AN: Hello again, dear readers! Some of you may have noticed this already, but I've published a new story! "Checkmate"is a My Youth Romantic Comedy SNAFU fanfic that I have been planning on writing for well over half a year, now, and the central characters in it should be familiar to readers of this story as well. That being said, I do want to point out that these two stories are not "directly" connected, despite there being some big implications for that, mostly because the timelines for the two stories don't match up properly. You can imagine it as… alternate realities, because those are always fun. The reality that this story takes place in also had the events of Checkmate happen in it, but at a much earlier date (thus allowing the characters to meet as they have done in this story), if that makes sense. All in all, it's one big cross-reference between the two stories, so I'm not going to worry too much about consistency.
Now, after that brief plug, let's get this chapter started!
Chapter 18 – Planning the Future
"Eh?! Legal guardians?" Two voices exclaimed in surprise, perfectly in sync with each other.
"Ah, well… We just wanted to know what you thought of the idea. I wouldn't expect you to immediately just say yes to something like this." I nodded along with my brother, while the two people in front of us turned to face each other, their faces clearly showing their confusion. I don't blame them for being surprised, we did kind of just bring that up out of the blue. I brought my drink up to my lips as my gaze scanned over the two people sitting on the other side of the table – Okazaki Tomoya and Okazaki Kyou, with their daughter Ushio sitting to our right.
"Well… I guess I'm not opposed to the idea, but… what brought this on so suddenly?" The purple eyes of Kyou shifted their focus between me and my brother, while her husband seemed to be asking the same question with just his expression.
"To put it shortly… Our relatives. I've told you about them back when we arrived here, Tomoya-san, and now that this vacation... well, it might come to a close soon, so the issue 'resurfaced', if you will. We talked about this with Mikami-san and Hideki on Sunday, and… Well, let me explain..." I picked up a chicken nugget from my tray as Haru began his brief explanation of our current situation, chewing on it as I watched Ushio quietly observe the grown-ups talking. When the young girl's amber eyes mine, she looked away in embarrassment and began to eat her food again, bringing a slight smile to my face. Hehee… I wonder if mine and Haru's child will be as cute..?
The five of us were currently sat at a table at a fast food restaurant, Haru and I having been invited to eat lunch here earlier today by Kyou and Tomoya. We had no reason to refuse the invitation, as it gave us a chance to talk with the Okazakis in a more "private" manner – like we had discussed with Hideki both in-person on Sunday and over the phone yesterday.
After our little "chats" with Yukinoshita Haruno and Mikami, Haru and I spent some quality time together, though with Haru's concern over my health, we didn't do anything too crazy, opting to simply cuddle on the bed after a quickie in the shower and another one on said bed. However, it didn't take long for our alone time to be interrupted again, this time by Hideki, who wanted to come see us before he began his trip back home. We ended up telling Hideki about our most recent cause for concern – our eventual return home – and asked him for advice. We knew that we had to return back home at some point, possibly quite soon, but we didn't know what we would do afterwards – especially regarding our relatives. For obvious reasons, Haru and I don't want to get separated, but we both feared that our aunt and uncle would force that onto us the moment we stepped back onto Japanese land. After some brainstorming and bouncing around ideas, the suggestion Hideki thought would work out the best was the one we had already heard from Mikami earlier that day: having someone become our legal guardian in place of our closest relatives.
More specifically, having the Okazakis become our legal guardians.
While Hideki would have been more than happy to do it for us, him living in Finland posed problems, both legally and in the sense that our aunt and uncle would likely not accept such an agreement. The Okazakis were a sound choice, and even Hideki bet that they would be up for it, if we just asked them. Which is how we get to the present.
"I see… So basically, to avoid your aunt and uncle separating you two when you return to Japan, you want someone else to become your legal guardian in their place, so you can continue to live like you have been doing up until now?" Tomoya furrowed his brows slightly as Haru nodded to him in reply, having just finished explaining our sudden request to him and his wife.
"That is correct. As I said, we talked about this briefly with Mikami-san two days ago – and a little bit yesterday as well – and he told us that if our aunt and uncle wanted to do so, they have every legal right for it – unless we can get them to agree on having someone else take over as our legal guardians in our parents' absence." Haru repeated, glancing at me briefly. "Since Hideki can't do it himself… we were kind of hoping you'd consider it." Haru rubbed the back of his neck as his gaze shifted between the Okazakis. "O-of course, you wouldn't need to worry about financially supporting us, this would just be for the legal side of things to get our relatives off from breathing down our necks until we're of age." Hideki did promise us that he'd 'fight for us' against our aunt and uncle if necessary, and that he would help us financially if we ran into any problems, but… Even I'm starting to feel a little bad for accepting all of his kindness without paying him back.
