"Sandals?"
"Check."
"Sunblock?"
"Check."
"Hot dogs and buns?"
"Check and…check!"
Sora scratched her chin in thought for another second, trying to recall everything that they might need for their trip. She could hear Mimi scrambling through her beach bag, as well as the recently acquired grocery bag, as she poised herself on the sofa.
"Hmm. I think we've covered everything," Sora stated, placing her hands on her hips thoughtfully.
"What about towels?" Miyako shouted from inside her room.
Mimi scrunched her brows in confusion, "For what?"
"Remember last time?" Hikari reminded from inside her room, as well. Sora could hear Miyako giggling in response. She couldn't help but smile at her laughter.
"Oh yeah," Mimi paled, "Incase Taichi and Daisuke decide to secretly bring water guns again."
Sora laughed as Mimi quickly went to the bathroom closet to grab some fresh towels for all four girls. The gang had decided to have one of their usual park retreats on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. It consisted of sports, barbecue, practical jokes, and laughter. As autumn started to take its course, no one knew how long they had before it would be to cold to plan outdoor activities.
Miyako trudged out of her room sporting blue bermuda shorts and a yellow tank top, her hair tied into a messy ponytail. She was also carrying her own bag, which she quickly scanned the contents of.
"I'm bringing a first aid kit, just in case. I know Jyou will probably have a few, but you can never be too prepared," she announced wisely. A few people, namely Daisuke, had a habit of getting injured at least once on every single trip. Miyako couldn't understand how or why, but that dimwit never failed to get hurt.
Sora nodded in agreement before checking the time, "Hey, when's your sister getting here?" she asked before picking up the grocery bag. The redhead was wearing casual black shorts with a tight red tee-shirt.
"She should be here any minute," Miyako answered with a small smile, "Thanks for letting her stay here for a few days, guys. I appreciate it."
"Are you really thanking us, Miyako?" Mimi laughed as she walked out of the bathroom and towards her two roommates in the living room.
"Yeah, she's your family. Of course she's invited whenever she pleases," Sora added with a reassuring hand to Miyako's shoulder.
Momoe Inoue had called her younger sister a few days ago to inform Miyako of her surprise visit. The youngest Inoue child had three older siblings, Momoe being the second eldest. But, that didn't stop her from being frigidly strict and serious when it came to her baby sister. Miyako hadn't always been close to Momoe, but her sister liked to keep tabs and check in once in a while.
"I've never met her before, so I'm excited," Mimi squealed with a clap. This only made Miyako roll her eyes.
"You weren't missing out, trust me."
Hikari scolded her roommate as she walked out of her room, as well.
"Don't listen to her, Mimi. Momoe isn't so bad."
"Really, Kari? Remember when she lectured you last time for the shampoo that you were using?" Miyako reminded as she crossed her arms defiantly against her chest. It wasn't that she didn't love Momoe, she just wasn't too fond of her ever-present attitude.
"I mean, she was right. It was completely drying out my hair," Hikari smiled sweetly and her roommate scoffed obnoxiously in response.
"Hello, open up!" a voice called from outside of their apartment before a barrage of knocking made all the girls turn their heads towards the door, "The party's here!"
Daisuke's voice was distinct and unavoidable. Each girl either rolled their eyes or giggled in response as Sora went to open the door. They were greeted by Taichi, Daisuke, and Koushiro before all three walked into the apartment nonchalantly. Daisuke had his hands grasped securely on the straps of his backpack as he marched into the room loudly.
"Is it really necessary for you to make a dramatic entrance every single time?" Miyako retorted before ruffling Daisuke's maroon hair playfully. He yelped before running away from her wriggling fingers.
"Watch it, Inoue," he glared as he placed a pair aviator sunglasses perfectly onto the top of his head, "I'm having a really good hair day."
Miyako glanced at the sunglasses briefly, "Eh, the goggles looked better."
He pouted in response.
Hikari immediately went to hug her brother tightly, who laughed as she pressed her face into his chest.
"Woah, Hikari. You're acting like I haven't seen you in years."
"I'm just really happy that you could make it today," she explained with a grin that almost matched his own. She didn't remove her arms as she looked up at him sweetly, and he ruffled her hair adoringly.
It was a surprise to everyone that Taichi was free this weekend at all. He'd been working insanely long hours for the past two weeks that everyone thought he'd have to skip on the gang's outing today, especially since the bushy-haired man had a knack for bringing a lot of his extra work home on the weekends.
"We can't let him miss out on these things, Hikari," Sora reminded as she walked over to the embracing siblings, "Otherwise we'll never get to see him."
Taichi's grin widened as he put each arm around both of his beloved women, "When will you two stop worrying about me, huh?"
"Never," they replied simultaneously before breaking out into laughter together.
