King Of Fighters Fanfiction X Dead Or Alive

A mistake of the past

Iori was still asleep while Aiko made breakfast. She played music softly music on her portable music player, afraid that she would wake her brother. She didn't want to disturb him after all the times he woke up early for stupid reasons.
She was busy preparing Nattō when there was a soft knock on the front door. Aiko didn't hear it and continued preparing breakfast.
The knock came again, slightly louder. Aiko left the kitchen and went to answer the door.
She opened it to see a grinning girl with salmon-pink hair.
The girl looked at her questioningly since she did not expect Aiko to answer her.
"Hi..."
"Hi!" The girl said cheerfully. "Is this Iori's home?"
"Umm... yeah..." Aiko said, still refusing to let her in. "And who are you?"
"Umm... Honoka?" The girl said, disheartened to be unwelcome. "I'm sure Iori told you... right?"
"No he didn't," Aiko said, annoyed with her. "Who are you?"
"I'm his girlfriend!" Honoka exclaimed. "Those eyes... are you his sister?"
Aiko was arguing with Honoka at the door. Iori groggily walked out of his room and came to the living room to see Aiko shouting. He recognised Honoka at the door.
"Honoka?" Iori said, stepping behind Aiko. "You're back!"
"You know this girl?" Aiko asked, surprised. "How?!"
"Remember the ninjas?" Iori reminded. "Yeah, she's their cousin. I thought I told you?"
"Oh that Honoka!" Aiko remembered with a sheepish grin. "Oh what was I thinking. Come in!"
She stepped aside and let Honoka in. She politely came in with a smile.
Then she hugged Iori.
"I missed you!" Honoka said, hugging him tightly. "How have you been?"
"Fine but empty without you," Iori said with a soft smile. "So how was your ninja training?"
Aiko just stood there, shocked at her brother. She knew he was soft inside, but didn't know that he was this soft. She decided to act cool and be polite.
"I was just making breakfast," Aiko said with a smile. "Wanna join us?"
"Sure!" Honoka agreed with a bright smile. "I ate before I came here, but the thought of food does make me hungry!"
"Alright," Aiko replied with a smile then grinned at Iori. "Go brush your teeth, Niisan. Your breath reeks!"
Iori turned red and rushed to the bathroom. Honoka giggled. Iori brushed his teeth and took a quick shower and wore something nice before rejoining her. By this time, Aiko was done with the nattō.
She invited Honoka to the dining hall and served the food before sitting down herself.
"This is really good," Honoka said, her mouth full. "Thanks, Miss Yagami."
"Oh please, call me Aiko," Aiko said with a smile.
She kinda wondered how the two even became infatuated and kept in mind to ask her brother later.
Honoka left shortly before lunchtime, saying that she needed to unpack. Apparently she came here straight after dumping her luggage at home.
"So, what's the story," Aiko asked, giving her brother that look. "Come on, spill it."
Iori sighed and began.

Flashback
The ninjas were looking forward to Rig's party. They were discussing about dancing together with someone they liked.
Kasumi was gonna dance with Ryu, Hayate was dancing with Hitomi if she came, Ayane was planning a dance with Eliot, K' was planning to dance with Kula though he didn't tell anyone, Zayn was dancing with Isolde, Kyo was annoyed, wishing that Yuki would come, Whip shrugged and agreed to dance with Maxima, Krizalid was gonna dance with Foxy. Diana just planned to raid the buffet table. Honoka just listened, shipping the dance partners together, annoying Seirah.
All but one didn't enter the conversation, Iori.
He was sitting on the couch at the side of the room, looking at something on his phone with earphones plugged in. K' noticed a sad look in his eyes.
Iori was reminiscing a sad memory. K' was sure of it because he often did that too when he was alone. He wanted to cheer him up but didn't know how. He was never good at that sorta thing...
He looked around and his gaze on Kula. She was busy having an ice and a lollipop. He knew that she would do a good job but she wouldn't leave her snacks behind.
Then his gaze fell on Honoka, looking uninterested in the conversation. K' got an idea. He scooted towards her and whispered something to her, motioning towards Iori. She looked at him and nodded, finally having something interesting to do.
She trotted towards him and sat next him. He quickly took his earphones off and hid his phone.
"Hi!" Honoka said cheerfully. "Whatcha doing?"
"Nothing," Iori said, looking away. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you were talking with the others?"
"Boring," Honoka said, bored. "I saw that you're alone too, so I decided to join you instead."
Iori nodded and stuffed his phone deeper behind his thigh. Honoka noticed this.
"So what do you want talk about?" Iori asked.
"I dunno," Honoka said, shrugging. "You got anything interesting?"
Iori shrugged and shook his head.
Honoka thought about something.
"You looked sad when I came," Honoka said. "Why?"
"It's nothing," Iori said, looking away again. "Not that you'd understand anyway..."
"Oh come on..." Honoka said persuasively. "Try me! I see that there's something bugging you. Come on, talk to me. It might help you get some weight off. Come on!"
Iori sighed and reluctantly took his phone out. He plugged the earphones in again and gave one to Honoka. He played a song that an old friend wrote. It was a slow song, sang by a woman. Her voice was low and deep. Honoka didn't recognise it.
She listened, not interrupting even once. The song ended with Iori singing the last few lines. Honoka turned to him with a questioning look.
"This song was written by someone named Kikuri," Iori said, remembering her. "She begged me to sing it with her sister, but... I refused.
"She begged and begged for me to sing it, but I always refused," Iori continued. "I... didn't want her feelings towards me grow."
"Why?" Honoka asked.
"Because I was cursed!" Iori said through clenched teeth. "I didn't want her to die because of me! I was trying to protect her!
"She had a terminal illness," Iori said. "The chances of her dying from the surgery was really high. Her sister begged me to sing it too, but I refused. I left town after that and soon, I heard that Kikuri died. I wanted to perform the song with her sister, Konoe, in memory of her, but she refused. It was too late.
"I don't blame her, it was my fault she hated me," Iori continued. "So I decided to do it myself by adding a voice clip of me singing it in the end. I don't wish to publish this but keep as a memory."
"That's really sad..." Honoka said, her eyes welling with tears. "Poor Kikuri."
"It isn't your fault she died," Iori said in a choked voice. "I wonder. If I actually agreed to sing it with Konoe, would she have been strong enough to survive the surgery?
"That's one of the biggest mistakes I did," Iori regretted. "I wish I could turn back time and save her. But I couldn't..."
"When did she die?" Honoka couldn't help but ask.
"Today, seven years ago," Iori said tearfully. "I would visit her grave, but... how could I now? We're in Ireland."
Honoka felt sorry for him. She hugged him tightly and cried.
Iori was surprised to see tears streaming out of his eyes too.
"Don't cry..." Iori said, trying to calm her down. "There's nothing we can do about it."
Honoka looked up and saw Iori's tear streaked face.
"I'm sure we can make up for it," Honoka said, wiping his tears. "Tell you what, if we take the spaceship we'll be there in a jiffy."
So that's what they did. They flew back to Japan and Honoka brought him to Kikuri's grave. Iori put flowers on it and prayed for her. Honoka stood nearby, letting him take his time.
They soon returned to Ireland.
"What happened?" K' asked. "I only asked you to cheer him up and you literally took him out for a trip!"
"We went to visit a friend's grave," Iori said. "An old friend that I... hurt unintentionally."
Honoka gave K' a wink. K' grinned. Iori felt better after that.
Soon, Honoka and Iori started hanging out more. They found themselves fond of each other.