AN: Hello and welcome back! As it turns out, I didn't get that much of a grip on myself, as this chapter will be out later than I intended for it to. However, my other two stories are getting closer to their respective conclusions with each chapter, which means more time for me to work on this story. I don't plan on ending this any time soon, but what I am planning on already… is a sequel! Of course, that sequel is a long way away, but it's good to start planning in advance. The sequel will most likely be about the time when the twins return to Japan, but, again, that will be a while away. In any case, what I'm saying is that this story is far from being over.
Apart from that, I must once again thank you for all the support you've given me relating to this story. As I've said before, reading all your reviews brings a smile to my face, and I appreciate all the feedback you lot give me, be it constructive criticism about the story, pointing out typos (relating to which I am planning on going through all my stories at some point to fix all of them), or simply kind words.
Now, without further ado, let's return to the story!
Chapter 11 – Fire Queen Melts the Ice
"So, what's this about?" I asked the blonde girl sitting across the table from Sora and I, then glanced around the room briefly, but only saw a few other people at the lobby bar of the hotel. At a quick glance, none of them are Japanese, so our conversation should be at least moderately private. But… that doesn't guarantee that it will stay that way.
"Well, you two should already know." The girl replied as she stirred her coffee with a spoon, then took a sip. "Ugh, so bitter. Where's Hikio and his cans of MAX when you need him..." She then muttered and made a disgusted face, but kept stirring the coffee.
I looked towards Sora, who was sitting quietly next to me, her face looking much healthier than earlier this morning. Sora's eyes met mine briefly, but she stayed silent and fixated her gaze on the blonde girl opposite to us. I let out a sigh and looked at the girl as well, as she was calling out to an employee, apparently wanting more sugar in her drink. We watched in silence as she seemingly forgot about our existence and followed the employee back to the counter, where she put three cubes of sugar into her coffee as the employee looked at her in horror. I kind of relate with him… That has to be too sweet… I thought as the blonde girl made her way back to the table with us, stirring her coffee with even more fervour than before.
"Hmm… Better, but still not as good as MAX..." The girl said quietly as she sipped her drink, then finally seemed to notice our presence again. "Hm? What are you two staring at me for? Is there something on my face?"
"Sorry, Miura-san." I apologized to the blonde and glanced towards Sora again before continuing, but her gaze was fixated on Miura herself. "Just that… Well, as I already asked, what's this all about, calling us to meet you here all of a sudden?" I asked and gestured to the rest of the room with my hands. What Sora told me was… worrying…
"And, as I already said, you two should know. Unless your sister didn't tell you anything." Miura said and spared a glance towards Sora, but returned her gaze to me quickly."In short, I… peacefully coerced Hikio into telling me some things after he slipped something… interesting about you two." How do you 'peacefully coerce' someone? Isn't the whole point of coercing someone that it isn't peaceful…
"What did he say?" Sora, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly spoke. She told me in the phone call that Miura-san had been looking for me, and wanted to talk to me about this very thing, but I guess she didn't tell Sora anything yet.
"Well..." Miura glanced around the room, as if confirming that we wouldn't be eavesdropped on. At least she has some decency, then. "I was like, talking with Hikio about stuff, and he said 'At least the situation with our relationship isn't as bad as what the Kasuganos have going on', or something like that. So I like, got curious, and made Hikio tell me about you guys." Miura paused to take a sip of her coffee, and I found myself swallowing. So she does know… But… I can't help but wonder what they were talking about to bring up something like that… 'Our relationship'… Is Hikigaya… cheating on Yukinoshita-san? "Then he like, said something about 'not letting Yuki know', and that he 'promised Haruka to keep it secret'. Classic Hikio, couldn't even keep a simple secret..." Miura muttered as she gazed into the distance for a few moments with a look of reminiscing on her face, which was soon replaced with a small smile.
"Um… So… You came to us because..?" I asked, and Miura seemed to be pulled out of her thoughts as she shook her head lightly and looked back at us.
"Oh, right. Well, I wanted to like, know if he was talking bullshit or not." Miura began to play with a stray strand of her hair, and I mentally noted how truly different she was from Yukinoshita. "So, is it like, true? That you guys are together? More than just as siblings?" I turned to look at Sora, who closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then suddenly latched onto my left arm, pressing herself against me as she opened her eyes again and glared at Miura.
"We are. You have a problem with that?" Miura seemed a little taken aback by Sora's actions, seemingly freezing in place, the strand of hair curled around her index finger slowly unwinding and freeing itself. Multiple seconds passed as the three of us remained unmoving, until Miura blinked twice, then leaned back in her seat.
"That's freaky." Miura said and took another sip from her cup. "Real freaky. So you guys are like, blood-related twins, but also have that kind of relationship?" I slowly nodded to Miura, then raised an eyebrow in question. Didn't we… just go over that? "Huh, I guess Hikio was right then. Things are more complicated for you guys..."
"You didn't answer my question." Sora said as she let go of my arm, crossing her arms as she kept glaring at Miura, who suddenly scowled.
"Hey, I don't really dig your attitude." Miura replied and furrowed her brows. "I guess I don't have a problem with it, but like, what's your problem with me?" Miura also crossed her arms, unintentionally bringing attention to her chest. Not only is her personality the opposite of Yukinoshita-san's, they're also opposites physically as well… Sora glanced towards me and let out a sigh before responding to Miura.
"If I'm being completely honest, my problem with you is your attitude. We haven't interacted much, but you've been arrogant, self-centered and obnoxious, always looking down on me. It pisses me off." Sora said and clicked her tongue, while Miura simply looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. "But, as long as you don't have a problem with Haru and I, then I couldn't care less. Although… I am getting along fine with Yukino-san, and… maybe a small part of me… hopes I could do the same with you. Though, with that attitude of yours… I doubt it." I saw Miura's eye twitch, and after a few seconds of silence, she took a deep breath and shifted her gaze to me, still glaring.
"Who else knows about you two?" Miura asked me, not even looking back at Sora.
