AN: Puun~! It feels like I haven’t touched this story in a while, when in reality I have been poking at it for months. The truth is…I got stuck. You see during the time I was writing chapter 3, I broke up with my boyfriend, fell in love, got heartbroken, got back together with my ex, graduated high school, began going to college, then broke up again with the bastard, and the started going out with someone new who makes me very happy and squeal like a little idiot whenever I'm with him!
Well, I just ended spring semester and finished writing the chapter last night, even though it’s much shorter than the last two. Not to worry though, the length will be longer next chapter, I promise.

Thank you for all the support you guys have given me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harukanaru or its characters…quite frankly; I don’t even own the games –sobs-

Words to know: Kakigouri – Japanese shaved ice, generally flavored with yummy syrups.

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Kakigouri

By Peachie-chan

Chapter 3: Day 3-The Summoning of Ryujin

“How does Yasuaki-san feel?” Akane asked as she looked up from her notepad and pen.

Yasuaki looked down at his exposed limbs and then around at his current environment. Both he and Akane were sitting on the shaded steps on a hill leading up to a Shinto shrine. The path was lined with large trees with large leafy branches that kept them protected from the blinding summer sun, trees that no doubt produced beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring. The onmyoji focused on the constant flow of people coming and going from the shrine, a place that seemed to be quite popular and would most likely be packed on the night of the Tanabata festival.

“The same. Nothing.”

Akane let out a soft sigh and closed the notepad, stashing the pen in the pocket of her cream-colored shorts. Yasuaki seemed to pass the time at staring at her red and white striped tank top that she wore; and yes, she had gotten used to the onmyoji staring at her articles of clothing. Today Akane had tied her cropped red hair back into two messy pigtails, all for the sake of allowing even the tiniest gusts of wind to cool the back of her neck. Yasuaki thought it strange that she had attempted to style her hair when she had always left it alone...in fact, he found himself wishing the she had left her hair down, as he preferred it that way.

“Yasuaki-san?”

Having his name being called brought Yasuaki out of his daze and focused once more on the girl sitting beside him.

“Yes, Motomiya-san?”

The young woman's eyes fell downcast, finding herself unable to look at the onmyoji.

“Maybe...my method is just not working.”

“I suppose that then makes you useless,” Yasuaki replied, a hint of harshness evident in his voice.

Akane felt her cheeks burning red in shame as her vision blurred with the formation of tears that threatened to fall. Even though she and Yasuaki sat mere inches away from each other, it felt as if there was a massive brick wall between them. Did he know how hard she was trying? Did he know or even understand what it felt like to be called useless?

“Well maybe if Yasuaki-san was TRYING to be a bit more receptive to my attempts and maybe if he TRIED harder, I wouldn't be so useless!” Akane spat bitterly as sprang up to her feet and ran up the steps to the shrine, hurriedly wiping the tears from her eyes.

Yasuaki watched the teenager run away, perplexed by her behavior. Abe no Seimei had taught him that honesty was a very important quality in a human being. Had he not just been honest with Akane? From his previous knowledge, one was usually commended when they told the truth, no matter how harsh. Yes, Yasuaki found no fault in his own actions; it was clearly the fault of the strange young woman. How he regretted not having his talismans and ceremonial beads! If the onmyoji had these in his possession, extracting the demon that seemed to have possessed Akane would be child's play.

---

Faster and faster, Akane ran up the steps, whimpers escaping her lips as she tripped several times on her way toward the top. Yasuaki did not need to be so cruel. The day before he had said that as long as she tried her best, he would accept that. Now his words had done a complete 180.

Akane rubbed her eyes free from tears as she made her way up to the shrine and tossed in some spare change she found in her pocket. Standing on the tips of her feet, she rang the bell and then clapped her hands as she closed her eyes. Much to her own displeasure, Akane found herself sympathizing with Ran's decision with locking the doll in the closet.

“Please Kami-sama, please allow Yasuaki to grow as a human being and to experience emotions and all the other things that would make him a better person!”

An ear splitting scream erupted from the back of the small temple, causing Akane to slowly open her eyes in confusion. Such a reaction never happened when one usually prayed for something. Letting out a sigh, she allowed her own curiosity to get the better of her, and cautiously wandered round toward the back end of the shrine. Akane kept her distance as she pressed herself against the wall, her eyes wide in surprise at the sight she found.

