Disclaimer: Clannad the visual novel is the property of Key and their respective partners. Likewise, Clannad the anime belongs to Key and Kyoto Animation. I'm not making any money with this fanfic.
Author's notes: I'm sorry for taking so long writing this chapter, but like I've already warned you, I've run out of written chapters, and the last few weeks have been rather busy. There's light at the end of the tunnel, though; I should be able to write to my heart's content during the whole August, so I expect to get a lot of it done then.
Many thanks to my beta-reader, Anya Anthony, for her diligent help. Likewise, I'm very grateful for all the reviews I've gotten and all the positive feedback they've contained. Thanks to all of you!
Without further delay, here's chapter seven.
It was warm. The town of Hikarizaka bathed in the morning sunlight, its inhabitants chit-chatting merrily with one another as they passed through the lively yet tranquil streets, visiting the numerous boutiques and restaurants as they went on their daily shopping routines or socialized with one another. The high school students who normally wore their school uniforms were now dressed in less formal outfits which consisted mostly of t-shirts and shorts, enjoying the warm weather like everyone else.
Summer was here.
Okazaki Tomoya glanced up at the near-cloudless sky, shielding his eyes from the bright sunshine as he sighed contently. It was finally here; the long-awaited summer break he had been waiting for the last few… Well, ever since the start of his third year, really. For the next few weeks, he didn't have to worry about going to school and sitting through the boring lessons or having to avoid the career counselling or his homeroom teacher. The daily dosage of Tomoyo's busy bodying, Kyou's vicious man-handling, and Sunohara's idiotic antics would be at a much more tolerable level, too. Finally, he had some time all for himself.
"Tomoya-kun?" And, naturally, time for someone else as well. "What are you smiling so care-freely for, Tomoya-kun?" Walking by his side was Furukawa Nagisa, tilting her head curiously as she inspected his unusual expression with astonishment.
"It's summer, isn't it? That's enough of a reason to be happy, right?" he replied, and with a mischievous tinge in his eyes, added a few heartbeats later. "And if that wasn't enough, I also have the cutest girlfriend in town. What more can I ask for?"
"Ah, y-yes, of course," she muttered hastily, looking away. "I'm, I'm sure she is a very beautiful person…" Not knowing whether to laugh or groan, the delinquent decided to remain silent and suppress his mirth the best he could as he waited for the brunette to reach the eventual conclusion as she chewed on his words. "… Wait, I, I'm not beautiful at all!" she soon exclaimed, modestly trying to take back her self-praise as she realized what she had said.
Tomoya couldn't help it any longer. He chuckled heartily, and the chuckle became laughter as Nagisa shot him a disapproving glance.
"Tomoya-kun, don't tease me like that! You know speaking like that confuses me." Twitching her fingers nervously, she glanced away with a blush. "I was worried that you had gotten a really cute girlfriend, someone much better than me, even though you… Well, even though on that date, you… Or we…" Now, it was Tomoya's turn to blush deep scarlet. By thinking back to their date a few days back and how he had confessed his love to her, asking her to become his girlfriend, she had turned the situation on him: It was like he was being teased by her now.
"Yeah, that's…" he muttered hastily, trying to come up with a dignified way to say that it was still exactly like before: That he loved her, and she was his girlfriend, and he had eyes only for her. "That's, um…" Problem was, how was he supposed to say those words without making a fool out of himself? As the silence drew on, he could feel the atmosphere weighing down on him, and the pressure became almost unbearable.
Come on, say something! he urged himself on, trying to force the words out of his mouth. "Ah, don't worry," he spoke eventually, feeling like his face was on fire. "It's just like I said: You are my, well, my girlfriend. Of course it hasn't changed." Tomoya hastily looked away, hoping that Nagisa would soon forget his poor attempt at teasing her.
"Um, alright," she replied sheepishly, apparently just as willing to put the conversation behind them as he. Her relieved tone of voice, however, told him that maybe it had been a good thing to go through the embarrassing conversation. Even though he could see that Nagisa had gotten a lot stronger than since they first met, he still occasionally doubted her self-esteem and confidence - her strength of will still seemed abnormally frail. Perhaps she still thought that she wasn't 'good enough' for him, as she had commented on a few occasions, even though he had promptly crushed that doubt and claimed that she was more than enough for someone 'as worthless as me' - which, in turn, had caused her to go to lengthy and particularly vicious explanation in defence of his good personality.
It was strange, Tomoya realized, how eager they were to defend each other so viciously - and chide themselves in the same breath. Both of them were flawed people, that much was true: She was a weak cry-baby and he was a delinquent bum, worthless to the society by any standards. Even though painfully aware of their own flaws, it was as if they were insulted themselves when it came to talking bad about the other. Perhaps it was out of sympathy for a fellow weak person or, perhaps this way, standing up for each other, they could find ways to cope with their own faults.
But, he concluded wordlessly. It doesn't really matter, not as long as we'll be together. It's not like we need a reason to support each other.
Wordlessly, he reached for her hand. She threw an uncertain, startled glance at the sudden touch as if to ask 'is this appropriate?', but as their fingers intertwined, her expression melted into a content smile. Again, Tomoya felt a smile forming on his own lips as well. That's right; he had all the reason to smile on this summer day.
"Hm? What's this?" A little later, when they had been walking around the town leisurely, Nagisa had spotted out something out-of-place on the sidewalk. "An envelope?" Tomoya looked down at his girlfriend and the white piece of paper she had picked up. "… There's no address or sender's name here," she mumbled, turning it around in her hands, soon proceeding to give it to the delinquent for examination, too. "How are we going to find out who it belongs to if we can't find any info about… Tomoya-kun, don't open it! There might be something personal inside!"
"We don't get to know anything by just staring at it, do we?" he retorted, tearing the envelope open and pulling out a single sheet of paper, ignoring Nagisa's protests. "… Looks like it's a résumé. There's a line for work experience, motivation, strong and weak subjects, desired salary, and so on." After reading through the paper a bit more carefully, the delinquent let out a scoff, frowning. "Nagisa, this is a piece of garbage. I'm going to toss it away."
"You mustn't do that!" Snatching the paper away from his hands, she began reading it aloud. "Name… Blank. Age… Blank. Telephone number… Blank. Address… Blank, too. Work experience… Blank. Strong subject… Lunch. Weak subject… Homeroom. Motivation… I want money." With each passage, the brunette's frown deepened a little bit. "Tomoya-kun, I don't think this is a very good résumé."
"That's why I said I'm going to throw it away." He tried to snatch the paper, but the brunette kept it away from his grip, giving him a scolding stare.
