Disclaimer: Sunrise


Mito, 2013

"Cagalli, did you get into a fight again?"

Cagalli looked down, not answering the question asked by the staff.

"How many times has it been?"

Still silent.

"We'll talk about this in the counseling session tonight. Now please go back to your room and do your homework."

"Excuse me," Cagalli said shortly while she bowed, and walked toward her room. On her way, someone suddenly called her name.

"Cagalli!"

"Kira," Cagalli looked up and walked to her brother. "Did the staff ask you things?" she asked.

Kira shook her head. "Nope. When Miss Badgiruel asked for you, the other staff let me go back to my room. What happened? Did the school call the office?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about," she patted his head again, the usual gesture to calm him.

"But Miss Badgiruel called you in because of me. If you didn't fight with those kids to protect me, you won't be in trouble like this."

"If I didn't fight them, then who will protect you?" She grinned. "I told you, I'm okay. At least, here we don't have to worry about being beaten by them again, and we have a place to stay, and we have meals every day. Kira you just have to focus on your study. And maybe someone will foster you."

"No, I don't want to if I'm not with you," Kira shouted.

"Shhh, don't shout," Cagalli put her index finger on her mouth. "I'll always stay with you too, so we don't have to part ways." Cagalli assured him. "Did you finish your homework?"

Kira nodded.

"Can you help me do mine then?" He nodded. "I'm going to put my bag in my room, we can meet at the sharing space downstairs," Cagalli said.

"Okay then, I'll be going there first," Kira said, walking downstairs, while Cagalli resumed her walk to her room.


"Cagalli, the school had called us three times for your misbehavior, from your act of violence with your peers and upperclassmen. How do you explain this?" Murrue Ramius, the head of the foster facility, sat behind her desk, with Cagalli sitting in front of her.

"They are the one who wanted to fight with me, so I just fought them back. I was defending myself," Cagalli said, looking at the head facility from below her lashes, cowering a little bit.

"We understand, but I believe there are things you can do to avoid them. You are in a foster facility now, honey. If you continue to do this, the welfare center wouldn't be able to match you with any family. And you have your brother too. If you keep this act, there is a possibility that you cannot be fostered together with your brother."

"What do you mean…? We are siblings, you can't put us apart!" Cagalli started to protest.

"That's why you have to behave, dear." Murrue told her patiently. "If you don't, then your profile would be put below, and your brother—since he was mostly well behaved—will be on top of the list in the welfare data center, that would be presented to foster parents, or family who wanted to adopt children through us. I'm sure you know it's better if you have foster parents so you can continue with your education, better than if you are struggling by yourself."

"But he's my brother, you can't…."

"I'm sorry dear, the one who decided that is the mediator staff from the center. It's complicated, but if your record is too much different with Kira, you can't be placed together with him. So you understand what you have to do from now on, right? Please refrain from violent acts, maintain your grades, and please, please behave and be a good girl, dear."

Cagalli sat in front of Murrue, silent. Her hands balled into fist, resting on top of her knees. Her father didn't care about them, and left his family for another woman. Her mother lost her mind over it, and stopped caring for them, even got violent on them. Now they were in a foster facility. While safe from their abusive mother, the change was so drastic to handle for a 10 year old girl. She lost her parents, lost the only home she had known since she could remember, lost her friends since she had to move to the facility, and changed school to the one near the facility, only allowed to take her necessary items only, which made her feel lost in this safe but unfamiliar place.

Kira was the only one she had left.

And now, anytime, they could take him away from her.

Slowly she nodded, and she felt that Murrue was talking some more to her, but she couldn't remember any. Her mind was filled with the thought of the possibility of Kira leaving her.

A few weeks passed after that counseling session, and Cagalli was doing her best to keep herself out of trouble.

She didn't tell Kira anything, she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from him. Kira knew something was bothering Cagalli and she was not telling him. And he was angry at her for that, because they had never hidden things from each other, until now. Cagalli acted so strangely since that day, Kira had thought.

And then, one day Kira told Cagalli a news that Miss Badgiruel had told him.

"Cagalli," Kira called to her on the day they were helping with breakfast duty on Sunday. His voice was flat.

"Kira? What is it?"

"Miss Badgiruel told me yesterday, that I'm going to be adopted."


Tokyo, 2020

Staring longingly at the group of students in the Metropolitan Theatre Square, Cagalli enjoyed the acapella performance while she sat on the bench, waiting for her friend.

The Metropolitan Theatre Square in west Ikebukuro was lively as always, with street performers, people practicing—dancing, singing, etc—and people going in and out of the theatre itself, or just hanging around there, chatting with their friends, or waiting for someone, just like Cagalli now.

She wondered how old those students were. Are they high school students, or college students? Are they practicing for something or just their regular practice? The song was not a familiar one to her, but it was a nice song. It must be fun to be able to learn what you want to learn and focus about it, with the support of their parents, while she was all by herself.