"Well..." Tomoya scratched his cheek, briefly glancing first at his wife, then his daughter, before turning to us with a smile. "I would gladly do this for you two, but.. how exactly would we go about doing it?" Haru's face lit up as Tomoya answered in the positive, and even I felt a smile growing on my face. This is going well so far..!
"Do I not get a say in this, Tomoya?" Kyou interrupted her husband in a slightly irritated tone, surprising both him and us. "I mean… I'm all for helping Sora and Haruka, but you need to ask these things from me first." Kyou crossed her arms under her chest and let out a sigh.
"Well, I figured you'd say yes anyway, so I didn't see the point of asking." Kyou's eye twitched a little, and she raised her hand above Tomoya's head. "Ah! S-sorry, Kyou-sama! I'll ask you first for everything from now on!" Letting out another sigh, Kyou lowered her hand and turned to us again, and I had to stifle a giggle that nearly escaped from my mouth.
"What a hopeless man I've married… Anyway, I'd be more than happy to help you with this, Sora, Haruka. Your relatives don't truly know you or understand everything you've been through if they want to separate you two simply because it's inconvenient to take care of two teens. Like, you two are pretty independent already, perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves-" Kyou's gaze briefly flicked to me, and I felt my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. I-I'm getting better at not relying on Haru for everything, I swear! "-and apparently watching over you for like, what, a couple of years is too much work? I'd like to have a word with your aunt and uncle." Kyou's frustration was clear in her voice, and I felt happy that she felt angry at them for us.
"Arigatou, Kyou-san. Hearing that from you… It means a lot." I said to the older woman with a smile, and she returned the gesture to me. I've already admitted to Kyou-san that I see her almost like a mother… With this, that would not be far from reality.
"Anything for you two, Sora. Anyway, my husband does raise a valid point. You said this would only encompass the legal side of things, Haruka, but how exactly would that play out? We'd need your relatives' approval at least, right?" Kyou continued as she turned her gaze to my brother.
"That's exactly what we talked about with Mikami-san on Sunday, and on yesterday after we finished discussing things with Hideki over the phone." Haru replied, not going into detail about what we discussed about with Hideki – the possibility of us telling Tomoya and Kyou the truth. We want to do it… And if we get this through, it is a good chance for it, but… Not yet. "Mikami-san's knowledge as a lawyer has been immense helpful to us, and together, we've been able to identify ways to handle this situation of ours." Haru paused for a moment to study the faces of the Okazakis, then glanced at me briefly before continuing. "At first we thought that adoption could be a solution, since apart from the initial changes to the koseki[1] at the time of our parents'… death, no legal procedures have been done regarding our situation – which is why Sora and I were able to live independently in Okukozome without much interference from our relatives. However… the adoption laws back home are quite strict. Since Sora and I are over fifteen years of age, we would qualify for adult adoption, but since you two already have a child..." Haru's gaze flicked to Ushio briefly, and the young girl looked back at him, as if she realized that the grown-ups were now talking about her. "...The law would only allow you to adopt one of us, which is exactly the situation we are trying to avoid in the first place." Tomoya brought a hand to his chin in thought at Haru's words.
"Yes… the family registry stuff can be a bit of a pain sometimes. Kyou and I didn't really have any problems with it when we married, but I've heard some stories from my work colleagues. The system is a bit archaic, I think." Tomoya commented while Kyou nodded along with her husband. "It isn't foolproof either. Just last year the government did research on people who had been 'exploiting' it by simply not telling the authorities that their elderly relatives had died, allowing them to claim their pensions for years."
"I think Mikami-san mentioned that too." I said as I tried to remember the conversation we had with the lawyer yesterday. "He called the system antiquated, and in dire need of updating." After I finished, a waitress came over to our table holding a tray in her hands.
"One Mega burger, one Chicken burger and a Warm chicken salad?" The waitress asked as she came up to us, checking our order from the receipt in her other hand.
"Ah, yes, that's correct. Thank you!" Tomoya thanked the waitress, who gave us the food, before leaving for another table. "Hmm… This doesn't look as 'Mega' as I expected it to, but… Oh well. Watching Sora and Ushio eat has made me even hungrier, so… Itadakimasu." Tomoya bit into his burger while Kyou let out a sigh and took her salad, handing Haru his chicken burger with her other hand. I didn't want to wait, so I chose chicken nuggets, which were done relatively quickly, and there was a kid meal ready-made, so Ushio didn't have to wait either.
"So… if adopting you two is not an option, did Mikami-san tell you how difficult it would be to just make us your legal guardians, then? I don't think that would require any messing around with your koseki, though my only experience is becoming Ushio's legal guardian through marriage." Kyou asked as she began to eat her salad with a plastic fork.
