Hello! Clannad

Chapter 4

As the afternoon sun cast warm rays over the quiet suburban neighborhood, Me, Hana and Arata were watching a movie called "Adventure of the lost". Apparently it's about a boy called Alex going on an adventure, searching for his lost father who went to mysterious land called "Land of the lost". It's a pretty good movie and can teach children many things. The problem is, I'm not a kid, at least on the inside.

However, his peaceful reverie was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

"Another visitor?" I muttered to myself, shutting the television off and making my way to the front door. Upon opening it, I was greeted by the sight of Arata's girlfriend, Ichika, standing on the doorstep with a bright smile.

'Wow, first it was Toya, then it was Arata, and now it's Arata's girlfriend. We've been having a lot of visitors these days.'

"Hey, Hana! Is Arata home?" Ichika asked cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

Hana nodded, stepping aside to let her in. "Yeah, he's inside. We were watching a movie together. Come on in and join us."

As Ichika entered the house, I couldn't help but notice how many visitors they had been getting lately. It seemed like there was always someone dropping by, whether it was one of Hana's friends or one of neighbors. But honestly, I guess it's not that bad. Just me and Hana would be too lonely.

"We've been getting a lot of visitors lately, huh?" I remarked, echoing my thoughts as I glanced around the cozy living room.

Hana chuckled, scratching the back of her head and looking at me with a cheerful expression. "Yeah, it's been pretty busy around here. But it's pretty fun too. That means we won't be too lonely."

'Wait, that's what I thought just a minute ago. Did she just read my mind? Is she an esper or something? No, no, no, it must be just a coincidence.'

Leading Ichika to our living room, Kanata knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open. Arata turned on the television and was watching the movie.

'Hey, don't just start watching the movie without us. It was getting to the good part.'

Arata then looked at the door, a surprised expression on his face when he saw Ichika standing there.

"Ichika? What are you doing here?" Arata asked, setting aside his television remote and giving her a curious look.

"I just wanted to drop by and see how you guys were doing," Ichika replied, a hint of playfulness in her tone as she walked over to him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Arata blushed slightly, but a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

As the two of them settled into conversation, I couldn't help but admire Ichika's demeanor. Unlike Arata, who tended to be impulsive and easily excitable, and very mischievous, Ichika was level-headed and cool, with a quiet confidence that drew people to her.

"So, Ichika, how's student council going?" Hana asked, curious about her involvement in school activities.

Ichika grinned, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "It's going really well! We're working on a few projects to improve student life, and I've been appointed as the head of the finance committee."

Hana nodded, impressed by her dedication. "That sounds like a lot of responsibility."

"It is, but I enjoy the challenge," Ichika replied, a determined gleam in her eye.

Just then, Ichika's gaze drifted towards me. And she suddenly started snuggling me.

"You said she was cute, Hana, but you're younger sister is adorable."

'Uhhhh....you're killing me. Please stop'

Her grip started getting stronger and stronger.

'She must really adore cute things. I admit, Im pretty cute. But still.....this is too much.'

"Sorry Kana." Said Hana." Ichigo is normal cool and collected, but the moment she sees something cute, she completely loses her cool. Please, just bear with her for now. She will let go after a few seconds."

Ichika's cheeks flushed pink as she kept squeezing me to death. "I can't help it! She's just so adorable."

Arata chuckled, amused by her reaction. "You're a tough student council president, but you have a weakness for cute things, huh?"

Ichika pouted playfully, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. "I guess I have a soft spot for them."

As the afternoon wore on, Hana found himself enjoying Ichika's company more and more. Despite their differences, she couldn't deny that she brought a sense of balance to the room, her calm presence a soothing contrast to Arata's energetic personality.

We had so much fun. We watched movies, played games, played karaoke, and so on. And during those moments I found out something about Ichigo:she really loves to challenge herself, and isn't afraid to do so. To be honest, it's that trait that made me admire Ichika more than I did before.

Even though she annoyingly cuddled me every now and then. Again, I know I'm very cute, but please....make it stop. She's gonna kill me for sure.
Those cuddles of hers are strong enough to kill a bear, let alone an adorable little girl like me.

And so, the sun began to set, and Ichika reluctantly announced that she had to head home for now. She took Arata with her and they left. Kanata walked her to the door, with a warm smile.

"Thanks for stopping by, Ichika. It was nice seeing you," Hana said, genuinely grateful for her visit. "Come visit anytime you want, okay?"

She was obviously having fun the whole time. Well, if Hana is happy, then so am I. If Hana is happy about it, then so am I.

Ichika returned her smile, her eyes twinkling with warmth. "Anytime, Hana. Take care, okay?" Arata waved his hand towards us.

With a final wave, Ichika and Arata disappeared down the front path, leaving Hana and I alone with out thoughts. As she closed the door behind her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the unexpected joy Arata and Ichigo had brought into our home. And as she returned to her book she was reading yesterday, she couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps, in the midst of life's loneliness, unexpected visitors were sometimes the best kind of company. And honestly, so did I. Just a little, though.