Chapter Twenty-One: Lilac

As Kanako walked into the inn, she was greeted by a woodsy smell and lighting that was dimmed due to the hour. For a moment, she stood still, unsure of what to do. With no one at the front desk and the building sounding mostly quiet, Kanako began to wonder if anybody was even there. "Do I have the wrong address?" she thought.

Just as she considered going to look for an employee, an elderly woman came out from the hall. "Oh?" she let out. "May I help you dear?" Kanako stared at her for a moment, not being sure if the woman was a worker or guest. "Well, I guess she wouldn't have asked to help me if she was guest," Kanako thought, then spoke aloud. "Um, I-I'm actually looking for someone. I think this inn called and said that person was here."

The woman was silent, shutting her eyes as she appeared to think about what Kanako had just said. "Ahhh," she finally said as she reopened her eyes. "I see. I called that girl's house, but her parents must've sent you. Is that it?" "Y-Yes," Kanako said quickly. "Does that mean she's here?" "Mm," the woman said. "Haruna's here."

Kanako's heart soared at the news. Finally, she had found her love. Relief flooded over her, and Kanako nearly jumped for joy. But, there was one thing that prevented her from doing so, a question on her mind. "Um," she began. "I-If she's here, then why didn't you say so sooner? I-I'm pretty sure I called here looking for her." "People need time," the woman said simply. "Whether it's to enjoy something great, or process something tragic, we all need a bit of time to ourselves to take it all in. Though it hasn't been long, I think Haruna's ready now. Just call it the intuition of the old," she said, finishing with a small laugh.

"C-Can I… see her?" Kanako asked. The woman smiled at her. "Of course dear. Wait one moment." Turning around, the woman headed back down the hall and out of sight. A minute later, she returned, and right behind her was a girl. She was tall, and wore a basic, navy blue yukata perfect for an inn worker. Her silky black hair draped gently behind her back and with each step, its swaying slowed, as did she. Her eyes, a darker green in color, widened as she saw the one who had come to see her.

"Kanako…"

Standing across from her, Kanako's chest felt heavy and light all at the same time. Her feelings were a complete mess, and they went in all sorts of directions. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to express, and yet…

"Haruna…"

...The only thing that came out of her mouth was the name of the girl she loved. Tears began to well in her eyes, and before she knew it, her feet carried her forward. Step by step, Kanako got closer to Haruna, and just as she could've broken into a run, she leapt.

"Harunaaa!"

She cried the girl's name as she jumped into Haruna's arms. "W-Whoa!" Haruna exclaimed, moving to catch her. The two of them collided, and Haruna was just barely able to keep them upright. "Geez, don't just dive at me like that," she said, though there was hardly admonishment in her tone. More than anything, she was so happy to see Kanako again. There were plenty of other things on her mind, but in that moment, Haruna felt nothing but joy.

Kanako looked up from Haruna's chest, her eyes still wet. "Haruna…" she uttered again, this time in a much softer voice. Her expression gave the impression that there was something she desired as she stared up at her girlfriend, and the girlfriend in kind stared back. "Is she… asking for what I think she's asking for?" Haruna wondered. As if in response to that question, Kanako's eyes fluttered closed a little, and her lips came up ever-so-slightly.

"Kanako…" Haruna breathed. Naturally, her face began to lean down toward Kanako's. Closer and closer they got, and in turn, both their heartbeats raced. Their lips were nearly connected-

"Ahem."

The woman, Hayashi, cleared her throat. Immediately, the two girls stopped what they were doing and pulled away. Both of their faces were redder than red. Hayashi chuckled. "Perhaps you'd like a more private space for this moment?" she suggested. "Haruna dear, why don't you take her to your room?" "R-Right…" Haruna managed to say. Wanting to get away from the awkward scene as fast as possible, Haruna quickly left the lobby area with Kanako trailing close behind.

As soon as they arrived, Haruna quickly shut the door behind them. She still felt pretty embarrassed about such a public display of affection nearly happening, but she wasn't given much time to process it. With the shock of seeing Kanako again wearing off, a dull, throbbing pain began to return to the forefront of her mind. Haruna gritted her teeth a bit, but that did little to ease the pain in her ankle. Having been put to work the whole time she had been at the inn, her ankle had had little time to recover properly.

