22 Chapter Three: Sleep Talking

"W-What do you mean I should come over?" Kanako asked hesitantly. "W-Well, I... I just thought that you shouldn't annoy anyone else with your problems, or something..." Haruna said half-heartedly. "I don't think Mi-chan would mind though..." Kanako said, going back to her phone. "I'll just text her."

"No!"

Kanako stopped, surprised by Haruna's outburst. "What do you mean no?" Haruna had surprised herself as well. "What the hell am I doing?!" she screamed inside. "I... I mean, um... i-it's good for our deal with Miyashita-kun, isn't it? If I help you out, I look good, and if you rely on me, that looks good too right?" It was a lame excuse, but Haruna couldn't come up with anything better. After all, she couldn't just say, "I don't want you to be with Fukuhara-san."

"Well, I doubt Akio-kun is watching us. It is getting pretty late, so he'd probably be home by now. But, maybe, just in case..." Kanako mumbled, then: "Okay... Thanks for the offer." Haruna unintentionally let out a sigh of relief. "Huh? Why am I so relieved? Doesn't this mean I have to spend more time with this pipsqueak now?" While Haruna tried to figure out her current feelings, Kanako walked around the fence that split their properties and came over to Haruna's side. "Shall we head inside?" Kanako asked pleasantly. "S-Sure," Haruna said, now feeling uncertain. Regardless, the two of them went in Haruna's house.

When Kanako walked inside, she felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. "It's been so long since I've been here," she said while looking around. Overall, the house was nearly identical to her own, as the houses had been built as a set a long time ago. Rumor had it that the plan had originally been to make the whole neighbor have the same model houses, but after two, the construction stopped. Some people thought that the company responsible for the project might've run out of money, but a lot of people just thought that they realized having an entire neighborhood look the same wouldn't have been very appealing to buyers.

Really, the only difference between Kanako and Haruna's house besides the décor were the positions of the rooms. While there was a bathroom on the left down the hall from the front door in Kanako's house, it was on the right in Haruna's. What side of the space the kitchen was on was also reversed, and over the years the paint on the walls had changed from the original grey to a light blue, which was in contrast to the original beige in Kanako's house. One of the weirdest similarities however had to be that the upstairs level was completely identical to the neighboring house, which had led to Kanako and Haruna ending up with the same room, second from the left after the stairs.

Growing up, this had made things pretty easy for two kids. They were able to navigate each other's homes as well as their own, but a challenge quickly arose. When they were really young, their houses still looked almost the same on the outside, so on several occasions when coming home from school, Kanako and Haruna had gone to each other's houses. It was only when they got to one another's rooms that they'd realize it wasn't their own, and then they'd have to switch. After about the third time that happened, Haruna's parents decided to paint the siding a different color than their neighbor's so the mix up wouldn't happen anymore.

Because of all these similarities, when Kanako walked in, it felt like nothing had changed. Sure, maybe the flowers in the vase on the side table were different, or some of the pictures hanging on the wall had been updated, but for the most part, it was just how she remembered it.

As she stared, Haruna took off her shoes and began walking away, causing Kanako to recall what she had thought about in the morning. "I was all worried about how I would come over here again and now here I am..." Kanako felt a little annoyed by the thought. "I was worried for nothing apparently." So, following Haruna's lead, Kanako slid off her shoes and stepped into the front hall.

Trailing after Haruna led Kanako into the living room/kitchen area. "Is that couch different?" she asked. Haruna turned to look at it. "Oh, yeah, I guess that is kinda new. I know you haven't seen it." Hearing that sparked a question for Kanako. "That reminds me," she began. "Um, w-why is it that your parents never have anyone over anymore? I mean, like my parents or Akio-kun's." Haruna thought about it for a moment. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess they got busy with work or something. They still go out plenty though. Must be real fun leaving their daughter to fend for herself."

Haruna then walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. As usual, there was nothing really she could eat. She sighed as she stared in it. Up until a few weeks ago, there was normally some sort of food she could have, but lately her parents had been gone so much that she had been left with basically nothing other than cup noodles or some other instant food.

