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pg. 37

Picture: Kizu and Tomoaki, posing... cutely. ^_^;

pg. 38

Narration:

I "like" going out.
I "like" holding hands.

I "like" being with you.

pg. 39

Morning at Hina's house. Waka and Tono sit on the bed as as Hina rustles in the closet, getting dressed.

Hina [singing]: (Mr. White Cloud, floating along-- Mr. White Cloud, where are you going--? Calling "let's go together" to me-- let's go, let's go-- beyond the distant sky--)

Pulling on a shirt, she turns to Waka and Tono.

Hina: Guess what! Today I'm going out for breakfast with Sensei! He said since we always eat at my house, today he'll take me out and treat me!

She hugs the bears, beaming.

Hina: I LOVE GOING OUT TOGETHER!

{Note: it's "going out" as in "leaving the house to do stuff," not as in "dating." ^_^;}

The doorbell rings.

Hina: *sprouting ears and tail* CO-MING!

pg. 40

Asou is waiting outside, looking over his shoulder. He hears footsteps within, and soon Hina flings open the door.

Hina: GOOD MORNING!

Asou: *slightly taken aback* ...Morning.

He waits while she turns to put on her shoes. Waka and Tono are sitting in their places in the entryway; Hina waves to them as she exits.

Hina: See you later!

pg. 41

They walk down the street together, Hina looking up at Asou happily.

Asou: Do you always leave the bears in the front hallway like that?

Hina: Yeah! They see me off when I go, and wait for me to come home! See, my mom made Waka and Tono for me. Since her health wasn't good, she spent more time in the hospital than at home. Waka and Tono were the last birthday present she gave me.

pg. 42

Asou: ...You've had them for five years, and they still look just like new, huh.

Hina: I take good care of them!

She pauses.

Hina: (Huh?) How'd you know my mother died five years ago?

Asou is momentarily horrified at his slip, then recovers.

Asou: ...It was written in the school records.

Hina: What school records?

pg. 43

Asou: *patting her head* So where do you want to eat?

Hina: (Eh?)

Glancing in the window of Cafe Piffle Princess, she spots a familiar figure: Namiya Tomoaki.

Hina: NAMIYA-SAAAAN!

Asou: *shocked* (EH?!)

Hina waves frantically, much to Asou's dismay. At his booth by the window, Tomoaki turns and sweatdrops.

pg. 44

They are soon sitting in the cafe at Tomoaki's booth. Hina is munching at something, smiling away, while Asou folds his arms and does his best to pretend he is elsewhere. Tomoaki continues to sweatdrop profusely.

Hina: *smilesmile* *chewchew* I get to see Namiya-san again--!

Asou: AGAIN?

Hina: I ran into him here once before on the way home from school!

Asou glares. Hina slurps her drink, blissfully clueless.

Tomoaki: All we did was chat about my work.

pg. 45

Hina: Yeah! Namiya-san, you're an author, right?

Tomoaki: For the time being.

Hina: (That's so cool, so cool--)

Asou turns to glance over his shoulder at a dark-suited man who has just entered the cafe: Kizu.

Voice: Welcome--!

Asou and Kizu's eyes meet, and Kizu walks past to a different booth. Hina turns to Asou.

Hina: You know that person, don't you, Sensei? Isn't he going to sit with us?

pg. 46

Tomoaki and Asou gape.

Asou: What makes you think I know him?

Hina: I can tell. I can tell from your eyes.

She smiles and munches her sandwich while Asou and Tomoaki sweatdrop.

pg. 47

Steam rises from the cup of coffee Kizu has ordered upon joining them. He and Tomoaki sit next to each other, heads bowed; Tomoaki is smiling slightly.

Hina: *perky* I'm Asahi Hinata!

Kizu: ...Kizu.

Hina: What's your first name?

Kizu: ...Masaya.

Hina: Kizu Masaya-san! *bowing in her seat* Pleased to meet you!

Kizu bows as well.

pg. 48

Hina: Sensei said before that he's known you for a long time, huh, Kizu-san?

