4. Chapter 4: Rapture

Chapter 4: Rapture

Part A

"S-Shion? I'm not !" I said to her with my voice trembling.

"I've been as patient as I could! I've waited so long for you to come back to me!" Shion held my face in her hands. She stroked my cheeks with her thumbs. "I-I'm...I've missed you..."

Shion was still wearing her smile. My hands remained at her hips; they were shaking. My eyes were twitching. Did she really think that I was...

"I never got the chance to tell you...you left without a word...I was so worried!" Shion had tears in her eyes. They were tears of joy. She was wrapped in the sweet embrace of ecstasy. "I...I always wanted to tell you how you how I feel. I love you, Satoshi-kun! I love you more than anything!"

She kissed me hard. She pulled my face closer and she smothered her mouth against mine. She delved her tongue into my mouth. She massaged my own tongue with hers. Her face was all red and it was hot. I heard her moan a little. When she released her lock on my lips, she gasped a little before trying to kiss me again.

I took hold of her shoulders and pushed her off of me. I was looking into her eyes, her blank jade eyes. She looked confused.

"Satoshi-kun? Why did you do that? Aren't you happy we're together again?"

"I'm not Satoshi!" I told her straight. "What's wrong with you, Shion?"

She stared at me. She didn't say a word to me.

"It's Keiichi!"

"Kei ichi "

"Yes! Maebara Keiichi! Kei-chan, remember?"

Shion looked down at the ground. When she raised her head again, her eyes returned to normal.

"Kei chan? What happened?"

What? She really didn't know?

"You kinda lost it back there."

"... What did I do?"

My heart was racing more than it did when she lunged at me and started to kiss me. What should have I told her? My mind was in such a haze, as much as hers was. What would she do if I told her that she thought I was Satoshi? She might have gotten hurt if I told her that. I didn't want her to feel that way. What was I suppose to do?

"You uh er hallucinated after I petted your head..."

Shion blinked and ran her hand through her long hair. "I did?"

"You thought I was someone else."

"Who?"

Please, don't make me say it!

"Kei-chan. Please, tell me." Shion was still sitting next to me. Her hands were on her lap. She was looking at me with such concern.

I couldn't take it anymore.

"I can't lie to you I don't want to lie to you. You thought I was Satoshi."

Shion's eyes widened. Her body was beginning to shake. She gripped her shoulders and looked down into her lap. I heard her mumbling.

"Shion?"

" Hahaha "

"Shion!"

She lifted her head back up and giggled. She smiled at me like she always did. "Wow. I guess I got a little carried away, huh? Ahaha!"

That was an understatement.

"I'm sorry about that! I guess you remind me of Satoshi-kun a little. He always rubbed my head like you did." She looked away from me. "You looked just like him you sounded like him too "

"Shion?" I placed my hand on her shoulder again. "Are you okay ?"

She looked back at me. She put her hand over mine. "I'm fine! Honest! I must be tired or something."

"Are you sure that's all? You're making me worried!"

"I'm fine!" Shion winked at me. "I'm a tough girl, but even tough girls get tired sometimes! That's all!"

I continued to watch her.

"It's getting late anyway. I really should go home and get ready for bed."

"I'll take you home. I want to make sure you're alright!"

Shion smiled at me again. "You don't have to, but if you insist! I'm really sorry I ruined our special day together! Ahaha "

"Tell you what: we can go out again whenever you feel like you're up to it! I'll be waiting! Just take it easy for me." I squeezed her shoulder gently.

She nodded and stroked my hand a little.

I took her back to her apartment. We exchanged a friendly goodbye, but Shion gave me a quick hug before I left. She apologized one more time for her behavior. I told her to think nothing of it and that I really caused her hallucination. She didn't accept my belief, but she bid me farewell and said that she would see me soon. I left her apartment with this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Was she really alright? Was she just saying what I wanted to hear?

I got home right around my bed time. I brushed my teeth, got changed and hopped in bed. I tossed and turned a little before I got comfortable.

Shion was all I was thinking about that night. She was in every one of my dreams. I was thinking about her smile, the way she held me close to her, the way she wrapped her arms around my neck, and the way she kissed me. It felt incredible, but it was wrong. I don't remember Shion being that flirtatious around me. She flirted with me when I was around Mion, but she never went this far.

She even called me Satoshi. She was hallucinating because I rubbed her head, I'm sure of it. It was a bad idea from the start to do that. I should never have done that. It was reflex of mine that I never learned to control. She must have been hurting now. She was probably in her room crying over Satoshi.

I wanted to be with her. I wanted to comfort her and make her smile genuinely again. I wanted to hold her and tell her I would make things better. Shion was a dear friend of mine. If one of my friends was hurting, then I was hurting. I couldn't stand this feeling. I hated it. I hated it even more knowing that I was the cause of it. I hated myself for what I did to Shion.

I awoke the next morning, on time and rejuvenated for once. I slept well, but I was still very concerned about Shion. I felt afraid. How would she greet the day today? Would she be alright? Would she be depressed, seeing that her love was just a mirage? I tried to convince myself that I did the right thing. I told the truth about her hallucinating and I apologized. There wasn't much else I could do. I did the right thing. I know I did.

I walked to school with Rena. I met her at our usual meeting place. I didn't talk much when we strolled down the road. Rena noticed something was off with me. She poked at my arm and looked at me with a frown.

"You didn't sleep well last night, Keiichi-kun?"

"I did sleep well, actually." I tried to sound like myself, but why did I even bother? Rena was going to see through me anyway. I had to be honest. "Something's just been on my mind since I went to bed. It's been bugging me."

"Does it have to do with Shii-chan? Did something happen on your date last night?"

"She thought I was someone else for a bit. It wasn't a big deal, but I can't help but worry about her."

"Why? Shii-chan's alright!" Rena smiled at me.

"How do you know?" Did she know something about her?

"If it wasn't a big deal, then why should you worry?"

I sighed and rubbed my arm. " I have no idea. I just feel so wrong. I feel like I did something I shouldn't have."

"If you feel that way, you should apologize!"

"I did, but Shion didn't accept it. She said it was her fault."

"Was it her fault?"

"I don't know. I really don't." I cast my eyes downward. "Everything is so messed up! I just can't figure anything out!"

Rena suddenly took my hand into hers. She caressed my skin with her thumb. She looked at me reassuringly. "Everything will work out, I know it, yeah! Trust me! Even if you did do something wrong, you apologized! That's all you can do! Shii-chan is your friend! She's never going to stop being that!"

I slowly nodded.

Rena lifted my hand up to her face. She held it with both of her hands. She rubbed my skin and looked affectionately at me. "If Keiichi-kun ever needs somebody to talk to or someone to be with, I'm here! Rena will do everything she can to make Keiichi-kun feel better!"

I smiled weakly at her. She was just trying to cheer me up. Maybe I would take her up on that offer sometime.

"I'm sure Shii-chan's fine! She's a girl, remember? Girls can be weird sometimes! Ahaha!"

"You're definitely right about that. You're the weirdest of them all, Rena!" I took my hand back and rubbed her head roughly. I smirked at her.

"What? I'm not weird am I? Am I?" She blushed and looked away.

"Hehehe!"

We met up with Mion soon after. She was acting like her usual self, which was a good sign. Shion was just fine, Rena was right after all. I had let my thoughts get the best of me. I had to stop letting my mind wander and fret so much about every little thing I did. I did all I could do. Shion was my friend. I had to believe it would all blow over.

We entered the classroom and took our seats. Rika took the day off again, she was no where to be found.

"Rika's out again? Is she still sick?"

"Yeah." Mion sat on the side of my desk. "She still has food poisoning from that steak she ate the other day. It's weird, but it's still awful. I really hope she gets well soon! The club activities aren't any good unless everybody participates!"

"I visited Rika-chan after school yesterday," Rena said. "I made some soup for her and Satoko-chan helped me! Hauuuu! She was soooo cute with that apron!"

I chuckled at Rena. Satoko was pretty cute when she wore things like that.

"After a while, Akasaka-san came! He brought candy and some juice for her! It was so sweet!"

