Author's Notes: Okay, changing my upload schedule to every other day from now until the last three chapters. This times out well because that means I'll be able to have this completely up on my birthday... Alright! Here's some more Ryoji!

~12 NOVEMBER 2009~

Hamuko put on her headphones as she arrived at the station alone. She smirked as she looked forward to the lunch her brother was making for her that day. Nii-san should know better than to be breaking dorm regulations on a school night, she giggled to herself. Fuuka-chan keeps spoiling him, but they do seem happy. The brunette frowned to herself as a strange sense of loneliness began gnawing at her again so she quickly turned on her music player in the hopes of getting rid of it.

"Time~ Old dry winds go by~ Lone air comes quietly~" Hamuko hummed along to the song as she waited for the next monorail. "Time~ Old dry winds go by~ Uncertain space you need to fill in~" She quickly boarded the closest car and found a seat. "Every time goodbye to yesterday~ Greeted by today~ Smiling to tomorrow~ No one really belongs~ Each time we hope to stay around~"

"I know how you feel~" a voice softly sang as a boy wearing suspenders stood in front of her. "Beyond your words~" Ryoji smiled at her as she took off her headphones. "Hamuko-chan?"

"Ryoji-kun…" Hamuko stared up at him in surprise.

"G'morning!"

The girl looked around the shuttle but didn't see any other students as the two of them were rather early. "What a coincidence," she absently said out loud.

The boy chuckled at her. "Some people might call it 'destiny'." He pointed out the window behind her. "Look… The sun's shining off the ocean beautifully. This view really lifts my spirits…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Hamuko smiled as Minato sometimes did the same thing whenever they walked to school together. "I think I understand."

"Huh? Really?" Ryoji cast his blue eyes over her and softly smiled. He chuckled to himself. "I'm glad to hear that. I thought that the world was being especially dazzling today… Could that be because you're here with me?" He laughed pleasantly and Hamuko found that it sounded very pure, like that of a child's. Ryoji suddenly stopped as the monorail slowed to a halt. "Oh, we're almost at school already. That's a shame…"

"Is school fun?" Hamuko asked him curiously. Although it's only been a few days, the new junior had become immensely popular. Despite all the girls flocking to him though, the brunette couldn't help but notice how his blue eyes didn't quite light up unless he was with Minato or herself.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun," Ryoji nodded. He walked by her side and gave her a concerned frown. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"No, it's definitely fun," Hamuko reassured him. "I have nii-san and all my other friends there."

"That's good," the boy told her as he wore a small smile. "I didn't have to worry about you after all. You don't seem like the type of person who would enjoy being alone anyway." A sad expression painted over his face. "To be honest, I don't like seeing people feeling lonely… It makes me so sad that it hurts… Is that strange?"

"No," the brunette shook her head. "I'm the same way."

Ryoji seemed relieved at that so he glanced up at the sky. "You know… School's probably fun for me because I know I can see you there. Everything's glimmering there, just like this ocean…" he extended his arm towards the coast beside them. He let out a kind laugh and Hamuko smiled at how carefree he seemed. "Oh, we're here," he smiled to her as they passed the school gates. "I hope today turns out to be fun!" He offered the brunette his hand.

Hamuko didn't really know why, but she accepted it. "Yeah!" She gave him a bright smile as the Fortune Arcana flashed again in her mind, dispelling any and all of the loneliness she had been worried about before.

~13 NOVEMBER 2009~

"Itadakimasu!" Hamuko laughed as she dug into her bento.

Minato sighed as he picked up his own pair of chopsticks. "I told you before that I don't need you waking me up on the mornings that come after a visit to Tartarus."

"Well, sorry for being worried about your attendance record," the brunette pouted at him. "And you should really be careful, nii-san. You wouldn't want to get Fuuka-chan in trouble now."

"I know that!" the blue-haired boy glared at her as she laughed at him. He grumbled as he ate his own lunch. "I can't believe I'm stuck making lunch for you all week… All this cooking cuts into the time I could be spending asleep." His sister sternly frowned at him so he nervously coughed into his hand. "Or you know... with Fuuka..." he muttered while avoiding her gaze.

