A/N: Surprised? So am I. Hahaha! Told you I'd update faster. Since I already wrote the story down on paper, all I had to do was write it on my laptop. It still took me some time though because of my job. And I had some minor corrections and changes along the way. But what's important is that I got this out sooner! Woohoo! How awesome am I! hahaha! Oh, I'm not? T-That actually hurts! T^T

Anyway, thank you so much for the continuous support and reviews you guys gave this low-grade story of mine. I really appreciate the time you spend with it. Seriously, I'm touched!

To the anon readers, you also have my thanks! I love all of you!

Megamar: I would always come back! I'm like the plague! Wahahahaha! Yes, I always stop at the good part. I'm so evil, right? Don't worry, I think there are some Nanofate moments in this chapter. XD

Jay: Hahahaha! Thanks! And since you asked, I've updated a lot quicker now. :D

Yo-kun: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the dream part. I had a hard time putting it in the story. I really love Hayate's mind. Sometimes I wish she were real! Hahahaha! Don't worry, you'll now know! Some of them, anyway. XP

Guest: Hahaha! Really? I'm touched! Thanks for your patience but I'm actually hoping to finish this story by next year. Emphasis on hoping. But I'll do my best! Seriously, I have to! DX

And as usual, please excuse the typos, grammatical errors and inconsistencies you might see as you read this material. I proofread it despite my lack of sleep and growingly poor eyesight. Still, forgive my human errors.

And I would also like to apologize once more since this chapter is a bit shorter than the last one. This is after all, part two in continuation of the previous episode.

Can you guess what our favorite blonde found out? Be careful, it might not be what you think. Nyahahahaha!

Disclaimer: You guys already know. I'm so poor I don't own anything!

After narrowly escaping getting closed in by the bus door, the driver interrupted and told us to pay the necessary fare and—in a polite way comparable to that of a Neanderthal—ordered us to sit our butts down on any of the available seats at the back of the bus while reminding us to always stand behind the yellow line.

Almost everyone in Mid-Childa knew the bus driver. And we were used to how rough and rude he was because he had a rather embarrassing history a few years back.

But Nanoha was new and I knew he knew that for a fact.

I, for one and for the very first time in my life as a citizen of Mid, resisted my evil urge to annoy the heck out of him for speaking that way to her.

For now, I'll let it slide since the very reason why I rode this bus, which goes in the opposite direction from where my neighborhood really was, was because of the auburn-haired, sapphire-eyed girl named Nanoha.

The two of us made our way down the aisle as the bus slowly increased its speed merging back with the flow of traffic. I followed behind Nanoha as she grabbed hold on the chairs at her sides for support.

"I thought you said you live in the opposite way," Nanoha asked as she continued walking forward.

And though the seats were next to empty, we still continued to walk until we almost reached the back.

"I do," I answered. "It's just that I didn't feel like going home yet."

The bus turned a corner. Our bodies swayed to its momentum.

"But what about Hayate-chan?"

"For now, I'll show her some mercy. Right now—"

Nanoha looked over her shoulder.

My eyes immediately locked on the shorter girl looking up with patient sapphire eyes.

Usually, if I was this close to Nanoha, in a state of near-panic and a blushing face, she would reflexively avert her eyes to look elsewhere. The girl would easily turn red, spreading all the way to her ears and neck. I could easily imagine steam coming out of her ears.

But the girl just looked back, locked eyes and patiently stood still. Unwavering, undeterred.

"Right now?" Nanoha quietly repeated despite the hum of the engine.

"… Right now—" Before I could add more, the bus all too suddenly stopped, making Nanoha jerk backwards with a small and girlish yelp. Fortunately, I managed to catch her by her shoulders. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Thank you."

I looked to my right at an empty seat for two. "Maybe we should sit down," I told her.

"Yeah," she nodded.

I let Nanoha slide in first and take the window seat. I followed but made sure to leave some reasonable space between us.

For awhile, the two of us didn't say anything to each other. Then I remembered that we haven't finished our previous conversation yet.

"I like to take you somewhere," I said.

Nanoha gazed up from watching her hands on her lap and her eyes connected with mine. "What?" She asked a little confused of my out of the blue statement.

Well, it wasn't a complete lie. "I didn't go after Hayate like I planned to because I changed my mind. So, instead of raccoon hunting like I said I'd do awhile ago, right now, I'd rather take you somewhere—wait, scratch that, I want to take you somewhere."

She looked at me a little dumbfounded. I didn't know if she understood what I told her. I didn't even know if she heard me or not.

When she still didn't say anything, I was compelled to smack myself hard on my forehead for saying something so uncool and embarrassing. But I resisted. "Do…you understand?"

I could tell that my words finally sank in when Nanoha's cheeks slowly turned red until the color spread to her face, ears and even her neck. "… S-So, where are you taking me?"

My mind shut down for awhile. "Eh?" Oh, shit. I forgot about that little detail. I was too caught up in going after her and stopping her from leaving that I didn't think of a plan afterwards. Then it powered back up. I gulped down a lump I didn't know was forming in my throat. "W-What?"

Nanoha didn't seem to mind in repeating her question. "Where would you like to take me, Fate-chan?"

"Um…" I looked out the window at the other side of the bus. I saw trees, grass and people. And then, I remembered what day it was.

My eyes widened in excitement at the spontaneous yet completely brilliant idea I just had. I know!

I quickly turned back to Nanoha. "I know where to take you!" I didn't give her time to react or say anything. I just reached for the button mounted near her window, pressed it twice and, right on cue, the bus slowed down towards the nearest stop. "We're getting off," I told her as I rose from my seat.

"Already?" She looked really surprised and confused.

"Of course!" I said in a way that she could not hope to refuse or argue with. I grabbed her hand and hurriedly led her out of the bus and into the sidewalk. I heard the squeak of the hydraulic door as it closed behind us. The engine churned a little before the bus continued on its way. "We're here!"

Nanoha, a little out of breath, managed to let out a "Here where?"

I only grinned at her. "You'll see," I said and strode into the entrance of Mid-Childa's park with the auburn-haired girl in tow.

As I continued to walk down the concrete path, the park was filled with children running around with their kites as they tried to get them off the ground and into the wide azure sky. Some successfully managed to do it. Others failed quite miserably. Yet, it was clear that they were determined to see their favorite flying toys soar.

Waiting for them were their families setting up their picnic tables and food. Diligently, they arranged and prepared everything as they chatted amongst themselves with happy smiles on their faces and cheerful voices. Though lunch was not too long ago, some still wanted to have their meals and snacks in the fresh and wide open space.

Others, who must've eaten already, grabbed the opportunity to sit back, relax under the shade of a big ol' tree and read a good book under it. Some of them had already dozed off, finding the ambiance calming to the point of forgetting the books in their hands and just sleep.

People who weren't much into picnics or playing around with toys, sat together to talk and catch up with stories that would undoubtedly catch their attention. Some of them were talking loudly. Their conversations were obviously full of energy. You could tell by the way they acted out the stories they shared, as if they were in a mini play to help their companions understand and visualize their stories more clearly and vividly.

Somehow, they kinda remind me of Hayate. Although the raccoon was a total idiot.

While some were serious and exchanged quiet words with each other, as if they had their own little world and that everything around them didn't matter that much. Couples, who finally found the time to bond with each other, showed emotions and expressions that I technically knew of, but then would be too embarrassed to admit even to myself. Their distance was so close that their faces were almost mere inches from one another.

I decided to leave them be before my brain would seriously reach its maximum capacity of taking things like those in.

It's not that it was something foreign to me… Well, okay maybe it is. But it's not like I'm ignorant with those kinds of things. It just feels… off and rude and wrong to delve into something that you weren't part of.

I glanced back at the girl who I still continued to lead by her hand. Nanoha's face was bright with excitement and childish amazement as she continued to look around and see the sceneries, activities and people around her.

"We're in the park?"

I bit back a retort. "Yep," I simply answered as I still continued to hold her hand. "This is your first time here, right?"

"H-How did you know?"

I chuckled. "I'm psychic."

"Fate-chan," Nanoha playfully glared at me and pouted.

I only laughed and said, "Sorry, sorry."

The girl again quietly admired the things happening around her. Just from looking at her face, how it changed from one expression to another, all the more convinced me how honest this girl was about her feelings.

"I think I might like you!"

I mentally frowned at how I unconsciously recalled that certain memory. Okay, maybe a little too honest.

"What's wrong, Fate-chan?"

"Hmm?" I looked up, snapping myself out of my reverie. "I'm sorry, what?"

"N-Nothing. You just spaced out suddenly, that's all."

I didn't even notice that we stopped walking. And I didn't know that I just continued to stare at Nanoha until she called out to me. "Oh," I scratched my head. "Sorry about that." I wasn't aware about a lot of other things like how I kept on looking at her and how I still held her hand even though we stood on the side of the pavement.

Nanoha responded by lowering her eyes to her shoes. "So, what now?"

"Oh yeah." I suddenly remembered and looked around to see if we were near the location I wanted to take her first. "Um, I know it's here somewhere."

"It?"

I snickered. "It's a surprise." I said and Nanoha once again pouted like an adorable five-year-old after I refused to reveal my plan. I felt a little bad for keeping her completely in the dark. "Okay, okay. I'll give you a hint…" I looked around again and beamed when I spotted what I was looking for. "C'mon," I gently guided her, still holding her hand, "this way."

The owner of the small hand I held obediently followed as I led her off the pavement and to a tree not too far from where we stood moments ago.

I released Nanoha's hand and jogged towards it.

I realized that it felt strange when I let go her hand, like something which was supposed to be in its rightful place had suddenly gone missing. And in result, made me feel… incomplete. And it didn't feel right at all.

