Summer Liaisons

Hey everyone. Some of you may be familiar with some of my Hana Kimi work (i.e. the only two pieces I’ve ever written of it). Well, Summer Liaisons was my first, and I was doing really well with it, but then I encountered Writer’s Block (Gasp!). But I reread it recently, and, well, I thought it sucked. So I’m doing a rewrite, or to more precise, doing a massive re-edit. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Hana Kimi.

Summer Liaisons
Chapter One

Sweet morning light shimmered throughout the small room, casting a golden glow upon the stark white walls and bland wood furniture. The accumulating dust of the small dorm floated lazily through the air, shining in the morning rays and creating an air of otherworldliness. All was quiet inside, the chirping of birds and the muted shouts of the morning risers outside playing games having no effect upon the sleeping forms of the two residents. It seemed as if the thin walls of little room had created a barrier that nothing could breach, leaving the two occupants safe and sound in their private fortress. The two youths currently in the deepest of slumbers made no signs of movement or noise to provide evidence of consciousness as they lied warmly in the embrace of their navy comforters. But as all good things must come to an end, so too must their lazing.

The steady, throbbing ring of an alarm clock oscillated throughout the room, jerking the two violently from their sleep. A curse was sounded aggressively as the taller of the two inhabitants impacted his cranium with the top of his bunk. The smaller companion reached one delicate arm out from beneath the sheets and quieted the egg-shaped alarm that rested upon a shelf near the upper bed.

“....Ashiya....” Moaned the taller denizen painfully. “Why did you set the alarm? It’s Summer. We don’t have school anymore.” Another constrained groan of pain passed the high jumper’s lips before he quieted himself. He was not one to show weakness.

A small grimace was set upon his lips as he stood up and began rummaging through his drawer for the only adequate apparel he had left within. Sano Izumi was in a foul mood, though it truthfully had little to do with the bump on his head. His current temperament had more to do with his latest dream, one that was becoming frequently common for the athlete.

“I’m sorry, Sano.” Remarked the second inhabitant of the dorm. The apology did not have quite the desired effect though, due to the fact that a yawn had permeated throughout the sentiment. The grimace that had settled upon Sano’s face deepened at the perfunctory apology, but soon vanished.

It was just like Mizuki to do that, to drape herself over the barrier of her bunk, with her hair as rumpled as her cloths and to gaze at him with her dreamy, sleepy eyes as she apologized. His eyes had been drawn to the small flash of skin he had received as she brought up one delicate hand, clothed in outrageously long sleeves, to shield her open mouth from his view, her fingers curling gracefully. It was a mesmerizing scene and Sano felt himself to be blessed to be able to see it everyday. Maybe that was why he was in such a foul mood. He would never see that again.

“I’m taking a shower.” He replied in a gruff tone of voice, but Mizuki knew to take no offense. She smiled at him and replied with a few words of understanding. Her smile lingered upon her face even after the object of her affection had left, lost in the tingling feelings of happiness that he was able to instigate within her small frame.

‘Sano...’ She thought dreamily, as she was wont to do, before her smile left, replaced with a small frown. Reality had returned to her, and she now remembered her predicament, and the fact that she had no solutions for it. ‘Sano...’ She thought again, this time strained with a queer mixture of worry and hope.

Sano, though, was currently in the process of undressing, while the water from the shower was allowed to reach the desired temperature. His frown had returned, the magic that is Ashiya Mizuki no longer upon him, and the disturbance on his face had returned... and had just turned into a scowl. Angry thoughts swirled through his brain, like the water from the shower as it entered the drain, hoping that an answer would come upon him. Unfortunately, as Sano was very much aware, luck was never on his side, and the only things that entered his mind were images of his latest dream.

