Chapter 7: A young girl's request. Meeting an older student.

A few weeks have passed. Spring has arrived, due to the cherry blossoms blooming early. Aki was on his way to school with a short sleeve variant of his uniform.

'Spring is here... At least it won't be as harsh as getting frostbite in the winter.' He thought.

His thoughts were wandering, moving to the base of the hill leading to his school. A cloud of cherry blossoms was seen billowing in the wind.

'Sakagami-san mentioned that she liked seeing the cherry blossoms. I don't understand why they have to be cut down. They look amazing and healthy.' Aki thought, looking at the trees.

His thoughts then shifted to the school. He had a somber thought encroaching in his mind.

'Just a few years... Once I'm done with high school, I probably have a few years of life left in me. I'm already a third year here, but it went too quickly. I wish that I could remain alive a little longer once I graduate next year...' He thought.

(Play Clannad OST - Nagisa)

Aki noticed a girl waiting at the entrance. She was a beautiful young girl with short, slightly curly, untied reddish-brown hair that reaches a little below her shoulders. She appeared petite compared to her peers, almost seeming sickly. A distinct part of her appearance was her two prominent ahoge sticking out on top of her head. The two ahoges resemble the letter 'M'. She had big, downward-slanting, golden-amber eyes. The girl looked nervous before uttering a word.

"Anpan..." She said.

Aki briefly stopped, hearing the word. He waited for her to start speaking.

'Anpan? Must be a subconscious way of preparing herself.' Aki thought.

"Do you like this school?" The girl asked.

Aki thought she was asking him. It made him ponder for a moment as he listened.

"I really like this school. I wanted to make friends and share memories with them, desu." The girl said.

Aki continued listening to the girl. He could understand what she meant.

"But, I couldn't find any of my old friends. They all graduated, yet I haven't." The girl continued.

Aki gave a soft sigh from listening to the girl. He decided to voice his thoughts.

"Don't stay in the past too long. Make new memories for the future." He said.

The girl looked at him with surprise as the wind blew with the cherry blossom petals floating.

"If you feel that you will need to make new ones, no one is stopping you from doing so. All you have to do is find new people whom you feel comfortable with. Don't let anything hold you back to find what you seek." Aki explained.

Aki continued his walk up the hill. Unknown to him, the same girl followed him up the hill. She soon felt strangely confident near him.

(Nagisa OST ends here)

Aki got himself settled in the classroom. Inside, Ryou and Kyou arrived.

"Oh, Hideyoshi. Glad to see you again." Kyou said.

"Good morning, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou said with a blush.

Pink dusted his cheeks despite keeping a poker face. Although weeks have passed, the Fujibayashi sisters have been helping Aki open up a little during the winter. However, this also resulted in Kyou teasing him over the winter.

"Good morning." He said.

Kyou noticed his blushing and smirked. She liked how he was trying to control himself. However, she and Ryou noticed Aki placing his hand with a handkerchief at his mouth. A small trickle of blood was shown.

"Sorry... I'm starting to lose control of my emotions... I'm trying to make sure this doesn't happen frequently." Aki apologized.

Kyou and Ryou understood what he said. They both felt sorry for him.

"It's okay... At least a small trickle occurs so it won't cause a mess." Aki reassured.

Ryou decided to take the initiative and moved to him. In an act of boldness, she held Aki's right hand, surprising him.

"Please try to keep yourself healthy, Hideyoshi-kun." She said.

Aki blushed in response. Kyou was surprised on how bold her sister was, giving a soft smile in return.

Currently, it was lunch period. Aki was making his way to a familiar empty classroom. He was holding a new wood carving knife for Fuko.

"Fuko-san? I brought your new knife." Aki said.

(Play Clannad OST - Hurry, Starfish)

He looked around but no one was there. This got him confused for a moment till he felt small hands touching his body. They were gently snaking around his abdomen to search for the knife.

"Okay, Fuko-san. Here's your carving knife as I promised. Sorry I took too long." Aki said.

"It's okay. Fuko forgives you." Fuko responded.

Fuko was excited as a child getting some ice cream. It made him chuckle mentally.

"Ne, Fuko-san... Why are you carving sea stars from wood? Is there a purpose you're doing?" Aki asked curiously.

Fuko looked at him with determined eyes. This made Aki pay attention took to him.

"Um... It's to remind others about my sister's wedding. Fuko wanted to make her wedding a memory she wouldn't forget." Fuko explained.

