Chapter 24:

"That happened so fast." Sarah said, staring after the two who were seemingly still bickering even as they walked away. She looked at Yakumo who appeared to be processing what happened earlier. "Yakumo? You okay?"

"Oh. Yes. I'm okay." Yakumo answered.

"I mean, Harima is going to be gone for a few days. Is that really okay with you?"

"Harima agreed so I'm in no place to stop him."

Sarah sighed. "If you say so. Well, Harima did entrust you with his manga so that's something, right?"

"Yeah. He did." The two walked home relatively quiet. Sarah knew that something was bothering Yakumo no matter how much she tried to hide it. Sarah repeatedly tried to start a conversation on a more positive note and snap Yakumo out of her thoughts but this was slowly taking its toll on Sarah. These "confrontations" always ended up with Eri taking Harima away so maybe the feeling of powerlessness was slowly creeping up on Yakumo. No matter what compliments Harima left behind, it was his presence that was more important. The thought that she should have done something different was possibly circling in Yakumo's mind right now. Adding anything to it would just make it worse.

The best pieces of advice were the ones that inspired new ideas rather than direct instructions. Strangers would often approach her asking for advice from the church. Sarah almost always didn't know their whole story so she would give broad and general tips, relying on that person to realize themselves what was best for their situation. This, however, was a different case.

Yakumo, despite being as enigmatic as she appeared, spoke more through body language than anything else. That was why Sarah could easily pick up what was happening inside her mind. It could even be said that Sarah was an expert in anything Yakumo-related. It was also why this situation was different. Sarah could see the whole picture but could only give hints and suggestions as if Yakumo and Harima were strangers to her. Pushing it a bit more would be counter-productive. Sarah could have spoken out on Eri taking Harima away suddenly, but if it was okay with Yakumo, who was she to do it? Who was she to instruct Yakumo on what she should be doing? Hadn't Sarah done enough already?

Seeing this unfold from the sidelines wasn't any easier. All Sarah could do was to hope for the best. It was what best friends do. And so she began to talk to Yakumo about the manga to pass the time.

x-x-x

The next day Yakumo woke up earlier than usual since she would have to go to the publisher first to hand in the manuscript before going to her workplace. What she didn't account for was that it felt farther than usual. After having Harima drive her to the café now, going back to walking made her miss the free ride there. The manuscript in her hand though gave her extra motivation. She could be late to work as long as the manuscript was delivered on time. Harima was once so desperate to deliver his manuscript that he rode a custom-made curry plate in the middle of a snowstorm. Reckless, sure, but his strong dedication showed through his actions and that was one of the many traits that she came to admire about him.

Once in Dankosha, Yakumo went straight to a desk that belonged to a man named Mitsui. He was friendlier to Harima than anyone Yakumo knew and it was he who gave Harima the opportunity to become a mangaka once he noticed his talent. Never did the man enquire Harima of his background nor criticized him for it but simply accepted him for the talent that he had. One time he still ran a story that Harima and Yakumo came up with on the fly after Harima accidentally ruined Karasuma's manuscript by spilling ink all over it. He could be prone to panicking from catching deadlines but he always gave Harima a chance. For that, Yakumo was always grateful.

"Good morning, Mr. Mitsui." Yakumo said with a bow. "Here's the manuscript."

"Oh! Thanks!" Mitsui exuberantly replied. "Tsukamoto? Wait. Where's Tazawa?"

"Tazawa?"

"You know, the one who always hangs out with you. Your boyfriend."

"Ahh, we're not in that kind of –"

"I've been waiting for this new chapter!" Mitsui said glossing over the manuscript. "I know it's always on time but I'm really hooked with this story. It is unique I must say and it only keeps getting better and better! You can say I'm a fan now. But enough of my ramblings. I'm going to get this published as soon as possible. Thanks, Ms. Tsukamoto. Give my regards to Tazawa and good luck to the both of you."

