Disclaimer: I don't own Hot Gimmick. Miki Aihara does… I'm so jealous!
Waking up in the morning, Hatsumi felt delirious and foggy headed. Her dream was swirling around her head, and she just couldn't figure out what was going on. Her dream wasn't at all what she had expected. She had hoped for cute fuzzy bunnies, and a meadow full of fragrant flowers. Instead she got herself a crazy lovey dovey dream about her brother's love confession. What was she to do?
When she got up, Hatsumi got dressed for school and ran outside, hoping to avoid her very insistent boyfriend. As luck would have it, she ran into Akane, who had got up earlier than she.
"Hey Akane!"
"Hey sis." She said as she fixed her hair. "Man do you look bushed." She said with a giggle.
"What do you mean?"
"Here take a look." Akane said as she passed Hatsumi her compact.
"Oh gawd! I look like an ostrich!"
"That is true." Akane said as she placed her hands on the small of her back. At this point she was around three months along in her pregnancy, and already having back problems. But then again, Akane had always been a weakling.
"I think I'm going crazy?" Hatsumi said as she brushed her hair back into place.
"What do you mean? You hearing voices?" Akane said as she applied her gloss.
"Not exactly. I'm just having wacky dreams."
"About…" Akane prompted.
"Shinogu." Hatsumi said with a guilty sigh.
"Ah well since he's getting the annulment, and since we're not blood related, it's not so bad."
"What?" Hatsumi exclaimed, her jaw hanging loose, and her eyes bugging out of her head. "Are you actually my sister?"
"Duh! I'm totally you sister, but since I've always been wiser than you, I can see all of your options."
"I hate you." Hatsumi said under a mumble.
"I know, and I hate you right back!"
"I love you. Thanks for your advice." Hatsumi said as she walked with Akane the rest of the way to school in silence.
After school dismissed, Hatsumi was shocked to see Shinogu at the gate. She walked over to him, with an awkward smile on her face. "Hello Shinogu."
"Hello Hatsumi." He said kinda shyly.
"What brings you here?" she asked.
"Uh, well I thought I'd come and chat." He said, a slight blush rising on his face.
"Okay, where do you want to go?" she asked.
"How about the park." He said, as he lead her out with his hand at the small of her back.
When they got to the park, Shinogu and Hatsumi found a spot by a small duck pond with water lilies floating gracefully on the water. As the breeze rustled their hair, Shinogu took a deep breath, and turned to look at Hatsumi.
"I had a dream last night." He said.
"Really? What about?" she asked.
"Us." He said.
"So did I." Hatsumi said, her eyes avoiding contact with his intense ones.
"Was it about a confession?" he asked.
"Yeah." She said.
"Me confessing?" he asked tentatively.
"Yeah." She said.
"Well I kinda think it might be true." He said.
Hatsumi's head popped, and her eyes bore into his. "What do you mean?' she asked.
"I like you." He said.
"I like you too." She said. "But what do you mean by like?"
"I don't know." He said softly. "But I know I can't love you as a brother." He took another deep breath. "The truth is Hatsumi, is that I got that annulment for myself and my feelings. I needed to be free before I could try or rather pursue something that I've wanted to forever."
"I don't understand." She said.
"I really do like you. I can love you as a friend, but I don't know how long. I want to formally ask you for a date." he said.
"Date?" she asked.
"Yeah a date. You and me." He said.
"Let me ask you another question." She asked. "When the elevator broke in the complex a year ago, and we reminisced about us being little and running away. Did you mean to kiss me?"
"Yes." He said softly. "I did."
"I need to think." She said, as she got up. Without another word, Hatsumi walked and walked, until she was in some secluded area of the park. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm the erratic fluttering in her chest.
"What am I going to do?" she said to herself. As if on cue, her cell rang, and low and behold it was Ryoki. "Hello?" she said.
"Hey, wanna go out?" he asked.
"No I'm kinda finishing up with an outing with my… well Shinogu." She said.
"Oh." He said coldly. "Well I WANT you to come and meet me up on the roof tonight." He said before hanging up.
That night Hatsumi changed into her pajamas and pulled on a terry cloth robe and walked up to the room. Standing there looking handsome was Ryoki. When he turned, his eyes were cold, so cold that it made her stop in her tracks. "What's going on with you two?" he asked.
"I-uh…"
A/N: There you go. I'm done with this, and hope you like this. Please read and review. Love you so much guys, and hope to get great advice!
Teri Baumer