"Huh? O-oh, um… Out the people here, only Hikigaya. Yukinoshita-san… suspected it at one point, but… We managed to convince her that our relationship wasn't… like that, and would prefer to keep in that way." Miura brought a hand to her chin and stayed silent for a few moments again.
"You really are freaks..." Miura muttered, then looked at Sora again. "The only other people who have been so honest with me are Hikio and Yukino...shita. And honestly, you piss me off a little as well. But like, you're kinda cute, so I think we like, could be friends or something, so I'll… forgive you, I guess. We had a rough start, so like, sorry." Now it was my turn to be surprised, and I could see that Sora was as well. Well, I didn't expect that. Still… she said she didn't have a problem with us, but… "However… You two are still like, freaky. I mean, isn't that like, incest?" There it is. I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming closer to us, as someone walked up to the table from behind us.
"You call them 'freaks', but they have a good reason for being 'freaks', at least in the face of society." A familiar voice said, and all three of us turned to look towards the source, revealing a black-haired boy with his trademark ahoge and dead-looking eyes.
"H-Hikio? What are you doing here? How long have you been here?" Miura asked immediately, her eyes darting around the room. Did he… arrive just now?
"Oh, around ever since you were craving for some MAX. By the way, no, I don't have any with me. They don't sell it here, for obvious reasons." Hikigaya replied, then took a seat in the vacant spot to the right of me. "But, back on topic. Sora and Haruka… have their reasons. I don't know everything, but… I know enough to understand. Besides… we both know very well that you can't choose who you fall in love with, Yumi." Miura's eyes widened as Hikigaya finished, and her jaw was left hanging open.
"But, like-" Miura began, but Hikigaya just extended his arm out and pushed his hand towards her to interrupt her, and I was briefly reminded of a specific scene in an old, American Sci-Fi film about humanoid robots with Artificial Intelligence travelling back in time. I think it was the third movie in the series, but I'm not sure.
"I wasn't finished speaking." Hikigaya said, and I could see a small smirk in the corner of his mouth. "I don't think I have to remind you about the things I've said about human society, do I? The rules and regulations have made the world a rotten place, which resulted in me becoming the person I am." The smirk on Hikigaya's face turned into a self-deprecating smile as he paused for a moment before continuing. "So, since the world and its rules are rotten, why should we follow them? Why should we follow the masses? Isn't individualism a big thing nowadays?"
"Hikio..." Miura interrupted Hikagaya's speech as she massaged her temple with her hand. "What are you trying to say?" Hikigaya flinched, then visibly deflated, before clearing his throat and continuing.
"I was getting to that, Yumi." Hikigaya glanced towards me, then turned his gaze towards Miura, beginning to stare at her intensely. "What I'm trying to say, is that just because society thinks that what Haruka and Sora are doing is wrong, doesn't mean that we should just follow along and think so too. Love is something you can't control, and it's up to the individuals themselves, and no-one else has a right to butt into it. So, we shouldn't judge or condemn Haruka and Sora just because of their relationship with each other. Especially us." Hikigaya's words seemed to be effective against Miura, who – after multiple seconds of silently glancing to each of us – let out a sigh.
"Yeah yeah, I get you, Hikio. Sorry, I guess. But, like, I wasn't going to run away screaming, or anything. I mean, yeah, it's kinda freaky, but… I'm kinda curious. You get me?" Miura said to us and took a large swig of her coffee, while I let out a sigh of relief. That went better than expected. "Although, Hikio..." Miura spoke again after placing her cup back on the table and shifted her gaze towards the black-haired boy next to me. "...You're quite… adamant about defending their relationship, aren't you? Do you have something to hide from us? Something relating to Komachi-chan?" Miura's voice became cold, sending shivers down my spine, and even Hikigaya flinched as she finished. That tone of voice… It's like when I first met her on Saturday… Although… I can't help but wonder why she would be asking a question like that from him.
"O-oh, uhh… I-it's not like that. I mean… Sure, I love Komachi and all, but not like… Haruka and Sora love each other." Hikigaya said as he brought up his hands defensively and swallowed, while Miura narrowed her eyes and raised her cup to her lips again. "It's just… I feel like… we're kindred spirits, of a sort. Especially since… They're also people who society looks down upon, and… doesn't accept." Based on what little I know about Hikigaya, that explanation… seems plausible. Before he started dating Yukinoshita-san, he was an… outcast, of sorts, and still is, to some degree. But… I can't help but feel that there's… something more to it than just that.
"Hmmm..." Miura continued to stare at Hikigaya, then closed her eyes and placed the cup back onto the table. "Fine, like, whatever. I get you." Miura said and then turned to Sora. "I'll like, keep this secret, but you'll have to satisfy my curiosity a little."
"Oh? Go on then. Just know that I won't go into too much detail, okay?" Sora replied with a smirk as she glanced briefly towards me.
"Okay, so like, do you keep this a secret from everyone? Are we the only people who know? What about your parents?" Both Sora and I flinched at the mention of our parents, and I could see Sora direct her gaze downwards. "H-huh? What's with the gloomy looks?" Miura said, and I could hear some concern in her voice.
"It's okay, you don't know, after all." I said with a weak smile as I placed a hand on Sora's shoulder and lightly gripped it. "Our parents… died in an accident… not too long ago. After their deaths, Sora and I moved to the house of our late grandparents, and… realized the feelings we had for each other, I guess." I explained, and Sora placed her own hand on top of mine.
"Oh! I-I'm sorry I brought it up." Miura said quickly and bowed, and I could see Hikigaya smiling a little. While her attitude could use some work… She does seem to genuinely care about others. "I… guess they're not a problem, then..." Miura then said quietly and began to play with her hair again as she shot small glances towards us.
"We've… gotten over it." Sora said and raised her gaze again, meeting Miura's eyes with her own. "In a way… It's one of the reasons we're together – and happy – now. And I guess… we also grieve them in our own way." Sora said and a small smile graced her face. "But, to answer your question… Apart from the two of you, there are very few people who know about us. Haru and I… promised each other that we wouldn't care what others thought of us, and planned to act accordingly while we're here, but… Many things have complicated that, and we've had to hide it, which is… not exactly ideal."