"Ah, well..." Haru washed down his first bite out of his burger with some soda before responding. "In theory, it should be relatively simple, but in practice… it becomes a little difficult. Basically, it would involve negotiating with our relatives to make someone else – in this case, you – our legal guardians in their place, though it would require a good enough reason to start those negotiations in the first place, and the approval from our current guardians, our aunt and uncle. Problems arise with the reason for handing over legal guardianship, and whether or not our relatives would agree to it. Mikami-san told us that normally, a good enough reason for handing over legal guardianship – temporarily or permanently – would be that the current legal guardian is incapable of taking care of the children and providing for them, due to economic troubles, or a disability of some kind. In our case, however… Both our aunt and uncle would be perfectly capable of taking care of us, but would separate us to 'ease the load' for themselves."
"And they have every legal right to do so, as there is no law that forbids siblings from being separated in a situation like this." I interjected to give my brother a breather. "As we are still underage, we would have little to say in this matter, since currently, the rights and obligation to be our legal guardians are with our aunt and uncle, being our closest relatives. We are under their supervision until we become twenty, no matter how independent we are already. Of course, one way out of this would be if one – or both – of us got married, but… even that would require permission from them." I looked towards Haru as Tomoya furrowed his brows on the other side of the table. If only I could just marry Haru, then all our problems would be solved.
"So you need a reason good enough for the family court to begin the process of transferring legal guardianship from your aunt and uncle to us, huh?" Tomoya repeated what Haru said in the form of a question, but didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "Is there no way that you could plead for it based on the fact that they plan on separating you? You both do still have your rights, and should get a say in this, since it directly concerns you."
"Perhaps, but it is a weak argument in front of a court." Haru replied and bit into his burger again.
"Hmm… Do they have any children?" Kyou asked from us, and after a brief moment of thought, Haru shook his head. We have no cousins close to our age, apart from maybe some distant relatives from our mother's side, but they wouldn't be in the Kasugano family registry. "Maybe you could say that due to not having any prior experience with raising children, they are unfit to take care of you two?" Kyou glanced at Ushio briefly, and I followed her gaze to meet the curious eyes of the young girl.
"That… might work out. If the court accepts it, it would make you more favourable to being our guardians over our childless relatives." I replied, still looking at Ushio. Although, neither Kyou-san or Tomoya-san has experience raising and providing for teenagers. At least some experience with raising children is better than no experience, though, right?
"It still leaves us with the second problem, though." Haru continued after me. "We… don't actually know what our aunt and uncle think about this whole situation, and what exactly they are planning on doing other than taking us in. Given what their attitude has been towards us, they don't seem to really care for us much, and Mikami-san hypothesized that they may just now be acting due to some obligation they feel they have towards our late parents, or because they've encountered some legal problems with not actually taking care of and providing for us like they should be. I did try to talk with our uncle back when he informed us of this, but… he didn't really care for listening to me." I saw Kyou's grip on her fork tightening slightly as Haru finished, but she stayed quiet.
"...And then you two went on this trip to get away from them." Haru nodded to Tomoya, then began to drink his soda while I threw one of my last remaining nuggets into my mouth. I wish we could just stay here, away from them until we're both twenty, but.. We can't rely on Hideki forever, and staying that long in a foreign country where we don't know the language has its own problems. "Hmm… If they really don't care for you two, that could also be a valid reason for pleading to the Family court to transfer guardianship to someone else, would it not?" That… is actually a good idea…
"I… think that might just be it, Tomoya-san." Haru replied, glancing at me with a smile. "Of course, as we don't know what our relatives really think, we can't be sure, but… The court should be able to see that you two are far more suited to be our legal guardians over them. That is… if you really are up for this..?" Kyou and Tomoya turned to look at each other, then back to us with warm smiles on their faces.
"Of course we will, Haruka." Kyou replied affirmatively, her smile affixed with a motherly glow that melted all of my – and Haru's as well, I guessed – worries about this situation. "If it's to help out others, my husband can't say no, the big softie." The older woman then playfully nudged her husband with her elbow, who scowled a little in return.
"Yeah yeah, I can't not help those in need and so forth, I've heard that a million times." Tomoya replied in a slightly exasperated tone – possibly in mock – and aggressively took a bite out of his burger.
"And that's one of the reasons I love you, Tomoya." Kyou said and planted a quick kiss on Tomoya's cheek, causing him to freeze up completely as a slight blush made its way onto his face. They are such a sweet pair… "So, I assume you two will be wanting to do this as soon as possible when you return home, as to not give your relatives time to forcefully separate you, yes?" Kyou then asked from us, her gaze shifting between me and my brother.