Becoming curious, Kanako joined Haruna in the kitchen. When she peered in, she saw a handful of ingredients like green onions and a container of broth. "This sucks," Haruna complained. "There's never anything to eat here anymore." "I could make something," Kanako suggested. "Huh?" Haruna let out. Recently, she had thought it might be nice to have Kanako cook for her, and now here she was throwing the idea out there herself. "It wouldn't be too hard. I could make us some soup or something."

"Soup? Isn't it too hot for that?" Haruna pointed out. "Maybe for winter-types, but there are plenty of others that you can make that people consider to be refreshing. Besides, people eat ramen year-round, so why should this be any different?" Kanako said that so matter-of-factly that Haruna didn't have a response at first. "I guess that makes sense," she muttered. "So should I make one?" Kanako asked. "Do whatever you want," Haruna answered. Taking that as a yes, Kanako began gathering ingredients.

It wasn't long before a fragrant smell wafted throughout the kitchen and living room. The vegetables Kanako had grabbed had been quickly chopped, and after finding several spices to her liking, she had begun the cooking process. A medium-sized pot was sitting on the stove as a fire burned underneath it, heating the liquid contents. Haruna watched as Kanako seemingly threw stuff together. Being nowhere near skilled at culinary arts, Haruna wasn't really sure what Kanako was doing, but it seemed to be working. "Hey, don't you need a recipe or something?" she asked. "Nope. This is a pretty basic dish, so the recipe was easy to memorize. Anyone can make it!" Kanako replied happily.

"I doubt anyone could," Haruna thought referring to herself. "Still though, she looks pretty happy." Haruna found a small smile spreading across her face.

"Cute."

"...wait a minute," Haruna thought, suddenly realizing what word it was that had just crossed her mind. "Cute? What's cute?" Then she looked back to Kanako. "Her? No way. Why would I even think that? She's just cooking! There's nothing cute about that!" While Haruna yelled at herself, Kanako looked up from the pot she was stirring. "Hm? Haruna, are you okay? You're face looks red."

"Wha- Yeah, of course I'm okay, stupid!" Haruna shouted as she turned away from Kanako. "It's only red because it's so damn hot in here from the stove!" "Really? I'm not hot," Kanako said. "That's because you're stupid!" "H-Hey! I'm making you dinner! You could be a little nicer you know!" Kanako sighed. "Honestly, every time I think things are different..."

"What do you mean different?" Haruna said, still not facing Kanako. "Nothing. Forget it," she said. Haruna clenched her fists, but instead of coming up with an angry reply, she spoke more softly. "Tell me."

Kanako stared, then spoke. "I know you said you'd try to be nicer, or at least not as much of a jerk to me, but sometimes it feels like you're not making any progress at all. Knowing you said you'd try, and then it feeling like you're not, it kind of... hurts my feelings a little."

Haruna looked at the ground. "It's not like I want to hurt you..." she mumbled. "What?" Kanako said, unable to hear her. "Nothing. Sorry. I'm going to my room. Come get me when dinner's ready," Haruna said, then walked away.

When she got to her room, Haruna flopped down onto her bed and landed face down on her pillow. After a few moments of silence, she silently screamed. "What the hell am I doing?! Inviting her over? Then reacting like that to her stupid feelings?! What is going on with me?!" Haruna flipped over and stared at her ceiling. "I wish I had an answer..."

Not much later, there was a knock at Haruna's door. "Um, H-Haruna? Dinner's ready," a small voice called, then went back downstairs. Standing up, Haruna decided to change out of her uniform while she was in her room. After throwing on whatever was closest (which was a pair of black shorts and a deep green band t-shirt, she joined Kanako in the kitchen and sat down at the dinner table.

Kanako grabbed two bowls and began to fill each one with a soup that smelled wonderful. Once she had poured the contents in, she carried them over with pot holders. "Careful, it's hot," she said as she set one of the bowls down in front of Haruna. She then placed the other across the table and set the pot holders off to the side. They both gave thanks for their food and then Haruna gave it try.

Just looking at it, Haruna could see several different vegetables, like onions and potatoes, along with something leafy floating in the brown-ish tan liquid. The scent of the soup was strong, leading Haruna to guess that there was probably a good variety of spices in it. Scooping up a spoonful, Haruna gave it several blows before bringing it to her lips.

The taste was excellent. No one flavor overwhelmed the other, and the vegetables were nice and soft. It was certainly warm, but Haruna began to understand what Kanako had meant by a soup being refreshing.