Yakumo bowed once again and walked away, not knowing how to respond to such words. She remembered that she once introduced herself as "Tazawa's" assistant the first time she was here. Apparently, it flew over Mitsui's head and he assumed they were in a relationship, assistant or not. It was always the case with everybody even if she tried to correct it.

While walking out of the building, Yakumo pulled out her cellphone and texted Harima to say she had delivered the manuscript. She received a swift reply from Harima a few seconds later profusely thanking her. Yakumo was about to respond with the casual "It's okay" but decided to add a little more.

'When will you be coming back?' Yakumo texted.

A few minutes ticked by and no reply. Yakumo worried a little that she might have overstepped her boundaries. Finally, her cellphone beeped and she quickly flipped it open.

'Not really sure. Sunday evening, I think. Hopefully, I'll get back in time to catch dinner! I'm really sorry I couldn't drive you to the café today and also missing going to the zoo with you tomorrow. I'll make it up to you next time. Gotta go. Rich Girl might throw my cellphone in the lake if I take too long. Take care Imouto-san, and thanks a lot!'

Yakumo sighed in relief. It sounded silly now to be unnerved from something so trivial like waiting for a reply. Harima seemed pretty busy at the moment so she didn't bother to reply back. Their Sunday schedule might be canceled but Yakumo would still go to the zoo to check on the animals there. It wasn't part of his request but she might as well go since she had nothing to do in the first place.

That late afternoon, Yakumo's shift ended and she went home. Not needing to wait for Harima to come to pick her up made her realize that she was so alone going to work and back. She didn't have any colleagues in the café. No one to talk to about her day at work. Sarah had her senior Asou to talk to in her workplace but Yakumo had none. It was only Harima who would occasionally ask her about her day at work to somewhat alleviate the stress. Just like earlier this morning, she missed having the lift home. The drive home itself was an opportunity for some more rest instead of walking all the way home by her lonesome self.

Once home, Yakumo discovered something else: there were more chores to be done now that Harima was away. Some chores that neither Sarah nor Yakumo had the time to do, had piled up. Before, all she needed to think about was what to cook for dinner, and even then, Harima sometimes did it for her. It was just how helpful Harima was that Yakumo had started to become dependent on him little by little without her realizing it.

Perhaps she was getting a little spoiled.

Sunday came and it left Yakumo all alone in the house once Sarah left for the church. The zoo wasn't that far but she would have preferred driving there. Once at the zoo, Yakumo went to the giraffe's pen. Pyotr seemed unnerved not seeing Harima and kept looking around. It didn't take an animal mind reader to know that the young giraffe was looking for his master. The giraffe was a bit moody at times and tries to annoy Harima by plucking his headband at every given chance but Pyotr was really close to Harima and looked forward to his company.

"It's okay, Pyotr." Yakumo said to the giraffe. "He'll be back next time." She didn't know if she would be understood but decided to say it anyway.

After a few minutes, Yakumo bid goodbye to the young giraffe who nuzzled her cheek in return. Today's visit wasn't entirely the same as last week. Since she couldn't get close or go inside their enclosures without Harima around, she simply watched the animals from afar. The lion and the tigress would go to the nearest corner to her and just lay there. She didn't see the penguin Anastasia and she assumed the penguin might have been relocated to a colder room. Visiting Igor the gorilla took her aback slightly. The gorilla was waiting outside his den like last time but when he spotted Yakumo from far away and not Harima, he got this look of confusion. He repeatedly looked around for a few seconds. When he was sure he couldn't find what he was looking for, he went back to his den looking almost dejected.

Yakumo had hoped that her presence would have helped the recluse gorilla to stay out more often. It wasn't the case, unfortunately. She did feel for the gorilla though. Without Harima, this whole thing seemed sapped out of life and color. No more conversations about what happened in the past no matter how weird they might be. No more sharing of stories to give her another perspective to look at things. No more moments where she could feel how it might be like to be going steady.

