Hello!

I think I'm going to into monthly updates for this story. I would have posted just a bit earlier, but two things happened. First, the first year anniversary of my great-grandmother passing. I got a bit depressed because she was my favorite relative and I take so much after her. Second, my grandfather died earlier this month due to lung cancer. He lived much longer than expected, by the way. He may have lived much longer if family drama had not happened. Anyways, I went out of town for half a week for the funeral and was out of it for a few days after returning. I'm fine now, though.

Anyways, some lighter news:

WE HAVE A DISCORD!

Well, I'm part of a Sns discord. I didn't make it. It was birthed from Tumblr, which I'm pretty sure a lot of people dropped after it being gutted. If you want to join, the link is down below!

/JSw8zEq (I realized that FFN sucks at links but whatever.)

Anyways, Earworm Time!

"Prayer Emoji" by Weirddough.

"RPG" by Kill Bill: The Rapper and Rav.

"Divine" by BLVK.

See you at the end for my notes. (Or not.)


Two months.

They had almost two months until the trip back home.

Already a week had passed since the video call with his father, and Isami thought they were making good time with some things. Megumi had sent the letter to her mother a couple days ago, deciding that she should write it herself in the end. Of course, he was fine with the choice. She knew her mother best, after all. Now all they could do on that is play the waiting game.

There were other things that Isami thought he was doing no-so great.

Like the first date.

He knew that they needed to have at least a couple of official dates before he took her home to his parents. His mother and grandmother were somehow love experts, meaning that they could find details in relationships with very little clues. They were bound to find out how late he was in taking Megumi out, so he hoped that if he came with some date stories he won't be scolded as harshly.

He had also insisted to be the one to pick the location of their first date. It felt proper to do so, after all.

But where should he take the girl that could travel anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat?

For help, he decided to go to Isshiki. Not only was the senior aware of their relationship, he seemed to have more experience when it came to appeasing females. He managed to catch the eccentric third year alone on afternoon in the garden after coming home early due to a canceled class.

"You mean you guys have gone this long without a first date?" Isshiki had asked incredulously once Isami had explained his predicament. "The next thing you're going to tell me is that you slept with her before even asking her out."

Isami was smart enough to not comment about that very true statement.

"Anyways," Isshiki continued on to his relief. "There are several events going on around the neighboring towns from what I heard. That might give you some ideas if you want to look them up."

"I did." Isami must have looked even more miserable because the senior went on.

"Look at them again, this time without the 'It has to be perfect' perspective. You should know that Megumi doesn't like over-the-top things, even if she gets stuck in the middle of them a lot."

"That does happen often for her." Isami hummed.

"As long as you guys have fun the location doesn't matter." Isshiki reminded him.

Isami took his advice and revisited the event list he had. This time, some of them seemed like they were much more of an option now than earlier. He also saw some permanent locations that could work as well, like parks. He actually played with the idea of a picnic in the park. Autumn was the best time to be outside with its cooler temperatures and the beautiful scenery.

However, he had to abandon that idea because of two problems.

The biggest one was the one he was going to have with any decision, which was how he and Megumi were going to sneak out for a whole day and not get questioned by anyone. It would be harder to do so with cargo. They would have to leave early in the morning to avoid most of their dormmates.

The second reason was because he still had problems with his cooking. Everything he made still had that missing element. Megumi deserved something that he had spent his best efforts on, and he was not up to the task in his current state.

So, whatever he decided on had to be during the day, easily excusable, in his budget, and wouldn't rely on his cooking. At least he had some more flexibility in his budget because his father had wired him some extra money with a note telling him to 'go somewhere nice'. Other than that, he was still stuck on where to go.

"Either think a bit more or tell me directly because I'm tired of hearing bits and pieces of your thoughts." Takumi's complaint brought him back to the present. Panicking, Isami severed the unintended link with such abruptness that Takumi visibly winced.

"Sorry." Isami mumbled. "How much did you hear?"

"It was only a few seconds of scattered words. Not enough to know exactly what, though."

"Okay" Isami sighed. He leaned forward in the chair and placed his arms on Takumi's desk. He had tagged along as usual after their last classes to the Elite Ten office. Kinokuni was in the office alone when they got there, but other than a greeting she didn't really talk to them.