"So, how is it?" Kanako asked. Haruna looked up from her bowl. "It's fi-" she began to say, but the expression Kanako was making led her to believe that she should really give the girl a compliment. "It's...good..." Haruna admitted. "Thank goodness," Kanako said in relief. "Honestly, I'm happy to hear that. Lately it's felt like everything I make hasn't been good. It's probably because of the competition." "Competition?" Haruna repeated through spoonfuls. "Yeah, didn't I tell you? My club entered a competition and we all have to participate. We've been spending a lot of our time on preparing for it, but all of my dishes have been pretty sub-par. So, that's why I was happy to do this for you. It was nice to cook with no pressure."

Haruna went back to looking at her bowl. "...Thank you... for doing this..." she said sheepishly. Kanako smiled. "You're welcome."

The two continued to eat, occasionally making small talk. However, as time went on, Haruna began to get an odd feeling. It felt... pleasant? Having someone eating with you and enjoying their company wasn't new to Haruna. She had done that with her parents and with Chiyo multiple times. So why was this different? "Although, with the way tonight has gone with Kanako coming here and making dinner and us sitting like this, it's like she's a wife or something," Haruna joked to herself, but then quickly came back to that idea. "A wife huh..."

Haruna stared at Kanako, picturing her as a married woman. "Are you done with that, darling?" the image in Haruna's head said. "D-D-Darling?!" she suddenly shouted. "Darling?" Kanako repeated. "Who?" "You- I-...ugh, never mind..." Haruna sighed. "Well, I'll take your bowl for you," Kanako said, collecting Haruna's with hers. "What the hell..."

Just before Kanako began washing dishes, her phone rang. "Oh, it's my mom," she said. "Hello?" Finding herself a little curious, Haruna leaned in closer so she could hear the conversation. "I'm actually at Haruna's house... Yeah, that's what I said... Huh? What do you mean you're not coming back tonight? ... What? But it's Monday! ... I can't just spring that on her! ... Mom! She hung up..." Kanako clicked off her phone and set it down, then looked nervously at Haruna.

"S-Sooo, H-Haruna, ummm..." Haruna stared at her, becoming irritated. "What? Spit it out." "Well, um, apparently my parents are going to be gone for the night, and I have to find somewhere to stay, so I was wondering... c-could I stay here?"

Haruna blinked. "...Are you serious?" "I mean, I'd go home if I could, but I can't get inside, and going to anyone else's house would be bad manners at this hour, so... p-please?" Kanako pleaded. Haruna closed her eyes. "Alright, fine, whatever." "Thanks. I'm going to wash the dishes now, so why don't you take your bath first?" "Huh? Shouldn't the guest go first?" Haruna pointed out. "It's fine. Go and relax," Kanako said with a smile.

Deciding not to argue it, Haruna left the kitchen area and headed to the bathroom. After filling the tub, undressing and then sinking into the hot water, Haruna began to think about the latest development. "She's spending the night..." she thought. "We haven't actually hung out or anything in years, and now she's sleeping over?" Haruna breathed out heavily, causing the steam in front of her to disperse. "This is weird..."

After soaking for a little longer, Haruna got out and dried off, then put her clothes back on that she had been wearing. Walking out into the living room, Haruna found Kanako finishing up with the dishes. "Hey, the bath's free," Haruna said. "Okay, I'll get in in a minute," Kanako said as she put a plate away. When she looked at Haruna though, she frowned. "W-What?" Haruna asked, suddenly feeling on edge. "Sit down," Kanako commanded. Haruna did as she was told and sat on the couch. Then Kanako walked over and took the spot next to her. Pulling the towel Haruna had brought out with her off of Haruna's shoulder, Kanako began to run the girl's hair through it.

"Um, Kanako? What are you doing?" Haruna asked, now confused after half-expecting to get yelled at. "You have to dry your hair properly. Honestly, you really are hopeless sometimes," Kanako said as she squeezed the water out of Haruna's hair. "This is how I've been doing it for years now. Haven't had any problems yet," Haruna said, feeling attacked. "Really? Because I think you might be balding," Kanako said. "Huh?! Where?!" Haruna yelled. "Hehe! Just kidding," Kanako said playfully.

