Chapter 5:

Yakumo woke up feeling lost and dazed. The dreams she'd had in her sleep were quickly leaking from her mind, like holding fine sand or oil in her palm. The more she tried to remember, the more disjointed and unbelievable it sounded.

But the emotion incurred by her dreams was still there.

There was an irrational fear she was feeling. All the details of why she was feeling this way were quickly slipping away. Grasping any reasons for it was hopeless. Her head felt so hot, but she felt cold everywhere else. She raised a hand and instinctively touched her forehead, feeling a slight pain there.

What happened? I'm in my room?

Not wanting to dwell on evasive dreams, she tried to remember what happened last night.

I had supper, a miso crab stew cooked by Harima. Sarah volunteered to wash the dishes. I went to help Harima with his manga. I was looking at pictures of-

Her eyes widened. Her mind was suddenly bombarded by long buried memories, things she had thought were now forgotten in the past.

I am your heart.

I am your loneliness.

I am the pain that you have created.

You are all alone now.

You reap what you sow.

You're supposed to be gone! Why are you back!

Yakumo curled up in a ball as horrible realization seized her.

How did this happen? How did Harima see her? Is it just a coincidence?

She suddenly wanted to go back to sleep. It was more peaceful there, an utter nonexistence. It was bliss compared to what she was feeling now. She was hoping that when she woke up again it would all have been a dream and the day would start over anew without any of this ever happening. She might even go back to when her sister was still around.

Was she running away again? Was she cowering back to under her sister's protection? The thought slashed through her mind and it jolted her awake.

No!

I won't run away!

Gathering up all her will, she quickly sat up straight, making her vision spin. She then heard a rustling coming from the bed. Looking at her side, she saw Iori waking up. "I'm sorry if I startled you." Yakumo said to the cat. The cat simply went to her lap and purred. Smiling, she said, "Good morning to you too."

Feeling a little bit better, Yakumo got up and made her bed. She went to the window to feel the fresh morning breeze. Her eyes squinting, she raised a hand up to shield them from the sun's bright rays. It felt hot on her face. And that meant...

Oh gosh! I slept too long! I should make breakfast!

Her mind was screaming at her that she needed to do it now. It was a practice born out of years of routine that it felt an absolute necessity instead of a simple chore. The shock finally kicking her into activity, she quickly checked herself in a small mirror and dashed outside the room.

On her way to the kitchen she smelled something familiar. Her stride slowed but she kept moving; abruptly stopping just outside the doorway when she saw someone that wasn't supposed to be there.

A man was flipping a pancake into the air, whistling as he did so. His head nodded up and down, following the food as it dropped in and out of the frying pan. His posture was laid back as if he was enjoying what he was doing.

Dad?

Yakumo moved closer, her bare feet making tapping sounds on the floor. The man turned around.

"Oh, good morning Imouto-san." He greeted. Her dad suddenly vanished, replacing his image was Harima. "I made breakfast." The pancake he had been in the process of flipping was now falling off-course. Harima jerked in an awkward motion trying to save the doomed food.

It fell to the floor with a splat.

"Crap!" Harima cursed his clumsiness. "When I was making a record in flipping pancakes..."

Yakumo blinked, still processing everything. Making sure she wasn't dreaming, she closed her eyes and shook her head rapidly. Opening her eyes, her vision slowly cleared, revealing Harima on the floor cleaning it.

Like a switch was turned on, Yakumo automatically went to his side. "Please let me clean that up." Harima suddenly looked up as she started crouching down, and both their faces came within inches of hitting one another as a result. This time, it was Yakumo's turn to be surprised.

Taken off-guard, she quickly reeled her head back and staggered backwards. Her hand went out to the kitchen counter where it held on for dear life. Having balanced herself somehow, Yakumo felt blood rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment. When did she become a total klutz?

"You okay?" Harima asked.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Yakumo sheepishly replied and bowed. She then felt a finger gently prodding her forehead and she winced.

"Sorry," Harima apologized and quickly retracted his hand. "You have a bruise there," he noted. "It might be from last night. Here, let me get some ice."

What? After that near head-on collision, he only noticed my forehead? Yakumo asked herself incredulously.

