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dewelar wrote:...and it's "apostrophe".

I can never trust Mirage's editing ever again. Rest in piss reputation.. Rest in piss.
We shall miss you.

Jk, pls never stop editing my story. Good lord my grammar & word choice can go full retard if I don't have someone looking over my shoulder. <3 you Mirage

*sigh*

I wipe my forehead and the back of my hand glistens with the moisture of my sweat. A supremely hot day. I'm not the only one though. Everyone seems to share in my discomfort as I gaze around the room. Once again, Misha is holding her shirt open and using her notebook to fan herself down. I wonder if she even thinks about the view she gives everyone near her when she does that. She probably doesn't care, thinking about it. Not even she is that dumb.

Hanako is just as uncomfortable as everyone else. She is leaning over her notebook trying her best to complete the work that Mutou had scrawled over the board before all but collapsing into his chair. I can see where sweatdrops have stained the pages of her notebook, covered in more perspiration than work.

This heat is ridiculous, even for the middle of the summer in Japan. I swear if I look hard enough I can see the air itself shimmering inside the classroom, distorting my vision from one side of the class to the other. Normally it wouldn't be so bad, but of course the god-damned AC had to break down on what is sure to be a record setting day for heat in Japan.

The bell rings. It is only lunch time however. Another half a day to spend in this heat wave before we get to retreat to our dorms where, thankfully, the AC still works in full force. It takes a few minutes to convince myself to get out of the chair. Im almost completely lacking an appetite today. Im sure Im not the only one. Moving to Hanako’s desk, she looks up at me slowly having noticed my presence.

“Why is it so hot today? I'm feeling sick to my stomach…”

Hanako complained about the heat with a weak voice. I can see that it is really bothering her. Her face is flushed and she is awash in her own perspiration. I sigh and take her by the hand, helping her out of her chair; she stands with a wobble and comes to rest against me. Using my arms to stabilize her by the shoulders, I carefully lead her to the room we all share during lunch time.

Blessedly our lunch time haunt is at least 10 degrees cooler than the classroom. The window was already open and the lack of other student bodies producing and adding to the heat kept the room cooler. That, and the sun isn't actively trying to bake this room with everyone in it. I sit down with Hanako and keep her close should she collapse from the heat.

After about 15 minutes, one person never materialized. Lily. This event is so unusual that it has my mind searching for answers. Hanako is better now, sitting up easily on her own after recovering from the heat from before.

“Where is Lily?” Hanako asked turning her head to me.

“That is a good question. Maybe she is just too busy with her class duties to join us today. At least, that's what I hope it is.” There have also been students who have collapsed due to today's heat. It happened more often here than at other schools. Some students here have very weak constitutions and are easily affected by the weather. I don't see that happening to Lily, but it is a possibility. Maybe I'm just over thinking it.

We begin eating our light lunches, however the fact that Lily isn't here still isn't far from my thoughts. It's been a few days since Lily has come back from her trip to Inverness. Since that time the three of us have had very little time together. The first day I assumed it was just because she was still getting over the jet lag. Some people have a hard time with that. I doubt however that is still the case four days later. I can't help but think that she may be avoiding us for some reason. As much as I would like to banish thoughts such as those from my head all together, I can ignore it as a possibility.

The day that she came back is also the day that we told her that Hanako and I had begun to date each other. Lily seemed supportive at first, but if i think back to it I think it also came as a real surprise. She effectively kicked us out of her room after revealing that bit of info. While I would like to think that this has nothing to do with it and that it is more likely that she is trying to catch back up with her class rep duties from the two weeks she was gone, I still can't get myself to ignore it all together.

*sigh*

“S-something wrong?”

Hanako’s voice brings me out of my thoughts. She is looking at me with concerned askance. I suppose that sigh probably would have sounded irritated or concerned/worried to anyone who was around.

“it's nothing. Dont worry.”

No. I shouldn't leave it at that. It just causes her to furrow her brow and look more concerned than before. We are boyfriend and girlfriend now. All relationships especially of this level are based on trust and being honest.

“I'm just thinking is all. It's been awhile since we have been able to spend time with Lily and I'm getting concerned. While I would like to think it's due to her class rep duties and the backup from being in Inverness for two weeks, I can't help but think there is more to it. Like she may be avoiding us for one reason or another.”

Hanako turned her attention her hands which were folded in her lap. She visibly began to fidget like the same thoughts are occurring to her, but is unsure how to express them.

“I…. I have h-had the same…. feeling. T-the other day I tried to v-visit her in her room. I k-knocked on her door and when I told her who it was she….. she said that she couldn't see me. Said….. said she was busy.”

This is visibly upsetting her, and rightfully so. I never thought I'd hear of a time where Lily would turn Hanako away. They are so close, Lily almost like a mother to her. My mouth hangs open in surprise for a moment before closing again. Something needs to be done here. We need to find out what is happening. We will see her after school today.

That is what I would like to do anyway. Rushing into it though may end up having the opposite effect of what we would like to see happen. If Lily really is having a hard time with us being together for whatever reason ganging up and forcing ourselves on her would only make her reject us even harder, and maybe even permanently put an end to things between us. I don't know if I could handle that, and I know Hanako would be shattered from the inside out if that happened. I've come to see her as a very good friend of mine, someone I could rely on if I was having problems. I don't want to lose that anymore than Hanako does.

