AN: Welcome back, dear readers! Your numbers increase nearly exponentially every time I decide to check the statistics for this story, and by the time I started writing this chapter (Which was two weeks after the last chapter, apologies!), there's nearly 3000 views! The support you guys have given this story is quite astounding, as I never expected this much of it. I always enjoy reading the reviews you write, and some of them have legitimately brought a smile to my face. Keep them coming!
And, without further ado, let's get back to the story!
Chapter 10 – Family Ties
"Are you sure you're okay, Sora?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, Haru. Just feeling a little sick."
"You say that, but… I'm still worried. You're not the strongest physically, so you being sick like this makes me very worried for you."
I was currently lying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as Haru sat in a chair next to me. It was a Tuesday morning, two days after our first sightseeing trip with Harri's group. I had woken up an hour ago feeling very nauseous, and I managed to get to the toilet just in time before my stomach emptied out its contents – through my mouth. Not a pleasant experience, and definitely not the best way to wake up.
"I'm feeling much better now compared to when I woke up. If I just rest, I'm sure I'll be fine." I said to Haru and turned my gaze towards him, and despite replying to me with silence, I could tell that he wasn't convinced yet, so I let out a sigh. "We've been doing things for Harri for two days, and it's a new environment, so it's no surprise that I'd get a little sick. This is our first day in Rovaniemi where we're free to do whatever we want, and… I wouldn't want you to spend it cooped up in a hotel room." I said to him with a smile and reached out my hand to caress his cheek. "I'll be fine, I just need some rest."
"Sora..." Haru said and brought his hand up to hold mine, and we gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds, before we were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Ah, I'll go see who it is." Haru said and let go of my hand as he stood up, sending me one last glance with a smile before he made his way to the door. "Oh, it's you, Tomoya-san. Good morning, what brings you here?" I lifted my head a little and saw Tomoya standing in the doorway in front of Haru.
"I'm surprised you're awake already. Oh, but, sorry. Good morning." Tomoya replied to Haru and peeked through into the room, meeting my eyes for a moment. "I was just wondering if you two would like to hang out today. Though, it seems like your sister is still sleepy." He then said and chuckled.
"Well… actually… Sora is feeling a little under the weather. She insists that she's fine, but…" Haru said and rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze shifting between me and Tomoya.
"Oh, that's unfortunate… Hopefully she didn't catch whatever Miura-san had." Tomoya replied and looked towards me again, then took on a thoughtful pose for a few moments. "Say… How about I get Kyou in here to watch over Sora-chan, and the two of us go and have some guy time together? Ah, it'll be just like back in my High School days with Sunohara..."
"Really? Would… she be okay with it?" Haru asked and looked towards me again. He' s still reluctant, isn't he? I thought and sighed.
"Haru." I said and brought their attention to me. "I'll be fine with Kyou-san watching over me, you can go with Tomoya-san. I'll just be resting anyway, and I've been wanting to speak with her anyway, since we haven't gotten many chances with Harri having us do sightseeing for the last two days." Haru looked at me for a few moments, then let out a sigh.
"Alright, Sora. You can be stubborn about the weirdest things sometimes..." Haru said and shook his head, then turned to Tomoya. "If she really doesn't mind, I'd appreciate it if Kyou-san could keep Sora company."
"I'll go ask her now, but I'm pretty sure she'll agree. Kyou hasn't really been able to get close with Miura-san or Yukinoshita-san, so she'll appreciate Sora-chan's company." Tomoya said with a smile, and Haru nodded to him before he left our room.
Haru walked back over to me and sat down on the bed next to me. We didn't say anything as Haru leaned backwards, so I reached out with my hand and gently stroked his head, running my fingers through his hair. I could tell my brother was still reluctant about leaving me, even if I was going to be with Kyou. I know he's just worried about me because he loves me, and I do admire that, but… I don't want to drag Haru down forever. I've got to learn to take care of myself, so that I can stand together with Haru as an equal. Haru placed his hand on top of my free one and turned to smile at me as he lightly squeezed it. Though… I don't mind that he takes care of me. We soon heard another knock on the door, but before Haru could even move, the door was already opened, as Kyou stepped in.
"Sora! Are you alright?" Kyou asked as she made her way over to us, standing next to the bed as her gaze shifted between Haru and I.
"Mostly. I woke up feeling really sick, but I'm much better now. I still don't want to risk getting up from bed, though." I replied to Kyou, then saw Ushio peeking at me from the foot of the bed.
"Sora-onee-chan? Are you okay?" Ushio asked, her amber eyes gazing into mine with worry in them.
