《Field of Stars》


 Prologue - That Night

    The sky was jet black that night and no star could escape the cover of the drab clouds. Alone, a brown-haired, teenaged boy walked home from the train station. His clothes were soaked from the heavy rain, and the smells of smoke and cheap alcohol clung to him.


    Probably just more of the same shit again tonight.


    He kicked a stone, sending it flying toward the closed door of the corner convenience store.


    Nyaa!


    Startled, a charcoal-colored cat seemed to jump out of nowhere, then it dashed across the street and disappeared into the darkness.


    Weird cat.


    Rounding the corner, he noticed a small crack in the glass door of the convenience store. The edge of his mouth curled upward.


    Fifty points.


    The boy walked further down the street for a few minutes and came to a halt, out of habit, in front of a brown door. It was a completely ordinary door, with decorated glass panels and a brass doorknob, except it was unlocked and ajar, which was unusual.


    Something is wrong.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    He gave the door a slight push, and it slowly creaked open. An unfamiliar fear made its way down his back and through his now quivering legs.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    His eyes scanned the brightly lit kitchen and dining room.


    His fears were soon cemented when he saw the glittering pieces of broken glass on the floor. Trembling something fierce, he forced one foot in front of the other.


    And then he saw her.


    She was lying curled up on the floor and in a pool of her own blood.


    Time stood still, and in that instant, his heart pounded against his rib cage, louder than the rain¡¯s impact on window panes.


    Ma¡ª


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    He was breathless, shaking as tears began to fill his agape eyes.


    ¡°Mama?!¡±


    N-no! This can¡¯t¡ª


    ¡°MAMA! Please, Mama, p-please!¡±


    He ran to her side.


    Tears gushed down his cheeks. He wished so bad that this was a nightmare, one that he would soon wake up from, but he knew it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°NO!¡± he cried out.


    He knew.


    Deep inside he knew this was going to happen, just as he knew exactly who had done this.


    He fell to his knees beside his mother and rested her head on his lap. ¡°NO!¡± he cried out again. Her body felt cold and lifeless. Rocking back and forth, he gently stroked her hair out of her face to reveal her beauty, hidden behind the bruises.


    ¡°M-mama? Mama, p-please, wake up!¡±


    He went numb from the sheer amount of pain that coursed through his body.


    I¡¯ll kill him¡­


    Softly, he gently let his mother back on the floor.


    I¡¯m gonna KILL HIM!


    He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the emergency service number, then he left the phone on the floor next to his mother.


    Blood-stained and puffy-eyed, the boy pulled himself up from the floor. His mind went blank, tears dried up, and sadness turned to pure rage.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    His heart hammered against his ribcage, as if demanding to be set free. He couldn¡¯t think straight but knew exactly where he was heading to. He knew who¡¯d hurt his mother, and he knew exactly what he was going to do to him.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    In the living room, the boy¡¯s stepfather sat in his usual chair watching the television as if nothing had happened. One of his arms hung from the side of the chair holding a glass of whiskey.


    The boy felt sick with hate and resentment rumbling in his stomach.


    I¡¯m gonna fucking kill you!


    AARRGH!


    Screaming with rage, the boy lunged toward his stepfather and flung his weight at him with all his might. They both rolled off the chair and slammed against the floor. The boy wrestled his way on top of his adversary and landed a heavy blow on his stepfather¡¯s face, but the older man was stronger and easily shoved the boy off him to the floor, then he held him down by the throat.


    ¡°Oh, look! It¡¯s the bitch¡¯s little bastard boy! Ahahahah. You¡¯re too late, you little mutt.¡±


    The boy struggled to get free, but his stepfather was just too strong.


    This guy is crazy! I need to get out before he kills me.


    Just then, out the corner of his eye, he saw the whiskey glass on the floor not too far from his reach.


    That¡¯s it! I just need to¡ª


    He stretched out his arm and grabbed hold of the glass. And just as his stepfather was about to say something, he swung his arm as hard as he could against his head. The glass smashed into jagged pieces on contact, cutting them both. But he could at least get free of his stepfather¡¯s grip.


    Again, the boy charged at his stepfather and tackled him to the ground. With all the strength he could muster, he landed blow after blow on his face. The older man smirked mischievously, baring his blood-stained teeth.


    ¡°Ahahah, you are gonna join your bitch mother, boy!¡± he said as he spat blood in the boy¡¯s face. ¡°And then I¡¯m gonna find that little sister of yours and teach her a lesson too! Ahahahah.¡±


    The boy froze in horror.


    No!


    Is she okay? Where is she?!


    I need to go find her.


    He got up and turned around to leave the room. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t care less about the excuse for a man lying on the living room floor. The boy broke into a run. He was desperate. He knew the only thing that mattered was finding his little sister and getting her to safety.


    Getting her far away from this place.


    BANG!


    He felt his body getting extremely heavy.


    Pulling him to the floor.


    Dancing lights swirled in front of him.


    And then all color drained from the world, to be replaced with silent darkness.


    And then there was nothing.

 Chapter 1 - Spring

    The early morning sun glistened off the cherry blossom petals and filled the cerulean sky with hues of fuchsia. He stood wedged between two empty sport fields, taking in the unfamiliar scenery around him. A chilly breeze appeared to push Kaito slightly forward, toward his destination.


    Kaito inhaled and exhaled deeply, then he managed to approach the entrance of the rather large, intimidating building brimmed with glass windows and doors. Two of the doors slid open to the sides as he drew near, beckoning him to enter. Kaito looked around the empty hall but couldn¡¯t find anything, save for the muffled sounds coming from the classrooms.


    The hall was filled with rows of steel lockers. Kaito quickly located the locker that had been assigned to him and replaced his shoes with a pair of plastic slippers he found inside the compartment.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    A lengthy hallway stretched away from the entrance hall. The walls were lined with message boards, posters, and trophy cases filled with photos and names of unfamiliar people.


    Kaito continued along, following the brass room numbers in search for room number thirteen. He took a left, passed a big DON¡¯T RUN IN THE HALLWAYS sign, and then came to a sudden halt as the number thirteen glared off the door in front of him.


    From beyond the door, he could hear the chitter-chatter of his soon-to-be new classmates, as well as a deep, howling laughter by what sounded to be a middle-aged man.


    Sounds just like a salaryman after leaving the bar, back in Tokyo¡­


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    Again, he took a deep breath, in and out. Kaito politely knocked on the door, moved his hand to his side, and swallowed hard. The world went dead quiet aside from his heart pounding in his head.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    ¡°Yes. Come in already,¡± a voice answered.


    Kaito turned the cold brass doorknob and pushed open the door to find a gray-haired, middle-aged man staring back at him. He walked through the door and instantly felt twenty pairs of eyes burning into the side of his face.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum. Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    With sweaty hands, Kaito quickly loosened the knot in his tie, and with a parched mouth, he tried his best to formulate a sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m uh¡­ K-Kaito, Igarashi¡­ The trans¡ª¡±


    ¡°The transfer student!¡± bellowed the gray-haired man. ¡°Ah-ha! I completely forgot we¡¯re getting a new student today, else I would¡¯ve met you at the entrance hall! Huhuhu!¡±


    The man held his belly while laughing. It looked to Kaito like he was really enjoying himself.


    ¡°I Uh¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever gotten a third-year transfer student. I mean, who even does that! Ah-hahaha!¡±


    Fortunately for Kaito, he was too focused on this strange man to notice the chatter and muffled laughs emanating from his new classmates.


    ¡°Welcome, Kaito,¡± the man said in a more serious tone, muting the entire room. ¡°I am Professor Yoshida, and I will be your new homeroom teacher. Please, take a seat over there,¡± he gestured to the back of the classroom. ¡°Yes, next to Touma, the red-headed slacker in the back.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡ª!¡± Touma started objecting but quickly extended his hand to greet Kaito instead.


    Kaito walked over to his newly-assigned desk, sat down, and completely ignored the red-headed boy¡¯s hand hanging in the air.


    Could that have possibly gone any worse¡­


    Professor Yoshida continued with his lesson, but Kaito was in another world already, lost in thought.


    It doesn¡¯t matter. I just need to get through this year. There¡¯s no need to make friends.


    After a slow morning listening to Professor Yoshida ramble on about the importance of college entrance exams, the school bell finally chimed, indicating time for lunch. Kaito let out a sigh of relief, slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.


    Just a little bit longer. Then I can go home and back to sleep¡­


    Kaito followed the general flow of children all the way to a big cafeteria filled with loud, energetic children, bright lights, and the strong aroma of hundreds of home-cooked lunch boxes.


    Ugh. This is just too much¡­


    He quickly turned around and made his way back to room thirteen where he enjoyed his aunt¡¯s surprisingly delicious packed lunch in peace and quiet. Kaito made sure to stuff as much food as he could in his mouth because he knew once the bell rang again, he would have to make his way to the next classroom, which for all he knew, could be on the other side of this giant glass enclosure.


    Just as Kaito left the classroom, he heard someone call his name.


    ¡°Kaito! Kaito, wait up!¡± Touma called, running toward him. Panting, he introduced himself. ¡°Hey Kaito, I¡¯m Touma. I just wanted to welcome you properly,¡± he said with his hand hanging in the air again.


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    Annoyed by Touma¡¯s friendliness, Kaito asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Confused Touma continued, ¡°Uh, okay¡­ Well, I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯m here if you need help or just need a friend.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Kaito turned his back on Touma and walked away.


    Touma fidgeted his fingers in frustration. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± he called out to Kaito. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be friendly!¡±


    Kaito ignored him and kept walking down the hallway.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to be friends, that¡¯s fine! But so you know, you¡¯re walking the wrong way. Science class is down this hall.¡±


    Kaito stopped dead in his tracks. Through the reflection in a nearby trophy case, he glimpsed Touma¡¯s hand pointing in the opposite direction, from where he was headed. All emotion drained from Kaito¡¯s face.


    Ugh, I¡¯m such an idiot¡­ idiot, idiot, IDIOT!


    Kaito waited a few moments till Touma was out of sight, then he set off in the same direction. The school of students that flooded the hallway just moments ago had cleared up, and Kaito realized he was going to be extremely late for his next class. He broke into a run, turned the corner and¡ª


    Oh, shiiii¡ª!


    EEEK!


    Kaito lost his footing and slid across the slippery floor, thus thrusting his body forward¡ªstraight into the back of Touma.


    BAH!


    The two boys toppled over, and the contents of their schoolbags spread across the floor like cracked eggs running over a pan.


    ¡°Ouch! What the hell was that f¡ª¡±


    ¡°You idiot! Why were you standing still in the middle of an empty hallway!¡± snapped Kaito.


    ¡°What do you mean? You were the one running in the hall¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Both of you are in the wrong because neither one of you are in my classroom!¡± said a rather large woman who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her face was filled with frown lines, her arms crossed tightly, and the impatient tapping of her foot echoed intimidatingly throughout the empty hallway.


    The two boys quickly got up, and with low hanging heads, apologized to the woman, who Kaito assumed was Professor Hoga, his new science teacher.


    After a scolding from Professor Hoga and few more classes, the school day had finally ended, and Kaito swiftly made his way to the train station where he hopped on the first train home.


    Home was an apartment on the seventh floor of a giant apartment building, surrounded by more apartment buildings. The courtyard was decorated with colorful stones, plants, and benches, and it linked three of these buildings.


    Kaito chose to run up the seven-story steel staircase instead of using the elevator, which he considered the world¡¯s slowest moving elevator.


    He let out a small sigh of relief as he opened the door.


    Finally, home. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve handled much more on my first day.


    He kicked his shoes to the side and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± And judging by the silence that followed, he concluded he was the first one back. Kaito made his way up to his bedroom, dropped his school bag on the floor, and face-planted his bed.


    However, instead of the surface of a nice comfy pillow to crash on, he felt something dry and scratchy sticking to his face¡ªa note from his aunt. Her voice rang in his ear while he read the note: ¡°Those boxes aren¡¯t going to unpack themselves you know.¡±


    Ugh! I was looking forward to having a nap¡­


    But I guess if I do a few boxes now, I can finish the rest tomorrow.


    He grabbed the closest box to him, marked ¡°clothes.¡±


    Did Yui pack this for me? It kinda looks like her handwriting.


    I should thank her for that someday¡­


    After he¡¯d packed away his clothes, he started opening another box but stopped as soon as he saw something strange on his bedroom wall, peeking out from behind the pile of boxes.


    He quickly moved the pile of boxes away to reveal a long, thunderbolt shaped crack that ran across the wall. Kaito then ran his finger over the cracked plaster.


    Geez. Just how old is this house? I hope I can¡¯t see my neighbors through this thing¡­


    Chills ran down his spine.


    ...I hope they can¡¯t see me through this thing!


    Kaito gave the crack a good scan but soon realized it was way too thin, and there was no way anyone could see anything through it.


    Nice one, Kaito, worried about nothing again!


    An hour into tidying up, his room ended up looking worse than before. Kaito figured his time would be better spent taking a nice, warm shower.


    Kaito gazed at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He was rather manly for his age, compared to other seventeen-year-olds, and was a good-looking guy. Just a smidgen shorter than Touma, with messy brown hair and aquamarine eyes. He had a lean, muscled figure, even though he stopped playing sports when he got to high school.


    But just like the crack in his bedroom wall, he, too, had a scar that ran down his chest. It reminded him of his mother.


    Mama, I miss you¡­


    ...Yui misses you.


    He closed his eyes and embraced the warm water flowing over his face, hiding his tears.


    After a long shower and a reminder to himself that he needed to stay strong, especially for his sister, Yui, he made his way back to his room.


    Kaito was running a towel through his hair when he heard it. A girl, singing.


    ¡°Yui! Is that you?¡± he called out.


    No answer.


    And again he heard it. A girl¡¯s voice, coming from his room.


    ¡°Yui! What the hell are you doing in my r¡ª,¡± he barged into his own room. But Yui wasn¡¯t there. He was alone in his room, yet he could still hear the voice in his bedroom.


    It¡¯s coming from the crack in my wall?!


    What the¡ª


    Kaito stood still and listened to her soft, beautiful voice, and for the second time today, he had chills running down his spine.


    ¡°You blind my eyes


    You shine so bright


    You light up my night...¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m looking up at the stars...¡±


    Who is she?


    ¡°Or down at the beach...¡±


    Wait, I know this song¡­


    It was a popular song by a band called Don¡¯t Kiss the Messenger.


    ¡°You¡¯re always


    You¡¯re always


    Just out of reach...¡±


    Kaito felt his heart racing. His face was blood-red, and his hands and knees were shaking uncontrollably. He couldn¡¯t decide if she was an angel or just a girl that lived next door to him with an amazing voice. Never before has he had such an urge to blurt out words. And before he could stop himself, he sang.


    ¡°My sky-princess, my star queen!¡±


    Did she hear me?


    If she didn¡¯t hear him sing, she would¡¯ve definitely heard his heart pounding from the other side of the wall.


    Kaito stretched out his arm and softly touched the crack.


    ¡°Take my heart and give us a chance...¡±


    Kaito sang another phrase with her, but the mysterious girl¡¯s voice was getting softer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shine together¡±


    Please don¡¯t stop¡­


    ¡°May I have this dance?¡±


    Kaito was mesmerized by her voice, and for a moment, both voices synced up in perfect harmony.


    ¡°Oh what I would give


    To be close to you


    To be the one you choose¡±


    ¡°The one you¡¯re scared to lose...¡±


    Kaito heard the guitar strumming the end of the song followed by a gasp, a door slamming shut, and then silence.


    What the¡ª


    Kaito was shaking with a mixture of excitement and anxiety.


    ¡°H-hello?¡±


    Obviously, there¡¯s no answer! She probably heard the perverted boy next door sing with her, ran out of her room, and now she¡¯s calling her dad to come kick my ass!


    Ugh, I¡¯m such an idiot!


    He ran his finger over the crack again.


    But¡­ Who is she?


    ¡°What are you do¡ª¡±


    ¡°AAGH!¡± Kaito cried out in shock.


    Smiling at his shocked expression, Kanna asked: ¡°Didn¡¯t I leave you a lovely note regarding these boxes, Kaito?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yes, but I uh¡­ got a bit sidetracked you see¡­ At least I emptied two boxes already!¡± Kaito smiled and scratched the back of his head, wondering if Kanna was really upset.


    ¡°Hmm, yes I can see that. Singing and talking to yourself in your room. Sounds very productive, Kaito.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any help with dinner?¡± Kaito asked with a smile.


    ¡°Woah! You emptied two boxes, and now you want to help with dinner? Did you do something I need to be worried about?¡± she asked with big eyes, covering her mouth with her hands.


    ¡°Did you¡­ Did you get a girl PREGNANT?!¡± she yelled out the last word so loud that Kaito was sure the entire neighborhood heard her.


    Kaito let his head hang in disappointment. ¡°Sometimes, I really do think I¡¯m the only adult around here.¡±

 Chapter 2 - Blossom

    Miyu was sitting on her bed with her back leaning against her bedroom wall. On her tiny lap rested a big brown guitar. Her small, frail hands strummed the guitar a few times before she would let go to write a few scribbles on a piece of paper.


    She was passionate about writing musical lyrics, as evident by the hundreds of scribbled pieces of paper in her room. Writing songs, whether they ended up good or bad, was a good way for her to let go of her bottled up emotions. Either way, it was something she had learned from her mother, and therefore, something she would hold close to her heart forever.


    The only problem she had was being inside that room. Miyu could no longer find anything to inspire her. The same old four walls caging her in. The same table, bed, and curtains. Frustrated, Miyu crumpled up the piece of the paper she had been writing on and threw it over her shoulder.


    She collapsed onto her pillow.


    Ugh.


    I wish¡­


    Hmm. I don¡¯t even know what to wish for.


    Miyu dragged herself out of bed and with her chin dipped to her chest, she made her way to the bathroom.


    Maybe a hot shower will do the trick.


    She undressed, and for a moment, she stood still in front of the mirror. She was pale, skinny, and frail. Her white hair ran loose down her back and over her shoulder, making her icy-blue eyes stand out even more than usual.


    I look like a ghost!


    She shied away from the mirror and stepped into the shower. She loved having showers. Somehow, she felt at peace when the hot water was running over her body, washing away her troubled thoughts and clearing her mind.


    When she was done, she headed downstairs to ask her father what he would like for dinner.


    He was sitting in his usual brown leather recliner watching television.


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What do you feel like eating tonight?¡±


    ¡°Just make something for yourself,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Did you finish the homework I gave you for today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Papa, I already finished that this m¡ª¡±


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    ¡°Good girl. Now go eat, get cleaned, and get into bed.¡±


    ¡°But Papa, it¡¯s only¡ª¡±


    ¡°Miyu!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Miyu turned around and swiftly made her way to the kitchen to heat up some leftover rice and vegetables from the previous night.


    He¡¯s getting grumpier by the day.


    Sigh.


    Her father used to be an upstanding man and a loving, caring husband and father. But when Miyu¡¯s mother passed away, his heart broke, and he hasn¡¯t been able to put the pieces back together.


    She loved her father more than anything else in the world, but he has become a strict and grumpy old man. Living off of government funds made it easy for him to sit around all day watching TV with a bottle of whiskey or two always nearby.


    Miyu hated the alcohol and what it did to her father. She knew he would never hurt her but his heartache, coupled with the alcohol, made him beyond irrational. He couldn¡¯t bear losing Miyu as well, so he took her out of school to be homeschooled. He also forbade her to ever leave the house without his permission.


    She knew he only wanted to protect her and she loved him for that, but sadness and resentment had been taking a toll on her heart.


    After her meal, Miyu cleaned up, gave her father a kiss on the cheek, and made her way back upstairs. It was still afternoon, but she knew that she would probably spend the rest of the evening in her room, as she knew her father was quite fond of being alone at night.


    With her belly filled and the smell of lavender conditioner still emanating from her hair, Miyu was feeling better. She grabbed her guitar, wrapped the sling around her neck and with her frail little hands, she started strumming the chords to one of her favorite songs.


    She closed her eyes as her fingers knew their way. She has played this song a thousand times or more. The melody was soothing for her soul, and the sound Miyu was able to get out of the guitar was that of hope.


    Without thinking, the words flowed from her mouth.


    ¡°What is this feeling


    Of breathlessness


    Whenever you¡¯re near


    What am I feeling?¡±


    ¡°You blind my eyes


    You shine so bright


    You light up my night...¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m looking up at the stars...¡±


    ¡°Or down at the beach¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always,


    You¡¯re always


    Just out of reach...¡±


    ¡°My sky-princess, my star queen!¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°T-take my heart and give us a chance¡­¡±


    Confused, Miyu dropped her voice a bit. She couldn¡¯t say if she had imagined a boy singing the song along with her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shine together¡±


    Okay, I did not imagine that! Did that come from next door?


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    He¡­ has such a beautiful voice¡­


    ¡°May I have this dance?¡±


    Miyu was utterly enthralled by the boy¡¯s voice, and in that perfect moment, she was free and didn¡¯t hesitate for a second to join his voice on a magical journey.


    ¡°Oh what I would give


    To be close to you


    To be the one you choose¡±


    ¡°The one you¡¯re scared to lose...¡±


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    When Miyu¡¯s fingers strummed the last chord, she gasped as she came to the realization of what had just happened. As fast as she could, she ran out of her room and slammed the door shut behind her.


    Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god! Did I really just do that?


    With wobbly legs and glowing hot cheeks, she made her way to the bathroom, which was down the hall.


    Who was that? Does he live next door? I can¡¯t BELIEVE I just did that!


    Maybe he didn¡¯t even hear me?


    She brushed her teeth vigorously.


    I¡¯m sure I just imagined everything. Of course, he didn¡¯t hear me.


    She brushed her hair intensely.


    Ahahahah!


    That happened all in my head!


    Miyu tried making herself feel better, but deep down she knew. She knew he heard her just as she heard him.


    She gently creaked open her bedroom door and sneaked inside. Exhausted, she quickly slipped into bed and into her dreams.


    That night, she dreamed of a faceless boy. He tried his best to talk to her, but she was too busy brushing her hair and teeth that she couldn¡¯t hear a single word he said.

 Chapter 3 – Words are All I Have

    Kaito found himself in a familiar place. It was an old theater somewhere in Tokyo. He could remember frequenting there when he was a little boy on nights his mother performed. Most of the time, he had to sit backstage and wait until his mother was done. But he always had company.


    His mother had loads of friends, many of whom were vocalists like her, but there were also plenty of dancers, musicians, and actors. They would always come up to him, pulling his cheeks or rubbing his head. ¡°Oh what an adorable little boy!¡± Or, ¡°did the fine young mister come to support his mommy again this evening?¡±


    On lucky days, he was allowed to sit in the audience and watch all the performances. Seeing his mother perform was always his favorite act.


    Her glowing beauty and sparkling dress always illuminated the stage. Her wavy, honey, brown hair flowed down the sides of her soft cheeks, complementing her shining red lips. Alone on stage, she slowly swayed in the spotlight, as if she was dancing to a music Kaito couldn¡¯t hear. Kaito could see her lips moving, yet he couldn¡¯t hear any sound.


    Confused, Kaito looked around to see if the rest of the audience were experiencing the same thing, but the only thing his eyes could see was silence and darkness, which surrounded him.


    Kaito quickly got up and made his way to the platform.


    ¡°Mama!¡± he cried out.


    But she did not respond; instead, she kept singing her voiceless song.


    Kaito wanted with every fiber of his being to hear his mother¡¯s voice. But something was wrong.


    He cried out to her again.


    ¡°Mama?!¡±


    Silence.


    The stage seemed so far away, but he kept running. He had to reach her. He just had to hear her voice one more time.


    ¡°Kaito.¡±


    ¡°Kaito!¡±


    ¡°Kaito! Wakey-wakey, Kaito!¡± Yui said pulling her brother¡¯s leg in a bid to wake him.


    ¡°Don¡ª No!¡± Kaito pulled the blanket over his head. ¡°Sleep, please.¡±


    Yui¡¯s fingers found their way to Kaito¡¯s ultimate weak spot. His feet.


    ¡°YUI!!¡± Kaito jumped out of bed screaming. Yui¡¯s laughter had spread through distance.


    ¡°Get up, you lazy bum! You are going to be late for school!¡± his aunt¡¯s voice echoed from downstairs.


    Kaito felt sad remembering his dream but couldn¡¯t help laughing at his sister.


    I¡¯ll get her back; I¡¯ll definitely get her back.


    Kaito¡¯s sister, Yui, who recently turned twelve, and their aunt, Kanna, were already sitting at the table when he got downstairs. He noticed the big smile on his sister¡¯s face and just shook his head when he sat down. Breakfast looked amazing as usual, and the kitchen was filled with some of Kaito¡¯s favorite smells¡ªbacon and toast. There was also white rice, leftover miso soup, natto, and eggs that Kaito could choose from to fill his growling belly with.


    ¡°So! Come on, Kaito, tell us all about it,¡± Kanna said with a cunning smile on her face. She was a beautiful woman, too young to be the guardian of two. Her brown hair and strong personality reminded him so much of his mother.


    If only she hadn¡¯t let go of that strength.


    Kaito squinted his eyes. ¡°Tell you all about¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Pft! Silly boy, we want to hear about yesterday. Your first day of school of course! Did you make any friends? Hmm? Meet any cute girls?¡±


    Kaito looked at his aunt, who was scraping the last bit of yogurt out of the tub with a smile plastered across her face.


    She¡¯s enjoying this way too much.


    ¡°It was alright.¡±


    ¡°Just alright? Did something happen you¡¯re not telling me?¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is it bullying? Are you being bullied?! Maybe I should go talk to your teacher tomo¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine! Alright! It was¡­ just fine. I met a guy called Touma. And¡­ he¡¯s friendly. I guess. And the classes were uh¡­ just fine. Okay!¡±


    ¡°Well, mister everything-is-just-fine, have some more food,¡± she said emptying the pan of scrambled eggs onto his plate. ¡°You need to eat enough food so you can grow big and strong,¡± she said with a serious look on her face, which fooled no one.


    ¡°And what about clubs?¡± Yui asked, still laughing at the conversation. ¡°Are you joining any? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll just let you straight in if they hear what a good vocalist you are, Kai-kai.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that! And no, I¡¯m not joining any clubs! It¡¯s the last year of high school; people don¡¯t just join clubs in the last year.¡±


    ¡°Nah. Nah, that¡¯s not how it works, Kaito,¡± said Kanna in a serious tone. ¡°Life is a give and take, you know. You need to put in an effort.¡±


    ¡°I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, Kaito. But that doesn¡¯t mean you stop trying, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, I¡¯m going to drop Yui off and go to work. Kaito, could you please clean the table before you leave?¡± She gave him a kiss on his forehead before she and Yui made their way out through the front door.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°See you guys tonight!¡±


    Kaito had lived in Tokyo his whole life. The tall buildings, loud noises, and masses of people made it very easy to go unnoticed. He embraced the loneliness and made it a part of himself.


    However, the town of Hakone was completely different. It was a small town in a mountainous region of the Kanagawa prefecture in Japan. Lush green trees filled every nook and cranny of the town, while the tip of Mount Fuji loomed in the distance. It all made for some picturesque views all-year round.


    Simply put, it was the extreme contrast of Tokyo.


    The people were much friendlier as well, greeting him with their big smiles as he made his way to the train station.


    Life seemed to go by slower here. More peaceful.


    But it annoyed him.


    Ugh, Even the train moves slow!


    By the time Kaito arrived at school, he was already in a foul mood, which worsened when he realized he was going to be late for his first class of the day.


    He quickly made his way through the hall. This time, he took care not to run and opted to walk as fast as he could instead.


    Out of breath, Kaito barged into the classroom. The loud chatter of his classmates quickly muffled and then turned into whispers and snickers. Annoyed, Kaito took his seat.


    The professor isn¡¯t even here yet!


    The rest of the morning flew by while Kaito¡¯s eyes wandered outside to the blooming cherry blossom trees.


    This place is so boring.


    How am I gonna survive a whole year here?


    The chiming of the school bell synchronized perfectly with his growling stomach. Nonetheless, Kaito had no lunch box today and wasn¡¯t pleased about it, because he would have to use the cafeteria, which, as he had expected, was packed with loud, annoying teenagers.


    Kaito slotted in the back of the lunch line and waited patiently for his turn. His eyes traveled around the busy room, inspecting everyone around him. Soon, his eyes fell on a girl, who had appeared right in front of him, clearly waiting for him to finish daydreaming. She was short and slender with emerald-green eyes and pitch-black hair, which was tied up in a neat ponytail and kept together by a bright-red ribbon.


    ¡°H-hello?¡±


    ¡°Oh, good! Hello! I¡¯m the student council president. My name is¡ª OUCH!¡± she yelped as she was shoved aside by a big, muscular, and clearly rude guy who had been storming his way through the cafeteria, followed by a group of lackeys.


    His head turned to the girl, and he smiled at her. ¡°Oh, hey! Look, boys. It¡¯s my sister!¡± He stretched out his arms, as if asking for a hug, and pouted his lips at her.


    With a disgusted look on her face, she tried to push the brute off of her, ¡°STEPSISTER!¡± she retorted, ¡°NOW GET OFF OF ME, YOU PIG!¡±


    The scene that was unfolding in front of Kaito triggered a burning rage inside of him, and without thinking, he gripped the guy¡¯s arm. ¡°Better let go of her, buddy.¡±


    The clamoring inside the cafeteria had seized and was now replaced by excited whispers.


    The brute let go of the girl, and his gaze turned to Kaito. Donning a broader, more maniacal smile, he asked laughingly, ¡°Is this your boyfriend, little sis? Hey, what¡¯s your name?!¡±


    Kaito ignored the brute and moved past them. The students ahead of Kaito in the wait queue insisted that he get in front of them, and that¡¯s what he did.


    Again, he called out to Kaito. ¡°Yo, kid!¡±


    In one swift motion, the bully made his way over to Kaito. Then, he dragged his hand through his messy, dark-blonde hair as he laughed, apparently finding the situation hilarious.


    ¡°Yo, kid. You ignoring me?¡± he asked Kaito with hostility in his voice.


    ¡°My name is not kid,¡± Kaito replied, looking the guy straight in the eyes. Kaito had had his fair share of bullies and wasn¡¯t about to start showing weakness now.


    ¡°Ha! See, now that¡¯s funny. I like it!¡± he sarcastically remarked as he turned around to face his friends with a big smile on his face. ¡°Did you guys hear that? This guy¡¯s got some balls!¡± he said and then turned back to Kaito.


    Silence fell over the entire cafeteria, and all eyes were focused on the two of them.


    ¡°So, tell me, what¡¯s your name, kid?¡± the bully stretched out his arm and rubbed his knuckles through Kaito¡¯s hair as if he was a little child.


    Kaito pushed his arm away. ¡°My name is none of your business. Now, go sit down with your friends before I put you down.¡±


    ¡°You little mother f¡ª¡±


    ¡°Woah! Woah! Ace, hold up!¡± Touma interjected from the crowd as he pushed his way through the horde. ¡°Ace, wait! He¡¯s the new kid. He doesn¡¯t know anything, please¡­  we¡¯re sorry. Just let me take him away, please.¡±


    ¡°You again?!¡±


    ¡°Kaito, please, shut up!¡± Touma said, distressed.


    Kaito wasn¡¯t the least bit impressed, but seeing the seriousness in Touma¡¯s face, he decided to play along and follow his lead.


    ¡°Hahaha! keep your puppy on a leash, Touma, and teach it some manners!¡± said Ace as he turned back to his group of friends, who were all crying with laughter.


    Touma dragged Kaito away from the cafeteria and back into the classroom they¡¯d just came from before lunch. He opened up a lunch box and offered it to Kaito. Inside were some treats and half a sandwich.


    ¡°Here, eat it.¡±


    Kaito thanked him and started eating.


    ¡°So, why did you interfere? Is he some gangster¡¯s child I need to be scared of or something? Because I¡¯m not, and I can defend m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you can defend yourself, Kaito. And no, he is not the child of some Hakone gangster,¡± he said with a smile as if he thought the possibility of that would be hilarious. ¡°Nope, but he is the principal''s son.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say he is daddy¡¯s little boy and whatever he wants, he gets. I can promise you, if you had landed a punch on his precious little cheek, you would be expelled before his cheek even starts swelling.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. Sorry, buddy.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Kaito reluctantly. ¡°You still helped me even though I was a complete ass to you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good; we all have bad days,¡± he said with a big smile on his face. Touma extended his hand once again. ¡°I¡¯m Touma. Touma Maki,¡± he said laughing while running his other hand through his crimson-red hair.


    Kaito couldn¡¯t help but laugh himself. ¡°I¡¯m Kaito. Kaito Igarashi. Nice to finally meet you, Touma.¡±


    The two boys spent the rest of their lunch break laughing at the silly events of the past two days and eating all that Touma had in his lunch box.


    After school, Kaito saw Touma and another boy, who was dressed in a baseball jersey and cap, head off toward Gora Park as he made his way to the train station. Touma had invited him along, but Kaito was convinced he has had just a little bit too much friendliness for one day that he made up an excuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Kaito said as he removed his shoes and kicked them to the side.


    Hmm, I guess no one¡¯s home.


    He made his way upstairs and let out a sigh as he laid eyes on all the boxes still piled up in his room.


    Wait¡­


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    I wonder if she is there¡­


    She? She¡¯s not real¡­ is she?


    ¡­ Yeah, she is.


    Whatever.


    ¡­ Just, say hello. Try it.


    Fine.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Nothing. See? I told you s¡ª


    ¡°Hey,¡± she answered.


    Kaito swallowed hard.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    ¡°Um¡­ are you r-real?¡±


    She let out a soft giggle. ¡°I am, yes. Are you?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª Of course, I am!¡± Kaito said, taken by surprise. ¡°How am I hearing you? Are you next door?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve lived here my whole life.¡±


    It must be that crack in the wall!


    ¡°I¡¯m Miyu by the way¡ªMiyu Hoshino. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, uh¡­ Kaito.¡±


    Again, she giggled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Uh Kaito!¡±


    ¡°Huh? No! I mean¡­ Ah, I see.¡± Kaito chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m Kaito Igarashi.¡±


    A few moments went by in silence while the two of them were trying to make sense of what was going on.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of this crack in the wall that I can hear you so well, isn¡¯t it? Do you have it on your side as well?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Yes, it must be! This ugly thing has been on my wall for as long as I can remember, but I¡¯ve never been able to hear any of the previous neighbors before!¡±


    That¡¯s weird?


    ¡°That¡¯s strange!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s even stranger is hearing a stranger randomly sing songs with me while I¡¯m standing in my bedroom!¡±


    Kaito¡¯s eyes stretched wide, and he took a step backward.


    Oh my god! She really does think I¡¯m a pervert!


    He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Oh, you h-heard that?¡± He giggled nervously. ¡°I was just kind of in the m-moment, you know?¡±


    Miyu¡¯s muffled giggle quickly eased Kaito¡¯s nerves, as he figured she wasn¡¯t being serious.


    Hmm, I know just how to get her back.


    ¡°But you know, I couldn¡¯t help myself when I heard your beautiful voice singing that song.¡±


    ¡°My wha¡ª!¡± Miyu squeaked.


    Kaito knew he made her blush without having to see her.


    ¡°You still there?¡± he asked after a few silent moments.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you in your bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª What are you asking me!¡±


    Oh, no.


    ¡°No, no! I mean¡­ Well, yeah. See, the room I¡¯m in now is my bedroom, and well, I was wondering if yours is on the other side of this wall. It would make sense if the two apartments were mirroring each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you mean! Well, yes. This is my bedroom,¡± Miyu answered.


    Kaito heard a door slam shut but wasn¡¯t sure where it came from.


    ¡°I, uh, I need to go, Kaito.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Kaito rushed closer to the crack in the wall. ¡°Can we talk again sometime?¡± he asked, but there was no response.


    He fell backward onto his bed and stared at the very boring, white ceiling.


    How about that! She is real...

 Chapter 4 – Friend Indeed

    The next day at school began with a slap on Kaito¡¯s back.


    ¡°Hey-ey, Mr. Igarashi! Looking good today, buddy.¡± Touma popped out from behind him with his hand still rested on Kaito¡¯s back.


    ¡°And what exactly are you so excited about, Toma?¡±


    ¡°Heeeh? What! It¡¯s Touma!¡±


    Kaito shrugged. ¡°Yeah. Toma. That¡¯s what I said!¡±


    ¡°TOUMA! T-O-U-M¡ª¡± Touma tilted his head to the side and with a raised eyebrow said, ¡°Wait a sec!¡±


    Kaito couldn¡¯t suppress it anymore. With both arms, he clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.