“I think…. we should just leave her alone for now. It's possible that she could be over-stressed by her workload that came from spending two weeks in Inverness. Jumping on her won't help anything for anyone. It's friday. Let's give her until Sunday to come around. We will talk with her then if we don't see her before.”

Hanako nodded in agreement with my analysis and suggestion for the situation. The lunch bell rings, heralding an end to our temporary reprieve from the heat of the day. We head back to class hand-in-hand and sweat it out for the rest of the day. I swear by the end of the day I will have lost ten pounds in sweat alone.

***

Blessed nightfall. The sun has set and the sky has gone dark. Just finishing my cool shower, I unlock the door to my room and walk inside. I toss my towel and dirty laundry aside and stand in front of the window which has a gloriously cool breeze drifting in through it. Thoroughly refreshed from the absurdly hot day I lean on the window sill and gaze up at the stars. It was never possible to see them this clearly from the city that I called home only just a couple months ago.

I've really come to appreciate the beauty and isolation of this school and the small town just a short walk away. The utter silence in contrast to the roar and hustle-and-bustle of the city is quite welcome as is the clean and crisp air. I could stay here in front of this window forever with the way this all feels.

7:00 PM. She should be getting here any moment now. Hanako and I discussed having a study session together. Apparently the material we have been covering lately in class has been somewhat difficult for her to pick up and I am only too glad to help her out with it.

/knock knock/

A quiet tapping at my door. I could tell who it is anywhere just by that knock. “Come.”

Hanako walks into my room and closes the door behind her, carrying the applicable text book, papers and notebook for what we were currently working on. Meeting her in the center of the room, I place a kiss on her lips which she returns in kind, a slight tinge of crimson coloring her features. We sit together on the bed and get to work on the assignment.

“This is what I am not getting…”

She points out the part of the assignment she is stuck on. I look it over quick to refresh my mind. I had already worked through it myself so it didn't take much thought.

“Well, you use this equation here, then apply the result of that equation to this one here and…..”

With some light instruction she manages to get the next question on her own. She always has been quick to pick up on stuff when someone is willing to take time to instruct her. It isn't a surprise that she is so intelligent with the number of books she reads. She absorbs knowledge like a sponge. I feel that the only reason that people don't know this side of her is because she isn't comfortable with working in groups. No one else has ever gotten to know her to the point where they see it as I and Lily have. And since coming to know me, she has improved in both attendance and her marks as mentioned by Mutou, the teacher of our homeroom and science classes. It gives me a small sense of pride to see her improve with my help.

“Good job. You really seem to have gotten this down.” I smile at her which she returns with one of hers that is very loving and sweet, her face covered in a bright blush. She still isn't used to getting compliments like this. Looking at the clock, it's already very close to curfew. She sees the time as well and packs her stuff as she stands.

“Goodnight, Hanako.” I kiss her lips, holding it for a few minutes before she breaks it off and smiles shyly.

“G… goodnight, Hisao.” She turns and walks out of my room, closing the door as she exits. A nice ending to the day that made me feel as if my skin would melt from my bones. I wish I could say it was all good though. My mind is still focused on the Lily-shaped problem between us. If she doesn't come to us by curfew on Saturday night, how should we go about talking to her on Sunday? Sitting her down and making her listen may be the only way to get things worked out, though I really would rather her come to us on her own. Doing things by force tends to only exasperate the situation.

Well, working myself up about this now isn't going to do me any good. I take my pills and slip into bed. I'd like to say that I am able to get right to sleep, but my mind racing combined with the way my meds fuck with my sleeping patterns at times makes it quite a challenge to get to sleep.

*THUD*

My fist violently silences the blaring in my ears that is my alarm clock. The damned thing brings an all too early end to a night of fitful sleep. It seems that darkness is not my friend as of late. Even when tired I have trouble actually sleeping. I doubt my pills were all there was to blame for the last night though. Thoughts of Lily still swarm around in my mind. I have no idea how I am going to rectify this situation, if there really is one. If it really is still jet lag that is bothering her, that can't be healthy. In another day it will be a week since they have returned from their trip.

After wearing out every excuse as to why I haven't gotten up yet, I crawl out of my bed into the open air of the room. Without thinking about it, I toss back a handful of my morning pills without even water as a chaser. Strange how automatic such a thing becomes, not that it is anything but a good thing seeing as what they are for. Gathering a clean uniform, I head to the shower and prepare for class. Today is saturday, half day of classes. Normally it's just appreciated to have more time to myself. Today it is a blessing. I dont think Id make it through an entire day of classes today.

***

Glorious AC. They seem to have fixed the broken unit that made it hot as the inside of a volcano in here yesterday. I was afraid it would be another day that would end up having everyone pass out from heat exhaustion. Just as I am appreciating the convenience of modern technology, I am disturbed by a thump on the top of my desk. Miki…. I should have guessed.

There she sits looking down at me with her chesire cat like grin. She seems to have a habit of doing that whenever I'm thinking about something.

