Hana Kimi Fan Fiction ❯ Years Away From What I Need ❯ Happy Holidays ( Chapter 17 )

DISC: I don’t own Hana Kimi or the characters. They belong to Hisaya Nakajo. Please don’t sue. I’m not profiting from this story, other than the benefit of the joy of writing it.


Shuichi had not dropped her off at the train station. Instead, she and Sakura shared a cab with Masa. It wasn't that he'd refused, it's that she had insisted that Nakatsu not see her until she got back from break. She just KNEW that if she saw him as she was actually getting ready to leave, she would not be able to take the steps to board the train. She'd never be able to peel herself out of his arms.

The train ride home was a time of quiet reflection. She did not even write. She just braced herself for the event to come. Would anyone notice anything different about her? Would they notice she didn't have the wrist band on anymore? Would they notice the bracelet that was now in its place?

She stared at the bracelet. God, it was so beautiful. She knew that the stones were real - even though she'd never have been able to tell the difference on her own, she knew. Shuichi just wasn't the kind of guy to go halfway. And the way it sparkled in the sunlight.

When she looked down at it, she realized how much she had missed that old arm band. She knew she had something better - Shuichi himself - but for 14 years, she'd worn that band, and when she gave it back, her arm felt naked. Now, with the bracelet in its place, she truly felt that the two items held the same place in her heart. 'I wonder how weird that really is. Hisa would have a cow. She'd never see the value of that band, but I know she'd appreciate this. Then again, Hisa can be a total idiot.

'Should I even let anyone see this? Should I hide it? But wouldn't hiding it be like hiding my relationship? I don't want to do that. I love him.

'But there is no way that Makoto will ever approve. Mom and Dad just want me to be happy, and eventually I'll probably be able to convince them that this is real and right and what I want. But Makoto... he'd just lose it.

'Then again, he's really not that perceptive about these kind of things. He might not even notice the bracelet, and if he did, he certainly wouldn't know it's expensive - and he for sure wouldn't immediately assume that the bracelet means I have a boyfriend.'

She leaned back in her seat. 'That settles it. I'm not going to hide it, but I'm not going to call it out.

'But what about when Tamami sees it? She's going to automatically know that it means I've got a boyfriend. Mom, too, but Mom will keep quiet and ask me about it only when we're alone. Tamami, she'll blurt it out in front of everyone.' She bit her lower lip as she thought about how to handle it.

'If I... just say I have a boyfriend, she'll never let it go. And if I have to say it in front of Makoto, he'll wig - almost as much as he'd wig if he knew WHO. I'm going to have to talk to Tamami alone right away. If I get her to conspire with me, she'll love that! And I'll... just promise Mom that I'll let her know more at graduation. If I promise that Sakura approves and is watching out for me, she'll be okay.'

Breathing a sigh of relief, she relaxed, assured that her plan was a workable one, and then took a little nap until her train pulled into the station.

X

With her well-packed bag in one hand, purse over her shoulder, she stepped off the train and began walking toward the exit. As she walked, she wasn't paying any attention to the people there waiting to pick up loved ones - it was, after all, just a short cab ride from the station to the shrine. Probably not more than 5000 yen.

So when a large hand came down on her head like Micheal Jordan about to pick up a basketball, she let out a loud, "YIPE!" as she jumped around to see what was attacking. But before she even got fully turned around, his laughter gave him away.

"Makoto!" She embraced him in a giant bear hug, and he picked her up and swung her around. Until she met Nakatsu again just months ago, she'd thought that nothing in the world could make her feel as special, as loved, as warm, as when her big brother twirled her like that.

He set her down and she smiled up at him with a grin so large she thought it might crack her face. "You came to pick me up! You didn't have to do that. I coulda just caught a cab."

Tousling her hair, he gave her one of his trademarked cocksure smirks. "Oh yeah. Right, shrimp. You think you're tall enough that a driver would even see you to stop for you?"

Laughing, she shook her head, "Ya know, I'm not just a little kid anymore. I don't think stopping a cab would be an issue."

Grimacing, he looked her up and down. "Don't remind me. I don't like to think of my baby sister stopping traffic. I'm gonna hafta start beating the boys off with a stick."

Her quiet smile should have said it all to him, but he took it as her just being demure. "I don't think that will be an issue, Aniki."

He just put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a half hug as he pulled her toward the exit. "Come on. Mom and Dad'll start to worry if I don't get you home. Oh. And Merry Christmas, Imouto."

"Right back atcha, Aniki."

XXXX

As she curled up in the covers of the bed she grew up in, Kyoumi's mind reflected on the events of the day.

Her mother had hugged her tightly and exclaimed about how pretty she looked. It was clear that she had noted that Kyoumi was no longer make-up free, so Kyoumi blamed that on Sakura - how she kept playing dress up with her, and that she had eventually given in. It was answer enough to appease the men, but she knew her mom and sister weren't buying it.

So, she took the first opportunity to sneak Tamami up to their room for some girl time.

