Authors note- another chappy...glomps reviewers This chappy is at the same time as 'Pretty in Pink' its from Haru's POV... and yes, I support Aya X Mine.
I spoke to Kagura-nee today. She had gone to see Rin two days ago. She said that Rin looked better, but she was still under weight a few pounds. Knowing how little Rin eats, those few pounds will probably stay off.
"You know Haru? I think that after this, Isuzu is gonna want to go get some new clothes. You know how picky she is about how they fit. Lets surprise her. I already called Ayame-nii and Ritsu-nee to arrange it. When Isuzu goes out shopping, Ritsu-nee will go with her. Before they leave, he'll call here. Then, you'll go to Ayame-nii's shop, and pick out Isuzu's new clothes. Ayame-nii will bring them there, so that she can see you."
I gotta hand it to Kagura-nee. She's got this all figured out. "Thanks Kagura-nee." The phone rang. It was Ritsu-nee.
I left then, and went to see Ayame-nii. And with out getting lost too.
I never really go to see Ayame-nii that often. He usually tries to dress me up. I don't mind it, I'd just rather not. Aside from new years, I rarely see him. He's usually working in his shop.
When I arrived, Kuramae-san greeted me as usual. She is the only person that I've seen work there. But I don't know if she knows about the Curse or not. She's kind, despite her penchant for dressing people up. I heard that she did that to Honda-san once. It was the kind of outfit that Rin would never wear, even if it meant complete freedom from the main house. All white and lacy.
Apparently, Ayame-nii was taking an order for an outfit. She said that he would be done in a few minutes. While I waited, I looked through the clothes that she and Ayame-nii had made. They were all nice looking, but nothing really caught my eye.
Until I came across this pale pink dress. It was so pale that it was almost white. It was a v-neck, what's the term... oh. Spaghetti strapped? It looked as though on Rin, it would fall to her knees. With a few adjustments, it would be perfect for her. I took it off the hook it was on, and put it on the table. I continued walking around, looking for something to go with it. I found a spool of black lace, that had a cherry blossom print on it. It would work perfectly.
When Ayame-nii was done, I showed him what I found. "Splendid, Hatsuharu-kun! You have good taste! Mine and I will make the dress absolutely perfect for your darling Isuzu-chan! Mine! We have work to do! Oh, Hatsuharu-kun, I laid out all the clothes that I have that Isuzu-chan might like, so please pick them out!" Things seem to be going well. I don't know how much longer I can go with out seeing her.
Those two work faster and harder than anyone I've ever seen. In an hour, they finished the dress. They used the lace on the straps, and around the hems. They took more of the lace to tie it around the waist of the dress, kinda like a belt. Kuramae-san had also made a matching choker, that had a cherry blossom on it that matched the color of the dress.
Ritsu-nee called. He said that they were getting ready to go home. Ayame-nii then left to 'run into them.' While we waited for them to come, I spent time with Kuramae-san.
"Hatsuharu-kun, may I ask you a question? Just how much do you care about Isuzu-chan? From what the shopkeeper said, it seems as though the two of you are meant to be together." Just what did he tell Kuramae-san?
"Rin is the world to me. We were apart for a time, and I felt as though I would never be happy again. She's gone through so much, it scares me at times. She feels the need to protect me, and has done so at the cost of her own health. She was pushed from a second story window once, just because she cared about me. I love her, and I'm terrified that she'll be hurt again. If I truly lost her, and could never get her back, I would die." Kuramae-san just smiled at me. "That's the way I feel about the shopkeeper. The two off us have a lot in common. But, unlike the shopkeeper and I, you and Isuzu-chan have a chance to be together. Speaking of which, I can hear them coming. You'd better go hide!"
Kuramae-san pushed me into a rack of costumes in the front of the shop. I heard the door open, and Kuramae-san welcomed Rin, Ritsu-nee, and Ayame-nii into the shop. Rin and Kuramae-san went into the back room so that they could try on the clothes that I picked out. Ritsu-nee pulled me out of the rack that I had been hiding in. "Thanks, Ritsu-nee. Tell me, how has she been doing?"
"Isuzu-san has been doing just fine. She seems happier away from the main house, but I can tell that she is still worried about being found. She has been a little lonely. Seeing you should make her better. Perhaps, we could arrange for Tohru-san and the others to see her. I know she wants to see Satsuki-san and Hinata-san. She hasn't had the opportunity to see them. Oh. It sounds as though I'm needed by Ayame-niisan. Please excuse me."
And I was left to wait.
Rin must have worn the dress, because I heard Ayame-nii saying loudly how 'extravagantly beautiful' she looked. When he said, "Haru, you must come see how lovely Rin looks right now!" I opened the door.
I've never seen Rin look so breathtakingly stunning. The dress fit her perfectly. Her short hair, pulled back with some spare lace as a head band, suited her just as well as her long hair did. A look of shock came over her face as she saw me.
"God, Rin. You look so beautiful. My lovely girl."
