After Story: Potential

Chapter Seven: More Surprises

Nagisa found Kotomi and me as we wandered a random hallway, searching for the twins.

"They're behind the school," she said breathlessly. "Hurry, Okazaki-san!"

I ran as fast as I could with Kotomi in tow, and we hurried to the park-like area behind the school. Sure enough, we found the two of them there. It looked like Fujibayashi was giving her sister a good old-fashioned scolding.

As we got closer we could make out what was being said.

"Onee-chan, why are you acting like this? It's not like you!"

Kyou, for her part, had her arms crossed and was apparently not giving any answers.

Fujibayashi noticed us and turned our way. "Okazaki-kun; this really isn't a good time."

I lifted a hand to stop her. "I'm sorry if we're interrupting. We just wanted to make sure you two were okay."

"Oh, now you're worried about me!" Kyou snapped. "You didn't seem so concerned a little while ago!"

"Onee-chan..."

"Tell me the truth; you've come to rub my nose in it some more, haven't you?"

"Onee-chan!"

"Well, you and little Miss Perfect can just go to hell!!"

"KYOU!"

I think all of us froze at the sound of that voice. We all turned as one to a furious and furiously blushing Fujibayashi. We had never heard her call her sister by her first name.

"Ryou-chan...?" I could barely hear Kotomi's worried voice through my shock.

We received a further shock as Fujibayashi marched up to her sister and slapped her hard. "How dare you treat Tomo-kun like that! Don't you love him?"

I suddenly felt very lightheaded. 'Tomo-kun?' 'Love'? I felt like I had stepped into an anime. Or a visual novel. Or an anime of a visual novel.

Fujibayashi wasn't done, though. "Why don't you just admit it? You love him!" She grabbed Kyou and forced her to face me. "Tell him!"

"N-No," Kyou protested weakly.

"Tell him, Kyou!"

"I can't..."

"Then you're a coward," the younger twin spat. "I'll show you how it's done." She let go of her older twin and marched up to me this time. I flinched, expecting a slap, but instead she spoke to my fiancée. "Please forgive me, Kotomi-chan."

Kotomi shook her head. "For what?"

In response, Fujibayashi threw her arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek. "I love you, Tomo-kun."

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, considering what Kyou had told me before; I guess it was how quickly it happened as well as Fujibayashi's behavior that gave it the surprise. I looked to Kotomi for support, but she could only stand there with a look of surprise and tears in her eyes. So I returned my gaze to Fujibayashi. "I...I don't know what to say..."

"You say 'I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings, because I'm already with someone I love'."

I looked at her, completely stunned. Where had all that courage come from? Cowardly Kyou, Courageous Ryou...I felt like I was in some kind of bizzaro world.

Regardless, I had to give a response and hers seemed right. "I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings, because I'm already with someone I love."

Tears formed in her eyes as she smiled softly. "Thank you for being so kind in your rejection, Okazaki-kun." She released me and turned to Kotomi. "Please take good care of him," she said as she wrapped her in a hug.

Kotomi had tears in her eyes as well as she awkwardly returned the embrace. "I will do my best, Ryou-chan. I am sorry for getting in your way."

Fujibayashi giggled as she released her dear friend. "Don't be sorry, Kotomi-chan. You're an amazing girl who's had a rough life; you deserve to be happy."

Kotomi could only nod in response.

Fujibayashi turned from the two of us and made her way back to her sister, who stood there statue-like. "That's how you do it," she said with something almost like contempt. Then she walked off, leaving Kyou, Furukawa, Kotomi-chan, and me as a stunned quartet.

We all looked at Kyou, who was staring at me with a sad expression. "Kyou-chan..." I heard Kotomi-chan say sadly.

That seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. "Huh?" She seemed to remember where she was and really see us. "Um..." she glanced up at each of us in turn, ending with... "Kotomi...chan? Could I talk to your boyfriend for a minute? Alone?" At Kotomi's suspicious look she quickly added, "I won't do anything bad to him, I promise."

Kyou was many things but she wasn't a liar, so when Kotomi looked to me with a lost expression I said, "It'll be okay, Kotomi-chan."

Kotomi nodded and let Furukawa lead her far enough away that she could see us but not hear what was being said.

Kyou watched them until they stopped then turned her attention to me. She brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. "Listen Tomoya...I've been...a real bitch to you."

I said nothing; I didn't think a retort would help anything and, frankly, she had surprised me with her admission.

She stepped closer to me and looked up into my face as though she was studying it. Then she shook her head with a light chuckle and a small smile. "You really are clueless when it comes to women, aren't you?"

I carefully considered my reply. "It seems like it, yeah."

Her lower lip trembled as her eyes moistened. Her voice shook as she spoke: "Just to be clear, Ryou was right. I do love you, Tomoya...you idiot."

"I'm sorry that I can't-"

"Save it," she interrupted, holding up a hand. "I know. Kotomi won and I lost. I lost because of my cowardice."

I licked my lips. "What I don't understand is...if you felt this way about me, why did you treat me so...so badly?"

Kyou glanced at the ground between us briefly before returning her uncertain gaze to me. "You really want to know?"

Not trusting my words I simply nodded.

She sighed heavily. "I...started liking you after Ryou did. I didn't want my feelings to get in her way, so..." She looked at me meaningfully.

"Did you cover your real feelings by treating me badly, then?"

It was Kyou's turn to simply nod.

When I thought about it, it made sense. Kyou would treat me badly to keep a distance between us. But she would make me buy stuff for her for that...connection?

"I won't treat you like that anymore," I heard her say. "I...I just can't do it anymore." Like her sister before her, she came up to me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me on the other cheek. "I love you, Tomoya." After a pause she added: "I guess you can say it now."

I had to swallow a lump just to speak. "I-I'm sorry Kyou; I can't return your feelings. I'm already in love with someone."

Kyou just nodded as the tears spilled over her cheeks. "Would you hold me, just this once? That's all I'll ask, I promise."

I knew that she was still good to her word, so I put my arms around her and gently held her as she cried softly into my chest. With my eyes I tried to signal to Furukawa to bring Kotomi back over. To my relief she understood and brought a distressed Kotomi back toward us.

When she heard Kyou's sobs, however, her irritation immediately turned to tears and she reached out and gently – lovingly, maybe? – caressed Kyou's back. "Oh Kyou-chan, I am so sorry."

Kyou lifted up her head from my chest and, seeing Kotomi, let go of me and reached out to her, still sobbing.

I backed away to a respectful distance as Furukawa took charge, and I watched, impressed, as the normally shy and weak-willed Furukawa became the strong support that the two weeping girls needed.