"Okay, kiddo. You've got some 'splaining to do."

"Uh..." Now that she was here, she didn't really know how to start.

Tamami had taken a seat on the bed, cross-legged, and leaned back a bit, waiting for an answer, but when she saw hesitation, she jumped in. "Don't think I'm buying that crap about Sakura. YOU're wearing make-up. YOU. The one who cringed every time anyone said she was beautiful - OH, and you are. And it still pisses me off that you're prettier than me-"

"I'm NOT-"

"YES. You are. I've accepted it. It pisses me off, but there's not anything I can do about it. BUT! You're wearing makeup. And THAT means that you've got a guy! Because I KNOW you and nothing less would make you change your mind about-" She stopped with a gasp.

Kyoumi looked at her with trepidation, and saw her sister staring at her wrist.

"OH MY GOD! You took off that ratty, god-awful wrist band!" The vivacious soon-to-be-doctor grabbed her sister's arm and took a closer look. "OH MY GODDDD!" She exclaimed as she saw the bracelet.

Pushing her off and waving her arms, Kyoumi frantically tried to settle her sister down. "Shhhhhhh. Shh shh shhhhhh! I don't want everyone to know yet!"

Still inspecting the bling, Tamami said softly, "Holy crap, Kyoumi. This is REAL. Genuine emeralds and completely clear diamonds in a platinum setting. Your boyfriend can afford this?!? What is he, heir to some dynasty?" She looked at her sister and joked, "Or did you seduce one of the teachers?"

Kyoumi blushed and looked away.

Softly, "You're kidding." Tamami grabbed her sister and turned her to look at her. "You're having an affair with a teacher?" It was so softly spoken, and Kyoumi could hear the concern in her sister's voice - the unspoken this-will-only-end-up-hurting-you-believe-me-I-know-first-hand.

Ky oumi looked at her sister, looked deeply into her sister's eyes and said, "Promise me you won't tell anyone yet, and I'll tell you everything."

"I won't tell anyone. Yet." Kyoumi smiled slightly as she understood that Tamami's qualifier meant that if she thought her baby sister was in over her head, all bets were off.

Still holding her sister's eyes, she said, "There's a new head coach at Ohsaka Gakuen. And I gave him back his wristband." Then she waited for her sister to do the math.

"NA-" she began to shriek, but then pulled it down to a reasonable tone when she saw Kyoumi start to freak out. "Nakatsu Shuichi. That guy you've been infatuated with since you were three. What is he, a total perv?"

Kyoumi grimaced. "No. Actually, he's not. He never thought about me at all. For 14 years I've been completely fantasizing about him and he never gave me a single thought.

"I know it didn't seem like it, but I realized that would be the case from the start. And in my heart, while I wished he'd love me, I never really thought he would. So I started staking out the restaurant that the fanzines said he went to every time he was in town. I was waiting to give him back his wristband, and for him to not have a clue who I was and to do a 'okay, whatever' and look at me like I was psycho. And then I'd get on with my life.

"Finally, in late August, he was there at the restaurant when I was. And I gave him back his wrist band. I was ready to give up finally. I swear by everything in me that's what I thought would happen.

"But, he saw the wrist band, and when I told him that I'd promised to return it to him the next time I saw him, he said my name. And he was happy to see me. And we started talking about everything and nothing.

"And, Tamami," she looked up at her sister with tears in her eyes as she said, "he was even more wonderful than all my fantasizing ever dreamed up."

"Wait a second. I thought that Nakatsu quit the football team in September," Tamami's face was a picture of a woman trying not to say anything that would cause her sister to stop talking and shut her out.

"He... quit the football team right after we met, and he took a job at Ohsaka Gakuen within a week."

"Moves pretty fast," the pre-intern said skeptically.

Kyoumi nodded. "He's always been like that. You heard Makoto back in high school. He'd even declared his love in front of the whole school for that girl who'd dressed up like a boy to get into Ohsaka - remember. He... pretty much always does everything from the heart. He... On our first date, he had me help pick out a house for him, and put a bid on it right away."

Tamami's eyes were wide as pie-plates. "He bought a house with you?"

Kyoumi nodded. "I told him not to. But he... did anyway. And he had me pick out all the furniture to go in the house. Well, except for the dressing table. That he bought because he said he thought I'd look good brushing my hair at it."

Blinking in amazement, Tamami quipped, "So how many dates did it take before he proposed?"

Smiling, Kyoumi said, "He hasn't yet. Not really."

"What the hell does THAT mean? He... Has he promised to marry you so that you'd..."

Kyoumi's visage grew dark, and she spoke in the soft voice that clearly told the world that she was about to be very angry. "Don't even SUGGEST such a thing. He's a GOOD man. *I* was the one who tried to get him to... but he said that he would not do that until we were married."

"Yeah, right. What is he, gay?"