Gingerly, Haruna took a step forward, but a noticeable sting caused her to slip a bit. "Ouch…" she groaned. "A-Are you okay, Haruna?" Kanako asked, worried. "I'm fine…" Haruna said, but then she decided there was no point in lying. "Just be honest," she told herself again, then spoke. "Actually…"

Haruna bent down and pulled up a part of her yukata, revealing her ankle. The bandages wrapped around it weren't as tight as they should be due to Haruna having to constantly re-wrap them after changing the ice pack she kept putting on it. Although, even with the redness the cold would cause, it was obvious just how swollen and irritated her ankle had gotten.

"What happened?!" Kanako exclaimed as she crouched down to look at it. "I, um… fell," Haruna said meekly. "...after running…" "Haruna…" Kanako sighed. "The doctor told you not to run, remember? Why would you do something like-"

Kanako froze. "Ah," she let out. Giving it just a little thought, she knew exactly why. "Because you ran from your parents…" she mumbled. "Yeah…" Haruna said just as quietly. Kanako looked up at her. "Do you mind if I fix this?" she asked, pointing to the bandages. "S-Sure…" Haruna said.

Moving slowly, Haruna took a seat on the floor space next to a wall. She leaned up against it, and gently, Kanako reached in to undo the wrappings. "Geez, these are really too loose you know?" she commented, but Haruna said nothing back. All she did was watch as her guilt crept back in.

"I ran away," she thought. "I ran away, and I didn't even think for a second to take Kanako with me. I didn't go to her for help… I didn't even tell her what was going on. So why isn't she mad? Why isn't she yelling at me? Or crying? Or just… anything other than this. How can she be so calm right now? How can she be this kind to me?"

Each thought piled onto the next, and Haruna began to feel the weight of it all. Her guilt specifically for running away had been mostly assuaged thanks to Hayashi's advice. After all, Haruna knew she'd have to go back sooner rather than later. So, she could accept that sometimes running away was really all you could do. But, that didn't change the fact that Kanako had become a victim to all of this. Because of Haruna's impulsive actions, she had hurt the girl she loved. She knew she did. She had to have caused Kanako pain. So why? Why wasn't she showing any signs of that pain?

Perhaps in the past, Haruna would've gotten mad about this. She would've wanted Kanako to have the reaction she should be having, and if she didn't, then Haruna would keep pushing her until she did. However, now that things were so drastically different from back then, the only thing Haruna felt was her own guilt, and with that, her failings.

Just what had she been doing this whole time? While she played inn worker, Kanako must've been worried sick. Haruna hadn't been able to face a little bit of adversity on her own, so she ran. Meanwhile, Kanako must've just wanted answers. How much had she searched for Haruna? How much of each day was devoted to her? All of that time, and she knew nothing.

Perhaps Haruna was being over-dramatic. It had only been ten days since she had left her home behind. But, the funny thing about time is that it seems to pass differently depending on the situation. For Haruna, it really only felt like ten days, but to Kanako, just how long had each of those days felt? For the girl who loved so strongly and so much, had every day that passed without Haruna felt like weeks or months?

Guilt.

Guilt.

GUILT.

It was too much. As Haruna sat and stared at the girl re-wrapping her ankle, she just couldn't take it. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all to Kanako. Just how much had Haruna screwed up?

"I'm sorry…"

The words barely escaped her throat, but in the quiet of the room, Kanako heard them loud and clear. "It's fine," she said casually. "I guess wrapping your own ankle wold probably be more difficult, so I don't mind doing it. Besides, doing it properly will help you heal better."

"I'm sorry…"

"I told you, it's fine."

"I-I'm so sorry, Kanako…"

"Haru...na?"

When Kanako finally looked up, she saw something unexpected. Tears had started to pour out and run down Haruna's cheeks. "I'm sorry I-I hurt you…" she said shakily. "I-I'm sorry I left you behind…hic... I'm sorry I'm such a… bad g-girlfriend…"

Her head dropped, and she brought her hands up to cover her face. For a moment, the only thing that could be heard was Haruna crying. Then, after gathering her thoughts, Kanako spoke.

"I was mad."

Haruna looked up. "...huh?" Kanako stared back at her, a mixed expression of gentleness and seriousness on her face. "When I found out you had run away, I was really upset. I wondered why you couldn't just lean on me, or why you didn't just go to my house instead of to who-knew-where. I was angry, upset, sad, hurt… I felt all of those things. But… as time went on, and I kept looking for you, I realized something."

"More than anything, I just wanted to see you. I just wanted to hug you and kiss you and do all of those other couple things with you. It's true we've known each other a long time, but our life together as two girlfriends has only just begun. There are still so many things I want to do with you, and there are so many new things we have yet to even try. I want to go on walks together under the cherry blossoms with your hand in mine. I want to sit on the couch together, cozied up in front of a fire drinking hot cocoa and talking about the snow outside. I want to order all of the couple-themed items on Valentine's Day, and when Christmas comes around again, I want to make a thousand good memories with you to overwrite the bad one we had last year."