"No! Even if this isn't done properly, I'm sure someone did their best with this. Because this was on the ground, it means someone has lost it and is probably looking for it as we speak. We should return this to its owner." Nodding to her little speech, Nagisa gave the delinquent a look full of responsibility.
"But we can't return it if we don't know the name or address, can we?" he retorted, sighing, which seemed to eat away her confidence.
"That's right," she muttered, running her fingers over the paper as she looked through it one more time for anything she might've missed. Then she sighed and folded the paper neatly in half, handing it to him. "But we can't just throw it away, either. We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open in case we meet this person. Promise me that you'll hold onto this, Tomoya-kun." A sigh.
"Fine," he yielded, taking the paper and putting it inside his shirt pocket. It's not like I can say no when you're that determined, he finished mentally. "But we probably don't get a chance to return this; This is a big town with a lot of people, after all."
"Still, we must do what we can." With that statement, the conversation was over, and the two continued their walk.
Well, it's not like this little piece of paper is going to ruin my summer or anything.
The following day, Tomoya had already happily forgotten all about the envelope and the mysterious résumé in it. Nagisa hadn't said another word of it either; it seemed that she, too, had realized just how impossible finding the owner was. As far as he could tell, their best bet was to hope that they'd bump into the owner by chance. Just how likely that was in a town as big as Hikarizaka?
However, as the two were on their way to the city centre to do the Furukawas' shopping, they encountered the unlikely sight:
"Oh man, oh man… Where is it? I could've dropped it anywhere…" A young man, walking down the street, vigorously scanning his surroundings and nervously fumbling the bag he was carrying. "I don't have time to write another one… Oh man, why is this happening to me…?"
Tomoya and Nagisa exchanged surprised glances, and set towards the man at the exact same moment.
"Excuse me," the brunette called out. "Have you lost something?" At first, it seemed that her words didn't have any effect; he continued walking down the street, stopping neither his mumbling nor his continuous searching. "Excuse me!" Even after raising the volume of her voice, he still didn't seem to hear or register her. Tomoya took a step forward, placing himself right in front of the approaching man.
"Hey, you!" Now that the distance was merely a few feet, the yell seemed to get through. Halting, the person straightened himself as he turned his eyes on the delinquent. Yellowish brown eyes stared at him, the look in them speaking of confusion.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Tomoya wondered briefly if he was making fun of the two of them - how could he not have heard their yells? However, he could see no traces of mischievousness or jesting on his face, only honest wonder. Sand-coloured blonde locks swung as he tilted his head to the side, inspecting the delinquent and the brunette curiously.
"We asked you if you had lost something," Nagisa said, stepping on his side. The man's eyes darted hesitantly between the two for a few seconds, until he seemed to understand what she was saying. The previous worry and unease returned on his face.
"Ah, yeah," he muttered, looking around. "I lost a very important paper yesterday, and I've been looking around for it all morning. I wonder where it could be..."
"Was it a white envelope?" she asked, her voice quivering with excitement and anticipation - could they have really found the rightful owner of the envelope so easily? Even before hearing his reply, Tomoya was already reaching for the envelope from his pocket - this was too much to be a coincidence. And, accurately enough:
"Yes, exactly!" he exclaimed, eyes wide and filled with hope. "Have you found it?"
"We found it around here yesterday," Tomoya said, handing the envelope to the man. "Inside was a résumé of sorts. But, I'm not sure if it's-" Before he managed to get further than that, the blonde took the envelope and pressed it against his chest, his mouth curving into a relieved smile.
"Yeah, this is mine! You guys are life saviours, thank you so much!" Then, sobering a little, he continued. "By the way, do you know what time it is?"
"Oh? It was a fifteen to ten when we left, so I think it should be almost ten by now." The man's expression turned from glad to horrified in an instant, all the colour draining from his face as he heard Nagisa's reply.
"Ah, not good, not good! I'm gonna be late for my interview!" Clutching the envelope in his hands, the blonde made a sudden turn and dashed to the direction of the city centre, leaving the two standing here without another word.
"He's very fast," Tomoya spoke his thoughts out loud as he stared after the figure of the man, his voice laced with slight awe. "I wonder if he's an athlete."
"I hope he manages to make it to the job interview in time," Nagisa in turn commented with a worried frown. "It doesn't make a good impression if you're late."
If he's planning to use that résumé, it doesn't matter if he's late or not, he thought, rolling his eyes. "Well, it's out of our hands now," he chose to respond instead. "We've done our part." The brunette nodded in reply, and her frown turned into a small smile.
"Yes, we did the right thing." With that, the two continued on with their errand, neither considering it very likely to meet the young man again.
However:
"Tomoya-kun, isn't that the person we met yesterday?"
"… You've got to be kidding me. What's he doing here again?"
"He doesn't look very happy. Perhaps he was late for his interview after all?"
"I don't think that's the problem… Hey, Nagisa, where are you going?"
"To talk to him, of course."
"… Sheesh…"
True enough; the young man was strolling down the street with a troubled look on his face. Every now and then, he stopped to look at the sky and let out a deep sigh, muttering something neither of the two could make out from the distance.
"Hello there," Nagisa called out as she approached him, the delinquent a few steps behind him. This time, he heard her on the first try and turned to look at her, his eyes squinting as he was obviously trying to recognize the petit brunette and the man that accompanied her. After a few moments, recognition dawned on his face.
"Ah, you're… You're the envelope siblings from yesterday, right?" Tomoya didn't know whether to laugh or become annoyed; just how did they look like siblings? And couldn't he think of anything better to remind them of than the envelope? Then again, they never had told him their names, had they?
"Envelope… Siblings?" Nagisa repeated, and he continued from that.
"Do we look like a brother and sister at all?" It seemed that he couldn't understand his sarcastic tone, because his eyes began darting between the two, comparing their features. "That was a rhetoric question, just so you know," he said, sighing. The blond was silent for a while, and then let out an embarrassed chuckle.
"I'm sorry, it seems I jumped to conclusions. So, envelope cousins, thank you for-"
"We're not cousins!" he protested, exasperated. This guy was definitely doing this on purpose. The look in his eyes, however, told him otherwise.
"Sorry, but now you've lost me," he admitted, scratching his cheek. "Are you just friends, then? Envelope friends? That doesn't just sound right…"
"Just how slow can you get…" he muttered bitterly. Am I surrounded by idiots outside school, too? Isn't the word 'lovers' part of this guy's vocabulary? Even though he had to admit that even thinking of the word caused him embarrassment, he wasn't about to let anyone misunderstand his relationship with Nagisa - plus, thinking of her as a relative just felt wrong.
"I apologize for Tomoya-kun's words. He has a filthy mouth sometimes," Nagisa piped up, throwing a scolding glance at the delinquent. "But he's right: We're not relatives or just friends." Upon her last words, her cheeks became tinted red. "He's my, um, my boyfriend."
