AN: Hello again, everyone! I was forced to go on a brief hiatus in July, as my serene lifestyle was interrupted, but things have settled back into normalcy for now. I have been very lazy in terms of writing since returning, and while I did have some ideas for this chapter, I wasn't sure how to incorporate them. But, what matters most is that I have returned.
One more thing before we get this chapter started is that I've opened up a Ko-fi account recently. It will hopefully primarily become a way for me to communicate with my readers more actively, but it's also a way for me to accept tips from any generous readers. Of course, I won't ask anyone for anything, and it's completely optional. Links to my Ko-fi and other socials can be found through the cardd "link" on my profile.
Now, with that out of the way, let's get on with the third chapter!
Chapter 3 – Facing the Past
"...Yes, things are going okay, Kyou-san... No, Tomoya-san isn't causing any trouble. We… just came from talking to a teacher about our situation and future tuition fees, and he directed us to talk more on Monday once school resumes… Yeah, we've been able to meet our friends again…"
I glanced to my side while answering Kyou's seemingly endless questions as best I could, meeting Sora's eyes and smiling to her sheepishly.It's been barely a day since we last saw each other, but she seems very worried for us nonetheless...My sister smiled back and shook her head slightly in response, before turning to look across the front yard of Nao's house. Following her gaze as I answered yet another question from Kyou, I saw Tomoya and Nao still engaged in a conversation at the front door, the latter sending me a smile when she met my eyes. I hope she was able to set things up for today… I don't want to delay meeting her any more than we already have.
"...Can you give the phone to Sora? I want to talk to her too." Kyou's words pulled me out of my thoughts, and I tapped my sister on the shoulder, causing her to look back at me.
"Sure, give me a sec." I replied to Kyou, then lowered the phone from my ear. "Kyou-san wants to talk with you, Sora." My sister nodded to me with a slight smile and took the phone from me, and I inadvertently let out a sigh as she brought it to her ear. Kyou-san really is taking her role as our guardian seriously… We're almost adults, though, so we don't need to be coddled. Well, I know she's doing it with our best interests in mind, at least.
"Hello, Kyou-san. Yeah, I'm doing fine…" I stepped to the side as Sora began her conversation with Kyou, then began to make my way to Nao and Tomoya. Kyou-san will probably keep her occupied for a bit… Glancing back at my sister, I spied a small smile one her face as she conversed with Kyou over the phone. ...But at least they're both enjoying it.
"Ah, Haru-chan. What did she have to say to you?" Nao asked once I walked up to the pair, pausing her conversation with Tomoya.
"Well… She asked me if we were okay in about five different ways, so… I think she's a bit worried?" Tomoya chuckled at my words, shaking his head lightly.
"Yep, definitely sounds like Kyou. If you bring it up in front of her, though, she'll likely get embarrassed and start denying things. It's quite amusing to watch her squirm, but it ends with a punch or kick to the stomach." Tomoya rubbed his own stomach and smiled wryly, and knowing the couple, he was likely speaking from experience. "...Though it might just be me who she abuses physically…" Tomoya grimaced, and I let out an awkward chuckle, while Nao smiled at him with an amused expression.
"Kyou-san did also say that she was going to make sure she's able to come here next weekend, so that's something to look forward to." I said with a smile and shifted my gaze to Nao. "I hope you all can get along with her."
"Of course, Haru-chan. I've heard a lot from Tomoya-san already, but I'd very much like to meet his wife myself." Nao replied to me, briefly looking at Tomoya. "I'm sure the others will like her as well." Yes, I'm sure of that too… Though a lot of things regarding our future hinge on Kyou-san's reaction to mine and Sora's relationship… Oh, right!
"Oh, I almost forgot to ask, since Kyou-san's sudden call distracted me, but… Were you able to set up the meeting with Kuranaga-san I asked you about?" Nao's expression became serious in a flash, and she gave me a slow nod in response. Apart from sorting things out with our teachers, that was our second big goal for today… To talk with Kuranaga-san and bring things with her to a close.
"...I was, yes. Well, I didn't do it myself, as… things between me and Kozue-chan are still a bit…" Nao smiled sadly, then shook her head slightly. Ifukube-san also said that she had noticed something going on between the two of them. I suppose in a way, it is our fault, but… We can't do anything about it, now. They'll have to sort it out amongst themselves, just like we have to sort things out with Kuranaga-san ourselves. "...Sorry. Anyway, Akira-chan was able to convince her to help out at the shrine today, so you'll be able to find her there." I nodded in response to Nao, averting my gaze as I thought for a moment. Back to the shrine, huh..? I guess we'll head there as soon as possible, then, and hope that Kuranaga-san doesn't run off as soon as she sees us…
"...Do you know when she's going to show up there, and how long she'll stay for?"
"I'm… not sure. I asked Akira-chan for help, and she told me not too long ago that she'd been successful in asking Kozue-chan to come to the shrine, but I don't know if she's already there or not. Akira-chan also said that she'd try to keep her there for at least an hour, but she wasn't sure how much she could have Kozue-chan do." I nodded at Nao, while Tomoya brought a hand to his chin as he gazed upwards in thought.
"...I suppose we'll be heading straight to there next, then. Sorry that we're already asking you for favours when we've only just barely returned home, I just don't think Kuranaga-san would want to speak with us if either me or Sora asked her directly…" I apologized to Nao while rubbing the back of my neck, while she simply shook her head with a smile.
"Don't be sorry, Haru-chan. We're friends, so it's natural to help each other out, and I understand that this is important to you. As much as Kozue-chan might not want to associate with you any more, we need to make sure she doesn't hinder you two living here normally." Nao paused for a moment and bit her lip, then continued in a lower tone. "...Cutting all ties with her will probably be for the best, even for the rest of us. Even… if it hurts to do that to a friend." I had thought that it might become a possibility, but hearing Nao say it out loud made me feel guilty. Even if Sora and I can't be friends with Kuranaga any more, I didn't want for Nao and the others to have to do the same. And more importantly… I don't want Kuranaga-san to be excluded and left alone because of us.
"...You don't have to do that, Nao-chan. I don't want mine and Sora's relationship to jeopardize you guys' friendships. It might be difficult, but… I don't want the rest of you to suffer for our sakes, and neither do I want Kuranaga-san to be left all alone." I pleaded with Nao, and she looked at me with widening eyes, before smiling at me.
"I think it might be too late for me and Kozue-chan to reconcile. We… haven't talked much in the past month. As for the others… it will be up to them. But, once Kozue-chan learns that they all accept your relationship, while she still doesn't… things will become awkward." Nao's words rang true, and I felt slightly deflated, which she must have seen clearly, as she reassuringly placed a hand on my shoulder, prompting me to look her in the eyes. "You'll have to try and talk with Kozue-chan about this, but… Sometimes it's better to cut someone off than try to keep a fragile friendship together." I gave Nao a slow nod in reply, swallowing down the discomforting feeling of guilt in me. She… is right, but it doesn't feel good...
"Does… this Kuranaga-san have any other friends?" Tomoya asked as he looked between the two of us, and Nao looked down in thought for a moment.
"If… she does, they're not ones I'm familiar with. Kozue-chan is the class rep of Haru-chan's, Akira-chan's and Ryouhei's class, so she might have some friends through that. You could probably ask Akira-chan or Ryouhei and see if they know anybody." Nao replied to Tomoya, who nodded to her. If Kuranaga-san has friends other than us, that will be a relief, but if not…
"I see… Wait, hold on… Haruka, you and Sora aren't in the same class?" Tomoya turned to me in surprise, and I nodded to him.
"That's right. We… expected to be put in the same class, obviously, but Sora ended up in a different one. Did… we not tell you that..?" I tilted my head slightly as Tomoya shook his head at me. I suppose it never came up… Well, it's not like it's an important detail, though Sora might beg to differ on that.
"...I'm holding out hope that the classes will be shuffled come next year, so I can be in the same class as Haru." My sister's voice suddenly came from behind me, and I turned around to see her walking up to us with my phone in hand. "Ushio says she misses you, Tomoya-san." Sora first said to Tomoya, who smiled and nodded at her, then turned her gaze to me and handed me my phone. "You got a message a moment ago."
"Oh?" I wonder who it's from? I took my phone from my sister and looked at the notifications, where the name of the sender was displayed. "...It's from Hikigaya."
"Yo, Haruka. You two were supposed to be back home by Friday, right? Have you managed to get back there? Are things going okay?"
Sora and I had been actively keeping up with Hikigaya, Yumiko and Yukinoshita after both of our groups had returned to Japan, so a message like this was not a surprise. However, prior to this, all of our messaging had been done through Yumiko, who had spoken with us the most, so it was surprising to see Hikigaya contacting me. In our last conversation over the phone with Yumiko, we had informed her of our successful court case against our relatives, which the three of them were delighted to hear. Yumiko-san really seemed eager to come and visit us here… I told her there wasn't much to see, but that didn't really discourage her.
"Hikigaya was… one of the friends you made on this trip, right?" Nao asked as she tilted her head, and I nodded at her as I began to type a reply for Hikigaya.
"Yes, he was on vacation with his girlfriend, Yukinoshita-san, and their friend Yumiko-san. There were… initially some difficulties regarding mine and Sora's relationship, but we were able to settle things and become good friends with them." I replied to Nao as I wrote a message to Hikigaya, telling him that we had made it home. I momentarily debated whether or not I should tell him about our success with telling Tomoya about mine and Sora's relationship, but decided it wasn't something to be discussed in text messages. I'm sure Yumiko-san will be calling us over the weekend, so we can tell her then. "...He was asking if we had made it home yet and how we were doing." I said to the others as I sent my reply to Hikigaya, pocketing my phone once I made sure it had been sent.
"That Hikigaya really is a better guy than first impression might suggest, eh? I suppose there is a reason why such a beautiful and elegant girl as Yukinoshita-san is together with him." Tomoya commented, and I turned to my sister, who gave me a knowing look and a small smirk.
"Oh, I'm sure sure their story is one worth telling." Sora said after Tomoya finished. We know a little bit from what the three of them told us, but… There's definitely a lot more to it. I can only imagine what their High School days must have been like. "Anyway, did you manage to do that thing Haru asked you to do?" Sora turned her gaze to Nao, who nodded to my sister after a brief moment of thought.
"Yes, I did. Akira-chan set things up so that Kozue-chan should be going to the shrine today, if she isn't there already." My sister 'hmmm'd' at Nao's words, then turned to look at me again.
"I guess we should head there, then?" On the outside, Sora seemed completely calm, but I could sense a bit of uneasiness in her words, and I didn't have to guess why. Settling things with Kuranaga-san once and for all will be a big thing. I don't blame Sora for being nervous. I took my sisters hand and smiled at her reassuringly.
"Yes, we should. The time… to set things straight with Kuranaga-san has come." Sora slowly nodded to me, but kept her gaze low. "It will be fine, Sora. We just have to talk to her. This is the only opportunity were going to get." I gently caressed Sora's hand, and her hold on mine tightened for a moment, before she relaxed.
"...You're right. Sorry, Haru." My sister looked up at me, then glanced towards Nao and Tomoya before leaning forward and up to meet my lips in a brief kiss. "We should get going, then. Do you… want to come with us, Tomoya-san?"
"I see no reason not to. At the very least, I should get to know who this Kuranaga-san is, and introduce myself, even… even if she won't be your friend any more." Tomoya replied with an awkward smile, and I averted my gaze for a moment, swallowing down the guilt that threatened to resurface.
"...Alright. We'd best get going, then." I said, then turned to Nao and bowed my head slightly. "Thanks again for setting this up for us."
"You can thank Akira-chan when you meet her. But… you're welcome, Haru-chan." Nao replied with a smile, which Sora and I returned to her. "Good luck with Kozue-chan."
"Thanks. I… I will try to make sure she isn't left alone, even if we cut ties with her." Sora looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a curious expression, having not heard that part of my conversation with Nao, but I wanted to get going before answering any questions she had. "Let's go to the shrine." I looked to Sora and Tomoya, who both nodded to me.
With a quick goodbye to Nao, the three of us left the premises of her house and began to head towards the shrine at a brisk pace. Internally I worried about tiring out Sora, but knowing that she didn't want me to worry so much over her, I kept my thoughts to myself. Besides, with no clear knowledge on how long Kuranaga would be staying at the shrine for, we had to make sure we didn't waste this chance to settle things with her.
"...What did you mean by 'making sure' that Kuranaga won't be left alone, Haru?" Sora questioned from me once we had gotten away from Nao's house, leaning forward to look me in the eye as she walked next to me.
"Well… Nao-chan said that it might not just be the two of us who have to cut ties with Kuranaga-san. Since it's highly likely that she won't be able to accept our relationship, things will get awkward between her and the rest of our friends here." Sora averted her gaze from me, clearly pondering on my words. "But, even if Kuranaga-san can't be our friend any more… I don't want to just have to abandon her. Us returning and reuniting with our friends causing her to be left alone would weigh too heavily on my conscious. So… I want to talk with her and find a way to make sure she won't be left alone because of us." I finished my explanation to Sora, and she met my eyes again, her expression still contemplative.
"I… understand that. I think. As much as I don't particularly care what happens to her as long as she leaves us alone… I don't really wish for that to happen to her either." Sora spoke after a few moments of silence, then smiled at me. "And if it makes you feel better, Haru, I'll go along with it." Smiling back at my sister, I gave her a nod.
"Arigatou, Sora."
With Sora's question answered, we continued on our way to the shrine, where a meeting with the last of our acquaintances we hadn't yet seen since coming back home awaited us.
"Ah! There you guys are. Over here!"
As we walked under the last, large torii gate at the top of the stairs leading up to the shrine, a familiar voice called out to us. Casting our gazes across the shrine grounds, the three of us were met with the sight of Akira – once again clad in her shrine maiden outfit just like when we had met her the day prior – swiftly making her way to us with a broom in hand.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up. I was about to try calling Nao-neechan again."
"Hello again, Amatsume-san. Is… Kuranaga-san here?"
"Yes. She should still be cleaning up the insides of one of the open-air shrine buildings towards the back, over that way."
Akira pointed towards a building off to the left side of the shrine grounds, and I thought I could see some movement within it. That must be Kuranaga-san. I looked to my right and saw my sister looking at the same building intently, before meeting my eyes again. This is it.
"Thanks for setting this up, Amatsume-san. Ensuring that we can coexist with Kuranaga-san peacefully is very important." I said to Akira, who smiled sadly but nodded in understanding. "If… it is possible, I… would like for the rest of you to stay as her friends, even if Sora and I can't do that. I'm… not sure how possible that is going to be, though…" Akira's eyes widened momentarily at my words, and she glanced between Sora and I before settling down again and responding calmly.
"...That is… very kind of you, Haru-kun. But, yes, like you said… It's going to be difficult." Akira averted her gaze, briefly looking down at the ground, but she quickly lifted it back up and met my eyes. "I know what you're worried about, and I don't want her to be left alone either. We'll have to all talk about this, but… I'll do my best." I smiled at Akira and nodded to her.
"This is something I need to speak with her about as well, so… I'll do my best too." Akira smiled confidently at my words, and I turned to look at Sora, taking her hand into mine. "Alright, let's go and do this." Sora nodded to me and took my hand in her own, so I turned to Tomoya, who nodded as well. After receiving their confirmations, I returned my gaze to the building Kuranaga was working at and began to move.
With each step that I took, I could feel my heart beating in my chest at an ever-increasing pace. We hadn't seen Kuranaga since returning, and had no idea what kind of reaction she would have to meeting us here and now. All we knew was that this meeting would decide how things would go between us in the future, and its outcome would affect how Sora and I lived our lives in Okukozome from here on out.
As the three of us got closer to the building, I was able to spot some movement within it, and stopped to a halt, with Sora and Tomoya stopping next to me. Without saying anything, I looked Tomoya in the eyes and gave him a nod, which he returned to me, before continuing to move towards the shrine while Sora and I stayed back. We figured on the way here that our best chances were if Tomoya-san made the first move. If Sora and I randomly appeared, Kuranaga-san would more than likely just run off or not listen to anything we have to say, so we hoped that Tomoya-san would be able to improve our chances. Watching Tomoya move up close to the shrine building, I looked at Sora, who nodded at me, and the two of us moved to the side – close enough that we'd be able to hear what Tomoya and Kuranaga were saying, but out of sight.
"Oh? Is there somebody here?" We heard Tomoya call out as Sora and I leaned against the wall of the shrine, his words being followed by a somewhat startled yelp and some shuffling.
"E-eh? Who..? Sorry, hello, do you need something?" I felt Sora's hand gripping onto mine harder as we heard Kuranaga speak.
"Sorry for surprising you. I'm… visiting Okukozome for the weekend, and was looking around this shrine when I saw some movement here. Thought that… it might have been the shrine maiden." At least Tomoya-san is good at putting up an act… I felt kind of bad asking him to do something like this, but I know he understands that sorting things out with Kuranaga-san is important to us, and how precarious our situation with her is.
