Exams at Hikarizaka were over, and Summer vacation had begun. However, despite that, third-years still classes to attend to. It was Friday 7:14 in the morning. Sakura had just woken up Sunohara at his dorm and began walking to school with him.
"I'm so tired..." Sunohara yawns, with small tears dripping from his eyes.
"That's why I've been telling you to get to sleep early."
"I have been... But I'm just not used to waking up early."
"But you've told me you were going to work your hardest a few days ago."
Sunohara waved his hand back forth, "Don't worry. I am working my hardest. Besides, I passed the exams last week, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did." Sakura nodded, "Though really, you could've done better on the English test."
"Those damn complicated questions had it coming. How do they expect me to remember all that info from the long paragraph?" Sunohara said, in an exasperated tone.
"I'm not a fan of those either, but you have to work through it, you know?"
"Yeah, sure, great. Let's just go and fool around somewhere." Sunohara said, stopping in his own steps.
"Youhei, we need to go to classes." Sakura took both her hands to hold her bag, and then turned to face Sunohara.
"But it's summer vacation, you know? Didn't Makoto message you a few days ago saying to spend our youth well?
"He did. But that doesn't mean we can go skipping." Sakura walked towards him, extending her hand to him, and taking his hand, "Let's go."
"Fine, fine, I'll go." Sunohara gently removed Sakura's hand from his, "But I must say how different you are now," he grins, in a teasing manner, "It's really cute."
Sakura blushed, hearing that comment, "...Don't exaggerate things... Anyway, I just want to make sure you're with me all the way."
"Don't worry, like I said, I'm not going to make something like that happen." Sunohara placed his hand on top of her head as he said that.
"...I appreciate it." Sakura beamed at him.
Sakura had seen Sunohara actually trying to (if he was trying to at least) put effort as the classes of the day went on. For he didn't fall asleep, or stare off too much. When lunch break came, Sakura had left to the Drama Club after getting food from the cafeteria. At the club room, were her usual fellow members with an addition of Tomoyo, but with the absence of Okazaki and Sunohara.
"...This sucks." Kyou mutters, leaning her head against propped up hand, "It's summer vacation but all we're doing is studying and going to classes."
"I actually am fine with this." Kotomi says, "It means I get to study with everyone."
"And we also get to have lunch with everyone else." Ryou added in.
"The school sure feels different you know?" Sakura said, opening up the small bag that contained her bread, "Especially when there really no first, or second-year's around."
"Speaking of underclassmen..." Kyou turned to face Tomoyo who was sitting across from her, "Just why are you here?"
"I'm the Student Council President. It's my job to come to school." She replies.
"I know that! I meant why are you here even when you're not in the Drama Club?"
"Where is Okazaki? I haven't seen him today" Tomoyo asks Nagisa, seemingly ignoring Kyou's question on purpose.
"Oh, Okazaki-san went to go and have lunch with Sunohara-san." Nagisa explains. Tomoyo gave Nagisa a questioning look.
"Is something wrong, Tomoyo-san?"
"No, it's just that you're still callung Okazaki by his surname."
"Is there something wrong?" Nagisa wondered.
"I wouldn't say it's wrong, but he calls you 'Nagisa', doesn't he?" Kotomi says.
"If you guys are dating shouldn't you be calling him by his given name?" Tomoyo suggests.
"Kind of like I how I use Youhei's given name." Sakura joined in.
"Uh..." Nagisa looked down at the anpan she had in front of her, "I feel like someone has said that to me before..."
"So let's hear it. How far have you two gone?" Kyou questioned, curiously. Nagisa looked at everyone and then went to staring back at her bread. "Actually..."
"What?" Sunohara responds in disbelief from what he heard from Okazaki. They were in the courtyard eating their lunch. "You haven't even held hands with her? Are you an idiot?"
"Shut up." Tomoya murmured, "I just get nervous when the chance comes."
"That is ridiculous. And I can't believe you're one I asked for help when trying to flirt with Tomoyo." Sunohara shook his head.
