Author: (Looks around) Okay so I lied, but I blame these gremlins (gestures to the M&M's ie Mikey Meiko) for basically filling my head with. Okay but you still gotta try and build up the romance, even if it's a bit early... And also I wanted to give Mikey more happy times before shit starts. THE BOY SUFFERS ENOUGH AS IS WITH CURRENT EVENTS IN THE MANGA! Though now it's time to return to the plot... I swear this chapter basically was trying to kill me. Never again! Please, I don't know if I can do over-the-top fun right, to begin with! ... If you guys honestly enjoyed this let me know. I swear this chapter had me as a nervous mess. I would like to preface this with this chapter was supposed to be less than 15 pages... It ended at 38 pages in google docs. I will now proceed to die for a bit. Enjoy~
July 17, 2005 Meiko
"That you were special."
Those words left Meiko's mind spiraling in shock, her stomach in knots, and her cheeks aflame. Especially with the smile he sent her, Meiko counted her blessings when Baji and Chifuyu temporarily passed them, as Mikey's attention was stolen away. Thus she was left alone, and their conversation dropped. Though Meiko's mind didn't really drop the subject even as the group continued to race towards the beach.
'Special... What the hell does he mean by special?' Meiko quietly wondered, 'He's probably the first guy to have ever called me special... He's definitely the first guy to call me cute so frequently without ulterior motive.' She thought, tightening her grip on Mikey's waist as she hid her face in his back. '...Why am I feeling like this?' She thought confused, unaccustomed to this form of attention, let alone the way it made her feel at times. Though she was playful and perhaps even aloof at times when it came to the opposite gender, Meiko was not unfamiliar with having boys' attention on her, nor was she blind to what that usually meant.
"Please go out with me." She stared as a slightly older boy by the name of Kondo– or something like that– tried asking her out, her stomach twisting with disgust though as she recalled the way she'd overheard him talking to his friends.
"I'm telling you she's pretty developed." The brown-haired male laughed with his friends a few feet away from the gym. "Like the girls in my class got nothing on that Hanagaki chick."
"You know she is sorta pretty for a four eyes."
"Yeah, but once she loses the glasses she definitely goes up in the looks department. Like– damn!"
"Um... but guys... isn't she like twelve?"
"Thirteen, I heard she had a birthday recently. I think I saw sensei giving her some gloves or something when it happened. " The guy defensively cut in before arrogantly saying, "And besides that just means she's an easy pick, girls like her, their itching to get on the dating scene." The guy laughed, "It'll be easy to win her."
"No thanks." Meiko bluntly replied after recalling the boy's words, shocking the teen. "I'm not interested in dating or anything like that." She boredly yet honestly replied, her gaze not even focused on the boy as she turned to continue doing her sets.
"Wha– Oh, come on." The guy began to nervously say, "Can't you give me a chance, I really do like you." He laughed, making Meiko frown.
"Like me...?" She quietly asked, before turning to bore into the teen with a cold stare. "Have we ever even talked before this?"
"Uh–" Boy almost seemed to begin to sweat.
"What is it that you even like about me per se?" She sarcastically asked as the guy became tongue-tied.
"Oh! Uh... Um... I like..." She watched his eyes look everywhere but her eyes, from the ring to his friends, to her chest, her legs, the rest of her body, to even above her head at the poster behind her. Everywhere but her face and eyes. He brightened up suddenly as an idea came to him and tried to suavely say with a 'sexy' smirk, "You're wonderful personality, yeah. That's it, I've seen the way you talk with some of the girls around here. You're pretty mature for your age."
Her eye twitched at this, and her gaze traveled over to her teacher and owner of the gym who was coming to see what was going on. And an idea came to her then, as she smiled up at the slightly older teen. "Really! You think so." She 'innocently' said, making the boy smirk in victory. "Oh, but... I don't know I really was serious about the whole not dating thing."
"Then it doesn't have to be a date." The guy said, "We could just... have some fun with one another."
Meiko's hands clenched into a fist at this, bringing them up to her face to cover her mouth she 'innocently' said. "Fun...? Okay."
The boy began to grin, as Meiko then pointed at him smiling. "Let's have fun! Sensei, Kondo-kun here wants to have a quick match with me." She venomously smiled, a predatory glint in her eyes as the boy gaped at her in shock and confusion. "Do you mind if we take the ring?"
"Wait... What–"
"Ha!" She roundhouse kicked the boy flying into the ropes, breathing heavily she watched the boy drop groaning. As his friends and some of the other gym members watched.
"Woah!"
"Scary!"
"Who'd have thought a chick like her could kick butt."
"Damn she was fierce." One of the older gym-goers muttered. "Who pissed off the little lioness?"
One of the women in the crowd chuckled, "Now, that's what I call a woman's scorn."
"Hanagaki, Kondo. Out of the ring." The tired-looking, or perhaps more accurately bored ponytailed man with blonde and purple streak haired, and owner of the gym, ordered as he stared at the obviously down teen. "Take five Kondo, Hanagaki head home."
"Huh?!" Meiko exclaimed, running to the edge of the ring to hang off the rope. "What do you mean head home Imaushi-sensei! I still haven't gotten to train with ya today."
The lilac-eyed man sighed from around the stick in his mouth, "Maybe... but it's getting late." He held his hand out making Meiko pout as she was helped out of the ring. "I don't care how good you think you are, Meiko, but you're still only thirteen and a girl." He side-eyed some of the young men in the age closest to Meiko's who eyed the tang topped teen. "It's far from safe for you to be walking home on your own in the dark, especially around these parts."
"But Wakasa–"
"Home." He bluntly ordered, before sticking a lollipop in her face. "And don't argue with me, besides, don't you have a little brother to get home to. You sure you want to leave him home alone at night?"
She frowned but took the sweet reluctantly knowing this was his way, his sort of peace offering for sending her home sooner than she had intended. "No... I get it."
"Good. Get cleaned up and head out then, we can continue tomorrow."
She sighed pouting as she shoved the sweet into her mouth, "Yeah, yeah... You say that every night." Meiko grumbled as the man just amusedly smiled at the pouting girl.
"Just looking out for ya." Wakasa decided to gently admit, as he ruffled the top of the short-haired girl's head. "Now get out, or I promise next time I won't share my lollipops with ya."
Meiko jumped at this, "Wha–! No fair! That's extortion!" Meiko shouted.
"I think you mean blackmail."
"Same difference!" Meiko huffed, cheeks puffed out as the man just stared at her with an expression that blended boredom and amusement perfectly.
"Hey, we're almost at the beach!" Mikey excitedly shouted, looking back at Meiko. "And we're definitely in the lead!" He grinned, before frowning as he noted Meiko's sudden silence. "Hey... You okay."
Meiko's grip tightened, before smiling up at the boy. "Yeah! Just thinking about how mad my brother's gonna be for saying no to the beach!" She lied, and Mikey knew it. He said nothing though, as he looked ahead a bit perplexed and even a bit... disappointed.
"You know you're pretty hot for a girl with glasses, wanna go out?" It was at school that time, and Yayoi, who'd been standing near her, winced at the boy's blanted and monotone way of asking her out in the middle of lunch.
Meiko twitched annoyedly, "No thanks."
"Hanagaki-chan–" Behind school.
"Hanagaki-senpai–" Outside her class.
"Meiko-chan–" On a school trip.
"You're so–" Over.
"Pretty–" And over...
"Beautiful–" And over...
"Hot–"
"Great personality–"
She twitched at every 'confession,' forced a smile for every rejection, felt sympathy for only a select few she could tell that were honest.
But for Hanagaki Meiko... The idea of romance was nice... even beautiful, it was something she could long and dream for but when given the chance for it.
She stared at herself in the mirror confused, "... Why... Don't... I like anyone...?"
She had crushes, many fictional in nature, but she knew she'd had real ones too. There was a boy in her childhood that her brother and her befriended, she was pretty sure she'd started crushing on her Waka-nii before she decided he was too old for her, and even Yayoi her best friend had made her stomach twist into knots for a short while before she came to solidly view her nothing more than a friend. 'Is... there something wrong with me?'
"Yes!" Mikey shouted, pulling up to the beach. "What'd I say!" He turned to taunt the others coming in behind him and Meiko. "My bike's the best."
"Oh fuck you!" Baji shouted in second, "You had a head start."
"Says the guy who challenged him," Draken smirked, in third as Emma cheered from behind him.
"We were so close to second too! Draken you were awesome." She praised and the blonde-haired teen blushed slightly as the younger Sano sibling clung to him tighter.
"Yeah... Well, next time I'll make sure we win." He confidently said as Emma cheered in agreement.
"Yes! Not last!" Mitsuya cheered, as he rolled in soon after. Pulling his bike to a stop, he turned to try and check on Yayoi. "So hey, you o–gah!"
Yayoi flung herself from the bike, face green, and sheened with sweat. She almost dragged Mitsuya and his bike down, with the way she flung herself off. She moaned and groaned landing on her face, legs like jello as the world spun all around and she shivered in place. "Na...tto..."
"Yai!" Meiko exclaimed in shock, getting Mikey's help to get off his bike as she quickly rushed over.
"Shit!" Mitsuya quickly secured his bike in place before getting off to kneel beside the sickly-looking Yayoi. "Hey what's wrong?"
"Is she okay?!" Emma and Draken concernedly ran up, as Pah and Peh finally caught up raging.