"And more than that… I want to see you every day, and I want to greet you with a smile every time I see you, so you know how happy you make me. I always want to have your fingers intertwined with mine, and I want to feel you pressed up against me whenever I pull you in. Every night, I want to be able to tell you good night as we lay in the same bed, so that every time we wake up, you're the first thing I see, and I can tell you good morning."

Kanako paused briefly, then continued. "It… did hurt that you left without saying anything, and it's true, I could scold you and yell at you and tell you all about how hurt I was that you did that… but… that wouldn't solve anything. So rather than vent my frustrations or try to make you understand through stern words, I'll continue to do what I just did."

"From yesterday, to today, to tomorrow and the future, I will continue to tell you just how much I love you, Haruna Endo. That is my promise to you, and it's my hope that you come to believe in that love so much one day that you'll think ever doubting it was ridiculous."

In a word, Haruna was stunned.

This wasn't the first time she had heard Kanako say stuff like this. In fact, she was certain she had already heard Kanako talk multiple times about how much she loved her. But, to hear it now, in this instance, in response to all of Haruna's feelings of guilt (and perhaps a bit of hidden doubt), it was like medicine for her very soul.

She didn't need to feel guilt, because Kanako's love could surpass it.

She didn't need to doubt, because Kanako's love was so strong.

She didn't need to run away anymore, because no matter what, Kanako would be by her side.

Finally, for the first time, Haruna's heart felt truly free. Her feelings for Kanako had gotten through to her. They had finally started dating. Now, with their relationship public, Haruna didn't even fear the backlash anymore. "I'm… Kanako's girlfriend," she thought, almost a little giddy.

While there were still tears, Haruna's expression shifted from one of sorrow to one of happiness. She gave Kanako a smile, then said the words in her heart.

"Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you too, Kanako."

*****

For the rest of the night, Haruna told Kanako all about what she had been doing at the inn. How she had gotten to know the proprietor of the property, Hayashi, and how the inn hadn't been her idea. Haruna also talked about the work she did, and how surprisingly, she had found it to be somewhat fulfilling. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, Kanako looked up at Haruna. "So does that mean you want to work at an inn when you graduate?" she asked. "Hmm," Haruna let out. "It's not the worst idea. Maybe I could open my own inn someday, and you could cook there." "Oooh, we could be a little bed and breakfast!" Kanako said excitedly. "Wouldn't that be so nice?" "Yeah… it does sound nice," Haruna said as she wondered if she was unknowingly shaping her future.

At that moment, Hayashi knocked. "Come in," Kanako answered. Sliding the door open, Hayashi looked at the two girls warmly. "It's gotten rather late," she said. "Though I get the feeling you two aren't ready for bed yet. Why don't I whip something up for you?" "A-Are you sure?" Kanako asked, but as she did, her stomach let out a small growl. "It seems your stomach is," Hayashi laughed. "You girls can wait in the dining area if you'd like, or you can eat here."

"I'd like to eat in the dining area," Kanako said, then looked at Haruna. "Maybe you can show me around, miss inn worker?" "Sure," Haruna said back with a smile. So the two of them got up and began walking around the facility, with Haruna pointing out all of the things she knew. Kanako seemed to enjoy the tour, and they held hands the whole time.

By the time they finished, the food Hayashi was making was done, and they sat at one of the tables and ate. While they did, Hayashi entertained them with stories about the inn, occasionally pointing to a picture hanging on the wall in reference to what she was talking about. Although, as she continued to tell story after story, Haruna felt like she was beginning to notice a pattern. "It seems like a lot of these stories involve love somehow…" she thought. Whether that was coincidence or intentional on Hayashi's part, Haruna had no idea.

*****

At this point, it was nearly midnight. Luckily, the baths stay open late at an inn, so Haruna and Kanako both took advantage of that. Briefly, they had both considered taking their bath together, but they decided on bathing separately in the end. Haruna had gone first, and as she sat and waited for Kanako, she found herself feeling quite light.

"Have I ever felt this good?" she wondered. It was as if everything she had been worried about had simply vanished. Now, all she had to think about was being Kanako's girlfriend. She could focus entirely on her love life, which for Haruna felt… odd. "All this time, I've had so many different feelings. Having basically just love and happiness is… kinda weird, but, in a good way, I think."