I brushed that thought aside for now when I noticed Nanoha waiting nearby. "TADAH!" I exclaimed with both my hands up in the air. I beamed at her. I put on a smile for her. "Do you understand now?"

The brunette looked up at the tree and I knew she was amazed at how tall and big it was. It was obvious when she was gaping as she did so. But I knew she didn't understand why I brought her here.

"I don't understand."

My hands fell to my sides instantly with a soft flop. Well, I couldn't blame her. I didn't get it before either. I let my bag slip down my shoulder. It landed with a soft thud on the grass. "Okay, here." I turned around and looked for a branch that was really low enough for me to reach. I managed to get one while standing on my tiptoes and stretching my arm. I plucked one healthy leaf still with its small stem intact and showed it to Nanoha.

The girl continued to stare. She then cracked a smile and shook her head from side to side. "I really don't get it, Fate-chan." She said giving me a rueful smile. "What are you trying to show me?"

Instead of answering, I gave her a toothy grin. "Watch this." Using my fingers and nails, I slowly split open the leaf's stem lengthwise, careful not to part it all the way through. As I did so, a clear, thin film, similar to when you're about to form bubbles, covered the space within. When the opening was big enough for what I was about to do next, I glanced up at Nanoha and noticed that her eyes showed patience but, at the same time, eager anticipation. Satisfied that I got the princess's attention, I held the leaf close to my lips and blew gently through the slit I made, sending out several bubbles.

"Wha—"

I looked up at Nanoha and saw her eyes follow the tiny bubbles as they slowly floated and burst one after the other.

I couldn't help but giggle as she lost all words to say about what happened. I plucked another one and did the same thing.

Nanoha covered her mouth with her hands. Her eyes were wide with surprise and hilarity. "How—" The girl couldn't stop from giggling. Her face was smiling even more.

"Cool, huh?" I inspected the leaf and let it drop to the ground when there wasn't any more of the clear sap between the stem to blow out more tiny bubbles.

The girl managed to find the words she needed to put together. "How did you do that?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Just how you saw it." I reached up for the third time and got another good leaf and walked back to Nanoha. "Here," I held the leaf to her and waited for her to take it, "try it."

She looked at the leaf and then at me. "But…"

I blinked and tipped my head to the side. Somehow, I couldn't help but softly smile at her. "Don't worry," I stepped closer. "It's not as hard as it looks." I assured her. "Here," I reached down for her hands and lifted them up. I could feel her tense up but then her hands didn't show any resistance as I guided them carefully.

Nanoha obediently followed, despite her somewhat clumsy and shaky hands. Just like what I did awhile ago, she tensely mimicked my action along with my instructions, guiding her and giving her assurance to continue what she was doing. When she was finally able to split open the thin twig just as wide as I did, I commended her and then gave her the next instructions.

"Okay, good job." I said with a smile.

Touching both her hands holding the leaf, I gently nudged them close to her face. "You see a really thin and clear film in the opening?"

She nodded once, "… Yeah?"

"Good girl. Now, like how you blow bubbles out of those plastic sticks, blow at the opening."

I could see Nanoha hesitate.

"What's wrong?" I stepped closer. And I was surprised by a few things that I only noticed just recently. First, Nanoha was really cute and the outfit I lent to her all the more made her cuter. Second, I didn't expect that my uneasiness in coming into close contact with another person—especially Nanoha—was already forgotten. But what I really didn't expect was that this girl with the big blue eyes and rich auburn hair, didn't step back or push me away.

In a way, did this mean it was alright for her? For me to be this close, I mean.

"What if bubbles won't come out?" she asked a little sad, a little worried.

I couldn't answer right away. Not after seeing how seriously worried she was or how sad she would be if it didn't go well. I found myself a little nervous and scared that she might be disappointed with herself for failing with something I labeled as something easy to do. Mostly, I didn't want her to feel bad about herself.

I looked at the leaf between us, not anymore meeting her gaze. And as I looked more closely, her hands were shaking a little. Her hands were growing cold, too.

"They will," I silently said and meaning it. "If they won't," I wanted to see her eyes when I say the next words, "then we'll just try again until bubbles come out."

Nanoha didn't say anything yet she didn't look away like how she used to. "… Even if we used up all the leaves in the tree?"

I laughed but stopped when she didn't join me. I looked at the tree then back at her. "Well," I said with a shrug, "if that'll happen, we'll just have to come here again when the leaves grow back, if you know what I mean." I ended with a smile and a wink.

I saw her eyes widen. I didn't know whether she caught my drift or not but it felt right for me to say it.

Nanoha looked at the leaf again. The thin film was still there. She drew it near her lips and blew. Her eyes widened and lit up as four tiny bubbles came out. "I did it!" she squealed and watched as the small floating spheres went up.

I looked at them as well, relieved that she was able to do it. "Aww," I said feigning dejection and regret, "that's too bad." I ended with a click of my tongue and shaking my head in disappointment from side to side. I tossed a sidelong glance and saw her look at me with confused eyes.

"W-What's wrong?" she looked at the bubbles frantically and back at me. "Did I make a mistake?"

"No, of course not. You did great actually despite it being your first try." I pretended to give her a feeble smile. "But that means you and I won't be here again since you were able to blow some bubbles. But I guess that's okay too." My smile stayed on my face as I looked skyward, trying my best to keep up with my joke. And while thinking that, I relished the comfortable silence and enjoyed the feeling of looking upward at something big and blue.

"Y-Yes, we will!" Nanoha said without warning.

I looked back down at her, genuinely surprised. From the look she was giving and from the words she said, I think she took my joke seriously. I was just joshing around with her, and instantly regretted that I didn't take back my joke. I was about to tell her that when she continued.

"We'll come back here, Fate-chan. Any time is okay with me," she said as she still held the leaf in her hands. "It can be later, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or the year after that! Of course, if Fate-chan's okay with it, we'll definitely come back. I really don't mind at all!"

I stayed silent as I listened to her. Why she said those was beyond me. I knew she meant it and I couldn't find the heart—despite what other people say, I'm not that heartless—to laugh at her.

Instead, I quietly reached forward and gently tugged the leaf from her hands. Without saying anything, she released her hold on it and let me take it from her. In silence, I twirled the thing between my finger and thumb. My eyes looked up and I smiled at her. "You like blowing bubbles from leaves that much, huh?"

"Ah, no, I… It's because I like—" she stopped and instead looked at the ground. Her face turned red. Her shoes shifted and scraped restlessly on the ground.

My heart started to beat faster than usual. I stayed silent with baited breath. I was afraid that one false move, even if it was just taking in air, would cause this… fragile and fleeting moment to disappear and that I wouldn't be able to experience it ever again. It would be lost and would just be another part of my sub-consciousness which I can only name as another dream. By instinct, I bit and licked my suddenly dry lips.

The wind blew making my blonde hair and Nanoha's auburn tresses dance and sway. Our skirts fluttered lightly. The leaves and branches shook above causing the shadows and patches of light to dance on the grass and on our faces. I still held the leaf between my fingers. Not letting it slip and get blown by the summer wind.

Wordlessly, I walked back to where I dropped my bag and once again slipped it over my shoulder. I returned to where Nanoha stood and waited. With my free hand, I took hers again. Nanoha looked surprised.

And with a smile which I noticed I was doing quite so frequently whenever I'm around her, I cocked my head to the direction I wanted to take her next. "C'mon," I said, unable to stop from smiling, "there's another place I want to take you."

"…Fate-chan?"

"Yes, princess?"

"What are those?"

I actually blinked and looked at the thing I held with my right hand. Then I looked at the exact same one held by my left. "…Uh, raincoats?" I said, trying to stop myself from giggling at Nanoha's cute and lost reaction.

A little while before, I asked Nanoha to stay put and wait for a few minutes. I jogged on ahead and found the next location I wanted to take her. I approached a booth where a guy I was familiar with over the summer was watching over the stand. I asked if there were still some slots available for two people and when he gave the go signal, I right away asked for two plastic raincoats and promised the young man that I would be right back with my other companion.

And here I was, showing Nanoha two simple, translucent raincoats and waited for her to decide that there wasn't anything wrong with my head and that I wasn't disoriented and crazy in us to use them during a sunny summer day.

The girl in front of me continued to suspiciously eye the not-so unusual objects I held with both hands. I sort of understood why she gave me that look.

Nanoha looked up and searched for something in the sky. Playfully, I did as well.

And as expected, the sky was devoid of any clouds.

"But…"

"I know what you're thinking." I said, gently interrupting her. "But it's not what you think. Have you ever tried painting?"

"Um, yes. But that was back in elementary school and I wasn't very good at all."

I could feel a big smile forming on my face. "That's okay," I said with a chuckle. "I really suck at it too. How about darts?"

"What?"

"Y'know, playing darts."

"I don't think I've ever tried," she said hesitantly.

I chuckled again. "That's okay, too. I'll show you how to do it later. It's really easy." I draped both raincoats on one arm and again led Nanoha towards the makeshift booth with a sign saying Paint with Darts, the place where I got the raincoats from.

A guy with a goatee, wearing an orange aloha shirt and sunglasses sat behind the counter. He wore a smile when the two of us stood in front of him.

"Welcome!" He greeted. He then took a quick glance at what was hanging over my arm. "I see you came back with your partner—"

Somehow that last part was… awkward.

"—and your coats. Would you like to paint together or separately?"

"One is fine," I said almost automatically.

"Alright." He slid a piece of paper towards us and placed a pen beside it. There were already several names listed, almost reaching to seventy had already signed up. "Please write both your names and your home addresses on the register."

I took the pen and handed it to Nanoha letting her write her information first. Meanwhile, the guy reached for something under the table and took out two plastic boxes and placed it in front of us. Nanoha then, handed the pen back to me and I started writing my name and address after hers.

A small smile formed on my lips when I skimmed her address. Oh, she lives around Hayate's neighborhood.