“Somethin’ on your mind?” A tilt of her head comes with the question. She really is a curious girl. She seems rather adept at picking such things out. Is she a mind reader, or just unusually observant? The latter. Definitely the latter. I don't want to think about the former lest I start sounding like Kenji. Banish those thoughts.

“Thinkin’ ‘bout that blonde amazon?” …..No, don’t start thinking that again.

Before I can stop myself, I find that I let out a long sigh pretty much confirming her thoughts in itself. “Yeah. I suppose you noticed that she hasn't been around in the last few days.”

“What’s with that? You three are usually inseparable outside of class. Did something happen?”

Looking up at her I wonder. Is she asking because she is genuinely concerned, or just to have something to talk about? As much as I would like it to be the first, it is more likely the second. Anyone who has paid attention would notice the three of us spending a lot of time together, especially for lunch time.
“Yeah. It's something that has seemed to cause quite a rift between us. It isn't any secret anymore that Hanako and I are dating. I don't know how many people actually know, but it isn't as if we are trying to hide it. That all happened before Lilly came back from Scotland, so naturally she was one of the last to find out about it. Hanako and I both met up with her in her dorm room and told her together that we were dating. She said that she approved of our relationship. Not that her approval is really needed, but you know how she is with Hanako. From there she seemed to almost kick us out of her room without actually kicking us out and we haven't seen much of her since. I’m not sure what to think about that. She has even refused to see Hanako a time or two now.”

I really don't know why I am laying all this on her. It isn't like she needs to know, or like there is much she can do about it for us. Maybe I just want someone to talk to about it. Unloading it all at once like that has helped me feel a bit better, even if I am not really any closer to a solution that i was before.

“Who knew that she would have a jealous streak t’ her…” Miki’s face was pensive, but only for a moment before she shrugged. “Sorry. Not much I can do for ya. Just don't rush into it is all I can say. Being rash will only make things worse than better.” She hopped down from the desk and went to her own just before the bell signaling the start of class sounded. As per usual Mutou comes into class a moment or two late, already having started his speech for the day on what material we would be studying.


I guess we are working in groups again today. As usual I find myself surrounded by the pair of Shizune and Misha. However Hanako is joining us as well today. She has been joining us in our study groups since we started dating. Even Shizune who had a dislike for her through her dislike for Lilly had accepted that she would be joining us. Maybe she has realized that excluding Hanako would do absolutely no good as it is not her that the problem resides with, but Lilly herself. It's hardly fair to judge one person based solely on another.

Again, Shizune's enthusiastic back-of-the-hand slap to get the assignment started. With a minimum of fuss we all get onto the work ahead of us. Thankfully today seems to be a fairly light load. We should be able to finish before the end of class so our weekend will be totally open.

***

*bell*

Lunch time. Also the end of classes for the day. I gather my stuff in my bag and wait for Hanako to do the same while I swing my bag over my shoulder. “You ready?”

She nods just as she is clasping her bag closed and places the strap on her shoulder.
Together we head to our dorm rooms and drop off our school bags, then head to the gates and begin the trek down the hill to the town below to stock up our supplies at the Aura-Mart. What is unexpected is… Lily, right there ahead of us going the same direction.

I turn to Hanako who is looking back at me, her face having the very same expression mine must have. Lilly usually heads to the Aura-Mart on Fridays rather than Saturdays. Why would she switch her days, unless it is the same reason that we made the switch. To avoid running into her at an inopportune time.

Nodding together, we take hands and walk behind her for a short time before saying anything to her. I'm the first to break the silence, though I'm sure Lilly already knew that someone was behind her even if she didn't know who.

“Hey, Lilly.”

She stops and perks her head up in her recognizable way, making it obvious that I caught her attention.

“Oh my… might that be Hisao?”

“Yeah. And Hanako is with me as well.”

The revelation of this info seems to give her pause. I can see the thoughts going through her head. Should she turn around and go back to the dorms to avoid being with us, or should she go anyway. If she is with us rather than alone it will make shopping for her much easier to do. The latter wins out in her mind. She starts walking the path to the store again and we follow suit.

“Have you two been well?”

A simple question. She is making small talk to try and dispel the rather awkward silence that settled around us as we ran into each other.

“Yeah. Well enough I suppose. Though my insomnia is acting up again. Couldn't sleep right these last few days.”

This visibly concerned her, enough to give her a slight hitch in her stride as she walked along. That at least shows that she doesn't hate or dislike us. If she did, why would that give her reason for concern?

“Do take care of yourself, Hisao. Not only for your sake, but Hanako’s as well.”

That was the last that she would say on the subject. We walk the rest of the way in a heavy silence that not one person seems to want to break. Hanako was quiet the entire time, I think because she had no idea how to address Lilly at the time. After her company being turned down a couple times in the last week, I can see how it would be difficult to engage her in a conversation.

It is incredibly awkward in Aura-Mart. Like she had done before, Lilly places a hand on my shoulder and I guide her around, getting both her and my items as we cover the place. This isn't the comfortable stroll it normally was for us. I can't relax. I feel like my legs have turned wooden and stiff. Soon enough the ordeal is over. No nonsense or anything, very business like. She takes her purchases and heads out on her own, leaving Hanako and I behind in the store. We both glance at each other, suddenly very tired of the whole thing. I help Hanako get what she needs and we leave as soon as we make our own purchases.

