Hellow everyone! Little late I know, but I'm investing all my time into this story so hopefully I'll be able to put updates out much quicker. That being said, hope you enjoy this chapter


Chapter 8: Mother Hen

Hanako sat on her bed, her hands gripping each other with a firm grip. In front of her, an older woman pulled up her desk chair as sat down. Her faded brown hair was tied into a neat bun. Her formal white shirt was tucked into her black dress pants, reinforcing her professional look. Adjusting her glasses, the woman leaned forward with a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, but I'm glad to see you're doing well," she said. Hanako lowered her head and nodded.

"I-It's good to see you….Narumi," Hanako said.

"It's been too long, Hanako. But I can tell you're happier now than last time I visited," Narumi said. Hanako looked up at her in surprise. Narumi could be surprisingly perceptive. She often knew what Hanako was thinking before she could even say it.

"H-how can you tell?" Hanako said with a smile. Narumi answered her with a smile of her own.

"Call it woman's intuition. So…am I right?" she asked. Hanako shuffled in her spot, giving Narumi a short nod.

"Um, yes…I…I…I have a boyfriend," Hanako said with pride.

"Is that so? Well, there's no doubt that he's a lucky guy," Narumi said with a light laugh. Hanako brightened at her words. She didn't expect Narumi to disapprove, but to hear her accept it so readily made her happy.

"Th-Thank you, Narumi," she said. Narumi nodded.

"It's nothing, dear. I would love to hear about him, but I'll leave that for later. Just relish the time you have with each other," Narumi said. She reached down at the book bag leaning against her chair and pulled out a dusty folder, setting it on her lap.

Hanako knew what it was. It was the file the orphanage had on her. Everything from her school records to the crayon drawings she made as a child was stored inside.

"Now, like I told you in my letter, since you're a third-year, eventually you will be fully released from the orphanage's care by the time you graduate. When that happens, you will be entirely able to pursue your own interests," Narumi said. Pulling a slip of paper out from the folder, Narumi handed it to Hanako.

"I-I know," Hanako said. She examined the paper's contents. It mostly had to do with her departure from the orphanage, laying out the terms of her departure and subsequent things the orphanage could for her while living on her own. At the bottom was a dotted, obviously waiting for her signature.

"Just because you're leaving us, doesn't mean you'll be entirely on your own. Our policy does extend some leeway in terms of college scholarships and living expenses. And unofficially, I would like to keep an eye on you just to make sure you're fine. I've been doing it since you were a child, Hanako. I suppose old habits die hard," Narumi said.

Hanako placed a hand over her chest. She knew eventually she'd be on her own, but to actually have the proof sitting in her head left a small feeling of dread. She spent her entire high school career just trying to survive day to day. Because of it, she had no idea what she was going to do after she graduated. She had no career plans, or any plans for that matter. Even after all the effort she put into herself, she still felt just as lost as the day she came to Yamaku.

She stood up straighter, trying her best to affirm herself. There was still time. She still had a whole year to decide what to do with her life. She was taking baby steps, but even those could get her somewhere. She just had to look in the right places.

Narumi's smile brought her back to reality, she held out her hand and Hanako passed her the paper back. Hanako looked down at her lap, biting her lip.

"Don't worry, Hanako. You may not know what you want to do in life, but the nice thing is that it's never too late to find it. And once you know, you'll know it in your heart that there's nothing you'd rather do," Narumi said. Hanako looked up in surprise before she nodded. Narumi leaned back into her seat and deposited the folder back into her back. She crossed her arms, raising a brow.

"And how is Lilly doing? It's been a while since I've talked with her too," she said.

"She's f-fine. She got back from S-Scotland not too long ago…" Hanako said. Narumi nodded.

"So you've been alone for a few days, yes? No trouble?" Narumi asked. Hanako shook her head, an embarrassed smile growing on her face.

"N-No…my boyfriend was there for me…He wasn't my boyfriend then. Well, he kind of…was," Hanako sputtered. Narumi chuckled and clasped a hand over Hanako's.

"That's quite alright, Hanako. Honestly, I'm starting to be intrigued. Forgive an old woman's curiosity, but can you tell me about him? It's alright if you refuse," she said. Hanako shook her head.

