[A/N]: I must apologize whole-heartedly for the very long delay in uploading this chapter. I'm doing way too many things right now between school, sports, writing, arranging music (almost done with an Orchestral medley of "Romance in Andante" and "Parity"), and other personal projects. Trying to do all of that ends up with me getting little done for each thing, admittedly. I'll try to be more productive with writing so as to be more punctual in my updates. Fortunately, I think I have gotten into the swing of things again so while updates may not come too often, they will certainly come more often than this.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the third chapter of Continuity.


X


I am awoken from my peaceful slumber by a few light knocks on my door. Ugh. Who the heck would be knocking on my door at this hour? As I began to deliberate whether to answer or not, my alarm goes off. Then realization hits me.

Lilly, Hanako, and I are leaving for Hokkaido today.

I hate being woken up so early in the morning, but the reason for it is well worth it. With a tired groan, I force myself out of bed and stumble over to the door. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I open the door and am greeted by the sight of Hanako.

"Good morning, Hisao," she says. Seeing that she is fully dressed and carrying a rather large bag, I guess that she's all ready to go.

"Morning," I return groggily. "Coming to make sure I didn't forget to wake up?"

Hanako shakes her head. "I knew you would remember. I just want to make sure you pack everything you need."

"Well, there isn't too much I need, right? Just uh…" Come on brain, wake up. "Underwear, cards, my pills… and that's all I really need, I think." I can just wear my clothes for the few days we're up there, and I don't want to carry anything I don't have to. Actually, looking like a slob would be unacceptable in the presence of two girls. "And a change of clothes," I amend, taking a glance at her bag again. "Just what did you pack in that huge bag anyways?"

"My bag…? Hmm…" Hanako pauses a moment and tilts her head in thought. "A change of clothes, underwear, sleepwear, a raincoat, books, toiletries, a bottle of water… I-I think that's most of it."

Oh. Well, I was definitely lacking in a few things. "Right. I uh, forgot about a few of those things," I admit sheepishly. "I should get my things together and change."

"Okay," she replies, nodding.

I give her a smile and close the door, proceeding to thrown on my usual outfit far quicker than I ever remember doing. I don't want to keep Hanako and Lilly waiting after all. I quickly begin to assemble a similar inventory of items and stuff them into my bag as I find them. Underwear… clothes… toothbrush… cards… sleepwear… books… raincoat. I think that's essentially everything Hanako has as well.

I open the door once again and heave the strap of the bag over my shoulder. "Ready."

"Are you sure you have everything?" Hanako asks.

"Yep," I say nodding as I take a step outside.

"Including your… pills…?" She almost whispers the last word. I guess she must think that that is still a touchy subject for me. Well, it kind of is, but not if it's with her.

"Yeah I have my…" My palm meets my face. "I totally forgot about them while getting everything else together. Gah, I'm so lame." I reenter my room, snatch up my pills, stuff them into my bag, and exit my room once more. "Sorry about that. Now I have everything."

She shakes her head. "No worries. I'm just glad I can help. Shall we be off?"

I nod my head. "Yep. And Hanako?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for looking out for me."


The morning chill barely fazes me as we mill about on the station platform; with Hanako's hand in mine, I feel surprisingly warm. While I am thankful for our physical contact keeping us warm, I can't help but notice that Lilly's clothing looks rather ill-suited for the temperature around us. I can only hope it is indicative of what she expects the weather is like at our destination. I quickly move my free right hand to cover my mouth as I let out a yawn.

"Tired, Hisao?" Lilly asks. She looks as awake as ever, no doubt eager to be off to her family's summerhouse.

"Considering this was the earliest I've woken up since coming to Yamaku, yep, I'm pretty dang tired. But we do have a train to catch after all." Yesterday, Hanako had suggested we take a normal train to Hokkaido. Lilly was all for it, apparently finding a charm to older trains. While I would have preferred to take the bullet train straight there, I couldn't exactly object at that point. Besides, I'd more than likely enjoy myself either way since I'm with my best friend and girlfriend. "I'm surprised you're not tired, especially since you're not a morning person. Are you finally turning?"

"I don't think I'll ever become a morning person," Lilly replies, smiling, "but the thought of going to Hokkaido again is enough to make me into one at least for today."

The loudspeakers suddenly blare to life, loudly heralding our train's arrival. As Hanako and I look to the direction the train will come from, however, the train is still well out of sight. A quick glance at my watch confirms that it is the one we will be taking. Still, I just want to be sure this is the case. "The five-thirty train is ours, right?" I ask Hanako.

"Yes."

"Either of you want me to take your bags?"

Hanako smiled. "S-sure."

