Chapter One

"The next Umibozu concert here is definitely in the winter," Koizumi said calmly, though everyone could feel the rising anger coming off of her body as if it were steam.

"No, it was in the spring. I remember because I wasn't going to be here," Otani clenched his jaw stubbornly and folded his arms across his torso.

Koizumi laughed without humor; the air around them was freezing now. "But I just checked it last night. I would know what I'm talking about."

"I thought that, since we haven't seen each other in such a long time, we could have a fun evening together, but no. Those two have to perform their little 'comedy act' even when no one is laughing!" Nobu was fed up with their constant arguing. They'd been together for only a half an hour, and the two had spent over half the time at each other's throat.

"It's not an act!" Both Otani and Koizumi shouted at the same time.

Nobu grabbed Nakao's arm and turned to glare at Koizumi and Otani. "You guys should try to act more like a couple sometimes; it gets boring watching you two like this."

Otani's cheeks flushed a light red as he grabbed Koizumi's hand. "You happy now?"

Nobu just scoffed and walked faster, dragging Nakao along. Suzuki and Chiharu ran a little to catch up, hand in hand as well, but Otani and Koizumi made no such effort.

"She's right you know," Otani started, "we should stop fighting over stupid things."

"Yeah," Koizumi agreed. "Though I'm right," she added under her breath, barely audible. Otani just frowned and squeezed her hand.

"Come on slowpoke, let's go eat."

**********

"Wow, I haven't been here since my last day of work," Koizumi recollected as all six sat down at a table in Café Ikebe. The restaurant looked just how she remembered, though a few staff members were different.

"It's been too long," Chiharu chimed in before taking a menu and looking it over.

Nakao laughed loudly and whispered something to Nobu, who smiled. "Check out the drinks," Nakao suggested to Otani and Koizumi.

Two pairs of eyes glowed as they saw a new item on the menu. The waitress could barely ask what their order would be before they sang in unison, "Tropical Medley!" Everyone else ordered and the waitress left, snickering to herself and planning what to say to the other staff about the hilarious duo.

"Hey Otani," Nobu said teasingly, "it's Risa's birthday soon. What are you going to do for her?"

Otani blushed and looked down at the empty table in front of him. "Oh. That."

"Yes that! It's her eighteenth birthday you know," Nobu was having fun.

"Isn't it your first anniversary too?" Chiharu asked innocently.

"Oh yeah," Koizumi remembered, "yeah on my birthday last year we started going out." Last year Otani gave her a necklace and kissed her. Though she didn't realize it at the time, Otani wanted to be her boyfriend and the kiss was his way of letting her know. Koizumi smiled creepily as she replayed the scene in her mind while Otani cringed in disgust at her expression.

"Koizumi!" A short boy called excitedly as he ran towards their table. Kohori was so glad to see his old coworker and crush again after such a long time. "Are you back from school? How long are you here for? Are you going to work here agai-" he was cut off by Koizumi.

"Woah, one question at a time! Yeah I'm back on vacation, only for a few weeks, no, I'm not working."

Kohori smiled, "A waitress was talking about a really loud tall girl and short boy and I knew it was you so I had to come see." He blushed and turned his puppy-dog eyes towards Koizumi. "I missed you."

"Ouch!" Koizumi yelled out as Otani kicked her in the shin under the table. Nobu was the first of the other four to break out of silence.

"Hey Kohori, it's good to see you, but do you think you could let us catch up?"

He frowned, but backed away from the table, obviously feeling rejected. "Sure. But Koizumi, make sure you come visit me before you leave!"

"Like I'd let her do that…" Otani mumbled under his breath as he folded up a napkin on the table.

**********

The six of them sat and talked for over an hour, taking turns talking about school, before it was time for the café to close up and for them to leave. Nobu, Koizumi, and Chiharu walked ahead, telling stories while the boys walked a few feet behind them. Koizumi burst out laughing at something Nobu said and Otani smiled warmly, though he didn't know why she was laughing. It just made him happy.

Nakao put his hand on Otani's shoulder. "It's great loving someone, huh?" Unaware of where the conversation was going, Otani just nodded and kept walking with his eyes on Koizumi. "It'd be too bad to see her disappointed on her birthday and your anniversary because you screwed up ruined it."

Shocked, Otani turned to face Nakao with his mouth in an 'o' shape. Who did he think he was? Koizumi didn't need a lot to be happy and he'd make sure she was!

"Just make sure it's perfect!" Nakao added before running to catch up with Nobu and wrapping her in a hug.

Great. Otani thought. The pressure was on.

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note: Hey! Here's the first chapter of my new story. I hope you like it and keep reading :)