"N-No it's fine," Hanako pressed the tips of her fingers together, her face growing steadily warmer, "H-His n-name is…H-Hisao. He transferred in th-this year."

"I see. I must say, you two must have bonded quite easily to have come this far in a few months," Narumi commented. Hanako smiled as she thought back to all the time she spent with Hisao. Over the span of a couple of months, she opened up to him more than anyone else. Despite their earlier pitfalls, Hanako felt completely at ease around him. She felt safe with him.

"Yes…I-I think we both…needed each other," Hanako said, clasping her hands over her mouth in a futile attempt hide her blush. Narumi smiled and leaned forward.

"Well, go ahead and tell me the details. We have plenty of time," Narumi said. Hanako nodded. Before she knew it, she was telling Narumi all kinds of things about her relationship with Hisao. The more she talked about it, the more comfortable she felt telling Narumi the finer details of her growing affection for the most important boy in her life. She still refrained from telling Narumi about that fateful night she spent with Hisao, but her growing sense of confidence told her she would soon be able to live it down. And when she did, she could finally enjoy what she worked so hard to have.

"This rain really isn't letting up," Takeo said with a grimace. Next to him, Asami pulled her umbrella closer to her, drenching Takeo's shoulder in rain. Takeo flinched and stepped back under the umbrella, his shoulder bumping against Asami's, "Did you really need to do that?"

Asami tore her eyes away from the road leading to Yamaku and shrugged, "I don't want to get wet either. You're a guy, you can take it."

"I'm also still sick from my fever," Takeo countered. Asami looked at him then at the concrete road.

"Good point. My bad," she said. She shivered as a gust of wind blew past them, "Geez, it's summer! Why are we being tortured with this stupid weather?"

"It's supposed to rain until tomorrow too. And then we have exams for the rest of the week," Takeo said. Asami sighed.

"For the happiest time of the year, it's gotten really depressing. At least we'll finally have summer break after all this is over," Asami said. She turned to Takeo with a knowing grin on her face, "So you got any plans for the break?

"Not really, no. I don't have a place to go so I'm probably going to stay in the dorm," Takeo said. Asami hissed.

"Ouch, that's tough. I'd take you with me, but my family would get the wrong idea," she said with a laugh. Takeo cracked a smile. The two arrived at Yamaku's gates and walked into its courtyard. Arriving in front of the girl's dorm, Asami and Takeo stood underneath the door to shelter themselves from the rain.

"Well thanks for the pointers, Takeo. I'll ring you up if I ever need some extra help," Asami said. Takeo shrugged with a meager grin.

"Just don't try to extort me next time," he said. Asami grinned and folded her umbrella before tucking it under her arm.

"No promises," she said. With that she walked back into the dorm with a wave. Takeo peeked out the door at the boy's dorm, grimacing at the heavy rain falling between him and his dorm.

"In hindsight, we probably should have gone to my dorm first," he muttered to himself. He looked back into the girl's dorm and shook his head, "Way to leave me high and dry, Asami. Or…wet, I guess."

"Takeo? Is that you?"

Takeo turned around. Lilly was standing at the foot of the steps, holding an umbrella over her head. Takeo rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, yeah. Hey, Lilly. What are you doing out in the rain?"

"I just came back from a trip to the city with my sister. Are you visiting someone?" she asked.

"Nah, I was just dropping someone off…I guess. Now, I'm stuck in the rain with no safe way back to my dorm. Woe is me," Takeo said with a joking tone. Lilly ascended up the steps and stopped next to him.

"If you would like, I can escort you to safety," Lilly said with a cheeky smile.

"Thanks. You didn't need to, you know? I can handle a few feet of rain," Takeo said. Lilly waved a hand in front of her face.

"Nonsense. If the opportunity presents itself, you should take it, no?" she said. Takeo walked under her umbrella with a gracious smile.

"I owe you for this. Seriously," Takeo said. Lilly smiled and went back down the steps with Takeo walking next to her.

"Think nothing of it," Lilly said. The two walked the short distance between the dorms as the rain pattered against Lilly's umbrella.

"Hey, Lilly. Do you have any plans for the summer?" Takeo asked. Asami asking him the same question made him wonder if the others had any plans.