Tomoaki: *smiling, eyes closed* For a long time... yes.

Asou turns away.

Hina: Are you going somewhere after this?

Tomoaki: Nowhere in particular. (Since I've finished working.)

Hina: *excited* SO, YOU WANNA COME AND PLAY WITH US!?

Asou looks traumatized. Kizu looks deadpan.

pg. 49

Tomoaki: *pleasantly* If it's all right with you, Asahi-san.

Hina: *flinging her arms wide* WOO-HOO--!

A short time later, in a city park, a shuttlecock flies through the air.

pg. 50

Hina and Tomoaki are playing badminton, while Kizu and Asou stand watching under a tree nearby.

Asou: *arms folded* Control that thing, will you?

Kizu: What?

Asou: THAT.

He stares pointedly at Tomoaki.

pg. 51

Kizu: *with no particular expression* That person isn't likely to heed what I say, now is he?

Asou: *irritably* Then at least tell him not to interfere with my work.

Kizu: Is that really what you want?

Asou: What?

Kizu: I don't think the work suits you.

Asou: *defensively* A job is a job! I intend to do what I've taken on properly.

pg. 52

Kizu: I'm saying it doesn't suit you because it's a job.

Asou frowns and does not answer.

Hina: GOTCHA--! (Hee hee)

They have just finished their game.

Tomoaki: *clapping and smiling* Quite the athletic high school student.

Hina: (It was only one match.) Just a little bit longer and you would've beat me!

Tomoaki: (I suppose age doesn't really matter, does it?)

Hina: Namiya-san, how old are you?

pg. 53

Tomoaki: Twenty-one.

Hina: Younger than Sensei! (Since he's 32.)

Tomoaki: I'm still old compared to you, Asahi-san.

Hina: *smiling* Instead of Asahi, I'd rather you called me Hinata! Or just Hina is fine!

Tomoaki: *smiling* Hina-chan, then.

Hina: Hina-chan?

pg. 54

She hugs her racket and sparkles.

Hina: That's what my mom used to call me!

Tomoaki smiles at her with sympathy in his eyes.

Tomoaki: Well then, why don't you call me by my first name, too?

Hina: (Tomoaki-san, right?)

She holds up a finger decisively.

Hina: Tomo-kun.

He is momentarily speechless.

Tomoaki: *sweatdrop* (Nobody's called me that since I was about 10 years old.)

Hina: (Really?)

pg. 55

The next moment, some sort of projectile comes hurtling through the air towards Tomoaki and Hina. Instantly Asou and Kizu spring into action, flinging themselves at their respective persons and shielding them bodily.

pg. 56

The two men stare as a child's ball bounces past them. Hina blinks.

Hina: (?)

Tomoaki looks nose-to-nose at Kizu, who has wound up on top of him. ^.^

Tomoaki: ...You're heavy.

Kizu: *backing off* ...My apologies.

Asou lets Hina up, as well, and she goes to pick up the stray ball.

pg. 57

Kid: Sorry about that!

Hina: Here you go.

Kid: (Thanks.)

Hina blushes faintly as Asou looks vaguely disgruntled about the whole scene.

Hina [thinking]: I wonder if he did that to keep me from getting hit by the ball.

She smiles.

pg. 58

A short time later, the four are walking homeward.

Tomoaki: Well, I suppose we ought to be going.

Hina: *holding her racket* You have something to do?

Tomoaki: I have a work deadline to meet tonight.

Hina: For your dirty story!?

Tomoaki: A different writing project, actually.

Hina: (Wow--) Is it gonna be a book!?

Tomoaki: Yes.

Hina: *thrilled* When the book comes out, you have to tell me, okay!

Tomoaki: *smiling* I will.

Hina waves goodbye as Asou stalks off, and Tomoaki waves back.

Hina: (Let's get together again, okay--!)

pg. 59

Tomoaki: ...She really is a good kid-- Asahi-san. No, Hina-chan. [to Kizu] I want you to help look out for the two of them.

Kizu: ...Understood.

pg. 60

The other two continue on their way home, Hina bouncing and chattering incessantly, Asou with his hands in his pockets.