"Oh, no, I'm… not a shrine maiden or anything. I'm just… helping clean things out here today. Amatsume-san is the one you're looking for, she should be around here somewhere…" Kuranaga paused for a few moments, then spoke again. "You… said you were visiting Okukozome? So… you're not from around here?"
"No, I'm not. My name is Okazaki Tomoya, and I come from Hikarizaka. I know some people who live here – relatives of a friend, you could say."
"...I'm Kuranaga Kozue. Nice… to meet you." Hearing Kuranaga's voice like this, I could tell that she sounded somewhat tired, and I inwardly wished I could see her face – though we wouldn't have to wait long for that to happen. It could just be because she's been working hard cleaning, but… It isn't too far-fetched of an idea that she's feeling down because she knows we've returned to Okukozome. Her grandfather said as much yesterday, after all.
"Kuranaga Kozue, you say? Well, that's a nice coincidence, then. You see, I have some friends who would… like to have a word with you, Kuranaga-san." I met Sora's eyes with my own, and she momentarily tightened her hold on my hand, then gave me a quick peck on lips. Let's do this. I took a deep breath and nodded to my sister, then the two of us began to move around to where Tomoya was.
"Friends..? What do you…" Kuranaga didn't get to finish her sentence, as her gaze was drawn to us immediately as we appeared around the corner, and she went wide-eyed. She froze in surprise momentarily, allowing me to get a good look at her.
Kuranaga Kozue hadn't changed much since we last saw her before leaving a month ago, though there were still some noticeable differences to the image I had of her in my head. I always remembered Kuranaga tying up her hair, but now it flowed freely, giving her a much more girlish look than before. However, what drew my attention the most were the dark circles under her eyes. The same eyes that quickly narrowed in disgust as she saw me and Sora holding hands.
"...Hey, Kuranaga-san. It's… been a while." Kuranaga averted her gaze from us as I spoke, her grip around the broom she was holding tightening. This… is going about as well as I expected.
"...What do you want?" She asked quietly, not meeting either of our gazes.
"We just… want to talk." Sora replied to her, and Kuranaga glanced briefly towards us, but still kept her head turned away.
"We know you might not want to associate with us any more, but there are things we need to talk about, and settle. We'll leave you alone after this." I continued after my sister, and Kuranaga silently looked between the three of us, before audibly inhaling deeply, then exhaling as she turned fully to us.
"Fine. What is it?" I felt Sora relax slightly next to me as Kuranaga's words left her mouth.
"...Thank you. To… put it simply… we want to make sure that you aren't going to make our lives more difficult moving forward." Kuranaga raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, so I continued. "Sora and I… we're going to be living in Okukozome for the foreseeable future. I know… that you can't accept our relationship, and we won't force you to, but… we'd like to be sure that you'll let us live our lives in peace. And we'll do the same to you, of course. Even if we can't be friends, I don't want us to become enemies." Kuranaga's expression became pained for a moment, and she looked away again, biting her bottom lip. Several seconds passed in silence before Kuranaga hesitatingly opened her mouth and spoke again.
"You… won't have to worry about that. I can't change things now, but I'm not so petty as to cause trouble. So… yes, as long as you leave me alone, I'll… leave you two alone…" Something about Kuranaga's words struck me as melancholic, and judging by the look on Tomoya's face as he observed us, he likely noticed something similar. Something I said must have made her feel that way… but what? "Was that… all?"
"Ah, there was… another thing. Our… friends. You probably know that we… talked with them all yesterday when we returned here, and… apart from Migiwa-san, who still needs some time to think… all of them accept mine and Sora's relationship." I paused for a moment to gauge Kuranaga's reaction, but her expression didn't change. Perhaps… she knew that to be the case already. "We might not be able to be friends with you any more, Kuranaga-san, but… Sora and I don't want the same to happen between you and the rest of our friends." Kuranaga's previously unchanging expression now morphed into puzzlement as she looked back at me, not quite understanding what I meant.
"Haru is saying that he doesn't want you to be left alone because of us." Sora interjected for me, and Kuranaga's eyes shifted to her, then widened in surprise as she comprehended my sister's words. "We… want to make sure before we have to cut ties with you that you wouldn't have to do the same with the rest of our friends here. For their sake as much as yours."
"...Or, if that can't be avoided, we want to make sure that you have friends elsewhere. Like Sora said… I don't want you to be left alone because of us. You don't accept us, and we can... never be friends again, but I wouldn't wish that on you. Neither of us would." Sora nodded alongside my words, opening her mouth momentarily as if to say something more, but then closing it and keeping quiet instead. The ball is now in her court.
"…" Kuranaga stared at us quietly for a few moments, her expression still telling of her surprise, before she lowered her gaze while furrowing her brows. A couple of seconds passed before she lifted her gaze again, this time looking towards Tomoya. "...What's your relation to the two of them?"
"I'm their legal guardian." Tomoya replied with little hesitation, earning another surprised look from Kuranaga. "It's a long story, one that shouldn't be told at a time like this. If you want to know what I think of Sora's and Haruka's relationship…" Tomoya looked towards us for a moment, smiling at us before he turned back to Kuranaga. "...I accept it. It might not be normal, but neither is their story of life. As long as the two of them are happy, I don't see anything wrong with it." Kuranaga looked down at the ground again as Tomoya finished.
"…I see. Friends…" Kuranaga clutched onto the broom she was holding onto a little tighter, bringing it closer to her body as she did so. "...Why are you being so… kind..? Kasugano-kun..?" I lifted an eyebrow in confusion, and when Kuranaga didn't speak again, I was about to question her, but was stopped as I noticed something fall onto the ground below Kuranaga – a tear. Why is she… crying..?
