"Suzu, Hisao and I make our way along the city street after leaving the train station, the bright summer sun beating down on our heads and the sea's salty smell wafting in the air."

"It's a nice atmosphere here. When I first learned she lived in the city, images of Tokyo and Osaka flashed to my mind, but instead it ended up being a fairly relaxed place bordering the ocean. It isn't a surprise why Suzu's family decided to make their home here, rather than living in the middle of the big smoke."

"A couple of distracted seagulls resting on a guardrail take flight as we stroll past, squawking in protest."

mik "I'm telling you, you didn't need to buy those."

"I point to the small box carried by Hisao, the confectionery shop's cheery logo adorning the plain white container. He raises an eyebrow as he adjusts the duffel bag of clothes and meds carried over his other shoulder."

his "Is it so bad to offer a gift when visiting someone?"

mik "When you're coming with people who've been before, it's a bit much."

his "I'm just being polite. I know this might be a foreign concept."

mik "There's a fine line between good manners and brown-nosing..."

suz "Would you two stop fighting?"

mik "Yes, mother."

"The shimmering of heated air above the road ahead is broken up by a car whizzing past, with a pretty bright red sportscar following soon after. While the attention of Hisao and I is drawn by the latter, Suzu's mind is elsewhere."

"I put my hand on her head and give it a little rub, partly to reassure her, but mostly because I just wanted to. Given that she doesn't protest, I assume she likes it."

"It is good to see her in higher spirits, though. The last few days must've taken their toll on her emotionally, but she seems to be largely back to normal. Well, Suzu's normal."

his "Is there going to be anybody there when we arrive?"

suz "Miyu would be, at least."

his "Miyu?"

mik "Yeah. She's cute; I think you'd get on well with her."

his "That sounds like you're trying to set me up."

mik "We'll see."

"Suzu grimaces, but I manage to hide my reaction. I can't miss a chance to screw with him like this, after all."

"The three of us finally come within sight of the Suzuki household; a modern and fairly spacious two-storey house, nestled in the kind of suburb that aspires to look wealthy, but isn't quite there. Suzu's sister must be home, as her little white car is parked neatly in the gravel driveway."

"Looks like they've done some painting since the last time I was here, with the white walls and brown beams painted cream and black respectively. That modern, minimalist look is getting common these days, but I can't say I like it."

"We march through the gate and up the stairs to the entrance in single file, Hisao's gaze flitting around to take in the carefully cultivated greenery in front. Suzu just looks ahead, taking the lead of our merry band."

"As she digs around in her handbag for her housekeys, the door swings open. A familiar figure rests her arm on the doorframe, taking in the sight of the trio before her."

tsu "Well, well. Look who we have here."

"Suzu's sister has always been easy on the eyes. Overall, she's about my height and blessed with quite a pretty face, adorned with a set of thin glasses. That, and her smart ponytail, give her an air of maturity that contrasts heavily with Suzu's youthful nature."

"Her plain and slightly tattered grey hoodie is an unmistakable sign that she hasn't ventured outside the house all day, probably being busy with some project or another. Her welcoming expression is undoubtedly sincere, though it's always felt like she's just a little too old to socialise with us beyond being polite."

"I assume Suzu's notified her of the hastily invited additional guest, as she doesn't look surprised in the least."

suz "Mom and dad out?"

tsu "That's not how you should greet your lovely sister..."

tsu "But yes, they're still at work. They should be back for dinner."

"Suzu nods, expecting the answer. With that, the conversation turns to other matters."

tsu "I see you've brought the troublemaker around."

mik "That's not fair! Since when did I cause you any trouble?"

tsu "Since I had to format my computer after letting you use it for five bloody minutes?"

"I don't have a comeback for that. The Internet is a scary place sometimes."

tsu "I'm just being mean. How are you getting along these days?"

mik "Some old, same old."

tsu "I see you picked up a stray somewhere along the way. You must be Nakai?"

his "Pleased to meet you, Miyu."

"I hastily try to stop myself from snickering, but it's useless. She just smiles as she levers herself off the doorframe, by now wise to my antics."

tsu "It's Tsubasa. Tsubasa Suzuki."

his "Ah... sorry."

tsu "I have no idea why anyone hangs out with you, Miura."

suz "I wonder that myself all the time."

"I just grin, content that I've had my fun. Trying to hide his embarrassment, Hisao quickly offers the sweets to her."

"Tsubasa's face lights up as she takes the box, quickly popping the top open to check on its contents. If there's one thing the Suzuki sisters share, it's a sweet tooth."

tsu "Approved. Welcome to the Suzuki household."