"But he sure is late… It's been 30 minutes since the meeting time…" she glanced at her watch. Dearka asked her to meet up with him at the BigCam shop in west Ikebukuro, so she sent him a mail that she would be waiting around the theatre near the fountain in the middle of the square, which was right across the BigCam. And that was 40 minutes ago. How dare he make her wait in this scorching summer heat? If she didn't have her hat with her, her face would have been burnt. She was now wearing a loose white t-shirt, with a slightly large pair of jeans, and a black wristband on her left hand. Her hair was tied down simply. Anyone who didn't know her might think she was a guy, in just a glance.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

"Speak of the devil," Cagalli mumbled, pressing the call button. "Where are you?"

"Sorry, I was wrong. It's the BigCam in the east, not the west!" Dearka apologized immediately from the other side.

"What? I've waited here for 40 minutes!" She shouted to the mouthpiece.

"Sorry, sorry! I'll make it up to you later, I promise. I'm in front of the BigCam already, so please come here, okay?"

"I'll make you pay for this," Cagalli muttered as she ended the call. Glancing once again at the acapella group student, she walked back toward where she came, Ikebukuro station. Usually people would just go through the station to go back and forth from west to east. But Cagalli didn't want to go through the stream of people coming and going from the train gates. She remembered there was another connecting tunnel near the north exit, so she walked there, crossing the front square of west Ikebukuro station, and through the short connecting tunnel.

The tunnel was usually quiet, not many people went here because it was a little bit shady. But since it was a bright day, there shouldn't be any problem.

How wrong she was.

Just a few steps into the tunnel entrance, she heard a commotion from inside.

"I already apologized! Please let me through!"

"Brother, it's not the matter of apologizing or not. You are just in the wrong place and at the wrong time. We are in a mood for a fight, and you just happened to taunt us."

"I just bumped into you lightly, and it was unintentional!"

There in front of her, 3 people were blocking the way, taunting a lone guy. They looked like high school students, Cagalli thought. Delinquents, maybe? Cagalli mused to herself.

The lone guy, Cagalli noticed, was actually not cowering in fear, which piqued her interest. He was actually standing up to them, but his stance was not asking for a fight; his words sounded like he was trying to be diplomatic. But the delinquents didn't look like they would give in. If they decided to fight him, could he fight back?

And then he was moving his head right and left, looking around, was he looking for someone?

Then he spotted Cagalli, and looked a little bit thwarted.

"Oi, what are you looking for? Look here, you punk," one of the guys, standing in the middle, moved forward and threw a punch toward the lone guy.

"Wait, I don't wanna fight!" he took a few steps back, evading the punch.

"Like you can even fight me!" He continued with throwing his fist, while his opponent was busy evading it.

"Hold up, guys," Cagalli suddenly called out to them. "Three on one, that is a little bit unfair, don't you think?" She walked up to them. Seeing them just made her remember the times her brother was bullied when they were in elementary school, so she didn't think much before interfering. Even though it wasn't her business and she could have just walked past them, she couldn't. Cagalli spared a glance at the guy. He was quite tall, taller than her. He had dark blue hair just above his shoulder, wearing a red shirt with short sleeves and white pants, carying a backpack. She found that his eyes were deep green, and they too, were looking at her, as their eyes met.

And then Cagalli trained her eyes toward the delinquents.

"Well, if it is me, I can take three of you by myself, so if you want, come here then." Cagalli said, showing off a bit by cracking her knuckles.

"Boy, if only you knew who we are, you would take back what you said." The boy with reddish hair, who attacked the lone guy earlier, did the same thing to Cagalli, flinging his right fist.

Cagalli dodged the fist easily. Grabbing the flinging hand with her left hand, she locked it down. With her right hand, she elbowed him in the side of his face.

"Ah, did I hit too hard? I could feel your teeth fall off," Cagalli asked as the boy writhed on the ground, holding his right side of the face.

"Oi, Clotho!" the other boys called out.

"So, who's next?" Cagalli asked, flexing her fist. From behind her, the dark blue haired guy was staring at her back, stunned.

"You little—"

"Wait…" The guy with light greenish blond hair suddenly said. "Have we met before…?"

"Hmmm?" Cagalli stared at the green-blond haired guy. "Now that you say it, I think I've seen you somewhere too…" Cagalli racked her brain, trying to remember. And suddenly, "Aaah!" She exclaimed, "You are Orga, aren't you? The one I beat down together with Muruta?" she pointed at him.

"What!?" The other two shouted. "Beat down Muruta? Him?"

Cagalli pulled down her cap, and threw it behind her. "You don't remember me?" Cagalli grinned.

"You! It's you!" Orga stammered, taking a few steps back.

"Orga, you know this guy?" The quiet guy behind him finally spoke.

"You guys are Muruta's underling? No wonder you like to pick a fight with an innocent guy like him. Is he doing well?" Cagalli asked. "Or you guys want a repeat of that night?" She punched her right fist to her left palm, getting ready for a fight.

"Oi, Clotho, let's get away from here. This girl is trouble! Shani, you too!"

"What!?" They gasped; this girl?

"Why? Who is she?"

"Shut up, just get out of here!" Orga pulled Clotho from the ground and ran from there. Shani, who were gaping at them, followed suit.

"Tell Muruta if he acts out again in our place, I'll beat him to death!" Cagalli turned to them, waving her hand. When she could no longer see him, she turned to the blue haired boy, who was holding her hat.

