03/2/2014 (Last edited on 10/05/2018) - Sorry for all of the delays. X_X And the 2014 Oscars are on right now, so I'll be able to respond to any feedback that I'll get almost immediately. XD 'am rooting for Gravity to win the big one tonight.
Hello, people of FanFiction dot net. I'm back again with the next chapter of my very first fanfic. Thank you for all the reviews, everyone! (63 as of this chapter) ^_^ As the author of this story, I'm happy to see reviews being left behind. It motivates me to continue on with this story of mine. ^_^ For those who don't already know, I do personally respond to every single review that is left behind for my story. I figure that it's the least I can do as the author of this fanfic and communicate with my readers. Even though some of the character's personalities might/will be slightly altered for the sake of my fanfic, I'll try to remain faithful to their overall "spirit" that was portrayed in the anime series. Clannad is my favorite anime series of all time, so I felt compelled to write a story of my own. I hope you enjoy it. And once again, any feedback that you can provide would be nice and very appreciated. ^_^ And with that, here is chapter 9:
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 suggestive themes.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance/Slice of Life
Pairing(s): (At the moment) Tomoya x Ryou
Crossover(s): None at the moment...
Author's Note #1: In regards to the pairings: for Tomoya, the Harem option is winning with 13 votes! (Guess people really want to see Tomoya with ALL the girls! XD) Meanwhile, for Sunohara, it's a tie between Tomoyo and Fuko with 3 votes each. Interesting…
Author's Note #2: In regards to whose perspective this chapter is told from, I'll be attempting something a little… different, again. People might not like who's going to be narrating in this chapter, but I hope this little experiment will prove to be a little enlightening for me. :3
Author's Note #3: This chapter takes place after 18:08 but before 18:10 of episode 18 of season 1. These next few chapters are going to be a bit loose in terms of where it fits in with the continuity of this episode at this point in the anime.
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 9 – Lived Up To Your Reputation, Part 1
I slowly walked towards the sink, having just used the toilet to relieve myself. Turning on the cold water, I felt a cold shiver run through my being for a split second as my eyes snapped shut for a moment before reopening. I grabbed a lump of bubbly soap suds into the palm of my right hand from the soap dispensers, lathering it in my hands until both hands were covered in it. I dipped my two hands in the running water to wash the soap away, and I took the opportunity to wash my face as well, to let it clear away any sweat and dirt on my face. The water splashed against my face as droplets were dripping down towards my chin. The cold sensation of the liquid was liberating to my senses, freeing me from my own thoughts that had been on my mind as of late as I let out an audible sigh of momentary relief.
And there were plenty of things on my mind.
All of us have a mask that we hide behind, whether we realize it or not. Regardless if it's one or several, we wear a mask under different circumstances, to hide a part of ourselves from another, because we all have secrets that we want buried. We put on a façade to fool everyone from seeing the truth that no one wants to see. Maybe ignorance is bliss after all. Maybe we are better off living a lie. But where do we draw the line? Where do the lies end and the truths begin? What happens when a person is unable to differentiate one from the other? When the barriers between the two cease to exist? When truth and fiction become one and the same?
I guess at that point, we truly are lost within ourselves.
A part of me wondered… for anyone who was listening to my words right now, would you believe… that it came from an idiot like me?
I used to be someone who mattered, someone who had something to strive for in life. I was a soccer player years ago. I wasn't exactly the greatest player but I was nimble with my feet. If I had pursued this path, I might have become a great soccer player, maybe even a professional athlete someday. But, that plan got blown to hell the moment I got into an altercation with another player during a match. I didn't remember what his words were to me, but I could still clearly remember how much it pissed me off hearing them. I remember my fist slamming into his face as the other players had to restrain me. I was kicked off the soccer team as a result, and my interest in the sport eventually died off in the years since. I became a delinquent, not taking anything, especially schoolwork, seriously, merely living from one day to the next. Or at least, I adopted that persona to deal with my failures. I thought I could go back to being a person who was dedicated to something any time that I wanted, but as time passed, I found that letting go of old habits became harder and harder. Pretty soon, those delinquent habits became a part of who I was. There was no going back at that point. There were times where I get the urge to think about where I would be in life if I had went down a different path, but sometimes, it's better to just avoid looking at the past. Too many regrets would weigh me down. I didn't need to think about what-ifs, especially during this time in my life, where drama was everywhere in one form or another.
