Himawari stood in front of the bathroom mirror, giving herself a stern look. She was dressed casually, her and Kaede ready to go spend some time at the Oomuro residence. She even made sure to prepare some lunch to treat her close neighbors with. She saw it as a way to thank them for dealing with her for the past few days. Now before the two sisters set off across the street she decided to give herself one more pep-talk.
"Okay...You've cried and moped enough. You just have to gather up the courage to confront her and confirm...things...You don't want to worry Kaede or Hanako-chan or Nadeshiko-Oneesan any more than you've already have, do you?"
"Oneechan, is it time to go yet?" Himawari jumped at the sound of Kaede's voice calling out from the hallway.
"A-Almost! I'll be out in one moment!" She nervously replied. Talking to herself in the mirror was helping her keep her cool...but it would still be embarrassing to be caught doing it. She gave herself one more look over before placing her hand on her chest, closing her eyes and taking a deep, cleansing breath.
"Well then...It's now or never..."
Moments later the Furutani sisters found themselves on the Oomuro family's doorstep. Nadeshiko opened up and let them inside not long after. "Come on in, you two."
"Thank you, Onee-san. Kaede, go on and play." Himawari gave her sister a small push as she watched her happily remove her shoes and rush inside to meet with Hanako, the sound of the youngest Oomuro crying out in surprise followed by a thud coming from the living room. Now that she and Nadeshiko were alone, she took the chance to address the problem at hand. "So...how has she been doing?"
Nadeshiko sighed. "She's been quiet and keeping to herself...For normal people, that'd be nothing out of the ordinary. But since this is Sakurako we're talking about..."
"Mmn...I apologize. This is all my fault..." Himawari hung her head guiltily. "I was hoping I could try to smooth things over with her. I'm assuming she's still in her room?"
"She is." Nadeshiko confirmed. "You might have a tough time, though. She hasn't been opening up much to anyone. Keeping her door locked more often, too. Hopefully that won't be the case today."
"I'll give it my best." Himawari held up a small basket. "Before I forget, Kaede and I made some sandwiches. As a thank you for...you know...putting up with me lately..."
Nadeshiko cracked a small smile, graciously taking the basket. "Thanks, Himako. I'll make sure to set some aside for the two of you if things run long."
With a bow, Himawari headed further inside the house until she reached Sakurako's door. There wasn't any light coming from the crack underneath, meaning she was either sleeping or she'd been acting this way since their little incident. She pressed her ear to the door in an attempt to pick up any sound, but heard nothing. The thought of someone like Sakurako sitting in silence didn't sit well with her. She knocked on her door.
"Sakurako?...It's me...Are you awake?"
No one answered. She knocked again; Still no answer. Taking a deep breath, Himawari decided to take the more direct approach. She quietly opened the door, expecting Sakurako to immediately try and chase her out or to quickly close the door before she could open it any further. Neither happened. Instead she walked in on a sleeping Sakurako, the girl huddled up under her covers and snoozing quietly. Himawari sighed slightly as she closed the door behind her, making her way to Sakurako's bedside and sitting down beside her. She watched her friend sleep soundly, her face looking probably the calmest it's been in the past couple of days.
"Chances are she forgot to lock her door before taking a nap. She can be so dense..." Himawari smiled softly as she reached over to lightly brush one of Sakurako's bangs away from her eyes. "I've never seen her look so at ease before..." She laid her head down on the side of the bed and continued to stare at her friend. "You're cuter than your personality makes you look, you know..."
Sakurako didn't say anything, still fast asleep. Himawari didn't mind it, though. "I know I act like you're a pain to have around...I know I act like I dislike almost everything about you, but...I truly don't..." She spoke softly. "You can be selfish, but you still care...You can be clueless, but it's not on purpose...I could never imagine you acting as polite or courteous as I tend to. And I guess I could never imagine acting the way you do, either...Eheh...That's probably why we make such a good pair..."
Himawari closed her eyes, not noticing Sakurako's body shifting slightly. "So good that I was scared to death that you were going to...I-I don't know...outgrow me, I guess..." She gripped her wrist. "You were doing your homework correctly, you were asking Akaza-san for cooking help instead of clinging to me all the time...I guess I was just jealous...I didn't want you to leave me..."
"So that's why you yelled at me...?" Himawari jolted upright, looking over to Sakurako and finding that she was now awake. The blonde was still snuggled up in her sheets, but her eyes were open. Himawari blushed. "So you heard all of that, I take it..."
"I've been listenin' since I heard you open my door..." Sakurako closed her eyes again. "I knew I forgot to lock something..."
"I-I'm sorry for coming in uninvited, but I just...I needed to see you...I needed to apologize..."
"Mmhmm." After a moment, Sakurako sat up with both her arms and legs crossed. She looked down at Himawari with a slightly annoyed look. "Apologize for...?"
"For everything..." Himawari drooped. "For acting so off lately. For worrying your sisters. For...blowing up at you when you were just being nice..."