Without Harima, this was what it looked like.

It was the same in the aviary except for the robin that Yakumo named Haru still perched on her shoulder. It was quieter than usual here, Yakumo noticed. Perhaps the whole aviary gets into a sort of a frenzy whenever Harima enters.

After a short walk, Yakumo sat on the usual bench. She wasn't that tired given that she was taking less time staying with the animals, but she felt a little... drained. Her sudden bouts of sleep weren't kicking in. Even if they did, she would try to resist it as Harima had told her to not sleep anywhere without him or Sarah around. The thing was that this wasn't the same as those.

She fell asleep by his side, not because of her apparent narcolepsy or any condition but because she wanted to prolong the feeling, to carry it even further. One said that memories tend to embed in the mind more after moderate sleep. As in exams, it was better to review in short instances with better sleep than cramming the whole night reviewing.

His warmth. His arms around her holding her close to him. Yakumo wasn't entirely ignorant of the sensations. It was in those moments where she would have wanted time to simply stop. Dreams had a mysterious pocket of time where it could conjure a world within a few minutes in real-time. In just a short period, she could experience being in his arms, protected and comforted where nothing else seems to matter.

However, a dream, no matter how pleasant, was just that: a dream. Reality would always crawl back unwelcomed, draining whatever it could to continue where time had stopped. It was just how things were, no matter how cruel it might seem to be.

Now, reality was telling her that. There would be no dreams for today.

Yakumo sighed heavily. She stood up, bid a small goodbye to the only company she had at this point, and went home.

x-x-x

It was noon and here was Yakumo eating lunch alone. Although technically, she wasn't since their pets were eating too at different parts of the house. Harima had already taught her how to feed Shiba. It was easier than she thought it would be. She would get his bowl, put some dog food in it, and place it down while Shiba patiently waited, unlike some dogs that would get overly excited at the sight of food. Harima had taught Shiba remarkably well in such a short period of time. This was also the same with Napoleon, although Yakumo wondered if pigs could be taught tricks like a dog. It was said that despite the mundane nature of pigs, they were smart creatures that were capable of learning commands.

As for Iori, Yakumo would just leave some food in his bowl even if Iori wasn't around. After a few minutes, the food would be gone. Shiba and Napolean knew too well that snatching Iori's food would mean scratches to the face. Anything in Iori's bowl was his and no other. It was quite ironic that the smallest pet had the most respect. Iori was the first pet to come here and Yakumo somehow felt that he didn't really like too much company given how lively the two newcomers were. It almost mirrored her relationship with Tenma when they were kids.

Doing chores was a good distraction from imagining what would have happened if Harima was there. They could have probably been on the road by now, going to places where Yakumo had never known existed. Despite living in Yagami city all her life, Yakumo had never completely explored it. If it was beyond walking distance then it wasn't an option. She could commute to other parts of the city but she never had any good reason in doing so unless it was for academic purposes or she was invited out by her friends.

The act of traveling without any destination in mind, just to see the sights was something Yakumo had never done before. She wasn't the adventurous type but she had come to love the feeling of travel in a motorcycle. The feeling that the world passed by while they were in their own little space was quite peaceful and relaxing. It made her wonder what would they be doing once they chose to stop and dismount. Would they just stare at the sights until they got bored? Or would Harima start to talk about the place's significance like a tour guide? Yakumo did some research so she wouldn't feel so clueless about other landmarks. Photography wasn't her thing but she wanted to take some photos along the way to preserve the memory. The only photo she had with Harima was in her wallet, and it always brought her joy seeing it each time. She had hoped to add more to it.

Until that time came, Yakumo would never know how it would turn out.

While doing some chores, the telephone suddenly rang and Yakumo answered it.

"Hello? Tsukamoto's residence."

"Ms. Tsukamoto? It's Mitsui."

"Oh, hello Mr. Mitsui. How can I help you?"

