2/14/2013 (Last edited on 2/21/13, ironing out spelling mistakes and adding stuff in) – Happy Valentine's Day. ^_^ Sorry for the delay. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint…
Hello, people of FanFiction dot net. I'm back again, and it's the first chapter of 2013! It's been exactly one whole year since Chapter 1 first went up! Never thought I would still be here writing this story, but I'm definitely glad that I am. From everyone who has left a review, followed, and/or added this story to their Favorites list, thank you; it's because of you that I'm still here. It motivates me to continue onward with this story. ^_^
And with that, here is chapter 7:
Paragraphs in italics denote a flashback. Single words in italics / single words in regular print during a flashback denote emphasis and should be read as such.
Chapter rated T for: Mild language and thematic material
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance/Slice of Life
Pairing(s): (At the moment) Tomoya x Ryou (Of course, they're only pretending to be a couple for Tomoya's plan, but it still counts.)
Crossover(s): None at the moment...
Author's Note #1: This one is rather important so I'll address it now before it's too late. I'll bold the following: Even if I might be misplacing my faith in the overall goodness of people in general, I want to believe that everyone who is still reading this story of mine up to this point is a (mostly) reasonable person with an open mind. With that said, if you don't like the idea of potential shoujo-ai/yuri/girls love that might occur in future chapters, you might want to stop reading this story now. XD While I continue to mull over the possibilities, since this is mainly Tomoya's story and all, there's nothing that's stopping me from inserting minor yuri subtext into my writing. In fact, there's already some minor yuri subtext in previous chapters if you read between the lines hard enough. Though it may appear that I'm pandering to yuri fanboys/fangirls in general, there is an actual thematic relevance behind this, which I don't want to spoil yet. If you don't want the story to head in this direction, do leave a message or review. If enough people complain, I'll make adjustments to…certain future events. If you do want to see the story continue the way I had originally envisioned it, do leave a message or review as well. I'm a very accommodating person, to say the least. I'll let the readers dictate this one…
Author's Note #2: Some light Tomoya x Kyou teasing in this chapter, along with Tomoya and another girl…
Author's Note #3: The entirety of this chapter takes place before the 10:23 minute mark of episode 18 of the first season. Most of it is entirely made up of events from my own imagination. Parts of this chapter are loosely based on a scene that occurred in Kyou's path of the visual novel. The next chapter will finally be moving on to the next part of episode 18.
Author's Note #4: Tomoya x ?, Sunohara x ? I've now added a poll for Sunohara as well. You can find a link to it in my profile page. Go vote if you already haven't! XD
Author's Note #5: Perspectives – It shouldn't be too hard to figure out.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Clannad-related, even though I wished I did...And from here on out, I do not own any series/movies/video games that I might make references to or decide to make any crossovers with as well.
Clannad ~Different Days~
-The Everyday Arc-
Vague Synopsis - It's not quite the same story that you might remember, even if it feels strangely familiar. A different world, different relationships, different events...different days...
Chapter 7 – A Man Possessed of Some Radical Notions, Part 3
Misery invites company. I had a feeling that was what was going through Nagisa's mind as she remained quiet on her problems. My daughter was a gentle soul, the selfless sort of person who didn't want anyone else to worry about her. The lingering silence that was pervading her room cleared any doubts in my mind as to what was bugging her ever since Tomoya-san stopped by last night. She probably felt too embarrassed to talk about matters of the heart with her own parents, even though Nagisa was very open with Akio-san and me. Despite the realization that there were some things that even Nagisa would keep quiet about from us, I felt…really grateful…that she could rely on her friends to help her overcome her problems.
I slowly closed my eyes so that my ears could focus on the voices that lie beyond this door. Everything fell into hushed quietness for a few moments when Kotomi-chan mentioned Tomoya-san's name.
"Okazaki-san? What about him?" I had a feeling that Nagisa knew what Kotomi-chan was going to ask her, but she probably decided to play things safe and feign ignorance as a precaution.
"You… like Tomoya-kun, right, Nagisa-chan?"
"Um, well…"
"It's okay, Nagisa. We're all friends here. You shouldn't have to worry about us."
"But… the two of you… I can't…" Nagisa's hesitation told me that she felt uncomfortable talking about Tomoya-kun in such an intimate manner. It was rather obvious that Kotomi-chan and Tomoyo-chan both liked him like a girlfriend would a boyfriend. Nagisa must've firmly believed that if she admitted that she had the exact feelings as they did, it would have been a little…inconsiderate, to say the least.
"Please?" Tomoyo-chan's one-worded question was a restrained whisper, calmly but desperately pleading for an answer.
"Well, I…I think I…like him. I'm…I'm not really sure…what my feelings really are for him. But…I really care for Tomoya-kun…that much I know for certain."
"All of us care for him…in our own way."
"…Do you two…hate me?"
"No, of course not, Nagisa! How could you think that?"
"Tomoyo-chan… Kotomi-chan… you both like Okazaki-san… in that way as well, right? Then, I can't be anything more than his friend. I… I think… he deserves someone better than me." Hearing Nagisa's self-deprecation was really painful. I knew that my daughter always lacked self-confidence, but to hear her give up so easily on a boy that she cared for dearly was saddening. I opened my eyes to look at Akio-san, and I could see that he too shared my sentiments as well. I saw how his grip on the glass cup had tightened, fighting back the desire to march in there and encourage her, but I knew that he couldn't do that, and neither could I. The two of us weren't supposed to be there to begin with, and yet, here we were, eavesdropping on a very private and intimate conversation, unknowingly being privy to our daughter's inner thoughts. We had no right to interfere at all.
"Please, don't say something like that, Nagisa-chan. There's a reason why Tomoyo-chan and I are over here right now, besides checking up on your well-being."
"Wait, I thought this was the whole reason that you and Tomoyo-chan were over here."
"That wasn't our main purpose for being here today, Nagisa-chan. We need your help."
"You mentioned earlier that you needed my help. I thought it was about…o-our feelings for…Okazaki-san…"
"Before we can continue with that issue, there's an even bigger one that we need to take care of first." My eyes lit up for a brief moment, wondering what Tomoyo-chan meant that there was an even bigger issue.
"What is it, Tomoyo-chan?"
"Nagisa, how much has Okazaki told you about his father?"
"His… father?" Upon hearing Tomoyo-chan's question about Tomoya-san's father, my eyelids shot wide open. I glanced over to Akio-san, who also gave me a worried look as well.
"Tomoyo-chan told me that Tomoya-kun doesn't get along with his father anymore. Do you know what happened between the two of them?"
"Um, I don't know if I should say… Okazaki-san is really sensitive about this…"
"Please, Nagisa-chan."
"You're the only one who can help us."
"Please, you don't have to beg! If… if it's to help Okazaki-san, then I guess… I can tell you."
"Thank you so very much." Both girls immediately thanked my daughter for her willingness to divulge further information on Tomoya-san. I couldn't help but smile at the synchronous timing those two had. A small sigh followed brief moments of silence that hung in the air. Nagisa must've spent some time figuring out what she wanted to say to them. I waited patiently for my daughter to continue...
"Well, one day… he told me how back in middle school, he and his father…got into a fight. As a result, his shoulder broke. It still is, to this very day. I don't think…Okazaki-san will forgive him anytime soon."
"That…would explain a lot right there."
"Nagisa-chan, do you know what happened to his mother?"
"His mom? Hmm, now that you mentioned it, Okazaki-san hasn't mentioned a single word to me about his mother at all." Upon hearing Nagisa's admittance of that fact, it felt like…my heartbeat just skipped a beat momentarily. It might be motherly instinct talking here, but if Tomoya-san hasn't mentioned anything about his mother to anyone at all, Nagisa included, then it most likely meant…that she has died.
"I guess… there's only one way for us to find out…"
"Tomoyo-chan… you don't mean…"
"I know what it's like…to live in a cold empty house…in a family without love. At one point in my life, I was no different from Okazaki as well. As his friend, I want to be able to help. No, I want to save him…from suffering the way I did."
"Tomoyo-chan… Do you think I could come with you two?"
"Sure, I certainly don't mind having company. We'll all head over to Okazaki's house together one of these days, once you're feeling better."
"You should probably get as much sleep as you can, Nagisa-chan. The two of us can wait for you, so there's no rush."
"Thank you, Kotomi-chan, Tomoyo-chan."
