Summary by Emi (http://ribon.toxikon.org)
Alice no Hoshi
by Kurahashi Erika
Volume 2
Chapter 5
Alika remembers a flashback of how Masumi used to comfort her when they were kids. Kazuki asks Alika what's wrong, but she just keeps sobbing. Suddenly, they are interrupted as the others return and Kousuke says loudly "Ooohhh, it's a love scene!!" (because Alika and Kazuki are standing kind of in each other's arms) and he kids around, saying "Have you two gotten together while we were gone?" and Kazuki says "It's not like that!" and tries to explain. Mitsuko asks Alika if she went okay with Kazuki (okay with the asking out) and Mitsuko complains about how Kousuke followed them all the way so she couldn't be alone with Makoto. Alika explains to Mitsuko that she wasn't asking Kazuki out or wasn't asked out or anything. She makes up an excuse that a large bug landed on her head and she accidentally grabbed onto Kazuki in fright. They start the fireworks as Alika thinks to herself "I can't ask him out with feelings like this.... Masumi..."
Nana is taking photos and Mitsuko and Alika take one together. Mitsuko pushes Alika towards Kazuki and insists the two "vices" take a photo together. Alika then takes the camera and gets Mitsuko and Makoto to be in a photo together. Alika tells Makoto to take off his glasses XD She takes the photo and Makoto says "Why do I have to take off my glasses?" and Mitsuko says "Have you seen your face without glasses in the mirror?" ^_^;; Mitsuko asks Alika if Masumi was okay and Alika says it was nothing.
While Alika is holding one of the fireworks sticks, she's thinking about Masumi. She thinks to herself that she loves Masumi as well, but as a brother and as her family. Suddenly, she hears Kazuki shouting "Sugimoto! Your hand! Watch out!" and she has burnt her hands from the fireworks. Mitsuko asks if she's okay and Alika says "Sorry, I was just out of it...". Kazuki takes her by the wrist to take her to bandage her hand.
Alika has a bandaid put on her hand and Kazuki asks if it hurts. Alika thanks him and says sorry for ruining the fireworks "festival". Kazuki tells her not to worry about it. There is silence, then Kazuki asks what's up with her and if she had an argument with Masumi. Alika doesn't speak for a moment, then says how kind Kazuki is and that's why all the girls like him so much and he's very popular amongst the girls. Kazuki says that she hasn't answered his question. Alika then remembers that she had some favours by some of the girls in the class. Kazuki says "Huh?" as Alika explains that some girls asked her to take lots of photos of Kazuki and she brings out a piece of paper with all of the "requests". She says that the most common request was a photo of Kazuki in non-uniform and some of them want a photo of him while eating and a photo of Kazuki in a yukata after a bath. Kazuki stands there indifferently. Alika blushes and says "There's even one asking for a shirtless photo" ^_^; Kazuki then pretends to take off his shirt and says "Fine..." and Alika screams and laughs, telling him not to make such a weird joke.
Kazuki hugs Alika all of a sudden and asks her how she could have been crying just moments ago and now she's laughing? He says he doesn't understand her and he sometimes thinks she's an incredibly strong person but then she makes such insecure expressions and that's why he can't leave her alone. He tells her that he's not kind to just anyone, it's because he likes her. Alika stares at him and she thinks to herself that she wants to tell him how she feels, but she can't. She is scared of hurting Masumi, the one person who had always been on her side. She is about to say something when a crowd of people pass by. Mitsuko and Nana come running and ask if her hand is okay. Alika says that her hand is fine. Mitsuko says that they have errands to do, but she orders Alika to go back to her room because Alika seems a bit out of it. Alika agrees reluctantly and Kazuki tells her good night and walks away. Alika cries, thinking of Kazuki.
Alika returns home from the camp, greeted by her stepdad. Her stepdad asks if she had fun and Alika starts to cry and hugs him. After Alika has settled down drinking some coffee, she has explained the situation with Masumi to her stepdad. Her stepdad says that he had got the hint about it and Alika asks, surprised. Alika's stepdad says that he just thought that the way Masumi looked at Alika was the way a guy would look at a girl he liked, not his sister. Alika asks what she should do and she says that she had never thought of Masumi as other than her brother, because that is what he is to her. Her stepdad says that she should just tell him what she just said to him. He explains that even though Masumi would want Alika to like him back, Masumi would probably be hurt if Alika forced herself to like him. Alika then sobs and says what if Masumi hates her for it and then runs away from home? Her stepdad thinks it would be bad, then he says aloud "Isn't Masumi a bit late?"
Masumi is wondering around town still in his uniform and still with his bag. Two young guys pass by him and say a junior high kid shouldn't be out this late at night and they start hassling him. The guys ask Masumi for some money, but Masumi says he doesn't have any. The guys ask him again and then grab his bag to see if he is telling the truth. Masumi hits the guy with his bag and the guy gets mad. They end up in a fight.
Back at home, Alika and her stepdad have tried to contact Masumi's friends and others to see where he is. He was last seen near the train station and Alika's stepdad says that maybe Masumi is uncomfortable about coming home.
Back in town, Kazuki and Makoto are walking close to the fight with Masumi and they notice their school uniform on Masumi. Kazuki then sees that it's Masumi and chases the guys away. Kazuki asks if Masumi is okay , but Masumi doesn't respond so Kazuki reaches out to see if he's okay. Masumi hits Kazuki's hand away and tells him not to touch him. Kazuki sighs and asks what he's doing there. Then Masumi faints. Makoto comes over and Kazuki tells him to get a taxi and to call Alika's house.
The taxi arrives at Alika's house and Alika is waiting, looking very worried. She gives Masumi a big hug and she gives him a bit of a lecture saying how worried she was and he shouldn't have been wondering around. Then she says that if she finds the guys who hit Masumi, she won't forgive them. She says "Your sister won't forgive them" and Masumi notices the word "sister". Kazuki asks where their parents are and Alika says that her stepdad is calling her mum and apologises to Kazuki. Suddenly, Masumi kisses Alika and says her name as he faints or falls asleep. Alika has tears in her eyes and she thinks to herself that all this time she had avoided guys and she had never fallen in love so she never knew how painful love could be.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE