A/N: So, this chapter wasn't even part of the original story line but it kind of wrote itself? It was supposed to be a filler chapter, but I decided instead to incorporate this chapter and the next into one. Doing that though, means that there's an added chapter now to the story as a whole. But meh, what's another going to do? My goal though, is to finish two more chapters before the end of the year. So, that means I have some work to do.

Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it!

Chapter 24: Progress

Ayame hummed herself a small tune as she worked at the dough in her hands. She was happy. For the first time in a long time, the youngest blonde felt her shoulders light with grief. Things weren't perfect, but day by day, she felt like there was an improvement in her own self, her brother, and their relationship. The youngest Hayama felt like herself for the first time in a long time.

For so long did she feel lost, and out of place. Ayame felt like she was being swallowed whole, with no end in sight to her torment. Her attitude was brought down by the constant state of despair she was in. And it wasn't just herself that was affected. Her friends and classmates walked eggshells around her. It changed the way people interacted with her. She felt guilt thinking of how much her relationship's with Kyo and Hiro have changed since they were kids.

While her approach might have not been the best with taking her own independence back, the results have been almost promising. She confronted both her father and brother and was able to share her feelings with both Kyo and Hiro. She was even able to talk to Sana about her own guilt and regret and share the past that had held her down for so long.

Things were beginning to not look so... bleak.

"Is this what you want?"

Ayame turned to her best friend, Kotetsu Kyo, who was holding onto a mixing bowl.

She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, could you set it over here please?"

He placed the bowl right next to her and watched with carefree eyes as she continued working with the dough in her hands.

"You know, it's awesome that you're baking again. You used to do it all the time when we were kids." He stated with a smile. Ayame replied with a small smile.

"I used to bake with my mom all the time." She paused, her fingers treading lightly into the dough. "It was hard to continue baking without her after she died."

The room was silent for a moment and Kyo grabbed her shoulder, squeezing for comfort. They shared an empathetic smile for a moment and she shook her head. "She wouldn't be happy if I stopped doing stuff we did together you know? Kind of like spitting on her memory."

He nodded in agreement and sighed. "Yeah, she's probably happy knowing you aren't holding yourself back anymore."

"Well, here's to moving forward, hmm?"

Kyo chuckled and rubbed the top of her head. Already so much taller than her, it was amazing how he continued to grow in her eyes. He was always so much smaller than her since they were kids. It was one of the few things that Ayame was able to hold against him.

And then this past summer, he grew out of nowhere.

He was suddenly inches taller than her with more boyish features than before. She knew of puberty and aging and maturity. But she didn't think it would hit so hard and all at once. Gone were his chubby cheeks and small body frame. His voice didn't squeak like it used too. And his facial fair was appearing in places that was once smooth skin.

She knew that this was life and it was going to happen sooner or later, but the youngest blonde just wasn't ready for this maturation. Not to mention the onset of feelings and emotions teenage hood brought. It was moments like that in which the blonde wished her mother were here. She missed her terribly. Things she didn't get, she knew her mother would.

While her teenage years had just started, Ayame felt like she skipped right over them. With all that has happened in the last three years, she didn't feel like a 14-year-old girl. She felt well into her mid 20's with her past still chasing behind her.

Though, there was some hope.

With recent resolution, well some resolution, Ayame was hoping this meant she could return to just being a normal teenage girl. Not that she wasn't. The young blonde never thought herself to be anything less than normal. But she didn't really enjoy the simple things girls her age enjoyed with all her grief weighing her down.

"What exactly are you thinking about?" Kyo stole a piece of her raw dough as he probed into her mind. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he laughed.

No longer did Ayame have that effect on him.

"You're going to get sick from eating raw dough." She threatened before answering. "And nothing important really. Just how we've grown up from the kids we once were."

His eyes shifted between the two of them, as if he just noticed himself. But, Kyo just smiled as he shrugged his shoulders once more.

"Puberty is a double edge sword."

She snorted and couldn't contain the rest of the laughter after his comment. Their laughs echoed throughout the kitchen and into the house.

God, it has been so long since she has felt this good!

When the front door opened and closed, Ayame looked behind her to see her older brother walk in. Kyo was on the floor, wiping away his tears. He hadn't noticed the oldest Hayama yet. He was dressed in his jogging sweats and a hoodie. There was a beanie on his head and she could see the powdered snow covering the top of his shoulders and beanie.

How odd… he hasn't run in so long.

He noticed Ayame, and then his eyes found Kyo on the floor.

"Welcome back." She smiled, and his eyes went a bit wide eyed. There was still some getting used too; talking to one another and treating one another like humans. Ayame was doing a far better job for the reason she was better at human interaction than he was.

But he had his moments.

Kyo had a look of confusion on his face before he looked back and realized who else had joined them. His smile fell and there was annoyance crossing his face. Ayame pleaded with her eyes, asking for him to be nice.

Her older brother's eyes found her best friend on the floor. But there was no other sign of acknowledgement outside of a simple head nod.

"It started snowing again?" She asked as she returned to pulling chunks of dough and forming them into small balls.

He looked out towards the window and then back at her. Akito nodded and removed his beanie from his head. "Yeah, not too long ago."

Kyo continued to stare him down. Ayame could feel her heartrate increase as her silver haired best friend continued to throw daggers at her older brother.

"If you're planning on going out, make sure you don't forget your jacket this time." The youngest Hayama laughed with an embarrassed smile on her face as Akito walked by and grabbed water from the fridge. The other day, she had to get to class early and left her jacket at home. Needless to say, she was a freezing idiot that entire walk to school and that morning.

Akito had brought her jacket to school.

Usually her older brother beat her to school every morning. But he was running unusually late that morning for some reason. When he walked into her class before the school bell rang, he dropped her jacket on her head.

Ayame was freezing.

Like the idiot she was… AGAIN… she forgot her jacket on the chair in the kitchen. She was so worried about meeting up with her group for her science presentation that she didn't think to grab her coat. Rubbing at her arms, Ayame flinched at the aching in her back.

Damn the cold honestly.

"You okay, girl?"

One of her classmates asked, and Ayame pulled a fake smile together.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! I'm just thinking about the history test I'm nowhere ready for!"