"I'm fine, Ushio. You don't have to worry." I said to the little girl with a smile, who let out a small sigh of relief, then turned to Kyou again.
"So… will you look after Sora if Tomoya-san and I go out?" Haru asked, and Kyou took on a thoughtful pose.
"Hmmm… I don't know… I agreed initially, but..." Kyou paused briefly and shifted her gaze towards Ushio. "If I have to look after Ushio as well, it might become a pain..."
"Huh? Kyou, you're a kindergarten teacher, you should have no problems with this." Tomoya said and leaned against the doorframe, while Kyou let out a sigh.
"What I'm saying is… that you two will take Ushio with you! Right, Ushio? Don't you want to spend time with daddy and Haruka-onii-chan?" While Tomoya recoiled back in shock, Ushio brought a finger to her chin as she glanced between Tomoya and Kyou, as if weighing the options, before turning to Kyou and nodding. "There you have it, Tomoya! Now, you three go and have fun together! I'll keep Sora company!" Kyou then said and motioned for Tomoya and Haru to leave, while Ushio made her way towards her father.
"W-wait, Kyou?! You can't be-" Tomoya started, but Kyou cut him off.
"Did you not understand, Tomoya?" Kyou said in a cold voice. "If you're going to leave me – your wife – out from having fun, you might as well take your daughter with you. Wouldn't you agree, Haruka?" Haru flinched a little as Kyou turned to look at him.
"Huh? I, um..." Haru glanced between Tomoya and Kyou, before his gaze landed on me. What does he expect me to do? I thought and shrugged, while Haru just sighed. "You've… got a point, Kyou-san. And… I don't mind having Ushio with us." Haru then said with a smile.
"There you have it, then." Kyou said and took on a triumphant pose. "I'll see you later, Ushio! Have fun with daddy and Haruka-onii-chan!" Kyou patted Haru on the shoulder, who smiled at her before turning to me again.
"See you soon, Sora. If anything happens, call me immediately." Haru said to me and I nodded to him as a response, after which he made his way to Tomoya and Ushio. "Shall we go?"
"Alright..." Tomoya said with a sigh, then waved at Kyou and I. "We'll be back by lunchtime, okay? Hopefully Sora-chan will feel feel better by then."
"You're stalling, aren't you?" Kyou said and cracked her knuckles as she sent a dismissive glare towards her husband, who quickly proceeded to grab both Haru's and Ushio's hands.
"We're going!" Tomoya shouted as the exited the room. As the door closed behind them, Kyou let out a sigh.
"I don't think he's grown up at all since his High School days, seriously… But, at least, he's a better person than he used to be. Well, I think he always was a good person deep down, but… it was Nagisa who brought that to the surface..." Kyou said quietly as she stared off into the distance with a melancholic look on her face. Nagisa was Tomoya-san's wife, but she was also a good friend to Kyou… Losing someone so close… Haru and I know how it feels… "Oh, sorry, I started rambling a little there..." Kyou said as she snapped out of her reminiscing, laughing awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Are you feeing okay? Tomoya said to me that you were sick, but… That's about it."
"Oh, I'm feeling much better now. I woke up feeling really nauseous and… threw up. I think it might be because I've overexerted myself with the sightseeing trips we had yesterday and the day before that, but I don't really know." I explained to Kyou and sat up on the bed, while Kyou sat in the chair Haru sat in not too long ago.
"Woke up feeling nauseous? I wish that happened to me..." Kyou said and sighed again. Huh? Why would she want that?
"What… do you mean by that, Kyou-san?" I asked and tilted my head in confusion. I can't imagine why she would want to feel sick? Throwing up is not a nice feeling…
"Huh? Well, you know… morning sickness is a symptom of pregnancy, so… If I suddenly started experiencing it… It would be a sure sign of me being pregnant." Kyou said timidly and scratched her cheek. Wait… a symptom of… pregnancy... "Oh, I also… kind of want to… thank you for what you did. Tomoya and I… had a… n-nice time..." Kyou's face became redder with each second as she fidgeted in her seat. I fully understood what she implicated, but I was focused completely on what she had said just a moment earlier. Morning sickness… a sign of being pregnant… Could that mean..? I brought a hand down to my stomach, while Kyou looked at me with a curious expression. "Sora..?"
"Ah..." I quickly pulled my hand back as I felt my cheeks heating up. "N-nothing. You… um… w-wanted a child, right?" Kyou nodded slowly, still eyeing me curiously. "W-well, then, y-yes, it would be a… good sign." I said and cleared my throat in hopes of lessening the blush on my cheeks a little.