Mimi looked around the room awkwardly, noticing how everyone had split into small groups. With Sora, Hikari, and Taichi near one side of the room, and Daisuke and Miyako on the other side of the room, Mimi was left to converse with Koushiro by the couch. This was the usual circumstance when both apartments combined together. Miyako and Daisuke, while their friendship consisted mostly of bickering, tended to gravitate towards each other. Hikari and Sora's attachment to Taichi was a common thing even before Sora had started hooking up with the handsome businessman. As for Mimi, Koushiro had always been one of her closest friends, so ending up together in a room full of people was always expected and completely normal.
Except for recently. Except for right now.
"So, is Keiko coming?" It was the first thing she could think of. Bringing up his girlfriend meant that he couldn't be thinking romantically about Mimi. She wouldn't give him a chance to.
"Yes, she's going to meet us at the park a little later," he answered with his usual sweet smile.
"Oh, that's nice. "
They stood in silence for a split second, and Mimi wanted to curse at herself. This usually didn't happen between the two friends. An awkward silence was foreign to them.
"So," Mimi quickly interjected, "are there any pranks planned for today that I should be worried about? Especially since it's Daisuke's newfound hobby, according to you," she grinned.
"I am not saying a word. I was sworn to secrecy," Koushiro chuckled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his casual jeans, "Nearly threatened into it, if I may add."
"No, that's not fair! That means they've got something planned," Mimi groaned before glancing at Daisuke and Taichi suspiciously. Koushiro's usual laugh brought her attention back to his innocent face.
"Maybe I'll warn you right before it happens," he offered with a grin. Koushiro's grins were rare, as the young man usually opted for a smile, but Mimi couldn't help but really give him all of her attention now.
She glanced at him in his entirety. He was wearing dark washed jeans with that infamous orange collared shirt of his. But for some odd reason, the way he was wearing it—with his hair styled in that new effortless way, and with the top two buttons undone—even Mimi had to admit that he looked pretty good. She caught herself eyeing him for longer than she had intended.
"I-I'm sorry, what?" she muttered uncomfortably, a blush forming on her high cheekbones.
Koushiro didn't notice, "I said that maybe I'd warn you right before those two numbskulls decide to strike," he grinned again.
"Or maybe you can protect me," she retorted instinctively, poking him at his chest in that harmless, flirtatious way that Mimi was known for. It wasn't after those words had slipped out of her mouth that she'd realized what her actions had implied. The way she had stated it made the conversation's mood turn in an uncomfortable direction. She'd meant for it to come off as a joke, but obviously she had failed. This time Koushiro noticed.
"Uh, sure," was all that he responded with. A blush graced both of their faces.
Luckily, a knock on the door made everyone's attentions turn away from their split conversations. Mimi took this opportunity faster than she probably should have. She straightened out her pink floral sundress quickly and cleared her throat.
"I got it!" she announced clumsily before making her flustered way to the door. No one else noticed her odd behavior, and she was thankful for that. Hopefully Koushiro hadn't notice, either.
"Um…Hi, I'm Momoe. Is Miyako—"
"Yes!" Mimi interjected swiftly with a grin, "Come on in, we've been waiting for you."
Mimi moved to the side to allow Miyako's older sister to walk into their small apartment. She was wearing tan capri pants with a maroon-colored tunic blouse. Her short brown hair stopped right above her shoulders, was parted to the side, and held out of her face with a simple clip. The new addition to the apartment moved with slow steps, glancing back at Mimi peculiarly through her glasses.
"I'm sorry, and you are…?" her tone was slightly uncomforted, but that didn't bother Mimi.
"Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me," she paused to giggle, "My name is Mimi. I moved in over a year ago."
"She's one of my friends, Momoe. Sheesh!" Miyako exclaimed before running over to her sister and embracing her fiercely. This immediately made Momoe's confused frown transform into a genuine smile as she hugged her sister back tightly.
"Oh, I've missed you!" Momoe stated before stepping back and waving to both Sora and Hikari. Both women made their way over to Miyako's sister and hugged her warmly, as well. The boys had caught her attention next and greeted her respectfully.
"So, where should I put my bags?" Momoe asked politely, motioning over to her suitcase and other belongings, "I know you're all ready to head over to the park, so I don't want to hold you guys up."
"You're sleeping in my room, Momoe. Hikari's going to stay at Takeru's place while you're here," Miyako explained quickly before grabbing one of her sisters' bags. Momoe shot the younger Yagami girl an inquisitive look.
"Takeru's room? Are you sure you don't mind, Hikari?"
"Of course not," Hikari smiled before motioning for her brother to help Momoe with her suitcase, "Takeru and I are dating now, so it's not even a problem."
Taichi grabbed her suitcase as Daisuke picked up Momoe's last bag. They started moving them into Hikari and Miyako's room while Momoe continued to give Hikari a curiously judgmental look.
"Oh, that's nice. Congratulations," she stated with a smile that didn't seem completely sincere. Momoe was strict, there was no doubt about it. She had a set of beliefs and morals that she abided by vigorously, and sometimes she expected others to do the same. Residing with a man before marriage was definitely one of the things she wasn't very approving of. Miyako knew this and rolled her eyes accordingly.