"Tsubasa moves from the door, gesturing with her head for us to follow her inside. We dutifully take off our shoes at the entrance and file in behind."

"Her living room lives up to the exterior of the house, being both spacious and tidy. The large entertainment unit, with its sizable television turned to some insipid soapie, takes up most of one wall, with the couch and a few chairs sitting behind a black coffee table covered in magazines."

"The still half-asleep head of a small brown dog pokes above the arm of the couch to see who's entered, before excitedly leaping off and galloping towards us happily panting and wagging its tail. Suzu immediately crouches down and scoops up the fluffball into her arms, smiling widely as she comes to her feet."

suz "There, there. I'm home, Miyu."

"Her grin redoubles as she gets a few well-deserved licks on the cheek. I briefly wonder if dogs can hyperventilate, because it sure looks like this one might."

his "Miyu, huh?"

"He looks at me with as displeased a face as he can muster. A difficult task, after seeing Suzu's reaction."

his "What breed?"

suz "She's an Affenpinscher crossed with... something."

tsu "No allergies or anything?"

his "Me? Nah. Dogs are nice."

"He reaches out for Miyu, but stops a few inches from her face. Only after she gives his hand a bit of a sniff does he slowly advance further to petting her head, smiling as he does so. I suppose his gentle nature is the type to get along with animals well."

"Suzu puts Miyu back on the ground afterwards, the dog busily giving both me and her new friend a good inspection."

tsu "I think you'll get along here just fine. Come with me and I'll show you the guest room. You can throw your bag down there."

his "Thanks. You two good?"

mik "I'll just bunk with Suzu. Have fun with Tsubasa."

mik "...You stud."

"Tsubasa just smiles as she leads him into the hallway, the sound of her pointing out the directions to this and that to be heard after they leave. Miyu's interest seems to be piqued by the new arrival as she trots out after them."

"I just let my bag drop on the floor, content to drag it up to Suzu's room some time later."

suz "Drink?"

mik "Yeah. Just some juice, thanks."

suz "Coming right up."

"As she turns to leave, I feel my heart twitch. Just a little."

"Suzu looked so delicate and fragile when I agreed to go out with her. She'd finally opened up towards me, knowing full well how much she could have been hurt. Such a frail and unassuming girl appeared at that moment to be so much stronger than I ever was."

"But now, she acts as if it never happened. Like it's just another day."

"I quickly start moving towards her, catching her attention as I do so. Just as she turns to see what I'm doing, I bring my arms around her small body and press her to my chest."

"Hugging's never really come naturally to me. It's not that I dislike it, but more that it's never felt very special. Maybe I was just never hugged enough as a kid."

"Holding her to me as I do now feels different, somehow. Not because I can feel her soft, warm body against mine, but because such a normally apprehensive girl would allow me to get so close at all. She trusts me."

"For a moment it looks like she might not reciprocate, taken too off guard to return the gesture. Eventually, though, she picks her arms up and wraps them around my back, drawing me into a tight embrace. With her face turned to the side, I press my lips to the top of her head."

suz "Sorry. I just..."

mik "You don't need to hold back, Suzu. You always worry too much."

suz "Only because you don't worry enough."

"I smile a little as I step back, rubbing her shoulder with my hand as a I do."

mik "It's good to see you're holding up. You've been through a lot lately."

suz "And that was who's responsibility?"

mik "I was trying to avoid mentioning that..."

his "So this means you're back to your old selves again?"

"Looking over Suzu reveals Hisao standing in the doorway, arms crossed and smiling. Suzu clamps her eyes shut to maintain her composure, but her rosy cheeks give her away."

suz "How long have you been there?"

his "Only just now. She went to her room, so I came back down."

his "I was worried about the two of you as well, you know. It's good to see you've made up."

mik "Yeah, thanks. Guess I've finally got my head screwed on right."

"Suzu just nods at him, but both of us know she's thankful."

# Timeskip

"The clatter of knives and forks rings out as the Suzuki family, plus their two guests, dig in to a lavish dinner. Various bowls of different salads sit on the table, complimenting the still steaming pieces of roast chicken on our plates."

"With Suzu, Hisao, and I seated on one side of the table, Suzu's sister, mother, and father sit on the other. Miyu hovers around the floor, making sure she's positioned to grab any scraps of food that might fall."

"I've always found it difficult to work out the age of her mother, with her chic short-cropped hair and smart clothing making her look quite trendy. It's a nice style, though it would be improved by her smiling a little more. Perhaps a result of stress from her job, now that I think of it."