Opaline visions worked their way through his mind, ephemeral and opaque. Only one clear image could be seen, gliding through the colorful mist, glowing as if she were a small sun as rainbow light danced upon her naked flesh. A smile could be seen, on both her rosebud mouth and in her beautiful dark eyes. ‘Yes...’ She seemed to say, her voice soft and warm, reminding him of when he was a boy and his mother would wrap him in his favorite blanket and give him a cup of hot tea on cold Hokkaido days. ‘Yes...’ She would say, which such happiness that she seemed to glow even brighter.

‘Mizuki...’ Sano thought painfully. ‘What am I going to do?’


In the adjacent room, putting the final touches to her hair after having donned her casual attire, Mizuki was asking a similar question. While Mizuki did have a solution in mind, as she had for the last few weeks, she was quite certain it would never work, so had never considered it an option, until now.

School had come to its end, achievement ceremonies and matriculation done with, and all that was left was to pack the bags and head home. Mizuki, though, she knew, deep within her, that if she went back to America, she would never see Sano again. To Ashiya Mizuki, the girl that had traveled across the globe, disguised herself as a boy, and spent three years at the Osaka Highschool for Boys to be near her beloved, such an outcome was simply not acceptable.

Yet, Mizuki simply could not throw herself at Sano, begging to stay with him either. For one, the sense of manners her parents had instilled within her years ago would simply not let her take such an action. She was also secretly afraid that if she did, he would push her away, saying that he had no need for his simple high school friendships, now that he was entering another stage of his life. Silly, she knew, yet the scenario always seemed to pop up from the darkest corners of her mind when she was laying defenseless in her bed at night.

Every other alternative she had thought of, and even the ones she had tried, would not come to fruition. One look on her parents faces, and most certainly the face of her older brother Shizuki, when she had seen them at the Graduation Ceremony, told her that it was pointless. ‘You are finished here.’ Their looks seemed to say, ‘Now it is time to come back with us, where you can stop pretending to be a boy, go to an American college, and marry some man there.’

‘But I can’t!’ She screamed within the walls of her mind while the silence of the dorm pressed upon her, demanding her to take action. ‘I can’t!’ It was in just this moment, when the signs of her turmoil were most obvious, that Sano decided to vacate the bathroom, droplets of water falling from his hair onto the towel draped over his broad shoulders, while his shirt clung to the few odd places on his torso that he had missed when drying.

“Ashiya....?” He asked tentatively, his reclusive nature causing an uncomfortable feeling to rise within him at the sight of his distraught roommate. Hearing the oppressive silence broken, Mizuki whipped her head around, staring at Sano as the realization hit that he just saw her in a moment of great perturbation. Instantly setting her features right, with a fake smile and a posture that she hopes made her look more jubilant, Mizuki replied, “Yes, Sano?” in a voice that was too high to be normal.

“What’s wrong?” He inquired, knowledgeable of her tricks. Sano could sense something was amiss.

“N-Nothing...” She says, her voice shaking. There was nothing she could do for that, though. Her throat felt tight, as if there was a ball lodged within it. Soon her chin began to quiver, quickly followed by her lower lip in the effort of damming up the deluge of tears that strained to be set free. Seeing all of this, Sano edged closer to her, his arms slowly raising to embrace her. Mizuki, catching a glimpse of his welcoming gesture through the glaze of her unshed tears, could take no more, and threw herself at him.

“Mizuki...” He whispered into her soft hair as he felt her body shake with the force of her weeping, using the name he called her in only the most dire of circumstances. This certainly did seem dire to him. Here was the girl, no the young woman, that he cared for, crying into his shoulder, with no provocation. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t know.” She replied a little later, once her sobs had ceased and she was sure she could speak clearly again. “I just felt like crying. Maybe it’s because everything’s over now, and we’re not going to be roommates anymore.” Leaving the shelter of his arms, Mizuki began to rub her eyes and cheeks, trying to regain a sense of respectability. “But what a stupid thing to do. Boys don’t cry.”

“But you’re not a boy.”