"So, what's wrong?" Takumi asked.

"Nothing." It was the truth. Nothing was wrong in a bad way.

"Oh, really?" The blond paused in whatever paperwork he was doing and fully stared at his twin. "So, I guess you being almost out of it all day and the accidental telepathy was the result of 'nothing?'"

"Well, it's nothing bad…"

"So, there is something on your mind?"

"There's always something on my mind, Nii-chan. I make up from when you don't." Kinokuni chuckled as a long sigh escaped Takumi. Isami thought he had managed to get the subject dropped.

"You're trying to avoid the question."

Damn. He was caught.

But before Takumi could press any further, the door to the office opened and a very familiar redhead came inside the office.

"Oh, you guys are here, too!" Yukihira grinned as he made his way towards his desk.

"Well, I am part of the Elite Ten." This was one of the moments Isami was relieved that all of Takumi's focus never failed to be on Yukihira the moment he was aware of the First Chair's presence.

"It's only natural." Kinokuni added.

"I'm glad you guys are here." Yukihira sat down and frowned at the stack of papers he had. "I was afraid that I might be alone in the office today."

"No Megumi?" Takumi inquired about the redhead's constant companion. Yukihira shook his head.

"She seemed weird today, like she wasn't all there. So, I told her not to worry about going with me to the office and go home as soon as she could."

"Oh?" Takumi looked back at Isami. "Isami has been acting the same way." Isami could see the gears turning in his brother's head. Dread pooled in the brunet's stomach. Was this the moment that Takumi was going to figure out that something was going on between him and Megumi? Because Yukihira tipped him off?

"You're exhausted, too, Isami?" The redhead asked in disbelief.

"No." Isami answered, confused. "Why? Was Megumi exhausted?"

"Yeah. She seemed a little bit slower today and really unfocused. I wonder if it's because of her insomnia. But she usually isn't this bad."

Isami frowned. He and Megumi have been sharing the same bed the past few nights, but all they have been doing was cuddling and sleeping. She even seemed to be sleeping a bit more through the night. Why would she be as bad as Yukihira says?

"Where is she now?" Isami asked.

"On her way home. I walked her to her bike and I offered to go home with her, but you know how stubborn she can be and insisted that she would be fine and that I should go into the office. That's why I'm here." Yukihira shifted his glance back to his papers. "Even though I hated sending her off alone."

"You're smart enough to notice something wrong with her, but dumb enough to not go with her?" Kinokuni shook her head. "Dumbass-ery at its finest."

"Yukihira, you never send a woman in need off alone." Takumi reprimanded.

"I know, but I also learned to listen to a woman when they say 'no'." He glared at the both of them. "I told her to text me when she got home. And she left about ten minutes ago. If I don't hear from her within the hour, I'll text her."

The others reluctantly agreed. Even though Megumi did eventually send a message within the time limit, Isami still wasn't pleased. Maybe a few minutes passed after her message before he abruptly stood up.

"You're going to go check on her." Takumi stated, knowing exactly what he planned to do.

"Yup."

"Don't tell her you heard anything from me." Yukihira begged. "She'll get upset that we're worrying about her."

"I won't. I'll just say Nii-chan told me to go without him."

"Go on without me." Takumi called out.

"And now I'm not lying." Isami chuckled before saying his goodbyes.

He got home a while later and immediately went upstairs to put his bag down and change into regular clothes before entering Megumi's room. It was what he always did, and she would be quick to notice him veering from his habits. It turned out to be a great decision because his girlfriend was sprawled out on his bed, already changed and sleeping. A smile crept up Isami's face at the sight. He quietly did what he intended to do before sitting at his desk and texted Takumi that Megumi was asleep. He stayed at his desk until Takumi texted him again to tell him he and Yukihira were on their way back. Thinking it was a smart idea to wake her up before they got back, he went to his bed.

"Luna." Isami shook her shoulder gently until her golden eyes opened and she lifted herself up.

"Isami." She yawned. "When did you get home?"

"Maybe about two hours ago?"

