to do.

"Thank you very much, but I'm feeling quite alright now." Ema tries to assure Masaomi, but is doubted by Ayame.

"I wonder about that." Ayame says, thinking about all the times she's faked healthy. Ema laughs nervously, trying to shrug off her sister's hawk eye.

A certain squirrel then cheeps up.

(You must be tired...You took care of all the moving details, and you didn't sleep enough last night, after all.)

"Chi...Chi, chi." Juli squeaks dejectedly from inside his cage, which makes Ayame frown in guilt. "Sorry Juli, but I can't let you out around the brothers, okay?"

"That must have been difficult for you." A new, kind voice says, surprising the two girls and Juli. They look at the door, witnessing a gorgeous man with beautiful silky long hair with soft features peeking out from the door. Ayame wonders what he means, and thinks that he maybe was sympathizing with the squirrel.

"Oh, so you were home?" Ukyo concludes casually.

The young man nods. "Yes. I heard a voice speaking, so I came."

Kaname pipes up, "We mentioned him earlier, the eighth son, Louis."

Ayame tilts her head, as she wasn't there during their discussion. Ema slowly raises her body upwards, with the assistance of Ayame. She notices her attire, and shamefully excuses herself. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm still dressed like this..."

Louis walks towards the bed, and slowly crouches down next to Ayame. "It's not Chi-Chan's fault."

Ayame and Juli both tilt their heads in confusion, although for vaguely different reasons.

"You did all the preparations yourself, and were surrounded by people you just met. You must have been tired." Louis empathises with her. Ayame scrunches her eyebrows in puzzlement. She had not heard of this at all, and if it were perhaps true, she was prepared to give her father a lashing.

"Eh...?" Ema gasps, as if he were psychic.

"Ema, is that true?" Ayame immediately intervenes, wanting to know the truth of this matter. Ema gulps, realizing what kind of situation she has gotten her father in. "Um, maybe...?"

Ayame shoots up, and Ema grumbles, knowing that she was out for the hunt. Her father's selfishness had pushed her limits too far, and he had better be ready to handle the consequences. "I have had it with that man! I'm going to call him right now! Masaomi-san, where's the home phone-" Ayame tries to leave the room but is stopped by Louis' hand, gently stroking her long, silky hair.

"Um, excuse me?" Ayame wavers, surprised by the man's eccentric actions.

"You...have such beautiful hair. It would, be a shame, if you went bald from stress, so...Would you like to relax, so that I can arrange, your hair, whenever I want? Ah, of course, Chi-Chan too." He genuinely asks of her, looking at her with pure, innocent mesmerisation. The strange thing was that he wasn't trying to be disdainful; but just genuinely not wanting her to go bald, which alienated him from Ayame's eyes. Ayame hears Kaname chuckle in the corner, but is too distracted from this man's strange words that she cannot afford to call him out on it.

Ukyo rubs his temples. "I'm sorry for his peculiar behaviour, Ayame-san. Louis is a hairdresser. He usually experiments with our hair, but he's probably very happy that he finally gets a female test subject with long hair, such as yours."

"Ah...I see." Ayame says in wonderment, relieved that she received a somewhat acceptable explanation for his outlandish behaviour. She then thinks about a certain pretty boy's hair, and comes up with a suitable conclusion as to why his hair was so magnificently soft. Ayame then instead looks at Louis once more in admiration, rather than alienation.

He smiles softly at her. "So...Can I arrange, your hair, sometime?"

"Oh, of course. But...if you can, could you also perhaps, give me treatment?" She asks a bit bashfully, thinking about a certain brother's soft locks.

"Eh...? But, you don't need it..." He says, while twirling her silky hair around his fingers, making Ayame feel a tiny bit uncomfortable.

"It'd be nice." She persists, surprising Ema, as she thought her sister wasn't the type to go too crazy about her hair.

"Okay..." Louis softly says, and then lets her hair go, gravity flicking her lock into a twist. "Well, I'm going to bed now...Goodnight."

"Oh, already? What about dinner?" Ukyo questions.

