Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon nor any of the characters. Also I haven't played Tree of Tranquility so I'm kind of improvising after getting hyped up and reading game summaries so any errors… were kind of planned for. I'm addicted to Harvest Moon games but I can't afford a wii.

I sat swinging my legs absentmindedly on the railing of the fence as I watched the axe that Luke was swinging come down on the helpless tree again. He'd pretty well demolished most of it before I had gotten there and was now working on the thicker lower part of the trunk.

"I hope—thwack!—you don't mind," Luke spoke pacing himself so that I didn't miss words because of his chopping. "But—thwack!—we could only fit one bed in—wham!—you guys' house for now."

I shook my head. "It's not a problem at all. Actually while we stayed at the inn I can't really recall a night that Takeru slept in the other bed anyway."

The boy set the axe down for a moment and wiped his brow. "Well, you can always save up and upgrade later. We can add another bed, hell we can add another bedroom if you want. My dad knows more about the specifics though. If you're interested just stop by and talk to him." He came to lean on the fence beside me still managing to be taller than I was even though the fence was fairly tall. "Where do you work?"

"As of last night I was forced into slave labor under Chihaya," I muttered feeling annoyed at the very thought of seeing that guy's face today.

Luke slapped me on the back nearly knocking me off the fence. "Well, at least you don't have to work with His Grumpiness at Town Hall. Elli is okay, but Gil is as pissy as a hormonal girl. No offense."

I coughed. "Yeah, well. Gil does prance around like he has something shoved pretty far up there. I guess you're right. It could definitely be worse." It was nice here out in this field, but then maybe that was because I felt like a new woman after having gotten a decent bath. "How many other people have I not met in this town?" I questioned looking over at Luke.

"Hm, well you've haven't met the blacksmithing family, the goldsmith, or the family that runs the Brownie Ranch from what it sounds like. Have you been to the bar yet?"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Alcohol? Really Luke? Really?"

He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, they didn't put on an age limit. You should stop by there sometime. Kathy would get a kick out of it. You're brother is the talk of all the girls around here. Apparently he's a looker or something."

"Or something," I muttered crossing my arms. "The little girl at the tailor's wouldn't leave me alone about it."

Luke stared at me a moment. "Roomi?" he asked.

"I guess."

"She's our age," he stated. "Well, technically she's a year younger but still."

"That brat?" I stared at him in disbelief. My hands balled into fists. "If she so much as goes near Takeru I'll rip her limbs off and disembowel her."

The carpenter laughed. "Easy there killer. You're brother's probably said the same thing about a few guys already. At least I would imagine that's how it is considering you're kind of a topic of discussion too. You guys are twins right?"

I nodded staring at him wondering if he meant that I was a topic the same way my brother was. I doubted it. "Takeru and I are supposed to be identical twins, but we turned out a little off considering he's a good head taller than me and the subject of gender."

"Well, just so you know," Luke leaned closer with his hand up to his mouth as though he were going to tell me a secret. "I'm pretty sure if you talked to Tao he would be more than happy to take you fishing with him."

I frowned. Tao. Wasn't that the guy who… "Oh." I felt my face fall into discontent. "No thanks, I'll pass on that one. No way I would go out with a pervert like that."

Luke pulled back and studied me curiously. "Wha'd he do?"

My eyes flicked to the dark haired boy. "Molested me and stole my money."

The bandanna wearer's eyes widened. "That's a new one. I've never heard about him molesting someone before."

"All I wanted to do was get a fishing pole. He didn't have to insist to teach me how to fish or take me to my brother. Besides Chihaya tried to do the same thing and it only ended up with both of us drenched in river water having to sit in front of a stove in the kitchen at the inn." I smirked remembering.

"You fell in the river?"

I nodded.

"And Chihaya?"

"Yep."

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" Luke chortled holding his nonexistent gut as he leaned on the wooden fence for support. "Betcha he looked like a drowned rat!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Smelled like one too."

Then he stopped laughing suddenly. "Wait. But you sound like you hate Chihaya's guts."

"I do."

Those ember eyes bore into me for a moment. "Why do you spend so much time with him."

I gawked. "It's unintended obviously. I don't want to spend time with him at all, but he and Takeru keep finding ways of torturing me. Maybe one day I'll just snap and do something terrible to that jerk. Why do you think I would want to be around someone so fake the only time they're polite?"

"He's not bad looking."