And that sent the two girls into thie tangent about studying for a history exam that she was nowhere worried for. History came easy to her and she knew she would be fine.

It was when another one of her classmates called her name that she was taken out of that conversation. When the blonde looked up, her eyes went wide as her older brother stood at the door to her homeroom.

"This guy says he's your brother?"

Heads whipped fast at the door and then back to her. While she knew that most of her classmates could care less, they were also teenagers and was sure they didn't even know she had a brother.

He was staring at her with his usual apathetic and stoic countenance. His form of expression never faltered and Ayame swallowed the frog in her throat. Everyone was starting at her as she walked over to him and she looked at him with anxious eyes.

Unlike the brown eyes that ran in their family, Akito was blessed with their grandfathers striking golden-brown eyes from their mother's side. She was so jealous growing up. He always had the cool eyes that all the kids were jealous of. As they grew older, those golden-brown eyes darkened and intimidated everyone around them. They were sharp as ice.

"Hey, ni-chan. What's up?"

Her world went dark for a moment as he dropped something over her head and covered her sight. When she grabbed the item from her head, she realized it was her school coat. Her eyes went wide eyed as she straightened it out and looked it over.

Her eyes immediately found his.

"You shouldn't really be forgetting that."

And that was all he said before he turned away and walked towards his classroom.

Ayame stood frozen as she watched her brother disappear into the stairwell that separated the first and second years from the third and fourth. She clutched the coat close to her chest, her heart overwhelmed with emotion.

When she sat back down, the youngest blonde couldn't stop smiling.

"I didn't know you have a brother, girl!" One of her classmates spoke.

"Yeah, you never mentioned anything like that!" Another chimed in, but Ayame only paid half attention.

"Your brother is hot, girl! Why are you hiding him from us!"

"Yeah! I mean, he's not as cute as Hiro-kun but he does have that mysterious vibe going on!"

She looked up and laughed as the girls continued to talk about how attractive her brother was. It was humorous really, listening to these girl's gush over her brother when they had no idea wat type of person he was.

"Ah, you're so lucky, Hayama-san! Not only is Hiro-kun like your best friend outside of Kotetsu-san, but your brother is hot!"

She didn't reply, letting the girls in her class converse about how attractive her brother was. She looked back down at her coat and was filled with happiness again.

"That was nice of him to bring you your coat, though. Very thoughtful of him." Another one of her classmates spoke and Ayame only smiled.

"Yeah, it was."

"Oh, now you care."

The youngest Hayama stilled immediately. Her head whipped to her best friend quickly, horrified by the words that just left his mouth. He looked unapologetic as he glared at her brother. She couldn't see her brother's reaction, but he was gripping onto the cup fiercely.

"Kyo!" She nagged at him and he shook his head.

"What?" Kyo turned his attention to Ayame, scowling and brows scrunched together. "He apologizes, and you're just supposed to forgive?"

"That's not how that works." He continued, and his eyes went back to her older brother. He was still staring into the fridge, not making a sound.

He closed the door to the fridge softly, before turning back to the green-eyed boy.

Ayame stared with nervous anticipation, her mouth growing dry as she watched the two of the most important people to her stare one another down.

"She may forgive you for how horribly you've treated her, but I definitely don't." Kyo continued and Ayame couldn't get the words out to stop him. "You put her through hell, dude."

Having enough of his verbal assault, Ayame stood in front of her brother with fury evident on her face and in her eyes. Kyo's anger dissipated and he went wide eyed at her interruption.

"That's enough." She spoke with frustration and assertiveness. "You don't get to talk to him like that."

Her best friend's eyes grew wider as she defended her brother, not allowing him to further patronize him.

"Ayame…?" There was concern and confusion in his voice as his anger resolved and, in its place, took perplexion.

There was a tension in the house and Ayame could feel it weighing down on her shoulders. Kyo was her best friend. He was there for her when no one else was. He saw the best and worst of her. So, standing against him hurt her.

But.

This was her brother.

Akito has been patronized his entire life.

Everyone has been on her side.

He needed someone on his side too.

She wouldn't allow for this verbal assault to continue.

"That's not fair Kyo and you know it."

The silver haired boy continued to look at her with distraught. Guilt washed over his once angry eyes and he lowered his furious green eyes to a sullener gleam.

"He's right." Ayame looked at her brother in bewilderment as his eyes shifted between her and Kyo. "You're right."

"You have every right to be upset." He continued to stare at Kyo with stoic eyes, and she was moving her eyes between her brother and her best friend.

"I did some pretty shitty things. There's no excuse for that." He paused and Ayame felt an enormous frog in her throat. Kyo was staring at him incredulously, surprised that the oldest Hayama replied to his claims.

"I'm going to do better."

And that was all her brother said before he put his empty cup in the sink and made his way upstairs. Both her and Kyo watched him disappear and she sighed, not realizing how long she was holding that in for. Seeing her brother acknowledge the situation

Ayame turned to her best friend, who seemed somewhat guilty, biting down on his lip.

"That was uncalled for." She whispered, going back to the dough that was left unattended.

"You really forgive him for what he's put you through?"

She didn't look back at him and was already elbows deep into the dough. The youngest blonde stopped and released a heavy sigh.

"He's my brother." And she could hear Kyo rustling behind her. "I forgive him because I know that he's hurt too, even if he doesn't say it."

Those were the last words exchanged between the two before Kyo excused himself and returned home. Her mood soured, and she was glaring at the innocent pieces of dough that did nothing to deserve her foul mood.

So, what if she forgave him? It wasn't like he did something to her purposely. She didn't know why, but she was furious. Ayame was tired of people patronizing and blaming her brother for things that were out of his control. In her time of re-evaluation, she realized that she was part of the reason people were so quick to blame him. And the blonde promised she would make that better. She wouldn't allow for people to look at him with accusing eyes.

And that meant even her two closest friends, Kyo and Hiro.

This anger of hers was going to do nothing to better her mood. So, she allowed herself a moment to breathe, and to release her frustration on the dough in front of her. They would taste the same despite the extra kneading.

-O-

Akito removed his now soaked running clothes as the snow that collected on his melted. Turning the shower on, he sighed heavily as he leaned back against the wall. It had been some time since he went out on a run. Back when he was still doing karate, it was routine to go on a 2-mile run every night. He utilized running to build his endurance, so he could last longer in matches without any significant fatigue.