    Touma rolled his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Ha-ha! Very funny.¡±


    ¡°But seriously¡ª¡± Kaito still laughing, ¡°Why do you look so happy? Aren¡¯t we being forced to run track today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are! As well as long jump, high jump, and baseball. But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it, buddy. We have to change into our gym clothes...¡±


    At this juncture, Kaito was confused and curious. ¡°And¡­ You really enjoy wearing gym clothes?¡±


    ¡°Err! Incorrect answer, Mr. Igarashi! Just think about it!¡± The excitement in Touma¡¯s face turned into an evil smile that spread from cheek to cheek. ¡°The girls need to change into gym clothes as well! And have you seen our school¡¯s female gym clothes?¡± Touma asked with big round eyes.


    He reminded Kaito of a dog, eagerly waiting for his master to give him his treat. ¡°Of course, I ha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course, you haven¡¯t! But today is the day you become a man, my friend! Today you get to experience one of the delicacies of life!¡±


    Delicacies of life?


    What is this guy on about¡­?


    But before Kaito could ask, Touma grabbed him by his shoulders to call his attention, and Kaito was next looking at a beautiful girl wearing extremely short pants and a fitted white T-shirt, which highlighted the shape of her breasts.


    ¡°Yes! Just look¡­ There! Just look at those¡­ those plump, big, beautiful BOO¡ª¡±


    Shock ran across Touma¡¯s face. He froze. Eyes wide, mouth open, and sweat froth began to form on his forehead. Kaito noticed a pair of arms interlocked with Touma¡¯s right arm and a pair of big brown eyes focused intensely on Touma¡¯s face.


    ¡°Morning, To-to! What were you guys talking about? Hmm?¡± she asked, seemingly enjoying the look on Touma¡¯s face.


    ¡°N-n-n-nothing, Himari!¡±


    The poor guy is shaking.


    ¡°Anyway, this is the new kid in class, Kaito.¡±


    ¡°OH! Kaito, it¡¯s so nice to meet you. I¡¯m Himari! I¡¯m the girl¡¯s baseball team captain!¡± she proudly said with a smile that peered out from underneath a low hanging baseball cap.


    That cap¡­


    And the baseball jersey¡­


    Kaito stood frozen for a good ten seconds and then, slightly embarrassed at the fact that he¡¯d mistaken her for a boy, awkwardly extended his arm and said, ¡°H-hey, It¡¯s nice to meet you¡­ Himari.¡±


    Himari had a mousy-brown ponytail that protruded out the back of her cap, big brown eyes, and freckles running from cheek to cheek. But she seemed to be bouncing with the same kind of energy Touma had.


    I guess what she lacks in looks she makes up for in personality.


    ¡°So! Tell me what you guys were talking about! Tell me, tell me, TELL ME!¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Touma let out a shriek. He looked terrified of Himari and her finding out what he had been talking about with Kaito.


    Kaito slung his bag over his shoulder. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m going to class now. Again, it was nice to meet you, Himari. See you guys around.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Kaito! No! You can¡¯t leave me here with this wo¡ª¡±


    ¡°With this WHAT?!¡±


    Kaito shook his head and walked off.


    What a bunch of weirdos.


    The school bell chimed. Professor Yoshida took the register and directed the class to change into their sports clothes¡ªif they haven¡¯t already¡ªand meet up on the sports field.


    Kaito had never really partaken in any sporting activity, but he didn¡¯t mind sports. He had a thin but muscular stature, probably the reason he was asked to fill in for certain sports teams at his old school. Back then, he jumped from club to club but never really stuck around long enough to get to know anyone better.


    He eventually joined what they called the ¡°Music Club¡± at his old school. Except there was no music program. It was just an excuse to ditch school to smoke and hang out with the wrong kind of people.


    As he changed clothes, Kaito wondered why his mom never asked to come and see any of his plays.


    Maybe she knew I was lying back then¡­


    ¡°Okay good. Looks like everyone is here,¡± Professor Yoshida¡¯s voice bellowed, silencing the crowd of students in front of him. ¡°I want you guys to split up into two groups, please: one for all the boys, and the other, girls.¡± He then flicked his fingers together. ¡°Come on, hurry up, you slackers!¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, girls, you will be running track first, so you can go meet up with Professor Hoga at the starting line, please. But I urge you to take care, she seems to be in a rather foul mood today.¡± Professor Yoshida stared at them over the top of his glasses while the giggling group of girls made their way to the other side of the sports field.


    ¡°Good, good, good. Now, guys, when I read out your name, you will get up one at a time and do a long jump for me. Please, try your best. Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± the flicking of his fingers continued.


    ¡°Riku, you¡¯re up first.¡± Riku was a small boy with black hair in Kaito¡¯s class. To Kaito, he looked much more like a guy that would enjoy a good pop quiz rather than being out here having your athletic prowess gauged in front of your classmates.


    Kaito wasn¡¯t sure what kind of guy he was. He didn¡¯t really like sports, but he didn¡¯t really dislike it either. Some things in class he found interesting, others, well¡­ he wouldn¡¯t know because his mind would habitually wander off to faraway places.


    Singing.


    Kaito liked singing when he was younger. Back when everything was bright and colorful. He loved seeing the smile on his mother¡¯s face whenever he would sing one of her favorite songs, or when he started performing in musicals; she would always tell him how proud she was.


    I haven¡¯t sung in such a long time.


    The sun was blaring straight down at them when Touma¡¯s name was called. After a quick dash to the sandpit, he launched himself and soared gracefully through the air. Everyone was left in awe as he set the record for the furthest jump of the day so far. Touma got up and bowed majestically. The crowd erupted in claps, shouts, and whistles.


    Kaito rolled his eyes. He¡¯s definitely one for the spotlight.


    ¡°Kaito, you¡¯re up.¡±


    Touma smiled at him, but Kaito ignored him. Kaito knew he would have a tough time going after a performance like that.


    Oh, it¡¯s on, buddy!


    He was going to try his best to wipe that smile off Touma¡¯s face.


    Kaito took a deep breath, then he set off toward the sandpit. The pit approached fast, and as Kaito got ready to launch himself, he realized something¡­


    He had forgotten to tie his shoelaces.


    SMACK! CRACK!


    Kaito woke up with the taste of sand and blood in his mouth. His knee was on fire and throbbing with pain. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, or why Touma¡¯s face seemed perched above his, looking down at him. The world was blurry, and his whole body was bobbing up and down, making him feel nauseous.


    ¡°Touma.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­ are you carrying me?¡±


    ¡°Shush, buddy, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m taking you to the infirmary,¡±  Touma answered.


    When Kaito grasped he was cradled in Touma¡¯s arms, being carried like a baby, he quickly and with all his might wriggled free from the red-headed boy¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Woah, chill! I was just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can walk fine by myself, thanks,¡± Kaito said, wobbling his way forward.


    Touma took his arm around his neck and helped him walk toward the infirmary.


    ¡°Why do you always have to be so headstrong?¡± Touma asked.


    Kaito didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. He¡¯d always asked Yui the same whenever he tried to help her with something. It now dawned on him that it probably ran in the family.


    Mama used to be the same.


    Used to be¡­


    ¡°Thanks for helping me, Touma.¡±


    Touma started giggling, which quickly turned into roaring laughter. He grabbed his belly as he folded over. ¡°Ahahah! Man. You bailed so hard! I¡¯ve never seen anyone fall so hard! Ahahahah! Only your face made it into the sandpit when you face-planted the sand!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Kaito yelled, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from laughing either and soon, they were on the infirmary floor trying to explain to the nurse what had happened and why they weren¡¯t able to stop themselves from laughing hysterically.


    Kaito spent a few hours in the infirmary getting patched up and sleeping off the pain medication he had been given. He then headed to the showers as soon as he woke up.


    He was relieved when he discovered the boy¡¯s bathroom was deserted. Kaito quickly jumped out of his clothes and into the shower. The warm water soothed his skin, seemed to wash away his pain.


    Kaito felt happy.


    He had no idea why, but he had a sudden urge to sing again.


    I haven¡¯t sung anything in such a long time¡­


    He recalled the old country song his mother would sing each time she was in a happy mood. It was called ¡°Lucky Loo.¡± Just the name itself made him giggle a little.


    Kaito had an amazing voice. And not only did he have a talented voice; his mother taught him to sing at a very tender age. For years now, he hadn¡¯t sung anything; nonetheless, he had a knack for turning melodies into magic. The words jumped from water drop to water drop as he started singing underneath the shower head.


    ¡°They call me Lucky Loo


    How do you do


    Still got one rabbit¡¯s foot over


    While I¡¯m chewing on my four-leaf clover¡±


    ¡°See I got all the luck


    I don¡¯t need no horseshoe, pig or duck


    Cause I¡¯m Lucky Loo


    I¡¯ll sweep your chimney with some bamboo¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade any mate


    For a lucky number 8


    I don¡¯t need to!


    Cause I¡¯m Lucky Loo!¡±


    ¡°But even with all the luck in the world


    It¡¯s never once gotten me what I wanted


    No matter what I do


    I never got you¡­¡±


    Kaito immediately stopped singing the moment he heard the bathroom door creak open. While getting dressed, he wondered if anyone had heard him singing in the shower.


    Who even sings at school?! How drugged up am I?


    Annoyed with himself, he made his way back to class. The pain in his knee also started throbbing again, and when he entered the classroom, he saw Touma talking to the professor. Kaito could¡¯ve sworn he heard his name and judging by the silence that followed when he entered the classroom, they were most probably talking about him, which annoyed him even more.


    Ugh, I just wanna go home and sleep already.


    Maybe she is¡­


    ¡­ nah.

 Chapter 5 - Invitation

    Eager not to be late again, Kaito arrived early for school the following morning and, to his surprise, the professor was already in the classroom.


    ¡°Kaito!¡± his wrinkled face cracked into a smile. ¡°Glad to see you are up and running again, my boy.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Professor,¡± Kaito awkwardly lifted his hand, as if to wave at the professor, but he quickly shoved his hand in his pocket instead.


    ¡°Say, Kaito, I actually wanted to ask you something. I¡¯ve been looking at your transcript, and it says here you were a member of the Music Club at your previous school...¡± his words lingered in the air for a moment before he asked, ¡°have you signed up for any clubs here in Hakone?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Kaito hesitated while behind him, the classroom started filling up with students.


    Now, how exactly do I tell him that club was just an excuse to skip class¡­


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join our music club?¡± Professor Yoshida persisted. ¡°They are actually busy right now preparing a play for the school, and your red-headed friend over there is the club¡¯s president.¡±


    ¡°Touma?¡± Kaito asked, surprised. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know, Professor; I can¡¯t sing that well,¡± Kaito scratched the back of his head and tried his best to put on a friendly smile, but then he caught the professor and Touma exchanging looks, after which their gazes refocused on him.


    They know¡­ but how?


    Was that Touma in the bathroom yesterday? Did he hear me sing?


    ¡°Well¡­ You don¡¯t have to sing! There are a bunch of other things as well, like, uh¡­ well, let¡¯s see.¡± The professor scratched his gray beard, and at this point, the classroom had filled up, and everyone was listening to the conversation, which made Kaito uncomfortable and annoyed.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± The professor¡¯s finger shot up into the sky. ¡°They always need people to play as props, like trees and stuff!¡± he said with a massive grin on his face, clearly impressed with himself.


    ¡°Just think about it, Kaito,¡± Professor Yoshida added in a serious tone. ¡°Friends are hard to come by these days, so make all the effort you can while you¡¯re still young.¡± He rested his hand on Kaito¡¯s shoulder for a moment. Kaito nodded and made his way to his desk.


    Somehow, Kaito had connected singing with the memory of his mother, and thus turned something that brought him joy and happiness into something he feared and at times, hated.


    The day seemed to blow by like the spring breeze, and before long, Kaito was standing at the train station, and that was when he felt a poke to his side.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± He turned to see Touma¡¯s arm extended toward him in a gesture.


    ¡°Here, take it. It¡¯s the Music Club¡¯s schedule.¡±


    ¡°Touma, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. Just¡­ promise you¡¯ll think about it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kaito sighed.


    ¡°Cool. Now, what¡¯s your Shine ID?¡± Touma asked with his cell phone in hand.


    Confused, Kaito gave Touma a funny look. ¡°My what?¡±


    ¡°Shine? You know¡­ The instant messaging app?¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡­ Well, I don¡¯t have it installed on my phone,¡± Kaito shrugged. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Touma¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°You¡­ you come from Tokyo¡­ and you don¡¯t have Shine on your phone?¡± He then grasped Kaito shoulders with both hands and rocked him back and forth. ¡°What kind of city kid are you?!¡± he asked in disbelief.


    Again, Kaito shrugged.


    Touma insisted that Kaito download the application. After they were done adding each other, Kaito boarded his train home. He thought it was weird seeing the red-headed boy waving at him as the train station disappeared into the distance.


    What a weirdo¡­


    That evening, Kaito knew he would have to face inquisitions: first, he skipped dinner the previous evening and secondly, his aunt and sister were yet to learn of his injuries. Kaito made his way downstairs from his bedroom and tried his best to hide the fact that he was walking with a limp.


    Kaito¡¯s sister and aunt sat waiting around the dinner table, and just as he¡¯d predicted, the first words out of Kanna¡¯s mouth were, ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was sport¡¯s day yesterday.¡±


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    ¡°So, you fell? Are you sure? You¡¯re not being bullied, are you?¡± Kanna looked seriously worried about his nephew.


    Kaito thought it was a bit too much, but he didn¡¯t blame her. After all, she recently went from being a young adult to a parent of two almost-grown-up kids in a very short time frame.


    Kaito tried to put her mind at ease. ¡°I¡¯m not being bullied, Kanna. We were just doing long jumps, and I kinda¡­ bailed.¡±


    Yui tried hiding her giggle behind her hands.


    It was pretty funny.


    Suddenly, Kanna got up from her chair. ¡°Oh, yeah! Kaito, remember to check your pockets before you throw your clothes in the washing basket!¡± She handed Kaito a familiar-looking note. ¡°Here, I almost washed your Music Club schedule!¡±


    Yui snatched the note before Kaito could. ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Kai-kai! Did you join the Music Club? That¡¯s so cool!¡± she remarked delightfully.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! They just asked me to join, but I¡¯m not going to!¡±


    Yui¡¯s mood quickly changed. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I just can¡¯t, okay!¡±


    Yui¡¯s bottom lip started twitching and tears formed in her eyes. ¡°Why!¡± she shouted at him. Kaito had never seen Yui this furious before. ¡°Mama gave you everything! She taught you how to sing! She gave you a gift and you can¡¯t even¡ª¡± Tears streamed down her little face. ¡°You can¡¯t even thank her the way you know she¡¯d want!¡±


    Kaito swallowed hard. He was at a loss for words. He hated seeing Yui cry, and this time, he was the reason for her tears.


    Kanna comforted Yui, and the two of them disappeared, leaving Kaito alone with his thoughts.


    Is singing really such a big deal to her? I don¡¯t get it¡­


    Later that evening, Kaito found himself sitting on his bed, still pondering Yui¡¯s reaction and wondered whether there was something he could say to her to make her feel better. The more he thought about it, the more horrible he felt, especially because he was the reason she had been crying. Notwithstanding, it perplexed him why Yui seemed to care so much about whether he sang or not, so much so that it could make her that angry and sad.


    ¡°Kaito, are you there?¡±


    Yui?


    No¡­ that wasn¡¯t Yui. Who¡ª


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hello?¡± he answered.


    She giggled. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re home!¡±


    It¡¯s Miyu!


    Kaito jumped off his bed and walked over to the crack in his wall.


    What do I say to her?! I don¡¯t know how this is supposed to work¡­


    ¡°Yeah! I am! How about you?¡±


    Agh! You dolt! Did you really just ask her if she is home as well!! Oh my¡ª


    But Kaito¡¯s thoughts were quickly silenced by Miyu¡¯s soft giggle.


    Every time I hear that laugh¡­


    My heart¡­


    Smiles.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m kinda bored. Do you have time to talk a bit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure! But don¡¯t you have school tomorrow?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Nope! Well, kind of¡­ See, I¡¯m being homeschooled by my dad. He thinks I¡¯ll learn more from him than at a public school. It¡¯s not that bad really; I get to sleep in almost every day!¡±


    Kaito wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to convince him, or herself.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Lucky you!¡± Kaito sat on the floor with his back against the wall. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular! I just wanted to¡­ get to know you a bit better.¡±


    Ta-dum.


    Kaito¡¯s cheeks grew hot. His mouth was moving, but he couldn¡¯t think of what words to say.


    Fortunately for him, Miyu broke the silence. ¡°So, tell me about yourself, Kaito? Where are you from? What do you like? Hmm? Hmm!¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m from Tokyo, and I was kinda forced to move here to stay with my aunt. Also, I don¡¯t really have a hobby, to be honest,¡± Kaito sighed. He knew which question was coming next, and he dreaded even thinking of the answer.


    ¡°Wow! It must be so cool to live in Tokyo! I bet you were walking about the city every day, hanging out with friends, huh?¡±


    What? She didn¡¯t ask about my parents¡­


    Cool¡­


    ¡°Well¡­ Yeah, I guess.¡±


    If you can call them friends¡­


    ¡°What about you? What do you do for fun?¡± asked Kaito.


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see! I love-love-love going to the aquarium and seeing the dolphins swim! And¡­ um, I like to read all kinds of books; I love singing!¡± she giggled. ¡°And I¡¯m usually busy writing songs when¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait! you can write songs?¡±


    Impressive!


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Do you play an instrument?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes! Well, I learned to play guitar from my mom and well¡­ she¡¯s not around anymore, but she did leave me her big, brown guitar. So, I can only play what she taught me. Luckily, I know enough cords to make songs with!¡±


    Her mom as well¡­


    How can she talk about it so easily?


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t be! She has left me a lot of valuable memories and gifts to remember her by, and it¡¯s up to me to make sure I make her proud! That¡¯s why I write songs and sing whenever I can!¡±


    I see¡­


    ¡°My mom¡­¡± Kaito hesitated, ¡°she uh¡­ passed away as well. She taught me how to sing and¡­ well, everything I know basically.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she sounds like she was a great mom, Kaito! I know just how much it hurts, but you have to know that she would want you to be happy. You know that, right?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°I know that¡­ I guess I just forget sometimes.¡±


    She really was a great mom¡­


    Wait, is that why Yui was so upset? Mom had started giving up her singing career when she was born, so I guess mom never taught Yui the stuff she had taught me¡­


    It makes sense now...


    ¡°Well, if you want¡­ I could teach a couple more chords sometime.¡±


    ¡°You can play as well? Why am I even asking! Of course, you can play, with such a sensual voice it only makes sen¡ª¡± Miyu¡¯s voice slowly lowered until she let out a squeak and then, silence.


    ¡°Miyu?¡± asked Kaito.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Just, wait! Miyu?!¡±


    Nothing¡­


    Sigh.


    Yours is the only voice that¡¯s ever touched my heart¡­


    Kaito wanted to tell her that, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn¡¯t get the words to cross his lips.


    Still nothing¡­


    Kaito woke up the next morning and found himself in an uncomfortable position, against his bedroom wall.


    Ah man, I fell asleep here?


    What happened?


    The last thing he remembered was running his finger slowly down the crack in the wall, wishing she didn¡¯t have to go.


    With a sore neck, Kaito dressed up and left for the kitchen a lot earlier than usual.


    I have an idea!


    He flicked on two burners, cracked open some eggs in one frying pan, bacon in another, and loaded the toaster with bread. The appetizing smell of breakfast traveled around the house, and shortly after, the kitchen table was filled with sleepy faces.


    ¡°Is it mother¡¯s day already?¡± asked Kanna with drowsy eyes, sipping on a cup of coffee.


    Kaito shook his head and smiled. ¡°Nope. I just wanted to apologize for last night,¡± he said, looking at Yui and continued, ¡°and I promise from now on, I¡¯m gonna try even harder.¡±


    Yui smiled as she started gobbling up the breakfast her big brother had made for her.

 Chapter 6 – Unspoken Confessions

    For the first time since Kaito moved to Hakone, he smiled on the train to school.


    He recently rediscovered an old playlist of songs his mother used to listen to.


    She used to say that ¡°a good tune can always lift the spirits.¡±


    She used to be a music teacher and only began working a corporate job during his teenage years. It was around the time Kaito started misbehaving, so he didn¡¯t know exactly what her job was, and neither did he ask her.


    After days of skipping class, smoking, and getting into trouble, he would come home to a drunk stepfather and a mother who seemed to always force a smile on her face. He hated what they both had become, but instead of doing something about it, he tried to ignore it and them. He thought the problem would just go away if he just stayed in his room and felt sorry for himself¡­


    No more hiding!


    But no more. To honor the memory of his mother and become the brother Yui deserved, Kaito decided he needed to change. He needed to become a better man, and there was no better day to start than today.


    The train doors slid open, and he could see Touma¡¯s cherry-red hair pop out from the crowd.


    Touma humorously announced on the platform, amid the waiting crowd of people: ¡°Hey-ey! Himari, look! It¡¯s the world famous, record-breaking long-jumper! Mr. Kaito Igarashi!¡±


    ¡°Shut your pie, To-to!¡± Kaito mocked.


    Before Touma could object, Himari high-fived Kaito. ¡°Nice one, Kaito!¡± she said with a giggle.


    With the friendly banter out of the way, Touma asked Kaito if he had had the time to consider joining the Music Club.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Kaito said, scratching his chin, ¡°does that mean you will boss over me because you¡¯re the club captain?¡±


    ¡°Well, ye¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then, no.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    Kaito patted Touma¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll come have a look today, okay?¡± he said with a smile.


    And with that, the three of them headed to school. It was a decent day by all accounts, and Kaito did not feel like his gloomy self. It was as if the lovely spring weather was warming up his heart.


    The day breezed by, and soon, Touma was dragging him to the school hall where the Music Club practiced.


    It was Kaito¡¯s first time inside the school hall, and what he saw definitely left an impression on him. The hall was enormous, complete with a stage and second-floor gallery. Basically a replica of the theaters in which his mom used to perform.


    There were already a bunch of kids practicing their choreography on stage, others fitting costumes, and some just sitting around chatting.


    Kaito spotted Riku, the black-haired boy from his class, sitting behind a drum set drumming to the beat of a song only he could hear.


    A pretty voice came from center stage: ¡°La la la la la la laaaa.¡±


    Kaito looked up and saw a beautiful girl standing gracefully in the middle of the stage with her shocking pink hair. He instantly pictured her in a fancy dress with the stage lights beaming down on her.


    She must be the star¡­


    Seeing Kaito¡¯s gaze turn to the performer, Touma pointed out, ¡°That¡¯s Sara. She¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    The look on Touma¡¯s face was proof enough for Kaito that Touma had a huge crush on her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at her too long though¡­ I already called dibs!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at her; I was looking at you!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say, Mister Kaito, but I don¡¯t exactly roll that way,¡± Touma said laughingly.


    ¡°Wha¡ª No! You¡­ Ugh!¡±


    I hate you!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry To-to! I was just enjoying the song. My mother sang this in the very last play she performed.¡± Kaito scratched his head. ¡°The play was called ¡®Wish Upon,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°You know it! Well then, you¡¯re in luck because that¡¯s the play we¡¯ll be performing in front of the entire school!¡± he said with a giant smile. ¡°Come! Let¡¯s get you settled in.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, captain!¡±


    But the calmness in Kaito quickly turned to nervousness when Touma called for everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Listen up guys!¡± he yelled. ¡°This is Kaito, and he¡¯ll be joining us, starting today. Just take it slow and introduce yourselves one at a time throughout practice, okay? Don¡¯t scare him away!¡±


    A few kids laughed at Touma¡¯s comment, but no one seemed too interested in Kaito.


    Kaito let out a sigh of relief.


    Not as bad as I thought it would¡ª


    ¡°Oh! One more thing, guys! He will also be the backup lead vocalist in case anything happens to me before show time.¡± Touma rushed the rest of his speech when he saw Kaito¡¯s stare, ¡°Okay, thanks, everyone! Let¡¯s have a good practice session!¡±


    ¡°What the actual f¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kaito!¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with you, you nerd! I never said I would do th¡­ tha-a¡­¡± Kaito stopped when he sensed what felt like two of the softest, warmest pillows prodding his arm.


    Sara had wrapped her arms around him, and Kaito simply¡­ froze.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    Kaito¡¯s eyes found Touma¡¯s, but it looked he was just as shocked as Kaito was.


    ¡°Welcome to the club, Kaito!¡± she said with the energy of a bouncing bunny. ¡°I¡¯m Sara! And I can¡¯t wait to perform with you!¡± she squeezed even harder, pressing her voluptuous chest against his arm.


    What¡¯s happening?


    Please don¡¯t tell me I have a¡­


    ¡­ Okay, no. We¡¯re good.


    Before Kaito could formulate a sentence, she had already skipped off, back to the stage.


    Touma looked even worse than Kaito.


    He¡¯s as pale as a ghost!


    Kaito felt bad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy! You called dibs, remember?¡± he patted Touma on his back, trying to reassure him.


    Kaito was glad he came to the Music Club practice; he was loving it.


    The stage really suits him!


    Touma was hilarious on stage, and his voice was good enough to keep up with Sara¡¯s.


    At times, Kaito felt like singing along but kept himself in check.


    I¡¯m not on any painkillers today; there¡¯s no reason to randomly start singing in public again!


    After practice, Touma and Kaito met up with Himari, who had just finished with handball practice. She mentioned something about a fireworks festival on their way to the train station, but Kaito was distracted, still singing songs in his head. And he vaguely remembered giving her his phone so that she could add her Shine ID.


    The last thing Kaito heard her say was: ¡°I¡¯ll send you guys some more info soon, okay!¡± The rest of the exchange was dreamy¡ªhis absent-mindedness had kicked in, in full force.


    When Kaito arrived home that day, he made his way upstairs so fast that he forgot to remove his shoes. As he entered his room, he heard the lovely sounds of Miyu¡¯s guitar emanating from the crack in his bedroom wall.


    ¡°Good afternoon!¡±


    The sounds stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Wha¡ª! Oh! I¡¯ll never get used to this, I swear!¡± she beamed. ¡°Hey, Kaito! How are you today?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ pretty good to be honest. It¡¯s been an amazing day so far¡­ and you? You kinda¡­ disappeared last night?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that! Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about that just yet! Instead, tell me about your day! I¡¯d love to hear about your amazing day!¡±


    Let¡¯s not talk about that Just yet? Hmm¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, I¡¯ll make you a deal, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m listening,¡± Miyu said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about my day¡ª¡±


    ¡°If I tell you why I disappeared last night?¡± she cut in.


    Kaito had to laugh at just how quick she caught on. ¡°Well¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Why don¡¯t we just play a game of Ten Questions instead?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean like, we each get to ask the other ten questions? No matter what they are?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly! One for me, then one for you¡­ back and forth; or are you scared, Kaito?¡± Miyu giggled.


    ¡°What? No! I¡¯m not scared at all! In fact, you can go first.¡±


    This is going to be interesting¡­


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Miyu approved. ¡°Okay, question number one: What made your day amazing?¡±


    Clever girl¡­


    ¡°Well, after my sister, Yui, got really upset at me last night, I decided I needed to stop hiding from opportunities, and I, well¡­ joined the Music Club at school. I actually really enjoyed it; plus for some reason, Yui really wants me to sing¡­ so, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy when I tell her.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have such an am¡ª Err... I mean, such a good voice! Why wouldn¡¯t you join?¡±


    ¡°Nah, ah! That¡¯s two questions in a row, young lady!¡± Kaito joked, trying his best not to translate the temperature of his cheeks into sounds.


    ¡°Young lady!? You don¡¯t even know how old I am!¡±


    ¡°Okay then, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°S-sixteen...¡± she confessed. ¡°And you?¡±


    She sounds so cute!


    ¡°I¡¯m seventeen¡­ young lady!¡±


    ¡°Very funny, Kaito! But you¡¯re still just a boy yourself!¡±


    Kaito breathed in deep.


    ¡°So, Miyu¡­ Are you gonna tell me?¡±


    He instantly regretted asking.


    A few moments of silence passed.


    The tone of Miyu¡¯s voice went from happy to extremely gloomy.


    ¡°It¡¯s my dad¡­¡±


    That¡¯s what I thought¡­


    ¡°He is just so¡­ so unbearably strict! I can¡¯t go anywhere! He has gotten extremely overprotective since my mom passed away, and it¡¯s gotten to the point where I¡¯m not even allowed to step foot outside of this house!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ the hell? That¡¯s horrible!¡±


    ¡°Just imagine his reaction if he somehow figured out I was talking to a boy from within my room,¡± Miyu¡¯s words shuddered. ¡°He would¡­ FREAK OUT!¡±


    Well¡­ definitely don¡¯t want that to happen!


    ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. That just sucks. And you can never leave your house?¡±


    ¡°No, not even to visit my mom¡¯s grave...¡±


    Kaito could hear her sniffle and knew she was shedding tears. He hated having a wall between them. All he wanted to do was give her a hug, but that was simply impossible.


    I¡¯m such an idiot! I should¡¯ve just left it¡­


    ¡°Miyu¡­¡± Kaito wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miyu¡­ I should¡¯ve just left it.¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t be!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just really frustrating, but I think having someone to talk to helps¡­ quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I know...¡±


    A few quiet minutes ticked by as the two of them sat alone in their rooms, but somehow they were connected, and in that moment, they both felt a little less lonely.


    ¡°Kaito¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°If you could have one wish, what would it be?¡±


    Hmm...


    ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯d wish for the ability to turn back the hands of time.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean¡­ because of your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think if I had more time, I might¡¯ve been able to save her...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, Kaito¡­ but I think,¡± Miyu cleared her throat, ¡°I think that life is too short and time is way too precious. You might just end up regretting spending too much time thinking about the past.¡±


    Her words rang inside Kaito¡¯s body. He knew what she¡¯d said was true, but he just couldn¡¯t help feeling like there was something he could¡¯ve done to save her.


    ¡°Thank you, Miyu. What about you? What would you wish for?¡±


    ¡°Hmm! I¡¯d definitely wish for my freedom!¡± she blurted out. ¡°But one thing I¡¯ve always wanted to do is¡­ go to Lake Ashi at midnight!¡±


    ¡°At midnight?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh! I read that if you go there on a cloudless night, the reflection on the lake looks just like a field of stars!¡±


    ¡°Wow! That sounds amazing!¡±


    Hmm, that really does sound cool¡­


    ¡°Kaito¡­¡±


    ¡°Miyu?¡±


    ¡°Will you¡­ take me there one day?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª! Me? I¡­ err, yeah, of course, I will!¡±


    ¡°Promise me!¡±


    ¡°I promise, Miyu,¡± he said softly.


    What was that about?


    ¡°Shoot! My dad is calling me! I ha¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have to go again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No need! I just wish we could talk more¡­ Maybe I could text you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed a phone, Kaito.¡±


    Of course not!


    ¡°I really gotta go! Bye, Kaito.¡±


    Aaaand, she¡¯s gone again.


    Kaito got up from the spot on the floor where he had been sitting and walked over to his bed. Just as his head hit his pillow, he felt a strong vibration in his pocket: VZZZT! VZZZT!


    What the¡­


    Touma¡¯s face appeared on Kaito¡¯s phone with a bunch of messages running down the screen.


    TOUMA: Yo


    TOUMA: Kaito, you there?


    TOUMA: Kaitoooooo!!!


    TOUMA: Just wanted to ask you what you think of Sara?


    Is this guy for real¡­


    KAITO: Who is this?


    TOUMA: It¡¯s me, Touma! I installed this app on your phone remember?


    KAITO: Touma who?


    TOUMA: Haha very funny¡­


    KAITO: To-to, listen up! I think Sara is pretty cool but I don¡¯t like her in that way!


    KAITO: Besides, I think there is someone else I like¡­


    TOUMA: WHAT! REALLY!? Who is it???? Do i know her?


    KAITO: No.


    TOUMA: Is she cute? What does she look like? Send me a picture!!!!


    KAITO: I don¡¯t know¡­


    TOUMA: You don¡¯t even know what she looks like?! That¡¯s a big no-no buddy!


    He¡¯s right, I don¡¯t know what she looks like¡­


    But I still like her¡­


    TOUMA: You still there??


    KAITO: Just mind your own business! Why don¡¯t you just tell Sara how you feel already?


    TOUMA: I¡¯m working my way up to it!


    KAITO: It¡¯s okay, I have her number. I¡¯ll just message her and let her know about the huge crush you have on her.


    Kaito didn¡¯t have Sara¡¯s number, but he thought it was funny hearing his phone constantly vibrate for the rest of the evening until the battery died.


    Spring was in full bloom with the sun shining longer and the days getting warmer.


    ¡°Do you guys have plans for summer vacation yet?¡± Himari asked.


    Touma and Kaito looked at each other and shook their heads.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°No reason! I was just wondering,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m off to class; I need to have a quick word with the professor.¡±


    Kaito didn¡¯t pay much attention to what Himari was saying. It was starting to get uncomfortably hot, and the one thing Kaito was grateful for was that he wasn¡¯t required to wear a uniform at this school.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°What¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°I know what we should do this summer!¡± he said with a huge smile on his face.


    I bet he¡¯s up to something again¡­


    ¡°And that would be?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Odawara this summer!!¡± Touma responded, bouncing with excitement. ¡°We can visit the castle, museum, and the beach!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Sounds like there would be a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! Don¡¯t be such a Freddie Frowner!¡±


    A Freddie F¡ª


    ¡°A what? You mean¡ª Ugh, never mind.¡±


    ¡°Just think about it! Girls in bikinis everywhere!¡±


    ¡°Touma¡­ You have just that one thing on your mind, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah-ha! In my book, a pair counts as two, my friend!¡± Touma cackled as if he was some villain in a comic book.


    Such a funny guy¡­


    ¡°Oh, shiii¡ª¡± Kaito felt a stab in his side ¡°Dude, come one! We¡¯re gonna be late for bio!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah! Sure.¡±


    A few moments later, the two boys stumbled into the classroom.


    Professor Yoshida¡¯s voice silenced the snickering classroom: ¡°Mr. Maki, Mr. Igarashi. I¡¯m glad you could join us. Today we are discussing the Great Hornbill,¡± said the professor, stroking his gray beard.


    The two boys stood rooted, staring at the professor. Kaito thought the professor looked oddly calm, but judging by the look on his friend¡¯s face, he should have been panicking as well.


    ¡°Can either one of you tell me anything about the Great Hornbill? Hmm¡­ No?¡±


    Both boys shook their heads vigorously.


    ¡°Then I would suggest taking your seats and paying close attention. The two of you will stay after class and do a pop quiz.¡±


    Damn!


    Kaito had hoped he could talk to Miyu again after school.


    Ugh¡­


    Annoyed with himself he fell into his chair and let out a loud sigh.


    ¡°Have I made myself clear?¡± Professor Yoshida asked.


    ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± Touma responded instantly.


    The entire class broke out in laughter. And Touma could only relax when he saw that the professor joined in the laughter.


    Gregarious. The word just popped into Kaito¡¯s head. A word his mom often used to describe certain people. The word perfectly described Touma.


    Professor Yoshida continued with his lesson: ¡°The Great Hornbill is a large bird; it is the heaviest, but not the longest, Asian hornbill...¡±


    Kaito tried his best to pay attention, but he couldn¡¯t get Miyu out of his head.


    I promised her I would take her to Lake Ashi¡­


    How the hell am I gonna do that?


    ¡°...during the breeding season, great hornbills become very vocal. They sing loud duets, beginning with a loud kok sound given about once a second by the male, to which the female joins in.¡±


    Will she be there when I get home?


    ¡°...and they choose their mates for life.¡±


    There must be a way I can see her¡­


    Kaito pulled at his messy hair and tried to switch his focus to the professor.


    The sooner I ace this pop quiz, the sooner I can go home.


    ¡°The female hornbill would build a nest in the hollow of a large tree trunk. She remains imprisoned there, relying on the male to bring her food.¡±


    The professor droned on and on until finally, the school bell chimed. The squeaking sounds of chairs and tables rang throughout the entire school. Bright faces and smiles vacated the classroom, but two frowns remained behind.


    The professor started writing out a bunch of questions on his blackboard, and Kaito wrote down the answers as fast as the questions appeared on the board.


    When he got up from his chair, Touma¡¯s puppy-eyes were fixed on him, imploring Kaito not to leave him behind.


    Sorry, buddy, not today.


    Professor Yoshida quickly scanned Kaito¡¯s answers. ¡°Good job, Kaito, now you can go to her!¡±


    Shocked, Kaito asked, ¡°Excuse me, Professor, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said you did a good job, Kaito, and now you can go home!¡± the professor answered, looking at Kaito with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure. Thanks, Professor!¡± Kaito nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder and broke into a run.


