Author's Note: Hi everyone! Sorry if there was SUCH A LONG delay in Stargazer! I was running out of ideas, but I think I might have some decent ones for the next 2-3 chapters or so. I'll try and update this as much as possible, even though I've been glued to TCR for quite some time. This one focuses on one of Mika's friends and some of her problems. Sorry if it's a bit early to develop characters, but I have no other ideas! Anyway, I better get started. Here's chapter 3 of Stargazer! Read and review please! NO FLAMES!!! Happy reading!

Capitulo 3: El hermano de Kasumi(1)

It is currently a clear and sunny day in a tiny suburb called Taguchi, which was located in Tokyo. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, children were playing, flowers were blooming, and Spring fever seems to be catching on. On one street, a young girl was walking down the sidewalk.

She looked to be about 12 years of age. She had semi-long blond hair tied into a ponytail with a pink ribbon and forest green eyes. She wore a short-sleeved, white shirt with a pink ribbon on the collar part and a long, light purple skirt with pictures of white carnation flowers on it. She also wore white shoes and was holding what appears to be a large, brown paper bag. It appeared to be full of groceries like carrots, broccoli, bananas, spinach, corn, and blueberries. She arrived in front of a house, which had the name tag 'Sagara' listed on the door. It was a normal house with a vase of flowers on the porch and a white rooftop. The house itself was a light brown color and two windows were on the front of it. She put the bag down, opened the door, carried it again, and went inside. She proceeded to walk into the kitchen and put the groceries on the table. As she did, her face began to look a little sad. She looked up at the ceiling fan that was spinning. Her mind was beginning to fly away into the abyss when...

"Kasumi!"

A voice echoed in the confines of her mind. The voice of a handsome and rich young man. Then, an image appeared in her mind. It was a young man running in a field, looking behind himself with a bright smile on his face. He looked to be about 16 and had tan skin, messy black hair, dark green eyes and he was wearing a red coat with white fur on the collar part. The image then disappeared and the girl walked back into the living room, but walked in a small hallway. She then saw a door on one side of the hallway and quietly knocked on it.

"I'm home, big brother" She said in a polite, soft and gentle voice.

One day earlier...

Monday, May 7, 2009

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, at a house whose name tag on the door read 'Hoshigaki', another family was busy in their home. A young boy and a lady, who appears to be his mother, were in the kitchen. The boy looked to be about 14-15 years of age. He had dark brown hair and green eyes. He wore a light blue, short-sleeved shirt and black jeans. He appeared to be reading a manga while his mother was taking out some food ingredients. The boy looked at the clock on the wall of the kitchen and it read 4:12 PM. The boy then looked down at a cup whose handle was broken. He got some strange putty and kneaded it up. He put one broken piece on the cup and slowly pushed the putty around the piece so that it wouldn't fall. He was wearing dark blue rubber gloves. The mother turned around and noticed this.

"Riku, you're fixing Reina-chan's cup?" The mother asked in a polite, soft and kind voice while referring to her son as Riku.

"Yeah. I tell ya, I'm tired of Nee-san(2)'s attitude towards Mika! It's making me mad! And you know I have an anger management problem!" Riku exclaimed as he put some more putty on a smaller broken piece of the handle.

"I know. I don't like it either. I wonder what made Reina-chan like that anyway?" The mother asked as she pulled out a small can of corn.

"I'm thinking she hates autistic kids! One time, I was walking down the hallway to go to the bathroom and I saw this little kid with an adult flapping his hands and making noises. I didn't mind, but Nee-san came in and saw him. Then she suddenly went berserk and started beating the kid up! Luckily me and the lady stopped her from socketting him!" Riku explained as he put on another long piece of the handle and pushed some putty onto it. The mother became surprised.

"How horrible!" The mother said.

"I know! Something's gotta change! I decided that I wanna be a special education teacher when I grow up" Riku said as he began to put on the final piece of the broken cup handle. The mother smiled.

"That's so nice. I wish there were more people like Mika-chan around here" The mother said when Riku slowly put the putty on the last broken piece of the cup handle. Now, the handle was finally fixed!

"Wow! I like how it turned out! Now all I gotta do is let it sit for a while, or it won't work!" Riku said with a smile when a girl appeared through the entrance of the hallway.

She looked to be about Riku's age and had his same hair and eyes. She didn't look very happy. She wore a sleeveless, dark red shirt with a picture of a black butterfly on it and a black mini-skirt along with brown sandals. She also had a large, light pink purse. Her hair was long, but it was shorter than her mother's.

"Reina-chan! Where are you going?" The mother asked referring to her daughter as Reina.

"I'm going to Kouichi's house! What's it to you!?" Reina replied in a sassy and cold tone.

"I fixed your cup!" Riku cried, but this made Reina mad.

"Shut your mouth! It's that little (Censored B-I word)'s fault for having that giant piece of (Censored S word) breaking it!!" Reina screamed and left the house while slamming the door. Both were intimidated by the door slam.

"She needs help, doesn't she?" Riku asked. His mother didn't reply. Luckily the cup was okay. Meanwhile, another girl appeared.