"That's completely unrelated."
"I don't understand it at all. Why's Nagisa-chan spending his time with someone who's got no balls to do anything."
"Shut up. What about you and Sakura?"
"How far have Youhei and I gone?" After having Nagisa questioned, it seemed the tables have turned and now everyone (including Nagisa) wondered what Sakura had gone through.
"Considering that you two are childhood friends, I assume you two must've done something." Kyou said, with a curious smile.
"Kimura-san, you're childhood friends with him?" Tomoyo asks, "I didn't know that."
"...Yeah, it's a long story... " Sakura looked down, hoping they leave the subject matter of her alone. She looked up again and saw that they were still interested. "R-Really, guys?"
"Don't tell me. You've kissed him already." Kyou said, in jest.
"Wha—" Sakura blushed a deep red, "N-No, we haven't done anything like that yet. The closest I've done is...holding onto him... It was before we got together though, at the festival..."
"See?" Kyou sat up and motioned her left hand at the brunette, "She is an interesting person, after all."
"I said to stop looking into me for interesting things..." she says, taking a bite of her bread.
Classes ended like the ordinary. Tomoya had left with Nagisa and Sunohara had left with Sakura. On their way out of school they inform Ayame and then head off.
"So, since we our classes are done today, how about we go and play somewhere else?"
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sakura say, closing one eye and looking at him.
"Nothing I remember in particular." He replies.
"...You forgot? There was a call just yesterday." Sakura says, hoping he'd catch she was saying, but he didn't. As they reached the male dorm, they saw Mei inside, in front of the entrance, wearing a knee length white dress. At her side, she had her rollerbag.
"Hi, guys." Mei greeted, sweetly.
"Mei, what are you doing here again?" Sunohara inquires, looking to Sakura.
"She's what I was talking about."
They head into Sunohara's room to see it in a mess. It wasn't as bad as it was before, but still something that Mei wanted to be cleaned. Sunohara had begun placing the books and mangas he had lying around into a bag while Sakura was wiping his window with a clean rag, and Mei was mopping the floor.
"How can you forget such a thing?" Mei asks.
"...I'm sorry I forgot." Sunohara dropped his head.
"Gah." Mei face palmed, "You're so hopeless, Onii-chan."
"I can really agree on that." Sakura finished up and sat on Sunohara's bed, "But it's something I'm trying to really deal with."
"It must be really hard to watch him, huh?"
"...Don't talk like I'm not here." Sunohara utters. His words did not reach his girlfriend or sister.
"Don't worry, it's my pleasure since...we're together now." Sakura may not have shown it, but she was eager to tell Mei of her relationship with her brother.
"Together?" Mei grew amazed. She turned to her brother and then back at Sakura, then back at Sunohara and then back at Mei, with her second round having a noticeable amount of momentum and happiness. "So you are together now! How great!" Mei walked up and hugged the brunette, "Please make sure to take care of him, okay?"
"I will." Sakura patted her head.
"I'm wondering when will I get to call you my old sister." Mei giggled, breaking the hug. Sakura met eyes with Youhei, and looked away, blushing.
"...Don't say things like that, Mei..."
"It's a joke, of course. Because I wonder if my brother might end messing it all of it up."
"Stop saying things like that, Mei!" Sunohara retorts.
"Yeah. Always remember that your brother has a nice heart, despite his attitude. I don't think he'll do anything bad." Sakura mention, grinning.
"I know." Mei nodded, facing her brother, "Make sure to not do anything, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." Sunohara took the bag of books he had and placed it on the shelf near him, "Well, since you're here, let's go visit Nagisa-chan's place."
"Sure, I'd love to pay them a visit."
Sakura leaves the male dorm with the Sunohara siblings and heads to the Furukawa Bakery, a place she had only visited quite a few times.
"Wait, so you still have that pendant from before?"
"That's right. I've been keeping it all these years, just like what your brother has been doing." Sakura looks over to Sunohara.
"I'm great, aren't I?"
"In your own way, at least."