At that, Kyoumi's ire solidified and her eyes blazed as she said in a soft voice that was more filled with venom than a raised voice could possibly be, "Don't you DARE talk like you know him! You don't know anything about him! You were too busy chasing our brother's rival to even remember him from that summer. And you haven't been there. You haven't seen. You don't know how hard it's been for him - how many times... At first I tried everything. I just wanted to feel him, I wanted to feel him so BAD. Maybe I thought that would prove that it wasn't real - it couldn't be real. Not even in a story could things work out like this.

"And EVERY TIME, he'd stop himself - stop us - and he'd sit there quietly while he got himself under control again, while all I wanted him to do was TAKE ME! But he won't do it. Not until we're married.

"And I WILL marry him. If this family won't accept it, I'll..." Her anger was gone now, and she looked down sadly, "I'll just have to leave the family."

They sat in silence for several minutes. When Kyoumi quietly looked up at her sister, she saw that Tamami's eyes were moist, and her own grew wide. "You always were too fucking lucky." And the older Kagurazaka embraced the younger. "My baby sister's gonna get married!" She released her from the hug, but held onto her shoulders. "But I better get to meet him soon."

Kyoumi nodded and said, "All you have to do is visit me at school. He'd want you to come over and he'll cook you dinner." She sighed in delight, "He's an AWESOME cook."

Tamami laughed and wiped her eyes, "Among other things, huh!"

Kyoumi blushed and agreed, "Among other things."

"You're going to have to tell mom, you know. She already noticed the makeup."

Sighing, she responded, "I know. But... I don't know if I should tell her WHO. I mean, I knew you'd be the most supportive of this, and you almost flipped out."

Smiling, Tamami said, "Well... let's save that for if the holidays get too boring. But we'll give her enough of a hint where if she's paying attention, she'll figure it out. Then, you can tell her the final detail the day before you leave. That'll give her enough time to realize that if she doesn't accept it, she'll lose you for good. And I'll remind her that Sakura has given her approval. If THAT doesn't convince her that he's good enough for you, nothing will."

"Thanks, Neechan." She hugged her sister tightly. They stood up to rejoin the family for the holiday meal, and as they left the room, Kyoumi said, "And there's no WAY I'm prettier than you, Tamami."

Her older sister hugged her tightly with one arm as she rolled her eyes. "Give it a rest."

XXXXXXX

For the past 10 years, this time of year was a tradition. Nakatsu would take a train to visit his parents on Christmas Day, and stay with them for 4 or 5 days. Then, he'd catch a plane to Hokkaido and stay with the Sanos for the New Year. He'd have one or two days helping them and the kids clean up the house, and then he'd babysit the kids so that Izumi and Mizuki could have a romantic dinner together. Usually, they'd stay out all night, and watch the sun come up from the point over the town where they'd stood together on their school trip all those years ago. Back at the house, Nakatsu would entertain the rugrats ‘til they fell asleep. About half an hour before sunup, he'd wake them up and they'd put on their winter gear, climb up to the roof, and watch the sun come up.

He'd planned this year to be no different. But when he walked in the front door of his parents' house, his mom hugged him and said, "Oh, your girlfriend couldn't make it?"

Without realizing she was joking he responded earnestly, "No, she had to go home-" D'oh! His mom's eyes were wide. She quickly took both his hands and lead him into the kitchen, seating him at the table there.

"Tell me all about her!" He'd never had a girlfriend in his entire life - that she knew about - and she had pretty much given up hope. And with the level of excitement he'd once expressed about one of his classmates, she assumed he'd... chosen DC.

Sighing, he said, "Mom." He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to se her excited expression. "Her name is Kyoumi. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Her hair is long beautiful black velvet waves, and her eyes are so deep you could drown in them." He didn't realize it, but his face had taken on a cute smile that was incredibly dreamy. "She's so smart, and she's going to be a writer, and for some insane reason," he opened his eyes and looked at his mother, "she loves me." Her eyes were warm as she saw how happy her son was.

"Well," she smiled fondly at him, "are we going to get to meet her before you marry her?"

"I'd like that, mom," he said, and she hugged him.

"How long have you known her?" she asked as she broke from the hug and began puttering around the kitchen to put finishing touches on their Christmas dinner.

"Uh... well that requires a little explanation, and I think you're going to not like something about her, and I want you to know that I love her more than anything, mom. She's more important to me than playing football was."

"My. That DOES sound serious." She was a bit amused and not at all afraid of anything he might say. He wasn't gay, he was in love - she was not about to sweat the details. "Tell me."

"I met her 14 and a half years ago. That summer that I went to work for Umeda's sister instead of coming home." He paused and said, "I... uh... well... I can honestly say that I never EVER would have thought for a second that she'd be the love of my life then. Even though I spent most of the time she was there with her. She... was... only three."

His mother paused and blinked her eyes. "You're... dating a 17 year old girl?"

"No. She's 18. She graduates in three months."

Nodding her head curtly, she said, "And you plan to marry her?"

"Yes."

