Daichi had told them that they'd get tired. He had told them that there wasn't going to be much rest at the beach, but no. His siblings wanted to go, and with their parents out of town, he was outnumbered four to one. As the five of them trudged through the wet sand, Daichi settled his youngest brother across his back and sighed.

"I told you guys you'd get tired," he grumbled as they walked their way down the coast.

"We wouldn't be tired if we didn't have to yell at you so much!" Sana said from underneath three layers of brightly colored jackets.

"Yell at me? I'm the one who yells at you!" Daichi ignored the giggles coming from Goro. "Like now, because I knew you'd all get tired!"

And with a final giggle, Goro happily screamed, "Shut uuuuup!" straight into Daichi's ear.

The instant his siblings started to laugh was the instant Daichi knew he'd well and truly lost. He didn't know what it was about Goro's impersonation of 'big scary Daichi' that sent the rest of his family into fits, but it was enough for him to just give them all a dead-eyed stare and keep walking.

At least the volleyball team listened to him. He was their captain, their leader. But with his siblings, he was just the scary older brother who had a toothbrush that could easily get buried in the garden. At least he could keep Tanaka in line with a well-timed 'shut up'! His siblings found his shouts more like a game than anything else.

"Would you rather be with Suga?" Junichiro, the one closest in age to Daichi, picked up the pace to walk beside him. He was the only one out of the five of them who wasn't dragging his feet, and that's only because he wasn't carrying a seven-year-old on his back!

"You two talk a lot," Sana said. Daichi turned around to glare at his sisters, who beamed up at him from underneath her oversized glasses. She was still in middle school, but she was already outgrowing her old winter coat. "It's sweet, but not when it's at midnight!"

"I told you not to eavesdrop on my conversations!" Daichi yelled.

Sana shrugged, and it made her heavy coat squish against her cheeks. "It's better than listening to Shinobu snore!"

"You snore more, Sana!" Shinobu yelled. Shinobu was nearly done with elementary school, and though she kept proclaiming that she was growing, she had to jump up to try to snatch Sana's glasses. The two of them pushed each other, and Daichi turned around to let them be. They were tired from the walk, he knew, so the fight likely wouldn't last long.

As usual, he had gravely underestimated his siblings. Because five minutes later, Sana and Shinobu were still at each other's throats, and even Junichiro had started cheering from the sidelines, chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Yeah! Fiiiight!" Goro shouted, and Daichi winced. Honestly, it was a miracle that Daichi still had some hearing left to speak of!

"Save it for the car," Daichi groaned. There was a sudden quiet that fell over his siblings, and the only sound to be heard was that of the waves lapping against the beach. Daichi sighed in relief. Finally! Now they could just get back to the car, go home, and forget that a trip to the beach in winter was a thing that actually happened.

"Okaaaaay." Junichiro drawled, and Daichi felt his skin crawl. Daichi looked over at his brother and saw how Junichiro was giving him the biggest shit-eating grin of his life. "If you shut up."

Behind him, Sana laughed. "Yeah!" She yelled. "Shut up!"

"Shut! It! Up!" Shinobu joined in.

"Shut uuuup!" Goro screamed.

"Shut up!" Daichi roared.

At his massive scream, Daichi's siblings laughed. And really, it could've been how tired he felt, it could've been because university was stressful, but even with everyone ragging on him, Daichi couldn't help but laugh, too.

Kiyoko never really thought that she'd be walking this late at night. It was half an hour after midnight, and though she'd normally be safe at home at this hour, weary of the late night, she felt comfortable. She had handed in a big assignment in the morning, saw some friends in the afternoon, had a surprisingly good dinner, and was now wandering the streets of her town while holding Tanaka Ryunosuke's hand.

"Sorry if it's a bit sweaty," Tanaka said, and Kiyoko spotted a light blush on his cheeks. "I've never really done this with anyone before."

"Done what?" She asked, and she could see her breath swirl in front of her. "Take a girl on a date and pay for her dinner?"

"No! I mean, yes?" Tanaka rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, but there was a seriousness to his eyes, like the one she saw when she'd finally let him carry her bag after the national tournament. And if Kiyoko was being honest with herself, she found that endearing.

"I don't mind," she said. Tanaka spun to face her, Kiyoko squeezed his hand, and the two of them kept walking.

It was a beautiful night. Winter was ending, and there were only a few snowflakes falling around them. The street was quiet, per usual for late-night Miyagi, and it was just the two of them on the street. The sky was dark, and the only light came from the flickering lamp posts that dotted the street. Still, it was quiet, and that's how Kiyoko liked it. She was never good at drawing out long conversations, and she was unsure if Tanaka would go along with her long stretches of silence. But as she looked over at him once more, she saw him smiling at the quiet.

Kiyoko hid her own smile underneath her scarf.

They continued walking for a while, aimless and wandering into side streets and nooks they never would've noticed otherwise. They strolled along the streets, taking in the winter air, simply enjoying the warmth coming from their entwined fingers. Kiyoko knew that tomorrow she had tests to study for, assignments to look over, and even a project proposal to develop; and yet, she didn't want this night to end.

They kept going until a familiar sight came into view. Kiyoko stopped, and Tanaka stopped with her. In front of her eyes was a long stretch of river. It was nothing spectacular, and it was hardly the biggest river in Miyagi, but it brought back memories. Memories of watching boys who loved volleyball run by the river. Memories of them sitting and staring at the approaching sunrise. Memories of her sitting with them, grateful to get to know the people who shaped some of the best years of her life.

With a gentle tug, Tanaka led Kiyoko to the river's edge. He pulled her along until they were right beside it, and the running water filled her ears. She looked at Tanaka, and she saw him biting his lip. His fingers fidgeted against the back of her hand.

"Tanaka," Kiyoko whispered. "Are you going to kiss me?"

"Ah!" Tanaka jumped just as his face flushed bright red. He hunched his shoulders and looked away from her. "Uh, I—I mean… "

Kiyoko gave him time. She let his blush fall away, let him steady his short breaths that sent out puffs of frozen air with each huff. She waited until he let out a long breath through his nose, turned to face her, and tightened his grip on her hand.

"Yes," he said. "If you'll let me."

Kiyoko's heart beat hard against her chest. She looked up into Tanaka's eyes, filled to the brim with quiet determination, and replied, "Yes."

Slowly, Tanaka brought his other hand to Kiyoko's cheek. He pulled her towards him, and her lips met his.

His lips were cold, and Kiyoko knew that hers were cold, too. But at that moment, it didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was that they were standing together, kissing in the winter moonlight.