A/N: OK guys, so lately I know I haven't been the "best" author out there… my updates are getting umm… dunno how to describe it… Just I'm really sorry. After camp, another one followed the next week, plus I've been reading too much fanfics and manga, and watching anime a lot… If you saw Re-Kan then... I like it for a new show… I cry a lot… haha… Just love Inoue. Anyways, I'll try updating, but school is just around the corner and I haven't even enrolled. OK here it is, the update. Thank you for supporting this lazy author .

~Shintori Khazumi

Chapter 11: Awakening

"Kotori-chan! Kotori-chan! Onii-chan said he'll play with us!" A young girl with ginger hair dashed through the playground jumping up and down in excitement.

"Kotori-chan?"

"I'm sorry Hono-chan. My Mama said I have to go home. We'll play again next time! I promise." An apologetic ash-brunette replied.

"Oh… ok then." Although disappointed, the young Hono-chan agreed.

"See you tomorrow then."

"Ne, nii-chan, why do my friends have to go home all the time? Can't we just play forever?" Hono-chan asked innocently.

A young Haruto smiled at his little sister. "Hono-chan, they have to go home to their mamas and papas too, you know. You do it too, right?"

"Yes, but can't we all just live together? It would be much more fun that way!" Hono-chan stated her idea proudly.

"Everything can't always be fun and games, Hono-chan." Haruto said kneeling down to her level to talk with her eye-to-eye. "Sometimes, we need to either rest from it, or wake up to reality."

"What's reality, nii-chan?" Haruto laughed, patting Hono-chan's head, he said: "It's something you'll know when you grow up."

"Eh? But I don't want to grow up. I'll just play and play forever with nii-chan!"

"If only that was possible…" Haruto looked thoughtfully at his sister.

The scene immediately shifted to a grim looking setting, a young girl crying by a park bench, drenched in the rain. "Nii-chan, is this what reality is? You never said it would be so painful, but I AM waking up from a dream; one I used to call, 'my happiness'. But I must keep my promise. I promise… I will always smile… smile for the ones I love, nii-chan. Even if smiling hurts me all the more."

A middle-school student looked up at her school building. 'Elementary days are over,huh?' She thought. A new step to growing up. A new way to live. But still no new way to smile… truly.

"Honoka-chan?" Kotori called out. "Aren't you going in the gates? The bell's gonna ring soon." Honoka snapped out of her trance. "Oh… yeah. Coming!" She said plastering another smile on her face. 'When will the pain from this smile, end?'

A fresh, young new first year walked in school with her two best friends. "Ah… we're highschool students now, aren't we?" She said chuckling.

"Well, what did you expect? After all that cramming you did, it had to add up to something at the very least." Umi replied.

"You didn't need to get so angry, though, Umi-chan." Honoka replied. "It's not like I don't care about it all."

"Anyway, at least you got in." Kotori interrupted the two before they would get into their usual banter. "Congratulations, Honoka-chan." She smiled sweetly, making Honoka's heart skip a beat. "Th-thanks."

'What was that just now?!'

Honoka had been feeling weird around Kotori lately, but just couldn't quite put her finger on whatever this feeling was. Was she sick? It made her feel anxious and yet, totally complete. What was this feeling? She had asked around and even researched, careful enough not to share any names.

"Kotori-chan, can I ask something?" Honoka said during their walk home from school. Umi had been busy with club so they went home ahead.

"What is it?" She asked, smiling that ever pleasant smile Honoka yearned to see so much every single day.

"Umm… s-say, this friend of mine, she has a really good friend and lately, she has been feeling a lot weird around said friend."

"Oh? Define weird?" Kotori asked, curious as to her best friend's behavior.

"Well… she feel anxious with her friend, but at the same time really happy. She'd do anything just so crack a smile from that person's face." Honoka said, carefully choosing the right words.

"Well, isn't she just in love with this friend of hers?" Kotori asked.

"L-l-love?!" Honoka blushed red from ear-to-ear.

"Well, yeah. Isn't that the only thing that it adds up to?" Kotori asked, Now clearly confused.

'I'm in lo-love…. w-w-with KOTORI?!' Honoka tried her best to contain her shock, hiding it with another smile.

"L-love huh…. I see… thanks Kotori-chan. I'll tell her that." Honoka said.

"You're welcome. I just hope your friend is successful with whoever this person is."

"Yeah… I'm hoping so too."