She took a breath and looked up at something - like she was thinking hard. "You ARE planning to wait until after she graduates before you marry her, right?"

"Yes, of course!"

Pursing her lips, she said, "You're not... pushing intimacy on her are you?"

With a look that was halfway shocked and halfway offended, "Mother! Of course not! I would never do anything to hurt her - her honor or her reputation."

At that, his mother stood up and went back to cooking dinner. With a smile she said, "Well, okay then. I do still want to meet her BEFORE you get married. If you don't mind, son."

Smiling softly, he stood and hugged her from behind. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Shuichi." Chopping up the vegetables, she said, "So tell me more about her. What's her name? How did you meet again? How many grandchildren do you plan to give me?"

Laughing, he sat down at the table to tell his story.

XXXXXXX

The girls' plan worked pretty well. Mom was satisfied that a nice boy was dating her daughter. Kyoumi had told her that the boy did not believe in pre-marital sex, and that went a long way toward making her feel satisfied with the few other details that were shared. And Mom agreed not to spill the beans to Dad, who probably would tease her mercilessly, or to Makoto who would most likely flip out and get overprotective.

Makoto'd been somewhat of a playboy in high school, so he naturally assumed all guys were assholes who couldn't be trusted with his sisters. The fact that Tamami had gotten badly hurt by some scumbag before she even was in high school - Makoto never did figure out who it was, but if he had, he would have probably killed the guy - had a lot to do with reinforcing that assumption.

To this day, only Kyoumi knew that it was one of Tamami's teachers who'd seduced her and then dumped her cold. Now, Tamami laughed about it - at least she got high marks in the class - but at the time, she'd been even more devastated than when Sano hadn't been interested in her.

And oddly enough, they kept the secret of Nakatsu from Saki, Makoto's wife, too. They knew that if they asked her to keep it a secret, she would honor their request - she wouldn't even tell Makoto - but, she was about 5 months pregnant now and still dealing with occasional bouts of morning sickness, so they thought they'd be nice to her and keep potential stress down to a minimum.

After Christmas, they began their end of year cleaning. They liked to get it done early so that they could relax on New Year's Eve. And once that was done, Mrs. Kagurazaka (Sr.) took her two daughters out for some shopping. Kyoumi didn't have to pretend very hard to be disinterested. She still thought shopping was a pain in the butt. But... once they were at the stores, and her mom and sister were picking outfits for her that "her boyfriend would just LOVE," she got into it - for the first time in her life.

Until...

Tamami held up the dress and squealed in delight. "Oh, Kyoumi! You HAVE to try this on! Nakatsu will aDORE you in it." Then she froze as she saw Kyoumi's look of stark terror.

Slowly, Tamami turned to look over her shoulder at her mother who had gone very still, her face white with shock.

Both girls didn't move an inch as they saw their mother look back and forth between them.

"You're... your boyfriend... Am I to understand that this boyfriend of yours is Nakatsu Shuichi?"

Kyoumi nodded slowly.

"The same Nakatsu Shuichi that you were insane about for all these years?"

Tamami answered that one. "Yes and no."

Mrs. Kagurazaka's head snapped toward Tamami. "Yes and no. So you knew?" Tamami nodded. "And what does 'Yes and no' mean?"

"It means he's the person I met all those years ago, mom," Kyoumi answered, "But he's not the product of my overworked childish imagination. He's much more real. And much... better. And... he loves me, mom. He really does. I'm not delusional."

Kyoumi had begun a ramp up to a rambling confession, but her mother cut her off by holding up both hands in a "stop" gesture.

"That." Hands still up in front of her and she drew a breath. "Is." And then, her hands clasped in front of her as she broke out into a warm smile, "So incredibly ROMANTIC!" (AN: In Japan, there's a lot of stories about kids falling in love at ludicrously young ages, and then one moves away, and they have to find their way back together. It's a romantic ideal to be dedicated to your childhood love. Just look at Ai Yori Aoshi and Love Hina.) She almost floated to her youngest daughter and embraced her. "I worried so much about you all these years, because so few people ever do end up with their childhood loves. But you were so dedicated, and it was so sweet. OH!" She held her daughter by the shoulders and said, "I am so HAPPY!"

Kyoumi's jaw was unhinged, and she looked up at her sister as if to say, "Is this really happening?" but Tamami's eyes were bugging out of her head as she shook it and shrugged in a "I have no idea" gesture.

"Well, we are definitely getting the outfits we've picked out for you today. And when are you going to bring him home so we can meet him?"

This snapped the girls back to reality. Kyoumi looked up at her sister for assistance. "Uh, Mom, can you keep it from Dad and Makoto for a while? Kyoumi doesn't really need that kind of pressure before her finals."

Her mother stood up straight. "Oh. Right. That's probably a good idea - at least until you've graduated. Makoto enjoys being the only man in your life - other than Dad of course. Although, it WOULD be interesting to find out whether a football star or a high jumper does better in a fight." She looked like she was actually contemplating it, but the girls just laughed and soon she joined them.