Eventually, I met Tomoya Okazaki shortly after entering high school. Like me, he too was a delinquent, but probably for a different set of reasons and circumstances. Birds of a feather, you could say. The two of us have become friends, partners in crime, usually doing some small acts of deviancy to our own amusements to pass the time. But, things change. Nothing has been quite the same ever since a certain auburn-haired girl entered Okazaki's life and subsequently mine as well. And then, for the first time, I found myself asking whether there was something more out of life that I had wanted but never really pursued. The fact that I couldn't come up with an answer to that question was troubling; the fact that I felt an insatiable longing for… something… only made things worse. The feeling was there; I just didn't know what or who I wanted to search for. And then, my mind wandered back to her…
…Nagisa Furukawa.
She fell sick several days ago and hasn't been in class ever since. Our circle of friends hasn't been quite the same with her presence gone. I still recall the scene in the clubroom back on Saturday, where Kyou, Kotomi, Fujibayashi, and I were barely able to strike up any decent conversation. Okazaki was still suspended at that point, but with him back as of yesterday, nothing has changed. So, it was obvious that Nagisa Furukawa was the one who was holding us all together in a way. It might've been her gentle kindness that can be frustratingly irritating at the worst of times, but I couldn't stop thinking about her, even though no one really suspected that I was distracted by her absence. Her kindness was her beauty, so selfless to an absolute fault. And I couldn't deny that Nagisa was a pretty cute girl in her own right as well. For the past few weeks since I had known her, she had been trying to get the Drama Club back up and running again, but there was usually one thing or another that got in her way. For the first time in ages, I felt like I had something that I felt like I had to do instead of something I wanted to do. It was like a spark that ignited within me, a fire that had once burned out a long time ago was now lighting up my entire being.
I felt like I had a purpose again.
Sensei scribbled down writing on the chalkboard. Everybody else was just taking notes in silence, the only noise that I could hear was the synchronized scrawling of pencil upon paper. For once, I decided to be a good student and follow everyone else's example. It was Friday and I was ready for the week to end. I had to distract myself from thinking about Nagisa. She would be back at school in due time. It was just a matter of patience, but waiting can be a test of endurance. As I began taking notes down, I couldn't help but quickly glance to my left, to see Okazaki the same as everyone else. Lately, he hadn't been slacking off from actual schoolwork. It surprised me, to say the least. Nagisa being around Okazaki probably did that to him, even if he was never conscious of that fact. I then turned my head over to my right, noticing a certain purple-haired girl who was sitting at the front. It was Fujibayashi, Kyou's younger sister, who was also the class representative for our classroom.
Word around the school was that she and Okazaki were seen together in the park two days ago. There were conflicting news that they were seen with Kyou as well. It begged the obvious question: were those two going out? It was hard to tell where the lies ended and the truth began, especially when gossip would distort the details the further along the news was passed from one person to the next. So, I decided that I would do some investigating of my own starting today. I concentrated on the lecture as best as I could, making the occasional glance to the side to alleviate any sense of boredom that would overcome me. As soon as class ended, I noticed Okazaki getting up out of his seat and walking over to Fujibayashi's desk up at the front. It was highly unusual and suspect, considering how much of a lazy-ass he was at times. He was the one who sat at his desk during homeroom while Fujibayashi usually approached him. Today marked the first instance where I noticed that it was the other way around. When I saw Fujibayashi pulling out two bento boxes from her school bag, a thought had just occurred to me. Okazaki had been eating lunch with the Fujibayashi twins for the last week or two. Sometimes, the three ate in here or in the cafeteria. Other times, there were outside somewhere in the grassy field sitting on a blanket. It was strange to see him and the younger sister eating their lunch and the older sister being completely absent. My curiosity was at its breaking point. Deciding that I wanted some answers, I got up from my desk and went over to those two, who were now conversing with one another.
"Oho, what do we have here, eh?" I took several steps, a slight gleeful bounce with each foot moving forward. As I approached the two, I couldn't help but notice the blush that immediately appeared on Fujibayashi's cheeks. Okazaki was indifferent as always as he had sweet egg omelet in between the chopsticks in his fingers and was about to consume it. He didn't notice that I was approaching the two of them until I called out to them both. I had to keep my foolish façade up. I couldn't let anyone suspect that I knew more than what I was letting on. With a stupid grin and a carefree face, I looked at those two, watching for any response that was out of their ordinary routine.
Okazaki was munching on the omelet and didn't say anything until it finally went down his throat with one subdued gulp. "Hey Sunohara, need something?"
"What are you and the class rep up to right now?"
"Talking about our lunch. It was Fujibayashi's turn to make lunch today. Isn't that right?" Turning my eyes from Tomoya's bored indifference over to Fujibayashi, I couldn't help but notice the obviously apparent blush on her cheeks, along with her eyes peering downwards to the left.
"Y-yes, that's correct. Onee-chan made lunch yesterday and today was my turn. Of course, I still… need a little practice, to say the least."
"Well, I'll just leave you two alone now. I've got lunch I need to get, too."
"You're not gonna eat with us today?" I turned my attention to Okazaki, and noticed his navy blue eyes. I stared at it, wondering what secrets were hidden beyond those eyes of his. Knowing that staring any further would be completely awkward, I closed my eyes and shrugged my shoulders, a confused frown on my lips.
"Eh, I feel like a change of pace would be better today. Can't really explain why. Don't worry about me. Go enjoy your lunch." I gave them a reassuring smile but hastily making my way out of the classroom. I didn't bother to look back at their faces but I had a feeling those two would be all right without me.
Strolling through the hallways of the school, my ears couldn't help but overhear the occasional gossip that was starting to build up surrounding Okazaki and Fujibayashi. I was sure those two were aware of it by now to a certain extent. I assumed that they wanted to avoid bringing it up that topic to draw suspicion away from me, but there were secrets that I would eventually know sooner or later. I was a resourceful guy, knowing who to talk to and knowing where to look to find the right information. The time I wasted slacking off from school wasn't entirely wasted.
Eventually, I happened across a familiar door, one that housed the old reference room of the school. The place could be considered a second library of sorts, where older books that didn't get read as much go to be in the company of a young girl. Gently knocking on the door before slowly opening it, I saw the back of a girl as she was attending to something on the stove. She turned around and saw me, smiling at my presence. I waved back at her a little meekly, with a wide grin adorning my face.
"Hey, Yukine-chan."
"Ah, Sunohara-san. Good afternoon. Allow me to make some tea for you. Please, sit down."
"That'd be great."
Yukine Miyazawa… I first met her several days ago. [1] Okazaki wanted me to tag along with him one day, and then I found myself in this reference room sipping coffee with him and Yukine. I didn't know the exact relationship between the two of them, but I could sense that she was a person who Okazaki turned to for advice when he had no one else. I figured I could use some advice as well.
As I sat in the wooden chair, I couldn't help but begin staring at Yukine's body. Even though I could only see her back and the summer school uniform that she had on, I admired the slim figure that she had. My eyes trailed her body from the hem of the blue skirt of her uniform, slowly up the middle of her back and to the long sand brown hair. I didn't want her to think that I was a pervert, not to imply that I wasn't, but I didn't want her to think I was a bigger one than I already was. With that thought in mind, my eyes diverted from Yukine's body and onto the rest of the room that I was now sitting in.
The reference room was a tiny room filled bookshelves of unread texts and cardboard boxes probably filled with more unread texts. I didn't know if she was the one who maintained the entire place all on her own, but it was admirable that she would take it upon herself to look after this musty place when no one else dared to. Green curtains that were pulled back revealed the sight off in the distance where see the grassy fields was home to the baseball and soccer teams and the circular track where the track and field and cross-country teams ran. There were drawers and cabinets resting below the windows. A stove and other kitchen utensils that she used to make refreshments and other foods for her guests adorned the counter on top. Two wooden tables that were joined together horizontally laid in the center of the room, each table having three seats. I took my spot on the right, a seat that Okazaki had sat in the last time I was in here, and Yukine sat directly across from me in the other chair. Coming back here into this reference room felt like coming back to a warm house after a long day at work. There was this relaxing sense of comfort here that I haven't felt in any other place I had been to in years now.
For a moment, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to come back to a real home.
Sitting here in this room, I was reminded of when I first met her.
"It's good to see you here again, Tomoya-san."
"Hold on a second. What's going on here? Where am I anyway" I remember the day that I first found myself in this reference room. It was a day not unlike this moment that I was now in, except it was the late afternoon where the warm orange rays of twilight shone through the windows. Okazaki was sitting to the right of me, a cup of warm coffee sitting on the wooden table before us.
"It's a place where you can drink good coffee without paying a yen and can kill time as well. It's always nice and quiet here and everything's free. Not a bad hangout, huh?" I turned my head to my right, eyeing Okazaki with a dumbfounded curiosity, my right eyebrow arching confusingly. Noticing Yukine in the corner of my left eye, I then turned towards onto her body as she simply stood there smiling at me.
"By the way, my name is Yukine Miyazawa. I guess you could say I'm the keeper of the second library here at school."
"Isn't that kind of pointless? I mean, why would you wanna have a library full of books nobody reads?" There was a somewhat disappointed look on her face now, as I noticed Yukine walking over towards one of the bookshelves on the right.
"Well, just because people don't read them doesn't mean they aren't interesting." I saw her hand reaching for a book in the middle row of the shelf. Pulling it out and holding it in both of her hands, smiling earnestly again. "Take this one for example. I love reading people's horoscopes. Why don't you tell me your sign, Sunohara-san?" It appeared to be some kind of fortune-telling book. Yukine opened the book up and thumbed through the pages, looking for a particular chapter on horoscopes, I would assume. "Let's see what the stars have in store for you."
"If you can use that thing to tell the future, why don't you tell me how to get the advisor from the Choir Club?
"It says here that orange is your lucky color. Your lucky word for this month is basketball."
"Basketball's lucky, huh?" I found it ironic that basketball would be my lucky word for this month of May, since Okazaki was the former basketball player. A part of me wondered if she had him mixed up with me, the former soccer player.
"Sounds like you're reading Okazaki's fortune instead of mine."
"You are a kind person who cares for his friends. Those around you are touched by the earnestness of your actions. While you may feel that your efforts are made in vain. In actuality, many people are moved by your will to challenge the impossible."
"Will to challenge the impossible, huh? Lucky word is basketball?" I might have been an idiot… some would say that I still am, but… I wasn't exactly slow in a sense. My mind immediately came up with an idea, however improbable it might've been. "Ah, that's it! I ran out of the room, eager to get home and find myself a basketball to begin practicing.
I kept pestering Okazaki throughout the next day at school, but he eventually gave in. Me, him, and Kyou challenge the basketball team to a match. We were determined to win to prove that we were serious about wanting the Drama Club back again. It wasn't a guarantee that the Choir Club would be watching us, but they showed up, along with several other people who somehow caught wind of this match. Nagisa, Kotomi, Fujibayashi, and my younger sister Mei were watching from the sidelines, cheering us on. A whole crowd of girls who happened to be fans of Kyou were cheering her on specifically from the second floor of the gymnasium. I found it ironically hilarious that she was popular with the underclassmen girls. Anyway, we barely won the match against the freshman team with a game-winning shot from Okazaki. Clichéd, perhaps, but it was moments like those that made the sport of basketball so thrilling to watch and even more thrilling to be a part of.
The Choir Club talked with Koumura-sensei to try to see if an arrangement could be made. He told them that he wouldn't mind be an advisor for two clubs. All of us were excited that my plan bore some fruit after all, but in the end, it didn't work. Nagisa had went to the Student Council to try to negotiate the terms, but they said that there were rules in place that prevented an advisor to concurrently be a part of two clubs at once. When I was told the bad news, I felt pissed, like no matter how hard I tried for Nagisa's sake, something would eventually screw her and the rest of us over. And that was when Nagisa fell sick, too.
And everything has gone full circle.
"You know, I haven't thanked you for your fortune-telling." I graciously accept the hot cup of tea from Yukine's hands as I blew several breaths on it to cool the liquid down.
"Oh, it's not necessary to thank me at all."
"But if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten the idea to challenge the basketball team to a match. It was because of the fact me, Kyou, and Okazaki playing a match against them and having the choir club observe us that we were almost able to get the Drama Club back up again."
"Almost? But what happened?"
"Those stingy-ass bureaucrats in the Student Council, that's what happened. As long as they're running things around this school, the Drama Club will never come back."
"Hmm, as I have told Tomoya-san the other day, the Student Council is full of devoted people, but as a result, they can be a bit unreasonable at times. It's a good thing the elections are coming up so soon, huh?"
"Yeah, maybe there's some hope for Nagisa-chan to get her club back up and running."
Yukine couldn't help but laugh at how I had addressed Nagisa. "Nagisa-chan?" My cheeks became immediately flushed upon hearing Yukine teasingly point out the way I addressed her with the added honorific. It then occurred to me from the way she was able to poke fun at me, she had already knew who Nagisa was to begin with.
"Wait, do you even know who she is?" I had to make sure that I wasn't just imagining things, but from Yukine's smile, I already knew what she was about to say.
"Yes, I've met Nagisa-san a few weeks ago." [2]
At first, her response surprised me, but after the initial shock wore off, I couldn't help but let out a subdued chuckle. "Let me guess… she was with Okazaki, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
It seemed Nagisa and Okazaki were always together nowadays. Those two had become inseparable. "Heh, why am I not surprised?"
"Those two are usually with one another, huh? Are they dating?" There was a curious inflection in her voice that I could detect.
I shrugged my shoulders as a bemused grin was plastered on my face. "At this point, I honestly don't know what's going on anymore."
"So, what brings you here to the reference room today?"
"I… I think I need some advice."
"Advice? Of what kind?"
"Well…" The next several minutes, I spent explaining the entire situation to Yukine. Much to my small bewilderment, her composure remained unchanged, serene and calm with a meditative look on her face, as the edges of her right index and thumb were resting comfortably on her chin, her eyes were downcast towards the table. She resumed her eye contact with me soon enough with a somewhat troubled complexion. My right eyebrow arched in confusion. I didn't know what she was gonna tell me.
"Hmm… I see. It seems your friends are caught up in multiple love triangles. So, if I understand what you just told me, several girls, including Nagisa-san, have a crush on Tomoya-san, but you think that he might be going out with someone else already?"
"That's what it looks to me. Of course, Okazaki's denying this…" I couldn't help but begin grinning all of a sudden. "…but I know when he's lying."
I noticed how Yukine-chan was in deep thought after I told her this. She was probably thinking of a good piece of advice to give me, probably something that sounded smart and sophisticated. Wanting to give her some peace of mind, I crossed my arms and slightly leaned back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling. A part of me was wondering what everyone else was doing right now and whether or not any of them were wondering the same thing about me. I felt… lost, in a sense, as if there was some bigger picture that I couldn't see with my mind.
"Well, may I ask you something first?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"How much do you like Nagisa-san?" Needless to say, I was stunned into silence by her question, a small red blush running across my face. My eyes darted away from hers, closing in embarrassment, as I heard a soft giggle coming from her direction. I nervously laughed in self-deprecating nervousness before opening my eyes and looking at Yukine's face once more.
"Well, she is my friend, but… she already turned me down, I'm afraid." [3]
"If you don't mind me asking, do you remember what her exact words were?"
"Her exact words, huh?" I pondered for a brief moment to recall the words she told me. "Well, she said that there must be some other girl that was more suitable for me."
"Would you want to try again?"
"Confessing my feelings? I don't see what difference it would make a second time around. It's not like she's gonna change her mind… right?"
"Hehe, miracles can happen, you know?"
"Maybe. Maybe…" But then again, there was no hope for fools like me. I took one hard gulp of the tea in annoyed defiance of the cards that fate had dealt me.
Lying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind was in a daze, the silence buzzing throughout my room, the palms of my rough brazen hands resting on the surface of the bed, the tips of my fingers lightly twitching and moving in boredom. I wanted to fall asleep, but I just couldn't. Judging from the lighting, it was probably around late afternoon at this point, considering the orange tint that permeated my room. Staring blankly into space, my eyes started drifting into slumber. My vision was becoming a little hazy, until blackness was all that my eyes could see. I just simply laid on my bed, trying to think of my next course of action.
And then, my mind concocted an idea.
I lazily got up from my position, my right arm reaching over to my cell phone that I was on my desk. Digging through my recent calls, I found Kyou's number and hit dial. My head collapsed onto my pillow while I wrapped the comforter around my body, wanting to stay wrapped up in its gentle warmness. I waited for Kyou to pick up her phone, and mustered up the will to be the one to speak first. One ring followed another rhythmically with a second of silence in between. Seconds kept passing without anybody picking up. I was about ready to hit the end call button and go back to lying on my bed until I heard a click and the faint trances of soft breathing on the other end of my phone.
