Chapter 2
Hoshi sighed deeply as she put down the last books into some moving boxes in the living room. The two and a half years had passed by quickly and more things had changed in her life, and now a new house was awaiting her and her daughter. Hoshi sat down onto the floor by the moving box as she closed it, with some silver tape. She was wearing a white t- shirt and a pair of blue jeans, that where well used and dusty, while she had her hair in a ponytail.
"Michiru?" She soon shouted as she looked towards the balcony door, which was open. "Sweet heart? Want to take a break?"
Soon an aqua haired head peeked in and a pair of shining blue eyes just smiled at Hoshi. "I want to go to the city." Michiru answered as she walked into the living room. She was wearing a pair of light green shorts and a light blue top, while her hair was in two ponytails. "Can we mommy?" She asked as she almost threw herself into Hoshi's arms, leaning her head against Hoshi's chest while wrapping her arms around Hoshi's waist, as good as she could.
Hoshi smiled at the beautiful girl and soon stroked her hair. "What do you want to do in the city?" She asked after a short while.
"I want to go shopping for new things to the new house." Michiru answered with a pair of shining eyes towards Hoshi. "I'm getting my own room now!"
Hoshi laughed gently and soon hugged Michiru tightly, while lying down onto her back on the floor. "So you think we should go buy new things to you room only?"
Michiru just smiled while leaning her head onto Hoshi's shoulder. "Please mommy? Can we?"
Hoshi soon sighed and lifted up Michiru from on top of her, holding the girl over her head while looked her right in the eyes. "You really want to go shopping?" She asked while holding the two and a half year old in the air. "Only if we can have lunch in the city too."
"It's a deal!" Michiru giggled while holding onto Hoshi's arms.
"Alright." Hoshi nodded on the floor and soon landed Michiru safely onto her again. "Let's get dressed." She added as the girl, who was soon running into the hallway, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Hoshi just smiled for a while on the floor, while staring at the ceiling, before she got up and walked into the hallway, were Michiru already had her shoes on and was now holding Hoshi's shoes towards her with a smile. Hoshi put on her shoes and took her keys from beside the door, which Michiru opened and ran out off.
Hoshi and Michiru were walking around in a shopping mall some time later that same day. They had already had time to buy Michiru some things that she wanted, a new paint set with two brushes and some new papers. Hoshi was glad that Michiru had taken after her, when coming to the arts and already she was thinking on letting Michiru take art classes. The girl was a pure genius, even if she was still so young. The two walked hand in hand by several stores, into which Michiru didn't mind entering, saying that there wasn't anything she wanted to have at that moment.
"Want to take lunch now, sweet heart?" Hoshi asked as they stopped by a café, to which they had been several times before. "We could go in and say hi to Taiko-chan at the same time." She added with a smile, knowing that the two were good friends, after all the times they had plaid together.
Michiru just smiled as an answer towards Hoshi for a second, before she was already pushing in the café door, which was a bit too heavy for her. Hoshi opened the door for her daughter, who ran inside and to the counter, were Taiko was standing and reading a magazine. "Tai-obasan!" Michiru chirped as she stood behind the counter, standing on her toes.
Taiko jumped slightly and soon noticed the girl, giving her a warm smile. Taiko was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, under her apron. "Well, isn't it the little angel." She laughed gently while holding her hand over her chest, where her heart was racing, she soon noticed Hoshi who stopped beside Michiru. "What can I do you for?" Taiko smiled warmly, while closing the magazine.
"Lunch time!" Michiru chirped with a smile over her face.
Taiko laughed warmly and nodded at the girl, before she looked at Hoshi. "The usual I believe?" She asked.
Hoshi nodded and placed her hand onto Michiru's head, while looking at the girl who looked back at her. "Want to find somewhere to sit for us?"
Michiru nodded and soon ran of into the café, sitting down by the window.
"She sure knows the best seats." Taiko smiled while taking out two lunch boxes from behind the counter and putting them onto a tray. "Been shopping?" Taiko asked as she took out a teacup and a glass, which she filled with iced tea.
"Yeah. We're moving this Sunday." Hoshi replied while looking after Michiru. "But we're going to look at the place later again today..."
"Sounds like a house warming party." Taiko replied as she poured some steaming water into the cup, before putting in a teabag.