"You'll be in booth 12," the guy said. "That would be fifty dollars for thirty minutes and five dollars for each raincoat. Total of sixty dollars, please."

Nanoha was about to open her bag. And I knew right away that she was thinking of paying for the entire thing. So I immediately stopped her. "It's okay," I said touching her hand. "My treat." Then I pulled out my own wallet and took out the exact amount.

"But… It's not good that you should pay for all of it."

I blinked. My hand stopped midway from handing the money to the guy. "Well…" How should I put it? "It's not really a matter of it being good or not. Since I was the one who invited you to this place, I should be the one to pay for it." I knew she was still unconvinced. I smirked at how stubborn she was. "Tell you what," I quickly said. "So, we'll be even. Next time, you can take me anywhere you want and I'll let you pay. Deal?"

Her eyes widened a little. Her cheeks turned red again. But she didn't look away. Instead, the corner of her lips tipped upwards into a smile. "Okay," she said softly.

I couldn't help but return the smile as well. "Okay," I said also. With that future plan settled, I gave the guy the money and took the boxes from the table.

Upon seeing me carrying them, Nanoha reached for the coats draped on my arm and hung it on hers. I was about to protest but whimpered a little when she gave me a stern look, which I considered more to be adorable than intimidating.

"Didn't know you were the submissive type, Fate." The guy said with a snicker.

"Sh-Shut up," I grumbled and gently nudged Nanoha along before the guy could say anything further.

I could hear his voice in the distance saying "Have fun" as he lazily waved his hand in bidding us farewell.

"Was he a friend?" Nanoha asked as the two of us made our way to the area where we could start playing with darts and paints.

I thought about it. "I'm not sure."

Nanoha giggled. "What kind of answer is that, Fate-chan?"

"What? It's true," I said defensively. "We only meet and talk when he and his group come here in the park for the summer. I'm not even sure of his name, actually."

"But he knows yours."

I thought about it again. "Well… my sister and I used to come here every summer. And most of the time, she did most of the talking with other people. I just usually stay behind to watch and listen. So, they just know my name because she would just randomly brag it to any random person she met."

Then Nanoha said, "Your sister must've loved telling people about you, Fate-chan." There was a hint of joy and sadness in her gentle voice.

I looked at her and thought about what she said. I've noticed that I had done nothing but think recently. I looked up as if the answer was in the sky, as if the rustling leaves in their branches would whisper to me the right words to say. "Well… I don't know about that. When it came to my sister, there were times I didn't know what she was thinking. I mean, it's not like we were born as twins, anyway." I laughed but it felt a little off. Nanoha must've noticed since she stayed quiet.

Merry laughter and excited voices filled in the air. As I looked around, there were already several booths lined up on our left and right. People who already started even before we signed up were already absorbed in their creative play.

The idea was really simple. Using the darts, pop the balloons filled with paint on the canvas they're pinned on. The balloons were also in different colors. But that didn't mean the paint inside were of the same color as the balloon. Sometimes, you would pop one that gives out a different color. So the fun part was you never know what color you're going to get when you start playing. It was both exciting and annoying at the same time.

The clean canvas the balloons were pinned on was large and blank, giving us the freedom and countless possibilities on how the painting would come out in the end. The balloons you popped with the darts would color some parts of the empty space in different proportions. Some would splatter, burst and even ooze out the paint. You'll definitely never know how it'll turn out.

We walked in silence for awhile. I was beginning to wonder why we haven't seen booth 12 yet and maybe there wasn't one in the first place.

We passed by a few more booths. Bursting with laughter, some of the customers were fully absorbed with their painting as they randomly and energetically let the darts fly with no particular target in mind. Others took it a lot more seriously and concentrated on which balloon they were going to shoot at next. Careful to choose their next target in order to get the desired image they cooked up in their imaginative heads.

But despite them having different methods, anyone could tell that they were having fun. The multicolored raincoats which were sprayed, splattered and partially covered with paint were a dead giveaway.

"It looks fun." Nanoha said smiling as she continued to observe the people around her.

"It is fun," I playfully corrected her.

I was glad that she was talking to me again. I didn't want any awkward silence to have an opportunity to happen. To say I was relieved to finally arrive in our booth was a real understatement. It's not that I found the silence between us unbearable. It's just that I didn't want either of us to feel uncomfortable, most especially Nanoha.

Like all the other booths we saw on the way, ours also had one large white canvas about five feet tall covered with pinned-up balloons bloated with paint. The smell wafted in the air but luckily, it wasn't that strong to make our noses scrunch up. Dividers were a few meters away on all three sides around the canvas. And instead of another divider, a narrow table was placed on one side where we would stand and fire our darts to our targets.

I placed the boxes on the table. A breeze thankfully blew. Good thing it wasn't that strong to knock over the dividers.

Nanoha observed the balloons a few feet away from us. The plastic coats still hung over her arms. I stood next to her and picked up one of them from her arm.

"Ready?" I asked her as I held the smaller coat first and started to pop open its buttons.

Nanoha spacing out didn't right away notice that I had already put the translucent coat over her shoulders.

Her cheeks tinted red. Her blue eyes grew wide. Her lips quivered and shook a little. "I-I can do that myself," she stuttered out, finally noticing how close I was and that my arms circled around her as I held the coat with both hands.

I laughed at her reaction. "But you were spacing out so I thought you might need some help," I said shrugging.

"But really, I'm fine." She stepped back, still a little flustered.

I smiled ruefully. "Alright, if you say so." I said and started to put my own raincoat on.

When the two of us were just about done, I opened the boxes on the table containing twenty darts inside.

Nanoha had already stood behind me and peered over my shoulder.

"Alright," I started, "you saw how the other customers did it, right?"

Nanoha nodded. "But it looks really hard."

I smiled. "Well, it may be hard at first." I picked up one of the darts. "But once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple. We just get one," I then raised the thing to my eye level. "Aim," I targeted a yellow balloon assuming it had yellow paint inside. "And let it fly," And threw the dart with a flick of my wrist. Luckily, it managed to hit my target. The balloon popped and splattered yellow paint over the canvas and the balloons around it, making my demonstration a success.

Nanoha squeaked when the balloon burst. Her blue eyes grew with excitement.

"See?"

"That was amazing, Fate-chan!"

I shrugged. "Not really," I said getting another dart. "Like I said, it's actually pretty easy." I took her hand and placed the dart in her palm.

She looked down at it and back at me again, giving me a confused and slightly scared look after realizing what it meant.

I simply grinned, "Your turn, princess," and anticipated her next reaction.

"B-But I don't know how!" she stammered.

I blinked. "But…" I pointed a thumb at the canvas. "I just showed it to you awhile ago."

"But that doesn't mean I already know how to do it! Much less be good at it. I-I can't!"

I tipped my head to the side. "Well… that doesn't really matter. Plus, how would you know? You haven't even tried it yet."

Nanoha's shoulders visibly slumped in defeat. I sighed feeling sorry for the girl. I moved closer and once again guided her hand.

"Just remember what I said: Aim and let it fly."

The girl was still hesitant.

"Don't worry," I patted her shoulder gently. "I know you can do it!"

I saw her eyes brighten up a little. And just for a fleeting moment, I took pride in causing it. That I was able to convince Nanoha and encourage her to do something she was clearly unsure of.

She faced her targets, took several steadying breaths and threw the dart hard.

My eyes and head moved to follow the dart as it rose making a wide arc over the intended targets, clearly missing them by a mile and watched it as it fell and landed on the other side of the canvas. And into another booth.

Nanoha and I flinched and winced when we heard several surprised yelps from the people on the other side. Some of them sounded pissed.

I sweatdropped as I continued to listen to what they were saying, ranging from patient, reprimanding words to… not-so-nice-to-hear ones.

I had to literally bite back my lower lip so as not to let even a chuckle out. I gave a sidelong glance at Nanoha who actually went stiff and turned pale when she realized what she had done.

"I'm going home!" She tried to bolt.

"Oh, no, you don't!" I instantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and used her momentum to spin her back once to her original place. "Don't even think about it," I playfully warned her.

"B-But…" she nervously stammered. Her voice cracked a little in fear of being possibly hunted down by the people on the other side. Her eyes were already watery with tears.

"Nah, don't mind them." I waved a hand dismissively and playfully sneered at the direction where Nanoha's misguided dart landed. "That kind of thing happens all the time. It's plain normal." Although I said it matter-of-factly, the truth was I lied. I didn't know much about the rules of probability but chances of the thing that happened awhile ago would only happen once out of five-hundred. Or something along that line.

"But I could've hit someone!" Nanoha argued on the verge of tears.

I cleared my throat and tried again. "Well, yeah, but that's what the roof above our table is for. Each booth has one, so stray darts wouldn't land on the customers' unsuspecting heads." And to prove my point, I pointed a finger towards the makeshift roof above where we stood.

Nanoha looked up. But then she lowered her head again. Her eyes lost its brightness from before. And I knew it wasn't enough to make her feel less guilty.

Ah, now she feels even worse. I mentally kicked myself. I sighed and thought about what I could do for her.

My arm was still around her shoulders. "Hey," I shook her once. "Let's make a bet."

She raised her head slowly. "A bet?"

"Yep, there are twenty-five balloons on the canvas, right? Whoever can pop more than the other one wins."

The auburn-haired girl giggled weakly. "What happens to the winner?"

I looked up thoughtfully about the prize. "The loser has to do whatever the winner wants them to do," I said a little pumped up because of my ingenious idea. "And it could be anything."

Nanoha looked into my eyes and seemed to be searching for something only she knew of. "…Anything?" She sounded incredulous yet happy.

"Yep," I nodded. "Anything," I repeated. "Oh, except for world domination or any crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment, of course."