"Hmm..." Kyou narrowed her eyes as she looked at me for a few moments. What is… she thinking? I mean… I guess I am being a little suspicious, but… "You're… not feeling sick now, are you? Do you need to go to the toilet?" I inwardly let out a sigh of relief. She just thinks I was holding my stomach because I was feeling sick… I'm glad…
"No, I'm fine. After the initial nauseousness passed, I've felt okay, if a little dizzy. Even with my weak physique, I'm sure I'll be fine." I replied to Kyou and smiled.
"Well, that's good." Kyou said and stretched as she leaned back in the chair. "Still… Suddenly becoming sick in the morning, but the feeling going away so soon… It does sound like the morning sickness associated with being pregnant… You haven't had a craving to eat clay or dirt recently, have you?" Kyou asked as she turned to look at me again.
"Eh? Why would I want to… eat dirt? A-and h-how could I be… p-pregnant…" I averted my gaze from her as I suppressed the blush on my face to the best of my ability.
"Just asking. And, yeah, unless you've been doing something behind your brother's back – or maybe behind our backs with your brother – you wouldn't be pregnant, so it's probably just that you've caught a virus from somewhere and gotten sick as a result." If only you knew how close to the truth you are, Kyou-san… Wait.. she… doesn't know, does she? "Sorry, I'm just teasing you. But… You wanted a child too, though, didn't you?" Kyou paused, and I nodded to her as an answer. "I know Tomoya already asked you this on Saturday, and I deflected the question then, so I'm sorry if it's insensitive or rude of me to ask, but… If you really do want to get pregnant, and raise the child together with your brother… How would you actually… go about doing that? Artificial insemination?" I could feel the blush creeping back onto my face, but I kept my gaze locked with Kyou's.
"Well..." What do I respond to her? Should I… tell her the truth? No, as much as I want to, I can't risk the relationship we've built up breaking after such a short time… Kyou-san is not ready to hear the truth yet, but… "I… don't really know about this stuff, but… I could have someone act as a… donor, right?" Kyou nodded briefly, and I took a deep breath before continuing. "I… I've been thinking that… maybe… Haru… could be… the donor..." I know what I'm doing is dangerous, but… This way, I can at least get to see what her reaction to this would be, without outright telling her the truth.
"Eh? Y-your b-brother?" Kyou looked back at me with a shocked expression on her face. "But… wouldn't that technically be… incest?"
"Would it… be that bad? I mean… he'd just… you know. Haru… is the only person I can think of for this." Kyou brought a hand to her chin, though her expression remained largely the same.
"Well… I guess it wouldn't be that bad..." Kyou said quietly, and I could feel a small smile forming on my face. "But… I feel like… it'd still be wrong in a way, and… You two being so closely related might cause some birth defects for the child..." Kyou looked me directly in the eyes as she continued in a more serious tone. "I do understand you somewhat, but… would you be okay with that? It's quite a risk."
"It's… a risk I'm willing to take. I'll be happy as long as I can have Haru's baby." I replied to Kyou, only realizing what I had said afterwards, when Kyou's eyes widened at my statement. "I-I mean… have a baby, of course. I-it would be Haru's, of course, but t-that's… unavoidable." I attempted the salvage the situation before Kyou questioned my statement. I was careless and let my honest thoughts slip… I'll have to be more careful.
"R-right of course, that's… right." Kyou said and laughed awkwardly, then cleared her throat. "Have you spoken to Haruka about this?" Technically… I have, but… A small lie doesn't hurt, considering how much we're keeping from her already.
"I haven't. But… I don't think Haru would refuse it, if that's what you're getting at. Haru is… not the type of person who would do that, especially if I explain to him that I'm… uncomfortable with having someone else… act as my donor." I said, and Kyou smiled at me, though it felt a little… forced, as if there was something else behind it. Is she… suspicious of me now? I wouldn't be surprised, but… Kyou-san and Tomoya-san aren't ready to know about our relationship yet… After a few seconds of silence, Kyou was about to say something to me, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Ah, should I get that?" Kyou asked, and I nodded to her.
As Kyou stood up and turned around, her long, purple hair passed by my face, filling my nostrils with her scent. I never really noticed it, but Kyou-san really is beautiful… I'm surprised that Tomoya-san fell for someone else back when they were in High School, given that they knew each other back then… I'll have to ask her about it. And that might steer the conversation away from… pregnancy…I shook my head lightly to clear my thoughts as Kyou opened the door, then moved to the other end of the bed so I could better see who the person knocking on our door was. "Oh, Miura-san! Good morning!" Miura-san? What is she doing here? I thought as I peeked past Kyou, seeing the blonde locks of hair just past Kyou's purple ones.
