Hana Kimi Fan Fiction ❯ All Knotted Up ❯ Stepping In Part 2 ( Chapter 17 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: kashuneko 
Anime/Manga: Hana Kimi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.12.2008 | Updated On: 11.27.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 362 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Hana Kimi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.12.2008 | Updated On: 11.27.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 362 | Status: Work In Progress
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hana Kimi or any of its characters.
However, if you want to blame anyone for taking this incredibly pure and sweet manga and making it hentai, that'd be me. Please don't sue. I don't own anything to make suing me worthwhile anyway.
ALL KNOTTED UP INSIDE - A Hana Zakari No Kime Tachi E fanfiction
CHAPTER 17
Nakatsu took Sano out for Udon instead of going to the cafeteria that night. After they were seated, Nakatsu rambled on about the latest test they’d taken and how tough 3rd year was.
“I never thought it would be so tough. I always thought the 3rd years were just complaining to hear themselves complain… But it feels really good to know that I’m doing so well this year. I guess all my hard work is finally paying off, right?” He gave Sano the thumbs up and winked at him, smiling.
Sano smiled at his friend, but it was still very strained. The sleep in the doctor’s office had helped. But he still felt like he was missing something.
“Yeah. You really deserve all the great grades, too. You’ve been working so hard this year.”
Nakatsu sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Sano, I know what you’re worrying about. You’re thinking that there’s a problem between you and Mizuki. Because she hasn’t written you. Right?”
Sano didn’t say anything. He just looked away.
“You know, I love Mizuki. I don’t think I’ll ever stop. And it really hurt a lot when I finally understood that I’d never have her. When I knew that she belonged to you.”
Sano looked up at him, surprised. “She doesn’t belong to me. She’s a human being, Nakatsu. She’s free to choose… to be with whoever she wants.” He looked away.
“Sano, don’t be an idiot. Anyone with eyes knows that Mizuki loves only you.”
Sano just shrugged.
“Man, she must miss you an awful lot if it’s too painful for her to even write.”
That surprised Sano. He hadn’t thought of that as a reason. They ate in silence for a while.
Nakatsu then broke out in a grin. “Hey! You know what I just thought?” Sano shook his head. “When you and Mizuki get married, then you’ll probably have kids. Can you picture a pregnant Mizuki?” He smiled and sighed, thinking, ‘I hope this works.’ “Man, she’d be so cute… But you’re going to have to be strong, because she tries to take on too much herself – that’s just how she is. She’ll be a really good mother, though.”
Sano smiled as he pictured Mizuki, heavy with his child, smiling lovingly at him. In the back of his head, a voice says, ‘That’s pretty weird. That’s the second time in two days that someone’s brought that up. And I really never spent any time thinking of that before.’ “I suppose she would be.” His smile still was laced with sadness, as if he couldn’t quite believe it could happen. “I can’t imagine anything better than that, though.”
Nakatsu’s voice dropped so that Sano had to strain to hear the next part. “You know, life is short, Sano. You miss her. I know she misses you. And there’s nothing keeping you apart except an ocean.
“I know she doesn’t love me. But if she did, there’d be no way I’d ever let her get that far away from me. You should go to her. Take a week off school. Your grades are good enough. You’ve made enough progress in the jump, and there’s a month ‘til the next meet. She wants to see you. She needs to see you.”
Sano looked down sadly.
“She needs you now more than ever. So go. Trust me. If you don’t, you’ll regret it forever. You will.”
He smiled sadly at his friend, then got up and left, with Sano still sitting at the table, shocked.
X X X END SCENE X X X
When he got back to the dorm, he found that there were two letters waiting for him. He opened the one with masculine handwriting first. It was in English. That was pretty rare.
Sano Izumi,
I think we reached an understanding when you were in the states. You know that I love Mizuki. But you do, too. While she was in Japan, I trusted you to take care of her. Therefore, it’s possible you’re thinking you can trust her to me in America.
But what we didn’t take into account when we came to that arrangement was Mizuki’s feelings.
If you truly care for her, then you’ll come to her NOW.
If you don’t, I swear, I will do everything in my power to TRY to make her happy, and I will do everything I can to ensure that she never sees you again.
Come now.
Gilbert
‘What the heck does THAT mean?’ He set the letter aside and opened the other one that was in romanji. Which is also pretty weird. Until he saw it was from Julia.