"Yeah, I had a long day." Louis yawns slowly, as if to emphasise his point. "Plus...I don't really have an appetite right now."

This peaks Masaomi's attention. "Now, Louis. At least eat a little snack before going to bed, okay? I don't want you to destroy your health." He lectures, and Louis nods without complaint.

"Goodnight..." He says softly, before departing the room.

"Ah, Louis, hold the door. I'm going to make dinner. If you want, I can you make a little snack before bed?" Ukyo offers while going towards the door. Louis ponders for a while. "Then...Tiramisu cake?"

"Dinner." Ukyo says irritably.

"Castella?" Louis wonders. Ukyo sighs in defeat. "Will pudding do?" Louis nods.

Masaomi chuckles, and then remembers about Ema's condition. "Oh, Ema. How do feel when you sit up?" He questions. Ema wonders for a while, and notices that she felt quite a bit better after the entry of Louis.

"I feel better, but I still feel a bit uneasy." Ema honestly answers, earning a smile from both Ayame and Masaomi.

"I see. I think that if you have some medicine you should feel better. I'll go grab some fever medicine for you. I think that today's dinner should be porridge."

Ema gulps upon hearing this, and this doesn't go unnoticed by Ayame.

"...Ema?" She whispers. Ema nods.

"Um, actually, I don't think I have a fever..." Ema awkwardly states. Masaomi's lips turns into a mysterious smile. "And why do you think that?" He questions.

Ema glances at the remaining brothers. "Um...It's a bit embarrassing to say..." Her cheeks turn pink. The brothers, though do not know her sickness, immediately understand and excuse themselves from the room, excluding Masaomi.

"Excuse us." Ukyo shuts the door politely.

"So, do you want to tell me?" He smiles an all-knowing smile.

"By your face, it seems like you already know..." Ema shyly says. Ayame has no idea what they were they talking about, so she speaks up.

"Ema, what is it?" Ayame asks with a serious face.

"W-well..." She says timidly, "...Anaemia?"

"Anaemia?" Ayame confusedly says, "What's so embarrassing about that...? Wait, how did you even-"

"-I think rather than the thing itself, it's rather the cause that's embarrassing." Masaomi sympathetically smiles at Ema.

"What do you mean?" Ayame asks, quite confused by his vague answer. Ema shyly covers up her face and whispers something so softly that not even Ayame's deadly hearing could catch. "What?" She says, going closer to Ema.

Ema whispers again, this time a bit more loudly. "...My period. It's really heavy."

"...Oh." Ayame utters, a bit taken aback by her answer. "...Yeah. That is embarrassing." She sympathises with her. Ema then hides shyly under sheets, mumbling.

"But, shouldn't it of been at least preventable if you ate foods high in iron?" She wonders. Ema gulps nervously.

"Ema-chan~?" Ayame rises her pitch threateningly. "What have you had for the past few weeks?"

She hesitates for a while, and then innocently peeks out from her covers. "C-cup noodles...?" Ayame mercilessly karate chops Ema's head, earning a grunt from the younger female.

"Ow!" Ema groans, covering her forehead.

"It's not 'Ow'! Let alone lacking in iron, you're lacking in everything!" Ayame scolds her younger sibling in disapproval.

"N-not carbohydrates, though..." Ema protests silently, but instead earns another chop from her sister. "Ow...!"

"I thought that you liked cooking! What happened to that?" Ayame asks her sister, bewildered by her very unhealthy diet.

"I...couldn't be bothered?" Ema mutters, and then receives another chop to the forehead. "Ow! Aya-nee, would you stop that?"

"Not unless you promise to not slack off on your diet, especially if you're having a heavy period!" Ayame yells out loudly, leaving a very flustered Ema. "H-hey! Don't yell it out..." Ema panics.

"Promise me and I'll stop!" She yells out loud again.

"Okay, okay! Just be quiet..." Ema whispers, nervously peeking at the door while covering Ayame's mouth with her hands.

Masaomi smiles warmly at this sight, as the two girls were very formal during their introductions. He hopes that one day he would be able to see them act like this with his brothers, and silently exits the room without notice.