"So," Miyako cut in, "Koushiro was telling me about this new technology at his company." Miyako shoved the unguarded Koushiro towards her sister in the hopes of changing the subject. Both Miyako and Momoe worked in the same field as Koushiro, though all three worked at different companies. The redhead stammered before engaging into a conversation with the older woman.
Miyako walked up to Hikari with a pout and murmured a quick apology for her sister's unabashed attitude. Her roommate squeezed her shoulder with reassurance before offering an understanding smile.
After Taichi and Daisuke had set Momoe's bags down into the other room, they made their ways back out into the crowd. Taichi walked over to Sora and Mimi with a cheeky grin.
"Hey Sor," he started quietly with a nudge, "Does Jyou know that she's gonna be here for a few days? " he asked before pointing towards Momoe. Clearly he and Daisuke had discussed this on their short trip to Miyako's room because the older man had shot his young protégée a jeering look.
Sora grinned in realization, "Wait, I don't think Miyako's told him."
Mimi glanced between the two best friends and raised a fine brow as they started to snicker. Being rejected by Taichi was one thing, but Mimi hated feeling like the third wheel whenever she was around them the most.
"Why would Jyou care?" she asked in her normal voice, and both friends shushed her instinctively. Sora grasped Mimi's shoulder quickly, and brought her closer towards the two of them before glancing at Koushiro and Momoe cautiously. Once she was sure that the older Inoue hadn't heard Mimi's statement, Sora turned back to her roommate.
"Momoe's liked Jyou for years," she explained with a knowing smile, which only caused Taichi snigger.
"Liked? Please, she's practically in love with him—"
"Well, we don't know that for sure anymore. She could've found someone else," Sora added, wagging her pointer finger at Taichi.
As if on cue, there was one final knock on the door. Mimi went to open the door swiftly and grinned when she was met with Jyou's clueless face. Behind him, Iori and Takeru were holding a few plastic bags filled with food.
"Sorry we're late," Jyou apologized as he walked into the room, "The grocery store didn't have the burgers we all like—"
He stopped in his tracks as his eyes made contact with Momoe's awaiting smile. Jyou could tell that his mouth was slightly agape, but he didn't do anything to hide his astonishment or sheer mortification. Iori and Takeru bustled in behind him but bumped into his frozen body once he'd stopped walking abruptly.
"Jyou! Oh my, it's been too long," Momoe exclaimed with a grin that Mimi hadn't been expecting from the stringent woman that she had greeted only moments before. Momoe walked up to Jyou earnestly and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. The aspiring doctor was now blushing.
"M-Momoe! I had no idea you were going to be in town," he stammered, awkwardly embracing her back. Jyou could hear a few of his friends snickering in the background and this only made him blush even more. She pulled away with a confused look behind her wide glasses.
"Miyako didn't tell you that I was coming?"
Jyou shot Miyako an intentional glare, which she grinned sheepishly to. Momoe was also glancing at her younger sister with a scolding look—for completely different reasons, of course— and Miyako's grin continued to widen.
"So," Taichi interjected quickly as he shot a teasing look in Jyou's direction, "Since everyone's here, let's get going!"
No one objected, though a few people were still secretly laughing about Jyou's reaction to Miyako's overbearing older sister. Unsurprisingly, Jyou was one of the first few people out the door, with Momoe following closely behind him despite his best efforts to lose her. Takeru kissed Hikari on the cheek before following her out, as well, and soon everyone was bustling out of the apartment. As Miyako went to lock up the door, she sighed before glancing up at the ceiling pleadingly.
"Please don't let her scare away Ken," she prayed.
"Yo, Jyou! You've got a thing for older sisters, don't you?" Daisuke yelled from across the soccer field, his hands cupped around his mouth so that his voice could travel as far as possible. Taichi bellowed loudly as he went to high-five his younger roommate, his laughs echoing in the warm, early autumn air. Luckily Momoe was occupied at the moment and hadn't heard Daisuke's teasing remark. Jyou couldn't even think of a retort to throw back at him so he chose to ignore them with a huff as his face reddened again.
Daisuke continued to laugh around the field, and kicked a soccer ball over to his mentor with an effortless skill. He and Taichi had already decided to play a one-on-one match as everyone else prepped the surrounding area. Hikari and Sora were laying out some picnic blankets while Iori, Koushiro, and Takeru unfolded a few chairs. Mimi was by the barbecue grill, insisting on prepping it for the food that everyone had brought. Even though it was an ancient and rusty old grill, she was determined to make quality meals for everyone.
Miyako, Momoe, and Ken were setting up a picnic table where all the food would be laid out. Ken had already arrived before the whole gang had gotten to the park. Miyako had warned him of her sister's visit. Momoe was aware of their relationship, since Miyako was open about him with her whole family, but she knew that her eldest sister was the hardest to please. She was protective of her baby sister, and rarely approved of the men that Miyako dated. Most of the time, though, Momoe's instincts were spot on. Miyako's past boyfriends had ended up being jerks, just like she'd predicted.
"So, Ken, how's being a detective for such a large city," Momoe asked genuinely, her gaze analyzing his every movement. Miyako wanted to roll her eyes but she refrained from it. This was Ken's battle, now.
