Chapter 3:

Awakened Troubles

Part One

Aoi Sora's eyes opened with ease in the dim light of his hospital room and began to hear the sounds of the diagnostic equipment that were near his bed. There were several minutes that had passed as he became accustomed to these sensations, the softer and quieter sensations came to his attention. Those that had shocked his weakened mind was the acknowledgment that there were two humanoid bodies that were saying the bed with him. The first was slightly heavy and curled up upon his feet with moans of slumber that he knew that he should be able to recall, but he was unable to do so at this moment. The other was laying upon his left arm and was softly snoring with her hand holding his own. It was when he saw that there was a gold ring with a dark red diamond upon the sleeping figure's ring finger. It was, then, that he caught her scent within his nose and identity became real to him.

"Aki..." He began to whisper as her heart began to race. As this occurred within his weakened body, he began to convulse and sat off the machines that he was attached to. This had brought both women to be fully awake as the night nurses entered into the room in a run. They were pushed away from the bedside to allow the nurses to perform their emergency duties. The work on him was done quickly and efficiently and soon he had been stabilized.

It was only the head nurse for the night shift that had stayed behind to speak with these two women. "What were you thinking of doing that? You know that his condition is very erratic and unstable though it has been over a month since he had collapsed and transported here. We had flushed all of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor from his system, but there is still the underlying cause of his overdose. We will be keeping him here until he is strong enough and will be giving him psychological therapy for his depression."

The two women had agreed and lowered their heads as they had been scolded and given the current status of the single man that they, both, had fallen in love with. It was, only, after the nurse had left that the women looked at one another within the glow of the neon lights. Aoi Aki was the shocked as it seemed that she looked at her own twin that she had never known that she had had. "Who are you? What is your relation to my brother? Are you one of the women that had used him for your own purposes? And why do you look like me?"

"Who am I, Aki-chan? I look like you, because he wanted me to be your replacement. And yes, I had used him to look at me as an exhibitionist. It had not been until the first time that your so-called 'father' had taken you away from him that we had made love with one another. Afterwards he had disappeared to find you. Then, you had the gall to leave him with the love that he had for you. He had come to me for reassurance and to continue to be with you. That is why I look so much like you." Satsuka Runa explained in as much detail as she could. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she began to relive those first experiences. She had to gather all of her courage to admit all of this. "In time, I had come to realize my true feelings for him. There is nothing that you can do about it, because unlike you, I will not leave him ever again."

It was after those words that Aki moved with lightning speed.

Part Two

Satsuke Runa was forced to move backwards a few steps as Aoi Aki had slapped her with a surprising amount of strength. They were both shocked by her reaction to Runa's confession, but they had blushed afterwards as the realization burst into life between them. It was that they had come to realize that they had become rivals for Aoi Sora's affections and neither of them were willing to lose to each other. Though, they could not comprehend what future challenges might happen for the three of them. "You cannot understand how I truly feel about him and that I have had to deal with my own depression about not being with him as well. There were few times that I had been able o forget about him as I had given in to my personal desires, but he would always return. I am fortunate that I had not ended up in the position that he is. Though, I am going to fully support him and will stand with him."

"I understand that there is a very special and tight bond between the two you as both siblings and lovers. And have had the distinction of being the first time for you, both, but he has had plenty of other sexual experiences during that time. However, I had been the only woman that he has been with in the last eight years. I will be the one to stand with him in the upcoming future. I will defeat you with everything that I have." There were definite sparks coming from them as the their arguing voices became louder.

Sora's body began to sweat and to react to their powerful emotions and words towards him. The head nurse was forced to kick them out of the hospital for the rest of the night for everyone's sake. They were told to find some place else to sleep from now on and to only return during regular visiting hours.

They would have taken a taxi cab to where they would be staying during Aoi Sora's recuperation period, but they looked at each in embarrassment. They had forgotten to make such arrangements due to the fact that they had not thought of anything else except for being by his side. "Satsuke-chan, would you like to stay with us until you can get your own place? I am sure that Nami-chan and Sumiya-chan are where we used to live. That's just how my sister is. We can put how we feel aside to have a safe haven to be within."

After Runa had agreed to this idea, Aki had called for both a taxi and her sister to confirm this arrangement. There had not been a problem with this situation and she could even hear the two of them giggling on the other end of the phone. She wondered about that for the rest of the night, because she had not learned as to what had caused them to do so.

Part Three

After the two late-comers( Satsuke Runa and Aoi Aki) had awakened and dressed, they had gone into the living room that was, also, the dining room to find that there was already four women sitting at the table. They were made aware of a fifth cute woman that was handling all of the cooking for their breakfast. Each one of them introduced themselves in turn.

"I am Satsuke Runa. I am glad to meet you."

"I am Aoi Aki and I welcome everyone to my old home."

"We are Aoi Nami and Sumiya Kana. I, Nami, lived here with Aki-chan and Sora-kun. I wish to welcome you as well."

"My name is Himekawa Alice. The very gorgeous one in the kitchen is my husband, Mihara Miharu. Thank you for having us as well."

"My most beloved, why don't you ever use my last name? You are supposed to be Mihara Alice. Or even Himekawa-Mihara Alice. I don't think that you even love me!"

"You know that's not true! And are you done yet?"

"I'm done! I'm done! I just need help know to bring it in." Kana and Nami were the ones to jump up and come to the aid the very effeminate love of Alice-chan. He had made a wonderful selection of delicacies for their breakfast. It took them less than ten minutes to set it out and to return to their seats.

They all bowed their heads and put their hands together in unison. "ITADAKIMASU!"

Though the others had no memories of how Sora had prepared their food for his family, Aoi and Nami were crying as they ate. It had been about nine years since their entire family( as they had known it) had eaten together. They could recall all of the good and bad meals, together. However, those that caused the two of them the most heartache was the last few months before Aki-chan was stolen away from their family by their "Father."

After they had finished the meal and placed the dishes in the kitchen. Miharu pushed them away from the kitchen and told them to speak with each other with a huge smile. Alice was the last to leave the room as the two of them kissed each other happily and deeply. "So as I take it, we have been asked here due to our personal relationships with Sora-kun. Each one of us were with him during his second year of upper secondary school and, apparently, the year that you two had been lovers. We, all, wish to explain it to you and each other."

Alice-chan's words had seemed to bring both Satsuka Runa and Aoi Aki to become angry. The woman was able to stop them from saying anything with just a glance as Miharu brought in a bottle of sake and five clay cups for the gathered women. Then, he told them that he would return in a few hours to get lunch ready.