Hoshi smiled at her friend. "No parties. Maybe just dinner..."
"I'll come!" Taiko laughed gently as she pushed the tray towards Hoshi. "I could bring along something."
Hoshi smiled and gave Taiko money for the lunch. "I'll have to ask Michiru about that." She noted and picked up the tray from the counter. "But I believe she wouldn't mind having obasan over." She added with a grin.
Taiko just grinned back. "Don't push it." She noted.
Hoshi nodded as an agreeing gesture before she walked over to the table and Michiru. "Here we go." Hoshi smiled as she gave Michiru the iced tea and her lunch box. "Excited over going to see the new place?" She asked as she sipped her tea, while looking at Michiru, who opened the lunch box.
"Can I pick my room today?" Michiru asked as she picked out the plastic fork.
Hoshi smiled warmly at the girl. "Of course you can dear." She promised and slowly put the cup down while looking out the window, and onto the street, where some people passing by looked in and just smiled seeing Michiru enjoying her lunch box. Suddenly Hoshi's eyes widened, seeing a woman slowly walking by, while talking into her cell phone.
The woman had long black hair in a tight brand, and a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes. She was wearing a black leather jacket, over a white blouse and a pair of black pants. The woman stopped by the window and suddenly turned to face the window. She stopped talking in her phone, while staring right at Hoshi. Soon the woman removed the sunglasses from her eyes, showing a pair of open-wide green eyes. She said something into the cell phone and put slowly put it away.
"Natsumi..." Hoshi whispered.
Michiru looked at Hoshi from her lunch box, having heard the name before she slowly looked out the window, seeing the woman standing there.
Soon the woman walked of quickly, only to appear in the café entrance after a second or two. Taiko looked up from the magazine and stared at the woman, who slowly walked over to Hoshi and Michiru, keeping her eyes on Hoshi, who stared back at her. "Hoshi... -san." Reiki Natsumi whispered after a short while of silence.
Hoshi slowly looked away from the woman, only to look at the table. "Natsumi-san." She greeted in a low voice as she slowly picked up hr teacup again.
Natsumi bit her lip a little, while letting her gaze end up at the floor. "Fancy seeing you here..." She whispered before she looked back at Hoshi. "How's life?"
"Good." Hoshi replied as she put down the cup, while making a gesture towards Michiru, who was looking at Natsumi.
Natsumi blinked at Hoshi and soon looked across the table, seeing Michiru sitting there. Natsumi's eyes widened a little, while her face paled slightly. "I heard the rumor..." She whispered and looked at Hoshi again. "But I didn't think it was true..." She added slowly.
"Now you know it's true then." Hoshi replied and slowly opened her lunch box. "Eat up Michiru." She said gently, while giving Michiru a soft gaze.
Natsumi looked at the girl on the other side of the table, who nodded towards Hoshi and continued eating her lunch. "She's beautiful." She whispered.
Hoshi closed her eyes and sighed deeply, not really wanting to answer anything the woman was saying, she slowly picked up the fork from the lunch box, trying her best to keep her tears inside. Why now? She thought as she poked the dork into the rice ball.
"Hoshi... -san. I'm sorry I just left like that." Natsumi whispered suddenly, now looking at Hoshi. "I really didn't want to do it, and you know I still lo-"
"Shut up." Hoshi whispered, still with her eyes tightly closed. "I don't want to hear anything from you." She continued after a second as she let the fork stand upright in the rice ball. "You just left..."
"But I want back, Hoshi!" Natsumi whispered a little higher now. "I didn't want to be alone so I went out and..."
A tear filled gaze from Hoshi, which said more than any words could have said at that moment, cut her off. "I said I don't want to hear anything about it. My life is perfect now." Hoshi said as a tear ran down her cheek.
Michiru saw all of this and suddenly she had tears in her eyes as well, at the same time Taiko walked over with some napkins, knowing when to but in. She sat down beside Michiru and dried the girl's cheeks as the tears rolled down. "Sorry you had to see this, kitten." She whispered as she picked up the girl into her arms, and Michiru buried her face into Taiko's shoulder.
Natsumi looked at Taiko and then at Michiru, before she looked at Hoshi, who was looking at Taiko with a thankful gaze trough her tears. "Are...?" Natsumi whispered after a second.
