Chapter Text
Tenki no Ko: After Story
Meeting You
"We're gonna be alright!"
His words resonated deeply within her soul, echoing throughout her ear drums and finally reaching the deepest crevices of her heart. We're gonna be alright…
Even with half of Tokyo submerged under the great expanse of the ocean, even after being separated for 3 years - everything was going to be alright now that she was back in Hodaka's arms..
"Hodaka, I've missed you so much.." she muffled into the folds of his windbreaker as her close embrace with him only tightened. All those pent up feelings of yearning for him were starting to rise to the surface, pouring out from her soul through the tears trickling down her cheeks.
"I've.. I've missed you too, Hina-san." He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as his arms pulled her closer to his chest. He rested his head on her hair, breathing and taking in the familiar and comforting scent.
The tranquil sounds of the never-ending drizzle of rain had drowned out anything else in the world, washing them with a sense of peace that they hadn't felt in their lives for what seemed like ages. It was as if those 3 years of sorrow and loneliness from their separation was all just a dream, and this was the reality that they had woken up to.
"How did you find me?" Her gentle voice had broken through the peaceful silence.
Hodaka didn't know how to put it into words. Perhaps it was pure luck that he'd found her here, praying to the Gods for the rain to stop. "I just knew you were here.."
He could hear her letting out a content hum as he felt her head resting on his shoulder. He swore that he heard a few muffled sobs coming from her, which only made him wrap his arms tighter around her body. All he wanted to do was stay like this forever, holding her in his embrace. It was the only thing he'd been wanting to do after all these years apart.
Eventually, they finally parted from their hug, much to their reluctance. And both of their cheeks were glistening with raindrops and tears. The smile that adorned both of their faces were worth all those years without each other. But then, a giggle soon erupted from Hina's lips as a grin broke all over her face.
"W-What's so funny?" Hodaka giggled confusedly as his eyebrows cocked into a puzzled look.
"Hodaka.." she tried to say between her giggles as she wiped away the tears, "..you've really grown."
Now that he thought about it, Hina was about shoulder-level compared to him. 3 years ago, they stood head to head. Now, he was way taller!
"Y-yea.." he chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
The smile bubbling all over her lips sent sparks flying in his heart. That smile and that laugh of hers; it was intoxicating. He could never get enough of it.
"Well, where are you going after this?"
His trance on her gorgeous face had been snapped. "Uh, umm..," he stuttered as a mad blush formed all over his cheeks. He hoped she hadn't noticed him staring at her for so long. "I.. I'm not sure. I didn't really plan on anything other than meeting you here.."
He felt an arm sling around his own, pulling him closer towards her direction. "Then c'mon," he heard her chime sweetly, "why don't you come over to my house and I'll make you some lunch." A big and comforting smile curved all over her lips.
She really was the sunshine girl.. That smile on her lips could light up the entire world for all he cared. "Really? I wouldn't want to trouble you with-"
"Hodaka.." She brought her hand to his, intertwining her fingers around his own. "You've waited 3 years to see me again, and you came all the way here to Tokyo.. The least I can do is make lunch for you."
"Unless of course.." her lips began to curve into a little pout, "..you don't like my cooking?"
"W-wait that's not-" The heat rose to Hodaka's cheeks as his mind turned into a flustery mush. "Your cooking is amazing, Hina-san!" he said with the utmost conviction to his voice.
She tried to hide her childish giggles with her free hand. She couldn't help but think Hodaka looked cute when he got flustered like this. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Now c'mon, let's get going."
Hodaka let out a sigh of relief. Even with the eternal gloomy weather, Hina's giggles were like rays of sunshine bursting through the clouds.
Along the walk through the rainy streets, they reminisced about the past, remembering the almost unbelievable things they'd gone through together. Throughout it all, their fingers remained intertwined, neither of them showing signs of breaking their tight hold on each other.
"So what happened to your old home?"
"Oh, it got submerged under the ocean," she replied almost nonchalantly, as if having her entire home getting repossessed by the ocean was just another daily occurrence.
"What?!"
Hina shook her hand to ease Hodaka's worry. "Don't worry, Suga-san helped us rent out a new apartment," she said with a chipper smile.
"Suga-san? Really? He did that for you guys?" He knew that his former 'employer' had grown close to the Amanos, but he didn't realise he'd done something like that.
"Of course. Natsumi-san and him even offered to become me and Nagi's legal guardians until I turned 18 y'know," she said matter-of-factly.