"Two hours?" She repeated before she winced, her hand flying to the side of her head.

"You okay?" Isami asked in concern.

"Yeah. Just a headache." Her other hand patted around the bed for her phone. "The nap helped a bit." She added once she found it.

Isami hummed. "Are you going to take something for it?"

"I should be fine."

Isami hummed, not convinced. He could see why Yukihira was concerned. He called her name and grabbed her head once she faced him. He placed his forehead on hers. She felt a little warm, but not to the point to be too concerned yet. He leaned back to properly look at her face. She still looked sleepy, which was justifiable since she woke up, but he had woken up with her many times to know that this time was different. He thought about what Yukihira said again.

"I wonder if you're getting sick." He finally said. Megumi shook her head, which turned out to be a bad idea for her.

"It's just a headache and I'm tired." She insisted while clutching her head again. "One of them is causing the other. But if it makes you happy, I'll take some medicine."

"Thanks." Isami said, making a mental note to sleep in her bed tonight to watch her.

Again, his decision turned out to be the right one.

He woke up in the middle of the night because he was hot. One curious hand on Megumi's forehead a minute later told him why. He didn't need a thermometer to know that she had finally developed a fever.

"Luna, you're definitely sick." He whispered as he caressed her cheek."

"I guess you were right." She mumbled back, pulling the covers closer to her.

"I'll be back." Isami promised as he slid out of bed. He threw on his tank top before going downstairs to the medicine cabinet. He was digging for something to use as a compress when Fumio caught him.

"Thought I heard someone up." The dorm mother said. "Something wrong?"

"Megumi has a fever." Isami explained.

"Hm. She did seem a little off this afternoon." Fumio said. "I'll come up with you to check on her."

Megumi was a shivering ball in the middle of her bed by the time they came back. Fumio had brought the thermometer after all and took Megumi's temperature. She tsked once she saw the numbers on the screen.

"It's a fever, all right. No way you're going to classes tomorrow." She made Megumi sit up and take some more medicine. Once she settled back down, Isami place the compress on her forehead.

"I suggest sleep in your own bed for the rest of the night, boy." Fumio said. Isami gaped at her, too shocked to even ask how she knew. The dorm mother seemed to know what he was thinking, though. "I might be old, but I'm not blind. I can see how close you two have become over the last few months. I can see the looks you guys send each other when you think no one else is looking. Plus, there's no way you could have known about her fever unless you were in the same bed and I see two phones on the nightstand."

"We're caught." Megumi mumbled and Isami could see her face turn a little redder under the lamp light.

"You've done a good job of hiding it." Fumio chuckled. "It would be the talk of the dorm if the others knew."

"Isshiki knows." Isami chimed in.

"Not surprised."

"But we asked him to keep quiet. Other than our parents and you he's the only one who knows."

"Not even your brother?"

Isami shook his head.

Fumio hummed as her eyes shifted to the sick bluenette in bed. "I guess we can pick up this conversation after the both of you get well."

"Both?" Isami questioned. "Megumi's the only one sick."

"You're next, for sure, because of your relationship with her. I give it a day." The elder said with confidence. "Then it's up in the air between your brother and Soma since they're close to you two. Maybe it'll stop after them, since you're the only ones on this floor. Best case scenario is that it stops with you two." Her eyes shifted back to the brunet as she thrusted a water bottle and some medication towards him. "If you feel bad at all tomorrow, I want you to stay home, okay?"

Isami took the offerings and nodded.

"Good. Now let's leave Megumi to rest. Have a good morning." Fumio then left the room. Isami went to gather his phone and charger.

"You're going to get sick." Megumi whined after he kissed her cheek.

"It's too late for me." Isami replied. "So, worry about getting better instead."

Megumi hummed before closing her eyes. Isami took that opportunity to go to his room. Fumio's prediction started to come true later on that morning because he woke up exhausted with a terrible headache. He sure as hell wasn't going to school today, as even sitting up to turn off his alarm was a challenge. He took the medicine that was given to him earlier before he went under his blankets again to sleep.

"Isami?"

The brunet opened his eyes to Takumi standing in front of his bed in his uniform. He probably came up after not seeing Isami downstairs ready to go as well.