"Ah, we..." Haru began, looking towards me sheepishly. We… haven't really thought of returning yet… Or rather, when to return… "...Most likely, yes. We… haven't put much thought into the exact actions we want to take when returning… For all we know, our relatives might be waiting for us at the airport when we return, and we kind of needed your confirmation with whether or not you would help us before setting any plans into stone. When… are you going to return to Japan?" Hearing Haru's question, Kyou looked down at her salad in thought for a few moments.
"Our plane tickets are round-trip ones, and our flight back is on the 29th, which is next Monday. Tomoya doesn't start work until the following week, but I and Ushio need to be back by the first of September, when the next semester begins." Kyou explained to us. Right, the next semester… I wonder when ours starts..? Will we even be able to go back to school? What about… our classmates? A slight feeling of dread appeared in the pit of my stomach as the faces of our classmates (I am reluctant to call them my friends, as I wasn't really that close with them) flashed in my mind. They definitely know about us. At least Nao and Kuranaga-san do, though I'm not sure of the others, or if they accept mine and Haru's relationship… However...
Do I even really care?
We've made new friends here, so do I even need to care what they would think of us?
I don't think I do.
"How about you two, then?" Tomoya asked from us after recovering from Kyou's sudden and unexpected display of affection with a sip of his own drink, and I pushed my previous thoughts out of my mind. That's something we'll have to face when we return, no need to worry about now. There are more pressing matters anyway – if things go the way our aunt and uncle intend to, we won't even see our classmates again. "I remember you mentioning that you might stay on this trip for longer than the summer vacation lasts, so when do you exactly plan on going back then?" Haru and I looked at each other again, the look we shared conveying the same thought to each other that we both had.
"To put it simply… we don't know." Haru admitted with a slight grimace, and I nodded alongside him. "On one hand, we probably should return home at the end of August, so we can go back to school on time, but on the other, we don't really want to go back yet, because of the situation with our relatives."
"We came on this vacation without planning when to return. We just knew that we had to get away from our aunt and uncle, to have some time alone with just the two of us." I continued after Haru, carefully avoiding not to say too much. Kyou-san and Tomoya-san already know that we are close as siblings, so they shouldn't suspect anything. But even if they do… Well, we do plan on telling them, eventually. Though,I would prefer that they hear it from us directly, rather than finding out that we've been keeping such a secret from them all this time.
"I see… So… how about returning home on the same flight with us?" Tomoya suggested, glancing at his wife briefly. That… would be one option. "If we're going through with becoming your legal guardians, sticking together would be optimal." Kyou was about continue from where Tomoya had left off, but was interrupted before she could do so by Ushio grabbing onto her sleeve.
"Mama… I want to go play." Ushio said and pointed towards the other side of the room, where, through one of the doorways leading out of the restaurant, one could spot a small indoor playground meant for children.
"Oh, of course, Ushio. Have you eaten already?" Ushio nodded to Kyou in reply, and I looked over to see that Ushio had finished her burger already, leaving just some fries. She's quite… clean for how young she is, and ate rather quickly. Though, I guess she wasn't talking with others while doing it, so that's understandable. I thought and picked up my second-to-last chicken nugget, noting that it had almost gotten cold when I bit into it. "Alright, you can go play while you wait for us to finish, okay?" Kyou patted the young girl on the head, then turned to her husband. "Tomoya, go watch over Ushio, will you?" Tomoya, who was currently in the midst of chewing on some fries, looked back at Kyou with a flabbergasted expression. "Won't you, Tomoya?" Tomoya swallowed the fries in his mouth and let out a sigh as Kyou pleaded him with her gaze, then threw the remnants of his burger into his mouth and quickly devoured it.
"Alright, alright. Come on, Ushio. Let's go play while mama talks about boring things with Sora-onee-chan and Haruka-onii-chan." Tomoya said as he stood up, earning a scowl from his wife as he did, though he ignored her. Boring things? I know you said that as a playful jab towards Kyou-san, but Haru and I are right here, you know… Kyou let out a quiet sigh as Tomoya and Ushio began to make their way away from us, the young girl glancing briefly at us to offer a small wave, a gesture which both Kyou and I returned.
"Right, so..." Hearing Kyou's voice again, I turned back to face the purple-haired woman. "I think Tomoya's suggestion of returning home together is a good idea. I know you said that you haven't put much thought into what you want to do upon returning, but..." Kyou's words trailed off, and Haru looked upwards in thought for a few moments. We… could return to Okukozome, and wait for our relatives to contact us… If they're not there to welcome us back home. Though the word 'welcome' is a bit too positive in this situation.