Haruna went quiet. "You know, a few months ago, you would've never dared to try something like that on me," she said. "Well, a lot's changed since then. A lot of good changes," Kanako said. "Okay, all dry." Haruna felt her hair and found it to feel softer than usual. "Thanks..." she said, finding herself feeling somewhat uneasy. "Alright, I'm going to take my bath now," Kanako said.

While she went to do that, Haruna found herself getting lost in her own thoughts and reflecting on everything that had happened. Certainly, a lot had changed, but whether it was all for the better, Haruna wasn't sure. She had a feeling it would be a while before she ever got the answer to that.

After around 20 minutes or so, Haruna heard her name being called. "H-Haruna!" it said. Haruna got up and went to the source. "What?" she asked gruffly. "Well, um, since this was so unexpected, I, uh, don't have any clothes, s-so can I borrow some?" Haruna sighed in annoyance, then went upstairs to pick something out for Kanako.

Sifting through her clothes, Haruna realized she probably owned nothing that would fit due to their height difference. Eventually, she dug up the smallest shirt she could find (a purple shirt with a yellow stitched outline of a dragon on it) and a pair of black sweatpants that had strings. Taking those back downstairs, Haruna gave them to Kanako and she put them on.

When she came out, Kanako looked at Haruna with a bit of confusion. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but... what's with this shirt?" she said, stifling a laugh. "It wasn't my idea. Chiyo bought it for me at some tourist place back in junior high. I've never even worn it. I just took it and stuffed it into the back of my closest." "It's kinda funny how fashionable Chiyo is and yet she buys something like that," Kanako remarked. "She may technically be a gyaru, but that girl is weird for sure," Haruna said.

After a moment of silence, the two girls decided to go sit down in the living room. "So now what?" Kanako asked. "Should we watch a movie?" Having no better ideas, Haruna agreed, then flipped on one of the streaming services her family subscribed to. "What're we even going to watch? It's not like we have the same tastes," Haruna said. "What about that one?" Kanako said, pointing to one described as a 'heart-thumping romance.'

"Yeah, no," Haruna said, shooting down the idea. "How about this one? It looks like it would have a lot of good action in it." Kanako stared at Haruna. "You know, if I remember correctly, last time we saw a movie, you practically dragged me into one I didn't want to see. I think I should get to choose this time." Haruna was about to argue, but then she saw the look in Kanako's eyes. "She's serious..." Haruna gulped. "F-Fine. Pick whichever one you want," she said, handing over the remote.

In the end, Kanako picked a sickeningly-sweet romance.

Haruna wasn't particularly pleased by the choice, but she decided to live with it. "Should we make popcorn?" Kanako asked. "I guess," Haruna shrugged, not really caring much due to the impending movie. The two girls got up and went to the kitchen, with Haruna getting the popcorn out and Kanako making it. Once it was down, they poured it into a large plastic bowl and brought it over to the couch with them.

"You sit on that side, and I'll sit on this side," Haruna said, not wanting to sit closely together. Kanako didn't really understand what the problem was, but she went with it anyways. The bowl was placed in the middle and the movie began.

About an hour in, Haruna looked over at Kanako and saw she was dozing off. "Seriously?" she thought. "She's even the one that picked this dumb movie." Deciding Kanako was asleep enough that she wouldn't notice the TV being turned off, Haruna did just that, then flipped on a nearby lamp so she could see. Turning back to Kanako, Haruna shook her head. "She's gonna end up with a cold, sleeping like that," she said to herself. "Well whatever. She brought it on herself."

And yet, even with Haruna saying that, she ended up finding a blanket and draping it over Kanako. As she did, Haruna thought she heard Kanako speaking. "Wait, does she sleep talk?" Haruna wondered. "Oh, I bet it's something so lame. I should see if I can figure out what she's saying so I can make fun of her for it later."

So Haruna leaned in closer, trying to discern what exactly it was that Kanako was mumbling. The sleep talking was infrequent, so it ended up taking longer than expected for Haruna to find out what it was. But when she did, it wasn't what she had thought it would be.

"Akio...kun..."

Haruna listened closely again, just to make sure her ears hadn't been mistaken. Sure enough though, she heard the same name a second time. When she confirmed it, Haruna stood up straight. "Tch. Come on, why is she even saying his name? I'm the one that's letting her sleep here."