Being such a nice day, we bought food items that were easy to eat in the park near by. However what just happened with Lilly makes it hard to enjoy our food as we sit in the shade of a tree that allows a nice view of the park and the road that skirts it, the odd car or bike passing by now and then.

We sit there, eating our food in silence as I'm sure we are both thinking about what to do next. Out of anyone I know Hanako knows the most about Lily, though she seems to be just as lost as I am. Thinking about it though, almost anyone in this school is going to know her better than I would. Maybe I will do a bit of asking around. One of the other girls may have some suggestion I can go on so I don't end up blowing things up instead of fixing them.

***

Sunday.

After talking to a few of the girls in my class, I've got a few ideas though, I'm really no closer to a solution than I was before. I stand before room 329, Miki Miura. I asked a few girls that I've run into on my way here where her room was, and I was given this location. I reach out for her door and go to open it, but stop myself just before doing so. The hell was I thinking? I was about to waltz right into a girls room, and one of a girl that I really don't know all too well on top of it. That would have ended real well I am sure.

Steeling myself with a sigh, I give a few light raps on her door. “Miki, It’s me, Hisao.”

Almost as soon as I finish my words, I hear her say “Come in, its open.”

I open the door and step in, and the sight before me stops me in my tracks. There Miki stands in the middle of her room with her left hand on her hip. That isn't what has me though. No. She is standing there wearing not but a white tank top and blue-white striped panties. The color combination with her dark skin is rather arresting, nothing to say of her current state of dress - and total lack of modesty. My mind has come to a sudden halt, finding myself quite dumbfounded and unsure of what to do next. This fact gives her no end of entertainment. She laughs at my rather stricken expression and moves behind me to close the door.

“So what’cha here for? What’s on your mind kid? Ya must have a reason if you came ta see me.” After her question to me she sits on her bed and motions for me to take the chair in front of her desk.

Finally my brain catches up with the rest of me and I can react. I clear my throat and sit, formulating how I want to explain my situation to her after my thought process got rather derailed. “Well, it’s about what I talked to you about the other day in the classroom. I'm trying to figure out what is going on with Lilly and if she is jealous of Hanako and I, if its something different, or a combination of the two.”

“Hmmmm.” She sighs and looks up at the ceiling for a moment, apparently trying to recall something. “I take it that with how often the three of you hung out you have met her sister, Akira.”

I nod. An interesting person, Akira is. Though that is not the point of me being here.

“I have no way to know if this is true or not, but I have heard that there are some things going on with the family. Akira and Lilly have been summoned back to Scotland to be with the family from the sound of it.”

“Back to Scotland? Have you heard why?”

Miki shakes her head slowly. “No, I haven't heard anything on that. Keep in mind that what I know I haven't heard directly from the source, more through the grapevine so who knows how true any of it is. As prevalent as it is though, there has to be at least a small part of truth to the matter.”

If true that certainly would explain the way she has been lately. That alone would make anyone standoff-ish. Then hearing the news that Hanako and I are now and item on top of that could indeed cause some complex feelings, especially if she really was harboring some feelings for me.

Hasn’t this gotten complicated. Two different issues weighing down on her mind. Both issues are going to have to be rectified in some fashion before this is going to get any better. Making the decision of whether she wants to go back to be with her family in Scotland on a permanent basis, and how she feels about Hanako and I. The fact that she isn't going to get to be with the person that she has feelings for at all before she leaves, much less not getting the chance to tell that person how she feels.
I suppose though the only way to get any of this sorted out is to go to the person in question directly. Problem though. How do I get someone who doesn't want to see me to talk to me? Though that is only an assumption. She may be waiting for me to make the first move here.

“Anyway, don't act before you know all the details. This is just heresay. Go to Lilly directly and talk to her before deciding anything. Don't make any rash decisions. Do that and this will only explode violently in your face.” Miki says this with a remarkably gentle expression. “You’re a good guy, Hisao. I would hate to see you get yourself into a bad place.”

I thank her and give her my regards before leaving her room and returning to my own. I need to do some thinking before I make any moves at all.

leaving Hanako and I behind in the store.
...
and if she is jealous of Hanako and I
...
and how she feels about Hanako and I.

Hanako and me - in all three cases

How do I get someone who doesn't want to see me to talk to me?

It's not that she doesn't want to see him...

And really... Miki? That rumour got all the way to Miki?
I'd have belived Shizune being on the student council and all that, but Miki...

Mirage_GSM wrote:

leaving Hanako and I behind in the store.
...
and if she is jealous of Hanako and I
...
and how she feels about Hanako and I.

Hanako and me - in all three cases

How do I get someone who doesn't want to see me to talk to me?

It's not that she doesn't want to see him...

And really... Miki? That rumour got all the way to Miki?
I'd have belived Shizune being on the student council and all that, but Miki...

Thanks for the correction there. And yeah, why not? Its a rumor and rumors tend to travel fast, far and wide. You know how loud Misha is. Could have heard it that way. But Ill leave that up to the reader.

