Ritsu felt like he was shaking, was he shaking? Was his attempt at giving Saga a taste of his own medicine too mean? Ritsu wasn't used to giving any kind of attitude and it probably wasn't the wisest decision to give attitude to a siren, but ugh he was just so...frustrated!

First, Saga made Ritsu's heart race by gifting a pair of beautiful seashells to him, telling him they looked like his eyes. His eyes! Was Ritsu supposed to hear something like that and not blush? But then two minutes later, after giving Ritsu the most embarrassing but most flattering compliment the prince had probably ever received (and that was saying a lot since people often tried to flatter royalty), the siren couldn't even say they were friends.

Ritsu tried to be fair, reminding himself that he too had his own reservations about referring to the two of them as 'friends', but then his more peeved side spoke up and said that Ritsu's reservations only existed because Saga won't be clear about his feelings! Ritsu would gladly call them friends if only Saga would make it clear that he felt the same and didn't view Ritsu as a pest or a future meal. Maybe he can't say it because he does view me that way, Ritsu considered with a frown.

Now, back on the castle grounds and rushing to his room, the prince tried to take deep breaths. It's fine, I'm fine, I didn't do anything wrong, so I shouldn't feel bad! It wasn't even that mean, I just gave him the same answer he gave me. Plus, it's not like I'm going to go back on my word, I'm still going to go see him. I should start looking for a book for us to read, Ritsu thought, starting to brainstorm what books he and Saga could potentially finish over two days. What kind of book would he like? I don't think fantasy would bode well with him, I feel he would poke holes in it and point out how silly it is. He set the basket down on his dresser and popped it open to take out the shells. Maybe a book following some kind of adventure, a quest.

Ritsu smiled despite his slightly soured mood as he ran his thumb over the smooth side of one of the shells. He sat on his bed with them in his hands. I should go meet with Anchan, but in contradiction to his thoughts Ritsu laid down on his back, holding the seashells up above him to continue admiring them. How can one person be so nice and insensitive at the same time? Ritsu huffed and dropped his arms, holding the shells to his chest.

He probably has his reasons, Ritsu thought, trying to remind himself to be gracious and patient. At the end of the day, Saga was a siren who seemed to have very little experience with humans. There were probably forces at work that Ritsu didn't know about that meant Saga needed to keep an appropriate distance between the two of them.

But you don't really give gifts to people you're trying to keep your distance from, Ritsu sighed and looked at the shells again. I just don't get him. Maybe I never will. He sat back up and carefully put the shells away, looking himself over in the mirror to make sure there were no traces of sand left on him, which he probably should've done before he laid in his bed, but Ritsu's mind was a little all over the place.

Ritsu quietly poked his head out of his room just to make sure his mother wasn't stalking the halls before he slipped out to go and find An in the library.

I'll look for a book while I'm there too, Ritsu thought. An will surely ask me about my time with Saga. Should I tell her about the shells? Or our...fight? Did we fight? Did that count as a fight?

Ritsu decided that no, they were not fighting, and no, he would not tell An about the shells. A selfish part of Ritsu, a part of him that he didn't even know existed until he met Saga, desperately wanted to keep some things just for himself and the seashells were included in that. If no one else knew, then it was like a little secret between him and Saga, and the thought of just the two of them sharing something thrilled him to no end.

I'm becoming hopeless, Ritsu thought and yet he found that he didn't mind.

Saga was repetitively brushing the compass off even though there was no more sand on it. He opened it, closed it, opened it again, and closed it again. He put it down on the ground next to him for a very brief moment, pretending not to think about it before picking it back up and brushing it off once more.

Is he coming tomorrow or is he not? Saga thought with a frown as he stared down at the reflective bronze of the compass. This wasn't fair! Saga shouldn't be fretting like this, he shouldn't care so much.

After Ritsu left yesterday, only giving a vague response to Saga's question, Saga was left to worry and anxiously wait. Was the human actually upset with him? Saga couldn't tell. Ritsu's never been upset with him before, not that he can remember, and Saga has said much worse things to him in the past, especially when they first met.

It's not like I'm gonna apologize, Saga thought with a scowl. He had no reason to! He was being nothing but honest in his response to Ritsu's question. The implication of them being friends was complicated. Temporary allies was a more accurate description in Saga's opinion. But still, Saga couldn't deny that the lines separating them were beginning to blur a little, so that's why he had settled on 'maybe'.

Ugh, he's so annoying. I hope he doesn't come back, Saga thought vindictively and for a split second he considered throwing the compass into the ocean, but instead he gripped it tighter as if he feared his body would actually follow through with the action.

He opened the compass again, looking at it and wondering what he would find if he just kept flying north. More sirens? More humans? Other creatures he could not even begin to imagine? Would he find danger? Adventure? Or would he find nothing at all? Would he reach a place of untouchable solitude, where no one would bother him?

Would Oda come with me?

