"Good morning!" Sora (age 15) sang as she entered the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning, Aneki!" Syo (age 8) replied. Sora smiled at him brightly and gave him a big hug, then proceeded to making french toast while humming, despite a ready batch sitting beside the stove. Syo tugged on his brother's sleeve. "Hey, Onii, Aneki has been very cheery lately, no?"

"Eh?" Shoya (age 10) looked up from his book and threw a distasteful look at his older sister. "I don't know and I don't care."

"Now, now, Shoya, don't say it like that!" Souta (age 12) said, smiling kindly at Syo, who was pouting at his brother's stinginess. "It's because Aneki's got a boyfriend."

"Oh? Really?" Syo asked, eyes bright and bulging as they found his sister.

"Oh, Souta, you're embarrassing me!" Sora sighed, hands on her blushing face. "Don't say it out loud!"

"Yes, yes," Souta sighed.

Sora turned back to her brothers, and her eyes fell on Syo, who was thoughtfully chewing his french toast. She went over to his side and slid into the seat next to him.

"You know, Syo," Sora whispered, and Syo leaned in to listen. "You know how I'm really happy? You know why?"

"Why?" Syo asked.

"Because this is the feeling of love~" Sora sang cheerfully, and they heard Shoya make a distinct 'tsk' sound. "No matter what, love will always make you happy~ It really is an amazing feeling~"

"Love is that much of an awesome feeling?" Syo asked brightly.

"Yes, yes, so if you want to be all happy like Aneki, you need to find love!" Sora concluded.

"Oh, okay!" Syo nodded.

Sora suddenly had a dark aura. "What are you talking about, Syo? You don't need to find a girlfriend, Aneki has got more than enough love for you."

"So basically, you're saying Syo shouldn't have a girlfriend?" Souta said, sprinkling sugar on his toast.

"That's not what I'm saying!" Sora insisted. "I just doubt anybody can love Syo more than meeeeeee!" She squeezed Syo tightly, and Shoya, sick of the over-intimacy, left his breakfast half-eaten and pulled on his bag.

"I'm off...."

"Wait, Shoya, you need to ensure Syo safely reached school!" Sora screamed after him.

"Eh? He can go with Haruna, no?" Shoya scoffed. "See ya."

"Oy, Shoya! Haruna is only a little girl and you're a big, strong boy! And you need to protect Syo when Aneki cannot!" Sora yelled, charging after him. "Shoya! Are you listening?! SHOYA!"

Syo glanced back down at his french toast and smiled softly. Love is supposed to be an amazing feeling...

It's supposed to make you happy.

I grew up with that belief.

***

(4 years later)

The young boy of average height was walking calmly along the the street, despite all the excitement around him for the first day junior high. Shoya had already gone ahead. His face displayed no expression whatsoever as he browsed through his pamphlet and walked.

"Good morning, Teruya-san."

Syo looked up and saw a girl with short, choppy brown hair that reached her shoulders, and a hairband. She had sharp-looking eyes, but they were gentle. She carried herself perfectly, and she pushed her hair back as the wind blew it forward. Her smile was calm and gentle, and the perfect representation of feminity.

Syo deadpanned. "Why so formal, Haruna?"

The girl looked surprised for a moment, and then displayed a toothy, mischievous smile, that broke the image of feminity like a twig. Syo already knew that Haruna Okazaki was anything but feminine. She was one of those girls who wore shorts under their skirts.

"You know me so well, Syo-chan!" Haruna grinned, falling into the step beside him. "Okay, so listen to this, yesterday, Katashi gave me a call, okay, and he was saying some weird stuff, as if I didn't have enough to do, and..."

"Mm...." Syo mumbled, already zoning out.

"Hey, listen! Listen!" Haruna insisted.

"I'm listening, I'm listening-" Syo said, but then somebody pushed past him gently.

"Excuse me," the soft voice said. It belonged to a girl.

"No, it's...fine...." Syo started to say, as he turned his head in the direction of the girl. But as soon as he laid eyes on her, time seemed to have slowed down as her soft brown hair blowed in the breeze, with a lingering smell of...violets? His eyes widened a little.

"Oy, oy, Syo-chan!" Haruna said, trying to get his attention again. "Are you really listening to me?"

"Ah...yeah..." Syo mumbled, eyes still following the girl.

"Hmm?" Haruna narrowed her eyes suspiciously, and followed his line of sight and found the girl. She looked back between Syo and the girl and her face twisted into an evil grin. "Syo-chan!" She straight up punched him.

Syo looked like he had snapped out of a trance, and looked around at her, clutching his cheek. He smiled lightly. "As usual, Haruna's punches get me back down to earth."

Haruna grinned, and then she noticed somebody. "Heyyy, good morning, Katashi-chan!!"

A boy with spiky, light-blonde hair with a few strands falling over his forehead and narrow eyes turned back to them. He was about as tall as Haruna, but seeing them, he smiled pleasantly. His name was Katashi Sonoda.

"Good morning," he replied, as Haruna ran up to meet him.

"Hey hey, tell me, Katashi," Haruna began, starting her random babbles. And as soon as her attention had turned away from him, Syo found himself looking for that girl again.

And again.

And again.

