"Can I go out today?" Firinne looked up from behind her book. Her words little more than a whisper over the clicking of phones, and laptops. Her mother, and father didn't even glance up from behind their devices.

"Where to?" Her mother asked at last. Her eyes flicked up from behind the screen for a second.

"Well, the boy that I tutor, and some of his friends were planning on seeing one of their old friends, and they invited me to come along. They're meeting at some public swimming pool."

Her mother opened her mouth, but before she could speak from behind the screen, her father shut his laptop closed with a click, and turned to her. "Who are they meeting?"

"Do you remember Rin?"

"Oh, is he here now?"

"Yeah," she glanced down at the page number of her book, and closed it by her side.

"Alright, just text one of the address when you get their just in case."

"Thanks." She grimaced at her mothers illuminated, and concentrated face.


"McAvoy-senpai! Over here!" Nagisa cried as she marched into the parking lot. Cringing, she hurried to the group. Gou, and Rei were complaining about Haru, and Makoto being late. They sat on the curb each one piping up with their own pointless comment every now, and then.

"McAvoy-senpai?" Gou, leaned forward so Firinne could see her from behind Nagisa.

"Yes?" Her voice was a bit shaky, and tiny bit frightened. She hadn't expected any of them to speak to her while Makoto wasn't here.

"You knew my brother, you said."

"Oh, well yes. I suppose I sort of did. I saw him a few times whenever my family would go down to Australia on vacation."

"Do you think he remembers you?" She asked carelessly.

"I doubt it. I haven't seen him in three years, and it's not as if we were terribly close before. Just simple conversation."

"Ah…" Gou nodded, and leaned back.

"You knew Rin-senpai too?!" Rei slumped over, and held his head in his hands.

"Oh, it doesn't-"

"Firinne! Nagisa! We're here!" Makoto was dragging Haru along with him the group of four, panting slightly. "Sorry we're late." He huffed.

"It's alright," Gou stood, wiping imaginary dust off her skirt, "My brother isn't here yet anyway."

Firinne stared down at her paint splattered, and stained high-waisted pants, and old Violent Femmes shirt tucked it as to not show the fraying edges. She hadn't quite known what to expect of everyone outside of their uniform, but she felt like she definitely didn't fit in. It didn't matter though, Makoto had been the one to invite her, and if they didn't like how she dressed it wouldn't really affect her. She stared back down at the book she had brought along, Lord of the Flies, just for security.

Nagisa jumped up from the curb, and stretched, then pulled Rei up, and started excitedly talking to him about something. She droned it out, and opened the book. No one seemed to notice her anyway, so she continued reading; half-hoping to be ignored for the rest of the time, but at the same time want to be involved. She felt a small barrier.

Glancing down at her thighs, she noticed a small hole in the fabric of the thin jean. A thin, pale scar peaked out from her skin. She carefully folded the fabric to hid her skin, and sighed carelessly, but quietly.

"...Firinne?" A soft voice broke her small trance. She jumped, and took a breath. It was just Makoto. "We decided to just go in, and wait there. Rin will be here in a few minutes." The rest of them were paces ahead, already walking through the door. He held a hand out to help her stand. "I'm sorry I scared you, I didn't mean-"

"I accept your apology. I was just thinking." She took his hand, and stood on her heels. Taking a step toward the entrance of the building, she stopped mid stride, and cleared her throat. "You can let go of my hand now, Mako."

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize. I really didn't mean to! I'm sorry, I just-!"

"Stop apologizing so much." She said hastily.

He heaved a soft sigh of relief, and walked in after her.

Just as the door closed behind him, it opened again.

"Rin-chan!" Nagisa spun on his heel, followed by everyone else. Firinne nearly fell over. She stumbled backwards over Rei's shoes, and then forward as Makoto took a step to the side to let Rin though, and to get away from the door. Tripping, she found herself nose to chest with him.

He glared down for a moment before his gaze softened.

"Firinne?" He asked after a short pause. She backed away from him, and finally looked up at him.

"Hi," she squeaked out. Her eyes travelled back down to the floor, and time seemed to pass. His deep chuckling came from nowhere, and suddenly she felt herself be enveloped in strong arms. He barely picked her off the ground before setting her down again, and holding her at arms length by her shoulders.

She looked up now, blushing madly.

He was grinning widely.

