Chapter 03: Hers

Opening her eyes slowly, she only found darkness. She couldn't see anything around her, but she was certain she was in a futon. Slowly reaching up to her head with her hand, she found a wet, folded cloth resting on her forehead. It wasn't until now that she realized that the sound of haggard breathing belonged to her. With a small sound of effort, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, letting the cloth drop down into her lap. Was it nighttime? Her face still felt hot, and she was already finding it difficult to keep herself up in that position. She was having trouble recalling what had happened before she had fallen asleep. Asleep...? The young girl blinked as she touched her own cheek. The sound of...rain... She didn't get too far in her thoughts as she suddenly succumbed to a coughing fit. Grasping at her chest, the beating of her heart seemed to fill her ears.

The room door slid open. "Oi, oi, Ohana. You're not going to get better if you don't rest when you're sick." Satsuki sighed as she stepped in with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. Her bare feet padded over to the futon her daughter was in and crouched down. After sliding her hand underneath those bangs, she furrowed her brow. "Definitely still have a fever..." She sighed. "I said take it easy, didn't I? You should have gone to the nurse's office and come home right away if you were feeling sick." Shifting the toothbrush to the other side of her mouth, she reached out and took the cloth from her daughter's hand. "You hungry, Ohana? I can make some soup or something."

Giving a weak nod, the curly haired girl looked to her mother While she didn't feel like eating, she knew she had to eat something to keep up her strength.

It looked as if her daughter would collapse at any minute. Pushing herself off her knees, she stood up. "Alright. I'll whip something up then." Just as she was about to turn, she remembered something and reached into her back pocket. "Oh, that's right." Satsuki pulled out her daughter's cellphone and dropped in on the sheets in front of the curly haired girl. "Koichi-kun asked me to take this from you because he didn't want you to be bothered while resting."

Widening her eyes, Ohana looked up to meet her mother's gaze, "K-Ko-chan? Did...Did he...?"

"I don't know exactly what happened at school, but he told me you collapsed during lunch, and he was there to carry you to the nurse's office for permission to bring you home." Satsuki smiled down at her, "He was quite persistent in calling me so he could bring you here himself. Even after we both got you settled in bed, he insisted on staying with you. I gave a call to the school to excuse you both, but I wasn't expecting him to stay till dinner. He didn't even leave when I left for work."

Her face burned hotter with a deeper shade of red, "Y-You left us alone?!"

"You know I have work, Ohana. Besides," Satsuki gave her a rather cheeky smile before walking off toward the kitchen, "We both trust that little brat, don't we? I was sure Koichi-kun wouldn't do anything." She shut the sliding door.

Wh-What kind of mother leaves her unconscious daughter alone with a boy?! Despite getting worked up over her mother, just the thought of what could have happened made it feel like her head was smoking from how red her face was turning. Taking a shaky deep breath, the curly haired girl tried to calm down. She had collapsed during lunch? Ohana assumed it was because she had stayed out in the rain too long the night before. It was frustrating not being able to remember clearly, but now that her mother mentioned it, she did recall being picked up. And...that comforting warmth. "Ko-chan..." Her hands clenched the sheets over her legs as she felt a swelling pain in her chest the harder she tried to remember.

...are they gone?

A moment passed as her eyes slowly widened. Although it hurt to recall what had happened, it all came back to her nevertheless. She had made such a scene in front of the entire class. How many watched her as she cried and spouted nonsense to Ko-chan? She had even done such a thing in front of his girlfriend, Namiko! Ohana couldn't remember what went on around her when she started to blabber, but her words couldn't be forgotten. It was embarrassing to think about, but...Ko-chan didn't answer, did he? Maybe it was better for him to not answer. Just thinking about it...scared her. She had the chance to continue on being friends and still stay close to him. After making such a big deal of things however... The thought of being rejected. The thought of hearing those words. Those dreadful words.

"...I'm sorry, Ohana. I...don't lo – "

Ohana shook her head, trying to stop her imagination. The more she thought about it, the more painful it became. Eventually, she knew she'd have to face him. She believed he wasn't like her. Unlike her, he was no doubt thinking about her and how it might feel not getting an answer from a question like that. It was...her fault that everything had to turn out like this.

"It's...unfair..."

She knew there was no point in whining now, but she needed to release some of that stress in some way. Taking another deep breath, she finally picked up the cellphone her mother had left her. Turning on the screen, she noticed the time. 10:48 P.M. Ohana couldn't help but gasp softly at that. He...had stayed from lunch till dinner for me? What...What was he doing in all that time? Briefly closing her eyes, she could picture the evening light beginning to filter in through the blinds as she was tucked in her futon.

And Ko-chan was sitting by her, holding her hand.

