Chapter 11: A very short interlude
"Please be careful, Aoi-chan. You don't want to go back to the hospital, do you?" Hanayuki called out.
"Hai, okaachan!" Aoi-chan shouted back, before running off to another corner of the playground.
"Wait for me, Aoi-chan!" Sakuragi called after her, jogging slightly to keep up with the little girl. Behind him, Rukawa was slowly making his way after them.
It's been a week since the shocking revelation of Hanayuki's past. Fortunately, those who were present on that fateful day were careful not to bring it up again, and for that, Hanayuki was grateful.
"So..." Fujima spoke up. He was sitting on the park bench beside Hanayuki, watching Rukawa and Sakuragi play with Aoi-chan. "Things have taken a turn for the better, huh?"
"I guess you can say that," Hanayuki replied softly. I guess you can say that...
"Well, at least Rukawa's beginning to accept Aoi-chan," Sendoh chipped in. "Which is good start, ne?"
"I guess..." said Hanayuki.
"What's with all the guesses, Yuki?" Fujima asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hanayuki heaved a sigh. "Well, I don't really know myself. This past week has been rather... surreal. On one hand, I felt relieved that it's all out in the open. On the other, I can't help but feel a little awkward whenever I'm with them."
"Don't worry, Hana. Didn't you feel the same when we first found out? You'll get used to it soon enough," Sendoh assured her.
"I guess..."
"There you go again," Fujima said exasperatedly.
Hanayuki laughed. "Alright, alright. I don't guess. I know that I'll get used to it soon. Is that good enough for you?"
"At least it's better than I guess."
Meanwhile...
"Ne, Hana-niichan, push me higher," said Aoi-chan. She was sitting on the swing, and Sakuragi was pushing her while Rukawa stood aside and watched.
"Sorry Aoi-chan, but your okaachan specifically told me not to push any harder than I am right now," he replied.
"But Hana-niichan, you're not even pushing," she whined.
Indeed, the swing was barely moving more than 2 inches forwards and backwards.
"Do'aho, do you know how to push a swing or not?" said Rukawa.
"Stay out of this, kitsune. I don't need you to tell me how to push a swing," Sakuragi warned.
"Whatever. Move aside, do'aho." Rukawa moved forward, practically shoving Sakuragi out of the way. "This is how you push a swing," he said, and proceeded to push the swing so that it moved exactly 3 inches forwards and backwards.
"Kae-niichan, you're not pushing either," Aoi-chan complained.
"This is high enough Aoi-chan, and from now on, don't call me Kae-niichan anymore."
"Then what do I call you, Kae-niichan?" asked Aoi-chan.
"Kaede-touchan," came the reply.
"NANI??!" Sakuragi burst out.
Ignoring her Hana-niichan, Aoi-chan asked, "Why?"
"Yeah! Why should she call you that, kitsune?" asked Sakuragi.
"Because she's going call me that in the future anyway, do'aho. Might as well start now," Rukawa answered, his face expressionless as usual.
"You're one overconfident guy, aren't you, kitsune? I mean, how sure are you that Hana-chan will definitely marry you in the future?"
"I don't have to be sure, do'aho. I know."
"Geez."
"And Aoi-chan, you shouldn't call your Hana-niichan Hana-niichan anymore too," Rukawa continued. "From now on, call him Hana-jiichan."
"NANI??!" Sakuragi burst out again.
"Why?" asked Aoi-chan.
"Because he is your okaachan's brother, and therefore is your ojiichan. That's why you shouldn't call him Hana-niichan, but Hana-jiichan. Do you understand, Aoi-chan?"
The little girl looked as if she was going to refuse, and Rukawa waited with anticipation. After what seemed like forever, Aoi-chan nodded her head vigorously. "Hai, Kaede-touchan!"
Unable to resist, Rukawa smiled at the response, and Sakuragi marvelled at the fact that he was able to live to see the day Rukawa actually smiled, though not at him.
He's got it bad for Hana-chan...
---
Later...
"NANI??!" Fujima and Sendoh burst out together.
"Yeah, that's how I reacted too," said Sakuragi.
Hanayuki was too surprised to say anything.
"Alright! That's it!" Sendoh went down on one knee and opened his arms, beckoning to Aoi-chan. "Aoi-chan, come here and give your Aki-touchan a hug."
"Oh no. Not you too, Sendoh. I thought you had more sense than Rukawa," Fujima reprimanded.
Rukawa snorted.
Fujima turned on him immediately. "What's that supposed to mean, Rukawa?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.
"I think he's saying that you're just jealous," said Sakuragi.
"Are you sure that's all he's saying?"
Sakuragi looked annoyed. "Look, I know what I've heard, alright? I mean, I don't listen to kitsune language for one whole year and not learn a thing or two about it. He said exactly what I've told you. He said that you're just jealous because you didn't want him or anybody else to take over your current position as Aoi-chan's substitute father."
"Well, kitsune language or not, I think you're being a little overconfident here Rukawa," said Fujima. "How sure are you that Hanayuki's definitely going to marry you in the future?"
"That's what I told him," Sakuragi said. "But as if it would get through that thick skull of his."
Rukawa just looked at them nonchalantly and turned his attention to Aoi-chan, who was currently in Sendoh's arms. "Would you like to have some ice-cream, Aoi-chan?" he asked her.
"Hai!" Aoi-chan replied enthusiastically.
Rukawa approached Sendoh and reached out to take Aoi-chan into his arms. It would have been a tug-of-war between the two blue-eyed boys, if it wasn't for Hanayuki who cleared her throat and looked at them pointedly. Reluctantly, Sendoh let Rukawa have Aoi-chan.
"Wai! Arigatou, Kaede-touchan!"
Rukawa smirked rather triumphantly at this, while Sendoh felt as if it was the end of the world. Fujima wasn't too bothered by it, since Aoi-chan still called him otouchan, but to say that he didn't mind it at all would be total denial on his part.
As for Hanayuki, she felt... guilty. She could see that Rukawa was doing his very best to fit in, and she loved him more because of that, but she couldn't help thinking that he deserved much more than this.
"Okaachan!"
Hanayuki snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Aoi-chan calling her.
"Yes, Aoi-chan?"
"Kaede-touchan asked me to ask you if you want ice-cream too."
Hanayuki smiled at the little girl. "Hai. Let's go together, shall we?" She turned to the other three. "You guys want to come along?"
"You bet I want to come along," Sendoh said quickly, earning himself a glare from Rukawa.
Fujima shrugged. "Why not?" He also got a glare from Rukawa.
"This Tensai had better come along to make sure everything is fine," Sakuragi declared. Needless to say, he too got a glare from Rukawa.
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAP! (Note: sparks of electricity flying between the four boys)
"Anou, can we go now?" asked Hanayuki, breaking them up.
Rukawa looked at Hanayuki, before glancing at the other three, as if to tell them that if it wasn't for Hanayuki, he would have gladly stood firm and glared at them for all he wanted.
Sendoh and Fujima looked back at him, as if to reply that he isn't the only one who knows how to glare, and that they too, are more than willing to glare at him for the rest of their lives.
Sakuragi looked as if he was saying that the Tensai is not afraid of anything and can glare better than anyone.
They glared at each other again, and sparks of electricity began to fly once more.
Hanayuki let out a sigh of exasperation.
Aoi-chan merely blinked at the scene before her.