She sighed, remembering those days after she'd come back to the Earth, when child protective services were thinking of taking Nagi away from her.. "If it weren't for them, I don't know what would've happened to me and Nagi.." she said softly.
"Woah.." Suga-san really had done so much for these two.. it was no wonder why the man seemed to show him so many photos of the Amanos along with him and Natsumi together. They'd all grown so close together these past 3 years, almost like they were an actual family now.. And he wasn't around to see any of it. Somehow, somewhere, deep down in his heart... he felt a pang of loss and jealousy.
"Anyway, here we are!"
They stopped in front of a quaint little apartment complex. It looked almost similar to the one they'd lived in 3 years ago.
Hina led him up a flight of stairs and down the hallway. The view of Tokyo was pretty spectacular from the open-air hallway. It had been years since he'd seen the skyline of the city, and this was a far cry from the scenery of green and grass back home.
They finally ended up in front of a door at the far end of the hallway.
"This is it!"
Hina untangled her fingers from Hodaka's, and the absence of that warm feeling of her hand had left him with a little pout on his face, unbeknownst to him. She sifted through the pockets of her school blazer and fished out a bundle of keys. She kicked off her shoes to the side as she opened the door to let Hodaka in.
Hodaka let out a silent gasp as he took in the sight of Hina's home. It wasn't as small as their previous apartment had been and the furnishings looked much better. Heck, they even had a TV! He felt a little jealous thinking about the dump of a one-room apartment he was renting at the moment..
"Oh, Nagi isn't home yet," Hina chimed once she noticed the absence of a pair of shoes near the front door.
"Senpai?"
Hina silently giggled at the word. How cute of him to still call her little brother 'senpai' even after all these years..
"He's probably still at school.. Oh! Speaking of school, how was going back to school like for you, Hodaka?," Hina casually asked as she took off her blazer, revealing the pink hoodie she'd been wearing under it.
He let out an audible groan. "Ughh.. I don't want to talk about it. I'm just glad I've already graduated."
"So you're gonna live in Tokyo now?" he heard her say with a faint chuckle as she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Yea, that's the plan.." he sighed. "What about you?"
He heard the clicking of the stove followed by a loud sizzle noise from the kitchen. "Well, I've got a year or so left until I graduate. So until then, I'm working part-time at Suga-san's office."
She appeared back into the living room, this time wearing a red apron over her hoodie. A feeling of intense deja vú hit Hodaka all at once. It was just like the first time he went to Hina's home…
"Make yourself at home. I'll be done with lunch in no time," she chippered with a sweet smile.
"Thank you.. Hina-san."
"Hodaka, c'mon. Enough with the honorifics. You can call me Hina y'know.." she shook her head with a smirk all over her lips.
"R-right. Sorry.." he blushed. It felt a little silly, now that he thought about it, to keep using honorifics with someone as close to him as Hina was..
He sat down on the carpet beneath the low table before stretching out his legs. His eyes scanned the room, taking in every little detail of the quaint little apartment that he now sat in. A small smile curved his lips, a feeling of pure relief and happiness slowly seeping into his heart. He couldn't even describe how relieved he was to know that Hina and Nagi lived in a nice little home like this. Hina didn't have to worry too much about the money, and she could live life like a normal schoolgirl, how it was always meant to be.
He chuckled to himself, remembering the stupid words he'd said all those years ago. 'I'll earn enough to support the three of us!' As if a 16 year-old boy like him could've found a job to do something like that..
But back then, he really meant what he said. He'd loved Hina and Nagi like they were family, and he'd have done anything for them..
As Hodaka crossed his legs and leaned his body forwards towards the low table, he felt something poking his abdomen. He rummaged around his coat until he felt something hard in his pocket. He dug his hand around in it until he came across the touch of a round and hard object. He took it out, his eyes widening in surprise once he saw what it was.
"The ring!"
How had he been so careless?! He was supposed to give it back to her when they met just now! He mentally cursed himself. That would've been the perfect opportunity..
He'd kept it for 3 years after he'd found it in the puddle, as if it had dropped from the sky above. There was no time to dilly-dally, he needed to give it back to her soon.
"Lunch is almost ready!" he heard Hina announce from the kitchen.
Well, it wouldn't be as romantic as giving it to her back there at the street where they met.. But there was no other time than now!
He rose up from the carpet and walked over to the kitchen. He took a peek and saw Hina pouring the fried rice into a big bowl and seasoned on top of it were fish crackers. He chuckled to himself. That was one of the few meals that would stay in his mind forever, besides the McDonald's hamburger she'd so generously given to him when they first met.