"Your sister is getting married? That sounds like a wonderful thing to do." Aki admitted.

"Fuko wanted her wedding to be amazing. That's why she must carve these sea stars." She continued.

"Do you know your sister's name?" Aki asked.

"Fuko's sister's name is Ibuki Kouko. She has a wedding coming up and Fuko wanted to help make it amazing." Fuko answered.

"That sounds like an amazing plan to do. Is there anyway I can hope?" Aki asked.

"Can you help Fuko carve more sea stars? Fuko wanted to give them as a wedding invitation." Fuko said.

"I'll be able to help as much as I can. I may have some time to make a carving or two, but it should help." Aki said.

"Okay, Fuko will like the help." Fuko responded.

(Hurry Starfish OST ends here)

The next minutes have passed. Aki had some difficulty carving the sea stars till he made a decent trick to carve one up. He drew a star shaped pattern before carving the wood. This surprised Fuko when he made the trick.

"Wow... You made a nice sea star. Fuko likes it." Fuko said in a happy tone.

"Glad you like it. I can make another if you want." Aki said.

Fuko nodded with excitement as Aki did the same trick to make the carving. He showed the sea star wood carving to Fuko, making her happy.

(Play Clannad OST - Snowfield)

"Ne, Hideyoshi-san. Can you tell Fuko why you look sick? Your body looks paler than Fuko first saw you." Fuko asked.

"It's a condition that I have. One that forces me not to express emotion." Aki answered.

"Is that why you don't show any emotions? Is it because of your illness?" Fuko asked in concern.

"It's...the reason why I don't show emotions... If I do, my blood vessels will pop like a balloon. In order to keep my body from suddenly bleeding, I have to throw my emotions away." Aki explained.

"How terrible... Fuko doesn't want that to happen to you." Fuko said with worry.

"I've had times that my emotions start to appear without warning. This does cause me to bleed out, usually from my mouth." Aki said.

"Fuko doesn't want you to suffer like this. Please, don't become alone." Fuko requested.

"Don't worry, I won't." Aki said, though he knew how much tome he has left.

Aki had a few minutes to spend with Fuko, talking with her. She found it quite nice to be with Aki as he kept her from being lonely.

(Snowfield OST ends here)

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze)

Aki was now in his classroom. Kyou and Ryou were seen waiting for him.

"Kyou, Fujibayashi. Sorry if I worried you guys." Aki apologized.

"It's okay. You went to a different area of the school and we couldn't find you there." Ryou responded.

Kyou noticed several wood chips on Aki's uniform. It made her curious of where he went.

"Why are there wood chips on your uniform, Hideyoshi?" She asked.

"Oh, I was helping a female kouhai carve some wooden figures." Aki answered.

"What did you carve?" Ryou asked.

"These." Aki responded, showing the wooden sea stars.

"Wow, they look amazing. Do you know how to carve wood?" Ryou said.

"I don't actually. I learned it from the same kouhai. Ironically, I showed her a decent trick to carve them quickly." Aki said.

"Mind if we get to know this kouhai?" Kyou asked.

"Sure. Though I doubt she doesn't seem aware of attending classes. She seems to be carving them all day." Aki said.

"That does sound suspicious... I should have a word with her after we're done with classes." Kyou said, crossing her arms.

"She seemed friendly, albeit shy. Don't let her fool you though. She seemed to understand my condition." Aki said.

"Really? Did you tell her about it?" Kyou asked.

"Yeah... It seems that she sympathized me from what I told her." Aki said.

"I see. We should meet this girl when we're done with classes." Kyou said.

"She's kinda shy so try to be nice with her. I don't want her to be stressed up." Aki said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get along." Kyou reassured.

(Spring Breeze OST ends here)

Aki, Kyou and Ryou arrived at the classroom where Fuko was seen. She was still carving sea stars.

"Fuko-san?" Aki said.

Fuko stopped carving and looked at the girls whom were with Aki.

"Who are they, Hideyoshi?" Fuko asked.

"I'm Fujibayashi Kyou. This is my sister, Ryou." Kyou said, introducing herself.

"Ibuki Fuko." Fuko said, hiding from the girls.

Aki didn't show any emotion, but he gave a soft sigh. He walked to Fuko, which cause her to hide behind him.

"It's okay, Fuko-san. They're my friends whom I can trust." Aki reassured.