Nanoha finally laughed. Her cute laughter that was uniquely hers alone. It was rich and full of mirth. And as I continued to listen, I couldn't help but smile softly at her.

"What is it?"

"Ah." I think she caught me. "N-Nothing." I stepped away from her and busied my hands by moving our bags under the table where they would be safe from possibly getting paint on. "So," I turned back to her. "Is it a deal?"

"Okay," she smiled. "It's a deal." Her hand instantly shot up in front of me with her pinky finger raised up.

I blinked several times at her hand. The gesture wasn't foreign and yet it still caught me off guard. "…Pinky promise?" I tilted my head to the side.

When she realized what she did, she instantly hid her hand behind her back. "S-Sorry! I don't know what came over me!" Her face started turning red again. Her eyes avoided seeing mine. "It was… kind of out of reflex, I guess. I-It wasn't even close to a promise anyway." She reasoned lamely. "L-Let's just start—"

She stopped talking. Her eyes looked stunned. Her mouth slackened a little and was unable to form words. And I exactly knew why.

I patiently waited for her as I extended my own pinky finger the same way she did. She whispered my name. I could tell she didn't expect this from me.

Even I was surprised.

"Whether it's called a deal or a promise or whatever or however people may call it, it's about giving your word and never going back on it, right?"

Nanoha still didn't say anything for awhile and I wanted to punch myself and regretted in saying something so sappy, lame, embarrassing and downright uncoo—

"Mm." The girl smiled softly reaching her eyes. Her gaze gentle and happy. She nodded her head once. "Right." Nanoha locked her pinky finger around mine. I couldn't feel her hand shaking nor was there a hint of hesitation. Nanoha… was sure of something only she knew of.

In response, my finger did the same. Firmly yet gently locking with hers. And I knew I couldn't stop myself from forming a smile. We both shook on it.

And it was, I think, the first promise we ever made together.

"I can't believe this is happening," I grumbled as Nanoha was about to throw another dart but stopped when she heard me.

"About what?" She asked innocently, as if she had no idea what I was talking about. And to make matters worse she really didn't have any idea at all!

To make my long story short, I'll sum it all up in three words: I. Was. Losing.

Since we started, Nanoha was able to pop eight balloons while I was only able to get rid of six. Our deal was the first one to pop thirteen out of twenty-five balloons wins.

Usually, I would be doing pretty well whenever I played dart painting before. But recently, there was clearly something wrong with me.

"Ah, it's nothing," I said with a tense laugh and threw another dart but unfortunately, it missed the blue balloon I was eyeing for some time now.

"Do they always do this in park? Dart painting, I mean."

"No, they only hold it every summer. It became popular when they started years ago. So, it kinda, sorta became a summer tradition for the locals to participate at least once."

"Really? Why is that?"

"It's kind of like a fund raising thing to financially help the children stricken with terminal illnesses in the hospital."

"So the money goes to the children?" Nanoha threw one but missed.

"Yep," I said distractedly since I was trying to aim for the confounded balloon. "But sometimes, the money wouldn't be enough even though there were a lot of other charity events happening all year-round.

I sensed Nanoha stop to look at me. "Why is that?"

"Well, besides the hospital bills, there's till the matter of hard-to-get medicines, expensive equipment, rehab and a bunch of other stuffs. Most of the diseases aren't the common, easily-cured ones either. Some are rare and incurable that need doctors specializing with those kind of diseases." I shrugged, not to show my indifference, but to emphasize the futility of the situation when you look at it more closely. "Sometimes, it really can't be helped. There are times… that it's wise to quit and accept something you can't change, even though you tried to give it your all."

Without meaning to, my thoughts somehow led me to my sister. The persistence of how I would suddenly recall these memories was beginning to seriously annoy me.

For some time, I didn't notice that Nanoha and I had stopped throwing darts and popping balloons. She listened attentively to what I said and waited patiently in silence.

I wasn't particularly a fan of this kind of thing though. It made me remember a lot of things I wanted to forget from the past, to live in utter ignorance in my present and perhaps, abandon hope for the future. My future…

"A-Anyway, basically dart painting is for a good cause, right?" Nanoha said suddenly.

"Well, yeah…" I agreed in a daze.

"So, um, let's do it again, Fate-chan. Let's come back here next summer," she said with determination.

My eyebrows arched up at how she had unwittingly made plans with me in the future without my consent—again. I didn't know if she was aware of it or not, but the girl seriously knew how to manipulate a conversation to end up with a plan of coming back and doing something again. I think this was already the third plan, I guess, if you counted the second one when we argued about who would pay.

A smile crept on my lips. Oh well. "You did it again."

It was her turn to look surprised. She blinked a couple of times and tilted her head to the side. "Did what again?"

I put a smug smile and raised my chin up in faux arrogance at her. "Asking me out on dates," I said as I winked playfully.

A splash of red—and I didn't mean the paint—covered her face and soon spread all over her body. "D-D-Dates?" The dart fell out of her hand and landed on the ground. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"Yep. Didn't know you were that bold and eager to take me out on dates, princess."

Nanoha gaped and of course, all the blood just came rushing into her head. She was clearly flustered. Her blush this time was the darkest I've seen so far. "B-But I didn't!" She stomped her foot—which was still adorable to look at of course. "That wasn't my intention at all!"

"Oh?" I raised a challenging eyebrow at her. "You don't sound convincing to me though." I laughed as I slightly turned away from her.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Nanoha's cheeks puff up. Her lips pouted and her thin brows furrowed together in a frown. And at the same time, still having that cute blush on her face. I heard her make a small growl before she picked up the dart she dropped on the ground earlier, "Fate-chan is such a… meanie!" and threw it hard at the canvas causing two balloons next to each other to explode—a yellow one and a pink one—at the same time, spreading their contrasting colors.

"Cool!" I exclaimed, genuinely impressed by the unconventional technique she used and how pretty the colors came out. And did I mention I was also a little scared of the princess' potential when someone pisses her off? But anyway, "Nice shot, princess!" I congratulated her, mentally reminding myself to never tease her too much.

Nanoha was a little out of breath. "Thank you…" Her face was covered with a light sheen of sweat. But despite that, she gave me a tired yet happy smile.

Then I realized she was three balloons away from winning. "Let's see who makes the best trick." I picked up two darts and launched them both using right and left hands, making two balloons—a green one and a white one—pop.

Nanoha heartily laughed. "How did you do that?"

I shrugged airily. "Magic," and gave her a cheeky grin.

She lightly glared at me.

I whimpered a little. "Or you could call it being ambidextrous." The score was 10-8.

Nanoha giggled, "I didn't know you were ambidextrous."

"Really?" I laughed.

She laughed with me.

"Neither did I," I deadpanned.

I knew that would sound weird for her and of course, she'd stop to think about it giving me the chance to quickly get another pair of darts and shoot two more balloons. "Woohoo!" I did a fist pump. We were finally tied: 10-10.

A jaw dropped and next came a whine. "Hey, no fair! You cheated!"

I wore a smug smile. "Sorry, princess. But," I said with a snap of my fingers, "you snooze, you lose." I laughed some more when I saw her put her fists on her hips with a huff. "Plus," I mirrored her stance. "I never cheat." I declared proudly. "Just creative strategy."

"Really?" This time, she was challenging me and was slowly becoming sarcastic.

I nodded, playing along. "Really."

We stared down at each other, waiting to see who would break the impromptu staring contest first. I tried to conceal my laughter. She was doing the same. Both of us were wearing crooked smiles stopping ourselves from laughing.

Then, in a flash, we picked up the remaining darts and started throwing them aimlessly and quickly as we could. It was now a battle of speed and who could blow up all the remaining balloons the fastest. Both of us didn't care if we ran out of darts.

Nanoha popped one. "Yes!" she cheered.

I missed one. "Ah! No fair!" Then, I decided to come up with another strategy. There were only four balloons left. If Nanoha manages to pop two more…

The girl beside me was about to throw another dart. I did what I had to do. I wound an arm around neck and covered her eyes.

Nanoha shrieked and laughed. "W-Wait!" She squirmed away from my hold, "Fate-chan!" and tried to shove my hand away but I stubbornly held it in place. I also hoped that Nanoha wouldn't stab me with her dart.

I readied myself to shoot another one and prayed that my effort would not be in vain. I let it fly and rejoiced to hear the popping sound and the splash of balloon and paint. "Oh yeah!"

"Wait! You popped one? That doesn't count, Fate-chan!"

I couldn't help but laugh. I struggled to reach for the box of darts.

The princess was still giggling. "Now, you're clearly cheating!" She used her free hand in prying my hand off her eyes.

"It's creative strategy, I tell ya!"

The two of us looked ridiculous from an outsider's point of view. Our bodies swayed and squirmed around. Nanoha was acting like a fish wanting to free itself from the hook that caught it.

"Noooo! Let go!" Her laughter clearly betrayed her words.

"Don't wanna!" I said childishly.

"Fine!" She said with finality, though it was far from being angry or annoyed.

For a second, I wondered what she was about to do. And she surprised me by blindly throwing her dart—which miraculously didn't stab me all this time we were wriggling around—and unbelievably hit a green balloon dead center.

I gaped. "Whoa!"

Nanoha went stiff. "D-Did I hit someone?" she asked worriedly. Her eyes were still covered.

I removed my hand from her eyes but still hung my arm over her shoulders.

Nanoha visibly paled. Her eyes looked around frantically. "W-Who got hit?" Her voice trembled a little.

I sighed and felt a little bad about making her worry for nothing. So I decided to take back my joke. "There," I gestured forward.

She followed the direction I pointed where she thought she hit an innocent soul.

I threw another dart popping the second to the last balloon next to the one Nanoha shot earlier. "And then, there was one," I whispered close to her ears dramatically.

"Hey!" She playfully shoved and smacked my shoulder.