As Tamami pressed the previously mentioned dress into her sister's hands and directed her to the fitting room, Kyoumi once again thanked the kami for the wonderful family she was blessed with.

XXXXXXXXX

Kissing his mother goodbye, with a promise that he'd bring Kyoumi over before graduation, Nakatsu took a cab to the airport. On the flight, a couple of the stewardesses tried to flirt with him - he still had some fans left, even though the spotlight had definitely passed and he was on his way to becoming last year's news. But he told them his heart was spoken for already, and they grudgingly left him alone so he could relax and enjoy the short jaunt to see his extended family.

X

"Uncle Shuichi!!!!"

That's all he had time to hear before he was tackled by a 10-year old girl with short, shaggy, medium brown hair and a 7-year old boy with jet black hair. The quieter 12-year old young man who had let him in stood off to the side grinning and looking on as four small hands worked their way under the coat of the man who had fallen back onto his butt and began seeking purchase for a full-out tickle attack.

Luckily, before they could hit the secret spot, a voice came booming down the hall, "Takara, Atae! Get off Uncle Nakatsu this moment!" and Sano Izumi came around the corner into the front room. His voice had sounded angry, but one look at his face, and you could see amusement clearly written there.

"Aw," Takara pouted, her cute little face a miniature version of Izumi's, but with Mizuki's mop of hair, and her tomboy attitude. "But I wanna hear Uncle Shuichi squeal!"

Atae nodded and smiled. "He sounds so funny," he said quietly. The youngest had Sano's dark hair, Mizuki's eyes, but a bone structure that was all his own - such an adorable face, you couldn't help but smile when you looked at him. And he almost always was smiling quietly or giggling.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call him Uncle Nakatsu - it's not polite to call him Uncle Shuichi?"

"Oh, Seiko, you're such a pain." Takara stuck her tongue out at her older brother, and Nakatsu puzzled again how a young man could look so much like Mizuki (except for his jet black hair) yet be such a duplicate copy in attitude of a young Sano.

Izumi scooped Takara up off Nakatsu and looking in her face said, "Be nice to your brother." Then he set her down on her feet and she pouted hugely, her lower lip making a perfect little perch.

Leaning in toward her conspiratorially, Nakatsu said in a stage whisper, "It's okay. I like it that you call me Uncle Shuichi." Then he winked and the little girl's smile broke as bright as sunshine.

Sano reached down with one hand to help his old friend to his feet. "Sorry about that. They've been really excited to see you - and Seiko seems to be the only one to realize that they're getting too big to jump on you anymore."

He pounded himself in the chest and said, "It's okay. I'm pretty tough. Besides," and he leaned over to grab one of the bags he'd brought with him, "I'm happy they're glad to see ME, and aren't just looking for the presents I brought."

"Presents? You brought presents?" Takara voiced it and soon Atae was saying, "Yay! I wanna present. Yay!" Both of them had surrounded their guest and were bouncing up and down in front of him, and when even Seiko took a step forward with an excited look on his face, Nakatsu's booming laugh echoed through the room.

"Of COURSE I brought presents for my three favorite beasts. Don't I always?" He was happy, though, that they didn't take it for granted.

"First," he pulled out a wrapped package - a pyramid of three boxes, and handed it to the ever quiet Seiko. "A gift for the first born."

Politely, he said, "Thanks, Uncle Nakatsu."

"Next!" He reached into his bag and pulled out another pyramid package. "A gift for the princess."

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Thanks, Uncle-" she paused and directing the comment toward her older brother said with great emphasis, "Shu-i-chi!"

That brought a chuckle from Nakatsu and a glare from Seiko. Digging deep into his bag, he pulled out one more package - again, three boxes tied together. "And a gift for a gift!"

Giving him a big bear hug first, Atae responded, "Thanks, Uncle Shu-katsu." Nakatsu hugged him back and laughed. It was very much like the young boy to try to please both his older siblings like that.

"Do you want us to open them now, Uncle Nakatsu?" Seiko asked quietly.

Nakatsu wasn't quite sure how Mizuki could possibly have birthed a child that polite. The only thing he could figure is that the child had felt his mother's sorrow so strongly for the first of his developmental months, and then the subsequent joy once the couple was reunited, that it had impacted his character even before birth. And the child had been extremely well behaved from the moment he had been born.

Before answering, he glanced up at Sano, who looked over at the woman entering from the other side of the room. She answered for him. "No one's opening anything until I get a hug from my favorite Uncle."

"Mizuki-chan!" He cried and stood up quickly to sweep her into a giant hug that lifted her off the ground. He was pleased to find that his heart still leapt at her presence, but that it was just joy to be with his friend - not anything more. A memory of Kyoumi's soft lips on his made his smile warmer, and he felt completely at peace for the first time with his friends. No lingering trace of regret. He knew that fate had led them all here, and he put his full faith that everything would work out as it should.