"I get you, Sora." Hikigaya said, and we turned to look towards him. "I know how it feels to hide things, and not be open about yourself and your relationships just because society thinks otherwise. I know it very well." As Hikigaya finished, Miura began to glare at him as she slammed her fist down onto the table, causing the three of us to jump. "A-ah, I-I mean… Y-Yuki's parents! S-she's from a very rich family, and her father is a member of the Chiba Diet, so… they… d-don't look kindly to someone like me dating their daughter, ahaha..." Hikigaya quickly added and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, his gaze rapidly shifting between me and Miura, who let out a sigh as she raised her coffee cup up to her lips again. I… definitely get the feeling that there's something more to this trio than meets the eye…
"Well, now that you've brought her up..." Miura said after she placed her cup back down again. "You said to keep this quiet from her, right?"
"Yes, she… wasn't as… cooperative or accepting of the mere thought of it as you are, Miura-san. Luckily, with Hikigaya's help, we managed to convince her that she had just made a misunderstanding." I replied to Miura's question. "It would be good if you could keep it a secret from her."
"Oh yeah, I like, totally get that. I mean… I think she could grow to like, somewhat accept it, as long as you give her a good argument, but… I can see her as someone who would like, totally oppose… something like this." Miura replied to us and leaned back in her seat.
"So… Anything else you wanted to know? To 'satisfy your curiosity', as you put it?" I asked, and Miura seemed to perk up a little.
"Oh, yeah. What do you like, do if some other girl tries to like, woo your brother or something? And, by the way, it feels really weird saying that, you know? I thought that stuff like that only existed in the Light Novel crap Hikio reads, but I guess I was wrong."
"Oi, you read that 'crap' too, Yumi. And I do believe that you've also praised some of the works you've read due to my recommendations." Hikigaya replied in a snarky tone with a matching smirk on his face.
"S-shut up, Hikio! Seriously, why do you have to say things like that..." Miura muttered as she crossed her arms and pouted. This… reminds of the time we ate together with Hikigaya and Yukinoshita-san. Back then, the two of them were so absorbed in their banter they forgot about the two of us. I glanced towards Sora, who looked back at me, seemingly noticing the same thing I did.
"Ahem." Sora cleared her throat loudly to bring the attention of our companions back to us. "To answer your question, Miura-san, I don't let any other girls get close enough to him. And I have enough faith in Haru to know that he won't fall for anyone else." Sora said with a smile and took my hand into hers, interlocking our fingers. Hikigaya let a small smile adorn his face, while Miura gazed at our hands with a melancholic look on her face, occasionally glancing at Hikigaya.
"That's… understandable." Miura said after a good bit of silence, then took a sip of her coffee. "How about the other way around, Haruka? Is it okay if I call you that?" Miura then asked from me.
"Oh, yeah, you can call me Haruka. Haru is fine too." I replied and glanced at Sora, who – after a brief moment of thought – gave me a small nod of approval. "And as for your question… I know Sora wouldn't allow anyone to 'woo' her, so to speak." Ryouhei already tried… and failed. "And just like Sora trusts me, I also trust her. We… may be twins, but… we're made for each other." I turned to Sora and smiled to her, while my sister simply looked back at me with her eyes slightly glossed over.
"Haru..." Sora uttered my name quietly as we stared into each other's eyes, losing track of everything around us for a few moments. I suddenly felt the urge to kiss Sora, and if her face slowly closing in on mine was any indication, she felt the same way.
"Alright, lovebirds." Miura's voice brought us back to reality, and we turned back to see the blonde standing up from her seat. "You two are like, cute, I guess, but I can't like, stand seeing others being all lovey-dovey." She then said as she moved away from the table. "I'll head back now, before Yukinoshita gets suspicious, and you should do the same, Hikio."
"Ah, I'll stay behind with Haruka and Sora for a little while." Hikigaya replied to Miura as he glanced at the two of us.
"Hmm… Okay, but… Don't take too long." Miura said to Hikigaya, then turned to face us again. "If you've like, got some time tomorrow, I wanna hang out with you guys, is that okay, Haru, Sora?" Well, she definitely didn't hesitate in jumping to first names.
"Hopefully I wont be sick tomorrow, then. I guess we'll see you then, Yumiko." Sora replied with Miura's first name, which caused the blonde to flinch a little, before she smiled at us.
"Yeah, I'll see you then. Oh, and Hikio, could you like, finish my drink, pretty please? It wasn't as good as I had hoped, even with the added sugar. Thanks a lot!" Miura turned to look at Hikigaya, before waving us off and walking away from the lobby bar.
"Hey, wait! Yumi!" Hikigaya shouted after the girl as he stood up from his seat, but Miura had already left us and didn't look back, so he sat back down with a sigh, eliciting a light chuckle from me.
"Miura-san… seems to be quite a handful." I said after the blonde girl disappeared from sight, while Hikigaya reached out for her coffee cup and peeked into it.
"Both of the girls are, sometimes." Hikigaya replied and took a sip from the cup, and I noted that he didn't seem to mind at all that he was currently sharing an indirect kiss with Miura. "But, Yumi is the easier one of the two to handle. Although… I never expected that I'd hear the Fire Queen apologize to someone else so willingly, and quite a few times, too."
"Yeah, she did seem like someone who wouldn't apologize to others easily… The two of them really are different from each other, huh? Almost polar opposites."
"I guess. At first, the girls were at odds often, but… As they got to know each other better through me, their differences… allowed them to get closer, I think. They certainly like to team up to insult me, that's for sure." Hikigaya peeked into the cup again, then proceeded to take a large swig from it to drink the rest of the coffee at once. I better wait until he's finished with that…
"You know, Hikigaya..." I said as the black-haired boy placed the cup back on the table and raised an eyebrow at me in question while I waited for him to swallow the coffee. "I've been thinking… Based on the things you've said – and slipped out on accident – I want to ask… Is there something about your relationship with Yukinoshita-san and Miura-san that you're keeping secret, like the two of us are?" Hikigaya froze in place for a few seconds, before he shifted his gaze to meet mine, then stayed motionless for a while.
