1.) Hello! Sorry for the brevity (864 words)!

2.) I seem to have a general view on the rest of the story, and I have to say, we're close to the finish line!

Disclaimer in earlier chapters

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty: Me, Hayate, and the Rain

Enter the mind of Sumire Niino. As an announcer, one would expect that she was a loud loud and talkative person. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She lived for the quiet moments of life, sipping tea while overlooking the view from her classroom window. She was also a pretty average person: average looks, average figure, average social class. Everything about her was average. She didn't mind that fact though. To her, everything was perfect just the was it was.

If that were the case, then why did she feel the need to reach out to Akihisa?

"We're here, the Kogure household," said Sumire, waving her hand in a "look-at-the-panoramic-view" manner. The brunette nodded, his face full of determination. It was that look that answered her question.

She was in love... with him.

There was no other explanation. Right off the bat Akihisa showed off his good side, his eagerness to help Aoi a good thing from Sumire's purview. Then all the small talk from the school to the estate cemented the fact that they were somewhat compatible. Then that face, that handsome face, won her over. She was definitely in love. At the very least the butterflies in her stomach meant infatuation. She hoped she had a chance...

...then remembered what they came here for: Aoi Kogure.

"Aoi, we know you're up there! Answer me!" cried a desperate Akihisa, banging a fist on the fence. After a few minutes of waiting, Sumire's frown turned upside down. Even if Akihisa had feelings for Aoi, if she didn't return it, the boy was all Sumire's!

"Akihisa," said Sumire, choosing her words carefully. Her background as an announcer helped tremendously. "I don't think Aoi is going to respond. I think we should just go home-"

"I can't leave till I talk with her," interjects Keima, refusing to go down the Sumire route. "Sorry, but you're going to have to walk home alone." This disappointed her greatly, but she decided that she could wait for his morale to break.

"I can wait a little longer." And wait they did. Every now and then, Akihisa would call out for Aoi, and she would reply with a harsh rejection. With every rejection, Sumire's hopes rose. Of course, that was till the rain fell. Sumire didn't want to get a cold, but she didn't want to leave Akihisa. She hoped that once she left, Akihisa would come to his senses and leave, before he gets sick.

"Sorry Keima, but I have to go," said Sumire as she ran from the scene, leaving Keima all alone. For some reason, the rain brought Keima a bit of nostalgia, and reminded him of her, the girl that can knock Keima from his throne.

Chihiro Kosaka.

He was interrupted from his reverie by the umbrella that smacked his face, and the slam of a window that followed. Keima looked up, to see Aoi's reflection leave the window. Keima had to conceal a smirk. That was classic Tsundere behavior. He opened the umbrella, and after five minutes, the door opened, revealing Aoi.

"J-Just get inside."

Keima Katsuragi, who was sitting next to a cozy fireplace, was treated to warm green tea, which was exquisite. Aoi sat across him, just gazing at him as he brought the cup up to his lips to lap up the beverage. Without even being asked, Aoi decided to share her anxieties with him.

"Hayate... is my younger brother. My adopted younger brother. He was a nice young man two years younger than me. It was obvious that we weren't related by blood. He has blonde hair, while mine is a shade of blonde. Of course, I loved him like a brother, but... some people didn't realize that. It was partially my fault, giving him the cold shoulder due to him forgetting to put the toilet seat up. I know that I was overreacting, but I wanted to make him feel guilty... just a little."

As she told this story, a few tears leaked out, but Aoi made no move to wipe them. Neither did Keima. "Little did I know that the little guilt trip I wanted to send him on actually made him run away from home. Those two bumbling idiots mistook my cold shoulder as rejection, and they took that as an 'OK' to bullying. They tortured him mentally, and I took his look of depression as an aftereffect of the guilt trip I sent him on. I-I was so stupid! And instead of asking Mom and Dad to transfer to a different school, he just ran away! Just because he wanted to be less of a burden!"

That was when she broke down. She knelt in front of the coffee table, put her head in her arms, and let it all out. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder, so she looked up, her gaze landing on Akihisa's warm smile.

"I know that I'll never be able to replace a lost brother, but just know that I'll always be there for you." Keima lifted up her chin, and pressed his lips against hers, sending the Spirit skyward.

3.) Please comment on how I executed Sumire Niino and Aoi Kogure in your review! Of course, if you feel a little lazy, a simple Hi! would siffice (though the longer the better!)

4.) Hayate is a reference to Hayate no Gotoku, but with a different hair-color.

See ya!