"Huh? Okazaki-san? Did I get the wrong door..? Isn't this like, the room of the Kasugano twins?" Miura asked and leaned to the side as she looked into the room, freezing in place as soon as her gaze met mine. Compared to when I first saw her, she was already visibly looking much better, and had ditched her scarf in favour of more casual clothing, so I figured that she must have already gotten over her sickness. I didn't get off to a good start with her, and while I would like to blame it on her condescending attitude towards me, I can't let her fully take the blame. Not with the things I did and said.
"Yes, this is their room. Haruka just left not too long ago with Tomoya and Ushio, while I stayed behind with Sora. She was feeling sick, and decided to stay in bed for today, so I'm here to keep her company and look after her." Kyou explained and briefly glanced towards me.
"Oh, I see. I guess I'll come back later, then." Miura said, and was about to turn around and leave.
"Wait, Miura-san." I said, and the blonde girl stopped in her tracks, while Kyou moved out of the way so the two of us could maintain eye contact. "Do you need something from us?"
"No, I just like, wanted to talk with your brother. Since he's not here, I have no reason to be here either." She wants to talk with Haru? Why?
"Talking with Haru means talking with me. If you have something to say, you can say it to me." I moved to a sitting position on the bed as I faced Miura, a slight feeling of nauseousness returning.
Miura glanced at Kyou, then shifted her gaze to me again for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh and walking past Kyou, stopping just in front of me. Miura looked at me for a few more seconds, narrowing her eyes as she did. What's with this atmosphere?
"Hikio told me some… things about you two." Miura spoke after an awkward amount of silence. "What... is the exact nature of your relationship with your brother?" Hikigaya-san… told her about us? I could practically feel the blood drain from my face. Haru told me that Hikigaya-san knows about us, but is okay with it, and is keeping it a secret from Yukino-san, but… Miura...san… The feeling of nauseousness suddenly got stronger, and everything started to look hazy. "Huh? Hey, are you like, okay?" Miura placed a hand on my shoulder and lightly shook me.
"Sorry… must be… still sick..." I mumbled, and could feel something burning up in my stomach. I looked towards Kyou and extended a hand. "Kyou-san… Toilet… now..."
"Oh!" Kyou rushed to me, and Miura moved out of the way as she wrapped an arm around me and guided me to the toilet – just in time for the second unpleasant experience for the day.
This day is off to a good start.
"Papa, make me go fast!" Ushio said as she sat in the swing, her little legs waving about.
"Hai hai." Tomoya replied with a sigh as he stood up from next to me and made his way to his daughter, then proceeding to give Ushio a helping hand with the swing. Looking at this father-daughter combo is soothing to the soul. If… no, when Sora and I have children… I want to be a father like Tomoya-san. I thought to myself and smiled.
Initially, Tomoya had wanted for the two of us to go around town and "mess around" as "only two guys could", but since Kyou had entrusted Ushio to us, our plans had to be changed somewhat. Which brings us to this park, not too far away from the hotel. The Lumberjack's Candle Bridge could just about be seen if I looked to the east, and even from such a distance, it was still a sight to behold. It was still quite early in the morning, and given that it was a weekday, we were the only people in the park, and because there weren't many cars passing by, everything felt serene. As I let my thoughts wander, I found my gaze landing on Tomoya as he gave little boosts to Ushio in the swing. Looking at the two of them, I could do nothing but smile. Tomoya-san sure is lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.
"Hm? What is it, Haruka? You've been staring at me for a while, now." Tomoya's words brought me out of my thoughts as he turned to face me, while still making sure to give Ushio little boosts.
"Oh, sorry. There's just something… calming about watching you two." I replied to Tomoya, and could see a smile forming on his face. "We haven't known for that long, but… I know you're a great dad, one that I'm sure your daughter is proud of."
"Well… I don't know about that, but… thanks, Haruka." Tomoya replied and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I think… you'd make a good dad, too." Tomoya continued after a few moments of silence. "You know… Kyou and I talked with Sora a bunch on Saturday, and… she told us of your plans." 'Plans'? What did Sora tell them? She hasn't told me anything like that…
"Oh? What did she tell you about them?" My question was genuine, since I truly didn't know what Sora had told the Okazakis, but due to the way I worded it, my ignorance was hidden from Tomoya.
"She… told us how you two are planning on raising a child together." As Tomoya finished, I immediately felt my cheeks heating up at the implications of his words. Sora?! I thought we agreed to keep our relationship a secret from them – at least for now! Seeing my expression Tomoya continued after a small pause. "S-sorry, I worded that in a weird way… W-what I meant was… Sora told us that she… wanted a child, and given her frailness, she asked us about advice, since my… late wife was also physically weak. She said that you two had talked about taking care of the child together." I let out a sigh of relief as Tomoya cleared up what he had said. So Sora didn't tell them everything, that's good. Still… She's playing a dangerous game. Once I noticed that Tomoya was looking at me with curiosity written all over his face, I cleared my throat and replied to him.
"Right, of course. She… wasn't lying when she said that. As you know, Sora and I promised each other that we'd stay together, and since for some time now, she's wanted a child… I promised her that I'd help take care of the child with her, like a… father figure." I didn't know exactly what Sora had said to them, but as long as I didn't try to make up something too far-fetched, the story should be valid.
"Yeah, I get that part. I already asked this from Sora, – but Kyou said that it was insensitive of me to ask, so I never got an answer – but how would… How should I put this… How you plan on… getting Sora… pregnant in the first place?" Tomoya had stopped helping her daughter with the swing, so she had turned to face us – with a slight pout on her face.
"Well..." Given that Sora didn't tell them about it, I could probably make up something here… I'd just have to make sure I tell Sora about it. "Sora… doesn't have anyone that she could… do it with naturally, so to speak, so we would probably have to do it artificially..." I explained and scratched my cheek as I averted my gaze from Tomoya. "But… To my knowledge, in order for some to 'qualify' for artificial insemination back home in Japan… you have to be married."
"...I see. And since Sora isn't married to anyone..." Tomoya said quietly as he brought a hand to his chin. "You have… quite a complicated situation in your hands. How are you planning on solving it?" As Tomoya finished, Ushio tugged on his sleeve, and he noticed that he had stopped pushing the swing. "Oh, sorry Ushio. I got caught up talking with Haruka." Ushio pouted at her father, but accepted the apology once Tomoya began to push the swing again to boost Ushio.
"I'm… not really sure. I mean… one way would be to have Sora marry someone, then have her divorce them later, but… I don't know if Sora would be okay with that, and… to be honest, the idea doesn't sit well with me either. If… If it was possible..." I paused for a moment to think over my words carefully. "...I would be… okay with marrying Sora, if it meant that she could have a child. A-artificially, of course." Tomoya's eyes widened a little at my statement, but his expression remained largely the same. "Sora… is my precious sister, and the most important person for me in the world. I would… do anything for her." Tomoya stayed quiet for a few seconds as he contemplated my words. I hope I didn't say too much. But… Tomoya-san understands our situation. What I said… is just a logical conclusion… right?
"Hmm… I get you, Haruka. I don't have any siblings myself, but… Kyou has a twin sister, and I know they would do anything for each other, so I understand you. As for marrying… That is a difficult one, definitely. If I wasn't already married to Kyou, I would volunteer for it, if just to get Sora the rights for artificial insemination… Do you not have any close, trustworthy friends for this?" Ryouhei's face briefly appeared in my head, but I simply shook my head in response to Tomoya's question. Ryouhei was a good friend, but he's not the kind of person who would go along with a scheme like this. Besides, this is all just to mask mine and Sora's relationship, anyway. "Then… I can't really help you. I know first cousins are allowed to marry back home, but I don't know about siblings… Say… Mikami-san is a lawyer, isn't he? Why don't you ask him about the legal side of this?" Mikami-san… I hadn't even thought of that! But…
"You're right, although… I don't think it's a good idea for me to walk up to him and ask if marrying one's sibling is legal or not, since… well, you know." I said and let out an awkward laugh, while Tomoya scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Still… Mikami-san could be invaluable for information when it comes to this. He might know of some… loopholes in the law.
"A-ah, right… Yeah, maybe you shouldn't do that. Then again… I get the feeling that if you explained the situation to him, he might be able to help." I gave Tomoya a small nod accompanied by a smile as a response, but didn't say anything back to him. Tomoya-san really is a nice person. He's helpful and supportive, despite the fact that we haven't even known each other for a week. If Sora and I can get him to accept our relationship...
"Papa." Ushio's voice pulled our attention to the little girl, and Tomoya stopped the swing. "I'm tired of the swing." She continued and then pointed a finger at the nearby slide. "I want to go on that."
"Oh, sure thing, Ushio." Tomoya said to his daughter and lifted her off the swing and onto the ground. After dusting herself off and glancing towards me, she began to make her way to the slide, with Tomoya following behind. I stretched and stood up from my seat, making my way to the slide as well.
