A/N: Happy New Year! Hope your first full week of 2022 has been as peaceful and/or productive as mine. Two weeks off work was just what I needed to conquer a good portion of the ski resort arc. (One week, actually, I kinda spent the first one on my THG/GoT crossover ^^) (But I still managed to tackle two big chapters, so yay!)

Thanks to Zain for the review! So very pleased you're enjoying Nezumi & Shiruba's dynamic as much as I am. It may be a little obvious that of my OCs, I have some favorites… XD And oof, yeah, I just can't lighten up on the Kurimu foreshadowing, can I? ^^; Mitsumura's definitely an obscure cameo but I loved including him! Also, I'm glad Masuda's true love rant inspired you. Dude's on par with Otonashi when it comes to deep motivational speeches… (Poor Naoi indeed! At least we know he overcomes it one day. Sort of.)

Enjoy!

[Chapter 43]: Falling For You

At breakfast, Hejjiguchi alternated between scrubbing at the remaining embarrassing stamps and pen marks on his skin and face and gargling his orange juice with zeal.

"Nope," he said, after another defeated swish. "I can still taste it."

"I'm surprised they even had dog food here," Ami mused, turning to Yuri and Kurimu. "Have you seen any dogs?"

"They were only dog biscuits. Sometimes those don't taste all that bad," said Masuda. When the rest of their group looked at him, he shrugged. "What? It's not my first truth or dare rodeo. You can imagine what kind of dares Miyake and Hachihama have come with in the past."

"Tell ya what, buddy, I'll be sure to pick up a bag for you for lunch," Hejjiguchi replied, then started scrubbing harder at the back of his palm. "If this would—just—come—off! I swear I don't even remember Nezumi doing this one!"

Ayato buried a secret smile into his tea mug. Hopefully he wouldn't notice that the ink was a different color, the lines just a fraction thicker. Hejjiguchi had fallen asleep first, and his hand had just been dangling there. It hadn't taken Ayato long to find a marker…

He felt a kick against his shin, and quickly looked up to see Yuri staring at him. Once their eyes met, her eyebrow rose a notch, as if asking a question. Smirking, he answered with a subtle wink.

Yuri choked a little on her coffee, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. "Sorry," she coughed when their friends glanced over at her. "Went down the wrong pipe."

Once they'd looked away again, though, she grinned back at Ayato just as mischievously.

"And the dares just kept coming," Hejjiguchi said, scratching at his hair. Not all of the glitter had come off on his pillow last night. "I thought there was an unspoken agreement that none of us pick Nezumi after that first dare?"

"Hey, I picked Takada," Yuri spoke up, raising a finger. "And in my defense, I thought they'd all forget about it after the breakdancing session."

"Yeah, ya thought wrong," Hejjiguchi responded. "Hence my rolling around on the floor for five straight minutes."

Yuri shrugged. "You're actually pretty good at somersaults. Good job keeping that up."

"Yeah, at least you didn't bump into anything too hard," Kurimu said nicely.

"I don't understand why you couldn't just pick truth," Ami interjected, poking at her scrambled eggs. "What could he possibly ask that would've been worse than all of that? Does he know something embarrassing about you?"

Ayato and Yuri glanced at each other; Yuri took a particularly long swig of her drink. Kurimu, who'd been innocently enjoying her orange slices, froze in mid-bite.

"No, nothing like that," Hejjiguchi murmured. "I'm not emb—I'm just not ready for some people to know about it yet. I'll share it when I'm ready."

"Oh," Ami said, frowning in thought. Then her eyes drifted over to Ayato for some reason, and it was like a light went on in her head as she looked back to Hejjiguchi. "Oh!" she said in understanding. "Okay. That's fair, then. Sometimes when you're not quite at that level of friendship yet, some things are allowed to stay personal."

"Huh?" Hejjiguchi looked up from his plate in confusion. After a moment, his face cleared and he nodded. "Right. Yeah, exactly."

Ayato furrowed his brows, wondering what that was all about. Whatever she thought he meant, it must be something juicy if even Ami respected his privacy on the matter.

But then, he had to ask himself: Do I really care? And after a second's thought… No, of course not.

The morning excursion united the friend groups again, Nezumi happily showing up behind Hejjiguchi with a "hey, Pinball, I heard you had a ruff night…"

"Yeah, and I heard yours was pretty toxic," Ami threw back.