"Her father... isn't like that. With a somewhat wiry body and thick spectacles perched on his round face, his greying hair noticably beginning to thin, he's always felt like a much warmer and unassuming personality. Despite his position as a prefectural bureaucrat, he's always held a sense of pride that I've respected in him."

mot "So how are things going at school, Suzu?"

suz "Fine."

mik "Exams are over, so things are a bit more relaxed now."

mot "And how did you do on them?"

mik "Well..."

suz "I think I did fine. Maths aside."

"Her mother puts down her fork to think, her face disappointed. It must be hard to have parents who drive so hard for good marks, despite the fact that her narcolepsy works against her."

mot "Hmm. Maybe we should get a tutor, then."

tsu "There's a tutor right here."

suz "I just need to study more. It'll be fine."

"She doesn't appear to have convinced her mother, but she manages to have the topic dropped. For now."

"I wonder what her parents think of my influence on her, given they'd be well aware of my pretty average grades. Hisao would be a much better fit for her, in personality as well as academics, than I would."

dad "Nakai, wasn't it?"

his "Ah, y-yeah."

"Speak of the devil. Content to let him speak for himself, I busy myself with the delicious food in front me."

dad "You've been terribly quiet; there's no need to be nervous."

mot "That's right. How do you think you've fared?"

his "Uh, well, I don't usually have much problem that with sort of thing."

mik "Nerd."

suz "Hisao's really good with science and maths. He's been helping me a bit with them."

his "I'm not that good..."

"That false humility makes me want to strangle him. From the focus he's receiving from her parents, I get the feeling he's at least making a good impression for them."

tsu "And here I was thinking you'd come to your sister for help."

mot "Any intentions of what you might do in university?"

his "I suppose just more of what I'm good at. I don't really know what kind of job I want to do."

dad "The main thing is to have skills behind you and a good head on your shoulders. It sounds like you have both."

mot "So what do you do with yourself outside of school? Any hobbies? Interests?"

his "Studying, mostly. Used to play sports, but I can't really do that any more."

"The brief lull in discussion says a lot. There's no doubt they've been briefed on Hisao's condition, but they's a far cry from knowing how to handle it best in conversation. If there's one thing that my time in Yamaku's taught me, it's that everyone's different in that regard."

"Taking a bit of pity on her parents for inadvertantly bringing up the subject, I give the conversation a little push."

mik "And how much of your bag was taken up by books?"

his "It wasn't that much."

suz "You should just join the literature club, aready. Why are you even in track and field?"

his "You've asked me that before. Then again, it's a question I continually ask myself as well..."

mik "He's ours, you can't have him!"

suz "The others in the lit club would be happy with have him. He already knows Ikezawa, after all."

his "Do I get a say in this?"

tsu "Shouldn't a boy be happy he's in high demand?"

"He just grimaces at her. I do think he secretly enjoys being our chew toy, but he'd never admit it."

mot "Maybe you should join her club. You do have similar interests after all."

"That's... not subtle. Suzu cuts me off before I can make light of the situation, obviously bothered by her mother's interjection."

suz "We're just teasing him. It's up to Hisao which club he joins."

mot "Such a shame. You're going to give up without a fight?"

suz "We're just friends."

mot "But he seems like a smart, handsome lad. Aren't too many like that around."

"She gives him a genuine smile, evidently pleased with her attempts to play matchmaker."

"He tries to reciprocate as best he can, but his terribly stilted smile betrays the fact that he knows as well as I that this conversation is like a car careening towards a cliff."

"Once more I try to jump in, but Suzu cuts me off. As much as I hate to say it, I'm at least learning something about her in this exchange; it's rare for her to be assertive towards others, but that may be more due to her shyness around unfamiliar people than true submissiveness."

suz "I said i'm not interested in him."

mot "But why?"

suz "Because I like girls."

"...And there's the cliff."

"Where the table had been humming with the noise of chatting, chewing, and clinking of utensils, in a flash it turns to dead silence. Not one person speaks, nor moves an inch. Knives and forks hang above plates, mouths still, and eyes stuck."

"Suzu stares straight into her mother's eyes, a look of exhasperation written onto her face. It's unmistakable that she's taking full ownership of the words she's just said. For her part, her mother appears to have simply stopped functioning, unable to process the last few seconds of her life."

suz "Miki's my girlfriend."

"Oh wow. I'm torn between fear at what might unfold in the next few seconds, or total adoration of the sheer balls this girl has on her."

"I'd be lying if I said this didn't make me like her more. I've never seen this side of Suzu before, her true strength of will on display with her back to the wall. I feel the muscles in my throat tense as if my body wanted me to say something, but I have no idea what to speak, or even if I should."