"Is Tazawa there? It's quite important and I can't contact him no matter how many times I call. If he's not there, could you try to reach him?"

"He's not here at the moment but I'll try to contact him for you. Please wait for a minute." Yakumo put the phone on hold and grabbed her cellphone. Using speed dial, she called Harima's phone but she was quickly greeted by an automated voice that said his number couldn't be reached. She tried once more but was again greeted by the same automated voice.

Odd. Harima always answers his cellphone.

Yakumo took the phone off hold. "I'm sorry Mr. Mitsui. I can't contact him either but I'm certain he'll return later this evening."

"Later this evening? So, there's no way he can be available right now?"

"I'm afraid so. Is it really that important?"

"Well, not really but I wanted him to receive this personally unlike last time. Can't do something about that now. Hmm… since he's not available we need someone to stand in for him."

"Stand in for him? For what, may I ask?"

"To receive an award! The publisher has awarded him as the most promising mangaka of the year! It's quite a feat since he got an honorable mention last year and now it's followed by another award."

"Oh, really? He won?" Yakumo couldn't hide from her tone how happy she was for him.

"By a landslide! The chief would never say it but it's plenty obvious he really likes the story. It's my fault for not informing you two about this earlier. My excitement got in the way and I forgot all about it! Anyway, can you represent him at the ceremony this afternoon at three, here in Dankosha? I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you suddenly but I promise it won't take long."

"It's okay. I'll be there. And thank you, Mr. Mitsui. I'm sure he will be happy to know he won an award."

"I'm sure he will! And don't thank me! You two deserve that award. He always talks about how your contribution helps the manga a lot and without you, it wouldn't be anywhere near as good." It always puts a smile on Yakumo's face hearing that Harima had always appreciated her help. Yakumo then heard a sigh. "Having a butler represent him at last year's award ceremony, and now his girlfriend? He really should receive it himself next time. See you later!"

The line went dead before Yakumo could reply. Yakumo put the phone down, still not used to being called something that she wasn't. Still, it didn't dampen the mood that they won an award. The fact that Harima now treats the manga as "theirs" brought forth a personal accomplishment for Yakumo. Accomplishments were nothing new to her but this, a project that they were both working on together, was something special. Most academic accomplishments were not done out of leisure but rather out of necessity. This project was simply a hobby for Harima and then it involved her. Back then she thought that she would just read his manga from time to time and leave helpful comments. Now, she was involved in the inking, the story, and the manga as a whole. She even had a character based on her.

All of this culminated in an award, a sign that their hard work has finally paid off. Even if it hadn't won anything, Yakumo would still be grateful for this little project introducing to her both another side of manga, and the man she would eventually admire - neither things that Yakumo would have ever expected from last year.

After tidying things up, Yakumo got dressed for the occasion since she would be representing Harima at the ceremony. She wasn't going all-out but something presentable would have to do. She began to wonder what it would've been like if Harima was here. Would they receive the award together even if it was under his name? Harima wasn't treating the manga as solely his anymore so it would not be totally right for him to receive an award that they had both worked for. One thing that was certain was that they would be mistaken as a couple again. But since Harima wasn't here, she would just have to accept whatever others thought of them. As his assistant or as his "girlfriend" didn't seem to matter to her anymore.

x-x-x

The building of Dankosha wasn't particularly appealing at first glance. It looked like any other tall building in the city. The only distinction it had was its reputation. Dankosha had produced countless manga series that was famously known throughout the country and overseas. Many mangakas from all over Japan had visited this site for a rare chance at serialization. Needless to say, only those who had real talent and relentless dedication could be blessed with such an offer. The chief editor had been so strict that they must be willing to put their life on the line for the sake of their careers. Anything less was quickly shunned. Harima had repeatedly shown that he would give everything he had in him for his manga and had thus been accepted. And now that Jou Nijou, Dankosha's star artist who was surprisingly Karasuma, had retired, Harima's work was getting increasingly more recognition. As for Yakumo, she wasn't entirely sure if sitting alone in the front row whilst everyone else sat at back was a test, but she alone did get the chief's certification badge – even if she didn't understand the lecture very well.