I glowered. "So neither is Gil and I don't see women falling all over themselves to get with him. Just because Chihaya is the only guy in this town who actually takes care of his hair it doesn't mean I'm going to fall for him. Might steal his conditioner though."

"Hey! I take care of my hair!" he defended ripping off his bandanna. I studied the mop not very interested.

"What do you use?" I inquired.

"Same stuff I clean everything else with."

I slapped a hand over my face. "That's just gross. Get some shampoo. You can't use normal soap on your hair. It's not good for it."

Luke frowned. "You sound like Juli."

"LUKE!" someone belted. I jerked my head up to see a man who looked like my carpenter friend but was quite a bit burlier leaning his head out a window of the building closest to here that Luke explained he lived and worked in. "STOP CHATTING AND GET TO CHOPPING!"

"Yes sir," Luke stated making his way back over and taking the axe to toppled tree again.

"Speaking of Juli," I started. "He's bearable. Why do you sound like you don't like him?"

"He's a tranny," Luke sneered letting another blow hit the wood. I gasped and stared at the boy I had just been thinking this whole time was a nice guy.

"Actually, he's dressed in men's clothing he just has good tastes." I couldn't believe someone would insult that guy one anything other than ego but that's not what Luke was talking about. Juli's inflated self-image was not the topic of discussion, it was his appearance which had happened to be my favorite thing about him. Like Chihaya and his hair, I found the feminine characteristics more hygienic and refreshing which further pointed to why Luke wasn't my type. Too outdoorsy, too active, and way too much testosterone. "That style is mainstream where Takeru and I came from."

"Well, we live in a small town and here we just like to know easily what gender someone is. Guy, girl, guy, girl, guy, girl, tranny.—What's that?—It's aaaa… hm, either a girly looking guy or a girl who slightly resembles a guy."

Despite how much I was thoroughly offended I couldn't help but snicker a little. Not that what he was talking about was something to laugh at, but how he had said it. "Well if I must complain about any flaw in his character I would say it's that ego," I told him.

"Why what did he do?" Luke asked taking another hack at the wood.

I blushed remembering the incident. I had almost hit the ground, he'd caught me and then kept me in that same position for much longer than necessary. "Nothing important," I replied hoping he would drop it. Luke eyed me suspiciously for a moment before seeming to disregard the comment and resume his work. Then faintly I could hear the bells from the clock over town hall. I jumped slightly. It was six already? "Shoot."

"You going to work?" the carpenter asked.

"Yep," I said turning myself around on the fence and slipping off of it. "I'll see you later… if I don't kill Chihaya and have to go to jail."

He laughed. "Good luck."

I ran down the road from there. The town wasn't as far from this place as the Souffle Farm was so I wasn't too worried about being late. Quicker than I'd thought I was coming through the Kirsh Inn's door with my apples and Jiji.

"Oh good. You made it a little early," Chihaya stated poking his head out the door. I couldn't see what he was doing though. "I have an apron for you today." I went back to the kitchen and pulled the bag's strap over my head setting it on a clear cutting block and taking out one apple to show to my "boss". He stared at it a moment impassively before grabbing my wrist and biting into it while it was still in my hand. I cringed slightly. Ew. "Bringing me presents is not going to lighten your situation," he stated firmly.

"I didn't bring them for you idiot," I growled now mad that he had ruined a perfectly good apple. "I was going to cook with them."

He seemed surprised. "Then get to it." I could hear a twinge of curiosity in his voice. Was he seriously anticipating that I cook with fruits? I huffed and set the red fruit out on the counter shoving the one he had bitten into his hands with an irritated aura. I was short one apple now so I would have to settle for an apple pie.

"You can go ahead and finish off the one you destroyed," I muttered beginning to wash them off one by one.

He frowned. "You can use the half I didn't bite off of."

"No, I can't." I didn't look at him. "I only want whole apples unless a recipe calls for halves and this one doesn't. If you want to know the truth I get slightly OCD about cooking so I would quit while you're not on my list." I could have sworn he snickered. Jerk.

Footsteps could be heard just outside of the kitchen, but I didn't look up from my task of now cutting the apples. "Chihaya-sempai?" I heard and knew immediately who it was. "Mom told me to ask if you had an extra spatula she could borrow for dinner. Oh—hi Arika! What are you doing here?"

I smiled at her. "Hey. I'm just planning the death of the guy who wears clips in his hair." The knife in my hand glinted.

"Oh get over it," Chihaya grumbled. "Just because we are making you work…"

"You're working here?" Mai asked.

