Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any rights to Oreimo: I'm merely a huge fan of the series.

Ayase

The alarm clock woke me from my slumber at exactly 7 AM. Just as expected. Sudden, unprecedented alarm malfunctions are something only seen in manga and such, right?

I didn't get too much sleep last night, probably because of getting riled up the day before, not to mention the unshakable tension night before school start. Nothing to do about that. A twinge of drowsiness hovered over me while getting dressed, and therefore, I made use of my trusted countermeasure. A secret technique known as humming. If a part of my brain actively focused on it, my tiredness was kept at bay, I discovered.

My school uniform was rather simple. A crisp light-brown jacket with a plain white shirt under and a short, grey skirt so typical of high school coming under. To round it off, a pair of grey stockings. While I suppose simplicity was its main focus, I frankly found it boring. I much preferred the one from middle school. But I digress. People who complain about unchangeable things are wasting their time, me included. So I finished the process of dressing in calm and peace, trying to condition myself to the sunlight by opening the curtains.

In the end, my figure trudging down the stairs while making a futile attempt at humming counterpoint might actually have been mistaken for cheery. In fact, I even managed to fool myself. Hold on, was it considered longer fooling if the person doing said fooling convinced themselves? Or the forcible change of mood?

Putting that aside, I entered the kitchen and did some involuntary stretching. As I prepared to make my breakfast, plus lunch, my stomach came with a grim reminder about its desire to eat in the form of some rumbling. Since food was mostly neglected during yesterday's talks, aside from the meal just before it, I went to bed mostly on an empty stomach. I'd just have to increase the size of the breakfast. After all, it's the most important meal of the day.

As Mom had not yet woken up, I had the kitchen all to myself. And Dad, he's already left. At times it could feel like he didn't do anything but work, often going from seven to eight or even later. I myself fancied the looser work hours that came with modeling, as I strongly suspect I'd go mad otherwise, but…

Back to the matter at hand, the result was Dad being absent as well. Well, perhaps it was for the best. A few days would probably be needed for the awkwardness to entirely fade into the background and our daily lives to return to normalcy.

I finished preparing my bentou-box and took my time leisurely biting bits of my bread. The walk to school took about twenty minutes, which meant I had about half an hour to get ready. Make-up and doing my hair didn't take very long; neither did getting my bag and fixing it up for use. I suppose it couldn't hurt to be a little early. Usually, Mom woke up about now, and I saw her for a few minutes before leaving. Not this time, then. I put on my shoes, took a deep breath for seemingly no reason, and opened the door.

No one was outside. No surprise there. Kirino and I sometimes went to school together, but even then, I was usually the one to wait for her. Walking with her was quite enjoyable, which really is just a statement of fact, regardless of quarrels or whatever else may come in the way between us. Well, that isn't entirely correct. The one thing capable of making that experience vanish is simply not speaking. We hadn't exchanged a word for the last two days. She was busy; I was busy (not really), so no one made any contact.

I closed the door behind me, and sat out on the way. During the trip, my brain went into sleep-mode, and the recent tendency to get derailed and waste mental capacity on random things was shoved aside for keeping tabs on my stamina. While the process of regulating one's speed usually took place in the subconscious, I made it a top priority for the time.

Still, it couldn't completely overshadow the almost annoyingly comfortable sunlight. Since no clouds were there to dampen it, I got the full force. Spring mornings really were something special. Add in a cold breeze, and the balmy warmth and peace makes you forget about all your worries. Aside from cherry blossoms, only a few smiling faces were missing for the complete picture. I felt a small throb somewhere in my chest upon the thought, and broke out in laughter immediately after. What was that? I'm getting that sentimental?

Some time later, I was turning the corner to school, and had spaced out just a little. Just a teeny-tiny bit. Of course, this resulted in me nearly smashing right into Kanako.

"Whoa there, Ayase! I understand being happy to see me, but aren't you going a little overboard?"

She let out a chuckle, busy with balancing herself from the rapid dodge that came just moments before.

"Why, of course. Now, come here…"

"Hey…"

I hugged her and playfully rubbed the top of her head, an action possible due to our differences in height. She had little means of escaping my grasp, so she just rolled her eyes while enduring it. Finally, she took a step back and sighed.

"Good to see you too, I guess? And some warning would be appreciated next time."

"But I thought you liked it?"

"That… doesn't matter."

She turned her head away, stroking a hand through her hair. Ah, Kanako. Never fail to cheer me up, do you?

We strolled leisurely through the school yard, surrounded by the large flock of people streaming in, as to not be late on the first day. The two of us didn't really stand out in such a rush, unlike how it went on, say, the streets. People were used to each other, after all, and probably knew the names of those in their grade, if nothing more. The total number of students attending the school wasn't so terribly high, so it really counted as common knowledge.

"So, what've you been doing lately, Ayase?"

"Nothing, really. Sitting at home like some fish. What about you? How's work coming along?"

Following a small yawn, Kanako scratched the top of her head.

"Pretty well, I guess. Things are moving along, but man, how tired I am! I envy you and your healthy sleeping schedule."

