AN: Hello, everyone! I am back with what is likely one of the final chapters for this fanfic. I have the ending (as well as the subsequent beginning of the sequel story) largely planned out, so now it's just actually getting to it and filling it out. My estimation right now is two or three more chapters, but we shall see how things play out, and what I end up writing. Could be five more chapters coming for all I know, lol.

Now, let's get on with the chapter!


Chapter 21 – A Goodbye

Voices in many different languages echoed everywhere around us as we stood in the middle of the clatter and clamour of the Rovaniemi airport. People walked about dragging their luggage with them, some were sat down on the numerous benches just behind us – many of them sleeping or eating – while others were exchanging both farewells and greetings with their friends and loved ones. The airport was not as big as the one down south in the capital city, Helsinki, where our flight had left us when we arrived, but all the lively hustle and bustle told just how popular this airport was as a location for both departing from and arriving at – Rovaniemi was not nicknamed the "Capital of the north" for nothing, after all. But, we were not here for either of those things today – at least half of our group were not. No, today, Sora and myself, along with Harri, belonged to the group saying their farewells to our friends.

"I never was good with goodbyes, but… I hope we'll be able to see again in the future." The black-haired girl's grip on the handle of her travel bag tightened as her eyes darted between the three of us, as if unsure where she should be looking.

"Why do you have to be like, so gloomy about it? Just ignore her. I'll call you, Haru, once we've landed back home, alright?" The blonde standing next to her took a step forward and placed a hand on my shoulder, and I nodded in reply.

"Yeah, that sounds fine, Yumiko-san. I hope we can keep in touch after this." I said and glanced to my left at my sister, who smiled and nodded as well.

"Don't say you 'hope' we keep in touch. We will keep in touch." Yumiko patted me on the shoulder and smiled, then moved in front of my sister, enveloping her in a hug, the sudden show of affection surprising Sora briefly, before she returned the older girl's hug. "I'll miss you, Sora."

"Don't say that, Yumiko-san, you'll make me feel bad." Sora replied, turning to look at me sheepishly. Sorry, Sora. I don't think I'd be able to pry off Yumiko-san even if I wanted to. As my sister and Yumiko hugged, Hikigaya – who Yumiko had dumped all of her luggage onto – walked over to me.

"I suppose I should probably give you my number as well, Haruka." Hikigaya said as he pulled out his phone, and I did the same.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." Hikigaya turned his phone's screen towards me, currently displaying his contact information, and as I began to enter it into my contact list, I noticed what time it was. "Don't you need to get going soon? Your flight leaves at nine-thirty, right?" I asked and turned to look at Yukinoshita as I sent a quick message to Hikigaya, so he could save my number as well.

"We still have a little bit of spare time, but we shouldn't drag out the goodbyes for too long." Yukinoshita replied after glancing up at the large clock above the security check of the airport, then turned to Harri, currently standing to my right. "Thank you again, Harri, for taking us here."

"You don't have to thank me. I couldn't very well have you take a taxi after everything you've done for me." Harri replied in English with a smile.

"You took all of our reports and feedback to your boss, then?" Yukinoshita asked, and Harri nodded to her in reply. Yesterday, Harri came to each of us to collect feedback on our time here – this was all an 'experiment' he conducted, after all. Hopefully our work will improve the experience future tourists have when travelling here.

"I did. I suspect he'll call me over today or tomorrow to review everything. Once again, thank you for your cooperation with this. Your reports were especially exceptional, Yukinoshita." In response, Yukinoshita shook her head, a small smile gracing her lips.

"I didn't do anything special. I just like being thorough, is all." She said, then turned to Yumiko and Sora as the former finally let go of my sister. "Are you ready to go yet, Miura-san? As I said, we shouldn't drag on these goodbyes for long." After she finished, I saw Hikigaya grinning a little, and he leaned closer to me to whisper in my ear.

"She's not saying that because we're in a hurry, but because she herself is really bad with goodbyes." Hikigaya whispered, glancing at Yukinoshita as he paused briefly. "If we stayed any longer, she might let the emotions she's holding back burst free." Now also looking towards the black-haired girl, I felt a smile growing on my face. Yukinoshita-san ended up being quite a bit different to what my first impression had been… And that is not a bad thing at all.

"Yeah yeah, I'm ready." Yumiko said as she took a step back from my sister, then stopped and shifted her gaze towards me. "...But first I need to give Haru a quick hug as well! Wouldn't want him to like, feel left out, right?" Yumiko grinned as she came closer to me, spreading her arms as she did.

"Eh? I-it's fine, Yumiko-san-" Before I could protest, Yumiko had closed the distance between us and caught me in her embrace. She hugged onto me tightly, her generous chest pressing against me and her blonde locks tickling my face, which I now felt heating up from embarrassment. Shifting my gaze towards my sister, I expected a look of jealousy, but was met with one of amusement instead, and I even heard a giggle from her. I… guess it's good she doesn't get super jealous that easily any more, but… A part of me is worried about all the things she's learned from these girls...