"God damn it!" Pah shouted loudly, as he and Peh angrily sulked beside his bike. "How'd they beat us?! Damn you Mitsuya!"
Bystanders on the beachside stopped to either stare at the biker group, or hurry by even faster as the two boys raged, Mikey curiously stared at the group that formed around Yayoi as they helped her up, and Baji and Chifuyu came up behind curiously.
"They definitely cheated!" Peh yelled, he and Pah not noticing yet what had occurred with one of the girls.
"Or you just got too damn cocky!" Baji yelled, pointing at the pair, "That's what you get for gloating dumbasses! Also, read the room! Can't you see we got a man down!"
"I wonder what's wrong." Chifuyu wondered as he watched Mitsuya move away from the small group, jogging towards a snack bar. "Did one of the girls get sick or something?"
"Don't know..." Mikey muttered, looking towards Draken, who looked back at him to give him a reassuring nod. It wasn't anything too serious it seems.
"Huh?! What's that supposed to mean?" Pah yelled.
"Yeah! You trying to pick a fight!" Peh shouted as the group ignored the two.
Shaking from her place besides Mitsuyu's bike, Yayoi whimpered as Meiko and Emma now both stood beside her cooing and trying to soothe the green-faced teen. "Oh my god, we weren't last- hurgh!" She covered her mouth as the urge to gag came to her. "My stomach still in knots!"
"There there." Meiko sympathetically cooed, rubbing her friend's back guilty. "I'm so sorry Yai, I totally forgot about your motion sickness."
"Seriously?" Draken concernedly asks, standing crossed arm by the three girls. "But she seemed fine before we left the city."
Swallowing loudly, Yayoi groaned as she leaned into Meiko's gentle touch. "That's because we started out slow for a while before picking up speed. I was able to get used to that before my stomach really got too upset or my head dizzy." She explained before moaning into Meiko's shoulder. "Ugh! Talk about embarrassing!"
"If it's any consolation, you did better than I did the first time I rode a motorcycle." Emma tried to console, "I let Mikey distract me and fell off our brother's bike when he tried taking off with me on it."
"I did not!" Mikey shouted, "Baji was the one who did it."
"Huh?!" The long dark-haired male shouted, "Don't lie, I wasn't the one teasing Emma about being nervous about her first time! That was all you!"
"Was not!"
"Was so!"
"Was not!"
"Was so!"
"Both of you shut up!" Draken snapped, noting the way Yayoi whimpered at the added loud noise. "Can't you see we're dealing with something now, thanks to you dumbasses."
It was then that Mitsuya came back from a nearby snack bar by the parked bikes to hand Yayoi a water bottle. "Here we go, drink this. This should help calm your nerves a bit."
"Thank you!" Yayoi almost cried while taking the drink in hand. "I'm sorry again for jumping off the way I did." She apologized, embarrassed. "I promise I'll be better on the way back." She mumbled around the bottle before sighing in a bit of relief, before blushing embarrassedly. "That is if you're still fine with me as your passenger after what just happened." She quietly muttered near the end.
"Only if you promise to actually use that safe word of yours like you said you would." Mitsuya sighed, as Draken and some of the more cultured individuals of their small group all whipped their heads towards Mitsuya and Yayoi wide-eyed, while Mikey and Baji just stared at the pair confused.
"I know!" Yayoi almost sobbed, "But we were so close to catching up and getting out of last place, I croaked under pressure."
"I'm sorry... Mitsuya, was it?" Meiko asked as the silver-haired teen nodded in confirmation. "Alright, got it. As I was saying sorry about this. I'm partially to blame for Yai being in this state, I should have probably warned you guys about her motion sickness."
At this Yayoi could only shake her head, "No... It's my fault for not speaking up sooner." She quietly muttered leaning back on the bike a bit, "I just really hoped I'd be able to handle it."
"Hey, it's fine." Draken reassured, "Would it have been nice to have this info ahead of time, sure. But you girls technically didn't even know about the change of transportation plans till we got ya." He sent Mikey a glare at this as the blonde stuck his tongue out in retaliation. "And hey, if you were handling it up until the race, I'd say you were doing pretty okay for a chick who gets motion sick."
Emma nodded at this, brushing a bit of Yayoi's hair out of the redhead's eyes. "He's right. Just don't force yourself next time."
"Thank you... Emma-chan, Mitsuya-kun... Draken-kun." Yayoi blushed embarrassed, as Meiko lightly patted her shoulder.
"Better?"
"Better." Yayoi nodded, smiling at her dark-haired friend as she held out her drink to her. "Want some?"
"I'm good." Meiko shook her head smiling, as Yayoi shrugged, finishing off the drink slowly. "So, we're at the beach, I know your name's Mitsuya." She pointed to said boy as he nodded, "But, what about the rest?" Leaning her body somewhat she looked towards Pah and Peh, then over to Mikey, as he and Baji bantered with Chifuyu close by.
"Right, we haven't really done proper introductions." Emma hummed, before gesturing to the two girls to Mitsuya. "Mitsuya, this is my friend Meiko-chan, and her friend Yayoi-chan, they're the ones who came up with the whole coming to the beach plan today."
"I see."
"Hanagaki Meiko," Meiko quickly established, "Though I usually go by Mei... and apparently Ei now thanks to Mikey I guess." She sighed, as Yayoi gave a nod.
"And I'm Suzumi Yayoi, though I'm fine with Yai... Can I please not be called Yaichi?"
"Sorry, Yai-chan." Emma apologized, "Once Mikey nicknames for ya, it tends to stick."
"Damn it." Yayoi groaned as Meiko laughed at her friend's suffering.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad. If I remember right you used to hate being called Yai by me, and look at you now you don't even blink twice at telling everyone to use it for ya. Maybe Yaichi will grow on you too!"
"Sure... grow on me... like mold." Yayoi dryly muttered, as Meiko only laughed.
"So Ei, and Yai." Mitsuya hummed, seeing the girls nod in approval. "Alright, I got it. Name's Mitsuya Takashi, though everyone just calls me Mitsuya. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Ei, Mikey hasn't really shut up about you or your brother since you met."
"Aw~ That sounds so sweet." Meiko cooed before dryly asking, "Did he tell you how he called me and my brother his bitches, and how I flipped him off while him and Draken walked away."
Mitsuya snorted, "No, no he did not."
"At least tell me Draken told you about how my sweet precious future sister-in-law slapped him... and I flicked him a few times."
"Oh yeah," Draken chuckled. "Definitely told them about that."
"I still want to meet the girl who did that!" Emma whines, "I need to hug her for doing what no other girl has tried before–"
"You mean outside you and Ei?" Draken asked, as Emma just huffed.
"Hit Mikey when he's being a total dumbass!"
Yayoi blinked before pointing to Emma as she looked to Draken, "Can we take that as a yes?"
"That is a yes." Mitsuya and Draken bluntly replied at once, as Meiko blinked a few times.
"Seriously... No offense but I'm actually shocked the list is so small."
"Don't be... I think the only reason it's not bigger is cause Mikey tends to be so aloof and not talk to people unless he really has to or they caught his attention. He scares most people off half the time with just his reputation alone."
"Ah, see that!" Meiko nodded pointing to Emma, "That I can believe, he's got that face you know."
Draken blinked surprised, "What face?"
"You know, that 'I'm so bored I could sleep all day' sort of face that cats make. I bet he even sleeps a lot like them." At this Emma, Draken, and Mitsuya all imagine Mikey with cat ears, Taiyaki in his mouth boredly sitting with his usual aloof expression as he ate the sweet.
"Meow~"
Emma's hands flew to her mouth, a snort barely contained as she tried to stop herself from laughing out loud. She failed once Draken and Mitsuya burst out in their own laughs.
"Oh shit!" Draken snickered, "She's right! I've seen strays with that exact same look near my place!"
"He's even needy like a cat if you think of it." Mitsuya snorted, as Emma struggled to breathe.
"He's just like one! Aloof one second, and needy the next! He even sleeps the day away like one if you don't stop him!"
"Oi!" Mikey shouted noting the trio laughing as Meiko mischievously smiled from beside them. "What are you guys laughing about? I wanna know!" Mikey curiously asked as Yayoi looked at him with a deadpan stare.
"Um... I don't think... You do."
Mikey frowned at this, "Huh, yeah I do! Why wouldn't I? I wanna know what's so funny!" He pouted, lightly glaring at Yayoi as Emma, Draken, and Mitsuya had to face their backs to him, unable to unsee the cat comparison as of yet.
"Um..." Yayoi nervously began to say as Meiko simply walked over to Mikey unbothered.
"You really wanna know?"
"Yeah! Of course, I do!" Mikey pouted, as the other came up behind him.
"So what's all this commotion about?" Chifuyu asked, as Meiko only smiled.
Placing her hands on Mikey's shoulder, the boy blinked, allowing her to turn him around to face the other four as she leaned on his back to peek over his shoulders. "So, honestly speaking. Mikey-kun here, doesn't he just scream bored and aloof kitten~"
The males blinked, once, twice, three times...
Baji exploded with laughter, alongside Pah.
Peh and Chifuyu froze up in shock.
And Mikey...
Mikey's head whipped back to look at Meiko as she mischievously smiled up at his wide-eyed expression "Ehehehe. Whoops, I meant cat."
Baji fell and laughed even harder, "Oh shit! I can see it, I just imagined your cat when he's bored next to Mikey, Chifuyu! It's true! I can't breathe!"