"What's it to you?" Taiko butted in, staring at Natsumi with a slightly angered look. "You should leave now, Natsumi-san." She added while stroking Michiru on the head, giving the girl all her comfort, while keeping a comforting eye on Hoshi.
Natsumi swallowed hard and soon nodded a little. "I see." She whispered and soon gaze a sorry gaze to Hoshi. "I... I'll see you around..."
"Whatever. Just go." Taiko butted in again, now looking at Natsumi with a slightly angered gaze.
Natsumi didn't reply with words, she just left the café, but Hoshi could see the tears in the woman's eyes as she left.
"What nerve!" Taiko growled and soon put Michiru down onto the bench. "Making my kitties cry and feel bad. I should have stuffed a sub sandwich up her behind." She added while looking at Hoshi, who dried her eyes with a smile over her lips. "I hope my butting in was needed." Taiko smiled warmly.
"It was. Thank you." Hoshi replied with a deep sigh.
Taiko nodded at her friend and soon looked at Michiru. "You okay kitten?" She asked as she stroked Michiru's cheek.
Michiru nodded a little and slowly picked up her iced tea, with her both hands from the table. "Thank you Tai-obasan." She said as she placed down the glass again, giving Taiko a smile. She soon looked at Hoshi. "Mommy. Can Tai-obasan have dinner with us at the house?" She asked after a second.
Hoshi smiled at the girl and nodded. "She may." She agreed and looked at Taiko, who was shining like a sun, with her ear to ear smile.
The evening was just around the corner as Hoshi stopped her car outside the house, which she had been to before, but this time she was with Michiru and Taiko had tagged along, now wearing her casual clothes, that being a black shirt over a white net-top and a pair of blue jeans, that were almost ripped apart. They got out of the car and noticed the man who Hoshi had met before, who was selling the house. He was wearing a black suit with matching pants, and a white shirt with a black tie around his neck.
Taiko picked Michiru into her arms while Hoshi greeted the man. "Nice seeing you again, Barano-san." She said as they shook hands.
"Nice seeing you as well, Suteki-san." He replied with a warm smile. He soon laid his eyes on Michiru and Taiko. "Is this your daughter who you talked about?" He asked with a smile.
Michiru smiled and nodded for herself, as Taiko held her hand towards the man. "And I'm Hana Taiko. The friend."
Barano Yuki nodded and shook hands with Taiko. "Nice meeting all of you." He replied and soon looked at Hoshi again. "Shall we take the last round in the house?" He asked as he put his right hand into his pocket. "I have the papers with me, so we can sign them after the last check." He added while holding up his briefcase.
"Sounds great." Hoshi smiled gently and soon they all walked into the yard, which had been the first thing Hoshi had fallen for. The front yard was huge, just like the back yard.
"The garage was fixed last week, so now it opens!" Yuki laughed, charmed at the memory of the white garage doors that wouldn't open the first time.
"Would have been pretty much work to drive in and out of a broken garage door, don't you think Michi-chan?" Taiko whispered to the girl, who was still in her arms and giggled at the remark.
Yuki opened the door into the three-story house and they all walked into the hall, which was painted gentle greenish blue, with white marvel floors. "I fixed the cupboards as well, so now they wont fall into ones hands when opened." He said as they walked into the kitchen, which was modern and renewed. The cupboards were all made in gentle shade of oak and the floor was in a light gray shaded stone, which matched the white ones in the hall pretty well.
Hoshi opened one of the cupboards and smiled at the empty space behind. "I believe I'm out shopping for china next week." She said as she closed.
Yuki opened the fridge and took out a small juice-box, which he gave to Michiru. "I bought this just for the little lady." He noted. "I thought it would be well needed after the trip from the city."
"Thank you mister!" Michiru smiled brightly as Taiko helped her open it, while Hoshi kept on looking around in the kitchen, before she walked into the dinning area, where a table was placed while four chairs were standing on top of each other in a corner. The walls were painted white, with some gentle pale blue patterns.
Yuki walked over to the table and placed his hand onto it. "This table was my grandfathers, but I thought it would be perfect for you and your little family. It's free of charge with the house." He noted as Hoshi placed her hand onto the black wooden table with a gentle smile. "He made it with his own hands." He added, seeing that Hoshi was impressed. "As well as the chairs."