"Dummy. You should be grateful when a girl wants to hug you, Haru." Yumiko said as she pulled away, and I was indeed grateful – for the fact that the hug hadn't lasted as long as her hug with Sora had. "Besides, it's not just Sora that I'll miss. I had such a great time with both of you on this trip. We need to get together and like, hang out some time in the future, when you're both back home as well." Yumiko smiled at me, and for a moment, I felt myself getting lost in her beautiful olive-green eyes. If I didn't already love Sora from the bottom of my heart… I could see myself falling for Yumiko-san. I suddenly felt a hand clasping onto mine, and looked left to see Sora standing next to me, her gaze not meeting mine as she looked at Yumiko with a smile on her face.

"We will, Yumiko-san. There's not much to do there, but… You're always welcome in Okukozome." Sora said to the older girl, who nodded to my sister.

"We'll remember that offer, Sora." Yumiko replied, then turned to Yukinoshita, who had crossed her arms and was looking at the blonde with a look that said 'Are you done?'

"We'd… best get going, then." Hikigaya said, perhaps sensing the possibility of conflict between his two girlfriends. "See you, Haruka, Sora." Hikigaya met both mine and Sora's eyes in turn with his gaze, then looked towards Harri and gave him a nod, which he returned.

"Yeah, see you, Sora, Haru! Remember, I'll call you when we get home!" Yumiko said and waved as Hikigaya made his way over to the two girls.

"Goodbye, Sora-san, Kasugano-kun." Yukinoshita said with a smile and a small wave of her own. "And goodbye to you as well, Harri. Thank you for being our guide on this vacation." Yukinoshita bowed to Harri, who – to our surprise – offered a bow of his own in return. Afterwards, Yukinoshita looked towards Sora and I and bit her lip, then took in a quick inhale of breath. "And… Good luck to you two with your relatives. I… hope everything goes well." I got the feeling Yukinoshita wanted to say something more, but I didn't press on the issue. Hikigaya did say she was bottling up her feelings. While I normally would say that is a bad thing to do… She probably doesn't want to burst into tears in front of her friends. But, simply knowing she cares about us is enough for now.

"Arigatou, Yukinoshita-san. We hope it all goes well, too." I replied to the black-haired girl, who gave me a small nod accompanied by a smile in return. "Goodbye, Yukinoshita-san, Yumiko-san, Hikigaya."

"I hope our next meeting will be sooner rather than later." My sister added with a wave, her other hand tightening its hold on mine.

"Have a safe trip back home!" Harri said to the three of them in English, waving his hand in a broad arc. After a few moments passed, Hikigaya began to make his way away from us, and his two girlfriends followed after him, with Yumiko giving us one last glance over her shoulder as we still waved after them. Soon enough, the three of them disappeared into the crowd, though if I looked hard enough, I could still catch glimpses of them at the security check.

"So… I guess that's that, then." Sora said quietly, and I looked towards her to see my sister wiping the corners of her eyes with her free hand. I didn't have to guess what for, and I didn't blame her for it. Yukinoshita-san and Yumiko-san – and Hikigaya to some degree as well, I guess – were the first real friends she's made in a long time, so I'd say she's more than allowed to shed a few tears. Even I'm a little sad that they've left us, but… There is always a tomorrow.

"We'll meet them again, Sora." I said, and as my sister turned to face me, I placed my right hand on her head and gently began to stroke it. "This isn't a final goodbye."

"I know that, Haru. Just..." Sora's looked up at me briefly, before letting her gaze fall as she scanned the crowds in the distance. "...I never knew something as simple as saying goodbye could be… like this." My sister bit her lip, her gaze still fixated on something in the distance.

"Goodbyes are always difficult. If you're agonizing this much over it, that just shows how much you care about them." Sora turned to look at me fully, allowing a small smile on her face as I lifted my hand away. A month ago, I don't think either of us would have believed it possible for Sora to care that much for someone other than myself. Of course, I always hoped she could make friends, but that seemed like such a far-away possibility… until now. Looking into the grey eyes of my sister, I felt a smile of my own growing on my face. "I'm really proud of you, Sora." I leaned in closer and gave Sora a quick kiss on the forehead, which caused my sister to freeze up as her cheeks became tinted red. Clearly, as we were in public, she had not expected such a thing from me.

"W-what was that for, Haru?" My sister grumbled and looked away from me, and a small chuckle left my mouth.

"For successfully coming out of your shell and making friends. Now you won't have just me to rely on." Sora glanced back at me briefly, but averted her gaze as soon as our eyes met. Heh, she's still bashful about becoming just a little more social… She may have learned some teasing from Yukinoshita-san and Yumiko-san, but I picked up something along the way as well. Mildly amused at my sister's agony, I turned to face Harri, who had been silently observing our exchange, and now smiled warmly at the two of us. Harri knows at least some Japanese, so I'm sure he understood the gist of everything we've spoken of – both just now and before with the others.