The ceremony for the new face awardees started and one by one the awards were announced. Different categories were shown with a little bit of pomp as was the usual case with award ceremonies. Yakumo was never one to stand at the center of attention but she always had in mind that she would do this for Harima.

"And the award of Most Promising Mangaka of the Year goes to…" the announcer said. "Hario Harima!"

Cheers and applause followed but the audience quickly became surprised when a beautiful young girl stepped onto the podium to receive the award.

'Hario Harima is a she? And a gorgeous one at that!'

"Wait. Hario Harima is a butler, right?

'Woah. Never knew some mangaka are quite stunners!"

'This could well be a pageant and she would still win!'

Countless pictures were taken and Yakumo tried very hard to ignore the thoughts. She kept repeating back to herself her reasons for doing this. Luckily, there was no Q&A portion as it was announced that Yakumo was there to receive the award on behalf of the man himself, quelling some of the curious thoughts thankfully.

After the ceremony, Yakumo stuck around out of courtesy for the chief editor. Leaving immediately would be a little ungrateful when she was handed an award. The mind of the chief editor, Mr. Gotou, was quite an enigma to her but not that closed like Harima's. His thoughts were … contained and disciplined. Despite saying words with a murderous tone, his heart showed genuine concern and interest. It was respectful reverence if Yakumo could put it into words. No matter his manner of speaking Yakumo couldn't put him off as a bad person. The chief editor might have noticed it and favored her for it.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Gotou." Yakumo said with a bow. She didn't intend on leaving without informing the chief first. "I hope that we live up to the expectation set on us."

"You two already are." Mr. Gotou replied. "In any case, how is that young man?"

Yakumo took a second to respond, glad to hear that he wasn't referring to Harima as "her boyfriend". "He's doing alright. Things have been very busy on his part but we always manage."

"So I heard. Missing these ceremonies and yet submitting manuscripts in the middle of a snowstorm seemed more important to him."

"He is quite reckless, but we would not amount to anything with anything less."

"You give him too much credit, Ms. Tsukamoto. It's the same with him whenever he's talking about you." Yakumo could only bow slightly to hide her blushing face.

"The time when you asked me if I intentionally scare new manga artists when everyone thought you were very audacious to say such words, you had someone in your mind that made you do it. To stand up and say such things without pause takes more than just bravery." Yakumo looked at the chief. "Men like him would prefer being alone, but they must realize that being alone won't solve their problems, let alone others'. Manga has a way of expressing one's feelings. I can see it, Ms. Tsukamoto. By the time someone finally musters up the courage to say the words, hopefully, it won't be too late. Remember that."

"Thank you, Mr. Gotou. I'll keep that in mind." A small brown puppy ran towards the chief. When the puppy noticed Yakumo, he began to approach her.

"Hello there." Yakumo said petting the dog much to the dog's pleasure.

"You're a dog lover, Ms. Tsukamoto?" Yakumo could only give a sheepish smile.

"I'm… trying to."

"I understand." Mr. Gotou knelt down, grabbed the puppy and placed it on his broad shoulder. "I should take my leave, Ms. Tsukamoto. I still have some new manga artists to scare. It's been a pleasure talking with you. And again, congratulations." The two shook hands briefly and went on their separate ways.

Yakumo walked out of the building clutching the award plaque. It was made of dark wood with a gold plate that inscribed "Hario Harima" as the winner of said award. A celebration was in order with such an event. Last year when Harima told her he had won honorable mention, Yakumo was able to get permission from Akira to take the leftover cake from the Tea Club to give to him. Akira didn't say anything other than that she could take it with no strings attached. Strange that there even was a spare cake to begin with when Akira was a very meticulous person in getting things for the Tea club. Had she anticipated that Harima would win an award and thus Yakumo would then look to get something for him? Too much of a stretch really but it gave Yakumo an idea.