Shiruba beamed at her. "Nice one, Ami."

"Hey, when you got it, you got it," Nezumi said with a shrug. "Am I right, Yuri? I know we would've given anything to see your performance. Hejji, you couldn't record that too?"

"Nah, I would never embarrass a lady," said Hejjiguchi. When Ayato frowned at him defensively, he added, "It was a genius dare, but that private show was all for us."

"Wish we could say the same for Fujimoto's little story about the chair," Shiruba said, clearing his throat and looking pointedly at Hisakawa, "but someone went and told Rumi probably as soon as she got back to her room."

"Hey, I believe that the sooner someone faces an essential truth, the better," Hisakawa said, her expression serious and decisive.

"Rules of the game, Hisakawa," Hirohashi said sternly.

"Yeah, rules of the game, Chitose!" Saki echoed. "What happens in truth or dare, stays in truth or dare."

"You broke down and started giggling the second she mentioned his name!"

"So if you're wondering where Fujimoto is, he's in the infirmary pretending to be sick," Shiruba said, turning back to Ami.

Takada looked affronted. "Dude, he was sweating and he hurled on the floor!"

"Yeah. The morning after the girls told us Rumi spent the rest of the night laughing her ass off. He's a good actor," Shiruba countered. Grinning at Ami, he scratched at his silver hair. "I mean, not as good as you, but…"

"Now I'm going to throw up," Masuda muttered aside to Ayato, making him smirk.

Shiruba feigned shock and offense. "What, you disagree?" he asked, blinking like a bemused owl. "You don't think she's a good actress?"

"What? No—"

Ami glanced at Masuda with just as much surprise. "You don't?"

Masuda momentarily broke into a baffled sweat, before reining in his cool. "I don't think, I know you're an extraordinary actress," he said firmly, earning a flushed smile from his friend. "I know that better than most, certainly better than he does."

Shiruba gave a loud scoff, turning Masuda's attention back to him.

"What turns my stomach," Masuda said calmly, "is your utter lack of subtlety—"

"Oh, my lack of subtlety? Mister 'Big Romantic Speech About True Love'? Like you aren't the most transparent gooey-eyed sap I've ever met—"

Shiruba and Masuda promptly delved into another petty argument. In Masuda's defense, Shiruba was making the most fuss out of the two of them, but it was enough of a fuss that Hejjiguchi and Kurimu were able to sneak away without Ami noticing. Ayato smirked, watching them slip away through the trees. Lucky for them Masuda was such a good wingman, intentional or not.

When he turned back to the group, he caught Nezumi looking at the same thing and shaking his head. They briefly met eyes; Nezumi mimed zipping his lips.

"Maybe they have the right idea," Yuri murmured in Ayato's ear. "Wanna sneak away?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He wasn't sure why the way she asked it made his face feel hot, but he was too grateful at the prospect of escape to linger over something so trivial.

As they were turning away, Hisakawa could be heard talking to Nezumi and Hirohashi in the background.

"We don't really feel like skiing today," said Hisakawa.

"Do you guys wanna come with us?" Saki asked. "We were gonna visit Fujimoto and then check out the arcade."

"Sounds good to me. Anything's better than listening to this all day," Hirohashi intoned.

Nezumi drew out a conflicted hum. "Ehhh… actually, I think I'm gonna stick with Shiruba today," he said, and laughed. "Don't know if you've noticed, but he needs all the help he can get."

"I dunno," Hisakawa said with the same uncertainty. "If you ask me—"

"Nobody asked you," Yuri said under her breath. Ayato couldn't help but grin at the way she hardly missed a beat.

"—his crush on Ami doesn't seem to be rooted in anything," Hisakawa went on, not hearing her. "At this point he seems like he's just kinda strutting like a peacock in front of the competition—"

"Hey, I'm the peacock. He's a cockatoo. Have you seen his hair?"

Rolling her eyes, Yuri guided Ayato away by the shoulder. "If I could just go twenty-four hours…"

"It's a big resort," Ayato reminded her, resting a hand on her arm. She calmed at his touch. "So, now that we're alone, what do you wanna do?"

That really wasn't meant to sound so flirty…

If Yuri noticed it like Ayato did, she didn't let on, only tapping her chin in thought.

"Dunno," she said, mulling over their options for a moment. "…Didn't Shiruba say they have a movie theater here?"