"Hey, Nii-chan." Isami mumbled. "I don't think I'm going to school today. Go on without me."

Takumi placed a hand on his twin's forehead. "Oh, no. Not you, too." The blond moaned.

"Hm?"

"Fumio sent a message saying that Megumi got sick overnight."

"Oh." Isami hadn't even bothered to check his messages.

"No wonder you were acting weird yesterday. You were getting sick. I'm sorry for not noticing sooner."

"I was fine yesterday." Isami cut him off. Takumi walked over to his nightstand.

"I see that you took medicine already."

"I went to get them last night."

"You've been sick since last night? You just said you were fine yesterday? Why didn't you tell me?"

"No."

"'No'? No to what? I'm confused."

"Too loud." Isami hissed, covering his head with his blanket. He was not in the mood for any questioning.

"Oops. Sorry." Takumi lowered his voice.

"Please go to class, Nii-chan. I don't need you to get sick as well. He couldn't see his brother's expression, but he could tell by the grunt that Takumi did not fully agree with the idea. "I won't be alone this time, remember?"

"Fine. But I will be back as soon as I can." Isami grunted a reply, not taking the blankets off his head until he heard the door close. He didn't take long to fall back asleep.


Isami was in a desert this time.

How did he get here? Wasn't he in a forest last time? How did he get so far?

He vaguely remembered the sun and moon, but when he looked up all he could see were thick clouds. He knew they were there, for he could see in front of him. Not that there was anything to look at. It was just sand and sky.

He sunk to his knees. Why was it so cold? Aren't deserts supposed to be hot? It made no sense. Nothing made sense.

All he knew now were clouds, cold, and the sand he was sinking into…


"Wake up, kid."

"So much sand…"

"Sand? That fever really is talking now, isn't it?"

"Cold…"

"No, don't fall back asleep just yet. You need to drink something. Come on. Good…"


He had to move.

Slowly, he lifted himself up. The sky was still cloudy, the cold still trying to seep into his bones.

But he started walking. He had no idea where to go, but he had to keep moving.


"Has he eaten anything at all?"

"I got him to drink some tea and water, but he hasn't eaten anything but medicine. All he's been doing is sleeping."

"My poor little brother."

"I advise to let him be for now. I don't want you to get sick as well, and it does seem that his fever is starting to go down."

"Okay…"


He had reached an oasis.

Everything was still cloudy and he had no idea how he came to this pool, but he wasn't complaining, It gave his eyes something to look at, and as he got closer he could feel heat coming from the water.

He rolled right into the water, clothes and all. Heat immediately wrapped around him. He let out a sigh of relief, letting his body fall further into the warmth…


The first thing Isami noticed when he woke up was how dark his room was.

Confused, he sat up, which turned out to be a bad decision because he was suddenly hit with the urgency to pee.

He nearly fell out of bed to get to the bathroom. He met no one in the hall as he went and returned.

When he got back, he went to check the time on his phone. It was past one in the morning. The last thing he had remembered was Takumi coming into his room just before school. Had he slept the whole day and most of the night? He checked all the messages that he had missed. Fumio had sent that Megumi was sick early in the morning, and the next messages consisted of shock and well wishes to her. Then he saw Takumi had sent that Isami had gotten sick as well and even more shock and well wishes came through, this time to the both of them. Fumio had also been kind enough to send updates of their condition every few hours.

Megumi's fever went up a bit from last night. She's awake and ate a little bit. Isami is asleep and his temperature is okay for now.

Megumi's fever went down, but it's not down enough. Isami's fever finally hit hard and he's still asleep.

Megumi's temperature went up again. No change in Isami.

Megumi's fever went down again. Got her to eat and drink a bit. Isami's high fever steady and I had trouble keeping awake long enough to drink something. He keeps mumbling about sand.

Isami chuckled, embarrassed at the comment. Finally, around ten at night, good news came for both of them.

Megumi's fever broke. She's now eating a lot more. Isami's has gone down a bit, but he's still asleep.

Megumi sent a message less than an hour later.

I'm sorry for making everyone worry.

Of course, she was comforted by the next messages. After that, Fumio sent the latest update from around an hour ago.

