A/N: Despite having abandoned this fic for a while, I am back to write it now and hopefully I'll keep with it!

Reviews would be appreciated~

Sun And Sunflower

Yukimura x OC, Tokugawa x OC, Tanegashima x OC

Chapter Two

Tokyo felt different to Haruko.

Tokyo was her hometown, where she was born and where she mostly grew up. But it was still such a unfamiliar place to her. Even as she was sat between her siblings with their parents just on the other side of the table, Haruko still felt like an outsider. Being away for three years to attend school at Osaka meant that she grew up apart from her sisters. Haruko was completely out of the loop with their lives, meaning it was especially hard for her to slip into the conversations. All she could do was smile and nod, occasionally laughing when they did.

To others, they were a close family. To Haruko, however, they were no different to the people in her class who were...just people in her class.

Amidst all the chatters that were going on at once, Hikaru was the only person who noticed Haruko's discomfort. He suddenly stood up, breaking the conversations and all eyes were on him. He gave them his prize-winning smile and apologised for the interruption. "I'm heading out for a little practice, don't want to be out of shape while I'm on holiday. Haruko, do you mind being my partner?" Everyone else went back to their own conversations while Haruko stood up as well.

Hikaru quickly changed into his tennis gear, grabbing his bag and headed for the front door only to see that Haruko was already there waiting for him. With a bid of goodbye to the rest of the family, the two eldest Kobayashi children left the residence.

To use the word 'awkward' to describe their walk to the nearby public tennis court was an understatement. Besides Haruko, Hikaru was someone who was not particularly close with the family either. They were both similar in some ways; both living away from the family and getting out of touch with them. Hikaru, however, was in a better position because he went abroad for pro tennis. He would still call home occasionally and everyone was proud of him. Haruko though, was the complete opposite. When she chose a school in Osaka, her parents were opposed to the idea. It took an entire month of persuading, with Hikaru involved to convince them, before they finally agreed. The person they were walking right next to, was a person they used to know well but was now nothing more than someone they were related to.

"Mum told me that you are doing well at Osaka," Hikaru said, letting his bag down and unzipped it to get his racket out.

"That's what I tell her."

"Let's see what the captain of the girls' tennis team is made of."

Standing on the court like so with Hikaru brought back memories. A lot of them. Her older brother was the sole reason why Haruko even started playing tennis in the first place. She thought he looked cool when he was on the court and she wanted to be as cool as he was. Hikaru taught her everything, and they would practice together. When she got good enough, Haruko stood on the same side of the court with Hikaru to play mix doubles and they were a great duo. Those were the happiest times of Haruko's life. Back when it was just Hikaru and Haruko.

Then, Haruka was interested in tennis too. Everyone in the family always doted on Haruka, Haruko included. She was the youngest, and therefore, she was the precious baby. Hikaru, in particular, doted on her the most. When his little pumpkin wanted to learn tennis, he was more than delighted. Haruko, on the other hand, hated the idea. Tennis was when Haruko had her older brother all to herself but she had lost that. And once again, she went back to being the older sister that no one really paid attention to. Since then, the only times when Haruko would feel happy was when they were in Osaka to visit their grandmother. That was when she chose to study in Osaka.

All these were feelings that Haruko bottled up in herself. Watching as Hikaru was about to serve, Haruko knew that he had sensed something was wrong with her but he would never have guessed what it was that had always been bothering her.

For the next two hours or so, Haruko felt as if they were back to those days when they were mix doubles partners. She even had a smile on her face. For two hours, she had her older brother back. Deciding to take a little break, the siblings sat together by the side, both taking sips from their water bottle while calming down. "You've gotten better," Hikaru smiled, ruffling her hair. "With a little more training, you might even be able to play pro tennis."

"Pro tennis?" Haruko asked, shaking her head with a little smile. "That's not really what I want."

"What do you want?" Hikaru hummed.

Haruko went silent. What did she want? Even Haruko herself did not know. She did not have an answer for him. She played tennis because Hikaru did. She went to Osaka to escape from her family. Even now, as she was supposed to be choosing her university, her career, her future, Haruko had no idea. Every time her teacher asked, she would only ask for more time. That she would let her know next time.

"Haruko, what's really on your mind?" Hikaru asked. "The Haruko I knew...you're not a person of words, I know. That's Koharu. But you're not the type to just sit there and keep to yourself either. Unless there's something bothering you. Come on, talk to me. I'm your older brother, am I not? You used to tell me everything."

"Used to, Hikaru," Haruko pointed out. "You are my older brother, but only by blood. It doesn't matter what's on my mind. It never does. So just save it, okay? I gotta go, I've got something to do. You should head home. I'm sure Haruka would love to do something with you."

Before Hikaru could even stop her, Haruko was already up and leaving.

