Sixth oneshot, second one with ShunxAlice summer stuff. My summer inspiration this time is San E & Raina's debut collaboration song, "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness." This actually reminds me of Bittersweet Summer Heat, but takes place in the beginning of summer as opposed to the end.

Alice rested her head down on table at a beach side cafe and complained. "So...bored..."

"What's up?"

Suddenly, she popped up and saw Shun sitting in front of her. "WOw. Thanks for waking me up. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Um...I take that as a compliment?" He leaned back in his seat and watched people play on the beach. "So what are you doing out here all alone?"

"It wasn't my fault. Runo invited to come over with Julie and the girls, but I somehow ended up waking up really late and missed out on shopping. Besides, what are you doing here? I thought beaches and Malibu weren't your thing."

"Late?" Shun showed Alice the time on his phone. "It's ten to ten. You girls are crazy. Speaking of crazy, I made a bet with Dan a while back. Usually, I always had the upper hand with this stuff, but somehow, he won this time and was persistent on dragging me here. Am I bothering you or something?"

"No, not at all. I could use the company. Wait, Dan is here?! With who else?"

"Me, Marucho, Ace...basically the other guys. I swear, everyone one of you out there has problems. Who goes shopping at malls or swimming in a pool when you come to the beach?"

"Really? They're at a pool? What the point of coming to the beach then?"

"Exactly, and since you said you don't mind," He looked away and made corner eye contact. "I guess I could use the company, too."

"You're the one who suddenly took the seat in front of me."

"Not like you were expecting anyone."

"This is how you decide to treat me after a month and half of summer vacation?"

"What? Look at this chair!" Shun stood up, pushed the chair in, and walked back. "It's dying for attention."

Alice shook her head and applauded amusingly. "I can't believe you just said that an inanimate object like this chair is dying attention for attention. That's way better than what Dan could come up with."

"Not so lonely now, are you?"

Her applause slowly died down as Alice rested her arms and head on the table again. "In a way, I suppose."

"How are you and him going along?"

Alice looked up and answered firmly. "We're over."

"We what? All I did was-"

"What I meant is that Klaus and I are over. We broke up. Shun, why would I end a decent conversation with you that just started and is the only that keeping me going in the morning?"

"Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have brought him up. You two were still fine before the school year ended."

"Yeah, and he also chose to let out relationship end with the school year. I'm serious. We've been dating for two years, and this is what he does to me. What do you think is more ridiculous: breakup on the last day of school or a confession on the last day of school?"

"I...I wouldn't know. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because this girl confessed to him right after we broke up."

The two of them stared in silence until Shun nodded and clicked his tongue. "That is pretty ridiculous. I don't if it's a good thing that you're single once more, but it's good to see you again."

"Same here. I thought I'd be bored and alone forever." She stretched her arms and drank her glass of fruit punch. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty much the same. Got myself a summer job as always, like every other summer." He rested his chin on his palm as he watched Alice finish half of her glass of punch. "You haven't changed much."

"Shun, it's only been a month and a half. Of course I haven't changed much."

"It's just that. I didn't get to see you much this year due to different classes. Plus, you went out with Klaus more often. I swear, if I add the all times we've seen each other in and out of school this year school year, it wouldn't even add up to a month."

"You sure keep a clear track of when we see each other."

"Only because I haven't seen you much at all."

Alice drank more of her glass of punch and nodded. "You do have a point. I can't believe time passed by so quickly. We'll be in our last year of high school soon."

"And we've already come all this way. How does it feel to be single again?"

"After two years of dating Klaus? Being single again...feels really weird. It's inexplicable. I feel like something in me changed yet hasn't."

"For one thing, your pretty face hasn't changed."

She immediately laid a hand on her cheek and gasped. "Really? If it's not my appearance, then I really need to think about why Klaus broke it off in the first place. Of course, if he really did break up because that other girl was prettier than me, than should never have dated such an on-the-surface jerk in the first place."

"And look who's already talking back about her ex-boyfriend now..."

"Shun!"

"Just saying. You can think about why he left you all you want, but it's over now. Just enjoy summer vacation and start afresh when we get back to school. Besides, there's not a single day in this world in which you were never pretty."

"Really? You're telling me this now?"

"Do you honestly think it would be safe for me to tell you that you're the prettiest girl I know while you were dating another guy for two year? Despite the lack of experience and interest, no, I wouldn't risk doing that."

"You-" Alice's face heated up in a scarlet blush, and she cooled herself off by finishing her glass of punch. "You really think that-"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever makes you feel better. You want to go somewhere?"

"Go where? I don't know my way around Malibu."

"Anywhere, I don't care. As long as Dan, Runo, and the others aren't there, I'm totally fine. Call me claustrophobic, but I don't want to see them right now."

"Whatever you say." Alice placed the money for the bill and tip under the empty glass and followed Shun back to the road.

MxMxM

"I know this song..."

Shun kept his eyes closed and walked down the rows of department stores. Alice walked beside him and listened closely. "Sounds like something I heard from school before."