"Ah, we're here!" Mei skips ahead on the sidewalk, opening the door to the bakery, "Hello!" Youhei and Sakura joined her seconds later. The inside was simple, a medium sized room. There was a drink fridge, and all kinds of bread on the shelves and unique looking ones on the table in the middle of the shop.
Inside was Okazaki and Akio. Okazaki was putting bread into its own respectiventrays, while Akio, who had a lit up cigarette in his mouth, was at the register. "Welcome!" he sits up, and looks at the three, "Ah, it's Mei and the brat's friends."
"Hello again, Akio-san, Okazaki-san. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Mei said.
"It sure has." Okazaki replies.
"Thank you for taking care of my sister." Sunohara said, walking in with Sakura.
"Don't worry. We love having her here." Akio got up and left the counter to head in front of them. "It was Sunohara and Kimura, was it?"
"Yes." Sakura nodded, looking around the bakery, "I think I'll go and buy some bread."
"Feel free to choose anything. But I recommend not getting Sanae's bread." Akio said, darting his eyes at a specific tray of bread, which had a pieces of bread mixed with in with what seemed to octopus.
"What is that?" Sunohara questions.
"Is that an...octopus?" Sakura looked closer at it.
"Yep. But really... I understand how you feel. Most of Sanae's bread is a mystery."
Sakura looked at the doorway near the cash register, as did Sunohara and Mei, to see Sanae crying. Akio turned to her, surprised.
"...S-So my bread... So my bread... Is Furukawa Bakery's biggest mystery?!" Sanae ran past everyone, heading outside, crying loudly.
Akio grabbed the octopus bread, quickly stuffing them into his mouth, and then running off, shouting, "I love them!"
"It's happened again." Tomoya said, sitting down behind the counter.
"...What was that?" Sakura looks at the two Sunoharas. They were just as lost as her. "Um, Okazaki."
"Don't worry, that happens a lot."
"Ah, okay..."
Nagisa suddenly comes from the curtained doorway near the register. "Oh, hi! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Yes." Mei responds.
"Also, welcome, Sunohara-san, Sakura-chan."
"Thanks." Sunohara nodded his his head. He turned to Sakura, "Still going to buy something?"
"I am." Sakura grabbed a tray and took a couple of cinnamon rolls, "I'll just have this."
"That'll be 240 yen."
"Here you go," Sakura hands Okazaki the money and takes her bread.
"So, you'll be staying here for a while, right?" Nagisa said, with a excites grin.
"Can she?" Sunohara asks.
"Yes. We all love Mei-chan. And I'm sure my parents will definitely agree."
"That's great!" Mei cheered.
"Nagisa-chan, thank you for taking care of her." Sunohara said, gratefully. "See you guys."
"Bye guys!" Nagisa waves as they leave. Sunohara and Sakura leave, closing the door on their way out, and then being walking.
"I'm so glad she's is letting her stay." Sunohara looked back at the bakery, "But for someone who says that she's visiting to check her brother, she seems more eager to stay with Okazaki and her."
"Don't say that. She's just happy to be staying with them."
"Well, that just means I have time to be with you, then." Sunohara flirtatiously smiles at her.
"..." Sakura blushed, turning away from him, "...I actually don't mind that..."
"Hey, how about we to out somewhere then?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like a date. Since we've started going out, we haven't really got to go out together. It's all been studying and work."
"You haven't been really been studying and working that much you know?" Sakura says, shrugging, "But I don't see why not. Let's meet at the station, in the afternoon, okay?"
"I'm looking forward to it." Sunohara excitedly says.
"I'm back." Sakura proclaims, entering her dorm. As she took off her shoes, and carrying it.
"Welcome back." Her dorm mother greeted.
"Hi, Mizuki-san. Is Ayame here?"
"Yeah, she should be in her room."
"Okay, thanks." Sakura hurries off to Ayame's room and knocks on it. "You there?"
"Come in."