"You're welcome, Nagisa. Even though…we're all vying for the same person, let us not forget…all of us are friends. I'm sure…there's some peaceful solution to this whole mess. I want to believe that…and I'm not gonna give up until I think of something."
I couldn't help but serenely smile at Tomoyo-chan's words. I honestly thought that there would be some conflict, some kind of drama that would happen between those three, but it didn't. It warmed my heart to know that Nagisa has two caring friends who were beside her right now.
"Well, that was unexpected. I was expecting something more than that." My eyes met Akio's.
"Yes, I was expecting the worst, but I'm glad things didn't turn out that way." The two of us resumed listening to the three girls once more.
"…By the way, Tomoyo-chan, do you know where Okazaki-san is right now?"
"Well, Kotomi and I were over at his house earlier this morning."
"Kyou-chan and Ryou-chan were also over there, too. There was also a strange girl over there with us."
"Who was it?"
"I wouldn't know, but from the way Okazaki reacted to her presence, I'm pretty sure he knows her. Anyway, he said that he was going to head out with a friend."
"It was Ryou-chan, if I remember correctly. I wonder what those two wanted to talk about."
"Ryou-chan?"
"Well, it's just…I know I sound terrible for saying this, but outside of school, Okazaki-san and Ryou-chan don't really talk a whole lot. I just find it a little strange, that's all."
"If you're concerned that Okzaki is out on some date, then you needn't worry."
"Huh? How come?"
"Well, I told Kotomi this earlier, but Okazaki mentioned to me that he wasn't looking for a girlfriend."
"Why not?"
"It's…because of his father. Now you're beginning to understand why we really need your help, Nagisa."
"I…I want to help Okazaki-san…but I wonder…are we really doing it for the right reasons?"
"What do you mean?"
"Okazaki-san is my friend, and I really want to help him and his father…but we have to do it for the right reasons. I…I know that you and Kotomi-chan aren't the only ones who have a crush on him. I think it's safe for me to say that Kyou-chan and Ryou-chan like Okzaki-san as well. But, at the same time, I think it's a little selfish to want to help him just because he doesn't want to be in a relationship right now."
"I understand what you're getting at, Nagisa, but I'm not just doing this in order to win my way into Okazaki's heart. If you know about Okazaki's father, then you must know just how bad their relationship has become. As his friends, if we don't intervene soon, then it's only going to get worse from here on out. Who knows what he'll do if things get that bad."
"All of us care about Tomoya-kun. Even if we do harbor feelings for him, he's still our friend, first and foremost. We really want to help him, Nagisa-chan." There was another long pause of silence that lingered in the room for what felt like ages. Nagisa must've been deliberating within her mind. She must've felt conflicted between wanting to help a dear friend and wanting to avoid meddling in personal affairs. Considering the kind of person that my daughter is, I knew what she would eventually decide on…
"Okay…I'll help, too."
"Thank you!" Both girls exclaimed in joyous unison as my ears suddenly heard a rather loud but subdued thud reverberating throughout the walls.
"Kotomi-chan!..." I could hear Nagisa softly giggling, clearly taken aback by what I assumed to be Tomoyo-chan and Kotomi-chan aggressively hugging her to the point where they knocked her down onto the floor. I couldn't help but grin at their childish enthusiasm. Tomoyo-chan didn't really struck me as the type of person who would glomp someone else, much less Kotomi-chan, but as long as this door in front of me remained closed, there would be no way for Akio-san and I to know for sure. Speaking of my husband, when I glanced over to my left side to gauge his reaction, I hastily panicked at the sight of his hand slowly reaching for the door.
"Akio-san!" Without rationally thinking, I slapped his hand away from the door and grabbed it, fearing that the door would open and our presence being known to the three girls. My hoarse whisper sent a spine-tingling sensation down my back as my eyes widened in shock. By stopping one action that might've exposed us, I had created another that would've done just the same. The two of us just froze in our spots, awkward positions and bizarre facial expressions abound. We stared at each other, hoping that the girls didn't hear us. Silence passed by second after second, but with each quiet tick of the clock that loudly echoed through the house, I couldn't help but agonized over how Nagisa would've reacted if she found out we were spying on her.
"I hope we can really help him."
"I know we will, Nagisa. I just know it."
A calm sense of relief washed over Akio-san and me as we both let a hushed sigh. Upon hearing Tomoyo-chan's words, I turned to look at Akio-san, whose face was now wearing a stern look of contemplation.
"That was close. Let's move downstairs into the kitchen. We need to talk." It was a subdued whisper, but I could hear his voice clearly. I wanted to call out to him, but considering that we were just outside of Nagisa's room, separated only by a mere door, anything above a whisper would've made our presence known. I almost made one mistake already; I didn't want to make another. I had a pretty good idea as to what Akio-san was up to. The two of us lightly tiptoed our way downstairs, through the hallway, and settled into the kitchen. Akio-san went to sit down at the dining table. Brewing some tea for the two of us, the kitchen was filled with unnerving silence for the next several minutes. Neither of us could bear to look at the other as we were contemplating on the scene that transpired upstairs and our next course of action.
Bringing a cup of green tea to my husband, I sat down next to him at the table and placed his cup on the table. Taking one small sip with both of my hands before settling it down next to his cup, I met his contemplative stare with my amber eyes.
"Akio-san…you want to help Nagisa with some plan, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess you read my mind. You were thinking the same thing too, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was. I know that we're meddling in her personal affairs and all, but…"
"…it's hard to see our daughter suffer like this and do nothing." Once again, my husband was able to finish my thought before I could. Akio-san was always boisterous, full of burning energy, unyielding in his voice and demeanor. I rarely saw him in a depressed mood, so during these few instances where he lacked his usual vigor, I did my best to cheer him up.
"I…might have an idea." An idea came into my head. Whether or not it was a good idea was a completely different story…
"An idea, huh? Let's hear it, Sanae!" Seeing Akio-san perk up in enthusiasm certainly made happy, but at the same time, a feeling of anxious guilt was slowly brimming inside of me, because I wasn't sure if he would… agree to this.
"Well…" My plan wasn't exactly the greatest plan ever, but as a mother, I wanted to help my daughter in any way that I could. I had to do something…
As I slowly began to divulge my plan to Akio-san with slight trepidation, a part of me wondered what Tomoya-san was doing right now…
We are… who we choose to be. Every choice that we make… defines who and what we will eventually become later in life. And right now, I couldn't decide whether or not the choices that I have recently made in my life were the right ones…or the wrong ones.
"Hey, Tomoya, quit staring off into space!"
"Oh, sorry." My eyelids snapped wide open when Kyou's voice piercing through my eardrums. They weren't entirely closed, but they were drooped enough to give the impression that I wasn't fully conscious. I must've looked disrespectful to both of the sisters right now, although Ryou would've easily forgiven me. She was that kind of person to begin with, one who doesn't hold petty grudges.
My attention turned towards the fiery lavender-haired girl sitting across from me at the table. Kyou was sitting next to her younger sister Ryou, who was eating her share of lunch in silence, staring down at her food all the while. I couldn't help but smile at her. As soon as her eyes met my gaze, her cheeks began to unsurprisingly turn pink, as usual. It was a sight that was now becoming an ordinary norm to me when it came to the meek girl.
"Are you still sleepy, Tomoya-kun?"
"Nah, I was just daydreaming, that's all. I'm wide awake at this point."
My earlier assumptions about Kyou spying on the two of us from the very beginning turned out to be predictably true. It wasn't until Ryou and I hopped on the bus to head into the city that I heard running footsteps gradually getting louder and louder, madly making its way towards the steps on the bus. The two of us couldn't help but turn our heads to see who it was. A panting, out-of-breath Kyou was now standing before us in the aisle.
"So, it's mushroom spaghetti with carbonara, cuttlefish ink spaghetti, and caesar salad. Your total comes up to 3,750 yen." She placed the bill for the meal on the table as she courteously bowed to the three of us before walking away.
"Whew~ I'm so full!" Lightly patting her stomach in gluttonous self-satisfaction, Kyou was smiling at the delicious lunch that she just consumed.
"Yes, that was delicious." Ryou meekly agreed with her older sister with a tiny nod of her head, a smile on her face as well.
"Lunch was over 2,000 yen, you know?" My question was mainly directed at the older twin, but the younger twin took notice of the inquiry as well.
"What are you talking about? Lunches on dates are supposed to be like this."
"Really? You serious?"
