The sun had finally said good-bye and the moon was there to say hello when Maki and Tomohisa got back to the bookstore. Maki was first to the door and she was greeted with her younger sister, Mirai, waving from the counter, tending to a customer. Once her sister was finished with the customer, she walked over to the counter, Tomohisa still following closely behind her.

“Okaeri onee-chan, where did you come from—oh!” Mirai stopped when she noticed her sister wasn’t alone. She smiled at Maki’s direction though it was seen in a questioning manner.

Maki rolled her eyes. She knew how malicious Mirai’s mind could get, well fat chance that that would happen. “Mirai-chan this is Tomohisa, obaa-chan’s grandson. I was just showing him around…”

Tomohisa took a good look at Mirai. In some ways, she looked similar to Maki, especially around the eyes but they also looked different from each other. “Hajimemae…”

“Ah hai!” Mirai replied gleefully. “Kochira koso…”

So this was the baby girl his grandma was taking care of. She was a baby no more.

“Ah you two are finally back!”

They all turned their heads at the voice and saw Yamaa-san at the top of the staircase peeking over to them. “Well come on upstairs, dinner is ready!”

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

Tomohisa watched as the four people in-front of him conversed while happily eating their dinner. This wasn’t an ordinary family. But sitting there, he’d felt more involved with them rather than his real family.

“Seconds Tomohisa-nii?” The plate of teriyaki was suddenly in-front of him with Mirai smiling expectantly. He nodded his head, softly smiling before accepting the plate and dishing another helping for himself. He noticed Ryosuke chewing slowly at the sides; looking at him. When Ryosuke noticed that he noticed, he (Ryosuke) quickly looked away. Funny, didn’t this boy just work here? Then why was he also having dinner with them? Tomohisa made a mental note to ask his obaa-chan about that.

“This tastes good Ryosuke you’re getting really good!” Maki said, sisterly pinching Ryosuke’s cheek. Apparently it was the boy who helped Yamaa-san with cooking their meal.

“Ne Tomohisa-nii, so why is it you decided to come here?” Mirai questioned after swallowing the rest of her food. She curiously tilted her chin up, waiting for the older man’s reply.

Caught suddenly off-guard, Tomohisa collected his thoughts. Even though Maki and Yamaa-san already knew the answer, they too were waiting for him to reply. “Ah anou… I was hoping I could find an inspiration for my art…”

“Ah sugoii so you’re a painter?” Mirai jumped, obviously interested in the subject. “I think artists are really cool.”

“Maji de? So do you like drawing and painting too?”

“Oh I like it.” Mirai chuckled at Tomohisa’s follow-up question, enjoying another piece of teriyaki. “But I think drawing and painting doesn’t like me.”

Maki shook her head at that, smiling back at the slightly embarrassed Mirai. “I think that’s my fault Mirai… it’s because I’m your nee-chan and art doesn’t like me either…”

“I just think we were asleep when they handed out talent for art onee-chan.” Mirai said, seconding the statement. She wasn’t finished with Tomohisa yet though. She ce again to face him and the man immediately knew that questions were still to be asked. “What kind of inspiration are you looking for Tomo-nii?”

Yamaa-san spoke up, beating Tomohisa. “Ugh, you know Mirai-chan I’m hoping he’s looking for a girl for inspiration instead of for his art, you need someone to be with too Tomo!” The old lady nagged, putting up a sweet smile.

“Obaa-chan…” Tomohisa whined. He was already twenty seven years old but his grandma still managed to embarrass him.

“If you’re looking for a girl, Maki-nee is here…”

Maki almost sputtered out the grape juice she was drinking if it wasn’t for her self-control. She glared at her younger sister who innocently looked back. “You have to forgive my sister Tomohisa, I think the teriyaki sauce is seeping through her meninges.”

“Wow meninges…” Mirai mocked as she drank from her own juice.

Tomohisa shook his head, amused at the scene; clearly he was going to be entertained during his stay here.

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

“I’ll be going now Yamaa-san! Thank you so much for the dinner!”

“Oh sure sure! You be careful now Ryosuke!”

“Bye bye Ryou-kun!”

Tomohisa and Maki were the ones assigned to wash the dishes that night and as he was drying the plates Maki had already finished washing, Tomohisa watched Mirai and Yamaa-san saying goodbye to Ryosuke. This peaked his interest once again.

“Anou Maki…” He began, slightly turning his head over to Maki but not enough that he couldn’t see Ryosuke finally disappearing from sight.

“Hmm? What is it?” Maki asked back, not looking up from her soaping the plates.

“Does Ryosuke spend all day here working?”

“Yes pretty much why do you ask?” Maki finally looked up, even wiping the stray sweat from her brow.

Tomohisa turned back to the spot on the staircase were Ryosuke had disappeared. “Even on weekdays?”