"...Kuranaga-san..?" I began to reach out towards the girl with a hand, but she raised her own to signal for me to stop. Complying with her wordless request, I pulled my hand back and simply watched as Kuranaga began to breathe deeply, a few more tears falling down onto the wooden floor of the shrine building below before she lifted her head again.
"...I'm sorry." Kuranaga said as she met my gaze, her eyes now slightly reddened and puffy, though no more tears could be seen. "For… a lot of things." Kuranaga's words confused me even further, and my sister's widened eyes said much the same about her reaction. She's… sorry..? "I-I can't accept the relationship you have with your sister, just like you said, but… I want to say that I'm sorry b-before it's too late." Kuranaga looked away momentarily, then took a deep breath and spoke again. "This month that you've been away… has given me a lot of time to… think. The rest of our… friends were able to continue on, but I… I couldn't. I didn't want to ruin their summer with my gloominess, so I kept to myself. And while doing so, I realized that despite everything…" Kuranaga paused again, biting her lip before taking a shaky breath and continuing. "...I wanted to see you again. To know that you two were… okay. People kept asking me about you two, and I hated it. Not just because of what happened, but… because it made me worry even more."
I could only stand in stunned silence as I listened to Kuranaga pouring out the feelings that she had accumulated over the past month to the three of us. Kuranaga had actually worried for the well-being of Sora and I, despite everything that had happened between us. And in the midst of my shocked brain trying to comprehend everything, another thought entered my mind. If even Kuranaga-san was worried about us… What about the rest of our friends? They haven't said much to us, but us disappearing like that with only a single text message… It must have worried them greatly.
"...So, when Yorihime-senpai came to my house yesterday and told me you two were back… I was upset. Upset at myself for being happy to know you two were alright, and then upset that I felt like that. And now, with you saying that you don't want me to be left alone despite the things I said and what happened…" Kuranaga looked like she was about to cry again, but she rubbed her eyes with her arm and took a deep breath to calm herself. "...I loved you once, Kasugano-kun, but I can't ever love you again as you are now. I just can't bring myself to accept the relationship you have with your sister." Kuranaga held eye contact with me for a few moments, then shifted her gaze to my sister. "Sora-san… I really believed we could be friends, at one point. And I wanted that to be the case. Maybe a small part of me still does. But… I just can't. I don't hold anything against you personally, but… I-I just can't." Like with me, Kuranaga kept looking Sora in the eyes for a few moments, before she closed her eyes and spoke again. "So… you are right. We can't be friends any more. Not today, not tomorrow, and not next week." Kuranaga opened her eyes again as she paused, and hesitated slightly before continuing. "...Perhaps one day, in the future. I can't say. But… the day I can… call either of you my friend… is a long way away, if it ever comes." Kuranaga's expression was serious, and I gave her a slow nod as a reply, my sister mimicking my gesture. ...It is very likely that day of reconciliation will never come. Nonetheless, I'm sure Kuranaga-san will never be able to forget the two of us. "I will… respect your wish, though, and leave the two of you alone. Are you… planning on keeping your relationship a secret?"
"...We won't be announcing it to anyone in particular, but we have no plans of hiding it either. People will suspect, and may even find out, but we'll pay any protests no heed." Kuranaga nodded briefly in response to my answer. "What about… our friends? Can we be sure that you won't be left alone just because we've returned?" Sora's grip on my hand tightened, and we both stared at Kuranaga as we waited for her answer.
"…" The few seconds that Kuranaga stayed silent for felt like an eternity, until she finally spoke again. "...Things will be fine. I don't… want to cut ties with Amatsume-san or the others either… if they'll still have me as a friend. At the very least, I have… some other friends from our class… though I haven't spoken to them all summer." Kuranaga bit her lip, then shook her head and took a deep breath. "You don't have to worry about me any more." Kuranaga offered a weak smile, the first one we'd seen from her so far, but it only lasted for a moment. However, it was enough to make me relax. Things… went better with her than we had expected. Though…
...This will still be the last time we'll speak to her in a long time – possibly ever.
"...Aright. Thank you, Kuranaga-san. Being able to… part ways with you on at least somewhat neutral terms like this feels very… relieving." Sora nodded alongside my words, and we gave Kuranaga small bows of our heads. "We'll… leave you to it, now, so…"
"...I suppose this is goodbye." Sora finished my sentence for me, and Kuranaga nodded slowly.
"...Mm. I think… I think I'll need to head back home, now. I'll need some time for myself." Kuranaga paused for a moment, setting aside the broom she had and resting it against the wall. "I'll… talk to our friends after this. At some point. I'm… sorry again, but… thank you." Kuranaga began to move, so Sora and I stepped out of the way. "...Please tell Amatsume-san that I'm sorry I had to leave early." Kuranaga said as she passed us, and I nodded to her. She took a few steps past us, then stopped to look at us over her shoulder. "...Kasugano-kun, Sora-san…"
"...Sayonara."
Kuranaga lingered for a brief moment, Sora and I uttering a quiet farewell to her as well, before we watched as she turned and began to walk away. We followed her form as it became smaller, before she disappeared completely as she walked down the stairs leading up to the shrine. ...It's over. Sora and I turned to each other, then embraced tightly, and I felt Sora's heart beating rapidly in her chest as she pressed it against my own.
"...I was so nervous, Haru."
"I know, Sora. But it's fine now."
I separated from my sister enough so I could look her in the eyes, then smiled at her, a gesture which my sister returned.
"...Things went a lot better then you two anticipated, huh?" Tomoya remarked, his gaze still directed at the shrine entrance.
"Yes, I… didn't expect that she worried for us so… Though I don't think she expected it either." I replied to him as he turned back to us. "At least… we can be sure that she is no threat, and… that she won't have to be alone after this." Sora released a sigh of relief at my words, and I felt the same relief wash over me as well.