Megumi is now sleeping peacefully. Isami's fever went down more and seemed slightly more accepting of liquids.

Isami suddenly felt very thirsty. He looked towards his nightstand, smiling when he saw a thermos by him. He drained the container of water before typing a message on his phone.

I live. But I'm going back to sleep. Night.

He woke up to Takumi visiting him, this time in plain clothes and with food. Isami's stomach growled as soon as the smell hit him.

"How are you feeling?" Takumi placed the tray on the nightstand.

"Hungry, mostly." Isami eyed the covered meal. Takumi chuckled before uncovering the dish and pushed the bowl closer to him. "Pastina?" Isami asked once he saw the simple pasta soup. "How early were you up?"

"As early as usual for running days." Takumi replied. "Yukihira helped me."

"Oh?" Isami said through the food. It had some chicken and vegetables and he could taste the parmesan cheese. "I'm surprised you allowed him to help you with such a simple meal."

"I told him I was making something to help you and Megumi feel better and he wanted to help." Takumi explained. "I couldn't really say no to that."

"You made some for Megumi as well?"

"Well, she's sick, too. It would be rude to not make some for her." Takumi frowned. "Why do you sound so surprised? I'm not heartless."

Isami smiled around the spoon in his mouth. "I know, Nii-chan. Thank you."

Soon after Isami finished his meal, Takumi kicked him out of bed to go in the shower.

"You were sweating all day yesterday." The older twin said. "You stink because of it." When the brunet came back after a longer-than-usual shower, he noticed that his bed had been changed but his brother was nowhere to be seen. The reason for his sudden disappearance soon showed itself when Takumi appeared again, dressed and ready for school.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Takumi said. "There's an Elite meeting after class and I don't know how long that will take."

"I'll be fine." Isami assured him. "Thank you." After his brother left, Isami decided to go back to sleep for the time being. He woke up when Fumio came to check on him again and instead of going back to sleep he decided to watch movies on his projector. His door opened again, but this time it was a pajama-clad Megumi clutching an overstuffed rabbit in her arms.

"Hey." He smiled as she completely entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"So much better than yesterday." She replied. "You?"

"Same."

"I'm really sorry." Megumi bowed. "I gave you my cold and worried you."

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize. It was bound to happen." Isami assured her.

Megumi hummed before looking up at the ceiling. "You're watching 'Lady and the Tramp'?"

"Yup. You want to join me?" Megumi nodded and climbed into his bed. The brunet reached over to rewind the movie.

"You don't have to do that." Megumi told him but Isami shrugged it off.

"I wasn't that far into the movie. Plus, I'll never get tired of my favorite movie."

"This is your favorite movie?"

"Well, mine and Takumi's." The male chuckled. "I remember we would play this movie for hours and hours for days. Sometimes, our copies would go "missing" for a week or so, but I think one of the adults would hide it just to have a break from it."

Megumi giggled. "I feel so bad for them."

"You should feel bad for us." Isami playfully whined. "Do you know how much we suffered that week? All we had to watch were the hundred or so other movies we owned."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." The bluenette laughed.

"You don't sound like you are."

Isami heard her sigh before she shifted and kissed him. "How about now?" She asked, her amber eyes still shining with laughter.

"Fine, I believe you now."

"Is there a particular reason why you love this movie?" Megumi asked. The movie had already started to play again but Isami ignored it.

"Yup! I was inspired to play the accordion by this movie."

"You play the accordion?" His girlfriend asked in amazement.

"I know I told you that I played an instrument."

"You have, but I don't think you told me specifically which one."

"Well, I'm disappointed in myself for not telling you any of this." Isami frowned. How come he hadn't said anything about this until now?

"It's okay. Part of a relationship is to learn new things about each other." Megumi told him.

"True."

"So, tell me. How did this movie make you want to play the accordion?" She sat up a bit to give him her full attention.

"You know that spaghetti scene?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think I was about five when I first saw the movie. Even though the romantic stuff flew over my head, I fell in love with the music that was playing in the scene. I know I heard the accordion before then, but it was the first time I made the connection that those sounds were coming out of that cool looking instrument." Isami grinned sheepishly. "I do admit I was probably the main reason the movie was taken away a few times because I would play that little part over and over again until Takumi would want to see more of the movie or I was called to do something. Pretty soon, I started to bother my parents to let me have one."