"Ah, I see!" he said, realization finally dawning on his face. "So you're envelope lovers, then." Tomoya had been right; He could feel how his cheeks heated up upon just the mentioning of the word. And, judging by the way the brunette's cheeks were burning, she was no less embarrassed. The man bowed formally. "Envelope lovers, thank you very much for your help yesterday! … Huh, you both are burning. You have a fever or something?"
"Could you… Please not say the word?" he pleaded, trying to lower the temperature of his cheeks and avoid looking at Nagisa.
"Huh? What word; Lovers? But I thought I finally got it right…" Then, scrutinizing the blushing couple closely, he seemed to understand. A strange kind of a giggle escaped his lips, and his eyes became dreamy. "Ah, I see, I see… You two must've just started dating… How wonderful it must be, spending each day in rose-coloured bliss with each other, to fall into sweet slumber at night with your beloved in your arms… To drown yourself in the warmth and scent of your beloved… Ah, love is so beautiful! I'm so jealous of you two!" Tomoya hadn't considered it possible to become more embarrassed than what he had already been, but the blonde had proved how horribly wrong he had been. He wouldn't have been surprised if someone had told him he was steaming.
What's with this guy! This is at least twice as bad as Yoshino Yuusuke's lines! I've got to get out of this!
"A-a-anyway," he stuttered, cursing silently how difficult it was to speak. Absently, he realized that this must be what Nagisa felt like when he teased her. If I get through this, I won't tease you anymore, Nagisa - not for a week, at least. "Ho-how did your interview go?" Desperately trying to change the subject, it seemed that talking about the interview did the trick: The dreamy rambling came to a halt, and his expression turned sour.
"Not very well. He didn't seem very interested in me, and the whole thing took only ten minutes." A vexed sigh. "I don't get it, I did everything properly! Résumé and all, everything that I was asked. Geez!"
"…You mean, with the résumé we picked up? You didn't add anything?"
"Yeah, just like it was."
"Then it's no surprise it didn't go well," Tomoya deadpanned.
"Huh? Why's that?" The blonde tilted his head to side, his expression honestly surprised.
This guy really doesn't have a clue, does he?
"Um," Nagisa said hesitantly, traces of blush still remaining on her face. "You should at least put your name and address on. I don't think anyone will hire anonymous with an unknown address." The young man blinked. Then, slowly, realization, followed by an embarrassed smile and a laugh.
"Ha-ha, I suppose you're right. But, that's impossible right now. I don't have a home."
"Don't have a home?" the delinquent repeated, inching up an eyebrow. He nodded.
"Yeah, I'm in the middle of travelling, and I need to find a job so that I can afford to live somewhere. A job with a dormitory would be great." Tomoya and Nagisa exchanged glances, uncertain of how to respond to this. The delinquent was the first one to respond.
"You'd need to make that clear in the paper, then," he said, sighing. "And at least add your name to it."
"Ha-ha, yeah, that was my bad… Force of habit, I suppose." Then, clasping his hands together, he seemed to finally become aware of his anonymity. "Oh yeah, I'm Hiiragi - Hiiragi Kappei. Who are you guys?"
"Okazaki Tomoya."
"My name is Furukawa Nagisa. Nice to meet you, Hiiragi-san." The blonde gestured dismissively.
"Ah, just Kappei will do, no need with the formalities. That said, do you mind if I call you Tomoya-kun and Nagisa-chan?" The brunette responded with a smile and a nod, and the delinquent simply shrugged.
"Call me whatever you like," Tomoya said nonchalantly. Deep inside, however, he couldn't help doubting the serenity of his summer vacation.
Just who have we gotten involved with?
The following day when Tomoya was on his way to Sunohara's dorm he supposed he should've been surprised when he caught sight of a familiar figure on the street. Lately, however, far too many coincidences had been revolving around this particular person, wearing off the novelty. For a while, he considered just passing him without a word, but decided against it in the end - something he later on found himself wondering about.
"Yo, Kappei," he called out to the blonde who was intently reading a magazine on the sidewalk. Blinking, he lowered the magazine, a smile forming on his face as he recognized him.
"Ah, Tomoya-kun, morning. Nagisa-chan isn't with you today?" he asked after looking around.
"A friend came by and I was driven out of the house. They said they'd like some time without any guys around," he explained, shrugging. "So I'm heading for a friend's place, too." Sunohara Mei had decided to fill her promise of visiting the Furukawas again now that summer break had begun, and Akio and Sanae had invited her to their house with open arms. Tomoya, too, was glad to see her again, but he was a tad worried about the lack of reaction from Sunohara, especially when Mei had told him that she had also come to check on his brother. This visit wasn't simply to kill time; it was also to make his blonde friend aware that her sister was worried.
Of course, there was no need to tell his new acquaintance any of that. It wasn't like he was part of it, anyway. It was already strange enough how friendly he and Nagisa had gotten with him, meeting him only a few times and even then by complete chance.
"You were driven out?" Kappei repeated, and his expression turned into that of awe. "That means you're already living with her. You're quite bold, Tomoya-kun, to make such big moves when you're both still in school!" The delinquent's eyes widened and he felt his cheeks heating up again. He had become so accustomed to his peculiar living style that he no longer considered it strange that he was living under the Furukawas' roof. After all, it was more for the sake of the relationship with his father - or what was left of it - rather than to promote his and Nagisa's relationship. But of course, from someone else's point of view, Kappei's conclusion was very logical.
Still, he found himself regretting letting Nagisa tell the blonde so much about the two of them yesterday - it wasn't like it made him exactly comfortable to have people drawing conclusions about their private life.
"It isn't exactly like that," he protested before he could help himself. What am I doing, trying to correct a guy I barely know? It's not like I can just pour out my life story. Didn't I decide long ago that I don't care what people think? Looking at the smiling man in front of him, however, dissipated some of his reserved attitude. How could he be unfriendly to someone who could smile so genuinely? What a strange guy. Shaking his head, he continued.
"Anyway, how did your interview yesterday go? The one for Moff Burger?" Again, the mentioning of his past interview caused Kappei to frown. Yesterday, too, he had rushed to his interview as they had parted ways.
"This is my answer," he said bluntly, raising the magazine's title for him to see. 'Open Jobs'.
"That bad, huh?" The delinquent muttered, unsurprised. "Do you know what you did wrong?"
"I didn't do anything wrong!" the blonde protested with a scoff. "It was the manager who was damn cold; As soon as I found out there was no service, I realized what a horrible place it was! They didn't even serve me tea. I wouldn't even want to work in a place like that!"