She was younger than the rest. She looked about 12 years of age. She had short, brown hair that went to her chin and sterling gold eyes. She wore a sleeveless shirt that has blue and white stripes along with beige capris. She was barefoot and was carrying a creme-colored bunny doll that was wearing a light blue dress, a white ribbon with a silver cross on it, and a red rose on it's right ear. She was also carrying a light novel in her other hand.

"What just happened?" The girl asked in a soft, cute and gentle little girl's voice.

"Mika...Nee-san went to see her boyfriend again" Riku said while referring to his little sister as Mika.

"Hino Kouichi? That guy?" Mika asked.

"Yeah. I swear, she needs to stop slamming doors and screaming all the time! She'll disturb the neighbors and likely rupture your eardrums! I'm not gonna let you end up like Hayakawa Sessue(3)!" Riku replied when he heard his mother's voice.

"Oh no! I forgot to buy the pin wheel noodles!" The mother said when she suddenly remembered something and smiled. "Oh! I remember that that little food store by the dollar store has them! I better run over there!" The mother said.

"Yeah. Me and Rickets need to run to the police station and see if I have any work" Mika said. The mother grabbed her pocket book and then turned to Riku.

"Riku? Can you look after Mika while I go run to the food store and get the noodles?" The mother asked.

"Yes. I can do that" Riku replied.

"Mika. Don't go to the station until I come home, alright?" The mother told her youngest daughter.

"Okay then" Mika replied and nodded. Then, the mother walked out of the house, walked into her car which was a purple PT cruiser, and drove away to a small food store that was up the street and about a few blocks away. The mother entered and saw very few people around. She looked around a few aisles and she smiled as she found what she was looking for.

"Oh! The pin wheel noodles! They're on sale too! Happy day!" The mother said and happily picked up the bag of noodles from the shelf when she heard a voice.

"Hoshigaki Sayano-san?"

A polite and soft voice came up behind her referring to her as Sayano. Sayano turned around and saw a young girl behind her. The girl looked to be about Mika's age. She had semi-long, blond hair tied back into a ponytail with a light blue string and had green eyes like a forest. She was wearing a short-sleeved, blue green shirt with pictures of green flowers and leaves on them along with white shorts. She also wore white shoes and had a light green purse hanging from her shoulder. Sayano smiled as she recognized the young girl.

"Ah! Kasumi-chan! What a surprise! I never expected to see you here!" Sayano exclaimed happily. The girl, Kasumi, smiled back.

"Me neither. Oh! Sayano-san? Would it be alright if Micchan came over to my house to play for a while?" Kasumi replied/asked. Sayano was a little surprised.

"Of course! But...won't your parents be busy?" Sayano asked back.

"It's okay. The family nurse will be around when school ends" Kasumi replied. Sayano was confused.

"Family...nurse?" Sayano asked. Sayano has heard of a family butler and a family maid, but not a family nurse.

"Yes. He takes care of my brother. His name's Hajime. He looks a little big and strong, but he's a nice guy. We've had him for 6 months now. He's good with kids so you shouldn't worry" Kasumi explained. Sayano smiled again.

"Oh...alright then. I'll tell Mika-chan about it, alright?" Sayano said.

"Okay then!" Kasumi said when a lady who was further away called out to her.

"Kasumi! Quit lolly-gagging! We need to get this stuff done quick!" A lady shouted. She didn't seem very happy.

"Coming mother!" Kasumi cried back at the lady who was her mother. She turned back to Sayano.

"I apologize. I'll see you later! Goodbye!" Kasumi said and bowed, then running to her mother. Sayano looked a little sad.

"Her mother looks angry. Does she not like us or something?" Sayano asked herself. A passerby heard her talking to herself.

"No, she's not mad. Sagara-san's family has been a little tight lately. Kasumi-san's father has been lookin' for another job since he got fired from his previous one. They're starting to get financial difficulties too because of the hospital bills they need to pay. Kasumi usually does the work since her parents haven't been home much. Her brother's brain damaged" The man explained. Sayano was shocked when she heard the last thing the man said.

"Brain...damaged? How horrible!" Sayano said in a worried and frightened voice.

"Yeah, some Spanish dude tried to take him hostage, but the kid tried to stop'em. But the guy escaped right when the car was about to hit an old phone booth. The boy's been bed-ridden since. Because of that, the family has to pay for IVs and other things since he can't do things like feed himself, get himself something to drink, walk, change his clothes, bathe himself, and write. He can't talk very well too" The man explained.

"Is he...alright?" Sayano asked.

"Yeah. I hear he's improving a little thanks to the help of Hajime, their "family nurse". Although the Sagaras seem a little uptight right now, Kasumi-san's a good girl. She wants to help out and make her family happy" The man explained.

"Oh. Thank you for the information. I'll be taking my leave now" Sayano said and left the area. She went to the cash register and paid for the pin-wheel shaped noodles. She now got inside her car and decided to return home. A few minutes later, she arrived back at home and went inside.

"I'm back!" Sayano exclaimed. Mika and Riku came out and saw her.

"I'm gonna go to the police station now, okay mom?" Mika said and dashed off to the backyard. She arrived in her backyard. It wasn't very lively, but there was a pen and a small stable nearby. Mika immediately leaped over the pen and went into the stable.