"Hey, I wasn't the one accepting extra work before thinking! You're a young girl in the middle of growth… then again, if one doesn't grow, what's extra sleep for?"

"Foo. That's low. Very low."

Kanako furrowed her brows, faking anger. As always, her height posed somewhat of a sensitive topic. Of course, this made for excellent opportunities to tease her.

"Yes, quite literally low."

"You're evil, do you know that?"

Both of us broke out into laughter, raising a few eyebrows. Two people laughing without care for the world in the middle of the hallway, while not too uncommon of a picture, wasn't appreciated, not with the current atmosphere. Many people likely resolved to improve themselves for the new semester, and are going to be in a state of nearly laughable seriousness for a few days. Personally, I found that stupid, despite the core notion being fair enough. You're in your high-school years, for crying out loud. Have some fun, or something.

Before long, time came when we had to branch off. As I've mentioned, Kirino and Kanako and I were sorted in different classes, meaning our time together at school would suffer a little cut. I was hoping to meet Kirino before class began, but… guess I'd have to wait for break.

"Time to go, eh? See you later Ayase."

"Mhm. See you!"

Kanako headed off to the classroom on the other end of the hallway, while I took a right turn and entered the one that'd be my home for the next year. At first glance, it was like any ordinary room. A table in front of a blackboard, shelves to the sides, several rows of seats in the middle.

Even with a closer look, it remained an ordinary classroom. A few windows off to the side, white-colored walls without any notable specks. In this situation, I didn't mind normalcy. Studies were important in one's future, and disturbances in the room one would spend a lot of time in might hinder that.

I found my seat, in the window row to the left. It appeared I got lucky enough to be assigned the place furthest to the back, though not the one beside the window. If my experience from last year could be trusted, we'd have these places for a fairly long time. So, if things got boring, slacking off would be an option. Not that I'd do that, mind you. Just as a reserve.

Glancing over to the table beside me, I found the paper bearing the name of the person who'd be my companion at school for at least a few weeks. "Hayami Sayaka", it read. Hayami..? I've heard her name before, but since we had no reason to interact, due to being in separate classes, I didn't really know her at all. Another thing that'll change, it seems.

Change… hold on a second. The biggest change that'd come in the near future… right, my brother. Would you look at that… I'd completely forgotten about that during the talk with Kanako. Turns out my hope for school helping to take my mind off of it really was true. It's a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Such a topic wasn't one to bring up the moment we meet, anyways, so it doesn't matter if I forgot. Hm… I've had worse starts than today, certainly.

The desk beside me remained vacant almost until the minute before the clock sounded. During that time cliques formed, as expected, but for now I decided against socializing and waited out the time before it rang. I didn't really feel like approaching them right now. Perhaps later.

"Excuse me, could you hop in just a little bit? I'm not terribly keen on getting crushed while trying to pass through."

Shaking my head as to clear it, I quickly turned toward the voice's owner. I found a girl standing behind me, apparently wanting to get through to the seat next to me. Since I didn't notice her, it means she came in a way that avoided my line of sight… and coincidentally, that path appeared to avoid most of the cliques as well. Clever.

"Um, of course. Come on through..."

I trailed off, unsure of what to say. The girl, presumably the Hayami Sayaka that the paper indicated, passed by and sat down, seemingly unconcerned as she peered out the window. It looked like she wasn't intent on continuing our conversation… the lack of closure irritated me just for a moment, before being cut off by the bell.

People quickly rushed to their places, as the chatter previously filling the room gradually subsided. Our teacher entered the classroom, and sat down at the table before the blackboard, and began a short monologue about the importance of studies, propriety, and dedication. As the same stuff's been pushed down our throats since at least middle school, I think it's safe to say very few people paid attention.

In the meantime, I took some time to study the girl beside me. Currently, she was scribbling something on a piece of paper which I couldn't clearly see. Or no, not scribbling, but drawing. Huh… I guess it doesn't really matter.

Her red hair of sizable length, however, was clearly visible, running down till a little below her shoulders. One didn't often see the color red, but I actually liked it. Despite this, I don't think she could be described as beautiful per se. Cute is probably a more fitting word. Aside from said color, the word "average" didn't hit too far from mark.

From what I could see, we were about the same height, and had similar-colored eyes. Hers were a tad lighter shade of blue, matching her hair. Hm, did I always have the habit of immediately comparing looks after meeting someone? I seem to be swimming in strange habits recently.

And so, our dear sensei's talk came to an end, prompting an unheard sigh of relief from most residents of the room. On my part, I was too busy observing the girl beside me from the corner of my eyes, and just generally spacing out. I paid some attention to what the teacher was saying, but only a negligible amount. Therefore, the announcement of "since you're all tired and break's in a quarter, why don't we have some chit-chat?" escaped my notice.

Only when the room practically exploded in chatter did I register what had happened. Really, the description of 'aloof-minded' was constantly growing in accuracy, which scared me slightly. If this kept up, I'd grow wings and float away.

Having finished chiding myself, I turned toward my companion. At first, she kept staring at the blackboard, ignoring me entirely. About ten seconds later, filled with constant pressure from my eyes, she let out a sigh and turned towards me.

