Ionia was notorious for its moody weather. In the winter, it is expected to be frosty and white with snow topping every roof and tree in sight. Eventually, the frigidness would give way to a warm and feel-good spring with vibrant flowers blooming and small animals running amok. Currently, Ionia was in its busy muggy summer days as the nation accepted the tradition of letting the students have reprieve from their work during the summer.
It was a long day after training at the Kinkou Temple. Noon had recently broke into another humid day and despite the thickness of the air, the sky was light blue and clear, not a single cloud to tarnish the sight. In the fields in front of the temple, students who were relieved from their duties for the day seek relaxation before they have to return to their living quarters to continue their training through homework. The lawn of the Temple was littered with both red and navy blue robes. Boys were huddled around stairwell of the school or in more discreet places such as underneath the trees. Girls congregated in more different areas, such as the aged playground to the side of the Temple that fell into disuse because of the new one in the back while they chatted about similar things.
A young Zed, a fiery red-eyed subject runs laps around the crystal blue lake that lies in front of the Temple. After each lap, Zed would stop beneath the cherry blossom trees that cover one end of the lake. He quickly zooms around the perimeter of the lake, his bare feet running through the muddy shore and picking up the fallen petals in its wake. Before sprinting around a lake became a necessity for him to blow off steam after rigorous training, it's a pastime for him while he waits for his best friend.
Pent-up energy was common in the younger students due to the obvious reason of a less taxing workload brought upon them by the teachers. If you weren't discussing mundane things with your classmates, you were most likely a child chasing other kids with a stick or running and kicking after a rolling ball. In fact, Zed would be playing soccer with Shiro and Kirazuki on the field behind the school besides the newly minted playground but they never played particularly fair whenever it's just the three of them so he decides to wait for Shen. The reason for the unfair play is attributed to how well Zed plays the game and how quick on his feet he is.
After his seventh lap around the lake when sweat beating off his brow, Zed spots a familiar brown shaggy-haired boy on the opposite end of the lake standing underneath the shade of the cherry blossoms, looking around. Zed calls out the boy's name and Shen turns in the direction he heard Zed from. As Zed approaches, he can see the faint outline of a smile on his friend's face.
Zed jogs toward Shen, happiness plastered on his own face, excited about something of his own. While at history class taught by Master Sachiko, the teacher described an emotion that people felt for other people. It was something called love and it can happen between anyone and anybody and the feeling can be either mutual or one-sided. The relevance of the subject to the curriculum that was required to be taught was obscure, but Master Sachiko thought it would be a good life lesson nonetheless.
"I have something to ask you!" Zed said in between breaths when he reaches Shen. Shen crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow while watching Zed's chest heave back and forth. "Do you know what love is?"
"Love?" asked Shen, bewildered at the new word. It wasn't a completely foreign term to him but he has only heard about it through books or overhearing stories about it from the upperclassmen. The word was awkward on Shen's tongue as he mouths it a few more times.
"Yes, love." repeated Zed, who was grinning from ear to ear. After reciting the word a few times, Shen shook his head and waited for Zed to reply. Zed, seeing an opportunity to torment his friend a bit, playfully shoves Shen and takes off running in the opposite direction, beckoning his friend to chase him.
Shen, wanting to sate his curiosity, chases after him. Zed didn't put up much of a challenge to chase down. He was already too excited to share his new found wisdom with his best friend but also Zed's stamina cannot hold a candle to Shen's iron will. Zed stopped at where the game of cat and mouse, underneath the cherry blossom trees. As he bends over to take in shallow breaths, the impact of Shen tackling him from behind hits him and the collision causes both of them to tumble to the ground.
In the amalgam of laughter, chaos, and dirt staining every inch of their uniforms, they recovered from the crash once they finished trying to stifle their laughter. Zed has Shen pinned to the ground, sitting on his knees and grabbing him by the wrists. Shen tries to squirm his way out but once it became fruitless, he surrenders and rests his head on the ground.
"Well. I caught you."Shen said ironically while being subdued by the person he was chasing. He once again tries to pry free but gives up once again when Zed tightens his grip on Shen's wrists.
Zed smiles wolfishly and starts to giggle, infecting Shen with the laughter. The two returned to their tittering like before and the jolliness faded once Zed cleared his throat to reveal his knowledge to Shen, the one both of them have been anxiously waiting to hear.
"First off, let me ask. Do you know what love is?" Zed stares at Shen with his eyes as the boy sifts through his mind to find an answer. No one can truly blame Shen for his naivety, the one between him and his father, Master Kusho is known to be void of affection and almost borderline professional. Shen attempts again to recant the stories he eavesdropped from his classmates or it being mentioned in the novels he read in class but both causes his mind to draw a blank.
"I don't think so. " said Shen, unable to think of an answer. This causes Zed to smile even more as it gives him the opportunity to teach his friend a completely new concept.
"Love is when you like spending time with another person. It makes you happy when you do it and you feel good about it." Shen nods in awe, his youthful and innocent mind captivated by the revelation. Zed was equally enraptured by his own lesson even though he's the one bestowing it to Shen.
After another brief moment of Shen's mind running the definition through its head, his face lights up and Zed could imagine the light bulb turning on above his head.
"So, because we always play together, does that mean you love me?" asked Shen excitedly. Zed's face also lights up and his smile widens even more. At this time, Shen breaks free from his restraints but he doesn't make an effort to push Zed off of him.
"Yes!" said Zed enthusiastically. "I do love you!" Zed felt the butterflies in his stomach. Master Sachiko was right, he thought to himself. This does feel good.
Then, Zed recalled a rather crucial detail on the whole ordeal. He recalls asking Hinami, an upperclassman about how to show love as he planned to tell Shen all about it later that day. At first, Hinami was confused on why such a young student would ask a question and after Zed elucidated on the matter, Hinami grabs his girlfriend and sweeps her off her feet to a kiss. Hinami then explained that the most common way besides hugging is kissing if you wanted to show someone you love them.
With the said scene replaying in his head, Zed dips down and plants a soft kiss on Shen's lips. The excitement and anxiety Zed felt previously faded into a warm and fuzzy one. Shen on the other hand felt the nervousness his friend had felt before. Once the moment passed, Zed pulls away from Shen who's cheeks had turn a shade of red.
"To show someone how much you love them, you kiss them!" Zed said triumphantly as he rolls off a blushing Shen and sits cross-legged in front of him. Shen gets up, flustered and licking his lips.
Shen had seen kissing before but he never witnessed it as long as with him and Zed. It usually wasn't even on the lips either, remembering the time when Master Ogawa's wife came in and kissed him on the cheek. However, he couldn't ignore the unshakable feeling of how much he liked kissing Zed. On a whim, Shen leans back in to kiss Zed again, but his friend didn't notice and suddenly stands up. Shen pulls away quickly, more embarrassed than before.
"So, what do you think?" asked Zed as he stretches out his limbs. Shen almost didn't hear the question, he stared off in the distance before Zed nudging Shen's leg with his toe brings him back to earth.
"I.. like it." said Shen apprehensively. That was all Zed needed to hear as he returns to his ear to ear grin. Zed holds out his hand to Shen.
"Great! Come on, let's go play with Shiro and Hinazuki." Shen was pulled to his feet and dragged out of the trees before he could even open his mouth.