I can only be worried about this. I have no idea how this is going to go. I really haven't known Lily that long, however she had acted differently from anything I would have expected from her. Today I will try and talk to her about the rift that seems to have appeared between us. No school on Sunday's, so I should be able to catch her sometime today.

I get up off my bed after thinking for a bit and convincing myself to actually go through with this. As much as I would like to not even deal with this, I have to do it. Not even for myself, but for Hanako. If Lily has turned against Hanako because I have entered the picture as her lover….

It isn't something I even want to think about. I exit my dorm room and make the trek over to the female dorms. Ah, found it. I couldn't remember what her dorm room number was right off hand. The only way I was able to find it was remembering it was right next to Hanako's room. As a guy, I don't spend much time in the girls dorm.

I rap my knuckles on her door a few times, not having to wait long before I hear her voice beckon me in. I open the door and walk in, and take a seat at the opposite side of her table.

“Hey, Lily.” Lily sits there for a bit, sipping at her tea before she even makes a move to speak. It seems that this is taking just as much thought for her as it is me. Maybe I need to make the first move here. Before I can though, she speaks.

“Hello, Hisao. What brings you here?”

I'm a bit dumbfounded. It should be obvious what I am here for. She really hasn't associated with us for the last two weeks. She has avoided coming to join Hanako and I for lunch, and she is always nowhere to be found after school except for her dorm room.

“Well...” Where do I go from here? I don't want to come off as accusatory because I don't want to make things worse than they are, but I don't want to 'beat around the bush' either. I don't like doing it myself and I don't think Lily would appreciate it either.

“...I've been – that is I and Hanako – have been curious as to why you have been keeping your distance from us as of late.”

Lily sets her cup down and takes a minute before speaking. “I have been busy. Have I not told you and Hanako that before? I was away for two weeks in Inverness and there is a lot to catch up with.”

That didn't come out as well as I would have hoped. She keeps her tone low and level, but I can tell that there is a slight bit of annoyance under it. I've already come this far. I won't get out of it now by just leaving it at this. I have to soldier on and keep going.

“I don't think that is entirely true. It shouldn't take you two weeks to catch back up with all of that, especially with as much time as you have been taking for yourself. I think there is more to it than that.”

“And what makes you think that?” Yeah, she is definitely annoyed now. I can see it both in her expression and hear it in her tone. I don't blame her. What I am saying right now could be construed as me calling her a liar.

“This all seems to have started after Hanako and I told you that we are well….. dating now. You brought us in here after we got back from the airport and you seemed to had wanted to spend time with us until we revealed that.”

“I said I was tired!” My body flinches, not expecting such a sudden and drastic change in tone. I've never seen Lily angry, but I think this is getting there, or at least she is now highly annoyed. “It hit me all at once after I sat down. It was jet lag. I flew halfway across the world and dealt with storms so I was exhausted.”

Her speech is off. She is usually much more eloquent than this, much more well mannered than she is being right now. The only thing I can think of that would cause that is her having things on her mind that are weighing her down.

“I don't think that is the whole problem here. Lily, something seems to be bothering you and we are concerned. Now, I don't want to think this is it, but does it have to do with Hanako and I dating?”

Her head snaps up and if she could make eye contact with me I might actually feel chills. Honestly, I still kind of do. The shot of anger that is covering her face really is something else, especially for her.

“Well, aren't you the conceited one.” She says with annoyance. “You really think that is a big enough issue that I am going to concern myself with it, especially to this extent?”

Damn, this pressure she can apply is impressive. I definitely did not count on her having this kind of side to her.

“Yes, I do. And it isn't because I am conceited. I think you are trying to convince yourself of this as much as you are me. Lily, you even turned Hanako away once when she wanted to talk to you. I never thought you would do something like that, especially to her.”

“And just what is it that makes you think the reason I turned her away has to do with this?” she is raising her voice now. I think I am really starting to get to the center of this rift.

“You never would have done so before! Before the last couple weeks you would always drop everything you were doing no matter how busy you were to make sure that she was okay. You never would have turned her away If she needed you. The first day that I met you, you went practically dashing out of the library after her when she ran off after I introduced myself to her.”

I am starting to raise my tone as well. It's frustrating that she is being so resistant when it comes to this. I just want to get it out and done.

“So a couple of months of getting to know me and you think you can tell me how I feel. I have my own issues I need to deal with that you don't know about. Do NOT assume to know me. Now get out. Don't force me to call security.”

I’m speechless. This outburst of hers is nothing like I expected. All I can do is sit with my mouth hanging open for a moment before my brain gets back into gear and I exit her room. I don't want to see if she will make good on her threat or not.

Standing in front of Hanako's room I wonder if I should see her right away after all of that. Chances are she heard bits and pieces of it and may be wondering what happened. After that though, I don't think I am in the right frame of mind to speak to her right now. I wouldn't be able to say much of anything about it and I don't want to cause her more worry. I head back to my own room.

[***]

After a few hours my mind has settled and it allowed me to do a bit of thinking, though not much was required to come to a conclusion. It definitely is something to do with Hanako and I dating. Why does it bother her so though? What is it about it that is getting so under her skin? Could it be that as I thought before, when we picked her up from the airport, that she may actually have feelings for me? I would have thought though that she would be the type to concede to the one that was chosen and get over it. Apparently it really weighs on her.