He laughed and carried her, still in his arms, her feet dangling about two inches above the floor, toward Sano - who tried to back out of his way. Shifting direction toward his best friend, he blocked him into the wall, and then squished Mizuki between them so he could pull Izumi into the hug with him. Laughing happily as Sano gave in and hugged back, he could hear Takara saying, "Uncle Shuichi's making a mommy sandwich" and then laughing.

As he let go, he was surprised to feel Atae tugging on his pant leg. "Does that mean we can open them now?" he asked, his eyes wide and innocent.

Mizuki giggled and said, "Okay by me."

"Go for it, champ," Nakatsu said, grinning from ear to ear.

"YAY!" Atae sat down in the middle of the room and lustily began ripping off paper. The baseball cap got a "oooh, cool," and the set of new Yu-Gi-Oh cards got a "COOOOOL!" But when he opened the smallest package, he pulled out the squishy sack and said, "Huh?"

With a snort, the visiting uncle explained. "It's a hackysack. It's good for hand/eye coordination. Here, let me show you."

He stood up, and Mizuki yelled, "Not HERE! You can show him later - in the play room. Where there's not so much for you to break."

Shrugging guiltily, he mumbled, "Sorry."

Takara squeaked her delight over the jersey with her favorite football player's number on it. It wasn't Shuichi's number, but that was okay with him. And she laughed when she saw the twenty questions ball. "Oh, neat. Mai has one of these at school." But when she opened up the third gift, she gasped.

"Here, let me help you put it on, princess." Nakatsu pulled the necklace out of the box and put it around her neck. It was made of tri-color gold, and the pendant was a treasure chest with a rose on its top.

"Look, mama! It's ME!" Mizuki made sure to give the appropriate oohs and ahs, while smiling gratefully at her old friend.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Shuichi!" The small girl's hugs were all the thanks he needed.

Seiko sat on the couch and carefully opened each box, starting with the biggest and moving to the smallest. He puzzled over the pad of paper for a moment, but then after the brushes, he knew what was in the last one. "A watercolor set! Thanks, Uncle Nakatsu."

Smiling, he said, "Well, your drawings have been getting so good, I thought you might like to try another medium. And... maybe in a few months, I'll come by and bring someone to model for you."

"Really?" He looked at his "Uncle" gratefully, and the happiness he felt at knowing that this man who he loved so much thought his drawings were good shone brightly in his visage.

Nakatsu nodded as Izumi echoed skeptically, "Really?" and Mizuki declared, "Okay, kids, thank your Uncle Nakatsu quickly. The big folk are going to go fix you bottomless pits some dinner and talk about boring stuff, while you put the toys away in the play room."

A chorus of disappointed "Awww"s was heard, and Nakatsu promised them that they'd all play after dinner.

As the small Sanos scuffled off toward the room on the farthest side of the house, Mizuki grabbed Nakatsu's hands and dragged him into the kitchen. Izumi followed behind with an amused smile.

They sat at the kitchen table, Mizuki and Shuichi kiddy-corner from each other, while Izumi stood at the counter in an apron, chopping vegetables for the stew they always ate on the first night of Nakatsu's visit. The first time he'd come to visit, he laughed because Sano was the one who did all the cooking. But since Mizuki often came home late from her veterinary practice due to the dog training classes that she offered after business hours, it really made sense. That, and Sano really was a better cook that she was.

Briefly, Nakatsu recalled when Sano had come back to Ohsaka as a married man. He knew that she couldn't fly and she was determined that her husband graduate from the school they both loved, so he'd gone back to school, and in the meantime, she'd started vocational classes on dog training. She became a certified dog trainer in the state of California two whole days before Seiko was born.

Sano had flown back for her "graduation" - and so he was there when she went into labor that same day. He'd planned to stay for two weeks anyway since she was due later that week. A month later, she and Seiko flew to Japan for Sano's graduation. A second wedding ceremony was held then, so that his family could take part. Then, they moved to Hokkaido and went to college together, making sure their class schedules allowed someone to be home with their new little bundle of joy.

His parents were incredibly helpful - they let the newly married couple live with them throughout college, and after graduation, even helped with the down payment on the house they now owned. Of course, Mizuki's dog training business - which she set up as soon as they got to Hokkaido, and which grew very slowly during their college years - helped bring in extra income until she was set up as a veterinarian. At that point, the training business grew exponentially. Now, she spent more time training people to be good pet parents than she did treating her four-legged patients.

As with any flashback, all these thoughts occurred to Nakatsu in the time that it takes to blink your eyes thrice.

With her usual exuberance, Mizuki was bouncing in her seat. "You met someone. Tell me tell me tell me!!"

His slow smile was enough to make her want to smack him. "Well, you two already met her once..."

Izumi stopped chopping to turn toward them. "We did?"

"Yup!" He was pleased that they hadn't a clue but were obviously excited for him. Then he remembered how some people could perceive the situation as being a bit perverse, and his expression fell a bit.