Time passes, and Ayame and Ema were now together in the sheets, engaging in idle conversation. This familiar feeling makes Ema remember a certain dream.

"Hey, Aya-nee..." Ema says.

"Yeah?" Ayame mumbles, feeling tired from all the stressing events that happened in one day.

"Do you remember the day when you skipped your high school entrance exam to take care of me?" Ema wonders. Ayame tilts her head in slight confusion, but then remembers the distant memory.

"Ah, yeah. Something like that did happen, didn't it?" Ayame says lightly, feeling a bit nostalgic. Ema twists her body around to meet her sister's. "It's not just, 'something like that did happen, didn't it?' It was a very important day to me." Ema pouts disapprovingly, upset that her sister nearly forgot the precious events.

Ayame ponders. "Why? Because I skipped the exams to take care of your fever?" She questions. Ema shakes her head, and looks up to the ceiling. "...Because it was the first day that you didn't lie about your feelings."

Ayame freezes at her unexpected answer. "...I see."

"Aya-nee...Why do you hold back for me?" Ema asks in a sad voice. Seeing where this was going, Ayame tries to change the subject. "Ema, are you starting to feel hungry? I'll go down to check on the food-" She tries to get off the bed, but is stopped by Ema's tight clasp on her hand.

"Onee-chan, don't try to change the subject." She says. Ema calling her 'Onee-chan' stunned Ayame, as she hadn't called her so ever since she entered high school. Ayame gives up, and plumps herself back onto the bed. Seeing that her sister was now in the mood to at least hear her out, she starts telling what was on her mind.

"On that day...When you didn't hold back for me, I felt truly happy. But for some reason, when you went to high school, you suddenly reverted to holding back, letting me be the star of the show." Ema says, letting her thoughts roam free. "Even today, you let me take the lollipop...and changed your mind about the toilet, even as you were busting."

"Ema, those don't count." Ayame interrupts.

"How so?" Ema slightly raises her voice, feeling irritated with her sister's interruption.

Ayame sighs, "They're too-"

"Little?" Ema finishes off her sentence. Ayame nods. "I know. They're small. But it still doesn't mean they don't exist." Ema says. Ayame looks down darkly.

"Aya-nee..." Ema says, reverting to her old honorific. "You don't have to live your life around me."

Ayame immediately rejects this claim. "I'm not living my life around you. I have my entire life planned, with you not in mind." Ayame raises her voice uncharacteristically towards her sister. "I went to Shiba. A decision that separated me from you. If my life was truly solely based around you, I wouldn't of-" Ayame is cut off by Ema. "-and that was a good decision. I was happy that you decided to go there. I thought that maybe you were finally letting go, so I was relieved. But by today's events- I'm not sure that I can believe in the same way as I did a few weeks ago."

Ayame stares at Ema, her eyes wide open.

"So you were glad I was gone?" Ayame mutters sadly. Ema grabs Ayame's hand and grips it tightly, lovingly. "No. I was happy that you were letting go. Or at least I thought you were."

"I'm telling you Ema. I am not basing my life around you. As I've told you, my life is planned out-"

"Graduate college, become a successful dentist, get married, and have two children. I know. You've told me." Ema sighs, feeling tired by her sister's continuous denial. "But...I've watched you this whole time. I know who you are, probably better than yourself."

Ayame stays silent.

"...I think that this whole 'life plan' is just a farce. I think that you fabricated this ideal life goal and went to Shiba to gain an excuse to say that you are completely independent of me." Ema theorizes, Ayame grits her teeth but listens in anyway. "But you know what? I think that even after you graduate college, become a dentist, get married and have two kids, you'll still lie to me, hold back for me, and try to pity me out of your own insecurity." Ema says, killing like poison ivy.

Ayame freezes, shocked by her sister's sudden poisonous words. What did she mean by insecurity? She didn't consider herself insecure at all, at least by her own definition. She was confident. She could stand up for herself. She knew what she wanted to do in life. If somebody were to be insecure, it would be Ema-

A knock on the door disrupts their flow of thoughts.