Sano,
I know that you’re thinking she doesn’t want you anymore. But you’re wrong!
Please come to her. And don’t tell her I wrote you.
Julia
‘How does she know that?!’
He began pacing. He felt energy building up in him. Why was everyone so insistent that he go to her? Was this a sign? The nervous energy started to make him feel panicky, so he decided to go burn some of it off and train.
The whole time training, he wasn’t thinking of jumping. He wasn’t looking for her face in the sky. He just thought over and over again, ‘I could go to her. I could go to her. But why are they so urgent? I could be with her. But what’s wrong with Mizuki? Should I go?’ He didn’t even notice when he broke his own best record.
X X X END SCENE X X X
On his way back to the dorm, he still felt too wound-up to sleep, and he noticed the light on in the infirmary. Maybe he could get something to help him fall asleep tonight.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Come in, Sano.”
As Sano entered the room, before he could even ask, “I saw you in the courtyard, looking over here. I figured it would be you.”
“Doctor Umeda, I… I was hoping you could give me something to help me sleep tonight.”
Umeda looked Sano up and down. ‘He looks a little better. He looks… almost hopeful.’ “First sit down and talk to me. Consider it a counseling session. I need to know why you think you’re not going to sleep tonight before I can decide whether to give you anything.”
Sano sat and then stared off into space.
‘I guess I’m going to have to dig.’ “So. What’s happened since I last saw you. You look… different.”
“I… I got some letters. Not from Mizuki. From her friends… They think I should go to her. I got the feeling that something’s not quite right… But they both say that she needs me. Nakatsu thinks so, too.
“Do you… Do you think that… Could I get a week off and go? Should I go to her?” He shook his head, as if to clear it. “I just don’t know what to think.”
“Sano, life is full of tough choices. And nothing is handed to you. You have to fight for it. So if there’s something that you’re certain that you want more than anything else, you have to GO. GO and GET HE- [cough, cough]. Excuse me. Go and get it. No one will bring you want you want on a silver platter. But when you go after what you want, you’ll be surprised how many things just start to make sense.
“Now as to your leaving school for a week, you wouldn’t be the first to need a break from their 3rd year for health reasons.” He started writing a note on his pad. “You are officially on break for a week. Starting tomorrow. Doctor’s orders. I’ll file the paper with the school. But don’t tell anyone, or EVERYONE will be asking me to give them a break.”
He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a couple of pills that he placed in a plastic bag. Then he handed the bag to Sano. “Take these about a half hour before you want to be asleep. You’ll sleep through the night. Then you can… do whatever you need to in order to regain your health in the next week. Go.”
And he pushed him out of the office, leaned against the door, and smiled. ‘That girl exhausts me even from thousands of miles away. Sheesh.’
X X X END SCENE X X X
As he walked back to his room, Sano debated going to the states.
‘Mizuki needs me.’
‘But she said she didn’t want to see me again.’
‘That was a dream.’
‘Was it? It felt so real.’
‘But what if Mizuki really needs me?’
‘I don’t have enough money for a ticket.’
‘Borrow it from your parents and go.’
‘I can’t be a burden on them now. Not when we’ve just started to get close again.’
‘What’s more important? Them, or Mizuki?’
‘But what if she doesn’t want me? What if she tells me that she never wants to see me again?’
‘Are you going to let your fear rule you? I thought you weren’t going to run away anymore. You’re just running away from FEAR of failure now!’
‘But -’
He stopped short as he saw Nakao sitting outside his door. “Nakao? What are you doing here?”
“It’s about time. I’ve been waiting for over an hour. Some guy keeps calling for you. He says he’s Mizuki’s brother and that he needs to talk to you. I told him you were at practice and that I didn’t know when you’d be back, and he said he’d keep calling every hour on the hour until he reached you. He asked me to make sure you were there to receive the call. He actually threatened to fly over here and kick my ass if I didn’t give you that message.
“Well, I’ve given it to you… And it’s just 5 minutes til 11. You might want to go to the phone in the lounge to take the call. I’m going to bed!”
Nakao grumpily walked down the hall toward his room, muttering about his beauty sleep. Sano glanced at his door and then turned and walked the other way down the hall toward the lounge, so he didn’t see Nakao glance over his shoulder as Sano headed toward the phone. Nakao smiled and said under his breath, “Go get her, Sano.”