"So, how's your day going?"

She leaned forward, staring me square into the eyes. In fact, the distance between our faces bordered the obscene, in a sense.

"Well, um, sorry, what?"

"You know. Enjoying the weather? Excited for school? The usual stuff."

The reply came almost before I'd even finished talking. Almost like physical pressure, the aura she gave off made me almost take a few steps backward. I couldn't tell whether she was being deliberately menacing…

"Er, yes, I quite liked the weather. How about you?"

"Of course. It practically had me screaming in joy. Could happiness be converted into electricity, I would've supplied the entire world with power for several decades."

"Right… good to see you're having fun… Hayami? Can I call you that?"

"Jumping straight to introductions? I suppose that's acceptable, after exchanging meaningless small talk. Hm… just call me Sayaka. I find all this relation-establishment within names to be a bother, Ayase. We're basically neighbors, anyways."

"O-okay, then, Sayaka. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

She nodded, opening her sketchbook slightly so that only she could see. What eccentricities might she be hiding there? Judging from her… unusual demeanor, I couldn't even guess. At this point, I was beginning to doubt any intentions of malice … I think she might just have been that socially inept. I suppose it's better than getting some gyaru…

Still, she seems like a good enough lass. At least, I don't think we'll hinder each other in studies. That's one plus-point, a pretty significant one. We were, after all, on a first-name basis… might've been the fastest one in my life yet. First names, first impressions… though those two terms weren't usually interchangeable, in my current case, the normal process held no merit.

Following our exchange, I proceeded to stare into nothingness in wait for break. Or rather, at my classmates going about talking with friends. Must be nice… I cast one last glance at Sayaka, before the explosion inadvertently brought by the bell arrived. Although there was no reason to hurry, I found myself slightly pacing on the fifteen-meter trip between the two classrooms. I guess I wanted to see Kirino that badly, huh?

My entrance drew no attention, as there was full-blown traffic chaos due to people rushing everywhere to see their friends, go outside or to the toilets. Therefore, I managed to sneak up on them without their notice. I weighed my options for a moment, before deciding to go with the simple one.

"Hey! My head! Who's over there… oh, Ayase!"

I gave Kirino a small, friendly knack on the top of her head. This greeting couldn't exactly be called uncommon, but never failed to get a reaction.

"Hello there!"

Shooting her a smile, I took seat on one of the currently vacant desks just beside, and made myself comfortable. With my arrival, all of us were finally present. As I turned back toward them, I noted how those two had been lucky enough to get seated beside each other. I pursed my lips just a little in reaction, for no reason.

"It was the stupidest excuse I've ever heard! But Black One will absolutely succumb soon, right, Kanako?"

"Sure…"

"Wonderful! Well, now that we're all here, we can finally get back to… hm, no, not quite."

Kirino quickly glanced around the classroom, reminding me of a dog eagerly sniffing for something.

"Ayase, don't you feel like something is missing?"

"Oh? Well… er…"

I was still in the middle of attempting to piece together their conversation just now. The Black One… that could only mean Ruri, aka Kuroneko. Kirino's self-proclaimed best friend… although I don't know whether that claim is still refutable today. Though what the succumb thing was about is beyond me. There could be a million things these two wanted her to "succumb" to. Best not to think about it…

Blinking rapidly in order to return to this world, I finally realized what Kirino meant with "missing".

"Right! Where are the others? They usually come to hang out, no?

"Dunno. Maybe they got tired of that scary gaze of yours?"

"Hey, I'm not scary, right? Kirino?"

"Dunno. Are you?"

We went silent for a second, before I snorted and turned away. I was unsure how to react to their amused chuckles that came in turn. Fine, go ahead and make fun of me all you want. It's not like that exact phrase annoys me or anything... hmpf.

For the rest of the break, we exchanged stories, banter, and whatever else that might've come up. Kanako's work schedule's quite unforgiving lately, as she brought to our attention several times. Kirino was as cheerful as ever… just as adorable and light-hearted as before. She didn't seem to, at least visibly, share my feelings of distance holding, something that probably was for the best. Of course we didn't discuss her whereabouts the days before, and even for me it came only as a fleeting thought. Hell, I don't know why I thought about it in the first place. Needless to say, despite having a bigger observer role than usual, my spirits were lifted considerably once it became time for me to head back.

"As I said, clubs are out of the picture. How do you think I'd find time- oh, Ayase! That's right, you're leaving… take care? Don't trip?"

"Even I can manage a ten-second trip alone. I think."

"Eh, with how strange you've been looking, I'm not so sure. …Hey? What's with the look?"

Kirino's expression turned slightly reserved as I caught myself staring at her intensely, which probably drew the reaction. I looked away, attempting to wash away any discomfort my gaze may've caused.

"What do you mean "strange"? I'm pretty well, if I do say so myself."

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but… don't you seem a little different today? As if you've become… more reserved or something?"

Frankly, I should've anticipated this development. She always could see when something was up. So, how to wiggle out of it?

"Geez, Kirino, I think you're looking into things too much. I'm perfectly fine, I said."