I could only laugh. "Oh my, the White Devil strikes again!"

"Don't call me that!" she scolded. But it wasn't convincing enough when she was wearing that cute frown of hers along with her red-tinted cheeks. "Do I really look like a devil to you?"

I didn't say anything and just put on a wide smile before I hurriedly reached for the last dart to pop the last balloon.

Nanoha gasped and quickly caught me in a bear hug, locking my arms to my side.

I sharply inhaled, "H-Hey!" and laughed. "I appreciate the skinship, princess. But you gotta let go! I'm almost winning!"

"No!" she stubbornly said. "I don't want to!" She snatched the dart from my fingers and hurriedly stepped away from me to take aim.

"Why you little!" I glomped her from behind. She screamed and squirmed to break free again. And despite falling captive in my arms, she still raised the dart to aim at the last red balloon.

Desperate times calls for desperate measures!

I poked Nanoha's sides. She let out a sharp yelp.

Nanoha blushed. "F-Fate-chan…" She totally looked surprised.

I blinked. "Ah." Then a wicked smile slowly crept on my face. "So that's it…"

"W-What's it?" She curled up protectively.

I hummed. The wicked smile showed how I thoroughly enjoyed my new discovery. "Your weakness!"

I tickled Nanoha and of course she was giggling and laughing nonstop against her sensible will. Using one arm to hold her in place, my other hand tickled her left side.

"Fate… Fate-chan! Stop!" She begged as she laughed breathlessly.

"Give me the dart!" I demanded.

"No!"

"Give it!"

She laughed and yelled, "Noooo!" Her hand holding the thing we were fighting over slipped out of my arm. Nanoha didn't think twice in throwing it.

The last balloon popped.

I froze. My fingers stopped from poking her sensitive side any further. A moment passed before realization dawned on us both.

"I won!" She cheered even though she was out of breath.

I, on the other hand, hung my head in defeat over her shoulder. "Aw man," I groaned. To think that I actually lost to someone who didn't even know how to throw darts in the first place. Though it wasn't a humiliating defeat, my competitiveness and pride didn't make me feel any better. Usually, this would irk me for a certain period of time. Yes, I'm actually a sore loser by heart.

"Aw, there, there," Nanoha cooed and reached over to pat my head gently.

But if it's this girl… I think I wouldn't mind at all.

"There's always next time, Fate-chan."

But I am allowed to get some sort of consolation, right?

I smirked and made a low growl and tickled Nanoha without warning. Of course, the girl was yet again under my mercy. "You just got lucky, that's all!"

"Just admit that you—" She shrieked when I tickled her more fiercely. "Just admit it, Fate-chan!"

I tickled her awhile longer. The rustling of our raincoats proved how much we moved around. My arms were already getting heavy and Nanoha was getting weak from laughing. I stopped as I too was starting to feel exhausted from laughter.

The two of us remained close in a loose embrace. My forehead rested on her shoulder. Gradually, Nanoha leaned herself against me. Her face was in the crook of my neck, tickling me with every warm breath she let out, causing a slight shiver to run down my spine. The two of us panted, out of breath as if we ran in a marathon.

I could feel my heart pound more against my chest as I continued to hold her close. Maybe it was because I could also feel her heartbeat also, closely matching my rhythm.

Sometimes, traces of weak laughter and giggles escaped our lips as we waited for our heart rates and breathing to return to normal. We stood and waited to calm down. And then I realized Nanoha didn't hurriedly move away from embarrassment of being so close to me like she used to. That… made me a little happy.

But even if she did, I wouldn't let her.

However, the very thought that Nanoha would decide to stay away because of after all the mean things I did and all the cruel words I said before made me whimper on the inside if that were Nanoha's choice.

The girl was kind and honest to a fault. Why did she have to like someone like me?

With that thought, I decided to let go and move back when I heard some rustling sounds and arms slowly embracing me closer to a small yet warm and soft body and feeling a hand gently patting my back. Somehow, all those sensations snapped me out of my somewhat depressing train of thoughts.

"Are you okay, Fate-chan?" A voice, gentle and kind and laced with worry, asked. "You're shaking," Nanoha whispered.

I was so surprised that my chest clenched uneasily and my throat tightened making me want to cry out. I felt relief. I felt safe. I felt wanted. I felt happy. All of it was because of her.

The canvas covered with an array of colors in different patterns and forms, the remains of the balloons hanging by their pins and still dripping with trickles of paint, the darts which we threw with enthusiasm and how they sliced through the air with the flick of our wrists and would either hit or miss their targets were stuck on the hard surface of the canvas, all of which were completely forgotten.

I chuckled and, this time, held her closer and tighter as I buried my face more into her neck and hair.

Sensing my sudden action, Nanoha stammered out my name.

The smell of paint was on her, but I didn't care. To me, it was still Nanoha's. And I just wanted to bask in her warmth and be surrounded by her scent. "Yes… I'm okay." I chuckled and let out a pleased sigh as I closed my eyes to take in more of her presence. "In fact, I've never felt better."

…Though I didn't know why.

"The guy said they'll send the pictures to our houses by the end of summer." I handed Nanoha the cool can of apple juice I got for her from the refreshment stand nearby after I gave back the plastic raincoats we got from the goatee-guy awhile ago. I still had no idea what his name was though.

She thanked me as she happily received it to quench her thirst. "So that's what the addresses on the register were for."

"Yep," I opened my can of lemonade after Nanoha opened hers. I sat down next to her on the bench, still maintaining a careful distance from her. "It'll be the first dart painting picture you'll get after moving here in Mid."

A few minutes after Nanoha popped the last red balloon—which strangely made an abstract, upside-down heart-shaped splatter on the canvas—one of the staff with a camera hanging around his neck suddenly appeared out of nowhere and energetically asked us to stand near the finished painting and pose for a picture.

Of course, Nanoha and I quickly stepped away from each other. I was actually embarrassed that somebody walked in on us although we didn't do anything… out of the ordinary. Friends hug each other, right?

Wait… friends? I knew I was beginning to frown deeply. We're friends? The question which was seemingly simple had a very evasive answer to it, which I hadn't quite found out yet. The fact that I decided to keep a good distance away from this girl and make her think I was the most horrible person on the face of the planet was supposed to keep things simple and from getting complicated in the near future.

But since I impulsively acted on this mysterious urge to not let her leave and selfishly decided on my own to take her somewhere, I could seriously conclude… that there was seriously something wrong with me.

For one thing, I would normally never act this way. I would plan out everything down to the last detail and always think things through. Well, usually I would do things on a whim and improvise. But that's when it only involved me!

As of the moment, I was currently sitting on a park bench drinking a can of juice with a cute auburn-haired, blue-eyed girl who, in one night, in a-spur-of-the-moment act, confessed she liked me more than a month ago after only meeting each other after three days. How messed up is that?

I inwardly groaned. I must have done something in my past life to deserve this.

I discreetly looked at the girl beside me who was taking casual sips from her can of liquid fruit extract. Since it was getting a bit humid after our unusual painting experience, Nanoha tied her hair into her signature lopsided ponytail once again. Her forelocks framed her face and would occasionally flutter and sway against her cheeks with every lift of the gentle wind.

I found myself looking back at confused blue eyes. "What is it, Fate-chan?"

"Hmm?" Shit, I got caught again. "Ah, no… it's nothing," I giggled and faced forward once again, pretending to observe the other residents of Mid frolicking around.

From the corner of my eye, Nanoha held her can with both hands on her lap and restlessly drummed her fingertips against the aluminum container. I could tell that she was thinking of something serious, as if she was caught in a dilemma.

"By the way," I said to gain her attention.

The girl immediately looked at me and waited.

"You still haven't told me what to do yet."

"…Huh?" She looked like she really forgot.

"The bet," I told her and waited for a reaction. "You won, remember?" I smiled when her eyes grew wide as if she had an epiphany. "So I have to do anything you want me to do," I added.

Nanoha looked dumbfounded for a moment. But she slowly recovered. "…Anything?" she asked quietly. "Really anything?"

I chuckled. "Don't tell me you forgot," I grinned at her. "Anything," I said again, confirming it.

She gripped her can of refreshment more tightly than a few minutes ago, as if she was trying to desperately hold onto it. "Then… Fate-chan…"

"Yes, princess?" I said eagerly. I thought that she was going to ask me for something simple yet she was just too darn shy to ask for it directly. I decided to encourage her more. "C'mon," I said to her, "how hard can it be?"

She bit back her lip and carefully formed the words she wanted to say. "… C-Can you tell me… about your sister?"

The smile on my face slowly disappeared, leaving my eyes empty and lifeless. My face and body froze. And I literally felt cold from the inside out. I found myself having a hard time in swallowing the lump that was annoyingly forming deep in my throat. My hands down to my fingers became clammy and numb. My lips partly opened. I was simply speechless and unable to choose whether I should stay quiet or say something… anything to make her change her mind. Anything but this…

My chest became heavy and I only realized that I was holding my breath. I inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled feeling the sensation of air entering my lungs, making sure I remember how to breathe. "…Why?" The question just came out as a whisper.

Nanoha's eyes showed regret. "Um, b-because… I wanted to know more about you and you seemed really hap—"

I stood up, unintentionally cutting her off. I wanted to move my body and get rid of the weird sensation of stillness from not moving for quite some time.

"I-I'm sorry, Fate-chan!" Nanoha said quickly as she sprung to her feet. "I shouldn't have asked that. It's none of my business, in the first place. But… you just looked so happy whenever you talked about your sister… That's all, I guess…" She trailed off as her eyes turned downcast at the ground where we stood.

I remained quiet as I listened to her talk. Her blue eyes were on the verge of tears. A voice filled with regret and fear cracked and shook as she continued to deliver her words to me.