X X X END SCENE X X X
The phone rang at 11:01:25. At least that was the time on Sano’s watch. He picked it up on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hello. This is Ashiya Shizuki. I’m calling for Sano Izumi. Is he available at this time?”
“This is Sano Izumi.”
Sano heard him exhale heavily and mutter, “About friggin’ time.
“Sano Izumi. I need to speak with you about something serious…
“Sano Izumi, what are your intentions toward my little sister?”
This was not at all what he was expecting.
“Sir, I love Ashiya Mizuki with all my heart.
“…I had intended to marry her as soon as I graduated. I… asked her before she left, and she said yes. But she… hasn’t spoken or written to me since. I called her a couple of times, but your parents said she was out, and she hasn’t returned my calls.”
“Do you know why that is?”
“No, sir, I do not.”
“Sano Izumi. If she were to tell you to go away, what would you do?”
He swallowed hard. “…I…”
“Would you go on jumping?” His voice was angry now, pushing Sano for a reaction. “Would you LET her go? What would you DO?”
“I… don’t know! I don’t want her to… I only want her to be happy!...Please. Is she doing okay? I know you are taking care of her. But, tell me how she is, please!”
Shizuki’s voice softened as he heard the stress in Sano’s voice. “Sano, I think she’s doing exactly the same as you. Exactly.”
Sano didn’t reply.
“Sano-nii-san, don’t wait. Come NOW.
“And I never called you.” CLICK
X X X END SCENE X X X
‘Even her brother wants me to come? And he never liked me. Nii-san? What’s up with that? He called me nii-san.’ That actually scared him a bit. What the hell was going on?
He turned and walked toward his room. As he put his key in the lock, he heard a door open behind him. Then, Nakatsu handed him an envelope, patted him on the shoulder and walked back to his room and closed the door behind himself.
Envelope in hand, Sano entered his room and sat on his bed.
Inside, he found a ticket to America in his name and a note in Nakatsu’s handwriting: “We all want to see you two happy. You’ve both been there for us. So we took up a collection. It’s open-ended. But don’t wait. Go now.” It was signed by all his friends in his class.
He stood up, took a shower, packed a bag, then used the phone in the lobby to place a call. Then he walked back down the hall to knock on Nakatsu’s door. Shuichi opened it to see Sano with the ticket in one hand and a bag in the other. Sano hugged his friend and said, “Thank you.” Then he turned and headed out of the dorm to the cab that was waiting for him.
X X X END CHAPTER X X X
However, if you want to blame anyone for taking this incredibly pure and sweet manga and making it hentai, that'd be me. Please don't sue. I don't own anything to make suing me worthwhile anyway.
ALL KNOTTED UP INSIDE - A Hana Zakari No Kime Tachi E fanfiction
CHAPTER 17
Nakatsu took Sano out for Udon instead of going to the cafeteria that night. After they were seated, Nakatsu rambled on about the latest test they’d taken and how tough 3rd year was.
“I never thought it would be so tough. I always thought the 3rd years were just complaining to hear themselves complain… But it feels really good to know that I’m doing so well this year. I guess all my hard work is finally paying off, right?” He gave Sano the thumbs up and winked at him, smiling.
Sano smiled at his friend, but it was still very strained. The sleep in the doctor’s office had helped. But he still felt like he was missing something.
“Yeah. You really deserve all the great grades, too. You’ve been working so hard this year.”
Nakatsu sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Sano, I know what you’re worrying about. You’re thinking that there’s a problem between you and Mizuki. Because she hasn’t written you. Right?”
Sano didn’t say anything. He just looked away.
“You know, I love Mizuki. I don’t think I’ll ever stop. And it really hurt a lot when I finally understood that I’d never have her. When I knew that she belonged to you.”
Sano looked up at him, surprised. “She doesn’t belong to me. She’s a human being, Nakatsu. She’s free to choose… to be with whoever she wants.” He looked away.
“Sano, don’t be an idiot. Anyone with eyes knows that Mizuki loves only you.”
Sano just shrugged.
“Man, she must miss you an awful lot if it’s too painful for her to even write.”
That surprised Sano. He hadn’t thought of that as a reason. They ate in silence for a while.
Nakatsu then broke out in a grin. “Hey! You know what I just thought?” Sano shook his head. “When you and Mizuki get married, then you’ll probably have kids. Can you picture a pregnant Mizuki?” He smiled and sighed, thinking, ‘I hope this works.’ “Man, she’d be so cute… But you’re going to have to be strong, because she tries to take on too much herself – that’s just how she is. She’ll be a really good mother, though.”