“What?!” was Mizuki’s startled remark. Her reply seemed to have startled Sano as well, who had not been aware of having spoken his last thought. Tension hung in the air and dripped of the walls, sticking to the pair while it seemed to suffocate their thoughts. Their minds seemed to be aligned in their mutual confusion, both thinking ‘What do I do?’

Eventually, a strained and nervous laugh trickled slowly out of the mouth of Ashiya Mizuki, who was looking at anything but her roommate. “You’re right. I’ve graduated and everything, so I guess that makes me a ...man?”

“...Yeah.” Sano replied softly, both disappointed and relieved While he was happy that the moment when their grand lie ended had been held off for another day, he was even more disappointed that he had not just stated ‘No, you’re a woman, MY woman.’

‘But that would have been hackneyed...’ he thought derisively.

While Sano’s thoughts shifted between insinuations of cowardice, and seemingly cool logic, he failed to notice the sigh that escaped Mizuki’s mouth, who had also wanted him to say something along those same lines.

“MIZUKI!” Screamed a voice from across the cafeteria. With large arms waving enthusiastically accompanying the shout, the bleached hair of the young man was thrown in to quick recessions of light and dark, participating in the effort to catch the attention of Ashiya Mizuki. Nakatsu Shoichi, the “fiery lion” of the Osaka Highschool soccer team, was currently jumping up and down like an idiot in his attempts to lure the object of his love towards him. Three years of highschool seemed to have had no effect in tempering Nakatsu’s natural tendency to act like a five year old, yet many people, like Mizuki, seemed to like Nakatsu for that trait, while many others, like Sano, liked him despite of it. “Right here, Mizuki! Sit with me!”

“Alright.” She replied cheerfully as she approached, quite used to his antics and no longer embarrassed by them. “Just let me get something to eat first.”

“Already taken care of!” He replied, quite chipper as he held up two trays of food, one for Mizuki and one for Sano. With no other reason to stand around dawdling, the two took their seats, sitting side by side as they always did. Nakatsu began instantly to start a conversation with Mizuki, seemingly energized merely by her presence next to him. He began to talk of this and that, anything that crossed his mind in the hopes that constant and vigilant conversation would somehow give birth to the spark of undying love within his dearest.

“And did you see how many people were there at Graduation?!?!” He asked, his eyes alight with an inner fire. “I know our year is big, but that many people? It’s crazy!” Thoughts of graduation did not seem to push Nakatsu into dark despair as it did for his silent companions. It seemed that Nakatsu had either not realized that Mizuki would soon be leaving, probably indefinitely, or he had already come up with a plan that was currently keeping him in high spirits. “And did you see Noe’s cousin, Mesaki? Damn, I’ve never seen such a big nose on a girl- Hey!” Yelled Nakatsu, after receiving a punch in the arm from a passing Noe.

Mizuki, though, had stopped listening after the word “graduation” had been mentioned. All it did was remind her of her predicament. Casting a furtive glance at the face of her silent companion, Mizuki saw that Sano did not seem to be in much better a mood. He was frowning again, his eyes dark and secretive. Mizuki longed to know what he was thinking, but stopped pondering on her wishes so she could get back to the problem at hand, how to stay with Sano. She continued to rack her brain for any other option possible, but none would come to her.

‘Oh, if only Umeda was still here!’ Mizuki proclaimed within the confines of her brain. The good doctor had always been a source of advice and solace, despite it being unwilling many times. In the three years that Mizuki had known him, Umeda Hokuto had morphed from her cranky school doctor to her finicky gay uncle. She was sure that if he were here, he would tell her what to do, or give her the courage to ask Sano. ‘What am I going to do without him?’

Mizuki, not one to wallow in despair, quickly ceased such thoughts. Umeda would know what to do, but he was not here. ‘I can do this on my own. I’m all grown-up now, I have to take the lead, and follow my own course. I can’t rely on others to guide me through my life.’ Mizuki thought inspirationally. The young woman cast another look at the object of her affection, taking courage from the sight of him, knowing that he was so close to her, and that if all went well, he would continue to stay close to her. ‘Sano...’ Mizuki thought quietly, and then followed it with a silent prayer to whatever god would listen.