"I guess… We should probably contact our aunt and uncle as soon as possible, even though I'm not particularly fond of the idea. But, we need to know what they're planning on doing, and we need to tell them of our plans as well, and how much they're going to oppose us." Haru said to Kyou as she put a piece of chicken from her salad into her mouth. "Once we have more info of their side in this, we can decide what to do next. If they oppose the idea, we'll have to take it to court and plead our case, but… There is always the possibility that they will simply accept it. Our relatives haven't really cared for us that much, so they might even be happy to be able to get rid of us." I saw the scowl return to Kyou's face as she heard Haru's words, and I felt my own mood souring as well. Knowing them, that doesn't sound too far off… Good riddance, I'd say. I have no respect for them whatsoever.
"So, I guess things will become clear once we get back to Japan, huh? There are a few unknowns in this, and I would prefer to plan a little more in advance, but… If we can't solve this issue now, we'll just have to wait until we can contact your relatives." Haru glanced at me briefly as Kyou finished, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. We technically could contact them, with Haru's phone, but… They haven't contacted us at all, which either means that they're not able to contact us, or that they simply haven't bothered to do so. Either way, there's no incentive for us to make the first move. "Well, we can't plan for that in advance, but we can plan for something else." Kyou's words piqued my interest, and I looked over at the now-smiling woman with a raised eyebrow. "You two still have that house in Okukozome, right?"
"Oh, um… Yes, we do. While it does technically belong to our relatives, Okukozome is such a small place that nobody really cares about stuff like that, so we were able to live in it as if was our own. Unless our relatives have sold the place… It should still be as we left it." I cringed a little at the memory of the house. Yeah, the way we left it… Haru and I did have a bit of a fight before we left, and the house suffered some collateral damage. If it's stayed untouched, there'll be a lot of cleaning to do.
"I'm assuming you two will want to still live there, then?" Haru and I looked at each other again, before nodding to Kyou. While I would still prefer an actual city over Okukozome… I did kind of get attached to the place and its peacefulness. "Right, I guessed as much. Well, if you ever find yourselves on the street… You can always come live with us in Hikarizaka." Kyou continued with a smile. "What are your plans for finance, then? You… don't have a lot of money left, do you? Sorry if I'm a bit insensitive, I'm just worried."
"We… don't." Haru admitted, his gaze dropping slightly. "Hideki did promise to help us out if we ran into any problems, but… I don't really want to rely on him after we return home. If Sora and I are going to be independent, we need to do something for that independence. Okukozome is a small place, but… I should be able to find a part-time job of some kind, maybe at Ifukube-san's store, or at the local shrine… I'll have to look into it." Haru rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, and I reached out and grabbed onto his wrist, earning a look of surprise from both him and Kyou.
"We'll look into it, Haru." I said to my brother with a determined face. "If we're going to pursue a future together, I can't just slack off while you do all the work, Haru." A few moments passed, before Haru smiled at me, lowering his hand onto the table while I still kept holding onto his wrist.
"Of course. Sorry, Sora." Satisfied with Haru's answer, I smiled at him and let go of his wrist, resisting the urge to lean in and kiss him on the cheek, then turning to face Kyou again, who seemed to still be in a surprised state. "Kyou-san..?" Hearing Haru say her name, Kyou blinked, then shook her head a little.
"A-ah, right, sorry. I just… your choice of words was very interesting, Sora..." Kyou said and scratched her cheek awkwardly, and I tensed up, realizing what I had said. I… didn't say too much, did I? "I was just momentarily surprised, that's all. I know you two are close, and you've said that you want to stay together, so it makes sense. Ahem. So, while we are on the topic of plans and your future..." Kyou seemed to shift uncomfortably in her seat, and I instantly knew where she was going with this. "You two… want to raise a child together, right?" Haru tensed up slightly next to me, while I tried to keep my cool. Good thing Haru and I talked about everything we've told Kyou-san and Tomoya-san, otherwise we might have been in trouble when this topic eventually came up with both of us around.
"That's right. Sora and I… It's something both of us want." Haru replied and looked towards me briefly, and I nodded in affirmation to his words. "Sora especially, but as her brother, I want to be there for her and support her with this." Kyou looked downwards thoughtfully, her gaze flicking between us and her salad.
"Right. And you wanted to… carry the child yourself, Sora, instead of adopting?" I nodded in reply to Kyou's question. She seems hesitant in bringing it up… "And since you don't have a partner… artificial i-insemination is your only choice..." As she trailed off again, Kyou's gaze shifted from me to my brother. The atmosphere is getting kind of tense...