"Just so you know," Tomoya said, sighing. "They don't have to serve you anything at all in the interview." The puzzled look he was rewarded with made him want to bury his face in his hands.
"Really? But they've offered me at least tea and cookies in every other interview. I was expecting hamburgers in this one." Shrugging, he pointed out a line from the magazine. "Ah well, what's gone is gone - I've already set my sights on something new. Here, look!" Tomoya leaned a little closer to make out the petite announcement.
"…Pizza home delivery? With a bike?" Kappei nodded with a smile on his face.
"Sounds nice and easy, doesn't it? I bet it's kind of cool, too!" The delinquent nodded mutely, unsure of what to say - it wasn't a job he'd like to do, but it wasn't the worst one out of them, either. It seems like he didn't need to say anything at all, though, because the blonde soon continued with a dreamy tone in his voice. "What's more, it's delivering food… Imagine what kind of situations I might end up in…"
"… Huh?"
"To bring food, something people need to live… Maybe someone who's on the verge of death will muster all of his strength just to order pizza… And in that case, their fate would be on my hands. Being caught by a single traffic light could mean the difference between life and death... Something like that feels so thrilling…!" Blinking, Tomoya began slowly inching away from the blonde in his land of dreams. Then the dreamy look was gone, and he became aware of what was happening. "Uh, Tomoya-kun, why are you distancing yourself?"
"Could you please not look this way," he pleaded, frantically trying to make sure no one he knew was around. "It would be a problem if people thought I know you." Then the blonde laughed and patted his shoulder playfully. He was surprised of how light his arm felt like and how slim the fingers were. He can't possibly have much body mass. Was I wrong about him being an athlete? Come to think of it, why would he be hunting for petty jobs in the first place if he was?
"It's just a joke, Tomoya-kun! Don't take it so seriously!" Then, sobering, he folded the magazine and put it inside his back. "But really, delivering pizza is a man's job after all; entrusted with something, delivering it to people. It just feels so numbing!" Again, he was over-whelmed with the urge to make some distance between the two. Was he actually aware what kind of words he was spouting? "Anyway, I've got to go now for my interview! See you later!"
"Y-yeah," he responded, but Kappei had already dashed off with a smile. It's just a delivery job, but for some reason, I'm really worried about him doing it. Shrugging, he continued his walk for Sunohara's place. Better not to order pizza for a while, just to be sure.
The next day, when they were on their way home after seeing Mei off at the station:
"Ah, Hiiragi-san, good afternoon."
"Yo, Kappei."
"Hello, Tomoya-kun, Nagisa-chan," the blonde replied curtly, a frown marring his usually cheerful face.
"Why such a bleak look?" Tomoya asked. "Ah, let me guess, you didn't get the pizza delivery job?" He grumbled sullenly, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Isn't it obvious?" The delinquent had to bite his tongue in order not to reply sharply. When it's you, yes.
"What was their reason?" Nagisa asked in turn, a look of genuine sympathy on her face.
"Yeah, that's just it!" Kappei exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "It was just a tiny little thing, too!"
"You seem angry about it," she commented sheepishly, taken aback by the abrupt reaction.
"Of course," he scoffed, pacing back and forth. "Even I get angry about something like this. When they asked me if I had a licence, I had to tell them that I don't have one! You don't even need a licence for a bike nowadays, right? I can drive it just fine as I am now! There's a limit to making a fool out of people!" Again, the two exchanged glances, Nagisa's gaze speaking of uncertainty, whereas the delinquent was just downright annoyed.
"You'd be arrested for getting on a bike without a licence," he explained, straining to make his voice remain calm. The blonde's reply only further increased the strain.
"Yeah, but if you won't screw up, you won't get arrested, right? I see no problem!"
You are the problem.
"But, Hiiragi-san, the shops are thinking about what will happen if you do fail." Thankfully, Nagisa was here. Tomoya didn't think his nerves could stand this much idiocy all by himself.
"They're thinking about something so small," the blonde complained, sighing in defeat and kicking away a nearby can, the loud rattle seemingly making him feel a bit better. Was it the therapeutic effect of kicking trash or his natural optimism, Tomoya couldn't tell, but a few heartbeats later his usual care-free expression was on his face again. "In any case, this means I'll have to pass on jobs that need a licence." Digging the familiar employment magazine out of his bag, he quickly looked through it and sighed promptly. "Man, as I thought, this really cuts down my choices… I suppose I'll go for that one next…"
"What, you already have something planned out?" Tomoya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course!" Kappei responded with a laugh. "It's not very manly to just lie down and weep; what's gone is gone - we have to always move forward!"
What a positive attitude he has, the delinquent couldn't help thinking, and judging from Nagisa's impressed expression, she was thinking much along those lines, too. "So, what will today's interview be?"
"Moving company." Tomoya inched up an eyebrow again.
"Physical work, eh? Are you sure you're okay with that?" Remembering how frail his arms had felt like, he just couldn't help asking. The blonde grinned.
"I'm sure I'll be fine. It's all about balance and timing, right?" Before he had a chance to tell that physical strength might also have something to do with it, the dreadfully familiar dreamy look appeared in his eyes again. "Besides, moving things is really a job for a guy - it really shows one's manhood, don't you think? The employer is going to be dripping with guts as well. As a bonus, you also get paid on the same day. Isn't that cool?"
"Uh, yeah, good luck with that," he managed to mutter, once again struck speechless. Almost instinctively, he inched closer to Nagisa, ready to grab her and run in case the blonde would embark on his trip to never-never-land again. It seemed there was no need for that, however, because he snapped out of his reverie swiftly. Stuffing the magazine back into his bag, the blonde gave them his trademark smile and a slight wave.
"Thanks! I'll be sure to treat you two to something from my salary later on." And with that, Kappei set off, heading towards the office buildings of the town.
"I'm sure Hiiragi-san will do his best with the interview," Nagisa commented. Before he could help himself, Tomoya had already spoken his thoughts out loud.
"He probably won't get it," he deadpanned, earning a startled look from her.
"Wh-what makes you say that, Tomoya-kun? He's clearly very enthusiastic about this interview - how can you say so easily that he'll fail?" Her voice sounded almost hurt, but the delinquent apparently couldn't catch that slight undertone.
"I know it sounds harsh, but trust me: I don't think he's fit for that job," he reasoned, recalling his memories of the blonde. "His arms are far too frail for lifting things, and he doesn't seem very muscular otherwise, either. He can run, yes, but otherwise he seems physically weak. He should be seeking some other job." The brunette turned her gaze on the ground, bringing her arms together and twitching her fingers nervously. "Eh, Nagisa, what's wrong?" he asked, finally realizing something was wrong.