"Shall we get going back to the hotel?" Harri asked in English upon noticing the silence that had now befallen us. It doesn't seem like he's thinking too much about the kiss. Europeans are more accustomed to more physical contact with their loved ones, after all, and he does know that Sora and I are close as siblings as well. I wonder though… How would he react if our true relationship was revealed to him..? "We could pick up something to eat along the way. Or maybe there's somewhere you want to go?" Harri's gaze flicked between my sister and I, expecting an answer.

"I'm not particularly hungry." I replied, then turned to Sora and raised an eyebrow, who, after a moment of thought, shook her head.

"We have things planned with the Okazakis, so it's… probably best if we just head back." My sister said to Harri in English, who nodded to her in reply.

"Alright, no worries. I know you've gone around the city so much already, but I was just wondering if there was still something you wanted to see. Let's start heading back then, shall we?" Harri pointed towards the exit with his thumb, and we both nodded to him.

The past few days had been mostly sunny, but today the weather was overcast, and the few puddles here and there told that it had rained during the night. And, looking up at the clouds as we stepped outside, it felt like it might rain again at any given moment. Without the sun out, the temperature was also noticeably chillier, but it was still warm enough that most people – including us – only wore light clothing, which in turn meant that if it did happen to rain, most would not be prepared for it. Harri said that it wasn't supposed to rain today until after midday, but as we didn't particularly fancy seeing how accurate the weather forecast had been, the three of us quickly made our way to Harri's SUV and began to make our way back to the hotel.

On Thursday, everyone had been together in the car, and it honestly had been a little cramped, but now with just Sora and I sitting in the row of seats directly behind Harri, the large vehicle felt almost eerie with how empty it was. And it wasn't just empty physically, but also devoid of any chatter as well, though not in an awkward way. Sora and I didn't have anything to talk about, and Harri, while usually quite chatty, seemed to be content with just listening to the radio, if his rhythmic tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of the different songs was any indication. I could use this time to call Hideki, I guess… He knows pretty much all there is to know about our plans, but it would be nice to talk with him before we fly back home. Although, maybe it might be best to contact him in private, given that there is something very special we have to tell him… Sora had taken the window seat, and I found my gaze wandering to her as she leaned against the window, silently watching the world pass by us. Hideki will probably be overjoyed when he hears about Sora's pregnancy… We'd also be able to ask him for advice regarding how to come clean about everything to the Okazakis. My attention was driven away for a moment as I noticed Harri turning up the volume on the radio, and while I didn't understand what was being said, I could tell it wasn't because his favourite song had just come on. A news broadcast, perhaps? It sounds a bit like one…

"...It might get stormy by the evening, huh..." Harri said to no-one in particular, and I met his eyes as he briefly looked at the rear-view mirror. "Let's hope it won't be as bad as the one that damaged Hideki's summer cottage, eh? That must have been rough for the two of you… Apart from that time, have you two enjoyed your time here? I've been meaning to ask it, since your vacation is coming to an end soon." Harri asked, perhaps finally feeling the need to make small talk, or perhaps simply because he was reminded of the topic.

"Well, the storm wasn't much compared to the typhoons back home, though I guess living a bit more inland, we didn't experience the full brunt of many of many of them." I replied, and Sora turned to first look toward me, then at the front seat, though she could only see the back of Harri's head from her position. "But, to answer, yes, we have enjoyed our time here. We've made so many great memories." Sora looked back at me and smiled, then nodded in agreement to my words. "I've especially liked our time here. I've grown quite fond of this city." I looked out the window past my sister, though there wasn't much to see right now as we drove down the four-lane road towards the city proper. The airport is a bit out of the way… Though I guess it makes sense, considering all the space it needs. And the public transport system works well here, so it isn't a big issue.

"I hear lots of tourists praising Rovaniemi, but hearing it from you makes me just that extra bit proud. I'm glad you've been able to have fun in my home town, Haruka." Glancing at the rear-view mirror again, I caught Harri smiling, and I smiled right back at him. "But, yes… Japan is situated in a very 'dangerous' place concerning natural disasters – going back to the topic of storms. I guess it does make you a hardy people, having endured it all for generations, so a measly storm like the ones we have here must feel like a gently breeze." Harri then continued with a slightly chuckle, before abruptly stopping himself. "Sorry, was that in bad faith? I know you're still recovering from the earthquake earlier this year..."

"Oh, you mean… The Tōhoku earthquake back in March?" Harri glanced at me again in the rear-view mirror and nodded to me. It was the biggest earthquake to have ever hit Japan, and it happened around the time when… I could guess that Sora must have picked up at least something from our conversation and that her thoughts had gone in a similar direction to mine, as I felt her hand suddenly clasping onto mine. I know Sora has mostly gotten over it already, but… This is not something one can just brush off that easily. "...It's fine, Harri. I don't take offence at your words. We were lucky enough to have not been at the forefront of the event, but we were still affected by it – everyone in the country was, one way or another." The earthquake was still affecting people to this day, and now that I thought about it, it was a little surprising the topic hadn't come up yet in any conversation with any of the people here with us. I guess it's too gloomy of a topic to talk about on vacation… It might have even been part of the reason some of them came on this trip.