Kirino grew silent, and arose in one smooth motion. Before I could even blink, she stood before me, eyes showing a hint of concern. The way her head was slightly angled surely would've made those of the opposite gender swoon.

"Did anything notable happen recently?"

Why did she always hit so close to the mark?

"Huh? Notable?"

"You know, something that might've made you all strange?"

"N-no, not as I recall…"

"Come on, are you completely sure? Like… your grandparents died or something?"

"They're alive and kicking, thank you very much! What kind of example is that? But anyways, Kirino, I've got to go back to class. See you later!"

Turning away, I took off just slow enough for it not to be considered running. Thankfully, she didn't stop me, although I very likely triggered all sorts of alarm signals within her. Case in point, they practically pierced my back with their eyes. Having said that, my pace still wasn't fast enough, as I still managed to catch a short sentence from Kanako.

"Something totally happened."

And I needed not see her to clearly visualize the smug expression that would grace her face in such a situation. Not to mention, she wasn't even wrong. Why didn't I tell them? All this achieved is suspicion and discomfort. Really, it's the closest I've ever come to an action that perfectly fits the definition of "counterproductive". Not exactly the sort of achievement I strive for, in any case.

Might it be that I cannot fully accept it myself, and don't want to imbue with it the last fragment of normalcy, especially here in school? Should that be the case, why am I even dwelling on it this much? No matter. What's done is done. I'd just wait as long as I can, in that case.

Arriving back in the classroom, I found my seat again, drawing a few curious glances due to the late timing of my return. I gave an apologetic smile to the air, and stared at the blackboard wordlessly.

So passed the rest of school. I talked with Sayaka about as much as one would expect the first day of meeting, and by some divine intervention, Kirino didn't bring up my issues for the rest of the day. We actually found out that today was all right for everyone, and that we'd go on the shopping trip, the thoughts of which I had entertained in my mind before. My new class seemed nice enough, and the "new" is even a bit of a stretch. Some of them I knew from last year and those before. All in all, aside from the slight hump posed by a certain not-so intelligent response, the day was quite ok.

So came the way home. Once again, Kirino and I walked together on the more or less twenty minute long trip. To my relief, the discussion of mundane topics was our choice of conversation, which I more than gladly accepted. With the sun warming our backs, and the blowing wind preventing things from growing uncomfortable, a smile was prompted.

"Say, Ayase, do you have some time off next week?"

"I'm not really sure, off the top of my head. Why?"

Kirino tilted her head to one side in consideration. Her gears seemed to grind for a few seconds, before she laughed out mischievously.

"Nothing you need to know yet, kuku. But I thought you knew your schedule in and out? Being the all mature and knowledgeable Ayase-sama and stuff."

"There you go making things up again… I never said I'm particularly knowledgeable or anything, geez... Though, with how much free time I've been having, I don't think there will be a problem."

"Great! Splendid! But back to Kanako's dinner antics… remember when she said she's consistently cooking now? Well, I for one…"

As she continued on, it dawned upon me that I very might have my entire schedule absolutely demolished by a certain new arrival. One I really should tell them about soon…

This thought kept pestering my head while we came ever closer to our respective homes. We took our farewells, and I crossed what remaining distance there was to my house. Soon enough, I gently opened the door, expecting some peace and quiet. Some relief after a busy day. Dad should've still been at work, after all.

What I found, however, was an eerie silence. Merely a few seconds after entering, my feeling of discomfort grew to levels that bordered that of the last day. Not a single noise could be heard. No television, talk from phone calls, shuffling indicating life in the kitchen. The living room window never let in enough light for it to brighten up properly, but from my hallway position, not a single flicker reached me. My eyes flew around, instinctively scanning my surroundings for anything that may be out of the ordinary. Aside from what I noted, of course.

I pushed away the thought of ghosts and entered the living room to continue my reconnaissance, and at first, my gaze flew right over the figure sitting in the armchair to the side. So I nearly jumped backward when my father's voice erased the pin-drop silence.

"Welcome back. I'm afraid there are a few things we need to tell you."

"Eh-huh? What sort of things?"

My answer came about half an octave higher than my usual voice. The whole ordeal seemed so weird that I got the urge to chuckle, despite his tone not indicating anything positive. I probably hadn't attuned to the home atmosphere yet.

"Well, it appears that the whole packing business didn't take quite as long as anticipated."

"Does that mean…"

"Yes. Today, around eight."

I had my explanation for the state of the house. Mom probably called him home after receiving the news… if he left work to come home, it really must've been a shocker. They likely weren't too happy, even if he seems to have accepted it. So mom's probably in their room, dealing with it her own way. All accommodations that have to be made, that we thought could wait, need to be done now. Again, things were quickly getting out of hand. Besides that, though…

"Hold on now! Isn't this going way too fast? I thought we had at least until weekend, or-"

"Life isn't always fair. I'm sure you're familiar enough with the saying by now, but… ah. Be sure to be here when he comes. I want to get the things inside as fast as possible."

Just like that. I don't know why I was so surprised. Compared to the shock that came the day before, this should've been nothing. The magnitudes were entirely different. One impacts lives, while the other just proves a slight inconvenience.