"Papa, catch me." Ushio said from the top of the slide, and Tomoya made his way to the end of the slide, spreading his arms to ready himself.
"Come on, Ushio!" Tomoya said, and the little girl slid down, landing in her father's arms. "Was that fun?" Tomoya asked, and Ushio nodded to him, before starting to make her way to the top of the slide again. Once again, I found myself smiling at the scene. As I watched the two of them play, it suddenly dawned on me that I didn't really know much about Tomoya, or his family. I know Ushio is the daughter of his late wife, and he married Kyou recently after she brought him out of his depression, but… that's about it. Apart from the first conversation we had back in Harri's SUV on Saturday, we haven't really talked about them, with mostly it being us telling about our past.
"Say, Tomoya-san..." I began as Ushio climbed up the stairs to the slide for the fifth time, and Tomoya turned to look at me. "You told us about your late wife, but I don't actually know that much about you, other than what I learned from the initial conversation we had in the car."
"Huh, I guess you're right." Tomoya said and got into position to catch Ushio again as she came down the slide. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?" Ushio glanced between the two of us for a few moments, before climbing up the slide again.
"Well… I don't know, really. Where do you guys live, for example? And I know Kyou works as a kindergarten teacher, but how about you?" I asked as I took a few steps forwards, now standing next to Tomoya.
"We live in Hikarizaka, a city in the western parts of the Tokyo prefecture. It's a relatively small, hilly city, and the place where I've lived my whole life. I work as an electrician there at Hikarizaka Electricity." Tomoya caught Ushio again, who, instead of going back up the slide, simply stood there, her gaze shifting between the two of us. "Tired of playing, Ushio?" Tomoya asked from his daughter, who nodded as a response. "Why don't we go take a walk, then? It'll pass some time before lunch, and I can tell Haruka all about the dark secrets of my past!" Tomoya said with a chuckle, and after glancing towards me, Ushio nodded to her father again.
"Sounds good to me. Though I don't know if I want to hear about your 'dark past' that much..." I replied to Tomoya, and he burst out laughing at my remark.
After our little exchange, the three of us left the park so we could have a walk around the city. We had already seen plenty of the city in the previous two days of sightseeing, but as our destinations were more or less predetermined, today was the first time we really had a chance to go around freely. Tomoya knew of two adjoined shopping centres not too far from where we were, so we decided to head there first. On the way there, Tomoya told me a little about his past. His wife's death wasn't the only bit of tragedy in his life, as his mother had died when he was very young, and his father had eventually succumbed to alcoholism due to this. By his teenage years, he had grown very estranged from his father, and his life was overall very dull – until he met Nagisa. She acted as a "conduit" of sorts, through which Tomoya got to know other girls, and experience many things with them.
By the time he finished his brief explanation of everything, we had arrived at the shopping centres. The two of them were adjoined, but counted as two separate shopping centres, with the older one of the two being named after the Northern Lights. At least, that's what Tomoya heard from Harri. After crossing the street, we entered the newer shopping centre, called "Rinteenkulma", from the corner of the street. It was only a little past ten in the morning, so there weren't that many people around, and the shops were just opening for the day. As we entered, a few things caught my eye. Almost right in front of us, there was a long escalator leading down to a floor below us, with seemingly more stores and what looked like restaurants down below. The first store that we saw was right next to a large window, – from which one could see out into the street – and at it seemed to be a game store.
"This place looks pretty cool." I said out loud as we ascended the stairs to the left of the escalator, with a jewellery store of some kind to our left, and the game store on the opposite side of it.
"Yeah, it does. Hey, why don't we check out the game store first, since it's right here?" Tomoya said, and I nodded to him as an answer. As we made our way to the store, I glanced towards the large hallway that made up the "core" of the shopping centre. The ceiling was painted lo look like a beautiful, blue sky, and pillars that looked like they were made of marble (which I doubted they were) – as if pulled straight out the Parthenon – lined the sides of the hallway. They've really made this place stand out…
"Papa." I didn't even realize that I had stopped to marvel at the sight before me, until Ushio's voice brought me back to reality. I turned around to see Tomoya a few steps ahead of me, with Ushio pulling on her father's sleeve and pointing towards a store next to the game store. "Can we go see the animals?" Ushio said, and I shifted my gaze to where she was pointing – a store called Faunatar. Inside, I could see shelves full of various items associated with pets, and taking care of them, while one wall was full of fish tanks. A pet store? I kind of want to go and have a look, too.