Lilly's smile faltered before returning. She didn't want to think about the future, but it was going to catch up to her soon enough. She turned her head slightly towards Takeo, "My sister plans on taking me to my cousin's home for a while. I'm…not looking forward to it."

"Really? What's so bad about it?" he asked. Lilly sighed.

"My cousin can be rather abrasive at times. It can be frustrating being in the same room with her," Lilly said. Takeo stared straight ahead, stopping just in front of the doors of the boy's dorm.

"I never took you to be the kind of person to get irritated by someone. You always seem so patient with everyone," he said.

"I was with her. For a time. However, certain differences wore it down. I only hope that our exchanges will at least be civil," Lilly said. She opened the door and stepped inside, folding her umbrella. Takeo shut the door behind them.

"Well at least you can spend some time with family. That's what matters, right? They're the ones that'll always support you." he said as he looked out the door's window. Lilly's smile dropped.

"Yes…I suppose so," she said, her tone growing morose. Takeo didn't notice, but Lilly held the umbrella closer to her as a kernel of frustration tightened in her chest.

"I guess I should go study or something. Thanks again for the assist, Lilly," he said. Lilly nodded before she gave him a pensive look. Takeo raised a brow, "Something wrong, Lilly?"

"May I ask you a question, Takeo?" she asked. Taken slightly aback, Takeo rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh…sure," he said. Lilly clasped her hands together. Her face stayed neutral, making it difficult for Takeo to tell what she wanted to say. Lilly gave a small sigh and held her clasped hands over her mouth. Whatever she wanted to say, she seemed to have trouble putting it into words.

"If I'm overstepping my boundaries, please tell me. But…with regards to your memories, do you remember anything about…your family?" she asked. Takeo paused. In truth, it was going slower than he liked. It felt like a suffocating fog consumed his brain every time he tried to remember. The idea that there was someone he considered a brother out there wondering where he was unnerved him to no end. Or at least that was what he thought. He only held a small piece of a big, confusing puzzle.

Takeo realized he had stayed silent. Lilly was still waiting for an answer, her brow furrowed in what seemed to be cautious curiosity. Takeo waved a hand nonchalantly and tried to play off his worry, "For the most part, no. But I like to think they're out there…somewhere. I have faith in them. I mean, without family…what do we have? We can't turn our backs on them."

Lilly's guarded expression softened, replaced by her trademark calm smile, "That's…good…to hear. I'm glad to see you are keeping an optimistic view on everything."

Optimistic…right, Takeo thought bitterly. He looked down at the floor, the tip of his shoe smacking the tiles a few times. Then he heard Lilly step closer to him.

"If you ever need an ear, don't be afraid to ask me. I'll be happy to help you," she said with a pleasant tone. Takeo nodded before realizing the futility of his actions.

"Thank you, Lilly. I've been saying that too much. Sorry," Takeo said with a bemused chuckle. Ever since he had come to Yamaku he had been the one to receive all the help. It was almost embarrassing how much he had been relying on everyone else.

"There is something else I've wanted to ask you. Hisao mentioned that he wanted to throw a party after exams are over. We were going to have it in my room. It would be wonderful if you joined us," Lilly said. Takeo cracked a half-hearted grin.

"After exams, huh? Yeah, I'd be glad to come," he said. Lilly nodded with a pleased expression on her face.

"Wonderful. I'll be looking forward to your arrival," she said. She headed back to the front door and pushed it open, opening her umbrella again, "It was nice talking with you Takeo, let's do it again sometime."

"Yeah, see you Lilly," Takeo said. Lilly stepped out outside, the door shutting behind her. Takeo turned to head to his room only to come face to face with a massive pair of glasses and the powerful scent of garlic.

"BRO! Do you realize what kind of shit you're in?!" Kenji shouted at him. Takeo jumped back and dug a finger in his ear to drown out the ringing.

"No, but I get the feeling you were going to tell me even if I did," he mumbled. Kenji grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him fervently.

"The blind broad just invited you to her room! A girl's room! Right smack dab in feminist territory! That has trap written all over it! Like when a girl asks you if a dress makes her look fat. Or when people try to talk to you on the internet," Kenji spouted. Takeo tried to wring himself out of Kenji's iron grip, but the bespectacled boy didn't budge an inch.