"Wha– It can't be that funny!" Chifuyu shouted, trying to snap his captain out of his hysterical laughter. "Baji-san you need to stop and breathe! Breathe!"
"Pah...?" Peh confusedly asked as Pah continued to laugh leaning forward a bit.
"No! No! I see it! Mikey's definitely a cat, even my pea-sized brain can see it!"
"Woah! Then it must be true!" Peh exclaimed in shock, gapping at Pah as he and Baji continued to laugh.
Glaring at Meiko, Mikey began to huff. "Ei–" Only to stop as she pulled away with a pat on his back.
"Sorry~ It was just an observation!" She 'innocently' apologized, "If it's any consolation, I'm definitely more of a cat purr~son myself." She jokingly purred, making kitty cat paw gesture's with her hands cutely as Mikey pouted at her.
"Yeah... Well..." He paused, having to think while looking the girl over before a comeback finally came to mind. "If I'm a cat! Then you're definitely a cat too! You're just as mischievous and mad as them!" He proudly exclaimed pointing at Meiko, imagining the day they'd first met when Meiko angrily flipped him off, and the image of a hissing cat side by side.
The girl blinked in shock before smiling playfully, hands going behind her back as she tilted herself slightly while looking up at Mikey. "Ehehehe, well that's cool. I love cats." Meiko happily admitted, Mikey's heart skipping a beat as he noticed the pure playful joy as she continued to play around with him. "I guess we can be cats together, nyah~" She playfully meowed, causing Mikey to blush.
"Hold on," Mitsuya muttered gapping at the two teens. "What am I watching?"
"Are they flirting?" Emma almost seemed to be shocked, asked, as she watched her brother and Meiko banter with one another.
"Uh..." Draken scratched the back on his head, "Honestly... No clue."
Blinking at the scene Yayoi only shook her head, "Nah."
"Nah?" The trio asked, turning to the calm short-haired teen.
"That's just Meiko in general with people she's comfortable with." Yayoi explained, "She's the same way with Takemichi-kun's friends. One time, I walked in on a conversation between Meiko and Atsushi-kun–- That's his best friend," Yayoi clarified as the teens all nodded attentively, "Sharing stupid and outrageously corny pickup lines, just to make the boy squirm... It's hilarious." She smirked amusingly as Draken laughed at the mental image of Takemichi squirming in place over his sister jokingly flirting with one of his friends.
"That sounds amazing."
Looking back at the bantering duo though, Yayoi frowned slightly, noting a slight spark in her friend's gaze as her cheeks slightly flushed. 'At least... I don't think they're purposely flirting.'
"Alright! That's it." Baji exclaimed, jumping up from the ground walking over to Meiko he threw his arm around her shoulder grinning causing Mikey to freeze up when he noticed Meiko tense up under Baji's touch. "You and me!" Baji grinned, pointing between Meiko and himself, "We gotta be friends. Name's Baji Keiseki, but everyone just calls me Baji. You're Ei, right?" He slightly tightened his hold on Meiko's shoulders and stared at the smaller girl a bit curiously. 'Hmm... She definitely isn't some dainty girl.' Baji noted, feeling the tense muscle of the girl under his arm. 'She's definitely unique.'
Realizing that the boy was just trying to be friendly, Meiko relaxed slightly. Shrugging his arm off, with a slight twitch of her brow and a quiet mutter of. "Personal space, please..." As she leaned back from the taller teen with her hand confidently propped on her hip as she stared up at the grinning teen. "I guess...That's what Mikey-kun's been telling people, but the name's actually Hanagaki Meiko." She explained, before playfully winking, "I usually go by Mei, but call me Ei if you really want." Looking towards Chifuyu, Pah, and Peh who'd been listening, she added, "That, of course, goes for all of you, too. Let's get along, kay~" She carefreely smiled, as Chifuyu and Peh blushed at the girls' closed mouth smile.
"Pretty."
"So pretty." The boys both muttered aloud, as they seem to notice now up close how attractive the dark-haired girl in the sundress actually was.
Meiko twitched, body a bit stiff, Yayoi who watched from afar shaking her head only able to imagine just what was going on. 'Yeah... That's typically the result of Meiko being playful.'
Baji could only shake his head, as Mikey stared at the three boys. "Oh boy, here we go again..." Baji muttered. Him and Mikey were more than used to the guys having a bit of weakness for what they deemed to be a pretty girl, and if nothing else both boys could admit Meiko was attractive in a physical sense.
Mikey pouted a bit though, noting the attention Meiko received. Unsure what to feel about his friends' reactions to Meiko's smile, but also unsure of how to feel about her obvious discomfort to their sudden attention.
Stepping forward, blushing nervously himself, Pah puffed himself up and aggressively said. "I'm Hayashida Haruki, call me Pah-chin, Ei! I'm not really smart, but if you're a friend of Mikey's, Draken, and Baji then you gotta be a friend of mine!"
She blinked at the boy, Meiko exclaimed. "Ah!" Smacking her fist down in her hand, "I see, you're a proud idiot!"
"I am!" He proudly nodded.
"We are!" Peh-yan shouted, coming up beside Pah blushing. "Ryohei Hayashi, Peh-yan, I'm Pah-chin's right hand! Let's get along, Ei!"
"Okay!" Meiko decided to laugh, as she agreed to the boy's offer to get along. 'Maybe if I treat them like the guys,' The image of her brothers and her male friends came to mind, 'I'll feel less awkward.'
Yayoi watched this from beside Emma, and Mitsuya and couldn't help but feel confused. "Why are those two scary-looking guys proudly announcing they're dumb?"
Humming from beside her Emma could only shrug, "Pah and Peh are a bit weird."
"Don't worry though, they may look and act a bit aggressive but the guys aren't all that bad," Mitsuya reassured as Draken nodded.
"Yeah... They're just... a bit unique."
"I see..."
Throwing his arm over Chifuyu's shoulder, Baji dragged the blonde and black haired teen forward. "Hey, Chifuyu, come on! Don't just hang around back there, come and introduce yourself!"
"Ah! Baji-san, wait!" Chifuyu exclaimed, almost feeling himself trip as his captain and friend pushed him forward. Catching himself, Chifuyu nervously looked up at Meiko and froze when he noticed her smiling at him.
"Hmm..."
"Hmm?" Chifuyu questioned, just as Meiko giggled.
'He's so cute.' Meiko thought, before holding out her hand. "Chifuyu-kun, right?"
"H-hai!" Chifuyu almost stuttered, taking Meiko's hand and blinking as he stared down at their joined hands, 'Huh? They're not that soft.' He thought confused, taking note of the slight muscle on the girl's arms as well. "Chifuyu Matsuno, nice to meet you Ei."
"Ne, ne! Yai come over here and introduce yourself to these guys!" Meiko called out to her red-haired friend as said girl sighed.
"Kay." Brushing some of her hair behind her ear as she began to move to join her friend, Yayoi not realizing she had caught both Draken's and Mitsuya's surprised attention when they noted the cuff chain earring and stud that had been hidden beneath her hair. The supposedly reserved-looking girl, even with her fiery red hair, seemed to have some stylish piercings.
"Woah, nice piercing," Mitsuya muttered before wincing to touch the upper corner of his ear as he noticed the piercing Yayoi had there. "Didn't see that coming."
"Yeah, she was definitely coming off as a straight lace." Draken agreed as they saw Yayoi introduce herself more standoffish with the others.
"Hmm?" Emma asked, "Did you guys just notice her piercing now?" She asked as the two boys turned to her surprise.
"Wait, you knew?"
Emma nodded, "Yeah." Emma hummed, "When I was soothing her with Mei-chan, I noticed a few on one of her ears." she explained, "It surprised me but I didn't think it was my place to ask."
"Oi! Emma! Draken! Mitsuya!" Mikey shouted as the small trio looked over to him and the others.
"Let's go get changed!" Meiko waved, "We don't want to miss out on the fun in the sun!"
"Yeah!" Mikey shouted, "Hurry up you slowpokes!"
"Oi!" Draken growled, "We're not slow!"
"Hurry!" Mikey whined as Emma sighed.
"Calm your horses!"
July 17, 2005
"Oi, Mitsuya." Draken crossed his arms, as he and the guys, minus Pah and Peh, all stood outside the changing rooms after getting changed themselves. "Go help, Pah and Peh set up our spot."
"Huh?" Mitsuya frowned, "Why do I gotta go?"
"You were the one closest to last place in the race." Baji teased as the silver-haired teen glared at him.
"With good reason, and if I remember right you just barely avoided losing to me."
"Yeah, but I still won." Baji arrogantly shot back, as Draken frowned at the two.
"Look, I don't care who goes, but we all know those two are bound to get into some trouble if some dumbasses piss them off. We don't need a fight breaking out and dragging the girls into a mess."
"Then send Chifuyu," Mitsuya argued, pointing to Baji's right-hand man. "The kid's got a good head on his shoulders, I'm sure he can make sure those two don't get into too much trouble."
"Oi!" Baji snapped, "Don't just offer up my guy without permission."
"I'm just saying, it's an option!" Mitsuya glared, "Why do I always have to play the second babysitter?"
"Hmm," Mikey hummed looking over at his arguing guys. "If it's that much of a problem..." He held his fist up grinning, "Why don't you rock paper scissors to see who goes with help the guys?"
"You mean leave it up to luck?" Chifuyu asked as Baji grinned.