Not knowing what compelled him, he just grabbed his headphones and changed, running out the door. Stepping into the shower, he sighed as the hot water hit his skin. The blond was only able to get halfway through his run before his right shoulder began to act up. Aching, throbbing pain encompassed his shoulder. He looked down at the limb that was a stark reminder of his past.

The scars ran along the anterolateral side of his shoulder. They almost wrapped along the shoulder, red and angry. They had healed without issues, but because he failed to follow proper scar treatment, the scars are noticeable and prominent. In some ways, he was okay with that. His scars wouldn't let him forget the brutal mistakes of his past and what he brought upon himself.

He massaged his shoulder, applying deep tissue pressure. Akito hissed, pain shooting into the rest of his limb and down into the forearm. He leaned his forehead against the cool tile of his shower as the hot water showered over him. In moments like this, where he had just a few stolen moments to himself, did he allow himself to rid of all unnecessary thoughts. The blond allowed himself just a moment to clear his head, to breathe.

The exchange he had with his sister's best friend didn't really make him feel any different than before. And it wasn't as if he wasn't already aware of the feelings Kotetsu Kyo held against him. It was obvious whenever they passed by one another in the school hallways or whenever the silver haired boy came to their house. He was always glowering at him with angry eyes. Akito knew where he stood with him.

His emotions were valid, and he had a right to be upset with him. But it didn't make Hayama feel any worse about the situation he was in. While it wasn't easy for him, he was trying to figure out how to piece together what was left of his family together. Even it was just him and his sister. Kotetsu's outburst just solidified what he already knew; how much his sister had been suffering.

Though, he was surprised at his sister's intervention. She squared her shoulders and stood confidently against her best friend. She knew what it may do and Ayame still stood up for him. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was thankful. Hayama was getting tired of hearing how shitty of a person he was.

Out of the shower, Akito changed into a crew neck and other work out joggers, falling into his bed and grabbing the manga sitting on his night stand. Before he could fully indulge himself into the story, he felt his phone vibrate next to him. He sighed and dropped the manga over his head. Grabbing the phone, he rolled his eyes as a familiar name shone on his screen.

From Kurata:

*Image attached*

He pressed on the attached image and it opened a picture of Kurata Sana holding onto their math test with a large, bright smile spread across her lips. There was a score at the top that he could hardly see. He zoomed in on the picture and saw that she passed. She passed with a B+.

From Kurata:

I PASSED!

Hayama resisted all temptation to laugh. Though, he did snort at her text. He put his manga to the side and replied.

To Kurata:

I can see that.

From Kurata:

LET'S CELEBRATE!

To Kurata:

I'm busy.

From Kurata:

Doing what? You don't hang out with anyone outside of school and don't have any hobbies. Besides reading manga anyway. And that's probably what you're doing.

He narrowed his eyes and scoffed. But truth was, he did not have a rebuttal to her statement.

To Kurata:

You are a pain in the ass.

From Kurata:

Hehe I was right, wasn't I?

To Kurata:

I'm leaving this conversation now.

From Kurata:

Ugh, you're such a party pooper. Come on, Haya-jerk! Let's hang out! It's because of you that I got the B+ anyway!

Even though you said I would probably get a C. But, whatever. I'll let that slide, teach.

Akito really wasn't in the mood to go out, especially after he went for his run.

But, if he didn't, Kurata would continue to pester him. And he had enough annoyances in his life at the moment. Sighing, his head fell against his pillow.

To Kurata:

Alright.

From Kurata:

REALLY!?

To Kurata:

But you're buying.

From Kurata:

… Fine. So cheap.

To Kurata:

Have to maximize on the opportunities.

From: Kurata

Tbh, I would take full advantage too, so I can't be too upset.

Akito snorted again and shook his head. What did he want to eat? Normally, sushi would be his go too, but it was too cold for that right now.

And that's when he had an idea.

To: Kurata

I want Korean BBQ.

From: Kurata

Really? NO SUSHI!?

To: Kurata

Not in the mood.

From: Kurata

Woooooooooow! I'm shocked!

BUT, I'll take it! I do love a good Korean BBQ!

How's 7 sound?

To: Kurata

7 is fine.

From: Kurata

Perfect! It's a date!

The blond stiffened at the last message.

To: Kurata

It's not a date.

From: Kurata

It's a form of expression, Hayama. Besides, you are not quite my type. I mean, could you imagine us DATING? It would never work! You're too broody for my taste.

To: Kurata

You're right. It wouldn't. And no, I could never and don't ever. You and I are not compatible at all. I may be to "broody" whatever the hell that means. But you. Yeah, you. Just you wouldn't work for me.

From: Kurata

Well, you didn't have to take it that far. And we are compatible... AS FRIENDS!

To: Kurata

And I still regret it to this day.

From: Kurata

You can say that all you want, but I think you feel differently now! ;D

To: Kurata

Now I am really done with this conversation. 7 at the Hiyuki center downtown.

From: Kurata

So bossy... fine! I'll see you then, Lone Wolf! :DDD

The blond threw his phone on the bed, scoffing at the conversation. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking of how much his life had already changed in the short time Kurata Sana was here. He didn't know how she did. He had been trying to figure out how she was able to keep everything together with the adversities she has faced.

He had to commend her. She handled the skeletons in her closet a lot better than he would ever.

How funny.

Akito never thought in a million years he would be going to get Korean BBQ with this girl. But here he was, a few months later from when they first met. Thinking back to that day, he remembered that unexplainable jolt that ran through his body when she fell on him.

Immediately, he felt something that he hadn't before, and it freaked him out. Which was one of the main reasons he decided to stray away from her. Outside of the fact that she was annoyingly positive and reminded him of her mother. They both had this strange way of interacting with people and phrasing their words. But as time passed, he realized Kurata and his mother were more different than he had originally thought. It made being around her much easier.

Turning to the clock resting on his study desk, it was only 4 and he had a few hours till he had to meet her. The blond grabbed his manga and played some music while he indulged himself into his book.