But as Haruna began to walk away, she stopped and turned back to look at Kanako again. Her sleeping face was soft, and she looked peaceful. Taking in the sight, Haruna had a thought. "If she had said my name instead of his, I wonder... how I would feel..."

It was the last thing Haruna thought about when she drifted off to sleep.

*****

When Kanako woke up the next morning, she was very confused at first. "Why am I on a couch? And where am I?" Once the initial grogginess faded, it didn't take her long to remember what had happened. "Oh yeah, I spent the night at Haruna's house."

"Good, you're up," a voice said. Kanako turned and looked toward the source. "H-Hello Endo-san," she said nervously. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Haruna's mother replied. "I was surprised to see you fast asleep on our couch." "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude..." "Oh, it's fine. Your parents called me and explained. Glad they did because I know Haruna didn't tell me anything. I swear, that daughter of mine could stand to be a little more communicative," Haruna's mother said with a sigh.

Kanako turned her attention back to her clothes. She was still wearing the ones she had been given. "Oh no, my uniform! It didn't get washed last night!" Kanako panicked. "Wait a minute... where is it?" she wondered as she looked around, but it was nowhere to be found. "U-Um, Endo-san, h-have you seen my uniform?" "Yes, I grabbed yours and Haruna's and put them in the washer last night, then the dryer this morning. They should be just about done, so until then, how about some breakfast?"

Standing up, Kanako stretched and walked over to the table. "It's been so long since you've been here like this. It reminds me of when you two were little," Haruna's mom said with nostalgia. "I know what you mean," Kanako said. "This looks good, by the way." Laid out in front of her was a plate of eggs, a stack of pancakes, toast and rice. Grabbing a little of each, Kanako tried each one and was delighted by the taste.

"I hope you like it. I'm not really the best cook," Haruna's mother said nervously. "This is great!" Kanako said, pleased by the food. "Happy to hear it," Haruna's mom said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should probably drag my daughter out of bed." Leaving the table, she headed toward the stairs and called up them. "Haruna, get up! I made breakfast, so get down here before your friend and I eat it all!"

With that remark, there was a sudden thud, followed by the sound of someone rushing down a staircase. Speeding into the dining space, Haruna slid to a stop. "What're you-!" She was about to yell "What are you doing here?" but she quickly remember what had happened the previous night. "Oh yeah..." Kanako simply stared as she nibbled on a piece of toast.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked as Haruna sat down. "No, and it's probably your fault." "My fault?!" Kanako exclaimed. "Yeah, I kept thinking about you-" Haruna began to say, but she clapped her hand over her mouth. However, it was too late. "Y-You were... thinking about m-me?" Kanako asked, surprised. "Yeah. I mean no! I mean- gah, who cares what I was thinking about?! Just eat your damn food so we can go to school!"

"Haruna dear, it's a little early in the morning for swearing," her mother said in a strict tone. "Sorry..." Haruna muttered. "Still though, I'm happy to see you two are close again," her mother said. "We're not close," Haruna said flatly. "Then why did she sleep here? I would've thought she'd go to a friend's house that she got along well with." Haruna's face got red. "I-I just pitied her, that's all! Besides, she bothers enough people as it is. No need to do it more than she already does..." "I'm right here you know..." Kanako thought as she continued eating.

"Well I need to get to work, so you two girls make sure you're not late," Haruna's mother said. "I'm always on time mom," Haruna sighed. "Thanks Endo-san," Kanako said. With that, she was out the door. "It's kinda weird hearing you say Endo-san to my mom when that's me too," Haruna commented. "It's not like I can call her by her first name," Kanako said. "I know. I'm just saying it feels weird," Haruna shot back.

They continued eating in silence when Haruna remembered something. "Hey, you said you had a competition or something coming up right? When is it?" Kanako looked up from her plate. "Huh? You want to know?" "Look, I'm just trying to look good for Miyashita-kun alright? It's not like I actually care." Haruna said that, but the way she reacted confused Kanako. "If she doesn't care, then why is she acting all flustered?" she wondered, then answered the question. "Well, it was going to be after Tanabata, but something else came up, so they had to move up the date. Now it's the 28th. Luckily most of the schools participating were able to make that work." "That's a Friday isn't it? Won't you be in school?" Haruna asked. Kanako shook her head. "The club gets to get out early so we can prepare for our recipes. Besides, the actual competition has both individual and team rounds, so it can take a while. A lot of schools are in it too. It probably won't finish until late at night."