Before going back home, Yakumo went to a bakery store. After perusing the selection of cakes available, she bought a cake similar to the one from last year as it seemed Harima really liked it. The cake wasn't full size but could only cater for two people and that was enough for them. There was no lettering on it since there was no mistaking this time that it was only for him.

Yakumo started preparing dinner when she got home. Harima did say that he might catch dinner. She put the small box of cake in the refrigerator and then set the award plaque down on the table. She still hadn't decided on how to reveal this to Harima. Although she was very happy for him, it wasn't in her nature to act excited and enthusiastic about the news. She would likely calmly explain it point by point like it was a normal occurrence. Harima would likely jump for joy upon hearing it, thank her for the job well done, and from then on continue as if nothing had happened.

Mr. Gotou's words resurfaced in Yakumo's mind.

'By the time someone finally musters up the courage to say the words, hopefully, it won't be too late.'

Was this the perfect time to confess? Or was she just riding on the feeling of good news of an award?

She could always say that through all the time they've spent together, she slowly developed feelings for him. And she herself wasn't too sure of them until time went by. Instead of just dropping everything like a bomb, she could break down how she had slowly developed these feelings. He didn't need to answer her outright. And whatever answer he may have, she would be glad that she had finally said the words that she kept hidden for so long.

This had to be done and said with a straight face without hesitation. Yakumo was able to face the feared chief editor without flinching. Confessing was always painful and messy but it need not be like that if it could be helped. For too long Yakumo had never been one to express her feelings to another person in this manner.

This was it.

She was sure of her feelings and she couldn't turn her back on it anymore. This was also for her: to assure herself that what she was feeling was genuine by sharing it with someone.

All she had to do was wait for him.

Evening came and Yakumo finished preparing dinner. As Sarah had explained earlier in the morning, she would be a little late getting home. Her boss had invited his employees to work in a grandiose hotel and restaurant for a day to make it up to them for always leaving them behind on short notice. The pay would be substantially bigger and they could get some experience working at a luxury hotel. Sarah had her Sunday service in the morning and once it was done, she could go straight to work. What time she would come home Sarah wasn't sure and Yakumo had a feeling she had somehow set this up so that Yakumo and Harima would have more time together without her intruding. Too bad that plans can change in a blink of an eye.

Yakumo heard the gate opening and she assumed it was Harima. She stood up to greet him home but before she opened the front door, it slid open showing Sarah breathing heavily and looking very tired. It looked like she had run all the way home.

"Sarah? Are you okay?" Yakumo asked skipping the greeting.

"Yes… no." Sarah said between breaths. "I mean, it's Harima!"

"Harima? Did he get into an accident?"

"No, but maybe. It's nothing like that." Sarah's exhaustion was only making answering questions difficult, not to mention confusing. Yakumo waited for Sarah to catch her breath.

"Sorry if I'm not making any sense." Sarah apologized. "I'm not entirely sure about this but Harima… Harima...he-"

"What about –"

"Harima is getting married!"

Author's Corner: I'M ALIVE! This chapter was actually written at the same time as the previous chapter, although I added some things here and there to make it more complete. I have so many things on my plate recently so I apologize if this took way longer than expected. Undoubtedly, procrastination took a large role in that.

Has anyone watched Avengers: Infinity War? A better question would be: who hasn't and why haven't you? If only I had the 6 infinity stones named motivation, energy, time, sleep, ideas and food, I could snap my fingers and this story would be complete! Until then I have to make do with this frail and mortal body. To be totally honest, this story is just a few chapters away from being complete. It would still take long granted that I tend to stretch the story more than fillers in an anime. I also haven't started writing the next chapter but I have already mapped it in my head so no worries.

Thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter!