“She’s weeping”

Yukie witnessed how Erika cried- because of the archery competition. She was determined to win the first place, so it wasn’t questionable why she couldn’t accept the failure so easily.

As an elder sister Yukie was willing to lend her shoulder, but she doubted if she can. Based on Erika’s childhood, when it comes to archery there was only one person who could comfort her: Yano.

*

 “Nino!” called Yano.

He went in the balcony just to have words with Nino. There he found him listening music through headset.

Nino removed the headset and looked at Yano. “I’m Nagi!” he corrected.

Yano sighed. “Okay, Nagi…I want to talk to you…”

“Talk to me, about what?” asked Nino showing he wasn’t interested.

“About Mao!” Yano bit out.

Nino narrowed his eyes. “What about her?” he questioned bluntly.

“Tell me, why are you ignoring her?” asked Yano. He was expecting a rational answer, but Nino didn’t comply.

“Did I?” he said.

Yano pinched his eyebrows “Don’t kid me! It’s obvious!” he retorted.

He wanted to tell Nino that what he was doing could have negative result, especially to me…

 “She’ll be in distress, if you continue this!” Yano insisted.

He also reminded Nino how good he was towards me, before he regained his true identity. “Have you forgotten, before you can do anything just to make your sister happy”

“Things are different now!” Yukie suddenly intruded.

Yano turned to her. He doubted what Yukie meant. “Things are different, how come?” he questioned.

“Don’t you see, Nagi’s sister is Erika, not Mao!” said Yukie.

Of course, Yano knew it, but he couldn’t see that reality as a reason to ignore me.

 “By now, Erika is crying” said Yukie “I guess she can’t accept her lost, so please Yano talk to her, I know you can make her feel better, just like before”

 “No!” Yano answered directly.

It pissed Yukie “Why not? I’m just asking you to comfort her”

“I said no!” he insisted.

It made Yukie turned red. He expected Yano to follow, but he was here disapproving.

“I’ll go to see to her!” Nino volunteered, since he was sure Yano won’t do it.

“No! I want Yano to do that!”said Yukie.

“I told you, I won’t” Yano insisted.

“Are you really trying my temper?”Yukie retorted. “Remember Yano, anytime I can erase that girl…”

That warning was a sore on Yano’s ear “Are you threatening me?”

“I’ll surely do it, if you continue hurting my sister!”

“Fine! I’ll do it but just this once!” said Yano leaving the place.

As always he found himself with no choice.

*

“I can’t believe this! Before, Yano love Erika so much… now, it turns different, because of that girl…” whined Yukie, then she looked at Nino and she saw him with fiery eyes. “W-what’s wrong with you?”

“I won’t forgive you” Nino bit out.

“What?” Yukie wondered.

“If you hurt Mao, I definitely won’t forgive you, so don’t you-!”

SLAP!!!

Before Nino finished his words, he received a sturdy slap form Yukie.

 “Why are you all telling this?” Yukie questioned “You supposed to care for Erika, not to that girl!” she shouted creating tension.

*

“Y-yano?”

Erika‘s eyes got wider when she saw Yano behind the door. (Yano opened it without knocking)

Erika immediately wiped her tears. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Stop mourning!” said Yano shortly.

“Eh?”

“Being second isn’t bad at all” added Yano.

Erika gave a half smile “I know” she answered. “I think the same way too, but no matter what I do, I can’t control myself.”

“Just continue practicing, you’ll surely win next time”

Yano’s word was a magic. All of a sudden it changed Erika’s feelings

“Yano, can you be my trainer?” Erika suddenly asked.

Yano didn’t reply. How he could, he actually shunning her. “Wait, shunning?” thought Yano, he realized that he and Nino were the same. They were ignoring the people they used to love.

“Take your rest now” responded Yano, turning to leave.

“Wait!” called Erika stopping him. “Yano, I know we can’t back yesterday, but I hope… we can be close again… even as friends”

Silence,

Erika waited for an answer but she didn’t receive it. Yano started to step forward.

“Yano!”  Erika hugged her from the back “Please, don’t leave me. Just for this night…” She begged.

Yano liked to remove Erika’s hands away from his waist, but if he does, he would definitely hurt her feelings

***

“I’m late!” I shouted when I saw my alarm clock. (Useless alarm clock, it didn’t alarm) My parents went earlier for work, so nobody could awake me.

Last night, we had a celebration (a simple dinner party with my parents). This was the reason why I slept too long, and now on a hurry.

I was done locking our door,

When I turned around, I saw Yano—in his school uniform.

“Yano? What are you-?”

Before I could finish, I found myself in his arm. He hugged me, to the point that I seemed to crush.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I inquired.

“Mao, I’m sorry…” he whispered.

I wondered what made him act this way. For sure, something happened so I looked on his eyes.

“Last night I’m with Erika” he confessed.

My world collided. I couldn’t believe that Erika succeeded to get him. ‘How could you do this…?” I mourned, starting to cry.

“Wait! We don’t do anything; we just talk the whole night!” Yano corrected.

“Then why are you apologizing!” I said poking his head. He was too rude to make me worried. True, I thought something happened to them.

“Gomen, I just feel guilty, because I entertained her…”

I didn’t expect Yano to say those words. Actually I feared Erika might get him, but since he told these words, I got assurance, Yano won’t cheat on me.

 “Yano, it’s okay, you don’t have to avoid Erika. I trust you!”

For the next minutes, as we sat behind our front door we begun our chatting

 About Maki and Yamapi

About Yui and Haruma

About Jin and Rina

About apple candy

About Chen

About Nino

About Erika

Then, we kissed.

****

“I think I need to go to school now” said Yano, standing up “how about you?” he asked.

“Even if I ran as jet, I couldn’t make it on time, so I’ll skip class today”

“Then, I’ll do the same” he said sitting again. He decided to accompany me for another hour.

“Hey Yano” I called his attention. “We haven’t done this for a long time, so I’m thinking if we can do it again”

“Eh?” Yano got confused “What do you mean?” he asked, but there was already a nasty idea playing on his mind.

“Actually, I’m missing it!” I said looking at him.

Yano turned red. “Well… if you insist, why not?” he grinned.

I smiled “Then let’s go!”

Yano turned redder. Bubbles suddenly appeared on his head, thinking what we might do. He actually misunderstood my words.

“Oi! Let’s go… to Tama!”I said, popping his bubbles.

“Did you say Tama?” asked Yano, awaking form his daydream.

I shook my head. “Yes, in Tama, we’re going to visit Achilles tomb, right?”

Finally, things became clearer to Yano. “So, you’re talking about Achilles, right… it’s Achilles!”

“Can I still enter the village?” I wondered since I wasn’t Yamato anymore.

Yano nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you!”

****

Soon, we went in Tama. When we arrived at the cemetery we got surprised because we saw Nino and Erika.