"I wasn't replacing you, y'know...I was just trying to give you a break..."
"...Huh?" Himawari looked back up, noticing Sakurako was averting her eyes. "You mean you were-...So it was all for-"
"YES! OKAY! YOU GOT IT! I WAS DOIN' IT FOR YOU! JEEZ!" The blonde pouted loudly. "You cook for me all the time cause I dunno how and you teach me all the stuff I don't know cause homework is so boring, so I figured I'd just suck it up and y'know...try to give ya less to worry about..."
"..." Himawari held her forehead and sighed. This whole time she'd been taking Sakurako's attempts at giving her some time to herself as a sign of being unwanted. Jumping to conclusions and acting as selfish as she did...She knew it wasn't like her to do such a thing, she was smarter than that. It just seemed that her emotions clouded her thoughts. She looked over to her bag, reaching in and pulling out a tattered-looking piece of paper before holding it up to Sakurako. "Here..."
"Eh?" Sakurako took it in confusion before giving it a look over. The dim lighting in her room caused her to squint a bit, but she could still make out what was on it. "...Wait a sec...This is a-...ONEE-CHAN WAS TELLIN' THE TRUTH?!" It was the marriage form that Himawari had been keeping. It was looking a bit worse for wear after she had crumpled it up before.
"Yes. I found it a few weeks ago. Obviously I didn't believe it myself, but...once I looked at it...I-I don't know, it's like everything came flooding back to me..." Himwari spoke softly as Sakurako continued staring at it. The longer she did, the more things were starting to click with her as well. Soon she was the one sighing over everything. "We used to be really close, huh..."
Himawari nodded, blushing lightly. "It's hard to believe with the way things have been lately, right?"
"More like almost impossible." Sakurako added bluntly. "...What, do you want us to go back to the way things were when we were kids now?"
Himawari took that question to heart. Her feelings for Sakurako had been becoming more and more obvious to herself, but at the same time their personalities had changed so much. Trying to go back to the way things were between them would feel more like an act than genuine. After giving it some thought, she gave her answer. "No. Our past selves are just that; The past. But...I do have one proposal..."
Sakurako perked up. "M'kay. Shoot."
"We stay ourselves...but I stay by your side." Himawari offered. "I'll teach you the basics of everything I know, I'll praise you when you do well and scold you when you slack off and I'll cook delicious food for you, too. Just like I always have...Just...promise you'll never leave me?"
Sakurako didn't answer immediately, taking a moment to formulate an answer herself. To be quite honest, Himawari could tell she was just milking the suspense to make things dramatic. Finally, with a wide grin, she responded. "The great Sakurako-sama acknowledges your request provided that you agree to a term of her own!"
"...E-Eh?...W-What kind of term?" Himawari was prepared for something utterly ludicrous or degrading, as someone per Sakurako would usually think up. Surprisingly though, her blonde friend's grin relaxed down to a warm smile. "My term is that you try not to push yourself to do everything and to take a break once in a while. Even you can't watch over me twenty four-seven, right? I know I ain't exactly a super-genius or a ultra-level chef and stuff, but...I can still take care of myself if I gotta. So if you can agree to that, then I promise that I'll stay by your side as long as you want me to."
Himawari quickly leaned over Sakurako's bed, wrapping her arms around her waist and hugging her tight. "Thank you, Sakurako..." She teared up as her face flushed with happiness, the weight in her chest now completely lifted. "...Thank you so much..."
"J-Jeez, no need to make it all sappy. It's not that big a deal..." Sakurako couldn't help but smile brighter as she leaned down to hug back. Even though she wouldn't admit it easily, she was glad to have Himawari back by her side. "...I mean it's obvious we need each other, after all."
From the crack in Sakurako's door, the curious eyes of Nadeshiko, Hanako and Kaede watched over the pair's heartfelt little moment. Kaede covered her face with a blush while Hanako had a look of surprise on her face, being the most out of the loop out of the three siblings. Nadeshiko smiled to herself before moving away from the door, whispering to the other girls. "Come on, let's leave them alone for a bit. We can have lunch in the meantime."
"Oneechan," Hanako asked as they went to the kitchen. "what was all that about, exactly?"
"That was closure, Hanako." Nadeshiko answered. "Something those two have been needing for a while."
"Is this it? I think this is it." Ayano stood in front of Himawari's door with Chitose in tow. After some worrying the two had decided to take things into their own hands in the end and just go and check on their two fellow council members themselves. Ayano held her hand up to knock, but immediately started hesitating. "...Mmmnnn but what if this just makes things worse?!"
"Ayano-chan..." Chitose put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "We discussed this! All we're going to do is check in on them and see if everything's okay. And if it's something they don't want to discuss, then we won't pry into it!"
