Archive of Our Own

As he lay thoughtfully in bed, Achi Endo finally came to a decision. He was going to tell Hitomi how he felt about her, no matter what. The only problem, he realised with a growing sense of dread, was that he had no idea how to go about it. He had never particularly been interested in romance before. Sure, he liked thinking about girls in the abstract and had a small crush here or there, but it was nothing compared to what he felt now. Hitomi had a way of making everything brighter, shining like the comforting lights of Shibuya at the end of a long day. 

Should he just go up and say it? 

Hey Hitomi, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you. That’s it.

Even in his head it sounded pretty stupid. Not for the first time, he cursed his terrible way with words. But what other way was there? He could get her a gift or something, he supposed. What did girls like? Achi made a mental list that went something like this:

1. Flowers
2. Food
3. ???????

Yeah, that wasn’t helping much either. For all he knew, Hitomi was allergic to flowers. Plus, who didn’t like food? At the very least, he knew she liked reading. Getting her a book seemed risky though, coming from a guy who never had much time to read and had no idea what was good or bad. 

It was official: he was in a bind.

Achi elected to sleep on it. Just as he was turning over to a more comfortable position, he had a sudden flash of inspiration. Of course! Tomorrow, he’d go and ask Suzune. She knew way more about this stuff than him anyway. Even if asking his sister for love advice left him feeling slightly embarrassed. Okay, maybe a lot embarrassed. 

Across Shibuya, Hitomi Osawa had also come to a decision. Well, she’d come to it a while ago, but hadn’t had the right chance to act on it. She was going to tell Achi how she felt about him. As soon as possible, preferably. Unfortunately for her, there was a problem.

She had absolutely no idea how to tell him.

Hitomi had always prided herself on her vocabulary. Since she was a child, she had disappeared into the world of literature, wrapped herself protectively in words and explored her imagination to the fullest. She was even studying literature! Around Achi, though? She was completely tongue tied. Achi was such an honest, straightforward person. It only made sense to be direct as possible.

I love you, Achi.

There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? And yet, somehow it didn’t say everything she wanted. 

How the feel of his hand in hers had made her feel so very complete and safe, no matter the danger they had run from.

How the open sincerity of his words and actions were breath-taking to her, such perfect simplicity she wanted to hold onto, always.

How, from the day they had met and every day after, she could feel her heart unfurling and growing, reaching for him like a sunflower reaches for the sun.

The very idea of telling him that made her shy, however. He wouldn’t laugh at her or be repulsed in any way, but still, she would practically be baring her soul! Besides, were guys even that interested in that form of romance? Hitomi came to another awkward realisation: she really had no idea what Achi thought of love. Did he think of it? She certainly hoped so, especially if it related to her. 

She rolled over in bed with a small huff. Love was a lot harder than all those romance novels had taught her. What she needed was some advice from someone who actually knew about love. What she needed was… Maria! Why hadn’t she thought of her before? Maria was such a people person, she had to have some insights to share. Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. What are sisters for, right?

Achi was distantly aware of his leg bouncing as he waited for Suzune’s response. They were sitting on a bench outside, under a large Japanese Maple Tree. For once the area was fairly secluded, despite its popularity among many of the patients at Shibuya Hospital. Achi, however, hadn’t noticed, as his focus had narrowed to the serious, contemplative look on his sister’s face.

“So?” he prompted.

“Basically, you want advice on how to ask this Hitomi to be your girlfriend, right?” Suzune replied carefully. Achi nodded mutely; his cheeks flushed red.

“Well, do you love her?”

“Of course! Hitomi’s the best!” 

Suzune fixed him with an amused glance as his loud declaration echoed under the tree. 

“Well then, just tell her that! It’s not rocket science Achi.”

“Is it really that simple though?” Achi muttered with a frown. “I dunno, I feel like Hitomi deserves something more than that, you know? I just don’t know the right words, I guess.”

Suzune smiled easily at that. “Then tell me, what do you like about her?” 

What wasn’t there to like about her? Achi very nearly blurted out ‘everything’, which though true probably wouldn’t answer the question well. Instead, he closed his eyes and concentrated on Hitomi. 

“She’s… I like her stubbornness. She never gave up on her sister when she needed it most and she always but others’ safety above her own.” A fond smile broke over his face as memories of that fateful time washed over him.

“That’s a good start. What else?”

“She’s always so kind. I know I’m not the strongest tool in the shed or anything, but I don’t feel that way when I’m with her. She just as this way of lifting people up, making everything better. Plus, she really cares about the environment!”

“Oh, did she know about the bottle thing?”

Achi nodded with an eager grin. Suzune lightly clapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his focus. He turned instead to look at her. She looked serious, but Achi could tell she was trying really hard not to smile. 

“Well, just tell her that then,” she declared.

