Hinamizawa Hell

Omake 1-3

Ch. 17: Coming to Terms

The wind was the only thing heard that night as Komoto and Mizuho walked back to the house, awkwardly taking their time in their journey. Not a word was spoken between the two for awhile, making the atmosphere rather unsettling. Mizuho constantly worried about what was going to happen once she was alone with Komoto at the house. Likewise, he was just as nervous about the whole situation. As former soldiers, though, they didn't show such emotions outwardly.

On the inside, however, they were nervous wrecks…

*I don't need my eyes to see what she meant about talking in private. She's going on the fact that I practically confessed my love to her last night. Does she even feel the same way or is it something else? I don't even know how to properly approach this…* Komoto battled such thoughts over in his mind, feeling as if he was in a war of morals at this point.

Even looking sideways at Mizuho, with all her stern expressions and straightforward attitude during the quietness of their walk, he couldn't figure her out. On the inside, though, she was just as battle beaten from her thoughts as he was.

*Komoto-kun…alone with you…in the house tonight. I'm not sure about all this…I don't even know if this is right at all. Damnit...I thought being back in Hinamizawa would be better, but having to confront Komoto about all this is just making me feel…weird? Ugh…this makes me wish we were back in Northern Japan going against the Yakuza without a care in the world. I'm just…so nervous…* she constantly thought.

At the foot of the doorstep to the house, Komoto fumbled for his keys, however nervous he was. He even dropped the key ring twice, which made him receive nervous blushes from Mizuho. After a few attempts to open the door with the key, he managed to do so. With the door opened, and the heat of the home giving them a more than welcomed invitation, the two moved inside and embraced the warmth. They hung their cloaks and winter wear on a nearby coat pole, and once done stood there looking around the house. They dared not meet the gaze of the other, as they were in such shyness that they felt they could die. After a few moments Mizuho sighed, blushing, and took the lead.

"So…what now?" Mizuho asked. She looked to another part of the room, avoiding Komoto's grey eyes.

Komoto, however, just moved into the house without a response. He went over to the fridge and pulled out what seemed like a sake bottle and two cold shot glasses. He moved over and sat down at a nearby table, motioning for her to come.

"Drinking?" she looked at him, quizzically.

"Trust me…I think we need this for the moment." He poured her a glass, and downed his quickly, hoping to calm his nerves.

After considering the idea a bit, she smiled and sat down, submitting to the power of alcohol. If anything, it would actually help the situation, breaking the ice so to say. Mizuho and Komoto downed a few shots of the sake, not minding the cold temperature of it. It was making the atmosphere a bit relaxing for them, even bringing back some fond memories for them.

"Heheheh…everywhere we went together long ago it always came down to a drinking game, right?" Mizuho seemed a bit loosened after half an hour of drinking, at least being able to have fun with Komoto alone in the house together.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault. I was the one always challenged by you in drinking. Even if I was at a bar with the others you pulled me into your little games, heheheh. But, those were fun times…" he stated. He took another shot of the sake, savoring its sweet and cold taste.

"I even remember the first time I joined you guys. You all wouldn't believe I wanted into the mercenary group; thinking that being a woman made me weak. And the looks on your drunk faces after I beat you all in a drinking game was priceless, heheheh…" Mizuho laughed out loud, almost spitting out her drink from the memory. Komoto tried his best from not making a mess also, as well, trying to defend himself for that time.

"Even though that was true, your sniper skills alone gave you the pass into the group. I can't believe, still, you beat all of us…in a drinking game." He replied, almost unable to control his laughter.

"Well, what can I say? I never miss my target in any battlefield," she knew she bragged a bit on her skills, but even Mizuho prided herself in her fighting abilities.

"Then…do you think you would have hit me last night if you tried?"

Mizuho stopped laughing for the moment, realizing that the conversation took a turn in a whole different direction. She even looked into Komoto's eyes through her long hair, glad that it at least hid most of her blush. For him, Komoto was looking completely sober at this point, awaiting her answer. His stern expression and curiosity made Mizuho blush even more.

"That's…I wasn't in the right mind…so it's not fair." Mizuho was straight in her answer, making Komoto ponder about the whole situation.

*If she doesn't want to take the lead, then I will.* he pondered. However, Komoto wouldn't have the chance, as Mizuho surprised him. She sighed and looked sideways, not even meeting his eyes, but looking into her glass.

"It was always apparent you felt this way about me, Komoto-kun. I thought about it…a lot these past two days, trying to sort out my own feelings. I kind of wish we were back in the old days; not having to worry about any of this. But I still remember the looks you gave me and even some of your early orders for me to stay in the back of the group and out of most of the danger. You didn't want me to go in head first, huh?" she stated. She closed her eyes, waiting for his answer. Komoto looked into his own glass, playing with it between his hands.

"I had my reasons…" he replied.

"Oh really? Let me guess, because you actually felt something for me? You gave me excuses like 'You're the sniper, so take the high-ground for safety and cover-fire' and other ones like that, but I knew you always had a thing for me…" she stated.

