My senpai

Overlapping Desires Part 3

My all time favorite song of all time! I see Ayano in this song for reasons.

The students and some staff of Akademi walk along the trail to the last stop of the day, some still talking while others snap pictures around then whether they were in the Photography Club or not. Most not but whatever, it's vacation. 
During the semi hike, Ayano slowly stopped and started to depart herself from the group and walk to a different path which sure caught the eye of one of the students, who - Unlike Ayano - excuse herself before following the Aishi. 

"Ayano-Chan!"

Ayano soon stopped and looked as Amai jogged over the best she can in the shoes she's wearing today besides her minty blue lacy fabric style like dress and a cute grey beanie on her head. "I was worried I was going to lose you here. Why did you leave the group?" She asked, her pale green eyes shining sweetly with sugar coated worry like her cute small voice. Ayano honestly feels slightly bad for making this girl worry in such a way, so with a sigh from her sweet lips she explained, "I've been to Hakone before, to see my grandmother. So I thought I should visit her during the week."
Amai smiled sweetly with a cute little "Aww~ Oh sweet" from her lips as her cheeks gave out a cute honey like hue. 

The two girls stood there for a moment before the baker followed Ayano again to a small house by the lake. (The picture above)

~

Ayano sat on her knees across the mat from a elder looking woman than her mom with her white/grey hair in a bun tucked tightly and in a normal peach color sweater and white sweat pants with a black knee brace over it. "It's been so long since I saw you Ayano. Look how big you've grown." The woman spoke softly with a kind smile that melts everyone's heart. You can imagine this sweet old lady handing you cookies and such after a very long and hard working day, showing you baby pictures over a cup of milk and telling stories when she was younger starting with a traditional, "Back in my time..."

Amai sure did.

"Hello Ayano's grandmother. I'm Amai Odayaka, I'm friends with Ayano." She said, smiling warmly, offering a nice handshake to the grandmother who returned the handshake and smile. "Amai, can you leave us for a moment?" Ayano asked, hinting that she can go outside and such besides listening in on the conversation. Amai hesitated at first but nodded yes and stepped out to the porch. 
"Is she the one?" The grandmother asked eagerly, almost too eagerly after the other girl left. Ayano shook her head but paused before she shrugged a bit. "Actually...I don't really know anymore. That's kind of the big reason why I came to you instead with my group." "Go on."
Ayano sighed some and fixed her hair. "I did meet a boy in my school who gave me emotions, life, just like mom and you and everyone else before. But he turned out to be this huge jerk. I never thought I'd be mad at him ever in my life since meeting him. Now...Now I think...I chose wrong grandma..."

The elder Aishi thought for a moment before slowly speaking out loud, "That...never happened before. Not to your father and your mother, to me and your grandfather - Heaven rest his spirit - or my parents and their parents and so forth. Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Hmm...Well, maybe it's doubt? You're new on emotions after all and not every person who cured a member of the Aishi family is perfect, Ayano." The young teenage girl looked down some, sad she didn't get a answered like she hoped for since she came up with the plan here in Hakone. Her grandmother saw this sadness in her black eyes and quickly put on a soft smile and said, "Do you remember Shita-kiri Suzume?" Ayano rose a brow some. "Yes. The story about greed and jealousy and kindness." She mumbled loudly in confusion which gave the sentence a almost question like tone. "I see you'd remember it through and through. I read it to you every time you came to visit same as I done for your mother when I raised her. You shouldn't be so greedy my sweet little Ayano or you'll get snakes. Be more calmer and patient and you'll have your own treasure soon enough. The boy you love might not be the one, doesn't mean you'll stop searching." She explained, her milky aged grey eyes shining with a nice warm gleam of hope and faith on this girl. 

. . .

Ayano thought about those words all through the day and til the night was painted across the sky. Some people noticed her sudden zoning out here and there along with how she didn't talk to some people much. Not Budo. Not Osana. Not Info-Chan. Not ANYONE!