"I'm down, you good with that Mitsuya."
Sighing the silver-haired teen smirked, "Sure... You suck at rock paper scissors anyway."
"I do not!" Baji snapped, as Draken glared at Mikey.
"Seriously, you couldn't have just ordered one of them to go."
"Aw~ Come on, it's beach day Ken-chin. There's no need to be so serious and order the guys around."
"You literally ordered a race!"
"Yeah, before we got to the beach." Mikey shrugged, "Plus it was all in fun."
"You literally dubbed Pah and Peh the group's pact mules for the day, and sent them to put our stuff down somewhere." Draken deadpanned, as Baji shouted in frustration.
"Chifuyu you traitor!"
"Sorry Baji-san but Mitsuya's right." Chifuyu laughed, "You do suck at rock paper scissors."
"And with that, you're on babysitter duty." Mitsuyu smugly smirked, "Good luck."
"Yeah, fuck you." Baji huffed, looking at Chifuyu. "You staying or you wanna come with?"
"Hmm... I think I'll come."
"Great."
"If only to keep Baji-san out of trouble too."
"... Chifuyu I swear I will–"
Inside the girl's changing room Yayoi twitched as she stared at Emma adjusting her two-piece bikini. Shifting her gaze to Meiko then who was already dressed, the girl having apparently come with her swimsuit under her clothes, placed her glasses aside in their case before she tied a sheer skirt cover around her waist.
"Hey..." Yayoi began, looking down at her own swimsuit-clad body and then Emma. "So um... no offense Emma-chan but... How old are you?"
"Hmm?" Emma blinked, confused-looking over at the red-haired girl. Giving the now short ponytail-haired girl a quick look, 'Oh! She even has a piercing on her belly button.' She noted the small star piercing, before answering. "I'm thirteen, soon to be fourteen this year. Why?"
Yayoi's head smacked into a wall depressed, "Life's not fair."
"Huh?! What's that supposed to mean?" Emma exclaimed, staring at the redhead in shock.
Meiko sighed at the redhead's depressed reaction, "Not this again."
"Again?!" Emma exclaimed as Meiko sighed.
"Yeah... Yai's a bit self-conscious of her... assets." Meiko lightly gestured to her chest area, as Emma silently mouthed. "Oh..."
"It just doesn't make sense." Yayoi muttered, "My mother's practically a model, and even Baa-san's stacked. Why am I a god damn ironing board?"
"Yai, for the last time you're not that small." Meiko deadpanned, "You're relatively developed and fifteen. You've got maybe another year or two to grow a bit more. Why does it even matter if your boobs aren't big. I say you should take the blessing." Meiko sighed, rolling her shoulders stiffly causing a few crack sounds, "At least you don't have to deal with back pain, or struggle with finding cute clothes you like that aren't snug, or have to deal with... unwanted attention."
Emma nodded in agreement and understanding as Meiko voiced their shared struggles.
Yayoi glared pouting, "At least you weren't mistaken for a guy until you put on a skirt."
"People thought you were a guy?" Emma shrieked in shock, gapping at Yayoi, "But you're so pretty!"
At this Yayoi's green eyes sparkled with almost unshed tears as she looked to Emma, "Re-really? Do you really think so?"
"Oh come on!" Meiko almost yelled, "I've told you you're pretty all the time! How come you believe her but not me?"
Giving Meiko a deadpan face, Yayoi answered, "You're my best friend, therefore you're biased."
"I am not!" Meiko huffed, "I can totally be brutally honest, I'm not blind you know."
"Uhuh..." Yayoi sighed, shaking her head. 'Yet, you still go totally soft whenever it involves your brother.' Yayoi thought.
"Oi, what's with that look?" Meiko glared, noting the unamused look Yayoi gave her,
"Nothing." Yayoi just looked away.
"That's definitely not nothing!"
"I still can't believe people confuse you for a guy." Emma frowned, as she looked at Yayoi. "You have pretty long lashes, and Mei-chan isn't wrong when she says you have a figure, sure maybe not to my and Mei-chan's levels, but you're far from being flat," Emma observed looking the red haired teen over.
Sighing, Yayoi could feel her cheek become flush, "Yeah well... That's now, and that was then..." Turning she began to walk away towards the exit. "Look, I really don't want to talk about this. Let's just go join up with the guys, I'm sure they're getting tired of waiting for us."
Emma opened her mouth to try and speak out and apologize thinking she might have crossed a line. She was stopped when Meiko laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "It's okay Emma-chan, Yai's not mad right now. Just embarrassed."
"Really...?"
Smiling at the honey-eyed girl, Meiko nodded, "Yeah. Yai's a bit standoffish with people she first meets, but I swear if she were mad you'd know." Grabbing hers and Yai's things she began to walk ahead, "She's just not used to having someone other than me or her grandparents get mad on her behalf. She'll come around soon enough."
Emma smiled at this, feeling a bit proud of this, but most of all reassured that she had done right. "That's good... I'd really like to be friends with her."
At this Meiko smiled in return, "You know... I think she'd like to be your friend too."
Stepping out the changing room together the two girls found Yayoi, awkwardly standing outside and even talking to Draken, with Mikey, and Mitsuya. "Huh?" Emma blinked in surprise, "Where's Baji and Chifuyu?"
Looking away from Yayoi, Draken began to open his mouth only to pause as he stared at Emma. Meiko, and Yayoi blinked in shock, at the tall teens' sudden silence. Meiko looked at Emma, then Draken, then Yayoi, Mitsuya, and finally Mikey. Stopping on the girl's brother, Meiko's eyes became wide.
The boy was slightly smirking, eye between his sister and Draken, as if expecting or waiting for something to happen. The realization hit her when her gaze snapped back to Emma and she noted a familiar love-struck and hopeful look in her eyes, she'd seen her brother and even Hina share that look towards one another a few times as of late.
Meiko almost squealed internally, 'Oh. My. God!' She thought, 'Em-chan and Draken! No way, no way, no way!' She thought, 'I can't believe I didn't see it earlier! And look at that!' She looked directly at Mikey, catching his gaze as he blinked at her suddenly grinning expression. 'It seems I'm not the only older sibling trying to play matchmaker.' She giggled into her hand, eyeing the two love birds. Not realizing, Mikey was now looking her over a bit with a slight blush as she mischievously smiled up at the silent Draken.
"Ne, ne, Draken-kun!" The braided teen's head snapped to Meiko when he noted a familiar teasing tone in her voice, "What's wrong?" Meiko hummed, noting him twitch a bit annoyed when he noted her mischievous smile. "Cat got your tongue?" She'd thrown her arm around Emma, making the blonde-haired girl blush as she realized what Meiko was trying to ask Draken.
"Ei..." Draken began to growl as Mikey, noting what Meiko was doing, began to smile smugly as he looked up at his much taller friend.
"Yeah, Ken-chin, what's up? Something wrong with the way the girls–" the entire group could hear that he really meant Emma, "look."
"Here we go again..." Mitsuya quietly sighed, shaking his head.
"Mikey..." Draken warned glaring, as Yayoi looked between everyone.
'Okay I'm so confused,' Yayoi thought, 'I think... I know what's going on.' She looked between the glaring Draken and hopeful Emma, 'But...' She gave the smiling Meiko, and Mikey a deadpan expression. 'I don't think those two are really helping the situation right now.' Sighing, Yayoi mentally cried to herself. 'Welp... Here I go.' Turning to Mitsuya, Yayoi smiled, "So, you were saying Baji-san, and Chifuyu-kun went ahead to help Hayashida-san and Ryohei-kun."
'Seriously!' Mikey and Meiko both mentally screamed, glaring at the smiling red-haired girl.
'Damn it Yai!'
'We almost had him!'
Draken almost sighed in relief, as he side-eyed Yayoi. 'Oh thank God! Yai I owe you... like ten.'
Emma pouted a bit upset, 'Dang it...'
Blinking at the redhead's obvious redirection, Mitsuya nodded with a relieved smile. "Yeah, we wanted to make sure those two found a good spot."
"I see." She turned to Meiko and the pouting Emma, trying her best to ignore Mikey's glare. "So... I know putting Draken-kun on the spot must be fun-"
"Hey!" The taller teen snapped as Mikey, Meiko, and Mitsuya all seemed to snicker at this. 'Okay, I take back what I said.'
"But come on! We came to the beach to have fun right!" Yayoi tried to say with pep, looking to Meiko for help. Her eyes screaming for her friend's help as she said, "So why are we all just standing around messing with the poor guy when we could be having some fun out on the beach!"
Sighing at her friend's obvious discomfort at trying to hype up the group, Meiko decided to take charge. "You know! She's right!"
"She is?" The group asked.
"I am?" Yayoi felt her stomach knot up once she realized the look on Meiko's face. 'Oh no...'
"Yeah! So what if Draken got a little tongue-tied thinking Emma looked cute in her swimsuit!"
"I thought no such thing!" Draken shouted as Meiko smirked at the braided teen making him freeze up, as he was met with a predatory look in the smaller girl's eyes.
Yayoi facepalmed at this, 'He walked right into her trap.'
"Really..." Meiko hummed, "So you don't think Emma looks good in her bikini, and after she worried so much over whether or not it looked good on her." Meiko lied, as Emma stood up straight at this. "That's so cold, Draken, and here I thought you were a pretty cool guy who could give a girl a nice compliment in her time of need."
