Chapter 7

The next semester came and flew by much quicker than anyone expected. Before they knew it, the winter break for New Year's was already upon them. Sayumi had already begun to travel back to Yokohama to spend what little break she had off of school with her family. After dealing with the typical New Year's festivities and catching up with her parents' lives, she took the last few days left of her break to explore the city before heading back to Osaka. The uneventful and quiet city felt cold and unfriendly, much like herself. Fortunately for her, the friend she was with warmed up the atmosphere around them and made the city less boring.

Yukimura Hinoka happily skipped along the snow-covered sidewalks in front of her, stopping only when something in a storefront display caught her attention. The two were conversing about random topics that came to mind, including the weather, foods that taste better in the city and what they were up to these days.

"You must try this new gyunabe place before you go," the younger girl said to her. "And there's this new place in Chinatown that does the best Peking duck that you should also check out!"

"I'm a very broke university student, Hinoka," Sayumi admitted depressingly. "Can't afford to eat what I want, you know."

"I'll take you next time you're around, then!"

"We'll see." The two stopped at a pedestrian crossing as they waited for the signals to change. "How's Kirihara been treating you? I'll kill him if he's hurt you."

Hinoka let out a huff. "Just who are you, Sayumi? Seiichi-niichan is already protecting me. I don't need you to as well."

"I might not be your brother, but I also have my own bone to pick with him. I got your back if you need it."

"Akaya is treating me well! Don't you dare hurt him, Sayumi."

Sayumi laughed. "Well, as long as you're happy. But, if an opportunity comes up where I can punch him right in the face, I will not hesitate."

The walking indicator switched and Hinoka started walking without double checking her surroundings. A truck blasting down the street at full was heading right for her. Before Sayumi could react, someone jumped towards the younger girl and pushed her away from the large vehicle.

"Hinoka!"

The younger girl was on the ground on the other side of the crosswalk. A police officer was holding her as she sobbed uncontrollably. Sayumi ran towards the two of them in a panic.

Hinoka broke out of the officer's arms and ran towards her. "Sayumi!"

The two hugged each other tightly as they tried to calm their nerves down from the terrifying incident. "Are you okay?"

Hinoka nodded as she wiped away her tears with her hands. "Yeah… Sanada-senpai saved me," she said in between hiccups.

"S-Sanada?" Sayumi looked up at the officer and noticed that the man was staring at the both of them worriedly. When their eyes met, she instantly recognized the man as the former vice-captain-turned-captain of the Rikkai Boys' Tennis Team.

Sanada bowed his head slightly. "Hinoka, I'm sorry that you had to go through that ordeal." He took out handkerchief and handed it to them, which Hinoka accepted and started wiping her face.

The younger girl shook her head. She seemed to have calmed her nerves enough to speak plainly. "Thank you for saving me, Sanada-senpai."

"It is my duty to protect the people. There's no need for your praise," he firmly responded.

"You haven't changed at all," Sayumi remarked. "I've heard stories from Renji-senpai that you're making big strides in the force despite being so young."

"I am aiming to become the next Chief of Police, Hokama-san. There is quite a lot of work to do until then." Sanada crossed his arms. "Where are you two headed this late in the day?"

Hinoka's expression changed to a more cheerful one, despite the ordeal she had just gone through. "It's only three in the afternoon, Sanada-senpai. Dusk isn't going to set in for another hour and a half," she said in a matter-of-fact way. "Want to come with us? If you're free, that is."

He nodded. "I'm off duty, anyways. It would put my mind at ease if I escorted the both of you to and from your destination, if you would allow me to."

Hinoka grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Let's go, Sayumi-senpai!"

"O-oi! Where are we going?" Sanada panicked.

"I said it was a surprise! And don't you dare ask Sayumi either!"

Before the three of them knew it, Hinoka had led the three of them to the same familiar stone in the ground with the same name etched into it weathering away slowly. After a quick washing and prayer, Hinoka knelt down and stared intently at the grave before her.

"Look who's here with me today, Seiichi-niichan. Sorry that mom and dad couldn't be here today, but hopefully, you don't mind Sayumi and Sanada-senpai," she spoke to the imaginary spirit before her. "I don't know if it's taboo to visit so soon after the New Year, but it didn't feel right to not come and wish you a happy new year."

Sanada bowed his head slightly. "It has been a long time since I last visited you, Seiichi."

"Me as well," Sayumi added.

"Ne, Seiichi-niichan, did you know Sayumi studies math at Handai and Sanada-senpai is going to become the next Chief of Police? What they're doing is so cool!"

Sanada scoffed. "I'm not the Chief, yet, Hinoka. Give me a few decades, at least."

"And math isn't that exciting of a subject either," Sayumi brushed off.