Hamuko chuckled at that before she noticed the two extra lunchboxes her brother made. "So who are those for?"

Minato smiled as the door to the classroom slid open. "One is for my girlfriend," he stated with a nod.

"Hello, Hamuko-chan!" Fuuka sat beside the brunette.

"I didn't know you were joining us for lunch, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko blinked at her.

The teal-haired girl blushed. "I've been spending a lot of time with Minato-kun and it's been a while since you and I hung out."

"You two really were meant for each other," Hamuko sighed. "Nii-san, I'm fine."

"Really?" Minato eyed his sister carefully. "Because according to Aigis, on nights we go to Tartarus, you somehow end up in Shinji-nii's room the next morning."

"I get tired," Hamuko said as an excuse. "Harabah's a weird block. It's really dark, colorful, and a bit nauseating. And all those stairs to climb on top of that? Shinji-kun's room is convenient."

"Uh-huh…" her brother gave her a deadpan stare.

"Come on. I see you getting dizzy in Tartarus, nii-san," Hamuko stubbornly argued. She looked over to the girl sitting beside her for some support. "Tell him, Fuuka-chan. Doesn't he look a bit tired to you?"

The brown-eyed junior tensed up as she looked between the concerned twins. "Um…" She found it difficult to side with either sibling so she uncomfortably searched for a way out of the situation. "Oh! Minato-kun… why is there an extra bento on your desk?"

Hamuko blinked at the untouched lunch. "Oh, yeah… You never told me who it was for."

Minato frowned at both girls as they were purposefully distracting him, but he sighed as he allowed himself to take the bait. "Ryoji asked me to make him a lunch too."

"And you said yes why?" the brunette asked him.

The blue-haired boy blankly stared at his food. "The same reason I made you lunch…"

Hamuko was silent at that. After a while, she burst out in laughter. "I can't believe he's blackmailing you, too."

"It's not blackmail," a voice similar to Minato's spoke up. Ryoji smiled as he sat at his desk. "I'm just keeping a secret for him and Minato-kun's thanking me."

"That's a very nice way of describing it, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko snickered.

"I'm sorry to put you through all this trouble, Minato-kun," Fuuka frowned at the blue-haired boy.

Minato quickly grabbed her hand. "N-not at all, Fuuka! I'd do anything to protect you." He stared at her with grave determination. "In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing."

Ryoji nodded in agreement. "How very chivalrous of you, Minato-kun." He opened up the lunchbox and smiled. "So this is how a traditional Japanese box lunch is prepared…"

"So you've really never had a bento before, Ryoji-kun?" Hamuko stared at the transfer student in surprise.

The raven-haired boy shook his head. "This will be my first." He bit into the octopus-shaped sausage and brightened. "Wow, such care and thoughtfulness…" Ryoji turned towards Minato. "I can feel the tenderness you put into preparing this for me, Minato-kun." He smirked at Fuuka. "You're very lucky to be dating him."

"Thank you?" Fuuka blushed.

"Don't tease her." Minato frowned at Ryoji.

The scarf-wearing junior laughed. "I'll savor each bite as I enjoy my first Japanese home-cooked meal."

"Just shut up and eat already!" the blue-haired boy huffed.

Fuuka curiously stared at the transfer student. "Ryoji-kun, you were overseas until recently, right?"

"That's right," the new boy nodded with a smile. "I've been to all sorts of places, but it's good to finally return to Japan. My parents were born here but I'm not very familiar with the culture…"

"What was your old school like?" Hamuko asked.

Ryoji paused and frowned as he tried to remember. "My old school?" He shook his head. "It wasn't like Gekkoukan… Everyone here is so nice… I'm so happy I can make so many friends…"

Hamuko blinked as the boy's blue eyes glowed in a strange sadness. Is Ryoji-kun actually like Minato and me? That loneliness… It hurts…

Minato seemed to sense it too as he frowned at his new seating partner. "Hey," he eyed Ryoji's bento, "if you don't hurry up and finish it, I'm pretty sure Hamuko will steal your omelet."

"Nii-san, that's something you'd do," Hamuko glared at her brother.

Fuuka smiled at the twins as they began trying to pick at each other's meals. "You two…"

Ryoji chuckled. "This is fun," he stated. "It's like a double date at school."

"Like hell it's like that," Minato knit his eyebrows together as he decided to just hand over half his omelets for Hamuko's octopus sausages.

Hamuko paused too and looked down at her watch. "No," she agreed with her brother, "it's not like that at all…"

Her older brother stared at the brunette in concern before looking towards Fuuka. The teal-haired girl sensed it too and shared a frown with him. Ryoji noticed something was amiss but he just gave Hamuko a soft smile. "Even so, you have to admit that this is fun," the transfer student gently said. "Being able to enjoy lunch with friends… this would also be my first…"

The three other juniors silently stared at him. Hamuko knit her eyebrows together as something about the raven-haired boy resonated with her. Ryoji-kun… Without thinking, she placed her hand over his. "Speaking of firsts, you've never been to the strip mall, have you? Why don't I show you around Iwatodai after school today?"

"That sounds nice," Ryoji cheered up at that. He looked over towards Minato and Fuuka. "Will you be joining us too?"

"We can't," Minato shook his head.

Fuuka smiled. "We have Photography Club today. The Club President has something important to tell us."

"Then it'll be just the two of us," Ryoji put on a charming smile.

"It's a date then," Hamuko joked, causing Minato to groan.

Hamuko and Ryoji made it out to the front of the school before a girl noticed Ryoji leaving. "Oh, Ryoji-kun," the girl called out to him. "Are you going home?"

"Ah, Mikako-chan," Ryoji smiled.

Another girl came up to him. "Ooh, it's Ryoji. Hey, are you going somewhere?"

Hamuko stepped away from the crowd beginning to swarm him. When she was suddenly pushed towards the edge of the sea of girls, the brunette frowned to herself as she completely forgot about his immense popularity. Actually… I keep forgetting he's not nii-san… She watched as her friend's blue eyes gleamed mischievously. Their faces and voices are a bit similar but… they have completely different personalities. Ryoji-kun is more open and honest with his feelings… He's a bit like… "Me?" Hamuko knit her eyebrows together.

Ryoji lightly laughed as he tried to free himself from his adoring mob. "Sorry, ladies, but I've already got plans for today. Maybe next time…" he smiled at them.

"Whaat?" A girl with buns frowned at him. "When's 'next time' gonna be?"

"Tell you what," Ryoji winked at her, "I'll make sure I see you in your dreams tonight."

The girl squealed at his charm. "Aww!"

Ryoji slowly made his way through the throng of female students. He was almost at the edge when he began cheerfully laughing. "Please! You're all so cute; I can't choose just one of you." He spotted Hamuko patiently waiting for him and hurried to get to her, feeling a bit guilty at having the brunette wait for him like this. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he seriously frowned at the other girls, "but I've already decided on my princess for today." He suddenly took Hamuko's hand resulting in the entire mob glaring at her. Sensing their hostility, Ryoji quickly pulled Hamuko to safety.

"Why'd you do that…?" Hamuko asked him when they were finally alone.

"Why…?" Ryoji turned to her in surprise. "It's because…" The boy suddenly fell silent as he didn't quite understand it himself. "Sorry…" he apologized to her without looking up.

"I'm not mad," she shook her head.