"My my, that's very gentlemanly of you, Hisao," Lilly responds as I bend down to pick up Hanako's large bag. "However, I think I should be fine with my own. Ah, I can hear the train."

Both Hanako and I turn once again in the direction the train will be coming from and sure enough, there's the train making its way into view.


With the morning landscape passing by the window and the occasional rattle of the train bumping the carriage around, I try to focus my attention back to the aging playing cards in my hand. I take a quick sideways glance at Hanako who is sitting on my left. I don't have a good hand at all, but she doesn't know that, and I'm feeling a bit ambitious. I think I'm going try and bluff my way to victory on this one. "I'll raise you five." Our piles of chess pieces we are using for chips are pretty even, though I am a head by a mere few pieces. I suppose that one way to quickly swing the tides of this game in my favor is to play boldly.

"Hmm…" Hanako hums as she turns to her right to gaze at my face. As I keep the best poker face I can, it dawns on me that maybe this wasn't the best idea. Hanako is very perceptive and we know each other better than every before now so I doubt she will have much trouble seeing through my bluff… "I'll see you and raise you another five." Said with complete confidence too.

"Damn, you got me. I fold." Hanging my head, I push over a large portion of my winnings. This is Hanako's first time playing poker but she has certainly picked up on it fast. A delighted smile blooms on Hanako's face and I'm torn between feeling happy at the sight and feeling down that I just lost a huge portion of my pieces. Even if Lilly's attention is focused on her book I can see the pleased smirk on her face.

My gaze shifts down to the cover of Lilly's book and I try to no avail to make out the title. The cover is too faded to tell anything beyond that the cover has Roman characters on it and as for the visible braille, well, a pity that I can't read it. "What are you reading there Lilly," I ask, curiosity getting the better of me. "The title looks like it is in English."

"That's right. It is And Then There Were None, an old British story. If you'd like, I could read it to you." She gives the offer with a grin, obviously in jest.

"I think I'll pass, thanks." With that, I focus back on the poker game. Hopefully I'll be able to make a come back.


Over the course of the seemingly endless train ride, I had somehow gotten good hand after good hand and won the poker game. After playing a few more games with the cards, such as Old Maid and Cheat, we moved onto chess and promptly got stomped. I won one game out of six, not a good day for me. Lilly joined us when we moved onto word games, riddles, and other word games.

The walk over to the promised land of the Satou summerhouse seemed to take forever as well, even after the train ride. Grumblings aside, I never would have guessed the sight that would be in store for us once we traveled that long, deserted road. It looks more like a farmhouse than the normal, everyday house I had imagined, small in size and surrounded by trees and bushes. A vast, empty expanse of wheat fields and farm land can be seen as we walk up to the house, the fencing consisting only of old, rickety wooden planks. It really drives home how far removed we are from major cities, and it is a sight that feels antithetical to the environment I grew up in. The only thing that doesn't surprise me is its western style.

I gaze once more at the land around me and I am in awe now that I really pay attention to it. "Wow, it's amazing out here."

Hanako nods in agreement. "It's wonderful."

"I'm glad you two find it so. While Akira said that she'd kept the house in reasonable condition, I'm a bit worried that we have different standards of 'reasonable.'"

"Hmm… it looks like there isn't another soul for miles," I reply. "I would've thought Akira is the type to keep to the city."

Lilly furrows her brow in thought, as if she is recalling some forgotten knowledge. "Well, there is a small town in memory serves me right. Other than that however, this is largely just old farm land." She pauses for a moment as she gives the matter more thought. "Akira and I stayed in our parents' house for a while. It was in the nearest city, but after they left we decided to move into a smaller, more easily maintainable house."

"To find a place like this," Hanako speaks up, "it's… it's a bit anachronistic, but in a good way."

"Well, this town does have quite a bit of history indeed."

I take one last look down the old road before focusing back on the task at hand. "Shall we go in, then? I'm parched." The long walk sure made me work up a sweat, especially with the added burden of a bag. It still depresses me at times just how out of shape I am.

"It was certainly a long walk to get here," Hanako adds, as if reading my thoughts.

Lilly gives an enthusiastic nod and the three of us lug our bags into the house. As soon as we step foot inside, Hanako and I begin to look around, taking in every detail of where we'll be staying for the next few days. Between the pans in the adjoining kitchen still sitting on the stove and the television guide lying beside the counter it was on, it felt as if another's life had suddenly stopped mid-motion. It's a rather strange feeling really, as if we were stepping into Akira's life for but a brief moment. Mundane reality comes back to my mind and of course it is that Akira simply hadn't cleaned up after herself all that well. Or as Lilly put it, had "different standards of reasonable."

Not wanting to add to clutter I ask, "Where should we put our bags?"