"I'm sorry…" she said in a quiet and tiny voice. "Please don't get mad."

I felt a pang of pain. I inhaled and exhaled as I thought about her question. I tapped a finger on the aluminum can in my hand. I sighed once more. "Let's go for a walk," I said.

Nanoha looked up at me. Blue eyes were already brimmed with clear liquid that has yet to shed. "…What?"

"This'll take awhile," I said simply as I lightly scraped my shoe on the ground. The rough sound seemed to strangely calm me. "I feel… uneasy if I stay still."

"Y-You're not mad?"

I smiled. "No." That was the truth. "Just… surprised, is all." And it was technically true since I was simply astonished. "C'mon," I said and started walking. The girl hurried to my side. We walked in a slow leisurely pace. "What do you want to know?"

"Um… I'm not sure."

"Ha?" I laughed heartily. "What kind of answer is that?" I asked rhetorically.

"I just want to listen to you talk!" Nanoha defended. "Stop laughing, Fate-chan!"

My laughter gradually turned to mere giggles as I tried to do what the girl demanded. "Well…" I cleared my throat and wiped the moist corners of my eyes. Then an idea came to me. "Want to see a picture of her first?"

Nanoha's eyes lit up. "S-Sure!"

I took out my phone and browsed through the gallery looking for a particularly nice picture. I tapped on the screen and showed Nanoha a picture of a girl with burgundy eyes and long blonde hair half-turning towards the camera with a cheerful smile on her face. "This is my sister," I said. "Isn't she a beauty?"

She studied the image intensely. "But…"

"But what?"

She seemed to hesitate for a bit before she answered, "That's you… Fate-chan."

My eyes widened in reaction but still I tried to keep a straight face. How did she know? How could she have known something even Hayate and Chrono had a hard time guessing? "Um… you're saying that… my sister looks like me, right?"

"No," she shook her head slowly. "I mean… it's really you." Nanoha looked at me straight in the eye.

I honestly thought that Nanoha had no idea what she was talking about, that she was just bluffing or that it was one of those moments wherein a person read the atmosphere and predicted the hidden answer. But as I continued to search for any trace of hesitation and uncertainty in her eyes, I soon found myself giving up. Because there was nothing to look for. Because Nanoha really knew who it was in the picture.

With her deep and most honest eyes, she was able to make me feel vulnerable and open. And that she had the magic to see right through me. Her gaze was both wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

I scoffed and the corner of my lips tipped upwards. "How did you know?"

Nanoha blinked and looked as surprised. "I… I don't know…" She said in a thinking pose.

"What?" I chuckled.

"I'm not sure exactly." She continued, "I just… know it somehow."

My smile only grew.

Whether it was magic or not—

"You passed," I whispered under my breath.

"Eh?"

—Nanoha… always amazes me.

"Nothing," I said as I put my phone back in my pocket and readjusted my strap's bag on my shoulder. "Anyway, I don't have a picture of my sister in my phone." I glanced at Nanoha and saw her eyes widen a little. Her face clearly wanted to ask why. "Sorry," I said with a grin, "but I don't keep pictures of the dead in my phone. Although it's not because I don't like it, it's just… easier that way, I guess. Right?"

She didn't say anything and just quietly nod her head once.

Nanoha and I continued to walk through the park. Not really having a particular destination in mind.

"…Alicia," Like a set of dominoes toppling one after another, simply mentioning my sister's name made me remember the memories and feelings from my past that I had always wished to just disappear and stop haunting me for the rest of my days. "She's three years older than us and would've been in university by now. She was an excellent student, a kind daughter and everybody wanted to be around her. People often told us that we both looked the same. They said we could pass up as twins, if not for the height difference, that is." I giggled a little at remembering something Alicia did before.

I looked at Nanoha and said, "There was one time that I was almost as tall as her. Nee-san was seriously miffed and drank milk and a bunch of other dairy products so she could quickly grow taller than me. 'I'm your older sister. So I should naturally be taller than you,' Alicia would say. But—" My shoulders shook from laughter, "in the end, she just got an upset stomach."

I laughed some more of the memory, while Nanoha quietly smiled at my side. "But, honestly? My sister was, in all aspects, far better than I could ever hope to become. She was more beautiful. She had a much kinder and gentler smile. She was really smart and was really good at sports, too. She may be childish… and selfish sometimes but… I think that was part of her charm. In other words, everybody loved her. She was both envied and admired by the girls. And… how should I put this? Um, let's just say a lot of boys and girls were crazy about her."

"Like how Fate-chan's popular with the boys and the girls?"

I burst out in laughter. I couldn't help but notice that Nanoha sounded… annoyed? "No, no. My popularity is incomparable to my sister's. If she were here, there's no doubt you'd also be one of her fan girls falling head over heels for her—"

Nanoha stopped walking and swiftly turned to me. "There's no way that would happen!"

I was taken aback.

Realizing what she said, her hands instantly clamped her mouth. Her face turned red almost instantly and had gotten darker with each second that ticked by.

Strangely enough, the awkward silence also made my face feel warm and my ears felt tingly. It was supposed to be a joke. I just wanted to tease her a little. But I guess that didn't… go well as I'd hoped.

I faced forward and cleared my throat. "A-Anyway," I took one step then another. Moving forward and sparing Nanoha and I from feeling more embarrassed.

The girl silently walked by my side again. Her blush had faded and her face regained its normal color.

"Like I said, my sister's a great person." I went on, "Gentle, beautiful and strong. Was a bit self-centered but was also able to meet everyone's expectations. Be it at school or at home, my sister was good at everything she did." I let out a deep sigh. "Of course, with a sister like that, people can't help but compare the two of us. And honestly…" Suddenly, my chest grew heavy and I felt this emptiness slowly taking over me. "There were times I felt average, if not inferior, compared to her."

I controlled myself and stopped my emotions from showing on my face. Talking about my sister to Nanoha was one thing. Breaking down since I couldn't control my emotions and humiliating myself was an entirely different story. One which I didn't want anyone—not even Nanoha—to see or know of. "But my sister would always say otherwise. That I should never think like that. 'There's something that you can do that I can never do. And I envy you for that,' was what my sister used to say—in a really loud voice, I might add."

"…Something only Fate-chan can do?"

I shrugged, honestly clueless myself. "I have no idea what she meant either. From time to time, Nee-san would say things she considered her own unique version of the Nuggets of Wisdom."

Nanoha giggled. "That's a little mean, Fate-chan."

"It's true!" I laughed. "In fact, there was one time she told me to always wear decent-looking or sexy and very attractive underwear wherever I go."

"What?" Nanoha stifled back a laugh before asking, "Why is that?"

I snickered. "Her reason? She said that if I ever get into an accident—Heaven forbid—and they have to strip me when they have to rush me to the ER, I wouldn't be embarrassed to be caught wearing worn-out underwear." I shook my head in faux dismay.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Nanoha had a laughing fit.

I couldn't blame her really. I sighed again, "I practically facepalmed the first time my sister told me."

"Your sister—" Another round of her cute giggles, "said that to you?"

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "I told you," I said in false exasperation, "my sister has her own idiotic version of the Nuggets of Wisdom. And that was just one of them. She even told me where to properly place my computer in my room."

Nanoha slowed down her laughter. She sniffed as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes, "What about your computer?"

"She said to never let the monitor face the door. That way, anyone coming in wouldn't be able to see the… interestingly-mature things that I might want to watch when I reach a legal age." I glanced carefully at Nanoha and, as expected, she didn't get it—thankfully. "It's okay. It was one of her stupid and nonsensical advices anyway." I said, inwardly relieved that the cute girl was a bit dense. What you don't know won't scar you for life.

Somewhere in our talk, we managed to exit the park and get into town. I noticed that the surroundings weren't anymore as bright as it was during lunch. The air was getting humid and a little heavy too. As if it was about to—

"Your sister seemed like a fun person to be with, Fate-chan," Nanoha said.

I blinked once and wore a small smile. "Yeah, she was. I wasn't kidding that you were going to like her… as a friend or maybe even as a cool upperclassman, I mean. Seriously, you would've liked my sister." I looked down in a daze as I continued, "Hayate was practically drooling over her. Suzuka and Alisa both admired her. Vita would always let Nee-san get away from babying her. Ginga was…" I trailed off and tried to keep my voice even. "Well, she and Nee-san were always close. They would've been in the same year in university now. You see, Nee-san wanted to be like Mother someday —a doctor."

"Your mother was a doctor?"

"Yeah…" I nodded. "She was the Chief Medical Director of Mid's General Hospital."

"I see, so your sister wanted to work with your mother?"

"Uh-huh."

"How about, Fate-chan?"

"Hmm?" My eyebrows arched up slightly at her sudden question. "How about me what?"

"What do you want to be in the future?" She asked innocently.

"Me?" I pointed at myself. I knew the question was simple. But it felt a little… wrong. I gave Nanoha a helpless smile and faced forward, as I thought of an answer. "Um, let's see…" I held my chin in thought and frowned a bit to complete my so-called serious look. "I want to be an old woman."

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha whined. "What kind of an answer is that?"

I giggled. "You asked! Like I said, I want to be an old woman who'll live up to be a hundred or at the very least, ninety years old. I think there's nothing wrong with that." I laughed this time when I saw her pout. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Did you know that people nowadays don't even live up to be seventy or even sixty? Most people would just kick the bucket at a much earlier time because of heart attacks and other health-related problems. The average human lifespan is diminishing with each generation."

Nanoha sighed a little. "Yes, I agree. But that wasn't what I really meant."

"Oh?" I grinned and moved a little closer to her and bent my head down a little to her height. I was still half a head taller than her. "It wasn't?"

"N-No. What I meant was what job you wanted to do in the future. Like a teacher, a lawyer or maybe even a police officer."

I hummed in interest. "You think I'd make a great police officer?"