"It's just that…" he spoke softly into his scarf. "I'm sorry. I feel like I shouldn't be saying things like this to you." Hamuko noticed his dejected expression. "I want to be more sincere with you… I wonder why…" His hand tightened around Hamuko's. His eyes widened a bit as he noticed he was still holding onto her. "Oh… Sorry." He looked around as he let go of her hand. "Aigis-san's going to get angry again if she sees me holding your hand. But…" he frowned. "I wonder why. For some reason, Aigis-san too…" He put a hand on his head as he tried to remember. "I feel like I know her, and it's on the tip of my brain… I just can't remember it!" He became sadder as he also considered another classmate of theirs. "And there's also Minato-kun… Spending time with the both of you, it feels so familiar…" He stared at Hamuko in confusion. "I don't really know how to explain it but I feel at ease when you both are together. I know I'm still new here, but it's hard to imagine you both living without each other… You both care a lot for each other, don't you?"

Hamuko chuckled at that. "Of course… We're siblings so we're always looking out for each other."

"Your bond with your brother is very beautiful," Ryoji softly smiled. "No matter what separates you, you'll both always be connected." The boy chuckled before pausing when something about what he said sounded familiar.

"Ryoji-kun, are you okay?" the brunette studied him carefully.

"O-oh, I'm fine," the raven-haired boy gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm probably just rambling…"

"You're a bit like Minato," Hamuko noticed. "He tends to act the same way whenever he can't find the right words to express his feelings."

"Really?" Ryoji took a moment to think about it. "I know we haven't known each other for long but I feel like he and I are a lot more alike than people realize… His eyes reflect a lot about him. They're very kind, but that kindness can make him very lonely." He worriedly stared at the red-eyed girl. "You have the same eyes as your brother, too, Hamuko-chan."

"I do?"

He nodded. "But I don't think I have to worry about you or your brother because you're both twins," he said with a small smile on his face. "So that you both would never have to be alone, you were born together with this miracle. Even if miracles don't last forever, what's important is that it still happened…" Huh…? Did I say something like this before? Ryoji wore a painful expression as he tried to remember. Why do I feel so sad saying these things to Hamuko-chan?

"A miracle that we were both born together?" Hamuko smiled to herself before looking back towards Ryoji. "I guess it is a miracle." She paused when she saw the boy's sad face. "Ryoji-kun?"

"Oh…" he suddenly looked up. "I shouldn't let myself get lost in thought while you're with me," he said shaking his head. He quickly changed the subject. "Can you show me around the city? I want to see all the places you like to go to."

Hamuko looked towards Iwatodai and smiled. "Sure," she nodded at the Ryoji, taking his hand. "Let's start with the strip mall! They've got the best ramen restaurant anywhere!"

"That sounds fun!" Ryoji cheerfully laughed. "Perhaps afterwards we can go to Shirakawa Boulevard? I've heard many interesting things about that area."

Hamuko shot him a good-natured frown. "Don't push your luck, Mochizuki! If my brother finds out, he'll bury you alive!" The two laughed as they made their way to the station.

~14 NOVEMBER 2009~

Mitsuru stared out over the island that her family had built. She frowned to herself before being startled by the door opening behind her. She turned slightly to see Yukari walking over towards her.

"There you are…" the junior smiled. "I've been looking for you. It's rare for you to miss a Student Council meeting."

"I take it someone asked you to find me?" Mitsuru asked her.

"Well, yeah," Yukari nodded. "Hamuko and Minato did, even though I'm not a member."

"Sorry about that," the senior frowned.

"They seem pretty busy," the brunette informed her, "with the class trip and all. I bet you have your hands full, since it's both for juniors and seniors…"

"Hmph…" the redhead turned back to face the view. "The class trip, huh… Even if I went, I'd only spoil the fun…"

"You're not thinking of skipping the trip, are you?" the junior asked her in surprise. When the older girl didn't respond, Yukari scolded her. "You can't do that!" Surprised by the younger student's outburst, Mitsuru turned to look at her. "Ya know," Yukari lowered her gaze, "I've been meaning to talk to you…"

"Is that so…?"

"To tell you the truth, you're not the easiest person to relate to," Yukari admitted to the senior. "But," she didn't waver as she continued, "I know what it's like to lose a father…"

"Takeba…" Mitsuru stared at her with dim red eyes as she remembered the Kirijo scientist.