"You really think so?" she asked quietly, and Tomoya cursed his words as he realized the effect they had on his girlfriend. 'Physically weak' were the exact words that she used to describe herself - right now, he was crushing not only Kappei's hope for future, but Nagisa's, too. Did his trust of overcoming nigh-impossible odds by giving it one's all limit only to her? Was he really such a big hypocrite?
Reaching for her small hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze, causing her to look up at him with a small blush dancing on her cheeks. Traces of uncertainty still lingered on her face, so Tomoya smiled as reassuringly as he could.
"I'm sorry, Nagisa." I'm sorry that I doubted you. "You're right: He may be weak, but he's got one hell of an attitude. If he gives it his all, he can't possibly go wrong. I'm sure he'll be fine." At first, her expression spoke of confusion, but it melted into a confident, warm smile a few seconds later.
Silently, however, he still considered it very likely to find Kappei reading an employment magazine tomorrow, too.
"Ah, good morning, Tomoya-kun! … Say, why are you wearing an apron?" The next morning, he happened to meet the blonde man in a very unlikely place: In front of the Furukawa bakery. He and Nagisa had volunteered to take care of the shop for today, letting Akio and Sanae take a day off. He had taken a step outside to marvel the weather, and by coincidence, Kappei had walked by soon after.
Although I probably shouldn't be talking about coincidences when this guy is involved, he mused quietly. "Morning, Kappei. I'm giving Nagisa's parents a hand at taking care of their bakery." Immediately after the words had left his lips, Nagisa stepped outside, wearing her favourite apron.
"Good morning, Hiiragi-san," she said with a small bow, a surprised look on her face. "I thought I recognized you through the glass. How did you know to walk to my house?" The blonde gave a chuckle and scratched his neck.
"Ha-ha, to be honest, I happened to come here by accident. Every morning, when I'm not busy hunting jobs, I walk through the town looking for that person." Tomoya and Nagisa exchanged glances, trying to find out if the other knew what he was talking about. Upon seeing their confused expressions, Kappei tilted his head to the side. "Huh? Haven't I told you about this?" The delinquent and the brunette shook their heads in sync, and the blonde let out an embarrassed laugh, deciding to elaborate.
"Y'see, when I came to this town a few days ago, I was introduced to two people after I was hit by a bike. The other one took care of me, making sure I was not hurt or anything. At that time, she gave me her handkerchief - here, see? - and I've been looking her all over so that I could return it and properly thank her." Then he let out a deep sigh, dropping his shoulders and almost losing his grip on the pink, frilly handkerchief he was holding. "But it has almost been a week, and I haven't met her since… Oh man, am I ever gonna find her?"
"You didn't ask for her name?" Upon seeing him shake his head, Tomoya let out an exasperated sigh. "Why not?"
"I was so shy, like some carrier boy, that I didn't have the courage to ask before they left," he admitted, regret and shame lacing his voice.
"What did they look like?" Nagisa asked, which caused his face to morph into a blissful smile.
"Very, very beautiful," he muttered, his eyes becoming clouded. Sensing danger, the dark-haired man decided to press on in order to keep the man in this world.
"Anything else?" Again, he shook his head.
"I was so out of it after being knocked down that I can't be sure. But once I see her, I'm sure I'll recognize her. If I ever get to meet her again, that is." Another sigh, after which he turned his gaze on the cloudless sky. For a long while, he didn't say anything. When he did, his voice had the familiar dreamy tone Tomoya had learned to dread. "Hey, Tomoya-kun, Nagisa-chan… Since you two are a couple you know what I'm talking about… Are my feelings that of love?"
"… Uh…"
"Um…"
"I mean, just meeting her once, not knowing her name… And still, my chest tightens and my heart beats fast as I remember her. I've never felt this way before…"
"Uh-huh," Tomoya muttered, taking a hold of Nagisa's shoulders and slowly beginning to back towards the bakery. She gave him a confused look but, strangely enough, didn't resist. Kappei pressed on, his phrases becoming less and less connected to this world with every spoken word.
"Ah, where did that cloud go…? Where will winds head tomorrow…? Where will a person's mind go to, where will they struggle to…? … Hey, Tomoya-kun, Nagisa-chan, where are you going?"
"Well, you seemed to be in your own little far away land, so we thought we'd give you some privacy," Tomoya responded, keeping himself situated between Kappei and Nagisa. He highly doubted that he would pose any kind of threat to her, but there was no telling for certain - not about someone who could spout such lines. The blonde laughed.
"Ah, you say such interesting things, Tomoya-kun."
"Rather, it's you who's saying interesting things… Whatever that was you were saying." Again, honest puzzlement shone from his face.
"Eh? Did I say something?"
"To me, it sounded like you were saying a poem, Hiiragi-san," Nagisa commented, making his words sound a little more comprehensible. "'Where did the cloud go, where will the winds head' - or maybe those were lines from a play?" Once again, Tomoya found himself extremely grateful for her presence - had it been him only, he would already be on the other side of the town, trying to get as much distance to the young man as possible.
"Ah, no, that was just something from my head," he responded, scratching his cheek. The brunette smiled.
"It seems like you're a poet, then." Her words caused a blush to rise on his cheeks, and he muttered something incomprehensible under his breath, his gaze nailed on the ground. The delinquent simply stared at him, awed by the event he had just witnessed.
"Nagisa, you're really amazing," Tomoya muttered into her ear. "You managed to strike him totally speechless." Was it his praise or his warm breath so close to her earlobe, we may not know, but the brunette's face nonetheless became entirely rose-coloured as she, too, turned her gaze on the ground. "A-anyway, how did that moving job interview go?" he asked loudly, trying to change the topic when he realized the two weren't going to speak another word on their own.
"Ah, yeah, that," the blonde said as he raised his eyes from the ground, blinking. "Yeah, that's my new job now."
"The interview went well?" Tomoya wasn't able to hide his surprise as he spoke his words. Kappei nodded vigorously.
"Yup. I'm really enthusiastic about it!" The delinquent sneaked a glance at the brunette who, even though still blushing, sported a wide, happy smile. Seeing that, he couldn't help smiling himself.
"Congratulations, then. You really made it."
"Of course! I had a good feeling about this right from the start; This is a manly job, with lots of work and sparkling sweat! Oh man, I feel so pumped up right now!" Then, sobering, he added with a bitter smile: "Although I don't think I'm lucky enough to find that person working alongside with me, hehe."
"Yeah, you rarely see girls in moving companies," Tomoya said dryly.
"But, you'll get to see a lot of different places, right?" Nagisa said, smiling. "There's a good change that you'll meet this person." Her words seemed to cheer him up: With eyes glinting, the blonde struck a fist in the air.
