CHAPTER 7

Yuuhi lay on the sofa and stared silently at the ceiling. He was alone at home for Aya had left with Tooya and Midori three days ago; Suzumi and Kyuu-san, on the other hand, had accompanied Seiyo to the airport. She was flying back to England that morning and he didn't have the heart to object, feeling that she needed to be with her family.

It has been a week since the incident at the laboratory. He learned that Seiyo had transformed into Iris, her tennyo counterpart, and came to his aid. She destroyed Kamino and saved his life. 'Funny,' he mused, 'I meant to get her out of trouble but she ended up helping me.'

It was Tooya who eventually informed Seiyo of her grandfather's death. She didn't grieve much over the loss, explaining to them that they had never been close. She was shocked, however, by his involvement in the C-Project and was troubled by how she would break the news of his demise to her aunts and uncles.

'She's really leaving,' Yuuhi sighed, continuing his recollection of the events during the past week. The fact hadn't actually registered in his mind until that moment. 'Am I doing the right thing by letting her go?' he asked himself.

'No, and you're aware of it, aren't you?' a voice answered in his head. He sat up and combed a hand through his hair. Now he was talking to himself.

'What do you mean?"

'Come on, why don't you just admit it?'

'Admit what?'

'That you like her, baka! Haven't you realized it yet?'

Yuuhi shot up from the couch and bolted out of the house.

~o~

"Oi, isn't that Yuuhi?" Kyuu-san asked, briefly turning her attention off the road. She and Suzumi-san were driving home from the airport.

Suzumi gazed out the passenger's seat and recognized the young man on the bicycle speeding in the opposite direction. "Uh-huh," she agreed.

"I wonder where he's going?"

"He finally came to his senses," she smiled. "We should probably prepare Seiyo's room."

"Why? She just left. Are we having another guest?"

"You could say that," she chuckled.

~o~

Seiyo watched in fascination as the aircraft lifted from the ground. 'Will he be surprised?' she asked, thinking she should have boarded the plane that left a minute ago. "But I can't just leave without telling him what I feel," she said out but didn't realize it.

"Who?" someone whispered in her ear.

She quickly turned around and exclaimed, "Yuuhi! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Yuuhu replied. "Did you miss your flight?"

"Yeah, there it is," she said, pointing to the red and white figure in the sky.

"Why didn't you go?"

"Ah.it's because I." she stammered and took a deep breath. "It's because I wanted to tell you that I---"

Yuuhi placed a finger on her lips. "I already know," he grinned, enclosing her in his arms. "Aishiteru."

Seiyo was startled by his admission. It took her a while before his words sank in. The realization brought tears to her eyes. "Honto?" she asked, returning his embrace.

"Of course, though it took it me a long time to understand what I was feeling."

"Then I better let my uncle know that I won't be coming back after all," she smiled.