"I..." Draken flushed as he noticed Mikey snickering from beside him, alongside Mitsuya. "Oi!"
"What about you guys?" Meiko confidently exclaimed, pointing to Mitsuya, "You! What do you think of our swimsuits?"
Put on the spot Mitsuya stood up straight, looking the three girls over quickly, before nodding with a gentlemanly smile. "I'd say you all look great, cute but still stylish in a tropical sense." He looked at Yayoi then, "I say I like yours most though with the flower patterns you got going on."
"Oh!" Yayoi smiled at this, "Thanks, I was honestly worried the flowers would clash too much with my red hair but... I really like them."
"Nah, they're fine, you got the right colors going to make them work."
Nodding at Mitsuya's and Yayoi's conversation, Meiko pointed to Mikey, "And you?"
Mikey hummed boredly at this and threw his arms behind his head, "Hmm, I guess you all look cute. Though I don't really know what that would mean for a girl wearing swimsuits." He looked the girl over, lingering on Meiko's Cheshire grin before smiling at Emma. "Though I'm sure I'm just biased since I'm such a great older brother, I think Emma's definitely looking good for the day."
Emma blushed at this, smiling at her brother's help, "Mikey..."
"Of course, of course." Meiko nodded to herself then looked up at Draken. "So you see Draken, there's no need to get so shy." Mikey and Mitsuya quietly snorted at this. "It's okay to give us girls, and Emma." She emphasized, "An honest opinion on how we look."
Clicking his tongue, Draken turned his gaze away, only turning his eyes back to the three girls for a bit from the corner of his eyes as he muttered. "Fine... You look great... Especially you Emma... Don't see why you were even so worried about the damn two-piece."
Emma smiled boldly at this, cheeks flushed as she slightly wiggled in place excitedly. "Oh, you know~ New swimsuit and whatnot, I wasn't sure I got the right one for myself."
"Oi!" Baji's loud yell cut into the group's moment, "Hurry up guys, we got the spot set up!"
"Coming!" Mikey shouted before turning to the others, specifically Draken, smiling smugly. "So, we all ready to go?"
The taller teen glared but nodded, "Yeah."
Laughing to herself Meiko grabbed Emma's hand, "Then let's go! I wanna crack the watermelon open now!" She began to drag Emma away, as the blonde gaped at Meiko in shock.
"Huh? Watermelon!"
"Wait, where did she get a watermelon from?" Mitsuya asked as the three guy's turned to Yayoi as she stared at the three deadpan.
"You mean, you didn't notice how big her bag was." The guys shook their heads rapidly, she sighed at this. "Seriously, what did you think she had in that thing? A bunch of towels and a beach ball."
"Uh..."
"Don't answer that." She began to jog past them, "Come on, or she'll somehow convince the others to crack it open with her and leave us nothing!" The guy's quickly followed at this.
July 17, 2005 Emma
Bam
Crack
Splat
The teens gaped and broke into cheers.
"Woah!"
"Go Emma!"
"Yeah!"
"Hahaha!"
Slowly standing up with a slight twitch, Emma pushed up the white blindfold she wore. "Ah, it splattered everywhere." She moaned, trying to whip away the watermelon juices that splatter her face as she looked down at the open fruit.
"Here." Draken said as he came up beside her, and began to whip her face like a concerned mother making her pout in frustration. "Hold still."
"I know." She huffed, as the other quickly came in to grab at the watermelon. 'And here I thought he was starting to see me grown up.' She annoyedly thought, watching as Draken snapped at the others, specifically her brother and Pah who'd tried taking more than their fair share, even as he managed to tenderly help wipe the watermelon off her face.
"I knew she could do it." Meiko giggled, as she ate a piece of her share.
Licking her lips as she pulled back from her watermelon slice, Yayoi hummed. "It was taking forever, I'm honestly shocked you missed Mei. Usually, you're really good at getting the watermelon."
Huffing at her friend's words, Meiko glared at Mikey as he sent her a smug look. "Yeah, well if someone didn't purposely screw with my directions."
"Hey, what comes around goes around~"
"For the last time. It was an accident!" Meiko shouted, "I got my lefts and rights mixed up. It happens!" Baji and a few of the guys snorted at this, Mitsuya and Chifuyu both sending them looks as they said.
"You've done the same thing while driving."
"Well, what do you know, it was an accident for me too." Mikey shrugged, as Emma and Draken finally took a seat on either side of him.
"Now listen here you smug little–" Yayoi stood up smacking Meiko's back, "Eak!" Making the guys and Emma blink and stare at the girls' high pitch squeal.
'So cute.'
"Ma! I'm still hungry after that, anyone wanna go with me to grab some food from the stands to share." She pointed to the stalls the lined the outer parts of the beachfront, "I think I saw a stand selling some Taiyaki and Yakisoba not that far–"
"Count me in!" Baji shouted standing up, "Chifuyu, you wanna go get some?" Baji excitedly asked as he stared down at his second grinning.
"Sure." The boy nodded before looking to the others, "Any of you guys wanting some?"
"Sure."
"Yeah."
"I'll help you bring it back."
"Ah! Yai, if you see any Yaki Dango get me some please!" Meiko quickly shouted out, as Yayoi, Chifuyu, Baji, Pah, and Peh all headed towards the stand Yayoi had mentioned.
"Hai~" Yayoi boredly replied, waving back at the girl without looking back.
"Ah, bring me some too Yaichi!" Mikey shouted out, as Yayoi quietly grumbled to herself.
"I'm not your pack-mule."
Baji laughed at this, slapping the redhead lightly on the back, "Don't worry, I'll get it."
"Thanks." Yayoi sighed, "I'm already gonna have to murder my wallet to feed her."
"Huh, so you have that problem too." Baji jokes and the group laughs as they walk further away.
"So how did you carry a whole watermelon on your back this whole time?" Mitsuya curiously asked, looking at Meiko curiously.
"Oh please... Like it's that hard?" She scoffed, leaning back.
"No offense but..." Draken hummed, "You're kinda tiny." He pointed out, making Meiko and Emma both twitch.
"Draken!" Emma lightly scolded, feeling offended on behalf of the girl she's seen pin a grown man to the floor with his arm behind his back.
"What!" Draken blinked in shock, "It's just an observation!" He remembered then how he and Mikey first saw Meiko, 'Then again...'
Mitsuya, ever the peacekeeper of his friend group, decided then to try and step in. "To be fair Emma, Ei does kinda... come off like you appearance-wise."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma glared, making the silver-haired teen jump a bit in fear.
"Uh–"
"Yeah, look at your boss!" Meiko retorted, waving her hand towards Mikey who seemed to just wave nonchalantly at the situation, "Granted he has visible muscles, but my point still stands, he looks small too! He just has a mean kick!"
"Aw~ You noticed." Mikey teased before Emma hummed looking Meiko over.
"Though speaking of muscle." She leaned over and poked Meiko's stomach, noting the flat stomach, though lacking any signs of say abs, was toned enough to know there was muscle built up. "Even though you're barely any taller than me... Your muscles are actually a bit notable."
At this, the boys all turned to stare at Meiko as she blinked at them, "Huh? What do you mean?" Flexing her arm a bit she watched the muscle tighten a bit but found nothing to warrant Emma's remark. "I mean of course they're notable, I work out. That's normal."
"Oh~" Mikey leaned into Meiko's personal space to look at her arm, "Can I feel?"
"Hmm, oh yeah sure." Meiko nodded as both he and Emma began to poke and squeeze at her arm.
"Huh, I know you felt strong but I didn't realize you were this fit." Mikey absently noted, remembering the grip she had on his wrist back when he first visited her school.
"What does he mean by 'she felt strong'?" Mitsuya asked Draken as the taller teen could only shake his head.
"You technically already know."
'That doesn't answer my question."
"Mei-chan is so deceiving," Emma absently hummed, "She looks so small and delicate most of the time, but then you see her like this or kicking someone's ass..."
Mikey hummed, nodding at his sister's words, "I know, and then it's like she's still small and cute, but she's secretly deadly too."
"Okay, I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable here..." Meiko muttered, having both Sano siblings continue to basically grope at her arms, "Please stop."
"... What did we come back to?" Yayoi deadpanned disturbed, the five teen's turning to look at her and the others as they stared at the group with food in their hands.
Meiko seemed to dramatically start to cry as she called out to her friend. "Yai help, they won't stop groping me!"
Baji spit takes his romune drink on Chifuyu, as Pah and Peh began choking on the food in their mouths.
Yayoi, almost stunned, gaped at the trio. "Who's doing what to who now?"
"Seriously, context!" Draken shouted, glaring at the teens as Mitsuya snickered next to him.
July 17, 2005 Meiko
"Hmm..." Meiko stared down at the sleeping boy. From behind her Pah and Peh were trying to see who could dig the deepest hole in the sand, while Mitsuya, Yayoi, and Draken all blew up some pool floaties and a beach ball. Emma and her were supposed to be picking up their small mess with Baji and Chifuyu. "So is this just a today thing, or does Mikey falls asleep after every meal?" Meiko curiously asked as she looked back at the others.
"It's a Mikey thing." Draken sighed, throwing the beach ball he inflated up in the air. "Definitely a Mikey thing."
Emma nodded, "Yeah. Though him falling asleep is just sorta his thing... I still don't know how he passes his classes when he sleeps through them."
Draken darkly muttered at this, "Truly life's greatest mystery."