She saw a large horse in it. The horse was all light brown and had black hair. Mika grabbed some fresh hay and gave it to the horse.

"Hello, Rickets! We need to go to the police station, okay?" Mika said as Rickets happily chewed on its food and neighed a little in response. Mika then put a mask on her face. It was white and had a bit of yellow stripes and purple and green feathers. She tied the strings which were dark green around her head so that it wouldn't fall off. She then put the reins on the horse and then leaped on it. She grabbed a hold of the reins. She also put on a set of black headphones and adjusted the knob on them a little.

"Rickets! En Garde(4)!" Mika shouted. The horse neighed loudly and stormed off. It leaped over the pen and went out the back gate.

Rickets and Mika were galloping the streets of Taguchi to get to the police station. People began to notice them again.

"It's the legendary Stargazer again!"

"My goodness. She's very devoted to her work, isn't she?"

"I'll bet she's lookin' for bad guys!"

"She's on patrol, right?"

Many people and children began to notice the girl and her horse. A few minutes later, she finally arrived at the Taguchi National Police Department. Mika forcefully pulled on Rickets's reins to stop her. She got off of the horse and proceeded to tie the reins to the street light.

"Sorry Rickets. I'll be back, okay?" Mika said as she finished tying the reins and dashed into the police station. As she went in, there were a few police officers in the lobby. A few men and two women.

"Hello everyone! Katakura-san, Fujikawa-san, Watanabe-san, Minami-san, Niwa-san and...where's Nikkaido-san?" Mika exclaimed when she noticed someone was missing.

"Why do you care?" The man, Minami, replied in a snobbish tone.

"Makoto! Don't be so rude to a girl!" The blonde lady, Fujikawa, said as she elbowed Minami Makoto on the arm.

"M-Mutsumi!" Makoto snapped.

"Nikkaido Tsukushi is taking a shower in the other room. He got hurt during a small mission he, Makoto and I had" The lady, Fujikawa Mutsumi, explained.

"Is he okay?" Mika asked.

"Yes. He's alright" Mutsumi replied. Mika smiled in relief.

"That's good. Anyway, Katakura-san. Is there anything you need me to do?" Mika asked the man above her, who was Katakura.

"We've had some crimes in which members of the Japanese Kings were not involved. We want you to see with your powers if there will be any Japanese King activity" Katakura explained.

"I can do that" Mika said when she walked up to the wall, placed her hand on it and closed her eyes. Everyone watched as the girl tried to see something. A few minutes passed and no response. Mika opened her eyes with a smile.

"It seems there won't be any Japanese Kings doing any crimes!" Mika exclaimed. Everyone but Niwa and Makoto smiled.

"Great to hear! We'll let you know if we need you. You're free to return home, Hoshigaki" Katakura said.

"Thanks! Tell Nikkaido-sensei I said hi!" Mika said happily and stormed out of the room. In another room, a young man was in a full bath rub. He had possibly choppy and messy brown hair along with sharp, silver eyes. He looked to be in his early 20's. The man proceeded to get out of the tub. He grabbed a large, light blue towel and began to dry himself off. He dried off his chest, back, and arms first. But what was odd was that...

There were scars all over his back and chest.

He looked like he was beat up really badly as the majority of them were rather large.

Meanwhile, a few minutes later, Mika and Rickets returned back home by the backyard. Rickets returned to the stable while Mika stormed into the house.

"I'm back!" Mika yelled as she stormed through the door and stopped in the kitchen. She noticed that Sayano was preparing dinner.

"Welcome back, Mika-chan...Oh! Mika-chan, while I was in the store, I ran into Kasumi-chan!" Sayano exclaimed when she remembered that she ran into one of Mika's friends in the store earlier. Mika's face lit up.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes. She asked if you would like to go over her house and play tomorrow" Sayano explained. Mika jumped for joy.

"WHEE! I better call her!" Mika cried happily and ran to the black phone, picked it up, punched in a few numbers, and held it up to her face. A few seconds later, she got a response.

"Is this the Sagara residence? My name's Hoshigaki Mika, I'm one of Kasumi's friends. Would it be okay if I spoke to her? Okay then" Mika appeared to be talking to Kasumi's parents. A few seconds later, Kasumi was on the line. "Sumi-chan! Hello! I heard that you ran into my mom in the store. I wanna say yes! I will come over your house tomorrow! I'll bring my new brooche too! Okay! See you tomorrow! Bye" Mika said and hung up the phone. She was bursting with excitement. Her older brother, Riku, noticed this and smiled.

"It's not everyday she gets invited over someone's house. It's usually Nee-san who invites herself or gets invited to people's houses ALL the time!" Riku said.

A day later...

Tuesday, May 8, 2009

Mika simply couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. She prepared some things to bring over beforehand so she wouldn't forget. Since she had Autism, she didn't socialize very well and was rarely invited over someone's house. But she was invited to a close friend's house and that was what made her happy more than anything. For her clothes, she prepared to wear her light green, short-sleeved shirt that was like a dress and blue shorts along with her pink ankle socks that had small, black and white dots on them.

It was now a sunny yet cool Tuesday morning. But to her surprise...

Kasumi didn't come to school.

Her other friends, Yokota Hiroko and Nishino Kunio, also noticed this. Kunio, a dark blonde haired boy with blue grey eyes, had tears streaming down his face like waterfalls. He was heartbroken.

"Waaaaah...my lovely maiden...my Kasumi-sama isn't here...! Waaaah...!!" Kunio whimpered sadly. Hiroko, the dark brown haired girl with blue eyes, also noticed this.

"Why isn't Sumi-chan here today? Did she get sick?" Mika asked herself in confusion. She was overjoyed with Kasumi inviting her over, but Kasumi wasn't in school today, so there was likely something up.

"I heard that her parents have to go somewhere for the day and Kasumi-chan has to watch over the house" Hiroko said. Mika slumped on the desk.

"Unyuu...and she invited me over to her house today too..." Mika murmured.

"I don't think she's sick. Her parents have been having some financial problems lately. Her dad got fired from a job for some unknown reason and her mom's trying to help him find a new job, but it hasn't been going well" Hiroko explained.

"Oh...I wonder if she'll be okay?" Mika said.

"I don't think it's anything serious. Kasumi-chan's always trying to help around the house and make her family happy. Besides, she's not alone. She has the family nurse" Hiroko replied. Mika got a little confused.

"Family...nurse? What's that?" Mika asked. Like Sayano, she was only familiar with the terms family maid and family butler. She never heard of a family nurse before.

"He's the person who helps the family when they're injured or sick. I've never seen him, but Kasumi-chan's told me about him a bit" Hiroko said.

"Really? Hmm. I know she's not sick, so I'll probably ask her when I get to her house" Mika said when suddenly...

"Nyaaaah!!"

Mika's hair was forcefully yanked! Who did it?

"I told you I'd get you one of these days!"

It was a girl. She had semi-long, dark red hair and brown eyes. She wore a long-sleeved, black shirt that read 'Don't mess with a Princess' in fake jewels along with a beige jean skirt. She also wore knee high white socks and dirty, white shoes. She smiled like an evil witch and was holding onto Mika's hair! Hiroko immediately got out of her seat while Kunio got out from his crying.

"Shinohara! Let go of her right now!!" Hiroko yelled as she grabbed the girl's hand and tried to remove it from Mika's hair.

"I told you to call me Miyuki you little (censored B-I word)!" The girl, Shinohara Miyuki, snapped loudly. This angered Hiroko as she removed Miyuki's hand from Mika's hair with such force that it made Miyuki fall to the ground. Hiroko then grabbed Miyuki up from the ground and wrapped her arm around her neck, giving her a headlock.

"Did you know my dad's a karate teacher? I'm a yellow belt in his class, y'know!?" Hiroko told her. Kunio was really confused.

"Whuuuuuh? What's going on here?" Kunio asked in complete confusion. Miyuki was getting mad.

"Get off of me you...!!" Miyuki yelled.

"Quit bullying Mikan! You should know by now that she never does anything to you!" Hiroko told her angrily.

"Shut up!! You're so totally uncool! Why do you care so much about someone who's not pretty, not cool, or even not normal!? I don't see why I'm the one getting yelled at! Not terpendicular, y'know!?" Miyuki proclaimed.

"That's because you need to follow the rules! They're not to be broken! We don't like valley girls and gangsters like you!" Hiroko yelled when...

"Just what is going on here?"

A lady arrived at the scene. The lady looked to be in her mid-20's. She had long, dark orange hair tied into an odango bun and dark green eyes. She wore a dark purple coat over a cream-colored shirt and black jeans along with blue shoes. She didn't seem very happy. Hiroko recognized her immediately.

"Ikari-sensei! Shinohara-san pulled on Mikan's hair for no reason!" Hiroko explained to the teacher who was Mrs. Ikari while letting go of Miyuki.

"Great! The Angry Teacher(4) is here! What's she gonna do, HUH?" Miyuki taunted. This made Mrs. Ikari mad. She violently grabbed Miyuki's arm and yanked on it. Hard.

"Haven't you gotten into ENOUGH trouble already!? Stop this nonsense right now! I've had it with you antagonizing Hoshigaki! You're going to the principal's office young lady!" Mrs. Ikari shouted and proceeded to drag Miyuki to the principal's office. She struggled to break free of her grip.

"This is so totally unfair!! That girl's totally even normal! She's wacko! She's smelly, ugly, abnormal, and on top of that she's a (censored B-I word)!" Miyuki proclaimed loudly. Mika hid behind Hiroko.

"I'd watch your language if I were you! Don't make me call your mother!" Mrs. Ikari yelled and took the girl out of the classroom. Everyone was safe. Mika was still rubbing her head. Hiroko immediately ran up to her.

"Mikan! Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Hiroko asked, worried. Mika smiled while looking a little troubled as she was rubbing the back of her head. The part that was yanked by Miyuki.

"Yeah, a little, but I'll be fine, Roko-chan. Thanks for saving me" Mika replied.