"…Kyou?" I dared to ask aloud, wondering it was really her or not.
"…Youhei? Hey, did you need something?" I was surprised to hear how softly sullen her voice was, almost as if she wasn't aware of who was speaking to her on the other end of the phone. Usually, she was casually abrasive when she talked with me, but now, it was as if she had forgotten who I was in the first place. Or maybe, she was too sad in that moment to care. Realizing that leaving her alone would be the best course of action to take…
"…Am I calling you at a bad time? I can call back later if you'd want." My right thumb was about to hit the end call button…
"Wait!" There was a pleading desperation in her voice, something that I had never really heard from her after all this time that I knew her for.
"W-what is it?" Even I was rattled by her abrupt response. It took me a while to regain my composure.
"Stay with me."
"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."
"Are you sure?" Her question confused me. I didn't know where she was going with it, so I just kept talking.
"Yeah, I'm sure!"
"Then… can we talk for a bit?"
"What's on your mind?"
"Youhei… how long have we've known each other for?"
"Since last year, right? [4]
"Yes… And I can trust you, right?"
"Kyou, where are you going with this?"
"I just… need someone to talk to right now."
"There's something on your mind right now, isn't there?"
"Heh, you're right." The silence between us settled once more, dragging on and on. Remembering my original purpose for calling Kyou in the first place…
"Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it, Youhei?"
I didn't want to beat around the bush any further, so I just got straight to the point, even if it was rather blunt. I was taking a shot in the dark asking her this question, but I had a feeling she was depressed over him. In fact, it wouldn't even be a stretch to imagine that she had been sobbing over him before I came along and called her. Sometimes, I wondered what it felt like to have someone worry about me… in that way, to be desired by another, to be wanted, to be loved. Why couldn't you look at me? Why can't you see that I liked you, too? Why are you so focused on him anyway? What makes him so special anyway that you couldn't look at me instead? I wanted to ask Kyou all of those questions, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
And I hated myself for being so weak… and so selfish.
But who could ever love a fool like me?
I found my eyelids closing slowly and fought back a huge lump that had formed inside of my throat, my entire body slightly trembling within the noiselessness of my room. I took a small quiet breathe so that Kyou couldn't help me, breathing in deeply and gradually letting the air out of my lungs. After a moment of silence, pressing the phone firmly against my ear until it hurt, I finally asked. "…It's about Okazaki, isn't it?"
"Eh? What makes you say that?" It didn't surprise me that Kyou would deny the truth. She was stubborn like that. Some things never change.
"Your voice. You're never this sad."
"Heh, guess I wasn't trying hard enough to hide it then."
"Trying hard enough? You weren't even trying at all! You wanted me to hear this!"
"It's… it's nothing important. Don't worry about it." I knew at that point that Kyou wouldn't be telling me the truth about what was bugging her anytime soon, and I didn't want to make her sad any more than she already was. Yelling at her would just make her pissed at me, and that would be the end of this phone call, so I attempted a different approach.
"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't be like this."
"Why do you care so much?"
"You said we were friends, right?"
"How far… would you go for a friend anyway?" Her question gave me pause. To be honest, I had never really thought about how far I was willing to go to help out one of my friends. All that mattered to me was that I could do something for them.
"I'd…" I took one huge breath before I yelled… "…I'd die for them!" A moment of weakness fell over me as I found myself screaming my lungs out in that very instant, wanting to rid myself of the frustrations, all the anger, the loneliness, the unfairness of my life, that had been inside of me for who knows how long. I failed to realize the tightness of my grip on the cell phone as my fingers started to feel a little numb. I didn't comprehend how stupidly corny it sounded until I was met with a deafening silence, shortly followed with a sound of laughter bursting on the other end of my cell phone. My face immediately lit up in shameful embarrassment as my head fell back onto the pillow, groaning miserably at that sudden outburst. Kyou just kept on laughing and laughing. And yet, I couldn't help but softly grin at the fact that I was able to cheer her up, even if it was only for a moment.
"Thanks… I really… needed that." Her attempts at stifling her own laughter were pointless as she kept on laughing and I kept on laying on my bed in embarrassment, covering my face with a pillow to hide my face and my pride. I stayed like that for a few moments until I felt the heat dissipating from my face.
"You know, I saw something… interesting earlier this morning."
"Huh? Interesting?"