    Kaito knew he had to run to the station at full speed to catch his next train. Hakone was a small town, and the trains there didn¡¯t stop as often as they did back in Tokyo.


    With about a minute to spare before the train departed, Kaito made it to the platform. Panting heavily, he spotted Himari and then made his way over to where she sat.


    ¡°Aww, Kaito, did you run all the way here for me?¡± Himari asked in a high-pitched, teasing voice.


    ¡°You wish, little girl!¡± he jested while taking a seat next to her.


    ¡°L-little g-girl-¡±


    ¡°Relax, I was just kidding!¡±


    Ah, man, I should stop using this joke. No one finds it funny.


    ¡°Kaito¡­ I don¡¯t know how to tell you this but¡­ that¡¯s a very rude thing to say to a girl from this town!¡±


    Damn¡­ She looks seriously offended¡­


    ¡°Oh.. wow. I didn¡¯t know! I¡¯m so sorry, Himar¡ª¡±


    ¡°HA! You believed me! Huehuehue!¡± Himari was laughing so loud she had to cover her mouth with her hands.


    She''s enjoying this way too much...


    Blushing, Kaito scratched his head and tried to smile away all the stares from the people on the train.


    Doesn¡¯t look like she even cares about the people staring¡­


    Wish I could be that carefree.


    Or maybe she hasn¡¯t even noticed.


    ¡°Kaito.¡± Her tone changed suddenly when she called his name.


    ¡°Do you think Touma has a crush on someone?¡± she asked while staring out the window.


    ¡°Ah. Um, I actually don¡¯t know. He hasn¡¯t mentioned anything...¡± Kaito was baffled by the question.


    Does she like him?


    ¡°Uh¡­ Why?¡± he asked.


    Kaito thought she wasn¡¯t going to respond, but then she said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing like that, Kaito!¡± she replied with a fake smile on her face. ¡°I just want a bunch of us to go to the fireworks festival, and well if he has a crush... I could invite her as well!¡±.


    Is she trying to convince me, or herself¡­


    ¡°Well, now that I think about it, he was going on and on about the girl with the pink hair.¡±


    ¡°Sara? Ugh,¡± she said pulling a disgusted face. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to invite her.¡±


    Should I say something?


    Kaito¡¯s stop approached before he could come up with a better response than ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Did she like Touma¡­ more than just friends?


    After knocking on his bedroom wall a couple of times, he realized that Miyu wasn¡¯t there, so Kaito spent his afternoon relaxing on his bed, thinking of all the things he wanted to ask Miyu.


    His time spent daydreaming came to an end with a loud knock on his door, followed by his sister¡¯s voice: ¡°Kaitooo-ooo! Are you awake? Aunt-mommy said you have to come set the table. KAITO!¡±


    Kaito kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.


    I owe her for last time.


    Kaito could hear her sneaking around him, and just as Yui extended her hand to tickle him, he jumped. ¡°Whah! Mwahaha! Now I got you!¡± he yelled wickedly, waving his arms around.


    Screaming at the top of her lungs, Yui ran out of the room.


    Kaito burst out laughing.


    Ah man, that was a good one!


    Making his way downstairs, he had to wipe away the tears forming in his eyes.


    ¡°Guys, the whole neighborhood can hear you! Keep it down,¡± Kanna called out from the kitchen. ¡°Otherwise I will get involved, and trust me, you don¡¯t want that!¡±


    ¡°Oooh! Watch out, Kaito! Aunt-mommy is gonna get involved as well!¡± Yui yelled mockingly.


    Kaito couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    I¡¯m surrounded by a bunch of weirdos!


    Kaito did a cool-guy pose, and complete with a serious voice, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear sister,¡± he then flicked his head to the side, ¡°first, she¡¯ll need to catch us!¡±


    The three of them broke out in crying laughter. They sat on the kitchen floor, soaked in tears of laughter.


    Kaito was happy to see his sister in a jolly mood, and by the look on Kanna¡¯s face, he could tell she was thinking the same thing.


    I hope I didn¡¯t make Kanna worry too much these last few weeks¡­


    While enjoying another one of Kanna¡¯s delicious meals, Kaito asked her if she needed any help at the Coffee Shop in the summer.


    ¡°Ah, Kaito, you have no idea! I would appreciate that so much. That arrogant girl I hired last time just quit, and I¡¯ve been running the shop by myself for a week now! I mean, can you believe that?¡± She shook her head and let out a sigh. ¡°Do you still remember how everything works?¡±


    ¡°Is everything like the shop in Tokyo?¡± asked Kaito.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same. I literally had everything from the shop transported and installed here when I relocated, so no changes whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! I should be fine. In fact, I have an even better idea then: I¡¯ll bring my¡­ uh¡­ I guess my friend? Anyways, I¡¯ll make Touma come with me, and then you can take a couple of days off.¡± Kaito had barely finished his sentence when he saw teardrops running down Kanna¡¯s face.


    She smiled, swallowed. ¡°Thank you so much, Kaito!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it,¡± he said, smiling at her.


    ¡°So, you have a friend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I have two. Touma and Himari.¡±


    ¡°A girl?¡± Yui asked. ¡°Is she your girlfriend?¡±


    Kaito knew she was only joking around, but in fact, there was someone out there he wouldn¡¯t mind having as a girlfriend.


    I wonder what she¡¯s up to¡­


    Touma¡¯s words were also still stuck in his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what she looks like?! That¡¯s a big no-no, buddy!¡±


    There must be a way I can see her¡­


    Wait a sec¡ª


    I got it!


    I know exactly how we can see each other!

 Chapter 7 – A Bitter Pill

    SLAM.


    Miyu was woken up by the sound of a door swinging shut. She didn¡¯t think much of it and just rolled her way out of bed.


    Sitting on her bedroom floor with wild hair and a sleepy face, she yawned and allowed her eyes to adjust to the sunlight streaming in through her tiny bedroom window.


    Suddenly, she heard a woman¡¯s voice calling out to someone.


    Huh?


    Did that come from the crack?


    She scooched and rested her ear on her bedroom wall.


    ¡°Kaito!¡± called the woman. ¡°You¡¯re going to be late for school!¡±


    ¡°I know! I¡¯m busy getting dressed right now!¡±


    It took Miyu a couple of seconds to realize that Kaito was probably half-naked, only a few feet away from her, and when she did, her face turned blood red as she blushed. She turned her back against the wall and clasped her face with her hands. She couldn¡¯t help but giggle at how silly she was being.


    Again a door slammed and then it was silent.


    I guess Kaito is off to school.


    Miyu glanced over at her clock and gasped when she saw what time it was. She immediately got up, dressed up, and ran a brush through her hair as fast as she could.


    ¡°MIYU!¡±


    ¡°On my way, Papa!¡± said Miyu while making her way downstairs.


    ¡°There you are! Now, apologize to Doctor Eito for making him wait!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not necessary!¡± said the doctor. ¡°I¡¯ve hardly waited long at all.¡±


    ¡°Nonsen¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you say, Miyu? Shall we get on with it?¡± Doctor Eito cut in.


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± said Miyu as she laid down on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Such a brave young girl!¡±  the doctor remarked.


    It was difficult for Miyu to look forward to visits from the doctor; on the one hand, she was excited because not only was the doctor a kind and friendly man, but he was also another person she was able to interact with, besides her father and Kaito.


    After her regular checkups, the doctor would always have a private word with her father and then leave the house with a worried look on his face.


    This time, too, the doctor had a word with her father while Miyu started preparing breakfast.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got good news, Miyu,¡± said her father as he sat at the dinner table.


    ¡°What is it, Papa?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Eito has prescribed new medicine for you,¡± he replied, waving a piece of paper at her, ¡°I¡¯ll have to go and pick it up this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Can I come with? Please, Papa!¡±


    ¡°Now Miyu, you and I both know just how easily you can have an episode when you get too excited.¡±


    ¡°But, Papa, please! I just wan¡ª¡±


    SLAM.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Miyu jumped as her father slammed his hand on the table.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the last of it! Do you understand me?¡± he fumed.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Sir,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if the caretaker girl can look after you while I make a trip into town.¡±


    ¡°That really is not necessary, Papa! But maybe¡­¡± Miyu hesitated.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering, Papa¡­ For moments like this, maybe I could¡­ have a phone? You know, just so I could call you if I ever need to!¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Miyu? You have three house phones with emergency buttons!¡±


    ¡°I know! It¡¯s just¡­ I really want a cell phone, Papa, like all the other kids¡­¡±


    Her father mumbled something, but it wasn¡¯t audible enough for her to hear. She thought he would just ignore her request, but then he said something she never expected:


    ¡°I will look around when I¡¯m in town. Maybe I can find one that¡¯s not too expensive.¡±


    ¡°Papa!¡± Miyu jumped across the kitchen and hugged her father as tight as she could. The smell of alcohol struck her, and she tried her best not to be sick on his shoulder.


    Has he been drinking this morning?


    Or maybe¡­ this is still from last night?


    Her troubled thoughts were quickly pushed aside by her excitement. Miyu gave her father a goodbye kiss and skipped her way to the sink where she washed the dishes.


    She wasn¡¯t sure why, but the only thing she wanted to do at that moment was telling Kaito that she was getting a cell phone.


    I¡¯ll just wait till he gets home from school!


    Maybe now we can get to know each other even better¡­


    Without thinking about it, she was standing on her toes, and her face lit up again.


    Wait¡­


    What if he asks me to send him a picture?


    Phones can do that, right?!


    Oh no! I look horrible!


    Miyu ran upstairs and dashed into her room. She rummaged through her closet, trying to find something to wear that doesn¡¯t look downright awful.


    Sigh.


    This is what you get when your father is in charge of buying your clothes!


    A few moments later, she pulled out a silky, white summer dress from underneath a pile of clothes.


    Mama bought this for me!


    Back then it was too big, but now¡­ it might just be perfect.


    She slipped into the dress and finished off her look with a smile and a special little blue hair clip.


    Perfect!


    As she twirled around in her little white dress, her excitement had finally caught up with her, and Miyu suddenly felt drained.


    She laid down on her bed, tilting her head from left to right and back again, smiling from ear to ear. She waited the entire afternoon for Kaito to return home.


    Tap tap tap.


    ¡°Miyu, are you there?¡±


    Huh?


    I¡­ fell asleep? Oh! Kaito!


    ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m here!¡± she jumped off her bed and sat against the wall.


    ¡°Hey! How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing great! Especially when the neighbor boy¡¯s door slammed shut early in the morning woke me!¡± she said, trying to sound as serious as she could.


    ¡°Wha¡ª Uh¡­ Oh! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Just pulling your leg, silly!¡± Miyu giggled. ¡°Were you this gullible in Tokyo as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gullible! You¡¯re just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, okay! You¡¯re just¡­ different.¡±


    Different?


    Is that a good or bad thing?


    ¡°Anyways! Miyu¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I know you said that you can¡¯t really go outside¡­ but I was thinking¡­ See, I¡­ Um...¡±


    Miyu giggled at Kaito struggling for words.


    ¡°I want to¡­ you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Nope, I don¡¯t know!¡± she giggled some more. ¡°What do you want, Kaito?¡±


    ¡°Fine! I want to see you¡­ and I thought, maybe you¡¯d want to see me?¡±


    Miyu was beaming with joy, and it took a few moments of silence for her to gather herself and tell Kaito about the conversation she earlier had with her father.


    ¡°That will be awesome! But I thought of another way we could see each other!¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I think our apartments are exactly the same, only mirrored, so if that¡¯s the case, the main bedroom should have a small balcony?¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow! Kaito, you¡¯re right! There is one in my dad¡¯s bedroom!¡±


    ¡°My aunt has one in her¡ª¡±


    But before Kaito could finish his sentence, the two of them jumped up and ran out of their rooms.


    Papa isn¡¯t home yet, so he won¡¯t even know if I go in there!


    Miyu ran across the hall and barged into her father¡¯s bedroom.


    EWW!


    His room was filthy and smelly, but she didn¡¯t care at that moment. Miyu made her way over to the sliding door, slid it open, and jumped onto the balcony.


    ¡°Kaito!¡±


    Out of breath, she lifted her head and moved the hair out of her face.


    ¡°Kaito?¡±


    Nothing. The closest balcony to Miyu looked like it was at least two apartments away.


    Seriously¡­


    She sighed and made her way to her room.


    Kaito¡¯s voice came from the crack in the wall: ¡°I guess the apartments aren¡¯t mirrored. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be!¡± Miyu tried not to sound too disappointed. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait for my dad to come back with my new cell phone!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be so cool! Then I can annoy you whenever I¡¯m bored at school!¡± Kaito teased.


    I¡¯d like that silly¡­


    ¡°Hmm! Maybe I¡¯ll need to rethink giving my number to you!¡±


    ¡°Aw, that¡¯d be mean¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, a door swung open, but Miyu was sure it came from Kaito¡¯s side.


    ¡°Who are you talking to Kai-kai?¡± a little girl asked.


    ¡°N-no one! Get out of my room, Yui!¡±


    ¡°But Aunty said I needed to come get you because we need to eat, and you¡¯re probably sleeping again!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not! I¡¯ll be downstairs in a moment, now go!¡±


    The door slammed, and Miyu thought she could feel Kaito bump his head against the wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kai-kai?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, not you as well! I¡¯m never getting rid of that nickname,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°But it sounds so cute! Kai-kai, I like it!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you like it¡­ but I have to go. Would you let me know when you get your cell phone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± teased Miyu. ¡°Bye-bye, Kai-kai.¡±


    A few minutes went by before Miyu caught herself daydreaming with a massive smile on her face.


    Get a hold of yourself!


    Another door slammed shut. Without a doubt, that came from downstairs.


    Papa!


    Finally! It¡¯s already night time!


    Miyu ran downstairs, skipping as many steps as she could. ¡°Papa! You¡¯re back!¡±


    Her father wobbled his way into the house. He was carrying a paper bag, which he dropped on the floor before making his way to the living room where he almost tripped over his own feet.


    Miyu ran over to help her father. A mixture of alcohol and vomit smells radiated from him.


    He¡¯s drunk out of his mind¡­


    ¡°Papa, are you okay?¡± she asked as she helped him to the couch.


    ¡°M-meeyu! Did you f-finish your homework?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any today, Papa¡­¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t talk back to me, girl! Go to b-bed!¡±


    ¡°But, Papa¡­ Did you get the cell phone?¡±


    ¡°Papa?¡±


    His head dropped back, and snoring sounds came from his open mouth.


    He passed out¡­


    Miyu fetched a blanket and tucked her father in. She flicked her fingers in front of his face, checking to see if he indeed was fast asleep, then she eagerly picked up the paper bag he had dropped earlier.


    It¡¯s just my new medicine¡­


    No cell phone¡­


    Miyu made her way back upstairs, drew her curtains, undressed, and got into bed. She was neither sad nor angry, just disappointed in her father, as well as in herself for still believing in him.

 Chapter 8 – A Fresh Brew

    A blizzard of white, pink, and pale yellow petals blew through the picturesque mountain town of Hakone, bringing with it the summer heat and the blooming of the Hydrangea bushes along the side of the train tracks.


    Kaito was deeply enjoying the view outside the classroom window when the ringing school bell pulled him back to reality.


    ¡°Now, tomorrow¡¯s exam¡­¡±


    Exam!?


    ¡°...shouldn¡¯t be that difficult¡­ if you paid attention to today¡¯s lesson!¡± continued Professor Yoshida as the crowd of kids made their way out of his classroom.


    Oh, shiii...taki mushrooms!


    I need to study!


    I should tell Touma I¡¯m not gonna be able to go to Music Club practice today¡­


    Luckily, Touma was about as easy to spot as a bright-red flame in the darkest of nights.


    ¡°Touma!¡± Kaito called.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, buddy?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make it¡­ to practice, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ No, can do, buddy! Today we have the professional choreographer coming in to help us out.¡±


    ¡°I know! I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t study, did you?¡± Touma asked laughingly.


    ¡°Nope¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha! I feel for you, Kaito, but today is a must-attend day. No exceptions!¡±


    Sigh¡­


    The two boys joined Himari for lunch, and as per usual, she was almost jumping with excitement. ¡°Are you guys excited?¡± she bubbled.


    ¡°For what?¡± asked Kaito.


    ¡°Well, I am, but our friend over here is in a bit of trouble,¡± Touma said.


    Kaito looked over at Touma and just shook his head.


    ¡°Huh? What kind of trouble, Kaito?¡± Himari asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t study,¡± Kaito mumbled.


    She looked at him curiously. ¡°You didn¡¯t study? But... that shouldn¡¯t be a problem! Professor Yoshida told our class that if we paid attention to today¡¯s lesson, we should be able to ace the exam tomorrow!¡±


    Touma and Kaito looked at each other and started laughing.


    ¡°What?¡± Himari asked, confused.


    ¡°Himari, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but our friend over here has a bit of a daydreaming problem. You should see him during class! I¡¯d be shocked if he¡¯d taken in enough from the classes to actually pass the exam,¡± Touma said with a chuckle.


    Kaito glared at Touma and added, ¡°And Mr. Music Club Captain over there said I¡¯m not allowed to skip Music Club today.¡±


    ¡°Well, you better pass the exam tomorrow! We have summer plans, remember?!¡± Himari almost looked upset. ¡°You can¡¯t really go have fun if you have to attend summer school, dummy!¡±


    ¡°We have summer plans?¡± Touma teased.


    Himari frowned at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°You better!¡± she said as she got up and reminded them not to be late for class again.


    Kaito was enjoying his rice ball lunch, packed by Kanna, when he remembered that he offered his help at the shop this summer.


    ¡°Touma.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like helping me out this summer at my aunt¡¯s coffee shop? Just like one or two days.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ nope,¡± Touma said wiping crumbs from his mouth and shaking his head from left to right.


    ¡°Well¡­ too bad,¡± Kaito said with a smile. ¡°I already told her you were coming.¡±


    ¡°Aww, man! It¡¯s summer vacation!¡±


    ¡°You will get paid.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start with that! Only two days? When do we start?¡± Touma asked with a smile.


    ¡°First day of summer vacation!¡±


    The rest of the school day went by rather quick; in fact, to Kaito, it felt way too fast as he tried to cram in as many study minutes as he could without the other teachers noticing he wasn¡¯t paying any attention to their lessons.


    But before long, the last bell of the day chimed, and Kaito met up with Touma in the school hall.


    Some of the kids were already busy practicing their choreography or busy warming up their voices when Touma climbed a chair, clapped his hands and with a deep, loud voice he called for everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Okay, guys, I¡¯ll like you to welcome Mr. Mori.¡± Touma pointed at the man standing on stage.


    Mr. Mori was dressed in complete shocking-purple and had curly, dark hair, tanned skin, and a muscular body. He stood on his toes and waved at everyone with both hands. ¡°Hello, hellooo, helloooo, my beautiful children!¡±


    Not sure how to respond to the greeting, some kids clapped, others cheered a mixture of ¡°Hellooo!¡± and ¡°Welcome!¡± while some bowed to him.


    ¡°So, Mr. Mori is only here today to help us perfect our choreography for the play, so I expect everyone to be on their best behavior and listen to what he has to say! Okay, let¡¯s get this party started!¡± Touma clapped, trying to motivate the crowd. ¡°Remember to absorb everything you can from him!¡±


    Touma jumped off the chair and made his way to the stage.


    ¡°Kaito, c¡¯mere!¡± he beckoned.


    I really can¡¯t remember agreeing to this¡­


    Kaito followed Touma to the stage. ¡°Why do you need me here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, you see¡­ You¡¯re my back-up¡­ My uh¡­ understudy.¡± Touma scratched his head and smiled.


    ¡°I barely agreed on singing for you, and now you want me to dance as well? Besides, where¡¯s Sara¡¯s understudy, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Kaito¡­ This entire club and everything we do and own is sponsored by Sara¡¯s parents¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Basically, if she¡¯s not in the play¡­ There is no play,¡± Touma said¡ªhe then turned to face Sara. ¡°She¡¯s irreplaceable.¡±


    Kaito laughed at his friend.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°You barely know her. Get to know her first before you fall in love with her,¡± Kaito advised.


    ¡°You mean like you and the mystery girl you haven¡¯t even seen yet?¡± Touma taunted.


    ¡°Dude¡­¡±


    Luckily, Touma realized quickly that he had gone too far: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, buddy; I didn¡¯t mean that. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I get it.¡±


    That afternoon, Kaito did more choreography than he had in years, and his energy levels were completely drained. Worse still, he still had more studying to do.


    After a train ride and a skipped dinner later, Kaito was back in his room where he tried his best to focus on his study material. Concentrating was a herculean task for him, no thanks to the crack in the wall, which put the person he wanted to spend his time with a mere whisper away.


    The next day, however, Kaito was glad he¡¯d devoted those hours to studying when he confidently finished his exam and received a passing grade from Professor Yoshida.


    ¡°We did it!¡± Touma cheered as the two of them joined Himari, who awaited them outside the school grounds.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go celebrate! Ice cream on me at Gora Park!¡± Himari grinned.


    Bright and early the next morning, Kaito was unlocking the door to Kanna¡¯s Coffee shop when he heard his friend mumble:


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ so¡­ freakin¡¯¡­ early!¡± Touma yawned.


    Kaito smiled. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m gonna make you a cup of coffee, and you¡¯ll be on the ball in no time!¡±


    ¡°Ah. So, how does this work by the way? I only know how to make instant coffee,¡± Touma asked as they made their way into the shop.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty straight-forward,¡± Kaito responded, handing Touma a clean, black apron. ¡°Put this on and follow me.¡± Kaito walked behind the counter and motioned Touma to join him.


    ¡°Right, so I¡¯ll be making the drinks¡ªcoffee or whatever they order¡ªand you¡­¡± Kaito turned on the computer that stood on the counter, ¡°¡­you will have to place their orders and take payment.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret; it¡¯s really simple. Things they can order are displayed on this screen. See,¡± Kaito pointed toward the screen, and his finger jumped around as he explained, ¡°All you need to do is press the buttons of what they are ordering and then press this big red order button, which shows you the total they need to pay,¡± Kaito explained.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Cool! Then after you placed the order, you just ask how they want to pay. They can pay with cash, card, or by phone¡ªif they scan this QR-code,¡± Kaito said, pointing at a QR-code sticker on the counter.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Doesn¡¯t seem that difficult,¡± Touma remarked.


    Kaito gave Touma a reassuring pat on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ll quickly get the hang of it!¡± Kaito said. ¡°Oh! There¡¯s one more thing! If someone orders the ¡®Fancy Green-Tea,¡¯ you would have to put on a Yukata and perform a tea ceremony at their table...¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah¡­ Alright. Wait, WHAT?!¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, Kidding! Just checking if you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Touma looked sleepy and unimpressed. ¡°Say, Kaito¡­ If I¡¯m doing this for you¡­ does that mean you owe me a favor?¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Um, no? You are doing this because you owe me a favor!¡± Kaito replied, turning on the bean roaster and the shop radio.


    ¡°Wait¡­ since when do I owe you a favor?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­ who was the guy that begged me to join the Music Club and then basically forced me to be his understudy?¡± Kaito asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Aw, come on! You¡¯re not still upset about that, are you?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! What matters is that you owe me a favor! Now, quit yapping and open the doors; I think we¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± Touma mocked.


    Touma opened the shop¡¯s doors, and a cool morning breeze followed him back to the counter where Kaito handed him a hot, fresh cup of coffee.


    ¡°Wow! This is some good coffee, Kaito.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even tasted it yet!¡±


    ¡°I know! But it smells amazing! And it¡¯s just what I need right now,¡± Touma said with a goofy smile on his face.


    The intoxicating fragrance of the roasted coffee beans soon traveled throughout the shop and out the front door, luring any and all who had a coffee craving.


    Glad I remembered how everything works¡­


    The morning started out slow, which was perfect as Touma got the hang of how the register worked before the shop got busy.


    Around lunchtime, Kaito realized there was an abnormal amount of young girls buying coffee.


    Are they here because of him?


    The stares and giggles coming from a group of girls soon confirmed his suspicions. His friend, however, seemed oblivious to them.


    He either has no interest¡­ or he has no clue.


    I¡¯m going with the latter.


    ¡°Hey, Touma,¡± Kaito called a while later. ¡°Shop seems empty right now; here, have a sandwich.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Go chill. I¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    Touma took a seat on the other side of the counter and took a big bite out of his sandwich.


    Kaito tilted his head to the side. ¡°I meant you can go have lunch, like, go relax at a table or even leave the shop if you want!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But I¡¯m not gonna leave you alone here. I know how shops work: one moment it¡¯s dead quiet, the next you have the entire town stampeding through here to buy a cappuccino!¡±


    What a nice guy.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Thanks for staying.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Touma said with a mouthful of the bacon-and-egg sandwich.


    ¡°By the way, what do you like about Sara?¡±


    Touma coughed and struggled to swallow his food. ¡°That came out of nowhere! Why do you ask?¡±


    Ignoring Touma¡¯s question, Kaito repeated his: ¡°What do you like about her?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ She¡¯s beautiful! A-and she has an amazing voice! And she¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°All you know about her is that she¡¯s pretty. You should really talk to her, Touma.¡±


    ¡°But how!? She¡¯s the most popular girl in school! And she¡¯s always surrounded by at least ten other girls at all times!¡±


    Poor guy¡­


    ¡°Well, then I have good news for you! But don¡¯t tell Himari that I told you this, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening!¡±


    ¡°Okay, it sounded like Himari was planning on inviting Sara to come with the three of us to the fireworks festival¡­¡±


    Touma¡¯s eyes grew big and his face, pale. ¡°Wha¡ª! Really!?¡± he pulled at his hair, ¡°What am I gonna do, Kaito!?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Calm down. It¡¯ll be fine! Now, you will finally have a chance to talk to her and get to know her!¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ But, Kaito, if she shows up in a Kimono¡­ I¡¯m running away!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it right now though! Just finish up your sandwich and come help me, please. It looks like you were right after all,¡± Kaito said as a big group of businessmen entered the shop.


    Geez¡­ Looks like all the businessmen in Hakone are here!


    Kanna will be happy about this; I just hope we survive the afternoon!


    Exhausted, Kaito locked up the shop doors as the sun was setting. ¡°Thanks for helping out today¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it, buddy!¡± Touma interjected while extending his fist for a fist bump.


    Kaito¡¯s fist joined Touma¡¯s, and the red-headed boy grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°Do you feel like helping out tomorrow as well? It should only be four hours or so if we¡¯re not busy.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Of course, I will! I had fun today and got paid for it!¡± Touma said with a grin.


    Kaito slipped the shop keys in his pocket and placed his hand on Touma¡¯s shoulder as they walked down the street. ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it,¡± Kaito said menacingly.


    ¡°Um¡­ W-why?¡± asked Touma.


    ¡°Because, well¡­ now it doesn¡¯t really count as a favor, does it?¡±


    Touma was just about to argue that point, but he broke into laughter instead. ¡°Yeah, you got me there. I still¡ª¡±


    WHOOSH. SMACK.


    ¡°Kaito! Touma!¡±


    Himari had come running down the street and almost crashed into them. She jumped and hugged Kaito, who stood frozen and speechless.


    What¡­ is happening?!


    And why is Touma frowning at me?


    ¡°Uh¡­ Himari? Hey¡­¡±


    She finally let go of Kaito. ¡°What are you guys doing here? And where¡¯s my invite, hmm?¡±


    ¡°We just got off work,¡± Kaito answered.


    ¡°Yeah! We are hard working men these days, you know!¡± Touma teased.


    ¡°Oh please! You guys probably went to see a movie together, because you¡¯re too scared to ask any of the girls at school to join you!¡±


    ¡°Aye! That¡¯s not nice¡­¡± Touma said with his sad puppy face.


    ¡°For real though, I told my aunt we would help out at the Coffee Shop this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Aww! That¡¯s so sweet of you, Kaito!¡±


    Kaito glanced over at Touma and caught him frowning at them again.


    Does he¡­ like her?


    Disappointed, Himari asked the why she hadn¡¯t been invited.


    Kaito let out a sound that was a mixture of a cough, snort, and a laugh. ¡°Err¡­ I mean, you can always help out tomorrow if you want?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Touma objected. ¡°Does that mean we have to split the wages between three?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to come help...¡± Himari said as she glanced over to Touma with folded arms and shook her head, ¡°...and I wasn¡¯t asking to get paid, you meanie!¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Is this¡­


    Is this a lover¡¯s quarrel?!


    ¡°Aaaanyways! I was going to mail these to you guys...¡± she said¡ªshe took out two envelopes out of her handbag¡ª¡°¡­but seeing as I ran into you here, I might as well just give it to you in person.¡±


    Touma just stared at the envelope that Himari had handed him, but Kaito was already tearing his open to reveal a card. A pretty, night-time fireworks scene took up the front space of the card, and when Kaito flipped it, he exposed a hand-written invitation:


    Dear Kaito


    With this, you have been formally invited to join Himari & Friends at this year¡¯s fireworks festival taking place next week Friday at Lake Ashi.


    Travel to and from has been arranged, all you need to do is be ready and dressed on time!


    P.s Snacks and games at own expense!


    See you Friday evening!


    ¡°It¡¯s an invitation!¡± Himari said with a big smile on her face, ¡°...for the Fireworks Festival. Well, I say invitation, but you guys don¡¯t really have a choice!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely thought, Himari, thank you,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it though¡­ couldn¡¯t you just send a reminder over Shine?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Dude...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being such a meanie, Touma! I thought it would be nice to send everyone personal invitations rather than just a stupid message on the phone!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Okay,¡± Touma responded, visibly confused by what was going on.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to come, Himari. Thank you for the invite,¡± Kaito said, trying to ease off the tension.


    ¡°And you?¡± she stared at Touma.


    ¡°What? I thought you just said we don¡¯t have a choice?!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Furious, Himari stormed off and disappeared into the distance.


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused¡­¡±


    Kaito laughed at his friend. ¡°You can be such a dimwit sometimes, you know...¡±


    When Kaito finally arrived home, he was greeted by a jubilant aunt: ¡°What did you guys do?¡± she asked with a giant smile spread across her face, ¡°you guys doubled my most profitable day this month!¡±


    ¡°Well, as soon as we took off our shirts, the shop just started filling up with girls...¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?! Maybe I should try that as well!¡± Kanna joked.


    Kaito pulled his face and tried to shake the image out of his head. ¡°No! I mean¡ª I was just kidding! It was just very busy today because some company decided to have a business meeting at the Coffee Shop.¡±


    ¡°Now see, that makes more sense!¡± smiled Kanna.


    ¡°I have no idea how you run that place on your own...¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have to for too much longer. I had the time to look through a bunch of CVs today. Thanks to you and your friend.¡±


    Oh yeah!


    ¡°About that¡­ I kinda told my friend, Himari, that she can help out tomorrow as well. I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡± Kaito asked. ¡°She did say she would do it for free, but I thought it would be nice if everyone equally got paid¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you say a girl?!¡±


    ¡°A friend!¡±


    ¡°Does Kaito have a girlfriend?!¡± Yui yelled while running downstairs.


    ¡°You guys are ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Why are you blushing Kai-kai-poo!¡± Kanna pouted her lips and squeezed Kaito¡¯s cheeks. Yui was on the floor crying with laughter.


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Kaito said, pulling away, ¡°you guys are so weird!¡± He then made his way upstairs.


    ¡°Oh! Tell your friends they are welcome to help out at the shop whenever they want to! Paid, of course...¡±


    Kaito couldn¡¯t help but smile and shake his head.


    What a bunch of weirdos!


    At least they seem happy¡­


    After he undressed, Kaito flopped onto his bed and let out a sigh of relief.


    Man, what a day!


    I wonder if Miyu is home¡­


    Kaito jumped off his bed and rested his ear against the crack.


    I can hear her music!


    Tap tap tap.


    ¡°Anyone home?¡± he asked.


    A few moments later, Miyu¡¯s voice traveled through the crack: ¡°Heeeey, Mr. Kaito! You¡¯re finally home?¡±


    ¡°I am, yeah!¡±


    ¡°Out partying now that it¡¯s summer holiday?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Nope! I was working at my aunt¡¯s Coffee Shop today!¡±


    ¡°Oh! That sounds interesting! Does she have hot chocolate on the menu?¡± Miyu asked with excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Three different kinds actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wow! Hot chocolate is my favorite! What about pastries? Or does she only sell drinks?¡±


    ¡°Freshly baked goodies get delivered first thing every morning, so that¡¯s on the menu as well!¡±


    ¡°Aww, I¡¯m craving hot chocolate and freshly baked cinnamon rolls so bad right now!¡±


    ¡°We sell those as well! Would you like me to bring you some tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°And then what? Are you going to try and squeeze it through this tiny crack?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Bad idea. What else do you like?¡±


    ¡°I like music, hot chocolate, and freshly baked cinnamon rolls!¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Something I don¡¯t already know, dummy!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s hard to think of something when you put me on the spot like that!¡±


    ¡°Well, I could give you my number, and you could text me when you know,¡± teased Kaito.


    A few moments of silence went by before Miyu sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kaito. My dad never got me a cell phone.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Why not?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª honestly, I don¡¯t know. I never know what goes on in his head, but I do know it¡¯s best not to question him. I¡¯m sorry, Kaito.¡±


    Damn, that sucks. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry! It¡¯s all good¡­ anyways¡­¡± Kaito sensed her disappointment and quickly changed the subject. ¡°What about fireworks? Do you like them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do, silly! Who doesn¡¯t like seeing fireworks?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ would you like to go with me and my friends to the fireworks festival next weekend?¡±


    It was quiet for a few moments. ¡°You know I can¡¯t...¡± she finally answered, with a palpable shift in her mood.


    ¡°But¡­ Can¡¯t you ask your dad? Just for one night!¡±


    ¡°Kaito, no!¡±


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll just have to ask him myself!¡±


    ¡°Kaito!¡± she cried. ¡°Just, no! Just stop! You don¡¯t know what you are saying!¡±


    ¡°Miyu¡­ I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! Just leave it, okay?¡±


    A few seconds later Kaito heard a door slam shut, and he knew she wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    Damn¡­ It sounded like she was about to cry¡­


    Did I make her cry?


    Kaito had a tough time falling asleep that evening; the thought of being the reason for Miyu¡¯s tears made him sick to his stomach.


    The sun was rearing its bright red head out from behind the mountains when Kaito, Touma, and Himari met up in front of Kanna¡¯s Coffee Shop.


    They greeted each other with an echo of yawns and trudged their way into the shop.


    It wasn¡¯t until Himari unzipped her jacket when the first words were spoken: ¡°What the hell are you wearing?!¡± Touma blurted.


    Himari was wearing extremely short, form-fitting, denim cut-off shorts and a white crop top that exposed her shoulders and stomach.


    She twirled around, smiled, and then asked, ¡°Hmm, do you like it?¡±


    The two boys stood frozen, they gulped in unison while their faces turned spring-rose-pink.


    ¡°You¡¯re b-b-barely wearing anything!¡± Touma exclaimed with a heavy breath.


    ¡°Well, hello there, Grandpa! Didn¡¯t you check the weather for today? It¡¯s going to be searing hot this afternoon!¡± Himari said, sounding slightly offended.


    ¡°Okay, you two! We haven¡¯t even had coffee yet, let¡¯s calm down, yeah?¡±


    Kaito quickly pulled out a chair from the closest table, climbed it, and did his finest Touma impression. ¡°Okay, guys, gather round!¡± he clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Is that supposed to be me?¡± Touma asked unimpressed while Himari started laughing.


    ¡°You sound just like that!¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Okay, okay, listen up guys!¡± Kaito teased, ¡°I¡¯m expecting an influx of customers today, so I expect both of you to be sharp. Touma, you will man the counter, Himari will be in charge of the tables, and I¡¯ll be making the drinks again. Sounds good?¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± Himari giggled.


    After making three cups of coffee, Kaito opened the shop¡¯s door.


    It didn¡¯t take too long for the shop to fill up with customers. And Kaito soon realized that the selection of customers was different from that of the previous day. Yesterday, most of the customers were young girls, fawning over Touma, but it was mostly young guys today, swooning over Himari.


    Either way, I¡¯m sure Kanna will be happy.


    Touma sulked behind the counter the entire morning. ¡°Just look at them!¡± he fumed, ¡°they¡¯re all over her like wild dogs over a bone!¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Kaito asked. ¡°You guys are friends, right? You should be happy she¡¯s getting attention from guys.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different! This is just¡ª it¡¯s just¡ª ugh! It just annoys me, ya know? Just look at them! They can¡¯t take their eyes off her butt!¡±


    ¡°Chill, buddy. Why don¡¯t you grab a sandwich and go take a break?¡±


    Touma looked at Kaito. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he succinctly said then took off his apron and stormed out of the shop.


    ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡± Himari asked on seeing Touma head out.


    ¡°I have noooo idea...¡±


    Well, I do¡­ I just don¡¯t want to get involved¡­


    ¡°Hmm, maybe I should go talk to him!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best you don¡¯t. Just let him cool down for a bit. In the meantime, can you take over at the counter? I¡¯ll show you how everything works.¡±


    Himari seemed worried about Touma but agreed with Kaito. ¡°I hope he¡¯s okay. And that¡¯s not necessary. My parents run a Ramen Restaurant, and I¡¯ve worked at the register more times than I can remember!¡±


    ¡°Ah sweet! And that¡¯s pretty cool! I love ramen!¡± Kaito exclaimed.


    ¡°We should all go there sometime. My dad¡¯s ramen is the best in Hakone!¡±


    ¡°Count me in! By the way, do you know when we¡¯re going to Odawara?¡±


    Himari looked at him confused. ¡°Hmm, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Touma said we¡¯re going¡­¡±


    Did he not invite her?


    Kaito paused for a moment. ¡°...to Odawara this summer.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I guess he forgot to invite me,¡± she said, clearly upset.


    Damn, Kaito! Think before you speak!


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure he will! Besides, he only mentioned it a few days ago. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just busy planning out the trip!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, Kaito.¡±


    Kaito forced a dumb looking smile on his face. He had no idea how to make the situation less awkward, but luckily for him, more customers entered the shop, and Himari¡¯s attention shifted to them.


    Phew, close call¡­


    These two really are lovebirds!


    A few minutes later, the shop¡¯s door swung open, and Touma dragged himself inside, ¡°Wa¡­ ter!¡± he heaved.


    His sweaty-shirt clung to his body, and little beads of sweat were rolling down his crimson-red face.


    Touma gulped the glass of water Kaito had given to him. ¡°What the¡ª It¡¯s so freakin¡¯ hot outside!¡±


    ¡°Told you so!¡± Himari sang as she rushed passed the two boys on her way to serve the next customer.


    ¡°Smartass,¡± Touma mumbled under his breath.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll switch the aircon on,¡± Kaito said, ¡°by the way¡­ I kinda mentioned the Odawara trip in front of Himari. I thought you would¡¯ve invited her¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah¡­ I was going to, I just¡ª I don¡¯t know. Should we invite her if she would be dressed like that?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to the beach? I¡¯m pretty sure girls will be wearing bikinis on the beach.¡±


    With the look on Touma¡¯s face, Kaito could deduce that he hasn¡¯t given it that much thought yet.


    Should I¡­


    I think I have to¡­


    ¡°Touma¡­ do you think you might be, I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe a little bit jealous?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Of Himari? Pft! No way! Anyways, It doesn¡¯t really¡ª Oh!¡± a customer had popped up in front of him. ¡°Hello! Welcome to Kanna¡¯s Coffee! Can I take your order?¡±


    Kaito shook his head, sighed, and continued preparing drinks.


    After closing the doors later that afternoon, the three of them sat down, relaxed, and counted the fruits of their labor, after which Kaito handed each of them a small pile of Yen.


    ¡°Thank you guys for helping out. My aunt also said you guys are more than welcome to come help out again, whenever you want to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, perfect! We can come work here again, to make some money for our trip to Od¡ª¡± Touma stumbled over the last few words as he caught Himari¡¯s frown burning holes into his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop on my account, Touma! You can finish your sentence. I know about your little trip, and never mind about me! I don¡¯t want to go anyways!¡± Himari grimaced as she shot up from her chair and rushed toward the door to leave. But just before she exited the shop, she stopped and turned around to face Kaito. ¡°Oh, and please, thank your aunt for me, Kaito. She really didn¡¯t have to pay me.¡± She politely said, with a different tone and a big smile on her face.


    ¡°And off she goes...¡± said Kaito.


    ¡°Girls...¡± sighed Touma.


    ¡°I know, right!¡± Kaito agreed.

 Chapter 9 - Blackout

    ¡°Then¡­ would you like to go with me¡­¡±


    Did I overreact?


    I was rude! Wasn¡¯t I?


    ¡°...to the fireworks festival next weekend?¡±


    The conversation with Kaito kept playing in Miyu¡¯s mind. She hated the fact that she had to say no to him and thought that she might have been too harsh on him.


    Kaito¡­


    I really wish I could say yes¡­


    You have no idea how badly I want to go with you!


    Admitting that made Miyu blush, but then a single tear formed in the corner of her eye. And by the time it reached her chin, she had decided.


    I¡¯m just gonna ask him...


    Worst case, he says no¡­


    It took Miyu an entire day to build up the courage needed to ask her father. That evening, as her belly bubbled with the combination of anger, excitement, and nervousness, she forced her trembling legs downstairs.


    I¡¯m just gonna ask him¡­


    Her sweaty palms made it difficult to hold on to the handrail.


    No! I¡¯m gonna tell him!


    She took a deep breath as she walked into the living room.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    ¡°Papa...¡± she squeaked.


    ¡°Miyu!¡± He turned around so fast that he almost fell out of his chair. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in bed?¡±


    ¡°Papa, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you¡­ See, there¡¯s this fireworks fes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look at the time, my sweet! You need to be in bed!¡±


    ¡°But, Papa!¡± she cried out. ¡°Just listen to me!¡± Her heart was racing so much it made her dizzy.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Next weekend¡­ There¡¯s¡­ a f-fireworks festival...¡±


    Why¡­ is it¡­ so hard¡­ to breathe?


    Miyu¡¯s body suddenly felt so weak that she had to lean against the wall to keep herself up.


    ¡°What is this mumbling about festivals?¡± her father demanded.


    He¡¯s not gonna let me go, is he?!


    Tears were burning their way down her cheeks. ¡°I want¡­ to go!¡±


    The frown on her father¡¯s face wrinkled a hundred times over as his sweaty-pale skin quickly turned boiling red. ¡°You will not be going anywhere! What is this nonsense?!¡±


    ¡°But, Papa!¡± she objected as she tried waving away the dark spots that formed in her vision.


    ¡°You better march yourself straight upstairs!¡± her father exploded.


    ¡°Papa, please!¡± she begged as she clutched at her heart. The pounding of her heart drowned out all other sounds.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­


    Anymore...


    Miyu¡¯s legs couldn¡¯t hold her up anymore, and her tiny body caved in.


    The last thing she saw through her teary-eyed vision was her father¡¯s bullish-red face rushing toward her, after which her world blurred out of sight and everything went pitch black.


    Miyu, will you come with me?


    Where?


    Just give me your hand, let¡¯s go!


    I want to!


    But?


    I just can¡¯t¡­


    If you don¡¯t want to, just tell me!


    I do! I really do! Please...


    Miyu woke up with a blinding white light that burned her eyes, and after a few blinks, she realized that she was in the hospital.


    She hated being there. Besides, the migraine-inducing bright lights, coupled with the strong smell of chemicals didn¡¯t make it any easier either.


    ¡°Miyu! My sweet! You¡¯re awake!¡±


    Her head fell sideways when she heard her father¡¯s voice.


    Just leave me alone!


    She squeezed her eyes shut.


    I wish I could be somewhere else¡­


    Anywhere but here!


    The hospital room door swung open, and moments later, Miyu could hear the doctor whispering to her father: ¡°...condition is stable, Mr. Hoshino. Feel free to go home, but Miyu will need to stay here for a couple of days. We need to run some tests to determine whether her condition is getting any better. And also to prevent any further episodes.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Please, do everything in your power to make her better!¡± her father pleaded.


    ¡°We will do everything we can, Mr. Hoshino.¡±


    Again, the door opened and then closed. Miyu heard the footfalls of the doctor fade into the distance as he left the room. A few seconds later, she heard something completely unexpected: her father sobbing and sniffing, prompting her to open her eyes. She saw her father sitting in the corner of the room, his face buried in a handkerchief.


    Guilt cropped up in her throat.


    This was all my fault¡­


    I was being selfish again!


    If I¡¯d just listened to Papa, these things wouldn¡¯t happen to me...


    The only thing Miyu hated more than being in a hospital bed was seeing her father cry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± her voice crackled.


    ¡°Miyu!¡± He jumped up from his seat, ran to her bedside, and hugged her.


    Slowly, they swayed back and forth, and she could feel her father¡¯s warm tears on her back.


    Even though Miyu¡¯s tear glands felt dried up, she was still able to produce more tears. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Papa.¡±


    I just wanted to dream once¡­


    But I guess it isn¡¯t meant for me.


    ¡°Shh, shh, my little Miyu. Everything is going to be fine. You have to stay here for a bit so that they can make sure you are okay. I¡¯ll be back here first thing in the morning, okay? I¡¯ll bring you some books and comfy clothes!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Papa.¡±


    ¡°Now, get some rest, sweetheart. See, this is what happens when you get too excited! You know that¡¯s why I can¡¯t allow you to go to festivals and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Papa.¡±


    He kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting angry at you¡­ I know I need to change, and I will do my best.¡± He walked out of the room, pulling up his pants as he walked out.


    She wiped her tears away and remembered something her mother told her a very long time ago:


    Every great dream starts with a dreamer!


    That night, Miyu dreamed of holding hands with the faceless boy, under a midnight sky, filled with shooting stars and fireworks.

 Chapter 10 - A Dazzling Display

    A week flew by, taking with it the last of the cherry blossoms. Kaito stood in his room, arm stretched out toward his bedroom wall. Softly, he ran his finger down the crack in the wall. The sharp edges pressed against his skin, reminding him of the last conversation he had with Miyu.


    Why can¡¯t I hear you anymore¡­?


    He had repeated their last conversation in his head at least a thousand times that week.


    Was she really that upset that I asked her?


    Or did something happen to her?!


    ¡°Miyu¡­ are you there?¡±


    ¡°Kaitoooo!¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°Touma is here!¡± Kanna called from downstairs.


    Oh.


    Sigh...


    Kaito grabbed his wallet, sprayed on some cologne, and made his way downstairs.


    ¡°Dude!¡± Touma said as he wrapped his arm around his neck and whispered in his ear: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me your aunt is so hot?¡±


    Kaito pushed him off and ignored his question.


    It¡¯s gonna be a long night tonight¡­


    ¡°Can I get you boys something to drink?¡± Kanna asked.


    ¡°No, thanks, Mrs.¡­ uh...¡± Touma scratched his head and smiled.


    ¡°Miss,¡± corrected Kanna, ¡°Igarashi. My sister insisted on keeping our family name when she married. I¡¯m so glad she did...¡± Kanna was clearly lost in thought for a few moments before she added, ¡°¡­but call me Kanna, please.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Kanna!¡± Touma beamed.


    ¡°Alrighty, we have to get going,¡± Kaito said as he gave Kanna a quick hug, but then, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Yui peeking at them.


    Kaito approached his little sister, bent over, and pretended to be serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mama teach you it¡¯s rude to stare at strangers?¡±


    Yui kept quiet, but her face said more than her words could.


    She looks just like an adorable puppy with those huge eyes and floppy ears¡­


    ¡°Pfft, fine! Go get your jacket,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Yui jumped in excitement.


    ¡°Only if you promise you¡¯ll listen to me!¡±


    ¡°I promise! I promise!¡± Yui immediately bounced all the way to her room and back.


    After a couple of waves and hugs, the three of them set off on their way to the train station.


    Vzzzt-Vzzzt. Vzzzt-Vzzzt.


    Touma reached into his pocket and took out his phone. ¡°It¡¯s Himari!¡± he held out his phone for Kaito to see.


    BUBBLES: We are on the train. Where are you guys sitting?


    BUBBLES: Touma?


    BUBBLES: YOU GUYS AREN¡¯T ON THE TRAIN?! WHERE ARE YOU??????????


    ¡°You call her Bubbles?¡± Kaito asked, surprised.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Well, she¡¯s only called that on my phone¡­ Think she would flip if I called her that to her face!¡±


    ¡°Why do you call her Bubbles then?¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause of her bubbly personality!¡±


    Kaito laughed. ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you! You must be like¡­ King Bubbles then!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point though!¡± Touma said with wide eyes and worried wrinkles on his forehead. ¡°Himari and Sara are already on the Train... That means... That means we are super late! Aw, man, she is gonna be so mad...¡±


    Yui giggled at Touma¡¯s overreaction, grabbed his hand, and then she said, ¡°It will be okay, To-to!¡± she looked over at Kaito, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Kai-kai?¡±


    ¡°Yip, we¡¯ll just have to catch the next train.¡±


    Touma looked surprised at first, but he was soon carrying Yui on his back while she frolicked with his hair.


    I guess she has two brothers tonight!


    Lake Ashi wasn¡¯t that far from the town, but because Mount Hakone was nestled nicely in between the city and the lake, a train ride there took just over thirty minutes.


    After about fifteen minutes into their journey, Kaito could see the start of Lake Ashi for the first time. The lake quickly spread out until it reached the horizon.


    Wow, it¡¯s huge!


    ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡± Kaito said out loud as he tugged on Touma¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Oh yeah. It¡¯s the first time you see Lake Ashi, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wait till you see the Shrine and the fireworks¡­ Man¡­ it looks gorgeous! Not to mention all the girls in their Kimonos!¡± he said with his usual goofy smile spread across his face.


    Kaito laughed, shook his head, and continued enjoying the enthralling sights: Lake Ashi on his right and Mount Hakone on his left.


    Shortly after, they arrived at the station. Kaito and Yui were in awe when they got off the train. Tiny lights flickered around them, blinking goodbyes to the setting sun. Kaito grabbed his sister¡¯s only free hand as they set off, following the lively atmosphere and swarm of people headed toward the beach.


    In front of them stood two beautiful girls, both of whom donned Kimonos. Kaito barely recognized Himari. Her usual messy brown hair was now smooth, straight, and folded in an elaborate bun, which sat on the back of her head. Wrapped up in a pretty pink Kimono, Himari waved at them.


    Unfortunately, the appearance of the girl standing next to her dwarfed hers. Sara looked simply stunning, and judging by the look on Touma¡¯s face, he was thinking the exact same thing.


    Kaito elbowed Touma. ¡°Close your mouth, idiot!¡±


    Her ocean-blue Kimono was folded perfectly to underline her curves and crevices. Not to mention her professionally-done pink hair, which made her stand out even more.


    ¡°Kaito! Touma!¡± Himari called, waving them over, then her eyes spotted Yui, ¡°OH MY GOSH! Who is that cute little girl?!¡± she said as she started running toward them.


    Yui quickly grabbed hold of Kaito¡¯s arm and looked at him with a face that screamed, Help me!


    Kaito found Yui¡¯s expression extremely funny and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°This is Yui, my little sister. Go say hi, Yui,¡± he gave her a small nudge forward.


    ¡°You are sooo adorable!¡± she beamed. ¡°Kaito, you¡¯re so lucky you have a little sister!¡±


    Before long, and much to Yui¡¯s annoyance, Sara joined Himari as they admired and played with Yui¡¯s hair, clothes, and anything else that intrigued them.


    While all this happened, Touma was in a world of his own¡ªspeechless and focused on Sara.


    He really likes her huh¡­ I know!


    ¡°You guys look amazing tonight, Himari, Sara. What do you think, Touma?¡± Kaito asked as he prodded Touma, snapping him out of his trance.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh! Yeah¡­ Y-you look amazing t-tonight, Sara.¡±


    Himari shot an angry glance in Touma¡¯s direction but quickly turned her attention back to Yui. ¡°Come Yui! There¡¯s a bunch of games we can play before the fireworks start!¡± she said as she took Yui¡¯s hand in hers and lead her down to the beach, where there were a bunch of stalls set up.


    The beach was packed with people. It felt like the entire population of Hakone was there. Kids, parents, and grandparents were either scurrying from stall to stall, catching up with old friends or enjoying the delicious varieties of foods being sold.


    Amazing smells filled the air around the Lake and Kaito could feel his belly already rumbling.


    I wonder why Kanna didn¡¯t come¡­


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    I guess she will enjoy a nice, quiet evening at home¡­


    Kaito breathed in the atmosphere around him. The smells, the sights, sounds, and the blinking lights all came together like an orchestra playing in perfect harmony.


    Such a beautiful melody¡­


    Not long afterward, the group had involuntarily split up, and Kaito soon found himself at the edge of the lake, alone with Sara.


    Sara looked at Kaito and walked up to him. ¡°This is Lake Ashi, Kaito. Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said, smiled and turned to face the lake.


    Her arm¡­ Is brushing against mine?


    Kaito was stunned by her radiating aura, and at that moment, he understood why Touma was so taken by her. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at the moonlight dancing upon her face.


    Sara turned to face Kaito, and he quickly jerked his head away, pretending to be very interested in the lake. ¡°Hmm, yeah, I agree! It sure is beauti¡ª¡±


    Err¡­


    Horror ran down Kaito¡¯s face and cropped up in his throat. Sara had locked her arms around his, and her voluptuous chest hugged his arm.


    What! What! What the¡­


    Kaito¡¯s voice squeaked as he tried to say something, but no words came out.


    ¡°Aww¡­ Are you shy, Kaito?¡± she giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ wanna¡­ kiss me?¡± she asked seductively, moving her lips close to his ear. The sensation feeling of her hot breath so close to him gave him goosebumps.


    Sara used two fingers on Kaito¡¯s chin to pull his face toward hers, and that was when it struck him:


    Miyu.


    This isn¡¯t Miyu¡­


    He snapped out of it and pulled himself free. ¡°Sara, what the hell?!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± she asked with complete shock on her face, then she pulled up the shoulder part of her Kimono which she had pulled down to aid in seducing Kaito.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± demanded Kaito. ¡°You know how much Touma likes you!¡±


    Before Kaito could say anything else, she clasped her small hands around his face, leaned in, and planted a kiss on his lips.


    Kaito pushed her away, but before he could process what had just happened, Touma had appeared out of nowhere, standing only a few meters away from them. ¡°Touma?¡± called Kaito with big, shocked eyes.


    Damn¡­


    SLAM! CRACK! WHAM!


    Touma ran and slammed into Kaito. They both fell to the ground and rolled over a couple of times.


    ¡°ARGH! TOUMA! WHAT THE¡ª¡±


    Touma¡¯s fist slammed against Kaito¡¯s face as the red-headed boy sat on top of him. ¡°I thought you were my FRIEND!¡± he raged.


    Touma was about to land another punch, but Kaito quickly grabbed Touma¡¯s arms and used his legs to push him off of him. ¡°Calm down, then we can talk about it!¡± pleaded Kaito.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Touma lunged at Kaito again, but this time, Kaito was prepared. He sidestepped, and as Touma dashed past him, he gave him a little smack at the back of his head.


    Touma came to a halt, fell to his knees, his arms dangled against his sides, and his eyes stared blankly out into the distance.


    Touma...


    ¡°Touma...¡±


    ¡°Just forget it,¡± Touma said, got up and disappeared into the crowd of people.


    A few moments later, Himari and Yui came running toward Kaito. ¡°Kaito!¡± Yui cried out as she wrapped her little arms around his waist. ¡°Are you okay, big brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Yui, really!¡± he hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m completely fine; don¡¯t worry about me, okay?¡±


    ¡°But why did To-to do that? Doesn¡¯t he know¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t, Yui, but I¡¯ll go tell him, okay?¡± Kaito patted her head.


    I need to find Touma¡­


    I need to explain!


    As if she could read his mind, Himari beckoned Yui over and hugged her. ¡°Go! Find him!¡± she told Kaito.


    Kaito planted a quick kiss on his sister¡¯s little forehead then ran into the massive crowd of people. ¡°TOUMA!¡± he called out to his friend, ¡°TOUMAAA!¡±


    Touma sat with his lower back pressed against a tree, his face buried in the crevice created by his arms being crossed over his knees. Kaito, out of breath, made his way over to where his friend sat.


    Is he crying?


    Kaito heard his friend sniffling as he approached. ¡°Touma¡­ I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± Touma mumbled, wiping his tears away.


    ¡°She kissed me...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a move on her or anything! You have to believe¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    What?


    ¡°Then why the hell did you punch me?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Touma sobbed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Kaito laughed at his friend. ¡°You idiot!¡±


    Touma started laughing as well, still wiping tears from his face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I punched you! I¡ª I just liked her a lot, you know? I thought I was in love.¡±


    In love?


    ¡°Just what is it that you like about her?¡± Kaito asked, taking a seat next to his friend. The coarse tree bark pinched his back, and for a moment, he forgot about the throbbing pain on his cheek.


    ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s the most beautiful girl in the school!¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And¡­ She, err¡­ has an amazing voice!¡±


    ¡°Touma...¡±


    Kaito could see his friend pulling his face in several different directions as he tried to find words that described Sara and why he liked her so much.


    Just as I thought¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s good looking, I agree. But the thing is, she knows it as well¡­ And she is extremely good at using that to her advantage,¡± Kaito said, resting his hand on Touma¡¯s back, patting him. ¡°You know love is a deeper connection than just physical attraction, right?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Touma sighed.


    ¡°At least, that¡¯s my opinion!¡± Kaito said, looking up at the night sky, which has started to fill up with stars. ¡°Besides... she¡¯s a floozy!¡±


    ¡°A¡­ What?¡± Touma giggled.


    ¡°A floozy! Something my mom used to say. It¡¯s just another word for a girl that¡¯s kind of¡­ You know...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Loose or easy¡­¡±


    Touma¡¯s smile faded, and he sighed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess you¡¯re right, Kaito.¡±


    Poor guy¡­


    ¡°Listen, Touma...¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°If you like her that much, or you think it might be love¡­ None of this should matter though, just be honest with her and see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Nope. You were right¡­ I don¡¯t even know her; I just liked what I saw,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t love.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re kidding me! I¡¯m sorry! I just punched my best friend in the face without even thinking twice¡­ I¡¯m sorry, buddy,¡± he said, jumping up and extending his hand toward Kaito.


    Best friend?


    Kaito grabbed Touma¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ You punch like a girl anyway!¡± he kidded.


    Touma smiled, and in one swift moment, he pulled Kaito up. ¡°I need to ask you a favor.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I need you to replace me¡­ in the musical.¡±


    Kaito gasped. ¡°What? No ways!¡±


    No, please don¡¯t make me!


    ¡°Please¡­ I can¡¯t¡ª I don¡¯t want to sing with Sara. I know I¡¯m being petty, but I just¡ª¡±


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this...


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°You will? Thank you so much!¡± Touma said. ¡°And, Kaito¡­ I really am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re gonna feel even worse when I show you this.¡± Kaito lifted his shirt to reveal the scar that ran down his chest.


    Touma¡¯s eyes matched the size of his open mouth.


    ¡°I had a lung surgery about a year ago,¡± explained Kaito.


    Touma remained speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, okay? It¡¯s my fault for not telling you sooner,¡± Kaito gave Touma a reassuring smile. ¡°Just¡­ promise me, next time, we¡¯ll talk before we figh¡ª¡±


    ¡°I promise!¡± Kaito had barely finished his sentence when the words blurted out of Touma¡¯s mouth.


    The two boys made their way back down to the buzzing crowd of people. The stall lights illuminated the entire beach and revealed Touma¡¯s eyes, which matched his hair color.


    Touma turned to Kaito, his head hung low. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­ Can you apologize to Yui for me? I¡­ I know it¡¯s weird, but I feel like I disappointed her.¡±


    Kaito smiled at his friend. ¡°It¡¯s not weird at all. She has two brothers now! But I think it¡¯s best you tell her that yourself, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Touma lifted his head, relieved. ¡°You¡¯re right! But first, I¡¯m gonna go find Sara. I need to clear the air between us. After that, I¡¯ll come to find you guys!¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± was all Kaito could say before Touma disappeared.


    The strong smell of fried foods clung in the air making Kaito¡¯s stomach roar with hunger. He scanned each stall as he walked past. All of Kaito¡¯s favorites could be found there: Skewered, grilled chicken pieces, called Yakitori; fluffy pancake balls filled with octopus; grilled squids on sticks, deep fried chicken, piping hot potatoes and corn; bananas covered in chocolate and sugary sprinkles, shaved ice. The choices were unending.


    I should find Yui, quick!


    Not long after, Kaito found her sitting on a stone bench, next to Himari. They were already busy eating something.


    They are eating¡­


    Looks like Yakitori!


    They waved at him as he approached. ¡°Thank you so much, Himari!¡± Kaito said, bending over to hug his little sister.


    ¡°It was no problem at all! Yui is the sweetest little girl ever!¡± she said, and the two girls smiled at each other as if they were hiding some secret inside joke. Himari turned to face Kaito again and asked in a frank tone, ¡°How is he?¡±


    Must be hard on her¡­


    Seeing him freak out like that over another girl.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s just fine! We talked it out and... And I think we¡¯re both feeling better.¡±


    ¡°Where is he then?¡± she asked.


    ¡°He, err¡­ He had to go talk to Sara¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Himari got up from the stone bench with a fake smile plastered on her face. Kaito was about to explain when a strong gust of wind swept through and drowned out any sound coming from his mouth.


    Kaito could have sworn he saw teardrops running down her cheeks, but it was difficult to tell for sure because her mousy brown hair blew in all directions, covering her face.


    When the wind quieted down, Yui had nestled herself against her brother and grabbed hold of his hand. She looked up at him as if she required some attention.


    Kaito smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go get some candy before heading down to the Lake? My treat! I think the fireworks show will start soon.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good plan, big brother!¡± Himari chuckled.


    ¡°I want the biggest ball of cotton candy they can make!¡± Yui demanded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some!¡±


    Kaito, Himari, and Yui followed the line of stalls, down to the beach and toward the edge of the lake. They had drinks, chocolates, bags filled with candies in their hands, and Kaito had a small paper containing fried chicken nuggets, which he stuffed in his mouth whenever he had enough open space.


    The lines of stalls illuminated the pathway, directing fun seekers toward the lake. Lake Ashi was indeed a giant lake. It stretched from left to right as far as the human eye could see. In front of them, the peaceful black mass reached the horizon where a line of tall, green trees was visible. Amid the trees stood a mighty, gleaming-red Shinto shrine; its glorious aura drew everyone¡¯s gaze from across the lake.


    Breathtaking.


    I wish she could see this¡­


    The thought of Miyu made his heart heavy and his face frown.


    ¡°Are you okay, brother?¡± Yui asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kaito smiled at her. ¡°And you? You¡¯ve been so quiet tonight!¡±


    Yui¡¯s lip curled downward. ¡°I just don¡¯t like stupid people punching my brother!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that, Yui!¡± he patted her head. ¡°But I¡¯m fine... Besides, Touma punches like a girl!¡±


    Yui giggled and stuffed her mouth full of fluffy pink candy floss.


    Good!


    She¡¯s smiling again¡­


    ¡°Kaito...¡± Himari said while slurping on a cup of green tea.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for inviting that girl. I should¡¯ve known she would be up to her old tricks again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly¡­ It¡¯s not your fault!¡± Kaito replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was harder on you than me,¡± he carefully added.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Himari blurted out, ¡°What do you mean?!¡±


    It was clear as day that Kaito had struck a nerve.


    ¡°Are you seriously gonna play dumb?¡± Kaito asked with a lifted eyebrow.


    Himari looked away and stared into the depths of the lake.


    ¡°I know you like him...¡±


    She let out a sigh and shook her head.


    Is she upset?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t say anything!¡± Kaito gave her a soft, reassuring pat on the back. ¡°But you should¡ª¡±


    ¡°There you are!¡± came Touma¡¯s voice from behind them. ¡°Jeez, this lake is huge! I¡¯ve been walking, looking for you guys for the last half an hour!¡±


    ¡°Glad you made it! I think you¡¯re just in time,¡± Kaito responded.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. The show is just about to¡ª Yui! There you are!¡± Touma said, then he dramatically dropped down on one knee and took her small hand in his. ¡°Yui¡­ I¡¯m so sorry for my behavior tonight. Please, will you forgive me?¡±


    Kaito laughed and shook his head.


    This guy is crazy!


    Yui giggled. ¡°I forgive you, To-to! Kai-kai said you punch like a girl anyways, so it didn¡¯t even hurt him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan!¡± he said, smiling from ear to ear. He swiftly picked Yui up and perched her on his shoulders. ¡°Comfy?¡± Yui giggled.


    The three friends gazed at each other for a moment. And in one simple look, a hundred words were said, leaving only bright smiles on their faces as the first bunch of fireworks shot up to the sky.


    FLASH!


    WHIZZ!


    BANG!


    Thousands of flickering colors filled the night sky in a brilliant display of glittering gold, acid green, sapphire blue, and fiery red flares that resembled flowers bursting at tremendous speed.


    A chorus of excited ¡°oeh¡¯s¡± and ¡°ahh¡¯s¡± came from the crowd, and the beautiful display above was reflected in the waters of Lake Ashi.


    ¡°Uh-huh! I read that if you go there on a cloudless night, the reflection on the lake looks just like a field of stars!¡±


    Kaito wanted, more than anything, for her to be there. He tried to imagine what it would be like if she were there. It was difficult; he didn¡¯t even know what she looked like. His heavy heart turned into a physical pain that seared in his chest. He clenched his fist, trying to keep his tears locked up in his eyes.


    ¡°Kaito¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Will you¡­ take me there one day?¡±


    Kaito¡¯s sparkling eyes reflected the flickering lights in the night sky. He felt the lines burn their way down his cheeks, some teardrops rested in the corner of his lips leaving behind a salty taste in his mouth.


    He wiped his face dry with his shirt, he didn¡¯t want them to see that he cried, but when he sneaked a peak, he saw that the three of them were fully consumed by the beautifully orchestrated fireworks display.


    What a night!


    A couple of hours later, full bellies and a passed-out Yui, who was being carried by Touma, the four of them made their way back up to the train station to catch the last train home.


    ¡°I should go find Sara,¡± Himari said. ¡°We did come here together after all...¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! She asked me to let you know she would be leaving early¡­ So, no need!¡± Touma smiled.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Get this¡­¡± he looked at Kaito excitedly, ¡°when I found Sara¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m gonna go find us some seats so long,¡± Himari said, she then stormed off leaving behind the clueless boys and their shocked faces.


    ¡°That was weird...¡± Touma said. ¡°Anyways, when I found Sara¡­ she was already busy locking lips with another guy!¡±


    ¡°Ahahah! See what I said! She¡¯s a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Floozy!¡± Touma grinned. ¡°Yeah, I remembered that one!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy!¡± Kaito said, patting Touma on the back. ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯ll find someone special real soon.¡±

 Chapter 11 – Sweet Apologies

    A hot and humid night prevented Kaito from falling asleep until the early morning hours when a rush of rain finally broke free, ushering soothing breeze through his bedroom window.


    Unfortunately for Kaito, the rain quickly subsided, replaced by the blistering early morning sun, the chirping of birds, and the chorus of cicadas that started their early-morning screeching, right on time.


    Kaito rolled out of bed with sleepy, red eyes and burning cheeks. He then hunched his way toward his bedroom curtain. ¡°Uuuggh, it¡¯s so... hot!¡± he mumbled, drawing his curtain shut.


    In the middle of his room, still in his underwear, he stood stretching and yawning. That was when Kaito¡¯s ears picked it up: the lovely sounds of an acoustic guitar coming from the crack in his bedroom wall.


    Miyu?


    A smile appeared on his face, and he made his way toward the angelic melody. Kaito sat down with his back pushed up against the cold concrete wall, which caused goosebumps to run up his back and down his arms.


    He closed his eyes and tried to picture Miyu striking the chords of her big brown guitar. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he visualized a small girl, not young, just... small; with her tiny little fingers trickling through the strings on the guitar.


    C¡­


    E minor¡­


    D


    Kaito knew the chords as she struck them.


    A minor¡­


    C¡­


    He moved his head from left to right, and before he thought too much about it, he opened his mouth and sang:


    ¡°Good morning, Miss!


    How are you?


    I hope you ain¡¯t, feeling blue...¡±


    Miyu missed a chord or two but quickly resumed playing, and after a giggle, she joined Kaito in his silly song.


    ¡°Good morning, fellow!


    Nope, I¡¯d say more of a yellow


    Feeling rather mellow...¡±


    Miyu stopped playing abruptly and laughed. ¡°That was horrible! Ahahaha.¡±


    Oh my¡­


    That laugh¡­


    Kaito blushed. ¡°Not at all! I think we make a great coupl¡ª uhh¡­ couple of people that can sing well together!¡±


    What am I saying?!


    ¡°I mean¡­ You know! Like in a band or something!¡± he added, trying to salvage the awkward situation.


    She giggled again. ¡°I know what you mean, silly! And I¡¯m doing okay¡­ actually no, I¡¯m doing good right now! Say¡­ Kaito could you help me? I¡¯m trying to add new chords to this song. I just¡­ don¡¯t know any.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can! Let¡¯s see¡­ Why don¡¯t you add a G chord followed by an F sharp chord? Do you know those?¡±


    ¡°Um, nope...¡±


    Kaito instructed Miyu in playing the chords he¡¯d mentioned, and the two of them shared a rare moment of accomplishment when Miyu learned and successfully played them. Besides, the chords fit the song she was trying to make extremely well.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± she beamed. ¡°Oh wow! It sounds awesome!¡±


    Kaito smiled, listening to Miyu replaying her new song.


    Suddenly, she stopped playing, and the last note drifted off into the distance.


    ¡°So¡­ how are you? How was last night?¡± Miyu asked.


    Uhhhh¡­


    ¡°It was¡­ okay, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Just okay? Why?¡±


    ¡°My best friend, Touma...¡±


    Best friend, huh!


    ¡°¡­Well, he kinda punched me last night because of a misunderstanding...¡±


    ¡°He kinda punched you?¡±


    ¡°He punched me¡­ In the face.¡±


    ¡°Kaito! Are you okay?! Why would he do that?¡± she asked with a shrill in her voice.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine; it didn¡¯t even hurt! It was all just a huge misunderstanding. There was this girl called Sara...¡±


    Kaito relayed the events of the previous night to her. He made sure not to go into too much detail as he didn¡¯t want her to feel sad about not having gone with them.


    ¡°But yeah¡­ How about you? We haven¡¯t spoken since...¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry about that...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be! I just¡­ I thought you were mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Aw! No, not at all. I had to¡­ go for a checkup at the¡ª¡±


    ¡°A checkup?¡±


    ¡°Yip, just a routine checkup! My dad made me go. Other than that, I¡¯ve just been reading this new book my dad bought for me. It¡¯s such a nice story! Do you like reading?¡±


    ¡°I, uh¡­ yeah, well I used to read a lot. I haven¡¯t had the time recently though. My mom¡­ she used to read fantasy stories to me when I was younger. Sunday afternoons, we would sit outside for hours, and she would just read to me. I loved it so much. And I have no idea why I just told you all of that!¡±


    ¡°I thought it was cute!¡± she giggled.


    Kaito took a deep breath.


    I wonder if she will think it¡¯s weird if I ask her what she looks like¡­


    There¡¯s only one way to find out¡­


    ¡°Miyu¡­ I know this is weird but¡ª¡±


    ¡°KAITO! KAITO! Your friend is here, and he is being super weird!¡± Kanna yelled from downstairs.


    Sigh.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Kaito asked Miyu.


    ¡°Yip!¡±


    ¡°KAITOOO!!¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Kaito answered, with his head turned to his bedroom door.


    ¡°You should go,¡± Miyu said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I wanted to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know but maybe tonight we can¡­ talk again?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good! Talk to you tonight, Miyu!¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye, Kai-kai!¡±


    Kaito smiled and shook his head.


    This girl, this girl.


    He got dressed and made his way downstairs. He caught a whiff of smoke and realized he was wearing the same shirt he wore the previous night.


    Touma stood in front of Kanna and Yui. His whole body jerked up and down as he bent down to a ninety-degree angle every few seconds and kept repeating the words, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kanna; I¡¯m so sorry, Yui!¡± and when Kaito joined them he added, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kaito!¡± He continued.


    ¡°Yup¡­ he finally broke,¡± Kaito joked.


    ¡°Touma, you can stop now,¡± Kanna said, grabbing him by his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I really am sorry!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ so, I¡¯ve heard! Now, take a seat over there. Here, I¡¯ll take this,¡± Kanna took a basket from Touma¡¯s trembling hands. ¡°Okay, now tell me¡ªwhy are you apologizing?¡± Kanna asked, helping Touma to a chair.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell her?¡± Touma asked Kaito, with wide eyes.


    ¡°What are you on about, Touma?! Is this about last night?¡±


    ¡°To-to punched Kai-kai last night, in the face!¡± Yui said, pointing her little finger at Touma.


    ¡°What? Is that how you got that on your face?¡± Kanna chuckled. ¡°I thought it was makeup!¡±


    WHAT!


    ¡°Makeup? You thought it was makeup?! Why would I wear makeup?¡± Kaito asked with his head tilted toward his aunt.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you are doing up there in your room! Always talking to yourself, singing, and who knows what else!¡±


    Kaito shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°I take it you guys worked it out already?¡± Kanna asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we did, and no, it¡¯s not makeup. He punched me moments before asking me to replace him as lead in the school play. And please don¡¯t make a big deal abo¡ª¡±


    ¡°LEAD?!?¡±  Kanna and Yui echoed.


    ¡°I said don¡¯t make a big deal about it!¡±


    ¡°But¡ª but!¡± Kanna protested.


    ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s eat! Shall we?¡± Touma interrupted with his beaming smile.


    ¡°Eat? Are you making breakfast?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Kanna said, pointing at the basket Touma brought along with him.


    ¡°I brought a basket with¡ª well, my mom made me...¡±


    Inside the basket were freshly baked slices of bread, boiled eggs, small glass jars with different jams in them, and a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice.


    ¡°Did your mom make all of this for us?¡± Kaito asked, reaching for a slice of bread, which was still warm.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but I helped her!¡±


    ¡°Tell your mom I said thank you, Touma, and she should come by the Coffee Shop sometime! She deserved a cup of coffee, on the house of course!¡± Kanna said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her! She¡¯ll love that!¡± Touma said.


    After breakfast, Kanna and Yui decided they were in the mood to bake a cake, so they chased the two boys out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Have you spoken to Himari since last night?¡± Touma asked, plunging down into the living room couch.


    Kaito shook his head. ¡°Nope, I only woke up a little while ago...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not returning any of my texts! I think I made her mad somehow. I just don¡¯t know how!¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±


    Touma sat up straight. ¡°No, I don¡¯t! Do you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ No, no I don¡¯t. But yeah, you probably did something stupid again,¡± Kaito teased.


    I can¡¯t just tell him¡­ Can I?


    ¡°This is bad, Kaito! Whenever Himari gets mad at me, she ignores me for weeks! Do you think it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t invite her with to Odawara?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it might be, yeah!¡±


    ¡°You know what! I¡¯m gonna invite her and¡­ and I¡¯ll get her a gift as well! She can¡¯t possibly still be mad at me after that!¡±


    ¡°What are you gonna buy then? Flowers?¡±


    ¡°Nah, there¡¯s only one flower she likes, and it only blooms in fall!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ Okay. What about some candy? Or chocolates?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­ she¡¯s trying to lose weight at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like you need my help. You know her so well.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ She¡¯s just always been around, so you tend to pick these things up, you know?¡±


    ¡°Suuuure,¡± Kaito concurred, nodding his head up and down.


    ¡°I got it!¡± Touma jumped up. ¡°But you have to come with!¡±


    ¡°Come with where?¡± Kaito asked, looking at his red-headed friend jumping up and down with excitement.


    ¡°To the mall! We should go tomorrow! It¡¯s quite far away...¡±


    ¡°The mall?¡± Yui¡¯s voice queried from the kitchen, and she came running. ¡°You guys are going to the mall? Please, can I come along? Please?!¡±


    Before Kaito could open his mouth, Touma had already agreed, and the two of them were holding hands, bouncing around the living room as if the carpet were a trampoline.


    The following morning, Kaito was surprised to find Yui sitting in the kitchen when he walked in¡ªshe was already dressed and ready to go.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Kaito greeted.


    ¡°Morning!¡± Yui answered.


    ¡°Tea?¡± Kanna asked with a smile.


    ¡°Mmh, please,¡± he answered with his raspy morning voice.


    Kaito yawned and felt a tingle of sadness in his chest.


    ¡°I know but maybe tonight we can¡­ talk again?¡±


    She definitely said that¡­


    I guess¡­ She was busy?


    ¡°Kaito.¡±


    I wonder if that checkup truly was just a checkup...


    ¡°Kaito!¡±


    ¡°Mhm?¡±


    ¡°Your tea is getting cold,¡± Kanna said.


    ¡°Oh! Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about so hard this morning?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ nothing!¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, take good care of Yui!¡± she said, giving them both a kiss on the forehead before she left for work. And before long, Touma arrived.


    Yui ran and gave him a hug. ¡°To-to!¡±


    Kaito offered him tea but Touma declined, saying they should be off as soon as possible, so the three of them made their way down the apartment building staircase and set off toward the train station.


    ¡°You seem excited?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­ I want Himari to stop ignoring me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you miss talking to her that much?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Ha! If only it was that easy! My mom has been freaking out ever since I told her that Himari is mad at me. She didn¡¯t even want to make me my morning coco-choco! Just imagine that!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hilarious!¡± Kaito chuckled but soon stopped when he saw the grim look on his friend¡¯s face. ¡°I mean¡­ that sounds terrible!¡± Kaito gasped mockingly.


    ¡°And my dad keeps giving me speeches about what it means to be a real man!¡±


    ¡°Coco-choco huh...¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think it¡¯s very funny, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Yeah,¡± Kaito said with a smile.


    Yui giggled then grabbed Touma¡¯s hand, and the two of them were soon skipping until they reached the train station.


    They found an open seat and shortly after they settled in, the train started moving.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s school here in Hakone, Yui?¡± Touma asked. ¡°Made lots of friends?¡±


    ¡°I like it! Everyone is so nice! And not so many meanies like in Tokyo!¡±


    Did she have a tough time back then? I never even noticed¡­


    Kaito swallowed his guilt.


    ¡°And your grades? Are they good?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Yes! I have lots of A¡¯s!¡± she said proudly.


    ¡°How many A¡¯s exactly?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ Uh, four¡ª five, no, six!¡±


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯m gonna buy you six chocolates when we get to the mall!¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Euw! No! I don¡¯t want holes in my teeth!¡±


    Kaito was shocked by her response. ¡°Just how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Aunty Kanna said you get holes in your teeth from too much candy!¡±


    ¡°Well, she isn¡¯t wrong,¡± Touma agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s just a child. When I was her age, I was only thinking about¡­ about, uh¡­ never mind.¡±


    ¡°No, come on! Tell us what you were thinking about?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°I was thinking we should get you a cup of coco-choco when we get to the mall!¡± Kaito retorted. ¡°And maybe a carrot or something for Yui.¡±


    ¡°Maybe just one chocolate!¡± Yui said with a smile on her face. ¡°My teeth are pretty strong.¡±


    ¡°How about boys? Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Euw! Noooo!¡± she giggled.


    The three played mini-games and engaged in silly conversations for the length of the  fifty-minute train ride.


    When they finally arrived at the mall, it wasn¡¯t what Kaito expected. ¡°Mall¡± in Tokyo denoted giant buildings with multiple levels, filled with rows upon rows of shops. In front of them, however, was a brick courtyard surrounded by a wall of shops.


    Kaito dreaded coming to the mall with Touma, but seeing the Hakone mall, he was relieved. There were no more than twenty shops and about the same amount of shoppers.


    ¡°What did we come here for by the way? You know there are shops closer to home, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s a bakery here that sells Himari¡¯s favorite cheesecake.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said she was trying to lose weight!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a wobbly cheesecake!¡± Touma answered.


    ¡°That makes no sense! If she¡¯s trying to lose weight, eating cheesecake is a bad idea. Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s wobbly or not!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a WOBBLY cheesecake!¡± Touma repeated as if he made a good point.


    They soon arrived at the bakery, which smelled amazing, like most bakeries do. They picked up the wobbly cheesecake, which Touma had apparently ordered for over the phone, as they had it packaged with a ribbon and Himari¡¯s name had been printed on the box.


    Instead of chocolate, Yui asked for a chocolate croissant. Kaito bought one for each of them as he could no longer say no to his stomach¡¯s rumbling response to the bakery¡¯s delectable aromas.


    Kaito glanced around the mall to see if there were interesting-looking shops around, but when he saw how excited his friend was to leave, he decided it¡¯s best they just return home.


    ¡°You guys are coming with me, right?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know about that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Yui countered. ¡°I want to see the look on Himari¡¯s face when she receives her gift! Please, can we go?¡± She begged her brother, with pouted lips while tugging on his shirt.


    ¡°Did you learn that from a movie or something?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°Fiiiine!¡± Kaito caved.


    And so they were off again. They got off a couple of stops from Kaito¡¯s usual stop. Touma carried the cheesecake box as if it was made of thin glass and could spontaneously explode at any moment, shattering into a thousand pieces, if not handled with care.


    ¡°I take it you know where to go?¡± Kaito asked.


    Touma pulled his face at Kaito as if he had just asked the world¡¯s dumbest question. After walking about fifty feet, he stopped and turned to his right. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Kaito replied, reaching his arm out to ring the bell.


    But before he could, the glossy-brown door swung open.


    ¡°Yui! Kaito!¡± Himari beamed. ¡°Oh, and you.¡±


    She moved aside and welcomed them inside.


    ¡°I¡ª I brought you s-something,¡± Touma said, handing over the box.


    Himari opened it, and a blank expression lingered on her face.


    ¡°I told him not to get it! You¡¯re on a diet, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Himari and Touma shot glances at Kaito and perfectly synchronized, they both yelled, ¡°But it¡¯s WOBBLY!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, you two are the same!¡± Kaito shook his head and laughed.


    ¡°Take a seat. I¡¯ll get us all some ice tea! Yui, do you want to come and help me?¡± Himari asked, and then the two of them disappeared into the kitchen.


    ¡°I gotta hand it to you, you know Himari pretty well,¡± Kaito remarked.


    ¡°I just hope it¡¯s enough! My mom said if I come home without her forgiveness, my butt is gonna be on fire¡­ Whatever that means!¡±


    Shortly after, the two girls returned, carrying a jug of delicious-looking ice tea and small plates with cake forks. Himari cut the cake they bought into pieces and true to its name, it wobbled like crazy.


    Himari took one bite of the cake, and her face lit up, eyes widened, and a pleasant smile spread from cheek to cheek.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing!¡± Touma said. He got up and made his way over to Himari, but instead of his usual confident strides, he shakingly approached her, with a note in his hands.


    Himari read the note, and as soon as she finished, she jumped up and hugged Touma tightly. She smiled even more than before, and Kaito could make out the words, ¡°Thank you¡± being whispered in Touma¡¯s ear.


    When the three of them said their goodbyes, Kaito glanced over the note, which laid on the table.


    Himari


    I don¡¯t really know what I did, but I¡¯m sure it was stupid! Maybe one day you can tell me?


    I¡¯m really sorry.


    Please, come with me and Kaito to Odawara this Friday? I have a whole thing planned for us!


    ~ Touma

 Chapter 12 – Sun and Sand

    On Friday morning, Kaito¡¯s alarm pulled him out of his deep slumber. He rubbed his eyes and felt annoyed that he couldn¡¯t remember the dream he had been dreaming in his sleep. And with immense effort, Kaito forced himself out of bed.


    After a yawn and a stretch, he took a moment to look at the crack in his wall. A lot of things that happened recently confused Kaito, but the one thing he was assured about was his yearning to spend more time with the person on the other side of that wall.


    I should just break it down!


    His phone vibrated, and he knew without looking that it was Touma, checking if he actually woke up on time.


    I¡¯ll let him stress for a while¡­


    Kaito slid open his closet door and rummaged through the piles of clothes in front of him until he found what he was looking for: a pair of barely worn swim trunks.


    He put it on, as requested by Touma, and a white T-shirt, which had some black print on it. Afterward, he grabbed a towel, hurriedly brushed his teeth, and headed downstairs.


    It felt strange being the first one awake in the house. The stairs creaked louder than usual, and no mouthwatering aroma was coming from the kitchen.


    Kaito slipped on the pair of brand new sandals Kanna had bought for him, scanned the house to check if anyone was awake, and then set off for the station to meet up with Touma and Himari.


    Unlike the atmosphere back at home, Hakone was already abuzz with life. Birds sang from tree to tree, construction workers whistled their way to work, and even the salarymen seemed to be skipping to their last working day of the week.


    Kaito was the last one to arrive at the station; he was nonetheless not the only one with a sleepy face. He was glad to see that he wasn¡¯t the only one wearing a swimsuit and carrying a towel. Touma wore a green-colored, loose-fitted T-shirt, while Himari wore jean shorts and a white shirt, which exposed her shoulders and her bikini straps.


    ¡°Oi! Do you ever check your phone?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Himari said.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Kaito yawned, ignoring his red-headed friend.


    ¡°You guys ready to go?¡± Touma asked. ¡°There should be a train leaving soon,¡± he suggested and led the way, motioning Himari and Kaito to follow.


    As soon as they were seated in the train, Kaito rested his head against the cool glass window and almost instantly fell asleep.


    When he woke up, he looked around with burning eyes and saw Himari had the same idea, except she slept with her head resting on the shoulder of Touma, who looked wide-awake.


    When Touma saw that Kaito was awake, he carefully pointed his finger at Himari and mouthed the words, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Kaito smiled and whispered, ¡°Wrap your arm around her.¡±


    Touma shook his head rapidly, and his face filled up with the same shade of red as his hair color.


    ¡°What are you guys whispering about?¡± Himari asked sleepily.


    ¡°N-n-nothing! I mean, I was just telling Kaito how hungry I am!¡±


    Kaito laughed a little. He couldn¡¯t take these two serious. The over-confident boy from school, now a nervous wreck, because Himari, once the tomboy from school, now making an effort concerning the way she looked. And thus far, the change was good¡ªwell, except for the sleep marks on the one side of her face and a drop of drool glimmering on the flank of her mouth.


    ¡°Ooh! I¡¯m starving! Can we go get breakfast when we stop?¡± Himari asked, wiping the drool off her mouth.


    ¡°Yeah, that was the plan!¡± Touma replied.


    Kaito had grown accustomed to the beautiful scenery that surrounded the train tracks in Hakone, so he was relatively indifferent to the rows of flowers that lined the way to Odawara.


    Soon, they rounded a corner that revealed the city of Odawara. The city stretched out in front of them, all the way to the edge of the ocean and its blue waters, which gleamed in the sunlight.


    Unlike Hakone station, the train station at Odawara was huge. It housed multiple train tracks, escalators¡ªto and from platforms¡ªand shops, which were everywhere you looked. Interestingly, a titanic ceiling, made out of glass panels and metal bars, housed all these features.


    Traversing the platforms, Kaito was a lot more comfortable than his friends, especially when a bullet train, accompanied by its ear-deafening screeches and earth-shaking speed, sped through the station.


    ¡°Haha! You guys okay? Looks like you peed yourself, Touma!¡± he said, pointing toward his friend¡¯s pants.


    ¡°Huh? No! What! Where?¡± Touma desperately inspected himself.


    ¡°Just kidding! But I made you look!¡± Kaito laughed.


    ¡°Can we please get out of the station? It¡¯s so loud in here!¡± Himari yelled as another train passed.


    After a couple of bumps and squeezes, Kaito successfully led his friends outside the busy train station, after which they made their way to the coffee shop across the road from them.


    The inside smelled just as amazing as it looked. The shop had a modern feel to it¡ªa big, wooden counter occupied the rear of the shop, with little stools littered in front of it. The shop floor was filled with small, white, square tables, surrounded by black-and-white chairs.


    They sat down and immediately inspected the menus. Kaito quickly decided that he wanted a big cup of coffee and a giant waffle for breakfast.


    ¡°What are you guys having?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Definitely some hot chocolate!¡± Touma answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I want everything!¡± Himari said.


    ¡°Hmm, a cup of coco-choco for Touma¡­ and¡­ well, I¡¯m getting a waffle¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yum! I want one also!¡± Himari said, in a childish voice.


    ¡°Yeah, make that three then, and my cup of hot chocolate! Hold on, I¡¯ll call a waiter.¡±


    ¡°Um, Touma...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kaito pointed at the tablet device on their table. ¡°You order with that.¡±


    Touma grabbed the tablet. ¡°Holy! What? That¡¯s so fancy!¡± he said, inspecting it from all sides as if it was a piece of alien technology.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Not really, but okay... I¡¯ll just put in the order for us,¡± Kaito said, taking the tablet from Touma.


    ¡°Can you also get me a bottle of water, please?¡± Himari asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kaito answered, tapping away their order. ¡°Do you guys visit Odawara often?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Last time we came here was with school, wasn¡¯t it, Touma?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! But then we only went to see the castle. That was like two years ago, right? That¡¯s when you spilled that cup of shaved ice all over your shirt! Ahahaha! I remember now!¡±


    ¡°Shush, you nerd!¡± she sneered at him.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Touma yelped, bending over to comfort his freshly kicked shin.


    ¡°Wow! If I didn¡¯t know the two of you, I¡¯d think you¡¯re a couple!¡± Kaito teased.


    Himari and Touma both blushed at Kaito¡¯s banter. Himari buried her face in her hands, while Touma darted his glance all over the shop.


    ¡°Huh? What?! No!¡± said Touma delayed and confused.


    Kaito clasped his mouth, trying not to let out a burst of laughter begging to escape his mouth in the quiet coffee shop. His stomach hurt as he tried to keep it inside.


    Himari gave Kaito a spine-chilling glare, and he quickly swallowed his laugh.


    Seconds later, a cozy, ¡°Here you go guys,¡± came from the waiter carrying their orders.


    A minute barely passed when Kaito asked with a waffle-stuffed mouth, ¡°Sho, what¡¯s nexht?¡±


    ¡°To the castle of course!¡± Touma replied, sticking his hand in the air and waved about his imaginary sword.


    After breakfast, they made their way to the castle. Himari was full of enthusiasm and couldn¡¯t wait. Some minutes into the brisk ten-minute walk, she had already pulled out a tiny pink camera from her handbag and rested her finger on the capture button.


    The castle was surrounded by a mote, with a couple of wooden bridges, which led into the courtyard. Although the white, concrete castle sat upon a massive stone foundation, the edifice was smaller than Kaito¡¯s expectation. It was three stories tall and littered with small windows, all of which had steel bars, giving the impression of an ideal spot for archers back in the day.


    Moreover, each of the castle¡¯s floor had a magnificent, onyx-colored, Japanese-style roofing.


    The castle was surrounded by a lengthy white wall that featured two large wooden doors, both of which stood open, welcoming visitors.


    Luckily for the trio, they arrived early, so the castle wasn¡¯t packed with tourists. In fact, the place looked empty, barring the older lady who sat at a ticket booth and the janitor who was sweeping the courtyard.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Touma said, ¡°lemme go pay our entrance fee real quick.¡±


    ¡°No way! You already paid for breakfast!¡± Kaito objected.


    ¡°Yeah! The least we can do is split the entrance fee,¡± Himari agreed.


    ¡°Fine! But I¡¯d have, you know. I¡¯m a hard-working man, and I¡¯m earning good money these days.¡±


    ¡°You worked at the coffee shop for two days. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± Kaito razzed.


    ¡°Here you go!¡± Himari said, holding out a thousand-yen note for Touma.


    The first floor of the castle looked more like the inside of a museum than anything else. A traditional wooden floor covered the entire floor, and the walls were filled with picture frames, as well as exciting stories describing the history of the castle.


    ¡°Look!¡± Touma called the attention of his friends to a caption, as the three had inadvertently split up. ¡°In 1569, this castle repelled the attacks of two famous warlords! How cool is that?!¡±


    ¡°You said the exact same thing last time we were here!¡± Himari said.


    ¡°What! No, I didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did! But I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you don¡¯t remember; it must be difficult to fit so many things in that tiny brain of yours!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Touma yelled as he chased after Himari.


    ¡°No!¡± she shrieked, playfully running away from him.


    ¡°No running inside the castle!¡± the lady at the ticket booth bellowed.


    The two of them snickered and made their way up to the next floor.


    So, this is what a third wheel feels like¡­


    Kaito wasn¡¯t sure if he should be happy that they were getting along so well, or a tad annoyed that he was quickly becoming the third wheel, but those thoughts left his mind instantly when he saw a miniature sculpture of Odawara and its surrounding landscapes and towns, among which were Hakone and Lake Ashi.


    Again, Kaito felt the burning desire to turn around, go home, and spend time with Miyu.


    But she¡¯s never there when I call to her!


    I should just knock on her front door¡­


    But if her dad answers¡­


    She got so mad last time!


    The seed of a plan was planted in Kaito¡¯s mind.


    Ugh, I need to go find those two before they break something!


    Kaito, too, made his way to the next floor, which had a similar theme to the first: pictures, sculptures, and history lessons. On this floor, however, an enormous set of Samurai armors constituted the centerpiece of the room. Also, a glimmering black-plated armor with blood-red colored accent sat upon a wooden chair. The armor¡¯s face region was unerringly concealed by a creepy-looking mask, and therefore impossible to ascertain if the armor was empty, which made the fa?ade frightening.


    Kaito crept toward his friends, both of whom stood frozen, enthralled by the spectacle in front of them.


    ¡°BAH!¡±


    ¡°AH!¡± they both shrieked.


    ¡°Ahaha! Your faces!¡± Kaito laughed.


    But his amusement was soon interrupted by a voice: ¡°No yelling inside the castle! Shush!¡±


    The three friends exchanged looks and then, as though they were thinking the same thing, scampered amid snickers to the third and last floor of the castle.


    They came to a standstill as the third floor was more of a roof than an actual floor. Exhausted, Kaito stooped resting both hands on his knees to catch his breath before he joined Touma and Himari, who both already stood at the edge of the balcony, taking in the scenery in front of them.


    Odawara was a beautiful example of how cities, even those bigger than Hakone, could coexist with nature. Tall, vibrant green trees spread all over the city in a fashion that inferred they might have been planted there to fill the gaps between buildings, or perhaps, people merely erected their buildings around already standing trees.


    The shutter of Himari¡¯s camera snapped non-stop.


    In the distance, the mighty ocean wallowed in the cloudless sky, and its foamy waves crashed upon the beach and washed up to its visitors.


    It¡¯s¡­ Beautiful.


    Touma pointed his finger toward the horizon. ¡°There!¡± he announced. ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re going next!¡±


    Kaito and his friends bade the castle goodbye, and after a short bus ride, they arrived at the beach.


    It was a perfect day to be at the beach; there were lots of sun and very few clouds in the sky. A few seagulls flew overhead as the three of them slipped off their sandals and made their way across the beach, in search of the perfect spot to sit.


    Kaito became slightly annoyed by the warm, coarse sand that had stuck in between his toes, some had even crept underneath his toenails. He nevertheless was able to appreciate the value of having real friends with whom to hang out and have fun before he could complain. An added frosting on the cake for Kaito was the very few people at the beach.


    When they found the ideal spot, they laid out their beach towels, sat down, and relished the sense of accomplishment that swept over them like the waves in front of them.


    Without saying a word, Himari got up, slipped off her shorts, and was about to take off her shirt when Touma erupted:


    ¡°HA! HE¡ª WHA¡ª Hello? Himari, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m taking my clothes off¡­ It¡¯s a beach, Touma, and I¡¯m wearing a bikini,¡± she glared at him. She also pulled off her shirt, which revealed her matching red bikini top.


    ¡°I¡ª Um¡­ But¡ª¡±


    WHISTLE.


    ¡°Uh, huh! Loo. King. Gooood, Himari!¡± a voice came from the side.


    It was Ace and his lackeys.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over here and we can have some fun!¡± he said, thrusting his hips in the air.


    Ace¡¯s friends bent over forward and backward, laughing unreasonably loud. One of them even fell down and smacked the sand as he laughed, which made it seem like a who-can-laugh-the-loudest contest was underway¡ªthat is whenever Ace says or does something funny.


    Kaito stared at the circus show in front of him and didn¡¯t notice furious Touma leaping from where he sat to attack Ace.


    Himari quickly followed and grabbed Touma by his arm to stop him. ¡°Touma! Don¡¯t do this, please!¡±


    ¡°Let go of my arm!¡± he said, with anger bubbling in his face.


    ¡°Ahahahaha! Look! Her little boyfriend is upset! Ahahaha!¡± Ace taunted, and his gang of monkeys broke out in another unnatural display of laughter, mixed with a dash of stupidity and childishness.


    Kaito jumped up and joined his friend.


    ¡°Please, let it go Touma!¡± she begged him.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll teach this jackass a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Touma, please!¡±


    ¡°LET GO, HIMARI!¡±


    She grabbed hold of Touma¡¯s arm with both hands and pulled him close. She then went on tiptoe and planted her lips on his. And for a moment, everything all went silent, even the ocean seemed to hold its breath.


    Yes! Finally!


    But of course, that beautiful moment had to be spoiled by the howling laughter coming from the bleached-haired bully and his laughing choir.


    Touma¡¯s face twitched with a thousand emotions, but then, Himari took his face in her hands. ¡°Come with me,¡± she whispered to him, ¡°let¡¯s go swim.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go swim!¡± Kaito urged them on.


    I can¡¯t believe that just happened!


    And judging by the expression on Touma¡¯s face, neither can he! Haha.


    Touma removed his shirt, and Kaito, too, did. However, Kaito heard Himari gasp when he took his shirt off.


    ¡°Kaito...¡± Himari said, pointing at Kaito¡¯s chest, ¡°what is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh! That! I meant to tell you too,¡± he said, looking down at the long scar running down his chest. ¡°It¡¯s the scar from my lung transplant surgery.¡±


    ¡°A what?! Wait¡­ Touma!¡± Himari looked at Touma in disbelief, ¡°You punched a guy that had a lung transplant?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± said Touma.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know. Plus¡­ I¡¯m fine now! I¡¯ve been fully recovered for a couple of months now. Really!¡±


    Himari appeared to gauge Kaito¡¯s countenance with a transient gaze, seeming to verify his honesty. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go swim already!¡± she said afterward.


    Kaito trailed his friends, and like little kids¡ªat least that was how Kaito felt¡ªthey sprinted toward the ocean friskily. Reaching the edge of the sea, the freezing cold water slowed them down, but laughingly and with a lot of splashing, they pressed on and made their way into the ocean.


    While they swam around the ocean, Kaito was clearly the third wheel, but he didn¡¯t mind it one tiny bit. He had known for a while that Touma and Himari had feelings for each other; they were merely scared of taking the next step because they¡¯d been friends for so long.


    Luckily for Touma, Himari took the first step¡­


    After moments of splashing around in the ocean, a scene took place on the beach.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the principal?¡± Touma asked. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡±


    Ace¡¯s father, the school principal, dashed furiously toward his son. He then pulled him by the ear and dragged Ace, who was kicking and screaming, all the way to the parking lot, into a car, and then drove off.


    The three of them looked on in disbelief, then they broke out in crying laughter.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that just happened!¡± Himari said.


    ¡°That¡¯s karma at its best!¡± Kaito added.


    ¡°Hmm, I still think that guy deserves a punch in the face!¡± Touma said.


    For the rest of the afternoon, they swam, laughed, relaxed, and of course, ate as much shaved ice as they could fit in their bellies. And as the sun sloped to the horizon, the three friends packed up and made their way to the train station and back to Hakone.


    The memories of that day were ingrained in their minds by the smells and tastes of the sun, sweat, salt, and for two of them, a first kiss.

 Chapter 13 – Fluttering Butterflies

    When Kaito made his way downstairs the next morning, he heard a familiar voice coming from the kitchen.


    Is that Touma?


    What is he doing here¡­?


    He walked into the kitchen and saw that it was, in fact, his red-headed friend. Touma was sipping on a cup of coffee and chatting with Kanna.


    ¡°Um, what are you doing here?¡± Kaito yawned.


    ¡°I got to go, boys,¡± Kanna said, grabbing her purse and kissing Kaito on his forehead. ¡°Remember, you promised me you would clean your room!¡± she added before she left.


    ¡°I was gonna text you, but I just needed to talk to someone. I barely slept last night!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°And why couldn¡¯t you sleep?¡± Kaito asked while he poured himself a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Well, yesterday of course! Himari just¡­ she just kissed me out of nowhere!¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°I did! But we¡¯re friends, and I, err... she is¡ª she¡¯s always been there, and I, uh¡ª ugh, I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Come! Let¡¯s go talk in my room. My sister is having friends over, and I don¡¯t want them to see an emotional wreck when they arrive,¡± Kaito said, and they made their way upstairs.


    Kaito sat down on his bed and watched his friend pace up and down his room. Touma¡¯s eyes were droopy, his hair was messy, and he wore the same clothes from the day before.


    Wow, looks like he had a long night last night¡­


    ¡°Look, Touma¡­ I¡¯m gonna make it easy for you. Do you like her in that way or not?¡±


    ¡°I, uh... but it¡¯s not that simple!¡±


    ¡°Just answer the question! Yes or no?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª I do. Of course, I do! Kaito, I think I love her...¡± Touma said, looking at his friend with big, round puppy eyes.


    ¡°Wow, hold up there, buddy! One step at a time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious! Since my eyes were unglued from that pink-haired witch, I¡¯ve only been seeing Himari! She is everywhere, Kaito! She has always been there! Ever since we were little. She¡¯s the one I would call when I needed someone to talk to, and she would always answer¡­ unless I did something dumb that made her angry.¡±


    ¡°And you actually know her for who she is,¡± Kaito added.


    ¡°I do! I know everything about her¡­ I know just how kind and thoughtful she is and¡­ Aw man, I¡¯ve been such a jerk to her! That invitation she gave us, she put so much effort into that night, and she was so excited¡­ Ah, now I see why she was mad at me.¡±


    ¡°So, why are you here? Why don¡¯t you go to her and tell her all these things?¡±


    It took Touma some moments to answer Kaito. ¡°If she does feel the same way, then I would ask her to be my girlfriend,¡± Touma smiled for a moment as the thought crossed over his face, but the smile faded quick. ¡°But¡­ will that be okay with you?¡±


    Kaito had to cough so as not to choke on his coffee. ¡°What? Why is that even a question?¡± Kaito blurted out in surprise.


    ¡°I¡ª I don¡¯t know¡­ I mean, don¡¯t you like her?¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really are clueless! Yes, I like Himari!¡± Kaito paused for a moment then continued, ¡°As a friend, you dolt! And I couldn¡¯t be happier if you two started dating already! Besides, I already told you¡­ There¡¯s someone else I like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! You¡¯re right! I completely forgot about you telling me that. To be honest, I thought you made that up.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell would I make that up?¡±


    ¡°Well, you said you didn¡¯t even know what she looked like, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes... and? Not everything is about looks. We have a real connection¡ªI think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Touma asked while sitting beside Kaito.


    The bed bounced a bit when Touma sat down. Kaito thought about what to tell his friend and then decided it was best to tell him everything, so he emptied his cup and started from the beginning.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Incredible! Wow! What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Miyu,¡± Kaito whispered.


    ¡°Miyu?¡± Touma asked out loud, and just as he did, a thump came from behind the wall.


    Both their faces immediately jerked toward the wall. ¡°Oh wow!¡± Touma stood to examine the crack.


    What! Was she listening?


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    Ugh! No ways that just happened!


    ¡°Miyu! Are you there?¡± Touma called out.


    ¡°Touma!¡±


    Touma put a finger to his lips, gesturing that he be quiet, then he called out again, ¡°Miyuuu?¡±


    A few moments went by with no answer, Touma shrugged and returned to his spot on the bed just to get punched in the shoulder by Kaito, ¡°Ouw!¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that? You idiot!¡±


    ¡°Just trying to help! Ouw¡­¡± Touma said, rubbing his shoulder. ¡°So, you can¡¯t text her or talk to her online somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Nope, she has no phone or PC.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Kaito knew his friend was busy concocting a plan, but he was still wondering if Miyu had heard all he had relayed to Touma. He also wondered whether she felt the same way.


    ¡°I got it!¡± Touma exclaimed and got up again.


    Oh boy¡­


    ¡°Listen up! We just need to get to the postman before he goes next door! Then we ask him if we, uh¡ª you can deliver the post for him, and voila! You knock on the door and¡ª¡±


    ¡°And what if her dad opens the door?¡±


    ¡°Then you say, ¡®good day, sir, I have some post for your daughter!¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll fall for that...¡±


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go catch the postman!¡±


    The two boys scurried downstairs and waited for the postman to arrive, taking turns to look through the peephole in the door.


    Both of them were so occupied¡ªTouma¡¯s eye was glued to the door, while Kaito was lost in thought¡ªthat neither of them heard Yui come downstairs.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.


    Startled, both boys jumped, and Kaito let out an angry, ¡°Yui!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she repeated. ¡°My friends are gonna be here soon! You better not embarrass me!¡±


    ¡°We would never do something like that!¡± Touma said, but neither Kaito nor his sister could tell if he was being sarcastic or not.


    ¡°He¡¯s here! Let¡¯s go!¡± Touma yelled and pulled Kaito by his arm.


    Touma swung the door open and ran toward the postman, whose face made the expressions you¡¯d expect from someone being ambushed.


    After a couple minutes of begging, the postman finally agreed that Kaito could deliver the post, but not unless he could stay and watch them.


    They consented to his condition, and the postman handed Kaito a couple of letters and his cap.


    Like a punch to the stomach, Kaito became exceedingly nervous. Goosebumps ran down his arms, his legs were almost too heavy to move, and his throat begged for moisture.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    He reached his arm out to the door and knocked three times.


    Ta-dum. Ta-dum.


    Before he could decide on what to say, the door swung open and an older man with messy brown hair stood in the doorframe.


    ¡°Yes?¡± the man answered with a deep, grumpy voice accompanied by a strong whiff of alcohol, which hit Kaito in the face.


    ¡°I, uh¡ª I h-have your m-mail, sir,¡± Kaito said, holding out the letters to Miyu¡¯s father.


    He snatched the mail out of Kaito¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°How come you don¡¯t drop them in the mailbox like you always do?! And now you bother me with this?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry! It¡¯s my first day,¡± Kaito said with his head bowed, and before he could even glimpse the inside of the house, the door slammed shut.


    That guy is terrifying!


    Kaito returned to his friend, who was unsurprisingly on the floor laughing his heart out. He laughed so hard that he had to clutch his stomach and had tears running down both cheeks.


    The postman, too, joined in the frenzy; he couldn¡¯t keep himself from laughing. Afterward, the three of them stumbled around outside the apartment laughing like a pack of hyenas¡ªthe perfect time for Yui¡¯s friends to arrive.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t gonna embarrass me! Ugh!¡± Yui turned around and slammed the door in their faces.


    Kaito and Touma stood frozen for a moment until Kaito whispered, ¡°Oops.¡±


    ¡°Well... I have to go home but good luck with that!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°Are you serious now? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared of my little sister!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that! I, uh, promised my mom I¡¯d help her with something today!¡±


    ¡°Sure, you did,¡± Kaito said, waving his friend goodbye.


    Kaito opened the apartment door and slowly tiptoed inside. He glanced around but couldn¡¯t see any sign of his sister or her friends, so he quickly dashed upstairs and slipped into his room.


    Kaito took one look around his room and let out a loud sigh.


    This place is a mess! I hate it¡­


    Clothes spread around on the floor, his bed was unmade, and there were still a couple of boxes waiting to be unpacked.


    Kaito finally worked up the energy and courage to clean up his room. He spent the afternoon cleaning and only took a short break when Yui asked him to help set up the karaoke machine for her friends and her.


    Afternoon quickly turned to evening, and Kanna arrived home with boxes of pizzas, ¡°Eat up, kids!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t have arrived at a better time! I¡¯m starving!


    Kaito stuffed his mouth with a couple of well-deserved pizza slices. He was able to fill his belly and received a jolly compliment from Kanna for cleaning his room, after which he made his way back to his room.


    As he walked into his room, Kaito heard the sweet sounds of Miyu¡¯s guitar and a smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± he said and sat down on the floor, leaning against his bedroom wall.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± Miyu answered.


    Kaito heard the echoing thump of Miyu¡¯s guitar being placed on the floor.


    ¡°How have you been? We haven¡¯t talked much,¡± Kaito said.


    And you kinda disappeared the last time you said we would talk...


    ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯ve just had some things to deal with. How about you? Enjoying summer vacation?¡±


    Doesn¡¯t sound like you¡¯re doing good¡­


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s probably been the best one I¡¯ve had in a very long time! Just wish you could¡¯ve come with...¡± Kaito¡¯s voice lowered as the sentence parted his lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s good; I¡¯m so glad for you.¡±


    She sounds so unhappy¡­


    I know!


    ¡°Do you wanna hear something funny?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Kaito communicated the events of that morning to her: how his friend begged the postman to join in on his plan, how Touma talked him into knocking on her front door, and the awkward conversation he had with her father.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he heard Miyu¡¯s laugh again.


    There it is!


    ¡°I heard that! My dad couldn¡¯t stop yapping about the ¡®stupid new postman,¡¯¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t have to worry about the stupid new postman; I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be going back to work anytime soon!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re silly! It¡¯s cute that you would do all that just to see me. But why didn¡¯t you just let me in on the plan? Then I could¡¯ve gone downstairs.¡±


    So, she was upstairs!


    I wonder if she heard what I said to Touma?


    ¡°Well, because¡­ the last time I said I was gonna ask your father something, you got mad at me, and we ended up not talking for a while.¡±


    Much longer than I could handle!


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry¡­ And the other night when I said we should talk¡­ something came up, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Wait¡­


    She said she would¡¯ve gone downstairs!


    ¡°So¡­ if I go knock on the door again...¡±


    ¡°Then my dad would know something is up, and I would probably never be able to see you¡­ ever.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. Okay, well, do you want to talk about what¡¯s bothering you? I don¡¯t like hearing you sad.¡±


    ¡°Not really, I¡¯m sorry, Kaito... I just want to¡­ talk, is that okay?¡±


    Kaito turned his head toward his bedroom window. ¡°Can you see outside your bedroom window from where you are sitting now?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes, I can! Why?¡±


    ¡°Take a look outside¡­ the stars look beautiful tonight.¡±


    ¡°I know what stars look like.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, just stare at them for a bit!¡±


    After a few silent moments, Miyu asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if we talk now, someday you might forget what we talked about,¡± Kaito replied, taking a deep breath, ¡°but you will always remember the night we stared at the stars and talked away the entire night.¡±


    Miyu made no sound, but Kaito could feel her smile radiate through the wall, and that made him smile.


    And just like Kaito had said, the two of them sat on their bedroom floors, staring at the stars, and talked the entire night away. They spoke about things that made them smile, things that made them sad, and everything in between.


    When Miyu stopped responding, Kaito assumed she had fallen asleep, so he closed his eyes, rested his head against the wall, and drifted to the dream world.

 Chapter 14 – The Beat to Our Song

    Kaito was dressed and ready for school a lot quicker than usual, despite having rained heavily the previous night and being the first day of the new school year.


    It¡¯s been a little over a week since he last saw his friends, and he realized that he missed having them around, especially since the only company he had in the last week was his sister and aunt whenever she returned from work.


    Even Miyu had disappeared after the last amazing evening they spent together.


    Maybe I¡¯m going mad, and she doesn¡¯t even exist¡­


    Kaito followed his nose, which had caught the amazing aromas of breakfast and coffee, downstairs.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Kaito greeted


    ¡°Morning¡± Yui mumbled.


    ¡°Hey, Kaito! Ready for today, hmm?¡± Kanna asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess, but I don¡¯t have time for breakfast. I actually wanted to leave a bit early. The train might be delayed because of this weather.¡±


    ¡°Aw, okay, good luck! Don¡¯t forget to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Take an umbrella; yeah, I know,¡± Kaito interrupted her.


    ¡°I was going to say, ¡®don¡¯t forget to take your lunch along with you,¡¯ Mister smarty pants,¡± Kanna corrected, holding out a packed lunch box for him.


    ¡°Oh! Thank you. You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. You guys need to grow up healthy and strong,¡± Kanna said, with a finger pointed to him and his sister, ¡°so that you can take care of me when I get old, which is almost!¡±


    Kaito smiled at his aunt, slipped on his shoes and grabbed an umbrella. ¡°See you guys tonight!¡±


    ¡°See you tonight!¡± said Kaito.


    ¡°Bye-bye!¡± said Kanna and Yui together.


    Kaito power-walked to the train station while thick raindrops pounded against his umbrella.


    Miserable weather¡­


    One minute, it¡¯s hot and humid, the next it¡¯s raining like no tomorrow!


    When Kaito arrived at the train station, his shoes and the lower part of his pants were soaked.


    At least the train is on time¡­


    Once inside the train, Kaito looked up and down but couldn¡¯t see either one of his friends, so he sat down on the first empty seat he saw.


    Moments later, a girl appeared in front of Kaito. She wore a school uniform and looked weirdly familiar.


    ¡°Hey there, is this seat taken?¡± the girl asked, pointing at the seat next to Kaito.


    Kaito looked around, confused. ¡°Uh¡­ N-no?¡±


    There are so many open seats on the train though¡­


    ¡°My name is Hana,¡± she said, extending her hand with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to thank you and apologize for my step-brother¡¯s idiotic behavior. Except I haven¡¯t really seen you around since then.¡±


    Oh yeah, from the cafeteria!


    He shook her hand. ¡°Oh yeah! You¡¯re the student council president, right? It¡¯s nice to finally meet you. I¡¯m Kaito by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know who you are!¡± She gave off an awkward smile and sat down, next to Kaito.


    Uhm¡­ She knows me?


    ¡°Oh¡­ right¡­ I see. Um, what¡¯s that uniform you are wearing then?¡±


    ¡°This is our school uniform! We used to have to wear this every day, but that¡¯s obviously no longer the case. Since last year actually.¡±


    Then why are you wearing it¡­?


    ¡°Oh, right. That¡¯s¡­ interesting!¡±


    ¡°Look! Our stop is up ahead. Are you also excited about going back to school as well?¡± Hana asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking forward to seeing my friends really...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, we¡¯re almost there! Let¡¯s go stand by the door so that we don¡¯t have to squeeze past all these people later on,¡± she said then got up and made her way to the train¡¯s door.


    Kaito didn¡¯t want to seem rude, so he followed her, and the two of them waited by the door until it slid open.


    Kaito felt relieved when he saw Touma¡¯s redhead in the crowd of people that waited by the station.


    ¡°Touma!¡± he called out and made his way over to where he stood.


    ¡°Ay, ay! There you are!¡±


    Himari popped out from behind Touma. ¡°Hey, Kaito!¡± her gaze quickly turned to Hana, who stood beside Kaito. ¡°Hi, Hana. I didn¡¯t know you guys knew each other!¡±


    ¡°We just met actually,¡± she smiled. ¡°Anywho, I¡¯m off to class! It was nice to meet you, Kaito. Don¡¯t linger too long else you¡¯ll be late to class!¡± she said before disappearing into the crowd of people scurrying across the station.


    ¡°Beware of Hana, Kaito, she¡¯s a weird one!¡± Himari warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she was just trying to be nice!¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, she¡¯s pretty cute!¡± Touma barely finished his sentence when Himari¡¯s hand found the back of his head, ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious though! I mean, who wears a school uniform when it¡¯s not mandatory?¡±


    Kaito shrugged. ¡°I guess she does.¡±


    The three of them made their way to school and just when Kaito thought everything was good between Himari and Touma, they stopped to say goodbye to each other. Touma opened his arms, going for a hug, but Himari had a different idea¡ªshe quickly extended her hand and shook Touma, then she turned and walked off.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Kaito chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Touma said, confused while throwing his arms up in the air.


    ¡°You want to tell me that you can¡¯t think of anything you did wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of!¡±


    As soon as the two boys arrived at school, they made their way to class.


    Professor Yoshida was already in class when they arrived, and Kaito reached for his pocket to check the time on his phone.


    Phew! Just in time.


    They took their seats, and the Professor addressed the class: ¡°Good morning, students! And welcome back...¡±


    The professor barely started welcoming everyone back when Kaito felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.


    He discreetly slipped it and glanced down to see Touma¡¯s name appear on the screen with a text.


    TOUMA: I think I know why she¡¯s mad!


    KAITO: Lemme guess¡­ Did you call another girl cute?


    TOUMA: Huh? No! I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said no, I had to ask her in a more romantic way!


    KAITO: How did you ask her then?


    TOUMA: I texted her


    KAITO: ¡­


    TOUMA: WHAT????


    The professor cleared his throat abnormally loud, and when Kaito looked up, the entire class was staring at them, including the professor.


    ¡°Seeing as you two clearly have no interest in what I have to say, I¡¯d suggest that you make your way to the principal''s office¡­ Quickly now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Professor! Sorry, Professor,¡± the two boys echoed and quickly made their way outside the classroom.


    ¡°What was that? I¡¯ve never seen him that upset!¡± Touma said as they walked down the hall.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but do you think he was serious about having to go to the principal''s office?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so¡­ He is usually one of the coolest teachers but after that¡­ I wouldn¡¯t take a chance.¡±


    ¡°To the principal''s office then.¡±


    ¡°Right, where¡¯s that?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Like I would know?!¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± a tiny voice emerged from behind them and stopped the boys in their tracks.


    Hana?


    ¡°I can take you!¡± Hana said.


    ¡°Hana?¡± Kaito said, and by the look on Touma¡¯s face, he was just as confused as Kaito.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way there now, I can take you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Uh, thanks! Why do you have to go?¡±


    ¡°The student council room is right next to my da¡ª Uh¡ª The principal¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s the student council president,¡± Kaito said, shoving his elbow into his friend¡¯s side. ¡°Okay, cool. Thanks, Hana!¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go,¡± Hana said.


    ¡°Lead the way!¡± said Kaito.


    Led by Hana, the two boys made their way to the waiting area, just outside the principal''s office, where they had to sit and wait,  until the principal called them over.


    He beckoned them to enter the office and sit down.


    The office gave off a feeling of prestige, with the medals and trophies that adorned the entire back wall. The left and right walls had bookcases and paintings, and right in front of the two boys stood an impressive wooden desk with a shiny nameplate that glimmered the name, PRINCIPAL NAKAMURA.


    Principal Nakamura sat down behind his desk and flipped through papers in front of him. He looked to be around the same age as Professor Yoshida but with a lot less hair and quite a bit more body mass.


    With an intimidatingly deep voice, Principal Nakamura asked, ¡°So, why were the two of you sent here?¡±


    Kaito looked at Touma to see who would answer the principal first, but fortunately for Kaito, Touma replied without any delay: ¡°We were both on our phones while Professor Yoshida was addressing the class.¡±


    ¡°And you understand why you were sent here?¡± the principal asked.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Touma answered and looked over at Kaito.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Kaito, too, replied immediately.


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    ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourselves?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, sir. It won¡¯t happen again!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°It definitely won¡¯t happen again, sir,¡± Kaito added.


    ¡°Good. As for punishment, the two of you will go clean out the school pool,¡± he said and handed a key to Touma. ¡°Return this when you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°After school, sir?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°No, right now. We need the pool this afternoon. Plus, having to explain to your teachers why you missed their classes will serve as an added punishment. Now, off you go,¡± he said, and the two boys jumped out of their chairs and skedaddled out of the principal¡¯s office.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t too bad!¡± Touma said, stretching his arms out in front of him.


    ¡°You handled that well though!¡±


    ¡°Well, I know that he likes it when you are being honest and direct, so, that¡¯s all you have to do with him,¡± Touma explained. ¡°No beating around the bush and you should be just fine!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not make a habit out of it though,¡± Kaito said. ¡°By the way, where is the pool? I didn¡¯t even know we had one!¡±


    ¡°Follow me!¡± Touma said.


    The two boys made their way through some empty hallways, turned a couple of corners, and arrived at a part of the school that Kaito had never seen before.


    Touma unlocked and pushed open the glass door in front of them, and a strong whiff of chlorine washed over the boys.


    When they walked inside the huge, open area, an Olympic-sized pool stretched out in front of them, equipped with diving planks, floating lane dividers, pool ladders, and surrounded by cream-colored tiles.


    Kaito looked around taking in his surroundings, but there wasn¡¯t much else to see, apart from the pool. He did, however, spot a small shed in the corner, which he figured housed the tools they would need to clean the pool.


    ¡°There,¡± Kaito pointed to the shed, ¡°let¡¯s get this done.¡±


    They grabbed what they could find and cleaned the pool. Kaito skimmed the top while Touma used a brush attachment to clean the floor of the pool.


    A few quiet moments went by until Kaito broke the silence. ¡°Touma, I¡¯ve been thinking...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°It feels a bit weird to say this out loud, but I really like Miyu. And I¡¯ve been thinking of a way I could tell her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, alright. Why don¡¯t you just tell her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I just feel like I could make it a bit more special, you know.¡±


    ¡°And what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it will work. Have you ever seen one of those movies where the guy stands outside the girl¡¯s window and plays a song for her?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Yeah of course! But don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit clich¨¦? Are you going to stand there with your phone on max volume?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I was thinking of writing her a song, which I¡¯ll sing to her¡­ And maybe ask a few guys from the Music Club to help me out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such an awesome idea!¡± Touma said excitedly. ¡°Damn! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Himari would¡¯ve loved it!¡±


    Kaito shrugged and asked, ¡°Do you think some of the guys would help out?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? They love stuff like this!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s settled then; I¡¯ll ask them this afternoon! Now, I just need to figure out how to get her to look outside her window at the right time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! She doesn¡¯t have a phone¡­ That¡¯s a bummer. What if you just ask her to go outside before the time?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing! She doesn¡¯t always answer when I call out to her...¡±


    It went quiet again, and Kaito fell into a rhythm, skimming the pool¡¯s top layer from right to left as if he was rowing a canoe, and he only had to row on one side.


    What are we even cleaning?


    This pool is already spotless.


    The school bell chimed, indicating time for lunch and not a second later Touma said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here! This pool can¡¯t possibly get any cleaner than this.¡±


    Kaito followed Touma¡¯s lead, and soon after, they met up with Himari, who sat outside, in the school¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°We sitting here today?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Yes, why not? It¡¯s such a nice day now that the rain has cleared up,¡± Himari replied.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Touma said, sitting next to Himari.


    ¡°And what are the two of you moping around for?¡± she asked, taking a bite out of a delicious-looking egg sandwich.


    Kaito unpacked his lunch¡ªstuffed BLT sandwiches cut into perfect fluffy triangles.


    Nice! Kanna is the best!


    When he finished admiring the craftsmanship of his sandwiches, Kaito told Himari about the girl he liked and explained the idea he had of a romantic gesture for her.


    ¡°What?!¡± she said, dropping her sandwich, which fell back into her lunchbox. ¡°You like Miyu?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ You know her?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I do! Well, I used to¡­¡±


    Himari knows her!


    ¡°...We went to the same primary school. I thought we would become friends, but her dad pulled her out of school to be homeschooled after¡­ After...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I know,¡± Kaito said. ¡°Himari¡­ Can you tell me what she looked like?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It was long ago though¡­ But she had very light, blonde hair. It was almost white! And, uh... I can remember being a little bit jealous of her because she was super pretty! Other than that¡­ I can¡¯t remember much. I¡¯m sorry, Kaito.¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± Touma jumped up, his hand shot into the air and food flew out of his mouth. ¡°Those letters on the principal¡¯s desk¡­ Those were the weekly school newsletters that are getting delivered tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ and?¡± Kaito asked, gazing at his friend skeptically.


    ¡°Think about it! We drop off the swimming pool key when the principal isn¡¯t there¡­ Then we find a letter with Miyu¡¯s name on it, and you slip a tiny note inside letting her know she needs to look outside her window tomorrow afternoon!¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s crazy!¡± Kaito said. ¡°And why would there be a letter with her name on it?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s being homeschooled, right?¡± Touma asked. ¡°Even homeschooled kids have to get their coursework from an actual school.¡±


    ¡°Touma is right, Kaito! And there¡¯s only one high school in Hakone. If she is being homeschooled¡­ She has to be registered here!¡±


    Slip a note into her letter¡­


    Ask the music club kids to help me out¡­


    Write a song and sing it for her¡­


    Sounds like a good plan!


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this¡­ But that¡¯s a pretty awesome idea, Touma!¡±


    ¡°We should go right now!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°Right now?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Yip, we have math after lunch¡­ And I don¡¯t know about you, but I definitely don¡¯t want to skip Professor Hoga¡¯s class!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t want to either; that woman is scary as hell!¡± Kaito said, putting away his last sandwich. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Touma caught Himari¡¯s gaze, and it looked like he was about to ask her something. But then she smiled and said, ¡°Just go!¡±


    Touma bent over and placed a quick peck on her cheek before he and Kaito made their way back to the principal¡¯s office.


    It seemed like a completely different route from the one they¡¯d taken, because this time around, the hallways were filled with the loud chattering, laughs, and the buzzing of hundreds of students walking to and from the cafeteria.


    They stopped at the last corner, clung with their backs to the wall while Touma stuck out his head to peek at the principal¡¯s office door.


    ¡°Say¡­ Mister Spy Master¡­ How are we gonna know if he¡¯s in there or not?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to¡­ Uh, never mind! Quick! here he comes!¡±


    They dashed across the hallway and hid behind the first thing they could find, which happened to be the janitor¡¯s cleaning trolley.


    This thing stinks!


    Kaito used his fingers to clamp his nose shut, and they waited there until Principal Nakamura walked past them.


    ¡°For such a busy man, he sure walks slow,¡± Kaito whispered.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone, let¡¯s go,¡± Touma said.


    Kaito¡¯s heart raced as they approached the office¡¯s door. He had done things he was not supposed to do before, but this time, it felt much more exhilarating as the chance of getting caught was quite high.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s unlocked,¡± Touma said in a hushed voice. He and Kaito quickly slipped into the office.


    The office looked the same as it did that morning. Kaito glanced at the principal¡¯s desk and lit up when he saw the piles of letters on it.


    ¡°You go and look for your girlfriend¡¯s letter, and I¡¯ll be lookout!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend!¡± Kaito said even though he wished that was the case.


    Kaito walked around the desk and hastily scanned through the first pile of letters.


    Nothing.


    Kaito grabbed the second pile of letters, then the third, then the fourth.


    Miyu¡­ Miyu¡­ Miyu Hoshino!


    This is it!


    Her name is actually here!


    ¡°I found it!¡±


    ¡°Good! Now, slip the note in! We need to get out of here.¡±


    A note! Uh¡­ I need a pen¡­


    Got it! Now... paper¡­


    This will do!


    He pulled off a little yellow note from the principal¡¯s notepad and wrote his note for Miyu.


    Dear, Miyu


    Please look out your window at 3 PM.


    I have a surprise for you!


    Kaito


    He slipped the note inside the envelope, which he sneaked somewhere in the middle of the pile of letters. When he pushed the pile back to its original location, a framed photograph of Principal Nakamura and his son caught Kaito¡¯s eye. ¡°Hey, Touma, look at this!¡± he said, handing the frame to Touma.


    In the photograph stood the principal with his arm around his son, Ace, with the name, Akiara Nakamura written beneath him.


    ¡°Akiara?!¡± Touma asked out loud, and the two of them giggled. ¡°Oh, wow! Now I understand why he calls himself Ace!¡±


    The office door creaked open, and before Kaito could fully swallow his laugh, Hana appeared in the doorway.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ I, uh¡­ w-we...¡± Touma stammered.


    Kaito dropped the picture frame and stood frozen for a moment, with his heart in his mouth. And all he could manage was the sound, ¡°Err...¡± as he tried his best to think of an excuse.


    ¡°No one is supposed to be in here right now!¡± said Hana.


    Kaito took a deep breath. ¡°Look, uh¡­ Hana. I know this looks a bit¡­ weird but we only came in here to drop off the swimming pool key.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Touma chimed in. ¡°We had to clean the pool! We¡¯re done¡­ So, now we¡¯re returning the key!¡±


    Touma looked at Kaito and gestured ¡°good job¡± with a nod.


    ¡°And you need two people to drop off one tiny key?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Was all Kaito could manage.


    Oh, no! She doesn¡¯t believe us!


    She¡¯s gonna tell the principal!


    Ah, man, they¡¯re gonna make us sit detention¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay then. Just close the door when you guys leave,¡± Hana said before she turned around and walked out the door.


    Huh?


    ¡°She believed us!¡± Touma said with a relieved smile on his face. ¡°She actually believed us!¡±


    There¡¯s no way she bought that¡­


    Why did she let us go then¡­


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get the hell out of here!¡± Kaito said, and they ran out of there as fast as they could.


    They were about halfway down the next hallway when they stopped running.


    ¡°Do you wanna hear something funny?¡± Touma asked.


    Hunched, with his hands resting on his knees and still panting. ¡°I¡¯m almost on the floor after running a few hundred meters, and you¡¯re standing there as if you just had a leisurely stroll in the park?!¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s pretty funny as well! But no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­ After all of that, I forgot to return the swimming pool key!¡± Touma pulled the key out of his pocket, and his goofy smile spread across his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ pretty funny,¡± Kaito said, struggling to laugh and catch his breath at the same time.


    The school bell chimed its Westminster-chime, indicating the end of their lunch break and the start of a mad dash to the other side of the school to make it in time for math.


    Kaito and Touma were lucky they arrived at class when they did, had they been a minute later, they would¡¯ve had to deal with Professor Hoga, who stood in the doorway of her classroom, waiting for any latecomers.


    She glared at them as they rushed past her. ¡°I suggest you find your seats with the same pace,¡± she said.


    Touma fell into his chair, and Kaito sat down at the desk behind him.


    ¡°Right. Welcome back, everyone. Today we will continue where we left off before summer break. So, open your calculus books, please.¡±


    Vzzzt-Vzzzt. Vzzzt-Vzzzt.


    Touma?


    No, not even he can be that dumb¡­


    He sneakily pulled his phone halfway out of his pocket to have a quick peek.


    TOUMA: Is it just me, or does she have a mustache?


    It is him!


    Kaito stretched out his right leg and kicked the chair in front of him.


    Professor Hoga was by far the biggest woman Kaito had ever seen. Her muscular body resembled that of an American football player. Short, curly brown hair sat atop her head, and as Touma remarked, her upper lip was covered with hair.


    Thanks to his friend, Kaito couldn¡¯t concentrate for the entire duration of the class, because every time he looked at the professor while she spoke, he had to try his best to suppress his laughter.


    Kaito¡¯s other classes were a lot more relaxed, and most teachers only welcomed them back and wanted to learn what everyone did during their summer breaks.


    After an interesting first day of school, Kaito and Touma headed to the school hall to meet up with other members of the Music Club.


    ¡°Have you decided on what instruments you want to use?¡± Touma asked, walking past the rows of chairs and taking a seat on the edge of the stage,


    ¡°Hmm, well¡­ I¡¯ll play the guitar¡­ And besides that, it would be cool if we had drums and maybe a bass guitar,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy! Just ask Riku if he can bring his drums and help¡ª¡±


    ¡°And how are we going to transport his drum set?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to! He has a portable, electric one. He brought it to practice once before!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. That would be perfect! Look!¡± Kaito called Touma¡¯s attention on spotting Riku enter the hall. ¡°There he is now. I¡¯ll go and ask him.¡±


    A group of Music Club members had just entered the hall, and Kaito darted over to where he¡¯d seen Riku. However, as if she¡¯d performed a magic trick, Sara popped into existence right in front of Kaito.


    Sara?


    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± she said smiling with her arms behind her back as if she was hiding something.


    ¡°Hello, Sara,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°I heard you are taking over the lead from Touma. Is that true?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    ¡°Strange¡­ I mean¡­ It¡¯s good for you of course! Congrats! But I don¡¯t want there to be any bad blood between us, so I¡¯ve come here to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I forgot what happened when it happened. So, there¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see. Okay then. See you on stage!¡± She held up her right hand, waiting for Kaito to high-five her.


    Kaito briefly felt the urge to walk past, but then he decided it¡¯s probably best to bury the hatchet as the Music Club¡¯s play was just around the corner. So, he gave her a quick high-five, slipped around her, and walked off to his original location.


    ¡°Riku!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I need your help! Do you have plans tomorrow afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? I never have plans!¡±


    Kaito was shocked by his response and felt bad for not trying to make friends with him.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Touma, I¡¯d be worse off than Riku.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I want to perform a song tomorrow, and I need¡ª¡±


    ¡°Drums? I got drums!¡± Riku said with an excited smile on his face.


    Touma approached the two of them and asked, ¡°You still have those electric drums, don¡¯t you? Can you bring them along?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I can! But does that mean we¡¯re not performing at school then?¡±


    ¡°Nope, Mister Romance over here wants to play a song for his girlfriend. So, we¡¯ll take the train to Kaito¡¯s place, after school.¡±


    Kaito disapprovingly shook his head at Touma, which Touma answered with a pearly-white smile.


    ¡°That sounds like fun!¡± Riku said.


    ¡°Great! Thanks, Riku. Now we just need a bassist, then we can start making the song... Oh wait, Touma, shouldn¡¯t practice start already?¡±


    Touma looked around the hall and then climbed the chair closest to him. ¡°Listen up, guys! It looks like not even half of the Club pitched up today, so let¡¯s just cancel today¡¯s practice.¡±


    A mixture of annoyed remarks and relieved sounds came from the group of kids in the hall.


    ¡°Thanks, guys. See you Wednesday afternoon again!¡± Touma said.


    ¡°Wait! I still need to find a bassist to help me out!¡±


    Touma jumped off the chair. ¡°Hold on,¡± he said and quickly ran to the stage.  When he returned, he had a bass guitar strapped around his neck. ¡°You, my friend, are in luck,¡± he said as his fingers fumbled the thick strings on the guitar.


    ¡°You can play bass?¡± Kaito was shocked but impressed.


    ¡°I sure can!¡±


    Riku looked at them as if they were crazy. ¡°Guys, I hate to be a Freddie Frowner but...¡±


    Riku says that as well? Is it a Hakone thing?


    ¡°...I¡¯m pretty sure you said we can start making the song... Does that mean you don¡¯t have a song yet?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Not yet,¡± Kaito answered.


    ¡°Then how exactly will we be ready to perform it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry your pretty little face,¡± Touma replied, ¡°Kaito over here is a musical genius!¡±


    Kaito grabbed a guitar. ¡°I¡¯m no musical genius, but I¡¯ve had this tune stuck in my head ever since the fireworks festival.¡±


    Kaito had to guess around at a few notes before he found the perfect ones that matched the melody in his head.


    Touma added some deep, bass sounds, which resonated perfectly with Kaito¡¯s melody.


    That sounds awesome!


    Before long, Riku whipped out a pair of drumsticks, seemingly out of thin air, and tapped them on the different parts of the chair in front of him.


    Da-ta ta. Da-da-da ta. Da-ta ta. Da-da-da ta.


    The sounds they produced came together amazingly well, and Kaito loved it.


    All this needs is some lyrics...


    Kaito smiled, and then he sang the first words that came to his mind when he thought of Miyu.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder


    I wonder if you¡¯re real


    How can you be


    If I¡¯ve only ever seen you in my dreams¡±


    ¡°Wo-ho! That¡¯s goooood, buddy! Keep it going,¡± Touma encouraged him.


    ¡°I need to¡­ Uh¡±


    Need to¡­ Need to¡­


    ¡°I need to pinch myself, and always


    Whenever you¡¯re talking


    My heart is pounding¡±


    My heart is pounding¡­ Uhm¡­


    My heart is pounding¡­


    ¡°My heart is pounding


    The beat to our song!¡±


    ¡°Haha, nice one! But Riku is the one with the beat! Just kidding! Keep going,¡± Touma said.


    Kaito climbed the same chair Touma stood on just a few minutes ago and then closed his eyes. He knew the words to the chorus before he even began to sing it and confidently elevated his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re my dream girl


    The girl of my dreams!


    Since the day I first heard you sing


    Till the day that I die


    You¡¯ll be my dream girl


    The girl of my dreams...¡±


    Kaito opened his eyes to see Touma nodding his head in approval, which made him smile even more.


    Next verse¡­


    Kaito dropped the pace of the melody, and Touma and Riku followed his lead.


    In a softer voice, Kaito sang the next verse.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how but I am sure why


    These feeling that I¡¯m feeling, they can¡¯t be wrong


    What else could it mean when I cry inside, every time


    You say goodbye¡±


    ¡°My heart keeps pounding, the beat to our song¡±


    ¡°My heart keeps pounding, the beat to our song¡±


    ¡°Nice! Sooo good!¡± Touma remarked.


    ¡°Now just repeat the chorus.¡± Kaito increased the pace of the melody again, striking the chords of the guitar with a forgotten passion.


    ¡°You¡¯re my dream girl!


    The girl of my dreams


    Since the day I first heard you sing


    Till the day that I die


    You¡¯ll be my dream girl!


    The girl of my dreams...¡±


    Kaito felt the adrenaline course through him, and a warm, happy feeling washed over him.


    I guess this is why she loved performing¡­


    Kaito stepped down from the chair and finished off the song.


    ¡°My heart keeps pounding¡­ The beat to our song.¡±


    Kaito sat down and took a deep breath. He was beyond impressed at what the three of them came up with in such a short time, and by the looks of it, so was Touma and Riku.


    Touma took a seat next to Kaito. ¡°Dude! If she doesn¡¯t want to be your girlfriend after that, I¡¯ll take you for myself!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s was pretty¡­ amazing, Kaito,¡± Riku joined them.


    ¡°I mean¡­ You guys were awesome! I couldn¡¯t have done any of it without you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why¡­ But for some reason, I highly doubt that,¡± Riku said, but Kaito just waved away his subtle compliment.


    ¡°So, do you guys think we can perfect that before tomorrow?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Sure can! That melody is pretty easy. We just need to adjust when you go in and come out of the chorus,¡± Touma said.


    Riku nodded. ¡°I agree. If we can get that down, we should be at rockstar-level by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Cool! Let¡¯s take it from the top!¡±

 Chapter 15 - Confession from The Heart

    The sunlight streamed into Miyu¡¯s bedroom, making it impossible for her to sleep any longer. She got up and let out a big yawn.


    These jammies are so comfy¡­


    I just wanna fall back into bed¡­


    Miyu wore navy blue pajama shorts with a matching top that had hundreds of tiny little brown teddy bears printed on it.


    She dragged herself downstairs. Miyu heard the kettle boil, which meant her father was already awake and downstairs before her.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Miyu¡¯s father¡¯s voice came from the kitchen. ¡°Finally decide to get up, have you?¡±


    She walked into the kitchen where her father stood, making a cup of coffee. ¡°Good¡­ Afternoon, Papa. What is the time then?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­ It¡¯s a quarter past twelve! Did you have a late night last night?¡±


    It¡¯s past twelve already?!


    ¡°Yes, I was busy reading the book Papa got me. I really like it! I couldn¡¯t put it down.¡±


    Once a week, Miyu¡¯s father brought a new book home for her. She never liked fantasy books, but she was pleasantly surprised by this one.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, just remember you have school work to do in the daytime, so maybe don¡¯t stay up so late again,¡± her father said.


    ¡°I know; it won¡¯t happen again, Papa. I will have my homework done before dinnertime!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and this came for you.¡± Miyu¡¯s father handed her a letter. ¡°It¡¯s the school newsletter again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, thank you,¡± she said, taking the letter from her father and shoving it in her pocket.


    Miyu made a quick cup of green tea and headed back upstairs. She couldn¡¯t wait to get back to the book she read the previous evening.


    She was about to jump into bed when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.


    Yuck!


    Maybe a quick shower while my tea cools is a better idea¡­


    Feeling fresh and revitalized she jumped back into bed and soon, she was lost in an adventurous fantasy world filled with humans, elves, and gods. It was only when she felt the pressure on her bladder that she was pulled back to reality.


    It¡¯s almost two o¡¯clock¡­


    Argh, I need to start my homework before Papa gets upset¡­


    Where¡¯s that letter¡­


    Pajama pants pocket!


    Miyu found her pajama pants in the washing basket, pulled the letter out of the pocket, and tore it open.


    A tiny yellow note fell out and glided down to the floor.


    What¡¯s that?


    She picked up the note, and chills immediately ran down her spine as she read it.


    Dear, Miyu


    Please, look out your window at 3 PM.


    I have a surprise for you!


    Kaito


    This is from Kaito?


    This is from Kaito!


    He has... a surprise for me?


    A combination of blushy cheeks and a broad smile made Miyu¡¯s face glow, which was quickly replaced by pure panic.


    3 PM¡­


    That¡¯s less than an hour from now!


    What am I gonna do?!


    She dashed back to her room, had a quick glance at her clock and then rummaged through her closet, looking for something to wear.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Look out the window? I don¡¯t understand why¡­


    Miyu made a mess of her room with clothes piling up in front of her closet.


    Argh, why can¡¯t I find anything nice to we¡ª


    Wait! That¡¯s the same dress I wanted to wear last time.


    She pulled out the silky white dress her mother had given her. After a quick inspection, she slipped into the dress, which fit her beautifully.


    Hair hair hair!


    Brush!


    What¡¯s the time?


    Aah! Fifteen minutes left!


    Miyu jumped around, trying to get ready on time while avoiding the piles of clothes now spread across her bedroom floor.


    With a couple of minutes to spare, Miyu stood in front of her mirror and was pleased she no longer looked like a complete slob.


    As the panic left her, she felt a different feeling course through her body. Her arms and legs felt numb, and her parched throat was almost as annoying as hearing the loud beats of her heart.


    She took a deep breath and walked over to her bedroom window. Unfortunately, the bedroom window only tilted open at the top, so there was no way she could peek her head through the window.


    At first, she couldn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary. But soon she saw some movement coming from the courtyard on the ground floor. There, three boys stood waiting. Two of them were holding guitars and the other, a strange, tiny drum set.


    Is one of them Kaito?


    Not long after, her question was answered when a beautiful melody echoed throughout the entire courtyard, followed by the graceful, stunning voice of the boy who sang with her on the day they met.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder


    I wonder if you¡¯re real


    How can you be


    If I¡¯ve only ever seen you in my dreams¡±


    Without knowing it, Miyu grinned uncontrollably, her face grew hot, and she couldn¡¯t believe what was happening.


    ¡°I need to pinch myself, and always


    Whenever you¡¯re talking


    My heart is pounding


    The beat to our song¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my dream girl


    The girl of my dreams!


    Since the day I first heard you sing


    Till the day that I die


    You¡¯ll be my dream girl


    The girl of my dreams...¡±


    Aww¡­


    Kaito¡¯s words brought tears of happiness to her eyes.


    He feels the same way...


    She¡¯s never felt so alive before, she wanted to scream out to him, run downstairs, and embrace him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how, but I am sure why


    These feeling that I¡¯m feeling, they can¡¯t be wrong


    What else could it mean when I cry inside, every time


    You say goodbye¡±


    ¡°My heart keeps pounding, the beat to our song¡±


    ¡°My heart keeps pounding, the beat to our song¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my dream girl!


    The girl of my dreams


    Since the day I first heard you sing


    Till the day that I die


    You¡¯ll be my dream girl!


    The girl of my dreams...¡±


    With red eyes, wet cheeks and the widest smile that¡¯s ever been on her face, she sang the last line of the song with Kaito, ¡°My heart keeps pounding¡­ The beat to our song.¡±


    A bunch of people had gathered in the courtyard by the time they finished the song, but Miyu couldn¡¯t care less at that moment. ¡°Kaito! Wait there, I¡¯m coming!¡± she yelled as loud as her tiny voice could, then she turned around and walked straight into her father¡¯s chest.


    Miyu stumbled backward and was greeted by her father¡¯s angry face.


    Oh no!


    No no no no!


    ¡°Miyu! What the hell is going on here?¡± her father demanded.


    ¡°Nothing, Papa!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! It¡¯s that boy, isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s not really the new postman, is he? How do you know him?¡± He grabbed her arms and forced Miyu to look into his raging eyes. ¡°How do you know him, Miyu?¡±


    For the first time in her life, Miyu was scared of him, shaking under his scorching glare. ¡°P-papa! Let go, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± And in a minute, her tears of happiness turned to that of anguish.


    Her father¡¯s face bubbled with anger and dripped with sweat. The stench of alcohol and sweat made Miyu sick to her stomach, but she did her best to ignore it and instead use all her energy to pull herself free from his greasy grip.


    Miyu fell to the floor, crying convulsively while her father walked over to her bedroom window with thundering footsteps to catch another glimpse of Kaito.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan, Miyu? Are you going to date this boy? Hmm?¡± His hands flew about furiously. ¡°Does he even know about your disease?¡±


    A sick smile spread across her father¡¯s face, then he broke out in bellowing laughter. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, does he?¡± His fists slammed against the wall as if he had just heard the funniest joke ever. ¡°And you think he is going to take care of you?¡±


    ¡°Papa, please,¡± were the only words Miyu could manage.


    ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, I¡¯ll go ask him myself!¡±


    ¡°Papa, no! Please, don¡¯t do this!¡± she pleaded, but her father had already stormed out.


    Why is this happening?!


    Why is life so unfair?!


    ¡°Miyu? Miyu!¡±


    That¡¯s¡­ No! Kaito, don¡¯t call me, he¡¯ll hear you!


    ¡°Miyu? Are you there?¡± Kaito¡¯s voice traveled through the crack in her bedroom wall.


    Miyu wanted, more than anything, to answer his call but she knew her father would be back soon, and things would be so much worse if he found out Kaito lived next door.