"WHY? WHY? WHY?! Nii-chan! Why am I the only one in love?! Why am I the only one who's hurt because of it? Why couldn't it be me?! Me?! What does it take for me to smile truly?! I can't… can't… I don't want to do this anymore. I can't still smile the smile of a promise I cannot keep. So tell me, what's the point?!"

An empty house, a quiet night, a loud bedroom, a wet pillow and a crying girl. "Honoka, Honoka…"

"Nii-chan?"

"Oh, what's this? You're crying?"

"Nii-chan, why can't I smile?"

"Well, Honoka, Why can't you?" Haruto directed the question back. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he rubbed soothing circles on Honoka's back.

"Nii-chan, I know you're not really here, but I guess I'll let this one slide." Honoka giggled a bit at her brother's pouting face.

"So? What's wrong, kid?"

"The one I love, doesn't love me back." Honoka said with a sad smile.

"Oh? And how can you be so sure of that?" Haruto raised his brow.

"She technically said it herself." Honoka pointed out.

"Did you confess or something?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then there's nothing that can make you say that she's not into you. You can't be that sure."

"But! Weren't you the one who told me the story about the colors?"

"Colors?" Haruto scratched his head in thought. "Oh! Those colors. Er… referring to that tale really isn't…"

"but I believed in it." Honoka said. There was silence.

"Once a little prince fell in such deep love for a fair maiden in the countryside." Haruto said, recalling the story.

"The maiden loved him too, but the prince did not know, nor did he seek for the answer to his questionings." Honoka continued. "One day, the prince had asked the fair maiden of her favorite colors, reading in a book that things people love, may point to someone they love."

"The maiden returned the question." Haruto continued. " The prince then gallantly answered that they were of the deep blue of the sky for they resembled her eyes, and the glossy glow of gold, just as the sunset shimmers on the ladies fair features."

"But when it was the maiden's turn, her answer was far from what he expected, for they were the green of the meadows, and the yellow of the sun. His rival in love, his cousin, Thomas. It was he… and yet after that, the prince had told the maiden he loved her. She told him she loved him too, but only as a dear friend should." Honoka finished the story.

"I see now, but Honoka…" Haruto said. He had begun to glow in a strange array of light. "Don't you think-"

"Haruto-nii?! You're Fading! Wait, what are you saying?"

"you're not…"

"I'm not what? What?" Honoka shouted into thin air, right where Haruto should've been. Honoka cried. What now? Then she heard it… a voice, Haruto's voice.

"Honoka, I don't have much time, and I can't stay for long, but, I want you to always keep your promise with me."

"But!"

"Keep it, please. Now, it's time for you to wake up, because…"

"you are not the prince in the story…"

"Haruto-nii?!"

Honoka woke up to a sobbing voice. "Honoka… I love you." Kotori's voice, It was Kotori's voice. Honoka knew it. Her vision still focusing, she could only feel the tears in her eyes and the hand softly caressing her cheek. Upon managing to open her eyes properly, she reached out a hand to touch the other girl's face. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she spoke something she had always wanted to say.

"Good morning, Kotori-chan. I love you too." Kotori's eyes widened visibly. Engulfing Honoka in a bear hug, she clung to her as if her life depended on it. "Honoka-chan, you're such an idiot! A Big, big idiot…" She kept on crying.

"Honoka-chan," Kotori stated, a few minutes after she had calmed down.

"Yes?" Honoka said, cradling Kotori's hand in hers.

"Have you ever heard the story of the prince, the maiden and the colors?" Kotori asked. Honoka gaped. "I guess you have, huh. And your question too… it was from that right?" Honoka could only nod.

"You know Honoka," Kotori started, "Did it ever occur to you, that… you weren't the prince in the story?" Honoka looked shocked.

"because, you are not the prince in the story…"

Honoka remembered the words. Honestly, she answered, "Kotori-chan,"

"Hmmm?"

"It never did." She smiled. It felt good, genuine, it actually felt happy. "Because, Kotori-chan,"

"Because?"

" I never had a cousin named Thomas." Honoka laughed, along with Kotori.

"But maybe it's time to see if I can be the prince to the fair maiden?"

It was all Kotori needed to smile.

A/N: Well, I guess that wraps up our chapter… please tell me how you liked it and please, if you could, leave a review. Thank you for your continued support! I'll keep on trying my best…

~Shintori Khazumi