Ken, who was clad in casual jeans and a black button-down shirt, smiled in amusement at the conversation Momoe was gearing towards.
"Exhausting," he paused to chuckle, "but worth it. As with any large city, there's no shortage of crime in Tokyo. I'm just glad that I'm able to do something about it."
Miyako tried not to shoot her sister a proud smirk. She had faith that Ken would annihilate his sister's grueling interrogation. He was a detective, after all. Interrogations were his specialty. Her sister must've agreed with Ken's statement because she nodded understandably to his last sentence.
"Of course. You must work exhausting hours, I suppose," Momoe added nonchalantly as she shrugged her shoulders. Clearly she was playing a game, and Miyako cleared her throat in response. Ken glanced at his girlfriend before smiling.
"Yes, unfortunately I do."
Momoe let out a short "huh," before laying out some plates on the table. Miyako was helping her by putting a napkin underneath each one while Ken distributed the cups.
"I'm guessing that having a family isn't a part of your near-future plans, then," Momoe stated with a raised brow, more as if she was asking a question. Miyako gripped her stack of napkins tightly, itching to say something.
"To be honest, it's not. But it doesn't mean that I don't want one in the near future," Ken admitted, glancing cautiously at Miyako who was now standing oddly straight. Momoe noticed the small tension and sighed.
"If it's not a part of your plan then how can you want it?" she shot sternly.
"My job requires a lot of my attention, but if I were to have a family one day, then of course things would have to be rearranged," he answered honestly. Though Miyako was still fazed by his previous comment, she still threw him another proud look.
"Of course, of course. But your annual income—"
"Momoe!" Miyako interrupted with a wide-eyed scowl. Her sister put her hands up in defense while Miyako threw down the napkins onto the small table.
"What?"
"You can't just talk about his salary like that!"
"I was just bringing it up," she explained innocently before fixing her glasses and looking back at Ken, "I'm sorry if that was rude. It's just—"
"For God's sake, Momoe, you're not mom!"
The two sisters continued to bicker with Ken awkwardly standing between them, unsure of what to say or do. He continued to lay out cups while they went at it.
Koushiro walked past them with a concerned look as he made his way over to Mimi at the grill. When he approached the cinnamon-haired girl, he motioned over to the threesome at the table after claiming her attention.
"Do you think we should do something?" he asked apprehensively. Mimi glanced up from the buns toasting on the grill to peer at Miyako, Momoe, and Ken. She grinned before pushing down the sunglasses placed at the top of her head, covering her eyes perfectly.
"I don't want to get in the middle of that, do you?" she asked as he flipped more buns.
Koushiro chuckled, "No, I guess not."
The computer genius watched as Mimi worked tirelessly on the grill. Taichi was usually the one who grilled for everyone, but his bushy-haired roommate was too busy getting his butt kicked by Daisuke in soccer. Looking around at all the other guys, no one seemed to notice that Mimi was the only one cooking for them. He felt a little ashamed.
"Mimi, are you sure you got all of this handled? Let me help you."
"It's okay, Kou," she insisted with a reassuring smile, "I really don't mind. You know I don't mind."
"Of course. But a man should be doing the grilling, regardless." He knew that would get Mimi's attention. She turned to him sharply and scoffed.
"Oh no, don't you get all old-fashioned on me, mister," she paused to flip a bun perfectly on the grill with a grin, "I'm probably better than all the boys here, and you know it."
Koushiro didn't say a word and smiled at her unknowingly.
"You know, you've come a long way, Mimi," he stated randomly. She pushed her sunglasses back up and glanced at him oddly.
"What do you mean?"
"You came to all of us hopeless and discouraged, and within a year you've turned yourself completely around," he paused to shrug nonchalantly, "I don't think we appreciate you enough after everything you've done."
Mimi was gazing at him in a peculiar way, her cheeks tinged with pink from, what Koushiro had guessed, the heat radiating off of the grill. She cleared her throat before turning her focus back onto the buns.
"I haven't done anything," she admitted softly.
Koushiro smiled, "You've brought us your relentless spirit. That's more than enough."
Her jaw was now clenched tightly, and Koushiro watched as her lips pursed into a thin line. He suddenly felt as if he might have overstepped his boundaries, so he quickly tried to recuperate.
"You inspire people, Mimi. That's all I meant to say," he explained quickly, reaching for the spatula that she was grasping onto, determined to help the cinnamon-haired girl grill. As his hand brushed against hers, Mimi instantly stopped moving.
She felt an odd sensation run up her spine, and she quickly turned to look at Koushiro again. He smiled sheepishly before pulling the spatula out of her grasp and flipping a few hamburger buns, himself. Mimi watched him with an odd sort of adoration.
Here he was, Koushiro Izumi: her good friend and constant shoulder to lean on, her endless supplier of compliments, her most avid and continuous supporter…everything that she had become so accustomed to and everything that she had foolishly taken for granted...
Here he was. Standing right next to her.
"Mimi?"