"We should… probably go tell Akira that she left." Sora then said and pointed towards the broom Kuranaga had left behind.
"Yes, we should. She'll also likely want to know how things went." I replied as I detached myself from my sister, moving to pick up the broom Kuranaga had been using.
Turning back to Sora and Tomoya, the two of them nodded to me, and we began to make our way back to find Akira, the feeling of having been relieved of a weight on our shoulders gracing us.
"...Well, I'm glad to hear that things worked out. I remember Nao-neechan telling us about how Kozue-chan initially reacted to finding about your relationship, so I've been a bit worried for her all summer. Every time we met her, she seemed kinda gloomy or something…"
I lifted my teacup to my face and lightly blew on it to cool the liquid within, then took a sip while Akira poured a cup for Haru as well. As it turned out, Akira had gone to prepare some tea while we had conversed with Kuranaga, and offered some to us when we found her. Haru had just finished recounting our conversation with Kuranaga to her, with the three of us sitting around the same table as yesterday when we visited the shrine.
"...Yes, she… said something similar. Though, at least she seems open to the idea of still beings friends with the rest of you, even if Sora and I can't be her friends any more." Haru replied to Akira, who poured one final cup of tea for herself, before setting down the kettle and plopping down onto the tatami mat to my left.
"Hmm… Things will probably be a little awkward, but I'm sure we can manage. Each of us will need to speak with her as well and sort things out individually, I think." Akira said as she stared deep into her cup of tea. Nothing's going to be easy for us, huh..?
"That… reminds me… Do you know if… Migiwa-san has… come to a conclusion yet?" Haru asked after testing the temperature of the tea, slowly lowering his cup onto the table. Hearing his question, Akira raised her gaze, with both my brother and I looking at her and waiting for an answer. I'd like for her to be able to accept us as well, but…
"Kazu-chan hasn't been in contact with me since yesterday. I'd… imagine that she'll tell you when school starts next week." Haru nodded slowly to Akira, then dropped his gaze down to his own tea, his expression turning serious. "You don't need to worry, Haru-kun. Kazu-chan was really worried about you two, and I'm certain she still wants to be friends with you two. Even if the... revelation from Nao-neechan about the nature of your relationship shocked her." Akira smiled at my brother reassuringly, and he gave a small smile back to her.
"…I appreciate your endless optimism, Amatsume-san. I hope we can continue to be friends with Migiwa-san in the future as well, but… I don't want to push her into anything she'd be uncomfortable with." Haru scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"...At least we got things sorted out with Kuranaga." I commented and took a sip of my tea, with Akira nodding enthusiastically to my words.
"See, Sora-chan has the gist of it! You gotta focus on the positives." Akira nudged me with her elbow and smiled gently. ...I didn't really mean it like that, but… Well, I think I should heed what she's saying. Our trip to Finland widened my perspective on a lot of things, and now that we're back home… It's time to start taking action regarding these things I've been wanting to improve upon.
"...You know what, you're right, Akira. We do need to focus on the positive things instead of worrying about uncertainties." I said as I placed my teacup back down, drawing the gazes of the three others present. "Migiwa-san is important, but there's no need to worry about her right now. Things went successfully with Kuranaga, and we should be happy about that." Only silence followed my words, and I looked around the table at the confused and surprised expressions on Akira's, Haru's and Tomoya's faces. "...What are you all staring at?"
"Oh, just… I didn't expect you to say something like that, Sora." My brother was the first to speak, and the other two gave small nods of agreement, while I rolled my eyes. Was it really that much of a surprise?
"...Haven't I said that I want to stop being so gloomy all the time? I don't want to make you or our friends think that I'm a bother by being such a… downer all the time." I replied and looked towards Akira. "I… don't think I'll be able to become like Akira, but…" Before I could continue, Akira had grabbed my hands as she looked at me with a smile.
"You don't have to, Sora-chan. You're perfect just the way you are. You wouldn't be Kasugano Sora if you tried to be anything other than yourself." I stared into Akira's eyes for a few moments, then shifted my gaze to my brother, who smiled and nodded at me, affirming Akira's words. "But, you wanting to change to become more… optimistic and changing your outlook on life… It's admirable, Sora-chan." Akira...
"She's right. I've only known you two for so long, and I don't know what exactly you were like before your vacation, but I can definitely attest that your desire to change is a good thing." Tomoya chimed in, the sudden compliments making me feel somewhat bashful as I averted my gaze from everyone. "Hearing what you used to be like, you're definitely maturing into a fine, young woman, Sora. I hope I can one day witness my own daughter doing the same thing." Not used to such a level of compliments, I felt my cheeks heating up in embarrassment and looked to Haru for help, my brother continuing to smile at me.
"...I've been watching you this entire time, Sora, so I know the best that what they're saying is true. Sorry if I acted surprised… I guess I'm just still not used to hearing you say things like that all of a sudden, or acting differently from the Sora I remember from a month ago, even if I've acknowledged your growth." Haru awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he apologized to me. "And, I'll be staying right here next to you from now on as well, Sora. I… want to see what kind of person my sister is going to become." Hearing my brother's words, I felt my heartbeat increasing in tempo, and had to quickly rub my eyes before I could start tearing up… They're… saying such nice things to me… I know I expect it from Haru, and to a degree from Tomoya-san as well, but…
...I never thought I could be on the receiving end of something so genuine like this.
"...Thank you." I managed to utter quietly after succeeding in holding back the tears. I wanted to say more, but decided that a simple response would do, and judging by the smiles on the faces of the others, my choice had been correct. Haru and I… We are truly blessed to be able to have such wonderful and understanding friends.