"Yeah! I'm going to work like hell and meet her! Tomoya-kun, Nagisa-chan, it was great to see you again. Later!" As he was about to dash off, the delinquent yelled after him, halting him in his tracks.
"Kappei!" When he turned around to look at him, he gave him a deadly serious stare. "If you don't think you can't handle the job, don't do it." There was no need to add anything more. A pained, guilty look flashed over the yellowish brown orbs, confirming Tomoya's suspicion. He's really not in the condition to do it. But he can't help but try. Then, the look was gone, and he was smiling in his usual manner again as he set off.
Almost a week passed without any sight of Kappei. Summer break drew to a close even though the weather remained warm and clear, and the autumn semester was about to start. On the last evening of the break, Okazaki Tomoya was strolling through the town like he had used to for his whole high school life - save for the last few weeks when he had been living at Nagisa's place. Even though he had to admit that his situation had definitely improved compared to what it had used to be, he still occasionally needed to have some time for himself.
"Ah, Tomoya-kun, good evening." It seemed, however, that he wasn't going to get it tonight. "Taking a late stroll?" On a nearby park bench, slurping down instant noodles, sat Hiiragi Kappei. He had an old mantle on his shoulders, and next to him was a portable water boiler. The bag he always carried was on the ground, its contents - spare clothes, mostly - visible for anyone to see.
"Kappei," he spoke, surprised by the odd setting in front of him. Even though he had told him when they had first met that he was travelling around and didn't have a home, he had never been fully aware of it. It was nothing less of a shock to have the situation slammed on his face like this. "Isn't it cold to spend the night outside?" Perhaps he should've answered the greeting instead, but he couldn't help himself. The blonde shrugged and gave a smile.
"Right now it's summer and the nights are warm, so it's not a problem." A chuckle escaped his lips. "Of course, it was different in the spring - that wasn't really nice."
"So you've always slept outside," Tomoya concluded with a somewhat shocked tone in his voice.
"Nah," Kappei responded, shaking his head. "Only when my wallet is not feeling well, like now. I usually seek out cheap hotels." The delinquent sighed.
"So the moving job was no good after all?" The man chuckled, and swallowed some of his noodles with a loud noise.
"Turns out cardboard boxes are too heavy for me after all." For a while, neither of the two said anything. After a while, Tomoya sat down on the bench next to him and sighed.
"Well, I did tell you to quit if it became too much to handle - I can't really blame you." After a moment of silence, he snuck a glance at him. "Is that why we haven't seen you for a while? Nagisa has been worried, you know." He shook his head vigorously.
"No, that's not it." Then he fell silent, and with an embarrassed expression, began: "Well, maybe that had a little to do with it. But mostly," he added upon seeing his flat look. "It was because I've been busy hunting for a new job. I've been practically running from interview to interview."
"As expected, huh?" he remarked, amusement and relief leaking into his voice. Seeing him prepared to spend a night on a park bench, having instant noodles for dinner, he had been shocked of how poor his situation really was. For a brief while, he had been scared that he might've lost it - had it been him, he would've probably fallen into brooding depression already. Come to think of it, why am I so worried about him? We barely know each other. Tomoya shook his head slightly. It's funny how good I'm at worrying about others, even though my own life is such a mess.
"Hey, Kappei?" he said out loud, earning a curious look from him. "You told me you've been travelling all around, right? Why are you so hell-bent on finding a job and apartment here? I mean, it's not like you're planning to stop your travels here, right?" As he turned to look at him, his eyes were set off to the distance, looking to the direction of the town. For a while, he didn't respond, and when he did, his words carried a tone he couldn't recognize.
"Do you like this town, Tomoya-kun?" Upon hearing those familiar words, that familiar tone of voice, the delinquent flinched. "Because, ever since I arrived, I've felt something special about this place. I mean, I've been to many towns before, but this is the first place that felt this nice." The slim fingers clutched the cup tightly. "It feels almost like a family. Even though I can't find a job, even though I have to sleep outside every now and then… I still really, really like this place, Tomoya-kun." Looking into the brown orbs, the delinquent tried to find traces of that familiar dreamy confusion, but he found none. He was completely aware of what he was saying. For a while, he just stared him, dumb-founded.
Then, he let out a laugh, turning his gaze to distance as well. I suppose that explains why I feel so friendly around him.
"What so funny?" Kappei asked, puzzled. "You don't think so?" Tomoya shook his head before replying.
"No, it's just that… That's more or less what Nagisa told me on the first day we met, too. You two are very similar, you know: Bottomless optimism, physically, err, not very strong, a bit air-headed at times…" Again, laughter escaped his lips. "Myself, I'm more or less the opposite of you guys."
"Err," the blonde muttered, apparently trying to decide if to take his words as insult or praise. Eventually, however, he seemed to end up with the latter. "Ha-ha, you say such interesting things, Tomoya-kun." He said with a laugh, proceeding to stuff some more noodles in his mouth. "I'm not entirely certain what you mean, but thanks anyway." The dark-haired man chuckled once more, until he fell silent, staring in the distance. Kappei, too, didn't have anything to add, and the two sat in silence for a while.
"By the way," Tomoya eventually said, breaking the silence as the thought entered his mind. "How's the search for her going on? You know, the handkerchief person?" A dreamy look overcame the blonde's visage upon the mentioning of that person, startling the delinquent. Hanging around Sunohara for so long, he had become accustomed to his 'ever-lasting love with a girl who just happened to walk by' -rants - that had never lasted for longer than an hour. In that sense, it wasn't surprising that he hadn't treated the other blonde's words with much serious thought. Now, however, it seemed that he was really dealing with something entirely different. "Wow, you're actually serious about this?"
"Of course!" Tomoya had to grimace at how offended his tone of voice sounded like. "Don't you dare doubt a man's pure heart! I'm very serious about my feelings!" However, the delinquent's expression clearly spoke that he wasn't convinced, and the blonde sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you, since you clearly are dying to know."
"No, I don't really-"
"Tomoya-kun, have you ever had anyone help you without any kind of an edge or hidden motive? Usually, people help others only it benefits them in some way - they expect either a reward or some kind of a counter-favour. During the time I've travelled, no one has helped me as unselfishly as she did!" Unwillingly, he inched away, trying to get away from that dead-serious stare. "The least I can do is to at least thank her properly, and to tell her how she made me feel! That's what anyone would do, right?"
"Uh, no, I think that's only you, Kappei." He tried to protest, but his words had no effect. The blonde clenched his fist, staring up at the night sky.