"Sounds like you have experience with this," Takeo said. Kenji leaned in to an uncomfortable degree.

"You're damn right I do. I was at the frontlines, man. I went through literal hell and back to preserve our masculinity," Kenji said.

"You literally went to hell? With the despair and torment and everything?" Takeo joked. Kenji placed his fists on his hips and puffed his chest out.

"They aren't called she-devils for nothing!" he proclaimed. Kenji twirled his scarf with a finger and looked from side to side as if to make sure they were alone even though he was just looking at the two walls on either side of them, "Don't go to that broad's room, bro. Worst case scenario, we never see you again. If you go into that room, you won't come out the same. She'll have you wrapped around your finger!"

Takeo pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't help but imagine all the things that could have happened to Kenji for him to end up like this. He made a mental note to ask Hisao to keep him off his back for a while. Or how to end conversations with him as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, yeah, don't go to her room under penalty of falling under her spell, I got it. Should I tell Hisao too?" he asked sarcastically. But he planted a hand on his face when Kenji nodded vigorously.

"Damn right. Hisao is my most faithful comrade. He helped me paint once. We saw each other naked too. We're practically brothers now," Kenji said nonchalantly. Takeo raised a brow and adamantly waved his hands.

"Okay, I don't want to know. I'm just going to go to my room," he said. He really didn't want to believe what Kenji said. He wasn't even sure if Kenji believed what he said, but it was probably better not to know if he ever wanted to look Hisao in the eye again.

"See you later bro. Heed my warning. The blind broad has a way of enticing men. I can feel it," Kenji said as Takeo gave him a half-hearted wave while walking down the hall. He soon reached his room and locked the door behind him, pressing his forehead against it with a weary sigh.

"I wonder if Kenji has ever had a conversation with a woman. I feel like it would solve a lot of things," he said. He looked back at his bed. An open textbook was sitting on the mattress. He collapsed on his bed, pushing the book off the mattress and making himself comfortable.

Hisao stepped down the hall of the girl's dorm with his hands in his pockets. The rain had died down somewhat and he was hoping to spend some time with Hanako before the day was over. The dorm was buzzing with activity from the students who stayed inside to shelter themselves from the storm.

Hisao stopped in front of Hanako's door. He raised a fist to knock on the door until he heard what sounded like a muffled laugh come from the other side. Curious, Hisao pressed his ear against the door to hear an undoubtedly older woman speaking.

"Hanako, have you told Lilly about this relationship of yours?"

Hisao raised a brow. He didn't recognize the voice. He heard the bed creak on the other side followed by Hanako's surprisingly comfortable voice.

"Yes, I told her when she came back from S-Scotland. She was happy for us," she said.

"Wonderful. I'm not surprised she's happy for you. She always had your best interests at heart."

Hisao pulled away from the door. Whoever the woman was, she knew a surprisingly great deal about both Hanako and Lilly. As far as he knew, Hanako was only ever really close to Lilly and Akira. But the way she was talking with the older woman sounded as if they had known each other for a long while. Possibly even before she met Lilly.

"I probably shouldn't intrude. It's obvious they haven't seen each other in a while," Hisao said to himself. Even if the topic of conversation did involve him, he trusted Hanako implicitly. He didn't need to be there for her every step of the way. She was stronger than that.

Hisao turned on his heel and headed down the hall. Just as he was about to turn the corner, a flash of blonde hair and a light blow to his chest sent him reeling back.

His heart thumped angrily in his chest. A pin-like sensation spread itself over his heart, sending spikes of pain up and down his ribcage. Hisao rubbed the scar beneath his shirt, trying to soothe his heart with calm breaths. His heart pounded against his chest before the invisible pins in his chest disappeared and his heart relaxed.

It was close. The collision wasn't as bad as when Emi ran into him when he first met her, but it was still enough to agitate his weak heart. He looked up to apologize to the other person, but his words died in his throat when he saw Lilly clutching the wall. Her normally composed expression was gone, replaced by a dark look Hisao had never seen on her before. A very noticeable frown was drawn on her face as she bit her lower lip.