"You guys are no fun at all," Hinoka pouted. "Oh! That reminds me. Seiichi-niichan, Sayumi got a new boyfriend!"

Sanada choked on his own saliva and started coughing uncontrollably. "I-I'm sorry?!"

Sayumi rolled her eyes. "Not a boyfriend, Hinoka," she corrected. "Just a friend."

"You broke up with that bastard that I dare address as my senpai?" Sanada asked, now surprised by the new information. "Since when?"

"Jusaburou and I broke up just after he graduated. I thought Renji-senpai told you," she fired back.

Sanada felt threatened for some reason. "Why the hell would he tell me? What use would I have for that information? And who the hell is your new one?"

"I don't have a new one, Sanada-senpai. And why would it matter who it is? Are you my mother?"

"Oi! Not in front of Seiichi-niichan!" Hinoka shouted at the both of them. "Honestly, you're both like children."

Sanada and Sayumi fell silent as they tried to hide their embarrassment from the younger girl and whatever spirits may be watching. "Sorry," they both muttered under their breaths.

"Anyways," Hinoka turned her attention back to the grave, "that's all I have to tell you. I'll be back to tell you my exam results when I find out about them! Wish me luck." She blew a few kisses into the air before standing back up. "Anything else either of you want to add before we go?"

"I'll work hard for the both of us, Seiichi," Sanada simply stated. A small smile formed on his face.

Sayumi shook her head. "I'll see you later, Seiichi."

Later that night, Sayumi was struggling to fall asleep, even though her room was in the most optimal condition for sleeping. She reached for her phone on the nightstand beside her bed and flipped it on. After being blinded by the initial light from the screen, she saw a text from Shiraishi that simply asked if she was awake. After firing back a strange emoji she found, she received a call from the same boy.

"Boy, am I glad to know you're still awake," came the voice from the other side. "Why can't you sleep?"

"No clue," she answered in a hushed voice. "How has your break been? We're resuming classes in four days, right?"

"Yeah. I gotta finish this stupid essay before then," he sighed. "As for my break, it was anything but a break."

"Too much work to do? Or, is your family really that exhausting?"

"Both," he sighed. "What about your break?"

"Equally as tiring as your's, I would imagine. I can't wait to finish this stupid degree," she admitted. "I also went to see Seiichi today with Hinoka and Sanada-senpai."

Shiraishi was intrigued. "How was he?"

"He seemed well. Maybe just a little bored."

"Sanada-san was bored? Now, that is a hard mental image to conjure."

She giggled softly. "I meant Seiichi; not Sanada-senpai."

"I'm just playing around with you," he confessed. "How is Sanada-san, by the way?"

"As serious as ever. He just recently finished police training, or something like that. It's really surprising how fast he finished it. I thought training would take three years, but he's done it in almost half the time along with doing a law degree," she remarked. "He really is impressive."

The conversation ended there, but neither of them wanted to hang up on each other. They just laid in their respective beds, staring at the screens of their phone, wondering what to do next. By the time the both of them blinked, it was already morning.

Sayumi sat up in her bed and tried to check her phone, but found that the battery had drained itself. She plugged it in to charge before getting out of her warm blankets. She started packing up her belongings to take back to Osaka before leaving her room to eat breakfast. Once she had finished getting herself ready, she slipped on her coat and boots, swung her bags over her shoulders and headed for the train station.

The station was packed with thousands of people departing and coming back to Yokohama after the holidays. She had arrived early to avoid getting caught up in the chaos, but it was beginning to look like it was unavoidable. Admitting defeat, she decided the best thing to do was to squeeze her way into the crowd. Before she could do that, someone had grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her away from the sea of people.

"Careful there, princess. You don't want to end up in Miyagi when you're trying to go in the opposite direction!" the person laughed.

Sayumi turned around to strike her assailant but stopped the moment she recognized him. "Mouri-senpai!"

"Even after I slept with you, you're still going to call me that? You wound me deeply, Sayumi-chan," he mocked as he shed a few tears. "Wow, just look at how much you've blossomed. Maybe I should've stayed with you after all if I knew you would get this big," he commented as he ogled at her chest.

"And you are still as disgusting and objectifying as ever, Jusaburou," she groaned.

"What's the rush with getting on the train? You're not usually the type to be late."

"Better early than late, Jusaburou." She noticed another tall, imposing man with stark white hair with electric blue highlights begin to approach them. She froze up in fear.

Mouri noticed her sudden change in expression and turned around. He waved at the man and gestured for him to come over. "Tsuki-san!"

"You know that guy?!"

"Of course! Tsuki-san is my boyfriend, after all."

Sayumi stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. "You're gay?"

"Bisexual, but who's counting?" he responded in jest.