"I see..." Meiko nodded to herself, eyeing a bucket and pail close by. "And... How deep of a sleeper would you say Mikey is?"
Yayoi's ears twitched at this, and she accidentally released the inflatable ring she was trying to inflate as she looked back at her friend in fear. "Meiko..."
Baji shrugs at this, "It depends mostly."
"Sometimes he quick to wake up." Emma nodded.
"And sometimes he's a pain in the ass to drag out of bed." Draken finished, as Yayoi became more and more nervous as she noticed the slight mischievous grin that began to form on her friend's lips.
"And now..."
Walking over to his friend Baji lightly nudged Mikey with his foot. "I'd say out like a light, why–" Baji stopped as he noticed the smile on her face.
"Who wants to bury the lazy butt in the sand?"
"Mei no!" Yayoi squeaked.
"Mei yes!" Meiko mischievously snickered.
"Do you have a death wish?" Draken deadpan staring at the girl.
"Oh come on!" Meiko grinned, "The guy's asleep and left the clean up to us, even Pah and Peh did their fair share of cleaning up before dicking around." She pointed out, as she gestured to Pah chasing Peh while shouting about the other boy, about getting sand in Pah's shorts. "What do you say? A little bit of karma, a little bit of fun. Emma-chan, you in? I'll let you choose the body we make him with the sand." Meiko excitedly turned to Emma, the girl twitched, eyeing her brother's vulnerable form before shifting her gaze towards Draken who stared at Meiko as if she had lost her mind.
"Um... I think I'll pass." She muttered, before holding up a camera from her bag. "But, I wouldn't mind taking pictures if you do it."
"At least someone's being mature." Draken huffed as Mitsuya sent him a smirk.
"Like you have room to talk, don't tell me you're not half tempted to take up her offer."
Twitching at the other teen's jab, Draken felt heat try to rise up his cheeks as he glared at the silver-haired boy. "No... I'm not."
"Sure, sure."
"Yai?"
"Oh hell no!" Yayoi almost yelled making an X with her arms, "Look I'm all for watching your chaotic reign of terror but I'm not about to risk my own neck to help you burn the world down."
"Boo!" Meiko huffed before pouting, "You stick in the mud!"
"Oi!" Yayoi snapped, eye twitching.
"Yeah, yeah." Meiko waved her quietly glaring friend off before looking to the other boys, "What about you guys, interest?"
"No thanks." Mitsuya sighed, "I'll have to agree with Yai and Draken on this. I don't need Mikey after my ass, for burying him alive."
"Chifuyu-kun?"
"Uh..." The blonde blinked a few times nervously looking between the whole group and Mikey.
"Oh come on!" Meiko huffed, turning to Baji. "Okay Baji-kun, what about you? You look like a chaotic force of nature waiting to cause mayhem. You wanna help me mess with Mikey a bit."
Baji crossed his arms and glared down at the shorter dark-haired girl, "You want me... To help you bury my best friend in the sand while he sleeps. You are some special kinda stupid!" He said, making Meiko pout. Until a wicked smile spreads across his face, stretching ear to ear. "...I'm down."
"Ye-ah!" Meiko cheered double high fiving the teen, as Draken groaned into his hand.
"Great... There's two of them now."
Yayoi pulled out her phone, "Should I call an ambulance?"
Emma waved her off, "Nah, they'll be fine... Probably."
"I meant to send them to a mental hospital." Yayoi deadpanned, "Cause obviously they're crazy."
"Oh..." Emma looked over to the two dark-haired teens, who had now roped Chifuyu into their plans. "... Maybe."
Mitsuya laughed at this, "I mean who's crazier them for doing... that." He gestured in the general direction of Meiko and Baji. "Or us for being friends with them."
"It could be worse." Draken muttered jokingly, "It could be contagious."
"Uh guys..." Yayoi points to the group where now Pah and Peh had joined in the process of burying Mikey, and Emma, camera in hand, was helping direct the construction of her brother's mermaid tail. "Pretty sure it's contagious."
Taking a step back the whole group stared down at their masterpiece. Baji's arms were proudly around Meiko and Chifuyu as he patted their backs, Pah and Peh proudly patting their backs, Emma snapping a few shots as she smiled at the scene.
"It's perfect."
"Who knew you were good at fine details Peh."
"Thanks, Pah!"
"I can't believe he didn't move the whole time." Chifuyu gaped as Baji laughed.
"Lucky!"
"Good call on the seashells Emma."
"It had to be done. What self-respecting mermaid doesn't have seashells?"
"Truly a crime." Meiko nodded in agreement, "Luckily you were here to stop it." She high-fived the girl, as Draken, Mitsuya, and Yayoi watched from the side struggling not to laugh at the sight of Mikey's 'new body'.
"Holy shit they did it." Yayoi snorted.
"The mad lads." Mitsuya had to cover his mouth and look away.
"They're dead." Draken nodded, as just that very second. The victim of the group's prank seemed to finally decide to wake up.
"Hmm..." Scrunching his face in discomfort, Mikey grumbled as he began to wake up. 'Heavy...' He tiredly thought, blinking his tired coal eyes a few times. Before realizing he couldn't move his body. "Hold on..." Blinking a few times he looks down at himself, "..."
"Pfft."
"Ke–"
Looking up, he noted the snickering, grinning, and mischievously smiling culprits that had buried him alive. His gaze darkened, "Who–"
"EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF~!" Meiko shouted, shoving Baji with Chifuyu to the front as the pair started to run.
"Hey! You traitor!"
"Sorry, Baji! Sorry, Chifuyu-kun!"
"He did it!" Pah and Peh shouted pointing at each other as Mikey burst from the sandy sculpture to start chasing the two.
"Baji! Ei-chan!"
Emma began snapping more photos, as Draken, Mitsuya, and Yayoi laughed at the scene.
"Ah fuck!" Baji cursed, being tackled to the ground face first.
"Ha!" Mikey shouted, grinning down at his friend. "How do you like that?!"
"Ah! Sand in my mouth, sand in my mouth!"
"Man down! Man down!" Meiko shouted before squealing when Mikey's attention snapped towards her. "No~! Kyah!" She ran as Mikey shot after her, "I do not consent! I do not consent!"
"Get back here you!"
"Don't just stand there! Help me!" She ran towards Draken trying to use him as a shield.
"Oi! Get off! I want nothing to do with this!"
Yayoi doubled over laughing when she saw Meiko trip Draken into Mikey, "Oh god! My stomach!"
"Shit!" Mikey yelped, as Draken landed on him. "Fuu– Ken-chin! Get your fat ass off me!"
"I'm not fat," Draken yelled, before glaring at Meiko as the girl owlishly gaped at him as Mitsuya, Pah, and Peh joined Yayoi on the ground laughing. Emma snorted as she struggled to hold the camera they brought steady. "That's it Ei, you're dead." Getting off the smaller teen.
Meiko squeaked, once more running around the sand as both Mikey and Draken now chased her, it did not take long for the leading men of Toman to nab her and begin to carry her towards the water together by her hands and feet.
"Ha!"
"They got her!"
"Throw her in the ocean!"
"Is no one gonna help me!"
"No!"
"Well screw you too!" Meiko watched as Yayoi, and Baji flipped her off.
Mikey and Draken evil smirked down at the struggling Meiko. "Any last words Ei-chan~"
"Only three." Meiko huffed, as the two teen's stared at her. "I. REGRET. NOTHING!" They swung her in, "Eak!"
SPLASH
Meiko's head popped up, spitting out water like a fountain statue before shaking her head like a wet dog. "Ah! Salty!"
Mikey and Draken began to laugh as they pointed at the soaked girl. "Haha! Serves you right!"
"Paybacks a bitch, huh!"
Meiko quietly glared at the boys, angrily blowing bubbles under the small waves before another idea came to her. She slowly began to rise from the ocean, "Yeah, yeah. I deserved it, fair game boys, fair game." She sent Yayoi a look, causing the girl to stop laughing and freeze up. She quickly turned to Emma, scrambling to the giggling girl's side before whispering in her ear. Emma stood up straight, looking between Meiko and Yayoi secretly before smiling mischievously. 'Perfect.' Meiko thought, before holding out her hand innocently. "Now, could you fine men. Help me out, I think I twisted something when you threw me in."
"Oh, no." Draken shook his head. "We're not falling for that."
"Yeah!" Mikey laughed, "Who do you take us for, Pah and Peh?"
"Hey!" The duo yelled, only to freeze when Mitsuya silently nodded to Emma and whispered something in their ear. Wide eyes, the pair looked at the silver-haired teen, and smiling Sano female. They grinned in anticipation. Close by Baji who had finally whipped his face clear of sand with the help of Chifuyu who snickered at his repeated attempts to spit out sand, froze when Yayoi whispered something to both him and Chifuyu. He grinned wickedly and gave Chifuyu a look, the boy nodded with a thumbs up and grin.
The whole group slowly closed in as Meiko distracted Mikey and Draken. "I'm telling you it's not a trick!" She childishly huffed, splashing the water with her hands as the waves hit her from behind. "I just want help."
"Hmm... alright." Mikey smugly began to say, "I'll help..." He closed one eye and began to hold out his hand as he entered the water slightly. "If you apologize."
"Uh!" Meiko dramatically gasped hand over her chest "You fiend... Using my own tactics on me."
"As the saying goes, what comes around goes around, right Ei?" Draken smugly smirked, more than happy to let Mikey get his way after the chaos Meiko had helped fuel.