"Haruna, I'm done," Kanako called as she exited the baths. Stepping out into the hall, she wore a set of white pajamas just like Haruna's. "Heehee," Kanako giggled. "We match." Looking herself over and then back at Kanako, Haruna gave a shy smile. "Yeah, we do." But, then she realized something, "Hang on," she said. "I've been able to stay here because I'm working, but what about you?" "Oh," Kanako said. "Before we got into the baths, I talked to Hayashi-san and got my stay arranged. One night, and in your room of course." "O-Oh," Haruna sputtered a bit, thrown a little by Kanako easily saying they'd be staying in the same room. "Then again, that's normal for couples, isn't it…" Haruna thought. Her mind threatened to run wild with fantasies, but she did her best to keep them at bay.

Heading back to their room, Haruna opened the door and immediately stopped. "H-Hey, Haruna, why'd you stop?" Kanako asked as she tried to peer around her tall girlfriend. "Oh, um… i-it's nothing," Haruna said, moving again. Once Kanako followed in behind her, she shut the door and saw what Haruna had. "Oh, Hayashi-san laid the futons together. That's nice."

Haruna stared at Kanako for a moment. "I-Is it?" she wondered. "But two of them together… doesn't that mean…?" Once again, her thoughts were on the cusp of heading into dangerous territory, so Haruna had to do her best to push them away.

"Haruna, are you tired?" Kanako asked. "Um, kinda," Haruna answered. "I did work all day, and all of the earlier excitement is starting to wear off." "Yeah, same here," Kanako admitted. "Then should be go to bed?" "S-Sure…" Haruna said nervously. So, as she slid in under the covers of the futon, Kanako turned off the light, then followed suit.

The room was dark, with the only illumination being the faint light of the moon. Haruna and Kanako laid next to each other, and as they did, each of them had the same thought:

""I hope she can't hear how hard my heart is beating.""

Both of them were riddled with nerves as they each understood the situation they were in. They were a couple. At an inn. Staying the night. With futons next to each other. No matter how much either of them tried, there was no ignoring the setup.

Simultaneously, Haruna and Kanako both turned on their sides and faced each other.

"Ah…"

"Oh…"

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, all they did was stare back at each other. "A-Are you not sleepy?" Kanako asked quietly. "N-No…" Haruna said back. "Are you?" "N-Not really…" Kanako whispered. Both of their words came out awkwardly and unsteady as their heartbeats quickened. For Kanako, her mind was racing with ideas, and for Haruna, now in the moment, her mind was going completely blank.

Before Haruna knew it, Kanako's hand had reached up to cup Haruna's cheek. "Your cheeks are soft," Kanako said sweetly. In response, Haruna brought up her own hand and did the same to Kanako. "Yours too," she said. Gently, her thumb slid down, soon grazing Kanako's lips. "These… feel nice too…" Haruna said in a whisper.

Going with the flow, Kanako scooted closer. There already hadn't been much space between the two girls, so when she did move, the distance essentially vanished. The whole time, both of their hands remained where they had been placed, but as Kanako kept hers stationary, her face got closer still. "I wonder…" she said, barely audible. "Do your lips feel nice?"

"I… don't know…" Haruna said in a daze. "Would you mind…" Kanako said, her breath mixing with Haruna's with how close their faces were to each other. "...if I found out?"

"No…"

Bit, by bit, their lips came closer together. Their eyes, locked a moment ago, both began to flutter shut. The tips of their noses brushed against each other, and the space between their mouths became nearly nonexistent until finally…

Haruna's lips met Kanako's.

They connected, joining ever-so-gently as one surface touched the other. The feeling was so soft, and as they stayed like that for what felt like an eternity to the both of them, it felt as if fireworks were going off inside of their hearts. There was simply no other way to describe the feeling.

In reality, it had only been a couple of seconds, and once those seconds had passed, the two girls separated. Haruna and Kanako both breathed heavily as they took in what had just happened, but before Kanako could finish gathering herself, something unexpected happened.

"More…"

Haruna's free hand had shifted to grabbing the front of Kanako's shirt. Her face was like nothing Kanako had ever seen. Haruna's cheeks were burning red, bright enough to see even in the dim lighting. Her lips quivered just enough to be noticeable, and her eyes wavered somewhere between pleasure and desire. When Kanako saw that expression, it felt like a switch got flipped.

She pulled Haruna in so close that their bodies were perfectly pressed against one another. "Haruna…" she breathed. "If you say stuff like that… I won't be able… to hold back anymore…" "Hold… back?" Haruna repeated. "Yeah…" Kanako said. "You have no idea… just how badly I've wanted to do this stuff with you."