Hoshi nodded and soon she looked at Michiru. "Want to go look for your room now sweet heart?" She asked with a warm smile over her face.
Michiru cheered and climbed down from Taiko's arms, giving her the half-empty juice-box. She grabbed onto Yuki's hand and looked up at him with a pair of shining eyes. "Could you show me?" She chirped.
Yuki laughed, charmed at the energetic girl. "I believe the room beside the master bed room would suit this little princess perfectly." He noted and soon they both walked up the stairs, while talking about the history of the house.
Taiko smiled after them and soon looked at Hoshi who walked over to the window, which showed the grand back yard. "This house screams after you, you know." She noted as she walked over, crossing her arms while holding the juice-box.
"You think?" Hoshi smiled back at Taiko in the mirror.
"Yeah." Taiko sighed and looked at the juice-box. "I'm sad over that at the café today..."
Hoshi sighed as well and soon she looked at Taiko. "It couldn't have been helped, right? The city's not that large."
"I guess you're right." Taiko nodded and took a sip from the juice-box. "Juice?" She grinned, holding the box towards Hoshi.
Hoshi laughed at the gesture and soon they both walked out of the kitchen, and stopped by a room beside the staircase. The room was pretty large and could easily become a gallery for Hoshi and Michiru to paint in it. The walls were in a gentle shade of creamy white. Hoshi pointed into the room with a gentle smile. "I can see Michiru standing by the window with her own canvas and paints already." She whispered.
"I can too." Taiko nodded, taking yet another sip from the box.
"Mommy! Tai-obasan!" Michiru shouted from the second floor.
The two women smiled for themselves and soon walked up the stairs, which were made in white wood and silver. They walked to the door opening across the hallway from the master bed room, Michiru was standing in the middle of the room, with Yuki standing right beside the door. "Found your room, pumpkin?" Taiko smiled at the girl. The walls were painted into several shades of gentle red and pink.
"Yuki-ojisan says that I can repaint the walls. Right Yuki- ojisan?" Michiru smiled as she looked from Hoshi and Taiko to Yuki.
"Absolutely." Yuki nodded with his arms crossed, while a smile played on his lips. "A perfect room for a perfect little princess." He noted, now looking at Hoshi and Taiko.
"You're absolutely right." Taiko nodded as an answer, while Hoshi walked over to one of the windows, which showed the front yard. The other window faced the small yard on the side of the house and a stone wall between the second house and this.
Michiru just smiled and soon ran over to Hoshi, who picked her up into her arms. "You like the house so far?" Hoshi asked while smiling out the window.
"I do!" Michiru replied while putting her arm around Hoshi's neck, leaning her head against her shoulder. "Can we see your room?" She asked after a while.
"Of course." Hoshi nodded and soon they walked out of the room, leaving Taiko and Yuki talking about the history of the house. Hoshi walked across the gentle bluish painted hall, with its wooden floors and into the master bedroom, were the walls were in a gentle shade of blue, and the floor was in the same wood as the rest if the top floor. "Like it?" Hoshi asked with a smile.
"It's huge!" Michiru gasped with a smile over her lips.
"Isn't it?" Hoshi laughed gently as they stopped in the middle of the room, staring out the two large windows facing the back yard, where they could see a lake. "I thought you would want to live here, since it's close to a lake." She noted now and looked at Michiru who was shining.
"Mommy, I want to move in now!" Michiru jumped a little in Hoshi's arms.
"That can be arranged." Yuki's voice was heard from the door opening.
Hoshi turned around to face the man at Taiko who were standing in the doorway. "Really?" Hoshi blinked.
Yuki nodded and opened his briefcase, taking out some papers. "Just sign the papers and the house is yours." He noted with a kind smile. "The bottom floor is pretty much like this floor, except that there is the second third bathroom, extra guest room, living room and basement. As you know Suteki-san."
"Let's go see the bottom floor Michi-chan." Taiko chirped and walked into the room.
"Don't destroy anything." Hoshi noted to Taiko who took Michiru into her arms.
"I wont. But Michi-chan just might." Taiko whispered back her answer with a grin, and soon she was out of the room with Michiru.
Hoshi sighed gently and looked at the ceiling. "I guess you have a deal, Barano-san." She noted with a smile over her lips, and soon she looked at the man who was also smiling. "Were do I sign?" She asked after a second.