Megumi chuckled and Isami looked up at the ceiling, spotting the perfect opportunity to point something out.

"That's the reason Takumi likes this movie." He gestured at the little black dog in the movie. "He fell in love with Jock and started begging for a dog like him."

"So both of you were asking your parents constantly for your respective things?"

"Pretty much."

"I remember Takumi talking about his dog a few times. I'm guessing he got his wish."

"Yeah, he got his little Scottish Terrier for our seventh birthday. Acts like him, too." Isami mumbled, remembering the feisty and somewhat temperamental dog.

"Did you get yours as well? I mean, accordion?"

"I got enrolled in lessons the year before. My parents wanted to see if I would keep up the effort before anything, which I did. They gave me one for our eighth birthday. I used to bring it with me to Totsuki, but I stopped after my last year in middle school because I heard the high school division was tough."

"Ah." Megumi smiled. "It would have been nice to hear you play it."

"I'll play it for you if you come over for the holidays." Isami promised. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too rusty.

Their attention soon went back to the movie. Megumi had her head on his chest when his favorite part came on the screen. He started to hum softly to it before remembering that he currently had a dozing female on him.

"Please don't stop." She told him quietly. "I like your singing."

Isami blushed but continued his humming, this time watching the smiling bluenette on top of him.


"So, are you going to give me another hint on where we are going?"

"When did I give the first one?" Isami asked, turning away from the train window to look at his girlfriend.

"Well, when you told me about planning on going out today, you told me to dress for the weather..." Megumi pulled at her oversized beige sweater. "…and to wear comfortable shoes…" She then pointed at her boots. "So, I'm guessing that we are going to be doing a lot of walking outside."

"You're too smart." He chuckled.

"Do I deserve another hint because of my detective work?"

"No, because those weren't supposed to be hints in the first place." He squeezed the hand he was holding when her face fell into a pout. "Patience, Luna. You'll see soon enough." Megumi hummed, but didn't press any further. Isami took the moment to stare back out the window, his mind drifting off as he admired the unobstructed morning sunlight.

It was a few days after they had gotten the all-clear from Fumio. The dorm mother had kept them home for two days after their fevers had broken just to be safe and had not been too happy to see Megumi curled around Isami that first day.

"This is why you guys got sick in the first place." She had told them.

She made no effort to separate them, though. Thankfully, no one else had gotten sick in the dorm, which Isami had found just a bit odd. Usually, if he or his brother got sick, the other one would fall ill as well. This time Takumi came out perfectly healthy. After thinking about it and even bringing it up with Takumi, he came to the conclusion that because the blond had not needed to take care of him as much this time he had managed to stay away enough to not catch his cold. Yukihira also escaped Fumio's prediction, despite the amount of time he had spent with Megumi.

Isami had to figure out what to do to thank Fumio for all her time one day.

Speaking of figuring out, all that time in his room by himself gave him an opportunity to think on where to take Megumi for the date. He finally settled on something on the day before he could go back to school. Once he was able to, he told Isshiki about it.

"Do you want me to cover for you when you guys leave?" The senior had offered. Isami told him that he needed to ask Megumi if she was busy before he could answer that question. Luckily, it was a weekend day so they had no school. The bluenette also had no plans and eagerly agreed to the date. Isami then gave the go-ahead to Isshiki to do whatever he wanted to do to cover for him. The story that all three of them eventually came up with was that Isshiki had sent them off to do some task in a neighboring town. It was such a vague reason, but because Isshiki had a reputation of doing mysterious things it would sound normal coming from him.

"What are you going to do about Takumi?" Megumi had asked.

"He's actually the least of my worries this time." Isami said confidently. "Remember, he thinks I have a crush on you and would do anything to further our relationship, including leaving us alone."

Their exit had gone smoothly. They had left for the train station around five thirty in a car, just a bit before the early risers would leave their rooms. They caught their train in time, and as their destination was about an hour away, they were able to snooze on the train. Well, Megumi did. Isami was a bit too nervous to do anything past closing his eyes. Finally, the train stopped at the station that they needed to get off at. The autumn wind hit the both of them as they exited, causing him to pull the strings of his dark hoodie tighter. All his jackets were big on him right now, as he was taking a bit longer than usual to get back to his normal winter weight. Megumi, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the sudden wind. It wasn't surprising, since she had grown up much further north than he had.

They did a little sightseeing as they made their way to the goal. They paused by a bakery, the smells reminding them that they had not eaten breakfast. It was still early enough to not be starving but it still didn't stop them from enjoying the scents wafting from inside.

"It's closed right now, anyways." Isami gently nudged the bluenette away from the store. "We'll get something at the park."

"Oh, we're going to a park?" Megumi grinned. Isami chuckled.

"That's all you're getting until we get there."

Luckily, it did not take long for them to reach the park. They ended up following a group of people the last few blocks, no doubt going to where he was heading. Once they reached it, Isami held Megumi back.

"Any final guesses?" He asked.

"Hm… Judging by the many pop-up stands, the smell of food in the air, and the crowd, I'm guessing that this is a festival?"

"Yeah. An art one, specifically. From what I read this town likes to hold an art festival for every season and many kinds of artists come here to show and sell their work."

"That sounds cool!" Megumi exclaimed, dispelling whatever worry he had about her not liking it.

"Great." He sighed in relief as he took a guide and some bags from the people handing them out.

The park was huge, Isami soon realized. It was probably the size of the town itself. It was a good thing that it was because there were so many artists. They ran into the original drawings and fanart, where they brought a few things from. There were also a couple of booths ran by sculptors, which had hands-on stations so that they could try to make their own clay things. Isami had opted to make a mug.

"I think I did a good job?" Megumi questioned as she showed her creation to him.

"Nice bowl." He said. It was the wrong answer because her face fell into a pout.

"It's supposed to be a flowerpot."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry. I see how it looks like a bowl."

While their stuff was baking, they explored more of the festival. Even though they had decided to get food after they saw everything, one particular booth made Isami stop.

"Maple Leaf Tempura?" He looked at Megumi quizzically. "Is that common in Japan?"

"I never heard of it, either." Megumi shrugged. They both went closer, and the older vendor gestured to them to try it. She gave them a piece. It was no doubt a maple leaf fried in batter. Isami flipped it around. Were maple leaves edible? He never realized that they were. He bit into it, relishing the crunch between his teeth.

"It's sweet!" Megumi beamed.

"We add sugar to our batter." The woman said.

"It's great." Isami said. "I never would have thought that you could fry up something like this."

"The recipe has been in my family for generations. It's a specialty in our town. I think we're the only ones who do it now in all of Japan."

"No wonder I've never heard of it." Megumi looked back at her boyfriend. "We have to take so back to Totsuki for our friends."

"Oh! You guys are from Totsuki?" The vendor asked. When the teens nodded, she continued. "I heard that school is tough on cooking."

"It is, but it's worth it." Isami told her.

After promising that they would be back before they went home, they continued on, admiring all the pieces and the live talent that was happening. They even took a small break by watching a dance. It was when they finally got to the end of the lines of stalls that Megumi let out a squeal. It was so out of the blue that Isami instinctively braced himself. However, when he saw her run towards a booth that seemed to be selling stuffed objects he relaxed. He walked up to her as she began a conversation with the vendor.

"Did you make these yourself?" He heard Megumi ask.

"I have helpers, but they are all handmade." The young male behind the counter answered. "I run a small business so I'm able to get a few of each design here."

Isami picked up a small stuffed…carrot? Yeah, it was a stuffed carrot with a cute smile on the front of it. He dropped it back in the bin in shock once he saw what Megumi had been drawn to.

It was a giant stuffed knitted acorn with a worried face on it. She held it out to him with both hands.

"Look how cute it is! And it's sooo soft! Feel it!"

"That thing is almost half your size." Isami chuckled as he squished part of it in his hand. Honestly, he thought Megumi felt much softer than this, but he kept the comment to himself for now since they were in front of people. "I'm guessing you want it."