During the summer, Yuri and Ayato had never really gone to the movie theater together. They'd settled for the Nakamuras' couch, arranging themselves in various lazy or creative positions while trying to keep cool near the air conditioning vents. In the resort's darkened dine-in theater, Ayato and Yuri were just happy to get out of the cold. The cushioned seats, popcorn, and cocoa were welcome bonuses. Not to mention they nearly had the theater to themselves since most people were still on the slopes.

In this case, Ayato didn't blame them. He wasn't sure why a ski resort would play a movie like this one. Come on, a horror movie about teenagers getting stuck on a chairlift in the middle of the night? Forgotten and left for dead during a winter storm?

As it was, he was thankful for the mostly empty theater when he screamed at the wolf jump-scare after one of the kids fell off. Not even Yuri laughed at him, yelping with a jolt and clutching at his hand just as tight. But he'd forgive her for hogging three-fourths of the popcorn if she never mentioned his shriek to any of their friends.

(In fairness, he kept retreating every time they reached for a handful simultaneously and their fingers brushed.)

It was amusing, watching her gaze intently at the screen and eat popcorn faster whenever she was especially nervous. She caught him staring once and stopped before another piece could pass her lips. "What?"

"You're so invested," he said, snickering.

She bounced the popcorn off his nose. "Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not!" His grin grew wider.

"Watch the movie!"

"I am!" he insisted, still looking at her.

"Moron, you're watching me." Reaching out, she took his chin in her fingers and angled his head towards the screen. Another character was trying to maneuver his way to a lower chairlift. "Maybe he'll fall too. You'll like that."

Ayato settled back in his seat with a smirk. He'd missed pestering her like this…

After the final girl found rescue and the movie ended with her being taken to safety, he and Yuri walked out of the theater and back into the blustering cold, their coats still smelling strongly of butter. As they walked around the resort, Yuri hugged herself and shivered. "Ooh, I miss the hot springs right about now."

Ayato grinned and lifted his eyebrows at her meaningfully. "Well…"

With a gasp of scandalized laughter, Yuri gave him a little shoulder shove. "'Well,' what?" she demanded, scoffing.

"Nothing!" he said, laughing too. "I didn't say anything!"

"Yeah, right. I know how your disturbing little mind works." When they rounded another corner, her eyes brightened and she pointed a finger towards the chairlift with a grin. "So, are you ready to head back up there?"

"I think not," Ayato retorted with a shudder. "Very funny."

"It's not like it happens very often in real life…"

"Wires don't snap in real life?" he said incredulously. "Gears don't stop working in real life? They don't get stuck, or have a rust issue, or…"

"Not that often," Yuri repeated. "And besides, I also mean getting trapped up there for days. There's no way they wouldn't double-check each seat and be really meticulous about it, especially before a storm. Do you know how much trouble they'd be in if they made a mistake like that?"

"Still, I'd hate to be up there for too long," Ayato muttered. "I'm not a fan of heights."

"At least you'd probably be stuck up there with me," Yuri reasoned, and flashed him a cheeky smile. "Don't worry, Ayato, I'll protect you."

He snorted at the thought. "Please. You'd probably shake the chairlift on purpose."

"I would not!" she said indignantly. Then she reconsidered with a smirk. "Okay, fine, maybe a little."

"I thought so," said Ayato, playfully flicking at her nose with a gloved finger. "Who's the creep now?"

"Still you," Yuri singsonged.

A middle-aged woman shopping with her husband glanced over at them with a laugh as she passed. "Look, Kaito, it's us from thirty years ago."

"What do you mean? It's us now," the man said, and happily attempted to give her a noogie.

Ayato and Yuri stared at the couple and then back at each other, slightly embarrassed. Yuri backed up a step while Ayato rubbed awkwardly at his neck.

"We should probably go rescue Ami from the guys," Yuri said, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips.

"Yeah," Ayato murmured, though the sentence took a few seconds to fully register in his brain.

But just as they headed toward the ski lift, Ayato glaring distrustfully at the person running the operating mechanism, they heard a cry of recognition and looked up to see Ami and Masuda skidding down the trail. Ami did an admittedly skillful hockey stop and hurried to greet them, Masuda calmly following after her. Behind him, Shiruba reached the bottom three seconds later with Nezumi on his heels. Unlike Nezumi, who didn't seem to care, Shiruba looked annoyed at coming next to last.

"There you are!" Ami exclaimed. "Where were you two?"

"We decided to go watch some wolves eat a few teenagers," Ayato replied while keeping a completely straight face.

"There aren't any wolves in these mountains!" said Ami, defensively shrill.

He smiled at her. "Oh. Must've been a movie, then."

Yuri elbowed him with a grin, while Masuda simply bit his lip and shook his head. Nezumi, red-faced, was burying laughter into his sleeve.

"Aww…" Ami looked sad at the prospect of missing out on a movie. But then she regarded the two of them thoughtfully. "Well, I hope you two had a fun time. Did you at least see Souma and Kurimu down here?"

Ayato and Yuri glanced at each other and shook their heads innocently.

"I can honestly say we didn't," said Yuri.

Ami kicked at the snow despondently. "Aw, boo…"

"Forget him, Ami," said Shiruba. "He's as slippery as soap."

"He did mention something about wanting to go snowboarding this week," Ayato pointed out.

Yuri nodded. "He could've found a better spot for it."

Ami pursed her lips, brow knitted in uncertainty. "And Kurimu?"

A shrug from Yuri. "Maybe she didn't feel like skiing anymore either. Maybe she felt sick or had to go to the bathroom."

"Maybe she went off with a friend she likes better," Nezumi said lightly.

Ami shot him a withering look, while a wide-eyed Shiruba dragged a hand over his mouth to hide his reaction. "Not helping!"

"Dude, be cool," Shiruba said, side-eyeing him. Nezumi made a face and did a defensive half-shrug.

"I am cool…" he said morosely to the snow.

"Well, I don't understand why he couldn't do his snowboarding with us." Ami turned toward the rental kiosk, contemplating. "That does sound like fun."

She then looked at the rest of them hopefully, causing Shiruba to immediately fire a competitive glance at Masuda, and it was all Ayato could do not to roll his eyes heavenward with a sigh. Here we go again…

Masuda, who had studied the maps and brochures for this place extensively, informed everyone where the best snowboarding trails were. He and Ami promptly went to get the equipment at the rental kiosk and headed back up the mountain towards one in particular, with Shiruba hasty to follow. He'd wedged himself into the chairlift with them, so Nezumi shared one with Ayato and Yuri.

"Look at us," he said, settling back with a sigh. "The Bemused Bystanders Club."

(Personally, Ayato was surprised when he didn't do anything to swing the seat.)

"No sign of Souma-kun anywhere," Ami noted, shielding her eyes as she searched all around. This continued after they reached the top. "Nothing. I guess it's just the six of us, then."

"Not enough of an audience for you?" Nezumi asked.

Ami closed her eyes and smiled tightly. "I'm ignoring that for Shiruba-kun's sake," she said, keeping her voice sweet. "I'm not even going to comment on the irony of you making fun of someone for needing an audience."

Twisting his lips in amusement, Nezumi held up his hands and fell back into silence.

"Hey, Masuda, care to make things interesting?" said Shiruba, tapping his gloved fingers against his snowboard. "I bet I could crush you in a—"

"I'm sorry," Masuda cut him off, unimpressed, "did you just say you had a crush on me?"

"—crush you in a snowboarding race, you idiot!" he snapped, turning bright red. "Clean out your ears!"

Masuda eyed him with heavy skepticism. "Aren't you a bit new to skiing? Snowboarding might be too much for you. It requires more skill to learn, since you need more discipline and control over your whole body to navigate—"

"I see your lips moving but all I hear is a chicken squawking," Shiruba jeered. "C'mon, let's race! Unless you're afraid I'll embarrass you in front of Ami."

"A race?" Ami perked up, turning in their direction and clapping her hands. "That sounds like so much fun! Can I be the judge?"

"Sure, Ami!" Shiruba grinned at her. "You'll be the one to decide which one of us is your ultimate champion!"

Ayato looked over at Nezumi. "Are you responsible for this cornball?" he muttered aside to him.

"You are best friends with Souma Hejjiguchi," said Nezumi. "Glass houses, man."

Mortified, Ayato stiffened and crossed his arms. "We're not best friends…"

"Yes, but the association," Nezumi countered, then leaned in to whisper in his ear. "And why else would you be keeping his little secret?"

Ayato frowned. It was in his own best interest, and Yuri's as well, but he didn't have to explain anything to him. He moved closer to Yuri for safety, the tickle of Nezumi's voice in his ear leaving him feeling oddly flustered.

Somewhat begrudgingly, Ayato ended up leaving Yuri at the top and following Nezumi and Ami on his skis as they snowboarded down ahead of Shiruba and Masuda, halfway down the trail to a flatter expanse of snow. There was enough space for the racers to stop, though if they were really feeling it and keeping up the momentum, they could keep going and take it all the way to the bottom. Someone had to stay up there and tell the racers when to go, and make sure no one cheated. Despite her being Masuda's friend, Shiruba and Nezumi both agreed Yuri had a strong sense of justice and would be less biased than Nezumi.

"Racers, on your marks!" Ami yelled up the hill. "Get set…"

"Go!" Yuri called from the top.

The boys set off. Or Ayato assumed they did. It took a while for them to come into view. But by the time they did, Masuda had a commanding lead, moving swift and agile down the snow in a comfortable but focused stance. Shiruba was shaky but determined, gaining on him as he fought for control of his board.

Once he achieved it, he wasn't bad, his main flaw being that he kept looking over at Masuda as if willing him to lose his perfect balance and fall. His attempts to conjure telekinetic powers were fruitless, and Masuda merely looked back at him for a moment before pushing ahead. Probably sparing him a smug smirk, though Ayato couldn't tell, he was possibly just projecting.

A bump in the path tested both their skills. Masuda conquered it with ease, sailing into the air and perfecting a little flip trick with his board before landing it smoothly. Ami screamed in amazement, cheering loudly for him. "ALRIGHT, MASUDA!" she shouted through megaphone hands, before lowering them to clap.

Ayato could hardly comprehend what he'd just seen. As he clapped along with her, flabbergasted, he heard Nezumi curse in disbelief, glancing from Ami to the racers and twisting his mouth in sympathy. Shiruba managed to launch off the bump with good form, hardly wobbling when he landed, but it was a sorry encore. All the same, Ami and Nezumi both cheered their approval. "You got this, man!" Nezumi hollered. "SHOW HIM!"

It was enough of a boost that within seconds Shiruba and Masuda were neck and neck, but it didn't last long. Masuda turned faster, more effortlessly at a curve with a tree and kept going, flying off another bump and cutting his board across the snow with a cloud of white powder spraying majestically behind him. Shiruba didn't crash into the tree but his turn was a little sloppier, slowing him down, and by the time he made it over the bump he ran right into the storm Masuda just kicked up.

Shiruba made it through, sputtering, but by then Masuda was surging towards the finish line. By the time he gained his own momentum back it was too late. No "winner by a nose," no contest, no question. Ami had waved her red scarf flag for Masuda. Shiruba skidded through a second or two after.

Moving to the far side of the trail so as not to block the center, Masuda grinned as he accepted squealing praise and even a powerful congratulatory hug from an excited Ami. Yuri, who had given the boys a safe head-start, finally made it to the bottom on her skis, her face shining with pride for her friend.

Following Yuri, Ayato headed over to join in on the congratulations, feeling a bit prideful himself. A few feet away, Nezumi shrugged with a sympathetic grin and made a move to go console his own friend.

But Shiruba evaded him as if he wasn't even there, stomping through the snow and coming at Masuda fast with his gold eyes ablaze.

"That was sabotage! You cheated!" he burst out, barely acknowledging Ami as she startled and backed out of his way.

"I beg your pardon?" Masuda said, barely blinking at him.

"Don't play dumb with me – your little snow blast got in my eyes! I know you did it on purpose!" Shiruba stepped even closer, getting in his face. "What's the matter, Masuda? Can't play fair? Can't handle a little healthy competition?"

Masuda's brows rose a notch as he studied Shiruba's furious expression. "Can't you?"

"Me? I can handle it just fine! You just couldn't handle me," Shiruba said, poking him in the chest and not tearing his eyes away from Masuda's. "How 'bout a rematch, huh? Think you have it in you or are you too afraid to press your luck? Even with your little trick back there, you needed all your strength just to barely win against me."

Ayato was beginning to feel inexplicably embarrassed – not just secondhand embarrassment for Shiruba, but like he was intruding on something, witnessing something he shouldn't. Confused, he leaned over to Yuri. "Alright, what is going on?"