“What, that I was impressed she knew about how to dispose of a bottle?”

Suzune giggled fondly and shook her head. “No, I mean, just tell her the stuff you told me. Tell her you think she’s amazing and that you love her for it.”

“Just like that?” Achi asked worriedly. “Doesn’t that seem a bit, I dunno, simple?”

“Trust me, it’ll work. The trick is to be simple and heartfelt. If the words come from your heart, then you can’t go wrong!”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know the right words. You know me, I’m terrible at that stuff.”

“Achi, you’ll know. Imagine Hitomi was here, right now. What would you say to her?”

There was a long beat of silence as he thought. Somehow, it was easier with Suzune next to him. Having a friendly person in his corner gave him the confidence he needed to find the right words. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

Hitomi was nervous. She could feel her hands curl and uncurl in her lap, almost without input from her. Maria was looking at her appraisingly, sitting across from her. It was… odd. Hitomi had never imagined that she ever be in this situation with her sister; sitting in Maria’s room, on her bed, talking about boy troubles. 

“So?” Hitomi whispered urgently.

“So, you love Achi. Like, love him love him, right?”

Hitomi nodded quickly in response.

“And you want to tell him that you love him?”

Again, she nodded.

“Well, then, just go for it!”

Hitomi was sure her face had morphed into one of surprise, as Maria giggled quietly.

“So, your advice is to just go up to him one day and say it? Just like that?” she asked.

“Just like that.”

Hitomi hesitated, digesting Maria’s advice. It wasn’t bad, of course. She expected no less from her twin. Still, it didn’t exactly help either. Maria seemed to pick up on this, however, as a small, fond smile crossed her face.

“Let me guess Hitomi. You’re worried you wouldn’t be saying enough, right?” she said gently.

Hitomi looked up in shock. It was, in fact, exactly what she worried about. It still amazed her that Maria could know her so well.

“Got it in one, right? Called it!” she crowed excitedly. Then, on a slightly quieter track: “We are sisters you know, even if we haven’t always acted like it.”

“I know,” Hitomi replied hurriedly. “I just… have to get used to it.”

The two sat in silence for a beat, both contemplating the truth of the statement. It was almost like they had been living on different sides of a thunderstorm for years on end. Sometimes they could hear each other over the sounds of the squall, and other times their words were lost in the thunder. Then, the rain had suddenly stopped, and the two sisters were left blinking in confusion at each other under the warm sun. Eventually, Maria broke the silence. 

“Anyway, what I was going to say is that you want to say more, right? I bet the literature nerd in you is racing to figure out the most romantic way to spill your heart out! The truth is though, I don’t think you need to yet. If he’s as crazy about you as you are about him, you’ll have all the time in the world to tell him everything. And if he isn’t, well, then he doesn’t deserve to hear those words, you know? So, my advice is to stick to basics and go for it.”

Maria spoke with such easy confidence; it was easy for Hitomi to believe her. It all made a certain amount of sense, even if the thought of Achi rejecting her seemed to dump a tonne of rocks into the pit of her stomach. However, if he did feel the same… she could practically feel her creativity spike at the idea. Maybe she could try writing him a poem, or a handwritten letter, or-

Maria regarded the effect of her advice with an amused grin. “You’re already coming up with ways to tell him after, hey?”

Hitomi blushed and looked away, which just made Maria laugh cheerfully. After a while, she couldn’t help but join in. As she did so, she spotted a collage on the wall of Maria’s room. They were photos she had taken on her trip to the Middle East, with some scattered shots of Tokyo mixed in. Front and centre however, was a shot of her with another young girl with blonde hair.

“Hey, Maria?”

“Yeah?”

“When are you going to tell Canaan?”

Maria started suddenly, her laughter cutting off. “Tell her what?” she replied evasively.

“That you’re in love with her.”

Maria practically choked on air. Hitomi couldn’t help her own good-natured laugh at the sight. After all, Maria wasn’t the only one who knew her sister well now. 

Achi could feel his heart race in his chest as he made his way up Center-gai. This was it. Just a few more streets and he’d reach Hachiko. 

Hachiko, and Hitomi.

He had arranged the meeting the day before, sometime after his talk with Suzune. Truly, he had never been more thankful for the creation of the text messaging.

Hey Hitomi, can we meet up tomorrow? There’s something I want to tell you.

Sure Achi! I have something I want to tell you too, so it all works out. Where at?  

Hachiko. Maybe around 1?

Sounds good! See you there :)

Since then he’d had time to think hard on what he wanted to say. Keep it simple, from the heart. You’ve got this, just go for it.

Finally, he made it to the scramble. It was crowded with people, as always. In the distance he could see the bronze statue of Hachiko standing serenely above it all. Suddenly there was a short break in the crowd, and he quickly recognised the figure standing under the statue. Hitomi. 