-O-

Hayama Akito grabbed his watch from the counter and tied it around his wrist. He pulled the winter jacket close around his body as he pulled a beanie from his top drawer. Taking a look at his phone, he read the time.

6:15pm

It was enough time to get to the train station and meet Kurata at the downtown center.

Things had been pretty quiet downstairs, he had noticed. When he left his room, he noticed that the light was off in his sister's room. Trotting downstairs, he noticed the living room TV was playing and Ayame was sitting in front with her computer in her lap. There was a dish of her pastries sitting out. He raised a brow at the roughed-up edges.

He snorted, almost chuckling at the way she shed her frustration.

She hadn't noticed him coming downstairs, and he could hear her mutter words of aggravation as she looked at what he assumed was her homework. Putting her computer aside, Hayama watched as she scribbled furiously in her notebook. She would then grab her device, type something furiously, and grab her notebook.

Rinse and repeat for the next few minutes.

Akito pulled away silently and sat on the stairs, pulling out his phone.

To: Kurata

My sister won't stop sighing at her homework. She'd probably want to see you anyway.

He watched the stupid dots appear at the bottom of the message, waiting for Kurata to hurry up and reply.

His phone vibrated and watched as she bombarded him with a string of messages.

From: Kurata

… Are you asking me if your sister can come eat with us?

Because… YES OF COURSE SHE CAN.

Wow, I'm so surprised that you even thought to invite her!

Look at this GROWTH.

I. AM. SO. PROUD.

They grow up so fast.

He sighed roughly and shook his head, annoyed by her persistent barrage of messages.

To: Kurata

Why do you have to make everything so annoying?

I'm going to be a few minutes late.

From: Kurata

I am just so HAPPY AND EXCITED.

LIKE LOOK AT THIS.

This is a great big brother move.

That's fine! I'll keep myself entertained!

To: Kurata

I'm sure that won't be too hard.

From: Kurata

Haya-jerk.

He left it at that and stood up from the last stair step. Walking towards his sister, he could see the reflection of her agitated face in the now dark computer screen. In all moments, it was then he remembered that despite all their differences, they were very much alike in many ways.

"Hey."

She jumped in her seat and turned back to look at him, almost dropping her laptop to the floor. He could hear her mutter something under her breath, putting her camputer to the side of her. Ayame offered a small smile as she put on a fake smile.

Akito watched as she raised a brow and looked him over, obviously putting together that he was going out.

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Kurata owes me food for helping her pass her test. Free meal on her, if you want to stop glaring at your computer screen."

He watched as her cheeks grew red, most likely from embarrassment. She looked down shamefully at the computer than back to her brother. But her head snapped back to him with wide eyes, like she just realized what he had asked.

"Now?" Her voice got lower and he nodded.

She looked back down and bit her lip. He could see the hesitancy in her eyes immediately.

"Look, if you're worried about being a bother or whatever, you can stop there." Ayame's eyes grew again, and he could see her jaw stiffen. Her shoulders were tense, and she carefully brought her eyes back to him. "I won't hear the end of it if I show up without you."

"Where are you going?"

"Korean BBQ at the downtown district."

She shut the notebook in her lap and reached for her computer, shutting it closed as well.

"Uh, can you give me 5 minutes?"

He nodded once more, and she hurriedly grabbed her school items, shuffling and running upstairs. Hayama watched her disappear into the second floor of their home. He sent Kurata a quick text, letting her know they would be leaving in the next 5-10 minutes.

Her typical barrage of messages followed, all basically stating how happy and excited she was.

When Ayame came back downstairs, dressed in the appropriate layers, the two Hayama siblings left their residence and made their way to the downtown district, heading to the train station first. The ride had been pretty silent, not much words spoken between the siblings.

Ayame was sitting down, her eyes staring out the window of the train. Akito had been standing, holding tightly onto the rail. The train was slightly full since it was a Saturday night. Despite the colder temperatures, this time of year was a popular time for being to be out. With all the winter activities in full swing, the city was becoming more unbearable to be around.

The train stopped at the downtown district and he signaled at his sister. They both stood and walked out of the train.

"Are we meeting her at the downtown district?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her body.

He nodded again. "The Hiyuki center."

Her eyes brightened at the recognition. "Is it that place mom took us once when you won your first karate tournament?"

Akito stilled immediately.

The memory hit him like a truck.

"Alright kid! You won your first tournament!" Hayama Koharu congratulated her son with a firm pat to his back. Akito was shoved slightly forward, glaring slightly at his mother. He was holding tightly to the trophy in hand and felt the heavy medal hang around his neck.

"Yay big brother! You won! You won!" 9 yet so to be 10-year-old Hayama Ayame jumped in place as she watched with bright eyes. It was one of the first few times that she actually smiled at him, and for this long.

"But don't say sushi, because kid, you're killing me with all the sushi." Koharu interjected, and Akito scowled again.

"I thought this was my celebratory dinner." He watched as his mother smiled with frustration.

"Yeah, but we've had sushi almost every night this week. It's time to change it up!"

And Ayame agreed with another cheer.

He sighed, selfishly wanting to continue eating sushi.

And then his mother's face went bright, and she hit her fisted hand into the palm of her other hand. An ah-ha moment struck her. He had seen that look one too many times.

"I know the perfect place! Let's go you two!"

Akito didn't have time to object because his mother had grabbed them both by the wrist and pulled them to the car.

While he was wasn't very happy during the trip downtown, after eating multiple rounds of BBQ, Hayama Akito was quite content.

"Now how was that for a change?" Koharu smugly asked her oh so smart son who looked at her with slight annoyance.

"It was so yummy, mom! Can we come back again soon?! Please!" His mother laughed, ruffling the top of her head.

His kid sister was so excited that Hayama almost broke a smile. He hadn't seen her that happy in sometime, mostly due to his parent's recently fighting so much. Akito wasn't that great of a brother, admittingly. Ever since he got himself caught up with Hitorashi Ayumi and the gang related issues, he's been nothing but trouble.

After principal Naru Naru had suggested karate as a way to "cope with his anger," Akito had found himself to be less interested in his after-school activities and more into karate. He found there wasn't much entertainment in picking on kids anymore and causing fights.

With karate, he could at least fight someone without getting in trouble.

"What did you think, Akito?"