"Correct." I replied and glanced at Haru, who gave me a small nod. "However… I would have to be married to qualify for it. That leaves us with only one option. Having Haru be my donor." I had already told this to Kyou, but she still seemed to tense up at my words, and averted her gaze from us.
"We've talked about this, and are aware of the risks. But, if it means we get to raise a child together, we are ready to take those risks. Of course, if there was another way to go about doing this, we probably would, but… We don't really have many options, especially since we aren't legally adults, yet." Kyou bit her lip as she listened to Haru's words, still looking away from us.
"You… You understand, right, Kyou-san?" I asked, and for a brief moment, Kyou met my gaze with her own. "I couldn't trust this with anyone but Haru."
"I… I do understand, just…" Kyou tired to find something to say, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a sigh. "This… this is your decision, and if you're okay with it… I shouldn't judge you. Just that… Sorry, you are teetering on an edge with this, but… I guess it wouldn't hurt anyone." Kyou then said, allowing a small smile onto her face. "I… should probably be supportive of you two in this, if I'm going to be your guardian in the near future. As long as you know the risks… it should be fine." I let out the breath I didn't notice I was holding in and smiled back at the older woman. She's okay with the idea of our child being… well, actually ours… I'm glad. This is one step closer to our ultimate objective.
"Thank you, Kyou-san. We know what we're getting into with this, but this is important to Sora, to both of us. Besides, we wouldn't want to keep something like this from you." Haru said to Kyou with a smile. "How do you think Tomoya-san will react, though?" He then asked.
"Oh, well… Tomoya is quite laid-back, I don't think he would care much." Kyou replied, and I could feel the tenseness in the air dissipating. "You've talked about this with him, right, Haruka?" My brother nodded to Kyou in reply, and she smiled at us again. "Then it should be fine, so this isn't completely out of the blue for him. I… I'm sorry, again, for making this awkward. I was just a little shocked you two were actually going through with it." Haru and I looked at each other, then shook our heads at Kyou to tell her we weren't offended.
"It's fine, Kyou-san. I'm – we're – glad you understand. In any case, we need to deal with the situation with our relatives first, and make sure we can get our lives in a steady place – hopefully – in Okukozome, so we'll be ready to take care of the child." Haru said, and Kyou gave him an understanding nod in reply. Although, if I am already pregnant… We'd need start with preparing soon. I'll need to redo the pregnancy test as well…
"Ah! So you were here after all." A voice called out to us from behind, and I instantly tensed up upon hearing it. No… Briefly glancing at Haru, I turned around to confirm my fears. "Yahhallo, Sora, Haru!" Yukinoshita Haruno waved at us enthusiastically as she hastily made her way over to us, and I had to put all my willpower into preventing a scowl appearing on my face. Why is she here?
"Haruno-san. What… brings you here. Lunch?" Haru asked from Haruno, looking towards Kyou briefly to offer her an apologetic smile. We can't very well continue our conversation if she sticks around…
"Nothing in particular. I was going to spend the day with Yukino-chan and the others, but they ditched me again, can you believe?" Yes, we can. "So, when I was wandering around, I happened to see Tomoya-san playing with Ushio-chan just outside, and decided to strike up a conversation. He told me he was were here together with you two." Haruno looked towards Haru and I with a smile, then shifted her attention to Kyou. "Ah, and hello to you as well, Kyou-san." Kyou seemed a little surprised at Haruno's casual use of her first name, as – to my knowledge – the two hadn't interacted much. I guessed this was the first time Haruno had properly spoken with the couple.
"Good afternoon, Yukinoshita-san." Kyou said to the younger woman with a slight smile. "We're… just about done with our meals, but… would you like to join us? We haven't talked much since you arrived here." It was an innocent request, and I understood completely why Kyou had done it. She didn't know what Yukinoshita Haruno was like, after all.
"Haruno is fine, Kyou-san. Wouldn't want to get me mixed up with Yukino-chan, now would you?" Haruno replied, then glanced around our table, her gaze finally landing on my tray, where a single chicken nugget was remaining. "And while I'm not usually one for fast food… I think I'll take you up on that offer." Haruno placed her handbag on the free seat on our left, opposite of where Ushio had sat, while reaching out towards my tray with her other hand.
"Buy your own food." I said as I pulled my tray away from her, glaring at her while doing so. Yukinoshita Haruno simply looked back at me for a few seconds with an eerie smile on her face, before taking her wallet out of her handbag and walking away, not saying a word back to me.
"That… was a bit rude, Sora." Kyou said once Haruno had disappeared from sight as she made her way over to the counter to order. "Do you… not get along with her?" I looked down at the chicken nugget on my tray and let out a sigh.
"Not really, no. She… She's been meddling in our life quite actively after arriving here, and as we value our privacy… It gets a little irritating." I replied and picked up the chicken nugget from my tray, idly examining it. "Not even her sister likes having her around." I threw the nugget into my mouth. Cold… At least Haru still has fries left.
"Oh, I see… That's too bad, I guess. I didn't take Yukinoshita Haruno to be that kind of person. She seemed quite nice." Kyou resumed eating her salad with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Well…" Haru began reluctantly, holding the remains of his chicken burger in his hands. "I don't think she's that bad of a person. She just seems to be a little too interested in the lives of other people and likes to meddle in things that don't really concern her. At least, that's what her sister and Hikigaya have told us about her." Haru explained, then ate the last of his burger.
"I don't particularly like her, but… I can tolerate her presence for now." I said to Kyou and nabbed a few fries from my brother's tray. "A shame we won't be able to discuss our plans any further, though. Oh, and… thanks again for agreeing to help us, Kyou-san." I continued with a smile, noticing Haruno coming back to our table in the corner of my eye.
"Don't mention it. Helping you two is my pleasure." Kyou replied with a smile as Haruno returned, the tray she was carrying boasting quite an impressive-looking chocolate milkshake on it, topped with a generous amount of whipped cream. I had to admit, looking at it made my mouth water, but I ignored the feeling and focused on my fries instead. Show-off.
"Hm? You're helping Sora and Haru with something, Kyou-san?" Haruno asked as she sat down, placing the plastic order marker from her tray on the edge of the table, where any passing waitress would be able to spot it. So the milkshake isn't enough for her? I can bet she ordered something flashy or trendy…
"Oh, well, yes." Kyou replied and glanced at Haru before continuing. "Just something they requested my help with back home in Japan." Kyou's answer to Haruno's question was vague, and she clearly conveyed with it that it was none of Haruno's business. "How could I not help these two when they so kindly asked?" Haruno studied Kyou's face for a few moments, before her rose-coloured eyes shifted their focus to Haru and I.
"Indeed. No-one can make it in this world by themselves, after all, so helping others is the least we can do to make our own lives better as well." Haruno's reply was… unexpected, to say the least, though there was an odd undertone to it that I couldn't quite place. I assumed that she would have tried to pry some more information out of us… Is she behaving with Kyou-san around? "Anyway, I would like to know more about you, Kyou-san. We haven't gotten many chances to talk, after all."
Surprisingly, Yukinoshita Haruno kept true to her word as she chatted away with Kyou, asking the older woman various questions about her life while occasionally drinking from her milkshake. Kyou told the younger woman basically everything we knew about her and Tomoya already, from their time together in High school, Tomoya's marriage to Nagisa and her unfortunate death, and finally his remarriage to Kyou. After a few minutes, a waitress brought Haruno her second order – a soy tortilla – and it didn't take long after that for Tomoya and Ushio to rejoin us as well, the scene turning into light chatter between the three adults while Haruno ate. Haru and I joined in the conversation every now and then, but apart from the occasional question from Haruno directed at us whenever a topic allowed it, we were strangely left alone by Haruno. After her declaration of "finding out" whatever Haru and I supposedly were hiding from her – which we were, of course, but she didn't need to know that – on Sunday, I had expected her sudden and convenient appearance to mean that she was here to do as she had said, but with the way she talked with the Okazakis… That didn't seem to be the case. However, I still couldn't let myself feel at ease. Something about Yukinoshita Haruno was making me feel on edge, more so than usual, as if she was a mousetrap ready to be triggered at any moment if I let my guard down. It definitely isn't a coincidence that she just happened to come here as we were in the middle of lunch, not after what she said on Sunday. She has to be up to something, trying to get Haru or I to slip something. Having long since been finished with my food, I tried my best to observe Yukinoshita Haruno as she conversed, trying to see past the facade she had up to discern what she was really trying to do, what she was really thinking, but to no avail. It's no use, I'm no good at stuff like this. I glanced at Haru, and my brother silently met my gaze. I wonder if Haru has picked up something..? If only Hikigaya-san or Yukino-san were here, they'd definitely be able to tell if something was up with her. Then again… Now that I think about it, why would Haruno-san tell us of what she's planning? Wouldn't it be better to just observe us stealthily, if she really wants to find out if we have secrets or not? Gah, it doesn't make sense, and my brain is hurting… Suddenly, the conversation around us was interrupted as Haru's phone began to ring.
"Ah, sorry, it's mine..." Haru said with an apologetic smile as he took out his phone. "Oh, it's Hideki. Sorry, I'll go answer it real quick." Haru continued as he stood up, glancing between everyone seated at our table.