“....Shizuki....” Replied Ashiya, the distinct sound of annoyance penetrating her voice. She was very tired of her brother’s advice, plans, thoughts, opinions, and whatever else he wanted to dole out at her. “Not now.”

“But Mizuki-” He pleaded, running one hand through his already messy blond hair. Shizuki, with his shirt untucked, tie loosened, and his hair slightly rumpled, was emulating an air of casual sophistication that would have been dashing on any man, but him. Ashiya Shizuki, doctor and older sibling to Ashiya Mizuki, was a man who enjoyed order and cleanliness. His clothing was always crisp and stylish, his hair perfectly coiffed, and his speech precise and demanding. It was always a bit of a surprise to anyone who met the man that he was strait.

“No!” Mizuki interjected, very close to her wit’s end. She was in the process of packing her final belongings, attempting to maintain her courage as she waited for Sano to finish an emergency load of laundry, and deal with her overly-protective brother. ‘He really needs a girlfriend.’

Why could he not just understand that he really was no help to her? He wanted to talk to her about what she was going to do in life. Shizuki had been ecstatic when he learned that his baby sister was going to be attending the same college as him, The University of California, but now he wanted to plan her life out for her. He wanted to make sure that she took the same classes as him, made friends with people that, on his good authority, were the “right kind of people,” and, of course, make sure that Mizuki never saw Sano Izumi again. It was for this precise reason that Mizuki knew she could not go back to America with him.

“Mizuki...” He pleaded again, never one to give up.

“NO!” She screamed. “NO! I don’t want to talk about my future with you, Shizuki! I don’t want to talk about dorm rooms, people I’ve never heard of, and why you don’t like Sano! I just want to be left alone to pack my things in peace.”

“But Mizuki, you need to think about these things now! If you wait too long, or mess up now, you won’t become a doctor-”

“But I don’t want to become a doctor!”

“Why?!?” He asked, desperation giving his voice a whiny and unattractive quality. ‘But why?’ He thought. ‘Why can’t she do what I want her to do? Doesn’t she know I have her best interest at heart?’

“Because I don’t want to! It’s as simple as that! I don’t want to become a doctor, so I won’t!” She yelled, no longer bothering to continue her tasks. “It just doesn’t interest me, okay? And personally, I don’t think you really like it either! I think you wanted to be a doctor because you wanted a title and respect. Well, I don’t want those things! I don’t care if I don’t earn as much money in my lifetime as you, I want to do what makes me happy!”

“You’re being selfish, Mizuki-” Shizuki started, a look of self-righteous anger sprouting on his face.

“ME?!? Being selfish? You’re the one who nearly threw me out of this school, just because you don’t like my friends!” She retorted, rage making her face deepen to an even darker shade of red.

“I was just concerned for you! To think that you would dis-” He stopped halfway through his sentence, giving a huff of anger at both his sister and the fact that he could not say what he really wanted to say. “You...” He said, unsure of what else he could scream about. “You can’t attach yourself to a person like Sano! Sure, he’s a good athlete, but there are plenty of those in the world, and only a handful that become famous, that make money! I don’t want him dragging you down, not when you have so much potential! So much to live for!”

“But who would I be living for?!?”Mizuki cried, so angry at her brother’s words that hateful tears had begun to flow down her cheeks. “For you?! I want to live for me, for Sano! I want a life that makes me happy, and a life with Sano is what’s going to make me happy!”

“You don’t know that!” He screamed, desperate to change her mind.

“Yes, I do! I’ve had three years to figure out that a life without Sano is no life for me!”

“Highschool and real life are not the same things!” Moaned Shizuki, a plethora of emotions changing his voice from what Mizuki remembered it to be. As she looked at this tall man before her, ragged from his rage, she could not place him as her kind older brother, who had been so good to her in her childhood. Everything had changed. Shizuki was no longer her ally. Like Umeda, she could no longer depend on him. His temper tantrum was making that extremely obvious.

“No, their not, but I know, I know, that I want to be with Sano. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I know that I’ll never be happy, if he’s not there with me.” Mizuki stated, an air of power and wisdom emanating from her that was unmistakable. Shizuki could not ignore it, the look in her eyes that told him that she was right and he was wrong. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped him as he sat down in the closest chair to him, not even bothering to realize it was Sano’s.

“Fine... Do whatever the hell you want. But I did warn you.” He said, looking his grown-up sister right in the eyes.

“Fine, you warned me.” She replied, tired from their fight and happy that it was over.

“Just... remember me, okay?” He asked sadly, feeling so lonely now that his baby sister was no longer a baby. She was a young woman now, ready to take on the world, and she did not need him to help her do it.

“You know I’d never forget you.” Mizuki said, a familiar, comforting tone soothing his frayed nerves.

“But don’t think I’m going to help you with your Sano problems, you hear? I don’t want any part of his nonsense.” Shizuki warned, standing up and fixing his image, as if he trying to mask his pain.

“Sano doesn’t have any nonsense. You know, you’d like him if it wasn’t for the fact that I liked him.” Mizuki stated, a smile gracing her lips. Her only answer was a huff of indignation, as if she had called him by some ugly swear word.

“Finish packing soon, Mizuki.” He said, giving her a look of grudging respect. “Dad’s going to be here in three hours to pick you up for your flight.”

“That means that you should be leaving soon, yours is before theirs.” She stated, giving him a look that confirmed the outcome of their argument. Mizuki would not be going with them.
“Just don’t goof of in school or anything.” Shizuki said, not quite willing to leave yet, but knowing he no longer had a reason to stay.

“I won’t.” Mizuki replied with the dignified air of a farewell. “Good-bye.”

“See you at Christmas.” Was all that Ashiya Shizuki would grant his sister before he left her room, not willing to look back at her in case he lost his courage and any chance at a dignified exit. No, he could not look back now, could not run back to her, hug her and cry because he was so afraid for her future. No, now he would stand tall and exit at a nice easy pace, his face the picture of nonchalance. He could cry on the plane.

Despite the fact that the argument had been in another room, and in English, Sano had, in fact, understood most of the Ashiya’s squabble. A fine blush had found its way onto his face as he heard Mizuki declare so brazenly her affection for him. He had not realized the extent to which she liked him, that she cared for him as much as he cared for her. As soon as this realization had sunk in, a small smile crept upon him. Sano could not stop the bubble of happiness within him swell up, engulfing his entire frame, till he practically glowed.

For months he had agonized, planned, and failed to come up with a valid reason to keep Mizuki near him. Ever since the beginning of their final year together, he had wondered how he was going to keep her near him, because ever since then, he had felt, deep down, that if she left now, he would never see her again. He had come up with many plans, but none of them seemed to make sense once off paper. All in all, there had always been one reason as to why they could not be together. College.

Mizuki had been accepted to the University of California, in America, while Sano would be going to Tokyo University, in Japan. How could they possibly stay together if they were going to separate colleges in different countries?

‘The largest ocean in the damn world is going to be keeping us apart!’ He thought. Yet, he could not blame Mizuki, or himself, for the way things had gone. Tokyo University had given him the best scholarship, and likewise for Mizuki and UC. The fact of the matter was that they simply could not afford to learn together. ‘But if I can just be near her for a little while longer, to keep her out of trouble...’

That was another thing that Sano was worried about. Mizuki had a terrible habit of getting into trouble. Danger was just drawn to her, like a moth to the flame. Sano would not be able to rest at night, knowing that she was alone out there somewhere, hazards lying around like traps, with him no where near to protect her.

‘Dammit, she needs someone to protect her.’ He thought forcefully, but he also knew that it simply was not his desire to protect her that made the thought of them parting so painful. After all, Sano Izumi had known for over a year that he wanted Ashiya Mizuki to be by his side, always. To be parted, for months or even years, was a thought that brought such pain to him that he simply would not let himself think it.