"Suddenly realising that Suzu and her mother aren't the only people at the the table, my eyes dart from one person to another."

"Suzu's father has the same reaction as her mother, simply looking at his daughter with a remarkably neutral expression. He tends to let her mother define the collective household opinion most of the time, but it's hard to say if that'll hold true of such a personal matter."

"Tsubasa looks more interested than shocked, slowly beginning to chew the food in her mouth once more. I get the feeling she's waiting more for her mother's reaction than actually coming to terms with what Suzu's said."

"As my glance falls to Hisao, his eyes meet mine. The look in his eyes makes me feel sorry for him; he's like an actor abruptly thrown onto the stage without a script, surrounded by other actors reciting entirely unknown lines. When his cue will come, and what he's supposed to do once it does, is a mystery to him."

"But none of us have been given our lines. We're all actors without a script right now."

"My heart sinks as Suzu's mother lowers her fork to the plate and slowly closes her eyes. Suzu's disposition changes as her shoulders slump and expression falls, knowing that her mother's judgement has been given without a word being spoken."

"Everyone's lives changed in the last few seconds, and it wasn't for the better."

mik "Um... I..."

"I desperately try to choke some words out of my tightening throat, but I still don't know what it is I want to say. This is bigger than me. It's usually so easy to laugh my way out of awkward situations, but this is something I don't understand at all."

"A movement out of the corner of my eye grabs my attention, Suzu's plate suddenly being pushed towards me."

"Hisao quickly withdraws his arm as Suzu's upper body falls forward, her face landing flat on the table where her plate has been. I feel even worse for having completely failed to account for her condition, Hisao's reflexes having just saved the day."

"Everything about this feels absurd. It may be a sleep attack or cataplexy from the stress, or one leading to the other. In any case, this seems a reasonable excuse to extract her from the room and get things back under control."

"Her mother puts her elbow on the table and buries her face in her hand out of frustration, her husband's hand reaching out and rubbing her back in concern."

mik "Should I-"

mot "Just take her."

"I can take that; I was prepared for her snapping. Hisao, on the other hand, looks to me with pained eyes as I collect Suzu's limp body. While he may be desperate for some instruction on how to deal with them, all I can do is look to the floor in defeat. He's on his own, and I hate that fact."

"With the girl sliding onto my back and still not making so much as a movement as we make to leave the room, it looks like she's slipped into sleeping after the attack."

"As much as I hate to say it, that's probably for the best."

# Timeskip

"With the fracas of dinner over, things have settled down a little by late evening."

"Suzu's mother has a bath as Tsubasa and I do the dishes, with Hisao and her father watching the day's news on the television. Looks like Hisao's a hit with Miyu, the small fluffy thing deciding to sleep on his lap."

"Then again, I heard somewhere that dogs are good at sensing people's emotions. Given the tense feeling in the air, Miyu may just be happy to be with someone who's not freaking out."

"At least there's some semblance of domestic normality now, even if the atmosphere could be cut with a knife."

mik "Hell of a dinner, huh?"

"She just sighs, pausing her washing of the plate in her hands as she looks back to the living room."

tsu "I feel sorry for Nakai. What a welcome to the family."

mik "He'll be fine. I know he looks like... that, but he's actually a pretty sturdy guy."

mik "What about her father?"

"She pulls an uncomfortable face, wanting to give me one answer, but knowing that another would be the truth."

tsu "Dad might not be as stubborn as our mother is... but he's also pretty old-fashioned. Who knows, he might come around."

tsu "Maybe."

"With that, she finishes sponging the plate in her hands and passes it along to me for drying while grabbing the next."

"I move to take it from her, but with my mind on other matters and my hand wet, it slips straight out of my grasp."

mik "Crap...!"

"With my hand too far to possibly grab it before it hits the floor, I try to at least break its fall with my stump. All I accomplish is making it tumble some more before it smashes to the ground."

tsu "Sorry, I wasn't looking where-"

"Tsubasa's frantic apology betrays her touchiness around my missing hand, immediately blaming herself for not taking it into account. It's not like she had anything to do with it, and while I might have caught the damn thing otherwise, my stump is the last of my worries right now."

mik "It's fine, I just...

"I reflexively bend down to try and at least take some of the larger shards off the tiled floor, but something rushes to my face and threatens to overwhelm me as I do so."

mik "Ah, shit."

"Snapping back upright and bring my back to the counter for support, I close my eyes and take the bridge of my nose in my fingers to try and compose myself."