"Ema-san? May I come in?" Ukyo says, not knowing the current battle occurring inside.

For a moment, the two of them are caught off guard. Ayame quickly tries to gain composure, and slowly gets off the bed.

"Aya-" Ema tries to call out, guilt creeping up to her, realizing her words were too harsh and too confusing for the current Ayame.

"Ema." Ayame says, with a tinge of ice. "We are never, having this discussion ever again. Understood?"

Ema stays silent for a while, but reluctantly obeys. "...Yes." She says, looking down darkly.

Ayame opens the door, and greets Ukyo with a tacked on smile. Ukyo looks worriedly upon his new sister. She looks very tense and tired out, and to top it all off, Ema looks extremely guilty. He ponders on whether he should ask what was going on, but his thoughts are cut short by Ayame.

"Is that her dinner?" Ayame points at the dish he is holding. Ukyo is taken off guard, and replies without poise, unlike he usually does. "Huh? O-oh, yes."

"Hm..." Ayame says, already looking natural. "It looks very delicious. Good for you, Ema." Ayame twirls her body around to lock eyes with Ema, and smiles. At first glance, it would seem like a natural one, but Ema could tell. Her sister was definitely forcing herself.

However, Ema, not wanting to make a scene in front of Ukyo, plays along. "...Yes, it does look very delicious. Thank you, Ukyo-san." She smiles, though not as well-hidden as Ayame's.

Ukyo notices Ema's forced smile, and frowns. "...Ayame-san, would you like to join us downstairs for dinner?" He offers, thinking of the current situation. Ayame, as she was planning to escape to her chambers, refuses his offer. "Ah- no thank you. I'm feeling quite tired, so I'll go to my room. Thank you for the offer though."

Ukyo frowns yet again, as well as Ema, but he lets her off regardless, seeing no point into forcing her.

"Very well, I understand. Would you like me to escort you to your room, though?" Ukyo kindly offers, and this time, surprisingly receives a yes. "Yes, thank you. I would appreciate that." Ayame accepts his offers, seeing no harm done. Ukyo nods, and at the same time secretly takes a peek at Ema. She looks very sad, almost depressingly.

He shakes off his tempt to ask what happened. He carefully walks towards Ema, not wanting to spill her food. Ayame stays at the door, not looking their way.

He places the food carefully on Ema's end table, giving her a small smile. Ema returns it politely. "Hopefully it is to your taste." He comments, not just wanting his actions to be all about the weird mood surrounding the two girls. "Ah, no. It looks very nice." Ema says politely. Ukyo nods his head, and walks towards the door.

"Then, if you'll excuse us. Goodnight, Miss Ema." Ukyo proceeds to close the door, but then suddenly stops. "Ah, I almost forgot. If you wish to take a bath, please use the 5th floors. The one in your room is broken." He informs her. Ema nods, taking in the information.

"Now, goodnight." Ukyo says while widening the door, so that Ayame could go through. Ukyo silently closes the door, leaving Ema alone, with the only other presence being Juli.

"...Goodnight." She says intentionally too late, not directed at Ukyo.

Ema sighs deeply. She felt stupid, even more so than ever.

Perhaps it was too soon. Perhaps she picked the wrong day.

Guilt pangs at her.

What was she thinking? She had gotten too impatient. Today was not the day to discuss. Her sister definitely was stressed. She had to meet a bunch of new people, whom she now had to call her family from now on. Juli assaulted two of them, which gravely distressed her. Ema had fainted out of nowhere, being diagnosed as having anaemia. And to pile up her stress even more, confront her about her trauma and insecurities?

Her expression turns dark. Juli, who was silent the whole time, speaks up.

"Chi...Don't blame yourself." Juli says sadly.

"Then who is to blame...? My sister? Who is stressed? Who isn't ready?" Ema morosely replies.

"Nobody. There's no one to blame at all." He replies darkly, looking down. Ema says nothing, staying silent.

She thinks about her sister.

Ema feels teary. A crystal tear drops down her cheek, then another, and another...Until she completely breaks down.

"Chi..." Juli cries worriedly from the cage, wanting to comfort her, but can't. He sits there, until her tears eventually come to an end.