"..." Hikigaya averted his gaze from me, then closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "...There is." He said after a long pause. "But… I can't tell you about it, not without the girls' consent, first."
"That's fine. It's just… I felt like there was something… more going on that you let us in on." I said and glanced at Sora, who seemed to want to say something relating to the matter. "We… won't pry. It's you guys' personal life, after all."
"Thanks, Haruka. I'll… talk to the girls about it. I feel like… it would only be fair for you to know, given what we know about you. Although… Yuki will be… difficult." Hikigaya replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. "But, I'll try my best." He's making it sound very difficult to convince the girls to tell us about their relationships with each other…
"It's fine if you don't succeed, but thanks anyway." I replied to Hikigaya with a smile, while he simply nodded as an answer, then glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Well, I'd better get going. I'll… see you around." Hikigaya said as he stood up from his seat.
"Yeah, see you." I said to him and raised a hand as Hikigaya began to make his way back upstairs, and he lazily raised one of his hands on the way, but didn't turn to look at us. I watched as he disappeared from sight, then turned to Sora, who suddenly leaned forwards against me. "Sora..? What's wrong?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around my sister, who looked up at me with a relieved, but somewhat fearful expression.
"Haru… I… I was so scared." Sora said as she buried her face into my chest, and I began to stroke her head reassuringly. "When Miura-san first asked about my relationship with you earlier this morning… I felt my heart drop. I-I was saved in that situation by my sickness coming back, but… Then she told me she wanted to talk with both of us, and I… I was just so afraid that she…" I used my hands to cup Sora's face and lifted her head up so her eyes met my gaze.
"It's okay, Sora. Everything went well, didn't it?" Sora wiped her eyes with her sleeve and gave me a small nod as an answer. "No need to worry about any more, then. Miura-san seems more… open-minded to things like this when compared to Yukinoshita-san, and… well, you heard her. She's okay with us." I smiled at Sora, and she returned the smile to me as she pressed her forehead against mine. I could feel the gazes of some of the staff on us, but I didn't care. Even if they knew we were siblings, they would just see a brother comforting his sister, nothing more. The only difference is that that very sister also happens to be my lover… And I wouldn't have it any other way. I wrapped my arms back around Sora and embraced her, and Sora returned the gesture by hugging me back tightly. We stayed together, embracing each other for possibly minutes, but what felt like hours to us. And at that moment, I knew more than ever, that this was where I belonged. Together with Sora, as close to her as physically possible.
"Actually, Haru..." Sora suddenly began in the midst of our little cuddling session, and I found myself – reluctantly – pulling away from her a bit so I could see her face. "I talked with Kyou-san, and I think… m-my sickness might have been..."
"Ah, there you two are!" Sora was interrupted by a familiar voice speaking in English coming from behind us, and I turned my head towards the source to see Harri walking up to us. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Harri asked as he stopped just next to us.
"Oh, no, you didn't, Harri. Sora just needed some cuddling, that's all, since she's been a little sickly today." I replied to Harri in English. I wonder what she was going to say about it, though. "But, were you looking for us, Harri?"
"Well, I guess I was. Kyou told me about Sora being sick this morning, and I ran into Hikigaya on the way down, who told me that you two were here at the bar." Harri replied and took a seat opposite to us, sitting in the seat that Miura had occupied not too long ago. "How are you feeling now, Sora?" Harri shifted his gaze to my sister, who glanced towards me before answering, the irritation that our little 'moment' was interrupted clear on her face.
"I'm fine, now. I was sick when I woke up, but that's it." Sora replied, and it only now occurred to me that this was one of the first times she had actually spoken with Harri, rather than just listening to me talking with him.
"That's good. Still, you should lie down, at least for today, just in case. What have you two been up to today, anyway? Apart from resting, in Sora's case." I looked towards Sora, who simply shrugged at me and began to absent-mindedly stare off into the distance. Guess I'll be doing the explaining, then…
"Well, after I left Sora with Kyou-san, I went out with Tomoya-san and his daughter, Ushio. We visited the big shopping centre, the one that has two of them adjoined." Harri nodded to me, seemingly knowing what I was talking about. "After spending a bit of time there, we were asked by Miura-san to meet us here. She just left us not too long ago, which brings us to this moment."
"Is Tomoya still out? I only saw his wife upstairs."
"He stayed behind with Ushio after Sora called me and told me that Miura-san wanted to meet us. I should probably call and ask him if he's still there, or if he's going to return to the hotel, given that it's almost lunchtime." I replied, and Harri gave me another nod accompanied by a smile.
"It's good that the two of you are getting along so well with everyone. Hideki told me you two were good kids, but I had my worries that you might not be able to integrate into our little group." Sora seemed to regain her interest in our conversation upon hearing Hideki's name, as she turned her gaze back to Harri.
"Now that you've mentioned him… How did you and Hideki become acquaintanted, if you don't mind me asking." Harri turned his gaze upwards a little and began to stroke his goatee, becoming absorbed in his thoughts for a few moments.
"How I met Hideki… It was a long time ago, that's for sure. I think he came here on vacation, and we met each other through that. Since both of us were outgoing, extroverted people, we really hit it off and became friends quickly. I remember Hideki saying that he absolutely loved Finland, and what do you know, the next time I meet him he's moved here for good." Harri told us, then shifted his gaze back to us as he leaned back in his chair. "How about you two? Hideki told me that he knew your parents, but that's about it."
"Well… I think that's all there really is to it. Hideki was quite close with our parents, and was more than willing to help us once I contacted him about our trip here. We have gotten to know him better during our time here, though."
"Hmmm… I see. Well, it's good that you're making some friends closer to your age, as well." Harri said and nodded to himself, then glanced at his watch. "Oh, I'd better get going. I was only really looking for you to check on you guys. Tomorrow will be a 'day off' for you as well, but we'll be meeting again the day after for some activities." Harri said as he stood up, and I nodded to him. "Hopefully Sora will feel better by then. But, I'll take my leave now. See you around!"