"What happened there? I don't get it. Why's that girl picking on you? You're a good kid! I don't see any reason why people pick on ya" Kunio said, confused a little. Hiroko crossed her arms.

"Honestly! I keep reprimanding her to quit picking on Mikan and whaddo I get? She STILL does it! It's not Mikan's fault that she catches Shinohara breaking the rules and standing for what's right! And it's not Mikan's fault she's autistic either!" Hiroko explained angrily.

"Maybe she's jealous? Maybe Shinohara-san's jealous of Mika and is trying to make her look bad. I've seen that happen before in Canada" Kunio said. Hiroko and Mika both were surprised and confused.

"You're from Canada?" Both girls asked.

"Yeah. My mom was born there and she and my dad, who's Japanese, took me there when I was like 6 or 7. I went to school in a little city there too" Kunio told her.

"Wow. No wonder you have Sumi-chan's hair!" Mika exclaimed. Hiroko and Kunio laughed.

About 7 hours later...

It was finally time to go home from school and Mika leaped into the car with Sayano who was driving it. She also saw a large, black Jekyll and Hyde bag with a large, red pocket. It was also filled with four DVDs, four manga books, and 2 light novels. There were also 2 bottles of tea in there. Sayano then drove away from the school and away to Kasumi's house.

A few seconds later, they arrive in front of a normal, light brown colored house with a vase of flowers on the porch and a white rooftop. The house also had two windows on the front of it. Mika dashed out of the car while keeping her bag over her shoulder. She walked up onto the porch and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Kasumi answered the door and became happy.

"Oh! Mika-chan! You're here! Please, come in" Kasumi said as she invited Mika into the house. Sayano smiled at the two and decided to drive away. Inside Kasumi's house, Mika was happy. It was a normal-sized living room with a large TV, two brown couches, a table with a lamp on it and a set of small drawers. There was also a computer on the left side too.

"I barely remember this place anymore!" Mika said happily.

"I'm glad" Kasumi said when Mika remembered something and turned to her friend.

"Oh yeah! Sumi-chan! How come you didn't come to school today?" Mika asked. Kasumi became surprised and put her hands on her cheeks.

"Oh! I apologize for not telling you earlier. Things got in my way. My mother and father asked me to watch the house while they go and look for jobs. My family nurse also had to help out in the hospital" Kasumi explained.

"What about homework?" Mika asked.

"I got that covered. I told all my teachers yesterday that I wasn't going to be at school and I asked that they give me today's homework so that I wouldn't fall behind. Ironically, I didn't have very much homework" Kasumi told her. Mika smiled in relief.

"Thank goodness. I was scared that you might have gotten sick and I wouldn't be able to come here and play" Mika said when she began moving around the living room. She removed her shoes and socks and placed them at the entrance to which she came in. Kasumi sat down on one of the couches. Mika removes all her things from her bag. Her DVDs, manga and light novels and places them all on the floor. As she got up, she saw a photo on the set of drawers.

It was likely to be Kasumi's family because there was a man, a woman, her, and a young boy in it. Mika stared at the boy that was in it. He looked to be about 15-16 years of age. He had messy black hair and dark green eyes. He looked very tan and looked to be very happy. He had his hand on Kasumi's shoulder.

"Sumi-chan? Who's this boy?" Mika asked. Kasumi heard her question and walked up to her. She looked at the family photo and her face lit up.

"Oh! That's my older brother. Sagara Tetsuyuki. You never met him. I used to call him Tet-chan when I was younger, but nowadays we call him Tet-kun or just Tetsuyuki" Kasumi explained and sat back down. Mika followed suit.

"So...how is he?" Mika asked. Kasumi didn't respond, but her face immediately became distraught and sad. Mika noticed this look and became sad herself. She realized what that face meant.

"Oh! I...I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring him up! I'm sorry for your loss!" Mika cried. When Kasumi heard this, she got confused.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kasumi asked.

"You looked sad, so I assumed that he might be..." Mika said, but Kasumi cut her off.

"...dead? No! He's not dead!" Kasumi told her. Mika sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness. Sorry about that. You looked kinda sad, so..." Mika said.

"I'm sad because that was what he used to be before he got hurt. See, he's brain damaged now" Kasumi replied. Mika became shocked.

"B-B-Brain damaged!? How'd that happen!?" Mika asked in shock.

"It was 6 months ago...he was running some errands when he heard some noise coming from a building. He watched at the entrance and saw some Spanish people and Japanese people in a strip bar (bar and strip club put together). They were prostituting and drinking and doing bad stuff. One man caught Oniichan watching, but he ran off to tell a nearby policeman about it. One Spanish man caught him and tried to take him hostage by driving him somewhere. Oniichan knew his intentions and tried to stop him, but right when they were about to hit an old phone booth, the Spanish man jumped away. Oniichan...he...he suffered brain damage because the phone inside the booth fell on his head. As a result of all that, he can't talk very well, walk, feed himself, bathe himself, write, change clothes or sit up on his own"

Kasumi explained the entire story. Mika became extremely distraught and saddened. As a result, she cried a little.

"That's so horrible...who would do something like that!? Is...he okay?" Mika said.