His clear voice brought her focus back onto his innocent face. She blushed when she realized that her eyes had lingered for too long, once again. She really needed to stop doing that.
"Sorry," it came out as a mumble as she pushed her sunglasses down again. She could tell that Koushiro was giving her a concerned frown, but she acted like she couldn't sense it. What in the world was going on?
"You should give her a chance," Sora mentioned nonchalantly. She crossed her ankles and leaned back onto her hands, a bemused smile perched onto her lips. Jyou shot her an incredulous look.
"You can't be serious."
"I am one hundred percent serious," she reassured with a nudge to the bewildered man sitting next to her on the picnic cloth. They were both watching Daisuke and Taichi finish up their game when Sora had brought up the topic. He groaned involuntarily.
"But she's crazy," he pointed out with a wrinkle of his nose.
"So was Jun."
It was enough to shut him up. His mouth clamped up and he glared out into the field. Sora noticed his silence quickly and placed a motherly hand onto his shoulder.
"I'm sorry. You're right, maybe it's too soon…"
"It is definitely too soon," he stated with a solemn smile in the redhead's direction. The guilty look on her face immediately made him speak up.
"Its kind of scary how similar she and Miyako are when it comes to men, isn't it?" Jyou asked with a small laugh as he pushed up his glasses. Sora nodded in agreement, leaning further back onto her arms.
"Yes, the Inoue women do have a tendency to obsess," Sora paused to laugh, "But Ken is absolutely perfect for Miyako, and at least she isn't as condescending as Momoe." Sora shuddered.
"You've got that right," he agreed, taking a sip from the water bottle he had brought along with him. He offered some to Sora who politely declined with a smile.
A slew of cheering mixed with cursing caused both Jyou and Sora to look up to the field. Daisuke was whooping in excitement after scoring against Taichi for the last time, finally bringing their game to an end. The look on Taichi's face could only be defined as frustration.
"I want a rematch!" he declared but Daisuke continued to boast.
"I can't believe I beat you, hah!" Daisuke cheered again, sticking his chest out proudly. Taichi took the ball and threw it at his stomach playfully in response. Even though he was annoyed, he couldn't help but smile proudly at Daisuke.
"It's because Daisuke's been working at the elementary school," Sora stated to Jyou randomly as they continued to watch the two roommates converse on the field.
"Huh?" Jyou turned to glance at Sora.
"That's why he won," she clarified, "Daisuke's been getting in a lot more practice now that he's a gym teacher. Tai doesn't even have time to play anymore," she explained as she motioned towards the field.
"Oh. Well, this is gonna be a jab to Taichi's pride, isn't it?" Jyou remarked with a smirk. Sora chuckled in agreement as she fondly watched her best friend hug Daisuke and lift him up childishly. Jyou couldn't help but smile as he observed her gazing at Taichi affectionately.
"I'm happy for you, Sora."
Her attention was quickly brought back onto Jyou. She was confused for a split second until she realized what he was referring to. Sora smiled back appreciatively and she gave him another friendly nudge.
"Hey, Takenouchi!" Taichi called from the middle of the field, "Come be my partner! I want to rematch Daisuke!" he announced boisterously.
"Hey, no fair! Who wants to be my partner?!" Daisuke asked just as loudly, trying to get everyone's attention. A few people stared at him blankly while others completely ignored him.
"Kari! You down to play a match?" Daisuke hollered in her direction with a mischievous grin. The young Yagami girl shook her head profusely while Takeru shot his friend an awkward glare.
"No? Is it still too soon?" Daisuke asked with a snigger in the couple's direction. He was just joking around, trying to lighten the mood between the three of them after everything that had happened. It was in vain. Taichi rolled his eyes before hitting Daisuke upside the head.
After a few seconds, a voice spoke up from the group.
"I don't mind playing one round," Ken announced to the duo on the field. Miyako glanced at him and grinned.
"I didn't know you played soccer!"
He laughed, "Yeah, I was on the team back in high school. I play with a few people in the department every once in a while, too."
"Awesome!" Daisuke called from the field, seemingly having heard everything, "Get over here, man! We got some butts to kick."
"Oh, we'll see about that, Dai," Sora announced as she stood up from the picnic cloth and jogged over to the field. Ken was slowly approaching them, as well. Jyou chuckled as Daisuke insisted on chest-bumping a hesitant Ken, and Taichi teased Sora mischievously by tickling her waist. This was going to be an interesting game, indeed.
"Mind if I take a seat?"
Jyou's eyes instantly looked upwards into the spectacled eyes of Momoe. She was smiling brightly before taking a seat next to him, anyway. Of course she wasn't going to wait for him to answer. Jyou glanced at her as she fixed her brown hair slowly, as if she wanted him to watch.
"So, Hikari was telling me that Taichi and Sora are now dating," she paused to fix her hairclip, "And here I thought all of you were platonically friends."
Jyou didn't even know what to say to that so he nodded in response. He could feel her glancing at him before scooting closer to his seated body. He instantly stiffened.