A business man with beautiful cerulean hair cascading down his back and dressed in an elegant back suit was watching a group of boys, who were all huddled around a beautiful petite girl with brilliant violet hair that was quite long, holding her foot in what looked like agony.

“Might I ask what happened to Fuji-hime?” The business man drawled, his voice seemed as smooth as silk an caused butterflies to feel as if they were fluttering in Akane's stomach. “I leave for two minutes and it appears as if the hachiyou have injured their beloved and sacred miko~”

“I-I'm fine Tomomasa-sama!” The cute girl named Fuji replied sheepishly as she massaged her injured ankle. The girl surely was no older than eleven years old, yet she held herself with a sense of grace of a woman beyond her years.

Tomomasa slowly approached the group, his face still unknown to Akane, knelt beside the girl he addressed as princess, no doubt inspecting the severity of the injury.

“Mmmm~ Hime-sama, I'm afraid that you won't be able to perform at the festival with that ankle. Would someone like to explain how this happened?”

“Sefuru did it!”

“We saw him trip Fuji!”

A blond boy with shoulder length hair scowled angrily at the other members of the group.

“He's a demon! All he does is slack off and blame us for all his problems!”

A meek boy who looked no older than fourteen with bright blue eyes and and short curled golden blond hair stood in front of the boy named Sefuru.

“Se-Sefuru-kun isn't a demon!” The boy cried out, meek as he was, it was rather adorable to watch. “I'm sure it was an accident, right Sefuru-kun?”

Sefuru could not tolerate the accusing glares from his dance troop mates and screamed at the top of his lungs as he roughly shoved the boy defending him to the ground. Akane winced at the action and was glad that this was causing an uproar as some of the boys helped the meek one off the ground. Though while she innocently watched the scene, Akane was unaware of the fact that she was under the stealthy glance of one Tachibana Tomomasa.

“You think I need this crap? I have a whole list of other things I would rather be doing than hanging around a bunch of pig-headed bastards!” Sefuru screamed at all the the children before turning his attention at the boy who had defended him. “And the last thing I need is to be defended by a crybaby goody two-shoes like you, Shimon!”

Sefuru pushed past everyone and ran off muttering obscenities under his breath as he passed by Akane.

“What are we going to do now?!”

“We're missing a hachiyou!”

“Forget that, our miko's hurt!”

Akane frowned slightly as she placed a finger to her chin in thought. Those kids truly were in deep with their troubles.

Tomomasa silently snuck behind the young woman and enveloped her in his arms, the small yelp that escaped her lips caused him to smirk in delight.

“Yasuaki?” Akane asked hopefully.

The red-headed girl was probably setting her wishes too highly at this point and she knew that. Yasuaki had no desires whatsoever, meaning that impulses were beyond his comprehension of knowing. Still, Akane found herself wishing that the arms holding her belonged to the doll under her care.

“Yasuaki?” Tomomasa chuckled in Akane's ear as he tightened his grip on her gently. “By any chance is that the man that has so rudely stolen this beautiful princess away from me?”

“Tomomasa-sama!” Fuji shrieked, her face bright red in embarrassment, “What are you doing to that girl?!”

Tomomasa smiled against Akane's neck, resulting in her realizing that the one holding her was the beautiful businessman. Akane's face darkened in embarrassment.

The man was clearly a flirt!

“It appears that I have been found out!” Tomomasa sighed as he pulled Akane out in the open with him. “I merely found a lovely little bird peeping, Fuji-hime, and I could not resist~”

Akane's limbs felt limp as she blushed as red as a tomato at the nine pairs of eyes staring curiously at her.

“I...I just wanted to see if whoever was hurt needed help!” Akane croaked awkwardly as she struggled slightly to wiggle out of the man's grasp.

Tomomasa's smile widened suddenly as a thought came to mind. This girl had no doubt been questioning what she could do to help out, otherwise she would not have stuck around for as long as she did. Yes, this cute girl could be of some use to him, after all, he had wanted to scrap the whole dance and the hachiyou anyway.

“What a giving nature you have~” he purred.

Akane feared that her face would explode if she continued to blush so violent.

“Can you please let me go?”

“Under one condition.”

“Yes?”

“Be the Ryujin no Miko. As you can see, Fuji-hime is in no condition to perform, and I'm sure that if an adorable girl like you took her place and were to perform the part, I'm sure you'd be praised.”