"I'll show you two your bedroom. You both can put your bags in there if you'd like."

Hanako's eyes widen. "O-our bedroom?" she asks. "T-there's only one bedroom?"

Wait, what? "You mean… we're sharing a bedroom?"

"There is only one bedroom and I don't think it would be very good form to arbitrarily delegate the convertible futon to either of you considering you both are my guests."

If I didn't know better, I would've been fooled by the seemingly innocuous smile she gives us. In fact, her smile betrays a hint of mischief. She knows exactly what she's doing and her lame excuse isn't going to fool either of us one bit. "Lilly…"

"Yes, Hisao?" she replies innocently. "Is there a problem?"

"It's okay," Hanako speaks up before I can continue. "Hisao and I, w-we're a couple so… I-I don't mind sleeping with him."

My jaw drops slightly as blood rushes to my cheeks and Lilly takes her cheek in her hand.

"Oh my, how bold," Lilly says after a moment of silence.

"Hmm?" Hanako glances between Lilly and I a few times before realizing what she had said, flowering into a full blush. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I mean I don't mind happening to sleep in the same bed together!"

Lilly utters an amused giggle. "Well Hisao, do you have any objections?"

"N-no," I stammer, still recovering from Hanako's accidental innuendo and Lilly's jest. Even if I had any objections, I don't think it would be very appropriate to voice them now. I'm sure I would enjoy Hanako's company anyways and besides, there's nothing particularly odd about a couple sharing the same bed right? I catch Hanako's gaze and give her a smile, which she returns in kind.

"Shall I present to you your room then?"

"Sure."

And so begins our tour of the house. The bedroom is rather small, but certainly larger than Yamaku's dorms. There are a few pieces of old-fashioned wooden furniture in the room, including a dresser and two small tables on either side of the queen sized bed. Compared to the dorms, this is like a luxury hotel. Hanako and I deposit our bags at the base of the bed and we follow Lilly out of the room and to the kitchen. Just like the living room, it is fairly modest. The rustic nature of the wooden furnishings really drive home just how far from civilization we are. With the tour over, I almost flop rather than sit down on the couch from exhaustion. It really just hits me now just how tired I am.

"Tired?" Hanako asks.

"Yeah. That walk really took a lot out of me." I take a glance at the television. "I think I'm going to relax and watch some TV. Just for a little bit that is, so I can get some energy back."

"Okay."

"Shall we unpack our bags in the meantime?" Lilly suggests.

"Sure. Hisao?"

"Yes?"

"Should I unpack your bag too?"

I shake my head. "No need. I'll get that done once I have recovered some energy."

With a nod of her head, Hanako follows Lilly back into the bedroom.

With a touch of the remote, the old television immediately flickers to life, apparently set to a news channel. I lie back in the couch and begin to watch, flipping through channel after channel. Flipping through channels… and watching.

And watching.

And watching…


"Hisao…?"

Huh? That's Hanako's voice… wait, Hanako? My eyes shoot open and I quickly blink a few times as I get my bearings. I glance out the window and—crap, I fell asleep! It's already dark out! Looking to the wall-mounted clock, it's already almost ten. "Uh, hey," I return rather sheepishly.

"You've found the television, then," Lilly says.

"Yeah," I reply as casual as I can. "It really does feel nice and homey here."

"I'm glad you like it." She puts her hand to her mouth as she giggles. "You were already out like a light when we came back after unpacking out things, and we didn't have the heart to wake you sooner." Judging by that reaction, I must sound funny when I sleep. Oh gosh. I don't think I want to inquire.

"There's some dinner waiting for you in the kitchen," Hanako informs me with a smile. Just as she finishes her statement, she yawns deeply, only remembering to cover her mouth at the last moment.

"My my, are you tired?"

"Ah, yes. I didn't get too much sleep last night."

"I'm pretty tired too," I add. Despite having just taken a long nap, I still feel worn out. I guess it's a good thing considering it's already pretty late now. "It was a long walk to get up here, and it's getting late."

"If that's the case, I suppose we should retire for the night."

"I agree." I push myself up from the couch and step beside Hanako. "Ah, that's right, I should eat my dinner. I'll, uh, come to bed in a little bit, Hanako." I can't help but feel a little awkward as those words leave my mouth.

"O-okay," Hanako says, blushing a bit.

I don't feel that our relationship is yet on the level where we would feel too comfortable sleeping in the same bed, despite all that has happened. I mean, really, we've been a couple for all of what? Four days? Still, I don't think I would mind doing so. In fact, I would certainly enjoy Hanako's presence and I'm sure Hanako would enjoy mine. Perhaps it's just the thought itself that is a little awkward.