His mother was staring at him with her bright brown eyes, a hinted yellow tinge that was so prominent in his own irises.

"I don't hate it."

Ayame stopped walking and looked back at him, obviously confused by his actions. She tilted her head to the side, clutching to herself tightly.

"Ni-chan?"

"… yeah, that place."

And he then continued, walking right past her.

His sister caught up to him and they walked once again in silence. She didn't say another word outside of the amazement of the downtown districts Christmas decorations. He could see out of the corner of his eye how excited she was growing with each passing store and set up. Christmas was always one of her most favorite time of year.

Checking his phone, he saw Kurata had sent her his location. She was somewhere around here. Knowing the idiot, she probably got herself lost in one of these stores.

"Kurata should be around here."

Ayame nodded and they both let their eyes wonder around the crowded area, searching for a head of auburn hair.

"Well there are my favorite set of siblings!"

Akito turned around and Kurata was wearing a face splitting smile that reached from one end of her face to the other. She was also bundled in her winter coat and wearing a beanie with her hair spilling from under. They had seen one another outside of school on occasion, but it was still odd for him to see her with her hair down.

She always wore it up around him, like she was getting to work.

"Sana-chan!" His sister ran to him, and the two girls shared a smile.

"Ayame-chan! I'm so glad that you could make it!"

"Thanks for letting me tag along." Ayame thanked and Kurata turned her attention to him.

"And hello to you too, Sensei." She winked and bowed, and Hayama gulped with embarrassment.

He stuffed his hands deeper in his pockets.

"Stop being ridiculous." The blond mustered, and both girls snickered.

"Oh, I'm just teasing. No need to get so worked up." She padded him on the back.

For once, he didn't stiffen or freeze.

"ANYWAY, where is this Korean BBQ place anyway?" Kurata put her hands on her hips.

"You're going to love it there, Sana-chan!" His sister grabbed her by the arm and began tugging her in the direction.

"You've been there before?"

"Tons of times! It was my mom's favorite place to go."

And they continued talking as Ayame led the way. He let both girls walk in front of him as he trailed with his hands finding comfort in the pockets of his coat.

Ayame was so different around Kurata, he noticed. When she was around Akimoto, she always seemed to be too scared to be so outgoing. He wasn't sure if it was because he treated her so much like a sister that she was always afraid of disappointing him or not. But she was so cautious around him. She was similar in the way she acted around Tsuyoshi and company as well. Except, she was a bit freer willed around Tsuyoshi. He assumed it was due to recognition and familiarity.

He had only seen her be truly herself with Kotetsu Kyo. But that was before their mother died. She seemed to be more reserved and quieter around him these days. He didn't pay much attention, but it was just his observation. Today was the first day she had seen him act remotely close to how she did in the past.

But around Kurata, she resembled more of that young girl she was when they were kids; more carefree and less worrisome. The smile grew ten folds and her body seemed laxer than in the past. When Ayame was younger, she would talk someone's ear off, much like Kurata. But after their mom died, she became much more reserved.

His kid sister was resembling much of who she used to be before their lives were torn apart from their mother's passing.

"Hey slow poke! Hurry it up, will ya!"

Kurata called back to him with a grin and he scoffed.

When they arrived, there was a line out the door. The auburn-haired teen's jaw dropped, amazed at the amount of people here. He was getting the feeling she forgot it was Saturday night.

"There are so many people here!" The grin fell, and she frowned. "It's going to take forever to get in!"

Ayame was consoling the girl but Akito just walked by and went straight to the host stand.

"Hello and welcome to Gin Korean BBQ. How many for you today?" The hostess asked.

"I called earlier and made a reservation for two, possibly three."

"What's the name on the reservation?" She asked as she looked at the list.

"Kurata Sana." He spoke, and he felt a presence at his side.

"You put the reservation under my name?" Kurata asked and he spared her a quick look.

"You're paying, aren't you?"

Kurata snorted. "I guess I am."

"It'll be just a few minutes until we have your table ready. If you could just take a seat and we will call you when your table is ready."

He nodded and Kurata said her thanks. He stood off to the side, and they both followed.

"I don't remember this place being so packed." Ayame mumbled to herself and Sana nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing that Hayama here decided to call and make a reservation! Or else we'd be waiting at least an hour."

"We never came at night." He stated, and he could feel both pairs of eyes on him. "You know how much mom hated waiting."

When he looked back at the two girls, Kurata was staring at him with a soft smile. Weirded out by her sudden change in attitude, he scoffed and looked away.

"Weirdo." He muttered under his breath.

"Table for Kurata-san!"

Her eyes brightened at the call of her name. "Oh! That's us!"

The hostess walked the three to their table and Kurata was basically drooling as they passed by the cooking food. When they sat down, she was already looking over the menu for her first choice of meat. Their server came to the table and introduced herself. The three teens took their drink order and Kurata made her first order. Ayame contributed and Hayama gave his first suggestion.

"When's your first gymnastics meet, Sana-chan?" Ayame asked, placing the meat on the hot skillet.

The two girls were sitting side by side while Hayama preoccupied the other side of the both. He grabbed the kimchi from the bowl in front of them and plopped some in his mouth while Sana gorged on the edamame.

"I think sometime next week?" She took a drink of her soda, and then looked at the sizzling meet with fascination. "I'm not entirely sure. Fuka has the schedules on everything."

"Don't you think you should know? What if you had a meet today?" Ayame was mostly teasing, but that had Kurata stop in her tracks. Her eyes went wide, and she dropped the chopsticks.

"There's no meets on Saturdays... right?"

She looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders. "How would I know?"

Kurata pulled her phone out and texted who he thought was Fuka immediately. Both he and Ayame shared a look before looking back at her. Akito swapped the meat to the other side as she looked with anxiety at her phone.

Immediate relief crossed her face as the phone vibrated in her hands. A face splitting grin encompassed her face and she put her phone back in her coat, leaning back against the booth.

"I'm safe. No meet today!"

"Oh, Sana-chan..." Ayame muttered and Akito rolled his eyes.

"NOW!" She grabbed her chopsticks and clapped her hands together. "Where were we?"

And she dove straight in.