“Tomomasa-sama, are you insane? How can you be so selfish as to ask that of a stranger?!” Fuji protested as she struggled to get up. “I am fine! Asking her is not necessary!”

Fuji was hardly convincing as she wobbled where she stood.

“Fuji-chan! Sit down, you'll hurt your ankle more if you don't!”

Akane felt the pressure building over her head. How could merely watching an event cause her to be brought into the issue and now she was being asked to be a miko?

“But...I don't know how to dance! I have absolutely no sense of rhythm!” Akane babbled as she tried to pry Tomomasa's arms off of her.

“That's fine, my dear,” Tomomasa said with such a warm smile it caused Akane to groan, “You see, I'm going to scrap the dance since you'll be my Ryujin no Miko. Fuji-hime and the boys are too young to perform the actual ceremony. But with you, no dancing will be needed.”

As Tomomasa blew playfully at her ear, Akane felt like she was going to pass out in embarrassment if this were to continue. Where was Yasuaki? Did he run away back to Ran and Tenma?

Tomomasa's eyes widened slightly as he felt a small gust of wind fly past his ear. He let out a sigh of annoyance as he slowly turned to see who had so rudely interrupted his fun.

A peculiar young man with long emerald-colored hair and dual colored eyes eyed him with a cool expression that seemed to have many other emotions buried beneath the one he wore. There were several small pebbles in his hand, probably as a sign of warning that he would throw another. Though what intrigued Tomomasa most about the young stranger was the odd gray mark that marred the man's flawless face and the sparrow that rested on his shoulder.

“Release Motomiya-san.”

Akane's eyes widened as she recognized the voice which had uttered the command. Forcing Tomomasa to turn around with her, she could not help but smile in delight.

“Yasuaki-san!” Akane exclaimed with delight.

Tomomasa's grip tightened slightly, a playful smile gracing his lips.

“So this is Yasuaki, must say that you are a quite beautiful young man.”

Fuji and the boys each would have liked nothing more than to smash their heads against the ground. At times, Tomomasa was a pleasure to be around, having such a successful entrepreneur fund and direct their performance was an honor. Though when attractive people were concerned, be them man or woman, he had a knack of acting stupidly in their opinions.

Yasuaki remained silent as he calculated the man's next move.

“Just let her go, Tomomasa-sama,” Fuji groaned.

“I'll let the princess go under one condition~”

“Being?”

“At the Tanabata festival, we are planning on having a recreation of the ceremony to summon the god, Ryujin. Seeing that I've ensnared a girl of the proper age in my arms, I'd like to have her be my miko. Seeing as she seems rather fond of you, I'd like you to play the part of one of her loyal hachiyou. Deal?”

Yasuaki's cold eyes glared at Tomomasa.

“I am familiar with the tale of the Ryujin no Miko and her hachiyou, so I know you are at least speaking honestly at the very least...deal.”

“Excellent! Practice begins tomorrow, Miko~ I'll see if I can find you some properly suited hachiyou,” Tomomasa whispered huskily into Akane's ear.

Without warning, Tomomasa released her from his grasp and lightly pushed her into Yasuaki's awaiting arms.

“What is the miko's name?”

“Akane Motomiya,” Yasuaki responded as he gently held her close.

Akane's eyes went wide at the impulse. For a few moments she remained pressed against Yasuaki's chest, her face not any less red than when Tomomasa held her. What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to hug the doll back? Well...it wasn't as if he was really hugging her, more like holding her against his body...kinda possessively...but maybe she was imagining that. After all, Akane was convinced that Yasuaki knew nothing of selfishness or jealousy. Soon she found her hand in Yasuaki's larger one and she was being led away from the scene, confused still at what had just happened.

“Miko-dono, remember you have practice tomorrow~” Tomomasa smiled as he waved before turning his attention back toward the children with a wide smile. “Now...you are no longer needed. Please go and do those childish things that children do when they are given a summer free of responsibility.”

Nearly all the children ran off and screamed with delight. The only two that remained were both Fuji and Shimon who appeared as if they had only the performance to live for.

Tomomasa leaned in close and delicately kissed the girl's head .

“Maa~ I do not love you any less, Fuji-hime, even if you cannot perform.”

At this Fuji smiled slightly.

Turning his attention to the boy, he lightly patted his head.