The freakishly taller man now stood before the both of them. Despite being taller than average for her age and gender, Sayumi felt like a child standing in front of this man. He stared down at the girl with his piercing gaze, which only made her even more fearful.

Mouri slapped the man's chest. "Lay off the death glare, Tsuki-san! She's just my ex. Introduce yourself."

The man relaxed his expression a little but remained silent. He nodded at the girl in acknowledgement. Sayumi caught a glimpse of the name written on the side of his coat sleeve and inferred that his family name must be Ochi.

"N-nice to meet you as w-well," Sayumi stuttered. "I-I'm Hokama Sayumi."

"Honestly, Tsuki-san! I'm not going to get back with her. We had our fun, but I'd rather be with you," Mouri sighed. "My apologies, Sayumi-chan. He's the jealous type, if you couldn't tell."

She nodded slowly in agreement. "What brings you back here to Kanagawa anyways?" she asked, trying to change the topic to something more lighthearted.

"Same reason as you. How's Handai treating you? I was really excited to hear that you got into Tohokudai, but you chose to run off to Osaka instead of joining me in Sendai. I know the accent is irresistible, but is that really a good reason to pick a school?"

"Considering that I hate the cold, Osaka was a better choice. Plus, the program there is better than up in Sendai."

Mouri continued to fake-cry. "You really do hate me, Sayumi-chan. Even after everything I've done for you."

Sayumi sighed. "With acting skills like that, why didn't you just debut as a male idol instead of studying whatever it was you went into?"

"Can't date people if you're an idol, princess. Love is much more fun than fame and fortune," he grinned. "So, any new relationships, or have I stolen your heart for good?"

"You wish you were that charming, Jusaburou. I might be single, but my heart does not belong to you anymore. Or Seiichi."

"How cold of you," he laughed. "It's good to see you again, Sayumi-chan."

"Likewise, Jusaburou. Seems like all my exes move on and end up with men. A modern day tragedy of the commons," she spoke in jest.

"Your sense of humour never ceases to amaze me." He leaned down to whisper into her ear. "I liked guys waaaaay before I started dating you, princess. I just also happen to like girls as well."

Mouri felt Ochi grab his neck and pull him right back up. "It's time," he said in a slightly ominous way.

"Alright, alright, Tsuki-san. We'll go catch our train." Mouri turned to address Sayumi one more time. "See you at the wedding, Sayumi-chan!"

She waved back, confused by what wedding he was referring to. "See you, Jusaburou."

After returning to her apartment in Osaka and dropping off her bags, Sayumi went out to pick up groceries for the week. Along her shopping trip, she bumped into Shiraishi, who was also buying an absurd amount of strange, dried foods and intently reading the labels. She approached the older boy and gently tapped on his shoulders.

"Ah! Sayumi, I wasn't expecting to see you here," he said as he placed more random dried items into his basket. "How was Kanagawa?"

"Fine. Feels so much better to be back in Osaka, though. What are you doing?" she asked as she looked at the contents in his basket.

"I'm trying to extract a compound in the lab for an assignment. Have to read these labels to figure out if these things have what I need. Mundane chemistry stuff that I don't want to bore you with."

"Studious as ever, I see."

Shiraishi continued to pick out and read labels without looking at his friend. "What are you cooking tonight? You got a lot of stuff there."

"Oh!" She looked down at her feet as she tried to hide her blush. "Gyunabe. My mom gave me the recipe and I'm craving it right now. Did you want to come over for some?"

Shiraishi paused to think about what she had said. He had a conflicted look in his eyes.

"Kurarin?"

"I have a reflux heating up in the lab right now. It might take me until nine or ten tonight to finish. Maybe longer."

Sayumi felt disappointed. "That's too bad. Maybe next time, then."

"I look forward to it then, Sayumi," he said as he mustered a smile on his face.

The two waved goodbye to each other before continuing what they were doing.

Later that night, Sayumi was cooking up the gyunabe recipe she was given, along with meal prepping for the next week. She always made extra so she wouldn't have to cook every day or in case her roommates ate it instead. When she cooked, she would often lose track of time and spend way too long trying to make everything just right. This was partially why she only cooked about once a week too.

By the time she was done everything, it was almost midnight. Sighing, she tossed her apron aside as she checked her phone for any missed messages. Without even thinking about it, she sent a text to Shiraishi to let him know that he was still welcome to come over if he was free. Afterwards, she set her phone down before grabbing her large assortment of food containers to pack up the other things she cooked for later and shoved them away in the back of the fridge. By the time she had finished cleaning everything up, a faint knock on the door echoed through the unit.

"Just a sec!" She quickly dried off her hands before running over and opening the door.

Shiraishi stood on the other side of the door, holding up a plastic bag with store-bought pudding inside. "I brought dessert," he grinned.

Sayumi giggled as she gestured for him to come in. "You can put your coat on the hooks. I just finished cleaning up, but the gyunabe is still piping hot."