"I'll be done by the time you come back, so maybe we can continue this little excursion of ours together, hm?" Yukinoshita Haruno replied and gestured to her milkshake, having already finished her tortilla some time ago.
"That's..." Haru quickly glanced at me, and I shook my head a little at him. We won't be able to just shake her off, now, so there's no point in protesting. "That's fine by us. I'll try to make this quick." Kyou and Tomoya nodded to my brother, who began to make his way over to where Ushio and Tomoya had played, picking up the call on the way.
"Hmmm… I talked with him for some time while he was here, but… What is Hideki-san's exact relationship with you two?" Haruno asked from me after Haru had left, tilting her head slightly. "From the impression I got, he is the person you are – or at least were – staying with on this vacation. A relative?"
"No, just a family friend, you could say." I replied to Haruno. "He knows… knew our parents, and was a good friend to them. When we decided that we… needed a vacation, Haru contacted him and we came here, stayed at his summer cottage for nearly two weeks, then arrived here and joined Harri's little group. He's… been a good friend to us, to say the least." I explained, leaving out the most crucial details.
"Really? With how caring and generous he was with you, I could have sworn he had to have some familial relation to you two. You don't see people as kind as him every day." Haruno said with her usual smile on her face, gazing off to where Haru had gone for a few moments, before turning back to me. "Why did you come on this vacation, then? Just to have some fun with your brother over the summer?" There it is. The question I had waited for had finally left Haruno's mouth. I won't tell her everything, of course. I just need to make her think there isn't more to what I say. My eyes briefly met Kyou's on the other side of the table, having discussed the very topic before Haruno had appeared.
"You could say that. Haru and I needed a bit of a breather to get away from our aunt and uncle for a while, and Finland was the best choice, given that this is where Hideki lived." I replied, skirting around the full truth as much as I could. I'm not as good with words as Haru is, but I should be able to do this much.
"Your aunt and uncle? Did something happen between you and them?" I glanced at Kyou again, who was quietly observing our conversation. I hope she picks up on what I'm doing. Yukinoshita Haruno is the last person I want to know about our plans.
"Oh, well, you know how mine and Haru's parents… died, so… There's been some squabbling with inheritance and stuff ever since. Just a bit of a pain, that's all." Tomoya looked a little confused as his gaze shifted between me and Kyou, obviously not having been here when Haru and I had told that we don't really get along with Haruno due to her inquisitive nature, while Haruno narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and looked as if she were scrutinizing everything I had said to her. I tried to make it sound as disinteresting as possible, but with the way Yukinoshita Haruno is, it might just make her think that there is something to more to my story.
"I see." Haruno's reply was quick, almost curt, in a way, as she returned her attention to her milkshake. "It is at times like that when you truly get to see what people are like. Who is greedy and who is not. Though, I believe everyone is greedy, to some extent." Another mysterious answer delivered with an equally mysterious smile. What exactly is she playing at, here..?
"Sora." A voice coming from behind alerted me, and I turned around to see my brother approaching us. Before I could say anything back to Haru, I hesitated, suddenly seeing the look on his face. Haru..? I've… I've never seen him so serious… Apart from… Memories of the time when Haru was last contacted by our aunt and uncle resurfaced, alongside the more or less unpleasant memories of everything that happened after that, before we left on this vacation together. Something churned in my stomach as a feeling of discomfort rose to my chest.
"Haru… What did Hideki tell you..?" Haru's grip on his phone tightened, and his gaze shifted from me first to Kyou, then to Tomoya.
"It's… Well, it's something we need to talk about, preferably now. Tomoya-san and Kyou-san… It's probably best if you come as well."
AN: And we're done. Some unexpected things happened, which caused this chapter to come out later than I had intended. Full Sora POV this time, though I had initially planned to have this chapter be longer, with Haruka's phone call with Hideki and its aftermath at the end as well, but I feared that it would have pushed the chapter to be quite long, and I didn't want to delay this any further. But, with the holidays around the corner, and with a somewhat solid plan for what's next to come, I should be able to have the next chapter out sooner. Once again, though, I make no promises regarding that. It all depends on how long I spend on Checkmate's next chapter.
Until the next chapter, cheerio, and happy holidays!
[1]: The Koseki is the term for a family registry in Japan. Any changes to one's family, such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces, adoptions etc. are required by law to be recorded into a koseki by each Japanese household by reporting such things to local authorities, who then compile all the records together to form a nation-wide system. The koseki combines together the systems of birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses and the census that most western countries have, but instead of being based on each individual, they are based on a family. So, if a person is born, they don't get their own special place in the koseki, rather they get added to the koseki of the family they are born into. Or, if you marry someone, your name will be moved from your family's koseki into your partner's family's koseki, same if you are adopted.