"Well played." Meiko struggled not to smile as the group finally began to come up behind the pair, "... Fine, fine. Damn jerks." She reached out her hand begrudgingly, "I'm..." Mikey's hand clasped onto hers and she smirked as she clasped it tight, "Sorry~" Mikey eyes went wide as he made to move back, only to freeze as he and Draken were tackled from behind by the rest of the group.
Pah, Peh, Emma, Chifuyu tackle Draken from behind.
Baji, Yayoi, and Mitsuya taking Mikey.
Mikey felt his heart skip a beat, as his body shifted forward. Eyes firmly set on Meiko's smiling face as the sun's light seemed to bath her in a halo, making his heart skip a beat. 'Huh...?'
Meiko's other hand shot up, grabbing Draken's hand, and fell back into the sea, grinning. Dragging the boys and the whole grinning group, in turn, down with her, "WATER FIGHT!"
The area exploded with the sounds of cursing and splashing. The teen's actively throwing water at one another and trying to pin each other down.
"Hahahaha!" Baji maniacally laughed as he drowned Chifuyu.
"Baji-kun!"
"Hmm!" He turned and screamed when Yayoi used her hands to squirt seawater in his eyes.
"MY EYES!"
Chifuyu burst out the water gasping, "Air!" He flung himself into his savior's arms, "Yai-san! You saved me! THANK YOU!"
Yayoi smiled before dunking his head back under and quickly ran away laughing. "Hahaha!"
"Betrayal!" Baji laughed at Chifuyu's cry.
"Ahahaha! Serves you right~!"
"Kyah!" Emma screamed, feeling Draken pick her up. "No, no, no! Draken put me down!" She giggled.
Draken smirked, "You want down?" He laughed.
"Yes!"
"Okay~ Mikey catch!" She was lightly tossed towards her brother and Mitsuya's direction.
"Eap!" She laughed struggling to cover her mouth and nose before she landed in the water with a large splash and hit the two boys.
"Aw come on!" Mitsuya shouted, "That's not fair Draken!"
"RAWR!" Pah flung Peh towards Meiko making the girl squeal as she fell back under the waves to avoid their team splash.
"Ha! You missed me! Missed me, now you gotta kiss me!" She flipped them off as Peh, bursted out coughing out water.
"Ah! Damn it Pah-chin! Why did you do that?"
"Huh?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SAID WE SHOULD GET EI!"
"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO THROW ME!"
"HOW ELSE WERE WE GONNA GET HER, STUPID!"
"YOUR STUPID, STUPID!"
"I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I!"
"STUPID!"
Meiko quickly swam away giggling, "Well that was ea-eak!" She felt her ankle be grabbed and she was dragged under. Opening her eyes underneath the waves, Meiko blushed as she noticed Mikey grinning at her under the waves, he had dragged her under. She pouted and tried lunging for him, the blonde easily breaking away as they came up for air. "Ugh, you ass!"
Mikey only laughed, his dark eyes sparkling with life as he splashed the dark-haired girl. "You started it!"
Laughing, she flung herself at the boy, "Yeah, so!" She squealed as her attempt to dunk him failed as he caught her arms. "Uhoh!" They began to wrestle against one another, "Admit it! You like this!" Meiko giggled, struggling against Mikey.
The blonde smiled, a bright closed-eyed smile, "Hahaha, you got me!" Smirking, he pulled on Meiko's form close, and pinned the girl's arms to her side, pulling her close in a hug from behind. "Ha! No escape!"
"No~!" Meiko whined, struggling against Mikey's hold as the boy continued to smirk. "Ugh! No fair, I'm too used to wrestling Michi and his friends. You're on a whole nother level!" She huffed, freezing as she felt the boy's hot breath next to her ear. She shivered, realizing then the position they were in, and became flushed when she realized just how close and tight Mikey held her to his chest before he spoke in her ear.
"You really are a special girl, Hanagaki Meiko." Before she could blink, Meiko found herself shoved back into the ocean. Heart racing and shivering still even as she rose up from the salty water's waves to Mikey laughing as he pointed to her. "Got ya!"
"Well, I got you!" Baji tried to tackle Mikey, and Meiko watched as the two teens proceeded to fight one another in the water.
Emma giggling swam to her side with Yayoi, "This is so fun! I can't believe you came up with this on the spot without warning. Did you guys plan this?"
"Huh?" Shaking herself free from her confused thoughts, Meiko smiled at Emma. "Oh, nah~ This is just how we usually do things at the beach with my brother and our friends."
"You mean your friends." Yayoi huffed, "I don't think, having Yamagishi-kun actively trying to flirt with me and profess his love–"
"If it's any consolation, I think he's being honest." Meiko cut in innocently as Yayoi gave her a deadpan stare.
"While his friends and your brother, actively watch and be awkward towards me. Hardly counts as us being friends. At the most, they're a friend of a friend... and a friend's brother."
"To be fair, you are intimidating to them." Meiko pouted out as Emma looked at Yayoi confused.
"Huh? How come?"
Yayoi blushed, "..."
Meiko snickered, "Should I tell her, or do you want to?"
Yayoi sighed, "No. No... I will." Grumbling quietly to herself Yayoi looked away from Emma, "I... may... or may not... have helped give them a talk."
"A talk?" Emma curiously asked confused. "What sort of talk?"
Meiko snickered, "The sex kind." Emma's eyes widened as she looked towards Yayoi in shock.
"I-is Yayoi-chan, 'that' type of mature woman?"
"Huh?! No!" Yayoi's face exploded, blending with her red hair, "I'm a complete virgin!" She squeaked and looked around, sighing in relief when it became apparent the guys were too busy with one another to hear what she said. Meiko giggled from her side, and Yayoi glared at her embarrassed. "Shutty! You were the one who dragged them to the clinic for that talk in the first place! You're the reason I'm now intimidating to them!"
Meiko swayed back and forth in the water innocently, "As the group's de facto big sis, I thought it was best if they got the actual talk instead of whatever the school tries teaching."
"Lies!" Yayoi's voice dropped as she pointed accusingly at the 'innocently' smiling teen, "You just wanted to watch those boys squirm."
"It was an important life lesson."
"Don't use half-truths to justify your sadism!" She watched Meiko turn away, "Don't just ignore me!"
Emma stared in awe, "Woah~ Mei-chan really is cool!"
"Don't just idolize her actions!"
"Hey~!" Swimming back towards the shore Meiko began to wave her arms in the air, catching the whole group's attention. "The sun's gonna set soon! Let's go take a group picture and get some ice cream before it's too late!"
"Hell yeah!"
"I'm in!"
"Last one out has to pay for everyone!"
"Wha– Hey don't just decide things on your own!"
The group laughed and bantered, exciting the ocean. Grabbing their frozen treats as they debated on how to get their picture taken.
"Set it on a timer."
"We'd need to prop it up."
"Oh! We could threaten someone."
"Don't joke about that!"
In the end they, thanks to Emma, found an elderly couple close by that the group was able to convince to help take their photo. The whole group arguing once more over their pose's and placement till finally, something stuck.
Mikey, Emma, Meiko by the center as the shortest members.
"Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. You two are cool." Meiko angrily pointed to Yayoi and Emma who both gave her a thumbs up, "Fuck all, you tall bastards!"
To Mikey's right Pah, then Peh.
"I'm telling you we should switch sides. My best sides my right." Pah tried arguing, as Draken glared at the male.
"For the last time, we're not changing positions."
To Meiko's left is Yayoi, then Chifuyu.
"You know I'd argue Ryohei-kun, is technically taller than Mitsuya-kun so shouldn't he be near the back."
"Yeah, but he's not a division captain." Chifuyu pointed out.
"Then why isn't–"
"Can we not!" Meiko shushed, "We just got them to not fight."
Baji, Draken, and Mitsuya towards the back as the group formed a type of close huddle.
"We sure this is gonna work?"
"Seeing how it's was Mikey's idea, I'll give it a fifty-fifty shot."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean Baji! My plans still work more often than yours."
"Oh yeah, you wanna–"
"Not the time you two!" Emma snapped as Draken groaned.
"Seriously, let's just take the damn picture already!"
"Okay, on the count of three, say Beach day." The old man kindly ordered as he counted down. The guys all eyed each other mischievously as the girls nodded at the man's order. "One... Two... Three."
"Beach Day!" The girls all smiled, that is until they realized what the guys had shouted.
"BEACH DAY BITCHES!" The guys bursted into laughter after the picture was shot, the girls all turning to yell at the boys as they laughed.
"Mikey! Draken!"
"You assholes!"
"Seriously!"
The elderly man chuckled at the teens as his wife came up. "My what a rowdy group of children."
"How vulgar." His wife huffed before giggling as she noted Emma and Meiko both grabbing some of the boys, specifically Draken, Mikey, Baji, and Mitsuya, by the ears as Yayoi groaned into her hands shouting about.
"Stupid boys!" And something around the lines, "Still just immature kids." As Chifuyu, Pah, and Peh cowered under the Sano and Hanagaki girls glares as they scold the whole group of males.
"Though I'm sure those girls will whip those rascals into shape."
The old woman's husband lovingly gazed at his wife's smiling face, "You mean like you did, back in our wild days."
"Oh, Kyosuke you dog."
July 17, 2005 Nighttime
"WHAT THE HELL YAI?!"