After running away from her brother, Haruko found herself walking around town aimlessly. She had enough time to herself to think over what happened earlier in the morning. Hikaru was just being an older brother. He sensed that something was wrong with Haruko and took her out to talk but she threw it back in his face and ran away. Then again, that was how she dealt with things usually. She would just run away from a situation that she could not handle. She would have to apologise but with a personality like hers, it would be hard for her to actually say the word 'sorry'.

Since she was out, Haruko figured she might as well do some errands of her own. She walked into a bookstore and started browsing the aisles, looking for a specific book that she wanted for a while now. Before she knew it, Haruko already had a few books in her arms but still had not found the one book she came looking for. Just as she was about to browse the last aisle, a magazine stand caught her eyes. The magazine placed right in the middle was what first got her attention. It was a men's magazine; a fashion magazine for teenage boys. It was not the magazine itself that got her, it was the familiar face on the cover. That...irritating face.

Her body acted on its own, her hand reaching out and Haruko flicked her finger at the face. She giggled a little at her own childish act when a voice from behind startled her.

"Whatcha doin', Lil Spring?"

"What the hell?!"

Every head in the store turned in Haruko's direction and she was quick to bow in apology, quickly moving away from the magazine stand. The person who startled her followed right behind. Haruko did not have to look to know who it was. There was only one person in this world who would call her 'Lil Spring' despite the constant reminder that her name was 'Haruko'. And that person was the reason why Haruko was flicking at the magazine cover.

"It's cute how yer Kansai accent comes out when yer surprised, Lil Spring."

"Stop calling me Lil Spring," Haruko hissed. "For the last time, my name is Haruko. Ha-Ru-Ko. Not Lil Spring."

"Hm...but Haruko means child of spring, ain't it? That makes ya Lil Spring!"

"What are you even doing in Tokyo?"

"Had a shoot here. We finished early so I wanna walk around. Not everyday I gotta come to the big city, y'know? Didn't think I would run into ya here. Then I saw ya lookin' at my magazine. I look good, don't I?"

Haruko rolled her eyes, ignoring the model's own compliment. As a model, there was no doubt that Tanegashima was good looking. Haruko thought so too, when she first met him. Until he opened his mouth. From then on, it was just annoyance after annoyance every time they met. From their very first meeting, Tanegashima thought it was cute to give her the nickname 'Lil Spring' which was already not a great start to a friendship. And for whatever reason, he seemed rather attached to her. No matter how rude she was to him, how much she would ignore him, she would still find him tagging along like they were best friends. She was thankful for the fact that she would only see him once a year for a couple of months. Otherwise, she would much prefer leaving the country.

"Whatcha doin' in Tokyo then, Lil Spring?" Tanegashima asked, running his finger along the spines of the books on the shelves. "Oh yeah, ya said yer family's in Tokyo, right? Are ya back to visit?"

"None of your business."

"Whatcha lookin' for?"

"A book...I don't think it's here. Ah, excuse me." Haruko, once again, ignored Tanegashima and walked off by herself, walking up to the sales assistant. "Sorry, do you know where I can find this book on photography? The cover of it is a monkey on a tree. I've been looking for the past half an hour or so but I can't find it."

While Haruko was busy with the sales assistant, Tanegashima went looking around himself. He went into a specific aisle and looking through the shelves, picking out a specific book. He then went around looking for Haruko and presented her with the book. The first look that Haruko gave him was that of irritation, because he interrupted her in the midst of explaining other details of the book to the clerk. Though, when she saw the book in his hand, the happiness on her face could not be fake.

"You found it!"

Since leaving the bookstore, Haruko had visited several other stores with Tanegashima tagging along. Her day ended with her sitting in a café and the model sitting opposite at the same table. Although she was not particularly keen on hanging out with him for the whole day, Haruko must admit that she was rather shocked when Tanegashima went up to the counter to order for them, coming back with a drink and a cake (caramel macchiato and a red velvet) that happened to be her favourites. Not even her own sisters knew what Haruko liked.

"How long are you planning to follow me around for? Didn't you say you have a shoot?"

"Had. I've got nothin' else to do so might as well follow ya around, huh? It's kinda fun, goin' on a date with ya, Lil Spring."

"First of all, it's Haruko. Secondly, this is not a date. Last but not least, this is Tokyo. There's plenty for you to do besides following me around."

"Hm...this date is more fun though," Tanegashima grinned while Haruko flinched at the word 'date'.

This was most definitely not a date. If anything, she was forced to hang out with him because no matter how many times she told him to go away, he was still tagging along. She would admit (but not out loud to Tanegashima) that while having him around was a little annoying, she was glad she did not have to spend the day by herself. She spent the day thinking about how irritating Tanegashima was, how she wanted to get away from him, instead of the little outburst she had with Hikaru that morning. With Tanegashima there, she did not have the time to even have one small thought about Hikaru.

"Plus..." Tanegashima continued, his elbow on the table with his head resting against his palm while he looked Haruko straight in the eyes. "Ya looked really sad this mornin'. Thought I could cheer ya up a lil."

Did she look sad?

