She loved him. She really did love him. Sure he was ignorant, perverted, and immature, but he was always there for her. Izumo has been in classes with Renzou ever since she had enrolled in the cram school and he had always been grouped with her and Paku ever since Rin had enrolled.
"Hey Kamiki-chaan~" he would sing, "Let's work together~ you be the brains and I'll be the brawn ~"
"What brawn. Nekomaru would be more of a jock then you could ever dream of."
"Ouch." He would always laugh these remarks off, never really getting mad at the woman he loved to torture. But, today there was something wrong. He was…Off.
"Aye Pinkie Pie, Move it." Renzou and Bon were in the doorway of the classroom talking and blocking her way in. "I said, Move." Renzou seems to just ignore her.
"Uh Shima, I think you should…" Bon tried to get Renzou to listen.
"Shut up." Renzou said coldly. He turned to Izumo, "Why don't you be polite for once?" Izumo was shocked greatly and only responded with a scowl.
"God damn, move out of the way already!" Bon pulls Renzou out of the angered woman's way as the first bell rings as Yukio walked into the classroom.
"Alright class, take your seats. We will be going on a field trip tonight. You will be put into pairs as this is a bonding exercise for all of you. First, Rin Okumura and Shiemi Moriyama." That was obvious, Izumo thought. "Ryuji Suguro and Konekomaru Miwa. And lastly, Izumo Kamiki and Renzou Shima."
Izumo turned to face her newly appointed partner. He met her eyes and looked away from her. "Also," Yukio started, "You and your partner will be doing all activities together and sleeping in the same tent. Remember, this is a bonding exercise. There's no failing grade."
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After class, the students waited for the bus outside of the academy with their stuff. Once the bus pulled up, they loaded it with their bags and got on, next to their partner. Everyone looks so happy, she thought, and us… . she looked to the man next to her, he was quietly looking out the window as trees and buildings pass by.
"Hey, Shima-kun?" this was a rare thing for her to use "Kun" after shima, or even to not say one of her nicknames mocking his hair first. "Look, I'm sorry for always being so rude to you, but please don't make this anymore awkward than it is. I promise I won't be rude or call you names or anything. Just please talk to me." There's no response. "Ugh fine, here." She wraps her arms around his torso and hugs him. As soon as her arms make contact to his body, the widest grin Renzou had ever made spread across his face.
"Yay!" he exclaimed, "Kamiki-chan's being a nice person to me!"
"Yeah, yeah…" she looked away hiding the pink blush rising on her cheeks. "So, are we ok?"
"Definitely!" she couldn't help but think him smiling was the cutest thing she's ever seen him do. And so the two of them began to talk more and more during the ride until Izumo began to doze off in her seat, choosing Renzou as her pillow rather than the hard bus seat provided. As she slept, Rin poked his head up from behind them and whispered to Renzou.
"Are you guys dating?"
"Nope. I shouldn't try too fast. She would never be with me then. I have to take it slow."
"Aw man, you guys would look so good together!"
"Ha, thanks I guess. But I'm not sure if she would date me at all."
"Are you crazy? I mean look at her! She obviously has a thing for you!"
'Well, I'll try. You never know, after all."
"Good luck man!" Rin sat back down and the two were left alone the rest of the ride.
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When they reached the camp, they unloaded their bags and began setting up their tents, each pair working in harmony, until something bad happened…
"Shima go get the first-aid kit!" Shiemi had been tackled by a bear while she went out to collect firewood and limped back, heavily bleeding. Renzou ran to the emergency bag and scrambled to find the kit. Izumo took it and was forced to clean, fix, and bandage Shiemi's wounds herself. Renzou was amazed at how well she could handle this much pressure. Her movements were swift and light as if she could channel her inner spirit guard to lend its power. Once the crisis was averted, Izumo sat next to the glimmering lake under the stars.
"Hey Izumo," Renzou spoke from behind her, "That was really something. What you did back there."
"Oh, thanks. I just didn't want her to end up dying…" Renzou looked at the calm waters.
"Wanna go swimming?" he said as he sat beside her,
"Wha? But I don't have a bathing suit with me."
"neither do I but we can still go swimming!" and with that, he stood up and removed his top clothing, then jumped straight into the water. When he surfaced, he smiled at Izumo and gestured to her "C'mon in! the waters fine!" She couldn't help but smile.
"Don't try anything funny." As she spoke, she removed her top clothing and ran into the water with her new best friend.
"No promises~" he dove beneath the water and swam up behind her, grabbing her by her waist and hugging her affectionately.
"Wh-What're you doing?!" she turned a light red as he held onto her.
"Haha, it's called hugging." He chucked and turned her around to face him. "You know…" he looked into her red eyes, "You're the most beautiful, funny, and tsundere girl I've ever met" she looked shocked, "Please, go out with me." As soon as she heard this, she was full of rapture and delight. The boy she never imagined she'd fall inlove with is asking her out at this very moment. There were tons of top heavy ditzy girls he could've asked, but he asked the flat and rude know-it-all.
"Renzou…are you sure? I'm like the rudest person ever to you."
"So? I never take that stuff seriously! Sure we bicker but I could never hate you! I love you!" he quickly covered his mouth after those three words had escaped.
"You…love me?" he nodded and expected a smack or a push away but what he received was very different. Izumo laid a soft kiss upon his lips. "I love you too, Renzou."
After the trip, everyone was sick of their partner. Two weeks with the same person day and night could ruin a friendship or even relationship. But for Renzou and Izumo, it helped them realize just how much they mean to each other. And so, they always go back to that one lake every anniversary.