"Yeah...Yeah, you're right! We planned things out perfectly. This'll go as smooth as Siberian satin." Ayano took a deep breath, calming herself before going in to knock. However before her knuckles could even come in contact with the door, it ended up opening all on its own to reveal Himawari. She was dressed casually with a tightly-packed bag slung over her shoulder. Apparently the pair had caught her when she was about to depart somewhere.
"Huh?...Sugiura-senpai and Ikeda-senpai? What brings you here?" The bluenette asked.
"F-F-FURUTANI-SAN! I-I MEAN-!...Good afternoon!" Ayano panicked, causing Chitose to quickly follow her up. "Are you going out, Furutani-san? It seems we may have come by at a bad time."
"Oh! Yes, I'm sorry, I already have a previous engagement. I wish I could stay but I really don't want to miss it. I hope you understand..." Himawari bowed politely. Ayano and Chitose were surprised. Nothing about her gave off the same troubled and depressed aura that they got from her at school. She seemed practically normal now. This made Ayano in particular especially confused. "W-Wait, before you go just one question! Is anything wrong? Everything's okay, right?" She asked as Himawari locked the door.
"Hmm? Is there anything wrong?" Himawari shook her head almost immediately. "Not that I can think of. Honestly, everything's been fantastic." She smiled before bowing once more. "I'd hate to cut this short, but I really don't want to be late. I'll see you both at school." Turning on her heel, she made her way down the stairs of her apartment complex.
"...That's it?...There's no way it could be that easy!" Ayano peered over the balcony edge to keep an eye on Himawari as she left, Chitose taking the space next to her looking somewhat puzzled. "Aren't we spying at this point? That's not very respectful..."
"Shh! We're not spying, we're just...making sure! That's all!" Ayano peered down at her kouhai as she crossed the street to the next house over. "Wait a minute, that's Oomuro-san's house, right?" Chitose took a peek, watching Himawari knock on the front door. "I believe so, yes...Perhaps they patched things up?"
"Hi-ma-wa-RI!" Sakurako flung open the door with boundless energy, dressed just as casually as her friend. "You're right on time!"
"Well of course. Can you think of any time I've been late to something before?"
"Um...Hmmm..." Sakurako rubbed the sides of her head in concentration. "OH, THAT ONE TIME WHEN-...Wait, no, that was me...Huh. Nope! I got nothin'."
Himawari giggled. "Well it looks like you're ready. Shall we?"
"Sure!" Sakurako shut the door and skipped out onto the street as Himawari followed closely. The two began their journey down the street for a day out together as Sakurako strolled up close to Himawari's side. "So lunch in the park and a movie?"
"Yes, just as I promised." Himawari patted her bag. "I made some chicken croquettes, some rice, mixed salad and a thermos of lemonade for the both of us."
The menu that Himawari recited was enough to make Sakurako drool on the spot. "Y-You made croquettes?! HIMWARI YOU'RE THE BEST!" She immediately clung to the blue-haired girl's arm, causing her to blush slightly. Seeing this was all the proof Chitose needed as she stood upright with a smile and headed towards the stairs.
"A-Are we going to follow them, or...?" Ayano asked, still a bit confused.
"There's no need to anymore, Ayano-chan. Everything's just fine."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Really-really." Chitose nodded. "You could tell just by looking at them. Everything's going to be fine now."
"...I don't get it, but if you say so..." Ayano shrugged, deciding not to question things further at the risk of just confusing herself even more. The pair made their way out of the apartment complex as Sakurako and Himawari continued their conversation a block away. "Hey, do ya think you can show me how to make 'em, too?"
"I don't know. Croquettes are a bit more difficult to make than curry or ramen..." Himawari scratched her cheek in doubt, which ended up setting Sakurako off. "I can totally make curry! Akari-chan showed me how!"
"I suddenly feel extremely sorry for Akaza-san and everything she had to put up with..."
"What's that supposed to mean, boobies-for-brains?! At least she doesn't have to put up with two ten pound weights dragging her down to the kitchen counter when she cooks..."
"Eh?! W-Why does it always have to come back to my chest size?!"
"Because they're still giant and they still annoy me!" Sakurako and Himawari's bickering continued on as they made their way into town, but not once did Sakurako ever unravel herself from Himawari's arm. From complimenting each other to being at each other's throats in the span of seconds, things between the duo seemed to be back to the way things have always been. However, Himawari and Sakurako took comfort in the fact that they both acknowledged how much they care about one another, despite how things may come off.
"Hmph. Apparently no matter how things change, some things will just stay the same." Himawari huffed with a pout, causing Sakurako to do the same in response. "Apparently so!...What, you've got a problem with that...?"
"...No...I'm glad..." Himawari's pout slowly vanished into a shy smile. "It means you're still the Sakurako I care deeply about...They do say arguments are just another form of love, right?"
"D-Do they?" Sakurako turned away with a blush, a small smile also forming. "...I guess that makes sense..." Her grip on Himawari's arm tightened a little more. From their childhood to now, the two had stayed together through just about everything...and they were both going to make sure their bond held strongly into the future.