"Fate-chan," This time, Nanoha glared.

I decided to stop teasing her. "Okay, okay." I let out a tense laugh at how capable she was in glaring at me. I looked up and felt a little bad at pretending to think about it. Honestly, I already knew what I would be in the future. But I guess it wouldn't hurt to say something different for now. "I want to be a kindergarten teacher."

"Really?"

Wow, she really looks surprised. It felt like a bunch of sharp, pointy things had stabbed me multiple times. I gave her a hurt look. "Hey… your reaction kinda hurts, y'know."

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that. It's just… surprising that's all… I would've thought that you'd be the intellectual type or the one who would give out orders to people."

So she thinks I'm a nerd or a bully. Or maybe even both. A nerd who bullies people around? Either way, it still hurts. "I-Is that so?" I chuckled weakly. "Anyway, my sister was smart enough to be a doctor and everyone knew she could do it. They were greatly expecting it to happen." I let a smile appear on my lips but I knew it would never reach my eyes. "Mother was the most excited of us all. Her first-born treated her like a role model and wanted to follow in her footsteps. When Nee-san told everyone about her plan, my mother was the proudest, the happiest. Of course, I was also really proud and happy for my older sister. But any parent would be happy when that happens to them. After all, Mother raised Nee-san and me alone after my father died."

"I'm sorry, Fate-chan," Nanoha said quietly.

I shook my head with a chuckle. "Don't be. Father died a few months after I was born. So I never really knew the man. Mother avoided talking about him as much as possible. I guess it still made her sad whenever she remembered how she lost the man she loved. Nee-san didn't remember much about him either. So, you could say both our mother and father was Mother—Precia Testarossa. Anyway, she used to say that my sister and I got our hair and eyes from Father. She said Nee-san got her personality from him. She used to say that they were really alike." I smiled more as I pictured how loving and gentle Mother's eyes looked at that time.

I felt a twinge at the pit of my stomach whenever I remembered those days. And whenever I came to the realization that Mother had never once looked at me like that.

And as if by magic, the sky mirrored my mind, my feelings. Thick clouds invaded the once clear, blue sky and easily overpowered the summer sun's heat and light. Thunder rumbled and rolled in from the distance as if declaring victory over its heavenly conquest.

Quietly, as if these next words weren't spoken carefully, my world would instantly crumble and I would plunge into darkness. Just like before. "Mother really loved Nee-san so much. She was her greatest treasure. Her most cherished offspring. That's why…"

I didn't know that I had stopped walking. I didn't know that Nanoha did the same. She looked at me worriedly and stayed quiet, unable to say anything. Or perhaps she was afraid to say something, anything at that moment.

"She broke down on the day Nee-san died."

A gust of wind blew. Its howl filled in the silence of the now empty streets. Nanoha looked at me but still couldn't get a word out.

She opened and closed her mouth. "Fate—"

"My sister died because of me." I looked up at Nanoha to see her reaction, her expression speechless and utterly stunned.

But still I continued, "Before she could enter high school on her fifteenth spring, she died." I could say these words all over again without batting an eyelash. You could say I was used to it. "In a way, I killed Nee-san." It took me years to convince myself of this fact.

Suddenly, I felt cold. And it had nothing to do with the weather.

Heavy droplets of rain beat down hard against the metal roof of the waiting shed where we took shelter. I could hear nothing but the sound of rainfall and the occasional rumbling of thunder. It was a complete downpour and it happened so suddenly.

Though the dark gray thunderclouds were supposed to be obvious signs of a heavy upcoming summer rain, Nanoha and I were just too caught up with our conversation that we practically didn't notice the first raindrops that fell on our heads and the circular spots forming on the pavement. We quickly ran to the nearest roof we could find.

Luckily, we were able to take cover from the rain and from getting soaked to the bone.

Unluckily, we were the only ones taking shelter under it, thus, making the atmosphere both uncomfortable and awkward.

And worse, we completely forgot that one of us had an umbrella.

But that didn't matter anymore.

Where were all the other people? I scanned the area for any carbon-based life form in the vicinity. But no such luck. It was either the other people took shelter elsewhere far from where we were standing or they were all inside their cozy houses sipping warm tea because of the unexpected downpour.

I mentally sighed. The atmosphere actually became uncomfortable. The weather and this stupid summer rain weren't helping either.

I stole a glance to the person I was marooned with for the next few minutes. The girl looked like she was in deep thought as she continued to look down and focus on a thought only she knew of.

Nanoha had never looked at me once after what I said. I couldn't decide what emotion her face was showing right now. For one thing though, her eyes held confusion and worry, as if she didn't know what to do or what to say in response to the thing I told her about my past.

If she had decided that she wants to stay away from me, then I couldn't actually blame her. I mean, who wants to be with someone who caused the death of her sister?

If she'd do that, it would be a lot easier for the both of us. She'd have one more reason to stay away from me.

That thought actually made me frown deeply and grind my teeth together several times.

Nanoha will finally stay away from me. That's actually what I wanted in the first place.

So why do I feel so angry and scared if that were to happen?

"Fate-chan?"

I turned to her once again, genuinely surprised to hear her voice after staying quiet since the rain started to pour. "Y-Yes?" I sat straighter, showing to her that she had my attention.

She opened her mouth, "I…" and closed it again. She was clearly hesitating.

I faced her. "What is it?" I gently asked her despite the heavy rain.

She did the same. "I… I'm sorry… but I don't think—"

'—I want to hang-out with you anymore?' I felt my shoulders sag a little as I mentally finished her sentence for her, cushioning myself in advance for the upcoming blow. Or worse… 'I don't think I like you anymore. And this time, I mean it.'

I felt all the colors drain from my face. My mouth suddenly felt dry.

"—believe you."

What? My brain took its sweet time in processing that one. "…What?" I asked, honestly surprised. I think I'm hearing things now. "You don't… believe me?" I said slowly and pointed at myself. "Me?"

She nodded.

I gaped. My mouth opened and closed yet I was unable to form words. "You don't believe… all the things I said about my sister?"

"No," she said, "it's not that. I just… don't believe the part where you said that you killed your sister. Fate-chan isn't like that at all!"

Unknowingly to Nanoha, I felt relieved that she didn't say what I thought she was going to say. It was weird. I felt like I could breathe more easily again for something that didn't happen.

But anyway, getting back to the matter at hand. Well, actually, I said she died because of me. And I meant that I indirectly killed her. Anyone could figure that out. I think.

"Well…" I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. "I didn't mean I literally killed her," I said carefully. "I just meant that I indirectly caused her death."

"But still—" Nanoha hesitated and bit her lip. "You sound like… it was your fault."

I blinked. "…Oh." So that's what she meant. I softly smiled at her and watched how the droplets made ripples on the streets. "But it really was my fault," I admittedly quietly. I closed my eyes and tried not to shudder from the memory and wished that when I opened them, Alicia and Mother would still be here. And all that had happened were just a part of one hellish nightmare.

But when I opened them once again, I knew deep down that it would be one wish that'll never come true.

"They say… that one of the secrets to happiness is to be selfish. But I strongly beg to differ." At my sides, my hands clenched into fists and I felt my fingers digging into my skin painfully, as if anchoring me to this reality. "Because of my selfishness, my sister isn't here anymore."

Moments passed before Nanoha spoke again. "What happened, Fate-chan?"

My eyes looked at nothing yet it was clouded by scenes I could vividly remember from my past. I continued to look forward. Perhaps I was ashamed to face Nanoha. Or maybe I didn't want her to feel pity or anything of the sort towards me. That was the last thing I wanted from her.

I clasped my hands in front of me and took a deep breath. "She died when winter was about to change into spring. It was raining at that time, too. When rain fell instead of snow."

I was slowly growing restless and started to fiddle with my thumbs. "I was about to go on a trip with Hayate and the others in one of Alisa's family villas in the countryside. I wanted Nee-san to come with us and spend some time having fun before she gets to start her first day in high school. Unfortunately, she was busy preparing for the entrance ceremony since some of the professors asked for her help. So, she couldn't make it. I was upset, of course."

I breathed in and out. "At that time… I heard high school students of TSAB would be very busy with classes and preparing for their entrance exams for university. So I thought if she started high school, she'd be too busy to hang-out with me and I'd see her less even if we lived under the same roof. I was sulking and clearly acted immaturely to her. Nee-san tried to tell me that she'd still find time to be with me even if she started high school but I didn't listen to a word she said. It was really childish of me."

My hands gripped each other tightly. My nails dug against my own skin. My knuckles slowly turned white. "I was so inconsiderate of her situation and so selfish to want her to choose us that I said such painful and irresponsible words. 'I'll never speak to you again,' I said and left."

I smirked bitterly at myself. "Of course, I didn't mean it. I would never be angry at her for too long. Usually, she would just pout and give me puppy-dog eyes and I'd forgive her almost instantly. But… Nee-san didn't know what I was thinking at that time. Even though we were sisters, we still can't read each other's minds. Maybe… she thought I was seriously mad at her that she decided to leave the preparations behind and catch up to us quickly."

A knot strangely formed at the pit of my stomach as I once again remembered that part of my memory. "The roads were still slippery from the rain and thin ice that hadn't melted yet after winter. The taxi she was on lost control. Both the driver and… Alicia didn't make it. When I found out, we rushed to the hospital where she was taken. There were a lot of doctors and nurses. They couldn't save her no matter what they did. Mother… was there too. She didn't want to stop in trying to bring back Alicia."

I closed my eyes, imagining the scene once more, recalling the sounds that continued to play over and over again in my dreams. "Amidst the single, flat sound of the cardiac monitor resonating in the room where my sister was, Mother kept on struggling. I lost count on how many times she performed CPR. How many times she used her hands in pumping on her daughter's chest. Mother was frantic. Her face clearly showed she was exhausted. Her breathing was labored and heavy with all the methods she used. Her colleagues… had no choice but to forcefully pull her away from my sister's lifeless body. After that, everything in my life went downhill. And my mother was never the same after my sister was gone."