"What?" Mizuki was always extremely perceptive of his change of moods, even if she did accept his excuses at face value and ignore her own perceptions. "What's wrong?"

Smiling and shaking his head, he responded, "No. Nothing. It's just some people might think it's a bit weird, but it's not like it might seem." Then he remembered her last name and what that had meant for this family. Grimacing, he said, "It's Kagurazaka's sister."

Mizuki sat up straight with her eyes wide and Sano dropped the knife to stare at his friend as if he'd gone crazy. "That crazy girl who was chasing me around all summer?"

Scowling at Sano she said, "Tamami was very nice. I know she had a terrible crush on you, but..." and then she blushed. After all, anything Tamami did would be considered completely normal compared to how insane Mizuki had been for Sano. Turning to her friend, she commented, "And anyway, I think it's nice that she found someone."

Looking down embarassedly, he corrected them, "Actually, it's Kyoumi, not Tamami."

In stereo: "WHAT?!?" They both pulled back from him a bit.

"I know it's weird. When I met her she was just a baby. And believe me, I NEVER once thought of her like that -even though you guys liked to tease me about how much she liked me back then. It's just... She's an adult now. I ran into her back in August and she's definitely not a kid anymore. And she gave me back that wristguard I gave her. Remember how she was crying when Kagurazaka told her to tell me goodbye forever?"

Mizuki smiled a bit saying, "She practically pulled all your hair out."

"Right. And I gave her that wrist guard and told her that she needed to return it the next time she saw me. Well... she kept it for 14 years."

"Uh, that's either nasty or creepy. I'm not sure which. Maybe both."

"This from the guy that fell in love with the stalker-chick who disguised herself as a boy so that she could go to school with him? Besides, she kept it clean and repaired it when it got worn."

Mizuki nodded, but it was clear she was still troubled. "Well... I suppose it's actually kind of sweet except..."

"Except she's so much younger than me?" Sano nodded and Shuichi's lips were thin as he nodded back. "Yeah. I know a lot of people are going to have a hard time with that. At least they will for the next ten years or so. Then they'll stop caring. But most people will never know unless I tell them how young she is.

"Besides," he joked, "you're always telling me how immature I am, when you put the two of us together, you're going to start thinking SHE's the one robbing the cradle."

Mizuki scrutinized him carefully and said, "You... You're in love with her, aren't you?"

He smiled dreamily and nodded. "More than I've ever loved anyone." She could read his smile that said, "More even than I loved you - if you can believe it."

At that, Mizuki grinned and hugged him. "Well then, that's good enough for me! You have to tell me all about her!"

Picking his knife back up Izumi commented, "What is it with you - always falling in love with the crazy stalker chicks?" But the look he cast to his friend was one of comraderie, and before Nakatsu could say anything he recanted, "I mean, congratulations! So what's she like? When do we get to meet herÉagain?"

"She's smart and sweet - she actually writes. Someday, I think she's going to write a novel! But right now she does short stories. And they're amazing! But she never lets anyone read them. Except me. I've read almost all of them now. And, I was thinking that I'd like you guys to meet her pretty soon. Actually... Um...

"Are... Do you guys have any plans for Setsubun?"

(Setsubun is a festival held on February 3rd or 4th, one day before the start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar. It's not a national holiday, but people usually perform rituals to chase away evil spirits. Some people decorate their house entrances with fish heads and holy tree leaves to deter evil spirits from entering. The most common ritual, though, is throwing roasted beans around your house and at temples and shrines. You're supposed to yell "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!"/"Devils out, happiness in" while you throw the beans. Then you're supposed to pick up the number of beans equal to your age and eat them.)

Mizuki and Izumi shared a look before Mizuki replied, "What do you have in mind?"

"Well," he began to work out the details out loud in front of his friends, "it's gonna be tight to get everything in. See, I'm gonna bring her home to meet mom & dad on Kenkoku Kinen No Hi (AN: Founding of the Nation Day, national holiday on February 11), and then we'll be back to school for Valentines Day. Then, we'll have White Day, and then for Shumbun No Hi (AN: Start of Spring/Vernal Equinox, national holiday, March 20), she'll be studying for final exams, so I'll use that time to go ask her parents' permission.

"Then, when she graduates (AN: school year ends March 31), after she has her diploma, I'm going to ask her to go back to Io's place where we met. That's where I'm gonna do it."

"Do it?" Sano queried, as Mizuki said, "Oh my god! You're gonna ask her to marry you at Io's?"

Nakatsu nodded , Izumi gaped, and Mizuki gushed, "Oh, I bet Io's just ecstatic! She loves romance so much. She was so supportive back when..."

"Back when you forgot for a second how much that idiot loves and needs you?" Nakatsu gestured back over to Sano, who just grinned and shook his head.

"Yup. Has she set up a menu for the night you propose yet? She has very definite ideas about the right foods for romance you know."

Laughing, Sano concurred, "I thought we would plan our own wedding, but both ceremonies were taken out of our hands. There, by your dad, and here by Io of all people!"