"What about you? Are you dating that one?" Momoe asked as she pointed in Mimi's direction, who was still at the grill with Takeru now, cooking some burgers and hotdogs. Jyou could tell that Momoe was trying to act as if she was indifferent, but she clearly wasn't.
"What? No, Mimi's just one of my good friends."
"Mhm. That's what they used to say, too," Momoe stated, referring to Sora and Hikari.
He didn't know how to respond to this, either. So, once again, he just kept quiet and watched as his four friends scurried on the field towards the soccer ball. Momoe sighed and Jyou knew that she was going to start speaking again. He braced himself for it.
"I actually like him, you know?" she paused to glance towards the field, "Ken. Overall, he's the greatest guy Miyako's ever dated."
"I have to agree with you on that one."
Momoe smiled, "She hates when I butt into her life, but sometimes I can't help it. Miyako's always been the wild child of the family, and I often find myself worrying about her."
"You shouldn't. She's been completely fine on her own." He knew he sounded harsher than he'd wanted, so he instantly felt bad. Momoe frowned, anyway.
"Jyou, I—"
"Look, Momoe. I just got out of a pretty serious relationship," he started clumsily, "And I was ridiculously in love with her. So, I don't want you to think that anything's going to happen between us during your visit this time, okay?"
She winced before bringing her knees to her chest somberly.
"Understood."
Jyou sighed softly, "I'm sorry."
He could feel her smiling next to him.
"Don't be."
"Is Noriko coming?"
Iori glanced up at Takeru's questioning face before shaking his head firmly. The blond's eyes softened as he took a seat next to his roommate on the residing chair, handing Iori a plate full of food that he had grilled up with Mimi. Iori accepted it graciously. Takeru had sensed that something was up with him for days now, but he was waiting for Iori to open up on his own accord. Unfortunately, the younger man was taking too long to confide in anyone so Takeru decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Did you guys break up?"
Iori glanced at him cautiously, "Yes."
"I'm sorry."
"Technically, we weren't official, so…"
That was the lawyer speaking.
A silence shrouded the two roommates as a warm breeze ruffled through their hair delicately. The screams and shouts from the soccer match happening on the field were the loudest noises in the vicinity. Everyone else's conversations weaved through the air effortlessly, clashing together in a way that made all of their voices sound like a faint hum in the background.
"Jyou and I are worried about you."
"Please don't be," Iori replied.
"It's kind of hard not to worry, Iori," Takeru stated honestly, facing the young man next to him fully, "You can open up to us. You know that, right?"
Iori didn't answer. For some reason, he didn't really know what to say. Of course he knew that Jyou and Takeru were there for him to confide in. Of course he knew that. But, after everything that he'd been through alone, it was hard to explain any of it to his friends.
"Is it your classes? Are doing alright in school?" Takeru pressed.
"It's nothing like that."
Finally, Takeru was getting somewhere. He noticed that Iori hadn't touched his food and placed a comforting hand onto his roommate's shoulder.
"I know that carrying a burden feels lonely sometimes, Iori. But you don't have to carry it alone," he stated wisely, speaking from his own experiences that had exploded a few weeks ago. The blond glanced apprehensively at Hikari, who was laughing at something Mimi had squealed about by the grill. At least Takeru had Yamato for a brief moment in time during his misery. Iori had yet to confide in anyone.
Finally, Iori looked up into Takeru's blue eyes and finally let out a small smile.
"It's a terribly long story," he admitted. For some reason, Iori felt as if a dark cloud was lifting from above him, and if that was truely the case, then Takeru's honest smile was what provided the rays of hope.
"I've got nothing but time."
There was an odd churning in the pit of her stomach, and it was not in Mimi's nature to ever ignore these bodily signals. Chomping on a burger that she had recently grilled, the aspiring chef observed Keiko and Koushiro through her designer sunglasses with a newfound curiosity.
The honey-haired girlfriend had integrated quite well into their group. While this wasn't a surprise to Mimi, she'd never really analyzed the situation before. Keiko had conversed a few times with Miyako and Hikari in the past—the former because they worked in the same field and the latter because Hikari was so darn sweet— so she had made her way through most of the girls in their circle already. Even Sora had talked more occasionally to Keiko now that she was spending more time at the Yagami-Izumi-Motomiya apartment. So, was it just a coincidence that Keiko and Mimi rarely spoke to each other?
Mimi adored Keiko, there was no doubt about it. She thought that the cute, petite woman was a perfect match for her shy and reserved friend. Sure, they didn't have much in common, but that didn't give Mimi any reason to dislike her. Everyone loved Keiko. What wasn't there to like?
Unsurprisingly, Taichi and Daisuke were already very accustomed to her. That's why Mimi wasn't even a little bit shocked when both men opted to pause their soccer match in order to greet Koushiro's girlfriend with tight hugs and teasing remarks. Watching Taichi joke around with her made Mimi's stomach churn even more. Again, Mimi wasn't shocked.
Her chomps were becoming more incessant.
It was Hikari's sweet giggle that brought Mimi's attention to the Yagami woman seated casually next to her on the picnic blanket.