Hoshi sighed deeply as she put down the last books into some moving boxes in the living room. The two and a half years had passed by quickly and more things had changed in her life, and now a new house was awaiting her and her daughter. Hoshi sat down onto the floor by the moving box as she closed it, with some silver tape. She was wearing a white t- shirt and a pair of blue jeans, that where well used and dusty, while she had her hair in a ponytail.
"Michiru?" She soon shouted as she looked towards the balcony door, which was open. "Sweet heart? Want to take a break?"
Soon an aqua haired head peeked in and a pair of shining blue eyes just smiled at Hoshi. "I want to go to the city." Michiru answered as she walked into the living room. She was wearing a pair of light green shorts and a light blue top, while her hair was in two ponytails. "Can we mommy?" She asked as she almost threw herself into Hoshi's arms, leaning her head against Hoshi's chest while wrapping her arms around Hoshi's waist, as good as she could.
Hoshi smiled at the beautiful girl and soon stroked her hair. "What do you want to do in the city?" She asked after a short while.
"I want to go shopping for new things to the new house." Michiru answered with a pair of shining eyes towards Hoshi. "I'm getting my own room now!"
Hoshi laughed gently and soon hugged Michiru tightly, while lying down onto her back on the floor. "So you think we should go buy new things to you room only?"
Michiru just smiled while leaning her head onto Hoshi's shoulder. "Please mommy? Can we?"
Hoshi soon sighed and lifted up Michiru from on top of her, holding the girl over her head while looked her right in the eyes. "You really want to go shopping?" She asked while holding the two and a half year old in the air. "Only if we can have lunch in the city too."
"It's a deal!" Michiru giggled while holding onto Hoshi's arms.
"Alright." Hoshi nodded on the floor and soon landed Michiru safely onto her again. "Let's get dressed." She added as the girl, who was soon running into the hallway, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Hoshi just smiled for a while on the floor, while staring at the ceiling, before she got up and walked into the hallway, were Michiru already had her shoes on and was now holding Hoshi's shoes towards her with a smile. Hoshi put on her shoes and took her keys from beside the door, which Michiru opened and ran out off.
Hoshi and Michiru were walking around in a shopping mall some time later that same day. They had already had time to buy Michiru some things that she wanted, a new paint set with two brushes and some new papers. Hoshi was glad that Michiru had taken after her, when coming to the arts and already she was thinking on letting Michiru take art classes. The girl was a pure genius, even if she was still so young. The two walked hand in hand by several stores, into which Michiru didn't mind entering, saying that there wasn't anything she wanted to have at that moment.
"Want to take lunch now, sweet heart?" Hoshi asked as they stopped by a café, to which they had been several times before. "We could go in and say hi to Taiko-chan at the same time." She added with a smile, knowing that the two were good friends, after all the times they had plaid together.
Michiru just smiled as an answer towards Hoshi for a second, before she was already pushing in the café door, which was a bit too heavy for her. Hoshi opened the door for her daughter, who ran inside and to the counter, were Taiko was standing and reading a magazine. "Tai-obasan!" Michiru chirped as she stood behind the counter, standing on her toes.
Taiko jumped slightly and soon noticed the girl, giving her a warm smile. Taiko was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, under her apron. "Well, isn't it the little angel." She laughed gently while holding her hand over her chest, where her heart was racing, she soon noticed Hoshi who stopped beside Michiru. "What can I do you for?" Taiko smiled warmly, while closing the magazine.
"Lunch time!" Michiru chirped with a smile over her face.
Taiko laughed warmly and nodded at the girl, before she looked at Hoshi. "The usual I believe?" She asked.
Hoshi nodded and placed her hand onto Michiru's head, while looking at the girl who looked back at her. "Want to find somewhere to sit for us?"
Michiru nodded and soon ran of into the café, sitting down by the window.
"She sure knows the best seats." Taiko smiled while taking out two lunch boxes from behind the counter and putting them onto a tray. "Been shopping?" Taiko asked as she took out a teacup and a glass, which she filled with iced tea.
"Yeah. We're moving this Sunday." Hoshi replied while looking after Michiru. "But we're going to look at the place later again today..."
"Sounds like a house warming party." Taiko replied as she poured some steaming water into the cup, before putting in a teabag.