"I already made breakfast. Feel free to eat anytime." Harima informed her.

Forcing her mind to work normal for once, Yakumo complied. She went to the table and stared at all the food. There were small plates of omelettes and bacon, toast with butter on the side, a pot of freshly brewed tea, and a rather tall stack of pancakes. It was kinda extravagant and the food seemed to slightly shine and glisten. From her vast repertoire of cooking knowledge she recognized it as an English breakfast. She wondered why Harima set this all up.

If she remembered correctly she had added the ingredients to her grocery list when she overheard Sarah absently mention about the breakfast she would have back when she was still living in England. She took note of it like she always did when Tenma was curious after seeing a particular meal on TV or at a restaurant. She didn't expect for it to turn the other way around and have it be prepared for her instead.

With that aside, this would be the first time she could enjoy a meal Harima prepared specifically for her.

During the winter break, she was barely conscious when Harima took care of her. She didn't have the luxury to think too much about it. Her head had felt like it was made of fragile glass with small metal bearings rolling inside. If she moved her head, the metal bearings would jangle against each other inside her delicate skull, causing inordinate amounts of pain and making her vision spin erratically. She even barely registered the taste of the meal Harima prepared for her. It was only after she'd recovered enough after a full day that she realized Harima had been the one who took care of her but she didn't remember much of it. Despite her lack of memory, Yakumo was very grateful that Harima had taken care of her, with the feeling like that of a father caring for his sick daughter.

He told her he checked up on her when Pyotr told him she needed help. It was still a mystery to her how Harima understood his animal friends but the weird young giraffe did have a habit of visiting her often. Guess he saw her passing out and quickly went to Harima for help.

Aside from that odd emergency call, there had been no awkward moments between the two of them. He'd treated her with utmost respect, giving her distance to not intrude on her privacy and occasionally checking if she needed anything. She even recovered faster when Harima was in the house. It actually felt like it was her actual dad who was taking care of her.

Currently, Yakumo was sitting down on a chair while Harima scrounged for ice in the fridge. Suddenly an unbidden notion shot up through her mind.

They were like newlyweds in their first house together except Harima was the housewife.

She shrugged the invasive image away, chalking it up to her fainting. Why was she thinking more of this idea lately? It was unbecoming of her to think such thoughts. She really needed to get a hold of herself before things got out of hand.

Grabbing a slice of toast, she buttered it with what looked like a reasonable amount. It felt odd for her to eat anything other than rice and soup with various side dishes this early in the morning. The meal in front of her was quite heavy and she only ate what was necessary for the morning. It didn't mean she was on a diet but she was just used to eating what was enough for her.

But Tenma was different. Yakumo suspected that her older sister would like this kind of full breakfast. With shimmering bacon and omelettes and a stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup; Tenma would eat this stuff breakfast, lunch and dinner. She didn't mean it like an offense but it was just in her sister's loving nature. Tenma would do what her heart told her to do even though she would likely regret it later. If America usually has this kind of breakfast then Tenma would adjust to the lifestyle much easier than she herself would.

While Yakumo was pouring some tea, Harima set an ice pack on the table. "Here, it's for your bruise. It will relieve some of the pain somehow." He said in a concerned tone. Even his voice sounded paternal.

Yakumo grabbed the ice pack and brought it to her forehead without much thought. As a result, a sudden chill tore through her and she felt herself freeze. The insistent headache from when she woke up finally subsided though. She released a relieved sigh. At least it was not a bunny-shaped snowball that would slowly melt on her forehead, drenching her entire face with cold water.

Seeing her doing fine, Harima turned on the radio to fill the silence with much-welcomed noise. Yakumo dreaded it would somehow be like the time in Harima's apartment when a sudden blackout occurred. But instead of a DJ spouting terrible love advice, it was the morning news with upbeat topics that were not utterly awkward for once. They ate their breakfast after things settled down.

Unlike her minimalist eating, Harima ate breakfast with gusto. He remarked how he learned to prepare this sort of breakfast from his dealings with Eri. Although he was usually half-awake during Eri's appointments, at least he learned something out of it that he could apply. Yakumo appreciated him making small-talk first instead of directly interrogating her about last night. She wasn't really sure if Harima was being tactful intentionally or it was just in his nature but she liked him more for it either way.