Shaking her head vehemently, Ohana tried to stop her ridiculous imagination again. "I should...thank him..." She whispered to herself, trying to find an excuse for herself to contact him. Just as she got past the screen lock, she noticed that she had unread messages. Going to her inbox, unopened envelopes lined the side of the screen. Her large, brown eyes widened as she realized they all came from one person: Ko-chan. Swallowing, she opened the message from earlier in the day.

"Ohana. I'm not sure what your mother will tell y – "

Ohana blinked as the message stopped there. Tilting her head slightly, she kept her haggard breathing under control as she moved on to the next message.

"Ah! I accidentally sent it before I finished the text. Sorry about that. What I was saying before though. I'm not sure what mother will tell you, but she came back home to let me in...and then left immediately afterwards. I didn't think she'd just leave us alone like that, but I just wanted to make sure that you know I'm just sitting beside you right now. Your mother left with a...dirty tease, so if she tells you that I did 'that,' I didn't!"

Ohana giggled softly to herself at his style of messaging. She quickly moved on to the next one.

"It's getting closer to dinner time now...and I think your mother will be home soon. I'll probably leave then. I'm just sending another message because...I want to apologize. I feel as if this is my fault for letting you run off into the heavy rain like that last night. I'm really hoping you'll feel better soon."

Her eyelids lowered slightly as she bit her lower lip. Hadn't he said something like that during school? No matter when and where, it seemed as if he always wanted to take everything on his shoulders. All to just...care for her. Pursing her lips, she moved on to the next message.

"I'm just about to go home now...and I feel like I should finally get around to answering your question. I was hoping to give you an answer face to face, but I don't think I'll be able to stick around much longer for you to wake up, and I'm sure it'd be...bad if I left you without an answer."

Ohana stared at the screen. Her thumb clicked for the next one.

"Ah, your mother came home, so I had to cut that message short. Anyways, Ohana. If you're honestly thinking what you said during lunch, then...please, don't think of yourself like that. To be honest, I was perhaps disappointed that I never received an answer, but...I also felt like it would be well worth the wait. I...still don't know how you feel about me, but I think I let myself believe you moved on to your new life the last time you came back to visit, and there was no longer a place for me in your heart...so I tried to move on. I'm just rambling now, haha. Here, I'll put my answer in the next message."

Returning to the inbox, she quickly found the last unopened message. As her thumb hovered over the button to open it, she found herself struggling to do so. This was his answer. He was going to answer her heart-wrenching question before she was going to answer his. After making him wait so long...I force my own question on him... She narrowed her eyes as she felt shame sinking in. Yes, it was unfair. It was unbelievably unfair.

To Ko-chan.

A teardrop fell on the screen. Blinking, Ohana quickly turned the phone away and wiped it on her sheets before she raised her arm to dry up the tears that had formed. She was crying so much more as of late. She had overcome so many obstacles during her time at Kissuiso, and she knew she had grown much stronger as a woman, but this last and perhaps most difficult challenge was truly keeping her from moving forward.

She lowered her arm as the sliding door opened again. Satsuki walked in and crouched down beside her. Even though she didn't say anything, the mother easily recognized those eyes that had recently shed tears. "Want mom to feed you?" She asked with a wink.

Ohana gave a small smile before shaking her head, "No, it's okay. I think...I can handle it."

Satsuki nodded and set down the bowl and spoon by her futon, but she looked at her daughter again. "You look troubled. Not that it's any of my business, but Koichi-kun looked troubled too." She raised a hand and tried to smooth out her daughter's messy, curly hair. After a moment of silence, she stood up and moved over to the windows to push aside the blinds to let in the moonlight. She then started for the door, "I don't know what kids your age could be so stressed out about. I doubt I'd be any help." Just as she put her hand on the sliding door, she sighed as she continued to face the other way, "But if I was ever forced to give any kind of advice, I might say...to not run from it. It's better to face it head on...no matter how much it'd hurt." With that, she closed the door and made Ohana's room darker again.

Ohana looked down at the face down cellphone after her mother had left. Her mother's words rang in her ears, but she was still struggling with what she wanted to do. With what she needed to do. Sighing, she reached to the side and picked up the bowl. It warmed her stomach to finally get something in her belly, and even though she didn't feel hungry, it really did help in giving her energy. Still, she was too weak to do anything physically demanding. While she held the bowl in her left hand, she finally found the courage to pick up her cellphone again. Flipping it over, she came across her inbox screen again with that one unread message.

His answer.

"Face it...head on..."

She gulped down the rest of her soup before setting it aside. Getting out of the inbox screen, she moved to the contacts screen. Sifting through it, she hesitated for a moment before she pushed the button. Ohana slowly sank back down and felt the pillow underneath her as she raised the phone to her ear. It started to ring. She closed her eyes as she tried to imagine how their conversation would go, but then she stopped herself as she was just making things worse for herself. I should...wait till tomorrow or something. It's already late, and maybe he's busy with other things or is going to bed...or talking to Namiko –

"Ohana?"