Maki already knew where this conversation was going. She turned away from the dishes, leaning her back against the counter before she explained. “I feel sorry for that boy. He can’t go to university even though I know he really wants to learn cooking but his father can’t afford it. He’s saving up so he could go to culinary school…”

Tomohisa stayed silent. Somehow Ryosuke’s situation reminded him of someone else’s. “I hope he can reach his dream then…” With that, he turned back to drying the dishes.

Maki looked at him. There was this aura suddenly emerging from Tomohisa. But the man was too busy drying plates to notice her looking. Maybe when she has time she could ask him about it.

==o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Tomohisa rolled around in his bed. He checked the wall clock again and found out that it was already 1 o’clock in the morning. It wasn’t like him to be this restless. Usually he would be able to sleep in just a minute but this day he just couldn’t seem to. Maybe it was because of the new surroundings, or the fact that he himself was indefinite with his stay in Chiba.

“Argh!” With one move he was able to stand up from the bed. That brought the blood quickly to his head though; now he was seeing stars. “Ugh…” He grunted before finding his way out of the room. It was so dark that he had to feel through the walls apparently that wasn’t enough.

“Ah!”

“Woah!”

“Ssshh!”

Tomohisa steadied himself when he knocked over something. Breathing heavily he d around and found the light switch at the side only to see a very soaked Maki in-front of him.

“Do you really have this knack of spilling things over me?” Maki sighed as she looked at the damage done on her white sleeveless shirt. Now it was dashed with a purple color.

“G-gomen… but what are you doing awake at this time?” Tomohisa asked, hopefully he could change the subject but that was a one in a million chance since Maki was too busy fussing over her shirt.

Maki didn’t answer and instead opened the door to her room where they were standing in-front of. She reached for the drawer and grabbed another shirt. She stopped and faced the door; Tomohisa was now also inside. “I’m sorry but I’m not ready for that kind of relationship between the two of us yet so could you turn around?”

“Oh ah… , gomen gomen…” Tomohisa blushed like crazy before he turned around. He had his eyes closed tight, annoyed at his awkwardness and his fists were clenched at his sides. Stupid stupid stupid!

“Okay you can turn around now…”

When Tomohisa faced Maki once again she was now wearing something similar to what she was wearing awhile ago only now it was in black. “So what were you doing snooping around the house at this hour?” Maki asked as she sat on the bed. Tomohisa guessed that that meant it was okay for him to enter the room further too so that’s what he did.

“I dunno, I felt restless, couldn’t sleep…”

“Must be a lot on your mind…” Maki snorted as she looked up at him.

They both were quiet until Tomohisa looked up again. “What about you? You were awake too…”

“Just a midnight snack…” Maki replied with a smile. She looked at Tomohisa, seeing the uneasiness on his face. He’d be really tired if he didn’t get a chance to sleep. “Come on, I’ll make you tea so you can fall asleep.” She stood up from the bed and exited her room with Tomohisa following pursuit. With one click the kitchen lights were opened. Maki was already by the kettle, heating up water for Tomohisa’s tea.

While waiting, they sat down at the table, face to face, this was the perfect time to talk to each other. It was Tomohisa who spoke up first since his curiosity wouldn’t be satisfied. “So after that night Maki… it was obaa-chan who took you in?” He saw the small fidget Maki did when he asked that, he almost regretted it but Maki answered anyways.

“Yes. I remember after that day you went back to Tokyo…” Maki sighed. “Mirai-chan and I don’t have any other family members that’s why we went straight with Tomoe-baa-chan since she’s my godmother.”

“Ah sou, that’s good at least you didn’t end up at an orphanage…”

“I wouldn’t want that either.” Maki quickly replied, shaking her head. She placed her elbows on the table and got to thinking. “There’d be a chance that I’d be separated from Mirai and I wouldn’t want that.”

That brought a small smile up to Tomohisa’s face. Seeing the expression on Maki and how she sounded, he could really feel her care for her sister. He found out he loved that caring façade of hers. “You really love Mirai don’t you?”

Maki shrugged. “She’s all I have… and Tomoe-baa of course.”

Sadly the kettle had finally stopped boiling. Maki prepared the tea in a jiffy, setting it down in-front of Tomohisa. “There, maybe you’ll fall asleep.” She smiled at him, a smile that Tomohisa would like to think was only for him. “I’ll go on ahead, oyasumi…”

“O-ou…” Tomohisa stuttered at first. “Oyasumi…”

Maki went back into her room while Tomohisa drank the tea and surprisingly enough, it seemed to calm his senses. The minute his body hit the bed’s surface… he fell asleep. An image if a smiling Maki was the last thing on his mind and he had an idea that the smile was what made him more peaceful and not the tea.    

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

AN: Hi guys! here's another chapter! hope you enjoy it! thank you to those who read and subscribe! please comment ne? thanks again! :D