I remembered that I saw Akasaka too. "Was he with somebody when he visited Rika?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! He was! I think his partner was with him! Hanzaemon-san, I think!"

Mion crossed her legs and tapped on my desk with her finger. "I've only heard things about that guy. I've never met him before!"

"He seems really nice!" Rena giggled. "He was pretty handsome! Hauuuuu! That suit was so adowable on him!"

"He's a cop, Rena," I reminded her with a sneer, "you take his suit, and he'll arrest you for theft!"

Rena fidgeted in her seat. "But-But! It was soooo cuuuute !"

"I like him!" Satoko appeared from behind me. She stood next to my seat with her little vampire fang sticking out of her mouth. She flashed a bill from her pocket. "He felt guilty that I didn't get anything, because Rika was getting all of the attention, so he gave me 2,000 Yen!"

Mion shot a look of envy at Satoko. She stared at her money. "No way! You got that just because he felt bad? You're so lucky!"

"Oh ho ho ho!" Satoko pocketed her money and put her hands on her hips. She lifted her head proudly. "I'm gonna see if I can get more out of him later!"

Rena frowned. "Aren't you taking advantage of his generosity? Isn't that wrong?"

"It's his money! He should do whatever he wants with it! Namely, giving it to me!"

I grinned at Satoko mischievously. "You little sneak."

"That's how you play the game, Keiichi-san! Having a special charm is another part of setting the best kind of trap!"

Mion laughed. "That Hanzaemon's way too nice! He'll get cleaned out by the end of the week!"

I was worried about Rika, but I was still afraid of her. The times when she flipped out on me were still fresh in my mind. I felt bad that she was still sick, but I had to admit that I was happy she wasn't in again.

I didn't have much of an appetite for lunch. I only nibbled at my food while everyone lunged at their lunchboxes, and my own, like ravens. They joked and chatted, while I remained silent. I wanted to get my concerns and negative feelings out of my system. When it was time for P.E., I took the metal baseball from my locker. We all changed into our uniforms and proceeded outside.

I went behind the school and began practicing my swing while Rena, Mion, and Satoko went to play a game. I swung the bat very hard. I slashed at the air and even hit the ground a few times with it. I put all of my feelings of anger and frustration into each swing. My arms were hurting because of how hard I swung. I didn't care though. I just kept on swinging, grinding my teeth every time my bat sliced through the air.

"Yo, Kei-chan!" Mion walked up to me. She was standing a few feet from me, being careful not to get close as I was swinging. "What'cha doing all the way over here by yourself?"

"What's it look like?" I swung the bat again. "I'm just practicing."

"Oh, you are, are you? Well, you better! I got a special club activity in mind that involves that bat you have. When Rika-chan gets better, we'll be sure to play it!"

I ignored Mion's sentence and continued swinging.

"In speaking of activities, I came up with a fun game Rena, Satoko, and I are going to play in a bit! You wanna join? We could really use you!"

I glanced at her. "I'm fine, thanks. I'm just gonna keep practicing for now." I swung my bat again.

"Are you sure?" Mion looked disappointed. "You don't want to play with us?"

"I'm just not feeling up to it right now, sorry."

Mion cast her eyes downward. She leaned against the wall near me and sighed. "Is something the matter, Kei-chan? You're not yourself."

"I'm fine!" I swung the bat harder.

"You can talk to me, you know. I can help you if you'll just tell me what's on your mind."

"Thanks, Mion, but I'm fine, really!" I swung one more time.

Mion scowled. "If it was Shion, you'd talk to her "

I stopped swinging. I held the bat at my side and faced Mion. She looked annoyed. "What's that supposed to mean, Mion?" I asked, getting irritated myself.

"I'm only saying, if Shion was here and asked you if something was bothering you, you'd probably tell her. You're awfully close to her now, aren't you, Kei-chan?" Mion looked at me. Her brow was furrowed and her fists were clenched.

I was silent. I heard her knuckles crack.

"I mean, it's great you're good friends with her and all. I'm happy you two are taking care of Satoko, but aren't you spending a little too much time with Shion?"

"Just what are you getting at, Mion? Say it!"