Saga scowled again, extremely irritated with the intrusive thought and he tossed the compass away from him as a knee jerk reaction. He let out a sound of distress as he threw the compass too far, some of the waves coming up and attempting to wash the small item away. He quickly launched himself forward and slapped his hand over it, keeping the tide from bringing it in.

Stupid human and his stupid compass, Saga grumbled as he brought the compass back into his hands, trying to wipe off the salt water that got on it. He opened it again. I wonder if he's traveled a lot, Saga's bad mood mellowed slightly and was replaced with curiosity. If Ritsu's family traveled often to come here then maybe they went to other places too. What kind of things has Ritsu seen? Who has Ritsu met? What has he done?

Saga only knew the cliffs and the beach, nothing more, and while curious about other places he was not brave enough to traverse such a big world, at least not alone and not without his song.

I'll be able to travel wherever I want once I have my song...but… Saga's thoughts trailed off as he frowned. Ritsu certainly would not want to be friends anymore. Maybe we'll part ways before that even happens, Saga thought. He wouldn't come of age and get his song for a couple years. That was plenty of time for him and Ritsu to drift apart, especially since they'd only see one another two or three times every other season.

Saga gripped the compass tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He'll come tomorrow, Saga told himself, he said he would read a book with me, he'll be back. Ritsu hadn't lied to Saga yet (aside from the 'Oda' introduction, but the siren didn't know about that) and he didn't anticipate that Ritsu would start going back on his word now.

Saga watched the waves as high tide came in, the water getting closer to where he sat. His thoughts continued to bounce back and forth, going from worried and nervous to irritated and stubborn to curious and hopeful. God, why did this stupid human have him so out of sorts?! And with just one word too! Saga was beginning to believe that the human was not as innocuous as he seemed. There was something dangerous about Oda Ritsu.

Saga sighed and although he spent much of his time in solitude, for the first time he felt alone.

Saga sat at the edge of a rock, leaning over the water to try and reach in and grab a fish, but repeatedly failing. He sighed in frustration before looking over his shoulder for the hundredth time, looking for a familiar human. Today was the day Ritsu was supposed to come and so far there had been no sign of him.

To be fair, it was still the early afternoon and Ritsu had never come earlier than that, but still Saga couldn't help but to feel impatient, anxious even. He plunged his hand into the water again, feeling the scales slip right through his fingers. He groaned and laid himself over the rock in defeat, not finding the position very comfortable but laying regardless. He didn't even really want to eat, just in case Ritsu brought him lunch (if Ritsu came at all, an unhelpful voice reminded Saga), but he wanted a distraction of some kind. However, it seemed that this was not helping.

Saga sat up to look at the path Ritsu always came from, regarding it with both curiosity and caution as he couldn't help but wonder what was past there. Certainly, Ritsu was there, somewhere, but what else? Who else? Did he truly care to find out or was he just wanting to find the stupid human who had suddenly crashed into his life? Saga had never considered going past the beach. It had never felt like an option, but now it was simply staring him in the face. It was insane to think about, but he thought about it nonetheless, despite the impossibility of it all.

He imagined what sights he might see in the town, specifically what sights Ritsu might show him, what foods he could try and the people he could meet. He wondered what Ritsu's friend An was like. He wondered if Ritsu's parents were nice. There was a lot he wondered.

However, he didn't give himself permission to dive too deep into the daydream, dragging his eyes away from the barrier between him and the human world. There was no point in dwelling on it, no point in wanting it. Besides, if he ever did go into town it would probably end up disappointing him. It was better to let it remain an interesting mystery than transform it into a disheartening truth. Saga started to try to catch fish again, causing him not to notice the approaching human.

Ritsu watched the familiar sight of Saga on the rocks hunting for fish, not speaking yet as he didn't want to break the siren's concentration. He quietly walked along the sand, a basket in one hand and a book in the other.

Ritsu had settled on a relatively simple story. It still had to be on the shorter side since they only had two days to get through it and Ritsu didn't want to pick a book that had overly complicated themes or language. So, he ended up going with his first instinct which was to pick a book about an adventure featuring black and white morals, clear objectives, and a happy ending. However, he did avoid an adventure on the sea. He had a feeling Saga would rather read something different and new.

Ritsu flinched a bit when Saga moved suddenly, his hand snapping out into the water and coming up empty. Saga cursed and splashed the water, as if the sea itself had caused his failure.

"Having some trouble?" Ritsu called out, making the siren turn his head quickly. The prince felt a little bad that the siren looked so surprised. Had Saga really expected him not to come?

Saga left the rock, his feet hitting the sand as he went to stand in front of Ritsu. "You came back."

"I said I would."

"You said maybe." Saga frowned and crossed his arms.

Ritsu laughed to cover his nerves, though he wasn't amused and it was clear that Saga was not either. "So did you." Ritsu reminded him, avoiding eye contact.