"I decided that I should be more up front with you from now on…" Yukari nodded. Mitsuru remained silent but both girls turned when the door to the rooftop opened again.

Ryoji smiled as he spotted the red-haired beauty. "Ah, there she is…" He put on his biggest smile as he casually approached them. "Hey there, ladies! I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Ryoji-kun…" Yukari sighed. "Why are you here…?"

"Huh…?" her classmate looked at her in confusion. "Same as you, I was trying to find Mitsuru-senpai. Some girl I've never met before asked me to look for her…" He paused. "Wait… I think I spoke to her once… She was Minato-kun's friend…" He rubbed his cheek as he remembered being slapped by her.

"What?" Yukari frowned at him. "Chihiro-san?"

Ryoji shrugged as he continued. "She wasn't the only one who asked, either. Another guy said if I didn't find Mitsuru-san, the class trip might get cancelled."

"Hidetoshi-kun…" Yukari guessed. "He'll hit up anyone in arm's reach for favors…"

"But, I'm the lucky one who found you, Mitsuru Kirijo…" Ryoji smiled as he approached the older girl. "You're quite stunning, if I may say so. Would you like to go out sometime? I know this one restaurant: it's on the top floor of a 3-star hotel…" He gave Mitsuru his best smile. "The view at night is almost as breathtaking as you."

"Huh?" The Student Council President was taken aback by his boldness, but she wasn't quite in the right state of mind to properly respond.

Fortunately, Yukari came to her rescue. "Senpai!" she called out. "You better get back to the meeting!"

"I-I suppose so," Mitsuru frowned. She started towards the stairs but gave the female junior a grateful nod. "Takeba… Thank you for your concern." She walked onward with her eyes cast on the ground. "For now, I will attend to my duties."

When she was gone, Ryoji frowned to himself. "Hey, she left without answering my question…"

Yukari ignored him as she wore a worried frown. "For now, huh. I don't like the sound of that…" she said to herself.

"Um, Yukari-san…" The transfer student smiled as he took a step closer to the archer's side. "Would you like to join me for dinner? I know this place on Shirakawa Boulevard…" Just the name of the location gave her bad flashbacks and she reflexively slapped the boy. "Ow!"

"Don't ever bring that place up with me again," she scowled at him before stomping on his foot and following the Student Council President inside.

Ryoji whimpered a bit as he hopped on his good foot. "Hm… Now I'm curious…" he smiled as he returned inside.

The Den Mother waited as Minato took a seat. "Would you like to know your fortune?"

"Yes, please," he nodded.

"Very well," the woman smiled at him. She became surprised as she noticed something strange in her orb. "Oh…? Is this a new friend…?" A silhouette of Ryoji appeared. "How mystifying… No one can see into his essence… No one, save for one girl…" The orb was split between light and shadows and within the darkness, a shining figure resembling Aigis appeared, staring at Ryoji as he stood on the other side.

"Huh?" Minato frowned as the vision faded. "Is that all?"

"Yes," the fortune teller told him.

"I see…" He stood from his seat. "Thank you for your time," he bowed.

"Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

As Minato left the nightclub, he knit his eyebrows together. Ryoji Mochizuki… He's not someone I should be worried about… He sat at a bench and crossed his arms. Actually, could there be something wrong with Aigis's recognition system? Ikutsuki never did figure out why she wanted to protect Hamuko and me. The closest things I found in his files were that maybe her Shadow sensors were malfunctioning. He stared at his boots for a while and noticed traces of blood on them, probably from their last visit to Tartarus. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on her for that considering I've been having difficulties sensing the Shadows' presence during our training sessions too. We've been getting ambushed a lot more… That's never happened before. It's a good thing Fuuka is always on top of her scans or else I'd really be in trouble. Could it be that I've lost my edge after Pharos disappeared? He crossed his arms as he considered Pharos's mysterious existence. Did he even really exist in the first place? He could have been just a figment of my imagination… No, that's impossible. Hamuko saw him too. Minato's frown deepened. Oh, who am I kidding? Pharos is gone and he's never coming back… I have to accept that he's moved on. We're no longer Orpheus so there's no point in us looking back either. If we do, we'll only lose what's important to us. Still… he was our friend…

"Hm… If you keep frowning like that, I'm pretty sure you face will stick that way," a voice lightly laughed.