Ukyo goes down the stairs with a frown. He had just escorted Ayame to her room, and was left alone to ponder about the events.

He sighs deeply.

It was strange. Bizarre, even. What could happen in just 30 minutes of leaving them alone? Especially to such sisters who seemed very close to each other.

Ukyo continues to contemplate, but gives up, finding no appropriate answer.

He enters the dining, and is bombarded questions by his nine brothers.

"How is she feeling?" Azusa asks.

"Nee, nee~ did she have a fever or what~? Onii-chan's super worried!" Tsubaki whines.

"Kyo-tan, what do you think I should give Onee-chan for a get-well present?"

"Your virginity " Kaname answers jokingly, winking at the pure Wataru.

"What's a virgi-" Wataru tries to ask what that is, but is stopped by a panicking Masaomi.

Ukyo becomes very irritated by the continuous questioning of the brothers, and yells at them to shut up.

"Shut up!" He rages.

The brothers flinch by his sudden temper, and immediately go quiet. Ukyo sighs, and proceeds to explain. "One. In terms of health, she's physically better. Two. I don't know, ask Masaomi nii-san. Three. I think that as long as it's appropriate, she'll be fine with anything. Four. Wataru, you'll know when you are older." Ukyo explains efficiently, leaving the brothers to ponder about his strange answers.

"Nee~? Masa-nii, what does she have?" Tsubaki wonders curiously. Masaomi gulps. "Sorry, Tsubaki. Patient's privacy." He laughs nervously, which just makes Tsubaki even more curious.

"Wait, more importantly what do you mean by physically better?" Yusuke anxiously asks, worried for his 'classmate'. Ukyo sighs with a frown. Seeing this, Tsubaki stops pestering Masaomi and focuses his attention to Ukyo, much to Masaomi's relief.

"Yeah, what did you mean by that?" Tsubaki says, uncharacteristically serious. Everybody turns their focus to Ukyo.

"Well..." He sighs, "It appears that she had a fight with Ayame-san."

This peaks everybody's concern, as they could tell that the two girls were closer to each other than the average sibling.

"What? But they seemed pretty close..." Azusa wondered, as did everybody else. Masaomi speaks up, "That's strange...just before I left, they seemed to be fine."

"I don't think it was something simple. They both seemed very distressed, as if they fought over a fragile subject..." Ukyo says. Wataru comes to Ukyo, tugging his vest. "Nee, Kyo-tan...Do Ayame Onee-Chan and Ema Onee-Chan hate each other?"

Ukyo smiles at the young boy, and reassuringly pats his head. "No, Wataru. I'm sure they love each other very much."

Wataru looks down. "Un..."

Suddenly, an unexpected brother speaks up.

"Where...is Ayame?" Iori asks out of the blue, which surprises everybody, as he was silent the whole time. Ukyo looks at his brother, who was wearing a mysterious expression. "Ah, she's in her room." He answers promptly, but then frowns. "She said that didn't feel like eating today, and was very tired."

"Oh..." Iori says, then looking down with that same mysterious expression.

"This...seems pretty big." A certain red-head mumbles.

"Do you think we should get involved?" Tsubaki wonders.

Kaname shakes his head. "No, I think they need to solve it themselves. Plus, we don't even know what's wrong."

Tsubaki agrees, as does everyone else. Ukyo sighs. "Well, I guess we should start eating."

Everyone sits down on the chairs, and start to eat. The mood first is solemn and awkward, but gradually turns into the usual calming family atmosphere.

"Ah, Wataru! You spilt your soup again." Ukyo scolds, then proceeding to clean up his mess.

"...Sorry Kyo-tan." Wataru half-heartedly apologizes, distracted by the T.V.

"Wataru, look at me when you-"

Seeing as all the brothers were distracted, a certain brother gets up quietly, sneakily goes into the kitchen, coming out with some sort of food, and then walks up the stairs silently without notice.


Ayame was on her bed, sulking, thinking about all the events that happened earlier. She remembers Ema's pained face, and feels a pang of remorse.