"Mm. Did I actually make you mad?" Saga asked with a slight tilt of his head. He tried to keep his tone from sounding condescending. The siren was genuinely curious and worst of all concerned about how Ritsu felt.

"Did I make you mad?"

Saga scowled. "Are you trying to be annoying on purpose?" He asked, irritated that Ritsu seemed to be avoiding answering his question.

Ritsu winced and recoiled slightly, trying to make himself smaller. "No-I just-" He hesitated, gripping the book in his hand tightly and swallowing down the shake that wanted to enter his voice. "I-it was never my intention to upset you, so I wanted to know if I did or not."

"You didn't make me mad." Saga lied. Half lied. He had certainly felt something, but he wasn't sure if 'mad' was the right word.

"I wasn't mad either, just...a little frustrated, I guess." Ritsu said. "But, um...I brought lunch. And a book. If you still want to read." He added, quickly changing the subject. He really didn't want to talk about this anymore. He much preferred to pretend like it never happened.

"...Yeah." Saga mumbled after a moment of consideration, sitting down and reaching up to pull on the human's hand to sit beside him. Ritsu let out a yelp as he sat ungracefully next to him, it being more akin to falling.

"A little warning would've been nice." Ritsu complained, but Saga just tapped on the hard book cover.

"I thought this might be an issue, but I didn't want to say anything before." He said, pointing to the title. "Our written languages are different." Sirens didn't even use their written language that often. Sometimes letters were exchanged between clans, but that was normally only in times of emergency.

"Oh. Well, I could just read it to you, I don't mind." Ritsu said with a smile, quickly forgetting that he had been scolding Saga.

"Okay." Saga agreed easily, waiting for Ritsu to start reading as he eagerly dived into the basket and started to eat the lunch Ritsu had brought.

Ritsu opened up the book and more than happily started to read out loud. It'd be a little slower this way, but he hoped they'd be able to get halfway through it today.

At first, Ritsu would glance over at Saga every couple pages, making sure he was still engaged and not completely bored. He was surprised to see the siren get closer and closer as time passed. Eventually, Saga was looking over his shoulder and at the book despite not being able to read it. Every so often Saga would point and ask what word that was or ask Ritsu to point out which kanji were the characters' names.

Ritsu didn't mind entertaining the questions. He was glad that Saga was at least expressing an interest and didn't find it to be a terribly dull way to pass the time. However, their close proximity forced Ritsu to focus on not shaking. Surely, if his hands started trembling then Saga would notice the book start to vibrate in his grip. Saga was too blunt to not question something like that, so Ritsu just had to pray he could steady himself enough.

As Ritsu read on, the questions stopped, but Saga stayed right where he was as he listened closely. Ritsu decided to pay more attention to the story itself than to Saga, allowing himself to get swept away and distracted by the book.

He's really into this, Saga thought, amused as the corners of his mouth quirked up ever so slightly. The siren was certainly enjoying the story as well, but he had a feeling it had more to do with the way Ritsu was telling it. Saga found himself paying less and less attention to the words themselves and more attention to how Ritsu said them. He felt his face get a little warm at this realization. I'm acting like an idiot, he scolded himself, but how could he help it when Ritsu looked so damn happy?

Ritsu's eyes were shining with excitement, his lips forming an unconscious smile around every word he spoke, and his voice either lifted or sank with the appropriate emotion when he read the dialogue. A quiet part of Saga, a part of himself that he refused to acknowledge, hoped that reading together would become a regular part of their routine.

Ritsu got a little less than halfway through when the book was suddenly plucked from his grasp. Ritsu blinked a few times, confused and dazed from suddenly being interrupted. He looked at Saga, who was holding the book, and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but you haven't eaten yet and you should before you go." Saga said.

"Oh." Ritsu said, taking the book back to stick the bookmark he had brought with him in it before shutting it. "I should probably head back after I eat." He sighed.

Saga shrugged. "I figured. I would've liked to let you keep going, but I don't want you to get in trouble for getting home late." He said.

Ritsu smiled. "Thanks. I really would've lost track of time if you hadn't stopped me." He admitted with an embarrassed laugh. It wouldn't have been the first time he had lost a whole day to reading. "Do you like the book so far?" He asked before he started to eat.

"I do." Saga said. "You'll bring it back for us to finish, right?"

"Of course!" Ritsu beamed, absolutely delighted that Saga liked the book.

"And in the Summer? Will you bring another book?"

Ritsu was surprised that the siren was thinking so far ahead, but he continued to smile. "Sure. I'll have all of Spring to think about it and make sure I pick a good one." He said.

Saga nodded, not hinting at the anticipation he already felt for the upcoming Summer.

Ritsu soon finished his lunch and said goodbye to Saga with a bright smile, assuring him that he would definitely, not maybe, be back the day after tomorrow.

The siren waved and watched as he left.

One more day.

They'd have one more day together and then Saga would be alone for Spring.

The thought shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did.