"Thanks." Sakura opens the door and looked around her room before walking in and closing the door. Ayame's dorm room was pretty much similar to her own, in both size and look. "So, you're studying?" she asks, seeing her at desk with a notebook and a pencil I'm her hand.
"Uhuh. So, where did you come from?" Ayame wondered, noticing that she was still in her uniform.
"I just came from Nagisa's bakery, their bread by the way, was good." Sakura says, walking over and sitting on Ayame's bed, "I went there because Youhei's little sister visited, and that's where she's staying... And uh..." Sakura trailed off.
"What, did something happen?"
"No, no, nothing like that." Sakura waved her hand, "I...I just have something to ask of you for tomorrow. Would you help me?"
"Huh? What is it?"
The next day, in the afternoon, Sakura was in her room, checking through her closet. As she was doing so, Ayame watched her from her bed. "I wonder what should I wear."
"You're really eager to go, huh?"
"Of course I am..." She looked out her closet to speak before going back to look a the dozens of hanging clothes she has, "...It's my first time going out with him like this."
"But you've went out before."
"That's when we were just friends, and also we were with the others..." Sakura trailed off.
"That, and that you're also going to have him try your cooking."
"Yeah, thanks for the pointers on that earlier. I sure hope it'll taste good for him." Sakura later had decided to wear a white polo and a light blue skirt, "I guess I'll just settle for this," she turned around as she faced the mirror. "What do you think?" she faced her friend.
"It's cute." Ayame scoffs in jest, "Are you really trying that much?"
"Oh shut up," Sakura averted her eyes and folded her arms, "This is how I usually dress..."
"Ahaha, right, right. Well, you get better get going." Ayame looks at the clock.
"I should."
"So see you when you get back."
With her purse in hand, and pack of two bentos in a plastic bag, Sakura heads the station where Youhei was waiting. He was dressed in a gray polo and blue jeans. After meeting up, they head to the the shopping district.
"Alright, we're here. And boy, you are cute today." Sunohara folded his arms and nodded multiple times. "
"...Thanks. You look great, too."
"So what's that you have there with you?" Sunohara asks, noticing the plastic bag in her hands.
"This is for later." She said, switching it to her other hand, "So what are we going to do?"
"Why that's obvious. We're going to have fun."
"Oh, so what are we going to do first?"
"Oh, you'll see." He said in a Sakura asks. She follows Sunohara to find out that where they were going, was the arcade. "Really...?" she said under her breath, watching Sunohara run off ahead to Game Land.
"Yahoo, the arcade!"
Oh what the heck, I don't see what's wrong, she thought as she on with him. "I remember when I first moved to the city back then. These arcades were easy access, and we didn't need to drive miles just to play with one of these."
"I'm envious, to be in such a big city."
"It was fun, really at first. But after a while it gets a bit dull." Sakura looked at the arcade games around her.
"If you were my position, you'd be saying something different. Being here, even in this city, even if it's small, is a lot of fun."
"I can agree on that. It's a nice change of scenery when you compare it to where Ayame and I came from." She looks down to the ground, "...Big fancy places aren't always the greatest."
"What?"
"Ah, nothing, nothing." Sakura waves her hand, "That was just me talking to myself."
"Are you sure? You just weren't saying something about me?"
"Yup. It was about how I'm going to beat you at these games." Sakura playfully stated.
"All right city girl, let's see if you can beat me." Sunohara looks at an arcade cabinet in the distance. The game was about two fighter robots that fight within an arena, and players were allowed to maneuver and hide behind obstacles. The first to destroy another player 2 times wins.
"Ah, sure." She agrees and walked over to him. Just by looking at his expression, she can tell he has played the game a lot. "You played this before, haven't you?"
"Yes, and with that, pick your difficulty." He said with serious look.
"What do you mean? Aren't we playing versus?" Sakura inquires.
"I meant mine."
"Your hardest." Sakura replies. They both picked their characters and fought for two rounds, and the winner of those two rounds was Sakura.
"H-How..." The blonde mutters, placing his head on the cabinet.