She exhales deeply.

She wants to go apologize, but her pride doesn't allow her, as it would be the same as admitting that she did have issues, which she definitely didn't have.

Or at least, she believed so.

Ayame wonders if what Ema said was really correct, and that she really was insecure and using Ema to cover up her patch. As she delves in deeper, but she starts to get irritable, and rejects the idea completely.

By definition, she was not insecure. And that is the way it will stay.

Suddenly, there is knock on the door. Ayame freezes.

Could it be Ema?

Ayame hesitates on what to do- on what to say. However, her panicky thoughts are soon put to rest, as the knocker's voice speaks up.

"...Ayame nee-san?" Iori says.

Ayame is surprised by his presence, but then sadly goes to think that there were no way that Ema would come, after hurting her feelings.

"...Are you there?"

She then realizes that she was leaving him hanging, and hastily replies. "Oh- I'm coming!"

She then opens the door slowly, and is greeted by Iori's tranquil smile.

"Hi," He says, and then holds up two packs of pudding. "Do you want to have some pudding?"

Ayame stares at him, dumbfounded.

"Pudding?" She looks at him in confusion. He looks at her apologetically. "Sorry, should I of gotten something else?"

"Oh, no. I do like pudding but...Why?" She asks him. He smiles at her, mysteriously. "I wanted to eat pudding with you."

"Oh...Strange request."

"Do you...still not have an appetite?" Iori asks, with puppy-dog eyes. Ayame's gut drops, as she did earlier in the afternoon.

"...I'm fine now." She says, captured with his beautiful face. He sighs softly, seemingly relieved.

"Okay then. Let's go." He smiles, turning his back on a confused Ayame.

"We're going somewhere?" Ayame questions him.

He looks back at her mysteriously. "Yep, to have a pudding picnic."

Ayame just looks at him quizzically, but he just smiles his signature smile and offers out his hand.

After a few moments of hesitation, she takes it.


"Where are we going?" She asks for the umpteenth time, though knowing fully that she probably wouldn't get her answer.

"Somewhere." Was always his answer, and this time was no different.

She sighs. They had been walking around for twenty minutes, perhaps aimlessly. Ayame was starting to believe that Iori was lost, however uncharacteristic that may be of him.

"Iori-kun..." Ayame exhales deeply, and Iori turns around to look in her eye. "Yes?" He says with a charming smile.

"Let me be frank. I think you're lost." She says straightforwardly, but is surprised when he starts to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" She asks, confused by his reaction. He then reverts to his usual smile. "Nothing." He says, cryptic as usual. Ayame sighs, and lets him off, seeing no point in persisting.

They continue their walk in silence for another five or so minutes, until Iori suddenly stops. Ayame looks at him curiously.

"We're here." He informs her. Ayame looks around. They were in front of a simple riverbed. It was nothing unique, so she feels a bit disappointed as she thought that he was taking her somewhere special. However, not wanting to be rude, she doesn't word her disappointment out loud.

Suddenly, he holds her hand and guides her slowly down the hill, making Ayame have the urge to blush. When they reach a good spot, Iori gently lets go of her hand, and lies down on the grass, breathing out.

He then prompts her to lie down too, which she does, though albeit unenthusiastic.

However, her apathetic self quickly turns into one of amazement, as she gazes at the beautiful night sky.

"Surprised?" Iori says expectantly.

"…Yeah, wow..." Ayame says in wonder, however, her admiration is cut short by the loud grumbling of her stomach. At first, Iori just looks at her blankly, but then starts to chuckle quietly.

"…Please pretend that never happened." Ayame grumbles in embarrassment, face palming herself.

"Okay." He obeys submissively, though looking somewhat amused. "But…I can still offer you pudding, right?"

"You may." She allows, as she was quite peckish.

"Then…" He starts, "Ayame nee-san, would you like some pudding?"

"Yes, thank you."

He opens the pudding for her and then passes her the sweet goodness along with a disposable spoon.

She thanks him, and indulges in her meal. "Itadakimasu."

Iori then opens his pudding and says his formalities also.

"Itadakimasu."