Mion clenched her fists tighter. "I'm worried about you, Kei-chan." Her voice was cracking.

"You've got nothing to be worried about! I told you that I'm fine!" I slung the bat over my shoulder. I grinned at her. I knew what this was about. "Don't tell me you're jealous, Mion!"

She was quiet.

"You are, aren't you? I know you are! Hehe afraid she might take me away from the club, eh? I didn't know the great Sonozaki Mion was so protective over me!"

"That's not the point!" Mion slammed her fist against the wall hard. The sound shook me up a little. Mion walked over to me, brow furrowed and her voice much sterner. "You're not getting it! I'm worried about you and Shion!"

"Ugh could have fooled me. I might believe you if you weren't yelling at me. Everything's fine, I'm telling you! She's as happy as can be! She's spending time with me and Satoko! She's just fine! I'm fine!"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I got a call from Shion last night."

I tried to retain my composure, but my heart was beating so fast that I thought Mion could hear it. I had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"I heard you two went out on a little date. Despite my requests, no less. She called me and she was telling me all about your date. She sounded very happy." She crossed her arms.

"I told you! That's good, isn't it? I made Shion happy! That's good!"

"You were all she was talking about." Mion moved closer to me. She was a few inches from me. "She seems to be really fond of you."

"What's wrong with that?" I asked as I was slowly losing my fortitude to combat Mion.

"While I was happy for her, there was one thing she said that really bothered me."

I had my eyes turned away from Mion. I glanced back at her. "What was that?"

Mion released her fists. She heaved a big sigh. " She called you Satoshi."

My knees felt weak. My heart was sinking. That sense of security I had from Rena was gone. I thought, just for a second, that Rena's words were true. I was wrong. I was an idiot to think I wasn't!

"She doesn't even say your name anymore." Mion tapped her finger against her arm. "She just calls you Satoshi. I didn't know what she meant until she mentioned going on a date with someone. I figured it had to be you after the way Satoko was talking yesterday."

"Mion," I tried to speak.

"Do you understand how bad this is?" She was gritting her teeth. "Can you even begin to imagine what's happening here?"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to do anything! I didn't mean-"

"Kei-chan, stop!" Mion held my arms tightly. "Listen to me!"

I couldn't look Mion in the eye. I was too ashamed. This was all my fault. I was like a kid being scolded by his parent.

"I'm worried about Shion! She's confusing you with Satoshi! That's not healthy for her! You know how she gets whenever he's brought up!" Mion moved her hand to my cheek. She turned my head so I could look at her. I tried not to, but she made me. "I was afraid that this was going to happen if you kept spending time together! She's confused and she'll get hurt, or she'll hurt someone, if this goes on! Keiichi I'm worried about you too "

Our eyes met. I placed my hand on top of hers. Mion's eyes were so soft. The rage I saw behind them was gone. They were compassionate, reassuring, but afraid.

"You need to stay away from Shion for a while. Let her take it easy until she can think straight." Mion scratched my cheek gently with her nails, it felt good. "Just try to go about things normally as you can. Be with Satoko and make her happy, but don't do anything stupid! I want to help you as best I can, but I can't unless you're willing to help me! Just stay away from Shion for me, okay? Let me handle this!"

"Mion," I said, still lowly. I was guiltier than before. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I argued with you for making you worry for a lot of things now you have to clean up the mess I've made "

Mion stroked my arm with her other hand. I could see a small tear forming in her eye. "I'm just really worried about you. You're m-my best friend I got annoyed because you were spending so much time with Shion; I didn't mean to yell before, but I was just so angry and worried all at once. However, this is serious now and I have to strong to help her. Her well being, and yours, are at stake. Something's going to happen if we're not careful. Just promise me you'll leave her alone, Kei-chan. Promise me you'll let me take care of this "

I looked down. I pushed her hand into my cheek some more.

"Hey." She lifted my head so I could see her again. "Promise me."

"I-I promise," I muttered. I was getting choked up.

"Thank you, Keiichi." Mion took her hand back. She embraced me. She held onto me as tight as she could. "I just don't want anything to happen to you I want you to be safe."

I didn't hug her back. My eyes gazed off into the abyss. "I understand."