"Oh, Hodaka!"
From the corner of her eye, she saw him taking a peek at her. She shot him a cute smile before taking an egg and cracking it over the middle of the rice.
"Food's almost done. I'm sure you're pretty hungry."
"Y-yea.." he said as his stomach coincidentally grumbled.
Wait.. He mentally slapped himself, snapping back to the task at hand. "Hina, I have something to show you."
"Alright, let me put the food on the table and-"
Click~
"Onee-chan, I'm home!"
Hina's eyes lit up at the voice. "Oh, Nagi's back!"
Hodaka's initial pout from the interruption of giving Hina his ring had quickly disappeared once he realised who it was at the door.
'Senpai!'
He hurriedly shoved the ring back down into his coat pocket. He'd have to wait until later to give her back the ring.. But for now, he was eager to meet his senpai.
"Welcome home, Nagi-kun," he heard Hina say as he made his way to the front door.
He peeked a little, smiling at the sibling banter that Hina and Nagi were having as she greeted him at the entrance. But what surprised him the most was how tall Nagi had grown. He was almost as tall as he was!
He wasn't sure how Nagi would react to seeing him again after so long. The last time he'd seen his face was on that fateful day, three years ago, when he tackled down the officer in that old abandoned building...
"Hey Onee-chan, whose shoes are-"
Nagi's words were caught in his throat once he saw the tall teenager standing just in front of him. It was like seeing a ghost..
"H-Hodaka-san?!"
"Hey senpai!" Hodaka greeted back with a little wave of his hand.
Nagi's eyes seemed to move up and down as they scanned Hodaka's body and frame with utmost detail and perception. It was like he was trying to figure out whether he was the real thing..
"Senpai.. you've really grown taller," Hodaka finally said, snapping Nagi out of his seemingly intense gaze on him.
He still couldn't believe it.. "Y-you didn't tell me you were coming back.." he eventually squeaked once his mind finally processed the fact that Hodaka was right there in front of him.
Hodaka sheepishly grinned as he absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I wanted it to be a surprise.."
Nagi stepped closer and closer towards him. Eventually, he stopped right in front of Hodaka before he lifted up his fist towards him. Hodaka on the other hand had his eyebrows cocked in confusion. What was Nagi trying to do?
And then, with a half-smile and a sigh, Nagi finally said, "Welcome back, Hodaka-san."
He knew instantly what his senpai was trying to get him to do now. He didn't wait any longer to give his senpai the best fistbump there ever was, smashing his fist into Nagi-senpai's as the both of them erupted in cheers. He took a step further and pulled Nagi into a smothering hug.
"H-Hey, Hodaka-san! Don't you think a fistbump is enough?!" he shrugged as his cheeks reddened like a ripe tomato. He tried to wiggle himself out of the hug, but his efforts were all in vain.
"I missed you, Nagi-senpai." Hodaka wouldn't let go of his tight hug.
His face only intensified in colour with each second trapped in Hodaka's hug. "Fine..," Nagi eventually sighed in defeat as he semi-reluctantly wrapped his arms around Hodaka. "I missed you too, Hodaka-san.."
Hina stood by the side with a dreamy little smile plastered all over her lips. She chuckled to herself. It was nice seeing her little brother be so cute with Hodaka, and the fact that they were hugging just made her heart flutter. The three of them really did feel like a family even after all this time..
"Lunch is ready, so I'll go set the table," she chimed in as she left for the kitchen.
Eventually, Hodaka finally let go of the hug. He laughed seeing Nagi's bright red face, still embarrassed from the hug he'd given him.
The two of them made their way to the living room. Their eyes - well, Hodaka's more than Nagi's - sparkled with delight and wonder, amazed at the display of food on the low table. Fried rice, topped with a raw egg in the middle, accompanied by fish crackers on the side and freshly snipped green onions - this was culinary heaven for Hodaka!
He quickly sat down by the low table, preparing his chopsticks to dig in.
"Itadakimasu!" they all said in perfect unison. After that, they all dug in to Hina's mouth-watering food.
"Oishii! This tastes amazing, Hina!" Hodaka beamed in delight as he continued to shove down more of the rice into his mouth.
"T-Thank you, Hodaka." The blush on Hina's cheeks were a pretty obvious sign of her flattery at Hodaka's compliment. And that abashed little smile on her lips almost sent Hodaka's heart fluttering into the air.