Hina: (The badminton set Tomo-kun got for me is really fun! I wanna play with him again-- badminton with Tomo-kun-- he's really good at it, isn't he?) Tomo-kun said he lives all alone.

Asou: *sweatdrop* (Tomo-kun...)

Hina: I hope he'll come over for dinner sometime! (Then I can learn another recipe through home cooking!) (OH!) Does Kizu-san live alone too?

Asou: Yeah.

Hina: Do you think he'd come? To have dinner.

Asou: *snorting* If Tomoaki comes, he'll be there.

Hina: *clueless* (Hm?) Are they friends? (Tomo-kun and Kizu-san.)

pg. 61

Asou: Not friends.

Hina: Then what are they?

Asou: Ask them.

They reach the gate to Hina's house.

Hina: (Ah, we're back.)

She turns to Asou and bows.

Hina: Thanks for everything today!

Asou: *grumbling* (You I don't mind, but why did I have to pay for both of them, too?)

Hina: *opening the front door* Would you like to have some tea?

She pauses as she notices something.

Hina: Huh?

Asou turns back to look.

pg. 62

The two teddy bears stationed in the entryway have toppled over. Asou's eyes widen.

Hina: I wonder why Waka and Tono fell over like that.

She kneels down to set them upright again.

Hina: (There you go--)

Swiftly Asou grabs her arm, pulling her back to her feet and close against him.

Hina: *astonished* WHA--!?

He clamps a hand over her mouth.

Asou: ........ Be still.

pg. 63

His eyes are fierce as he stares down the hallways, listening intently. Hina continues to sweatdrop in alarm. After a moment, he relaxes his hold and releases the hand over her mouth.

Hina: *eyes wide* (?)

pg. 64

Asou carefully pulls off the small ribbon at Hina's collar and uses it to tie their wrists together. He then steps up into the hallway.

Hina: Sensei, your shoes......

He holds a finger to his lips. She nods quickly.

Slowly, moving as quietly as possible, they advance into the house. Asou leads, peering around corners.

pg. 65

Hina, looking down at their tied hands, smiles and blushes.

The house appears to be empty, and at last Asou speaks.

Asou: ...It's clear, I guess. No one's here.

pg. 66

Asou: Has anything changed since you left?

Hina: *shaking her head* I don't think so.

He heaves a sigh of relief.

Hina: *smiling* Waka and Tono probably just fell over on their own. Since I'm the only one who lives here, nobody else would have come in. (I didn't invite anybody over today.)

Asou: *sighing again* There are people who would come in without being invited.

Hina: Who?

Asou: Bad people.

Hina: I don't know any bad people.

pg. 67

Asou: *frowning* ...It's because of stuff like that that Shinohara Touko is so worried about you.

He unties the string from around their wrists as Hina watches.

Hina: ... Um--

Asou: Did it hurt?

Hina: *shaking her head* (Oh, no.) Why did you tie our hands together with that?

He takes the ribbon and gently drapes it back around her neck.

Asou: If someone had still been in the house, and I had gone in separately, something could have happened to you in the meantime.

Hina: But then, we could have held hands.

pg. 68

Asou: If someone grabbed you, it'd be over. If we're tied, even if the string is cut, that takes some time. Then I have a chance to deal with it.

Hina: *looking enlightened* I get it! That's so cool! How do you know about stuff like that!?

He sweatdrops.

Asou: ... Being with you is going to drive me crazy.

Hina: *blinking* (Oh?)

pg. 69

Asou: *pointing at the floor* Do you have a mop? (Since we walked in with shoes on, we'd better clean up.)

Hina: *dashing off* (I'll get it--)

On the way, she pauses, looking down at her hand.

Hina [thinking]: My hand was linked to Sensei's. Somehow I feel really happy.

pg. 70

Hina [thinking]: I love holding hands with anybody. But if it were Sensei, I think I'd love it lots lots more.

She squeezes her hand and blushes.

Hina [thinking]: Next time I hope it'll be without a ribbon, just holding hands.

To be continued.

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