"Yeah, it was Fujibayashi. She rarely talks to Okazaki in class. The few times where she does, it's because she has to, as the class representative. And she's usually a nervous wreck as well. But ever since yesterday, I noticed that she's been talking to him, and she's actually pretty calm about it too.
"I see…" The fact that she didn't bother to elaborate was already a red flag, so I had to ask the obvious question that needed to be asked.
"Are those two… dating?"
"…You really want to know?"
"Wait, you can't be serious! If I had to be honest, they aren't each other's type."
"Why are you so worried?"
"Wait, are you jealous?!"
"Say one word to this to anyone, and I'll wring that filthy little neck of yours."
"Okay, okay, I'll keep my mouth shut! I still find it hard to believe that Okazaki and Fujibayashi are really going out like this. They just don't fit each other."
"And why's that, huh?"
"They're total opposites."
"Don't opposites attract?"
"Only when they have some level of chemistry. I honestly don't see it between those two."
"You don't, huh?"
"Of course not! But… if those two are trying to make things work, who are we to interfere in their affairs?"
"…"
"You're jealous of your sister, aren't you?"
"M-me? Jealous?!" I couldn't contain my laughter any further as I found myself bursting out loud at Kyou's reaction at my question. Pretty soon, I could hear her laughing with me in unison. Whatever made her sad in the first place, I was thankful that I was able to take her mind off of it, even if it was only temporarily. Maybe that was enough to get Kyou's spirits lifted. I didn't know if she was pretending to be happy for my sake, but hearing her laughter was more than enough to ease my mind.
"Hey Kyou, do you know where Nagisa's house is?"
"Well, I tagged along with Tomoya once. I should be able to remember the way there. Were you planning on heading over there?"
"Yeah. Let me call you back in a bit. I need to get dressed first."
"Okay, call me when you're done."
"Will do." Hitting the end call button on my phone and gently tossing it onto my bed, I got up from where I was laying and proceeded to change out of my current attire of clothing. Hastily stripping off my clothes from before and putting on a new set, I was now wearing a white shirt with long brown khaki pants. I hurriedly slipped on my socks and grabbed the keys to the door before opening and slamming the door shut, sprinting down the hallways and towards the stairs. My steps were rhythmic and fast as I made my way onto the first floor. Just when I was about to start sprinting once more, I noticed the sight of a certain woman down the hallway near the entrance of the building. I screeched in terror upon noticing her, not wanting her to chastise me for running in the hallways now of all times. I was hoping that she would be in another part of the dorm building, but I guess my luck had run out, if I ever had any to run out to begin with.
"Sunohara, were you just running?"
"No!" I put my hands up nervously, defending myself from her correct accusations. My pace slowed down a bit as I slowly walked towards the entrance. She was walking towards me as well.
"Misae-san, I'll be staying out a bit tonight."
"Will you be back before curfew?"
"Remind me what happens if I'm not?"
She let an exasperated sigh before she continued on, as if she had thought I had knew this by now. "You'll have to find some other place to stay for the night."
"You expect me to sleep in the streets?!"
"No, but I'm sure you can find somewhere to sleep soundly tonight, right? And where are you going at this time anyway?"
"I have business that I need to take care of."
"Just… try to stay safe, okay?"
"I swear, I'm not gonna do anything illegal!"
"That's not exactly encouraging to hear…"
"Hmph… Thanks for worrying, Misae-san."
"Heh, that's what I'm here for, after all."
"I'll see you tomorrow then, when I get home from school."
"Okay, see you later, Sunohara." She waved goodbye to me as a smile formed on her face. Misae and I had a rather interesting relationship. Well, as interesting as a relationship between a tenant and a landlady could get, anyway. I always saw her as a mother figure in a way. Being away from my mom and dad and living in the dorms during my time in high school, I was thankful that I had an older woman who I could look up to. Of course, I didn't think I would ever tell her this anytime soon, if ever, but maybe someday, I might.
Slipping on my shoes before heading outside, I stopped and looked at the sky, a brilliant orange shining across the skies. I got my cell phone out from my left pocket and thumbed through the list of recent calls, hitting the call button on Kyou's name.
"Hey Kyou, I'm about to head off. Which direction am I supposed to go in?"