The grin she gave him said it all. Shifting the acorn to an arm she started to dig in the handbag she had brought with her. But Isami was faster.

"How much is it?" He asked the booth keeper, wallet already in hand.

"You didn't have to pay for it." Megumi pouted on their way back to the pottery station. "You already paid for everything else."

"There was no entry fee, so I had enough money to do so. More than enough, actually. Besides, I'm the one taking you out, remember?" Isami replied.

"I'm paying for food, then. And don't you dare try to sneak in a payment." Her eyes flashed in warning, and Isami could swear he felt a dangerous aura start to form around her.

"Okay, I won't interfere."

The couple later found themselves relaxing on the grass in a quiet area of the park, sipping hot tea and eating rice dons and blueberry cobbler. The latter was actually from the bakery that they had passed by earlier, much to their delight.

"I'm having so much fun." Megumi told him between bites of food. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"You're welcome." Isami leaned on the tree behind him, waiting for a few minutes before he dug into the cobbler. "Honestly, I thought you wouldn't like it or get bored."

"Why?" She asked while eating the last few bites of her rice.

"Because you have been to so many great places and experienced so many things. How does something like a small art festival, or anywhere I can currently take you compare to that?"

Megumi set the bowl down. "I may have been to many foreign places, but at the end of the day I'm still a simple country girl. I'm not insulting myself by saying that. It's just how I was raised. Something like this is refreshing, and I feel so relaxed just sitting here with you enjoying nature and good food." She leaned over and kissed his cheek before settling down to eat her treat. Isami still didn't touch his, for he was far too busy watching Megumi enjoy hers.

And her smile was the best treat he could ever have.


First Section

-After thinking about it, this chapter starts in late-September/ early October.

-Let's have a countdown for how long it will take Isshiki to kill Isami. Place your bets!

-Twin powers activate!

- I have to remember that other Chairs exist, so Nene is kind of here. For plot? No. Just as a reminder.

-Gears in Takumi's head are turning so very slowly. Don't worry, it's not time yet. (I have plans.)

-Also, Soma makes Isami's blood pressure go up and down in this small section. Haha. Whoops.

-I wonder if 'Dumbass-ery' is a word…

-Soma both fears for Megumi and fears Megumi. Also, brotherly support.

-Fumio knows all.

-Okay. Originally, I had planned to have the diner duo also get sick over the next few days and just have a meetup of the four of them watching movies in a room. While I was writing Fumio's speculation, that was still the plan. I think I got just a bit further before trashing that idea and going back to add the best-case scenario sentence. I think doing that would help set something up for later.

-I like to think when one twin is sick, the other one becomes a mother hen toward him.

-Fumio deserves all the love.

-"What do sick Italians eat?" was my Google search. Not surprised that it's still pasta. Simple pasta, but still pasta.

-Remember how I said that I was going to reveal Isami's instrument around four chapters ago? It took a little longer than expected, but here it is! I have no idea what I was thinking when I decided that he would play accordion, but I do remember trying to figure out what classic movie would have someone playing an accordion in it. Bella Note (Noche?) kept coming in my head and since I also see Takumi as a dog person that movie was perfect for the both of them. (If anyone wants to know, the Disney movie I played over and over as a child was "The Lion King.")

-I originally was going to give a bloodhound to Takumi like Trusty. But Jock is much more similar to my favorite blond, so Scottish Terrier it is!

Second Section

-There's not much to say about this section other than I had the same trouble as Isami did. I had no idea where to have them go for the longest time. (Probably why it took them so long to date in the first place.) For a while I was going to have them go to an anime convention, as I established their love for the subject. It was going to be an accidental date as they were going to invite Erina and Hisako to go along and they ended up not being able to make it so our main couple would go alone and avoid suspicion. Then I dropped adding those two and that Isami and Megumi were to just sneak out and go. Then I decided that a first date should be quieter and more intimate, so I downgraded to a small-town art festival. I had many more ideas for this first date, but I have decided to shelve them for now for future stuff.

-Also, the Maple Leaf Tempura actually exists. The video popped up in my Facebook feed and I wanted to share it with people.

Thanks for reading! See you next month!