"Welcome home, Big bro! It's been awhile."

It had been years since the two had last met. At first it had he had visited once every few months, taking the train that had delivered him to her all those years ago. But once he had been working and she with college entrance exams and thoughts of what she wanted to do with the future, neither could find the time. That was why this particular date was so special.

"It has hasn't it?" The young man smiled. "You've really grown very beautiful since I last saw you."

Nanako blushed a deep shade of crimson. To hear that from someone she cared for so dearly made her happier then she had been in ages.

"Tha...Thank you..."

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Um..." She stuttered as her heart beat at a mile a minute. Her emotions had blocked her bound her words with chains of iron, preventing her from saying anything at all. "I..."

The silver haired boy laughed and ruffled the young girls hair. Not much had changed in all the years that had past since they had last seen one another.

"Don't force yourself, let the words come naturally."

Taking a deep breath Nanako calmed herself. In a few moments she finally reclaimed the words blocked by her ever beating heart.

"Um, do you remember why I asked you to come out here?"

"You had something important to ask me, right?"

"Yeah... Do you remember that promise you made to my dad when I was little?"

He had made many a promise to his uncle, but he very well knew which his younger cousin was referring to.

"Yeah, I remember."

He flashed an awkward smile. That had been nothing more but a childish whim of Nanako's. Something he had agreed with to make her happy in a time of darkness and uncertainty. Though he knew the promise very well, he had no idea why she would bring it up after all these years.

"Well, I'm going to be graduating from high school soon and I've been thinking about my future. So, I was thinking... If you were still interested, would you keep that promise for me?"

The boy nearly feel over. The sincerity in Nanako's voice was almost to much to handle. She had kept that promise in her heart for nearly a decade, while he had nearly forgotten. The imbalance of importance of the event to the both of them was ridicules.

"Nanako... Listen, you were eight when we made that promise. I just wanted to make you happy..." Nanako's eyes welled up with tears, she very well knew what was coming next. "But it would never work out. People would judge me for being with someone so much younger then I am. I'll always love you, but I can't marry you."

"Stupid big bro!" Tear's soaking the blouse of her school uniform, Nanako beat her closed fists against the boy's chest. "You promised! You can't just take it back now. I waited for you, I haven't dated any one since then because you promised..."

"I'm sorry, Nanako." The boy took hold of her hand, preventing further assaults. "Please forget about it and find someone else. You deserve to be happy."

The young girl's cries only became worse, reaching a defening pitch and her entire face lay red and stained with tears.

"I hate you big brother!" Violently pulling her hand out of her older cousin's hand, she turned tail and ran as fast as she could towards home.

"Nanako..."