Chapter 12

Yakumo looked out from the window of her room. It was past 10 pm; her two housemates were asleep at this hour, but she couldn't sleep.

Her earlier "promotion" bugged her to no end. It was something she should be happy about, but the way it had come about only dampened the occasion.

How could Harima be that naive? Had he even thought that through? His choice of words was something to marvel at. If she told Sarah about it, she would undoubtedly be appalled, even angry at him. He was the most unpredictable person she knew and expecting any more from him only made it worse.

Staring at the vast night sky glittering with countless stars, Yakumo wondered if she could continue like this, always on the understanding side, to keep taking it without complaint.

She had hoped to wait for him to heal his heart first and then maybe, maybe, there would be room in his heart for her. Taking advantage of someone's absence wasn't an option; especially since it was her sister's. Eri might have been thinking the same thing, as she hadn't made her move yet - as far as Yakumo knew. But sticking to her morals definitely didn't make things any easier.

It wasn't the first time she had played this waiting game; she had had plenty of experience before, thanks to her rambunctious sister.

Tenma had always been an exercise of patience, especially when they were kids. Her older sister always got some new idea into her head she wanted to try out but in the end, it only served to give Yakumo grief. Along the way, Yakumo came to realize her sister only had the best of intentions. Tenma wanted to cheer her up and only she could do it since they didn't have anyone else. She knew the pain of loss too but despite that, she was bright and positive. Her older sister became her light in those tumultuous times when the two of them only had each other.

Her sister always made the silliest and most unpredictable choices in her life and Yakumo never once questioned her reasons or motives. Although one particular question she would have liked to ask was about Tenma's choice in boys. What in the whole spacious earth did she like in the passive and stoic Karasuma? He wasn't much of a looker and he acted (and dressed) very weird, but he had some surprising talents like playing the guitar and being a renowned manga artist. Not many people knew about those hidden traits however, but Tenma had loved him even before she found out he could play guitar.

There was always something behind every person's outer appearance that makes them more than what they appear to be, and maybe that's why Tenma liked him. Yakumo wasn't sure if Tenma had known all along or she simply had a good sense of character that managed to look beyond a person's facade.

Although Tenma and Karasuma's relationship had seemed one-sided, she had never wavered until it looked like it would be impossible for them to be together. At that time, Tenma would have given up and lost purpose, if it hadn't been for Harima.

Others had overlooked Harima's unsung sacrifice, but it had stood out to Yakumo. His selflessness had made it all possible. The credit wasn't all on him but it was the needed spark to move everyone to action.

Maybe she was the mirror opposite of her sister when it came to boys. No one knew why Tenma liked Karasuma whereas Yakumo had grown to like Harima but others had quickly concluded this before she herself even knew it.

But she wasn't her sister who Harima had fallen in love with. Tenma was always cheerful, beaming, and impulsive whereas Yakumo was the opposite, always in control of her feelings and actions. If Harima liked girls who were like Tenma, then it was logical he would not be attracted to someone quiet such as herself. If she pondered about it more, Tenma and Harima were quite similar to each other in some ways. Both were oblivious at heart but would never do something to hurt others on purpose. They liked the same things and both would go to great lengths for the person they loved.

Yakumo could not find a person better fit for Harima, and so she even let Tenma help him with his manga at one time. Granted, it had resulted in Tenma and Harima being hospitalized because they'd frantically rode his motorcycle during a storm. It was against any person's common sense to do something so reckless but Yakumo hadn't gotten very mad at him for nearly killing her sister in the accident. Harima thought Karasuma had been in a grave accident and in response wanted to bring Tenma to his side to assure her he was okay. Even if it didn't turn out to be what he thought, at least Tenma had managed to meet up with Karasuma in the end. It made her happy that Karasuma had visited her and she somehow forgot the whole fiasco. Yakumo couldn't be mad at Harima if her sister could so readily forgive him.

Above all, it made her see Harima would indeed go to great lengths, even sacrifice his own limited time with Tenma, just to make her smile. It was reckless, sure, but so was Tenma and her attempts to make her younger sister happy and to make Karasuma notice her. No wonder Harima fell in love with her and only her.

Yakumo glanced around her room, the bright moonlight the only source of light.

The sterility of her room seemed striking tonight. The room was arranged according to her liking. Her belongings - books, picture albums, clothes, and any personal attachments - were neatly arranged inside the sliding drawers in the walls. She could easily find any specific item with pinpoint accuracy even if she was blindfolded. There were only a few things visible and those couldn't be hidden because of their function. It was simple and that was the way she preferred it.

But tonight, looking at her room, it felt... empty. She continued staring with half-lidded eyes. It had never occurred to her to think much about what her room represented, until now.

Her room could have been a display picture from some furniture catalog. All of the things that defined a person were carefully hidden under covers. You couldn't even tell it was a girl's room at first glance. Her room was hollow and devoid of much character. A company of friends was supposed to be a judge of one's identity but one's room can also be revealing of a person's nature.

She had cleaned Tenma's room many times before. It was always messy and disorganized, even unhealthy to live in at times. Her clothes were scattered around everywhere due to rummaging for clothes she could wear to impress Karasuma, despite all her school uniforms looking the same. There was always something a week old, food or clothes perhaps, lurking underneath her bed. Yakumo constantly wondered why her sister would stow something away and then forgot about it the next day. Every so often, the layout of the room would change erratically to whatever Tenma felt like. Whenever she cleaned her own room, the order of her things changed depending on what was the easiest and fastest way to finish the deed. Her clothes were not neatly stacked or hung up but simply shoved together until it all fit into whatever storage space she could find; the same procedure applied to her other possessions as well, such as her schoolbooks. When she was done, it all looked presentable and neat… until she had to open one of her bulging drawers or closet.

But despite the tidiness issues, Tenma's room was full of color, full of life. Her numerous pictures of her and her friends proudly stood on the desk. Stuffed toys, wrestling posters, Three-for-the-kill merchandise, Mangoku's enshrined autograph that Yakumo had given her (which Yakumo originally got from Harima), and the CDs of her favorite bands all had their place across the room. It showed her loving personality and she was not afraid to showcase it. Her friends usually hung out in her room in their sleepovers, preferring how lively and carefree the room was.

After Tenma's departure, the things she couldn't take with her had been put in storage. Sarah was now using her room and she had transformed it according to her sweet and cheery personality. As a nun, it was probably not surprising that she kept it clean and tidy, much like Yakumo's room. She had arranged it in a way that was similar to her old room at the church too.

Harima's room, despite himself being rather reserved to everyone, had a semblance of personality in it. His signature leather jacket, art utensils, and manga sketches were visibly lying around. It was a boy's room and Yakumo thought they were supposed to be chaotic in the way of things but surprisingly, he was a neat bug. Ms. Osakabe had really straightened him out to be a clean freak. Sometimes, when she would need to go and remind Harima it was time for dinner, she could hear him playing his guitar in his room. He would instantly stop playing as if he was embarrassed to be caught, even though he played really well. She never expected these things from him and it raised her admiration for him.

Thinking of Harima, he had said he watched over her when she fainted... again. The first time was when she got sick and she hadn't even been aware of what was happening. The thought of him carrying her in his arms was flustering, and she somewhat regretted that she couldn't remember any of it. He had definitely seen her room a few times by now and she wondered what he thought of it…and of her. Again, she wished she could read his mind.

It was saddening to conclude he might think of her as a boring and dull person. Her room speaks nothing of excitement or activity. It was achingly passive and simple just like her personality. She didn't have a specific hobby that she could call her own. She was good at everything she did and it only made things less committal to do so. Her whole life so far had come to revolve around academics and household chores, and now that just seemed depressing. Every day felt the same, it all seemed easy and she never felt any accomplishment from it.

Until she was introduced to the world of making manga.

There was a strange uplifting feeling whenever she and Harima finished an issue. Of all the professions she could've seen herself doing, she would never have dreamt of working with manga of all things. But because of it, she had gotten to know the man she had fallen for. And now that she was a fellow author with her own character, she had the chance to create a whole new world according to her liking.

Harima had undoubtedly used it as an escape from reality. Much of his manga told stories of him and Tenma in different circumstances. Their setting ranged from various timelines: Stone Age, medieval period, ancient Japan, distant future, or present time. The endings were usually cheesy and quite a stretch from the truth but Harima wanted it that way. Yakumo was always careful not to pinpoint how unrealistic it was; aware he himself already knew that. There was no reason to voice it out and further sadden him.

She was now a character in his manga, but would her interactions with Harima's character share the same fate of being unrealistic? Even with completely imaginary situations, would that trend continue, always what-if or what-might-have-been scenarios that would never come true?

But that was the only thing she clung to now. Doing his manga with him gave her a sense of purpose and even if it wasn't for her benefit, then at least she was helping him out.

She wondered what she would've been occupying her time with if she hadn't found that manila envelope left behind by a customer that day. She hadn't meant to snoop – she just wanted to find out whom it belonged to, but that fateful act had paved the way for her to be the unwitting assistant of that customer.

The outcome had been completely unexpected, but that was the specific junction that turned things around for her. Along the way, she had found working with manga quite enjoyable and so she started desiring to become an editor. But she kept that to herself.

When she had revealed to Harima her possible choices of profession like being a doctor, a psychiatrist, or a nutritionist when he was in the hospital for appendix surgery, he had said he could see her in those jobs. He, on the other hand, downplayed his own goals since he was aware he wasn't smart like her, and it made Yakumo hide her desire of being a manga editor to him. He might be surprised and try to dissuade her, wondering why she would choose such a profession given her talents. Hearing the words from his mouth would definitely discourage her.

Yakumo sighed audibly.

She was thinking too much again. That was what was wrong with her: spending time mulling things over instead of acting on them. Insanity was defined as expecting different results from doing the same thing over and over again. But what was the word for expecting different results without doing anything at all? Because that was what she was doing in regards to her relationship with Harima.

That was another thing wrong with her: she was afraid to do anything. Yakumo condemned herself for this weakness in her character. Harima's insensitivity may be partly to blame but most of the fault lay with her and her inability to voice out her own opinion. She was content with how things had been going so far and she didn't want anything to change, but she couldn't expect it to stay like that for long. Her sister had left in a blink of an eye and it could happen with Harima too.

If Harima left, she wasn't sure if she could easily accept it. Sarah and Harima made it easier for her to cope with Tenma's absence. But who would fill-in for Harima if or when he left? That would leave another gaping hole in her heart that would be very hard to heal. Her father's death, Tenma's departure, and now...

Yakumo shook her head quickly. She didn't want to think about that anymore and so she turned her gaze back towards the glittering night sky to change her train of thought.

The image of the full moon along with the stars was too perfect a picture. Whenever she felt down, she always looked towards the sky for heavenly inspiration. Her father had often shown her the stars, naming and pointing each constellation out to her. Back then, she couldn't figure out why three parallel stars would be someone's belt.

"You must use your imagination to see them," he had told her, "and only then will they appear to you."

Since hearing those words, she enjoyed watching the heavens display their muted glory; for each and every wink of a star could be a potential new world. It was intriguing and exciting thinking of all the possibilities the universe contained. One's imagination and the sky's own mysteries came hand in hand, making it something to behold.

Harima had once said to her, going steady was accumulating a series of memorable moments with someone, making it a foundation in a relationship. She wanted to share a special moment with someone she would love someday. She recalled a specific memory from her childhood. It would be wonderful if she could have such an experience with a certain someone. The idea wasn't hers though; she had borrowed it from a nameless boy she had met when they were children.

Yakumo smiled as she remembered how that strange boy had come to their house dressed up like their father and had ended up leading her and Tenma to the school's rooftop. From there, they could not only see the clear winter night sky, but also the glowing beacon that was Yagami city. Unlike the sky with its passive beauty, the city glowed and moved in constant activity. The sight had changed her.

Upon looking at the bright city and the vast sky, memories of her late father flooded within her and she had cried in remembrance of him. She had stopped grieving for her father and turned cold soon after his passing away. Experiencing this stunning view caused her memories of him to return in full force. After that, she stopped being so harsh towards her sister, having realized that people she loved weren't truly gone as long as she carried their memories in her heart – and to make good memories in the first place, she'd have to be more accepting.

Yakumo wished she could meet that boy again but she had no lead whatsoever on how to search for him. For starters, she didn't even know his name. And he might have forgotten all about it by now, or he could've moved to another city or even another country for all she knew. She would be forever grateful to that boy for showing her that view.

It was definitely a moment she would love to share with someone she loved someday.

She closed her eyes in contemplation, despondent.

If only I could...

There was a small part in the back of her mind expecting the ghost to appear any second now that she was feeling down. She turned around but didn't see any unnerving young girl. It actually disappointed Yakumo slightly since she was prepared for it and she somewhat wanted to talk to her to clarify things.

Finally, Yakumo returned to her bed and tried to sleep; burying her thoughts deep, like she had done so many times before.

Yakumo was staring out the classroom window again, only half paying attention. It didn't help that she hadn't gotten enough sleep last night. Mulling about the current situation and the whole supernatural aspect seemed to be waste of time since just worrying about it wasn't going to solve anything, and so she started thinking about Harima's manga instead.

There were many things floating around her mind regarding plots and storylines. Being an author was hard. She wondered about this and that and choosing which one was better was challenging. If she settled on one story, a part of her would criticize it severely until it looked worse than the other idea. No wonder Harima had a hard time with this task. A vicious cycle would commence until she was forced to reach out for help. But asking her friends had previously proven futile. Miki in particular had just given up thinking of a story when she once tried to help; whereas the rest of her friends didn't have any experience regarding manga.

Despite the trouble it brought, this mind exercise gave her a much-needed distraction from the common nuisances she faced daily. There was something other than ignoring unwanted thoughts to focus her attention on. It also made it easier to not notice them in the first place.

The bell rang signaling for lunch break. As Sarah, Haruna, Satsuki, and Miki took out their lunchboxes, Yakumo stood up.

"Hey Yakumo, where are you going?" Miki asked as she was unraveling her lunch box. Sarah cleared her throat a few times in hopes Miki would get the drift soon enough.

"Oh, right!" Miki continued. "Never mind! Have fun, okay?" Behind them, Haruna resisted the urge to face-palm at how indelicate her friend was with subtlety.

Yakumo left with a grateful bow and proceeded to go to the rooftop.

"Oh, man!" Miki swooned. "I feel so jealous! Why doesn't Hanai ask me out for lunch?"

Satsuki rested an elbow on her desk and asked, "Have you forgotten the part where you accused him of being a stalker?"

"What do you mean?" Miki asked genuinely clueless.

"It was when you and Sarah planned that little act to let him stay with her? I actually thought it wouldn't work when Haruna told me about it, but apparently, everything went fine."

"Of course it did!" Miki exclaimed. "That's the power of love!"

"And you're okay with Hanai being mad at you?"

"Why would he be mad at me? It was Harima who knocked him out, not me."

Haruna finally gave in and face-palmed. "Miki," she said getting her friend's attention. "It was your involvement which allowed his rival to live with his crush. He even stopped going to the church for confession when he learned Sarah was involved too." The nun in question scratched her own cheek in embarrassment now that she was in the fray.

"What! If I knew he would end up hating me, I would never have participated!"

"Then what about her?" Satsuki asked. "I thought you would help her out by any means necessary?"

"Of course, but... but... Gah!" Miki stood up and grabbed her bento box. "I'll just go have lunch with Hanai now. He'll understand and besides, he still owes me a date."

"Isn't it that you owe him and not the other way around?" Before Satsuki had finished her question, Miki was already storming for the door.

Sarah sighed. "The things we do for love."

"Oh, Imouto-san, you're quite early." Harima said when he saw Yakumo.

"I don't want to be late like yesterday." Yakumo sat beside Harima who was preparing his lunch. "I haven't thanked you for adding me as a character in your manga, so thank you."

"Don't worry about it." Harima replied. "Lately I'd been thinking you deserved more so that's why I also let you join in on making the story." Yakumo simply smiled in appreciation and both started their lunch.

While the two ate, they talked about the possible stories they could do with the manga.

Harima talked about some factors to consider first before making any story. The flow should still be like the last issues'. He didn't want to throw off his readers with a different approach this early and so the stories they make should be fillers as much as possible and only hinting the main story between them. That way, they could prolong the series and add character development. They could introduce some new characters, or they could revisit characters that had been shown in previous issues. That was what was great about time skips: reintroducing a character with a laid foundation made a manga more interesting.

The universe they created was open-world so nothing would limit them from thinking of radical adventures. There was no strict order of events they were following - as long as they didn't contradict the lore by throwing out fillers recklessly. If they did have a mishap, they could usually correct them by using red herrings or other plot twists. And that was a key tool they would use to also prolong their adventures.

In addition, Harima wanted the story to continue as a romantic comedy, but slowly evolve into a more serious theme. He didn't intend his manga to be read as one colossal comedy with wits and laughter only. There would be several scenes where the series would take itself seriously. Recollections, flashbacks, character's back-stories, and the like were tragedy material. It would give the manga various flavors if different emotions were stirred.

With all these considerations, Yakumo couldn't help but be surprised by how knowledgeable Harima was about manga. It was a bit more complex than she initially thought. She hadn't known about some of the things he had mentioned and it sounded like Harima knew this stuff from experience alone. She thought she should step up on her part.

As the manga's main characters were based on themselves, Yakumo proposed that their real-life quirks should be added. Well, Harima shared a lot of traits with his character already. Harima's constant lack of money mirrored Hario's lack of money too. The knight worked different odd jobs to make ends meet just like Harima. Both of them were loners who didn't want other's company unless with the people they really trusted. For Ya'mo, her silent and calm nature would act as a deterrent to balance Hario out. If he was about to do something on impulse then it was up to her to warn him of the consequences. She was very knowledgeable when it came to magic, whereas Hario always fell prey to it, according to his background story. In order to prevent such accidents, she would act as an advisor, to explain the complexity of the spells and their consequences. In doing so, it would inform not only Hario but the readers as well.

However, Yakumo noted her character shouldn't be overpowered and a know-it-all. The first chapter gave her the feeling she was a bit too strong if the mage could be on par, if not better, to Hario's swordsmanship. There should be a weakness that would limit her abilities.

It could be solved by limiting her magical prowess and stamina, Yakumo suggested. Wielding magic was already a big advantage so to help negate that, using it would drain much of her stamina. There should be a cap on how many spells she could perform in a given time. It had already been foreshadowed in the first chapter when Ya'mo got tired after using two consecutive spells. Her close combat capability would be restricted to defensive purposes only since Ya'mo would be a pacifist and not resort to physical violence. This balanced her out and put her on equal footing with Hario.

For the story, they could also base it on their own experiences. It was still a romantic comedy and misunderstandings and running gags had to be present to give it a nice overall flow. They had many scenarios they could choose from. One was where the two characters were always mistaken as a couple at first glance. Revisiting previous characters who knew Hario from before he met Ya'mo, they'd sometimes point out that the mage traveling with him was something more than it appeared to be. And then there would be some "incidental moments" that would imply something else. Of course, the two characters would deny it but the trend would still continue at some parts. There would be some chapters where their bond was tested with their interactions. Both were loners before they met each other and they would slowly learn to depend on one another as the story progressed.

Yakumo inwardly wished that the readers would pair the two but of course, she didn't say this to Harima. Her character wasn't originally planned to pair with him since the main heroine was still out there somewhere. Still, there was no harm in wishing for it.

Lunch and their conversation finished just as they thought of a story for the next chapter. It was mostly about wandering into a town and solving one of the lingering problems that said town faced. Hario would be initially unwilling to help people he wasn't concerned with, and Ya'mo's reclusive nature wouldn't allow herself to be involved if it could be avoided. But upon realizing the situation could perhaps be linked to the princess they were looking for or about the Dark Lord's activities, they would accept and end up becoming the unwitting saviors of the town. They may find some clues and some would just be red herrings but it would improve their relationship with the people in a war-torn land. Their little act of kindness could also stretch to another story arc where they would meet those characters again. It wasn't their intended goal but as time went on, they would soon grow to act with compassion instead of with ulterior motives.

Harima and Yakumo parted ways to their respective classrooms. Yakumo smiled inwardly, seeing that she was wrong to have thought negatively about being a co-author. It was quite exciting actually and more enjoyable than simply reading his story and inking layouts.

Things were getting better.

It was a Saturday and Yakumo's day off. Her boss had told her to work some weekdays after school so she had some Saturdays off. He said he didn't want her to be working on a day that was typical for a person her age to be spending with friends. But to her though, she usually ended up staying at home since her friends didn't have plans to go out.

Sarah had work and normally Harima only needed to hand in their manga. Unfortunately, this week Harima was called to do an errand for his cousin. Something about unpaid rent and cleaning his cousin's apartment to compensate for it.

It meant Yakumo would be alone this Saturday. She didn't mind handling the chores. Harima had fed Shiba early so the task wouldn't fall to her. It was an undeclared deal between them. It was Harima who brought the dog here so it was his responsibility to take care of it, not hers.

As Yakumo was folding her clothes, she heard a barking sound outside. The noise gave her anxiety due to her fear of dogs, but the logical part of her mind was saying there was someone out there that merited to be barked at.

She went outside and saw Shiba barking. It was strange that she had not heard the dog bark until now. The dog mostly dozed, lazily walked or sniffed around until he got tired and slept again. This slothful behavior made it easy for her to avoid him so she never complained about it.

But this time, the dog was barking continuously. There was something amiss about it.

Yakumo tentatively walked a couple of steps towards Shiba to find out what was bothering the dog so much. She knew she shouldn't surprise a dog on the defensive.

"It seems I cannot do what he can do." A soft voice said.

Wait. I know that voice

Yakumo took a few more steps and gasped at what she saw. The big dog noticed her and stopped barking.

"Oh, hello there," the young girl greeted in her strange monotone voice. "Nice to meet you again, Yakumo."

Author's Corner: I swear, I get carried away with these "filler words" every chapter. I actually don't notice how long they are until I finished it. Maybe I should just blaze through with the story. That may be a bad idea but I just get this feeling it's unnecessarily long at times. I don't know.

Well, reviews are always appreciated. It gives me a warm feeling inside. At least, it makes me realize some people are reading this! XD