"That's good to hear. It definitely sparked international interest. Everyone's gaze was suddenly turned in sympathy towards Japan, and the rest of the world couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency in repairs and getting things back in order." Harri is right. Despite the massive amount of damage, things seemed to back to normal relatively quickly. "Wasn't there some model who did a lot of work during the crisis? As in, work in order to contribute to the rebuilding and such. I remember reading or hearing something about her… She was in Australia at the time of the earthquake, I believe. Kawa… Kawashima, I think? Something along those lines." I lifted an eyebrow in question, though Harri couldn't see it currently. A model? I tried to search my memory for anything related to what Harri had just said, but to no avail, and turned my gaze to Sora instead, who looked back at me curiously.

"You… obviously remember the earthquake back in March, right?" Sora nodded to me, but her expression told me she still didn't quite understand what I was getting at. "Do you remember anything about a model called Kawashima being in the news back then?" Sora's confusion seemed to only increase as I finished, and I almost felt like sighing. Sora… probably doesn't. She's not really into fashion, I don't think. Yumiko-san might have known, though.

"No, I don't. What does this model have to do with the earthquake?" Sora asked from me in turn.

"Oh, Harri just mentioned her. Apparently, she did something to help with the rebuilding efforts, or something like that. Harri couldn't remember her that well, and I can't say I remember anything like that either..." I strained my memory again, trying to recall any news from back then, but nothing came up. This was prior to our move to Okukozome as well, back when… our parents still lived. We had no worries in our lives back then, and we managed to make it through the disaster unscathed, so I didn't really pay much attention to things like the news or celebrities reacting to the disaster… Before the accident, I really did take life for granted, huh… Perhaps sensing my mood, Sora – whose hand was still grasping mine – squeezed onto me slightly, and I looked towards her to see a worried look on my sister's face. "Sorry, Sora. I'm fine." I said to my sister with a smile, who narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but then seemed to relax as I turned back frontwards and spoke to Harri. "We can't remember anything like that, Harri. It would probably have been better to ask Yumiko-san, if this Kawashima was a model. Maybe even Yukinoshita-san might have known – she keeps up with the news, after all." Harri glanced at me again in the rear-view mirror, acknowledging my answer with a slight nod.

"That's fine, it was just something I was wondering. It was quite a surprise that a celebrity like that reacted the way she did, so even western media covered it somewhat. I just can't put my finger on where exactly I heard of her… Well, it's no big deal." Harri replied to me, then seemed to quiet down a little as he focused on the road again.

We made small bits of conversation here and there on our way back to the hotel, but nothing too major or interesting. That isn't to say that I found it boring, quite the opposite, it was nice talking with Harri like this, though Sora couldn't really join in due to her lack of skills in English, so I wasn't sure what she thought of it. In any case, I couldn't help but feel a little melancholic, knowing that yet another thing I enjoyed about being here was soon coming to an end. Everyone else we would meet again (though meeting Mikami would be a rare occurrence, I figured), but Harri is someone we would likely never talk with again after returning, unless we came here on vacation in the future. And it's not just him. Both Hideki and Maria also belong in that category with Harri. At least we know that we would keep in touch with Hideki even after returning home, but with the time difference, it will be difficult to do so on a daily basis. I really will miss all of them… I think we should definitely find a way to contact Maria again before we leave, if only to tell her that we'll be returning home. Maybe she could come see us off? Though, that might just be wishful thinking… Well, she should at least know that we'll be returning home, that's for sure.

Soon enough, we were back at the hotel, and the clouds seemed to be even darker than before, making it clear that it would rain today. We hadn't planned much with the Okazakis other than "hanging out", but we certainly wouldn't be leaving the hotel any time soon at this rate.

"Come on, Haru. Stop spacing out." My sister called out to me, and I turned to face her. We had just exited Harri's SUV, and I saw him looking at something on his phone just behind Sora. "Kyou-san and Tomoya-san might already be waiting for us."

"Well, if Tomoya-san hasn't gone back to sleep, that is." I replied, looking up at the clouds again briefly. We all woke up early to say our goodbyes to Hikigaya, Yukinoshita-san and Yumiko-san, but Tomoya-san was clearly still tired when we left to see the three of them off at the airport – I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped back into bed the first thing after returning to their hotel room. I felt myself smiling in amusement, and I turned back to Sora, now seeing Harri looking towards us.

"Looks like my guess earlier was correct, Haruka, as I just got a message from my boss." Harri said once he had my attention, lifting up his phone as he did. "I'll have to leave you two now, so see you later!"

"Alright. See you, Harri!" I raised my hand and gave Harri a small wave, while Sora simply smiled at him. After returning the gesture to me, Harri turned and began to briskly walk towards the entrance, first tapping away at his phone and then lifting it up to his ear all the while – likely calling his boss. "Let's head inside before we soaked, Sora." I said and turned to my sister, holding out my hand.

"I hope it doesn't rain all day, so we can actually go and do something." Sora said with a sigh as she took my hand, and we began to make our way inside as well.