"Can Fuko really trust them?" Fuko asked.

"There's nothing to be afraid of them. I owe them for saving me from the winter." Aki said.

Kyou and Ryou looked at the young girl. They now know she was shy with new people, though they felt slightly

"If what you said is true, than Fuko trusts them." Fuko stated.

"Now that's out of the way, tell me. Why aren't you attending classes?" Kyou questioned.

"Fuko can't attend classes because she needs to make these for Nee-Chan's wedding." Fuko answered.

"Hmmm... Talking about whether she's attending or not may be detrimental. I don't think we should ask, but help achieve her goal." Aki said.

Soon, Fuko began poking the sea star carving. She lapsed into a euphoric daydream, leaving her distracted.

"There she goes..." Aki commented.

"What happened to her, Hideyoshi-kun?" Ryou asked.

"She often gets into those brief moments. Usually, she might end up being like this for quite a while." Aki explained.

"Guess you can tell from experience. Is there a way we can wake her?" Kyou asked.

"Yes, though you might question my method..." Aki said.

Kyou and Ryou were puzzled at first till Aki went near Fuko's right ear before making a wacky, comedic sound. This snapped Fuko from her trance, only to start laughing.

"Hahahahahaha! Fuko thought it was funny!" Fuko laughed.

Ryou and Kyou also laughed in response from what Aki did.

"That got me off guard but it was funny." Kyou laughed.

"I didn't expect that from Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou followed.

Aki cleared his throat to get Fuko's attention.

"Other than the funny moment we had, all of us may have to help Fuko-san of her sister's wedding. She's proven to fulfill her task, knowing how hard it could be." Aki said.

"Well, if she needs help, then we can follow along." Kyou said.

"I want to help as well. A wedding will look beautiful." Ryou said.

Aki gave a brief smile before showing an indifferent expression.

"We'll do the best we can." Aki said.

Aki began to wander across the school after helping Fuko with wood carving. He felt somewhat exhausted, but still had energy.

'It's been an eventful day. Might as well head back home.' Aki thought.

Soon, he encountered the same girl he saw this morning. This time, Tomoya was with the girl. They were talking to each other, which got Aki's curiosity. They soon went to another classroom.

'Better take a look and see what's going on.' He thought.

Aki walked in the classroom, getting the girl's and Tomoya's attention.

"Are you stalking us?" Tomoya joked to Aki.

"That's the last thing in my mind. I'm just curious as to why you guys are here." Aki responded.

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze Piano)

"Well, this girl wishes to find the drama club, but the club was disbanded." Tomoya said, showing a slight tone of disappointment.

"Hmm... That is troubling... The only way to revive it is getting at least 5 people and a staff member of the school. However, that would prove to be a problem since the staff is short on numbers." Aki explained.

"But, can you help provide in reviving the club?" The girl asked.

"I might as well, though I may have to help with a kouhai in some days. I will visit later though." Aki said.

"Will you be able to make it here?" The girl questioned.

"I'll be able to. Hopefully I might find some ways to add more members for the club." Aki responded.

"Okay. Oh, I'm Furukawa Nagisa." The girl named Nagisa said.

"I'm Hideyoshi Aki. Pleasure meeting with you, Furukawa-san." Aki followed.

"Likewise." Aki said.

Before he was about to leave, Aki felt Nagisa's hand suddenly held his shoulder.

"Um... Can you stay here with us? I need some help in how to prepare a club." She requested.

Aki felt the girl's hand on his shoulder. They felt somewhat cool and delicate. This made him slowly realize that Nagisa was also suffering from a condition. With a sigh, he relayed his answer.

"It can't be helped then. Since you might need some guidance in forming a club, we'll help." Aki said.

Nagisa smiled in response. They had a desk to try and help with Nagisa's ability to manage a club.

"So, why do you wish to reopen the drama club?" Aki asked.

"I wanted to try and learn from my parents on acting." Nagisa answered.

"Do you have any prior experience?" Aki questioned.

"I was taught by my parents on how they act in performances." Nagisa followed.

The conversation began to help Nagisa understand as Aki acted as an interviewer, much to Tomoya's surprise.

'I could honestly be surprised on how Aki's acting professional... Still, that particular day is constant reminder I'll never forget.' Tomoya thought, recalling Aki's condition.

(Spring Breeze Piano ends here)

Nagisa soon showed a poster that had a large assortment of spherical creatures due to the eyes being drawn.