Akito and Ayame could only watch as she ate away at the food that was one the table. For someone her size, one wouldn't expect her to be able to eat as much as she did. Akito watched silently mostly as his sister and the auburn-haired girl chatted away.

They talked about school and after school activities and life. Ayame poked at Kurata's past, wanting to hear more about who she was before Tokyo. Akito was somewhat curious as well, knowing that he had to write a paper on her anyway.

"When I was a kid, I was part of a preforming theatre group. The Komiwari Group!" She grabbed her share of the newly cooked meat as she talked. This was new information.

"We used to put plays and performances year-round. Their company group is actually based out of Tokyo but has branched out to different cities. Which is why I was able to join them."

"Performances? Like what?" Ayame asked. Kurata swallowed the meat she just plopped into her mouth. She drank her soda and wiped at her mouth.

"Oh, you know. Just a bunch of typical Broadway and ballet stuff. Some of the kids in the theatre group also wrote their own plays, as well as the teachers."

This caused Akito to raise an eyebrow.

"Did you act or dance?" His sister continued her barrage of questions. But, Kurata was taking it as a sport. If anything, the oldest Hayama sibling was assuming that she didn't mind this attention.

"Both!" She said through a mouth full of food.

"That's so cool!"

Stars were in his sister's eyes as she continued to gush about Kurata's involvement in the performing arts. While it was new information, it wasn't anything that Akito didn't see coming. Her personality was perfect for a world of pretend.

"I remembered you said you picked up gymnastics because you didn't have anything to do outside of school a few weeks ago. How come you aren't part of the Komiwari group now?"

That's when Kurata froze in her seat.

He didn't know if his sister caught onto her sudden stillness, but Hayama watched as her shoulders tensed and her jaw locked in place. Her eyes were unreadable. The blond couldn't tell what she was thinking at the moment.

"I just outgrew it, I guess."

She was lying.

He saw it in the way her smile barely reached her eyes and the sudden distress in her hazel colored irises. He saw it in the way her shoulders retreated, and her hands came up and hugged herself in defense. Akito narrowed his eyes as he watched her more carefully.

Kurata could smile all she wanted, but he was able to see right through her.

"Oh, that's a bummer. Would have been cool to see a recital." Ayame commented, and he noticed the discrepancy of time between his sister's comment and her reply.

"All of that doesn't matter anymore, anyway! Gym is what my next focus is and I'm excited, despite Fuka being a killer coach."

And gone was her apprehension and hesitancy. If one squinted, one would see the trepidation in her eyes. But even then, she masked it so well, that it was almost impossible. Now, she concealed her emotions with perfect ease.

The blond has learned that Kurata Sana is a master of masking.

"That doesn't surprise me in the least. Fuka-san intimidates me quite a bit." She confessed and that was nothing new to him. He knew that the brunette was direct and unapologetically truthful.

The auburn-haired teen waved at her and scoffed at her statement. "Fuka gets overworked way too easily. Though, I don't really blame her. Once you meet her parents, you realize why she's so uptight about everything."

"Buka tries too hard to be perfect. She needs to realize that it's impossible."

Both his sister and Kurata turned to him, surprised at his interjection. Kurata narrowed her eyes at him before settling back against the booth and nodding her head.

"He's not wrong."

"Are her parent's that bad, Sana-chan?" Ayame asked. Kurata sighed, frustration evident across her brows and eyes.

"Fuka's mom was a professional gymnast until she suffered an injury that ended her career. Since Fuka could walk, her mother's been pushing gymnastics. She puts an insufferable amount of pressure on her. If she takes too long to learn a routine, or can't stick a landing, or complains in the least bit, her mom harps on her."

The dinner table was quiet despite the commotion and noise around them.

"Fuka works just as hard as the next person. She tries to be perfect because it's what she has been taught. Her father is a bit more lenient with her, but because of his success as a businessman, Fuka feels like she has to be better than everyone else." Kurata put her chopsticks down and released a heavy breath. "It took me a long time to ground her when we first met. She was truly insufferable to be around with her nose always up in the air."

"But, we came to an understanding. We realized we were a lot more similar that either us had thought. Fuka was getting a lot better. She stopped patronizing everyone around her and just let them be who they were." A smile crossed her lips. "I felt like I finally got through to her. Like this was the real Fuka who was just cowering away because her mom didn't let her be who she really wanted to be."

Hayama knew what was coming next. Kurata had already shared this story with him, about Fuka's broken heart.

"Why do I feel like there's a but coming here…"

Kurata smiled faintly.

"Fuka was dating this boy. We we're both really good friends with him." She looked at him, but he just leaned back against the booth without a word to be said. "When they started dating, I saw a side to Fuka I never did before. He truly brought out the best in her."

"Oh no…"

A sad smile fell on her lips. "Yeah, they broke up. And Fuka reverted back to who she was before we even met. There wasn't much time to fix what was broken because after that, her dad was transferred, and she left Osaka."

"That… actually explains a lot about Fuka-san." His sister replied, but he remained quiet.

"She's been crabbier these days though since her injury. So, of course, I have to be the one to deal with the aftermath of that."

"You don't have too." He stated, and both girls looked at him. Kurata was raising a brow as she took a drink of her soda.

"You feel obligated to deal with the aftermath. No one, not Buka or anyone else here, is forcing you to deal with her petulant attitude. If she wants to have a pissing contest, you don't need to be her opponent." He watched as both Kurata's and his sister's eyes grew wider and wider with every passing word. He had noticed the change in Fuka's attitude. And it was annoying watching her be condescending to everyone around them. Including himself.

"Bad things happen. And there isn't anything you can do about it sometimes. So, either Buka needs to learn that or she's going to end up losing all her friends."

Crickets to his statement.

"I didn't know you cared so much." Kurata muttered with a raise brow.

He shook his head. "Don't misunderstand me. I could care less about the drama between you all. But, when it affects my daily life, that's when I have something to say."

A disgruntled look crossed Kurata's face as she folded her arms in front of her.

"Oh? So, you don't care that all your friends are fighting with one another? You don't feel like you have obligation to do something?" She countered, and he narrowed his eyes.

"No, because why am I going to get involved and escalate the issue? You start taking sides and it just complicates everything. Best to not get involved."

They glared at one another as Ayame watched the two, her eyes constantly going back and forth.

