A/N: This one is a bit longer than the previous ones.

Max Heart

These Moments

As Hikari walked up to receive her diploma she made sure to look back into the crowd and noticed two beaming faces in the crowd. Besides them was Akane and Hikaru.

And an assortment of "trinkets" in their hands

"Isn't this exciting?" Nao asked, "we're high schoolers now!"

"Yeah," Hikari agreed. A normal rite of passage. One she used to doubt she'd see.

She missed out on a lot of life… and almost missed out on almost all of it, but 3 years… she was nearly 3 years old!

"You're coming to the cafe right?" Hikari asked, "Akane has ice cream!"

"Wouldn't miss it!" Her friends chorused. Hikari grinned.

"I'm hungry!" Nagisa cried bursting in on the new graduates. "Are we going to celebrate or not?"

"Oh Nagisa…" Honoka sighed.

"Nagisa-san!" Nao greeted happily.

"Hey!" Nagisa greeted casually.

"I suppose we shouldn't keep everyone else waiting." Hikari agreed.

"Yes!" Nagisa cried excitedly, "let's go eat!"

"4 years," Honoka sighed as the group started towards the cafe.

"What?" Nagisa asked.

"Nearly 4 years I've put up with you and you've barely changed."

"We both know that's not true." Nagisa argued.

"Are we sure?"

"I can cook without burning the kitchen down!" Nagisa told her. Honoka gave her a slightly doubtful look. Hikari, smiled at the familiarity, and giggled.

"Where are you going to end up in life?" Honoka asked.

"This isn't my night," Nagisa deflected, "It's theirs, ask them."

"I've never really thought about it." Hikari admitted suddenly. The others turned to look at her. "I've always been so focused on enjoying now, not wanting to miss anything… I wonder."

"I've wanted to be a teacher since I was little." Nao revealed. "I guess I've never changed my mind."

"I don't know quite yet… maybe I'll figure it out soon. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it though." Miu added.

"There you are!" Akane greeted as they approached the shop.

"Onee-chan!" Hikaru shouted energetically, his face stuffed with Takoyaki.

"Hey Hikaru!" Hikari called back, a lot gentler. Hikaru was in 4th grade now, and a boisterous young boy.

"We have a surprise for you." Hikaru explained, rushing into the truck.

"You couldn't wait could you?" Akane sighed.

"A present?" Hikari asked, "for me?"

"Of course for you," Akane laughed. Hikaru emerged with a large box. "Who else?"

"Why don't you sit down?" Honoka recommended.

"Honoka and I got you something too." Nagisa told her.

"Thanks everyone." Hikari said graciously.

"Now I feel bad," Nao whined, "I didn't get you anything."

"It's fine" Hikari assured her, "I didn't get you anything."

"Oh, yeah." Nagisa laughed a bit nervously, whispering to Honoka "We-"

"Hey Hikari." A voice interrupted.

"Yuujin!" Hikari exclaimed surprised. "What are doing here?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Yuujin said sheepishly "I just had something I wanted to give you."

Nagisa and Honoka started whispering to each other. Miu & Nao started giggling.

"Who are you?" Hikaru asked. Hikari blushed.

"This is Yuujin," She explained, "he transferred earlier this year." She placed her hand on Hikari's shoulder, "Yuujin, this is my brother Hikaru, my cousin Akane, we live with her, and Nagisa and Honoka… they're going to be 3rd years in high school.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Yuujin said, "It's nice to meet you all."

"Yuujin huh?" Nagisa noted, a bit of teasing in her voice.

"Hikari, you've never mentioned him." Honoka noted. Hikari's face grew redder. Yuujin had a slight blush of his own.

"He's come around a couple times but this is the first time Hikari's bothered to introduce him." Akane explained, she winked and added "You're welcome to stay for food if you want."

"Thanks," Yuujin said, taking a seat across from Hikari.

"Open my present!" Hikaru called.

"I'm the one who paid for it!" Akane reminded him.

"I picked it out." Hikaru insisted. Hikari laughed and peeled the paper away revealing a set of fine watercolors.

"Oh, Hikaru, thanks." Hikari breathed gratefully.

"Hey!" Akane cried.

"Thanks Akane," Hikari added.

"You'll have to show me what you do with those!" Miu grinned.

"I will," Hikari agreed with a smile.

"Here Hikari!" Honoka said with a kind smile handing Hikari a small box, and pulled out two more, handing them to Miu and Nao, "and these are for you!"

"Thanks!"

"You're a lifesaver!" Nagisa breathed to Honoka.

Hikari's box held a necklace, with a crown pendent, a pink gem heart in the center, with another green stone in the shape of another heart above it. A hollow heart shape lay behind it.

"It's beautiful!" Miu and Nao breathed.

"It's almost too much," Hikari whispered.

"We couldn't help it." Nagisa said, "it reminded us of you, and well, you know."

My turn!" Nao cried, opening her box, which contained another necklace, this one a simpler one, a basketball charm as well as half a heart.

"This is only half a heart." Nao observed. Honoka smiled to herself. Miu quietly unwrapped her own box, revealing a similar necklace with the other half a the heart, and an atomic model.

"They go together!" Nao cried in realization, placing her necklace besides Miu's. Hikari took another look at her necklace, before placing her heart around the others.

"So cool!" Miu said smiling, "thank you."

"No problem." Honoka said smiling.

"Where did you get these?" Akane asked studying the necklaces.

"It's just a bunch of jewelry," Hikaru muttered.

"My parents know a person," Honoka explained.

"Thank you!" Hikari said graciously.

"I guess I'm last." Yuujin said chuckling nervously, handing Hikari a box. Hikaru leaned over Hikari curiously to look closer.

It was small, but a bit larger than Nagisa and Honoka's gifts. Hikari unwrapped it carefully, lifting the boxes lid carefully. Inside was a picture frame, told colored and sparkling in the light. The picture was of a lake, with the sun reflecting in the water. Two shadowy figures stood on the edge of a dock, looking out over the water.

"Ryou apparently took that picture," Yuujin explained quickly, "I figured you might like to have a copy... It's okay if you want to replace the picture or something."

Hikari smiled fondly before gazing up at him, "I love it,"