“Huwah! It’s so huge!” Ame marvelled, staring the court in awe. Her eyes flickered at the basket in front of her and there stood two boys around her age who glanced over to her and Kotaro.

“Reo-nee! Skinny Eikichi!!!” Kotaro waved at his two friends calling them.

“Oi Kotaro! What took you so long in just getting the ball?!” the dark skinned kid yelled at Kotaro in annoyance, an annoyed mark appearing on his cheek. Kotaro smiled at him sheepishly and put his hand behind his head. “Sorry about that Skinny Eikichi! I was just talking to our little flower, Hana!”

 “Why you—” Eikichi paused when he was about to yell at his friend after Ame had caught his eye. He looked at her for a while then blushed. “W-Who’s she?”

“What, you don’t remember? She’s our little flower! The one always singing at the bench park!” Kotaro reminded him.

“Little flower?” Ame wondered at her given nickname as Kotaro faced her and beamed.

“Well, yeah. The three of us had been observing you since you started hanging out there, we call you little flower because we didn’t know your name yet!” he told her cheerfully making her feel special. Some people actually noticed her.

“That’s right! Chisana Hana!”

(chisana hana=little flower)

Ame looked at him in awe as a smile grew on her face. “I like it! I like the name Hana!” that was the time she loved her name. Even though they just met her, the three looked at her like she was actually a flower. In their eyes, she was an innocent beautiful child. One of the perfect things in this world.

“S-So then, Hana-chan, this Skinny Eikichi and Reo-nee” Kotaro introduced her to two of his best friends. “The three of us always hang-out here and play basketball. And eventually notice you whenever we hear you sing to yourself”

Ame blush when he said that feeling embarrassed that some people heard her sing. “I just do that to entertain myself… I have no one to play with…”

“No one to play with?” Reo asked her with a motherly aura surrounding him which Ame felt comfortable with and told them everything about her family.

“Since choosing to live with my dad, I became distant with my mom and sisters… for 4 years not living with them… after returning, I felt like I haven’t known them my whole life… I didn’t know who my family was… I didn’t know them…” Ame explained everything sadly, tears dropping from her eyes. Back then, she knew how to cry.

“Hey, don’t cry” Kotaro comforted her by patting her back. She looked at him and was greeted that wide smile of his. “You can treat us like family” he told her and held her hand. “I’ll be your Onee-chan, Reo-nee can be your oka-san and Skinny Eikichi… he could be your butler!”

“OI KOTARO! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU SAYING NOW?!” Eikichi yelled at the blonde who ran away from him, pulling the still moe and cute Ame with him while professionally dribbling the ball. Ame, earning basketball knowledge from her father thought of something that could help Kotaro in his skill in the sport.

“Hey Kotan, the way you handle the ball is actually pretty cool” she mentioned, letting go of his hand and stopped, and so did he.

“Huh?” he wondered and looked at her.

“It’s pretty impressive despite your young age, but I think you need to preserve it” she suggested and took the ball from him. “I suggest start trying to handle the ball with only two fingers. Train yourself in handling it, and when you’ve mastered it, move to the three fingers. In that way, your ball handling would be more accurate and stronger with five fingers used”

“H-Huh?” it took him a while to process all of what she said and blinked idiotically, with the slow brain of his. He shakes his hand to compile his thoughts and grinned at Ame. “Man, you’re pretty smart Hana, where’d you get that from?” by now, Eikichi and Reo had caught up with them.

“Ah, well, my oto-san is a basketball player. When he was still here, he always thought about his game plays and took me to professional basketball games. He even taught me about strategies” she explained as Reo joined in the conversation.

“Basketball player?” Reo leaned closer to examine her face, putting a hint of jealousy on Eikichi’s tone when he yelled at him. “OI REO! Don’t lean your face too close to hers!”

“Your face seems familiar… is your father happen to be Araki Toshi?” Reo guessed it which was correct. Ame looked at him impressed while Eikichi and Kotaro looked shocked. They idolized her father. He was a famous professional player in team Japan. “How did you know?” she asked. “Nothing, you just look exactly like him” was his simple answer and smiled. He eventually leaned away.

“Wow, that’s awesome! You’re really the daughter of Araki Toshi!” Kotaro marvelled looking at her star eyed. “Ne, ne, would you mind teaching us all what your dad taught you? Pleaseeeeeeeeeeee” he started to plead to her continuously.

“Well, sure, if it’s okay with you…” Ame willingly agreed earning a bone crushing hug from her new blonde friend sending her gasping for air. “K-Kotan… I can’t… I can’t breathe…”

“KOTARO YOU’RE SQUISHING HER!” Eikichi shouted once again as Reo hauled Ame away from him, placing her neatly beside him and dusted her clothing, showing absolute motherly actions towards her. Reo reprimanded Kotaro’s rough treatment towards a lady which had such fine grace, as he describe Ame and told them to treat her more likely like a gentleman.

“Hana-chan is our first ever girlfriend, so we have to treat her like a princess, understood?” Reo stated, firmly and like a mother to Ame as he crossed his arms with authority.

“W-Wait girlfriend?!” Eikichi exclaimed with a flustered face while the other boy just liked the idea and beamed. “I like it. We shall treat Hana like a princess! Hana no ojo!” he declared, pumping his fist into the air and slipped his hand into Ame’s before kissing it. “We’ll take care of you like you’re family, Hana. I promise”

“K-Kotan…” Ame gawked, her eyes shimmering in awe. It was like bright lights shone behind Kotaro as he grinned at her. Other than her father, they were the first ones who promised a commitment like that.

“Hey, hey, she’s our princess too” Eikichi but in, separating their hands together with Reo putting his arm around her shoulder. “Now, now, how about we show our little flower here the basics of basketball?” he proposed, smiling at the little girl. She gave him a smirk and pushes his arm away. “No thanks, I already know it from birth”

“Knew it from birth? How is that even possible—” they were astounded when she quickly stole the ball from Kotaro’s grip and headed for the ring before doing a lay-up. They watch her in amazement and joined her at the court, and that’s was the day they started being friends.

Ame enjoyed it. She loved her life starting then. Eventually, they were classmates at school, and always played around together especially basketball. Nothing broke their friendship; in fact it kept getting stronger; at the same time feelings develop. But because of this, Ame grew even more apart from her family. Whenever Kyo and her sisters invited Ame to play, she’d always tell them she was busy and had somewhere to go. Of course, she was going to where Eikichi, Reo and Kotaro were. At times, Kyo wandered off to the nature park she always go to, she saw Ame play with her friends and was saw the happiness she never saw from her sister whenever she was with their family. Eventually, Ame caught her and sometimes let her watches or even join them. That’s how Kyo met the three.

“Uh, what is that?” 11 year old Kyo woke up from her sleep when she felt someone moving around the room. Sitting up from her bed, she saw Ame reaching for the door knob, about to sneak out their room in the middle of the night. “Ame-ne? Where are you going?” Ame flinched upon hearing her sisters, drowsy voice and twisted her head hesitantly to meet Kyo’s bed head. It made her snort.

“P-Pfft, Kyo your hair looks ridiculous” she suppressed her laughter to prevent creating such a ruckus. Yoite and her two other sisters were already asleep. Kyo gazed up to her bangs to find them all tangled up and frizzed. She tried to fix them but it was too messed up for her fingers to untangle. Ame chuckled and approached her sister, dropping her bag and grabbing a comb before she combed Kyo’s long silky black hair back in shape.

“There” she finished, putting the comb on the bedside table before tucking Kyo in bed and patted her head. “Go back to sleep. Ame-ne will be back soon”

“Where are you going?” Kyo inquired.

“Ah! Well… Kotanee, Reocchan-nee and Eikkun-nee just invited me to go watch the comet about show up later at midnight with them. Obviously, oka-san didn’t want me to go since she doesn’t know my friends but…”

“Ame-ne, you’re such a rebel”

Ame flinched. “I’m not” she pouted as Kyo sat up, and got out of bed, going to her dresser to grab a sweater for them. “I wanna go with you!” she stated with a smile.

“Eh?! B-But Kyo! If mom finds out that you’re gone, she’ll freak out! She cares about you!” Ame protested, clearly disagreeing on Kyo.

“Correction, if she finds out that WE’RE gone, she’ll freak out. And she cares about US” Kyo corrected her, sternly, crossing her arms. Ame let out a deep breath and pouted. “Fine, but just follow my lead okay?” she conditioned raising an eyebrow. Kyo nodded cutely and followed her sister, who tiptoed to the front door with a gym bag slung over her shoulder.

“Ne, Ame-ne, make sure we don’t get caught okay?”

“Are you even in the position to tell me that?”

They successfully went escaped their house without waking up someone. Or so they thought…

.           .           .

“Hana-chan, you’re late!” Kotaro complained as soon as Ame arrived with Kyo on their gathering place. It was on a high spot where they could see the sky completely; where all of the stars are visible. Ame dropped her bag beside them and rested on the green grass for a while since they ran in the last minute. Kyo was greeted by her Reo-nee and smiled when she saw a telescope being set up by Eikichi that they’ll be using to see the comet they were waiting for.

“Hey, Hana, why is Kyo here? Won’t your mom get mad?” Eikichi questioned knowing how Yoite, their mom is harsh when giving scolds to her daughters.

Ame flinched and glanced at Kyo. “Well, as if I have a choice. She insisted on coming” she sighed as Kyo sat beside her eyes glimmering with pure joy.

“Ame-ne, the stars look beautiful!” she marvelled, admiring the sky, covered with stars that shone like diamonds. They were sparkling creating a beautiful crystal sky.

“Ame-ne?” Reo wondered, not used to Ame’s “rain” name.

“Ah, remember my whole name’s Haname?” Ame told him as he nodded.

“But Hana suits you better” Kotaro pouted, debating about Ame’s flower name.

They all sit on the grass beside the telescope brought by Reo and was helped by Eikichi in assembling it. It was a few minutes before the comet appeared, and they waited while staring up the heavens. “Look, a wishing star!” Kyo pointed happily at one big star standing out. She connected her fingers together and wished for something she wanted while shutting her eyes.

“You know wishing stars aren’t true” Ame stated, matter-of-factly.

“But you believe then, your wish will come true” Kyo replied.

“No, they won’t” Ame retorted bitterly. “I tried a hundred of times wishing on that star, but what? My wish doesn’t come true!”

“But Ame-ne… what are you wishing for anyway?” Kyo questioned curiosity lingering in her eyes as she blinked them.

“Uh” Ame gasped before she silenced. What was she wishing for? ‘What… what was it…?’ “I-I forgot—”

“No you don’t” Kotaro cut her off, knowing how she acts. They’ve been friends for four years. He’s already memorized all her actions. “It’s still there Hana-chan. You can’t forget something you wish for.  Because what your heart’s truly yearns for is something that could be printed in there… not in your mind… but your heart…”

“K-Kotan…” Ame blushed when he noticed his face was leaning on hers too much. They were seated right next to each other. Kyo sitting at the other side of Ame. Kotaro’s eyes moved at the sight of her lips then back at her eyes making him blush which he covered up with a grin.

“Hehe, that’s what I think” he sheepishly scratched the back of his head and leaned away.

“O-Oi Kotaro! You leaned too close! What would happen if someone pushed you and then—” Eikichi paused and gulped what might happen.

Kyo got all excited for her sister and asked Kotaro. “Kotaro-nee, do you like Ame-ne?”

“K-Kyo!” Ame blushed frantically and pulled her away from Kotaro. “W-Why would you ask Kotan something like that?!”

“But it’s obvious that he does” Kyo insisted and looked at Kotaro who was smiling at his heart’s content. “C’mon” she dragged her sister back to where the three were and saw Eikichi looking uncomfortable. ‘Is Eikichi-nee… jealous?’

“So then, Kotaro, what’s your answer to Kyo’s question?” Reo confronted Kotaro making him flinch and face Ame. He had an unreadable expression while Ame…

Her heart was beating fast…

“K-Kotan I…”

Kotaro glanced at Eikichi first then back at her. “No, I don’t like her… I love her” he smiled making her heart beat faster. He grinned. “After all, I’m your Onee-chan, right? We’re family”

Ame’s eyes widened for some reason. It then softened, sadness invading her pair of orbs. She looked hurt. “Right…”

“Oh, look the comet!” everyone’s attention, except Ame’s went back to the starry sky. There they saw the comet they’ve been waiting for. “Here” Reo let Kyo peek in the telescope first then followed Kotaro and Eikichi. Kyo noticed her sister being silent for a while and walked over to her.

“Ame-ne, are you alright?”

“Wishing stars… aren’t true…”

We’re family.

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YES! I updated another chapter! Here's a glimpse of her childhood! hehe, hope you like it! vote and comment <3