There really is no comparison between the two. For some reason, however, this riled me up as much, if not more. I had already accepted the previous one, at least mostly, and come to terms with the big fish in the pond. Problem was, I'd grabbed on to the knowledge that I'd have some days to prepare. If the crutch was stripped away, it left me just as unprepared as upon first hearing it.

I was completely paralyzed where I stood as this flashed through my mind. For a moment, my skin seemed to crawl, despite not being quite the appropriate reaction. If someone quoted the saying "like lightning from clear sky", I probably would've punched them.

Oblivious to my concerns, Dad stood up and marched toward their room. Or actually, I imagine he was very much aware of my thought process. He probably went through the same sometime before. Great.

After turning on a few lights as to counteract the gloom within the house, I headed to my room, my steps making the stairs creak like always. I felt they were amplified to their double if not more. Well, good to see the oldness aspect was as well-kept as ever.

So, back to the bed I went. I planned on preparing for our shopping trip at this time, perhaps calling the others in the meantime. So I guess that part of my predictions were accurate. The others had to be called, indeed… just not for the purpose I originally intended. But to tell them the event we planned, got excited for and felt would mark the beginning of our new school year will either be cancelled, or a shell of itself.

So much for settling their suspicions, I guess. If what took place this morning came from me "acting strangely", something I didn't notice myself, this will absolutely take the lid of the box. I'd have to explain myself… latest tomorrow.

Kanata… what's with the name, anyways? I thought he was supposed to be a boy. I doubted mom had any say in picking the name, as she leans toward the more conventional… That father of his appears to have had some eccentric tastes. As it stands, he shares the name of Kanako's sister, with whom I'm admittedly not terribly familiar.

But what point is there in delaying? I should get it over with as fast as possible, to avoid causing inconveniences for the others. And I'm very aware that this is the logical, optimal course of action… why can't I get myself to stand up? I'm sure it won't be anything serious anyways. They'll probably be a little disheartened, perhaps annoyed, or even concerned. All in all, nothing that will set any serious bulks in our friendships, unlike certain other events.

Before I had time to think through what exactly I wanted to say, a sudden wave of enthusiasm resulted in holding the phone, dialing Kirino's number. I hoped she could pass it on to Kanako, as contacting both of them was avoidable, albeit not my proudest choice.

"Ah, hey Ayase! What's going on?"

"Hi! Well, um, do you remember back during the break after first class?"

The cheery tone she used for greetings couldn't have been more different than the one she replied with now. It really became clear how she only neglected mentioning it for my sake.

"…Yes, I do. Absolutely. You want to elaborate on that?"

"Sort of. It turns out I can't come today…"

The line went quiet for a second. Two seconds. Three seconds. I licked the corners of my lips, noticing they'd gone dry in the meantime.

"Sure. Sometimes things happen. Though, could you tell me why?"

"Ah hah… thing is, not quite."

Once more, no immediate response came. As time passed, my chest felt more and more weird. As if something were churning terribly…

Finally, Kirino let out a very much audible sigh.

"I won't pry into your personal life if you don't want to… but am I correct in guessing that it's the same thing as morning?"

Despite not mentioning it directly, I could absolutely feel the lingering hurt behind her sentence. Luckily, before I had time to dwell on it, she changed the subject ever so slightly.

"Yes. I promise to tell you tomorrow, but for now… I'm sorry, Kirino. Please tell Kanako."

"Sure thing. But I better expect some good explanation tomorrow."

For the first time ever while using this device, I almost physically felt the click that came with house phones at the end. It's stupid, really. But I suppose it serves as some kind of closure following a conversation after all.

She really did sound concerned. And what's with me? I would've told her in a heartbeat not so long ago. Back before… well, everything happened. We had no secrets for each other… actually, that's not accurate either. I didn't know about her otaku side back then. So no, looking at the past with tinted lenses shouldn't serve as any means to express regret.

And so I told myself. Problem is, I doubt this call exactly served to better our relationship. If anything, it widened the gap. She was right; I'd have to come with a really good explanation the next day. And hopefully play it off as something not quite so serious…

"Ayase! Come down for a minute!"

Mom's voice reached my room without problems, and I, thankful for probably getting something to do, obeyed the call instantaneously. What'd follow was a short discussion about how we'd take care of the carrying and the like. Only practicalities, really. Certainly nothing that should've warranted such a collective family-meeting.

The aforementioned, among other things made it clear that this ordeal has taken its toll on everyone. Even in such a short time since the "announcement", they seemed tired. It really is strange, honestly. I mean, we hadn't even met the lad yet.

Kanata

Come to think of it, there wasn't really any reason to be nervous.

Sitting in the seat beside a friend of my dad who offered to drive me, a few lines kept repeatedly flashing through my head.

They said yes. It's not something they would've done if they didn't mean it. The response even arrived mere hours after the initial call. I really doubted it would get worse there, anyways. One could look at this as a chance to start anew.