After moving on from the embarrassingly emotional situation, the four of us settled into casual chatter. With Akira's endless enthusiasm, it didn't seem like we would ever run out of things to talk about, and I would be lying if I said it didn't feel a little exhausting – though it was still enjoyable. We didn't even notice the passage of time until Akira ran out of tea after each of us had gotten multiple refills. After some deliberation regarding what we should do next, Tomoya, Haru and I decided to head back home and see about telling Ryouhei and Nao about our meeting with Kuranaga. Akira still had some chores around the shrine she had to do today, but promised that she'd come over if the rest of us decided to do something together later.
As we were leaving, Akira begun to tidy up her room, and I let the guys go ahead, offering to help out Akira.
"...Thanks for the help, Sora-chan, though it's not like I really needed it." Akira thanked me as I handed her the teacups we had used, the girl taking them and beginning to wash each one in the sink like she had done with the teapot moments ago.
"It's fine. You… said some very… k-kind things, so… I-I wanted to help out some way in return…" I replied, feeling a blush creeping up to my cheeks and turning away from the brown-haired shrine maiden.
"Aww, that's very sweet of you, Sora-chan!" Akira said with a giggle, then refocused on doing the washing up. "You can dry the teapot with the towel on the side, then put it back in the cupboard while I wash these." Akira pointed towards a small towel hanging to the right of the sink, then at a cupboard above it. Giving her a nod of acknowledgement, I began to dry off the teapot, idly looking around the rest of Akira's room while I was occupied with the mundane task.
Akira's living quarters were rather simple, and without all the furniture and added kitchen, it would no doubt look like any other room within the shrine buildings. Our house had a touch of western style to it, particularly in the areas that served as a clinic in the past when our grandparents were still around, and I had to admit that I liked western architecture like that a bit more than tatami mats and sliding doors – I had lived most of my life so far in the big city, after all. Well, excluding the time I had to spend in the hospital, but that's beside the point. However, I didn't dislike the traditional Japanese style that was more common in places like Okukozome. Having seen a lot of it in my childhood whenever we'd visit our grandparents, it gave me a sense of nostalgia. I didn't spend as much time with Akira as Haru did when we were all children, but I do remember visiting her here at the shrine… As I looked around Akira's room and reminisced about the past, my eyes were drawn to the desk that Akira had sitting against one of the walls, where I could spot something gleaming on top of it. The desk was a bit far away, but even from here, I could hazard a guess as to what the object on top of it was.
Akira's pendant.
Feeling a pair of eyes on me, I turned back, catching Akira looking at me as she held one of the teacups under the tap. Giving her a quick smile, I focused back on the teapot and did a double-check on it to make sure it was properly dried, then placed it in the cupboard like Akira had instructed. Seeing that the girl was now finished with washing the cups, we worked together to dry them as well, and soon enough, everything in the small kitchen tidy and neat again.
"Thanks again for the help, Sora-chan. It was a small thing, but I'm starting to think it'd be nice to have you helping with things around here more often!" Akira said with a smile, drying her own hands with the towel, then moving over to her desk, her feet stopping as her gaze dropped down to the pendant on it.
"...That pendant… It was your mother's, right..?" I asked as I walked up to Akira, seeing that her usual cheerfulness had completely evaporated as she stared down at the pendant with the most serious face I had ever seen on her.
"...I didn't think you would remember it, Sora-chan." Akira said quietly as she picked up the pendant, reflecting the light from the lamp above us in flashes as she hung it by the chain. Is that… writing on the back of it? "I don't mean anything bad by that, just… It was mostly just me and Haru-kun who hung out back then." Akira looked at me, offering a small smile. "But, yes… It… was my mother's… in a way. I actually lost this pendant years ago, when me and your brother were playing around in the forest behind the shrine. It was recently found by someone and returned to Kazu-chan's mother, and from there it made its way to me." ...'Returned'? Her tone of voice… I had never seen the usually cheerful and optimistic Akira look like this under any circumstances, and her cryptic wording only confused me. "...It's the only memento I have of my mother, so I'm glad to have it here with me." Akira placed the pendant in her palm and then closed it, bringing her hand close to her heart as she smiled sadly.
"Is… everything okay, Akira?" I asked quietly, not sure how to fee about this new side to Akira I was seeing right now.
"...Yeah, I'm fine." Akira replied after a few moments of silence, turning to look at me, still smiling – though now her smile was distinctly less sad as it had been a few moments ago. "Thanks for your concern, Sora-chan, and… Sorry you had to see that." Akira wiped the corners of her eyes, took a deep breath, then placed her pendant back onto the desk. "Maybe one day I'll tell you and Haru-kun more, but not right now. Focus on the positives, isn't that right?" Hearing Akira's words, I nodded to her with a smile. I've definitely seen something here that Akira hasn't shown to anyone else… And probably for good reason. If she isn't going to tell me anything more right now, I won't pry. "Come on, the guys must be waiting for you." Back to her usual self, Akira moved to exit her living quarters, and I followed after her.
Stepping outside onto the shrine grounds, I looked up to see the sun still shining above, though a number of clouds had gathered. Akira stepped up to stand next to me as we looked to the distance, where we spotted Haru and Tomoya standing by the shrine entrance and talking, the latter leaning against the torii gate.
"Well… goodbye for now, Akira, I guess." I said and turned to the other girl, who smiled at me in return.
"I'll hopefully see you later today! Take care, Sora-chan!"
"You too, Akira." We kept eye contact for a few more moments, before I started to walk towards my brother and Tomoya, but was stopped after only a couple of steps as I heard a little 'Oh!' sound from Akira. "...What is it?" I asked as I turned to look at Akira again. Did she… need something?