"Excellent. I'm freezing too, so I'm looking forward to this." He unzipped his coat and threw it over the hooks that were by the entrance. He slipped off his wet boots and headed into the common area.

"Don't get your hopes up. I can cook, but I'm not some Michelin Star chef by any means." She picked up the shallow pot from the stove burner and placed it onto the dining table. "How was your reduction or whatever it was called again?"

Shiraishi set the pudding down on the table before walking over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. "It's 'reflux'. You boil a bunch of chemicals together without letting the vapours evaporate for a stupid amount of time."

She laughed as she scooped out two bowls of rice from the cooker. "But it's done, right?"

He let out a groan. "I think I would pull out my hair if it wasn't done by now. The lab was freezing too, so it took a lot longer than usual with the heat escaping to the surroundings."

"Thermodynamics is a bitch. Almost failed that course," she remarked.

The two continued their conversation over the steaming hot pot of boiled beef and vegetables. Most of the conversation spiralled into the both of them talking about their former classmates and people they knew from Shiraishi's tennis days. He was surprised to learn what the other Rikkai boys were up to these days as Sayumi recalled her conversation with Sanada. Likewise, she was equally as surprised to hear what crazy adventures Shiraishi's former teammates had gotten into. The conversation flowed on until the pot of food was empty.

Sayumi stood up to clear the table of the empty dishes, but Shiraishi forced her to sit down.

"I'll do it. Thanks for the food, Sayumi. It was great," he smiled.

She let out a huff, knowing she wouldn't win this argument. "I'm glad you liked it, but I would prefer to help you with the dishes, at least."

He shook his head. "I can handle washing five things on my own. I do this every day with the glassware in the lab. Have some faith in me." He carried the dishes over to the sink and turned on the tap. As he scrubbed away at the bowls, Sayumi walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face into his back.

Shiraishi dropped the sponge in his hand. "S-Sayumi?"

"Why is it that I want to hold you like this, Kurarin?" she asked. "Why did I send you that text to invite you over?"

The older boy was very confused. "Because you wanted me to eat something you made?"

"Is that the same reason why neither of us hung up on each other the other day, even though the conversation ended?" she questioned back.

He shut off the tap and dried off his hands. He pried her arms off of him and turned around to look at her. "Are you angry about that?"

She shook her head. "A little sad, maybe, but not mad."

"Sayumi," he placed his hands on her shoulders and stared at her intently, "what happened?"

For some reason, those words seemed to have hit her hard. She wasn't sure what was coming over her. Nothing was wrong in that particular moment, but there was something that didn't feel right.

"Sayumi?"

She gazed into his soft, brown eyes. "I think I'm in love with you."

Sayumi watched as Shiraishi's face turned a bright red. He was lost for words after that sudden revelation. She slowly moved her face closer to his until there were mere atoms between her lips and his, but did not kiss him. As soon as her rational thoughts pulled herself back to reality, she pushed herself away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. That was really inappropriate of me," she said as she turned away from him. "Please, forget I said anything."

Shiraishi stood there in shock at what just happened. As soon as he snapped out of his trance, he spun her around and closed the distance between their lips with a gentle kiss. She pulled him closer to her and intensified the kiss. This time, every part of her being was screaming for him and she wanted more. She broke off the heated interaction and led him into her bedroom. Once inside, their clothes began flying off of their bodies until there was nothing else between the two of them but passion.

The next morning, Sayumi woke up in her bed with the assumption that what happened last night was just a fever dream. Unfortunately for her, the man she had dreamt of having sex with last night was also in her bed, equally as naked and exposed as she was.

"Morning," Shiraishi whispered.

"Last night wasn't a fever dream, was it?" she asked.

"Afraid not. Are you alright? I might have been a little too rough, but I don't remember clearly after some point," he asked as he tried to recall any instances of hurting her.

"I'm alright." She sat up, dragging the blankets with her to cover her bare chest. "God, what the hell came over me last night?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I share an equal amount of the blame," he said in an attempt to comfort her. "I guess this is the second time we ended up like this," he chuckled to himself.

"I don't regret it," she responded firmly. "This wasn't the same as last time."

"Do you really like me? Are you sure?"

She looked over at him. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm a broken man, Sayumi. How can you be so sure you can like someone like that again?"

"Because I can accept that you're broken and that I can't fix you." She felt her face start to heat up as her eyes started to water. "Denying that you're broken or trying to fix you by myself is only going to hurt me in the end."

Shiraishi sighed before smiling. "I don't think I deserve to be with someone like you, if that's the case." He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest. "You spoil me."

"Allow me to," she demanded. "You deserve it, Kuranosuke."

He laughed. "If it means you're going to call me by my real name, then I will."