"Eating fast food would be quite rude. Isn't that right, Ryou?" As Kyou's attention now turned to her younger sister, Ryou was too flabbergasted to properly respond.
"Eh... ah... um... I...I don't really mind where we go out to eat..."
"Hey, don't spoil him like that! If you get treated to cheap food, he'll think of you as a cheap girl."
"No, I wouldn't think that." As unsurprising as her answer was, I appreciated Ryou's response. As long as she was spending time with me or with anyone else, the choice of food would've been the last thing on her mind.
"U-umm... Tomoya-kun..."
"Hmm?"
"Umm... about lunch, how much is my share?" Ryou was rummaging through her white tote bag, her face a concentrated gaze. I assumed that she was looking for her purse to in order to pay for the meal. It would be unseemly for a guy to pay for his girlfriend's meal, so I volunteered to fork the bill.
"It's all right, I'll pay for it. The food's on me." Digging through the right pocket of my jeans, I pulled out my black wallet, pulling out several thousand yen bills.
"B-but... I feel bad..."
"It's just an extra thing that I have to do on this first date. I'd be a terrible boyfriend if I didn't pay for your meal."
"Ah... boyfriend..." Ryou's head was hanging down, staring at her lap with an embarrassed face and an awkward smile. She was completely red, from the hairline up to the visible part of her ears.
"That's it, you got it, Tomoya. As her boyfriend, it's your responsibility to pay the tab." I eyed Kyou, giving her a dry stare before slowly grinning at her remark.
"Kyou, your share of the lunch is 1,550 yen."
"Eh? Why?"
"Heh, last time I checked, you're not my girlfriend. Besides, you ordered that salad, too."
"Didn't you take some, too?"
"Hey, I'm still full from the breakfast that I had to eat earlier this morning, thank you very much."
"Don't say something so small-minded. You're trying to show what you've got, right?"
"Yeah, yeah... I know. Just wanted to point out the facts. I'll pay for yours too, but you owe me."
Gazing around the restaurant, I never realized that such a place even existed in our tiny city to begin with. The place was bustling with people everywhere. Dozens of conversations overlapped with one another, creating one garbled mess that couldn't be distinguished at all. Waiters and waitresses were weaving through the tables and customer-filled chairs, trying to get food out for everyone in a timely fashion. The three of us had just finished our lunch several moments ago, merely sitting there and chatting on idle conversation. Our table was located adjacent to the windows, which overlooked the street several feet away. I was lazily staring outside of the window when I felt curious as to what time it was. Sluggishly lifting my left wrist, I gaze at the digital watch with silent pensiveness.
13:08. One o'eight in the afternoon.
"So, what are we gonna do now?" Prussian blue eyes met sky blue orbs as I looked to Ryou for answers.
"Eh? Umm... what will we... do now?" I merely nodded my head in silence at her questioning response.
"Yeah."
"Um... ummm..." Ryou slowly looked at me and Kyou back and forth, all flustered from my question.
"Having fun or going shopping, anything is fine by me. I certainly don't mind."
"Be quick and make him treat you to something, Ryou!" There was a giddy, childish excitement from Kyou's voice, and I knew that my wallet was going to be crying before the end of today.
"Well... treating you to anything is a bit..." Possibly a bit too much. Of course, Ryou would actually be mindful of how much money I have. Kyou, on the other hand…
"Ah..." A sudden, quiet gasp escaped from Ryou's lips, immediately drawing my attention. I assumed she had come to a decision.
"Hmm? Did you think of something, Ryou?"
"Um... I'd like to go wherever Tomoya-kun wants to." Not surprising in the least bit. I kinda wanted to lean forward and let gravity pull my forehead down onto the table in slight frustration, but that would've been rude…and impractical. Considering her personality, Ryou's response was… just what I had expected to hear.
"So she says, Tomoya." Kyou turned to face me.
"To be honest, I don't really have any place I want to go to."
"So he says, Ryou." Kyou then turned to face Ryou once more.
"Ahh... umm... then...what should we do?"
"That is…a very good question." My response was rather flat, as the three of us sat in dumbstruck silence, wondering what to do next.
"What do we do?" The three of us just blankly stared at each other. Going on a date is a lot more… difficult than I had thought. We were at an impasse and the silence just dragged it out even further.
"All right! How about we go window shopping?" Kyou voice was ripping through the silence with her clenched fist. A sharp clattering of tableware and silverware rang through the air as her fist landed with a firm thud on the table. It nearly made my heart leap out from my chest from the sudden action she took. The entire restaurant fell into immediate silence in an instant, as other people were now looking in our direction for a few moments before continuing on with whatever they were doing before, wondering where the abrupt noise came from. If Ryou's indecisiveness earlier made me want to slam my head into the table in minor exasperation, then Kyou's outburst made me want to kill myself out of major embarrassment. I let out a quiet, heavy sigh as my eyes closed, wanting to avoid the piercing gazes of the other customers, as my eyes resumed its position on the older Fujibayashi.
"If the two of you go shopping, you guys might find out the things that you both like, right? So, without further delay, window shopping, here we go!"
"Well, I don't mind at all."
"Umm... if Tomoya-kun is okay with it... umm... I'm okay with it as well." Ryou fluttered her eyes at me, still flushed red. While she had gotten better at conversing with me whenever we were alone, she was still a nervous wreck whenever Kyou is around. I suppose she'll improve with time, but a part of me couldn't help but smile at the fact that she was slowly making progress. She wanted to change. She wanted to be different. She wanted to show Kyou that she can be her own person and not have to rely on her older sister all the time. Ryou had come a long way since the day I first met her.
"It's decided, then!" Kyou smiled, satisfied with her idea.
The three of us were now out of the restaurant and walking on the sidewalks, heading to no particular destination. I knew that Kyou said the three of us were just going to go window shopping, but…this was Kyou Fujibayashi we were talking about here. I highly doubt she would be able to stick to her original plan for long, especially if there were some clothes that caught her fancy.
Suddenly, Kyou slowed her walking pace down to match mine, eventually leaning up against my ear in close proximity, softly whispering in my ear to avoid Ryou's detection. "Now's your chance, it's time to show what you're made of!"
"Chance? What for?" The volume of my voice died down to match hers. I knew she didn't want Ryou in on this little conversation of ours.
"You'll get to know what she likes as we go shopping, right?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"That's why you need to pay attention and find out what she likes."
"Is this really necessary?"
"Are you an idiot? Your relationship with her will level up if you secretly buy it as a present later on! If it works well, you might trigger an event flag, and then you'll feel really happy."
To hear Kyou describe my date between Ryou and me in such a manner made me feel… perplexed on the inside. Life was most certainly not a game, much less a visual novel. I got the point she was trying to make, but it made me wonder… what exactly goes through Kyou Fujibayashi's head sometimes anyway? Considering that she had been playing matchmaker with me and Ryou for a while now, maybe this was just some game to her. Or maybe, I wasn't giving Kyou enough credit. I knew that she had a crush on me, but why try to set Ryou up with me then, if Kyou herself wanted to be with me as well? Was she… afraid of rejection? A stupid question, I know… but who isn't? But what did she stand to gain from all of this? If I had to wager a guess, she wanted to do the decent thing as the older sister and let the younger sister be the "winner" of this so-called game, regardless of how much pain she knew she was going to have to endure.
Kyou… was a complete masochist.
We now found ourselves walking inside of a mall. It wasn't entirely massive, but it was still spacious, with plenty of room to walk and down the corridors. I rarely went into the shopping district of Hikarizaka, so this place was pretty foreign to me. With Ryou and Kyou walking a few paces ahead of me, I turned to look at my surroundings. Stray beams of sunlight peered through the glass windows on the ceiling. There were people walking to and fro everywhere. Friends, family, lovers, no matter who or what they were, everyone had their reasons for being here. Regardless of whether they were holding bags of merchandise or texting on their phones, everyone had their own business to worry about, and I was no different either.
Without realizing it, the three of us were now about to enter one of the department stores, shopping for clothes. Kyou skipped into the store with Ryou following her from behind soon afterward. Eventually, I joined the two sisters inside, trailing behind them both. I was merely following their lead. The Fujibayashi sisters went to the section where they sold summer items, enjoying the thrill of shopping around for anything that caught their eye. Glancing around the store, I noticed that there were mainly girls and women who were perusing the place for clothes, alerting me to the fact that this was mainly a store specializing in women's clothing. Or at the very least, this part of the department store was. Considering how big this place was, along with the fact that there was an entire second floor to this place with the sight of a pair of escalators in the distance, there probably was a men's department. Either way, I felt a little out of my element being in a place like this, filled with shelves and racks of clothing. At least, the occasional male presence reminded me that I wasn't entirely alone in a sense.
"Come on now Ryou, they're already selling summer stuff!"
"Yes, they're really cute!"
"You want to try something bold this summer? How about this?" Kyou held up a rather bold halter top up for Ryou to gaze at. It was a red top with a low cut front. Imagining Ryou wearing this, my face immediately turned crimson red at the realization of how much cleavage she would be showing off. I fervently shook my head from side to side, trying to rid myself of those perverted thoughts. Ryou couldn't possibly wear something that revealing…could she? My mind couldn't fathom the idea at all. Knowing her, she would most likely wear a shirt or blouse underneath to supplement the red top.
"Ah... uh... but, this seems a bit revealing..." Yeah, no kidding. That was what I would've said out loud, but I decided against it.
"It's all right; you'll look good in it. It'll fit you perfectly."
"But I'm sure it will look better on you, onee-chan..."
"Hmm, should we buy a matching pair, then?"
"Ah, sure, in that case..."
"All right then! Ah, Tomoya, can you wait a bit?" The two happily disappeared further into the shop while I just sort of stood there with an empty gaze, wondering how long I would be waiting for the two of them to come back. I walked around a little bit, just looking at the clothes, not looking for anything in particular. That numbing feeling that you get when your legs fall asleep on you wasn't exactly what you would call a pleasant sensation. A loud yawn escaped from my mouth as I noticed the two sisters approaching me, bags full of clothing in hand.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Here, please hold this." With a sly grin that lacked any real remorse, Kyou handed me one of the paper bags. I gave her an incredulous look of disbelief that silently asked, 'Are you freaking serious?' Her grin never faltered as her right eyebrow arched, giving me a silent approval that said, 'You'll just have to deal with it." Closing my eyes once more, another yawn of indifference escaped from my mouth as I silently followed the two sisters to another section of the department store.
"Hey, Ryou, Ryou! They've got some cute shoes here!"
"Eh? Shoes?"
"Last year, the strings on your sandals broke, didn't they?"
"Didn't that happen…when you wore them, onee-chan?"
"E-eh? Really? Well, let's just go get a new one then."
"Okay!"
"Let's go have a look!"
"Mhmm." Ryou nodded her head silently with a warm smile as the two went off looking for shoes. They didn't travel too far away from me this time as I could easily see them in my field of vision just several feet away. I didn't want anything in particular, so I just merely browsed around at the shoes sitting on the shelves. Making sure there wasn't anything on the tiled ground, I gently placed the bags onto the floor. Thumbing at the price tags attached on the shoes, my eyes couldn't help but slightly bulge out of its sockets at the outrageous prices on the footwear. A pair of basketball shoes had a price tag of 9,800 yen. Another was 19,800 yen. A pair of sports sandals was 6,800 yen. Just how the hell did an average person go about getting the money to buy one anyway? I just now realized how expensive the shoes in this store were. It made me wonder how Kyou or Ryou could even afford anything in here. The last time I checked, those two weren't exactly born into a rich family...
"Tomoya, come over here for a moment."
"Hmm?" I went to where they called from, grabbing the bags off the floor.
"Here, could you hold this?" She handed me a big box full of merchandise that she had just bought from the store. I stared her wide-eyed in disbelief, wondering where the two sisters were going to get the money to pay for all of this clothing.
"We got some pretty good sandals! Isn't that great, Ryou?"
"Yes, but is it okay for you to be paying, onee-chan?"
"It's all right. I'm the one who broke them after all."
"Then... I guess we'll both wear this?"
"I guess, when you're not wearing it Ryou, I'll use it instead."
"Sure!"
"Ah, they're selling hats!" Kyou pointed to a rack of an assortment of felt hats and floppy straw hats resting on a nearby stand with a large mirror sitting adjacent to it, offering
"Hats...?"
"You have to be careful about UV rays, right?"
"I guess so."
"Let's go look!"
"Yeah!" Once again, the two sisters separated from me once more. These sisters got along well, but…where did that leave me? Both of my hands were holding onto paper bags with a box containing footwear on top. Was I their luggage boy now? Dates weren't supposed to be like this, were they? I was starting to become a little frustrated, and it didn't take Kyou long to notice as she slowly approached me with a bemused grin on her face.
"Good work, luggage boy."
"Don't screw with me. How is this a date? I'm not just a luggage boy, am I?!"
"You idiot, it's all part of the plan! Just look at Ryou for a second. She seems pretty relaxed, don't you think?" My eyes darted over to Ryou, who was standing several feet away from us, amusing herself with a hat that caught her eyes. I couldn't help but noticed that she was trying out various poses in the mirror with the floppy, beige-colored hat.
"Well, she seems focused with her shopping with you. I guess I'll bear with it…for now."
"Thanks, Tomoya. Just hang in there, okay?"
"I can't make any promises…but I'll try my best."
"Okay, let's look at the accessories!" Kyou winked, giving a thumbs up with her one that wasn't already carrying a bag. And with that same hand, she headed towards Ryou and led her away by hand.
"Come on, Ryou. They finally came out with some new stuff!"
"Okay." Kyou tossed another glance my way again, winking with a mischievous glint in her eyes. For a brief, momentary instance, my and Ryou's faces met for a second. Her trademark blush was there in full force as I saw her muster an apologetic smile on her face before being dragged off by Kyou. I returned her smile with one of my own, but I wasn't sure if she saw it or not.
The three of us moved now found ourselves in an area full of glass displays showing off an assortment of rings, necklaces, gems, and other fine jewelry. Apparently, perfume and other fragrances were also sold in this immediate vicinity as well, which left a lingering, sweet aroma that permeated the air and filled my nostrils with the scene of vanilla extract. It was strong enough to leave a lasting impression in my mind, but soft enough that it didn't burn my nose at the same time. There were numerous people examining the jewelry and fragrances and just as many store clerks attending to their needs. Kyou went up to a woman and politely greeted her before asking if she could examine one of the items in the display.
"Uwaah, it's cute! Hey Ryou, this ring has a light blue stone. Looks nice, doesn't it?" Kyou was holding up a glimmering stone of blue and green hues in between the thumb and index finger of her right hand. It irresistibly shimmered under the fluorescent lights of the store. I couldn't help but be drawn towards it as well. Placing the bags onto the floor once more, I took a few steps forward, finding myself in between the two sisters as Kyou offered me the opportunity to hold the ring for a moment. I held it towards the light above me, causing it to glisten even more.
"That stone is a tanzanite. Tanzanite is a rare gem that is only found in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. The mineral was named after Tanzania, the country where it was discovered. Because it is relatively soft, tanzanite is most commonly used in necklaces and earrings. Also, they supposedly have the special ability to connect a person with the spiritual world and bring that connection into one's life in the form of knowledge."
I turned to gaze at Ryou's face, whose face instantly turned red the instant our eyes met as her eyes darted to the ground. I was genuinely surprised that Ryou possessed such a familiar knowledge of gemstones that she could easily recount out loud. But, as I thought about it some more, I realized that since she had a passionate penchant for fortune telling, knowing about the symbology of gemstones shouldn't be too inconceivable a thought. Kyou had placed the ring down and picked up another, eyeing it with a quiet curiosity.
"Ah, and what's this white one?"
"That's a moon stone. Its deep color alone makes it quite expensive. In ancient times, they were used in India for fortune-telling purposes."
"I see... how about this green one? Is it an emerald?"
"That's a... peridot, I think. Emeralds have a much deeper green."
"Hmm. I see... umm..." Those two were slowly beginning to forget about me, being all caught up with the beautiful but expensive necklaces and rings. I had a feeling that at this point, Kyou had completely forgotten about her plan and was just enjoying herself with this shopping trip of ours. Suddenly, her eyes met my gaze. Her face trembled with a facial expression saying 'Oh, crap!' It really appeared that she had forgotten about me. Her reaction didn't surprise me in the least bit. A guy should never get in the way of a girl's shopping outing to begin with, so…
"Eh, umm, hey Ryou, have you found something that you might want?"
"Eh? Are you serious, onee-chan?"
"Yeah, there has to be a ring or pendant that you might like, right?"
"Hmm... Maybe..."
Kyou urged her younger sister on, who was quietly looking inside the showcase. I stepped a little closer so I could also take a closer look to what she was looking at.
"What do you like, onee-chan?"
"Eh? Me? Well... I... umm..." Kyou looked at the glass showcase, seemingly bewildered by all of the jewelry, but she suddenly started inspecting the accessories with an intensely piercing eye. After a few minutes of dead silence, I decided to look into Kyou's eyes and try to follow the path of her gaze. I was surprised that she didn't notice me. Turning to look at the display, I noticed that she was looking at a pendant. Wondering if the younger sister was mimicking the same action, I snuck at a glance at Ryou out of the corner of my left eye and saw that she was looking in the same location too. Both sisters were now pointing at two different pendants lined up by the corner of the silver accessories group. Both pendants had a gemstone attached to them.
"Amethyst, onee-chan?"
"Yeah, that's the one. This light purple color looks beautiful."
"Um, amethyst is a stone that is famous for warding off evil spirits. It's the birthstone for February. As a gemstone, it acts like a charm that protects love."
"Oh? Is that how it is?"
"But, your stone was... What did you say it was again... um..."
"Tanzanite, onee-chan."
"Ahaha, that's right, tanzanite, right? Tanzanite..." She exaggerated her laugh while repeating the name of that stone, and gave me a quick glance. From that and the way she emphasized her last word, I knew exactly what Kyou was hinting at. I'd be an idiot if I didn't. I met her glance with a knowing grin, which caught her slightly by surprise, but a small glint in her eye and an even smaller smile alerted me to the fact that she understood.
"Should we buy it?" Ryou murmured as she stared at the pendant intently. And then, my eyes widened in sudden realization: if she bought the thing now, Kyou's plan would've been meaningless!
"Ah, hey Ryou, shouldn't we go back and check the clothes outside?!" From her overenthusiastic questioning, Kyou must've realized this as well and quickly interfered before her sister made up her mind to buy the gemstone.
"Eh? Did we forget to buy something?"
"Ah... uh... umm... well..." She glanced at me.
"Ah, that's right. We didn't buy anything for Tomoya. We forgot to get some clothes for him!"
"Eh? Me?" I became flustered by the sudden conversation about me.
"Ah-..." Ryou turns around to look at me as Kyou says that. She then sees that I'm carrying a bunch of stuff.
"I-I'm sorry! I... was only thinking about myself…I apologize...for making you hold all of that, Tomoya-kun." She looks at me, returning to the same Ryou I know..
"It's okay, don't worry about it."
"But... but..."
"Setting that aside, ummm... let's go find some clothes for me." If I leave it at that, Ryou might start crying as we walk on.
"Come on, Ryou, let's go!"
"O-okay..."
"Ah...Tomoya-kun, I'll hold our stuff."
"Hmm? Don't worry about that. It'd be impolite if a guy didn't volunteer to carry a girl's stuff."
"That's right. You should just let the guys carry the stuff." I immediately turned to the older Fujibayashi sister, glaring daggers at her with quiet disdain.
"I wonder… why does it piss me off when you're the one who says it?"
"It's just your imagination." Tilting her head to the side, Kyou gave a nonchalant shrug, her eyes closing momentarily.
"Um, is it really okay?" I turned to Ryou's quiet whisper, meeting her with a tiny smile.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. It's not too heavy." Even though they weren't straining my arms now, I couldn't say the same thing if my hands were still clinging onto the bags… hours later.
"Then, is it all right… if I carried one bag at least?" Regardless of my rebuttal, Ryou still wanted to help me out. Knowing that it would be futile to argue, I lifted my left hand up, offering a bag for her to carry. Taking the outermost bag into both of her hands, she was initially caught off guard with the weight of the bag. Immediately gaining her bearings, she had no difficulty holding onto the bag full of the items that she and Kyou had picked out.
"Thank you very much, Tomoya-kun… for letting me help." Ryou gave a sweet smile, bowing down her head as she said that.
"I thought you were much stronger than that, Tomoya." Kyou was grinning, teasing me on my lack of arm strength, but she of all people knew that that couldn't be further from the truth. Wanting to call her out on that in the only way I knew how…
"Remind me, didn't you get a good look at my body that one time?" [1] I was the one grinning now, with Kyou erupting in anger as her face was now entirely crimson red.
"Tomoya! We agreed to pretend that that never happened! Don't say anything in front of Ryou!"
"Uh, you never told any of that to your sister? I thought you two talked about everything." Even though she told me to keep my mouth shut, I thought she didn't keep any secrets from her own sister. I guess that proved that regardless as to how close those two apparently were, they still kept secrets from each other. It sounds obvious when you say it out loud, but then you realize an even more obvious truth: everyone has their secrets. I was no different…
"Onee-chan, what's Tomoya-kun talking about?"
"I'll… explain it someday… eventually…" With nervous gait, Kyou dragged her sister away to look for some T-shirts for me. Eventually, they came back a few shirts in hand. I couldn't say anything special about the design of the shirts, since I wasn't too fashion-conscious to begin with. There was one shirt that stood out to me, for reasons unknown, perhaps of how… strange it was. It was black, and there was 'Unparalleled Without Peer' written in a red brush on both sides. It felt like Kyou picked this to imply something, but surprisingly, Ryou seemed to like it as well. I questioned their fashion sense, but I didn't particularly care either way. I wasn't too picky when it came to the clothing that I wore. The only thing that mattered to me was whether or not the clothes were comfortable to wear.
"I'll uh… head inside the dressing room to change. I'll be right ahead." Both sisters nodded their heads in simultaneous unison as I sauntered into one of the stalls. Holding onto one plastic hanger and placing the others onto a metal hook on the door, I sat down and took off my shirt, placing it gently to my side as I reached for the shirt that Kyou picked out for me. After putting on the shirt, I stood up to look at the mirror that was plastered on the wall. Staring at the mirror with indifferent curiosity, I turned my body around slightly while still eyeing the long mirror. The shirt fit me fine, and that's all that really mattered to me.
I repeated the same process with the other shirts that the Fujibayashi sisters picked out for me. After try each and every one of them on, I slipped my shirt back on and made my way out of the stall, clothes hangers in hand. Making my way back over to the Fujibayashi sisters, I noticed that the two were perusing through a rack of clothes.
"I'm back. They fit me all right."
"What? Why aren't you wearing them right now?"
"You never said anything about me showing them off to you."
"I thought it would've been obvious to you."
"You're not gonna take my word for it?"
"Heck, no! I wanna see how well they fit you. And I'm pretty sure Ryou here wants to see, too." Kyou gave her a light jab to her younger sister with her left elbow, instantly eliciting a blush from Ryou.
"Fine, fine." I didn't want to argue, so I refrained from saying anything further.
After making my way back into the dressing room and changing into the shirt once more, just as soon as I unlocked the door to the stall, Kyou was standing there staring blankly, causing me to jump back several steps.
"The hell?! You scared me to death!"
"I just wanted to see for myself, that's all." There was a mischievous grin on her face that told me she was being honest about her claim.
"What do you think?" I spun my body by the heel of my feet, making sure that Kyou was able to see front and back.
"Hmm, not bad. Do you want the other shirts?"
"One will be enough for me. I don't want you to spend too much of your money on me. Save most of it for yourself."
"My, my, aren't you being such a gentleman today, eh Tomoya?" I wanted to call her out on her snide sarcasm but thought it better to remain silent on the matter. Giving a faux cough, I decided to change to a different topic. There was one that I had a pretty good feeling Kyou was waiting for me to bring up, so I decided to go with my gut instinct.
"So, that tanzanite…"
"…you will buy it for her, won't you?" She had completed my thought before I had even finished. Glad we were on the same wavelength.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" A part of me wanted to save that money instead, but I would be a terrible friend if I didn't consider the option, and I would be an even worse boyfriend if I didn't buy the gemstone for her.
"C'mon, Ryou's waiting for us." The two of us made our way back over to Ryou.
"Did the shirts fit, Tomoya-kun?"
"Yeah, more or less."
"Onee-chan…do you think I could speak to Tomoya-kun…alone?"
"Eh, alone? What for?"
"There's something that I want to talk to him about, that's all."
"Hmm…well, I'll be waiting at the front near the cash registers. Tell me when you're done, okay?"
"Right."
"So, what's up, Ryou?"