Hoshi smiled at her friend. "No parties. Maybe just dinner..."
"I'll come!" Taiko laughed gently as she pushed the tray towards Hoshi. "I could bring along something."
Hoshi smiled and gave Taiko money for the lunch. "I'll have to ask Michiru about that." She noted and picked up the tray from the counter. "But I believe she wouldn't mind having obasan over." She added with a grin.
Taiko just grinned back. "Don't push it." She noted.
Hoshi nodded as an agreeing gesture before she walked over to the table and Michiru. "Here we go." Hoshi smiled as she gave Michiru the iced tea and her lunch box. "Excited over going to see the new place?" She asked as she sipped her tea, while looking at Michiru, who opened the lunch box.
"Can I pick my room today?" Michiru asked as she picked out the plastic fork.
Hoshi smiled warmly at the girl. "Of course you can dear." She promised and slowly put the cup down while looking out the window, and onto the street, where some people passing by looked in and just smiled seeing Michiru enjoying her lunch box. Suddenly Hoshi's eyes widened, seeing a woman slowly walking by, while talking into her cell phone.
The woman had long black hair in a tight brand, and a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes. She was wearing a black leather jacket, over a white blouse and a pair of black pants. The woman stopped by the window and suddenly turned to face the window. She stopped talking in her phone, while staring right at Hoshi. Soon the woman removed the sunglasses from her eyes, showing a pair of open-wide green eyes. She said something into the cell phone and put slowly put it away.
"Natsumi..." Hoshi whispered.
Michiru looked at Hoshi from her lunch box, having heard the name before she slowly looked out the window, seeing the woman standing there.
Soon the woman walked of quickly, only to appear in the café entrance after a second or two. Taiko looked up from the magazine and stared at the woman, who slowly walked over to Hoshi and Michiru, keeping her eyes on Hoshi, who stared back at her. "Hoshi... -san." Reiki Natsumi whispered after a short while of silence.
Hoshi slowly looked away from the woman, only to look at the table. "Natsumi-san." She greeted in a low voice as she slowly picked up hr teacup again.
Natsumi bit her lip a little, while letting her gaze end up at the floor. "Fancy seeing you here..." She whispered before she looked back at Hoshi. "How's life?"
"Good." Hoshi replied as she put down the cup, while making a gesture towards Michiru, who was looking at Natsumi.
Natsumi blinked at Hoshi and soon looked across the table, seeing Michiru sitting there. Natsumi's eyes widened a little, while her face paled slightly. "I heard the rumor..." She whispered and looked at Hoshi again. "But I didn't think it was true..." She added slowly.
"Now you know it's true then." Hoshi replied and slowly opened her lunch box. "Eat up Michiru." She said gently, while giving Michiru a soft gaze.
Natsumi looked at the girl on the other side of the table, who nodded towards Hoshi and continued eating her lunch. "She's beautiful." She whispered.
Hoshi closed her eyes and sighed deeply, not really wanting to answer anything the woman was saying, she slowly picked up the fork from the lunch box, trying her best to keep her tears inside. Why now? She thought as she poked the dork into the rice ball.
"Hoshi... -san. I'm sorry I just left like that." Natsumi whispered suddenly, now looking at Hoshi. "I really didn't want to do it, and you know I still lo-"
"Shut up." Hoshi whispered, still with her eyes tightly closed. "I don't want to hear anything from you." She continued after a second as she let the fork stand upright in the rice ball. "You just left..."
"But I want back, Hoshi!" Natsumi whispered a little higher now. "I didn't want to be alone so I went out and..."
A tear filled gaze from Hoshi, which said more than any words could have said at that moment, cut her off. "I said I don't want to hear anything about it. My life is perfect now." Hoshi said as a tear ran down her cheek.
Michiru saw all of this and suddenly she had tears in her eyes as well, at the same time Taiko walked over with some napkins, knowing when to but in. She sat down beside Michiru and dried the girl's cheeks as the tears rolled down. "Sorry you had to see this, kitten." She whispered as she picked up the girl into her arms, and Michiru buried her face into Taiko's shoulder.
Natsumi looked at Taiko and then at Michiru, before she looked at Hoshi, who was looking at Taiko with a thankful gaze trough her tears. "Are...?" Natsumi whispered after a second.