Sano smiled as he pictured Mizuki, heavy with his child, smiling lovingly at him. In the back of his head, a voice says, ‘That’s pretty weird. That’s the second time in two days that someone’s brought that up. And I really never spent any time thinking of that before.’ “I suppose she would be.” His smile still was laced with sadness, as if he couldn’t quite believe it could happen. “I can’t imagine anything better than that, though.”
Nakatsu’s voice dropped so that Sano had to strain to hear the next part. “You know, life is short, Sano. You miss her. I know she misses you. And there’s nothing keeping you apart except an ocean.
“I know she doesn’t love me. But if she did, there’d be no way I’d ever let her get that far away from me. You should go to her. Take a week off school. Your grades are good enough. You’ve made enough progress in the jump, and there’s a month ‘til the next meet. She wants to see you. She needs to see you.”
Sano looked down sadly.
“She needs you now more than ever. So go. Trust me. If you don’t, you’ll regret it forever. You will.”
He smiled sadly at his friend, then got up and left, with Sano still sitting at the table, shocked.
X X X END SCENE X X X
When he got back to the dorm, he found that there were two letters waiting for him. He opened the one with masculine handwriting first. It was in English. That was pretty rare.
Sano Izumi,
I think we reached an understanding when you were in the states. You know that I love Mizuki. But you do, too. While she was in Japan, I trusted you to take care of her. Therefore, it’s possible you’re thinking you can trust her to me in America.
But what we didn’t take into account when we came to that arrangement was Mizuki’s feelings.
If you truly care for her, then you’ll come to her NOW.
If you don’t, I swear, I will do everything in my power to TRY to make her happy, and I will do everything I can to ensure that she never sees you again.
Come now.
Gilbert
‘What the heck does THAT mean?’ He set the letter aside and opened the other one that was in romanji. Which is also pretty weird. Until he saw it was from Julia.
Sano,
I know that you’re thinking she doesn’t want you anymore. But you’re wrong!
Please come to her. And don’t tell her I wrote you.
Julia
‘How does she know that?!’
He began pacing. He felt energy building up in him. Why was everyone so insistent that he go to her? Was this a sign? The nervous energy started to make him feel panicky, so he decided to go burn some of it off and train.
The whole time training, he wasn’t thinking of jumping. He wasn’t looking for her face in the sky. He just thought over and over again, ‘I could go to her. I could go to her. But why are they so urgent? I could be with her. But what’s wrong with Mizuki? Should I go?’ He didn’t even notice when he broke his own best record.
X X X END SCENE X X X
On his way back to the dorm, he still felt too wound-up to sleep, and he noticed the light on in the infirmary. Maybe he could get something to help him fall asleep tonight.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Come in, Sano.”
As Sano entered the room, before he could even ask, “I saw you in the courtyard, looking over here. I figured it would be you.”
“Doctor Umeda, I… I was hoping you could give me something to help me sleep tonight.”
Umeda looked Sano up and down. ‘He looks a little better. He looks… almost hopeful.’ “First sit down and talk to me. Consider it a counseling session. I need to know why you think you’re not going to sleep tonight before I can decide whether to give you anything.”
Sano sat and then stared off into space.
‘I guess I’m going to have to dig.’ “So. What’s happened since I last saw you. You look… different.”
“I… I got some letters. Not from Mizuki. From her friends… They think I should go to her. I got the feeling that something’s not quite right… But they both say that she needs me. Nakatsu thinks so, too.
“Do you… Do you think that… Could I get a week off and go? Should I go to her?” He shook his head, as if to clear it. “I just don’t know what to think.”
“Sano, life is full of tough choices. And nothing is handed to you. You have to fight for it. So if there’s something that you’re certain that you want more than anything else, you have to GO. GO and GET HE- [cough, cough]. Excuse me. Go and get it. No one will bring you want you want on a silver platter. But when you go after what you want, you’ll be surprised how many things just start to make sense.
“Now as to your leaving school for a week, you wouldn’t be the first to need a break from their 3rd year for health reasons.” He started writing a note on his pad. “You are officially on break for a week. Starting tomorrow. Doctor’s orders. I’ll file the paper with the school. But don’t tell anyone, or EVERYONE will be asking me to give them a break.”