    Instead, she crawled into her bed and cried as soft as she could, with her hand covering her mouth.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Kaito¡­


    ¡°Miyu? I saw you standing in the window! Come on, say something!¡±


    Miyu¡¯s tiny body shook uncontrollably, and the most agonizing pain she has ever felt, seared through her chest, which made it even more difficult to breathe.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry if you don¡¯t feel the same way,¡± Kaito said. ¡°I thought we had a connection¡­ But I guess I felt like it was more than it actually was¡­ I¡¯m sorry I pushed this on you¡­ I¡¯ll see you around, I guess.¡±


    Miyu couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore; the thought of a life without Kaito scared her more than anything. She jumped out of bed, with her arm reaching out the wall separating them, ¡°Kaito!¡± she cried out, but at the same time, she could hear his bedroom door slam shut.


    No...


    Miyu broke down and fell to the floor. Her fragile body couldn¡¯t handle the strain, and again, the entire world around her drained out of color and then, nothing but darkness.


    And in that dark place, Miyu felt free. Free from her father; free from the pain. She enjoyed being surrounded by the silence, which allowed her to let go of all her worries.


    A beautiful, young woman with glowing white hair appeared in front of her.


    Mama!


    Miyu embraced her mother tightly, and waves of warmth and comfort washed over her.


    Mama? Is this really you?


    And just like that, the woman vanished, and Miyu could feel all the sadness and pain pouring into her fragile, little body again.


    Mama, don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave me again!


    I miss you...


    When Miyu opened her eyes, her entire room was sideways. She realized that she was on her bedroom floor when she felt the wet carpet against her face.


    She pulled herself up from the floor and felt a massive pain rush to her head.


    I blacked out again¡­


    What happened¡­


    And just like the pain, her memories of that afternoon rushed back to her. Kaito, her father, and the dream about her mother.


    Miyu hopelessly trudged to her bed and collapsed on it.


    This is too much¡­


    This is just¡­ too much


    And just when Miyu thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse¡­ She heard her father stomping his way up the stairs.


    He barged into her room. ¡°Miyu?!¡± he called out angrily, but just as soon as her name left his mouth, his expression readjusted from anger to shock. ¡°Miyu! What happened? You¡¯re as white as snow!¡±


    Too weak to say anything or even move her head, Miyu just stared blankly at her father.


    I¡­ Hate¡­


    You.


    ¡°Miyu! Oh, no! Miyu!¡± He rushed over to her. ¡°I¡¯m c-calling an ambulance! Just hold on, Miyu!¡± He fumbled around on his phone with one hand and used the other to wipe away the tears flowing from his eyes.


    As her father cradled her head in his arms, the last thing Miyu remembered him say was: ¡°I¡¯m s-so sorry, Miyu. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

 Chapter 16 - A Call Unanswered

    ¡°Thanks, guys. That was awesome!¡±


    ¡°Was that her, in the white dress?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that was her!¡± Kaito said, plucking the guitar strap from his neck.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see much from down here, but she looked cute.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s perfect! Do you guys mind¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go! What are you still doing here?¡± Touma urged him on.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kaito let out a deep breath, ¡°again, thank you guys so much!¡± he said and scooted toward the staircase.


    Kaito bolted up the seven-story steel staircase and almost broke down the door when he dashed into the apartment.


    ¡°Kaito! Shoes!¡± Kanna yelled.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry!¡± Kaito jumped about on one leg, pulling at his shoe.


    ¡°Was that you that sang in the courtyard? That was beautiful!¡±


    Kaito kicked his shoes to the side and headed toward the stairs. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t talk!¡±


    Utterly confused by what was going on, Kanna stared at her nephew, who ran up the stairs as fast as he could. ¡°Who was it for?¡± she yelled after him.


    ¡°The girl next door!¡±


    ¡°Aha! All the talking to yourself, alone in the room, makes a lot more sense now,¡± Kanna said, but Kaito didn¡¯t hear her.


    He reached the second floor of the apartment and hastened his way toward his room, swung the door open, and called out to Miyu: ¡°Miyu? Miyu!¡±


    He walked over to the crack in his bedroom wall, waiting for his call to be answered.


    ¡°Miyu? Are you there?¡±


    Come on! Just answer already!


    ¡°Miyu? I saw you standing in the window! Come on, say something!¡±


    Nothing but cold silence answered Kaito¡¯s call.


    I felt like we had such a strong connection¡­ Did I make all that up?


    Oh my god, I¡¯m an idiot!


    She never even said anything to make me think that she likes me!


    Argh, I¡¯m so pathetic!


    Kaito¡¯s fist met the cold wall.


    I can¡¯t believe I forced this onto her!


    Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry if you don¡¯t feel the same way,¡± Kaito said. ¡°I thought we had a connection¡­ But I guess I felt like it was more than it actually was¡­ I¡¯m sorry I pushed this on you¡­ I¡¯ll see you around, I guess.¡±


    Kaito grabbed a red hoodie from his closet and stormed off, slamming his bedroom door shut behind him. He raced downstairs; he couldn¡¯t wait to get as far away from this place as possible.


    Why would she even like you!


    She¡¯s never even seen you!


    You¡¯re just the creepy boy from next door!


    The one that sang her a song about love, so loud that the entire neighborhood heard it!


    When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he grabbed his shoes and put them back on.


    ¡°Oy! What happened?¡± Kanna asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I need to go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like nothing,¡± Kanna¡¯s finger pointed in Kaito¡¯s direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Kaito said, walking out the front door.


    Kaito spent hours walking the streets of Hakone. The happy faces of its citizens annoyed him so much; he felt like kicking something. Which he did. The first stone he could find, he kicked and watched it fly against a road sign.


    Meh¡­


    Ten points max¡­


    Kaito felt a raindrop land on his nose, followed by another. He then looked up at the sky, and another one landed in his eye.


    A dark, wet spot remained on the sleeve of his hoodie after he wiped his eyes dry, and for a moment, he stood still, staring at his sleeve, with Miyu¡¯s voice replaying in his head.


    ¡°Kaito¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Will you¡­ take me there one day?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he screamed at the dark sky, ¡°I won¡¯t take you there!¡±


    Rain rushed down in volumes and soaked Kaito within an instant.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Perfect!


    Kaito pulled his hood over his head and continued moping his way down the empty street.


    Before long, he arrived at his school, which looked completely different now that it was covered with dark clouds, rain, and not a single living person on the grounds.


    I¡¯ll just sit down here for a bit¡­


    Fortunately for Kaito, he found a roofed area where he could sit down, and soon his mind drifted off to a different place, which distracted him from his soaking-wet clothes and the freezing cold wind.


    ¡°There you are!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You idiot!¡± Touma said. His red hair was discernible even on this gloomy afternoon.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve been looking for you of course! I¡¯ve been running all over Hakone!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Hold up, just letting Himari know I have found you,¡± his fingers punched the screen of his phone, after which he sat down next to Kaito. ¡°Tell me what happened, buddy.¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened! Why are you here?!¡±


    ¡°Woah! Chill! Kanna was worried because you flounced out of the house, so she called Himari and me, and we went looking for you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, okay?!¡±


    ¡°You need to talk about it, Kaito! Get it out!¡± Touma pleaded.


    Kaito got up in a rage. ¡°No! You get out of here! Always forcing me into stuff I don¡¯t wanna do! Just leave me the fuck alone!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Touma said, grabbing Kaito¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Touma! I¡¯m warning you! Let go of me, now!¡±


    ¡°No! I wo¡ª¡±


    Kaito had wound up his right arm, and with all his might, he forced it through the space between him and landed his fist on his friend¡¯s face.


    CRACK!


    Oh shii¡ª


    ¡°Touma!¡± Kaito screeched.


    Touma folded over, with both hands on his cheek. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    What have I done?!


    ¡°Touma! Are you...¡±


    Kaito was about to help his friend on his feet, but Touma did what Kaito hadn¡¯t expected. Touma got up and wrapped his arms around him in an embrace. Kaito was shocked by his friend¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t feel the same way...¡± The words shook out of Kaito¡¯s mouth, and at the same time, hot tears streamed out of his eyes and dripped on his friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Why does it hurt so much?¡± Kaito cried.


    His eyes were red, and Touma¡¯s shoulder was soaked, but it didn¡¯t matter at that moment, because the more Kaito cried, the tighter Touma hugged him.


    The rain had since stopped, and the clouds had parted, but they remained¡ªlocked in an embrace under the moonlit sky.


    When Kaito arrived home that evening, Kanna stood waiting for him by the door with a blanket in hand.


    His lips parted into a slight smile. ¡°Thank you¡­ And I¡¯m sorry I made you worry.¡±


    She hugged him, wrapping the blanket tightly around him. ¡°Can I warm some food for you?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I just want a quick shower, and then I¡¯m gonna pass out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay¡­ Um¡­ Kaito.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? I¡¯m here if you want to talk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really! Touma already made me feel better,¡± he said, making his way upstairs.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relieve!¡± Kanna replied. ¡°Good night!¡±


    ¡°Good night!¡± Kaito called out.


    The hot shower sent the freezing cold fleeing from his body and had him feeling better; he was nonetheless more exhausted than he had been in a long time. The silver lining was that he fell asleep immediately he got into bed, so there wasn¡¯t time to mull over Miyu.


    ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± were the only words that came from Touma¡¯s mouth when the three of them met up at school the next day. ¡°No, Kaito! No!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ªAchoo!¡±


    ¡°This cannot be happening!¡± Touma said with his hands flying into the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on the poor guy!¡± Himari said.


    ¡°Our performance is in three days! The one night we¡¯ve been working the entire year for, and our lead just happened to have a cold¡ªnow of all times? Of course, I¡¯m gonna be hard on him!¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t wanna sing with Sara, that¡¯s why you¡¯re freaking out! Do you still have feelings for her? Hmm?¡± Himari teased him.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t mind singing the part. Kaito is just¡­ way better than I am!¡±


    ¡°Naaw,¡± Kaito said with a blocked nose, opening his arms for a hug.


    ¡°Euw! Get away from me!¡± Touma squealed and recoiled from him in his usual, dramatic fashion.


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t mind hugging me last night!¡±


    ¡°You guys hugged?¡± Himari asked with a grin on her face.


    ¡°Yeah! For like ten minutes long!¡± Kaito answered.


    ¡°Okay, okay! That¡¯s enough!¡± Touma said, pulling Kaito by his arm. ¡°Come! I¡¯m buying you as many orange juice boxes as I can afford.¡±


    Touma made sure Kaito¡¯s stomach was filled up with orange juice, and then he gave him a surgical mask to wear. ¡°Wear this. I got it from the school nurse; I won¡¯t have you infect the entire Music Club!¡±


    Kaito just smiled, shook his head and then pulled the mask over his face. He wasn¡¯t going to admit it, but he did like being taken care of, which is what Touma did, the entire day long.


    At the Music Club practice that afternoon, Touma instructed Kaito to remain seated and told him that he would fill in for him for just one day.


    Kaito took a seat and watched as his fellow club members prepared the stage before the afternoon¡¯s practice session was underway.


    This means so much to them¡­


    When Kaito saw just how hard all the members of the Music Club were working, he knew he had to get better as soon as possible and decided he would take notes on the choreography so that he could practice some more at home.


    My role doesn¡¯t have that much choreography anyways¡­


    Kaito was amazed at how so many kids could come together, then split up into groups¡ªsome playing the instruments, some rehearsing the dance routines, and others practicing the singing parts of the play¡ªwithout adult supervision nor anyone charging them to do it.


    When Kaito saw Touma on stage, singing one of the main duets with Sara, he felt sorry for his friend. He could see that Touma really didn¡¯t want to be there, especially since the scene they were rehearsing required the male and female lead to dance very close to each other.


    I know!


    ¡°ACHOO!¡± Kaito sent out a startling sneeze across the entire hall.


    The music stopped instantly, and everyone looked at Kaito.


    ¡°S-sorry!¡±


    Touma looked at him with a big grin on his face. He knew Kaito had sneezed on purpose.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it from the top!¡± Sara said.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Touma jumped off the stage. ¡°We all know this part.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then what else do you want to practice, Mister Director?¡± Sara asked with her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed by Touma¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I think that was enough for today. I¡¯ll see everyone here tomorrow straight after school! And those of you that don¡¯t have a suit or dress, please, come and see me right away!¡±


    Minutes later, a bunch of kids had surrounded Touma, so Kaito thought it best to make his way home without him.


    The train ride to home was calming, but with no one to talk to, his thoughts drifted off to Miyu again, and his heart sank¡ªdeep into his chest.


    Getting his homework over with seemed like a herculean task. He would pause to stare at the crack running down the wall after every sentence he wrote, wondering if she was there and if he should call her name.


    No¡­


    If she had anything to say to me, she could call me¡­


    Notwithstanding, Kaito still made loud noises¡ªlike sneezing, coughing, or intentionally dropping his book on the floor to create a thumping sound¡ªsecretly hoping she would hear he was home and call out to him.


    But there was no response, nothing but silence; the most distracting silence he had ever experienced in his life.


    Dinner was even worse because Yui was away on school camp, which left him alone at home with Kanna. She was a really cool aunt, and Kaito always thought she made a great mother, but he could see she struggled to deal with an emotional teenager.


    He felt bad for her, but at the same time, he felt like he was the one in pain and not the one that needed to comfort the other one.


    Finally, after at least ten minutes of awkward soup-slurping¡ªthe only noise echoing throughout the kitchen¡ªKanna asked, ¡°So, do you want to talk about it?¡±


    Kaito swallowed a spoonful of Kanna¡¯s delicious chicken soup. ¡°Not really¡­ I mean, I sang a song, bared my soul to a girl that I liked, and she completely ignored me after that. That¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    Kanna smiled. ¡°You know¡­ That sounds very similar to the way your mom and dad met.¡±


    ¡°My dad? Mama never told me much about him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can imagine. The two of them were constantly at each other¡¯s throats! It wasn¡¯t a healthy relationship¡­ But it wasn¡¯t always like that.¡±


    ¡°How did they meet then?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Your mother actually dragged me down to this bar she loved going to, she was so excited that night. Some band she was crazy about was performing there.¡± Kanna took a sip of water, smiling as if there was some minor detail she remembered which she couldn¡¯t share with Kaito. ¡°So, the band arrived and all their groupies, including your mother, went completely insane! And there he was¡­ Your father, lead vocalist for some low-quality rock band. I never liked him but he made my sister happy, so I figured why not, you know?¡±


    Kaito¡¯s face lit up. ¡°My dad was in a rock band?¡±


    ¡°Yup! And after performing a couple of their songs, he was like, ¡®I dedicate this song to the lovely young lady in front of me with the sexy little black number on.¡¯¡±


    Kaito laughed at his aunt as she put on the funniest British-Japanese accent he had ever heard. ¡°Wait, he was British?¡±


    ¡°Ha! No, he was a fake! And sadly, your mom completely fell for it. Not at first though, the poor guy chased after her like a lost little puppy but eventually, she let him in, and then she became the lost little puppy.¡±


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°Kaito, I think they fought so much because they were both really passionate people. When they were happy, they were really happy! And when they fought¡­ Well, like I said, it wasn¡¯t healthy. So, when your mother found out she was pregnant with you, she broke up with him and sent him away. She wanted something more stable, you know?¡±


    My real dad doesn¡¯t even know I exist¡­


    And my stepfather is in jail¡­


    Kaito didn¡¯t feel a lot better after that, but he was grateful that Kanna was there to take care of him and his sister.


    ¡°Thank you so much for telling me that story. And thank you for everything you do for Yui and me.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me; we¡¯re family after all!¡± she said, and at least one of them smiled that evening.

 Chapter 17 - Confrontation

    Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Miyu woke up in a familiar environment, with bright lights burning her blinking eyes and the strong smell of bleach, which made her stomach twitch and turn.


    She felt a sharp sting when she tried moving her arm and then realized she had been hooked up to an IV-machine. Two little pipes¡ªone crimson-red, the other, translucent¡ªmade their way to and from her arm and the machine.


    No... I¡¯m here again¡­


    I don¡¯t wanna be here!


    Miyu lifted her head to see what was going on around her.


    She saw her father sitting by her side, his head rested on her legs.


    Ugh¡­


    She rolled onto her side, moving her legs out from under her father¡¯s sleeping head.


    ¡°Miyu? Are you awake, my sweet?¡±


    Just go away!


    ¡°How are you feeling? Is there anything I can get you?¡± he asked.


    He isn¡¯t going anywhere until I say something¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m okay; I¡¯m just tired,¡± Miyu mumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re... really awake?!¡± he asked with a shaky laugh, then he let out a relieved sigh.


    Miyu¡¯s father ran his fingers through her hair. She knew that he meant it in a sweet way, but at that moment, she couldn¡¯t decide which made her more nauseous: the sickly green and cream color scheme of the hospital walls or her father¡¯s alcohol-scented fingers.


    Then, as if he could read her mind, he stopped stroking her hair and fell back into his chair.


    ¡°I¡­ I need to apologize to you, Miyu, my behavior has been¡­ completely unacceptable recently.¡±


    Miyu couldn¡¯t believe what she heard.


    Is this some kind of trick?


    Or¡­


    Is this just like last time¡­


    He said he was sorry and he would change¡­


    But nothing changed¡­


    ¡°I know that I need to change and¡­ And I will give it my best!¡±


    Exactly! That¡¯s what you said last time...


    ¡°It¡¯s just so scary when it feels like I can lose you at any moment! You have to understand that I will do anything not to lose you! You mean everything to me, Miyu! And... You¡¯re all I have.¡±


    Hearing the sadness in her father¡¯s voice gave Miyu a knot in her throat, but she knew that she had to be strong this time, otherwise nothing would ever change.


    ¡°But I know...¡± he continued, ¡°I know that you are growing up fast and that you are smart enough to start making your own decisions in life.¡±


    ¡°Papa, do you remember the last time we were here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do...¡±


    ¡°You promised me things would change, but when we went back home, everything remained the same.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I just, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, why would I believe anything you tell me now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Miyu,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit up straight, my sweet. You¡¯re about to make a tough decision by yourself, and that¡¯s the only way I could show you that I meant what I said.¡±


    Curious as to what her father was about to say, Miyu carefully pulled herself up and sat on her hospital bed, looking into her father¡¯s eyes, which were shiny and surrounded by thick red and black rings.


    ¡°Your doctor came to see me earlier... he said that your condition is getting worse, but there might be some hope.¡± He paused to take a deep breath and to swallow his tears. ¡°Miyu, there¡¯s a surgery. It¡¯s still very much experimental, so the risks are very high. But seeing as your body hasn¡¯t been responding to treatment¡­ this might be the only option left. Do you know what that means, my sweet?¡±


    Miyu felt a freezing chill run through her body as her father¡¯s words washed over her.


    There¡¯s a surgery¡­ That can make me better?


    But¡­ High risk means I could¡­


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    Die?


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ It means I might¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± her father interrupted her as if hearing the words come from her mouth would make it too real and too hard for him to handle.


    ¡°But, Papa, I have to¡­ The doctor said I¡¯m getting worse.¡±


    ¡°I will leave the decision to you, Miyu, but first you will have to get stronger, and that means coming home, eating healthy, taking your medicines, and getting lots of rest. After you¡¯ve had a couple of days to think¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about, Papa; I need to have the surgery done!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I um¡­¡± His head dropped down, and then he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Miyu. You¡¯re right¡­ I¡¯ll go try and find your doctor, okay?¡± He then got up and left the room.


    A drop of cold sweat formed on Miyu¡¯s ghostly pale skin. She was scared, and thanks to her trembling hands, she was unable to hide it.


    This is real, isn¡¯t it?


    I wish Kaito was here¡­


    I wish I could tell him everything and ask him what I should do!


    But he doesn¡¯t even know that I¡¯m sick¡­


    Have I¡­


    Have I been misleading him?


    Forced him to form a bond with¡­


    With someone that might¡­


    With me¡­


    Kaito serenading her in his own words was the most beautiful thought Miyu had in her mind and the only one that soothed her heartache and put her at ease.


    Her eyelids grew heavy, and soon, Miyu drifted off to her dream world, where Kaito stood waiting for her in the middle of an entrancing forest. Trees stood tall and luscious flowers of all colors filled every nook and cranny. Hand in hand they walked down the star-lit path in front of them, and when there was no more path, they made their own. Later on, they came to a clearing. It began to rain as soon as they entered, but instead of frowning at the thought of being drenched, Kaito took her hand, smiled, and the two of them danced in the rain. Smiling, twirling, soaking wet, they skipped away the evening inside her head.


    A stream of sunlight tickled Miyu¡¯s face and her eyes fluttered open.


    It took a few moments for her to become cognizant of her environment, and when she did, she realized that she was still in the hospital, so she closed her eyes and wished she wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Good morning, dear,¡± a friendly voice walked into the room. ¡°Here, have some breakfast; it¡¯s gonna make you feel a lot better!¡±


    Miyu sat up straight and used her hand to brush the hair out of her face. She saw a clean-cut young man in uniform with a friendly smile walking toward her with a tray of food.


    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± she said as he placed down the tray on a movable table, which came to a halt directly in front of her.


    He pulled open a stainless-steel lid to reveal a steaming-hot omelet, which made Miyu¡¯s stomach rumble out loud. The rest of the tray was filled with a plate of sliced fruit, a bowl of soup, a cup of apple juice, and another with some green tea.


    ¡°Excuse me. Is Doctor Eito here?¡±


    He smiled at her. ¡°No. Sorry dear.  Is there anything you need?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, not really.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just call me if you do! And just so you know, your father mentioned he will be coming around to see you sometime this morning,¡± he said and then left Miyu to enjoy her breakfast.


    Miyu hadn¡¯t realized just how hungry she was until she was left alone to stuff her mouth full of all the delicious foods in front of her.


    She was sipping on her cup of apple juice when her father entered the room.


    ¡°Morning, my sweet,¡± he said, pulling a sling bag off his shoulder and planting a kiss on her forehead. ¡°How was your breakfast? Did you have enough?¡±


    The blue button-shirt he wore looked ironed, and Miyu wondered if her father had done that himself.


    ¡°Mhm, it was yummy, and I¡¯m so full now!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Here, I brought you a change of clothes. When you¡¯re done, we can go and get you checked out so that we can go home. Maybe we¡¯ll get some ice-cream on the way?¡±


    ¡°I can go home, Papa?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your doctor is going to give us a call either later today or early tomorrow for the surgery schedule. Besides, your bed at home is more comfortable than this one, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It sure is¡­


    Miyu¡¯s body already felt sore after only spending one night on the hospital bed.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Yeah, I¡¯ll go get dressed quick.¡±


    Miyu grabbed the bag and jumped off the bed.


    She instantly felt dizzy and had to grab hold of the bed to keep herself from falling.


    ¡°Careful, Miyu!¡± Her father ran around and supported her with his arm around her back. ¡°Take it slow and easy, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Papa. I just got up too quick.¡±


    After Miyu got dressed, she had to undergo a quick check-up before she was allowed to leave the hospital.


    Miyu enjoyed the peaceful car ride home with a cup of vanilla ice-cream and the warm summer¡¯s breeze, which blew through her hair while she gazed out the window.


    It seemed like everyone and everything was smiling on that sunny day.


    Papa is very quiet today¡­


    I suppose he needs time to process as well¡­


    She turned her gaze toward her father and smiled. ¡°Thank you for the ice-cream.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, my sweet.¡± He gently patted her head a few times with his hand. ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± he sniffed.


    ¡°Papa, you¡¯re not crying, are you?¡±


    ¡°No! N-no... I¡¯m not,¡± he stuttered, but Miyu could see that he was trying his best to hold back his tears. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ You¡­ Miyu, you deserve the best, and I¡¯ve definitely not been the best father.¡±


    ¡°Papa...¡±


    ¡°No, I know, Miyu¡­ But all that is going to change! Here we are.¡± Miyu just realized they had arrived at their apartment building. Her father pulled up the handbrake. ¡°Let me help you get to bed, and then I¡¯m going out. I¡¯ll go buy some fresh ingredients and then make us a delicious meal this evening. Come, let¡¯s go.¡±


    A few minutes later, Miyu was back in her own bed, and her father yelled a goodbye from downstairs before he left the house.


    Exhausted, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep, only to be awakened a few hours later by the enchanting voice of the boy next door.


    Am I dreaming?


    No¡­ I don¡¯t think I am¡­


    She recognized the song he had been singing. She remembered hearing her mother sing the same song a long time ago¡ªwhen things were happier and simpler.


    Is he practicing for the musical?


    Miyu climbed out of bed so that she could sit close to the wall and listen to Kaito sing. She decided it was best to take her blanket along so that she could be as comfortable as possible. But what she didn¡¯t bargain on was her blanket being bulky, so she ended up knocking everything off of her nightstand.


    BAM. CRASH. Ting. Clang. Ba-tsshh.


    Silence.


    Oops¡­


    ¡°Miyu?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Hi, Kaito!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? It sounded like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m perfectly fine, thanks!¡± Miyu answered, standing frozen in the middle of her bedroom in an awkward pose, holding an oversized blanket.


    ¡°Ah, okay...¡±


    ¡°So sorry I interrupted you practicing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was done for today anyway. Have a nice¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kaito, wait!¡± she called out.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°We need to talk...¡±


    ¡°I guess...¡±


    Miyu dropped her blanket and took a seat on the floor, leaning against the cold bedroom wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything after¡ª¡±


    ¡°Miyu, stop. You have nothing to apologize for!¡±


    I thought he¡¯d be mad at me¡­


    ¡°But¡­ You wrote a song for me and everything...¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I obviously don¡¯t know how to deal with my emotions, so I ended up forcing stuff on you...¡±


    But that¡¯s not true¡­


    ¡°...and you never even gave me an indication that you liked me in that way!¡±


    ¡°Kaito, stop...¡±


    ¡°No! I need to be apologizing to you! I¡¯m sorry for being a naive little boy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kaito! Just listen to me!¡±


    Miyu tried raising her voice, but she just couldn¡¯t muster enough energy for anything more than a loud whisper.


    ¡°Kaito, I¡¯ve been sick¡­ And it¡¯s serious. On the day you sang that song to me, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Miyu, really¡­ You don¡¯t have to make things up to make me feel better! You deserve so much better! You¡¯re an amazing person and friend, but that¡¯s not what I need right now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kaito, please!¡±


    ¡°I have to go, Miyu¡­ Thanks for trying to make me feel better.¡±


    No¡­ Please¡­


    Miyu heard his door slam shut and her eyes welled up. She swallowed hard, trying her best not to start crying, but when she saw her father standing by her bedroom door, she couldn¡¯t keep her emotions back any longer.


    He quickly made his way toward her and hugged her as tight as he could. ¡°He was right about one thing, my sweet. You deserve so much better...¡±

 Chapter 18 - A Winter’s Heart

    Stars still littered the sky when Kaito gazed outside his bedroom window. He tilted his head from left to right, right to left, trying to lull himself back to sleep. Sadly, nothing he tried seemed to work.


    Really¡­ Today of all days I can¡¯t sleep¡­


    Annoyed with the fact that he was now wide awake, Kaito got out of bed and slipped on a blue night robe he had hanging in his closet.


    I¡¯ve never even worn this thing before¡­


    Ah well¡­ Coffee time!


    Oh, wait! No coffee today¡­


    Damn, just tea then¡­


    Trying to be as quiet as possible, Kaito made his way downstairs, and to his surprise, the kitchen light was already turned on.


    Who¡¯s awake at this time?


    Kanna was in front of the stove, producing drool-inducing aromas.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Kaito greeted.


    ¡°AH! Kaito!¡± she clasped at her chest as if she had to catch her heart from jumping out. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sneaking,¡± Kaito grinned.


    ¡°Well! What are you even doing up so early? Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... But I could ask you the same question,¡± Kaito said while filling the kettle.


    ¡°I¡¯m up at this time six days a week. How else do you think I make home-cooked packed lunches for you and your sister before going to work?¡±


    Never thought about that¡­


    ¡°Why today though? It¡¯s Saturday...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but I work on Saturdays¡­ Plus, it¡¯s also my young man¡¯s big day today! Can you get us two plates, please?¡±


    As soon as Kaito placed the two plates on the counter, Kanna filled them both with scrambled eggs, toast, and breakfast sausages.


    Yum!


    ¡°How did you know I was gonna be up so early?¡± Kaito asked, filling his fork with scrambled eggs.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t; I was going to wake you up,¡± Kanna replied, pointing at the tray that lay waiting on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Aw, thank you!¡±


    Kanna smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take your lunch with you!¡±


    Kaito felt bad when he saw the packed lunch box. Any other day, and he would¡¯ve been extremely grateful, but he had a few rituals on performance days, which he picked up from his mother, and one of them included what he ate before performing.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Thanks, Kanna¡­ But I have this thing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where you only eat peanut butter sandwiches and bananas on performance days? Yeah, I figured¡­ That¡¯s why there are peanut butter sandwiches and a banana in your lunchbox.¡±


    What?! That¡¯s¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool that you know that! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Your mother always had her little rituals¡­ I figured they rubbed off on you.¡± Kanna moved her plate to the side and planted a kiss on Kaito¡¯s forehead. ¡°I have to go. Do you mind cleaning up here?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you. Yui and I will see you at your school tonight! Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Is she back home yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope. She¡¯ll be back this afternoon only! Okay, bye-bye!¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye!¡±


    Kaito finished his breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, and ran himself a hot bath.


    Today¡¯s the day!


    It¡¯s gonna be fine. Everyone has worked so hard¡­


    Oeh! I should probably iron my suit!


    And remember to check that my shoelaces are tied before I go on stage!


    Kaito showered while thinking up a long list of things he needed to get done before the big opening night.


    After a relaxing bath, he started with the first thing on his list: iron his suit. And by the time he got to the last thing on his list, it was early afternoon and almost time to get going.


    Vzzzt. Vzzzt.


    TOUMA: Meet you at the station?


    KAITO: Sure


    Kaito wrapped a garment bag over his suit, grabbed his lunchbox, and set off for the train station. As the day ticked on, Kaito could feel his nerves tingling more and more.


    Come on! I¡¯ve done this a million times!


    It¡¯s gonna be all goooood¡­


    When Kaito got to the train station, he saw his friend waiting for him. Seeing Touma¡¯s twitching face and red eyes made Kaito feel a lot better.


    He looks a lot more nervous than me, and he is not even lead anymore!


    ¡°How are you feeling? You good?¡± Touma asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you okay? You seem very nervous...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I just had a lot of coffee, that¡¯s all. Couldn¡¯t sleep, you know...¡±


    ¡°Yup, I know¡­ Shall we?¡±


    The train ride to school was surprisingly quiet, but Kaito was happy that he was left with his thoughts for just a while longer before the chaos of opening day began.


    I wonder what she¡¯s doing today¡­


    Probably no chance she¡¯ll be there tonight¡­


    Argh! Just stop thinking about her!


    Just think about other stuff! Like¡­ Like¡­


    Sigh¡­


    ¡°Touma!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay, buddy?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Yeah! Just got a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°I know how you feel! Do you wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ It¡¯s mostly nerves.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Try not to think about it too much. Once, you¡¯re on stage, everything will just fall into place¡­ Just like we practiced!¡±


    ¡°Oh! I know! The play will be just fine¡­ I was kinda talking about¡­ Uh...¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve been wondering how to tell Himari¡­ that I love her...¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Kaito chuckled. ¡°I thought you were nervous about going on stage!¡±


    ¡°Ha! I wish it was that! This is way more nerve-racking...¡±


    Kaito patted his friend on the back. ¡°Just tell her how you feel¡­ It will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it will be fine! Just tell her how you feel...¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Kaito.¡±


    I¡¯m sure Himari loves him as well¡­


    Then again¡­ Apparently, I¡¯m not that good at guessing what other people feel¡­


    Especially¡­ Love¡­


    I guess...


    When Kaito and Touma entered the school hall, chaos had in fact, erupted. Students scurried in all directions, props and costumes were carried to and from the stage, dancers danced, and singers sang.


    Opening day!


    ¡°Not like that, you nitwit!¡± Touma yelled at someone Kaito didn¡¯t even recognize.


    Touma walked off, firing off commands and instructions in all directions.


    Kaito thought it best he didn¡¯t follow his friend and instead, made his way to the stage where he helped set up stage props.


    An uneasy feeling boiled in Kaito¡¯s stomach. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he was sure it wasn¡¯t nerves.


    I¡¯ve done this a thousand times¡­


    This isn¡¯t what nervousness feels like¡­


    Maybe I¡¯m getting sick?


    The stage quickly filled up with cardboard cutouts of big city buildings, perfectly trimmed trees, a hotdog stand, and steam-spewing manhole covers, which were powered by hidden fog machines.


    Kaito took a step back to have a good look at the stage.


    Impressive!


    Wait, what¡¯s that¡­


    Whoever was in charge of the lights was testing to see if the lighting worked as it should. And every time they switched to a night scene, everything went dark except for the ceiling, which was illuminated by thousands of little stars.


    A field of stars¡­


    Kaito couldn¡¯t help but fall back into a chair and enjoy having the sparkling lights, however fake they were, wash over him.


    Why can¡¯t I get her out of my mind!


    I promised I would take her there¡­


    His stomach turned, and he knew it was because of Miyu. Annoyed, he got up and made his way to the boy¡¯s dressing room where he changed into his suit.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have asked for a more dashing lead!¡± Touma said, walking toward Kaito with wide-spread arms.


    Kaito couldn¡¯t tell if he was coming in for a hug, or if he was just pointing at him with both hands to emphasize his proudness, as if Kaito was some prize-winning pony.


    ¡°Touma, I need to talk to you¡ªalone,¡± Kaito said as he dodged Touma¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Sure, come with me,¡± Touma said and pulled Kaito into some random, empty backstage room, which Kaito had never even noticed before.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How do you know you love Himari?¡±


    ¡°Ah ha,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Is this about Miyu?¡±


    ¡°Just answer my question, please!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple; I couldn¡¯t get her out of my mind.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Well, that and what my father said to me, he said, ¡®Touma, try to think of the rest of your life without that girl¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t have to finish his sentence because I instantly knew I couldn¡¯t imagine life without her.¡±


    Just like Touma didn¡¯t need his father to finish his sentence, Kaito didn¡¯t need his friend to finish his before he knew there was no possible future without Miyu.


    ¡°But you got nothing to worry about, do you? I mean, the words you wrote down in that song either came straight from your heart, or you have even more talent than you let on!¡±


    I love her¡­


    ¡°Thanks, Touma.¡±


    ¡°No problem! Now get your ass back to stage! People are filling up the hall as we speak!¡±


    Kaito took a peek from behind the curtain, and just as Touma had said, the hall was filling up quickly, and the nervous squeaks from his fellow club members became more apparent.


    ¡°Kaito, I¡¯ve been sick¡­ And it¡¯s serious¡ª¡±


    Kaito squeezed his fist in anger.


    Why did she have to make up an excuse?!


    Miyu¡¯s voice resonated inside his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m good¡­ I¡¯ve just had some things to deal with¡±


    ¡°I had to¡­ go for a checkup at the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yip, just a routine checkup¡­¡±


    Fragments of Kaito¡¯s memories came together, like the pieces of a puzzle, and his heart sank.


    Was she¡­


    Was she trying to tell me¡ª


    Wait¡­


    Why doesn¡¯t her father want her to leave the house?


    Is she¡­


    She really is sick¡­


    All the color drained from Kaito¡¯s face and pooled together in his throat, making it painful to swallow.


    Why didn¡¯t I listen to her?!


    She was trying to tell me something!


    ARGH! IDIOT!


    What am I even doing here?!


    Kaito knew he was in the wrong place, not where he should be. He ran over to his red-headed friend and pulled him by his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Touma, I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain! Please, just trust me, I have to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª I don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Touma, you¡¯re gonna be fine! You know everything! You were made for this, trust me! But I really have to go! I need to be with Miyu!¡±


    Touma gave Kaito a good luck slap on his back. ¡°Go and get her!¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Kaito dashed past the confused looks of his fellow club members, raced down the stage stairs, and cut straight through the hall, which was filled with people.


    I¡¯m coming Miyu!


    Kaito pushed his way through the seemingly endless line of people, which ran straight through the entrance hall and disappeared somewhere outside the giant sliding doors.


    What the hell? Is the entire town here?


    When Kaito finally made it outside the school, he took a moment to take in the impressive sight of hundreds of cars that lined up on the sports field, as well as the rows upon rows of bicycles that filled up the courtyard.


    This is crazy!


    He took a deep breath and set off toward the train station, determined to declare his love to Miyu.


    She was trying to tell me something the last time we spoke¡­


    But I just pushed her away¡­


    Out of breath, Kaito came to a halt in front of the train station. His heart sank deep into his chest when he saw a word flickering on the train schedule.


    DELAYED!