Now, though, that pain could not reach him. He was on cloud nine, as those Americans liked to say. He had been given proof that if he asked Mizuki to stay with him, she would say yes. He had a few more months with her, to do...

Sano was quickly brought out of his reverie by the sound of his room’s door being shut. There, standing in front of him and glaring for all he was worth, was Ashiya Shizuki. The man really was a thorn in Sano’s side, but he had always been a minor one. For all Shizuki’s boasting, he really did not have as much power over Mizuki as he thought, so Sano never thought much of him. After hearing the two’s spat, Sano was now even more certain that Shizuki really was not the threat to Sano and Mizuki’s future that the doctor seemed to think he was.

“Doctor Ashiya.” His said formally, his smooth voice giving no clue as to what he was truly feeling.

“Sano.” The doctor replied, his words relaying respect, but his tone belying it. With that said, the lone Caucasian left, looking for all the world as if he had just won a grand victory. The athlete did not bother to linger and think about the annoying medic, and instead continued on towards his room, carrying his laundry as if he had not heard a thing.

“Sano?” Mizuki inquired, when she heard someone enter the door. She was currently in the bathroom, zipping her toiletries into a small bag. “Is that you?”

“Yes.” He replied, giving his usual short answers. He never was one for words, and even an incredibly good mood was not going to change that.

“Did it all come out alright?” She inquired, hoping that the juice she had inadvertently spilt upon his clean, stacked clothing had not caused a stain.

“Yes.” He replied, but with a certain light in his eyes and a small smile on his lips, leading Mizuki to wonder at what exactly Sano was thinking. Surely clean laundry did not lead to that look of happiness on his face.

“Are you alright?” She asked, slightly nervous.

“Fine.”

“Ummmm...” She sounded a few moments later, unsure of how to ask Sano such a big request. It had seemed easier when he was in another room, far away. Now... “Sano?”

“Hmmmm...” Was his reply, completely unaware that his monosyllabic answers were making it harder for Mizuki to summon the courage it would take to ask him. She had no way of knowing what he was thinking of, what kind of mood he was in, how he was going to take her request. Why could he not just say a little more?

“I was wondering.....” She said and stopped, courage leaking out of her like water from a paper bag.

“Yes?” He voiced, urging her to continue, but secretly willing to step in if she lost her nerve. After all, he knew what the question was.

“Could I....” She faltered again. She mentally swore. This was harder than karate and every school festival combined! “Could I.....”

“Stay with me over the summer?” He finished, the smile on his face broadening as his took on a happy yet mysterious quality. A gasp was, at first, his only reply, but soon a look of delight took hold of Mizuki’s features as a radiant smile shone through.

“How did you know?” She asked, utterly amazed. The way he had said it, the way he looked right now, did he want her to come with him, as much as she wanted to go? To answer her, Sano rasped his knuckles on the closest wall.

“Pretty thin in this dorm.” He said, his voice smooth as velvet, but transmitting his bonheur. “And yes, to your question.” He could say no more, though, for at that very moment he was tackled to the floor by an exuberant Mizuki, who was hoping that her hug would transmit all the gratitude and love that she had for him.

“Thank you!” She said, a smile on her lips and in her eyes, looking just as she did in Sano’s dreams.

Yes, finished. The first chapter anyway. I tried to make it better, and longer, and I think I accomplished that. I figure there’s nothing wrong with doing a massive re-edit. After all, I do eventually want to write in the future, and if I can realize my shortcomings now, and work on them, so much the better. I would like it if I can get some feedback on this, To see what everyone thought of it. Besides, the more reviews I get, the quicker I’ll write the second chapter. So, review!

Oh, and I do eventually plan on putting this on other sits, like Fanfiction.net, but I can’t really figure out how to log on to the damn site right now, so it might not be happening for a little while. But keep an eye open!