"Tomoya-kun, could you please keep your voice down a little? Onee-chan…might be able to hear us."
"Oh, sorry about that. Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I'm very sorry, Tomoya-kun. I-I'm just…a little nervous, that's all. That's why…I've been neglecting you… ever since we came into this store."
"Heh, don't worry about that. I'm just worried that you were getting bored."
"With our date?"
"Yeah."
"No, I enjoy being with you… and with onee-chan too. I hope she isn't causing you too much grief."
"Nah, I can handle it, so don't worry about me. I'm more concerned about you."
"If we stick together, I think I'll survive today." She gave a smile full of nervous enthusiasm. I couldn't help but grin at her half-hearted attempt to reassure me. Hearing her confession just now, everything about our date slowly began to make some sense to me. It would definitely explain why she had been… avoiding me in a sense. She was still too nervous to be seen with me… together like this in public.
"It'd be pretty nice if the two of us could just be alone…" I didn't know whether or not I was being subtle or obvious with my suggestion, but I was hoping Ryou would catch on immediately. Thankfully, she did, with a warm smile of understanding and a tiny, red blush on her face.
"Tomoya-kun…do you…wanna go on another date with me? J-just the two of us?"
"Sure, that sounds nice."
"Hehe, let me go ask onee-chan and see if she agrees to it."
"If she's trying to set the two of us up together, she's gonna have to." Ever since I proposed this idea back in the park, I wondered whether or not she and I were capable of pulling this… ridiculous plan of mine off. I knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but I knew… that Ryou had my back. Of course, that same realization filled me to the brim with guilt. By agreeing to this plan of mine, she had already withdrawn herself from this… lover's competition. I knew that she was committed to it, but I didn't fully understand the gravity of that decision of hers. She willingly gave up her chance at being my lover, just to help me out as a friend.
I found myself taking a small step forward before gently pulling Ryou's left hand into my right, giving it a firm but reassuring grasp. I smiled and wanted to give her words of encouragement, but before I got the opportunity, I was reciprocated with a smile of her own. Our fingers began to intertwine once more, linking us together physically… and probably metaphorically too. The joke was definitely not lost on Ryou as she spontaneously began to laugh at the moment we were in, and I couldn't help but laugh along with her. The two of us didn't even need to say a single word to each other. Our faces said everything that needed to be said. We made our way back to Kyou, who was somewhere near the front of the store, hand in hand, nervousness abound as evidenced by our burning red cheeks. This was something that we weren't going to get used to anytime soon, if ever.
Despite the fact that we were smiling happily in our embarrassed states, I couldn't help but feel… that someone was watching me from afar…
There was an increasing sense of urgency that was flowing through my body as Tomoyo-chan and I were hurriedly walking through the vast expanse of the mall. I had called Aoyama-san earlier, wondering if he knew where Tomoya-kun might have been. It came as a genuine shock for me to learn that Aoyama-san had saw him walking around with who he had described as two lavender-haired girls down a street.
"Tomoyo-chan…do you think we'll find them here?"
"There's a possibility. Even if we don't, we can still do some shopping of our own while we're here at the mall."
"Wait, isn't that…" My eyes stared in disbelief as my right hand rose in a hesitantly slow pace, my index finger directing Tomoyo-chan to who I was about to reference.
"Okazaki?"
"He's with Ryou-chan and Kyou-chan, too…" I didn't know why Kyou-chan was there with them. I didn't want to believe that Tomoya-kun was lying to Tomoyo-chan earlier.
"Let's follow them. I wanna know what's going on."
"Tomoyo-chan, wait!" I felt uncomfortable with what she had planned to do, but I never thought that I would react in such a manner. "This doesn't…feel right, spying on them like this. Why can't we just go up to them and talk?"
"We could…but they might not tell us everything. Worst-case scenario, they might lie to us outright. Either way, I believe we'll learn more by trailing them from behind."
"Kotomi, if you don't want to tag along, I won't force you to. So please, don't feel obligated to say yes just because we're friends. The last thing that I would ever want is to make you worry."
"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan, but…I think I would like to follow you, too, if that's okay with you."
"Are you sure, Kotomi?" A concerned look on Tomoyo-chan's face immediately alerted me that she felt some pang of guilt for trying to coerce me into following her. I knew deep down that she too didn't want to resort to this, but something, possibly innate curiosity, motivated her into action. I couldn't deny the fact that I had similar feelings of wanting to pursue the truth as well.
"Yes. To be honest, I am a little curious about what they're doing here." Even though I thought it would've been a much better idea to just simply walk up to the three of them and inquire about their purpose for being here, Tomoyo-chan did make a good point. While I highly doubt that Tomoya-kun or Ryou-chan would lie to us, Kyou-chan on the other hand…if the incident at Tomoya-kun's house was any clear indication, she and Tomoyo-chan would most likely get into another argument, rendering any possible attempts at questioning them null. The two of us spying on the group from afar would reduce our chances of a confrontation from occurring, even if a part of me found this idea to be questionable at best and morally invasive at worst.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this." She deeply bowed before me, clearly having some doubts about her initial plan. I wanted to reassure her that I was determined to stay by her for the day.
"Please don't apologize, Tomoyo-chan. I just…don't want you and Kyou-chan to argue again, like this morning." Thinking back on this morning's events made my body slightly shudder in fright.
"I promise you; we'll keep our distance from them. I just wanna see where they're going." Tomoyo-chan's gentle smile comforted my worries, enough to the point where I was able to return a smile of my own.
The room was deathly silent, except for the monotonous ticking of the clock that was hanging on the wall. The sky was now orange as faint rays of light pierced through the translucent curtains. They subtlety swayed in the air-conditioned room as I silently stared at the sleeping girl before me. I never really got the chance to observe the room that Fuko was residing in, but since there was nothing else for me to do at the moment, my eyes slowly darted around the room. It was void of any animated life, our still and silent presence notwithstanding. I was waiting for something, anything to happen, to reassure me that I wasn't alone. The wooden chair that I was now occupying didn't budge an inch as I tapped the tiled floor with the tip of my shoes. The rhythm was off, not steady, but merely random beats to kill seconds off. I held her frail, motionless left hand with my own as I stared at Fuko's body.
Fuko Ibuki… a fifteen year old girl who was a first-year student…or rather, she was going to be a first-year student at Hikarizaka High School before an unfortunate car accident left her in a coma. She had been stuck in here ever since. Well, her physical body, anyway. An astral projection of Fuko was wandering around the school, trying to get people to attend Kouko-san's wedding. With help from Nagisa and me, she was able to get most of the students and staff of the school to attend. Unfortunately, no one remembers that day now, with me being the sole exception.
And it seriously begged the question…why was I the only one who remembered Fuko? I remember asking myself this question the last time I was here at the hospital, which was yesterday. It didn't feel like yesterday, though. It felt like several months ago since the last time I came to visit her. In a cold, empty place like this lonely hospital room, time can be distorting to the mind. Days feel like weeks; weeks feel like months; months turn into years; years become decades. And everything becomes irrelevant by then. No matter how much time in the world that I might've had to think it through, I was no closer to figuring out this mystery.
"What are you doing?" My eyes widened, my head turning to the source of the voice. Standing a few paces away from where I was sitting stood a girl who I recognize immediately from her brownish-green hair and that poorly tied ribbon on the end of her long hair. The sight relieved me of my worried thoughts as a tiny smile formed on my face.
"You know, it's strange…and weird…seeing your sleeping body…and you yourself…in the same room like this."
"The only weird thing in this room is you, weird boy." Her response was quick, filled with the chastising criticism that was the norm between the two of us.
"Ugh…" The two of us would always get into these rough exchanges that never ended pleasantly, but this one, if only this one time, maybe there was some small glimmer of hope that we would actually be nice to each other. It was a futile thought, but one worth keeping hold of.
"But…Fuko is glad…that you're here with her, Okazaki-san."
"Really?" It wasn't the response that I expected from her. She slowly nodded her head yes.
"Mhmm. You're the only one…who remembers."
"I wish I knew why. No one else seems to remember you anymore, Fuko."
"But at least…you do."
"I'm sorry that I'm the only one."