Regardless of how much I said it, the lack of effects was pretty clear. I've heard of plenty of stories where the speaker evokes emotions and sends the masses riling with words. However, the opposite didn't appear to be true. In my case, at least. At a point, I just gave up trying to talk down whatever might be bothering me, and resigned to the gloom. What do you know, losing your parents isn't too nice of an experience.

Apparently, only around five minutes remained before our arrival. I didn't know how to feel about the mess that I was being replaced by still growing nervousness, but I didn't mind the change so much. After all, anything that could make me forget about the sheer shock was more than welcome. Hopefully, more things would come to replace it.

Annoyingly so, the weather was beautiful. One could go shirtless without freezing in the slightest, not that I wanted to try it. I always imagined this scene to be dark and soggy, well, in the short period since it happened. In the grand scheme of things, I guess it didn't really matter.

My things were in the back of the car, and weren't extraordinarily numerous to begin with. So especially here, we weren't disturbed by them at all. Not having many possessions finally became an advantage. I had only my clothes, computer, a few books and other necessities. Nothing really special. Or perhaps the lack thereof counted as special, I don't know.

My thoughts shifted towards the immediate future for a little bit. I suppose this would be my first meeting with my mother. My real one, at least. Dad never really talked about her, especially then. I'd seen a few pictures on occasion, back when I was basically crawling around. Despite my early age, the image of her was burned into my eyes. A gentle smile, hair just like mine, an intelligent-looking face… how old was it? 15, 16 years? I wonder how she's changed.

I didn't really know anything about my soon-to-be step-father. Hopefully it wouldn't follow in the steps of my previous experiences with step-parents. I'm sure we'll get along, anyways. If my absolutely uninformed impression of this new family could be trusted, I would be in good hands. Disregarding the entire moving to a new city thing.

Lastly, there is of course my sister. I knew the last name of my mother, Aragaki. And one day, I just so happened to stumble over a clip from a magazine, featuring none other than that very girl. From that small page, I was able to determine that she was deserving of her position, through and through. That's to say, she looked stunning. I just really hope she didn't exemplify the diva aspects of her profession.

So, despite knowing some raw information, I had absolutely zero idea what was going to happen, which then again lead back to being nervous. A great cycle, don't you think?

I almost slipped back into my spiral, but the voice of the person beside me interrupted my racing thoughts.

"All right- this should be it. Get ready now."

Already? This wasn't five minutes! Sure didn't feel like it at least… well, I how one perceives the flow of time is meaningless, against the ever-ticking machinery on your hand. For further proof, take two days ago. It's only been around two minutes since then, no? Since they told me that my entire family died?

With a sudden hark, the engine stopped, and thereby the car came to a halt as well. I suddenly realized this was it. We'd arrived.

"Let's get your stuff outside, okay? I don't think I'll stop to talk, so I'll leave right after."

"Yes, that sounds fine… thank you."

"No problem, kid. Best of luck to you."

Bringing the few boxes and suitcases out of the trunk didn't really take long. The chilly wind that accompanied us made the already little exertion of force feel like absolutely nothing, which I didn't mind. The sun wasn't ready to set quite yet, but it had moved a bit westward, enough to color the skies slightly orange. Rising sun would've made for better symbolism… if one cares about that sort of stuff. Studying the exterior of the house a little, I found that it had two stories, and probably had more than enough space for an extra person. I felt a little relieved at that, seeing as I hopefully wouldn't cause too much trouble.

Keeping his words, my drive left right after all the baggage laid on the short path through the similarly small garden. So… here I was. Now all that remained was gathering the courage to ring the bell. Thinking about it, the task might be a little harder than initially anticipated.

Er… did I really dare to just go forward and… press it? With that, I would enter a new chapter of my life. Hopefully it'd be an improvement from the previous one. Still, wouldn't I be impeding on a poor family, practically waltzing in here announced only a day ago?

No, right. They explicitly said yes. If they didn't mean it, they could've just done the same as the others who refused. Doesn't that itself mark them as decent?

But I still haven't moved a step closer to it since the car drove off. Come on feet… go now.

I stood still attempting to move when the door opened without any announcement. For a moment, I got a glimpse to the hallway inside. Before I had time to study it though, a face showed up. A face I had seen before, and probably would have recognized anywhere at any time.

The face of my mother.

If there were any signs of aging, I didn't spot them. She looked just as I had envisioned her, actually. I didn't know how to interpret the slight jump backward when our eyes met, but the door opened fully soon after, leaving me no more time to ponder.

"Ah… hello, Kanata. Do you need help getting the boxes inside?"

"Yes, please. That… would be nice."

Good God, how awkward this was. I honestly didn't know what to say, and I'm fairly sure she shared my sentiment as well. This was my mother, who I've never met before. I suppose by this age parents and children are supposed to have a developed relationship, putting aside rebellious phases. But, obviously, we didn't have that.

So what ended up happening was that we moved everything in front of the door, as to easier get them inside. It felt quite weird; watching all my belongings being so casually moved around. As if my life was a small piece of fabric being thrown around by the unpredictable winds. Not that the correlation was too significant, but the thought made me feel all strange nevertheless. Maybe it also had something to do with the silence that could almost be felt, as thick as it was.

"Was your trip all right? Someone drove you, no?"