"Hm? I would've thought you'd have liked if it rained, Sora, since then you'd have an excuse to just stay inside all day." I replied in a joking manner, though I was genuinely curious about why Sora would say that. Before, it took a lot of work to just get her out of the house even for a little bit… I guess she's changed in more ways than one during this vacation. In response, my sister hit my side with her elbow – hard enough to know she put force behind it, but not hard enough for it to hurt.

"Hmph. You're being awfully cheeky today, Haru." Hearing Sora's words, I let out a small chuckle, while she simply pouted.

"Sorry, Sora. These past two days I've just been so… happy, because of… you know." I glanced at my sister, who smiled and gave me a nod that told me she understood. "You've been teasing me more recently, so I can't be blamed for wanting to have a bit of revenge, right?" As we arrived at the entrance to the hotel, we stopped briefly and I patted Sora on the head affectionately. "It'll be fine, Sora. Even if it rains, it's not like there's nothing to do at the hotel. And, no matter what we end up doing, I'm sure we'll have fun with Kyou-san and Tomoya-san." I said with a smile, and my sister seemed momentarily surprised, but quickly regained her composure and smiled back at me, her hold on my hand tightening ever so slightly.

"When you say stuff like that, I can't help but believe you, Haru." Sora said with a sigh, before a smirk appeared on her face. "Oh, but you are right in that there is definitely something we can do together." Suddenly, Sora grabbed onto me, bringing as much of her body into contact with mine as possible, leaving no questions as to what exactly she was referring to.

"There's no helping you, is there?" I asked and glanced around, then – reluctantly – separated a little from my sister, though I still kept a hold of her hand. "We'll… have to see about that. For now, though, we should just see if we can find Kyou-san and Tomoya-san, alright?" In response, Sora gave me a nod accompanied by a smile, and we headed inside the hotel.


"I can't see them anywhere… They must still be upstairs."

Having just stepped into the hotel lobby moments ago, Haru and I were expecting to see Kyou and Tomoya welcoming us back, but a quick scan of our surroundings told to us that the couple was nowhere to be found. It was still quite early, so there were few people around, only one of whom I recognized – Mikami, sitting alone at a table at the lobby bar with a laptop in front of him.

"Well, it's no use for us to be standing around here, then." I said to my brother and took a couple of steps forwards, gently attempting to pull him with me. "Let's go to their room, they're bound to be there."

"I can go check on them, Sora. You should wait here, in case we somehow pass by each other and they come down here to wait for us." Haru replied to me. Hmm… Well, I guess he does have a point. They were going to wait for us to return at the lobby, after all. "Also, we might as well have something to drink while we plan what we're going to do today, so there's no need for both of us to go upstairs if all we'll do is pick them up and come back down." Haru continued as he gestured towards the lobby bar.

"Fine, just don't make me wait, okay. I'll secure us some seats, I guess." I said to my brother, who nodded in reply. It wouldn't have been that much of a hassle for me to come with him… Well, it doesn't really matter that much.

"Right, I'll be right back, Sora." Haru let go of my hand and began to make his way towards the lift, leaving me alone in the nearly-deserted lobby. Securing seats won't be a problem, that's for sure…

I started to walk towards the lobby bar, glancing around for a table big enough when my eyes landed on Mikami, who let out a yawn as he stretched, and our eyes met. A week ago, I would have been intimidated by the black-haired man, but after last weekend, I knew that under his shell, he was actually a relatively nice person. His eyes may have seemed to be set in a permanent glare, and his bluntness and impatience could come off as rude, but he didn't act that way on purpose. His career as a lawyer had hardened him, but deep inside, there was a gentleness to him, though he doesn't really know how to express it – at least, that's the image I got of Mikami, though with my people skills, that could be completely off the mark. Nonetheless, while I wouldn't consider either Haru or I to be particularly close to him, we were definitely closer with him than any of the others, so it would be rude to simply ignore him.

"Good morning, Mikami-san." I said as I walked up to Mikami, stopping just next to the table where he was sat down. The table next to him might be big enough for us…

"Morning. So, you're back already? I thought I saw Harri returning just a moment ago. You saw the three of them off, then?" Mikami asked as he shifted in his seat to look at me.

"Yes, we did. I'll… miss them, but we promised to meet up as soon as possible when Haru and I have returned home as well." I replied, then shifted my gaze to his laptop. Is that his own one? I think I saw it in his room last weekend… Though, I didn't really have a chance to look that well back then. "Are you writing something?" I asked and pointed at Mikami's laptop, but didn't try to peek at the screen – Mikami valued his privacy, after all.

"I almost wish I was." Mikami replied with a slight smile. "I sometimes write on the computer, but I find it easier to write on paper. Let's my thoughts flow more freely. This here is… Well, for my work, to put it simply. Since I'm heading back on Monday – we'll be on the same flight, right? Since you two will return together with the Okazakis?" Mikami interrupted his own explanation as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded to him in reply. "Yes, it seems I remembered correctly, then. Anyway, since I'll be returning home soon, I'm reviewing the things I have to do when I get back, and checking for any emails I've gotten during my vacation. I'd describe myself as a workaholic, but even I like keeping work and play separated, so to speak." As Mikami finished, he glanced towards the counter briefly, before turning back to me. "Would you watch my laptop while I go get something? I doubt anyone would try to steal it here, but… You can never be too careful."