She slowly shook from side to side, her smile unwavering all the while. "You don't need to apologize. Either way, Fuko…is happy." Fuko had this… bizarre habit of referring to herself in third person. I couldn't really understand why she did it, but considering how unusual she was in general, this odd manner of speech was the least freakish of her qualities. I merely paid no particular heed to it then, and I certainly had no problem with it now. Though, it did make me wonder what other people had thought about it. At the same time, I couldn't deny that there was something… oddly endearing about it, too…
"Glad to hear that. So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Yes, there's something that's been worrying her for a while now."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Okazaki-san, have you sensed someone…or something unusual around town?"
"Unusual? How so?" I was completely lost as to who or what she had in mind.
"Like…there's something wandering around town…something that's not from this world…like an alien!" I wanted to take her question seriously, but her flailing arms and exaggerated hand gestures made it difficult to believe that there was anything serious stemming from her inquiry.
"You sure you're not talking about yourself there?"
"That's not funny, Okazaki-san!"
"I kid, I kid."
"Still, it troubles Fuko."
"If it's troubling you this much, then I guess I can't ignore it. Do you know what this thing even looks like?"
"No, she doesn't know." I had a lingering suspicion in my mind as to what Fuko was referring to, but I didn't want to feed her any potential false hope, so I kept quiet. I decided to switch to a different topic to take my mind off of that thought.
"Hey Fuko, do you mind if I ask you a serious question?"
"Serious? What is it, Okazaki-san?"
"Do you think…you'll ever wake up someday?" It was a difficult question for me to ask, but I wanted to know how she earnestly felt about this situation.
"Fuko…Fuko wants to believe that she'll wake up…and see all of her friends again, old and new. She really wants to see…Nagisa-chan…and thank her."
What Fuko did next surprised me to no end. Gently placing her wooden starfish on the small table, she grabbed my entire body with her small arms and pulled me into a firm but gentle hug.
"Thank you…Okazaki-san."
"For the wedding?" That was the first thing that registered in my head the moment I heard her thanking me.
"For everything." Her head was now resting softly against my chest. My heartbeat slowly hastened at the physical contact that I was not used to. I couldn't see Fuko's face clearly from the angle that my eyes were at, but I could just tell…somehow…that she was smiling with all her heart.
And then an improbable thought occurred to me. I wondered if Fuko harbored any romantic feelings for me. A part of me found such a notion to be merely preposterous.
At least, that's what I told myself. She couldn't possibly be falling for me… right?
I merely helped her because she became a precious friend to me. Sure, we didn't get along at first. Hell, we still have our disagreements every so often. But, at the end of the day, I would like to believe… that Fuko feels the same way about me as well, that she considers me a good friend too, despite the fact that we were constantly teasing each other. My heart now grew worried at this idea with each passing second. Considering the dilemma I was in now, the last thing I wanted right now was for another girl to be chasing after me. I already have Nagisa, Kotomi, Ryou, Kyou, and Tomoyo vying for my affections. I could only imagine the horror… if Fuko were to join them. I wanted to groan in frustration at this sudden realization that I now had, but that would've ruined this one tender moment that I was sharing with Fuko Ibuki, no doubt about it. I held my emotions in check while my arms wrapped around her, softly pressing her head against my chest firmly, so that she couldn't leave my grasp, so that she knew… that she still had one friend left… who cared for her.
I didn't know how long we stood there hugging each other. My mind couldn't help but wonder if there were any romantic implications behind this embrace that we were now sharing. Me being the curious type, I decided to ask her… and see what kind of answer she would give me.
"Hey… Fuko…" Her head was still on my chest. It was a relief for me, since that meant she couldn't see this embarrassed look on my face.
"What is it?"
"Uh…" Words were stuck in my throat. I didn't know how to proceed from here on. One wrong word uttered, and I would've ruined everything between us. I closed my eyes… and drew one deep breath before inquiring. "Do you… like me?"
"Like you? What do you mean? Like friends?" There was an air of natural curiosity in her voice, but I couldn't help but wonder, was she playing dumb… or was she really serious?
"No, not like that. I mean… like… your older sister and Yusuke… care for each other."
"What?! Are you crazy?! There's no way that I could like a weird person like you, Okazaki-san!" Before I could even comprehend it, Fuko had already sprinted over to the other side of the room with the bedsheets now covering her body and most of her face. "Weird person keeps getting weirder."
"Me, weird?! It was an innocent question! Geez, Fuko, I was just asking."
"The only reason you would be asking Fuko such a question in the first place was because you actually liked her… like that!" I noticed that slight hesitation at the end there. The fact that Fuko was covering most of her body with the bedsheets from her bed, I turned my attention to the other Fuko, the one whose body was unconscious in a coma. It was a rather sad sight, to see her actual body so frail, her skin so pale, and her face in a somber slumber.
And then I saw it… that look on her face.
She was blushing.
I thought I was hallucinating, since the orange rays of the setting sun were now shining through the windows. It wasn't until I actually focused my eyes on her that I perceived the nervousness in her eyes. I didn't even need to see the rest of Fuko's face to be able to tell that she was blushing.
I couldn't help but smile at the unusually funny sight that was now before me. My mind immediately conjured up an idea to turn this scene into one for my own amusement.
"Hey Fuko…" I was beginning to slowly walk towards her, grinning all the while. "…why so nervous?"
"Eh? Fuko's not nervous. Get away!"
She leapt up on top of the bed and jumped across to the other side, tightly clinging onto the bed sheets.
"Hey, be careful! You don't want to knock your body off the bed, do you?"
"Relax, I'll be fine, Okazaki-san. I've done this before." Before…hearing Fuko say that word, it made me stop and think for a moment. How long has she been in here…in this tiny room…all by herself? I knew that she can cast an astral projection of herself, but I would assume that she no longer had the ability to freely do so…or she had no reason to do so for an extended period of time. Her sister's wedding went off without a hitch…for the most part. With her objective accomplished, she didn't really have a reason to overwork herself like she did last time. I would imagine that she leaves this room every once in a while, like a person wanting to get some fresh air after spending too much time indoors. And then I remembered…all of the new friends that Fuko had made several weeks prior…had all forgotten about her. I was the only one left. She wouldn't have a reason to gallivant around the school anymore. She's not exactly the sociable type, but then again, neither am I. Considering how shy she is, she most likely couldn't muster up the courage to go up to someone and introduce herself. At least, she wouldn't…not without a little help…my help.
"Okazaki-san, stop staring off into space!" Hearing Fuko beckoning to me shook me out of my thoughts. She had a concerned, puzzled look on her face. It turned into slight irritation.
"You do that a lot, don't you?" Note to self, don't ever internal monologue in front of others. People will think I'm crazy, if they already haven't.
"Sorry, just thinking about stuff."
"You're as strange as always. Fuko will never understand you." I could say the same to you, too. "But still…" As her voice trailed off, she gradually closed her eyes as both of her hands relocated themselves behind her back. And then, I saw it… a familiar sight… her lips slowly drew upward into a tiny smile. It was a smile… full of warmth and happiness, the same smile that she gave me once… when she kissed both me and Nagisa. [2] Radiant… and beautiful.
"Fuko would prefer… if you and Nagisa-san were together… like onee-chan and Yusuke-san are. But… Fuko can't help but wonder… what is it like… to be in love?"
"I… uh…" To be honest, I didn't know how to properly answer her inquiry, so I just went for the honest straightforward approach. Not a whole lot I could do in a situation like this. "I've never been in a relationship before, so I can't say for sure. Sorry to disappoint."
"No, it's all right. Fuko couldn't help but wonder… Fuko has been wondering for a while now, ever since onee-chan's wedding. It's different… from the love that you have for a friend or family member, right?"
"I would assume so."
"Does that mean the friendship is gone in a way?"
"I wouldn't say it's gone necessarily. More like… it becomes… something more. It is possible for two people in love to also be best friends as well." At least, that's what I thought. Maybe it was just my naivety that was giving me this sense of false hope, but that's what I earnestly believed in.
"Is that so?" With that, Fuko slowly walked up to me… and placed a kiss on my right cheek. It reminded me of the same kiss that she gave Nagisa and me on that one night at school. I didn't really dwell upon the matter any further; I was too stunned to do so.
"The reason… that Fuko asked that question… was because she saw you… together… with another girl… and it looked like you two were… close." My heart stopped the moment I heard Fuko's words. A sudden epiphany suddenly rammed me like a ton of bricks. What if the person who was spying on me, the person whose eyes I felt upon Ryou and me back at the park…was not Kyou…but Fuko? But that couldn't be. Kyou admitted to us that she was spying on us…unless…Fuko saw us when the three of us were out in the streets? Maybe she also was also in the park, in a different spot from Kyou. My mind was racing, pondering, panicking about what the truth could possibly be. As my eyes made my way back onto Fuko, I noticed that she was grinning, clearly enjoying the inner turmoil that I was now enduring.