"Why are you here?!" He said moving forward. They all began to walk again.

"I told you when we met that I lived in Japan. I moved to Iwatobi not too long ago."

"But how are you-?!"

"She tutors Mako-chan in English!" Nagisa interjected.

She smiled, and shrugged. "Yes, it's funny isn't it. Somehow I managed to meet your friends." Her laugh was lighter than any of them had ever heard it be. Rin and her trailed ahead of the rest of group reminiscing while Makoto lingered behind everyone else.


Nagisa had kept his eyes glued on Mako as Firinne and Rin had hugged. He had never seen that look cross his face prior. He hadn't looked jealous, or angry. In fact, he had still been smiling dimly. His face had dropped though, as if he was realizing something suddenly. He looked defeated in the most horrid way.

"Mako-chan?" Nagisa nudged him to make him realize he wasn't moving along with the rest of the group.

"Oh! Sorry," he went to speed up, but Nagisa pulled him back. "Nag-"

"Mako-chan," he said carefully,

"What?!" He squeaked, and quickly cleared his throat. "What is it, Nagisa?"

Nagisa raised an eyebrow as Makoto's voice raised an octave higher.

"Never mind," he nearly rolled his eyes, jumping ahead to walk side by side with Gou, and Rei.

Makoto sighed, and wiped a hand down his face.


"Aren't you warm, senpai?" It took Effy a moment to realize that Gou was talking to her. She looked down at her long jeans, and boots, and shrugged.

"Not really, I guess not. Maybe a little, but it was freezing in my house this morning!"

Gou looked a bit confused for a moment, but then chuckled along with her.

"You're still carrying around a book?" Rin glanced down at her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I stopped doing this for a few years though, and it wasn't...I didn't have fun anywhere I went!" She joked. "I realize they're comforting, and I really should carry them around."

"What?!" He ruffled her hair, and patted her on the back a little harder than intended. "You weren't a nerd for a little while?" He teased.

"Nope! I gave up the life of a nerd for nearly four years. I just felt the need to gain it back when we moved I guess." Her voice dropped into something a little sadder.

Rin paused, and glanced down at her.

"Didn't you want to move? You always told me that…"

"I know, I know. I'm happy with the move, I honestly don't care too much about all the people that I left behind. My friends, and I were all going our separate ways anyhow. I suppose I just sort of miss being able to be as outspoken as I was. No, that's not it. Maybe I just miss the city. I don't really know what it is…"

"How close of friends are you with everyone here?" He asked to stop her rambling.

She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Not very. I don't know a thing about Mako, and I'm closest with him I suppose since I tutor him, and stuff…"

"And stuff?" Rin cocked an eyebrow, and winked.

Effy gave him a friendly shove with her shoulder.

"Shut up, Rin-chan."

"Effy, maybe you just miss being able to duck into any group of people you want, and be able to know almost everything about them."

Again she shrugged.

"Stop with the shrugging." He scoffed.

"Rin-chan! Rin-chan!" Nagisa came up behind them. Setting a hand on either of their shoulders. "Is Ai-chan coming? Or even Yamazaki-senpai, or Momo-cha-"

"Ai was busy today, and Sosuke...he said he had something else to attend to."

"What about-?"

"I forgot to tell him I suppose." Effy looked slightly interested, and a bit bewildered. "I go to school with Ai, we're friends. He was my roommate last year. Sosuke is my old friend from elementary school."

She nodded politely, and lagged back as Nagisa continued to pester Rin about nothing in particular.

Attempting to pull her phone from her small bag, and walk didn't work out too well. She bumped back into a solid body, and shrunk into herself. Spinning on the ball of her foot to apologize, she realized it was Makoto.

He tittered hollowly. "We seem to have a problem running into one another." He smiled uneasily, and rubbed the back of his neck with the smallest amount of tenseness in his arms.


From his position slightly behind Rin, Nagisa glanced back narrowing his eyes, and smirking at the redhead, and the one with bright green eyes. They were laughing about something probably unimportant, both with light expressions brushed across their blushing faces.


Well that was that, and a pretty quick one too, but it was just to introduce Firinne's personality around Rin. Not too different, but she's a little...lighter I suppose is a good word. She's just not as dark, and brooding, and slightly annoying when she's around him. I attempted to convey that anyhow, but it was so-so I know. Anyway, let's see how this pans out!