    No no no!


    He swung around to see if there were any taxis available, but the parking lot and the area around the train station seemed deserted.


    ARGH!


    The entire town really did go to the show!


    After half an hour of waiting, Kaito was able to board the train, but he had to wait another twenty minutes before the train moved.


    Finally!


    Dreary-gray clouds filled the skies outside the window, and the beautiful hydrangeas, which bloomed so prominently when Kaito first traveled on the train, now matched the clouds in wilting fashion.


    The waiting time at each stop seemed to intensify as they progressed and happened to perfectly correspond to Kaito¡¯s frustration.


    At this pace, I might as well have run home!


    Yet, the extra waiting time allowed him to think about what he would say to Miyu once he got home. However, every sentence he formulated in his head ended up sounding ridiculous, and suddenly, Kaito felt his body almost quivering from nervousness.


    With a loud CLANK, the train pulled away again, and this time, there was only one stop left.


    Kaito felt restless and couldn¡¯t wait to start running the moment the train stopped. He got up from his seat and went to stand in front of the train¡¯s door.


    Huh?


    Kaito realized he was alone on the train. A strange feeling washed over him, but before he could use his creative mind to come up with a bunch of eerie scenarios, he saw the blurry outline of the next station.


    Kaito jumped in excitement, and just as the door slid open, he made a mad dash for it.


    Miyu, I¡¯m coming!


    We can do this! We can figure it out¡­


    I wanna take you to the lake¡­ I promised you I would!


    I wanna show you the world¡­ The one you¡¯ve been kept from.


    Kaito turned a corner, and the apartment building came into view.


    Yes! I made it!


    He came to a halt in front of the building and folded over, hands on knees, to catch his breath.


    In the corner of his eye, he saw Miyu¡¯s father.


    Mr. Hoshino sat on the passenger side of a van, which drove by Kaito in slow motion. The back of the van seemed to be filled to the brim with boxes and a heap of tied down furniture towered on top of a trailer.


    The world went dead quiet, and the only sounds Kaito could hear were his breath and the pounding of his heart.


    Kaito¡¯s eyes met Mr. Hoshino¡¯s, and in that wordless exchange, Kaito felt his world crumble away at his feet.


    No¡­


    ¡°NO!¡± he screamed as the van drove off.


    Once again, Kaito broke into a mad dash and ran his way up the never-ending flight of stairs.


    What is this?


    What is happening?!


    Kaito made his way up the stairs as fast as he could. At times he would skip three or even four steps but one misstep later, his foot slipped out from under him, and his face met the steel staircase.


    Aaaargh!


    He pulled himself up and ignored the blood gushing from his nose.


    Kaito continued his sprint up the staircase. When he got to the top, he ran past Kanna¡¯s apartment and straight to Miyu¡¯s.


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!


    ¡°Miyu!¡±


    KNOCK!


    ¡°Miyu! Are you there?!¡±


    Kaito turned the doorknob, but the door was locked.


    Come on!


    After a couple more knocks and no answer, Kaito turned back to Kanna¡¯s apartment.


    He barged through the living room, up the stairs, and dashed into his room, almost blowing the door off its hinges.


    ¡°Miyu! Are you there?! MIYU!¡±


    Completely out of breath, Kaito walked over to the other side of his room, toward the wall with the crack in it.


    As he approached, he noticed that the crack seemed bigger somehow and then, his eyes caught something protruding from the split.


    What¡¯s that?!


    He reached his arm out, ran his finger over the spot and felt a piece of paper cutting his finger.


    A note!


    Taking care not to rip it, Kaito pulled at it softly until it came loose.


    He folded open the note and this time, all sound and color drained from his world.


    I love you.


    No¡­


    No no no¡­ Miyu?!


    ¡°MIYU!¡± Kaito screamed out.


    She¡¯s¡­ gone?


    ¡°NO!¡± he struck the wall with a fierce punch, which caused blood to flow from his knuckles.


    NO NO NO!!


    FUCK!!


    ¡°Miyu! Are you there?! MIYU!!¡±


    Kaito¡¯s entire body shook, and his breathing increased to the point where it seemed like he was hyperventilating.


    This isn¡¯t happening¡­


    Searing-hot tears streamed from his eyes.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t FUCKING HAPPENING!!!! Miyu??¡± Kaito screamed out and again punched at the wall.


    And again.


    And again.


    And again.


    ¡°Miyu?! Please!¡±


    The cracked spot in the concrete gave way, and thus became a hole. The hole grew bigger and bigger, and Kaito¡¯s fist became bloodier as he kept pummeling the wall.


    ¡°I promised her I would take her there!!!¡±


    Kaito let out painful screams as he swung his arms repeatedly at the wall.


    Finally, the hole was big enough for his head to squeeze through. Still, Kaito couldn¡¯t see anything on the other side because his eyes filled up with tears faster than he could wipe them away.


    Kaito started to unravel the wall, pulling whole bricks from it.


    ¡°Miyu?!¡± he screamed through the hole and without waiting for a response he kicked at the wall until the hole was big enough for him to climb through.


    Seconds later, he stood inside Miyu¡¯s room.


    It¡¯s¡­ empty.


    Kaito fell to his knees and laughed.


    It was a dark, menacing laugh that convulsed his entire body.


    She¡¯s¡­ gone¡­


    ¡°Kaito! Just listen to me! I¡¯ve been sick¡­ And it¡¯s serious¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t just shut up for two minutes and listen to her?! ARGH!!!


    He collapsed on all fours and cried a seething torrent of tears as with someone retching.


    Tiny pools of tears formed on the floor, and in them, he saw his own reflection.


    ¡°I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!¡± he shouted at the floor before his strength betrayed him and he collapsed into a bloodied, broken bundle.

 Chapter 19 - –A Mother’s Love

    When Kaito woke up, a bright ray of sunshine annoyingly beamed down on his face. He sat up straight, and like each and every day before, his eyes jerked his head toward his bedroom wall.


    The fact that there was no hole nor crack to be seen broke down any hope that it had all been a nightmare.


    His eyes swelled up and burned, but there were no tears escaping; after all, he had cried enough for a lifetime, and all that was left was numbness.


    Kaito dressed up and slipped out of the apartment, trying to evade any conversation with his sister or aunt.


    It was a long and irritating winter for Kaito. Not to mention needing to wear a cast on both hands and rely on Kanna and Yui to take care of him for weeks on end. Kaito couldn¡¯t grasp why people continuously try so hard to make him feel better; all he wanted was to be left alone. Instead, they pushed harder and harder, forcing conversations no matter how awkward.


    Kaito knew they were hurt whenever he avoided them, but as time went by, he cared less and less until the numbness enveloped his entire body.


    When Kaito approached the train station, he could see Hana, neatly dressed in her school uniform, awaiting him. He can¡¯t remember when it started; one day he just looked around, and she was there.


    She was always there¡­ and Yui hated her.


    Kaito smiled inside.


    Why does Yui hate her?


    I can¡¯t remember¡­ We had a fight?


    And then¡­ And then, I don¡¯t know anymore¡­


    Ah, well


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Hana said with a big smile while pushing herself into the air with the tips of her toes.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Kaito asked as he walked past her and toward the train.


    ¡°Did you bring lunch today?¡± she asked, and as if she already knew the answer, she handed Kaito a red lunchbox. ¡°Here, I made you lunch.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but¡ª¡± and before he could say anything else, she shoved the lunchbox into his hands. She wasn¡¯t going to take no for an answer.


    The train ride to school was quiet, which was the reason he didn¡¯t mind having Hana follow him around everywhere; she was quiet¡­ most of the time.


    He could recall a certain day she wasn¡¯t as quiet as he would¡¯ve liked.


    They were in his bedroom. Kaito sat on his bed, back against the wall and his head hung low. Hana sat on a chair next to the desk, scurrying through piles of papers. ¡°What do you think about Kyoto?¡± she asked him, handing him a piece of paper.


    ¡°Huh?¡± he looked up, not too sure what Hana was doing in his room.


    ¡°The University of Kyoto¡­ It¡¯s a great backup plan! What do you think about it?¡± she asked and before he could answer, ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll send your application to them as well¡­ might as well, right?¡±


    I guess she¡¯s applying to Universities¡­ for me?


    Whatever¡­


    ¡°But I really think it would be great if you got into the University of Tokyo. I mean, I already got an early acceptance¡­ Just think, next year we could be going to the same university!¡± she said with a huge smile, almost shaking from excitement.


    The screech of metal against metal snapped Kaito out of his flashback, and before he knew it, he was walking towards the same old sliding door entrance of his school.


    ¡°KAITO!¡±


    A sudden force pulled Kaito backward. He felt a strong hand gripping his arm.


    ¡°Kaito!¡± Touma called again, in a stern voice. ¡°We need to talk!¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Kaito asked, jerking his shoulder free from Touma¡¯s grip.


    Himari was holding Touma¡¯s hand and hid behind him¡ªas if she was scared of Kaito.


    ¡°I just want to talk to you! You¡¯re my friend!¡±


    Kaito stared blankly back at him.


    ¡°You gotta stop this! It¡¯s been months already...¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Kaito muttered and walked off.


    What does he know about how I feel?


    He has everything he wants¡­


    ¡°Just leave him be already!¡± Kaito heard Hana shout at Touma.


    ¡°You¡¯re not doing him any favors by helping him when he is like that! And why are you always around him? You¡¯re just feeding off his¡ª¡±


    ¡°Touma!¡± Himari stopped him from finishing his sentence.


    ¡°Ugh! You know what? I give up!¡±


    Good! Just give up and leave me be.


    Kaito didn¡¯t see Touma in class for the rest of the day.


    Peaceful.


    Quiet.


    Lunchtime came, and Kaito remained behind in class. His stomach growled, and he was grateful for the lunchbox Hana had packed for him.


    Kaito had just started eating when Hana joined him. Fortunately for Kaito, she didn¡¯t say anything, and the two of them ate their lunch together in complete silence.


    The rest of the day felt like Kaito sat at the same seat and different scenes blurred in and out in front of him until the last bell of the day chimed, urging him to take a train home so that he could sleep and do everything over again.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Since that night, most of Kaito¡¯s days felt the same. Foggy, blurry, sometimes long, sometimes short. Fragments scattered over time.


    The train came to a halt and Kaito jumped off, followed by Hana.


    Kaito quickly turned around. ¡°Hana...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± she looked up at him sweetly, flicking her hair behind her ear with one finger.


    Kaito didn¡¯t seem to notice her intentions and simply said, ¡°I want to walk home alone today, so...¡±


    ¡°Oh... Yeah sure.¡± Clearly flustered she asked, ¡°Just promise me that you¡¯ll text me if you receive any acceptance letters.¡±


    Kaito wasn¡¯t even sure if he had her number, but knowing Hana, she had probably saved it in his phone herself.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Will do,¡± he said, touching the side of his head with two fingers as if saluting her.


    Why did I do that...


    Hana turned around, her hair flying through the air dramatically as she walked off, clearly irritated¡ªeither from Kaito¡¯s request or because she would have to wait at least another twenty minutes to catch the next train.


    Kaito hated the walk home. Every step forward filled his head with flashes from that day, and every time he thought of that day, his chest felt ten times heavier, and he had to use all his strength to keep himself from crumbling to the floor.


    When Kaito finally arrived outside the apartment, his eyes fell on a thick, brown envelope sticking out from underneath the door. Curious, he swung open the door to find his name displayed on the envelope. He grabbed it, muttered ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± and then made his way to his bedroom.


    This is from the University of Tokyo¡­


    He threw the envelope toward his desk, but it slid across and fell on the ground. Kaito sighed and collapsed onto his bed.


    His eyes glanced toward his bedroom wall for a split second, just long enough to remind himself there was no use having hope.


    Kaito closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Not long after, he awoke to voices coming from downstairs.


    Sounds like someone is arguing¡­


    Is that¡­ That¡¯s Touma!


    What is he doing here?


    Kaito got out of bed and slowly made his way toward his bedroom door.


    Sticking his face outside the door, he could hear Touma conversing with Kanna.


    ¡°...can¡¯t be good for him! And I don¡¯t know what to do anymore! Himari is just as lost...¡±


    ¡°I know, Touma, but you have to understand, Kaito has been through a lot in his life¡­ He lost his¡­ My sister...¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t think he is processing it in a healthy way! I¡¯m¡ª We are really worried about him. I don¡¯t want him to do anything stupid!¡±


    Kanna was quiet, save for a sound she made that resembled a hiccup and a cry at the same time.


    ¡°And what about his future? Application dates for universities have closed¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think Hana helped him fill out some stuff¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hana?¡± Touma asked surprised. ¡°That witch? She¡¯s bad news, Kanna! She¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kanna¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do anymore¡ª¡±


    Kaito was gripped with rage.


    Can they just leave me alone already!!


    SLAM!


    He slammed his bedroom door shut, making sure it was loud enough for them to hear it downstairs.


    Can everyone just SHUT UP!


    Kaito paced up and down his room, feeling trapped inside his tiny bedroom. His eyes fell on the brown paper envelope again, and he decided he would open it up and take a look.


    After he tore the envelope open, Kaito tilted it to the side to reveal the letter inside.


    Dear Mr. Igarashi


    This letter is to confirm that you have been accepted¡ª


    Kaito wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to feel any form of happiness with the news.


    If I go¡­ I¡¯d be free from all this¡­


    But I¡¯d be away from¡ª


    No! She wasn¡¯t REAL! I just need to forget!


    Forget¡­


    He reread the first sentence a couple of times and remembered Hana asking him to promise to text her if he received any letters.


    While Kaito typed a message on his phone to Hana, he remembered that not too long ago, he walked into his room and caught her spraying her perfume on his pillowcase. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say, and she hastily ran out of the room, blushing from chin to ear.


    She is pretty weird¡­ Why am I texting her?


    Kaito deleted the message and was about to put his phone down when he looked up and around him at the ever-shrinking room and the crack-less wall. His thumbs raced to recreate the message he deleted a few moments ago and hit send before he had any second thoughts.


    KAITO: Hey. I got accepted to Tokyo Uni. See you tomorrow.


    The next day on the train to school, Hana was brimming with happiness, so much so that she started discussing plans for their future¡ªwhich dorm Kaito had to apply for, and what they were going to do on their first weekend back in Tokyo.


    Who knows what else she¡¯s planning¡­


    This made Kaito panic a little.


    ¡°Hana, wait!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just¡ª slow down. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready for all that...¡± Kaito said, trying his best to look her in the eye, but his gaze failed him as it went past her and focused on the scenery flashing by them.


    ¡°Is that because you¡¯re still hung up over a girl you¡¯ve never even seen before?!¡±


    ¡°Hana!¡±


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? While in the meantime, I¡¯ve been right here, with you, taking care of you!¡±


    ¡°I know, I just¡ª¡±


    Hana¡¯s hands clenched the books she carried, and as soon as the train came to a halt, she practically leaped from her seat and said, ¡°It¡¯s not fair competing with a ghost, Kaito.¡± She then turned around, with her deep black river of hair flowing behind her, and got off the train.


    Kaito wasn¡¯t even sure if she had gotten off at her stop, but what she said did make him think.


    She¡¯s weird but does mean well¡­


    And she¡¯s the only one that hasn¡¯t been annoying me non-stop!


    Soon, Kaito got off at his stop, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he didn¡¯t get flashbacks of that horrible day on his way home.


    When he arrived home, he dashed into his room, there he found another thick, brown envelope waiting on his desk. Kaito tore it open without reading who it was from.


    Congratulations!


    You have been accepted to Unmei Institute of Theatre and Fine Arts¡ª


    Theater and Fine Arts?


    Did Hana send¡ª NO!


    Kanna did this!


    Without telling me? Do they think I¡¯m THIS useless?!


    UGH!


    Kaito¡¯s anger propelled him downstairs toward the kitchen where he found Kanna.


    ¡°Kaito! You¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is this?!¡± he asked, throwing the letter on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°What is¡ª Oh, that! Well¡­ I thought you¡¯d be happy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Happy! Happy about what exactly? About the fact that none of you can just leave me alone and give me some SPACE?!¡± Kaito bubbled with anger. And the way Kanna was looking at him inflated his rage. ¡°Or should I be happy about you guys sending out University applications IN MY NAME!!¡±


    ¡°Kaito, please!¡± Kanna tried calming him down to no avail.


    ¡°No, wait!¡± Kaito laughed in anger. ¡°The best one is, my best friend and aunt talking about ME, BEHIND MY BACK!¡±


    ¡°Kaito! Please! I¡¯m sorry, but please¡ª¡±


    ¡°NO! I¡¯m so done with ALL OF THIS! You know what¡­¡± Kaito turned his back to Kanna, who was whimpering in the corner of the kitchen. ¡°Screw all of this; I¡¯m not going to the university! How about that?! I¡¯ll just go live on the streets! Maybe then everyone can just SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!¡±


    Kaito stormed upstairs, collapsed onto his bed and poured all his anger into his pillow.


    It wasn¡¯t long after that Kanna appeared in his room. She sat down on his bed and stroked his back.


    ¡°I have to tell you something, and it¡¯s really hard to t-talk about,¡± Kanna was crying, and Kaito pressed his face deep into his pillow to hide his tears.


    ¡°Your mother¡­ That night at the hospital¡ª¡± Kanna wiped furiously at her eyes and cleared her throat. ¡°She¡ª Err¡­ When she arrived at the hospital, she was still alive¡ª¡±


    Alive? I thought¡ª


    ¡°I know; it was wrong of me to keep this from you, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough¡­ Kaito, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Fresh tears streamed from her eyes again, and Kaito could feel the bed shake as Kanna tried her best to tell her story.


    ¡°What do you mean Mama was still alive? I thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know! She was¡ª just barely. I was with her¡­ she could barely talk, but she asked about you and Yui, whether you guys were safe or¡ª¡±


    Kaito stood up from his bed and fetched a handkerchief from his drawer.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing it to her.


    ¡°Ah! Thank you.¡± Kanna wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She smiled a tiny smile at him with her red, puffy face.


    ¡°The doctors¡­ They told her about your condition¡ª You had two collapsed lungs and were only kept alive by machines.¡±


    Kaito remembered that night as clear as ever, but he had no recollection of what happened to him in the hospital. And hearing Kanna talk about it made it feel so real that he could feel his chest ache just picturing Kanna¡¯s words.


    Kanna took his hands in hers. ¡°Kaito, your mother told them to take her lungs and give it to you...¡±


    What?!


    ¡°What¡ª?¡±


    ¡°They told her there might be a chance... a very slim one, that they could save her, but she wouldn¡¯t have any of it¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡ª She did¡­ What?!¡±


    Kaito clasped at his chest, feeling his lungs pump air in and out of him, faster and faster.


    Mama¡­


    Fresh, hot tears were dripping from his face. He couldn¡¯t believe what Kanna had just told him. His mother could¡¯ve been alive, but she chose to save him.


    Kanna wrapped her arms around him, and there they sat for as long as it took Kaito to process all he¡¯d just learned.


    ¡°This is why you have to sing,¡± she said, sitting up straight again, and Kaito could feel a cool, wet patch on his back. ¡°Your mother gave you a gift, and you need to use it to honor her memory.¡±


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Kanna said as she stood up and wiped the tears from her face once again. ¡°I¡¯m busy cooking us some dinner,¡± she smiled at him, ¡°I¡¯ll see you downstairs, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± was all Kaito could manage.


    Kaito was overcome by so much emotion that he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with everything, so he decided it might be best to stop over-thinking. He resolved that he was going to let the past be just that¡ªthe past.


    From now, I¡¯m looking forward.


    I¡¯m sorry it took so long, Mama...

 Chapter 20 - Destination Reached

    Kaito hadn¡¯t slept as good as he did that night in for as long as he could remember. He woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on anything.


    He jumped out of bed, grabbed a curtain with each hand and spread them apart in dramatic fashion, revealing a dazzling sunrise, which rose from behind Mount Hakone.


    Kaito stood there momentarily, taking in the view, and it soon dawned on him that he was completely nude.


    Shocked, he turned around so fast that his right leg didn¡¯t have enough to catch up to him, so he tumbled forward and met the floor with his face.


    OUCH!


    Okay, okay, I guess I deserved that one.


    He pulled himself off the floor, got dressed, and made his way down to the kitchen, which was soon filled with the smells of bacon, egg, and coffee.


    Then, just as Kaito had planned, his aunt and sister appeared out of nowhere, still dressed in their nightgowns with crazy-wild hair that adorned their zombie-like faces.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Kanna mumbled.


    Kaito couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯m making breakfast, DUH!¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re not a sad panda anymore?¡± Yui yawned.


    ¡°This means that you guys deserve breakfast, and so much more for putting up with me these last few months!¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re getting Kaito¡¯s breakfast every morning now?¡± Yui asked excitedly while taking a seat at the counter.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with my breakfast?¡± Kanna asked with a frown.


    ¡°N-nothing¡­ It¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only been making healthy foods recently! And some of them are¡­ Yucky!¡±


    Kaito smiled. ¡°It¡¯s probably because she was worried about me. But, I promise that I¡¯ll be the one making breakfast from now on¡­ at least, until I leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave?! Where are you going?¡± Yui asked alarmed.


    ¡°I have to go to university, Yui, but no reason to worry! I¡¯ll come and visit you guys all the time!¡±


    ¡°Have you decided where you are going?¡± asked Kanna.


    ¡°I think so. But for now, enjoy some breakfast.¡± Kaito filled their plates with buttered toast, eggs, and crispy bacon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you guys, for everything¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it,¡± Kanna interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t sweat it, bro!¡± Yui said with a goofy smile on her face.


    Surprised, Kanna and Kaito looked at each other and then at Yui. ¡°What did you just say?¡± they both echoed, and then all three laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.


    Kaito thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his aunt and sister; he had missed them terribly, but there were two more faces he couldn¡¯t wait to see again. So, after breakfast, he headed out and texted his friend on the way to the train station.


    KAITO: Touma! Where are you right now?


    TOUMA: I¡¯m at Himari¡¯s, everything okay?


    Kaito decided that he would surprise them, so he put away his phone and jumped on the first train he could find that went to the station close to Himari¡¯s house.


    When the train came to a halt, he got off and made his way to the closest shop where he took a big, brown paper bag and filled it with various chocolates and sweets.


    This should help with getting their forgiveness!


    VZZZT. VZZZT.


    Kaito pulled his cell phone from his pocket and saw Touma¡¯s face pop up on the screen.


    TOUMA: ????


    TOUMA: Why did you ask? Are you okay??


    Kaito paid for the sweets and made his way to Himari¡¯s street¡ªthe same one he¡¯d walked with Yui and Touma when he needed to apologize to her.


    He didn¡¯t have to walk for long before he saw Touma storm out from one of the houses, ¡°I don¡¯t know! But maybe he needs¡ª¡± He stopped in his tracks when he saw Kaito. ¡°Kaito?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kaito said, waving awkwardly at him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to¡­ well, uh...¡± he stretched out his hand, gesturing Touma to take the bag from him, ¡°A peace offering.¡±


    Himari came running from the house and crashed into Kaito. ¡°Kaito!¡± she cried and hugged him tightly.


    When she finally let go, she revealed a tear-filled face and grabbed the paper bag of sweets from Kaito. ¡°Yes, this should just about do it. Come!¡± she turned around and walked back into the house.


    Touma, on the other hand, still stared at Kaito.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Touma, I really am...¡±


    Touma took a step forward, and for a second, Kaito thought he might punch him. But instead, Touma wrapped his arms around him, hugging him so tight that Kaito thought his back might break.


    ¡°It¡¯s Himari you need to apologize to. You made her cry way more than she deserved.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°And, Kaito...¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, buddy.¡±


    He gave Touma a pat on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t get all emotional on me now,¡± Kaito smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve had more than enough of that recently.¡±


    The sun was already low on the horizon when the three of them finally took a break from talking. Kaito¡¯s face was exhausted from smiling so much, and his stomach hurt from all the sweets he ate that afternoon, but none of that mattered. He hadn''t felt this warm inside in such a long time. Kaito realized then and there that he was fortunate to have such wonderful people in his life.


    ¡°Kaito, will you stay for dinner?¡± Himari asked. ¡°I think Mom is making a hotpot tonight, so there should be more than enough for everyone.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, Himari, but I got one more thing to do before the day runs out, in fact, I should be off.¡±


    ¡°Aww, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Kaito smiled and hugged his friends goodbye.


    After a sunset, phone call, and train ride later, Kaito was in front of the biggest house he had seen since coming to Hakone. It was a luxurious, three-story mansion, complete with a courtyard, fancy driveway, and even a tennis court, which towered in front of him.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Giant black gates automatically swung open, and in the driveway, Hana stood waiting for him. This was the first time Kaito saw her dressed in normal clothes, and he realized she was an attractive girl.


    The school uniform definitely didn¡¯t do her justice¡­


    Well, here goes¡­


    Hana¡¯s jet-black hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her fringe seemed just a tad longer than usual, touching the tip-top of her eyebrows. She was twirling a strand of hair around her finger while she patiently waited for Kaito to walk up the long driveway.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kaito said, almost out of breath.


    ¡°H-hey¡±


    Kaito could see in her face that she knew exactly why he was there.


    ¡°Hana¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kaito, please don¡¯t do this,¡± her voice cracked, and her eyes had swollen up, ready to burst.


    ¡°Hana¡­ You...¡± he took her hands in his and looked her straight in the eye. ¡°You are an amazing person, you really are¡­ I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯d be here if it wasn¡¯t for you...¡±


    She jerked her head away. But no matter how hard she tried to hide her tears, she couldn¡¯t hide the shaking and sniffing.


    ¡°Hana, there is someone out there for you, I know there is! It¡¯s just¡ª It¡¯s not me¡­ And I think you know that¡­ Right?¡±


    ¡°No, Kaito! No, I don¡¯t know that!¡± she cried. ¡°How could anyone ever love such a freak like me?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Ever¡ª Look at me...¡± he squeezed her hand. ¡°I wish you could see what I see¡­ But you can¡¯t, so you have to trust me! You are a beautiful girl, inside and out! And you will find someone that deserves you! Maybe not right away but maybe when you go to uni¡­ It¡¯s only a few weeks until you move to Tokyo, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! Don¡¯t you see?! I¡¯ll go anywhere as long as I can be with you!¡±


    Tears were now flowing down Hana¡¯s face, and Kaito had to swallow hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?! YOU¡¯RE SORRY?! Well, that¡¯s nice, Kaito! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re sorry! I¡¯m glad I spent months of my life trying my best to be there for you every second of the day. Helped you with schoolwork and sent out University applications in YOUR NAME, all the while competing with the ghost of a girl just so that I could HOPEFULLY get just a tiny bit of affection from you! But hey, at least YOU¡¯RE SORRY!¡±


    Kaito pulled her close before she could say anything else and hugged her tight, Hana pushed away at first but then gave in to the affection she so desperately longed for.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me, Hana.¡±


    Kaito¡¯s shirt was thoroughly soaked by the time Hana emerged from his shoulder, where she had buried her face.


    Kaito smiled at her and rested his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ll find someone that will be just as good to you as you were to me!¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± she sighed and sniffed. ¡°I just wished that person was you...¡±


    ¡°I think you and I both know my heart belongs to someone else.¡±


    A few moments of silence passed before Hana wiped her eyes dry and planted a peck on Kaito¡¯s forehead. ¡°Goodbye, Kaito and¡­ Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he smiled. ¡°Good luck to you, Hana!¡±


    When Kaito finally got home, he felt drained, and there was nothing he wanted more than a hot bath and a comfy bed. But, he had just one more thing he had to do before he would finally allow himself to relax.


    It took way longer than he would''ve liked it to, but he ultimately surfaced from his room with a thick envelope, which he handed to Kanna downstairs. ¡°Could you stick this in the postbox for me when you go to work tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I, err, yeah, sure!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kaito muttered.


    ¡°What is it though?¡± she asked, but Kaito had already trudged himself halfway up the stairs and couldn¡¯t hear her.


    Kanna smiled as she read the first line of the address on the envelope:


    Unmei Institute of Theatre and Fine Arts


    The first bulbs bloomed, and the dreary weather of winter had no choice but to give way to the start of a spectacular spring. A blissful blue sky stretched over the mountainous town of Hakone, and with the simple chime of a bell, its streets were filled with smiling students.


    Kaito had finished his last year as a high school student, said his goodbyes to Professor Yoshida and his fellow classmates, and was now off on his own little adventure. He regretted not seeing more of the town and its surroundings in the last year, so he thought it¡¯d be a great idea going around town and saying his goodbyes as he would be off to university the following day.


    His first stop was Gora Park, where Kaito, Touma, and Himari went for ice-cream after passing their exams.


    Hah, I barely passed that exam¡ª Way too close for comfort!


    Gora Park was as beautiful as a park could be after having just survived winter. All the plants and shrubs were trimmed, grass cut short, and barely any dead leaves to be seen. Kaito wanted to take a seat and enjoy his surroundings, but unfortunately, as this was a popular spot for kids to hang out after school, all the park benches were occupied, and Kaito was soon off to his next destination.


    Kanna¡¯s Coffee Shop. But for once, he wasn¡¯t going to take the train; he elected to go on foot.


    The streets glistened from the melting snow, and the air had an aura of positivity, along with the smell of fried street foods. People scurried up and down tiny streets and alleyways, busy with various tasks but never too busy to stop and greet each other.


    Kaito paused for a moment outside of his aunt¡¯s coffee shop. The people inside blurred away, replaced by memories of himself, Touma and Himari, rushing up and down, serving customers. He especially recalled Touma¡¯s face glowing as bright as burning coal whenever someone complimented Himari.


    Miyu would¡¯ve loved this place...


    Kaito couldn¡¯t describe his relief when Touma told him that he would be joining Kaito at the university next month, and Himari would be studying a mere fifteen-minute train ride away from them. Not having to say goodbye to his two friends made saying goodbye to everyone else a lot more bearable.


    I wonder if she¡¯s going to uni...


    Kanna smiled and waved at Kaito from inside the shop, and he smiled back at her. The doorbell chimed as he made his way inside the pleasantly-warm room where tables of people sat enjoying their conversations as much as their freshly-brewed coffee.


    ¡°Came to help out on your last day? How sweet!¡±


    ¡°Nope, actually just came to pick up some free lunch¡ª¡±


    ¡°IS THAT SO?!¡±


    Kaito chuckled. ¡°Well, maybe just a coffee and to let you know that you guys shouldn¡¯t wait up for me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Gonna go wild on your last night in Hakone?¡± she smiled, knowing full well that Kaito didn¡¯t have the slightest interest in partying.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually gonna make my way to the lake. Just saying my goodbyes and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Be safe, please! And, Kaito...¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m truly proud of you!¡±


    He gave her a hug. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± Moments later, their embrace was interrupted by a line of customers that had formed behind Kaito, led by a gentleman who seemed to have something stuck in his throat as he couldn¡¯t stop clearing his throat.


    Kaito waved goodbye to his aunt, who had a distressed look on her face when he left her alone in a shop filled with new customers eagerly awaiting their afternoon coffee-fix.


    The next stop in Kaito¡¯s little day adventure was the train station: the one place he visited more than all the others combined. Yet, today it seemed different. No longer was it just a bland, concrete cave where everyone scurried to and from on a daily basis. Rather, the station was filled with life¡ªfilled with the amber glow of smiling faces greeting family members that just arrived on the platform; or blushing lovers, meeting for the first, second, or third time; and even friends meeting up so they can take on the day together.


    Kaito saw himself as he jumped off the train and almost skipped to his friends, who were eagerly awaiting his arrival, and then there was Hana, who stormed off, clearly upset at something Kaito said¡­ or didn¡¯t say. Kaito realized that the station was the starting point for most of the memories he made in Hakone. And the thought of saying goodbye left a sad smile on his face.


    I wonder if Miyu took the same train to school...


    For most of the train ride, Kaito stared out the window, enjoying the breathtaking scenery of rolling mountains covered in lush forests, which stretched as far as the eye could see. The perfectly assembled backdrop of cloudless skies afforded the view an unusual, albeit spectacular attribute. And when the train finally rounded the bend, Mount Hakone gave way to the shimmering waters of Lake Ashi.


    The thing I regret the most¡­


    Is not trying hard enough to get you out of that house¡­


    And bring you here¡­


    Like I promised¡­


    The station seemed almost deserted when Kaito got off the train. Aside from the conductor striding toward the lavatory, Kaito didn¡¯t see any other person on the platform. This was quite peculiar at best, but it all made sense to him when he exited the train station.


    The most beautiful scene Kaito had ever witnessed in his life unfolded right in front of him. An intense assortment of orange, yellow, red, and violet colors radiated from the glowing sun, which calmly crashed into the lake and illuminated a quivering path that stretched across the water.


    I wish you were here to see this¡­ Wow!


    Kaito walked to the very end of the creaky pier and sat down, determined not to take his eyes off the exquisite scene in front of him, which unfortunately didn¡¯t last for as long as he had hoped for.


    A certainty hit him: he was going to miss this place dearly. Kaito decided he would return to Hakone whenever he had a break from school, not only to visit his aunt and sister but to also soak in the serenity of Hakone.


    Subconsciously, Kaito had closed his eyes and was half dozed off reliving memories from the last year inside his head. When he finally came to, his eyes opened, and his heart skipped.


    Kaito got to his feet and tilted his head upward, to the skies. The world around him had been swallowed up by complete darkness, and like a flickering beacon of hope, the skies were illuminated by the stars, which resembled glowing diamond dust, scattered about by angels.


    This is it!


    His eyes fell on the shimmering water, just a pebble throw in front of him. The reflection of the heavens above had, in fact, transformed the lake into a glittering, sparkling¡­ field of stars.


    This is what she wanted to see¡­


    This is it¡­


    Miyu¡­


    AAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHH!!


    Kaito belted out his voice to the skies. Screams of frustration and sadness escaped from deep within his heart and echoed across the field of stars. He wanted to let the world know of the pain he carried within him; he wanted to be rid of it, but more than anything, he didn¡¯t want to forget.


    Never!


    I¡¯ll never forget you¡­


    What is this feeling


    Of breathlessness


    Whenever you¡¯re near


    What am I feeling?


    ¡°You blind my eyes,¡± Kaito¡¯s voice cracked and disappeared into the cool night air.


    ¡°You shine so bright


    You light up my night.¡±


    Kaito sang with clenched fists as he fought back his tears.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m looking up at the stars


    Or down at the beach¡­


    You¡¯re always, always


    Just out of reach...¡±


    ¡°My sky p-princess¡­ My star queen,¡± his voice dropped to an almost whisper.


    Miyu¡¯s voice, as soft as a lover¡¯s kiss, washed over him and left his heart smiling. The memory of her felt so real that it was easy for Kaito to close his eyes and pretend she was there with him.


    ¡°Take my hand and give us a chance,¡± he belted out again, closed his eyes and twirled around with his Sky Princess, ¡°Let¡¯s shine togeeeeether...¡±


    And then, from behind Kaito, the sweetest, softest voice he had ever heard sang exuded: ¡°May I have this dance¡­¡±


    Startled, Kaito froze, with his arms still in the air, holding on to an invisible girl. His body tingled all over while his heart and lungs raced to see which could oscillate fastest.


    Miyu?


    She sang again.


    ¡°Oh what I would give...¡±


    Please, PLEASE let that be real¡­


    Please let that be her!


    ¡°...to be close to you...¡±


    Kaito¡¯s arms fell to his sides, then he took a deep breath and slowly turned around.


    There she stood, in her silky-white summer¡¯s dress, as if she¡¯d just popped straight out of Kaito¡¯s dream world and into reality. Her angelic hair flowed down her shoulders, and her icy-blue eyes pierced his soul.


    ¡°To be the one you choose...¡±


    The world stopped for a moment and all the pain that once was, faded away, to be replaced by delirium. The universe exploded in happiness, and both Kaito and Miyu broke into a run toward each other.


    The two of them came together in a crash of love. Miyu jumped in his arms, and the two of them twirled while the stars fell all around them, like snow. The cool, evening breeze orchestrated a soft, lover¡¯s melody.


    ¡°The one you¡¯re scared to lose...¡± Miyu finished the song in a whisper, and Kaito slowly let her back down. Kaito took Miyu¡¯s face in his hands, pleasantly surprised by her soft skin, he leaned in, and the two of them shared a long, passionate kiss, surrounded by a field of stars.


    ¡°Kaito,¡± she smiled with tears of happiness running down her face.


    ¡°Miyu...¡±


    ¡°You kept your promise!¡± she said with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Huh? My wha¡ª?¡±


    ¡°You promised you¡¯d bring me here one day, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do! But I didn¡¯t do any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, silly,¡± she whispered, ¡°just kiss me!¡±


    THE END