"Oh, sure, I can do that." I said as I took another step forward, now standing next to Mikami as he was still sat down, and upon seeing a glimpse of Mikami's laptop screen, a random thought entered my head. "Do you… mind if I use it briefly? If you don't have anything important on it right now, that is." Mikami lifted an eyebrow in question, then shrugged.

"Sure, be my guest. I already replied to all of my emails." Mikami said as he closed the email program and opened the internet browser, sitting up from his seat as he did. "I trust you won't do anything questionable?"

"I just want to look up something. I'll probably be done before you even get back." I replied, and Mikami nodded to me, then started walking towards the counter. It's not even that important, just… I get the feeling it's going to bug me if I don't do it.

As Mikami hadn't explicitly denied it, I took the seat he had occupied mere moments ago and began to type into the search engine. Kawashima… The name doesn't say anything to me, but if she was in the news back during the earthquake, she must be someone important. I don't really care for celebrities, but I don't want to made fun of if knowing about her is common knowledge… Hmph, look at me. Since when did I start caring about what other people think of me? Well… I guess ever since I got to know everyone here… Haah, social relationships are so hard, but… I'm not disliking them. I smiled slightly to myself, then began to scan through the search results, flicking through the different pages with efficiency only obtained through being an experienced shut-in. Kawashima… Anna? Is that her? But she's an actress, not a model… She does have a daughter though. Quickly finding a page with information regarding the actress' daughter, Ami, I could now see why she hadn't appeared in the main search results.

Her name wasn't Kawashima any more, as she was married, and was now known under the surname Takasu.

If I had narrowed down the search results, or looked for older information and news articles, I would have likely found this sooner. She's been married for quite a while, and even has a child, but she was still publicly known by her old name for some time… Ah, here's something about her during the earthquake. While the earthquake and the following tsunami had ravaged Japan back in March, the model had been in Australia, but had made a swift return with her husband and colleagues, after participating in concerts meant to bring attention to the crisis and give people hope, to tell them there was something they could do, and that there was a tomorrow. While initially there had been criticism, their actions were praised soon enough, and it had given them quite a popularity boost. I didn't really get how much of an impact a concert held somewhere else could make, but judging by what I read, it was all admirable work. I guess I can't judge her, she did what she could, unlike a lot of people. Now looking through various pictures of the blue-haired model – who wasn't that much older than I was – I felt a slight jolt of guilt going through me, remembering how all we could do back during the crisis was hide away and wait for everything to return to normal. Like Haru said to Harri, we live inland so got through it all with little damage, but we also really couldn't do anything… As the negative thoughts swirled inside of me, I suddenly froze upon coming across a certain photo of the model that took my breath away momentarily.

In the photograph, she was wearing a beautiful dress I had never seen the likes of before. Linking arms with her stood a tall man with an equally-astounding suit, and while his sanpaku eyes [1] looked scary at first, the broad smile on his face countered their effect. A similar, though smaller smile was present on the model's face as well, and their happiness was clear to see. This was no doubt a photo from their wedding.

"That's a nice dress. Looks quite expensive as well." I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sudden voice, and jerked my head towards its source to see Mikami looking down at the laptop screen over my shoulder with a cup of coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other. "Hm? Sorry, did I surprise you?"

"A-ah, it's fine. Yes… it is a pretty dress." I said quickly and looked back the photograph. A wedding… It would be nice if Haru and I could get married, but I think that might be too much to ask…

"Isn't she..." Hearing Mikami's voice again, I turned to see Mikami intensely looking at the photograph displayed on the laptop screen. Is he..? Oh, right. Mikami-san has really good eyesight, doesn't he? He can probably see the picture well even from a bit of a distance. "...The daughter of that one actress? Kawashima Anna?"

"Yes, she is, though she goes by the name Takasu Ami ever since her wedding. Harri and Haru were talking about something or other on the way back, and Haru asked me about her, but I didn't know anything about her." I explained as I scrolled back up away from the pictures, and Mikami nodded to me.

"I thought I recognized her. I've seen quite a few of her mother's movies, and… Well, I guess you could say I'm a fan." Mikami said as he placed his cup on the table and sat down on the only other chair at the table to my right. "There was quite a bit about her in the news earlier this year, back when that earthquake happened." Mikami bit into his sandwich, and I closed the browser, moving the laptop slightly in his direction to indicate I was done using it.

"Yeah, that's what they were talking about when Harri brought her up. I thought that while I had the chance and the idea was fresh in my head, I might as well look her up." I leaned back in the chair slightly and glanced towards the lift, half-expecting for its doors to open and Haru returning together with Tomoya and Kyou, but they stayed closed. "Where were you when the earthquake happened?" I decided to ask Mikami, feeling that the silence would soon get awkward if I didn't say anything to continue the conversation. And now I'm making small talk… I'm becoming more and more like Haru, it seems… Then again, isn't there a saying about lovers becoming similar to each other over time?