"Goodnight, Hisao, Lilly," Hanako says.

I give the two girls a smile. "Night you two."

"Goodnight," Lilly returns to both of us.

With that, Hanako walks into our bedroom and Lilly begins to quietly convert the couch into a bed. I head into the kitchen and begin to silently eat my dinner. The simple meal has gone cold by now, but it's not bad nonetheless; it's still rather flavorful. It doesn't taste much like Hanako's cooking, so maybe it's Lilly's? If so, I didn't know Lilly knew how to cook. I'll have to ask her about it later.

"How is the meal?" a familiar voice softly speaks.

I turn to face the voice and find Lilly walking out of the bathroom, clad in her iconic navy blue pajamas. "I can't complain; it pretty tasty. I noticed it doesn't really have the same style of taste as Hanako's usual cooking."

Lilly chuckles, easily picking up on what I want to ask. "After all, I am the one who prepared the meal."

"I never knew you knew how to cook." Well, I guess this is later, then.

The girl gives a weak smile. "Akira was always busy with work so I had to learn how to cook for the both of us. At least now she can cook without blowing herself up. Mostly. It was probably for the best that I learned how to cook anyways as it's a very important skill after all."

"Indeed it is. I'm glad I learned how to cook as well."

A look of mild surprise appears on Lilly's face. "Oh? It looks like I'll have to try your cuisine one day."

"Er, I only really learned just enough to get by, nothing too fancy. My parents worked a lot and I got tired of eating the same old things over and over again."

With the conversation's topic dried up, I proceed to eat at my meal again.

"Ah, that's right," Lilly speaks up again after a moment. "While I did get most of the story about what happened while I was away, I never did find out what exactly happened between you and Hanako that finally brought both of your feelings to light. Sorry if I sound a little nosy, I'm just curious about you two."

What happened between us? It is certainly not something one would call a good thing, and it's still a somewhat sensitive subject in some regards. I'm not sure if it's my place to explain alone, though I don't want to leave her hanging either. "I think I would need to talk to Hanako first before I can give any details. However, I will say that our relationship fell apart, no, more like shattered into a million shards before we managed to piece it back together."

"I… I understand."

"But perhaps it was for the best," I continue. "We both came out stronger and more mature than before, and we expressed our feelings for each other." I scoop one last mouthful of food into my mouth and put my empty plate in the sink. "All that matters is that all is well now."

"Indeed." Lilly barely manages to cover her mouth in time as she yawns. "I think it's time to retire to bed officially now."

"I agree. Night Lilly, this time for sure."

"Goodnight, Hisao."

After those parting words, Lilly slips into her bed and I enter as quietly as possible into bedroom as possible. The room is lit only by the light of the moon and stars that bleeds through the windows of the room, making it just possible to navigate the room without hitting anything. I can also just make out Hanako's figure on the left side of the bed as she shifts around to face me.

"Hisao?"

"Hey, Hanako."

"Are you… coming to bed?"

"Yeah. I just need to get changed really quick. So, um… I'll go do that." I open my bag, which I still need to unpack, and pull out my pajamas. I somewhat uncomfortably change into my sleepwear, trying to block Hanako out of my mind for the moment. I guess I'm still a little self conscious of my body. If it weren't so dark that only silhouettes of objects could be made out, I would not have changed in the room.

I gently climb into the bed and slip under the covers and—oh my gosh, this bed is so comfortable. The beds at Yamaku are pretty good, but they're nothing like this. Hanako shifts closer to me, and our hands find each other.

She gives a tired but warm smile, snuggling her head into my shoulder. "Goodnight, Hisao," she whispers.

"Goodnight, Hanako."

I close my eyes, enjoying the warmth and comfort of Hanako's presence. It's not long before I drift into a peaceful slumber…


X


[A/N]: While writing this, I had a random idea that I'm probably never going to write. The general premise is that Shizune and Lilly get locked in the sports shed. Alone. Shizune investigates the sports shed as there are rumors that certain, er, unscrupulous activities are taking place in there. Lilly, having to retrieve something for her class from the shed, also heads into the shed. A random person, probably Emi, sees that the door is open and closes and locks it. Cue hilarity as the two try to figure out what to do. Oh, and I feel terrible about the title, but here it and the description is. TITLE: Oh Say Can You See? DESCRIPTION: By the dawn's early light, Shizune and Lilly are locked in the sports shed. They soon learn what to do when life gives them lemons.

I don't know, just a random idea. I'll write down the general plot line somewhere later…

If anything, fact wise, is inconsistent with canon (such as I don't remember if it is ever mentioned in Hanako's route that Lilly knows how to cook), I'd appreciate it being pointed out so I can revise things to be consistant.

Thank you for reading!