Kanade and I were still walking around the city when we came across a shop that was Natsuki's favorite. She had suggested that we go inside and search for something that she would like.
"What's your cousin like?" Asked Kanade
"Hmm..." I started "Well she's very energetic, she loves cute things and toys, but I don't want to get her something that she would consider babyish due to the fact that she's going to turn 10." I explained
Kanade thought for a bit, deciding on what we should do. She had grabbed a box of strawberry pocky off the shelf, along with a craft-a-bear kit that included outfits, some rainbow colored hair ties, a blue designer purse with a fan with white flowers on it to match.
"How's this?" she asked.
I couldn't really say anything, I just watched in amazement.
"You think that she would like all of this?" I asked.
She nodded, heading to the checkout.
"Is it alright if we were to craft the bear before giving it to her?" She asked, looking at the box with all the fabric supplies, "That way, we could make it look cuter that it does on the box, you mentioned that she liked cuts things."
"If that's what you think is right, then I'll help you with it." I said, smiling at her.
We headed out of the store, carrying the bags, hand in hand. We had only gotten a few meters before we heard a voice behind us.
"Hey, Yuzuru," It called, "Wait up!"
"Hmm?" I had turned around to see Hinata and Yui catching up to us.
"Hinata!" I yelled as I waved to him
"Who's this?" He had asked as he gotten closer to us.
"This is Tachibana, Kanade," I said, introducing Kanade beside me
"You can just call me Kanade." She said, slightly bowing
"Kanade," I started, "This is Hinata, and this is Yui."
Kanade had giggled and smiled, "I already knew that Yuzuru."
My face turned red a bit from my flaw, "Oh, yeah, that's right."
"What's so funny Yuzuru?" asked Hinata
"They're all morons," muttered Yui under her breath "except for me!"
"Don't you remember, Hinata?" I asked
"Remember what?" He asked
"The afterlife where we first met, Yui was there too and we were all fighting against Kanade, but we couldn't die?"
"Listen up, moron," Started Yui, " I don't know what you have been taking or doing that made you this way, but you need to snap the hell out of it. Maybe I'll just have to do it myself," She said, punching the air with her fists, trying to seem intimidating. "See," She shouted, "I'm super-duper strong, I could take you down with one blow to the stomach."
She had seemed rather proud of this.
Kanade seemed flustered, not knowing what to do, and started humming the same tune to try to calm down.
Hinata and Yui had gasped simultaneously.
Yui had held her hald over her mouth, hunched over and crying.
Hinata had stepped forward and hugged her tightly against his chest, comforting her
"Yui, everything is okay now, I remember." He said, " I had promised you that I would find you in this life, and now I have. Yui, Yui, what's wrong?"
"Hinata," she bawled, "I remember thinking that I would never see you again, but it was destiny that had brought us back together again, Hinata."
Hinata had turned to Kanade.
"I am sorry for attacking you all those times, blindly without even thinking, but now you have helped us, so thank you." He finished and bowed.
I turned down to look at my wristwatch. The time was 2:00, but we had to be at Natsuki's party at 3:30, I can't believe that time had passed so quickly.
"Hinata," I started "I'm sorry that I couldn't have more time, but I seriously have to go, I promise that I will call you later."
"Oh," said Hinata, "sure thing, if that's what you need then I'll let you go for now. I'll be looking forward to that call."
"It was nice seeing you both," she said to Yui, "I hope that we can be good friends in the future."
Yui didn't really know how to react, Kanade was so calm and Yui had more of an energetic personality.
"Ehh," she started "sure thing Tachibana."
Kanade and I smiled and walked off, hurriedly to the train station, we couldn't be late.
We had gotten to my house around 2:15, plenty of time to spare. But we needed more time to work on that bear for Natsuki.
"Mom, I'm home!" I yelled as I had gotten in through the front door.
"Oh, there you are!" She had dried her soapy hands on a towel, and started walking over, apparently she was doing dished. "I was beginning to wonder if you would show up at all. Oh, Who is this?" She asked.
"This is Kanade," I said "she and I are er..." I didn't want to say aquaintances, nor did I want to introduce my mom to my just-met girlfriend. She would think that I was nuts, not to mention what my father would have to say about that.