"Yeah, see you!" I replied to Harri and raised a hand as he made his way to the front entrance of the Hotel.
"What did he say about Hideki?" Sora asked after we watched Harri leave the hotel, and I turned to face her expecting a scowl, but being met with a neutral face instead.
"Nothing much, just how they became friends after I asked him about it. But, what were you going to say before Harri arrived? Something about your sickness?" Sora flinched a little at my question, and bit her lip as she averted her gaze from me. What's with that reaction? Don't tell me it's something serious...
"That? Well..." Sora said after a few moments of silence. "I-its wasn't anything important. What matters is that I'm feeling much better now. And weren't you going to call Tomoya-san?" I kept my gaze on Sora for a few moments, then let out a small sigh.
"Alright, if you say so." I said and took out my phone. "But, if anything serious comes up, please tell me, okay?"
"Of course I'll tell you, Haru." Sora said and smiled at me, and I found myself smiling back at her. I gave Sora a quick pat on the head, eliciting a slight pout – followed by a smile – from the girl, before I dialled Tomoya's number. I kind of left him with Ushio, but if Sora is really feeling better now, we could hang out with all four of us. Or five, if we get Kyou to come with us. I think she'd like that.After a few seconds of beeping, Tomoya answered the call, but I was absorbed in my own thoughts as I gazed at Sora, so I didn't register Tomoya answering. Being together with them…
It really feels like we have a family again.
"Sora! Haru! Over here!" I turned around and saw Miura standing up as she waved at us from the distance, and I could spot two heads of black hair sitting down next to her.
"Coming!" Haru replied to the blonde, then turned to me. "Are you okay, Sora?"
"You asked that about five minutes ago, and the answer is still the same. Let's go." I replied to Haru, then began to make my way over to the table where Miura, Hikigaya and Yukino were sitting down at, and Haru followed after me.
It was a Wednesday afternoon, and we had just arrived at a cafe known as "Coffee House" at the center of town, near a plaza and another shopping centre. After we met up with Miura yesterday, she requested to spend some time with us, with Hikigaya and Yukino joining us. Just like yesterday, I felt sick when waking up, but didn't throw up this time. After a few hours of laying down, the feeling went away, though Haru was still worried about me. I was a little worried about the fact that Yukino was joining us, given that she still believed the relationship between Haru and I was that of normal siblings, but it would have probably been more suspicious to leave her out of this. And, unfortunately, while Hikigaya and Miura more or less accepted us, Yukino being present also meant that we couldn't act like lovers. Hmph, why couldn't Hikigaya-san date Miura-san instead of Yukino-san… It would make this whole thing easier for us… I found myself thinking as we made our way to the table where out companions were waiting.
"Good afternoon, Sora-san, Kasugano-kun." Yukino said politely with a small smile as we took our seats opposite to the three of them, with Miura in front of me, Hikigaya to the left of her in front of Haru, and Yukino on the other side of Hikigaya, leaving him sandwiched between the two girls.
"Yo." Hikigaya's greeting was the polar opposite of Yukino's, though it was accompanied by a slightly raised hand.
"Hey! Did you three wait long?" Haru asked from the trio, who shook their heads in response. "Sora had some trouble walking this far, so it took a little longer for us to walk to here from the hotel. "
"Oh, really? Are okay, Sora?" Miura asked the same question from me that Haru had been asking pretty much the whole day. I like it when he's concerned for me, but… He worries about me too much, and not enough about himself.
"I'm fine, Miura-san. I'm just… not that strong physically, so even a short walk can be taxing." I replied to her.
"Ah, I see. But, like, you can call me Yumiko, since we like, became properly acquainted yesterday." Miura said to me with a smile, while Yukino looked at our exchange with intrigue.
"Right… Yumiko-san."
"Hmm… That's better, but… You could like, drop the honorifics, you know? Anyway, now that we're like, all here, should we go order some drinks?" Yumiko said and gestured to behind her, where the counter was located. I glanced at Haru, who gave me a smile, and I nodded to Yumiko as an answer.
"Sounds like a good idea. Come, Hachi, let's go." Yukino said as she stood up, pulling Hikigaya with her. I happened to look at Yumiko, and saw a brief scowl appear on her face, before she turned away and walked after the pair.
Haru and I stood up as well and followed after the three of them. Yukino and Yumiko walked up to the counter and scanned through the various pastries and sandwiches on display, while Hikigaya gazed up at the menu above the counter. Yumiko – being the more extroverted one out of the two girls – gestured for me to come over to her and choose what I wanted to have along with my drink, giving me various suggestions based on her own preferences, while Yukino pinched the bridge of her nose and lightly scolded Yumiko, telling her that I should be making the decision myself. Seeing the girls like this brought a smile to my face. They really are quite different from each other… But I guess that's how they became friends, just like Hikigaya-san told us yesterday. I thought and glanced towards Hikigaya, seeing that Haru was stood next to him. I saw Haru whisper something to Hikigaya, who glanced in our direction, then whispered something back to Haru. I wonder what they're talking about…
"Sora-san." Yukino's voice made me turn back around to face the girls, and I saw that she was pointing at a particular pastry in the display case. "Don't you think that this is… cute?" I shifted my gaze over to what Yukino was pointing at, and was met with what looked like a muffin of sorts, but with a stylized cat made in frosting on top of it. Um… what? I looked back at Yukino, who was gazing at me, her expression stiff as she awaited my answer, then looked towards Yumiko and raised an eyebrow, but all I got in response from the blonde was a small sigh.
"Uh… I guess? It's… just a cat, though, isn't it?" I replied, and now it was Yukino's turn to sigh.
"I'll let you off this time, but I won't be so lenient when the next time comes." Yukino said as she massaged her temple. "Cats are wonderful animals, and the frosting on this pastry perfectly captures both the cute, and cunning aspects of cats. The depiction is so expertly done that I simply must give applause to whoever has created this." Yukino proudly exclaimed, all the while opening up the display case and placing the pastry in question onto her plate.