"Well, it's not on purpose," I grunted. "Why would I want to work with someone who RUINS MY INGREDIENTS BEFORE I CAN USE THEM!" I could practically feel him roll his eyes. "If I could I'd trade for the day shift with you. Actually if you want you can trade jobs with me!" I beamed suddenly proud of my idea. It would definitely work. Mai liked Chihaya and this way she could spend more time with him.

"Impossible Miss Pissy-Pants," the boy intervened. "I have to work with someone who can actually cook edible food."

My mouth fell open. I knew full well that had been a direct hit to poor Mai. I glanced at her and she was staring at her shoes. "Honey, I'm sure your cooking is fine," I reassured.

Chihaya laughed and I was about ready to smack him. "Go ahead and delude her. She'll never get better unless she knows how terrible her skills are."

"She'll never get better if all she gets is put down!" I stated slamming the knife down on the countertop and rounding on him. "When I learned to cook, even when it was terrible, my dad ate it like it was the best food in the world and because of positive reassurance I got better. If you got a hard time learning then it sucks for you, but you don't have to be so harsh on her!" He stared at me indifferently for a moment before looking sideways and handing Mai a spatula. The girl then quietly backed out of the room seeming uncomfortable from the tension.

"You're an ass," I seethed turning back toward my work and continuing. He didn't say anything.

"Arika-chan!" I had just put the pie into the oven while working on other dishes when he pranced up to the window and leaned on the edge of it reaching through and grabbing a lock of my hair.

"Juli," I stated acknowledging him. He smirked.

"When did you start working here honey?" he asked dropping my hair and patting my cheek. I continued to mix the pink fruit salad someone had ordered.

Still stirring. "Yesterday."

"Oh, I see. Chihaya is trying to keep the new girl all to himself hm. That's too bad. It would be absolutely wonderful if you could come with me to get a drink." Juli smiled when I looked up.

"I don't drink."

His face faltered. "Well, there went that plan. Poor little fish boy will be heartbroken." Was he really trying to be a matchmaker? I frowned and put the contents I'd been stirring on a plate and set it up on the ledge so Chihaya could serve it to the customer.

"I'm not interested," I told him.

Juli feigned shock and covered his mouth after eliciting a small gasp. "Oh my, and what kind of man are you interested in?"

"Do you honestly expect me to start the gossip fire?" I smiled up at him. I knew if I answered that he would surely enough find someone in the village who matched the take in some way and spread it all around that we had a "thing" for each other. "None of the guys around here." I knew the comment wouldn't bother him. If he wanted me to like him he would just convince himself that I was lying. Most likely though… he had eyes for someone else. Someone like Juli didn't just fall for a girl because she was new and different.

"Someone back home then?" he pressed leaning in a little further.

"Nope."

"Have you ever even had a boyfriend?" He seemed completely curious and I was about to make him squeal like a little girl because I knew he wanted me to say no.

"Never."

I heard a slight choking noise behind me and turned to see Chihaya gripping the counter and going into a coughing fit. I looked back a Juli who shrugged before going over and pounding on the curly headed waiter's back. "Why don't you go outside? It's not good to do that around the food," I offered.

I watched as he left the kitchen out the back and shook my head when I looked at Juli again he had a grin spread across his face. Uh oh… "What's this?" Juli inquired. "An interesting development to say the least."

"I hate the guy's guts Juli," I stated now taking over Chihaya's cooking as well.

"I believe you, but I believe he doesn't feel that way. Looks like Tao will have some competition." He snickered. I rolled my eyes.

"You're delusional. That coughing was coincidence." I shook the beverage someone had ordered mixing the alcoholic contents with the other flavors.

"Well, no matter how much you deny it love, I think you're wrong," he sang.

I slammed the drink down on the ledge just beside Juli and the man jumped. "You ordered this?"

"Why thank you lovey!" He replied. He took the martini from me pleasantly. "I'll inform Tao on this new 'coincidence' so he will be ready to fight for you darling." Then he sighed. "Love is so beautiful."

"I think you watch too many dramas," I replied continuing with preparing food as Chihaya re-entered the kitchen. I handed the boy a full plate pointing to the customer and he was off to deliver it. "Besides, that's just infatuation, not love."

"Well, I think this is going to be rather interesting," Juli said taking a sip of the purple smelly drink. I could easily smell the alcohol. "All because you are interesting. Caio! I must return to my table."

"Bye Juli."

I went back to work pulling out some oranges from a bowl on a shelf and running it over a fine cheese grater. My so-called boss waltzed back into the kitchen and right to my side his eyes on the orange in my hand. "What are you using that for?" he asked.