"That's what I was going to say, but I don't remember where."

Alice looked at the department stores in swallowed. "For some reason, I'm scared that I'll see Runo, Julie, or anyone of the girls here. There's this creepy feeling."

"Creepy feeling of...?"

"Them...seeing me...with you..."

"What are you even scared about?"

"I just broke up with Klaus, and my instincts are telling me that there's something wrong with me with you here at this very moment. I don't know why."

"Could be that you've felt it all along."

"What?"

Shun didn't answer immediately but suddenly recalled, "Now I remember. This was the song playing in the cafeteria on the day you took a seat next to me during ninth grade."

"That song?" Alice bit her lip in thought and finally remembered. "I got it! It was called 'Some', right? By Soyou and Jung GiGo? I have that song on my phone's music player. It even says that it's my most played song."

"I wonder why..."

"Pretty sure it has nothing to do with you. I just really like that song." Suddenly, Alice unknowingly started singing to the song. "These days, it feels like you're mine, yet it seems like you're mine but not..."

"It feels like I'm yours, and it seems like I'm yours, but not..."

Then they burst into laughter, and Alice embarrassingly covered her mouth. "What can I say? I memorized the lyrics, even the awkward rap. It's my all-time favorite song now. Something light and relieve this summer heat wave with."

"And I somehow also decided to memorize these lyrics, too." Shun watched and listened to Alice hum and mutter and commented, "I like your voice. Something soothing relieve this summer heat wave with."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"And for what do I need to make you feel better?"

Alice shrugged. "Maybe for the fact that I'm still not over Klaus. I'm scared that if I unknowingly did something terrible, I might do it again in future relationships and-"

"Alice, how many times did I say that it is summertime and summer vacation right now?"

"You know, I originally came because Runo said I could use the time to the clear Klaus out of my mind and-"

Shun grabbed Alice by her chin and pulled her over so they were face to face, leaving only a centimeter apart between their lips. She felt his breath on her until he started talking. "Are you going to shut up about Klaus or what?"

"Okay, I won't talk about him," Shun eventually released her and let out a soft chuckle. "but you didn't have to do that to me."

"I swear that your heart was beating at 90 beats per minute."

"It's just the sun." Speaking of sun, Alice reached in her shoulder bad and took out a parasol. "There. Much better. I couldn't sleep last night because it was so hot. Mira already turn on the air conditioning, and I don't think Julie slept with a blanket at all."

"Is that why you woke up late this morning?"

"Could be."

"I see." He nodded his and and grabbed the parasol. "Sorry. You're shorter than me and held it a bit low. And it's looks better this way."

"Shun..."

"For real. So...how did you end up dating Klaus in the first place?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Alice stretched arms once more and put on her sunglasses. "You did say to shut about out it, you know."

"Just testing you."

"Right..." She took out her phone and held it out in front of them. "It does look better this way."

"I'm finally that you noticed."

"Then I hope you don't mind that I take a picture then." Alice turned the camera function on and took a selca. "Smile!" After taking the photo, she scrolled through the camera roll album and found it. "Oh wow. I haven't taken a selca since this last one with Klaus."

"Klaus again? You might as well delete every last photo you had with him. Come to think of it, I didn't know he liked taking selcas."

"Actually, I had to ask him first in order to take a selca with him. Pretty stupid, isn't it? Maybe that's why he broke off with me. Come to think of it, I didn't know you liked taking selcas, either."

"But I guarantee that you don't have to ask for my permission to take a selca. Take as many as you want to make up for those deleted photos."

"Shun, I am not going to do that! These selcas with Klaus were a waste of space to begin with." As she deleted the old photos, a notification popped up. "Runo sent me a text. Hold on."

"And Dan just gave me a call." Shun pressed a green button and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

Seconds later, Alice said, "Runo's asking me if I want to go for karaoke."

"That doesn't even make sense. Hold on," Shun covered his phone and asked Alice, "What did you say?"

"Should I go with karaoke with Runo and them tonight? She also said that some of her other friends from here will be there."

"Uh...say no. No questions asked." He went back to talking on the phone. "Dan, I'm skipping. No way are going to trick me into paying for everything. Bye."

"What happened?"

"Dinner and stuff. No big deal." He checked the time on his phone and sighed. "Three-fifteen. What to do now..."

"We already ate lunch, and you told me not to go sing karaoke with Runo. Why did you tell me know?"

Shun intertwined his right hand with her left hand. "Because I have better plans for tonight."

MxMxM

"Cheers!"

Alice toasted her citrus fruit punch with Shun's mango pineapple smoothie and drank. "You're willing to pay for all this but not what Dan invited you to? So biased."

"I did say Dan tried to trick me into paying for the bill of whatever they were going to eat for dinner. Besides, it's just the two of us here. Way less people to spend money on as opposed to those guys..."

"And I don't have to deal with strangers. We killed two birds with one stone."

"Told you I had better plans for tonight. The last time I came to Malibu, this beachside restaurant was the first and only place I went to go eat. I'm serious."