Achi felt his breath catch. Even from this distance, she was absolutely beautiful. His heart still pounded his chest, but a calm, content smile graced his face. She was standing in the same place as she had that fateful April day, the first time he had seen her. Back then he’d had no idea how important she would become to him. How much his life would change. Now, he couldn’t imagine Shibuya without Hitomi Osawa.

He could never imagine his home without her in it.

With that thought spurring him on, Achi purposefully wiped his clammy hands on his pants and pushed his way into the crowd. It seemed to take only seconds to cross the scramble to stand in front of her.

Hitomi scanned the crowd quickly. Her gaze couldn’t quite stay on one entrance to the scramble. She wanted to catch a glimpse of Achi before he arrived, just so she could prepare herself a little more. Just a short look would be fine. 

Though, the scramble contained so many memories of Achi that she wasn’t sure it would entirely calm her nerves. She had been standing in this exact spot when he’d first approached her, taken her hand and guided her to safety. If she looked over, she could see the police box they had first run too, and from there the alley where he had first introduced himself. 

There was just so much of Achi in Shibuya. How had she never noticed before? If Shibuya was one large, living thing, then he was one of its white blood cells. Always doing his best to protect others. 

There!

Hitomi had noticed a flash of red in her peripheral vision. She quickly turned his head around to see, and there he was. It wasn’t hard to spot him in the crowd, since he was wearing his favourite red vest. Even from this far away, she knew he was staring back at her. The serious, determined expression on his face caused her heart to speed up, fluttering fast in her chest. 

This was it. 

Hitomi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. In and out. Then she took another. And one more after that. Screwing up her courage, she opened her eyes. 

And there he was.

And there she was.

Hitomi was even more beautiful up close. For a long moment Achi stood stock still in front of her, studying her face, rendered absolutely speechless. For some reason, Hitomi seemed to be doing the same. Their eyes met. There was some unknown emotion swirling in her eyes, which made Achi paradoxically more and less nervous at the same time. It was like he was standing at the edge of something big and wonderful, and all he had to do was reach out and find out. He swallowed hard and let himself take the plunge.

“Hitomi, there’s… there’s something I want to tell you. Something important.”

She nodded slowly. 

“I have something to tell you too Achi.”

“Oh, did you want to go first?”

“No, it’s fine,” she replied quickly. “What did you want to tell me?”

Achi mouth twitched into a small smile. Trust Hitomi’s stubbornness, always. 

“Alright,” he said gently. He took a deep breath. Simple and heartfelt. 

“You know I’m not all that great with words, but I’m going to try to tell you what I’ve- what’s been on my mind,” he started carefully. Hitomi gave him an encouraging look, which was greatly appreciated.

“I asked you here because… I want you to know that this is the place where my life changed forever. Because I met you that day. Meeting you, knowing you, is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Shibuya means so much more, now that I know you're a part of it.”

Achi took another deep breath. He gazed deeply into Hitomi’s eyes, distantly recognising her shocked expression.

“What I’m trying to say is that… I love you, Hitomi. I have since I first met you here.”

Hitomi was sure her heart stopped beating for a moment. She couldn’t stop the sudden gasp that escaped her at his confession.

Achi… loved her?

Looking into his eyes, she knew he was telling the truth. She had never seen him so serious and thoughtful. All at once, a feeling of pure warmth burst somewhere inside her chest, spreading to her limbs and pulsing in her very bones. She had read about euphoria before, but in that perfect moment she truly understood what is was. Without warning, a few tears escaped her.

Achi clearly noticed, as his serious gaze quickly morphed into a panicked one. 

“I’m sorry Hitomi! I didn’t mean to upset you! I understand if you don’t-”

“Achi, that’s not it,” she laughed joyfully. “These are happy tears!”

“Happy?” Achi murmured. His face flickered between emotions. Confusion, dawning comprehension, shock and finally, tentative happiness.

“You mean?” 

“I love you too Achi. That’s what I was going to tell you. I always have, from the very first time you took my hand.”

Hitomi saw his jaw drop and his eyes widen, before a massive, relieved smile spread across his face. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The most wonderful thing she had ever felt, knowing that they shared this perfect feeling. 

Cautiously, Achi slowly reached out to cup her face, wiping away her tears with his thumb. With a small giggle, Hitomi did the same. He looked confused for a moment, before he chuckled. Without even realising it, he had started crying too.

All at once, their small giggles escalated into full blown laughter. Laughter of pure, unadulterated joy and relief, so intense they had to lean against each other to remain standing. It took a long time to fully settle. In fact, they were still giggling quietly as Achi carefully guided Hitomi’s face to his own. 

Their first kiss felt like a new dawn; lighting the world with brilliant colour and making everything sparkle.