Minato lifted his gaze and blinked at his sister. "What are you doing here?"

"I was visiting the Velvet Room," Hamuko smirked as she sat beside him. "You?"

"Escapade," he shrugged.

"A new fortune?"

"Yup," her brother nodded. "It wasn't much help this time either…"

"What was it about?" Hamuko curiously asked him.

Minato smirked as he wasn't sure his sister would believe him. "Ryoji and Aigis… There's got to be a reason why he puts her on edge, but he's normal." He frowned. "I think…" The blue-haired boy shook his head. "Well, there's no way he's completely normal if he actually tried to ask Mitsuru-senpai out."

The brunette lightly laughed at that. "Oh, I heard about that from Yukari. That would have been something I wanted to see for myself."

"Under normal circumstances, I'm pretty sure he would have been executed on the spot," the Hellhound sighed. "But… I guess Senpai's still a bit lost…"

"We all are…" Hamuko frowned.

"Yeah…" Minato shifted closer to his sister. "So I know I've been bothering you a lot about this lately, but… about Shinji-nii…"

"Nii-san…" the girl groaned. "I'm fine…" She cast him an annoyed glare. "Why do keep bringing him up?"

"Because Ryoji keeps bothering me about why you look so 'lonely' whenever you see me with Fuuka." Minato worriedly stared at her. "Talk to me, Hamuko. I'm your brother, aren't I?" His blue eyes glowed in concern. "Why are you shutting me out?"

"I'm not shutting you out," Hamuko shook her head.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm…" The girl hesitated a bit before staring at her shoes. "I'm just trying to decide whether I want to keep going…"

"What do you mean?" the blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side.

"Is there really a point in us fighting anymore, nii-san?" Hamuko asked him. "I always thought our only reason for joining SEES was to get rid of your Reapers…"

"That was true," Minato chuckled, "in the beginning. But things are different now. I might have found another reason to keep fighting…"

"Yeah and she's fantastic," Hamuko wryly smiled, "but I don't have someone like that…"

"Which brings me back to Shinji-nii," Minato stated with a nod.

The brunette tensed up. After a few seconds of silence, she tried to put on a smile for him. "I'm—"

"Stop it," her brother sternly told her, blue eyes flashing. "You're not fine and you know it."

"There's nothing wrong!" Hamuko was getting fed up with her brother's persistence. "I'm completely fine on my own!" Minato silently stared at her as he patiently waited for her to realize the gravity of her words. She continued to glare at him until her red eyes slowly widened. "N-no… wait… Minato…"

Minato wryly laughed. "So this is how it feels to be shut out from your own twin…" He crossed his arms. "It really doesn't feel good, but at least now I understand why you're always so persistent with me."

The brunette lowered her gaze and frowned at herself. "I'm sorry, nii-san… I didn't mean to shout…"

"Come on. I know you didn't mean it," he shrugged. "You hate being alone. More than anything." Minato's expression softened. "You've always supported me, whether I wanted you to or not. I just want to do the same for you."

"By bringing up Shinji-kun over and over again?" Hamuko dryly asked him.

"He would have wanted you to move on by now," Minato firmly stated. "I know it's not like me to say this but I want you to be happy too." He stared at Hamuko's pink wrist watch. "I don't think there will be a person I will respect as much as Shinji-nii, but I'm willing to try if it means you'll be happy."

"There won't be anyone else, Minato," Hamuko sighed. "I wouldn't want to cause you anymore grief if I do end up falling in love again…"

"Hamuko…" Minato frowned.

"You're a lot more sensitive than me so if I end up hurt again, you're just going to lose it."