***

(1 year later)

"Syo, you listening?" Mirai Hattori asked, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Ah, yeah, I'm listening." Syo quickly snapped his attention back to the tall boy with smooth black hair in front of him.

Mirai pressed his lips together suspiciously. He looked around at the spot Syo had been staring, and sighed. He was staring at Seiko Date again.

She was perfect in the way she conducted herself, always kind. She was considerably popular, with her dreamy eyes and luscious brown hair. She was popular among both girls and boys.

"Jeez, you should confess to her, Syo." Mirai sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sure she likes you too."

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Syo said quickly. "Nope, not happening, it's nothing."

Syo continued shaking his head as he walked away, mumbling to himself. Mirai stared after him somewhat sadly, but then he smiled. "But it's so clear you like her."

***

"I agree with Hattori!" Haruna said, raising her hand enthusiastically. "Syo-chan should confess to Date-san as soon as time permits! All in favour!"

"Haruna, don't go deciding things by yourself," Syo grumbled.

"But..." Haruna pouted then turned to a pretty girl with straight brown hair, lounging in her chair. "Ricchan, you agree, don't you?"

Riku Kurokawa looked like she was hardly bothered with this conversation, but took part in it all the same. "You're just wasting your youth worrying over menial things. You either get her, or you don't. It's that simple."

"But in this case, don't you think he would get her?" Mirai inquired. "I mean, Syo's not bad himself. I bet she likes you too."

Katashi nodded in agreement.

"So, it's decided?" Haruna asked, clapping her hands together. "Syo-chan is gonna confess to Date-san. Any objections?"

"Hey, wait, I object!!" Syo complained, as Katashi and Mirai shook their heads. "Hey, you can't just decide things for someone! Riku-chan!" Syo turned to her desperately, but Riku just looked outside the window.

"Honestly, do what you want," she shrugged.

"Yes! Hear that, you rascals?" Syo said triumphantly, holding Riku's shoulders. "These are known as real friends!"

"Hah?" Mirai looked disappointed.

"Ricchan! Why?" Haruna groaned, trying to convince her.

"Nonononononono, Riku-chan, your decision is just fine, don't be influenced by these guys." Syo shielded her from Haruna, Katashi and Mirai.

"Riku-chan!"

They tried to get through to her, but Syo wasn't going to let them. Riku merely stared at their shenanigans, and then smiled.

***

Haruna and the others really can be a pain in the a** sometimes... Syo thought, as he walked along to deposit the soccer balls back into the P.E. storage room, after Katashi and Mirai had pushed the job onto him. He was too lenient with them.

He sighed as he kicked the door open, but as soon as he took a step inside, there was a loud bang, making him drop the balls. Somebody was already there.

It was Seiko. She had thrown her fist hard into a wall, in complete rage and anger. Her phone was clutched in the fist, and seemed to have been crushed. The sight of the usually composed Seiko suddenly completely and utterly cracked surprised him more than anything else.

Seiko looked around upon hearing the door open. Her eyes widened as her cover was blown, but she saw no point in hiding anything. Instead, she broke down crying.

"H-hey, what happened?" Syo said quickly, coming to her side. "Are you okay?! What's wrong?"

Seiko leaned her head on his shoulder, making him twitch a little.

"U-um, Date-san?" Syo stammered.

"It's nothing," Seiko sniffed, burying her head deeper into his shoulder. "Just... thinking Teruya-kun saw me in such a state..." She broke into tears again.

"N-no, it's totally fine!" Syo was extremely confused and flustered, not knowing what to do.

"It isn't!" Seiko contradicted, and she looked up at him with teary eyes. "Because I wanted to always show Teruya-kun my best side!"

"You don't have to..." Syo said.

"I do!" Seiko insisted. "Because...I like you."

***

"Hence, let us begin the celebratory party of Syo-chan finally getting himself his girl!!" Haruna cheered, setting off party poppers along with Katashi, Mirai and Riku.

"Haruna, we're in school..." Syo said, as the confetti descended upon him, party hat sitting lopsidedly on his head.

"It's okay, we can clean up, right?" Mirai said cheerfully, taking another out of Haruna's bag and pulling it.

"Don't tell me you had those just lying around in your bag..." Syo deadpanned, peering into Haruna's bag.

"Oh, I knew this day would come, so I carried some everyday just in case!" Haruna boasted.

"It's fine anyway, right?" Katashi smiled.

"Teruya-kun?"

They all looked around, to see Seiko standing rather shyly at the door.

"You need Teruya-kun?" Riku asked her.

"No, I was thinking...that maybe we should walk home together..." Seiko mumbled.

Haruna and Mirai whistled childishly, and Riku shushed them. She turned back Seiko, to see her and Syo exchanging small smiles. It felt like more than a simple smile. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Katashi shoved Syo in Seiko's direction. "Go on," he prompted.

"I'll be okay going home by myself!" Haruna told him reassuringly. "Katashi-chan is there, no?"

"Me too," Riku added.

"I'll be going then," Syo smiled at them, and walked over to Seiko.

As he grasped her small hand, and he heard Haruna's fake sniffing in the background smiled to himself a little.

Aneki, is this the start of my happiness?

To be continued...