I looked up at him—being that he was about my brother's height, perhaps taller—and realized that he was very uncomfortably for me situated in my space bubble. "It's orange zest," I said quietly leaning away from him. "For the chicken…"

"Really?" He frowned and watched as I started grating it again and then set it down. "I have never seen that done before."

"Well if I have any left over I'll let you try it then."

"You cooked a lot for your family didn't you?" he started moving back to making drinks as he was supposed to be doing. I nodded and stuck the said dish onto the plates in the right amount setting some sage at the center as I had seen at various restaurants that I'd visited. Then I grabbed a fork, shanked a piece of chicken, and handed it to Chihaya. He took it without hesitation though when I glanced at him I was a little surprised to see the barely visible blush. It was just chicken, what was the big deal? He took a bite and his eyes widened a little.

"Is it worthy of our customers?" I asked sarcastically knowing full well it was perfectly fine.

"What else can you make with oranges?" he questioned after swallowing his bite. Ah, so it wasn't the chicken. I made a mental note to tell Mai to make this guy an orange spice cake.

I shrugged. "I just learned to do a few things from watching TV is all. Takeru doesn't really like citrus so I'm a lot better with berries and other fruits." I took a spoon then and peeled the orange's skin off and handed it to him. "I'm a lot better at just making specialty cakes though since that was my job. Meals aren't my strong suit."

"That's what your brother told me." So Takeru had been blabbing about me huh? Oh yay.

I handed Chihaya the two chicken plates and he took them out. He was back quickly enough. "I have a personal question." He "hmphed" and I continued. "Would you ever consider Mai? As a possible love interest I mean."

"Would you ever consider Luke?" he retorted.

"Not for more than a friend."

"And Mai is merely a little sister to me if even that," he explained flipping an omelet in a pan. "She's too moody and clingy. She still has a long way to go in becoming a mature woman. She still acts like a lovesick schoolgirl."

Well I guess that made sense. "She really does like you," I told him. "She's trying really hard and it's kind of like a personal blow to watch you put her down like you did earlier. I was like that once upon a time too. Most girls go through a phase like that so we can pretty easily sympathize with each other."

Chihaya's hand landed on my shoulder and he spun me to face him looking dead serious as he stared at me directly in the eye. Yet again he was way too far past the boundary of my personal space bubble. His face was at an intimate distance, though I'm sure he didn't realize it. "Mai has been like this since we were little kids." His voice was annoyed. "It's not a phase."

"…Oh." I stated kind of surprised that he seemed so upset over it. I guess it could get a little tiresome after a while.

"Here's the spa—tula…" Wasn't this the perfect moment for Mai to come back. I cursed silently. I couldn't imagine how this looked to her. Chihaya absentmindedly took the tool from her and tossed it with a clang into the metal sink behind him one hand still encircling my shoulder awkwardly. Poor thing. I looked over at her trying my hardest to put a little more distance between the curly-headed man and me. She was frowning. Hm, I hadn't expected her to be the hostile type, but I saw it coming. "I thought you were my friend Arika." Her voice was one that made me think that were we not before witnesses she would gleefully rip my head off. I now understood what Chihaya had meant by mood swings. Was this girl bipolar?

My face flushed, but not because I was embarrassed. I was pissed. "Guess you're right. She does have the astounding maturity level of a thirteen year old."

Mai's blue eyes flicked to Chihaya in hurt before she practically spat flames coming into the kitchen and tearing the evergreen colored apron off of me. "You're fired," she sneered.

I smirked. "I'm free you mean?"

"Mai!" Chihaya grabbed the cloth from her looking just about mad enough to slap her. He didn't though. "You don't have the authority to fire an employee. Stop acting like a child. Perhaps Arika could be a role model for you. If you really intend to impress me, I think you should apologize and attempt to get her to let you be her apprentice. Even after she sticks up for you, you treat her so disrespectfully. It's disgraceful."

"Damn," I cursed as he shoved the apron into my arms. I just wanna' go home and sleep! Drama is overrated and there is way too much of it here. "If I have to stay here until three again can we turn the soap opera off?" Both of them turned to glare at me but I wasn't intimidated. "After today I'm going to resign. Tomorrow I'll apply for work at the clinic or something a little more toned down."

"No, you won't," Chihaya stated. "You work under me. No resigning, no other jobs aside from the farm when you get it. And those are your brother's words by the way."