"But what are you going to accomplish by staying out of the problem when you have the potential to fix it?"

"What about the potential to just make it worse? You're going to feel even worse knowing that you further escalated the situation rather than solving it." She continued to narrow her eyes at his responses, but he refused to back down from the conversation.

"What happened to the glass being half full?"

"And what's wrong with it being half empty?"

She slammed her hands on the table, surprising both him and his sister. She leaned forward on the table, the daggers in her eyes piercing right through him.

"That's because you're the world's biggest pessimist. Your opinion is biased."

He felt his chest bubble with frustration as she continued to challenge him. It was now his turn to slam his hands on the table and lean into the table.

"And yours isn't? You see rainbows and sunshine wherever you go. You have no right to tell me my opinion is biased when your view is just as skewed." His words left in a harsh tone, brows scrunching together from anger.

"You're insufferable, you know that?"

"And you're obnoxious, you know that?"

Both Hayama and Kurata continued to scowl at one another.

She absolutely aggravated him with her false sense of optimism. Kurata never failed to remind him why they just were not compatible in all forms. Her cheeriness and brightness were just too overwhelming for him. Yes, admittingly, he was pessimist though he thought himself a realist. But, her annoying sense of false confidence really grated at his nerves.

The only reason they were able to be friends in the first place was because her feelings weren't fragile. Kurata was able to take his insults and harsh demeanor without much difficulty. In fact, it was infuriating how she always challenged him and was persistent on getting the best of him. And, for some strange reason, she found joy in their bickering and quarrels. He always saw that cocky or mischievous smile when they argued with one another.

She really was a royal pain in his ass.

"Hey, uh, maybe you guys should finish this conversation somewhere else?"

His sister interjected, and he tore his eyes away from hers. His sister was looking at them with… amusement? What the hell? Her brown eyes quickly shed away whatever that was, and she gestured towards the server at the head of the table.

"Umm, can I get you three anything else?"

"I'm not hungry anymore." Kurata replied, falling back against the booth, a scowl in place.

"Neither am I." He also responded.

Ayame turned towards the server and smiled. "We are okay, thank you."

The server scurried away the moment those words left her lips.

"Hey Ayame, mind moving over so I can go to the restroom?" She asked, and his sister smiled. Ayame moved and let Kurata out of the booth. The auburn-haired teen walked briskly to the bathroom, leaving the Hayama siblings to themselves.

He looked up at her, and there was exasperation evident on her face.

"What?"

"I know we're still new at this whole sibling thing," the youngest blonde started, and Hayama sighed, knowing he was in for a lecture, "but, can I speak freely?"

"You don't have to ask. You're my sister." She shrugged, and he leaned back against the booth, waiting on her opinion on his spat with Kurata.

"Despite how you how talk to Sana-chan, I think you actually kind of enjoy being around her." Eyes going wide, Hayama felt the back of his neck warm instantly. He scrunched his brows together and immediately shook his head.

"I think you're getting the wrong idea. I don't like her."

It was then that Ayame shook her head. "I didn't say you like her. I was just pointing out that I think you actually enjoy her presence. If you didn't, you know you wouldn't have bothered coming here tonight, even if it was a free meal."

Biting back his tongue, the blond's eyes went down to the table.

"Actually, just from what I've seen, I think you like bickering with her." Eyes immediately shot up to her, and he could see that amused smile on her face again. When he narrowed his eyes, she immediately clammed up. "I mean, that's just what I've noticed."

"If I don't make some type of effort, she'll annoy me. And I don't need that."

She was smiling again, humming to his statement. Akito didn't appreciate her response.

"Well, whatever the case is, I think you should give her a break. She's really trying, I feel like."

And on cue, Kurata was back, her hands nursing her belly like if she was pregnant.

"I feel like I'm going to explode." Ayame giggled, and let her slide back in.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Gone was the exasperation she left the table with. In its place was a grin. Akito has realized she doesn't stay upset for too long. The hazel eyed teen was quick to let things go.

"Yeah, me too." Ayame stood up. "I'm also going to the restroom. I'll be right back."

And she left, leaving Hayama and Kurata alone.

Kurata sighed, playing with the food in front of her. She was shrugged down against the booth, silent. Hayama had his arms crossed, looking at the T.V. in front of them. Some replay of the baseball game from earlier in the season was showing.

"So, you and your sister are getting along better?" She asked, and he looked back at her. Golden brown crashed with hazel eyes as he moved his gaze back towards her.

"A work in progress." She nodded and smiled.

Doesn't that girl ever get tired of smiling all the time?

"Progress being made. You brought her tonight."

He sighed roughly, grabbing at the back of his neck.

"I feel like I owed it to her." Recalling the incident that occurred at his home just a few short hours earlier. "Kotetsu was making comments at my house earlier. They didn't bother me too much, but they bothered her enough to interfere."

Kurata's eyes went wide and she leaned forward with her hands on each side of her.

"Really?" Her voice was bewildered by his sister's actions. Akito nodded.

"Yeah, my reaction too." Akito grabbed at the plastic wrapper from his straw and rolled it in his hands. He looked back at the auburn-haired teen. "She's trying… maybe I should try harder."

Kurata's mouth opened slightly, her eyes staring at him with some type of newfound revelation. She hadn't said anything immediately to his response. Hayama was growing uncomfortable with the newfound silence and almost preferred her to say something, anything.

"What?"

That's when a genuine and sincere smile cross her lips. It wasn't like the other, more obnoxious, in your face grins that made him roll his eyes. She wasn't showing teeth or blabbering away in your ear. It was a simple smile that made him feel weird and threw him off completely.

She giggled softly and shook her head lightly. "It's just… I feel like we've come such a long way. Don't you?"

He didn't know how to respond. Because she was right. From the time they first met to now, their friendship/relationship had grown immensely. Though, he wasn't sure if that was something he was ready to admit to himself yet.

He opened his mouth to reply, but the shadow of his sister cut their conversation short and he remained silent. Ayame returned and took her spot next to Kurata. She looked at them both with confusion, especially since Kurata was still smiling so weirdly.

"Did I miss something?"

Kurata chuckled and shook her head. "No, not at all."