"Are you… for real?" I found myself quietly asking, completely dumbfounded by Yukino's sudden exclamation, while the raven-haired girl in front of me simply tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"She… gets like that whenever she seems something cat-related, or the Destinyland character Ginnie the Grue..." Yumiko said to me with an exasperated look on her face. "You should see how she acts around real cats..." 'Ginnie the Grue'? That's… a character from some children's show, right? I looked at Yumiko, then turned back to Yukino, and couldn't hold it in any more, bursting out laughing.
"Haaaaah… That's… so funny..." I managed to say as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye after my laughing fit that brought the attention of everyone in the cafe to us. "Sorry, Yukino-san. I didn't mean to laugh at you, it's just… You're so elegant and mature, so the idea of you liking cute cats is just… so contrary." I said and smiled at Yukino, who now had a light blush on her cheeks.
"A-ah, no, I'm sorry. I got a little carried away." Yukino quickly apologized, then cleared her throat as Yumiko let out a little giggle. "Right, shall we continue with our orders?"
Yumiko and I nodded to her, and the three of us proceeded to order our drinks. I didn't really know what half of the things on the menu were, so I decided to order a simple cappuccino, along with a cinnamon roll. Yukino bought a standard coffee to go with her cat-muffin, and Yumiko went all-out with a caramel latte with extra sugar, and a slice of strawberry cake. After the three of us, Hikigaya bought a caramel latte just like Yumiko, but opted for a sandwich instead of a pastry. Haru ordered an iced frappé, but nothing to go with it. As we made our way back to our table, I felt many curious stares on us, as we no doubt drew attention.
"So, do you have any plans for today, Miura-san? Since you were the one who invited us." Haru asked as we sat down to enjoy our various beverages.
"Well, not really, no. Just hanging out, shopping, you know, standard stuff." Yumiko replied as she munched on a piece of her cake. "Oh, and like, you can call me Yumiko, too, Haru."
"If you insist, Yumiko-san." Haru replied to the blonde with a small smile.
Time flew by quickly as we made small talk in the cafe, sharing stories of our pasts. While our stories were more or less melancholic, Yumiko and Yukino mostly told us about their High School days, and what Hikigaya had been like back then, much to the chagrin of the boy in question. Despite my "tendency to be antisocial", as Haru would put it, I found myself absorbed in the conversation, and was easily able to contribute to it, and I was able to laugh along with the two girls – as well as join them in throwing light jabs and insults at Hikigaya. One thing that I did notice, was that every now and them, there seemed to be some… tension, or rivalry between the girls – usually when the conversation had something to do with Hikigaya. The black-haired boy managed to divert the conversation in another direction, or resolve the tension every time, though, but I did still find it interesting. If my theory about Yumiko-san liking Hikigaya-san is correct, it might explain that, but… If Yukino-san knows about her feelings, why would she let Yumiko-san stay around Hikigaya-san? And why would Yumiko-san hang out with them, as she said yesterday that she can't stand seeing couples acting "lovey-dovey"… I couldn't help my thoughts wandering, but I quickly banished the thoughts away, not wanting to sour the mood we had, if I accidentally let my thoughts be known.
Before we knew it, we had finished our drinks, and were simply chatting away. After Hikigaya pointed out that we had all finished and should "move on" so we didn't just hog a table for ourselves, Yumiko gallantly lead our group to go shopping in the nearby shopping centre, which held within it multiple different clothing stores, a fast food restaurant, a cinema, and various other miscellaneous stores. I had never been one for "mindless" shopping, and it seemed that everyone else in the group felt the same – apart from Yumiko herself. And since I had never really gone shopping for clothes with other girls, this was a new experience for me, and I – unexpectedly – kinda liked it.
The differences between Yukino and Yumiko became even more evident as we scanned through the various stores, as Yukino focused mostly on the utilitarian and more functional side of the clothes she bought, while Yumiko just bought whatever she thought looked good. Initially, I wasn't going to buy anything, so while I did enjoy looking through the different clothes and even trying some of them on, I left each store empty-handed. In one of the stores, however, Yumiko insisted that I should buy something, to which I objected, saying that Haru and I had to save what little money we had. The blonde surprised me, though, saying that she would be willing to buy whatever I wanted for me. I was hesitant at first, but ended up walking out of the store with a light blue dress skirt that ended just below my knees and a white long-sleeved shirt that – according to Yumiko – matched perfectly with both the skirt, and my hair. That was the first time someone outside of my family had bought me something simply out of the goodness of their heart, and the new sensation made me… happy.
Once again, time flew by as a flash, and after spending well over an hour in several different stores in two different shopping centres, we found ourselves sitting at an ice cream bar aptly named "Spice Ice", situated in the central hallway of the shopping centre that Haru had visited with Tomoya yesterday.
"Aahhh… I haven't had that much fun shopping in like, forever." Yumiko said as she stretched in her seat. "How about you, Sora? This was your first time shopping like this, right? Did you have fun?" She then asked as she turned to me.
"I… Well..." I shifted my gaze from her to the bowl of ice cream in front of me. I… want to say that I didn't enjoy it, given that I don't really like being overly social like that, but… I couldn't lie to them like that.
Because – to my own surprise – I actually did enjoy shopping with them. A lot.
"I..." I glanced over at Haru, who was sitting next to Hikigaya, as the two of them were tasked with carrying our shopping bags. Haru didn't seem to notice my gaze, however, as he was talking with Hikigaya, so I turned back to Yumiko and took a deep breath. "I… did kinda… like it… I guess. It was… fun." I said to her, my voice trailing off towards the end, while Yumiko just smiled back at me.
"That's good to hear, Sora. I like, had a feeling that you might be a little antisocial, given what I've heard about you, so I'm like, really glad that you had fun with us?" Yumiko said, keeping the smile on her face the entire time, while I raised an eyebrow in question and looked towards Yukino, sitting just to the right of Yumiko. Heard about me? She hasn't really talked with Haru that much, so…
"I apologize, Sora-san." Yukino said and bowed to me. "I had told Miura-san about you before you two got to know each other yesterday. And I'm also sorry that… I spoke ill of you… before the whole… misunderstanding was cleared."
