Chapter 24: Utau Hoshina

'We are coming home tommorow, Amu. See you then! 

With lots of love, from Mama, Papa and Ami'

Amu smiled, she was glad. She had missed her family so much.

 

The next day, Amu heard a knock on her door so she went to answer it, once she opened the door a huge smile spread across her face, "Utau!" they hugged and Amu invited Utau inside.

"So how was your tour?" Amu asked as she handed Utau a hot chocolate and sat down beside her.

"exhausting...but it was fun" she said 

"we got to help Utau lots!" Iru said

"yeah!" Eru agreed

Ran, Miki and Su invited Iru and Eru to the other room and they chatted on their small table, exchanging some hugs as well.

"When did you get back?" Amu asked

"just yesterday" 

Amu flashed back to all the things that had happened the day before, she couldn't believe it. One moment she was shocked that Kukkai was at such a point in his life, the next moment she had his life in her hands and the next Kukkai was saving her from Hoshina fighting his own consciousness, she and Kukkai ended up confessing their mistakes and Kukkai went back to his home. 

"its good to be back" Utau sighed as she leaned back into the couch, smiling.

Amu snapped out of her thoughts of the day before and smiled with her.

After a long pause, "There was one thing that bothers me..."

"huh?" Amu looked in Utau's direction, confused.

"I saw some of Easter's workers there, they were escourting a girl..."

"they followed you on tour?" Amu asked, concerned.

"Suprisingly, that's not the part that bothers me. You see, the girl, I didn't get a good look at her face or anything but I know I have seen her before. Many times actually. I remember as I was growing up I saw a brown haired girl with long hair across the hallways of Easter. She was always training for something, always working hard. I kept forgetting about her, because once I see her moments later I forget. Even right now, it's so hard to remember who she is..." Utau explained, looking some what frustrated.

"A girl that you have seen there, as you grew up even, but keep forgetting her...sounds like this really bothers you" Amu said

"It does. She's obviously kept under high servailance and she's training for something, whatever that might be, on top of that how can I keep seeing a person again and again but then keep forgetting that they even existed? None of it seems right..." She trailed off.

"Guess you right..." Amu sighed "we never get normal days...it's all just one thing after the next. I guess it cant be helped. You want to look into the mystery of the girl then?" 

Utau shook her head "No, i'm sure it's just me, tired. Don't worry about it." then she stood up, "I better get going, anyways."

Amu followed her to the door, "Have you seen Ikuto or Kukkai yet?" 

"Not yet, but I'm about too. I'll go see Ikuto first, since he's closer and he is my brother after all" Utau said with a smile

"Wait, Utau. Kukkai's house...isn't exactly there anymore, he's in an apartment for the time being so you might want to give him a call or something instead" 

"Why? What happened to Kukkai's house?" Utau asked, confused.

Amu looked down, "It burnt down, not to long ago. Not only that but, Kukkai's brother Kaidou got severe burns and he passed away"

Utau's eyes widened "Souma-kun..." she trailed off.

 

Utau walked to Ikuto's house, she flashed back to Amu's words,

"He had a tough time, dealing with his brother suddenly passing away. Kukkai ran from hhis family and everything else in his life. He went missing for days, then finally Ikuto found him lying on the ground in an alleyway in bad shape. He gave up on everything and let a few guys beat him up without lifting a finger because he didn't care about anything anymore. Since the incident that occured yesterday, Kukkai has gone back to his family, he's recovering so fast already, but it is most likely still on his mind..."

Utau looked at the ground as she walked to Ikuto's place, "Souma..."

When she arrived, she saw Ikuto at the door and not actually inside, he gave a grin. 

"I'm home" Utau said as she hugged him

"so I see" Ikuto said

"You missed me, didnt you Ikuto-s-a-m-a?" Utau chanted, becoming her child, like character.

"a little"

Utau pouted "liar"

"whatever" Ikuto looked away

Utau pouted more, "well, since you really dont need or want me, I guess i'll go see Souma-kun." 

"no ones stopping you"

"hmm? you two still enemies? or rivals?" she said looking fasinated, like a little child.

"Not really" 

"I'm glad" She giggled "You and that 'cool' character or yours. You missed me lots." She smiled

"Well then, i'm off to see Souma. See you soon, Ikuto-kun" she waved with a smile and began to walk off.

"welcome back" Ikuto said and went inside. "yoru" he reminded Yoru, to hurry up and come in the door with him.

"coming-nyaa" 

 

Utau dialed Kukkai's number 

After the second ring he answered, "hello?"

"Hi, Souma. It's Utau"

"Hey" 

"Say, where are you at the moment?" 

"huh?" Kukkai got confused but then told her he was at the soccor field.

Utau then wondered why she hadn't guessed that.

 

Once they met up, Kukkai gave her a big smile, "welcome back!" he said

"good to be back" Utau replied

They walked around, talking. Soon Utau asked, "how have you really been?"

"fine"

Utau stopped walking, "Amu told me what happened"

"I guessed she would, since she worries too much" Kukkai said with a slight smile

"whats there not to worry about, after all?" Utau raised her voice

"Look, it's all over now, doesn't matter" Kukkai said as he started to walk again

"of course it matters" she said as she pulled his hand back, "Kukkai, you almost..."

Kukkai chuckled.

"this isn't funny" Utau said looking at him with serious eyes. Unbelievably, the same eyes, that she childishly looked at Ikuto with, an hour or so before.

"It's just that you said 'Kukkai' instead of 'Souma' this time" he smiled

"I'm serious"

"I promised to never do such things again. Next time, i'm not gonna give up that easy, okay? that what you wanted to hear?" He explained.

Utau nodded "but if I was here I would have knocked some sense into you"

They began to walk again, "I know" Kukkai said under his breath, smiling.

After pause, Kukkai said "looks like its going to snow" 

"yeah"

 

Curled up in her blankets with Ran, Miki and Su all falling slowly asleep, Amu tried to shut her eyes, but the air felt to cold. She looked out her window at the snow and saw Ikuto going past, she opened the window and leant over the balcony, "Ikuto!" she called to him. 

Once she had let him inside she shut the door, "What were you doing in that snow?"

"Walking home" he said casually

Amu sighed. She then got startled by the sound of her phone ringing and picked it up,

"hello?"

"is this Amu Hinamori?" the stranger asked

"yes" she replied

"Hello, i'm from the one of the airlines, we need to inform you that there was a plane crash, that had Mr and Mrs Hinamori as well as Ami Hinamori on board...from the place crash the only ones still missing are Mr and Mrs Hinamori and Ami Hinamori..."

Amu's eyes widened, she froze, full of shock.