"That's not really fair," her brother sighed, "using me as an excuse…"

"But you're my greatest weakness," Hamuko told him with a genuine smile, "as well as my greatest strength." Minato knit his eyebrows together. "You're my older brother and you've always been looking out for me in your own way."

"I still wish I could do more for you…"

"Well, even if I don't find someone, I'll always have you," the brunette gratefully laughed. "You're the most important guy in my life, Minato. I wasn't kidding when I said I'd date you if we weren't twins."

Minato studied Hamuko's small smile before standing up. He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "You really are something, you know that?" he said with a smirk.

"Hey, I'm not a little kid!" the brunette pouted. She looked up at her taller brother as he kept his hand in place. "And I'm serious! I really do love you, nii-san."

"I love you too, Hamuko," he smiled as he lowered his arm. "Nothing will ever change that because we are and always have been twins… We're connected in a way nobody else can understand." He placed a hand over his heart. "The proof is in Thanatos," he stated with a curt nod.

Hamuko nodded at him. "I know, Minato. Thanks…" She paused as she felt she had a similar conversation like this with someone else recently. Oh… it was with Ryoji-kun… She smiled as the raven-haired boy really was a bit like her brother. "Nii-san?"

"Yeah?" Minato carefully studied her.

"If I end up dating someone, you really wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," he shook his head. He seriously frowned as he thought of something. "Oh, but if anything ever happens, I'm going to kill whoever it is if he hurts you."

Hamuko laughed. "Okay, I get it." She happily smiled at her kind, overprotective brother. "Thanks for everything, Minato."

"You don't have to thank me, Hamuko," the boy blushed. "I'm your brother… and I'll do anything I have to for you. You know that." He awkwardly looked away. "Now let's go home. It's getting late."

"How about dinner first?" the brunette suggested as she got up. "I'll pay this time."

Minato turned to her in surprise before noticing she was serious about her offer. "Hagakure's it is then," he nodded with a smile.

~15 NOVEMBER 2009~

Ryoji studied the busy café and smiled at the charming facility. "This place is interesting," he told Hamuko. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the girl quickly preempted him.

"It's because I'm here with you," she smirked.

The blue-eyed boy cheerfully laughed. "You knew what I was going to say." He glanced at the other tables and rested his elbows on the table. "You know, all these people around us… I'll bet they're all couples."

Hamuko took a look around too and noticed he was right. "Huh… I would never have noticed…"

The boy nodded as he wistfully stared over Hamuko's shoulder at a familiar couple sitting near the back of the café. "Being lovers means that there's nobody else in the world that you care more for, right?" He tilted his head to the side as he considered the notion. "That'd be wonderful, if it were really true."

"I think it really happens," Hamuko smiled with a blush as she absently began playing with her watch. "It's like... when you're with the person you love, the world around you completely fades away. Nothing else matters... It's just you and your lover."

Ryoji chuckled at her as the blue-haired boy he was staring at happily laughed. "I see," the transfer student said letting out an amiable laugh. "You know, sometimes I think… I would still like you, no matter if you were a guy or a girl."

"Why 'would'?" Hamuko asked him.

The other junior laughed a bit more. "Well, we did just meet fairly recently, after all." He gently smiled at the brunette before he knit his eyebrows together. "Actually, I'm lying. I'm positive that I've seen you somewhere before. When I'm with you, I just get this feeling that I'll find out how I know you, and we'll become closer…" He lowered his gaze. "But… For some reason, that makes me want to cry." The black-haired boy hung his head. "I've never cried before," he admitted to her.

"Ryoji-kun?" Hamuko frowned at his sad expression.

"I… want to spend time with you alone like this," he softly told her. "If I'm not bothering you… would it be all right if I asked you out again?"

"You're not a bother at all," Hamuko told him, reaching for his hand, hoping the gesture would comfort him. "In fact, I would love to spend more time with you too."

"I see…" the boy looked up at her and softly smiled. "I'm happy to hear that." He quickly cheered up and straightened himself in his seat. "Oh, that reminds me. That school trip's coming up soon, right? Let's find some time to go somewhere together while we're there."