After a while, a brooding silence hung over them. The sound from the radio was slowly fading as the news was nearing its end. If there was a cue for when the issue would be addressed then this had to be it.

Noticing the settling atmosphere or not, Harima stared at her after almost finishing his second helping. "Imouto-san, I know this is a personal thing but," he paused, looking uncomfortable.

Yakumo placed down her cup of tea and looked at him. Of course. This was about her fainting last night. She knew this would come up sooner or later.

"About last night, are you sure you're okay?" Harima asked, concern coloring his tone.

"Yes, I feel better now." Yakumo's face then mellowed. "I'm sorry for passing out like that."

"Don't worry. No harm done. But, I've been meaning to ask you: is there something wrong in my sketches? You seemed like you'd seen a ghost."

Yakumo winced. It's because I did see one. She bit her lip in an effort to not mutter it absently. The irony of the saying was morbidly laughable how true and appropriate it was. What should she say in return? Have you seen a ghost girl walking around the house? That would scare or drive him out if he knew such a thing existed. He might take it as a joke but the reaction she showed last night said otherwise. It was her burden to bear and she couldn't afford to involve others.

Harima apparently noticed her discomfort. "Well, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I got something different to show you then. Just came up with it this morning – if you don't mind." He quickly added.

There it was again. This manner of speaking that didn't force her to give an answer. Why was only Harima able to do this while others, especially her classmates, always forced her to give an answer when she didn't want to? Instead, he changed subjects to avoid it altogether. This broke her out of her fearful shell. Maybe that's one reason why she was comfortable talking with him.

"O-of course, it's okay. I'll try my best to stay awake this time." Yakumo attempted to lighten the mood. This seemed to work as Harima smiled in return.

Both of them cleaned the table after their conversation and breakfast. Since Harima prepared breakfast, Yakumo volunteered to wash the dishes, saying a little housework might do her some good. He politely thanked her for her consideration. As he was about to leave the kitchen, he remembered something.

"Uhm, Imouto-san?"

Yakumo turned around.

"Well, I kinda left my stuff in your room." Harima said, his hand scratching the back of his head.

"My room?"

"I watched over you last night." Yakumo looked startled. Harima caught himself too late.

Oh no. Not again.

Harima sensed subtleties were at play here. It was only this morning he actually watched over her but staying all night in her room might have been practically the same thing. Not wanting to throw dynamite on the coal pit by explaining the whole thing all over again, he bowed low to the ground. "I swear on my honor, I'd never do something disgraceful."

"I trust you, Harima. Don't worry. It is I that should be apologizing." Yakumo calmly replied. Harima was taken aback after hearing how easily she had dismissed it and instead blamed it on herself.

Woah. Seriously? That was easier than I thought. Harima stood up awkwardly as Yakumo went back to her task. Sarah and Yakumo might have the same sweet disposition but Yakumo seemed to be more levelheaded than Sarah was.

"I'll just return my things to my room and bring the sketch here. Be right back." He then scurried out of the kitchen. Yakumo smiled a little bit, a bemused tilt of her lips, as she remembered a very similar incident.

x-x-x

A moment later, Harima returned with his sketch and sat on a chair, waiting for Yakumo who was almost finished washing the dishes. After she was done, she removed the apron, hanging it from a hook on the wall, and then joined him.

"I've been thinking lately," Harima started talking. "Instead of just making a whole new story or a bunch of minor characters, why not add a main character instead? Like a sidekick for the hero, perhaps? Since the heroine..." he suddenly paused. His faced mellowed a split second and he continued, "The heroine is gone so I need another character that can fill her place.

"Here," Harima handed Yakumo a white folder instead of a bunch of papers like last night. "Just close it if you find something... wrong." Harima glanced sideways, feeling a little nervous.

Yakumo nodded. She opened the folder and saw...

...a drawing of her.

Yakumo's eyes widened in surprise. She blinked a couple of times to check if she was really seeing it and not just dreaming again. Some part of her deep within didn't want it to be false and quickly banished her doubts. Focusing on the page once again, she saw her own sharp eyes and her hairstyle. It was unmistakably her. She was wearing what looked like the costume she wore during the Culture Festival. It was a witch's attire, complete with a pointed hat and a curled staff. There were slight variations like a scarf on her neck that could hide the bottom half of her face.