"I've never seen you demolish a burger like that before, Mimi. What are you thinking about?"
She quickly tried to think of something to recover with, thanking god that she was wearing sunglasses that masked most of the emotions clearly written all over her face. Mimi swore that sometimes Hikari could sense whenever she was even slightly thinking about her annoyingly handsome older brother.
"Nothing," Mimi replied lamely, her voice raising an octave higher than usual. Clearly, subtlety was not one of her strong suits. She could feel Hikari smiling with suspicious eyes as she followed Mimi's line of sight.
"You're not still being awkward about the whole Koushiro thing, are you?"
"No," she interjected quickly. Mimi could feel her face getting warm, and she couldn't understand why. Yet another bodily reaction she'd have to contemplate.
"Well, then come on. Let's go say hello to Keiko," Hikari declared, latching onto Mimi's arm and lifting her upwards promptly. Mimi stumbled with her burger as she clumsily stood up.
"Hikari!" she paused to place her food back down onto the plate, "You almost ruined up my dress!"
The younger girl laughed, "You're the only one here wearing a dress, Mimi."
"So?"
"It's a picnic. You knew things were bound to get messy."
The cinnamon-haired girl tried to repress a groan as Hikari dragged them over to Koushiro and Keiko. Taichi and Daisuke had left the area, presumbaly to resume their soccer match, so Mimi continued to analyze the couple as she and Hikari made their approach.
Koushiro was speaking to her about something that interested him, that's for sure. Whenever Koushiro was actually intrigued by a conversation, his eyes would light up in a distinct way that was usually uncharacteristic of the red-haired computer whiz. Mimi would know. She'd seen his eyes light up hundreds of times during their conversations. She tried not to ponder if the reason behind this was because he had feelings, or because he was actually interested in Mimi's melodramatic stories. The answer was obvious, so she didn't allow herself to ponder.
Keiko was clinging onto his every word, an adoring smile plastered onto her freckled face. It was through her eyes that Mimi noticed how much Keiko actually loved Koushiro. She was so attentive to him, more than Mimi probably ever was in comparison. All of a sudden, her self-absorbed stories and vents to Koushiro made Mimi feel so guilty. Sure, Koushiro had never opened up to Mimi about his problems—she'd foolishly figured he didn't really have any— but maybe that was because she'd never given him the chance to. Koushiro was always her go-to person, but what was she to Koushiro? How did he even fall for her in the first place?
"Keiko, it's so nice to see you again," Hikari announced as they stopped right in front of the couple. She embraced Keiko tightly, who smiled and greeted Hikari in return.
Mimi, who didn't want there to be any sort of awkward pause, quickly addressed Keiko with a "Hi, Keiko," and crushed her in a hug right away. The honey-haired woman was caught of guard, and chuckled at Mimi's seemingly usual, peppy behavior.
"It's great seeing both of you. It feels like it's been so long," she stated with a quaint smile. Mimi watched through the protective camouflage of her sunglasses as Koushiro went to hold onto Keiko's hand. His girlfriend squeezed back generously without even glancing at him. That brief moment was so heart-wrenchingly natural, it made Mimi purse her lips a little too tightly.
"You should come visit us whenever you see Koushiro," Hikari suggested with a genuine beam, "I'm sure having to deal with Daisuke and Taichi every time is exhausting."
"They're really not that bad. Daisuke always insists on rematches for almost all of his video games, but I enjoy his constant efforts," Keiko laughed heartily, "And of course, I'll come visit you all more often. In fact, just last week Sora was telling me about your superb pies, Mimi."
Mimi's head shot up in Keiko's direction as soon as her name entered the conversation.
"U-Uh, yes. You should come over and try a piece one day." Mimi offered Keiko a grin and prayed that it didn't look forced.
"You definitely should," Koushiro spoke up with a smile, "Everything Mimi cooks is superb."
Mimi's eyes locked with her good friend's, and she was suddenly relieved that he couldn't see hers through the sunglasses. Mimi knew that look in her eyes was fear. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why Koushiro's compliments scared her now. She couldn't understand why every time he smiled at her with that admiring light in his eyes, her heart was actually starting to pump a little bit faster. Why was she so frightened?
Hikari and Keiko continued to converse about Mimi's culinary expertise, but the aspiring chef knew that Koushiro was now glancing her way with a concerned look on his face. He could tell that something was off between them. Mimi was rarely at a loss for words around him, nor was she anything but cheery and bouncy. The fact that she'd spent the whole day zoning out on him was enough to make Koushiro suspicious. Mimi was sure of that.
"So, how about it, Mimi?"
Mimi stiffened as Keiko gazed at her expectantly. Soon, Hikari and Koushiro were also analyzing her, waiting for an answer to Keiko's question.
Mimi flushed, "Excuse me? I'm sorry, this heat is really getting to me. I mean, I thought we were in autumn, so what is with this heat?!" she paused to giggle as she fanned herself nervously. Both Hikari and Koushiro were raising their brows now, and Mimi deliberately avoided their gazes.
