Locked Hearts

Once upon a time in a town called Yukimura (Snow village) there was a young girl named Aiko. Her parents suddenly discovered she had the village's #1 brain tumour that they were trying to find the cure for. (The tumour would NOT kill her, but it would occasionally hurt her.) The parents were aghast and saddened, so they left her in the hands of the Yukimura Clinic, running as far as possible from the town—and their daughter.

Aiko stayed in a room on the third floor, so there weren't as many people she could meet just on that floor. But she met six-year-old Jin, who had the same brain tumour as her. And the two became good friends.

But this story isn't about a five-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy.

This story is what happens to the two ten years later.

xxx

"You two will finally be able to go outdoors after years of being trapped inside," explained Jun, a twenty-year-old doctor.

Jin, his younger brother, and Aiko, Jin's best friend, gaped at first, then grinned.

"That's great!" Jin replied cheerfully, despite not liking his older brother very much. "Thank you, onii-san!"

"No, thank you for being such great patients, Aiko, Jin," Jun smiled and placed a check mark on a page of his clipboard.

The two (Jin and Aiko) walked out of the clinic and into the wilderness.

xxx

"Jun-kun's actually kinda cute," Aiko stated during the walk. She played with her fingers as she said those words.

"And you're telling me that because?" Jin inquired.

"We're best friends!"

"...True."

After a while, the two heard Jun calling their names.

"Wanna go yet?" Jin asked.

Aiko shook her head. Jin took her hand, causing them both to blush, and pulled her down. Using her other hand she pushed down her skirt.

"H—Hopefully you didn't become a pervy boy all of a sudden..." Aiko whispered.

"Why on earth would I be like that?" Jin asked. (Boy, he sure asks a lot of questions.)

"..." Aiko closed her eyes and hoped that no-one would catch them and get them in trouble. "...We're gonna get caught, aren't we."

"Hopefully not."

Later, Jin got so bored he fell asleep on Aiko's lap, causing her to become very rouge.

"What..." She poked his cheek, for it worked every time he fell asleep on her.

Unfortunately, it failed, so her second option was to fell his hair and wait for him to awaken, no matter how embarrassing it seemed.

"Oh... it's so soft..." she murmured.

Running her fingers around his scalp, she closed her eyes, and Jin woke up, not jumping up the way he usually did, but simply opening his eyes. He noticed what she was doing almost immediately, so he closed his eyes, giving her permission to twirl strands of hair.

During the walk back, Aiko talked about Jun endlessly, which made Jin quite jealous. Why won't she talk about us? he wondered. Why can't she be in love with me instead?

That's just about where he noticed it, as soon as his mind said that.

He was in love with her.

xxx

No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he had to admit it. In love with Aiko? That's not possible, though! Okay, at first he was in denial but now he's sure it's true. But why him? Why does he have to fall in love with his best friend? Why can't it be Jun or someone like him?

Jin let his head fall into his hand. As he wrote the feelings he had for her in his journal, he hoped that maybe she was just getting her feelings wrong...

xxx

That night Jun was on his computer, continuing the search for the cure to that tumour. He clicked on one of the hospital's websites, he suddenly read that to cure the tumour (and to make sure it never spreads into your family, both before you still living and after) would be to kiss the one who loves you most.

As he continued reading, he saw:

BUT! The "one who loves you most" must be not related to you and must be keeping his/her feelings a secret.

By now, Jun was chuckling. "I can cure two at once, huh," he mumbled to himself.

"Jin, Aiko, I hope you two understand what I'm trying to do."

Half an hour later...

Creeeeeeeeeeaaaaaak.

Jun crept into Aiko's room. It was great that he could write just like Jin. He placed a letter on her pillow and left.

xxx

Dear Aiko,

The truth is, I love you. I have discovered that the only way to cure your brain tumour is a "kiss by the one you love most". If you're able to find me, we can give it a try.

Love,

xxx (a male, so don't go and ask females)

"Ehh?!" Aiko yelled, her face bright red. Someone loves ME?! she screamed in her head.

She ran out of her room and to Jun's cubby, and shoved the note at him. "What should I do?!" she yelled, for she didn't know who else to ask. The other patients told her he was great with love notes and what to do when one gets them, and that he was the number one person to talk to for advice for love and from love.

"..." Jun read the note. "I told all the boys that they should tell the one they love most," he explained, "I don't know who writes like this, so try all of them. I know it's one of them."

"Okay! Thanks!" Aiko called as she ran to Jin's room to try him first.

xxx

"Jin! You gotta see this—"

As soon as she saw him half-naked she blushed like crazy.

Jin started to do the same as he tried to cover his [bare] chest with his hands. "W—What're you doing here? Trying to see me like this or something?"

"No, no, nooooooo!" Aiko yelled, embarrassed he actually said that. He put on a tank top, letting her (and his) heart slow down. "I—It was actually... uhm... this..." She handed him the note. "I found it this morning. You know anything about it?"

Jin began to read the letter, skimming over the words just to understand what was going on. "No, I don't know anything...

"...about...

"thi..."

That was the exact time he noticed she was holding his arm, closed eyes, on her tippy-toes and pursing her lips.

And he let her kiss him.

Only because he loved her? No, of course not—he felt as though she wanted to...

Just about five seconds later, Aiko let her lips stop pressing his, and just let them brush a little. She was wondering why she let herself kiss him, and why she kept on doing it, instead of what she thought she would've done – stopped and ran off. But Jin's mouth... it felt so nice, so...so...

She began to let herself control again and let go, but even though she had control, it didn't mean he did, too.

"Mn..."

"Hnn..."

"Ah..."

"...Oh..." Jin's hand came to his mouth. "I...I, uh..."

"Uhm...I..." Aiko's hand felt his cheek and came to his soft, curly hair. "It's my fault. I kissed you. I'm sorry, I never meant to." Her cerise face came a little closer to his all over again. She looked away before she kissed him once more.

'You're a liar, Aiko. You love him.'

What?! NOO! I'm not in love with...

Taking a look at him again made her notice for the first time how attractive he was.

...or maybe I am...

'See? I told you. You think you love him.'

"Perfect," was all Jun had said before he walked away from the room. "Now you don't need to stay here."

xxx

"...and that's why I lied to you. I'm sorry, Aiko," Jun explained.

"I—It's okay, Aiko replied, now in her outdoor clothing and ready to leave with her parents whom she just encountered again. "You made me realize something."

"Eh? What is it?" Jun inquired, ticking off yet another one of his tasks.

She looked up at him with knowing eyes. "Oh, you know what it is." She motioned her head over to Jin, who for some reason was giving Jun's dog a hug good-bye. "He's coming with me, by the way. Is that alright?" she asked her mother and father.

Her mother just nodded while her father ignored her question because he had started talking with Jun.

"Both are so cute," her mom complimented.

"But Jin's cuter," Aiko responded quickly.

"Yes, of course Jin's cuter. The cutest of the bunch."

"I wonder how Dad'll react."

"Not bad, hopefully. Jin's so nice, proper and very handsome." Her mother swooned.

Aiko made a disgusted look. "Sure, he is, but you're turning into me."

"So you just noticed it, huh." Jin had come over to the two as they were talking.

"No," Aiko replied, "Before now I had a locked heart."

~fin~