“Shimon-kun can be a hachiyou~”

---

The tale of the Ryujin no Miko and her loyal hachiyou was one story that every child was supposed to know by heart. A young woman from a strange land appeared in times of trouble, destined to save the land from disaster, protected by eight guardians of heaven and earth who each loved her.

Akane sat awestruck as she stared at her strawberry parfait. She was going to be playing the role of miko and she was still confused as how that even happened. Yasuaki silently ate his banana split sundae, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. He ignored the fact that he had called Akane useless and had then got her messed up in a performance.

“So...Yasuaki-san...you're good with animals?”

The only way to resolve any issue between them had to start with a simple conversation.

Yasuaki looked up at Akane for a moment before looking back down at his frozen treat as if contemplating what to say.

“Yes.”

Akane's face fell. The doll clearly wasn't skilled in keeping a conversation going.

“Ehh...how did you get the bird to go on your shoulder? I had no idea that you could so easily tame an animal like that.”

The lack of reply was beyond disheartening. Yasuaki only seemed interested in eating his ice cream and ignoring her completely.

“I asked it a question.”

Akane's bright green eyes quickly flicked up and met Yasuaki's as he idly stirred the sundae with his spoon.

A response was good.

“What did you ask it?” Akane asked eagerly.

The question itself was odd, but passing up the opportunity would be a horrible mistake. It was impossible to talk to animals, that was common sense. Yes, she would humor the onmyoji and lead him into a situation in which he would have no choice but to acknowledge her questions.

“I wanted to know where Motomiya-san ran off to. I found the sparrow and asked if he had seen you. He did and led me straight towards you.”

Akane's eyes remained wide in awe, watching Yasuaki as he ate a piece of a banana, intrigued by its flavor mixed with the ice cream. Sensing her gaze, Yasuaki scooped up a small portion of chocolate ice cream and held it out to the girl across from him.

“Did you want some?”

“Ah-”

Without warning, Yasuaki popped his spoon into Akane's surprised mouth. Her cheeks went beet red in shock as the doll carefully removed the spoon and went back to eating as if nothing had happened. Not only had Yasuaki stunned her with possibly feeling jealous, selfish, and concerned, but now even more with the sudden indirect kiss!

“Y-yasuaki-san!” she stammered.

“Yes?”

The blank expression on the onmyoji's face confirmed Akane's suspicious that he had no clue of the relevance of his actions. She felt foolish for even feeling excitement.

“Thank you...” Akane mumbled.

“Mondai nai,” Yasuaki replied.

Akane found the signature motto was beginning to grind on her nerves.

“What am I supposed to do as the Ryujin no Miko?”

Hopefully asking a question about something Yasuaki was knowledgeable about would open some normal dialogue.

“Probably nothing useful. Tomomasa probably knows not enough about the true ceremony to perform it correctly,” Yasuaki explained mildly, “Now that I think about it, Motomiya-san was not chosen by Ryujin himself, therefore making you not really the miko.”

“Yasuaki-san is the world's most accomplished pessimist,” Akane pouted in defeat.

“I am unfamiliar with that word.” he replied honestly as he spooned some vanilla ice cream. “I am merely stating the reality of the matter.”

The high school student learned to quickly tune the doll out and merely stare. If she focused more on the emerald haired man's beauty, it made being in his company all the more bearable. Akane found that in a café scenario, she could easily imagine Yasuaki as a university student that had asked her out for ice cream. He wouldn't fumble over the words of his confession, nor blush in embarrassment for he was confident that his feelings would come across strong.

“Motomiya-san?”

Akane blinked and laughed insecurely as was brought out of her daydream.

“Yes Yasuaki-san?”

His dual colored eyes looked deeply into her eyes as he gracefully lifted his hand and poked her forehead with his index finger.

“To perform the role of Ryujin no Miko, the miko must be completely pure of all evil. From your sluggish actions, dazed expressions, and slow reactions, I am convinced that you are possessed by a demon of sloth.”

That was new.

With little to no warning, Akane shoveled down her parfait, Yasuaki merely watched on with the same unreadable face as always.

“Punishment!” Akane cried out as she reached across the table, took the spoon from his the onmyoji's hand, and fed herself some of his ice cream.

“I was mistaken...it was a demon of gluttony.”

---

To be Continued...

AN: Once again! I apologize for my delay and pray that I still have some reviewers still following this story. Please make this poor writer happy and write a review ; m ;