A/N: Can yall believe its already November? WOW.
Also, I finished this chapter literally so fast. If only I had the same motivation to do that for all the chapters. Then I probably would have had this done by now, eh? I will say this is more of a filler chapter but also not? But still, I think you all will enjoy!
Have fun with it!
Chapter 28 For the Wishes
The snow continued to fall and Hayama Ayame sighed in dejection. She was really hoping that it wouldn't be utterly terrible outside. She pulled the beanie over her head and then followed with her gloves. At least she could be warm. That was something she could be thankful for.
Today was New Year's Eve, so she knew the streets may be crowded.
This time of year, in Japan, was always everyone's favorite. The city had great fireworks shows and celebrations for the new year. But Ayame was feeling nervous today.
Today was the first time she would be celebrating with her brother in three years.
It was just a few days after Christmas that she really worked up the nerve to ask him. Sana's Christmas/Middle Birthday party had settled, and they were at home, watching holiday movies while her brother was reading manga in his room.
Akito had left his door open, which was something new that he started doing. He always had his door closed. But after everything that's happened these last few months, her brother began to open himself up again. Literally.
"Umm, nii-chan." She knocked briefly and her older brother looked up from the manga he was currently reading.
He raised a brow at her as he put the book down in his lap.
"I was wondering… do you have any plans for New Years?"
He took a moment to respond but then shook his head. "None."
A small smile settled on her lips and she bit down slightly. "I was wondering… would you want to celebrate together?"
His eyes went slightly wide, that stoic look he wore so well disappeared. Her brother looked shocked almost. Like he couldn't believe what she was asking him.
"If that's okay with you!" She retreated slightly, unsure of how to handle his reaction.
Then it returned, that apathetic look in his eyes. He grabbed for the back of his neck and looked down at his bed.
"I won't hate it."
And that's all Ayame needed to hear before a face splitting smile reached her lips.
He won't hate it! He won't hate it!
She knew that whenever he said that, that actually meant he really liked it! Her bright smile, that she has been showing much more of these days, wouldn't fall from her face.
"Great! How does the shrine sound?"
He nodded in reply without another word and Ayame was over the moon. She nodded in return and she almost skipped down the hall in joy. The small table in between their rooms, with the hidden photo caught her eye.
It had been so long since she had seen it. Her brother jabbed it in the back on purpose, so they didn't have to look at it any longer.
But the tides were changing. And Ayame felt that in order to move forward, they needed to be able to accept their past. The young blonde reached for the broken photo frame that she herself put back together after it was broken.
She could still recall the memory associated with this photo, and the anger and outburst that followed it. She remembered when her brother grabbed it and tossed it into the wall in frustration. The yelling and screaming that followed.
Ayame remembered it all.
She dragged her fingers over the photo, smiling at her mother, whom she loved so, so much. And her brother, who was smirking in victory. The trophy was held high in his hands.
Maybe one day.
One day they could come back to this.
She put the photo frame down, in front of the flowers and the lamp that rested on it. She wanted everyone who walked by to see it from now on.
"You ready?" Her brother's voice knocked her out of her memory as he came from behind her. She smiled in return.
"Yep! I just need to grab my bag and then we could head out." He nodded and tightened the sweater around his body. Even he was dressed for the freezing cold temperatures outside with his own headwear and multiple layers of clothing.
"The temple is probably going to be packed, huh?" Ayame asked and he sighed.
"it usually is this time of year." He put his phone and their house keys in his pocket and zipped it up.
"Ready?" He asked one more time and Ayame nodded with a smile. Her brother opened the door for her, and they walked out, him locking the door behind them.
Their travel to the downtown district was mostly in silence, with Ayame's occasional conversation starter here and there. Her brother wouldn't leave her completely hanging as he would make small conversation. But it certainly wasn't anything like Hiro-kun or Kyo-kun, whom she could talk to for days.
"Oh wow. There are so many people here already!" She commented once they got off the train.
The downtown district was filled with people. She knew that this was a popular spot for the holiday's, especially New Year's. The Downtown district was the hot spot, especially for tourism.
But nothing would be more packed than the temple.
It was around this time that people should be arriving to get an opportunity to see the temple and drop their wish before the new year.
"Are you hungry?" Her older brother asked as he pointed towards a stand that was selling some Takoyoki. She smiled and nodded. They walked over together and Ayame felt so happy.
Happy that she was able to spend this time with her brother.
The walked around a little while, Ayame fully immersed in the activities and dragging her brother around without so much as a word from him. Though, he didn't seem to complain. If anything, Ayame dared to say that he might be enjoying himself.
She knew that he didn't like crowds nor did he like being around all this energy (probably why he and Sana-chan didn't get along at first), but it didn't seem to bother him too much.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught site of a performance. It was a group of dancers who used fire as part of their props. Ayame was completely enthralled and pulled at her brother's jacket.
"Nii-chan… can we go watch them before we head to the temple?"
His eyes went to the dancers and then back to her. He sighed and nodded.
Ayame watched in fascination as they danced to the music that blared over the crowd. It was fascinating how coordinated they were. Every step, every movement was precisely calculated. They moved so fluidly, so meticulously.
It almost reminded her of watching Akito when he was doing karate.
She looked to her older brother and found him just as entranced as she was. His eyes were watching every movement so closely.
"Doe-Does it remind you of karate?" Ayame dared to ask.
She knew it was risky bringing this up. Karate had always been such a sore subject. Her brother was really good back when he was still participating. He was winning medals and tournaments left and right.
After the accident, he quit, and it broke her heart.
Ayame still remembered the day he promised to never do karate again. It was a few months after they were out of the hospital and their mother's funeral. Her brother was cleaning out the closet and she remembered hearing something crash to the floor. She still couldn't move very well because of the back injuries she sustained, but when she finally came out of the room, she saw one of his trophies broken on the floor.
Akito was standing with his one good hand clenched, the other still in the sling. He was staring at the floor with a snarl at his lips. He marched past her and walked to his room and Ayame followed him. Her eyes went wide as she watched him grab his trophies and medals and throw them into a box.
No words were said, but she could feel his anguish through his actions.
They never spoke of that moment ever again; not that they spoke much after the accident. It was something that they both pretend did not happen.
And Ayame knew she was risking an attitude change with her brother asking him about karate. But, how could they possibly move forward if they couldn't confront their past?
The older blond didn't say anything at first, and Ayame thought he was just going to ignore the question all together.
"Yeah." He said softly.
Shocked at his reply, Ayame looked back at the performers, trying to hide her features.
"I always thought that your karate routines looked like a dancing a bit. Everything was structured so well. Everyone played a part. Even when you were fighting… it looked like you were kind of dancing with your opponent." She continued on.
"Sensei always did say karate was like dancing."
Now that's a name that Ayame hadn't heard in a while. She did wonder how long it has been since her brother had seen his sensei. The patience of saint that man had. When her brother was first introduced to karate, he was impatient and brash. His sensei did a great job in teaching him the true virtue of patience.
Her mother was definitely appreciative of his teachings.
"Do you miss it?"
Immediate silence was her reply from him.
Instead of saying anything, he just turned away and began to walk towards the temple.
Feeling sullen, Ayame reluctantly followed.
Part of her felt like that was his answer. Her brother turning away from something that once brought him so much joy. She wished she could somehow help him overcome whatever it was that prevented him from returning to the sport he loved so much.
They walked to the temple now in silence. Her brother had his hands dug into his pockets and walked a few steps in front of her. Ayame could now feel the chilliness of the night settle as it darkened outside and the temperature fell.
She shivered, hoping that they could still grab a decent spot in line for the temple.
"Ayame-chan?"
At the sound of her name, the youngest Hayama sibling turned and found Kurata Sana grinning like a mad man. Also wrapped in winter wear, Sana ran over to her, her nose and cheeks slightly red from the cold air.
Her mother was walking right behind her.
"Sana-chan!" She greeted and the girls hugged. They began to talk animatedly while Akito stood off in the background. He began to walk back towards his sister and Kurata.
Her mother followed close behind as she walked up to the pair of the Hayama siblings and Kurata with a smile on their face.
"I didn't realize you were here, too, Hayama!" Sana excitedly said as she walked up to the blond and padded his shoulder.
"Good evening, Kurata-san." Ayame greeted and Akito nodded as his own form of hello.
"Hello to you too, Ayame-san, Hayama-san." The older Kurata smiled.
"Are you guys here for the temple, too!?" Sana asked again.
"Yes! I asked Nii-chan if we could come and he said it was fine! We've just been walking around for a few hours, but we figured we'd head in line now before it got too late and didn't get a good spot in line."
Sana broke out into a grin as she looked back and forth to the Hayama siblings. Obviously ecstatic that they were spending time with one another, the auburn-haired teen felt so proud. This was everything she had hoped and more for the Hayama siblings.
"What a coincidence! So were we! Right Mama!?"
Kurata Misako smiled again. "Why don't you two join us?"
"We would love too! Right Nii-chan?" Ayame turned back to her brother, giving him the pleading eyes that she used to give to her mother. It wasn't something she did often with her older brother, but she figured it didn't hurt now. New Year, right?
He sighed and scratched the back of his head.
"Whatever." Was all he replied, and Sana stood next to him, nudging him in the stomach. Her brother glared at her and flicked her in the middle of her forehead.
Ayame giggled as she watched the two interact. It was so different from what it used to be, when they were at odds with one another. It was like she had said when they went to get Korean BBQ. Her brother actually seemed to enjoy Sana-chan's presence, even if he didn't admit it.
"Off we go, then!" Sana grabbed her and her brother by the arms and pulled them forward.
"What youth!" Ayame could hear her mother say behind them.
Eventually, they found their way to the temple and found their spots in line.
Sana was humming with a grin as she felt so happy. It felt like all her hard work was paying off. She knew that Hayama was irritated with her constant intrusion in his life. But it paid off because here were the Hayama siblings, together.
They barely looked at one another when Sana first arrived.
"And exactly why are you so happy?" Hayama asked her.
"Because I get to spend the New Year with my favorite set of siblings!" He rolled his eyes at her response.
"You're so strange." Was all he said to that.
"I'll let you know Hayama, that I fully embrace my strangeness! It sets me apart from everyone else!" She so proudly stated, chest puffed out with confidence.
"I don't know about that, Kurata." His comment was so sarcastic and witty that it made a vein pop out of the corner of Sana's forehead. She clenched her fist and brought it up to her face, eyes closed with a frown but still smiling.
"You got more to add, you punk!?" She asked through her teeth and he shrugged.
"Oh, now you want to stay quiet! Coward! Say what you have to say to me!" She leaned forward, hands at her hips, narrowing her eyes at him.
"You're an idiot." And that stupid, smirk that he has been abusing lately settled on his lips and Sana wanted to wipe it right off!
"Haya-JERK!" She shouted as she whipped out her infamous red hammer that caught him by surprise. She thumped him over the head and that smirk was now gone and replaced with a glare. It was her turn to smirk as she scoffed.
"What the hell, Kurata!"
"Serves you right, JERK."
And they went back and forth, their bickering become a staple of their relationship. Ayame and Misako found it amusing as the laughed at their antics.
Misako found the entire interaction amusing. Looking at Hayama Akito now, she did not feel like she was seeing the same boy that came into her home just a few short months ago. Still having those strong eyes, they did not seem so dull anymore. If anything, she felt like his golden-brown color was coming more into light.
While he still wore that stoic face, Misako did catch that smirk from his lips. What a stark difference from their first meeting, she thought to herself. The boy did not seem as closed off as he did back then. Whatever had occurred between her daughter and that boy, it was for the better.
Both her daughter and the oldest Hayama were staring at one another with glares, no longer exchanging silly words with one another. They were both panting and had a few feet in between them. Sana was holding onto that ridiculous hammer of hers tightly.
"Maybe we can call a truce?" The young Ayame offered as she stepped in between both, laughing nervously at the tension the pair radiated. Her daughter and Hayama both narrowed their eyes at one another.
"I can do a truce, if Hayama is up to it."
"Tch." He snorted, crossing his arms in front of him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"As long as it gets her off my back."
Before Sana could retort to his comment, Misako stepped in and padded them both over the head. Clearly embarrassed by this gesture, Hayama Akito stepped away quickly, red covering his cheeks.
Sana looked up to her mother like a child being scolded.
"Now, now children. Enough of this quarreling. You two sound like an old married couple." The moment those words left Misako's lips, both her daughter and Hayama went red in the face and looked away from each other right away.
"Tch." Was all the oldest Hayama sibling said as he turned away from them.
"PSH. As if." Sana looked away; her face obviously just as red as the blond boy to her right.
Misako chuckled as the two teens refused to look at one another, obviously embarrassed by her comments. Instead, Sana began to talk to Ayame. Misako took this opportunity to talk to Akito. She wanted to see for herself how much this boy had changed.
"You will have to forgive me comments, Hayama-san. It was the best way I saw fit to cease the quarreling." He rolled his eyes, scoffing.
"Whatever."
"I see that you and your sister are on better terms?" Misako knew that it was none of her business to bring up the issues of the Hayama siblings, but the novelist in her was itching to know.
He looked at her with his sharp eyes and narrowed them slightly. If she was not experienced with age, his glare may have intimidated her.
"And I still see that Kurata continues to have a big mouth."
Misako laughed. "You must forgive my daughter. She only informs me as much as she does because she cares for you both, you see."
The comment clearly made him uncomfortable because he shifted in his spot and looked away, continuing to hide in the scarf wrapped around his neck.
"We're making progress." He muttered.
"It shows." Misako replied. The blond looked at her, almost suspiciously.
"She seemed to have enjoyed the party. As did you." Hayama shrugged his shoulders, stuffing his hands in his pockets now.
"Not my scene but it wasn't the worst thing I've dealt with."
Misako understood why her daughter took such an interest in the boy. He was a mystery and she felt like every word he spoke was said so meticulously, with purpose.
"You know, I was grabbing some ice from my freezer the other day and I was quite surprised to see a tiny snowman sitting in the middle of it."
She watched the boy freeze, his eyes growing big. Misako couldn't help but smirk.
"And I couldn't help but wonder where it came from."
The boy was now red again, hiding his face in his scarf. Hayama didn't dare to look at her as he remained silent. She watched as he bit down on his lip.
"I can't believe she kept that stupid thing." He mumbled, clearly embarrassed by her statement. Misako chuckled as she watched him kick the snow below his feet.
Unbeknownst to both her daughter and the young Hayama, Misako had watched the entire exchange. She could see the two of them talking through the glass door of her living room. She watched closely when Hayama presented the snowman like figure to her daughter. And she watched the two of them sit and talk.
It very much sparked an interest.
"Hey you two! Let's get moving!" Her daughter grinned at them as she gestured for them to follow.
"What's got you looking so bashful, Hayama?" Sana asked and Ayame looked over her shoulder, curious to her brother's change in demeanor.
Of course, he went slightly red and he look horrified to have her so close. He pushed her back and looked away.
"I'm not being bashful or whatever, so back off." He walked right past her and took the spot in front of them. Her daughter looked utterly confused as she watched him, then looked to her.
"What's got his pants all bunched up?"
Misako merely chuckled. "I just teased him, that's all."
Ayame giggled and Sana shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, I guess! Hey, Ayame-chan! Wanna play a charades game on the phone while we wait?"
The novelist's eyes ventured back and forth between her daughter and the oldest of the Hayama siblings and smiled.
I'm curious to see how all of this will play itself out.
-O-
Time flew as Sana and Ayame continued to play games and keep themselves entertained with games. Misako joined in on a few but mostly just observed. Akito kept to himself for the most part, still obviously embarrassed from Misako's teasing.
It was when Sana would call out to Akito that Ayame realized something.
"Hey Sana-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"Something I've noticed… but why do you call me by my first name and my brother by his last name?" Ayame asked, now that she put more attention to it. Sana called mostly everyone by their first name, if allowed. She even called Hiro-kun by his first name.
The only one she didn't was her older brother.
Sana and Akito looked at one another for a moment before Sana grabbed her chin and looked up to the sky in thought.
"I think part of the reason is because we didn't like each other at first." Sana started, laughing slightly. Hayama snorted. "I couldn't call him Akito when we didn't even know each other, nonetheless, like one another."
"With you, and Tsuyoshi-kun, and Fuka, and Aya-chan, and even Hiro, we clicked instantly! I didn't have to fight with anyone to be friends with them." She gave a deadpanned look to the blond again and he scoffed.
"What about after, when you guys did eventually become friends?" Ayame asked.
"At that point, I think Hayama just stuck. It felt weird to call him Akito." She laughed slightly. "Besides, I need to be able to differentiate between you and that guy!" Sana hugged Ayame and the young girl squealed in surprise.
"Also," Sana smiled mischievously. "If I called him by his first name, I wouldn't be able to call him Haya-jerk anymore." She winked at Ayame and Akito once again scoffed.
"That's a ridiculous nickname." He made a point to comment and Sana gave him another dead panned look.
"Coming from you! What do you call, Fuka? Buka? What kind of nickname is that?"
He glared and they went back and forth at one another, bantering and quarreling like people would expect them too.
Ayame and Misako both couldn't help but laugh at this point. Somehow or another, the two always ended up bickering in some way. It was almost entertaining at this point.
And as Ayame watched them interact, she couldn't help but feel so incredibly happy and warm. This time last year, she was sitting by herself in her room, crying because it was another year without her mom, without her family at her side. She felt miserable and wanted nothing more than the world to swallow her whole.
But, this year, she was spending it with her older brother, who more or less, was acting like an older brother. They were slowly fixing their damaged relationship. Ayame felt more like herself than she has in such a long time.
It wasn't just that, though. Watching her brother slowly come out of his room and interact with his friends again filled her heart. They all knew what he was like before, exclusive, to himself, with no one to talk to but himself.
But now, he was interacting with all his former friends, relighting those friendships once again. He was going outside more, talking more. He was showing more emotion than he has in three years.
Ayame could feel the tears building up in her eyes.
She quickly wiped them away before anyone could notice.
Healing. She felt like they were finally healing, finally moving forward.
And as she watched her brother and Sana-chan interact with one another, she couldn't help but think how good Sana-chan was for her brother. She brought out a side to him that she hasn't ever seen. She pushed him out of his comfort zone, challenged him in ways that he hasn't.
And maybe it was making him better for it.
For a while now, she was rooting for Hiro-kun and Sana-chan. Rooting for maybe a spark between the two. Because she knew that her surrogate older brother harbored feelings for her idol.
But now?
Maybe just maybe, was it too much to hope for something between her brother and Sana-chan? While they obviously seemed repulsed by the idea earlier, was it something that was too much to hope for?
"Hey! Were finally to the top!" Kurata shouted in excitement.
"Finally." Akito muttered, thankful and relieved that their time together was almost over.
He could only take so much of Kurata in a day. And today, it was both her and her mom.
They were allowing pairs to move together. Ayame had basically given him the eyes pleading if she could move forward with Kurata. Better than him, he thought to himself.
Kurata asked for permission from her mother, hoping that she didn't mind being paired with himself. Her mother smiled and urged them to go forward.
Leaving Akito alone with Kurata's mom once again.
That made him nervous. She already embarrassed him earlier today. He didn't want a repeat of that. Kurata's mom was different than any other person he had come to know. He didn't know how to describe it, but she made him uneasy. He felt like she was watching his every step, every move.
He could see where Kurata's morbid curiosity came from.
"Have I made you, uneasy, Hayama-san?" He stilled and looked up at her with nervous eyes.
She laughed as she pulled out a fan and covered her face with it. He deadpanned.
What was it with these Kurata women pulling out objects for show, huh?
"No… I just don't like that I can't gauge what you're thinking." He admitted. While Akito didn't care about people and what they did, it didn't mean he wasn't observant. He was pretty good at being able to read people and tell what they were thinking based on body language. It was something he picked up in his few years of solitude.
"That makes you uncomfortable." Her mother said and he shifted again in his step. His sister and Kurata were waiting together as they were next in line to be let into the temple.
"Yeah, it does."
"Then I have done my job." He looked up at her with confusion. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Kurata and Ayame were moved forward and disappeared into the temple. He was left with Kurata's mom and racked through his mind to understand the mind of this lady.
Obviously, she wasn't a bad person.
No bad person would adopt a kid and raise them to be like Kurata Sana was.
"She told me." He stated.
"Pardon me?" Confused by his statement, Akito looked up at the woman Kurata called mother.
"Kurata told me the truth… about her birth."
Akito watched as her mother's eyes went wide, mouth open, taken aback by the words that came out of his mouth.
After a minute, she regained her composure and looked straight ahead, fan back in front of her mouth. The air shifted and the ball was on his side of the court.
"I see." She said.
"How does someone who's been through that, become who she is now?" He asked as they were gestured to come forward.
He saw his sister and Kurata come out the other side, hanging their wishes on the tree that already was filled with hundreds of others. Kurata was smiling, laughing as they reached on their tip toes for a higher branch.
Misako smiled.
"I often wonder that myself, Hayama-san."