They eat their pudding in silence, gazing at the beautiful night sky in peace. As Ayame's thoughts wonder, her curiosity turns to Iori.

"…Aren't you going to ask?" She says, turning her face towards Iori, who is gazing silently into the night sky.

"Not unless you want to talk about it." He says, smiling his tranquil smile. "…Do you?" He asks quietly.

Ayame fixes her gaze to the sky. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Okay." He says understandingly. Ayame, seeing that he wasn't planning to pry any further, sighs.

"You know, I think that you should be a bit more assertive." She advises him. Iori blinks at her. "Really? I never thought of that before."

She then giggles softly, as she was expecting that answer. Iori looks at her, and smiles. Ayame notices this, and stares at him in silence.

"...Hey, Iori-kun?"

"Yes?" He replies.

"Why?" She asks, eyes full of wonder, staring at him. He continues to gaze at the sky, "Could you clarify?"

"Why…are you comforting me? And go all the way to take me here?" She asks, now back to stargazing. "I mean, we've literally only known each other for around four hours- and don't use 'We're a family' as an excuse." She says.

Iori stays silent, and then speaks an obscure answer. "…Because you're sad. Therefore, I comfort you."

"…I feel like that isn't really a valid answer, but I'll let you off." She sighs. I'll probably never get a straightforward answer from him in my lifetime.

"Sorry." He smiles at her apologetically. She stares at him, and doesn't stop, making Iori uncomfortable.

"…Is something wrong?"

"I had a fight with Ema." She blurts out abruptly, surprising Iori. She smiles mysteriously. "What? You asked me what was wrong, right?"

"…Yes. Yes I did." He says, smiling just as mysteriously as she. Ayame quietly laughs, triumphant, but then suddenly looks saddened. "…She said a lot stuff." She says vaguely. Iori waits patiently.

"...It seems I'm not as strong as I think I am." She sighs.

Iori replies. "I think we all do."

Ayame smiles a small smile. Encouraged by his reassuring self, she continues, and spills the beans.

"She said I was insecure, and clinging on to her to use her as a patch." She says, and he nods, showing that he is listening. "Which I don't think I am…but then again, that's what people in denial say, don't they?"

He nods again, listening to her rant.

"…Hey, Iori-kun, do you think I'm in denial?" Ayame asks, almost pleadingly. Iori ponders for awhile. "…Well, I've only known you for four hours, so I can't really tell."

Ayame, taking this as a joke that mocked what she said earlier, lightly hits Iori on the shoulder. However, unlike she expected him to react, Iori looks extremely confused, his eyes questioning why she hit him.

"I'm…sorry." He instead apologizes, digging his curiosity inside.

"…I thought you were joking." Ayame explains for the poor boy anyway. However, that instead perplexes Iori's logical train of thoughts even further.

"But we really have only known each other for four hours." Iori looks at her, as if she were a very complex puzzle.

"…That was my bad. Sorry for hitting you." She apologizes, while sighing.

Note to self: Iori will probably never joke. Everything he says is probable to be true. She notes mentally, considering this to be important information.

"Never." He politely says, smiling. They then go silent, though not an awkward one.

Out of the blue, Iori speaks up. "I think…you should put aside your worries about being insecure or not for awhile. After all, you don't seem very ready to face them, even if you indeed are."

Ayame nods, considering his advice.

"But in the mean time, you should go mend your relationship with Ema."

"…That's the thing. I feel like that if I apologize, I'll be admitting defeat." Ayame says sadly.

"I don't think you'll be admitting defeat, but rather making up with your sister." Iori says comfortingly.

"…Good one." She compliments him.

"Thank you." He accepts her praise humbly. Ayame continues to think deeply.

Ema or her pride.

Unexpectedly, she picks easily. Something that wouldn't of had been possible if not for Iori's words, or comforting presence. Ayame stands up slowly, stretching her arms.

Iori looks at her, and smiles. "…Ready?"

She then turns around to face him, and smiles in pure gratitude.

"Yes. Thank you." She then offers out her hand, the moon in the background. Iori takes it, and they begin their journey home.