"What's it to you?" Taiko butted in, staring at Natsumi with a slightly angered look. "You should leave now, Natsumi-san." She added while stroking Michiru on the head, giving the girl all her comfort, while keeping a comforting eye on Hoshi.
Natsumi swallowed hard and soon nodded a little. "I see." She whispered and soon gaze a sorry gaze to Hoshi. "I... I'll see you around..."
"Whatever. Just go." Taiko butted in again, now looking at Natsumi with a slightly angered gaze.
Natsumi didn't reply with words, she just left the café, but Hoshi could see the tears in the woman's eyes as she left.
"What nerve!" Taiko growled and soon put Michiru down onto the bench. "Making my kitties cry and feel bad. I should have stuffed a sub sandwich up her behind." She added while looking at Hoshi, who dried her eyes with a smile over her lips. "I hope my butting in was needed." Taiko smiled warmly.
"It was. Thank you." Hoshi replied with a deep sigh.
Taiko nodded at her friend and soon looked at Michiru. "You okay kitten?" She asked as she stroked Michiru's cheek.
Michiru nodded a little and slowly picked up her iced tea, with her both hands from the table. "Thank you Tai-obasan." She said as she placed down the glass again, giving Taiko a smile. She soon looked at Hoshi. "Mommy. Can Tai-obasan have dinner with us at the house?" She asked after a second.
Hoshi smiled at the girl and nodded. "She may." She agreed and looked at Taiko, who was shining like a sun, with her ear to ear smile.
The evening was just around the corner as Hoshi stopped her car outside the house, which she had been to before, but this time she was with Michiru and Taiko had tagged along, now wearing her casual clothes, that being a black shirt over a white net-top and a pair of blue jeans, that were almost ripped apart. They got out of the car and noticed the man who Hoshi had met before, who was selling the house. He was wearing a black suit with matching pants, and a white shirt with a black tie around his neck.
Taiko picked Michiru into her arms while Hoshi greeted the man. "Nice seeing you again, Barano-san." She said as they shook hands.
"Nice seeing you as well, Suteki-san." He replied with a warm smile. He soon laid his eyes on Michiru and Taiko. "Is this your daughter who you talked about?" He asked with a smile.
Michiru smiled and nodded for herself, as Taiko held her hand towards the man. "And I'm Hana Taiko. The friend."
Barano Yuki nodded and shook hands with Taiko. "Nice meeting all of you." He replied and soon looked at Hoshi again. "Shall we take the last round in the house?" He asked as he put his right hand into his pocket. "I have the papers with me, so we can sign them after the last check." He added while holding up his briefcase.
"Sounds great." Hoshi smiled gently and soon they all walked into the yard, which had been the first thing Hoshi had fallen for. The front yard was huge, just like the back yard.
"The garage was fixed last week, so now it opens!" Yuki laughed, charmed at the memory of the white garage doors that wouldn't open the first time.
"Would have been pretty much work to drive in and out of a broken garage door, don't you think Michi-chan?" Taiko whispered to the girl, who was still in her arms and giggled at the remark.
Yuki opened the door into the three-story house and they all walked into the hall, which was painted gentle greenish blue, with white marvel floors. "I fixed the cupboards as well, so now they wont fall into ones hands when opened." He said as they walked into the kitchen, which was modern and renewed. The cupboards were all made in gentle shade of oak and the floor was in a light gray shaded stone, which matched the white ones in the hall pretty well.
Hoshi opened one of the cupboards and smiled at the empty space behind. "I believe I'm out shopping for china next week." She said as she closed.
Yuki opened the fridge and took out a small juice-box, which he gave to Michiru. "I bought this just for the little lady." He noted. "I thought it would be well needed after the trip from the city."
"Thank you mister!" Michiru smiled brightly as Taiko helped her open it, while Hoshi kept on looking around in the kitchen, before she walked into the dinning area, where a table was placed while four chairs were standing on top of each other in a corner. The walls were painted white, with some gentle pale blue patterns.
Yuki walked over to the table and placed his hand onto it. "This table was my grandfathers, but I thought it would be perfect for you and your little family. It's free of charge with the house." He noted as Hoshi placed her hand onto the black wooden table with a gentle smile. "He made it with his own hands." He added, seeing that Hoshi was impressed. "As well as the chairs."