"Huh? The animals?" Tomoya said as he turned away from the game store, first to look at his daughter, then at the pet store. "Ah, I see. Well, sure, why not." Tomoya then said and looked towards me, as if looking for my approval.
"I don't mind. To be honest, I'm a little interested myself." I said to Tomoya with a small smile and scratched my cheek, while Tomoya let out a sigh.
"Alright! Time to take the two kids with me to a pet store! Let's go!" Tomoya said loudly and began to march towards the store, and Ushio mimicked her father, resulting in the pair getting some looks of amusement from the store clerk in the pet store. Even I found myself smiling at the two of them, despite the fact that Tomoya had just insinuated that I was a kid. Well, it's not like he meant it. While I might be underage, I'm nowhere near being a 'kid'. I thought and sighed as I followed to the two them inside the store.
As soon as we got inside, Ushio let go of his father's hand and ran over to the fish tanks, looking at all the tropical fish in them with her eyes full of wonder. Tomoya and I followed the little girl as she moved from tank to tank, with Tomoya having to lift the girl up so she could look into the tanks that were higher up. As I had already noticed, watching the two of them was soothing, and the innocence of a child that Ushio displayed brought a smile to my face.
Apart from fish, the pet store also had various other pets for sale, such as bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, and small reptiles. While Tomoya was attempting to have a debate with a parrot (which went rather poorly, given the language barrier), Ushio and I were observing the guinea pigs as they ran around chasing each other. When Ushio pressed her face against the glass, one of the small rodents came up to the glass and began to sniff it, which caused Ushio to quickly jerk her head backwards, bumping into my leg in the process. I let out a light chuckle as she looked up at me while rubbing the back of her head, her cheeks slightly flushed from embarrassment.
"Should we head on now? I want to go and see the other stores in this place, especially the jewellery ones." Tomoya said as he walked up to the two of us, then leaned a little closer to me. "I want to see if I can find something nice for Kyou." He whispered to me, then looked towards Ushio, who was glancing between her father and the bunnies with a pleading look on her face. "We can always come back here later, Ushio. The bunnies won't go anywhere." Ushio gave one last look at the bunnies, then walked up to the glass.
"Bye bye. I'll be back, okay?" Ushio said to the bunnies and gave them a little wave, then walked to his father's side and held his hand. I looked at Tomoya, and our eyes met as we shared a small chuckle, before we left the pet store.
Our next stop was the one we initially wanted to go to: the game store. It was relatively small, but the shelves were chock-full of different games, with entire shelves dedicated to games for Microsoft's, Sony's and Nintendo's home consoles. In one of the corners, we could also spot a glass cabinet full of various board games, and the counter had a small shelf full of MTG card booster packs. Ushio went straight to a shelf full of action figures, mugs and other collector's items from various franchises. Overall, the store was quite impressive, though both mine and Tomoya's attention seemed to be drawn to the large advertisement for Nintendo's new handheld console, released in Japan earlier this year just a few weeks after mine and Sora's birthday. And massively long before our parents' accident...
"The 3DS… I was never really one for handhelds, but damn, that looks awesome." Tomoya said as he began to scan the shelf for all the different games currently available for the system.
"I'm pretty much in the same boat, then. I was never really that into games, but they seem like something that would be right up Sora's alley… In fact… I think I remember her talking about this very console near the end of last year." I said as I picked up the box for the console from the shelf. Quite expensive, even after its price was dropped less than a month ago.
"You thinking of buying it?" Tomoya asked as Ushio made her way to us, taking hold of her father's free hand.
"Hmm… I don't think so. Not yet, at least. I don't have much money with me right now, and I would probably prefer to buy it back home. After all, if I buy it here, the system language won't be Japanese, and Sora isn't as good with English as I am."
"Ah, I see. Yeah, I get that. I might hold off for now as well." Tomoya said and glanced around, his gaze landing on the jewellery store further down the hallway. "Say, why don't we go there next?" Tomoya said and pointed towards the store.
"Hm? Isn't that one just across from us closer, though?" I asked and pointed at the jewellery store we walked past as we entered the shopping centre.
"Well, it is, but…" Tomoya began and rubbed the back of his neck. "I had a look at the prices as we passed by, and they're a little out of my budget..." Tomoya let out a little awkward laugh, while Uship gazed up at her father with a curious expression on her face.
"Oh…" I joined in with Tomoya's awkward laugh for a few moments, then cleared my throat. "Well, let's go, then. If that place is any cheaper, I might see if there's anything there that Sora would like." I said, and Tomoya nodded to me as we began to make our way down the hallway to the jewellery store.