Nagi eyed the both of them as a little smirk curved on the sides of his lips. His older sister was totally head-over-heels for Hodaka. Not like that was any secret to him.. But he couldn't help but notice that she looked a little happier and livelier now that Hodaka was back with them.
"So, senpai, you're in middle school right now right?" he heard Hodaka ask.
"Yup, second year actually. Hey, didn't you go back to school too?"
Hodaka nodded as he absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. "Yea, but I've already graduated. That's why I'm here in Tokyo actually.."
"To see my sister?" Nagi's smirk only grew wider, now with an added look and undertone of deviousness to his lips.
Hodaka almost choked on his rice. His cheeks were taking on a red hue now. "N-No! W-Well yes. I mean-"
Nagi's lips were barely able to hold back his snickers, and Hina on the other hand was trying her best to hide the blush forming on her cheeks.
"T-That isn't the only reason. I'm here to look for a job as well!"
"Well, either way, I'm sure Onee-chan's super glad that you're back in Tokyo," he smirked. "I mean, all she does is really talk about you, right Nee-chan?"
The blushes wouldn't stop coming, and now Hina's face was as red as the blood in her veins. So red in fact, she was using her hands to cover the embarrassed look on her face.
"N-Nagi! D-Don't say that!" she stammered as she hid her face in her hands.
Hodaka was gobsmacked, as if this was the revelation of a lifetime for him. "W-wait, she does?"
"T-That's not the point!" Hina continued to stammer as she now swayed side-to-side in her seat.
Their mutual embarrassment was stopped once they saw Nagi giggling his heart out. "You guys are blushing so hard right now!" he laughed as he wiped away an imaginary tear from his eye.
The two of them looked back at each other, noticing the fact that they did indeed look like ripe tomatoes.. Funny, they had 'confessed' their love to each other three years ago, yet here they were, blushing and being utterly embarrassed by Nagi's teasing. The realisation of that fact had caused them to erupt into giggles, then laughter, until all three of them were laughing their hearts out.
After three years of waiting, of yearning to escape that cramped and isolated island, of aching to meet Hina and the rest again - this was worth all of that. This.. this was where he was supposed to be. Back with them, back at home...
Minutes turned to hours, and before they knew it, the sun - or what little of it there was - was starting to disappear into the horizon. They'd spent hours chatting and talking, filling up Hodaka with everything that'd happened in their lives ever since he was gone.=
The laughs and smiles they'd shared, the somber moments when they'd reminisced on the hard times - they'd told him everything. It was only then that he realised how much he'd missed out on their lives. Of course now, he was back. And he would be there for the both of them, that was his promise.
"You're gonna leave so soon?"
Hodaka sighed. "Yea, it's getting pretty late right now. And I don't want to trouble you two anymore," he said with a sheepish grin.
"Hey now!," Hina said as she skipped closer to Hodaka. "You weren't a trouble at all. And you're welcome to come back here anytime you want."
"Thanks, Hina.." he said quietly. After that, they shared their goodbye hug, with Hodaka wrapping his arms around Hina a little tighter than usual. Good thing Nagi wasn't here, or Hodaka might've taken the chance to hug him again as payback for what he did during lunch.
The two of them, alone.. His mind suddenly lit up like a bulb. This was the perfect time to give Hina the ring!
He reluctantly let go of his embrace on Hina before placing his hands on her shoulders. "H-Hina, before I go, I've actually got something that I want to give you.."
"Really now?"
Hina eyed him curiously, noticing one of his hands going down to rummage his pocket. Eventually, he fished something out, but she didn't know what since it was hidden in his clenched fist.
She noticed Hodaka's breathing starting to turn slightly erratic, as if he was trying to contain his nervousness. "C-Close your eyes.." he said to her with as much suaveness in his voice as he tried to muster. But it came out more awkward than he'd liked it to be..
"Okay Hodaka. Whatever you say.." she giggled before closing her eyes. She had to admit, she was a little excited with what Hodaka was planning to surprise her with.
Soon, she felt a hard and cold object surround her finger. Before she could even start to guess what Hodaka had slipped onto her finger, he finally spoke up.
"You can open your eyes now.."
She did just that, and once she finally laid her eyes upon what Hodaka had placed onto her little finger, she let out a gasp. Her eyes were lighting up like the fireworks she'd cleared the weather for..
'No way..'