"So, what are these things that surround your poster?" Aki asked.

"Oh, that's the Big Dango Family." Nagisa answered.

(Play Clannad OST - Roaring Tides II)

Immediately, as though a switch had been flipped, Aki looked down. He began looking depressed.

"Family..." He said.

Nagisa and Tomoya were suddenly surprised on his reaction. A faint trickle of a tear was streaming from his right eye. They saw him place his left hand on his mouth.

"Excuse me...!" Aki said, leaving the classroom.

Tomoya realized Aki was suffering from a breakdown. In shock, he ran to see Aki leaning on the wall, coughing up blood.

"Hideyoshi! Are you alright?" Tomoya asked.

Aki was breathing heavily, desperately holding the urge to not vomit. Soon, he fell to his knees as he kept breathing hard, desperately holding back.

'No...! Not now, not at a time like this!' Aki thought.

Aki collpased as a large blob of blood was expelled from his mouth. Nagisa stumbled upon the sight and was horrified to see blood coming out of Aki. Tomoya, seeing Nagisa about to scream, quickly explained to her what happened for about an hour.

"Is he...?" Nagisa asked.

"No, he is not dead. He's unconscious, but severely affected. We have to get him to a doctor." Tomoya said.

Tomoya heard Aki's phone ringing. He noticed that Kyou was attempting to contact him. Reluctant, he answered the call.

"Hello, Hideyoshi. Where are you?" Kyou's voice said.

"Kyou, this is Tomoya! Hideyoshi lapsed into his condition again! Head back to the old section of the school, quickly!" Tomoya said.

"What!? I'm on my way!" Kyou shouted.

Rapid footsteps were heard as Kyou rushed in. She saw Tomoya holding an unconscious Aki, who had blood smeared on his lips.

"He had a severe episode... Didn't he?" She asked.

Tomoya couldn't say anything, but nod in response. Nagisa looked at Aki with sympathy, seeing him in a weakened state. Kyou soon went to him, holding his head on her lap while he was breathing heavily.

"Will he be okay?" She asked.

"He will recover, but the damage to him must have been awful... I hope it doesn't cause any problems." Tomoya said.

"What caused him to have an episode of his condition?" Kyou asked.

"I think when I mentioned the Big Dango Family, he suddenly looked sad before he..." Nagisa paused, feeling guilty.

"I understand... Hideyoshi has been living alone in his home since a terrible incident occurred. He hasn't smile or show any emotions since that time, according to what he told me." Kyou explained.

"Okazaki-san told me of his condition. I was afraid of what will happen to him later, desu." Nagisa said.

"It's okay. Though, please be careful. The topic of family has been a touchy subject for Hideyoshi." Kyou said.

Aki soon grunted in pain, feeling his body ache from the sudden blood loss.

'Not again... I wish I never had this condition...' He thought.

Kyou and the others present heard Aki grunt. They all moved to him see if he'll recover.

"Hideyoshi, are you okay?" Kyou asked.

Aki opened his eyes, and looked at Kyou. He then saw Tomoya and Nagisa around him.

"I had an episode again... I'm sorry for what happened." Aki said, giving a sorrowful tone.

"Baka... You don't have to isolate yourself because of what happened..." Kyou said, holding Aki close.

Tomoya and Nagisa noticed Kyou was caring for Aki.

'Well, I didn't think she would have a crush on Hideyoshi, just like her sister. Maybe, they might have the person they're looking for.' Tomoya thought.

(Roaring Tides II OST ends here)

(Play Clannad OST - Snowfield)

Kyou held Aki while they walked their way home. She felt sad for him, knowing how short his life is becoming.

'Hideyoshi... I never knew that finding someone to care for would change a person like this... I can't believe that I'm also falling for you. Yet, my sister is also falling in love with you...' Kyou thought.

As each step was taken, Kyou felt her legs become heavy. Aki was looking down, shadowing his eyes from his hair. He made sure not to push his weight on Kyou, but he remained quiet.

'Hideyoshi... I wish there was a way for you to be with us without conflict... You became someone important to me, even though we know each other for a few months.' Kyou thought.

She kept looking at him. Her thoughts continue to race as her feelings for Aki became clear.

'I really am in love with him... Why was he born with that awful condition...? Did Kami forsook his family to make him like this?' Kyou thought.

With a somber thought, she held Aki as both walked slowly to their homes.

(Snowfield OST fades here)