Lilly took a deep breath and stood up straight. Using the umbrella in her hand, she tapped it against the wall and the floor several times before turning her head towards Hisao's general direction.

"I'm…I'm terribly sorry. I was distracted. Are you okay?" she asked in the same calm voice she always had. But Hisao couldn't shake the feeling that there was something lurking beneath her cool composure.

"I'm fine, Lilly. Are you hurt?" he asked. Lilly perked up at the familiar voice.

"Hisao? Oh my, I'm very sorry. I did not know it was you," she said as she carefully stepped towards him.

"It's okay, really. I'm more concerned about you," he said. Relief was drawn on Lilly's face.

"Thank goodness. Yes, I'm quite alright. I'm just surprised is all. I didn't expect to find you here," she said. Hisao rubbed his chest to soothe any lingering pain as he carefully watched Lilly. Maybe he had imagined it, but he could have sworn Lilly had something unpleasant on her mind. As usual, her impeccable posture and carefully maintained air of elegance gave nothing away. He briefly entertained the idea of asking her directly, but Lilly nothing if not hospitable. She never was one to draw other people into her problems. It was her nature to nurture others, not the other way around.

"I just came by to see Hanako for a while, but it sounds like she's talking with someone in her room. Sounds like an older woman," he said. Lilly's eyes opened in surprise, before she took a breath of realization.

"My, that must be Narumi. She works in the orphanage that Hanako lived in. She visits Hanako from time to time to check up on her," Lilly said as she walked towards Hanako's room. Hisao quickly followed after her.

"Really? I never heard anything about her," he said.

"I'm not surprised. Narumi only comes by every few months. She used to check on Hanako more often when she first attended Yamaku, but ever since Hanako and I met, she's been coming by less and less. I suppose it's her way of making Hanako more independent. Though from what I hear, the two sometimes exchange letters to communicate," Lilly said. She stopped in front of Hanako's door and raised her hand.

"Would you like to come inside? I'm sure that Narumi wouldn't mind the extra company. She's a very courteous person," Lilly offered. Hisao scratched the back of his neck before shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm okay. I don't want to intrude," Hisao said. In reality, he wanted to have a moment alone with Lilly to gauge if something was wrong. Between her dark expression and the excuse that she was distracted, he couldn't help but worry. He could have been overthinking it, but seeing Lilly of all people show a hint of anger left him feeling wary.

"Very well. Please get some rest Hisao. Exams start tomorrow," she said. Hisao nodded and turned to leave. He heard Lilly knock lightly on the door before it swung open and an older woman's voice came clear as day.

"Lilly, my it's been a long while! And you must be Hisao."

Hisao stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around to meet to analytical gaze of the older woman. She stood in the middle of the doorway with her arms crossed and a pleased grin on her face.

"H-How did you know my name?" he asked. The woman gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Woman's intuition," she said. She looked between them before stepping aside and holding her arm towards Hanako's room, "Well don't stand around. Come inside. It's rude to leave guests at the door."

Hisao tentatively stepped towards the door. He could see Hanako inside, sitting at her bed. He couldn't resist smiling at her once they caught sight of each other. Narumi ushered them inside and shut the door behind them. Lilly took a seat next to Hanako while Hisao sat down on her other side.

Settling herself back into her chair, Narumi crossed her legs and clasped her hands in her lap. Her intent look lingered on Hisao. He shuffled in place, trying to make himself comfortable under her hard stare.

"So I know you're name but I didn't tell you mine. My name is Narumi Arakawa. I…suppose you can say I'm Hanako's caretaker. So Hisao, I take it you've become quite close to Hanako," Narumi said. Hisao nodded, feeling like an animal at the zoo with how much Narumi was watching him.

He wasn't sure how to respond. Narumi's question sounded more accusatory than anything else. He was almost afraid of answering truthfully. But he knew he had to say something.

"Y-Yeah, I've…gotten really fond of her," he said in an effort to dance around the question. Narumi raised a brow. Saying Hisao's response was transparent was an understatement. From the uncomfortable look on his face, he knew it too. Narumi gave a wicked grin and leaned back into her seat. If it was this easy to fluster Hisao, she could only imagine how much she could make him squirm.

This is going to be fun.