"I was in Tokyo when it happened, and managed to get out of it without any harm. The north-eastern shores took the majority of the damage. I guess one could say that I got lucky, as I was on my way to Sendai, so had the earthquake happened a day later… Well, I might not be here." Mikami said and took a sip from his coffee cup, shifting his gaze to meet mine. "Are you waiting for your brother here, by the way?" Mikami suddenly changed the subject, perhaps not wanting to continue with the dreary conversation any longer – which I didn't blame him for.

"Yes. We had planned to spend time with the Okazakis today, and since they weren't down here, Haru went up to see if he could find them. He said I should stay behind in case they come here while he's gone, so here I am." Mikami nodded to me in reply, then closed the lid on his laptop, pulling it in front of him.

"I see. I don't suppose you're planning on going outside with that weather? It's going to rain today." Mikami gestured towards a window, and I shook my head at him.

"We don't have anything specific planned, but we likely won't. Haru reassured me that there would be things we can do at the hotel, but… I feel it might still get boring." I leaned against the table and let out a sigh, lazily kicking my feet under the table. Haru was right that normally… or rather, before, I would have taken any excuse to just stay inside without going anywhere, but now? I would much rather go out and… do stuff with… with my friends. I want to talk about girly things with Yumiko-san and Yukino-san, and get parenting advice from Kyou-san, or even just babysit Ushio.

"Well, whether or not it will be boring will be up to you. I'm sure you kids can figure out something fun to do." Mikami said, and I shifted my gaze to him as he quickly wolfed down his sandwich and followed it up by drinking the rest of his coffee in one go. "It was nice talking with you, Sora, but I'll take my leave now. I'll be up in my room if you or your brother want to talk some more." Mikami gave me a small smile as he stood up, then pointed at something behind me as he picked up his laptop. Lifting my head to turn towards whatever he pointed at, I immediately felt a smile appearing on my face as I saw the people approaching, and was about to tell Mikami he could stay with us if he wanted to, but that smile disappeared almost instantly as I realized why Mikami was all of a sudden in such a hurry.

"Yahhallo, Sora-chan!" Yukinoshita Haruno shouted out once my eyes landed on her, with Haru, Tomoya, Kyou and Ushio following slightly behind her. Euughh… I almost forgot she was here… Now I'm suddenly wishing it was Monday already… "Ah! And it's Mikami-san as well. Are you leaving? Why don't you stay here with us?"

"Sorry, but no. There's something I need to go do." Mikami said as he walked past Haruno, briefly looking at Haru as he passed by him. I wish I could just walk away from Yukinoshita Haruno like that… Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury.

"Wasn't that a little rude?" Haruno asked once Mikami was out of hearing range, glancing between the rest of us. "What were you two talking about before we arrived?" Haruno fixated her gaze on me, and I briefly looked towards my brother, who offered an apologetic look in return as he took the seat Mikami had occupied.

"Nothing much. We talking a bit about the earthquake that happened earlier this year. But what I would like to ask from you, Haruno-san, is what you're doing here." Haruno looked back at me with confusion, then smiled.

"I happened to run into these guys on their way here, and decided to tag along. There's no fun in staying cooped up in my hotel room, I'd much rather spend that time with all of you~!" Hearing Haruno's words, I almost wanted to vomit knowing that I had just thought something similar mere moments ago. "But, you were talking about the Tōhoku earthquake in March? That's kind of surprising. I remember being in Kyoto back then and immediately calling Yukino-chan back in Chiba once I heard the news. Luckily, we all survived without a scratch, but it was still a scary time." Haruno continued and looked towards Kyou and Tomoya, who had taken a seat with Ushio on the table next to the table I was sitting at.

"Yeah, it was definitely scary. Hikarizaka is located inland, so we weren't directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami, but a couple of my work colleagues were in Natori when the tsunami hit, and ended up hospitalized." Tomoya said, and I could see that recalling the events was not pleasant for him, and suddenly felt bad for bringing it up in the first place.

"Tomoya, why don't we get something to drink? I know at least you could do with a coffee." Likely sensing her husband's mood dropping slightly, Kyou changed the subject as she placed a hand on top of Tomoya's and smiled at him, then shifted her gaze to me. "Do either of you want something, Sora, Haruka?"

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks." My brother replied and now also looked towards me.

"I don't need anything either, Kyou-san." I said, and after a moment, Kyou nodded to me.

"I can buy you two something, Haru, Sora." Haruno offered with a smile as Kyou, Tomoya and Ushio stood up from their seats. No, you don't have to. Being indebted to you is the last thing we want. "Come on, anything you like."