"As little as Tsubasa and I have in common, she's at least a kind soul. I feel her warm hand on my shoulder, silence hanging in the room as she lets me take my time."

mik "What about you?"

tsu "Sorry?"

mik "You sure didn't seem too surprised by all this."

tsu "Sister's intuition."

"I raise an eyebrow at her cheeky smirk."

tsu "...and maybe I saw an autocomplete entry or two when fixing her laptop. Plus a couple of interesting manga in her desk."

mik "She wasn't that good at hiding it, was she?"

tsu "Not at all."

"I give a weak smile her Suzu's expense, but it soon drops as I catch sight of the shattered plate once more."

"If it were anyone but me, I wonder how this would have gone. I have no ambition, poor grades, I'm crude and impolite, and share barely any interests with her. Next to me is, in their eyes, a charming wonder-boy who's on a straight ticket to university."

"Suzu's mother probably had it all planned out for her. Following her sister into university, pushing past her narcolepsy to get a respectable career in some academic field or another, marrying into a reasonably well-to-do family. Grandchildren, too."

"Then I came and messed it all up."

tsu "Miki."

mik "Yeah?"

tsu "Don't beat yourself up, okay? None of this is your fault."

"I wish she wasn't as sharp as she is."

mik "Do you really think that?"

tsu "It's up to Suzu who she's attracted to. That happened to be you. Shouldn't you be happy about that?"

mik "I guess. I mean, I'm glad she likes me, and I like her."

tsu "That's more like it. It's strange to see you not smiling."

tsu "Go on, I'll clean this lot up and grab Nakai to help for the rest."

mik "Thanks. I owe you."

"I give her a nod and dry my hands off on a towel before taking my leave, though Tsubasa's voice from behind me catches my attention."

tsu "Oh, there was one more thing."

tsu "You're still a kid. You know that, right?"

mik "Yeah, I know."

tsu "Who my sister likes is her business, but if I find out that you've hurt her... I will ruin your life in ways only an adult would know."

"My heart freezes. I have absolutely no doubt that she means every word she says, delivered in that chilling voice."

# Timeskip

"Suzu's bedroom as the same as it's always been, bookshelves filled with a mix of girly manga, a few shelves holding various characters from shows she's watched, and a number of plush animals sitting around the largely white and light pink room."

"A spoiled little princess, quietly slumbering away surrounded by her little luxuries. It's nice to see her sleeping so peacefully, her mind not worried by the day's events."

"Walking over to her bed, I carefully take a seat on the side where she's sleeping. Without thinking, I reach down and brush away a stray hair on her face, disturbing her just enough to make her eyelids flutter."

"I try to keep my voice as low and gentle as possible, not wanting to bother her any more than I already have."

mik "Hey. You okay?"

"She just looks at me through half-closed eyes before letting them mournfully drop to the side."

"I feel stupid for not knowing how to comfort her. I came up here, after all, but now I'm suddenly left realising that I've never really tried emotionally supporting such a fragile person before. It's one thing to talk a guy through some day-to-day frustration or whatever, but quite another to be stuck together in the trenches like this."

"I end up just stroking her head, completely at a loss for what else to do."

suz "What happened afterwards?"

mik "Hmm... not much, really. Just a few bits of smalltalk before everyone went off to do their own thing."

suz "They hate m-"

mik "Don't be like that. They were just taken off guard, that's all."

mik "Remember when you kissed me out of the blue? Even I was a bit shocked, and you know how I am."

suz "Thick-headed?"

"I give a snort in spite of myself. She's still the same old girl, that's for sure."

mik "Yeah, I deserved that."

"In the brief silence that follows, Suzu fidgets a bit and manages to sit up, albeit slightly groggily."

"As she looks at me, her eyes staring into mine, her intentions are plain to see. Without a word, both of us lean towards each other as she holds her blanket to her chest."

"Our lips meet each other. It's not much more than a peck, a momentary touch before we each sit back, but it's enough."

"I feel a stupid grin sitting on my face, the feeling of our kiss still lingering. Suzu manages to hold her composure for a scant few moments before her cheeks fill with a bright scarlet, forced to look down in embarrassment as she clenches her hand to her chest."

"I know it's irrational, that it makes absolutely no sense, but somehow I can't help but feel that everyone will work out fine when I see her like this."

"It's a terribly strange feeling. Not so much to love someone, but to be loved yourself. To know that to someone else, you're the most important person in their mind. Not by blood, but by choice."

"Maybe that's why everything feels like it'll be alright. Because Suzu's there, and even after all I've done, she loves me. She accepts me."