I opened my eyes and stared far ahead, looking at nothing. "Her dearest firstborn was no longer with her and that plunged her into depression. She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't sleep. She wouldn't talk. She wouldn't see anyone. She would just lock herself in her room until she…"

I hesitated once more and didn't find the strength or the courage to say the word. Instead, I closed my mouth into a thin line and stared down at my hands and I saw myself back at that house, in front of that door, on that day. My eyes became a little heavy as I replayed memories I wanted to forget.

"Well…" I closed my eyes again and emptied my mind into a blank. Into darkness. "Let's just say Mother couldn't handle being separated from my sister that she followed soon after. Three months, eight days after. On an ordinary summer day… my mother died with a broken heart. "

I tipped back my head and looked up. I was getting tired of looking down most of the time. "I think, she blamed me for Alicia's death." I shrugged a shoulder and scoffed. "She was right. It's my fault. Because of what I said, because of my selfishness, because I was so childish, I lost my sister. In the end, I got what I wanted. I'll never speak to her again. Forever." I paused and sighed. "Words have such strange powers, don't they? If you're not careful, there would come a time that it would be too late to take them back." I smirked. "I learned that the hard way."

Ah, my throat feels funny again. "And the rest, as they say, is history." I mustered up the courage and finally turned to Nanoha with a small smile. "Right?"

But she didn't say anything, instead she just looked at me silently, as if searching for something I couldn't name. I did the same also. And as I continued to look in her eyes, the more I feel myself getting weaker and weaker. With her deep, honest eyes, I felt completely entranced. I felt completely ashamed. Unworthy. Ah, seriously, why did you have to like me… Nanoha?

Clouds parted slowly and revealed rays of the sun coloring the skies with deep yellow and orange hues. The air smelled fresher and cleaner, as if the rain has done its duty in cleansing and ridding the world from all the unpleasant things that have happened to it.

The trees and leaves sparkled as sunlight reflected off the beads of water left on them. Puddles mirrored parts of the orange sky and some drifting wispy clouds after the dark and gray ones parted and scattered. People began to come out from indoors as they breathed in the air after the sudden yet cool downpour and carried on with their businesses.

I unfolded from my seat and stretched my arms and legs. With a pleased sigh, I looked over my shoulder and saw Nanoha spacing out on the bench.

I wonder… what she's thinking. What does she think of me now that she knows?

"I'll walk you home."

She looked up and blinked. "…Eh?"

"You're still not used to the routes here, right?" I said. "I brought you here out of the blue. So, the least I can do is take you back to your neighborhood safely. Is that okay?"

Nanoha waited for awhile before she nodded her head. She still didn't say anything else while I, on other hand, talked as if everything was fine and dandy in the world. As if the things I told her were as normal as talking about the weather. I selfishly never considered how my words would possibly burden Nanoha. She might actually think I was indeed heartless. Or worse, she might actually feel pity for me. I didn't want that. Anyone but her.

Ah, I am such an idiot.

Turns out, her house was only a few blocks away from where we took shelter from the rain. After Nanoha told me her home address, we walked together in awkward silence, with me leading the way and walking ahead while she was a few steps behind.

All the way though our silent walk, I closely paid attention to the girl's light footsteps and made sure she was still behind me and didn't wander off. And at the same time, I tried to keep my pace from speeding up without my knowledge.

I recognized the street leading to the Yagami residence and also the familiar bus stop.

Nanoha and I walked up the street past that bus stop and turned a corner. And up ahead, a white house slowly came to view just as she had described earlier.

"Here is fine."

I stopped and turned back to the voice who spoke.

"I mean, I can walk from here. My house is… just up ahead,"

I blinked and smiled helplessly at her. "I see. Alright." I walked back towards her and closed the distance between us. "Even though your house is up ahead, take care, okay?"

Her reply was a meek nod and a small "Okay." After that, she once again found the pavement far more interesting than looking at me. But I didn't feel the need to be annoyed to be chosen over concrete, her blush was quite enough for me.

"Well, then." I looked at my watch and inwardly cringed that I was almost five hours late from the time I told mom and Chrono I would be home from school. I knew my face had gone pale. I am so grounded.

"I better be going," I said to her. I patted her shoulder softly as I walked past her and I added with a smile, "Thanks for today, princess."

I strode back to the bus stop and restlessly kept on looking at my watch. Luckily, my prayers and growing anxiety were answered when one of the first buses I would be riding to get to my neighborhood was on its way.

Then I heard a far-off sound. As if someone was running from the distance and was getting closer. Their feet hitting the sidewalk hard. It came from the corner leading to Nanoha's house. Wait, it couldn't be—

"Fate-chan!"

Nanoha?

She appeared from the corner and called out my name when our eyes connected once more. She was clearly out of breath.

The girl stopped in front of me. Her hands on her knees as she panted to catch her breath.

"What are you doing here? Wait, did you just run from your—"

"Fate-chan!" She stood straight. Her face was still flushed from all the running she did.

I stood rigid like a soldier. "Y-Yes?" And my voice actually cracked.

Nanoha was still trying to catch her breath. Her hair was a little disheveled. Yet, her eyes were far from tired. And they were strangely focused on me.

"Um…" She swallowed and tried again. "T-Thank you for today. I really, really had fun with you. And also, um, er… I know it was selfish… and insensitive of me to ask Fate-chan about your sister, about someone so important to you. But I really was telling the truth. I wanted to know Fate-chan more. Because whenever you talked about your sister, you always looked happy."

I felt my eyebrows arch up. I… do? I wanted to say but I didn't want to interrupt her just yet.

"I like… Fate-chan's smile. I like how you laugh. That's why, even if it was only for one day, I wanted to see Fate-chan happy. But…" She trailed off. Her energy seemed to be replaced with something else. "…As you told me about your past and what happened to your sister and mother, I started to regret asking that from you… Because it made you remember such painful and sad memories." She shook her head a little angrily. "I didn't want that. I didn't want you to feel that at all! But Fate-chan, even though you lost two important people you really, really love so much and that might be a really sad thing for you but because there are still people out there who really, really love you, shouldn't that equal out?"

I couldn't say anything as I continued to listen to her.

"So, please don't think that you're all alone. Or that your sister and mother left because of you…" She paused and swallowed. "I'm here…" she said softly. "I'm here for you, Fate-chan! I'm always watching over you… I'll always watch over you…"

Nanoha's sapphire eyes were on the verge of tears. Her voice cracked and shook as she said those words to me. Her face was slightly flushed pink. Her lips quivered a little as she breathed in and out. Her hands were also shaking as they clenched into fists on her heart.

I couldn't move and I still couldn't say anything at all.

The horn of the bus jolted us from our little private world.

"Hey!" called the bus driver with a gruff and spent voice. "You kids getting in or what?"

A vein popped in my forehead. I wanted to punch the lights out of the damn guy who dared to interrupt me and Nanoha. I didn't even hear the confounded vehicle approaching.

Said girl bowed deeply in apology. "I-I'm sorry for holding you up!"

"H-Hey!" I tried to stop her from doing that. I wanted to tell her not to apologize to the fat guy but—

"I-I'll see you around, Fate-chan!" The girl already turned on her heel and ran back to the direction to her house.

"W-Wai—" My hand was still in midair as I tried to call out to her and stop her from leaving. My gaze lingered a while longer at the corner I last saw her auburn hair disappear to.

The bus driver called and hit his horn again. This time, I got in, albeit a little reluctantly. And I controlled myself from telling him off and from scowling at him.

On the bus ride home, I thought about what Nanoha said.

Ah, so that's why she looked a little spaced out before. I rubbed my neck and looked to the side and thought about letting her know that it wasn't that big of a deal. That she didn't need to feel bad about asking that from me. In the first place, I could've just refused her request and ask for another one. But we did make a deal, a promise. And I told her that I would never go back on my word. However, promises aside, I would still tell her if she asked.

"I'm always watching over you… I'll always watch over you…"

My heart thumped strongly. Just one beat made me freeze in my seat. My eyes grew wide. My jaw slackened a little.

And just like the summer rain that poured down so unpredictably yet strongly that afternoon, something… little yet foreign and unfamiliar began to grow inside me.

My stomach was acting a little weird again. Like there were a lot of things fluttering inside which I had no idea how they got in the first place. A new feeling grew inside my chest and made breathing a little hard.

I looked at the hand that wanted to reach for Nanoha. To touch her and tell her—

Ah, I see.

A smile grew on my face and this time, I think it honestly reached my eyes. Just like summer rain, you can never predict it, huh?

So that's why… That's what it was…

And it was then when I realized what it was.

A/N: Thank you very much for accompanying me in this sweet yet weird journey. Just kidding! XP (I know that actually didn't make any sense.)

And this concludes our story—I mean, chapter! I said chapter! That means there are still more to come. I'm so excited! I just can't hide it! XD

So… what do you think? Should I stop or should I stop? (No, I didn't make a typo with the last one.)

I want to hear what you guys think! And I want to know what you guys think will happen in the next chapter! Maybe I can get some sinisterly, juicy ideas from your young evil minds too. *insert maniacal evil laughter here*

Anyways, the reviews! The sweet ambrosia of us poor, pathetic and forsaken writers! Hehehe. But seriously, you guys know what to do. Leave your comments, your delectable reviews, questions and even PMs about this chapter or this story as a whole. Can't wait to hear from you guys again!

I already have the outline of the next chapter for months now. But unfortunately, they're all still in my head. So I definitely need to write them down before they get lost in the wind. Hehehehe.

See you guys next time! Fare thee weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell~!