"Thank you for the offer, Haruno-san, but..." My brother started, briefly glancing at me before returning his gaze to Haruno. "...We really don't need anything. Besides, we've got our own money, so it wouldn't do good to have others pay for us." I nodded as Haru finished, deciding that it was probably for the best to just put up with Haruno for now. Haruno silently eyed by brother for a few seconds, then took a seat at the table next to ours, angling her seat so she was facing us.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that. Not leeching off others all the time is key for keeping it profitable in the long run. You wouldn't want people to catch on, now would you?" Haruno wore a sinister smile on her face, and her words made me feel angry. Don't tell me she's actually believing those delusions of hers…

"...What do you want, Haruno-san? I don't get what you're aiming for by falsely accusing us with that." Haru said to her in a low voice, while Haruno simply stared at him in silence for a few seconds, before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Why don't we talk for a little bit, just the three of us? That's all I want, you don't have to be so hostile with me, Haru." In response to her question, my brother let out a sigh.

"We were planning on spending this day together with the Okazakis, as we'll be packing tomorrow and won't have as much time. You're free to join us, Haruno-san, but I would ask of you to not spread any misinformation." Haru said and crossed his arms, pausing for a moment before continuing. "What do you want from us, Haruno-san? I know you said all those things about wanting to find out what we're supposedly keeping secret from you, but is there any other reason as to why you're pestering us so much?"

"..." Haruno stayed quiet, her expression unmoving. "...Are you implying that I am an annoyance to you two?" She then asked, keeping her gaze fixated on Haru.

"Yes, yes you are." I replied, and Haruno's rose-coloured eyes shifted their focus onto me.

"Such a sharp tongue… You know, I believe I have said this before, but Hikigaya-kun and Yukino-chan owe a lot to me, and they don't appreciate it all enough, so you shouldn't accept everything they've told about me as fact. And I do genuinely care for my cute little sister and future brother-in-law, you know." Haruno's smile widened ever so slightly, and her expression seemed to soften a little, though I couldn't tell how much of it was an act. "As for what I want from you two..." Haruno's gaze moved away from me for a moment, before she continued in a lower tone. "...You two are simply interesting to me. But, to give an answer… I want to know what you two have going on beneath the surface." Mixed feelings of both dread and anger welled up inside of me, but I managed to restrain myself. Just stay calm. Don't let her get the upper hand. "So, are you two okay with orange juice? I'll get you both a separate straw~!" In a flash, Yukinoshita Haruno's demeanour had changed completely as she stood up suddenly and began to walk towards the counter, from where Kyou, Tomoya and Ushio has just arrived from, carrying drinks in their hands.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Sora? You look troubled." Kyou asked as she set down her own drink on the table, and I let out a sigh, glancing at my brother, who seemed to also relax for a moment.

"I'm okay, Kyou-san. Talking with her just drains all of my energy." I replied and leaned on the table again.

"Ah… Well… Haruno-san is a bit lively, I guess..." Kyou said as she looked towards the younger woman in the distance. If only it was simply that… "But, maybe we can figure out a way to have some fun together today. That's what we came down here for, right? Now we've just got an extra person to join in on the fun."

"I guess..." I let my gaze wander over to Yukinoshita Haruno as she made her order at the counter. Yukinoshita Haruno… What is she playing at here exactly? There's no real reason for her to do all of this with nothing to gain, and yet she's so insistent on finding about mine and Haru's secrets. If it's simple curiosity, like she says, then she is taking it way too far. But, that seems to be just the way she is. Haruno briefly glanced back towards us, and as our eyes met, she smiled that fake smile of hers that made me uneasy.

According to Hikigaya-san, she'll play with us until we're no longer of interest to her, but the only way for her interest to end is for her to find out about our relationship – and that is something we can't allow to happen. As much as I would want to simply take Haru and kiss him in front of her and tell her to buzz off, in her case, it would likely do more harm than good. She knows we're hiding something from her, so she's using that to try to trap us so that either she'll find out what we're hiding, or that we reveal it to her ourselves… Yukinoshita Haruno is truly terrifying. But even more than terror…

...she makes me angry.


AN: And that's a wrap. I blame the delay of this chapter on the quarantine. It may have given me more free time, but it did also completely fuck up my already messed-up sleep schedule to the point where my circadian cycle is screaming in agony and confusion. In other words, I'm having a wonderful time! At least I kept my promise about this one coming out sooner than the chapter before it, so yay for that.

As I said at the beginning, this is one of the final chapters, and I will try to get the next one out sooner. I end up saying it in pretty much every chapter, so at one point it's bound to happen, right? Once I get a hold of my daily schedule again, I'll be in a much better position to write, so you can hopefully look forwards to that!

Now, I bid you all farewell, and see you in the next one!

[1] Sanpaku eyesis a Japanese term that refers to a condition where the sclera (white of the eye) is clearly visible either above or below the iris. In the east, sanpaku eyes are believed to be linked with things such as drug or alcohol addiction when the sclera is visible beneath the iris, and with psychological problems when it is visible above it. JFK and Michael Jackson are examples of people who had the condition, and it is also a common trope in Anime, where it is usually used to make a character more "intimidating", though it also depends on the art style whether a character can be considered to have the condition or not.