She cried a little on my shoulder. "You mean so much to everyone and to me! You're one in a million, huh? You're very important to me !"

I placed my hand on her back.

I heard her mumbling again. I couldn't pick out the words she said; I could only hear certain pieces. "I ve ry ch "

Part B

After school, Satoko and I decided to pay a visit to the clinic. We were going to pick up some medicine for Rika. She snuck back into my mind again. I recalled her threats to me. She told me everything that was going to happen. She foresaw Shion's behavior. She knew. She knew everything.

Shion was vulnerable. She was hurting. She was latching on to what she had left. She was latching onto Satoko, and she was latching on to me. She saw me as Satoshi. She saw me as the guy she loved. Was she trying to replace him? No, that wasn't it. She legitimately saw me as Satoshi. She didn't seem to remember me at all when she was her trance. She couldn't see past the illusion until I spoke up. If I didn't, what would she have done to me?

Rika was right all along. She was trying to warm me. She was trying to protect me! She was trying to keep me safe! She knew Shion would become like this if I remained at her side for so long! Now Mion knew this. She knew what would happen next.

I wasn't going to repeat my mistake. I would listen to Mion, and to Rika this time. I wouldn't make this situation any worse. I had to do this for Shion and for Satoko. She was blissfully unaware of any of this. I had to keep it that way. I couldn't let her get involved. I had to solve this problem on my own. I had to stay away from Shion. She needed to get better and realize what was real and what was false. This was for her sake.

Satoko and I sat in the lobby on the clinic. Irie was with somebody already. Satoko talked to me to pass the time, but I just nodded and smiled every now and then. I wasn't listening much; all I thought about was Rika. I had to apologize to her. I had to tell her was happening and how much of a fool I had been. I had to tell her I was going to make things right. I would get her medicine and go and see her later.

"Alright then," a voice came from Irie's office. "I'll be back later for it, okay? See you soon." A familiar man in a black suit exited the office and came into the lobby. He stopped his walk when he noticed me and Satoko. "Oh! If it isn't Maebara-kun! And Satoko-chan! How are you two?" He smiled brightly.

I smiled back at Hanzaemon. "I'm alright, thanks!"

"Hanzaemon-san!" Satoko jumped up and hugged him. I could see him blush. "I missed you!"

"I-I missed you too, kiddo!" He closed his eyes and tried to hide his face with his hand.

I leered at Satoko. I knew exactly what she was up to. I hoped that Hanzaemon would see through this masquerade.

"Do you have anything for me today?" Satoko batted her eyes and looked up at him sweetly.

Hanzaemon grimaced, but he couldn't help but swoon over her face.

"I'm sorry! I don't have anything now "

Satoko immediately began to tear up. I heard her whimper.

"B-But I can go get something for you later!"

"Okay then!" Satoko reverted back to her happy-go-lucky smile and skipped back over to me. She glanced at me triumphantly. I heard her snicker.

"So, um what brings you two here? I hope you're not sick like poor Rika!" Hanzaemon looked sad as he said her name. "Has she been feeling any better?"

"She's still the same as yesterday," Satoko said. "But she'll get better soon! We came here to get some medicine for her!"

"That's very kind of you! I'm sure she'll appreciate it!"

"Hanzaemon-san! How are you doing in Hinamizawa? Have you gotten your bearings yet?" I asked.

Hanzaemon looked to me now. "I'm not doing well, I'm afraid! Hehe I'm still getting lost! I really need Sempai to give me a map!"

"If you ever need help, feel free to ask me! I know exactly how you feel, because I moved here not too long ago myself! I got the gist of it so I'm pretty reliable now!"

"You are reliable, Keiichi-san," Satoko said with her evil smirk. "You really have gotten to know your way around the village, after parading around so much in maid's uniforms, cat ears, swimsuits, and skirts! Oh ho ho ho ho!"

"Shut up, you brat!" I screamed so loud at her that the receptionist and the other patients waiting in the lobby were looking at us. I tried to hide my face from them. I sunk in my seat.