Hoshi nodded and soon she looked at Michiru. "Want to go look for your room now sweet heart?" She asked with a warm smile over her face.
Michiru cheered and climbed down from Taiko's arms, giving her the half-empty juice-box. She grabbed onto Yuki's hand and looked up at him with a pair of shining eyes. "Could you show me?" She chirped.
Yuki laughed, charmed at the energetic girl. "I believe the room beside the master bed room would suit this little princess perfectly." He noted and soon they both walked up the stairs, while talking about the history of the house.
Taiko smiled after them and soon looked at Hoshi who walked over to the window, which showed the grand back yard. "This house screams after you, you know." She noted as she walked over, crossing her arms while holding the juice-box.
"You think?" Hoshi smiled back at Taiko in the mirror.
"Yeah." Taiko sighed and looked at the juice-box. "I'm sad over that at the café today..."
Hoshi sighed as well and soon she looked at Taiko. "It couldn't have been helped, right? The city's not that large."
"I guess you're right." Taiko nodded and took a sip from the juice-box. "Juice?" She grinned, holding the box towards Hoshi.
Hoshi laughed at the gesture and soon they both walked out of the kitchen, and stopped by a room beside the staircase. The room was pretty large and could easily become a gallery for Hoshi and Michiru to paint in it. The walls were in a gentle shade of creamy white. Hoshi pointed into the room with a gentle smile. "I can see Michiru standing by the window with her own canvas and paints already." She whispered.
"I can too." Taiko nodded, taking yet another sip from the box.
"Mommy! Tai-obasan!" Michiru shouted from the second floor.
The two women smiled for themselves and soon walked up the stairs, which were made in white wood and silver. They walked to the door opening across the hallway from the master bed room, Michiru was standing in the middle of the room, with Yuki standing right beside the door. "Found your room, pumpkin?" Taiko smiled at the girl. The walls were painted into several shades of gentle red and pink.
"Yuki-ojisan says that I can repaint the walls. Right Yuki- ojisan?" Michiru smiled as she looked from Hoshi and Taiko to Yuki.
"Absolutely." Yuki nodded with his arms crossed, while a smile played on his lips. "A perfect room for a perfect little princess." He noted, now looking at Hoshi and Taiko.
"You're absolutely right." Taiko nodded as an answer, while Hoshi walked over to one of the windows, which showed the front yard. The other window faced the small yard on the side of the house and a stone wall between the second house and this.
Michiru just smiled and soon ran over to Hoshi, who picked her up into her arms. "You like the house so far?" Hoshi asked while smiling out the window.
"I do!" Michiru replied while putting her arm around Hoshi's neck, leaning her head against her shoulder. "Can we see your room?" She asked after a while.
"Of course." Hoshi nodded and soon they walked out of the room, leaving Taiko and Yuki talking about the history of the house. Hoshi walked across the gentle bluish painted hall, with its wooden floors and into the master bedroom, were the walls were in a gentle shade of blue, and the floor was in the same wood as the rest if the top floor. "Like it?" Hoshi asked with a smile.
"It's huge!" Michiru gasped with a smile over her lips.
"Isn't it?" Hoshi laughed gently as they stopped in the middle of the room, staring out the two large windows facing the back yard, where they could see a lake. "I thought you would want to live here, since it's close to a lake." She noted now and looked at Michiru who was shining.
"Mommy, I want to move in now!" Michiru jumped a little in Hoshi's arms.
"That can be arranged." Yuki's voice was heard from the door opening.
Hoshi turned around to face the man at Taiko who were standing in the doorway. "Really?" Hoshi blinked.
Yuki nodded and opened his briefcase, taking out some papers. "Just sign the papers and the house is yours." He noted with a kind smile. "The bottom floor is pretty much like this floor, except that there is the second third bathroom, extra guest room, living room and basement. As you know Suteki-san."
"Let's go see the bottom floor Michi-chan." Taiko chirped and walked into the room.
"Don't destroy anything." Hoshi noted to Taiko who took Michiru into her arms.
"I wont. But Michi-chan just might." Taiko whispered back her answer with a grin, and soon she was out of the room with Michiru.
Hoshi sighed gently and looked at the ceiling. "I guess you have a deal, Barano-san." She noted with a smile over her lips, and soon she looked at the man who was also smiling. "Were do I sign?" She asked after a second.