Keiko was thankfully unfazed, "Would you be able to bake a cake for my nephew's birthday? He's turning three next weekend, and my sister has yet to order one."
Mimi must have missed the entire conversation that Keiko and Hikari were previously having because she was completely caught off guard by Keiko's request. This zoning out thing needed to stop immediately.
"O-Of course! I'd love to," Mimi finally pushed the sunglasses out of her face and into her hair, "have your sister give me a call and we can go over the details."
Keiko smiled brightly before going in for another embrace, one that Mimi wasn't expecting. As she wrapped her arms around Keiko's smaller body, Mimi's eyes locked with Koushiro's dark orbs once again. This time, she didn't have the protective shield of her sunglasses, and his concerned frown was enough to make Mimi's body react in an odd way again. With another odd churning in her stomach, Mimi wasn't sure what she was feeling anymore.
A loud scream from the soccer field made all four individuals turn their attentions in that direction. Taichi was chasing around an already wet Sora with a massive water gun, pumping more water onto the victimized redhead as she scrambled to get away from his persistent attacks. Mimi's eyes widened as she frantically searched for Daisuke who was nowhere to be seen. Chances were, the Motomiya boy had a water gun just as threatening.
"Oh boy, here we go," Koushiro mumbled before Daisuke popped out in front of the four of them. He was grinning wildly as he aimed his gun at Koushiro menacingly.
"Any last words, roomie?" Daisuke asked as he bobbed his eyebrows teasingly at Koushiro.
"Daisuke, don't you dare—" Hikari started.
"Shh, Kari," he laughed as he pointed the gun towards her now, "Do you want to be next?"
Her eyes widened before she squealed and ran towards Takeru. The young blond was standing alertly with Jyou and Iori by the chairs, and he welcomed his girlfriend over by putting a defending arm around her shoulders. Taichi, who had left an annoyed Sora back on the field to wring her hair, was now spraying Miyako, Ken, and Momoe wildly. Everyone who was left standing stayed on his or her guard.
"Don't think I won't come after you and Takeru next, Hikari!" Daisuke warned before turning his attention back to Koushiro with another grin. Before Koushiro could even spit something out in defense, Daisuke shot a continous stream of water onto Koushiro, who tried to shield himself hopelessly. Mimi was squealing, trying to protect herself from the spray bouncing off Koushiro, while Keiko laughed and did the same.
As Daisuke started to spray all three bodies, Koushiro's instinctively went to shield his girlfriend from the attack as best as he could. He wrapped his arms around Keiko's waist, blocking her body from Daisuke's water gun ambush as the water splashed onto his back. Mimi, on the other hand, was left completely defenseless as the sprays continued to drench her. She didn't even have much time to scream as water landed inside her mouth whenever she kept it widely open.
As Daisuke moved on towards his other targets, Mimi stood in shock as she glanced down at her completely soaked dress and damp hair. The pink fabric was so wet that it almost looked red, and she blushed as she noticed how it was clinging to her body. This was definitely not appropriate.
It wasn't until Mimi looked up at her surroundings that a real anger sparked inside of her chest. Koushiro and Keiko were laughing happily, his arms still wrapped securely around her waist. Even though she'd gotten slightly wet from the attack, Keiko didn't look nearly as awful as Mimi did.
Koushiro had taken most of the blow for her.
And for some odd reason, she couldn't help but think that Koushiro should've shielded Mimi, instead. What happened to warning her about the attack? What happened to protecting her?
This made the young woman trudge away furiously as the screams from all of her friends blended into the background. She pulled a towel out of her bag and wiped herself down heatedly, stomping as she did so. When she turned to look back at everyone, her mood only dampened even more.
Momoe, Ken, and Miyako had gotten out of the way after getting soaked initially by Taichi. Mimi could see Momoe's disapproving look all the way from where she was standing, but that didn't stop Ken and Miyako from laughing with all of their friends.
Daisuke was chasing around Takeru, Hikari, and Iori with manic laughs echoing from his moving body. All three were trying to dodge his attacks as best as they could, but Daisuke's speed and sheer determination made all of their efforts go to waste.
Sora charged towards Taichi and climbed onto his back, completely throwing him off guard. This gave Jyou enough time to pry the gun away from his hands and unleash a retaliation strike onto the bushy-haired attacker. Taichi stumbled as he yelped, collapsing onto the ground and bringing Sora down with him. Both laughed hysterically as Jyou continued to pummel them with powerful blasts of the water.
Amidst all the laughs and screams, there was only one sight that Mimi itched to fixate on. As much as she didn't want to look back at them, Mimi involuntarily turned to Koushiro and Keiko's direction, again. Her arms were now wrapped perfectly around his neck, and Mimi could tell that Koushiro was murmuring something unsurprisingly sweet to her. As he leaned in to kiss her effortlessly on the lips, Mimi forced herself to pry her hazel eyes away from the couple.
For the first time in her life, all Mimi Tachikawa wanted was Koushiro Izumi's protective arms around her, instead.