She stopped up for a moment after we finished, and turned to me, concerned, for seemingly no reason.

"Yes, a friend of my father's. And… I can't really say this enough, but thanks for having me."

"Of course. I'm really glad to have you here. I'm sure Ayase and Touma feel the same way."

"I certainly hope so…"

I didn't know the reason for my small chuckle at the end. Well, at that point, I was beginning to wonder slightly where the other two were. While I couldn't say I particularly minded only my mother's being here, I still had anticipated meeting the others. Perhaps they were away somewhere... in a sense, that was good. I wanted to intrude as little as possible, and them being away meant they didn't see me as a significant disturbance to their daily lives. I couldn't really hold them at fault for that, could I?

In fact, we began taking the things actually inside. As we entered the house, I couldn't help but quietly annouce;

"Sorry for intruding."

But my mother appeared to catch the slight mumble, and responded.

"Oh, you really don't need to. This will be your new home, after all. There won't be any use in greeting an empty room, will there?"

However, I couldn't say I had quite grown accustomed to such a degree of attention. Not for my mumbles to be remarked, anyways. So I found myself at a little loss for balance. Not physically, mind you, but my tongue got even more confused than before, if possible. Therefore, I ended up nodding.

Thus we continued. Just when I thought I'd gotten a fairly good grasp of what was to come, I heard footsteps down the stairs. Now, I had little to no experience with stairs, seeing as my previous home had none, but the sounds this brought really were quite remarkable. Almost like the ceiling was about to come down, shrieking in agony from the pressure and pain. The source of these sounds was moving, but due to everything else going on factors, I couldn't determine the weight, and thereby couldn't guess the person in question. I only drew the conclusion that at least someone else was home.

Obviously, things had become quite cramped by now in the entrance hall. It wasn't very large to begin with- a small space in front of the door for shoes, after which the floor rose in a sudden hump, before the door to the middle hallway. A green carpet went through both of these, and the stairs, which were just beside, boasted a similar color. If any of us were particularly tall, the ceiling height might've been a problem as well.

So I turned the corner as to get a better overview- for now I wanted to get them to their place as quickly as possible, before moving on to actually talking with my newfound family. Needless to say, my focus wasn't quite on point. It more impacted my spatial awareness- I'd actually forgotten about the arrival down the stairs once the worst of the creaking stopped.

The result? I found myself face to face with my sister.

Our heights were about even, with her perhaps standing just a tad over me. I've seen her face before, and she wasn't particularly different from then. But to be quite frank, images failed to convey how incredibly… I'm not sure how to put it. Adorable might not be the most accurate word, but I'd also hesitate to use the term "beautiful", seeing as it was my sister we were talking about. So… amplify everything described above about two times, and you should have an idea.

During the brief moment it took to formulate this evaluation, our eyes happened to meet. Out of sheer reflex, I glanced aside, though not before seeing her furrowing her brows in a somewhat peculiar manner. Almost as if… she wasn't sure how to react.

Sense of reason thrown out of the window, I decided to speak up.

"Ah…hello."

My eloquence never failed to amaze me. This was a gem that especially stands out.

"Hi. Kanata… right?"

"Yes. And you're Ayase, then?"

"That would be me, indeed."

Opening lines never were my cup of tea, for good reason. Still, she seemed to take it well. I found her wording a tad… unusual, but nothing to get hung up on.

"Well… pleased to make your acquaintance. Though, we'll be living under to same roof, so getting acquainted may not be a bad thing."

"I suppose not."

Her slight chuckle at the end made me follow along, and I noticed some of my tension disappearing, most notably in the form of my muscles not being completely stiff. Ayase's eyes jumped around a little, fastening on the living room, and I think some silence would've followed if our… yes, our mother hadn't appeared at the door.

"Ah, I see you've met. I hope you'll get along nicely, but for now, let's get these boxes up to the room."

So I would be going upstairs, then. I didn't know what to think about that, since it'd be a new experience, even if I knew it's in all cases better than directly by the entrance. My mother then raised her voice, shouting off to some corner of the house.

"Touma! Could you help out a little?"

I presumed that's my step-father. Come to think of it, he hadn't showed up by then. Wasn't that a little strange in itself? He might have been busy with something, I suppose. That's probably why. Although the word "step" was far from my favorite, the others have been very nice, so I assumed he followed the same pattern. Someone with such a good family can hardly be evil or anything.

Still, my stomach seemed to clench up strangely after the answer that came soon after.

"I'll be there in a moment!"

My mother clicked her tongue and sat down on one of the boxes, after checking if they could tolerate her weight. Ayase followed her example, the two clearly intent on waiting it out.

And we needed not wait too long, for within a minute, the figure of a relatively tall man appeared from the living room. I say relatively, as I don't think he counted as particularly tall compared to others than us.

His face didn't bear any indications toward what he felt, which albeit not disturbing, I found a little uncomforting. I didn't really know what to make of him. Admittedly, the small glasses on his nose looked a little out of place, but his appearance practically reeked of conciseness. Simple clothing, mostly black, just like his hair. I got the impression that he must be in some high position somewhere. However, currently, he was approaching me quite rapidly.