Running down the streets, I was filled with a certain carefree glee that filled my entire body. I wanted to see Nagisa again, to at least consider Yukine's advice and try confessing again, even if I already knew what her answer was going to be. She already told me once before that she didn't have any romantic interest in me. I figured, what was the harm in trying again? It couldn't hurt any more than it already did at this point. Nagisa might have rejected me once, but Kyou was too fixated on Okazaki to ever give me a chance. With my cell phone firmly gripped by my hands accompanied by my dimwitted optimism, I followed Kyou's instructions to get to Nagisa's home.
"Hey, where do I turn at this intersection?"
"Left… I think?"
"You think?!"
"Let me check the directions on the internet again."
"It would've been easier if you just told me Nagisa's address. I could've looked them up myself."
"But where would the fun be in that?"
"Are you toying with me, woman?!"
"Damn it, Youhei, quit yelling into the phone!"
"Well, excuse me, princess!"
"Ugh… I'm kicking your ass into a wall when I see you tomorrow."
"Don't you mean if?" I couldn't help but burst into laughter at her failed threats of violence against me. It was a constant exchange of insults and retorts and the occasional word on which direction I was supposed to be heading in.
I didn't know how long it was until it took me to finally see the sight of a building that had Furukawa Bakery etched onto it, but I was approaching her house, just several meters away, I noticed a familiar sight standing right in front of the Furukawa bakery. With her short lavender hair and the lack of a white ribbon being tied on her left side of her hair told me that it was the younger Fujibayashi twin staring down at the ground.
And then it hit me. Seeing Fujibayashi standing outside in front of the bakery, several meters away from the front door, standing absolutely still without so much as blinking an eye or twitching a muscle, with a distant look on her face obviously told me what I had suspected since this morning. From the lunch, to Kyou's complete avoidance of mentioning her younger sister, to Fujibayashi all by herself in front of me, I knew…
…those two were avoiding one another.
With that realization in mind, I slowly walked up towards the younger sister, careful to avoid saying anything related to Kyou at all. "Hey, Fujibayashi! I'm surprised to see you here."
"U-um, hello there, Sunohara-san. It's a pleasant surprise as well."
"Why are you out here?"
"Ehehe, just a little cold feet, that's all. I have a lot of things on my mind lately."
"Same here. Let's head in together. "
"Um…"
"I won't stay long. I just wanted to drop by and say hello to Nagisa for a bit. I'll leave shortly after that. I have a feeling you came over to the Furukawa bakery for a reason, huh?"
"Yes. There are things that I want to talk about with Nagisa-chan."
"I see. Let's go then."
"…Thank you, Sunohara-san."
"Heh, don't thank me yet. Thank me… when this is all over." The two of us looked towards the door, as a foreboding sense of fear that had lain dormant was slowly filling my body. A huge lump formed in my throat as I nervously gulped it away. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this kind of uneasiness. But still, I wanted to see Nagisa, so I had to suck it up and go through the door. Realizing that Ryou had taken the first step forward, I took a few giant steps forward and managed to get a grip on the handle of the sliding door.
It was terrible to see the Fujibayashi twins "fighting" like this, in this passive-aggressive manner. It reminded me of the times where I got into arguments with my younger sister Mei. Growing up with her, it was inevitable that we would get into the occasional disagreement, but the two of us usually patched things up in a short amount of time. But then again, neither of us were fawning over the same person, so I wasn't sure if the same scenario could apply to the two girls. I didn't know what I could do to help, but I had to do something. Lying around on my ass moping wasn't going to solve anybody's problems, that much I knew. The only thing I knew for certain in that moment was that this had to end soon. Regardless of who Okazaki would settle with, this drama would keep going on and on otherwise. Our group of friends, my… second family in a way, meant a lot to me. I had to do my part to save it. The longer things dragged on, the more damage this whole ordeal would inflict upon all of us.
I slid the door open to the right, as a bell rang above Fujibayashi and me, alerting anyone inside of our presence.
I didn't want to admit it, but I had a strange feeling, one that I couldn't really explain in words, despite my best intentions to do what I felt was right…
…that I wasn't supposed to be here right now.
Well, that's the end of chapter 9. 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...
Footnotes:
[1] – Youhei first met Yukine back in episode 15 of season 1.
[2] – Yukine first met Nagisa back in episode 3 of season 1.
[3] – 13:33 – 13:49 of episode 7 of season 1.
[4] – Episode 23 of Clannad ~After Story~. This episode takes place a year before episode 1 of season 1.