"Sure thing," the red-eyed girl nodded. "A place as fancy as Kyoto has got to be filled with amazing date spots," she grinned.

"Yeah," Ryoji fondly smiled at their plans. "I'm really looking forward to it." He happily laughed as they finished their date.

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Fuuka happily smiled at her boyfriend as he set his coffee cup down. "I can't wait for the Kyoto trip, Minato-kun."

The blue-haired boy nodded as he picked up his pen. "Is this really all the film we're bringing?" he asked with a slight frown. "It doesn't seem like enough to me…"

"You really do love taking pictures, don't you, Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked as she grabbed his free hand.

"I love capturing memories…" the boy softly admitted to her. "I don't ever want to forget precious moments of my life." He brought the quiet girl's hand up to his lips and kissed it. "They're proof that they happened and I want to remember them forever."

"Minato-kun…" the girl blushed at his words.

"That said, I'm going to add a few more rolls of film to our list." He studied the paper once more. "Um… I put down yukata but we'll be staying at a traditional inn, right? They normally provide us with yukata since they have hot spring baths."

"I wonder if it's a mixed bath," Fuuka absently said aloud. When she realized what she had said, she quickly blushed. "U-um… n-not that I have anything in mind!"

Minato lightly laughed. "Fuuka, it's okay. With as many times we've seen each other, it should be fine, right?"

"It's still embarrassing, Minato-kun," the girl pouted at him.

"But you're so beautiful…" the boy blushed. After a while, he frowned as he remembered his weak constitution. "Actually, even if it was a mixed bath, I don't think you'd enjoy it if you were with me… I wouldn't be able to stay for as long as I'd like to," he sighed.

Fuuka looked at him worriedly. "Please take care of yourself then, Minato-kun. I wouldn't want you getting sick during the trip. I want to make a lot of good memories with you there!"

"I'll do my best," Minato nodded at her. He paused as he noticed his sister in the café too. "Huh? Is that Hamuko?"

Fuuka turned around and spotted the brunette. "Oh, she looks like she's here with Ryoji-kun." The teal-haired girl turned back towards Minato and gave the older brother a frown. "Are you worried?"

"Not really," the boy shook his head. "I made a promise to Hamuko to let her date whoever she wanted. Besides," Minato leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "for some reason, I trust him. He reminds me of someone I've met before." The blue-haired teen frowned as he tried to figure out who it was. "I can't remember who though…"

"Nii-san!" a voice called out towards them. Ryoji laughed as he approached the couple. "You don't mind if I call you that from now on, right? Nii-san?"

"Oh…" Minato's face fell as he looked towards his smirking younger sister. "That's who you remind me of…"

"What? Were you talking about us?" Hamuko snickered as she pulled on her brother's cheek. "I didn't think you'd be on a date with Fuuka-chan!"

"Um…" Fuuka blushed as the outgoing juniors brightly smiled at them. "Minato-kun and I were just going over a list of things to bring with us to Kyoto."

"Hey, nii-san," Ryoji smiled at Minato. "Wouldn't it be great if it were a mixed bath? We'd be able to have a fou—"

"Finish that thought and I'll kill you," the Hellhound threatened him as his eyes flashed dangerously.

Fuuka looked at the two boys in confusion. "Um…"

"You really are shameless in public, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko laughed.

"It was only a joke," the black-haired boy shrugged. "Unless you were actually considering it… I'm all for it either way."

"I don't quite understand," Fuuka frowned.

"Please don't think about it too much, Fuuka," Minato groaned as he quickly downed his burning hot coffee. He sighed at the other boy. "You really are going to be a hassle to be around…"

Final Notes: Given Harabah's design, it takes a while for me to get used to it since I'm the type of person who gets motion sickness from playing shooters... Also, given the nature of Ryoji, I can't tell if Hamuko is being vain or is in love with her brother. If it was Minato and Ryoji, it's easy to just call himself narcissistic. But anyways, expect the next chapter on Monday!