"Hahaha!" Hanzaemon closed his eyes and smiled widely. "You guys are like brother and sister, huh? You're so lucky, Maebara-kun! I wish I had a little sister as cute as Satoko-chan!"

Satoko blushed, but batted her eyes at Hanzaemon again.

"Yeah, I guess I am!" I scratched my head sheepishly.

"You don't need a sister though, sir! You have a darling wife, don't you?" Satoko pointed to the ring he was wearing on his finger.

Hanzaemon looked at it quick for a second. "Oh, yeah! I do, don't I? Hahaha! She's a really good woman."

"I bet you love her a lot!"

He shuffled his feet against the floor nervously. The poor guy was embarrassed. "I really do." He looked at his wrist watch. "Well, I better get going! I've got an important errand to run in Okinomiya before I take off for the day!"

"Okay, we'll see you later then! Take care!" I waved to him.

"Make you sure you bring me something nice next time!" Satoko put on the charm again.

Hanzaemon's smile became weak. "I will, don't worry!" He waved and departed with his hands in his trouser pockets.

Irie came out into the lobby. He wiped his glasses on his white coat. He spotted us. He cracked a small smile.

"Satoko-chan! Maebara-san! What can I do for you today?"

"We're here to get some stomach medicine for Rika, Manager! She's still not feeling well." Satoko approached him. I followed behind Satoko.

"Is that so? That's a shame, I feel bad for her! Come into my office for a sec."

We followed after him. We sat on the examination table as he wrote something down a notepad. I looked over to see what he was writing, but I couldn't understand it at all. I think it was German. Doctors usually write in a foreign language to hide their notes from prying eyes, namely mine. I wonder why he did that.

He handed the note to a nurse he had just summoned. She read it and scurried off. He looked at me; he could see the look of confusion on my face.

"She's just getting Rika-chan some special medicine! It'll fix her right up!" He smiled.

"Hey, Irie-sensei. You were talking with Hanzaemon-san a few minutes ago, weren't you?"

"Why, yes I was! Do you know him?"

"This is our second meeting, actually. Did he come to get medicine too?"

Irie sat in his desk's chair and placed his hands on his legs. "My! Maebara-san's very inquisitive today! Hehe!"

I shook my head quickly. "I didn't mean to pry! I just wanted to know, that's all."

"Haha! It's okay! It's only natural to be interested in newcomers to the village. He wanted to get use to Hinamizawa so he wanted to find the clinic first and foremost, in case if there was ever an emergency. He also wanted to pick up some allergy medication. It takes a while to get it ready so he's going to come back later to get it. Newcomers like Hanzaemon-san need to be careful when coming to a rural village like this! You can never be too careful about your health!"

"That's true."

Satoko nodded. "Keiichi-san was like that! Hanzaemon-san seems smart thought; we had to beat every important location into Keiichi-san's skull! We also had to tell him to stay healthy!"

I growled at Satoko.

The nurse returned with a brown bag. She handed it to Irie, who handed it to Satoko.

"Here we go! Rika-chan will just need to take one of these pills every six hours. That should help her stomach. How did she get sick again?"

"Food poisoning. She didn't cook a piece of steak well enough and got sick off of it!"

"That's a shame! Rika-chan is such a good cook though! I can't believe she got sick off of her own food!"

I couldn't believe it either. I still had trouble believing it myself. I wished I knew what was really going on with Rika.

Satoko peered at my watch. "Oh! It's getting late! I still have to make you your supper, Keiichi-san! Let's go!" She waved goodbye to Irie and ran out of the office with the bag in her hand.

I got to the threshold of the door when Irie stopped me.

"Maebara-san."

"Hmm? Yes?"

"Take care of yourself, okay?" He beamed at me. "You have to keep your skin nice and soft for that special someone!"

I gave him a funny look. I nodded slowly and dashed out of the clinic after Satoko. I could hear that goofy laugh echoing through lobby.

Satoko and I came to my house around early evening. I wanted to give Rika her medicine and talk to her, but Satoko said not to worry. She was going to take care of it. I tried to weasel my way into seeing Rika, but Satoko wouldn't let me come see her after supper. Satoko was thinking that Rika's illness could be contagious, and that it wasn't just the lousy steak. She didn't want me to catch it. Satoko claimed she had a strong immune system so she didn't have a chance of getting sick. I finally gave up. There was no way I was going to win against her.

Dinner time rolled around sooner than I thought. Satoko and I sat next to each other and dug in. I didn't talk much at all. I could tell Satoko was uncomfortable with the awkward silences. She was shifting in her seat and spoke to herself as she cooked and ate.

"What is green again?" I heard her mutter. "Broccoli? Cauliflower?"

I looked at her. I was chuckling.

"I know it! I know it! It's the broccoli!"

"It's actually the cauliflower," I said plainly.

"Really? I don't know "

"I can see it right here, Satoko, the cauliflower is green!"

Satoko pondered. She perked her head up. I heard her growling. She punched me in my arm and yelled at me. "You bastard! It is the broccoli, isn't it! How dare you try to trick me!"

"Hahaha! I couldn't help it!"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

When we finished bickering and eating the rest of our dinner, we sat on the couch in front of my TV. Satoko had her arms folded and she was scowling at me. She was still mad that I tried to deceive her. She was so adorable when she was pissed off. I was about to turn the TV on when she tugged at my shirt.

"What is it? You gonna try to hit me again?"

"Keiichi-san, c-can I you know " Her face was beat red, even though she still looked angry with me. "Um "

"Satoko, you're acting weird! Come on! Out with it!"

Satoko tried to talk but she slurred her speech. She finally stopped trying to talk. She merely got off out of her spot and stood in front of me. She turned and had her back to me now. She jumped backwards and pressed herself into my body. She was sitting in between my legs with her back against my chest.

"S-Satoko! What are you doing?" I felt my voice rise and I heard it crack.

"What?" She tried to act like she wasn't embarrassed, but I knew better. We were both in the same boat.

"How come you're sitting with me like that?"

"You don't like it?"

"I-I-I actually," I stammered. Her small body fit so snuggly into me. She was very warm. Her golden hair smelled lovely and her skin was very smooth. Our legs were touching one another's. I was comfortable like this. "Actually, I kinda like it."

Satoko wiggled a little to get comfortable. "Y-You can put your arm around me. If you want that is "

I reluctantly acknowledged her request and I wrapped my arms around her.

She held on to my forearms with her small hands. Her fingers were so delicate and nimble. Her hands were very warm. She laid the back of her head against my neck. I heard her sigh in delight. It sent shivers of my back.

"I can feel your heart beat," she said quietly.

"C-Can you?"

"Uh-huh. It's very nice."

I peered around her head. I could see her cheeks turning red.

"I've actually wanted to do this for a while." Satoko's voice was still quiet. She was almost whispering. "I'm happy we're alone, finally."

I looked down at her head.

"It was great that Nee-nee and Rika got to hang out with us, but I've really just wanted it to be the two of us!"

I cracked a smile. She couldn't see it, but she could sense me doing that.

"Nii-nii use to hold me like this."

"He did?"

"Yep. Whenever I was sad, or when I needed someone to be with, he always held me close. You kind of remind me of him right now."

"I hope you know I'm not doing this to fill a void, Satoko," I was whispering back to her. "I'm not replacing anybody. I'm doing this just for you."

"I know." She giggled. "You're not Nii-nii, you're Keiichi-san. Just like how Nii-nii is my Nii-nii, Keiichi-san is my Keiichi-san!"

I was relieved that she said that. It also warmed my heart to hear those words.

"Keiichi?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to tell you something. Don't get the wrong idea about what I'm doing to tell you now!" She started to yell at me, "And if you tell anybody of what I said, or even think about telling anyone, I will spring the worst trap I can think of on you! It'll be so bad that you'll be in the hospital for three months! I'm gonna make you regret it, you get me? It's gonna be so bad that you-"

"Okay, I get it! I get it! Now, what is it?"

Her voice returned to its original level. She sighed again and rubbed her head against my neck. I heard her stutter a little. It was a minute until she spat it out.

"I love you Keiichi-san "

I had the biggest smile on my face. I bent my head downward and kissed the top of her head. I laid my cheek against it and pulled her closer to me.

"I love you too, Satoko "

I heard her gasp. She really didn't expect me to say that?

"You do?" She sounded like she was on the verge of crying.

"Of course I do! I love you like you were my own!" I took my hand stroked the side of her cheek with my finger. "You're like my sister, Satoko. I love you very much! I hope you consider me to be your second brother. I'd never want to replace Satoshi "

I felt her tears streaming over my finger. "I do I really do think of you as my second brother!" She gripped my arms tighter and cried. Her tears were full of joy. Her body trembled and she was wiping her eyes.

"You okay, Satoko?"

"I'm just so happy I can't remember the last time I was this happy!"

I kissed her head again. "I'll always make you happy."

Satoko wiped the last of her tears. "Nee-nee loves you too. She loves you very much."

I tried not to think about Shion.

"She tells me all of the time! When Nii-nii comes back, it'll be the four of us! We can play together, live together; we can do everything together!"

I smiled at that thought. I always wanted to know the real kind of guy Satoshi was. "I'd like that."

"He would like you. You two would get along great!"

"We'd be one big happy family, huh?"

"The happiest!"

I brought my head to Satoko's ear. I kissed it and nestled my head beside hers.

"I love you, Satoko."

She pressed her temple against mine. " And I love you Keiichi-san "

We remained together on the couch, cuddling and just enjoying each other's company. We stayed like that for a few hours. When it was getting too late, I had to let Satoko go. I wanted her to stay with me like that all night, but she had to look after Rika.

I didn't let her go home alone. I got my bike and I rode along with her until we reached her house. I wanted to go inside to see Rika, but Satoko said she might be sleeping. She didn't want me to wake her up.

I hopped back on my bike.

"Keiichi-san! Wait a sec!" Satoko stepped on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. "Thanks for a great night!"

I blushed. "Thank you "

"If you tell anybody I did that, you're dead! You hear me? I'll kill you and I won't even hesitate!"

"Your secret's safe with me, don't worry! Goodnight!"

I watched her go inside and then I took off. I felt great. I was blessed with such a great friend, with such a great sister. I looked up into the stars shining down on me. I saw the moon beaming down over Hinamizawa. It was breathtaking. I could hear the cicadas chirping. They were singing happily.

I was just as happy as Satoko was. I longed for the day she was dreaming of as well. I wanted to meet Satoshi for the first time. I wanted to all four of us to be together. I wanted all of us to be in Mion's club and play together. It would be the best thing that would ever happen to Hinamizawa. That would be the perfect Hinamizawa.

I returned home a little bit later. I locked my bike up and went back inside. I cleaned and stacked the dishes Satoko and I forgot to take care of after dinner. Afterwards, I headed up to my room. I was so tired. Sitting with Satoko took a lot out of me. I was so comfortable that I could have fallen asleep. I almost did a few times, but I didn't want to miss a single moment of being with her. I wanted to stay awake. I wanted to feel her against me and I wanted to tell her that I loved her again. She loved me too. We now both knew each other's feelings. We were like real brother and sister now.

I laid down in my bedroll. It looked puffier than when I woke up this morning. I didn't mind at all. I liked my bed like that. It felt like sleeping on a cloud.

I lay on my side and smiled. I kept thinking about the time I shared with Satoko. It ended so soon. Maybe we could sit like that again the next night. I would love that. I would enjoy that so much.

I rolled over on my other side and yawned. I tucked my leg in a little. I felt something. Something brushed against my leg. It was soft and it was moving. It rubbed against my inner thigh. What the heck was it?

I shifted a little. I felt something again. Something was sliding up and down my chest. I lay on my back. Something was laying on the side of my chest now. I even picked up a very familiar scent in the air as I lay there: white plums. I could smell it all around my room, and especially in my bed.

This was getting irritating. I threw the covers off of me and looked down.

My heart was beating faster. My eyes twitched. My whole body was shivering. I didn't believe what I was seeing. How did this happen? How did

Shion raised her head from my chest. Her arm was over my waist. She had this seductive grin on her face. She looked down into my eyes. Hers were half open, but I could see the two emeralds glowing.

" Welcome home "