Chapter Text
Chisaki woke with a slight shiver. The water seemed colder than usual today, she thought as she slowly got up and started getting ready for school. She hadn’t slept well, as she had been thinking about the impending hibernation she and all the other Shioshishio residents would be going into soon. Although she was putting on a brave face for Manaka, she was scared and didn’t like to think about what the future may bring. “As long as the four of us are together, surely it will be all right. We’ll wake up together, and nothing will have changed.” These are the words she often used to comfort herself when thoughts of their cloudy future came bundling in.
The TV was softly blaring in the background as she and her father were eating breakfast together. A few fish were swimming past, and she stopped and watched them make their way peacefully across her living room. Her mother stood by and scolded her father for spilling his food. Chisaki giggled, and sighed softly, wishing things could stay like this forever. She knew that after they go to sleep, it may be many years before things go back to normal.
As Chisaki was pulling her hair into her usual side ponytail, the doorbell began to ring. “I’ve got it, Mom. I’ll see you after school!” Chisaki exclaimed as she walked towards the door with her ribbon in her teeth. She noticed her best friend, Kaname, at the door. “Why is he here…?” she wondered. “I guess he’s feeling nostalgic too, with all this hibernation stuff going on. He probably wants to walk to school together.” She opened the door and greeted her best friend.
“Good morning, Chisaki,” he said with his usual bright smile and charm.
“What’s up?” she responded, still slightly confused. “Why’d you come to get me?”
The response Kaname gave was not one she was expecting, to say the least. “I’m done just watching.” His usual smile had disappeared. It had turned suddenly soft, and the look in his eyes seemed to tell an entire story.
“What?”
“I thought it couldn’t be helped while you were chasing after Hikari… But it appears we really don’t have time anymore.”
“Wait, Kaname. What are you talking about?”
“I’ve liked you, Chisaki. For quite a while now.”
Chisaki could feel the heat rising to her cheeks the moment the words escaped Kaname’s lips. As she opened her mouth to gasp, “What?” her ribbon fell to the floor and her long hair cascaded down her back. She couldn’t believe her ears. This was her lifelong best friend, and he had just told her he loved her right to her face. She didn’t know how to respond, and she wanted to turn and run away. She had never thought of him that way before. Kaname was her rock. She could always depend on him, and he was always there for her. She couldn’t believe he had felt this way about her for so long. She stuttered to find words, and Kaname walked forward to pick up her ribbon and hand it to her. “Here,” he said with a smile. “Th-thank you,” she replied shyly, her face still steaming.
She did not notice that her parents were right behind her, holding the curtain open to the front door with bewildered looks of surprise. They were red faced as well, and her father was exceptionally so. Kaname bowed to them and smiled.
“I’m sorry for causing a stir so early in the morning. I just confessed my feelings to your daughter.” As Kaname said this, Chisaki’s father dropped the curtain he was holding. Kaname continued, “It’s not that I want a reply. It’s sort of like a modest resistance.”
“Resistance?” Chisaki questioned, with her eyes still as round as a doe’s.
Kaname’s usual smile returned and he replied quickly, “Come on. If you don’t hurry, we’re going to be late.” He looked at her, smiled, and turned quickly to walk out. Chisaki couldn’t tell, but she thought she could see a flicker of pain deep in his masked blue eyes.