When it came down to the check, staying true to her word, Kurata took the bill. Though, she did have a few choice words to say. Before giving the book back to the server, Hayama grabbed it from her hand. He took out the money from his wallet and placed it in the book.

"What are you doing? I offered to pay, didn't I?" She attempted to pull the book back, but Hayama kept a strong hold.

"Yeah, for myself. I'm paying for my sister." A small 'o' shaped at her lips and she nodded, released the book from her grasp.

"Oh, no, ni-chan. I can pay-" But Akito put his hand up, stopping her mid-way.

"I didn't mind paying for her either." Kurata added, but Hayama wasn't hearing it. The server came by and he instructed cash first, then card. The server nodded and left.

"My sister, my responsibility."

Kurata smirked, and then shrugged her shoulders and hands. "I won't fight that."

"Ni-chan…" Ayame tried to argue but Akito just shot her a look that made her stop whatever else she was going to say.

The server returned, handing the book to Kurata. She thanked them, and they gathered their coats and headgear to brace themselves for the chilly night.

As they walked out the door, the blond secured the beanie over his head and tightened his coat around his body. Keeping himself warm to prevent the aching in his shoulder was always his main priority this time of year. Because when he didn't provide sufficient support, he paid for it later at night.

"Solid pick, Hayama!" Kurata came up from behind him and padded him on said shoulder. "We're definitely going to have to come back to this one."

"Outside of sushi, this was always one of ni-chan's favorite places to come." Ayame added to the conversation. "He just won't admit it. His love for sushi is too strong to betray."

A twitch of the lips and Hayama could almost feel a smirk coming on. But he brought his lips back down and remained stoic with the conversation.

"It still fascinates me how obsessed you are with sushi. Like I've said before, I would have never pegged ya for a sushi guy!" He shrugged in response.

"My mom always said it was because she ate lots of sushi during his pregnancy. Even though she wasn't allowed to eat raw fish, she always made my dad buy it for her anyway. She thought she poisoned ni-chan's brain with sushi. She had the weirdest way of putting things and phrases together." At the mention of his father, Akito fisted his hands tightly. He was still a sour topic, despite how things ended recently between them. Neither Ayame or Kurata seemed to notice, though.

But even then, he was more surprised at the ease his sister was able to talk about his parents with. It was once taboo too talk about their mom in front of him. He forbade it, not wanting to hear a thing about her. She too struggled with mention of her parents. It would further sullen her already somber mood.

It didn't feel like that anymore.

"What was it that mom used to say about you?" She asked, and he knew exactly what she was referring too.

Akito snorted and Sana nudged him. "Yeah, Hayama! What did she used to say about you?"

"I would turn to katsuo one day from all the sushi I've eaten."

He didn't even feel the smirk find its way to his lips. Remembering the silly phrases his mom used to say to him and his sister was making him nostalgic. He recalled the first time he could remember having sushi. The moment he took a bite, he was hooked.

His mom always did tell him that he would someday turn into a fish because his body was filled with nothing but raw fish.

It wasn't until he saw both his sister and Kurata staring at him with gaping mouths that he realized he even smirked. And that was after it happened.

"Was that a smirk!?" She was now pointing at him, her eyes wide and mouth still gaping. Even his sister was shocked with what just occurred.

"What are you talking about?"

She turned her head to Ayame and then back to Akito. "Ayame, you saw that right? Please tell me you did and that I'm not going crazy!"

His sister nodded, not helping the cause. He glared slightly, at his sister and then back at Kurata.

"You're exaggerating."

"Ah-ha!" Now she was grinning like a fool, cheering and throwing her hands into the air. "This is HUGE!"

Having enough, Akito turned around and made his way back to the train station, leaving behind an overly excited Kurata Sana and his sister.

"I feel so accomplished right now!" She was jabbering behind him. "Now, if I can only get him to smile."

He scoffed and dug his hands further into his pockets, walking briskly faster than before.

"That may be asking for too much." Ayame responded to her, and he mentally agreed.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day he showed anything more than a frown. Yet, here we are!" And Kurata quickly matched his pace, stopped in front of him, and grabbed him by the shoulders. She quickly turned him around and pointed at his face.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hayama attempted to get out of her hold and she kept a firm grip on his shoulders.

"I'm showing your sister that anything is possible!" He peeled himself away from her and smoothed out his coat, fixing his beanie over his head. He scowled at her, tch-ing at her and putting quite a bit of distance between them.

Ayame was hunched over, grabbing her stomach as she laughed, tears pooling in her eyes. She was laughing so hard, and so loud. Akito doesn't remember the last time he's heard this sister filled with this much laughter.

Kurata was grinning again, chuckling alongside with his sister. They made brief eye contact and she grinned once again. Deciding to stop fighting against it, he let himself smirk again, though much smaller from the one before.

The three teens stood in the middle of the downtown district, snow slushed at their feet and the bitterness of the air around them. But there was a warmness that surrounded them, filled with hope and light that no one else could see. In that cold winter day, things didn't seem so bleak.

A/N: This was long, but was so much fun to write. I've only had a few chapters so far in this story that really wrote themselves, and this was definitely one of them. It was fun exploring different sides to Ayame, especially because she's an OC. I still don't regret changing Natsumi to Ayame. Bold call, but she definitely fits the narrative better than Natsumi. A lot of the story would have changed if I had left her in. Her personality just didn't match the tone I was trying to set and her being the oldest was definitely an issue. Also, I have not heard any complaints, so I can toast to that.

I'm doing my best to incorporate those Kodocha themes into this story, and tie canon events into my story as much as possible. While they may not be exactly alike or happen in the same flow as the original manga, they are still very important to the story. Speaking of the story, can you believe we are just under the half way mark. I don't have an exact idea of how many chapters this story will be, but it definitely is going to be between 50-60. Things started so slow because of character introduction and growth and all that. But now that the story is really settling, things will move a lot faster. Things won't seem so stagnant. Also, Sana's backstory is coming very soon. And that's going to take a chunk of chapters to get through. Not that their stories are ever complete. Akito still has a lot of growth.

So, for all my readers who observe, Happy Thanksgiving! So thankful for you and for the support you give! I will see you all at the next update! (Hopefully two more before the year ends!).

Till next time!

- Dark Waffle