A knocking at my door. Wondering who it would be for a moment, I get up and walk to the door. The only people that come to mind are Kenji, though he seemed rather sealed up for the moment, and Hanako. Opening the door, I see that Hanako is looking at the ground, her hands nervously clasped together.

Not too unexpected. Especially if she heard what went down before, she is going to be wondering. It must have taken her till just now to decide that was okay for her to come over. “Hanako…. Come in.” I stand to the side and she walks in. I close the door behind her.

“What is it? Is something on your mind?” She seems to debating as how to answer my question. I can see her gears turning.

“Wh-…..w-what happened b-before? With you and L-….Lily? I-I could hear y-you shouting.”

So she did hear that. Damn it. I didn't want her to but I suppose it was unavoidable. It was getting fairly loud and her room is right across from Lily's. She probably wasn't the only one that heard.

“Well, I went to talk to Lily….”

I sat on the bed with her and recounted to her what happened and what was said in our talk. She was visibly dismayed when I told her my conclusion. Of course she would be. Who wouldn't be when they hear that their relationship may be the cause of pain for another person they care about.

“S… so she is upset be… because you and I are…. Are dating?” She asked, her eyes turned to the floor again.

“That is my guess. I think it's reasonable conclusion seeing as how everything went. She came back, was happy to see us, wanted to spend some time with us. Then after our revelation, she practically kicked us out of her room and has been avoiding us since. And now with our talk, things didn't really get heated until I brought us up again. It is still just a guess, but one that I think is pretty accurate.”

She sighed, becoming more disheartened before. “So…. So what do we do? I don't want Lily to hate us…” She was nearly in tears. I could understand. Lily was the only one that accepted her even though she was different. Lily didn't judge her, a large part of that the fact that she couldn't see her scarring and because of such she couldn't pay it any undue attention. Lily had always been patient to a fault with her. But now…

I pull her close and embrace her. “I don't know Hanako. First we would have to find out what is really going on here. I don't think our relationship is the only issue.” Miki revealed another piece of info to me when we spoke. Lily's summons back to Inverness. I don't know if there is any truth to this yet. Ive only heard from a third party source, but it is more to go on. If it is true, it certainly would go a long way to explaining why she has been so high strung as of late. The only way to know would be to ask someone that was there. Lily is out. That means my next best bet would be her sister, Akira. How do I get a hold of her though? I don't have her number, and Lily sure as hell won't give it to me right now. Ah, Hanako. She has it in her phone. I ask her for the number explaining to her that I need to talk to her about something regarding Lily and set up a time to meet with Akira in the park nearby.

but does it have to do with Hanako and I dating?”
...
It definitely is something to do with Hanako and I dating.

"Hanako and me" in both cases

I sat on the bed with her and recounted to her what happened and what was said in our talk. She was visibly dismayed when I told her my conclusion.

Slipping into past tense here - and mostly staying there until the end of the chapter.

Mirage_GSM wrote:

but does it have to do with Hanako and I dating?”
...
It definitely is something to do with Hanako and I dating.

"Hanako and me" in both cases

I sat on the bed with her and recounted to her what happened and what was said in our talk. She was visibly dismayed when I told her my conclusion.

Slipping into past tense here - and mostly staying there until the end of the chapter.

Ill keep that in mind. I didnt notice till you pointed it out.

And if you could, why is it "Hanako and me" rather than "Hanako and I"?

ArazelEternal wrote:And if you could, why is it "Hanako and me" rather than "Hanako and I"?

If I might interject, "I" is a subject pronoun, while "me" is an object pronoun. To put it simply, you use "I" if you yourself (or the character you're writing as, in this case) are doing the action in the sentence, while you use "me" if the action is happening to you instead. In both mentioned sentences, "it" is the subject of the sentence, so "me" would be the proper pronoun here.

TubaMirum wrote:

ArazelEternal wrote:And if you could, why is it "Hanako and me" rather than "Hanako and I"?

If I might interject, "I" is a subject pronoun, while "me" is an object pronoun. To put it simply, you use "I" if you yourself (or the character you're writing as, in this case) are doing the action in the sentence, while you use "me" if the action is happening to you instead. In both mentioned sentences, "it" is the subject of the sentence, so "me" would be the proper pronoun here.

Very good. Thank you for that tip. Usually Im pretty good with grammar and such, but there still are things that slip by me.

An easy way to check which pronoun to use is to simply omit the "Hanako and" part and see if what remains makes any sense, in this case:
but does it have to do with Hanako and I dating?”
but does it have to do with Hanako and me dating?”

Given those two options only very few people would say that the first sounds right.

Hello everyone.

Sorry I havent posted a new chapter in quite a while now. Real life has just been getting in the way and leaving little time for it. I plan on getting a new chapter up within the next week. Lets just hope it happens.

This heat is ridiculous, even for the middle of the summer in Japan.

Ditch the Japan part. They already know they're in Japan. That's the norm for them. You don't go around saying “Boy this is really hot considering it's (where ever you happen to be from.)”

“I…. I have h-had the same…. feeling. T-the other day I tried to v-visit her in her room. I k-knocked on her door and when I told her who it was she….. she said that she couldn't see me.