The churning in my stomach turned stronger, and I was tempted to take a few steps backward. Quite idiotic, according to all logic, and quite reasonable, in the situation.

Finally he stopped, and stretched out his hand. I stared at it blindly for a moment before shaking it. He grasped my hand firmly, but not too hard. Clearly, much practice had gone into such accuracy.

"I'm Touma. Terrible, what happened to your parents, but you're more than welcome here. Now, let's get those boxes up, shall we?"

As if they'd been bound together by some spell, my nervousness went further down the higher the corners of his mouth rose. The final hitch I'd feared appeared to be nonexistent. In the first place, it was an unwarranted one, but one that existed nevertheless. Strangely enough, I felt as if warmth spread through me as I grabbed a box and followed my step-father upstairs.

Everything went a little hazy from there. They introduced me to my room, which to be sure, exceeded my previous one in size considerably. With a bed already on one side and a desk on the other, it had more than enough space for about anything you may think of. Also, you basically couldn't get further from the entrance than this, which I very much welcomed. Being taken by surprise from a sudden arrival is no pleasant experience. A sole window provided some natural light, and for whenever it became needed, a curtain hung on the side as well.

We dumped everything on the floor, not exchanging too many words in the process. An understandable notion- despite my step-father being surprisingly pleasant whenever there was a reason to talk, the aforementioned air of awkwardness wouldn't budge quite so easily. But, overall, my impression was one of hope. Perhaps… everything that had happened needn't be all negative.

Finally, time came for when packing out would've been appropriate. Seeing as the process is a timely one, and supper was almost ready, a reasonable compromise was formed.

"Listen, I'll go down to eat now. I think you have a better clue about where you want your things, so just come down whenever you're done."

"That sounds great. I might take some time to finish, though…"

"Well, we'll be sure to save some for you."

He nodded one last time before leaving and carefully closing the door, thereby leaving me in the rather spacious room that'd be the center of my new home. As the creaking vanished from his steps, I slumped down in the bed, limbs spread out like my muscles had been turned to liquid. I lay there for a few minutes, studying the ceiling with utmost care.

Come to think of it, this might've been the first time I'd had any peace since they first brought me the news. Not necessarily the first time I'd been alone- no, in fact, most of the time had been spent alone. What I mean is real peace, where you can relax. The first real semblence of it. Obviously, it's impossible to forget, to get everything entirely out of your mind. However, that doesn't have to mean it cannot be overshadowed. It really was strange...

I first didn't believe it, you know. My whole family had died- I took it for a bad joke. A really, really bad one.

Actually, I needed a solid hour of convincing before it dawned. What possible reason, benefit, would they have by telling me this? Absolutely none, of course- which made it quite likely that they were telling the truth. Then came another half an hour of sitting still, dazed, staring at the wall.

I saw my life shattered into many, many tiny pieces, not even beginning to comprehend the consequences this may've had. Would I be allowed to stay at home without any guardians? Would I have to move? More importantly, where to? And what would I do?

Throughout, my mind was like honey. Clear thoughts were seldom- so much so, that before I'd had time even speak up, they already tried to organize, and failed, in finding a home for me. A sensible reaction remained out of question as I watched them blitz around relentlessly.

Then, a clever mind remembered that in fact, I did have a real mother, somewhere out there. Few hours later, came the response that decided my fate.

The following evening and night passed in what seemed like minutes. Almost before I knew it everything including me sat in the car, completely packed up.

My parents' friends and I never were particularly, no, even a little close, but I suppose they felt some peculiar sense of duty to help me out. Seeing the child of a former friend in that state would take its toll on anyone, I suppose. Regardless of their motivations, it's a gesture I'll forever be grateful for.

For the ride, I believe I'd already touched on it. My mental balance had been restored somewhat, enough to feel that terrible sense of nervousness that plagued me until the very last minutes.

The seed, however, had been planted. Perhaps... I could have better life now? The previous one, while not very favorable, really wasn't a terrible one. No, definitely not. Still, they say hope is the last thing to die, which definitely bears some truth, at least in keeping someone at the brink of breaking moving.

And what do you know. From what I'd seen so far, my hopes turned out to be true. Should the future turn out somewhat similarly to how I wish it to, I cannot say with complete certainity that I would desire to revert what happened, if I had the opportunity. After all, I had wanted to see my mother my whole life, and now I finally got to.

But hold up, now... I'll keep them waiting if I waste any more time pointlessly laying around... let's pack out, shall we? I have finish this process quickly if I'm to grow familiar to this place.

I do, after all, know absolutely nothing about my current situation still, and what is to come.

AN: Well, this took quite some time to finish, and for good reason. Exams, auditions and all kinds of other fun stuff came up. The biggest reason, however, was simply that I didn't really enjoy writing this chapter. I have a fairly good idea as of where the story would go, but I doubt it'll be continued for a while. Consider it an indefinite hiatus. Though, we did finally introduce our second POV-character, so the actual story finally begins. When the time for Chapter 3 will come I don't know, but I'm at least happy we made it through two chapters now.