"Ah, my hat. Thanks," she said, reaching out her hand.

The boy silently held out the hat, handing it to Cagalli. She put it on again, adjusting her tied hair, and her eyes met the boy's stunned eyes.

"A girl?" he whispered.

"What? You got a problem with a girl saving you? Shouldn't you be thanking me?" She retorted, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Ah, that's not what I meant!" He put his hands up in surrender. "Thank you, you saved me," he smiled at her.

"You, did you intend to fight them or not? You were not afraid, but you didn't do anything to fight them either," Cagalli asked.

"I intended to fight them though." He smiled sheepishly.

"Can you?" she asked, doubting him.

"Of course I can. I was a member of the Judo club when I was in Junior High school!" Athrun defended himself.

"Hmmm?" Cagalli stared at him, not believing it. "Then why didn't you do anything?"

"Well, actually I have a school competition in a few months. If someone caught me fighting, I'll be disqualified, and it will be bad for our school if it was known," he explained. "So you just saved me, big time. I owe you."

"Oh, is that why you were looking around back then? Making sure there was no one beside you?" Cagalli remembered he did that before she interjected.

"Yeah. And them too. If they were high school students, they might report it to someone and then, same result."

"I don't think they even know which school you are from," Cagalli scoffed.

"Still, better be safe." He scratched his head. "By the way, why are you familiar with those guys?"

"Ah, those punks,"Cagalli half scoffed, half laughed. "They once messed around at where I work, so the guys and I were teaching them some lessons. Seemed like it left quite an impression," she grinned wider, remembering that time. As he said that, Cagalli could see the guy was looking at her with an odd expression, "What is it?" The guy blinked, and then suddenly he asked, "I'm sorry, may I know your name?"

Cagalli blinked. Why would this stranger want to know her name?

"I want to repay you," the guy smiled, answering her unspoken question. "You just saved me from an unnecessary fight. And I don't really like to be indebted to someone."

"You asked me for my name, but shouldn't you be naming yourself first?" she pursed her lips.

"Ah, sorry. My name is Athrun. I'm from Toshima High, 3rd class."

About the same age as me, Cagalli thought, and he was from Toshima High, one of the most sought after high schools in Tokyo. He must be pretty smart then, and also from a nice family to be able to afford going to that school. He said he was joining a school competition. Looks like a nerd too, she mused, just like her brother.

If only Kira was here, she thought sadly. Kira was so good at academics he sometimes joined school competitions back then. He must be able to become good friends with this guy, Athrun.

Then she remembered something.

She pulled her backpack, pulled something from her front pocket, and handed him a card.

Athrun read the card. It was a business card of a shop, a café, he noticed from the description; a dessert café in Shinjuku area.

"If you have time, you can visit this place once, and we are even," Cagalli told him. "You can bring your friend, family or girlfriend." She grinned.

"I don't have a girlfriend," Athrun said, a little bit embarrassed.

"Really? Too bad, this is a nice café for a date though. Well, if you still wanna go, just come anytime."

"Will you be there?"

"I'm only there on Saturday, sometimes Sunday, during lunch time. But maybe just until—oh, next Saturday," she said, remembering her scheduled last day. "My name is Cagalli, by the way."

"Thank you, Cagalli. I'll come here, for sure."

"Thanks, it will help the owner," she pulled her backpack on again, then remembered Dearka. "Ah, not good. He must be waiting. I'll see you then, Athrun. If you come to the café next weekend, that is," she waved, turning on her heels.

"Ah, where are you going? I'm going to the east too," Athrun said, catching up with her steps.

"Hmm? I'm going to the BigCam in the east, you?" she turned her head slightly to him, still walking.

"To the bus station. Can I walk with you till the intersection?" He said confidently. After exiting the tunnel, they would have to walk straight till the intersection, where Cagalli would go to the left, while Athrun to the right.

"Do what you want," Cagalli sighed. Seemed like she was stuck with him for a while, just because she saved him, unintentionally.

While Athrun was wondering who she was meeting up with, as he noticed she said her friend was waiting for her. But he couldn't possibly ask her that, since they were practically strangers, he couldn't pry into her too much. He didn't understand himself why he blurted out that he didn't have a girlfriend back there, or why he cared who she was meeting up with.

At the intersection, Cagalli smelled something heavenly. Looking to her right, she remembered the new custard pie shop there. She smirked; she would ask Dearka to buy this for her, for telling her the wrong meeting place and making her wait.

"I'm going this way," Athrun said, pointing at the bus station in front of the east gate of Ikebukuro station.

"I see, be careful. Don't pick a fight with another delinquent on your way, okay?" Cagalli smirked and waved.

Athrun was about to protest that it wasn't his fault. But Cagalli had already walked away from him, to her destination.

Remembering that Kira would be waiting for him, he walked toward his bus, while pulling out his phone to text Kira that he was on his way.


There, you have it. Our beloved pairing finally met with each other!

The pattern will change a little bit from next chapter, I think. That's just so me, cannot keep things for long. At leat I hope I'll be able to finish this one.

See you next chapter~

Cheers~