"Why don't you come and work here at the shrine, Sora-chan?" Akira asked me, and it took me a few moments to process the meaning of her words. Eh? "I mean, I know you and your brother should be getting your rightful inheritance soon, right? But I remember Haru-kun saying that you'd still look for some work you can do so as to not rely entirely on the inheritance money to get by." My confusion must have been evident on my face, as Akira explained further what she meant.
"...Oh, yes, we… were planning that." I replied, then gave Akira's proposal some thought for a few moments. "...Would there even be much for me to do, with you already working here alongside the other caretakers?"
"We could always use some more shrine maidens, for sure! The other caretakers are all old geezers, and there's a proper way to do things, some of which can only be done by a shrine maiden. It could also be… something light that even you could do, Sora-chan." Hmm… She does have a point, I suppose…
"...I'll have to think about it, and talk things through with Haru." I replied after a few seconds of consideration, then smiled and bowed at Akira. "Thank you for the offer."
"It's no problem, Sora-chan! I did say that it'd be nice to have you helping around here more often!" Akira beamed a smile at me, and I nodded back at her after raising my head. I can't imagine it will pay that much, but… It would help in stabilizing our money situation in the long run.
Exchanging another farewell with Akira, I left her to rejoin my brother and Tomoya, the two of them waving at me as I got close.
"You ready to head back, Sora?" Haru asked as I walked up to them, and I nodded to him. "Alright. Let's go."
After waving goodbye to Akira one final time, the three of us started to make our way down the set of stairs leading up to the shrine. As we descended, I noticed my brother's gait was slower than usual, leaving Tomoya a few metres ahead of us as I slowed to match his. Curious, I studied my brother in closer detail and saw his gaze directed downwards and face looking like he was deep in thought. Now somewhat worried for Haru, I waved a hand in front of his face, then spoke once his attention was on me.
"Something on your mind, Haru?" My brother met my eyes briefly, then looked back down again, opening his mouth but only speaking after a few moments had passed.
"...Yes, I guess. I was just… thinking about what Akira said earlier." I lifted an eyebrow in confusion, not quite knowing what Haru was referring to. "When she… commented about how much you've grown, Sora."
"...And what about it?" I was still struggling to get Haru's point, but I could tell that whatever it was, it seemed to weigh heavily on his mind. I noticed Tomoya looking back at the two of us, but he didn't interfere in our one-on-one talking, and simply continued forward.
"Well… it's just… I've been by your side all this time, so… I've seen it all. Like I said back there, I've seen first-hand how much you've changed over the course of the past month. And I'm glad to see it. Of course, you are still my precious twin sister, and the girl I love, but… You're also so much more mature than before." Haru looked up at me and smiled, but his smile quickly faded. "I was… worried that out of the two of us… you're the only one who has changed. The only one who has matured. Because I don't feel like I have changed that much." The cat was finally out of the bag as Haru revealed what had been gnawing at him. For how long… has Haru been worrying about this..?
"You've… always been the more mature one out of the two of us, Haru." I spoke to reassure Haru, who met my gaze again. "I can… recognize that much about myself, at least. You don't need to worry about not becoming 'more mature' due to our vacation, because if anything, I was the one late to that train. As for changing… Well, maybe you didn't feel like you changed because there was no need for you to change. You still learned and experienced a whole lot, right?" Haru looked away for a moment, then nodded. "There you go, then. Everything's fine."
"…" Haru stayed quiet for several seconds as we continued walking. I didn't realize he was making such a big thing out of this… I suppose Haru is right in that there is no noticeable change in him when compared to before we left, but… That's not a bad thing at all. "...So… It's fine if I didn't change and mature like you did?" I nodded to my brother as he looked back at me. "And you don't think I need to change, Sora?"
"That's right. Though… well, I guess I don't see any need for you to change, Haru. You're perfect to me just the way you are. But, yes, you shouldn't worry about something like that. Just because I… finally grew up doesn't mean that you need to go through any big changes over the course of a month." I took a hold of my brother's hand and smiled at him. "If you really want to change in some way, then… Well, maybe you could stop worrying about me so much all the time. I know you do it because you care about me, and I love it when you dote on me, but… I can't stand with you as your equal if I'm always having to lean on you." I brought Haru's hand down to rest on my belly, where our child was growing inside me, and my brother's gaze followed his arm down to it as well. A few moments passed in silence before my brother smiled and looked back up at me.
"...Thanks, Sora. You're right. Sorry that I was worrying about something so… silly." Haru apologized and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.
"Well… I wouldn't say it was silly. I understand why you felt that way, Haru. But, you are welcome. Anything for my dear brother." I finished off by giving a quick kiss on the cheek for my brother.
The two of us stared deep into each other's eyes for a few moments, smiling, before my brother nodded at me. Turning his gaze to look forward again, Haru let out a satisfied sigh, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and the two of us caught up with Tomoya. Well, there's definitely one way Haru has changed that I can think of, now. Haru has always been the type of person to put others first and himself second, so the fact that he was worrying about whether or not he has changed as a result of our vacation…
...Means that he's finally worrying about himself, too, and not just others around him. And that's definitely a change I can be happy about.
AN: And there we have it. It's been a very long time since the last update, especially given how long I took to write this damn chapter – almost two months, which I think might be a new record for me. I wouldn't know, I can't really remember stuff like this. Or, anything, really. My terrible memory aside, I'm super happy with how this chapter turned out, even if I initially had very few ideas for it back when I started writing it in August.
I can't make any promises about the next chapter, but I'm hoping I'll be able to squeeze it out before next year. But, if not, then I guess I'll next talk to you all in 2022. I can't believe 2021 is almost over already, it's mad to think about. So much has happened in this year, yet it does not feel like it's been that long since I published this story at the beginning of January. Crazy how time works like that.
Now, I bid you all farewell, and cheerio!