VII - Invitation

Day 1.

'Hurry, oni-chan! Come down for breakfast! It'll get cold.'

'It's only seven o'clock, Hiromi-san.'

'But I made this just for you, oni-chan. Your favorite. Shrimp tempura. O – ONI-CHAN! What are you eating?'

'Let go, Hiromi-san. And please, stop calling me oni-chan. If you keep going like this, people will start to think that you're really my sister.'

'But, but… I'm your cousin!'

There it was, the game that Shuusuke had been talking about lately. The story of a would-be light novelist and his cousin, the illustrator. And along the way, they would meet an editor, a rival novelist, a mangaka, a seiyuu, and an anime director – all of whom just happened to be cute-to-stunning females ranging from ages 15-23.

The cousin, Hiromi, was of course the lead girl – though apparently, the tsundere editor, Sayoko, had quite a collection of fans, and the spunky yet affectionate seiyuu, Ritsu, was the most popular of them all (According to Shuu, there was quite a battle going on between Hiromi and Ritsu shippers).

Day 3.

'Oni-chan, wake up. We need to finish this chapter before the deadline.'

'But it's past 2AM.'

'And it's due at 7. I need a few hours to look over the chapter, so you need to finish soon, oni-chan.'

'Any luck finding a new editor?'

'Sorry, but I couldn't find anyone who wanted to do it. I'll do my best, just for you – ONI-CHAN! WAKE UP!'

'I'm exhausted – please, I need something to keep me going…'

*kissu*

'That's not what I meant!'

It was certainly an amusing start; so far, it was living up to its promise. Shuu had insisted that the Hiromi path was the one he should check out first, and no wonder. She was the utter antithesis of Shuri. Hiromi could cook, first of all (though she often turned the kitchen into a war zone, which the generic unnamed male had to clean up). And she was thoughtful, patient, and trusting – and thankfully, nonviolent. She was really nice, so who cared if her personality was 2-D?

Day 4.

I woke up with a scarf around my neck, and wrapped up in a blanket. Hiromi was already gone –

"What are you doing?"

Busted.

The smile remained unchanged as Aoi casually closed the menu and removed the CD. "I see, so that's what you've been doing. Don't worry, otouto-kun. I'll find a way to put it to better use."

"But it's not mine; it's Shuu's!"

"Then I'll give it to Shuri next time I see her. Is there anything else that I should give her?"

There was no point in resisting now. It was time to perform the last rites; Shuu's precious treasures – various magazines and visual novels – would all meet a common fate. Whether Shuu would meet the same fate was still to be decided.

Thankfully Aoi seemed to be in a forgiving mood. Of course, this meant taking on the dishes and the kitchen floor, but that was a small price to pay. His mother had been considerably more creative when she caught him.

"Otouto-kun, it's nice to see that you're feeling better. Mom and I were worried about you – with Nanaka, you never know."

"Everything's fine." Yes, it was. Everything had finally been made right, and things were finally the way they should've been from the beginning. Why had it taken so long? The longing present in her eyes, her graceful movements. And her touch had been so soft...

But this was just the beginning. That's what they had decided as they parted. A promise could only go on for so long; at some point, it had to show up in their actions. But so far, little had changed. Lunchtime conversations went on as usual, as they talked about school and activities. He still had those rehearsals with Asami. And he didn't have any time to visit Nanaka after school; he had to come straight home – not that Nanaka's schedule was any better.

But things were going to change. They had to change. They were together now, as they had declared to their friends. Maybe they could reach a point where they could hold hands in public. Or go on a real date. Or start going through the alphabet: A, B, and maybe even –

"Otouto-kun? Are you OK?"

A nod.

"Hinako-chan will be staying over for the weekend. So we have a lot of cleaning to do, otouto-kun."

Something told him that he missed a good deal of the conversation, so he offered a confused look.

Thankfully Aoi received the cue and started from the beginning. Hinako's parents had to go out of town at the last moment, and their housekeeper happened to be on vacation. So they were searching frantically for a last-minute replacement when Hinako suggested that she could stay with the Oribes – and after a few phone calls, they had come to an agreement. Hinako would be staying with Aoi and her mother until Sunday night.

"So, what do we need to do?"

Alas, Aoi had her trusty list handy, and started reading it off, one by one. Was it just his imagination, or was Aoi's smile starting to get bigger?

* * *

"Aoi-neesan! Sana-chan!"

So Aoi was a neesan, while he was only a chan – go figure.

"Hinako-chan! We're so happy to see you!" It was scary to hear Aoi's voice rise higher than an eleven-year-old's, but at least that meant she was in a good mood.

"Thank you so much for coming to the birthday party! I loved your presents!"

"No problem," Sana answered. It had been a fun day, albeit a bit… unexpected. And it looked like today would be more of the same. First topic: school. Hinako had passed her exams (as expected) and would be entering junior high school in the fall, with a full scholarship. The school also had an escalator program for high school, so she'd be covered until college – as long as she kept her grades up. Next topic, her parents. Alas, they were getting busier with each passing day, but that wasn't necessarily bad news, because it all led to the most important topic. Hinako paused for a moment while she turned on the computer, and opened up her web album –

And there it was. A folder titled, "Sakuranomori Events Center." She opened the folder, revealing a number of documents, including a PowerPoint presentation and a humongous PDF file. First, the presentation. A dazzling array of pictures and descriptions. A shopping mall. A cultural arts center, complete with an art museum and a performing arts theater. A new city hall and police station. A hotel. An information center. A new line of houses. And there were also plans for a golf course, and perhaps even a minor league baseball team – though that was further down the road. This also meant Nature Park would be reopening, though it would have to be downsized to accommodate the new events center.

Of course, none of this would come for free.

Bonds would have to be issued. Lots of them. Up to 10 billion yen for the next five years – and it was quite possible that another bond issue might be needed. Property taxes would go up. Much of old downtown Sakuranomori would be demolished to make room for more apartment complexes and condos. Several local merchants would go out of business. Noise, pollution, and crowding – all of those things would go up, as the town grew in size.

Next, the PDF file. This looked more like a traveler's brochure, a visitor's guide to Sakuranomori. The Events Center was one of its highlights, as it provided a number of activities for the entire family. But that was not all. Nature Park was to be a place where the family could relax after a day filled with activity. And if the family wished to get away a little further – Sakuranomori served as a hub to several campgrounds and trails; and there were several bus lines that would take them to the nearby mountains.

It was an idea that had formed more than a decade ago, and really started to pick up momentum after the latest recession. Sakuranomori was "dying", people were whispering. Businesses were closing. Buildings were getting run-down, then demolished, with nothing to replace them. The schools were losing teachers, as the facilities degraded and academic performance went down. Apartment buildings were becoming increasingly vacant, with the landlords (and a particular landlady) scrambling to keep their heads above water. Something had to be done soon, or it would meet the same fate as Nature Park – once the pride and joy of the town, but now reduced to a swampland.

And Hinako's parents were among the people leading the effort. They worked for a real estate and development company headed by Wakatsuki-san – yes, Shuusuke and Shuri's father – and it was their job to pitch this idea to various businesses and corporations. The shopping mall, after all, needed shops – so would they be willing to open a store once the mall was built? It was a tough job, one that required a lot of travel – and so far, the interest was lukewarm. Without the bond issue, the talks could only go so far. As for Wakatsuki-san, he was spending most of his time and effort on trying to get the bond measure passed – and the campaigning was just getting started, in advance of the fall elections. Mailings. Flyers. Radio advertisements. Special events. Fundraisers. And later, marching teams of volunteers, door-to-door visits, and robo-calls – Wakatsuki-san wasn't about to take any chances, with so much on the line.

A glimpse to a different world. So this was the life the twins led – and Hinako, for that matter. One filled with knowledge. Power. Money. Yet a place where one false move could spell doom – surely, Wakatsuki-san would be sunk if the bond measure failed to pass, and take several others along with him. And Hinako's parents were among those in the line of fire – their livelihoods depended on the company, and they also had a large ownership stake. Hinako herself planned to invest 1 million yen in the bond offering if the measure passed – which was only a tiny fraction of what her parents planned to invest. No question, they were planning to live or die with Sakuranomori, all of them. And if things worked out, and the Events Center was a success – they would flourish greatly, along with the town.

At this point, Sana needed some oxygen. All of this was a bit much. Here he was; just last week, he was agonizing over what to do about one person. Yet now he was faced with something that held the entire city in balance – he didn't want to know what Wakatsuki-san was going through; the pressure must be immense. And Shuu and Shuri, living in such an environment – it made sense. Everything made sense. Shuu, limping through the days, unable to fully enjoy them. Shuri, a firecracker ready to go off at any moment. The stepmother, having to deal with three basket-cases at the same time. And he could see what it was doing to Hinako and her parents. The drive to excel. The preoccupation with money. And in the end, their fates would be decided by a single election; based on the whims of a few ordinary citizens.

Sana was granted permission to catch some air – but with a catch. Aoi handed him yet another list with her usual bright smile and cheerful voice, and it was time for him to go grocery shopping. And this one was no picnic, either. He'd have to visit at least four shops – probably closer to five or six, and he'd have to go in a certain order and even backtrack in order to catch all the specials. And there was no chance he would be able to carry all the bags, so he'd have to take a pull-cart with him. Oh, an icebox as well, for the frozen goods. He was going to need it, considering how long this trip was likely to take.

And the trip would not disappoint. Ah, he had forgotten about the waiting in lines part – so that would add another good half-hour to the total. And he was forced to run for the most part; otherwise he'd miss the ½ off sale on ground beef – it started at 6:00 on the dot and it was almost invariably gone by 6:15. Somehow he managed to make it on time, then endured yet another long line – and he was done. He had gotten everything, earned a pile of bonus points, and stayed under budget – somehow.

He needed a rest, and needed it badly. It didn't matter where; the nearest bench would do, thank you. Then again, maybe he should have looked a little more closely, because he was now faced with –

"Fujimura-sensei?"

Ah, yes, the infamous science teacher. Loved by administrators for her hard work and discipline. Universally reviled by the students for her impossible exams. It was not unheard of for students to score in the single digits, and some were literally praying just to score above 50%. He hadn't heard of a single student that managed to break 90% on one of her physics exams, and he doubted he'd see one any time soon.

"Hidaka-san?"

A sigh.

"Don't worry, Hidaka-san. You did well on the last physics exam. I just finished grading them. Do you want to know what you got?

A nod.

"You'll find out tomorrow."

A groan.

A gentle laugh. "You'll like your score, I promise."

"It's not about that."

A mischievous look – he didn't like where this was going, before she had said a single word. "So, girl problems?"

Not quite, but why did his face turn red at the worst possible time?

"You have a new girlfriend, don't you?"

W – wait, how did she know about this? He had sworn his friends to secrecy, and he didn't think anyone else had heard. My, word had gone around quick.

"Oh, it's always like that. No matter how good it is, you'll always hit a rough spot at some point. But I think this one will work out. Do your best to get through it, and I think everything will be fine."

It wasn't quite that simple –

"Don't over-think it. I don't think there's anything wrong with you two. No one does. Here, take a caramel for good luck."

She opened up the familiar yellow box and handed him a piece – which he promptly put in his mouth. This had always been one of his favorite treats; soft and chewy, yet not too sticky.

"By the way, why do you give away caramel?"

She placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment. "It's a secret, but – these have always been my favorite snacks. I can't help but buy it whenever I see it – but I'm trying to cut down. So the easiest way is to give away as many as I can. Here, take one for the road," she offered – while taking another piece out of the box.

"Thanks," Sana replied. "I'll make sure to talk to Yatsushiro-san."

"Yatsushiro-san?" The piece was withdrawn – and she handed him the box, instead.

"Sensei?"

"I'm trying to cut down," she explained – before walking away.

* * *

There was a message waiting for him when Sana arrived.

"It's from Yatsushiro-san," Aoi explained. "She wanted to talk to you."

Sana immediately grabbed the phone and looked for a private corner – which left Aoi to take out and arrange the groceries. "Nanaka?"

"Sana?"

"Sorry for being late. I had to go grocery shopping."

"No problem. I managed to get the night off tonight, so – would it be all right to come over for dinner?"

This was one of the few times where politeness would work in his favor, as he got the OK from his aunt. So maybe this wasn't a date, but at least it was a chance to spend some time together. And hopefully, she'd make a good impression on his cousin and aunt this time around...

No question, Nanaka was doing her part. There were smiles all around the dinner table, even from Hinako – who practically had stars in her eyes as she gushed about Nanaka's performance at the festival. Aoi and her mother's mood could only be described as pleasant, a far cry from the strained politeness during Nanaka's first visit. And Nanaka herself was something to behold – friendly, yet showing restraint; willing to talk, yet more eager to listen; prominent, yet not overwhelming. She had transformed into a refined young lady in front of his eyes; surely, she was starting to win everyone over…

Hinako had already crossed the bridge, as she wasted no time in sharing her web album with Nanaka. Then, talking about her favorite series, the Wacky Adventures of Yeti-chan – which, by the way, turned out to be the only show she watched regularly. Then listening eagerly as Nanaka described her work at the shrine. The visits to the retirement home. The trip to the mountains. Her future plans, following high school. Soon, it was one question after another, and Nanaka never tired of answering them. And afterwards, Nanaka would ask Hinako questions of her own, which would be answered with equal eagerness.

Time was flying by. More conversations. Time at the piano, where first Hinako, then Sana, demonstrated their skills. Then the computer, where Hinako showed everyone her exam results, and the official website of the junior high school she would be attending. Followed by the colleges Nanaka was applying for; her mock exam results were promising and she would have a fair chance of getting into a decent college. Old pictures from childhood. Aoi had her trusty photo album ready (the traditional hard-bound type), and soon everyone was crowding around the pictures. There it was; Aoi as a young baby. Then, several more pictures of her as a baby, and a few with Sana. Pictures from various family outings – the Hidakas and Oribes would often travel together. Ah, the honors recital, where she was given a red ribbon for finishing in second place. And a picture of the four friends, Sana, Aoi, Shuusuke, and Shuri. Nanaka would join them later; though she was only in one picture, the one taken at the farewell party –

"Why am I in this picture?"

A double-take, and a realization – my goodness. Why was Hinako in this picture, anyway? Sure, the hair color and style was a bit different, but besides that, well – no wonder Shuu was acting funny at the birthday party; it must have been like looking through a time machine. They would have to introduce her to Shuri at some point.

The pictures started to thin out. Aoi had a few pictures of her new friends, and more pictures from her vacations with mom, but they only occupied a couple of pages – and that was the end. And about time, since it was getting late – it was time for Nanaka to go home. And unlike last time, Sana jumped at the opportunity to walk Nanaka home, leaving the apartment before anyone had a chance to react. Finally. After all this time, a chance to spend some time with Nanaka – alone.

"Did you have a good time?" Sana asked, once the apartment complex was out of sight.

"Yes, thanks for having me over. I hope we can do this more often."

And so did he.

"Nanaka, there's something I meant to tell you."

"Yes?"

"It's about Asami."

Her eyes narrowed – if only by instinct.

"She is – a good violinist. And I enjoy playing with her. And maybe, in a way – you were right. I was looking for someone to play with. And somewhere along the line, she became a friend. One of us. And we did a lot of things together. But…"

"Yes?"

"That's all it was. There wasn't anything else. She wasn't a replacement. No one could replace you, Nanaka. Didn't we make the promise? We'll always be together. And if anything goes wrong – I'll make it right. I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen, and…"

"Sana." she replied gently. "You don't have to do everything. You've done so much for me already. It's me, Sana. I'm the one who needs to do more. And I'm trying. There'll be some days where things don't work out, but I'll still try… and maybe, one of these days, it will all work out…"

"Nanaka?"

"I've been unfair to you. I shouldn't have been mad at you for spending so much time with Asami. Not when I stopped playing the violin. Right, Sana? If I was the one playing the violin, everything would've been different. I would've been the one you played with. We would've been the ones playing the duet at the festival. And then – "

"It doesn't matter anymore, Nanaka."

"But it matters to me. I want to keep trying. Because I see it. Having the violin next to you makes you so happy. Was it too much to ask? I'd like to play the violin again, Sana. Maybe I won't be as good as Asami, but I want the chance. Don't you remember the honors recital from years back? We thought we would have a lot of chances to play together. And you came over to my house several times after that, to work on several new duets. I want to see it happen again; maybe it's still possible…"

Possibilities. Yes, this night seemed to be filled with them. Maybe they could play together once again. And in the meantime, their relationship would grow. And one day, hopefully not in the too-distant future, they could –

"Sana, one more thing."

His face turned to meet her gaze.

"About that – incident – um, don't worry about it. I was so confused. But I thought about it for the last few days, and realized… how I really felt. What I really wanted. What I mean is – it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. It happened because we both wanted it. And I hope… there will be more incidents in the future."

A double take. What did she just say?!

* * *

Aoi was waiting outside for him when he returned.

"Otouto-kun."

Uh-oh, it was her low voice. Somehow, he didn't want to hear her next words.

"Call your mom as soon as you can."

Oh, shoot, it was way past 9:00PM. Surely she would understand; the extenuating circumstances and all –

"Don't worry; mom already explained everything. Just give her a call."

Something told him that this was a very important phone call. So without a further word, he quickly made his way to his apartment and dialed her number.

"Mom?"

"Ah, Sana."

"I'm sorry for missing the call. Aunt should have explained – "

"That's not the problem, Sana."

Right to the point, as usual.

"I heard from your aunt and cousin that you're seeing Nanaka. And they're really worried about you."

How had they found out? He had sworn his friends to secrecy and he was positive that they had been rather discreet throughout the evening. They hardly had a chance to talk, let alone spend some quality time alone.

"So I want to know – is it true?"

A reluctant nod – then Sana had to remind himself that he was on the phone.

"So here's a question. Why do you think your aunt and cousin are worried?"

This was one of those trick questions that had a lot of answers, all of which would be detrimental to his cause. The magic response was, therefore –

"I don't know."

"I don't know Nanaka very well, either. At this point, I don't know whether it matters who it is. What I do know is that they're worried for a very good reason. And this worries me."

"…"

"I also know what you want me to say. And I wish I could say it. That I hope it would work out between you and Nanaka. That I would give you my support. But let's be honest, Sana. Do you think that's what I really believe?"

He shook his head – and after a pause, mustered a weak groan.

"Maybe it would be possible – if you were a few years older. And you had a better track record. But you're still in high school, and your track record isn't very good. The odds are against you, Sana."

He had nothing to say.

"I know what you want to tell me. It'll be different. It'll go better than last time. And I believe you. It will be different and it will be very hard for things to get any worse than they did last time. But think. Do you really believe that something good will come out of this? Do you have reason to expect it? If you do, let me know."

He tried. He really tried to explain. His emotions. His dedication. His promises. Things that seemed so powerful when he shared them with Nanaka, yet hopelessly overmatched in the face of his mother's cold logic. But he wouldn't give up. Not when this could be a path to redemption, a chance to make things right…

"I'm sure you know how I feel about this. And deep inside, you know what you should do. But I see another side of you. The part that wants to buck the odds and prove yourself. But let me tell you this: the way to prove yourself is by making good decisions. And I hope that's what you do. But, if you insist on doing something else – then prove me wrong. Make it work. I won't stand in your way forever, but I'm warning you: you have a lot of work ahead of you."

She had issued the challenge – and a daunting one, at that. The odds against him would be great. And obstacles far greater than his mother would soon arise. An evening filled with hope, turned into a night filled with uncertainty and anxiety – what would morning bring?