Haruko straightened her back, feeling a little uncomfortable that Tanegashima had seen through her. Of all people, Haruko hated to say that he was the one who understood her the best. It did not matter if she had a smile on her face or a frown, he always knew what she was truly feeling. Whenever she was down, he would stay by her side until she had cheered up a little (most of the time by beating him up but it was not like he ever complained). He was the only person who knew when she was truly happy too, because he would always mention how he really liked her smile.

"Wanna talk 'bout it?"

"I would feel a lot happier if I don't have to see your stupid face."

"Ya love my stupid face."

In all honesty, if Haruko could punch him right in the face without getting into trouble, she would without a doubt. But she held herself back. Not because it was morally wrong but because she felt a little grateful that he was around. Instead, she looked down and ate her cake silently, much to Tanegashima's surprise because he was expecting some sort of comeback and at least a napkin thrown at him.

"Isn't he so good looking?"

"I know!"

"He looks a little familiar..."

"Isn't he a model? I've seen him on a magazine before."

"You should ask him."

"You ask him!"

"Of course I'm not! He's with that girl."

"Is she his girlfriend?"

"Of course...the good ones are always taken."

"Yeah but, don't you think she doesn't really suit him?"

"Yeah, he could do so much better."

The girls at the table just behind Haruko were not exactly good at whispering, or keeping the conversation to themselves. Everywhere he went, Tanegashima turned heads. It was not hard with his looks; he was tall, (really) good looking, and just the aura about him. Haruko was rather used to it whenever she was with him. It was a little difficult to expect a model not to garner attention when they were out and about. Whether or not people knew he was a model, he was still the centre of attention most of the time. And usually, Haruko would just let it be. They mostly just stared and whispered among themselves, some brave ones would ask for an autograph or a picture. But this time, they had to drag her into it.

"Didn't ya parents teach you not to talk 'bout others behind their back?" Her Kansai accent was seeping out without Haruko even noticing. This was becoming the norm whenever she got a little too angry. Having spent most of her summers with her grandmother and living semi-permanently in Osaka really brought out that Kansai accent in her. "And so what if I'm datin' him, hm? Important thing is that he chose me and not ya, right?"

Having being called out, the girls were too embarrassed to talk back. Generally, no one talked back to Haruko. They were mostly too busy fearing for their lives to even think about talking about to her. They scrambled to pick up their things and left the café, much to the pleasure of Haruko.

As she was straightening herself, she caught a glimpse of a smirk on Tanegashima's face. "Ya should speak more in the Kansai accent. It suits ya." That comment got Haruko a little self-conscious. Every single time she slipped into the Kansai accent, someone would point it out like it was something bad. She could not help it. When she was younger, she learnt the dialect because she thought it was fun that despite being in the same country, there were people who spoke a little differently. Her sisters learnt too. It then became natural for her to speak it because it was just easier to communicate when she was in Osaka. They stopped because there was no need for the dialect in Tokyo. And now, Koharu would make fun of her whenever she would slip.

"I'm going," she stated, finishing her coffee in one shot, leaving a half-eaten cake behind as she grabbed her shopping.

"Wait, where are ya goin'?"

"Home."

"I'll walk ya."

"Please don't."

But of course, this was Tanegashima and Tanegashima never listened. He kept a small distance between them but he walked all the way with Haruko until she reached home. Even as she stood outside the front door to her house, Tanegashima did not leave. Was he waiting until she was inside?

Just as she was about to put her key into the lock, the door opened. Hikaru stood in front of Haruko with a smile on his face though that smile slowly dissipated when he spotted Tanegashima hanging around the gate. He raised an eyebrow and looked to Haruko. "Your boyfriend?" Haruko rolled her eyes in response and pushed past Hikaru, heading straight for her room upstairs. Why was it that the first thought to enter someone's mind whenever they saw Tanegashima with Haruko would be that he was her boyfriend? "Alright...not your boyfriend," Hikaru said, closing the door behind him. "But he looks so familiar...where have I seen him before?"

"Seen who before?" Koharu asked, a bowl of strawberries in her hand. Hikaru reached to take one but Koharu pulled the bowl away while slapping at his hand at the same time. "Get your own. Seen who before?"

"Some guy walked Haruko home. Um...tall, white hair, dark skin. Quite good looking."

"Oh! Tanegashima-senpai!"

"Who?"

"Tanegashima Shuji. He goes to the U-17 camp but you wouldn't know cos you're already in Australia when he started participating. He's a model though, for some kind of fashion magazine so maybe that's where you've seen him before." Koharu popped a strawberry in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before speaking again. "He's actually a friend of Haruko-nee's, believe it or not."

Looking to the stairs, Hikaru gave a little smile. He was really worried about Haruko after the way she left in the morning. He tried calling her too but she left her phone at home. But to know that she had been with a friend, it meant that she was alright enough. In one way or another.

"Stop trying to steal my strawberries! Get your own, onii-chan!"