They stepped through into the temple and walked as the shrine was decorated for the New Year and the pieces of wishing paper were set right next to it. Both Misako and Akito kneeled and said a short prayer as they wished good fortune into the New Year.
He wasn't sure for what Misako prayer for, but Akito thought of his mom for the first time in a while.
He never felt like he could… with the accident and everything. Akito… didn't have the right to say anything to her. He was the one that killed her after all.
But today, he allowed a small prayer to his mother, hoping she could continue to watch over them; if not him, at least his sister.
Misako grabbed a wish paper and began to scribble something on it. He didn't bother to grab one. Akito wasn't one to partake in these types of things.
"You know, not that my opinion matters." He started, and Kurata's mom turned around and raised a brow at him. "But if someone like her is as happy as she is, then I think you must have done something right."
Her eyes went wide again as those words left his mouth. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked right past her.
Akito saw both Kurata and his sister waving at them, hurrying for them to join. He didn't look back at Misako and found his spot in between his sister and the auburn-haired teen.
"Where's your wish paper?! Did you not grab one?!" Kurata looked horrified as she searched him for that stupid piece of paper.
"No. This is stupid, and I don't believe in this crap." Kuruta continued to look horrified as her jaw dropped. She looked back to his sister, who just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"Now, now daughter. Let him be." Misako to the rescue as she tied her wish paper to the tree. Her mother smiled at him, and Akito sighed.
"You're no fun, Hayama." Kurata pouted, and he just snorted.
"We have a couple hours until the New Year! Did you all want to watch together over at the park?" Ayame suggested.
The auburn-haired girl grinned ridiculously and clasped her hands together. "Sounds like fun! Mama, what do you think?"
Her eyes were bright and the grin on her face could light up the entire room. Her face was just a bit rosy from the cold air, but that didn't damper her mood.
"Why don't you go on ahead, dear? This old woman needs her rest. Besides, I think Shimura may be home. We wouldn't want her to be alone now, would we?"
"Right. Then, I'll see you later Mama! Happy New Year!" And Kurata hugged her mom tightly.
"Bye, Kurata-san! Thank you for hanging out with us today! Happy New Year!" His sister said as her goodbye. Sana's mother smiled and padded the top of his sister's head.
"It was nice to see you again, Ayame-san. We will see each other again soon."
Misako turned to him and gave him a stern smile. "You take care of these girls now, got it? I'm entrusting you to get my daughter home safe."
Embarrassed, he crossed his arms and looked away. Misako laughed and put her fan over her mouth. "So easily embarrassed are you, Hayama-san?"
He just narrowed his eyes at her comment.
"Take care now, Hayama-san." She thumped him over the head slightly and laughed as she walked away in stride. Akito shook his head and couldn't help thinking that the crazy runs in Kurata's family as both mother and daughter were nuts.
"You heard her, mister! You better take good care of me!"
Kurata was suddenly in his face and he went red again, eyes wide and the words could not get out of his mouth. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away. What was it with her getting close to him all of a sudden today?
"Weirdo." He huffed as he began to walk towards the park where the fireworks and countdown would start.
When the trio arrived, luckily, they found a spot away from the crowd that would still give them a great view of the fireworks scheduled to go off at midnight. They could see the clock on of the light posts that was counting down for everyone.
"Wow! How was this spot not already snagged!? This is prime!" Kurata yelled as she leaned over the railing and whistled, similar to how she did back at the party.
Akito leaned against the tree and roamed over the entire scene below them. There were people everywhere, kids running around, families huddled together for warmth. The vendors and stands in the area were shining bright in the darkness of the day.
"We got pretty lucky, didn't we?" Ayame joined her.
"Thank you for staying and hanging out with us, Sana-chan." Akito heard his sister say, and Kurata beamed.
"Thanks for letting me tag along!"
And that's how their conversation carried until almost midnight. Ayame and Kurata lost themselves in conversation, jumping from topic to topic, without running out of things to say. He was included here and there, when they would ask for his opinion, but he always tried to find himself out of it.
Though, there were times he couldn't escape so easily.
It was at the 5-minute mark where their conversations silenced and Akito came from under the tree and leaned against the railing, Kurata to his left and his sister on the other side of her.
Even though his body was numb, and it was freezing cold outside, he had to admit that this was a nice change for once. He would have maybe watched the fireworks from his window, if he stayed awake to watch the New Year ring in.