I looked down at Kanade, not knowing what to say.
"Err, well she's a really great friend of mine." I had said, finally. "She and I are working on a present for Natsuki's birthday."
"Oh," said my mother "I am Yuzuru's mother, as you can tell, but you can just call me Mrs. Otonashi."
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Otonshi." said Kanade.
"Kanade and I will be upstairs if you need anything, mom." I said, wanting to get the bead project on with.
"Would you like anything to eat, Kanade?" my mom asked
"No thank you, Mrs. Otonashi, I had already eaten, but thank you anyway."
"Would you like to come to Natsuki's party?" my mother asked again
I looked at Kanade and smiled, "Would you like to come?" I asked.
Kanade looked bewildered, "Would it really be okay if I could go with you two, Mrs. Otonashi?"
"Why not?" My mother started "The party is public to family and friends, and Yuzuru had already mentioned that you're helping him with her present."
"Thank you, Mrs. Otonashi?" She smiled at my mother.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Yuzuru, I'm holding you back from what you were doing." My mother said. "Right then, you two are excused, buy please be ready a quarter after."
"Yes, mother." I said.
Me and Kanade had headed upstairs to go to work, taking the items out of the bags, and to see to the bear for Natsuki.
We had taken out all of the Items that the box had provided, Kanade had separated the accessories box from the bear box.
"Where are the directions?" I asked.
"Hmm," she muttered, "they should be around here somewhere."
We had searched all three boxes, and the entire room, but not my closet, because we had agreed not to. We had no avail of finding the directions.
"I wonder where they could have gone." I said
"Well, It's not like they walked off on their own, they have to be around here somewhere." She said.
"Kanade," I said, looking at my wristwatch. "We don't have time to look for them, we have to leave for the party in 45 minutes."
"Right," she said "looks that we will just have to look harder."
"Kanade, we will have to go without the instructions."
"Aha!" she said excitedly "found them!"
"Where were they?" I asked
"You were sitting on them the whole time, Yuzuru." she said, almost laughing
I scratched the back of my neck, getting up. "Sorry about that."
"Right," she said urgently, "we need to get started on this, Yuzuru, read me the instructions."
I had read her the instructions, but she actually did most of the work. Any parts that she needed help with, she had me do. Though I must say that sewing is hard. I kept getting my fingers in the way on the needle, causing me to lick my fingers in pain.
By the time that we had gotten to the accessories, we had plenty of time on our hands.
The accessories had consisted of sparkly dresses, shoes, purses, skirts, shirts and a yellow raincoat with matching boots.
We had wrapped up all the items in one big, pale birthday bag with colorful pastel tissue paper.
Kanade had made sure to not leave out the the fan, purse and hair ties.
Apparently we had lost the pocky somewhere in my room, and didn't have much spare time to look for it.
Kanade had helped me bandage up my fingers
"Thanks a lot," she said "even if it met your fingers getting hurt in the process." she had smiled and blushed a bit after finishing up my pinky.
"I should thank you," I said, "I'm so glad that I got to meet you again today." I held her tightly in my arms, smiling down on her innocent face.
"Y-Yuzuru," she stammered, seeming flustered and embarrassed, which only made her look cuter.
"What is it Kanade?' I asked
"There's something that I need to tel you." her face grew a brighter shade of red, as she had brought her face closer to mine, kissing me lightly on the cheek, then turned away, staring at her lap.
I sat there, blushing like a beet, and turned to her. "Kanade," I said, lifting her chin up to my face, staring into her eyes.
She stared into my eyes, tough I could tell that she was blushing, too.
I had leaned in closer, kissing her on the lips. We held the kiss there for a wile, then broke away.
Both of our faces were super red, now.
Kanade had started laughing, now, and I had joined in, laughing too.
"Hey, what are you laughing about?" came a voice from my door.
It was my little sister, Hatsune.
"Kanade," I said, "this is my little sister, Hatsune"
"Hello, Hatsune." said Kanade
"Hatsune," I asked, "Is something going on?"
"Mother wants to know if you're ready. We're planning on leaving now." she informed me
"Okay, Hatsune, thank you."
I turned to Kanade, smiling and holding out my hand for help her up.
"Ready to go?" I asked
She nodded and accepted my hand.