"I think they're about to kiss," Yuri whispered back, baffled. Nearby, Nezumi's eyes had also widened considerably.

True enough, Masuda was visibly aware of how close Shiruba was standing to him. "I beat you fair and square. The least you can do is lose gracefully."

"You got the square part right," said Shiruba, looking him up and down. "You think you're so hot, don't you? With your chiseled jaw and your biceps and your perfect hair. She's not shallow enough to fall for that romance novel crap. You think if you act all deep and mysterious you can get away with anything, but I can see right through you…"

Masuda's features and voice grew stern. "Get out of my face."

Shiruba took another step closer, so close that they were a breath away from each other, their noses practically touching. "Make me—"

He cut himself off with a low cry as two hands shot out and shoved him hard. Too caught up in the argument, Shiruba never heard the quick and heated bootsteps in the snow, never noticed the irate look on his assailant's face, never even saw him coming. He only stumbled with a yelp, toppled precariously at the edge, and rolled down the side of the slope, picking up extra coats of snow along the way.

Yuri and Ayato hastened to the edge to get a better look, joining Masuda and Ami in their bewildered gawking. Shiruba was still rolling and making disoriented sounds, looking more and more like a human snowman. Ayato was impressed; he didn't know this kind of thing happened in real life. They all turned their heads silently to stare at Nezumi, who was still watching in detached fascination, his fists now clenched at his sides.

"Thanks," Masuda said, allowing a small smirk to creep across his lips.

Nezumi finally cast him a side-glance, his expression changing to a mask of indifference. As if it could make any of them forget how pissed he'd looked just a minute ago. The flare of fury that had crossed his face, his dark eyes glinting with frustration just before he stormed at his friend and made the damning shove.

"Didn't do it for you," he said, then dropped his snowboard on the snow. "I'm gonna head back down there. As if he cares."

With that, he got on the board and kicked off, in a rather lackluster journey down the rest of the trail. No tricks, no showboating, just walking away as soon as he reached the bottom.

Behind them, Ayato, Yuri, Masuda, and Ami heard muttered cursing and the rustling of snow. When they turned around, Shiruba was trekking back up the side of the hill, shaking off his snow-encrusted hair and coat as best he could.

"Alright, what the hell was that?!" he demanded, still wide-eyed and fuming as he searched left and right. "Why'd you—I—" He paused, wrath giving way to confusion. "Wait, where'd he go?"

"Back to the lodge, I think," Ayato replied.

"Or the arcade," Ami chimed in. "I mean, that's where Saki and Hisakawa and the guys were gonna be, right?"

Shiruba looked upset. "What's the matter with him? He pushes me down a hill and then he ditches me?"

"Maybe he was tired of tagging along and watching you embarrass yourself," Masuda said matter-of-factly.

"You were being a little over the top," Ami was gentle in pointing out. Maybe she'd already forgiven him because being turned into an abominable snowman in front of everyone was punishment enough.

"But watching me embarrass myself is his favorite thing!" Shiruba cried, his upset increasing. Ayato couldn't tell what wounded him more, the shove or his friend's absence. His question was answered when Shiruba went to fetch his snowboard. "I'm gonna go find him," he said decisively, getting on his board. "I'm gonna find him, I'm gonna figure out what the hell his deal is, and then I'm gonna kill him."

"Kill who?" came Hejjiguchi's voice from behind. He skidded to a stop on his snowboard, spraying more snow on Shiruba. His eyes bugged. "Oh my god, yeti!"

Shiruba frowned at him. "You two really are cut from the same cloth, aren't you?" he scoffed. Then he turned to the others with a more humbled expression. "I'll see you later, Ami. Sorry."

Leaving on that note, he got into position and pushed off, determination and lingering outrage propelling him down towards the resort.

The long silence that followed left Hejjiguchi looking rather impressed. "So, what'd I miss?" he asked, searching everyone's faces.

In a rare moment of solidarity, Ayato looked over at Ami and managed a conspiratorial smile. "Oh, you had to be there."

A/N: More soon, I hope!

Preview:

"Ugh, KARAOKE?"

"Oh, give him a chance!"

"Are you calling me one-dimensional?"

"That's going to kill your eardrums one day."

"He's two months older."

"I can't believe I never figured it out."

"You can't even say it!"

"Is he messing with me?"

[Chapter 44]: Brothers and Mothers.