"Even if she won't respond in any way, I have to get these feelings off my chest. I must find her and tell her what I think with my head held high - a man could do no less!" A brief silence, after which he let out a mournful sigh, dropping his head. "Oh man, will I ever find her…?" For a few seconds, Tomoya couldn't think of anything to say at his sudden turn of mood, and silence ensued once again.
Unselfish, huh? The delinquent chewed on his words silently. Now that I think back to it, has there really been anyone besides Nagisa who has helped me like that? For some reason, the thought made him feel slightly uncomfortable, as if he was making a grave mistake. No, that can't be it, he soon countered, shaking his head slightly. I have friends, don't I? I'm sure they've helped me like that too - I just haven't always paid that much attention to their doings. Judging by the way his heart felt at ease, Tomoya concluded that the conclusion was the correct one.
Then again, he thought, sneaking a glance at the blonde next to him. Can the same be said for me?
"Fine, fine, I get it," he said after a while, breaking out from his thoughts and resuming the conversation. Seeing how down the man was, he wagered some encouragement wouldn't hurt. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Kappei. Don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll find her very soon."
"You think so?" he instantly perked up, hope radiating off his eyes. Tomoya could feel a vein twitching on his temple.
I can't keep up with this guy. Nagisa, where are you when I need you? Suddenly, a thought entered his mind - thinking of Nagisa had given him an idea.
"Yeah," he said as he stood up abruptly. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll find her. Now, pack your things, we're going."
"Huh? What's this about, all of a sudden? Going where?"
"Nagisa will never forgive me if she finds out I let you sleep outside. If she was here, I'm sure she'd told you to come over at her place. You can sleep with me in the guest room." Kappei stared at him with wide eyes.
"You sure it's alright?" The delinquent nodded, giving him a reassuring expression.
"Don't worry about it, old man and Sanae - uh, Nagisa's parents, that is - are very hospitable. Once I explain that you're our friend, there shouldn't be any problem." Suddenly, an image of Furukawa Akio with a baseball bat flashed in his mind. "Uh, at least not something Nagisa can't sort out - I hope," he added quietly, but it seemed the blonde couldn't hear his words, for he had a wide smile on his face.
"Thank you so much, Tomoya-kun! I really owe you and Nagisa-chan a big one for this!" Seeing his reaction, he felt himself smiling, too.
I suppose I can do something unselfish too, huh?
As he had suspected, Nagisa had been horrified to learn Kappei was sleeping on a park bench and Sanae had loudly chorused her. Both of the women insisted that the blonde stay over, and even Akio agreed that it wasn't very fair abandoning someone in such a need - after his daughter had managed to convince him to lower the baseball bat and reconsider, that is. Kappei had deeply thanked his gracious host family, and promised that he'd leave the first thing tomorrow to resume his job-hunting so that he would not become a burden. True enough, when Nagisa and Tomoya had left for school, the blonde had bid the Furukawas goodbye and set off, promising to come back and repay the favour someday. The two hadn't expected to see him doing it as fast as on the same day.
"Yo, Tomoya-kun, Nagisa-chan! School over for today?" They hadn't so much as stepped out of the school gates when they had been greeted by the familiar voice.
"Hiiragi-san," the petite brunette greeted him. "That's true, we have no lessons or club activity today… But what are you doing here?"
"Ah, I brought something for you two!" he answered with a wide smile. "Y'know, to pay you back for giving me a place to stay yesterday."
"Ah, if it's that, you should rather thank my parents," she responded humbly. The blonde nodded a few times.
"No problem, no problem. I'm sure it'll work out between all of us! There's plenty of it to eat - oh, and your mother is probably a much better cook than me, so I think I'd best give it to her." Tomoya and Nagisa exchanged glances. Work out? Plenty of it? For some reason, his words didn't exactly fill the delinquent with confidence.
"Uh, what are you thanking us with?" he couldn't help asking.
"Ah yeah, I caught sometimes really delicious, see?" Ruffling through his bag, the blonde pulled out a brown object, and Tomoya could feel how all the colour drained from his face. It was unmistakable; a small, round boar with three stripes on its back. "This was the only thing walking on the road. It was a piece of cake to capture it!" Seeing its empty stare and obvious limpness, he felt how something cold and dreadful nestled in the bottom of his stomach. "Ah, if it's still alive, it'll be fresh - all the better!"
"Uh, isn't that…" Nagisa began, but he recognized it without her telling it.
"Yeah, that's Botan…" Frantically looking around to make sure Kyou was nowhere in the inside, he stepped in front of Kappei. "Hurry up and revive it! You'll be dead if you don't!"
"Eh? Why? What's wrong with this, Tomoya-kun?"
"You idiot!" he hissed through clenched teeth, panicking. "What do you mean, why - That boar is-" Suddenly, his entire body froze up as he heard the voice from behind him.
"Ah, Nagisa-chan, Okazaki-kun. I thought you two had left home already?" Recognizing the voice of the younger Fujibayashi, Tomoya turned around ever-so-slowly, silently begging that she wasn't in the company of her sister today. He really had no desire to sort out Kappei's funeral arrangements.
"Y-yo, Fujibayashi," he managed to creak out, sighing in relief as he confirmed that she was alone. Thank God.
"Hey, Tomoya, we're looking for Botan. Do you know where he might be?" Then, from the edges of his vision came a voice that sounded nothing less like a whisper of death. "I thought he might still be around here when the sixth period ended." Turning to the source of the voice, he saw the elder sister looking around dubiously.
"Kyo… Kyou…" he muttered, making sure that he was between the indigo-haired woman and the blonde, blocking him from view. Shit, how is he going to get out of this alive? Hell, forget him, what about me when she finds out I'm his friend? Silently, he prayed that the man would remain as quiet as a mouse for once.
"Umm, excuse me… You are…" Fat chance.
"Hey, don't say anything-!" he tried to hiss out, but to no avail: Kappei had already taken a step towards Ryou, leaving his hiding place - all while still holding Botan in his arms.
"Ah, Botan!" the elder twin said, causing Tomoya's heart to skip a beat. It's all over now. Better pray before it's too late to do even that. The blonde, however, showed no response to her yell, approaching towards the younger sister as he addressed her.
"Uh, do you… um, do you remember me? You, you helped me when I was hit…" With uncertain steps and wavering words, he could see how Kappei's cheeks heated up and beads of sweat began forming on his brow. Ryou inspected the man with surprise, trying to recognize him. Soon, recognition dawned on her face, and she gave him a smile.
"Ah yes, you're from that time. Yes, yes, I do remember you. It seems you really weren't hurt - I'm glad." Tomoya's eyes darted between her, Kappei, Kyou, and eventually he turned to his girlfriend looking for anyone who could explain things to him. Her stare told him that she was as oblivious as him, however.