In the upper corner there was a comical version of Harima saying "Face tomorrow and hang in there". This was also the same doodle he did when she advised him to never give up on his manga at the culture festival. This part was more to cheer her up after witnessing her fainting last night. She was vaguely aware Harima noticed how shaken up she was and so he added this especially for her.

Harima cleared his throat. "I know this may sound weird but, as a token of my appreciation, I included a character just like you, since you've helped me out a lot. I thought that since my main character is a knight and yours is a witch or sorceress or whatever, they sounded like a really good duo."

Still clutching the folder, Yakumo was fighting multiple battles within her. She didn't know if she should faint, cry, smile, laugh, scream or do all at the same time. The encouragement from a doodle of Harima was more than enough but actually adding her as a main character? It was really pulling her heartstrings way beyond her limit.

Reminding herself that she would do her best not to faint on him, she summoned all the self-control that she could muster to weather this storm of emotions. She raised the folder up to eye level to hide from Harima's view just to be safe.

"It's a... good and... refreshing take." Yakumo finally strung a couple of words together.

"You think so? I haven't thought of a name or a background story for her, though." Harima touched his chin. "What do you think?"

"If you give me some time... I'll think of something."

"Ah, of course! I'm sorry I was too forward there." Harima leaned back on his chair. His eyes then drifted to a note sticking to the fridge. "Oh crap! I should be buying food for Shiba!" Harima stood up and quickly grabbed the note. "Good timing. While I go to the store, you think of something for this character's bio. I won't be long, okay?" He went outside the kitchen and was gone.

Yakumo waited for the sound of the front gate sliding closed and then for the rumbling of a bike engine to get weaker and weaker. Satisfied she was now alone, tears finally burst from her eyes, unable to be contained any longer. Placing the folder on the table to avoid staining it with her overflowing tears, she hunched over as joy, excitement, appreciation and satisfaction swept over her in a sudden torrent. She felt she hadn't been this happy in years.

She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth in an attempt to stop the tears pouring out and stifle the already silent cries.

x-x-x

After taking some time to recover, Yakumo went to the sink to wash away the aftermath from such an exhausting battle of her inner feelings. The cool water was soothing and refreshing as she continued to splash her face. Her eyes would be a bit swollen but she could live with that.

It was very fortunate that at that moment, Harima had had something to do which required him away from the house. She wasn't sure if she could've lasted that long if Harima was somewhere within the vicinity.

Showing emotions to other people felt too foreign for her. The only ones who had ever seen her cry was her sister and Sarah. Those people understood why she felt that way and she could be comfortable with them. Harima, on the other hand, would likely be freaked out. On the walking festival she nearly cried in front of him but she regained her composure at the last second. Just by leaning on him she felt so secure that she forgot about her earlier melancholy. If he saw her crying, he would probably think something was horribly wrong first before coming to other conclusions.

She couldn't deny feeling extremely happy. It took distinct, momentous events to make her show raw emotions. They were so few and far between and so she treasured each one in her heart.

It had been a very long time since she could last remember crying out of pure joy like this. It was when she and her older sister were children and saw the view of Yagami City from the roof of Yagami High during Christmas season. It was magnificent and marvellous. She had thought that no scenery in the world could ever move her heart but she was mistaken. It was all made possible by a boy who dressed up as her father to appease her somehow. She never did hear that boy's name, much to her regret, and so she had resolved to find out one day.

Still feeling elated, Yakumo looked around and noticed her environment was changing; slowly becoming dim all around her. The appliances and counters were being swallowed by the darkness glowing with strands of scarlet red. The sink she was facing was now gone and she found herself standing on nothing as she heard a familiar voice.

"We meet again..."

Yakumo turned around and saw a young girl slowly emerging from the darkness, alit with an ethereal green glow.

Author's Corner: There're several parts of this chapter that allude to the anime and manga. The last one would be from School Rumble Z. I don't really like that spin-off because it's pretty short and it didn't help the series much overall. But it doesn't mean it wasn't interesting at least.