"What's wrong, Okazaki-san? Something on your mind?" The mocking tone of her voice… I could tell she knew exactly what I was thinking right now.
"Where were you?"
"Everywhere… and nowhere."
"That makes no sense at all!"
"It makes perfect sense to Fuko! Fuko only saw you two in the park. She can't help but wonder… does Nagisa-san know that you're dating someone else?"
"We're not… really dating…"
"But I saw you two kissing and holding hands!"
"Ugh, it's not like that! You're misunderstanding everything!"
"A boy and a girl were kissing. What exactly is there to misunderstand in the first place? They're either dating or married! I'm telling Nagisa-san about your treachery!"
"She doesn't even remember you! Why would she even believe a word you say?"
"Because no one can refuse a cute little girl like me, of course! They'll have to believe Fuko, Nagisa-san included."
"Good luck with that."
"Thank you. I will most certainly need that when I go tell her…right now."
"Wait, you can't leave now!"
"Just watch me, Okazaki-san!"
"H-hey!" My right hand instinctively reached out to grab her, but Fuko hopped away from my grasp.
"Can't catch me." Grinning at my failed attempt, Fuko stuck her tongue out at me as a mocking gesture. I knew she was taunting me, but I didn't care. She wanted me to chase her, and chased her I did. Pretty soon, the two of us were running around in that tight but spacious room of hers. I was mindful of my surroundings since I didn't want to put Fuko at any risk. There were a lot of machinery and other apparatuses that I had to be careful around. She on the other hand was nimbly hopping on and off the bed and prancing around my every attempt to subdue her. She had the advantage, but I didn't care. It would've been too boring if I caught her to begin with. For the first time in what felt like ages, Fuko was laughing. I couldn't remember the last time I saw such blissful glee on her face. I didn't care if the nurses and doctors came in here right now and reprimanded me for my recklessness. She was happy…and I was happy with her.
After several minutes of just messing around with each other, the two of us were now calmly sitting on the hospital bed, our backs now facing each other. I had no other choice but to explain the details of my plan to Fuko.
"Do you really think your plan will work?"
"It might. It just might."
"Might?! Fuko was hoping for something more reassuring than might!"
"Ugh, what do you want from me?"
"Fuko wants to know… that you know what you're getting yourself into."
"I have to make this work."
"And what happens if it doesn't?"
"I'll…I'll suffer the consequences. It's as simple as that…You don't have to worry about me, Fuko."
"But Fuko can't help it."
"I know… I know…" Realizing that my time with Fuko was running out, I felt that I should mention the obvious to her before she got the misconception that I was gonna stay here overnight, not that such a thing was even possible to begin with. Didn't hospitals have some rule against that? "It's getting late. I'm gonna have to be leaving soon."
"Stay with me… for a little longer… please?" My heart skipped a beat yet again. It was the way that she whisperly pleaded to me, with her last word barely audible even in the stillness of this cold room, that struck me with guilt-ridden pause. I didn't want to leave her in a solitary, depressing state, so I did what a friend would do...
"Okay, I'll stick around…until I get kicked out anyway." I knew that I had to give Fuko one last good memory for today before I made my way back home. There was no telling when I would be in this room again. A treasured memory can help during lonely times. At least, that was what I firmly believed with all of my heart.
The two of us were now sitting on the floor, our backs pressed against the side of the bed.
"Okazaki-san… could you tell Fuko… a story?"
"Story? What kind of story?"
"Any story that comes to your mind. Think of it as a bedtime story of sorts, the kind you would read to someone to get them to fall asleep."
"Heh, you're such a little kid, you know that?"
"Ugh…"
"But that's one thing that I appreciate about you, Fuko. You're not afraid to be yourself."
"Thank you…"
"Hmm, let's see…"
Eventually, Fuko fell asleep as her head gently rested on my left shoulder. I could hear her quiet breathing, a gentle rhythm that told me that she was at the very least sleeping soundly. My head canted upwards toward the white ceiling as I wondered how long things could last. This day is coming to an end soon, as I will have to leave this room…and go back home to my father. This weekend will come to an end soon, as another week of school starts. With each passing day, I slowly inch closer and closer to the end of high school. There's still several months left before graduation, but time has a funny way of zooming past us when we least expect it. Sometimes, I wished these days of high school would last just a little longer, but everything has to come to an end someday. Nothing lasts forever. It was an inevitability that I could never escape from. My mind knew that much already, even if my heart wanted the complete opposite. I guess…I'll just have to make every second, every moment from here on out count.
I gazed at the digital watch on my right wrist.
20:30. Eight-thirty in the evening.
My head slightly leaned into Fuko's. Closing my eyes to focus on my senses, my nose took in her scent. I was surprised to discover that it was clean and fresh, a faint tinge of lime filling my nostrils. She must have taken a bath…sometime today. It made me wonder…was the Fuko that was sitting next to me a separate entity from the Fuko that was resting in the bed behind me? I didn't know. I don't claim to fully understand the supernatural, of things that couldn't and shouldn't be possible in reality, and yet…there were two Fuko Ibukis in this room right now. It made me wonder what happened if someone were to step in here right now. Would the Fuko beside me vanish in an instant?
I slightly tilted my head to the left, making sure that I could at least see Fuko out of the corner of my left eye. "Hey Fuko, you still awake?"
No response.
I waited minutes and minutes on end. There was a very slim chance that she was only pretending, but I had a strong feeling that she wasn't. I could just imagine her surprising all of a sudden, thinking that she won this game of hers. After a whole 15 minutes of patient waiting, I came to the obvious conclusion.
She really was asleep.
I grinned as I wanted to pull one last little prank before I left this room tonight. Fuko was so vulnerable right then and there. She couldn't stop me even if she wanted to. She would be none the wiser, too. I felt some small feelings of guilt inside and at the same time, I couldn't let an opportune moment like this one slip away from me. This definitely wouldn't be the first time that I've pulled a prank against the tiny starfish girl, and her frequent overreactions were a joy to me, in a somewhat sadistic way. But as I looked at Fuko's sleeping form, I knew that she wouldn't be awake to be able to react like that at all. I couldn't help but smile at that simple thought.
Turning my body slightly to face hers, I cradled both of her cheeks in the palms of my two hands, as my lips touched her forehead, my eyes closed once more. There were a few stray strands of Fuko's greenish-brown hair that were in my way, but they weren't a huge enough distraction from my act. I held myself in that position for a while. How long? I didn't know. Moments like these, time seems to be irrelevant.
And then I felt it…or rather…I couldn't feel it…or rather…I couldn't feel her…anymore.
My eyes snapped open immediately, now wide as saucers as Fuko disappeared. Getting up on my two feet, my attention turned towards the Fuko who was stuck in a coma. There was no difference there. It was as if nothing happened. The Fuko who was beside was now gone. Where did she go? I didn't know. I genuinely hoped that she would appear to me again on another day. I had this strange feeling that she felt that kiss…somehow.
"Good night, Fuko." A smile graced my lips before I turned around to make my exit.
…Another day goes by, and another arrives. What awaits everyone, in our everyday lives?
Author's Note #6: I've kept Fuko's speech pattern of referring to herself in third-person that was present in the Japanese version but was omitted from the English dub. It will help differentiate her from the rest of the girls whenever we get to a chapter where she's the one narrating the perspective.
Footnotes:
[1] – 15:18 - 18:52 of Episode 17 of season 1. The infamous gym locker scene. Enough said. XD
[2] – 5:08 - 5:25 of Episode 9 of season 1.
Well, that's the end of chapter 7. If you actually made it to the end of this chapter, then I salute you for being able to put up with my story for this long. If it's not asking too much, any kind of feedback, be it pointing out spelling/grammar mistakes, suggestions, or just your thoughts and feelings on this chapter, anything would be great. All I ask is that you remain civil and keep things constructive. That's all. ^_^'
Remember to check my profile page every day to see how much progress I have made on the next chapter. It will go up the moment that number hits 100%.
And don't worry, I'm never going to drop this story, so long as there is continued interest from readers for my fanfic. For personal reasons, I want to see this story through to the very end, even if it takes years to get there...