"So what? You cook and then have to sit around for the rest of the day?" Haruna asked. "Kind of. It's worth it though, at least according to Naomi-senpai. She said that when it's over, all the contestants and audience get to eat the food made. It's like a big banquet. The hosts of the competition also provide dishes too just in case there's a large crowd."

"Free food huh? Maybe I'll go," Haruna said casually. "W-What? You're going to come?" Kanako asked. "What, you don't want me there?" Haruna said gruffly. "N-No, of course not! I'm just surprised you'd want to be there is all..." Kanako said nervously. "Whatever. Besides, if I didn't go, I'm sure Miyashita-kun would end up asking me about it and it would hurt my chances of winning our stupid deal," Haruna explained. Kanako sighed to herself. "I had kind of hoped she was going so she could support me. Well fine. Maybe I can wow Akio-kun with my cooking skills!" "What're you getting so pumped up for over there?" Haruna asked when Kanako got visibly psyched up. "H-Huh? Oh, um nothing! Just thinking about the thrill of competition, ahahaha..." Kanako said, failing to come up with anything better for an excuse. "Right... well, we better get ready for school. I need to leave soon and I won't be late because of you," Haruna said. ���I know, I know..." Kanako said, having to hear that same line almost every time Haruna woke her up.

So the two girls grabbed their uniforms out of the dryer and changed into them, then proceeded to brush their teeth and get their bags. Kanako double-checked that there wasn't anything she needed from her house (not that she could get what she would've needed anyways at the moment), and with that, they were out the door.

When Haruna and Kanako came outside, they happened to time it perfectly with Chiyo passing by their houses. Looking over and seeing them, Chiyo skipped over and beamed. "Hey you two," she said with a smirk. "Whaddya doing coming out of the same place this morning hm?" Haruna pushed Chiyo away with her hand to the gal's face. "We weren't doing what you're thinking we were doing, that's for sure." "What weren't we doing?" Kanako asked. "Oh Kana-chan, you're so pure! That's what makes you so cute!" Chiyo said as she nuzzled a confused Kanako.

As they began walking, Chiyo began to talk about her latest outing. "So last night, I went to this new beauty store not too far from here, and they had the cutest hair ties! Look, look! I'm even wearing one I bought right now! Isn't it like, totes adorbs?" Chiyo showed off the tie holding her hair up. It was a string with two pink-purplish colored glass balls glued together and sitting on the top. "You're right, it is, um, cute?" Kanako said, uncertain of if she had understood Chiyo's slang correctly. "I know right?!" Chiyo said happily. "I got a few more too. Maybe I'll wear one each day so I can show them off!" "Hate to break this to you Chiyo, but no one's looking at your hair ties when they see you," Haruna remarked. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with eyeing the best bits first. But when they get all close and personal, they'll get to see that even my hair gets to be cute!" Chiyo proudly proclaimed. "You're shameless, you know that?" Haruna said.

The conversation continued all the way to school. The three of them were just passing through the gate when Haruna noticed Michi coming in at nearly the same time. She was a few steps behind, so Kanako didn't notice. But when Haruna and Michi locked eyes, Michi turned her face away, which had briefly shown an expression of pain and embarrassment. Then, keeping her head low, she speedily walked past the group and toward the building. "There's no way she'll get past without Chiyo saying something. Then Fukuhara-san will at least have to interact with us. Man, that's gonna be so awkward."

However, while Haruna was certain Chiyo noticed Michi go by, she didn't say anything, instead opting to keep chatting with Kanako. "Maybe Chiyo picked up on a weird vibe Fukuhara-san was giving off or something and decided to help her out." Whatever the case, an uncomfortable situation had been avoided.

While Haruna was glad that she didn't have to suffer through a moment like that, she had also experienced an odd amount of satisfaction at seeing Michi's reaction. "It feels like I've won something," Haruna thought. With that feeling adding an extra boost to her step, Haruna followed Chiyo and Kanako inside with a bit of a smug smile on her face.

End of Chapter Three.