It was 4AM. Taishi and Satsuki were still awake. They ran out of food 2 hours ago but they had the conversation still going.
"Hey, why don't we watch the sunrise? Didn't you wanna watch that?" Taishi asked. "Ooh, nice! Sure, let's go!"
They stood up and stretched then went out the room. "Where are we gonna watch it from?" asked Satsuki. "From that tree outside the window?" Taishi suggested and Satsuki agreed. Taishi climbed it up first so he could assist Satsuki as she climbed after him. They reached and sat on the thickest and highest branch they could find. They looked down on the spacious garden behind the mansion. It was properly trimmed and it probably had hundreds of different types and colors of flowers. There were orange and apple trees and also non-fruit bearing ones. Strawberry and blueberry patches were scattered alongside the garden paths.
While quietly admiring the view, Taishi put his hand over Satsuki's. "I'm happy you're now here with me today." he said and she laid her head on his shoulder then held his hand back. Taishi squeezed her fingers. He won't let her go. Ever.
Until of course, Mirai opened her window and screamed at the sight of them sitting just outside her window. Taishi and Satsuki looked at her, surprised and perplexed just as she is.
"Mirai, this is Taishi and Satsuki, my friends. Taishi, Satsuki, this is Mirai, my older sister." Mirei introduced. "You see, Satsuki has nowhere else to go. She's living with her brother and they're not in the mood to be relatives at the moment because Satsuki fell in love with Taishi. Her brother doesn't want that to happen, he's against their relationship. He started treating her coldly to the point of totally neglecting her. He didn't even hear their side out first. Her brother has never fallen in love so that's probably why he feels that their love for each other is... A sin." Mirei knew exactly what to say. She knew her sister has... a strong sense of justice in love.
"That's horrible! No one and I mean no one should be deprived of love, it should come and go freely! If you two want to be with each other, then you need to be! You have every right and reason to keep your relationship, especially if it's purely out of true love, right? The nerve of that brother of yours! A dark heart untouched by love will surely not agree with your hearts that caught fire in love but still, he's in no position to go against you two!" Mirai passionately spoke up and the couple only smiled at her, partly agreeing. "You're very much welcome here Satsuki~" she said and hugged her.
"I'm sorry, she's the reincarnation of Shakespeare. Mirai, stop you're like, crushing her." Mirei flatly said and Mirai let go of Satsuki, sticking her tongue out at Mirei.
"Anou, (Um,) Mirei? Did you cut your hair?" Satsuki asked as she noticed Mirei's ruby waist-long hair was chopped up above her shoulders unevenly. "Oh. Yeah, uh, I wanted a new hairstyle. I'm off to the hair dresser now, actually to get it properly styled. Right, Mirai?" Mirei said and held her sister's arm.
Mirai furrowed her eyebrows at her, having no idea of what she's talking about. "Right~?" Mirei repeated firmly. "Oh! Right, right! I get it! I-- I mean, I already know about it because we, um, talked ab--"
"Just shut up Mirai, let's go." the two of them stood up from the couch then left the two alone.
"We've been awake for almost 20 hours, we need to sleep" Satsuki said, looking at her phone's time. "Oh, right." Taishi said. He put a pillow on his lap and patted it twice, Satsuki giggled then rested her head on it, lying down on the sofa and she yawned. Taishi laid his head back and they fell asleep.
Mirai flipped through the magazine pages though she wasn't actually reading or looking properly. She lifted her head to look at her sister sitting in front of the mirror. She couldn't help but worry about Mirei...
Mirai knew what pain she held on to for a long time. Even though she's sad about that burden she's carrying, until now she never asked her sister to let go of that pain because for Mirei, letting go of the pain is also letting go of her love for Taka. She's held on to that love for she knew that it would come back. How brave, Mirai thought... to only rely on her heart without any sure answer.
Mirei looked up from her phone to the mirror and she caught her sister looking at her, giving her a blue smile. Mirai always understood her even if they don't spend that much time together like before, even if they're total opposites, Mirai always got her. "Stay strong." Mirai mouthed and Mirei smiled.
The hairdresser went on with cutting her hair evenly. When it was done, Mirei asked to get it colored - after arguing with Mirai - so they have to stay there for another 2 and a half hour. The hairdresser put 4 magazines in front of Mirei while her hair was getting done. She never liked magazines or reading in general so Mirai took the magazine on top... Mirei's eyes widened and she stared at the magazine lying under the one Mirai took.
"Taka's on the cover" Mirai got alarmed at Mirei and she looked at it.