She knew that design. She thought she'd lost it all those years ago when it slipped from her grasp atop the gargantuan cumulonimbus in the blue sky. Memories were starting to flash back into her mind all at once. That night, when he'd gifted the ring to her, when she showed the effects of her duties as the sunshine girl to Hodaka, when they embraced and cried in each other's arms… She didn't know it, but tears were starting to trickle down her cheek.
"H-Hodaka.. is this..?"
He nodded as his eyes gazed into hers. "It is.." He gave her that same toothy grin that he'd shown her all those years ago in that hotel room.
"H-Hodaka.."
She thought she'd lost it, yet here it was, back on her finger! Who knew a ring would mean so much to her...
But that ring, even if it was just a birthday gift for her '18th birthday', was Hodaka's confession to her. And to Hina, that ring symbolised the love she'd share with Hodaka forever..
It was like something had come over her. Like a spark had ignited in some deep crevice within her heart. Before she knew it, she'd closed her eyes, her face inching ever closer towards Hodaka. There was no hesitation, no second thoughts. She wanted this.. She was finally going to answer his confession..
Hodaka's breathing hitched for a moment once he realised how Hina looked as she closed her eyes. He didn't know why, but she looked absolutely beautiful.. Then, the realisation of what she was trying to do dawned on him. She was trying to kiss him!
It felt almost natural for him to close his eyes as well as his face seemed to move by itself, inching forward to meet Hina's halfway. He took her hands into his, intertwining their fingers together.
This would be their first kiss. Was the front door the best place to do it? Not really… but they didn't care. They'd been holding their love for each other inside themselves for so long that none of that mattered anymore. All they wanted was each other…
He took a peek, noticing Hina's quivering lips. She was nervous… And so was he, if he was being honest with himself. So, so nervous..
He didn't know how far apart their faces were, but soon, he felt it. The tickle of his cheeks by her breaths of air, the heat radiating from her face, and then.. the soft feeling of her tender lips on his.
They were clumsy at first, adjusting their faces until they'd both reached a perfect angle that was comfortable for the both of them. But after that, they didn't care about the awkwardness nor the embarrassment on their faces, all they wanted was to savour this feeling forever.
Soon, Hodaka felt the warmth of her hands escape his grasp, feeling them wrap around his waist as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.
He followed suit, running a hand through her silky black hair while another went to brush her cheek. He felt like exploding there and then.. The pure, unadulterated feeling of happiness pouring out of his heart almost felt too much to bear. This… this was what he'd been waiting - aching - to do ever since they'd been separated three years ago.
Hina felt the same way too. The love that'd been trapped all this time inside her heart was pouring out like a gusher. The gentle feeling of Hodaka's rough lips on hers was making her heart melt. Her hands moved up from his waist towards his head, pulling him even closer as the kiss grew more passionate. All she wanted to do was stay like this forev-
"Gosh, you guys are really good at kissing.."
In a split second, their eyes widened like saucers. Exasperated gasps escaped both of their lips before they separated almost instantly from each other. They looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.. Eyes wide, mouth agape, and most of all, a big red blush all over their cheeks.
"N-Nagi?! How long have you been standing there?!" Hina shrieked as she backed away from Hodaka.
A devious smirk curved on the ends of his lips. "Mm~ not sure. But I didn't want to interrupt your tender moment."
"N-Nagi-senpai, H-Hina. I-I'll be making my way home now. Thanks for everything.."
"H-Hodaka wait!"
Before she knew it, he bowed in respect and dashed through the hallway. Even in the dark night, the mad blush on his face was as obvious as ever.
Hina quickly shut the door soon after before she slumped down on the hard surface with her back leaning on it. Her fingers instinctively brushed against her lips, as if her mind was asking itself whether or not what'd just happened was a dream or reality. It had to be a dream, right? There was no way she'd just kissed Hodaka.. But it was real. She felt it!
"I.. I kissed him.." she muttered to herself. "I.. I actually kissed him.."
"You two really do love each other.." he sighed. He shook his head as a half-smile formed on his lips.
Suddenly, he felt his cheeks being pinched like never before as his head was shaken about.
He turned to look at the source of it; Hina, who had a pout plastered all over her face.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You ruined my kiss, dummy!"
She quickly got up before huffing off into her room. She heard Nagi apologising profusely from the doorway. Even with the apparent anger on her face, deep inside, her heart was fluttering, and all she could think about was one single thing:
'I kissed him!'
As Hodaka ran through the streets with his coat hoodie propped up to cover his face, the only thought rushing through his mind again and again was one single thing:
'I kissed her!'