The last word of her sentence barely escaped her lips as Kanako connected hers with Haruna's once more. This time, she held them there longer, and just as they separated for air, she went back in. Kanako's tongue slid in a little, and while Haruna was surprised at first, she adjusted quickly and responded with her own.

Their lips locked, their tongues intertwining with each other's, they laid on their futons, illuminated by the moonlight as they held each other close. Kanako's hand slid from Haruna's cheek to the back of the girl's head, caressing it and trying to bring it closer all at the same time. "Ah…" Haruna thought hazily. "Even after a bath, Kanako still smells like Lilac…"

It was the perfume that Kanako always wore, and the one Haruna liked. Now, after all of the memories it had created with the two of them, it was a part of one more. "This is amazing…" Haruna managed to think. "I never would've thought… kissing felt this good…"

As for Kanako, she was thinking much the same. "I'm kissing her… I'm kissing Haruna…" she thought with amazement. "I love her. I love her so much!" Beginning to let her emotions take over, Kanako's left hand moved downward. Then, moving back up, she slid it up under Haruna's shirt.

"Mm!" Haruna suddenly exclaimed, pulling away. "W-What're you doing?" she asked nervously. Finally, a bit of rational thought returned to Kanako. "U-Um, well," she sputtered. "T-That's what they always do on TV, right?" "S-So, wait…" Haruna stiffened. "Are we really… g-gonna do that… here?" "...m-maybe?" Kanako said uncertainly. "But, hang on, h-how do two girls even…?" Haruna wondered aloud. "I-I don't know…" Kanako said. "Do you?" "Why the hell would I know…?" Haruna asked back. The two of them fell into silence.

"...pfft."

"...haha!"

Then, they broke into a fit of laughter. "Geez, talk about a mood-killer!" Kanako laughed. "If Chiyo saw us right now, she'd be dying," Haruna added. "Should we ask her for lessons?" Kanako joked. "I think in this area, we might actually be more experienced," Haruna said.

The two of them still held each other closely, but they did nothing more than talk until they both began to drift off to sleep. "Are you sleeping, Haruna?" Kanako asked in a whisper. "Mm, kinda…" Haruna mumbled. Kanako laughed a little to herself, then leaned up a bit. "Good night," she said sweetly, kissing the girl on the forehead. Then, Kanako slid back down and fell asleep in Haruna's arms.

*****

When morning came, both Haruna and Kanako had a small breakfast before grabbing anything they needed to. "Do you have everything?" Kanako asked. "I didn't really come here with anything," Haruna pointed out. "Hayashi-san really didn't need to give me this yukata though…" she said as she held a piece of folded, blue cloth.

"Oh, it's fine," Hayashi said as she came out into the lobby where Haruna and Kanako were. "After all, you're a bonafide employee of my establishment now. If you ever want a job, you can always come here dear." "Thank you," Haruna said, giving a bow, with Kanako following suit. "Now, I believe there's one thing left I haven't told you two yet," Hayashi said.

"Y'know, back in the day, this inn used to be pretty popular. Part of that was because we were the only one around, but the other part was something more mysterious… more special. Y'see, pretty often, we'd get all sorts of random, single people staying here. Then, when they'd check out, they'd leave with someone in their arms. It happened so often that we became known for it. Something about being a love power spot."

Hayashi moved closer, and she took up one of Haruna's hands and one of Kanako's in each of her own. "I don't know about power spots and all that," she said kindly. "But it's true that this place is special. It's got a funny way of bringing people together. To think, after all these years, I'd see it happen again."

Haruna and Kanako both smiled at the elderly woman as she continued. "Being the couple you are," she said. "You might face more hardship along the way. But, though I haven't seen much, you two seem to love each other very much. So allow me to say this: May you always find fortune in your favor, blessings on your house, and love in each other."

"Thank you Hayashi-san," Kanako said. Her heart felt full, and Haruna's was much the same. It felt like no matter what they'd face, they'd be able to do it together. So, hand in hand, they said goodbye to Hayashi and the Hayashi Inn, and headed home. Together.

*****

On a Sunday afternoon, a girl stood in front of Iwanai Municipal High School. She was already wearing the uniform, a white sailor top with a navy blue, pleated skirt, and she even had a lavender bow on. In contrast to those mellow colors, her hair was a flaming red, and it was tied up in a ponytail much like another girl.

"I'm back…" she said. "I'm finally back in Iwanai. Geez, how many years has it been? I wonder if anyone even remembers me... I hope they do…" Then, a mischievous smile came onto the girl's face.

"...especially Kanako."

End of Volume Six.