"Oh! He's been doing better! He's been saying a few words" Kasumi told her. Mika smiled in relief. Kasumi then smiled naturally and stood up.

"Would you like something to eat? I have some anpan around here somewhere...if I can find it..." Kasumi asked.

"I'll have the anpan (bean paste bread) please!" Mika replied while Kasumi went into the kitchen to find it. Mika then noticed a door in a small hallway from the living room. She got off of the couch and decided to walk down the little hallway. She saw the empty door. She then slowly put her hand on the knob and slowly turned it around. She pushed it a little and it opened. She took a peek and saw a boy sleeping in a bed with an IV bag in his arm. There was a small night stand, a small lamp, a tall bureau, and a black melodica on the ground in front of the bureau. Mika slowly went inside. She slowly tip-toed to the bed.

She then arrived at the side of the bed. She gazed down at the boy who was asleep. He had messy, black hair and his green eyes were hidden by his closed eyelids. Mika noticed that the tan he had in the picture was sort of gone. Mika then slowly held her left hand out. Mika started to become scared.

'Should I touch him? I don't know. He might wake up or I might scare him. I don't want him to see an unfamiliar face and become scared! But...would it be okay if I rubbed his hair a bit? Let's see...' thought Mika as she slowly and finally touched the boy's black hair. Mika then slowly began to rub on it with her hand. His black hair was very soft and there were no knots. Mika started to feel a little relief.

'He's not waking up. I guess I should probably--' thought Mika when she noticed the boy's eyes moving.

He was beginning to wake up.

Mika gasped a little and quickly withdrew her hand in fear. The boy's eyes slowly began to open up like a butterfly spreading its wings for the first time in its life. The boy's forest green eyes were only half open, but his head slowly began to turn. He turned towards Mika's direction. Finally, he gazed up at the girl with his half-open, stainless, emotionless, forest green eyes. Mika suddenly became sacred and began to panic.

'Nyaaaah! What should I do!? He's looking right at me! Whaddo I do!? Whaddo I doooo!?' Mika thought while in a panic. She decides to try and introduce herself.

"Hello...I-I-I-I'm o-o-one of K-Kasumi's friends...f-from school! I-I'm Hoshigaki M-M-Mika! N-N-Nice...to meet you?" Mika tried to introduce herself so that he wouldn't be scared, but she was so nervous that she stuttered throughout her introduction. Strangely, the boy did not respond. He just gazed up at her with his captivating, listless eyes. The boy's right arm suddenly began to move. His right arm slowly began to rise higher and higher. He was reaching towards Mika.

Finally, the boy's small, tender, and slightly tan hand gently caressed Mika's small cheek. His thumb gently tapped her nose and a part of her cheek. Mika stopped panicking and her face began to turn red.

'Oh snap! He's rubbing my cheek! Whaddo I do!? This has never happened to me before!! I don't wanna scare him, but I can't get Sumi-chan here either! Nyaaaaaaaah!' thought Mika until...

"Oh! You saw my brother, Mika-chan!"

Kasumi was at the entrance. She walked up to the girl, slowly removed the boy's hand from her cheek, and placed it back by its side. Kasumi then looked down at her brother with a kind smile and gently rubbed his forehead with her hand.

"Hello, Oniichan. This is Mika, my friend. Can you say Mika?" Kasumi asked. Tetsuyuki paused for a second, then his mouth began to move.

"Mmm...Mmm...Mmmmm..."

He was trying to speak, but nothing came out yet. He still made an effort to blurt something out.

"Mmm...Mmm...Mi...Miii...Mi...k-k-kaaa..."

His voice was like that of a handsome and rich young man (like Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club). Kasumi smiled happily and hugged the boy's head.

"Good boy! You said Mika!...well, sort of. You get a reward!" Kasumi exclaimed and sat next to Tetsuyuki. She slowly pulled back the blue blanket, revealing her brother's light green pajamas which consisted of a short-sleeved, light green shirt with a breast pocket and buttons along with long pants. Kasumi then put her hands on his shirt and began unbuttoning his shirt. As she was done, she slowly pulled the shirt apart, revealing his smooth, slightly tan and flat chest. Kasumi also saw a bit of his navel, or bellybutton. She then gently placed her hand under his chin and put her other hand on his stomach. Her fingers began to wiggle on both of them. The boy felt a soft and gentle feeling on both his chin and stomach. In response, he laughed. Mika, however, was confused.

'Why...is she tickling him?' thought Mika in complete disbelief. Kasumi then kneeled further down to her older brother, looking deep into his green eyes. She then rubbed her little nose with his, giving him a nose kiss. Tetsuyuki laughed again as Kasumi playfully rubbed his nose with her own. She then decided to rebutton his shirt and get off of the bed.

"I'm...not gonna ask" Mika said.

"This is what I do whenever he says a new word or manages to do something. He kinda likes it" Kasumi said when both girls heard a voice.

"Heeeey! Anyone in here?"

The voice of a full-grown man pierced the room. Kasumi recognized it immediately.

"Hajime-san! We're in Oniichan's room!" Kasumi cried out so the man could hear her. She then turned to Mika.

"It's the family nurse!" Kasumi whispered in Mika's ear. As the unknown individual came in...

Mika was in complete, utter shock.

"Deh!?"

It was a very large and strong man.

He looked to be about 40 years of age. He had slightly messy dark brown hair along with matching eyes. He wore a short-sleeved, dark blue shirt with white cuffs along with black pants and brown combat boots. He had BIG and muscled arms. His legs look like they've had a workout too. He also had a white nurse's hat on his head. He also had a slightly brown moustache and a bit of a beard.

Mika was in complete, utter shock.

'What the flip!? THIS professional wrestler guy is the Sagara family nurse!? WHAT THE--!?' thought Mika when the man took notice of Mika. He smiled like a sailor and...

He hugged her!

"Waaaaaaa!?"

"Looks like we got a little buddy here in this here home, now don't we!?" The man exclaimed happily while he was hugging, and suffocating, Mika.

"Uhhh...Hajime? That's Hoshigaki Mika. The friend of mine who has autism? The one I told you about?" Kasumi said. The man, Hajime, got confused, looked down at Mika, who was overwhelmed with confusion, anxiety, and fear, and realized it.

"Oh snap! I'm so sorry!" Hajime said and quickly let go of Mika in a flash. Mika then dashed under Tetsuyuki's bed and hid under it like she was a groundhog being afraid of it's shadow and not coming out of it's hole. Kasumi walked up to her and kneeled down at her level.

"I know he looks a little intimidating, but he's really a nice guy, just like Oniichan. I admit that I was shocked when I first met him too" Kasumi whispered.

"He looks like a flipping professional wrestler for the love of pie!!" Mika screamed, overwhelmed with anxiety and confusion. A few minutes later, Mika was out from under Tetsuyuki's bed and next to Kasumi again. But Mika was clinging to Kasumi's arm and bent over like she was watching a horror movie. Kasumi didn't mind though.

"Please don't mind him, Mika-chan" Kasumi said when Hajime began removing Tetsuyuki's IV. Mika got a little confused.

"Uhhh...why are you removing his IV, Hajime-san?" Mika asked.

"Cuz! It's time for his bath!" Hajime exclaimed. This made Tetsuyuki's eyes go big and act like he was about to panic. Hajime scooped the boy and put him over his shoulder. He hung on to the boy's legs. Tetsuyuki was getting scared and began flapping his arms and grunting.

"Since he can't bathe himself and change his clothes, I help'em out even though he hates it when other people do it for him! Come on, now! Don't be a wimp!" Hajime explained while walked away with a flailing and whimpering Tetsuyuki on his shoulder.

"N-N-N-Noooooo!" Tetsuyuki cried out as Hajime took him to the bathroom. Mika was shocked once again.

"I'm...not gonna ask again" Mika said.

"Since Oniichan can't bathe himself or undress himself, Hajime is the one to do those things for him. But it's the bath part that he hates. He doesn't want other people seeing his "boy parts", no matter what gender they are. He's very self-conscious when it comes to that" Kasumi explained when she quoted "boy parts" with her fingers. Mika was surprised.

"I see..." Mika said.

"I know Hajime means well and doesn't do anything to "hurt" him. Oniichan hates when people look at his "boy parts". I mean, Hajime is a guy just like Oniichan(5) and it's kind of okay as long as he doesn't touch him. But he still won't get it no matter how much we tell him" Kasumi told her. Mika was still surprised.

"I...think I know how he feels" Mika murmured quietly. Kasumi was able to hear her though. About half an hour later, Mika, Kasumi, Hajime, and Tetsuyuki were all sitting in the living room. Tetsuyuki was out of his wheelchair and is sitting on one of the couches. He is now wearing a long-sleeved, dark blue shirt over a white, short-sleeved shirt along with black pants. He was barefoot. Mika was sitting next to Kasumi while Hajime and Tetsuyuki were sitting alone on different couches.

"So, Mikan! I see you and Kasumi-chan here are pretty good amigos!" Hajime proclaimed with a smile. Mika blushed a little.

"Y-Yeah...I am..." Mika replied shyly.

"How long have ya known each other?" Hajime asked.

"Uhhh...since 2nd grade? Or was it 3rd grade? I don't remember..." Mika replied.

"Second grade. We met in the second grade. We were 7 years old" Kasumi said with a small smile. Mika kept looking around while Tetsuyuki was still staring at her. Mika turned to see Tetsuyuki looking at her. She blushed a bit, but he smiled and slowly waved at her. He continued to wave at her. Mika kind of knew what his gesture meant, so she decided to walk up to him. She was really nervous.

"You...wanted me?" Mika asked shyly. Tetsuyuki smiled again and began patting the cushion next to him with his hand. Mika realized what this gesture meant as well.

"You want me...to sit next to you?" Mika asked. Tetsuyuki nodded. Mika blushed, but she decided to do it anyway. She slowly sat down next to the impaired boy. Mika tried to sit a small distance away from Tetsuyuki, but the boy's arm wrapped around her neck and he pulled her towards him. Mika was getting more and more nervous.