"Hey Hayama." Kurata called out to him while looking over the night sky and the crowd below them. "What's something you wish for in the New Year?" She asked as she turned to him and tilted her head to the side.
The blond gripped the railing tighter under his hold and looked down.
What did he wish for?
He couldn't even answer that himself.
"I don't really have one." It was a half assed answer, but it was the truth.
She pouted slightly and sighed. "Not one at all?"
He shook his head.
"I'm assuming you have some in mind?"
She smiled.
His heart suddenly began to speed up and he didn't know why.
"I put all my wishes on the wish paper back at the temple. But I realized I forgot one."
He raised a brow.
"I can't tell you though or else it won't come true."
Akito wanted to laugh.
It was ridiculous. This girl was ridiculous. She as all over the place all the time, and her energy was relentless. But no matter what came her way, she always faced everything with a smile on her face.
"Oh! They are starting the countdown!" Ayame interjected as her eyes went wide with anticipation and excitement. The park lights dimmed, and the crowd was growing restless. The countdown clock was the only thing visible with light as people began to countdown for the New Year.
Kurata hollered with excitement as she threw her hands up in the air.
As the countdown started, the numbers echoed into the air as everyone joined along.
10
9
8
7
6
5
She put her hand on top of his and it caught Akito by surprise as she gripped it tightly. She didn't turn to look at him or made no indication that it was by accident. The grin on her face grew wider and she threw her other hand over Ayame's neck and hugged her closer.
Akito didn't move his hand.
4
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Happy New Year!
And when the fireworks went off and the music started playing, the blond's eyes watched as the fireworks exploded over the dark, violet sky. The people around them were embracing, sharing their first kiss of the New Year. Others were hugging one another, celebrating, popping their own bottles and cheering.
Akito looked back to his sister, who's eyes lit up so bright and was so fascinated by everything around her.
When Akito looked back to Sana, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The lighting of the fireworks illuminated her face, which was red from the cold air. Her face was wearing such a bright and jubilant grin with her eyes beaming so bright in the darkness of the night. Her hand was still covering his and he felt nothing but warmth.
He had been in the dark for so long that he forgot what it was like to see light again. For the last three years, he had felt like he was being swallowed whole with no way out. Every day was a nightmare with the voices constantly accusing him, berating him. This constant void of darkness that was consuming him, suffocating him. He could hardly breathe.
But then she arrived.
Kurata Sana showed up like the force of nature she was. She blew everyone away with her bright disposition and rampant words. She lit up the room with that smile that fixated everyone around her. She rained down on the negativity, forcing away dark clouds. Eyes sharp as ice sometimes, she stood firmly against all that came against her.
And in all that, she reminded him what it was like to live again.
She forcefully took him by the hands and made him stand. The darkness began to fade, bit by bit. The powerful void that was holding him down began to dissipate and the air began to fill his lungs again. The voices were started to fade, little by little. In the darkness, all he felt was a bitter cold that didn't even feel anymore.
But now, he could feel the warmth on his skin once again.
He could feel the corners of his mouth tug up slightly as the muscles relaxed around his face. A feeling he hadn't felt in so long filled him and the he could feel that ice around his heart slowly melt, drop by drop. The wall he built so perfectly, stone by stone, it fell.
"Happy New Year, you two!" And that's when she grabbed both the Hayama siblings from around their necks and pulled them into her.
And while he was actively pulling away, Akito allowed just a moment under her arm where he watched the fireworks with his sister and himself shoved under her, enjoying the show that they put on for them.
Eventually, he pulled away and shouted at her for being too touchy, where she waved him off and called him sensitive. But that didn't last very long as Ayame cut in.
"Let's go home. It's getting really cold out here now."
And home was where they went.
A/N: Honestly, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. I love exploring the dynamic between Akito and Misako. It's just something about their attitudes and personalities that somehow mesh so perfect together. Even in the manga and anime, they have a very honest and open relationship. Akito is very honest and so is Misako and I think they appreciate that in one another. More Sana and Akito because their relationship continues to grow and evolve. And I love the trio of Sana, Akito, and Ayame. I know she's made up but I love my OC very much.
Next chapter is all in and here's a bit of a spoiler... Sana's backstory begins... I can't wait to get that rollercoaster started.
Until then friends!
Dark Waffle