I don't know why Hanako would be upset about that. Lilly has never been able to see her.

/knock knock/

This doesn't work to well in prose. It's more of a script thing.
You'd be better off saying that he heard a knock, or there was a knock or something to that effect.

“Somethin’ on your mind?” A tilt of her head comes with the question. She really is a curious girl. She seems rather adept at picking such things out. Is she a mind reader, or just unusually observant? The latter. Definitely the latter. I don't want to think about the former lest I start sounding like Kenji. Banish those thoughts.

Jumping from more complete thoughts to lost of setnece fragments comes across as rather jarring... and it makes him seem more like Kenji than you probably mean.

“Thinkin’ ‘bout that blonde amazon?” …..No, don’t start thinking that again.

I don't see why Miki would immediately jump to this conclusion. There's no real build up or explanation for it.

*bell*

I already said this. No Sound effects.

She has even refused to see Hanako a time or two now.”

Well, it's not that Lilly refused to see... sorry. I already made that joke didn't I?

Seriously though, coming from Hisao who tends to tiptoe around things more than he should, it does stick out.

“I have no way to know if this is true or not, but I have heard that there are some things going on with the family. Akira and Lilly have been summoned back to Scotland to be with the family from the sound of it.”

How is Miki, of all people, finding out about these things? I could see it coming from Akira, Shizune, or even from a previously un-introduced member of Lilly's class that she happens to be close to, but Miki seems an odd choice.

Lilly also seems extremely out of character in the last chapter. I can understand that she's upset, but she snaps way too easily and just keeps going without even trying to hide it.

Hello all. Unfortunately things are still going on. Have had to take my father to the hospital a couple times lately, other friends are relatives are deathly ill. I just haven't had time or the chance to get around to writing lately. It's hard to get in ththe mode when so much is going through your mind. I will continue, just give me some time here.

(Finally I am able to get another chapter up. Sorry it's been so long)

I dont think Ive ever been this antsy sitting in class before. Im sitting here, my leg shaking almost visibly to anyone around. A lot is going through my mind. Lily and Hanako, what is going to be of their relationship from this, and what I am going to talk to Akira about. I still have to call her. Last night was too late before I got the chance. I'll call her tonight after school gets out. She is always busy, so who knows when she will have time to talk to me, if she even will.

i'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice Shizune, Misha and Hanako pulling their desks up to mine. Mutou really seems to have a thing for assigning group work. The group work starts, but I have a hard time getting into it.

“Get to work. We aren't going to do all of this for you~!” Shaking my head to wake myself up out of my thoughts, I look to Misha translating Shizune’s harsh gestures for me. She caught onto my half here state just as quickly as she normally would. Hanako is also looking at me with her worried expression. Damn it, I'm making people worry about me again.

“Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind right now.” It's the truth. I don't think I've ever thought anything through this much since my stay in the hospital.

“Is it something you wish to talk about?” Now Shizune looks a bit concerned as well. She may be harsh at times, but she really does care about the people around her.

“No, I'll be alright. I wouldn't really know where to start anyway. It would take a lot of time to explain and we don't have time for it right now. Let's just get to work.” They look at me a bit incredulously, but accept my words and get back to the assignment at hand. Thankfully, I am able to push the thoughts to the back of my mind for now and concentrate on what we are supposed to do.

The assignment is needlessly long and complex. Sometimes I wonder how he expects us to get these assignments done in the space of one class period, however that may be the whole point of putting us in groups. Still, even if we split it up between the four of us this is a real workload.

The end of class bell rings and everyone stands up and packs their stuff up to leave. It really is nice having Misha and Shizune in the group. Due to their skills, we got done just a few minutes before the end of class. I pack my things into my bag and stand, waiting for Hanako to finish cleaning up her stuff. As soon as she is ready, we lace our fingers together and walk towards the dorms.

Hanako looks to me, her expression asking the question for her. “Yeah, Im going to call her tonight, see if we can set up a time to meet in the park. If that doesnt work out, I guess we will talk over the phone. Stuff like this is usually easier to talk about in person though.”

“Should…. I be there?” Hmmm. It does involve her so I suppose it probably would be a good idea to have her with me as we talk.
“Yeah, I want you to be there as well. It involves you just as much as it does me. I cant assume anything for you and I don't want to have to explain everything later as I might not remember everything that gets said in perfect detail.”

Instead of breaking off to our own dorms, Hanako follows me up to my room. We sit together on my bed as I extract my cell from my pocket. Thumbing the digits I got earlier from Hanako, the phone begins to ring and soon there is an answer on the other end of the line.

“Akira.” She answered the phone. Such a generic answer, though I guess it is to be expected. She doesn't know my number, at least by the way it seems.

“Hello, Akira. Its Hisao.”

“Hisao? Why are you calling me? Is something wrong?” It's not an unexpected question. It is quite different for someone other than her sister or clients to be calling her, much less a schoolmate of her sister. It would only make sense to expect something to be wrong when an unknown person calls.

“Well…. yeah. But it isn't anything serious. It has to do with Lily. Hanako and I have something we would like to discuss with you. Is there a time where the three of us could meet face-to-face and talk?”

“Hmmmm…” She hums to herself for a moment before coming back with an answer. “My schedule is pretty full. I am a lawyer you know. I don't have much free time at all. How soon were you wanting to talk about this?”

“As soon as possible really. It…. it seems like something is really bothering her and we are not sure what it would be. At least not entirely. She has been avoiding both Hanako and me whether we go to her together or separately.”

“I'm sorry, Hisao. I can't work anything out right now. If you really need to talk about this, now would be the best time if it's something that can be said over the phone.”

I sigh lightly. This really would be easier face-to-face but considering her other obligations, that doesn't seem possible. We will have to make do with this. “Here, I'll put us on speakerphone so we can both talk and hear.” … “Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear. Now what is going on? Why do you think Lily is avoiding you two?” She sounds like she is only mildly concerned. Her tone belies that she may already have her own ideas on this, or even know at least partially what is causing her recent change.

“This all started the day you both came back from Inverness. Hanako and me met with her in her room to relax and spend some time together while she got settled back in. During that time… Hanako and I told her that we had started dating. She got this...like shocked look on her face, a lot more so than I would have ever expected. She gave us her blessing, or at least I think. Her tone was weird, like she suddenly felt defeated or maybe confounded by that news. Since then she has avoided us every time she could and even turned Hanako away once when she went to talk to her.” I give her the explanation, trying to make it as short but easy to follow as possible.

Akira takes a moment to respond. “Is that true, Hanako? Did she really turn you away when you went to see her?”

“Y-yes…” Hanako nods next to me, though she knows doing so is pointless. “I…. I went to see her in her r-room after school about half… half a week ago. I just wanted to t-...talk to her to see if she was okay but she w-wouldnt s-see me.”

“Thats…. kinda wild.” Her tone is baffled. I don't blame her. Lily turning Hanako away is something we never would have thought was possible. “That is very unexpected for her. She has almost been like a mother to you. This is something I never would have imagined happening. However…. I do have a good idea, or rather maybe I should say I know what is at least partially responsible for her recent change of attitude. I take it you probably haven't heard.”

“There has been a rumor going around school for a while now. Rumor has it that she received a summons to go back to Inverness on a permanent basis. Though that is just rumor. Who knows how accurate it is.”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head, Hisao.” She chuckles lightly. “It isn't a rumor, but a truth. We both received that summons when we were there for the two weeks. They want the family to be together again. That, and there was a huge position that opened up for me at our father's company's branch in Inverness and another one like this will never come up again. I'm not sure of Lilies decision yet, but I am sure that is weighing heavily on her mind.”

That would make sense. A decision like that is huge. One decision that will decide the rest of her life for her. To stay here in Japan while the rest of her family, sister included, is in Scotland half a world away. Or to move with her sister and be away from all the friends that she made while here, likely to never see them again.

“As for why the news of you two dating would bother her so greatly…. I can only make a guess here as she has never said anything to me but, she may have feelings for you, Hisao.”

“F-feelings for me?” That catches me off guard, though it isn't as if the thought hadn't occurred to me as well. However I just assumed that something like that couldn't be true. Good friends, yes. But lovers? I never saw her that way.

“Yeah. It makes sense if you think about it. Getting the summons is enough to throw anyone off. Then that news on top of it. She may have been concerned about wanting to be with you, even if it was a short time while she was still there, then learning that it would never even happen because you were with Hanako. If she really does have feelings for you, she may be feeling resentful of your relationship.”

It takes a minute for it to all register in my mind, but it all makes sense. Thinking back to the day when she got back and that rather warm greeting she gave me. You don't do that for people that you see just as friends. Damn it…. why didn't I notice that earlier?

“Hisao? Hisao?”

I must have went quiet for a while. Akira is asking if I'm still there. “Yeah, I'm here. Just fell into some thought for a bit there. It’s all coming together now that you have said that. That may be what we are dealing with her. Now…. how to resolve it.”

She sighs over the phone. “Sorry, I can't really help you there. That is something the three of you will have to figure out. And do it before she leaves, otherwise things will never go back to the way they were. They still may not, but you can at least relieve some tensions by doing it while you can, rather than having her leave and keep wondering what would have happened.”

“Yeah *sigh* I know. Thank you Akira. Hanako and I need to do some thinking now.”

“Alright. Take care Hisao, Hanako. Don't act too rashly. You would only end up making things worse. Good bye.”

She hands up and the line goes silent. I sigh deeply once more and close my phone with a click and place my hand on my forehead. How the hell do we fix this?

“What… what do we do now?” Hanako asks quietly. Her eyes are focused on my floor and her hands are folded to her chest. Her legs are fidgeting, tapping the floor nervously.

“I'm… not sure. the only thing i can think of to do is try to get Lily to speak with us. No… it is the only thing we can do. We can only work this out with her. Things may not go as well as we want them to, but we have to try. This saturday, we will try to get together and talk things out. We have to, before she leaves otherwise things could end up being much more painful for all of us,”

Hanako nods. “I-... Ill try and to talk to her during the weeks as w-well. Tell h-her that we want to meet after classes on…. Saturday.”

“Okay.” I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Goodnight, Hanako.”

She returns the kiss in kind and stands saying goodnight just before walking out the door. Tonight will be another sleepless night Im sure.