The store was significantly smaller than the one we had passed by earlier, but the quality of the jewellery was as good as the glimpse I had gotten from the previous one. This store was called either "Taigakoru", or "Yaigakoru" (I wasn't sure, since the first letter in the store's logo looked like both a "T" and a "Y" to me, but I blame the confusing font), and all the jewellery seemed to be local in both terms of theme and creation. The jewellery was produced locally, and the motifs were all centered around the culture and nature of Lapland. As we browsed the small store, the store clerk told us various things about their jewellery, – in English, of course – and Tomoya noted to me that this store was indeed cheaper than the previous one. After a few minutes of browsing, and some recommendations from the clerk, Tomoya decided to buy a beautiful, silver necklace with a snowflake motif. Initially, I hadn't had any plans to buy anything, but after seeing how cheap some of the jewellery was, even I found myself looking for something nice for Sora.
"Haruka." Tomoya's voice came from my right, and I turned to face him as he held the wrapped-up jewellery box in his hands. "I'll go and see if that ice cream place is open yet, then come back to you here, okay?" Tomoya said and pointed to something behind him with his thumb. As I peeked past him, I saw a logo with the text "Spice Ice" written on it above a large counter a little way away from us.
"Yeah, go ahead. I'll be right with you, as I don't intend on buying anything yet." I replied to him, and with a nod, Tomoya left with his daughter, leaving me alone with the store clerk.
"See something you like, young man?" The clerk asked me in English after Tomoya left.
"Ah, I'm mostly just browsing. I don't have much money with me at the moment." I replied to her.
"Oh, I see. Well, if you find something you want to buy, you can reserve it, then come and buy it at a later date. You can reserve a piece of jewellery for one week at a time." The clerk explained to me.
"Really?" I asked, and she gave me a nod as an answer. "Then… I guess I could see about reserving something, in case I have enough money for it..." I turned back to look at the various bits of jewellery on display. If I can find something that Sora would like…
"What kind of jewellery would you be looking for, and for whom?"
"Well… It would be for my..." I glanced towards the direction where Tomoya went, and could spot him in the distance with Ushio. "...Significant other." The clerk smiled at me as I paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Earrings are out of the question… Maybe a ring? Or a necklace?"
"Of course. What type of person is she, if you don't mind me asking?" The clerk asked as she opened up the display case.
"Sora… she is… a quiet girl. Fragile, but beautiful, and with a feisty personality underneath her quietness. But… she does care for those close to her, even though they aren't numerous. Oh, and her name means 'Sky' in English, so if you can figure out something from that..." The clerk brought a hand to her chin and thought for a few moments, then scanned through the display case, before settling on a piece of jewellery.
"I think this might suit her, what do you think?" The clerk asked as she lifted the item for me to inspect closely, along with a piece of paper describing the piece of jewellery and its meaning.
"Yes… this is perfect! Thank you. So, can I reserve it now?" I asked and handed the items back to the clerk.
"Yes, you can. What name would you like to reserve it under?" The clerk asked as she took the piece of jewellery and placed it inside a small box, – not unlike the one Tomoya was carrying – which she then placed on the counter as she walked behind it.
"Kasugano Haruka, please. Oh, Kasugano is my last name, by the way."
"Yes… Japanese, right?" The clerk asked as she wrote down my name on a piece of paper, and I nodded to her as an answer. "I thought I recognized the language you were speaking with your friend. And, yes, I am aware of your custom of using last names first." She said to me with a smile, then moved the box from the counter to underneath it. "Your reservation will be valid for a week, so be sure to come and purchase this by then! You wouldn't want to make your girlfriend unhappy, now would you?"
"Of course. Thank you, and see you again!" I bid my farewell to the clerk, and began to make my way to Tomoya, when I could suddenly feel my phone ringing. Taking it out of my pocket, I saw that the caller was Sora. Sora? Has something happened? I quickly picked up the call and brought the phone to my ear. "Hey, Sora. What's up?"
"Haru!" Sora's voice came from the speaker, and it made me jump a little. "Miura-san, she..." Sora trailed off as she mumbled something that I couldn't hear clearly.
"Miura-san? What about her?" I asked Sora as I walked up to Tomoya and Ushio.
"Miura-san… knows about our relationship."
AN: And that's done! Once again, apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I had intended for this to be out way earlier, but stuff happened, such as my friend gifting me Nier:Automata, so I've been playing that recently. But, I promise I'll get a grip on myself for the next chapter, in which I get to write some interactions between the twins and a character who has appeared a couple of times, and who has been mentioned, but hasn't gotten the spotlight like the other side characters have so far. Until then, cheerio!