"A-ah, you don't have to be sorry. That's… all in the past, right?" I briefly glanced at Yumiko, who seemed to catch onto what we were talking about, and gave me a small nod.
"Yeah, you don't have to like, sweat it, Sora has already forgiven you. And like, I didn't really believe in the whole thing when you like, told me about it. Or care about it, for that matter." Yumiko said as she turned to face Yukino, and I thought I caught a glimpse of her giving me a wink before she did so. "And besides, what does it matter if like, Sora and Haru were in that kind of relationship?" Yukino's eyes widened, and I had no doubt that mine did as well. What is… Yumiko-san trying to do here?
"M-Miura-san..? What do you… mean? They're… siblings, and romantic relations between relatives is… taboo." Yukino said, glancing towards me.
"Well, I get that, but like, why should we care if something is taboo or not, right?" Yumiko replied to her, putting emphasis on the word 'we'. "Isn't it like, up to each individual to determine what's right or wrong, you know? I might have like, listened to Hikio too much, and his 'not caring about anything' way of thinking might have infected me, but honestly, if there was someone out there dating their sibling, I couldn't really give two shits about it." Yumiko turned to face me again, and smiled brightly at me. "Even if Sora was like, dating her brother, it wouldn't change who she is, and I wouldn't think any less of her." I felt a smile of my own on my face as I gazed into Yumiko's olive green eyes. Yumiko-san…
"Don't tell me that..." Yukino spoke up as she looked at the two of us with a slightly horrified expression on her face. "Sora-san is… actually..."
"Hm? What's with the face? This was like, all hypothetical, you know? I'm just saying, I don't think it's something that we should like, judge or anything. And that someone shouldn't be like, looked down on just because of their preference in partner. We aren't like, in the middle ages, or something." Yumiko said, attempting to save my hide. Yukino-san is a smart girl, but hopefully this will be enough…
"..." Yukino stayed silent for a few moments, then took a deep breath before answering. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Sora-san. And while I cannot fully agree with Miura-san..." As Yukino shifted her gaze to Yumiko, I inwardly sighed in relief. I'm glad… "...I do kind of understand your statement."
"That's fine. In any case, we should finish our ice cream so we can go do more shopping!" Yumiko shouted and began to rapidly shovel down her own ice cream, while Hikigaya suddenly stood up from his seat.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick." Hikigaya said, and Haru stood up after he had taken a few steps away from us.
"I'll go too." Haru said and turned to me with a smile. "I'll be right back, Sora." I gave Haru a nod, and he headed off with Hikigaya.
After the boys left, the three of us began to make small talk as we ate our ice cream together. As I had noticed before at the cafe, I found it very easy to talk with Yukino and Yumiko, despite the fact that two out of the three of us were more introverted than extroverted. Their conflicting personalities also amused me, but I knew they got along well due to that. And I also felt that I myself also got along with them. As we talked about various things ranging from our studies to amusing stories from our pasts, I noticed many passerbys giving us strange looks, as the sight of three, young Japanese women giggling amongst themselves at pretty much the very centre of the shopping centre was no doubt an unusual sight. Some of the people among these passerbys we did recognize as Japanese tourists, however, who greeted us with smiles, and one elderly couple even came up and said to us how good friends we seemed to be. Friends… I guess that's what we would seem like to others, huh? But… I've only known them for such a short time, so can I even call them my friends? Do I… even know what true friends are, given that I've been either alone, or with Haru for most of my life… I found my thoughts wandering after hearing the couple's comment. But, as I gazed at the forms of the two girls sitting down with me as they talked about the career paths at their University, I found myself smiling. I may not know what true friends are, but… I do know that these two here are my friends, no matter how long I've known them for.
"Yo." A lazy voice came from behind us, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I turned around to see Hikigaya and Haru returning to us.
"Ara, the stalker has finally made himself known. Here to pray on three innocent young ladies, are we now, Hiki-stalker-kun?" Yukino said in a teasing tone as he saw the black-haired boy approach our table, and Yumiko snickered a little at her remark.
"Hey, words hurt, you know? And if I'm a stalker, what does that make Haruka, then?" Hikigaya said as he stopped just in front of us and pointed towards Haru with his thumb.
"Hmmm… Oh, you mean that handsome, silver-haired fox behind you? Although I get the feeling that he might be more of a silver hare than a fox. Perfect prey for this Wise Wolf, then." Yumiko said and playfully licked her lips, while Haru awkwardly scratched his cheek. While I knew that Yumiko was joking – as she had said before that while she did think Haru was somewhat handsome, she wasn't interested in him – I did feel my mood souring a little, but once I noticed a small, black box in Haru's left hand, that sourness was replaced with curiosity. He didn't have that with him earlier...
"Now that you mentioned it… Kasugano-kun does bear some resemblance to a certain travelling merchant… Though your hair is far too blonde for the Wolf Deity of Harvest, Miura-san." Yukino said as she brought a hand to her chin. What are they talking about? "You'd do well as the shepherdess, though."
"Hoo, what would that make you, Yuki? And how about me, or Sora?" Hikigaya asked as he glanced towards me, while I gave Haru a puzzled look. Haru replied with a shrug, and seemingly hid his left hand behind his back as I looked towards him. You're only making me more curious, Haru…
"Hmm… I certainly have the looks for the Alchemist chronicler. And you, my dear Hachi, would be the one everyone hates, so... The young fish broker, who gets captured by the charms of the Wolf." I didn't know what Yukino was referencing, but it seemed to get a giggle out of Yumiko, and a displeased look from Hikigaya. "And finally, Sora-san..." Yukino turned to me, then fell silent for a few moments. "...I cannot think of anyone else that would fit her, apart from… the Wise Wolf herself." She then said with a smile, while I raised my eyebrow at her.
"So, I guess that would like, make Sora and Haru the protagonists, right? Brought together by a simple promise that would make them get ever so closer together on their journey together, while the three of us are forever bound to be side characters." Yumiko said, while Yukino just stared blankly at her.