"… Fujibayashi, you know him?" he finally decided to ask, and was responded with a nod and an embarrassed smile.
"Yes. Onee-chan ran over him with her bike some time ago." With that, three pairs of eyes all nailed on the elder twin, who sported a pained expression.
"I guess I'm still not used to driving it yet, alright?" Tomoya let out a vexed sigh.
I suppose I should've guessed it as soon as he told me was run over. There's no one who's as professional running over people as her. As he looked at Kappei again, he noticed that he didn't sport any kind of hostility towards Kyou, however - in fact, he wasn't even looking at her. Instead, his eyes were locked on Ryou's.
"I'm glad that we meet again. I hadn't had a chance to properly thank you the last time." With that, the blonde bowed low, causing her eyes to widen. "I'm very grateful for your aid!"
"Ah, no, it's really nothing," she said dismissively, a blush dancing on her cheeks as well. "You already thanked me back then, and I, um, I'm glad to see that you've recovered from it… That's good enough for me," she tried to modestly protest, but Kappei pressed on.
"Ah, no, it's really important for me to thank you properly. That, and, um…" He turned his gaze on the ground, the words dying on his lips. "Uh, here!" he changed the topic, digging a pink handkerchief out of his pocket. "This is the handkerchief you gave me. I've been holding it all along, hoping to return it to you. You got to return the things you borrow, after all!" She seemed reluctant to take the piece of cloth, and Tomoya couldn't blame her: It was ragged and unwashed, obviously seen much use in the last weeks.
"Uh, you really don't need to return that. I'm happy if you found it useful, and you can have it if you like." Surprisingly, the blonde seemed happy because of the rejection, and soon stuffed the piece of cloth back into his pocket
"Wait, does this mean that Ryou-chan was the person he was searching for all along?" Nagisa asked her boyfriend quietly, eyes wide in amazement. "What an amazing coincidence, don't you think so?"
I'm not surprised of anything anymore, not when it comes to him, he responded silently, but gave a nod nonetheless before turning his attention back on the conversation in front of him.
"Really? I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you very much!" Then, he took a hold of the boar he had been holding, and presented it to them. "We can celebrate our reunion tonight, with miso and-" Acting swiftly, the delinquent leaped for the blonde, tying him down and clasping a hand over his mouth. Kyou inched up her eyebrow.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Tomoya shook his hand in a dismissive gesture.
"Ah, nothing, nothing, just playing around!" He was rewarded with a look that spoke of pity and shame, but pointedly ignored that. "Besides, what about Botan? Here, he's managed to catch him." That, thankfully, seemed to divert her attention.
"Yeah, that's right. Botan, Botan!" she began calling out to her pet while Kappei struggled under his grip.
"Tomoya-kun, what are you doing, that's tonight's din- mmph!"
"S-somehow, he ran into a wall, so his eyes are kind of rolling around, see?" The blonde struggled some more, mumbling incoherently. "Hmm, what's that? You think we should give him back? Yeah, that's a good idea; we should return him to his owner. Here, Kyou, catch!" With that, he flung the boar at the long-haired Fujibayashi.
"Hey!" she protested, barely managing to catch the boar. "Don't throw Botan around like he's a thing!"
"We found him safe and sound, so don't worry about such minor things. Show some gratitude, will ya?" Finally, Kappei began to understand the situation. With a hushed voice, he asked:
"Could it be that… That she's this boar's master?"
"Yeah," he muttered, straining to keep the strength in his voice. "If you were caught trying to make him into a dinner… Oh man… I can't even imagine the pain you'd be in…"
"She's damn scary," he responded, and Tomoya felt how he quivered in his grip - and rightfully so.
"Well, whatever," Kyou said. "I'm just glad you found him. I was worried someone might try to eat him." Letting go of Kappei, both men let out a dry, nervous laugh.
"Yeah, as if that would happen."
"Yeah, ahaha…" Suddenly, the blonde became aware of the other twin again. "Ah yeah, that's right, the other sister…" he began hesitantly. "If, if you don't mind… Could you please tell me your name?"
"Eh?" she responded, taken aback by surprise. "F-Fujibayashi Ryou," she stammered out a few seconds later, her habit of stuttering surfacing. Tomoya frowned.
Come to think of it, didn't she get over her stuttering already? he mused quietly, recollecting his encounters with her last spring. Asides from not stuttering anymore, he had noticed on various occasions that she was displaying strength of will he didn't think she'd have, such as talking back to him and Sunohara. He knew he should probably be glad to see she wasn't so horribly timid anymore, but he still couldn't help wondering the sudden change in the character. Well, he soon added, deciding to drop the subject - he was probably simply over-thinking it. At least now it's understandable if she's nervous.
"Ryou-san…" Kappei repeated with the familiar dreamy tone in his voice, and Tomoya could feel how the atmosphere was beginning to get heavier. If even he could feel that much, he didn't want to know what Ryou must've been feeling like. "What a cute and beautiful name." Her cheeks reddened promptly on his praise, and she averted her gaze. "My name is Hiiragi Kappei - nice to meet you, Ryou-san."
"Um, likewise, it's nice to meet you, Hiiragi-san. Umm, your name is also very nice," she returned the praise stiffly, her gaze nailed on the ground.
"Ryou-san, d-do you mind if I accompany you home today? I'd like to talk with you a little, if you don't mind." Hesitantly, the Fujibayashi nodded as a response to his proposal.
"I'm so glad to see Hiiragi-san found who he was looking for," Nagisa mumbled, her voice on the brink of tears as she watched the two, reaching for a handkerchief. "It's a happy ending after all."
"Come on, don't cry," her boyfriend encouraged her. "We're at a public place. Try to hold it in, okay?" Even though, truth to be told, I feel happy for that guy as well, he added with a smile. Nagisa sniffed and nodded, drying the corner of her eye with her sleeve. He let out a quiet chuckle. It really is a happy ending.
However, seeing the troubled look in both of the sisters' eyes, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
Right?
Author's notes: In this chapter, I've finally managed to introduce the only character that wasn't included in the anime. In the visual novel, Hiiragi Kappei had a path all for himself, consisting mostly of humour, but sliced with serious drama - just like all the paths in the game. His path influenced Tomoya (naturally), Ryou, and Sunohara - of which the latter was just there for comedy relief, but still. I've taken parts of that path directly into my story, some I have included after modifying them a bit, and then there are those that I've left out altogether. Those who have played the visual novel understand him a bit better, but I've tried to portrait him as such that even the anime-watchers get the gist of his personality.
But don't take it from me; Go play the game! Not only for Hiiragi's path, but most of your favourite arcs are also much better developed and detailed in the game, too - if you teared up watching the series, you'll cry buckets playing the visual novel.