'Waaaah! He's making me sit near him! What should I do!? Does he like me or something!? Oh sweet nibblets!!' thought Mika helplessly. She was about to have a panic attack, but she tried to hold it in so that Tetsuyuki doesn't become surprised. Kasumi looked toward them and saw the moment they were having. She giggled a bit.

"It seems Oniichan has taken a liking to you, Mika-chan!" Kasumi proclaimed with a smile.

"I see that!" Mika yelled loudly and about to blow up in a panic attack, but Tetsuyuki managed to put up with it no problem.

"Please don't worry. Oniichan's very gentle and he'd never hurt you" Kasumi told her.

"Oh! Sumi-chan! I brought my new DVDs and manga with me! Wanna watch something?" Mika asked, removing herself from Tetsuyuki's grasp.

"Sure! Let's watch in my room" Kasumi said. She and Mika were about to leave for the room. Tetsuyuki noticed this and tried to leave the couch. He clung onto the seat to try and stand up. Although he stood up, his legs were still bent. Hajime began to notice this, but he didn't do anything to stop him. Tetsuyuki then tried to walk a step or two, but...

THUD!

He instantly fell to the floor. Kasumi and Mika hear the noise and run to him. He was lying on the floor.

"Oh! Are...are you okay!?" Mika asked as she tried to help the teenager up.

"I think he wants to spend time with you girls" Hajime told them. Kasumi turned back to her older brother, who was looking up at them with his dark green eyes.

"You...want to watch anime and read manga with us?" Kasumi asked. Tetsuyuki looked up at Mika and smiled. This made Mika blush and look away from him.

"O...Okay then. I guess he can play with us" Mika said. Hajime then walked up to the young teenager and put him back in his wheelchair to escort him to Kasumi's room. He then placed him on Kasumi's bed. Hajime then left him, Kasumi, and Mika alone. The three decided to play together. First, they watched one of Mika's anime DVDs that she brought with her. Then, they played some games on Mika's silver Nintendo DS while Tetsuyuki just watched. Then they decided to read some manga that she brought with her.

They spent about 2-3 hours playing together. Tetsuyuki was watching everything and he smiled throughout the whole thing. He had some involvement with the fun too, even though Mika was a bit embarrassed by his prescence some of the time. Kasumi then got a phone call. She answered the phone and found Sayano, Mika's mother, on the phone. Sayano needed Mika to come back home for dinner. Kasumi understood and hung up the phone. She turned around and saw Mika and Tetsuyuki (back in his wheelchair).

"Mika-chan. Your mom called. She and Riku are picking you up in a few minutes" Kasumi told her. Mika felt a little sad.

"Awww. I wanted to play more. Oh well" Mika replied, feeling sad that she couldn't stay longer. She turned to Tetsuyuki, who looked up at her.

"Sorry, Tetsuyuki-san. I guess I'm going home in a few minutes. But it was fun being with you and Sumi-chan! I...I wish I could have stayed longer. But I hope we can see each other again" Mika told him. Tetsuyuki was a bit confused at first, but he smiled and slowly began to hold his hand up. He gently caressed Mika's cheek again and rubbed it. Mika tried not to blush.

"...Mika"

Tetsuyuki successfully managed to say Mika's name. Mika smiled a bit when someone came into the door.

"Mika!"

It was Riku, Mika's older brother!

"Riku-Niichan!" Mika cried out. Riku looked at her as she ran toward him. Riku then looked around and saw Tetsuyuki.

"Ah, so that's Sagara Tetsuyuki, Kasumi's brother" Riku said as he walked up to the boy and kneeled at his level.

"Nice to meet ya" Riku exclaimed as he held his hand out to Tetsuyuki. The boy in the wheelchair smiled and gently clenched Riku's hand and shook it. He then let go and walked up to Mika, who had her bag with her.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, Sumi-chan!" Mika exclaimed as she and Riku left the house. But Mika stayed behind a bit as she looked back at Tetsuyuki.

"I'll see you later, Tetsuyuki-san" Mika whispered to him as she finally left the house. She and Riku went into the PT cruiser and left the house. Tetsuyuki stared at the door and let out a smile. His forest green eyes gazed at the door in which Mika left.

'That Mika sure is cute' thought Tetsuyuki as he began to think about the short time he spent with Mika.

Author's Note: FI-NAL-LY. I'm flipping done with this durned chapter!! I'm so sorry for the disturbingly loooooooong delay! School, TCR addiction, lack of ideas, a whole lot of things kept me from finishing this chapter! I have some more chapters to come, so stay tuned! I hope everyone didn't forget Stargazer! I'll update it a bit in due time! Anyway, I'll see you all later! Read and review nicely! NO FLAMES!!! Bye-bee!

Footnotes:

1. "El hermano de Kasumi" - Spanish for "Kasumi's brother"

2. Nee-san - Japanese word for big sister in a polite form.

3. Hayakawa Sessue is an award-winning American Issei (Japanese immigrant who went to America) actor. There was a time when Hayakawa Sessue ruptured his eardrum when jumping into a lagoon. Riku makes a reference to this event when he worries about Mika's hearing being lost if Reina doesn't stop yelling/screaming.

4. En Garde - French for "on guard"!

5. Oniichan - big brother in Japanese