A/N: It's finally over! The epilogue is here. Read it, read it! And remember to comment! And major thank yous to everyone who reviewed this fic at any time being (means also everyone who reviews this afterwards I've posted this)! Thank you! Oh, and Je-chan is short for Jelora.

Betsuni Nothing

Sayonara Goodbye

Iie No

Nanda What the... (or that is how I use it)

X/X

"Je-chan..", Marande poked the sleeping Jelora's head.

"..Wakie wakie... the class is over already.." The only answer she could get was a quiet snore. Marande grabbed Jelora by her cheeks and pulled.

"Oy! Wake up, you baka!"

"Waaaah! It's the monster of the Black Lagoon!"

Smack!

"Urusai. It's me."

"Oh, oneesan...hi", Jelora greeted her with a slightly embarassed smile. Marande shook her head and grabbed her sister by her arm.

"Come on, already. Ara-chan and Hino-chan are waiting."

X/X

Two months.. it's been two months already.. Whew, time really has gone flying, Jirohino though when she was on her way to home with her sisters. Suddenly she stopped when she remembered something. She turned to her sisters.

"Umm.. I just remembered I had to do something after school.. So you go home, and I'll come later", she said. She received three pairs of raised eyebrows.

"Why's that?" Marande asked, "Where are you going?"

Jirohino shook her head:

"Just one place. Very well, mata ne!" She waved goodbyes and ran away. Jelora clicked her tongue.

"Geez, it's the third time already. Wonder, where she's going?" She looked at Marande and Arameda:

"Do you guys have any clues?" Marande shook her head, and Arameda gave a sly smile. Jelora's eyes twinkled.

"Well? Ara-chan?" Arameda's face changed back to expressionless. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Betsuni", she said and turned to continue her way to home. Jelora's jaw dropped open.

"Oh, come on! You obviously know something! Tell me!" Jelora bounced after Arameda. She didn't answer. Marande shook her head amused and followed her sisters.

While ignoring her sister's begging, Arameda mused in her head:

So... she's finally found him again.

X/X

Jirohino knocked on the wooden outer door. She waited, heard steps from inside, and then the door opened. Hatori frowned at her.

"You're here? Again?"

"Don't sound so annoyed, Hatori-san. And let me in, it's cold in here", Jirohino said, flashing a sweet smile. Hatori sighed and stepped aside to let the girl in. Jirohino took off her coat and followed Hatori, who had started walking a very familiar route.

"I'm not sure if it's the best time to visit him. Akito has been a bit irritating lately", Hatori said while they were walking. Jirohino shrugged:

"Tell me when Akito's not a bit irritating. It's his basic mood." Hatori stiffened a chuckle and stopped in front of Akito's door. He knocked gently.

"Akito-san?" he asked.

"What?" a voice came through the door. It was, indeed, sounding rather irritating.

"Jirohino-san's here.. She came to visit you", Hatori continued, even when he would have rather not. There was a short silence. Then the door suddenly slided open and Hatori stepped back in surprise as Akito stood in front of him. But he wasn't looking at him.

"Jirohino..san?" he asked quietly. Jirohino nodded and smiled at him.

"Ohayoo gozaimasu, Akito-san", she said, bowing slightly. Akito raised his eyebrow at this gesture. He turned at Hatori.

"Very well. You go, Hatori-san."

The doctor nodded, bowed and walked away. Jirohino smiled again and Akito turned around and walked across his room.

"Close the door behind you", she said and stopped to look out from the window. Jirohino slid the door closed and stood there for a moment, thinking should her, or should her not, walk to Akito. After some time she sighed and quietly moved to the window as well, standing a bit behind Akito.

"Stand fairly next to me, I can't see what you're doing when you're standing on there", Akito snapped. Jirohino flinched a bit and took a step forwards. They stared out for a moment, then Jirohino glanced quickly at her feet before speaking:

"Ano.. has something happened? You.. seem a bit tense." Akito gritted his teeth:

"Do I?"

Jirohino forced herself to speak, though her sensible side said not to. Akito always used this to people.

"Tell me", Jirohino said. First, Akito didn't answer. But Jirohino was used to it.

"I..I can't quite...", Akito searched for words, ".. quite remember my childhood. One of the rare memories I want to keep... is this scent." Jirohino frowned:

"What scent?"

"Cold.. not actually cold. When you smell the snow and winter in the air, though it's not snowing yet. I can't say it accurately.. but I remember it from a long time ago."

Jirohino waited. Akito had the habit of slowly leading the conversation into the actual subject. He spoke again:

"See.. I never knew when I was born.. And I was kept inside, in a closed room so I never saw the seasons changing. And then first time I remember going out... it was this scent in the air. And so... I started to think about my past..", he chuckled quietly,

"Maa, I know actually nothing from my first living years... Pathetic. The word I never thought I'd call myself." Jirohino was silent. She waited if Akito was still going to speak. She had learned not to interrupt him. When he didn't continue, she started quietly:

"You're not. Pathetic. Certainly not. When you consider the way you were raised, it's not a surprise you feel that way. But you really... shouldn't blaim yourself. I spent over a year of my life blaiming myself, so I know what's it like. If someone made wrong against you, it's not a reason for you to feel that way. There's nothing wrong in you. Nothing."