"When was the last time time you were here?"

"Couple summers ago. It was also my first time here. Mom had to come here for business a business. Her friend used to work here and always gave us discounts."

"That's sweet." Alice took a bite of crab and stared into the ocean. "Lovely view, isn't it?"

"This restaurant didn't have seats outside when I was here last time. Beautiful way of watching a sunset, don't you think?"

"Beautiful indeed. So refreshing, too. This has to be the dinner I've ever eaten. Delicious food, moderate heat, gentle sea breeze, and beautiful sunset. Yes, I just all four of that in one sentence."

"But none of that can compare to the company I have now."

"Shun, what are you-"

"I did say you were the prettiest girl I knew, didn't I?"

"Shun, I think you're drunk on your mango pineapple smoothie. That's like your second glass already. What is wrong with you?"

"Technically, one can only get drunk by consuming alcohol, and I'm certain that we're both still underage, so your theory is invalid."

"You didn't have to be that technical."

Shun finished his so-called second mango pineapple smoothie and gently slammed the glass on the table. "Fine. Maybe it's the summer heat that's getting in my head."

"Thus frying your mind and making you dizzy." Alice listened to the news broadcast on the radio of a customers from a couple tables away. "Did you hear that? Tonight's going to be even hotter than last night at 40*C. The air conditioning is going to fry before I can even use it." Alice finished her plate of crab entree and rested her fork. "Where are you staying?"

"Marucho's summer house. I know what you're thinking. Dan's the one who gathered us all but Marucho's the one providing the living space. You want to try some of my lobster?"

"Why not?" Alice stabbed a piece from Shun's place and ate it. "Crab, lobster, and shrimp are the best seafood trio ever. We're all staying at Runo's friends house, but her friends only come by once every couple days to check. They're all crazy, I swear. No questions asked."

"That's exactly what I said. You want to go now?"

"Sure." Alice waited for Shun as he laid the money down under his glass. "That's what I did this morning."

"So what? At least you're not paying."

"You're the one with the plans for tonight who offered to treat me to dinner."

"But that's pretty much all the plans I have..." Shun held his hand above his eyes as they walked back to the road. "Finally, the sunset fully set. And it's getting hotter and windier."

"Just like what the newspeople on the radio said. I thought it would get cooler now that we've passed the summer solstice, but I guess not yet." Alice looked up and saw a few twinkling stars and a half moon. "I can't believe you can actually see stars above these city lights."

"Malibu is mainly a beach without that many lights. You want to walk on the sand?"

"That would be fun. Let's go!" Alice immediately ran to the beach and threw a handful of sand in the air. "Winter is to summer as snow is to sand."

"Aren't you haven't fun? Do you think you would've been able to do this if you went singing with Runo."

"Of course not. Even if you won't go near the sand when arriving at the beach, at least hang out outdoors. But seriously, going to a swimming pool wen you're at the beachside is ridiculous." Then she pointed the sky with her index finger and traces the stars. "I was this close to drawing a heart. Not enough stars."

"That's sad." Shun checked the time on phone for the third time and gasped. "Nine-thirty already? Time does fly."

"Probably because we spent too much time eating."

"Alice, you can never spend too much time eating, especially not when you have company."

"What are you trying to stay?"

Shun looked forward and avoided eye contact with her. "You know..."

"Don't tell me you're-" Alice's phone rang, and she answered it before finishing her sentence. "You got lucky. Hi Runo. What's up?"

After Alice spent half a minute chatting, Shun asked, "What's going on?"

"Runo said they'll be back at ten-thirty and want me to watch the house."

"What a ridiculous task."

"I know, right? Now, back to what I was saying. Don't tell me you're-"

"You know what? Alice, I think you should go home now." Shun walked behind and pushed Alice back to the asphalt road. "It's been a long day. Let's get some rest."

"I guess you're right." They both held on to a streetlight and emptied the sand out of their shoes. "Thanks for spending the entire day with me."

"No problem." Shun took out his phone and pressed a few buttons. "Hold on, I need to do something."

"Okay." Seconds later, Alice's phone rang again., and she took it out. "Runo, what's the—Shun?" She looked at the name appearing on her phone and then at Shun, who stood not that far away. "Why are you calling me?"

"Just making sure that you didn't change your number."

"Why would I change it? Maybe for Klaus, but I don't have the power to do that. I can just block him."

"Then it's settled. In case you can't sleep again tonight since it's going to be so hot again, you know who to call."

"Thanks." She kissed him on the cheek before moving. "That was really sweet of you. I don't think I'll ever spend another happy and beautiful day like this again. See you next time."

"See you next time." Before Alice walked too far away, he added, "Whenever you're ready again, you can always call me."

"I will, Shun. When the time comes..."

Thus, they departed on this sweet midsummer day...

I forgot to mention that I also really love the song "Some", which is the debut collaboration work by Soyou and Junggigo. I don't have the lyrics memorized, sorry. This has a significantly lighter mood than Bittersweet Summer Heat. Leave a review!