The young girl widened her eyes at the sound of his voice on the other side of the line. It took her a moment to find her voice, "H-Hello? Ko-chan?"

"Yeah, it's me. How're you? Do you feel better now?"

Her other hand had already found a strand of hair, nervously twisting it between her fingers, "Y-Yeah, I'm feeling...a little better. I'm still a little sick, b-but..." She paused before continuing. "I-I just wanted to say thanks for taking care of me even when my mom just left like that."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're feeling better." There was a short silence between the two. "...Ohana, did you read all of my messages?"

Ohana opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She honestly didn't know what to say. She felt like anything said about them would make it completely awkward...and there was still the problem of not having read his last message. His answer. "U-Uh...about that, K-Ko-chan..." Why...Why did I call him?! Didn't I want to ask him directly? Because I didn't want to get his answer through a text?! But...But I cant just...a-ask him... Squeezing her eyes shut, she curled up underneath the sheets before blurting out, "C-Can we meet right now? A-At the u-usual park..."

"...It's late now, isn't it? And I don't want you getting out of bed just to talk." He gave a contemplating sigh over the phone. "What is it that you want to talk about in person?"

She didn't know how to answer that either. It felt like she was being cornered by her own rash and blind attempt to take it 'head on' like her mother had advised. Still, she didn't think she had made the wrong decision. It was just...more difficult than she had imagined. Especially when hearing his voice. "It's...It's important, K-Ko-chan. Don't worry about me. I'll probably not go to school tomorrow anyways, so..." She could imagine him refusing. "...can we?"

"...Dress warmly then. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Smiling from just his acceptance to meet, she nodded to herself, "O-Okay, I will! I'll be there soon!" With that, she hung up on him. Finally seeing her regular cellphone wallpaper again, she took a deep breath as the ordeal was over with. At least until she met him face to face. Am I...going to regret it...? For the umpteenth time, she shook her head to convince herself as she threw off the sheets. She almost fell over countless times while dressing, but she endured how weak her body was before pushing open her door and moved into the kitchen.

Satsuki was sitting at the dining table with her laptop. She looked up at her daughter when she came in, but she only gave a small smirk, "And where do you think you're going at this time of night, Ohana?"

The curly haired girl put away the bowl and spoon in the sink before moving to the bathroom, "I'm...going out for a bit. I promise I won't stay out for very long. I'm just going to...check on something."

"Hmm?" Satsuki smiled to herself as she heard Ohana cleaning herself up. She watched as her daughter came out of the bathroom and grabbed a small jacket to put on before moving to slip on her shoes. "Well then... Make sure you're thorough when checking on it. You don't want to second guess yourself, right?" She let out a low chuckle. "And...make sure you have no regrets."

Ohana finished putting on her shoes and reached for the doorknob as her mother's words sank in. Smiling, she nodded to herself, "Right! I'll be back soon!"

"Take care." Satsuki continued to type on her laptop as the door closed behind her daughter. After a while, her fingers stopped and she glanced at the door. A moment passed before she smirked and ran a hand through her hair. "They're growing up much too fast..."

Ohana held a hand to her chest as she was gasping for breath when she finally reached the park. She had tired herself out by walking too quickly to not make Ko-chan wait too long. As she looked up, with her hand clinging to the fence to support her, she saw Ko-chan looking down at his phone while he leaned against the stairs of the slide. Seeing him already made those emotions swell in her chest. Catching her breath, she made her way over to him, "K-Ko-chan!"

The young boy looked up to see her walking across to him. "Ohana!" He put his phone away as he started for her, but she waved her hand at him to stop him. He watched as the visibly tired girl walk all the way to him before she stopped to catch her breath. Koichi clenched his teeth at the sight, and his eyes were filled with concern. "I told you to rest, didn't I? If your condition gets even worse because you wanted to meet me, I'd – "

Ohana reached up and pressed a finger to his lips, interrupting him. "You'd...what?" She could still feel it. That fear. That pain. It swelled up so much that she felt like her chest would explode from it, but she was determined to do this. Before she had become so awkward and indecisive, they had always been comfortable around each other. There was a reason for that, wasn't there? She had grown up trying to only count on herself when Ko-chan had always been at her side, keeping her safe without her knowing it. Perhaps because she never recognized it, never appreciated it, that she had been blind for so long. Ohana wanted to show him that she had grown, if even just a little, since the last time they met.

"Ko-chan...when did you get so tall?" Smiling up at him, she could really see that he had grown taller. He was becoming a man, as she was becoming a woman. While they weren't there yet, she could imagine them growing into full-fledged adult. And then...maybe we... Casting her gaze down for a moment, she regathered her courage before pulling her finger away. She took a step back as her hands were clasped behind her, and she nervously looked about, unable to meet his gaze again. "I don't think I've really grown that much, have I?"

Had she recovered from what happened that afternoon? Ko-chan was glad to see that she didn't look like she was about to burst into tears, but he still wondered why she wanted to talk. Was it about the message he had sent? His answer? He chuckled softly as he smiled at her, looking her up and down. "You might have grown an inch or two...but I'm sure you'll still grow taller."

Ohana smiled as he took part in the small talk. She knew she was using it to fill in space as she gathered the courage to do what she came here to do. "I'm sure you will too. I can't wait to see how tall you get...eheheh..." Her eyes met his, and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush. It was such a simple thing, but she couldn't deny that it made her happy that he still looked at her. At all. If not as someone he loves...at least as someone that has a place in his heart... She shook her head before looking up at him again, "Ko-chan...do you know why I called you out here?"

Koichi knew his cheeks had flushed somewhat too when he noticed Ohana's reaction, but they quickly cleared up as he heard her question. His face grew a bit more serious as he gave a small nod, "I...would guess it's about my answer?"

She took a moment before shaking her head. "I...I thought it would be too, but I changed my mind as I made my way over here. To be honest, Ko-chan, I haven't looked at your answer yet." Ohana saw that surprised expression on his face, and she only smiled even more as she took a step closer now. "I thought about it all the way here...how I wanted to hear your answer face to face...and I wondered what it'd feel like to be rejected...or be accepted. And then..." She took another step closer, gently placing a hand on his chest as she looked up at him. "Then I realized I was just putting everything on you again. I never gave you an answer to your feelings to that time long ago...and then I basically ask you to tell me your feelings again when you're already in a relationship. It was...terrible of me."

Ohana's hand rolled into a fist on his chest as tears slowly pooled in her brown eyes, but she never looked away from his kind eyes. "I'm sorry, Ko-chan. You put yourself out there again because of me...and this time, I should know what your feelings are. You moved on, and I...I couldn't. And...I...I still can't." She felt the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, and her vision blurred, but she could still feel those wonderful eyes still on her. "I'm so sorry for being a selfish girl, Ko-chan...but please don't take your eyes off me...at least for this moment." She reached up with her trembling hands and gently took hold of his face. "It...It doesn't matter what your answer is...because...because...!"

She blinked as a rush of tears streaked her cheeks as she got up on her toes. She felt no resistance from him, so she leaned in and her hands slowly trailed down to his broad shoulders and then onto his back. Bringing herself up against him, she first felt their foreheads touch gently. He still wasn't refusing her. She could feel his warm breath against her lips as their noses came close to brushing against each other. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head as she pressed forward, her soft lips connecting with his.

It was a simple kiss, but it seemed to last an eternity for her. She had given her first kiss to the boy who had first confessed to her. To the boy who had stolen her heart. Ohana hadn't planned for anything after this moment. It was fortunate for her that he hadn't pushed her away, but that didn't mean his feelings for her were still there. If anything, she wanted to still be kept near, to continue spending their precious time together. She didn't know if she could forget these feelings she had for him, but she hoped she could be satisfied with the knowledge that she had done all she could.

If only...I had realized sooner...

Slowly pulling away from the kiss, Ohana slipped her hands down to his chest as she got down off her toes. Opening her eyes slowly, she still felt those tears escape her, but she smiled up at him as their eyes met. It was such a happy moment for her...but at the same time, it felt bittersweet.

"Ko-chan..." She whispered, her trembling legs losing their strength, "...Koichi..."

"I love you..."

Her legs collapsed beneath her, but she felt herself being caught in his arms. She gently clenched at the fabric of his clothes as they pushed gently on his chest. Ohana couldn't stop the flow of tears as her head rested over his shoulder. His arms seemed to tighten around her, bringing her closer in his embrace. She was resting against him now while he was on his knees. The curly haired girl wondered what it'd look like to anyone passing by.

Would we look like...a couple?

"...Ohana...! I...I...!"

She was a bit surprised by his voice, but she smiled as she heard him call out her name. Her hands gently released his chest and moved around him, pulling him closer in return. Ohana couldn't deny that she enjoyed the comfort of being in his warm embrace. Gently rubbing his back, she closed her eyes as she nodded understandably.

No matter what his answer was, she would continue to love him.

.::|| I apologize for the long wait to those that have been waiting for another chapter. This is not the last chapter. I'm thinking one or two more chapters will follow this one. I had trouble doing this particular scene/chapter because I deleted it so many times. I just didn't like the way it turned out, so I continued to rewrite it. I'm...fairly satisfied with this turnout, but I think I'll leave it to the readers to decide. Hopefully there aren't too many mistakes. Anyways, thank you for reading, and I would be grateful if you left reviews including your thoughts! I'll try to bring out the next chapter soon.