He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a couple of pills that he placed in a plastic bag. Then he handed the bag to Sano. “Take these about a half hour before you want to be asleep. You’ll sleep through the night. Then you can… do whatever you need to in order to regain your health in the next week. Go.”
And he pushed him out of the office, leaned against the door, and smiled. ‘That girl exhausts me even from thousands of miles away. Sheesh.’
X X X END SCENE X X X
As he walked back to his room, Sano debated going to the states.
‘Mizuki needs me.’
‘But she said she didn’t want to see me again.’
‘That was a dream.’
‘Was it? It felt so real.’
‘But what if Mizuki really needs me?’
‘I don’t have enough money for a ticket.’
‘Borrow it from your parents and go.’
‘I can’t be a burden on them now. Not when we’ve just started to get close again.’
‘What’s more important? Them, or Mizuki?’
‘But what if she doesn’t want me? What if she tells me that she never wants to see me again?’
‘Are you going to let your fear rule you? I thought you weren’t going to run away anymore. You’re just running away from FEAR of failure now!’
‘But -’
He stopped short as he saw Nakao sitting outside his door. “Nakao? What are you doing here?”
“It’s about time. I’ve been waiting for over an hour. Some guy keeps calling for you. He says he’s Mizuki’s brother and that he needs to talk to you. I told him you were at practice and that I didn’t know when you’d be back, and he said he’d keep calling every hour on the hour until he reached you. He asked me to make sure you were there to receive the call. He actually threatened to fly over here and kick my ass if I didn’t give you that message.
“Well, I’ve given it to you… And it’s just 5 minutes til 11. You might want to go to the phone in the lounge to take the call. I’m going to bed!”
Nakao grumpily walked down the hall toward his room, muttering about his beauty sleep. Sano glanced at his door and then turned and walked the other way down the hall toward the lounge, so he didn’t see Nakao glance over his shoulder as Sano headed toward the phone. Nakao smiled and said under his breath, “Go get her, Sano.”
X X X END SCENE X X X
The phone rang at 11:01:25. At least that was the time on Sano’s watch. He picked it up on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hello. This is Ashiya Shizuki. I’m calling for Sano Izumi. Is he available at this time?”
“This is Sano Izumi.”
Sano heard him exhale heavily and mutter, “About friggin’ time.
“Sano Izumi. I need to speak with you about something serious…
“Sano Izumi, what are your intentions toward my little sister?”
This was not at all what he was expecting.
“Sir, I love Ashiya Mizuki with all my heart.
“…I had intended to marry her as soon as I graduated. I… asked her before she left, and she said yes. But she… hasn’t spoken or written to me since. I called her a couple of times, but your parents said she was out, and she hasn’t returned my calls.”
“Do you know why that is?”
“No, sir, I do not.”
“Sano Izumi. If she were to tell you to go away, what would you do?”
He swallowed hard. “…I…”
“Would you go on jumping?” His voice was angry now, pushing Sano for a reaction. “Would you LET her go? What would you DO?”
“I… don’t know! I don’t want her to… I only want her to be happy!...Please. Is she doing okay? I know you are taking care of her. But, tell me how she is, please!”
Shizuki’s voice softened as he heard the stress in Sano’s voice. “Sano, I think she’s doing exactly the same as you. Exactly.”
Sano didn’t reply.
“Sano-nii-san, don’t wait. Come NOW.
“And I never called you.” CLICK
X X X END SCENE X X X
‘Even her brother wants me to come? And he never liked me. Nii-san? What’s up with that? He called me nii-san.’ That actually scared him a bit. What the hell was going on?
He turned and walked toward his room. As he put his key in the lock, he heard a door open behind him. Then, Nakatsu handed him an envelope, patted him on the shoulder and walked back to his room and closed the door behind himself.
Envelope in hand, Sano entered his room and sat on his bed.
Inside, he found a ticket to America in his name and a note in Nakatsu’s handwriting: “We all want to see you two happy. You’ve both been there for us. So we took up a collection. It’s open-ended. But don’t wait. Go now.” It was signed by all his friends in his class.
He stood up, took a shower, packed a bag, then used the phone in the lobby to place a call. Then he walked back down the hall to knock on Nakatsu’s door. Shuichi opened it to see Sano with the ticket in one hand and a bag in the other. Sano hugged his friend and said, “Thank you.” Then he turned and headed out of the dorm to the cab that was waiting for him.
X X X END CHAPTER X X X