Komoto was taken completely off guard by this statement. He was losing the battle somehow, he felt, so he decided to take the offensive.

"It wasn't that I had a thing for you…it's that…well…" he stopped to regain his composure, and looked at her with a newfound courage in his eyes "…Mizuho…I cared for you even then. I promised that I would return to Hinamizawa with you and that we would leave behind those days of war in our lives for good…" he stated.

Mizuho opened her eyes and suddenly remembered his promise to her. It was on a day where she was angry at herself for having missed a target in battle, to which some other team member picked off after. Missing that one target because of the rifle being completely empty on ammo was an insult to her skills. She mentally bashed herself that day, even committing to the firing range and high speed drills for at least 3 hours nonstop. It wasn't until Komoto met her in the lounge for lunch that day that it became an unforgettable memory to her.

"Something wrong Mizuho-san? Don't tell me that you're still fuming over that missed target. I mean, even I've gone through times where a magazine just didn't carry enough ammo," Komoto walked into the lounge, carrying a large grocery bag filled with his lunch articles. He sat down next to her on the couch, whilst she ate and cleaned her rifle furiously. She had a hot-tempered atmosphere around her, making the other team members keeping a ways away from her. However, Komoto just sat down and engaged in conversation with her like it was nothing. He began to eat one of his beef skewers, watching her clean the rifle.

"…I never miss my target. Even when I was a little girl with a slingshot I could hit anything and everything like it was nothing…" Mizuho stated. She didn't even notice Komoto sit down, already knowing he would always rush head first into her when she was hot tempered.

"A slingshot and a high powered optical rifle are two different things. Besides, you never took a shot, so you didn't technically miss the target, so to say." Komoto tried his best to cheer her up, but it was in vain.

"And what do you know of that? I failed simply because you didn't put me in front in the first place. You even went head first and began taking out targets before we had a chance to get into formation. I can even say I missed my target because I was busy wasting ammo saving your ass again!" Mizuho fumed, looking at him with an evil glare. He merely passed it off.

"Playing the blame game now, are we? Must be your period or something I guess. You're usually not this hot-heading over an error in calculation. Just stop worry and get a better magazine capacity. That way you'll be able to pelter your targets with more than just a head shot." At Komoto's statement, he was able to get a smile to crack on Mizuho's face. She laughed a bit, and settled down her rifle onto the table, sighing from the way she acted over the situation. She submitted to his logic, and opted to go out later and order a new set of high capacity magazines for the rifle.

"Speaking of which. Mizuho-san, you're from Hinamizawa too, right?" asked Komoto. His sudden statement completely surprised her; even more, her curiosity was sparked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" she replied.

"Just so happens that I'm also from Hinamizawa. Apart from that fact, I keenly remember you when we were kids. I've been thinking about it a lot actually, since you first showed up really. You looked so familiar to me, though, I really can't remember a lot of the times when we played together in the school."

Mizuho turned to Komoto with a look of awe and wonder. She focused on his face more and more by the minute, trying to take in every detail of who he may have looked like when he was a child.

"That's the strangest thing! I do remember you. You and I used to live in the orphanage together before we turned 14. Wow, small world…" she stated. She began thinking hard of the times they were together, however many there were, though it would be something that she would have to devote to contemplating about over the coming months. Dwelling on memories from long ago was too much to consider right then and there.

"Hinamizawa…I can't wait to go back and start over. Clean slate for this war torn soldier…" stated Komoto. He finished his lunch and threw away the bag and its trash articles. He sat back down on the couch; however, Komoto couldn't find the power to take his eyes of Mizuho. She smiled at her memories of Hinamizawa; for the first time, smiling like Komoto never saw before. He blushed a bit, realizing how beautiful she looked to him at that moment.

While in his daze, Mizuho looked over to him, snapping out of her own thoughts, and stared awkwardly at him.

"Yoo Hoo? Komoto-san, you there?"

"Ah! Sorry, I was thinking about something…" Komoto quickly readjusted himself and coughed a bit, trying to regain his composure.

"Anyway, I have hopes to go back to Hinamizawa when I make enough money for it. Consider it my retirement I guess..." she stated. Mizuho rested her head back onto the couch, trying to rest her tired body a bit.

"…I'll take you back there when we're done…"

Mizuho quickly opened her eyes at his statement, gazed at him dead in the eye, and blushed from this. She was stupefied at best.

"W...what?! What do you mean by that?" she questioned.

"It's just a promise. I'll take you back there when we're both done and over with all this. Consider it my retirement too…" Komoto got up without looking at Mizuho, waived goodbye with his back to her, and left the lounge, probably off to go do some more training on the firing range.

Apart from that, Mizuho smiled at him, blushing a bit more at the idea.

Komoto watched as Mizuho smiled fondly at the memory, remembering one of the happier times in her past. She sipped on her sake drink again, and pushed the glass to the side of the table, done with the drinking for the night. She laid back into her chair, and looked at Komoto for awhile, not saying anything. When she finally spoke again, she surprised him.