Now dressed once more in their usual clothes, the teen's all still stood upon the beach they had spent the day off on. The whole group staring in awe, at the array of fireworks laid about before them for their pleasure and play.
"I said sparklers! Spar-klers!" Meiko shook her red-haired friend, "Why the hell did you bring all these?!" She yelled, gesturing to the laid-out pile.
"Woah~" The whole group stared in awe.
"I'm sorry!" Yayoi shouted, "Abue refused to give me only sparklers. He said,"
Meiko began to imagine an elderly man with aging tan skin, pale green eyes, and peppered red and grey hair in a low ponytail, saying "If you're going to do fireworks on the beach. You might as well go big then go home."
"And your grandma?" Meiko asked as Yayoi shook her head.
"Abue just had to go, 'Pero mi amor~ Don't you remember our first date.' All Spanish suave and romantically and she was putty in his hands." Yayoi sighed.
"That man is too wild sometimes I swear." Meiko sighed, as Yayoi gapped at her friend.
"Pot calling the kettle black!"
"Dude! Look at these!" Baji giddily said, "Roman candles, single-shot shooters, ground and wall spinners, fountains, cones, and multi-shot 'cakes'... How'd you get this stuff Yai?" The group all voiced their agreed curiosity and even concern.
"Seriously."
"You didn't take these did ya?"
Yayoi groaned as this, "No! These came from my place. My abue–"
"Her grandpa." Meiko clarified.
"He's Pyrotechnician, and owns his own craft store, he likes to keep a surplus of this stuff for outside festival use."
"Pyro–"
"Technician?"
"He makes fireworks." Meiko once again clarified as the whole group stared at Yayoi with awe.
"Woah~"
"So cool!"
"So does this mean, Yaichi's knows how to blow things up?" Mikey asked as Yayoi began to blush under all the group's attention.
"I mean... Well... Technically, yes?"
"Then I guess this means you're our Pyrotechnic for the night." Chifuyu jokes, as Yayoi groans, muttering sarcastically under her breath.
"Oh, joy..."
Meiko smirked at the girl, "Oh shut up, you know you love setting them off."
Yayoi blushed looking away, "Maybe..."
"At least that's better than letting Baji light the fuses." Draken sighed in relief as the long dark-haired male glared at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"The car."
"I was hungry!"
Meiko quietly stared at the two before looking to Chifuyu, "Um, do we want to know?"
"Don't worry." Chifuyu smiled, "It was abandoned."
Yayoi quietly deadpanned at the smiling boy, "That's not very reassuring."
"Let's start a small bonfire!"
Yayoi whipped her head towards Meiko, "I'm sorry, how!"
Baji raised his hand before pointing to himself grinning. "Leave it to me!"
"No!"
Twenty minutes later, a small fire was lit, though maintained by Mitsuya as the group prepared for a show. Sitting back in the sand Mikey smiled, staring as Yayoi began setting up some of the fireworks. The most surprising thing being the fact she allowed Baji and Chifuyu to help her. The red-haired girl ordered the boys around, directing them on where to put down the fireworks as the others played around with the sparklers. From Pah and Peh dual-wielding sparklers, and pretend sword fighting from a safe distance.
"If you guys light yourselves on fire, I swear to god." Mitsuya tried scolding, doing his best to oversee that no one accidentally hurt themselves.
"Don't worry Mitsuya!" Pah yelled, giving the silver-haired teen a thumbs up. "We know to drop and roll."
"You mean stop, drop, and roll?"
"... Stop what?"
Mitsuya sighed, shaking his head.
"Hey Draken look!" Emma giggled, drawing a heart in the air with her sparkler at the taller teen. "It's pretty right."
The older teen thanked his luck. It was dark, doing his best to hide the small blush that tried creeping up his face as he looked away from the girl. "Yeah... Uh... Pretty."
"Hey!" Mikey blinked, turning to see Meiko smiling down at him as she pointed down to his hands where he held an unlit sparkler. "Aren't you gonna light yours up?"
Mikey smiled as he waved it up to her, "Oh yeah, with what?" He looked over to Baji and Yayoi watching as the pair seemed to argue over a fireworks placement as Chifuyu stood wide-eyed between the two. "Those two took our only lighters, and I don't think using the small bonfire to light this up is safe."
Humming at the boy's words, Meiko motioned to her lit one, "Hmm... Now, who said they were the only ones with lights." Pulling her hands out from behind her back, Meiko grinned. "Tadaa! I swiped Yai's spare lighter while she wasn't looking."
"Oh, nice!" Mikey grinned before he frowned. "Wait... why does she even carry a lighter, to begin with?"
Looking around Meiko leaned down to whisper in Mikey's ear, once she was sure no one would be close enough to overhear. "So, promise you won't tell Yai I told you this, but~ ...she really hates the dark." Meiko teasingly explained, "It's so cute. She hates it so much, she'd rather carry a lighter around in case of any emergency than risk being caught in the dark."
"Oh~" Mikey nodded, before laughing. "That so lame! What teenager's still afraid of the– Ah–! Pah! Gah!" He had sand thrown in his face. "What was that for?"
"For laughing at my friend's fear, you jerk!" Meiko pouted, before holding up her sparkler and the lighter. "Hmph! Maybe I won't help you light your sparkler."
"Huh? No~!" Mikey whined, throwing his arms around Meiko, "Ei-chan~ Don't be mean. I was joking!" He childishly whined rubbing her cheek against hers like a needy cat. "Please light my sparkler."
Blushing at the boy's whine and impromptu cheek rubbing she sighed, 'Damn it... He's lucky he's cute.' Meiko thought, before pushing the boy off. "Fine, fine! You damn cat boy, get off!"
"Meow~" Mikey childishly snickered playing along, watching Meiko blush as she pouted at him.
"Hmph." Looking down at her hands she began to move her sparkler away from them, "Hold out your sparkler away from us crossing mine."
Blinking Mikey did as he was told, "Like this...?"
"Perfect." Meiko smiled, pressing a bit close to Mikey as she reached to light the two sparklers. Watching the sticks come alive with light, she giggled with joy. "There." Remaining seated she began to move her sparkler around, drawing small circles in the air a few times. The pair find the simple enjoyment of watching the sparklers burn and go out peacefully. As the sparks began to fade, Meiko turned to speak to the blonde male.
"Wanna light ano–"
"GO GO GO!" Yayoi's excited yelling stole their attention, the two teen's looking up to see Baji, Chifuyu, and Yayoi run away from the fireworks they'd set up...
~Boom, Boom~
The teen's all stared in awe.
"Fuck yeah we did it!" Yayoi shouted cheering, Chifuyu and Baji whooping from beside her.
"Yes!"
"Ha! I told you it work!"
Everyone stared in awe, Emma clutching on to Draken's arms. Chifuyu and Baji excitedly cheered at their part in getting the display up. Pah and Peh praised Yayoi and the others' work, while Mitsuya, Emma, and Draken silently stared up at the sky in awe.
"Nice..."
"Whoa~" Mikey muttered, "Yaichi really knows her stuff, huh."
"For sure~" Meiko seemed to almost breathe out excitedly, "But you know..." The boy looked towards her. His cheeks became flushed, as he and Meiko's eyes met and she was bathed under the lights of the fireworks with a warm smile. "I'm so glad we all did this today! This..." She shut her eyes, looking back up to the sky. "This really helped make me feel better."
Seeing the look of peace on the girl's face, he realized for the first time. That there had been a tension the girl tried to keep hidden all day. As bright and happy, playful and friendly as she may have seemed... Something had bothered her, something she didn't share, and she used the day, this outing, their presence, to wash it all away.
"Yeah." Mikey nodded, grinning, even as he silently wondered what had caused that original tension. "We should do this again sometime."
Meiko laughed at this and Mikey felt his stomach flutter, as a gust of wind blew by throwing the dark-haired girl's wavy locks around. "Definitely! We should try this again with everyone!"
"Hmm..."Standing up, she brushed off the sand from the back of her dress skirt and legs. "I'm getting cold over here." Turning back to the blonde she smiled and held out her hand. "Let's go join up with the others!" She recommended, holding her hand out for the male to grab if he wanted. He stared at the still slightly sandy hand, before reaching out and allowing the dark-haired girl to help him up.
"Sure."
"Ally oop!" Nodding to the teen, she didn't let go as he expected. "Come on!" She gently pulled him forward, and he allowed himself to be led away. Staring at the back of Meiko's head as she led him closer to their now shared group of friends. "Oi! Emma-chan, Draken! Stop standing so far out to be romantic and get over here! It's getting cold and both your hair are definitely still wet!" She shouted out concernedly as Mikey quietly watched as his best friend whipped his head towards them to yell at Meiko.
"Seriously!"
"I'm telling you so you don't get sick!" Meiko shouted back, still not releasing Mikey's hand. "Now hurry over, you guys can be lovey-dovey when you're not at risk of getting sick."
"Mei-chan!" Emma angrily whined, though the two did make their way over, and even had Draken start to mother Mikey and Emma.
"Tch. This is why I told you two to dry yourselves earlier." Draken grumbled as he dried both the Sano siblings' heads when he noted them still wet now under the light of the small fire. Emma pouted, watching as he started with her brother.
Quietly Mikey tighten his grip on Meiko's hand as this happen. Feeling even as her attention was pulled away to Pah and Mitsuya, as she returned his grip, he smiled. The bond forming between them slowly began to tighten into place...