"But you have to admit, she did a lovely job coordinating everything."

"Yeah. And this way, we got to spend more time together and playing with Seiko." The couple's shared smile was contagious, and Nakatsu wondered if 12 years from now he and Kyoumi would be acting like this.

Still, this was a perfect opportunity to get out of a delicate situation. "Um. Actually, I haven't talked to Io about it yet. I'd... have to go through Umeda, and, well, you know how much he likes to give me a hard time. And since he doesn't have you two to distract him, I don't want to give him any more opportunities than I absolutely have to."

Mizuki looked puzzled. "Why would Umeda-sensei give you a hard time about proposing?"

Nakatsu bit his lower lip and looked around as if for a place to hide in. "Uh... well... the school board doesn't like the fact that I'm dating a student."

Both Mizuki and Sano gave him a thoroughly confused, questioning look.

"Didn't I tell you that I'm the new coach for Ohsaka Gakuen?"

Their mouths fell open. "NO! You didn't!" Sano yelled.

"You just told us you took a coaching position," Mizuki finished.

"Oh. Really?" Nakatsu shrugged. "Well, I'm at Ohsaka - and I bought Kitayama-sensei's old house. So if you come over for Setsubun, there'll be plenty of room for you to stay. And Sano, you'll love the furo! It's magnificent."

"I can't believe you're the new coach." Sano was almost finished with dinner, and he looked a bit bemused. "Set the table. Dinner's almost done."

"So will you come?"

Shrugging, Mizuki replied, "I can work it into my schedule. Izumi?"

Nodding, he responded, "Yeah. That's actually a good time for me - we're on a slow week for track that week. And Mom will be willing to look after the brats."

Sighing in relief, Nakatsu said, "Oh, thank god. I really wanted Kyoumi to meet you as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible?" Mizuki inquired.

And Sano finished the thought, "Why?"

"Um, yeah. Well. You know, it's always a good thing to not have any secrets from the one you love - I learned that from watching you two and it was one of most painful things I've ever witnessed, I'll have you know, so I learned it well. So when we were on our first date I was really nervous, and I told her that I'd never dated anyone before except Komari-chan back in high school, but that I broke it off with her because I was in love with someone else. So then I kind of had to explain the whole thing and so she knows I was in love with you, well, really, she knew it already from Makoto and his big fat mouth. And although she knows that that was a long time ago and that you and Sano are family and all that, still... There's a difference between knowing something," he tapped his head, "and KNOWING something," he tapped his chest in front of his heart.

"So I wanted her to meet you two. Because once she meets you - once she knows you - she'll know that there's just no way - that she's so... perfect. And," he looked up as he made his declaration, "I want her to know that she's the love I've waited my whole life for - she's all I need. And I want her to know it as soon as possible, so that when I propose, she won't have any question of how much I mean it."

Mizuki had tears streaming down her face, and Nakatsu fretted worriedly. "Oh, Mizuki. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"You big idiot," she swatted him, chuckling through her tears, "I'm just so happy for you!" She jumped into his lap and gave him a gigantic bear hug.

Nakatsu kept his hands free and looked up at Sano in a "help me" gesture only to find that Sano's eyes were misty as well. "We'll be there for Setsubun." Sano's voice was quiet and sure.

"Thanks, guys. And... you can bring the kids if you like. Don't feel like you have to leave 'em home. I mean... I kinda want Kyoumi to meet ALL of you. If they can get out of school." They laughed, and Mizuki disengaged herself from her friend so he could go get the mouths with legs and call them to dinner.

XXX

A glance at his watch said 11:59pm. 'New Year's Eve. It's almost the new year.' He looked back up at the sky, saw the stars twinkling. 'Next year, I'm going to marry you, Kagurazaka Kyoumi,' he silently promised to the heavens. 'Meeting you again made this the best year of my life - but next year will be even better.' Head still raised he closed his eyes and pictured the smiling face that had changed him - made him look forward instead of back. "Happy New Year, my love."

A flash of warmth like that he always felt in her presence flooded him and he smiled as he turned to re-enter the house. In a few more hours, he'd wake his three favorite bratlings to take them out to wish upon the first morning light of the new year.

XXX

Standing next to the fountain by the shrine, she looked up to the sky. Stars were twinkling overhead. 'Happy New Year, Shuichi-ai,' she called silently. 'My only wish for the new year is that I don't have to spend so much time apart from you. But I have no complaints about this year that's passed.'

Her memory flashed over the time that she first met him again, him picking her up and spinning her. His kiss outside the gate after he walked her home. Their first date. Him standing there looking out the window with no shirt on. His fingers playing her like a virtuoso. Her first time pleasing him. His guilty face as she held his broken fist. Him laughing with her about Masa and Sakura. 'It's been the best year of my life - so far.'

She felt warm - as if he were actually there holding her - and she smiled and turned to reenter the house.

XXX

XXX