"A-ah, I guess so, yeah..." Yukino said and glanced between Haru and I. I turned to look back at Haru, and saw Hikigaya whisper something to him, and I could hear a little 'oh' sound coming from him.
"Well, let's finish up here then, and continue with the shopping, right, Yumi?" Hikiagaya said and began to make his way back to his seat. "The sooner we get it done, the sooner I can lay back down in my bed in my hotel room.
"Hold it." Yumiko said and grabbed Hikigaya by the arm, eliciting a look of confusion from the black-haired boy. "The two of us like, need to go to the bathroom as well." She then said to him.
"Uh, sure, go ahead. We'll watch your bags." Hikigaya replied and tried to pry Yumiko off himself, but failing to do so.
"Hikio..." Yumiko said and sighed, only adding to the confusion of the young man. "After all this time, and you still can't take a hint. We don't know where the bathroom is, and you're going to take us there!"
"Huh? Wait, but I've just come from there!"
"Then it should be no problem for you to take us there, right?" Yumiko said and stood up. "Right, let's go! Come, Yukinoshita."
"I'm going too?" Yukino asked as she tilted her head, and Yumiko replied with a nod. "Well… How about Sora-san?" She then looked towards me, but I shook my head at her.
"I'm fine. You can go, Haru and I will watch your bags." I replied to her, and Yukino rose up from her seat – somewhat reluctantly.
"Alright, then. Hachi, lead the way." Yukino said and took Hikigaya's other arm, and the trio began to make their way away from us, drawing curious gazes to themselves as they did so, as Hikigaya being seemingly dragged off by two women on both sides was quite a comical sight. After disappearing from sight, Haru came up to me, his hands still behind his back.
"You know, Sora..." Haru began as he looked around, his gaze never quite meeting mine. "You've been… having a lot of fun today. I've never seen you so… happy before. I thought that maybe you wouldn't be able to get along well with Yukinoshita-san and Miura-san, but… It looks like I was wrong." Haru said to me with a smile. "And seeing you happy makes me happy, too, Sora. That's why..." Haru slowly brought his hands out from behind his back, revealing a small, black box with a logo of some sort on it, seemingly made from silver. This… looks like that one store, just down the hallway… I think… it was a jewellery store…
"Haru… what… is this?" I lifted my gaze from the box to Haru's eyes. If… If it really was a jewellery store…
"Open it, and see for yourself, Sora." Haru said to me, the smile never leaving my face. I gave him a slow nod and swallowed as I reached out towards the small box. I found my heartbeat rising with each passing second as I slowly opened the box, revealing inside of it… a piece of paper.
"...What is this, Haru?" I asked and looked into Haru's eyes again, the disappointment clear in my voice.
"Hm?" Haru looked down, then noticed the piece of paper in the box. "Oh, right! That's the description that she put in there. Just move it out of the way." I let out a small sigh, then did as asked, taking the piece of paper out of the box. Looking at it more closely, it seemed to have English written on it, but I didn't really understand it, so I gave it to Haru. As I looked back into the box, a gasp escaped my mouth and a blush rose to my cheeks.
Inside the small box was a beautiful, silver ring, emblazoned with a masterfully carved depiction of two swans facing each other, their beaks touching, forming a semi-heart shape, in the middle of which a blue gemstone was located. This… This is… Beautiful…
"The whooper swan is Finland's national bird." Haru's voice broke me out of my trance, and I gazed up at him as he read through the piece of paper he called the 'description' that I gave to him. "Under its beautiful and elegant outside lies the heart of a feisty, but passionate bird. Once these swans find a mate, they stay together for life, the very embodiment of the saying 'till death do us part'. The silver ring, featuring an expertly cut Finnish Spectrolite, represents eternal matrimony, and the freedom that one has when together with their soulmate, as if one truly was a swan soaring in the skies." As Haru finished, he put the paper away into his pocket and gazed into my eyes as he picked up the ring from its box.
"H-Haru… Is this… what I t-think it is..?" I managed to say. I was shaking, and could feel tears of happiness forming in my eyes. This… I can't believe this…
"Well, you can interpret it that, if you want to. Give me your hand, Sora." I lifted my right hand up as it shook like a leaf in the wind, my heartbeat increasing exponentially and my body heating up as Haru gently placed the box onto the table, then took my hand, slowly sliding the ring onto my finger. "Would you look at that. It fits perfectly." Haru said with a smile, and I felt my own growing each second as I gazed at the beautiful ring, all the while Haru gently caressed my hand.
"Haru..." I felt the tears flowing down my face, and I jumped up from my seat, captured Haru in my embrace, and kissed him directly on the lips, unable to hold myself back. Haru was surprised at first, but wrapped his arms around me as well, as neither of us paid no attention to our surroundings, or what other people thought of us. This moment, just the two of us existed, as we embraced, and kissed lovingly. After multiple seconds, or possibly a minute of kissing, we parted, our faces flushed, mine a mess of tears as I still hugged onto Haru tightly. "I'm so happy… I love you so much, Haru..."
"I'm glad, Sora. I love you too." Haru said and pressed his forehead to mine, when suddenly, a thought occurred to me. This… This is the moment… I have to tell him…
"Haru." I said and looked deep into my brother's eyes, the same, grey eyes that I had, the very same eyes I loved so much. "About my sudden sickness… I think… it might be morning sickness." Haru lifted an eyebrow in confusion, and I felt my cheeks burning up even more at his reaction, but I steeled my resolve and continued. "It means..."
"It means that I'm pregnant, Haru."
AN: And that's done! My plans for this chapter were a little different at first, but I ended up sticking to most of my plans, and I think it turned out splendidly. I also got to stick in another reference, one that I thought was quite appropriate, as Haruka does somewhat resemble a particular travelling merchant I'm sure at least a few of you know ;)
As I said at the beginning, this story is nowhere close to finishing, but I am planning on ideas for the sequel to this story already, so you know that the story of the Kasugano Twins is far from over, and there's plenty of things I have planned for the future!