I grabbed the orange bowl and dumped it into the trashcan. Chihaya's mouth dropped open. I then tossed the apron in there as well and grabbed my bag, Jiji on my shoulder, and out the backdoor I went. No one. Absolutely no one was going to force me to do anything that I didn't want to. I didn't mind baking, but these people were ridiculous. They pushed my buttons, pushed and pushed until the button wore down entirely. I was at the point where the button had pretty much disappeared.

Jiji whistled. "He didn't want you to leave you know," he stated leaning against my neck.

"Oh well," I said in a sing-song voice. A smile spread across my face. I knew Takeru would never say anything to that extent. Jerkface had made it up. My twin knew better than that, and he would never force me to do anything I really didn't want to do. He had suggested I work with Chihaya because he thought I wanted to go back to my old job. The only person making me do it was Chihaya.

It was late and technically I wasn't supposed to be out of work so I figured, hell why not? I would go visit Kotomi since I had promised to do so and not accomplished it yet. The road there was perilous. I tripped over a stray cat, almost got trampled by some really big guy who was running around drunken in the street, and then—to top it all off—I got to Chiffon Tailoring to find that the door was locked and I had no way of talking to the timid girl and getting her to warm up to me. It was ten by this time so I decided to head back and see my brother for the very first time that day.

Entering Cresson's and Rucola's home for what would hopefully be the last night I trudged dragging my seemingly heavier suitcase up to the room my brother was supposed to be staying in. I set it by his duffle bag and then went back downstairs and into the kitchen to see Rucola washing some dishes. I had no idea where everyone else was.

"Would you like some help?" I asked. She turned seeming surprised to have a visitor. When she saw me she smiled and nodded.

I took the drying dishes from one side of the sink and wiped them off with a towel before finding their places in the cupboards. "Taylor, Anise, and Takeru are outside somewhere. They finished work early today and I guess they wanted to go talk." Rucola explained.

I shrugged and picked up a plate to dry. "Did Takeru seem mad at me at all?" I wondered if he was over the whole running away incident yet.

"He just seemed a little worried is all dear. He's a good brother," she said handing me another dish. "I've never seen my son so inspired. He bonded to your brother like they had been best friends from birth."

I smiled. Good. That's how it was supposed to be. Takeru needed friends like Taylor. I approved fully. Now all that was left was to get him a girlfriend that was halfway decent and to keep that Roomi girl as far away from him as possible. As though he had heard me talking about him their little group came through the door. Taylor was slumped over a very pretty girl's shoulders who I recognized as Anise. Takeru followed closely before. Unless my eyes had deceived me, these guys had been to the bar.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at them as disapprovingly as I'm sure Rucola did. "Just take him to his room Anise," she said tiredly and her daughter complied. She didn't seem to have drunk anything… or at least not enough to have tipped the edge. Although Takeru was putting up a rather flawless façade, I was not fooled. Finishing off the dishes I walked the span of the kitchen, grabbed his arm, and led him to the room we would share for one last night.

"How dare you," I muttered practically ripping the sheets back on the bed and forcing him to sit on it as I tore off the shoes he had neglected to remove at the door. Some would call it controlling, others would probably just think I was overreacting. I was cautious and I despised alcohol. It was fine for others to drink it, but my own twin? I pushed him back forcefully on the bed making him flat out on his back. He never fought me. A sober Takeru would have complained, most likely kicked me for good measure too. I picked up his legs tossing them under the covers and then flipped the cloth over him. The cheesy smile on his face made me sick.

"Ne Arika," he slurred grabbing my hand and pulling me on top of him. I felt my stomach slosh uncomfortably. "You look nice today. Why weren't you at work with your boyfriend?"

"I'm not talking to you like this," I grumbled trying to get him to let go of me. His other arm flew up restraining me.

"I don't want you to be with him because we were always supposed to be together. We don't need other people sis." Takeru pulled me closer hugging me to his quilt covered chest. He reeked of booze. "If you like that cooking bitch I'll kill him in his sleep. Then no one will come between us again."

"You don't know what you're saying Takeru," I told him still struggling to get away.

Still he didn't let go and I fought to get away but his arms wouldn't budge. After a moment I just gave in and lay limp against him. "Please don't leave me. I love you Arika."

I didn't say anything, but I silently thought about what he had said. Why had he said it? I knew that he was worried about me wanting to go home. Those years he'd pent himself up in his room I'd still been there. Now he was scared of us being separated, not only by space but by someone else. "I'm not going anywhere Takeru."