"Komoto-kun… you've changed a lot since the last time I met you. Last night you seemed very cold, like your old battle worn self. But when you took off those bandages and let me see what you really meant about your eyes, I saw everything that was true in your heart. You're more open now, and you really are accepting a new life with a clean slate here in Hinamizawa. You've found wonderful friends and companions in this small village, and I'm sure this is what you were meant for…" Mizuho rose from her seat and went over to a nearby window, looking outside at the snowy night that fell over Hinamizawa. Komoto sat in his chair, watching her keenly.

"And what about you Mizu-chan…I've fulfilled my promise to you, so what will you do now?" he asked. This question alone made Komoto worry with anticipation; hoping her answer was what he wanted to hear.

"Komoto-kun…come here…" she plainly said. Komoto thought for a moment and then did as told. He went behind her, unsure of what she wanted.

Mizuho reached for his hands from her backside, and once finding them, brought them around her waist slowly; pulling Komoto towards her. Her heart was racing like it never had before; such was the adrenaline rush she was getting that she could easily say she had never even felt in battle before. She wrapped his arms around her, pulling one around her lower waist and the other holding close to her chest. Mizuho placed his hand over her heart, noticing his own body trembling, sending vibrations into her hands.

"Komoto-kun…you did fulfill your promise, and now that you did I never even thought beyond this point. I've looked at you…before with different interests at heart, but when everything happened like it did I felt betrayed, thinking you were out to kill me. After last night, something…like a dying flame…was renewed in my heart. Komoto-kun…I'll tell you what I want, but I want you to say it again to me…like last night…"

Komoto held Mizuho close to her, as if protecting her like their lives depended on it. He was happy to even be in that position with her, taking into account every detail and feeling of her body. Her warmth felt different to him; almost relaxing and enjoyable while at the same time very right. At hearing her words and request, he thought back to the previous night and what she meant by what he said. All the while, he felt his hand on her chest, feeling her steady heart rate rise by the second. He could only guess Mizuho was testing herself, trying to sort out her own feelings. At her request, however, he complied and said every word as if it was the previous night again, this time, with more feeling.

"Mizu-chan…I love you."

They both felt her heart suddenly skip a beat and go into full overdrive. Komoto was happy to know what she felt deep down, but at the same time he didn't respond after saying what he did. He now waited for Mizuho to give her answer, in whatever form, to him.

"Then…Komoto-kun…" Mizuho turned around to face Komoto, staring deeply into his grey eyes. She moved closer to him, reaching with her arms for his shoulders and pulling herself up a bit to reach him. Mizuho's face inched closer to his, slowly closing her eyes in the moment. He did likewise, ever so slowly, as she moved forward. "…I want you…because I love you too."

With the utterance of those last words on her breath, Mizuho and Komoto pressed their lips against one another's, savoring the feeling and the unique taste of each other's soft lips. They pulled closer to one another, wrapping their arms tightly yet gently around the other's waist and pulling their hips together. After a few moments, they separated their first kiss, and looked into each other's eyes and smiled. They hugged each other and didn't let go for a few minutes, feeling the rhythm of the other's heart beat against their chests.

However, through all of the night's events and terms that were met by each other, more surprises were in store for the newfound relation that was created. Mizuho, for one, pulled away and took Komoto's hand gently, leading him down a random hallway for some destination. He looked at her with wonder, trying to figure out where she was leading them.

"Mizu-chan, what are you…"

"You have a bath around here, right Komoto-kun? It's been days since we've had a chance to wash…so…why not now…" she turned to him, blushing but none the less smiling at her offer. Komoto gulped whatever fear and anxiety he had, and followed obediently, showing her to his bathroom.

It was in the farthest point towards the back of the house where ventilation was the best. Komoto opened the door for her, and stood outside. He let Mizuho look over the bathroom, which was large in size for his home. The bath was installed with a wood interior, as was much of the bathroom itself, with some components for the bath and shower parts with a metal finish. A small sauna was even at the center of the room itself, with seats installed around the walls. The large pit with stone rocks was in the center with a small, machine like heater for it. A toilet and sink was located through a door to another smaller room. Mizuho took it all in, impressed with its design and potential.

"Well then, you can take your bath first. Call me when you're….augggag!"

Just as Komoto was about to leave, Mizuho grabbed him suddenly by the collar of his shirt, and pulled him back into the bathroom without another word. She closed the door and giggled from his shyness, not caring about anything else but him that night. Komoto gave up a few minutes later, surprised that she was quite forward with him even then and there. For the rest of that night, they relaxed in the bath and even consummated their love for one another, not even sleeping till the early hours of the morning. For them, the night was memorable.

For two other girls that night after the festivities were complete, a small discussion was happening for the Sonozaki twins, consulting one another over some master plan for Christmas…

Author's note: Hey everyone, I've finally fulfilled the Komoto x Mizuho segment of the omake. I know it seems a bit of a drabble for a love story, but it completes a good portion of their characters none the less. The shift of the story will now focus on the other characters of Higurashi, maybe with even some new or side characters entering later. I hope you're finding the story funny at best now and are enjoying the small period between the next arc. Please leave comments and reviews, as that helps with my motivation to get the chapters out.