Jirohino quietened up. They heard a distant rumbling from outside. Slowly, it started to drizzle.

Jirohino heard a soft rustle next to him. She turned her head and saw Akito had turned to look at her. His black eyes, no longer cold but now warm and more friendly, were looking in her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, then:

"Arigatou", Akito whispered. Jirohino smiled. She turned again and walked to the doors wich led to the backyards and gardens. She opened them wide open and turned to say to Akito:

"Well, since you're not sure about your birthday, why won't we celebrate it toda-"

Kaboom! A lightning tore the sky and the drizzle turned into a heavy rain.

The rain poured down to the ground and the people who hadn't gone inside when the drizzling started, now ran looking for a shelter in a hurry.

They both stood still, listening the clapping of the thunder. Akito let out a strange voice, it was somewhere between a chuckle and a snort, and Jirohino turned to look at him. The man stared outside, his face vacant. He glanced at Jirohino.

"Well.. this weather does not quite call me to celebrate. What if we skip it over for tomorrow, perhaps?" he said. Jirohino grinned.

"Yeah, sure." She walked back inside the room.

"Oh well, I musn't stay too long. My sisters are getting worried about me", she said. She looked at Akito and smiled to him.

"So.. Sayonara. For the time being", she said. Akito nodded.

"Sayonara."

Jirohino picked her coat and walked to the door. When she was opening it, she heard Akito speaking again:

"You probably don't have an umbrella with you, do you?" Jirohino shook her head:

"Iie."

"Very well. Ask Hatori to borrow one for you. You can return it the next time you visit."

Jirohino smiled to herself.

"Okay. Sayonara."

"Sayonara, Jirohino-san."

X/X

"Nee, Hino-chan! Tell me! Ara-chan was a big meanie and didn't tell me even when she obviously knows!" Jelora babbled, clinging to Jirohino and crying crocodile tears. Jirohino raised her eyebrows at Arameda, who gave her a wink in return, in which Jirohino answered with a grimace. She chuckled.

"Je-chan, it's too horrible for your young ears to hear.."

"Shaddap, Hino-chan. You're younger than me, remember that. Now, speak!"

"But just a second ago you told me to shut up."

"Hino!"

Arameda shook her head and got upand walked to Marande who was sitting with Tohru. They were again at Shigure's house, it was weekend and they didn't have school.

"She never stops, does she?" Marande said, nodding at Jelora's direction. Arameda chuckled and said:

"So it seems."

They heard steps behind them and they turned around. Yuki had walked to the living room.

"Oh, you're here", he said, referring to the sisters. Then he turned to Tohru and said:

"Ah, Honda-san. I'd like to change a few words with you if you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all, Souma-kun!" Tohru said and got up. They walked to the kitchen door and stayed there, talking in a low tone so Arameda and Marande couldn't hear them. Arameda noted Yuki's cheeks seemed redder than usually, and he kept looking at his hands almost constantly. She grinned knowingly. Marande glanced at her.

"You noticed as well?"

"Of course. Only an idiot wouldn't."

"Nanda.. What does the kuso nezumi think he's doing?"

Kyou had entered the living room and was staring at Yuki and Tohru. Arameda grinned even wider.

"So, he noticed it too. It seems he wasn't as stupid as I thought."

"And what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Betsuni."

Kyou stared at the pair on the kitchen door and started marching towards them. But he didn't go and tell Yuki to scram off, as Arameda thought, but instead he coolly walked into the kitchen between the two. Yuki stared annoyed at him, and Kyou glared back as fiercely. He took his milk carton out from the fridge and stood there, a few metres away from Yuki and Tohru.

"You have to stand just there?" Yuki asked him. Kyou glared at him.

"Yes. You got a problem with that?"

"In fact I do."

"Well boo-hoo, rat boy. Scram off."

"Why?"

"You very well know why!"

"Mm-hmm. In fact I do. But Honda-san here doesn't. Should I tell her?", Yuki asked. Kyou froze still and looked at Tohru for a moment. Then he turned at Yuki again.

"Damn you! You wanna fight this off?!"

"Go on, if you want. I'll win anyway."

"Why you little-!"

"Please, don't fight! Souma-kun, Kyou-kun!" Tohru said. The boys calmed down (or Kyou calmed down, more like) and looked at her. Kyou sighed and put the milk away.

"Whatever", he said and walked past them. He gave Yuki a "don't-you-dare-to-do-anything" look and then walked up the stairs to his room. Tohru stood there, a bit nonplussed what just had gone on. Arameda called from the living room:

"Oy! Anyone up to Dai Hin Min?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Count me in."

"Me too."

"And make sure Je-chan doesn't cheat."

"I never cheat!"

"You do."

"I don't."

"Shut up and play."

Owari