"Wow, I actually won." Sakura pats her boyfriend's shoulder. "But how is it that you didn't win anything? I was expecting you to win."
"Beginners luck! Let's go again." They went at it, and Sunohara lost again.
"I won again." Sakura looks to Youhei. "...It's just a game. Why don't we just go to our next activity?"
"...H-how are you beating me?"
"You're too much on the offensive." Sakura stated. "You never take any cover and leave yourself out in the open."
"...I see." Sunohara turned away from the game, "I can show you some other thing I'm good at." He said, turning to a other game in the arcade. It was one of those music rhythm games, except it had the theme of fish, and the guitar was well, a swordfish.
"This game?"
"Yep." He inserted a coin, and took the guitar, putting the long strap on. "Watch and be amazed." As the game started, Sunohara, with energy, began, or least tried to string the notes as seen on screen. When it ended about a minute later, he had gotten a rather bad score. "R-Really?"
"So when is the learning?"
"The game just be broken." Sunohara brushes off Sakura's words puts back the guitar, "So...want to get something to eat?"
"Actually, I have something." Sakura raises up the plastic bag she was holding, "...It's food I prepared just this morning."
"Oh really?" Sunohara's eyes lit up. They leave the arcade and head out to a bench just outside of it. Sakura took out the two compact bentos and handed one to Sunohara.
"Here, try it."
Sunohara opened it up. Inside was a couple of rice balls, hotdogs cut small, and egg rolls. "Oh man this looks so good! Thank you for the food, " he took the chopsticks and then looked at Sakura. Her bento wasn't opened yet, and she was staring at him with anticipation, and he knew it. Sunohara took an egg roll, and ate it.
"H-How was it...?" Sakura asks, nervously.
"It's really good." He said as he begun to eat more.
"T-That's great." Sakura blushed a bit, "It wasn't just me, though. Ayame had given me a few tips when making it."
"I see. So does that mean she's cooked quite a lot before?"
Sakura nods, leaning on the bench, "She really knows how to do it. This is actually my first time...doing something like this, so I was a bit nervous." she smiled sweetly, "Ehehe~"
"I must he so blessed to be the first to try this."
Sakura shook her head, "Don't exaggerate things, Youhei."
"Exaggerating I may be doing, but that doesn't mean it's not great."
"...Thank you, Youhei." she said grinning.
After eating their lunch, it was already 3PM. They decided to see to play a bit more of games, and ice cream and sightseeing before calling it a day. Back at the female dorm, Sunohara and Sakura stopped. It was already nearly 5:00.
"Hey, do you wanna come to my place and hang out?" Sunohara asks, looking at his watch.
"As much as I'd like that... I think I'll just settle with staying here for now. It is getting late." Sakura also checked the time through her phone.
"Why, scared that you'll see ghosts in the night?"
"...That's completely different." Sakura pouted.
"Okay, fine." Sunohara shrugged, "I won't force you."
"But..." Sakura looked away from him, and held the cloth of her shirt own shirt. She moved closer to Sunohara, much to his surprise.
"...Sakura?"
"..." She looked up at his eyes, wordlessly and held at side of his shirt. Her lips parted and she made her way up to him.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Sakura suddenly jumped at the voice, as did Sunohara. They faced front of the dorm and saw Ayame standing there. "Wha—" Sakura turned red, "A-Ayame... What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing." she walked down the small steps.
"A-Ah..." Sunohara stuttered with what ever words he had and couldn't get it out, "...I'll just head off then. See you, Sakura!" Sunohara waved and quickly dashed off.
Sakura watched him run off and tuned to Ayame. "So was the date fun?" Ayame asks with a smile, clearly knowing what she had done, and didn't regret it.
Sakura didn't know what to say. She was feeling both embarrassed, and upset that she almost saw, and had ruined the moment. "Uuuu...!" she fumed, "...Seriously? That's one of the worst things to do in the book."
"Ahaha." Ayame laughs, brought her right hand under chin in amusement, "Did I? I clearly have no idea of what you're talking about."
"You did too!"
