She had trimmed her brown locks just before high school graduation, thrilled for the next chapter of her life to begin. She was ready to become a new person; independent and more responsible.

And yet, only she would accidentally sleep in on her first day.

The hallway was fairly quiet. Everyone else was already in their respective class. There were only the sounds of dragging shoe soles from lost freshmen still desperate to find their lecture halls.

Lost freshmen like Hiyori Iki.

It was only because the map of her college campus was completely useless. The layout was horrid, and the print was far too tiny to read. She let out a groan of frustration to herself and pulled the paper closer to her face to see.

What section of the building was she in again?

That was when her shoulder met with another person's arm going the opposite direction of her. The directory went flying out of her hands.

"Woah!" The other exclaimed, staggering back.

Hiyori quickly retrieved her guide off the floor in front of her. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

A girl with blonde hair and green eyes stared back at her, bewildered. She didn't know what expression she was giving, but Hiyori guessed the shock was mutual.

"Yama-chan!"

"Hiyori! I knew I recognized that aggressive stride anywhere!"

Hiyori laughed weakly as they both stood again. "Y-Yeah, sorry." She bowed slightly in apology. "I missed my alarm this morning, and now I can't figure out this ridiculous map."

Yama chuckled. "No way!" She said dramatically. "That's the first!"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "It's only day one."

Her gaze fell to the books in her friend's possession.

"Are you a student here too?" She asked, blinking in surprise. "I thought you said you were staying back with Ami-chan."

Yama shrugged. "Yeah. But if I left you behind, then you would be all alone. It's a lose-lose either way."

Hiyori thought for a moment. "I suppose you're right. Hopefully she isn't too lonely without us."

"Well maybe it's a good thing-" the blonde friend grabbed the college directory sheet out of her hands and waved it teasingly, "because you clearly need someone to help you through this maze of a campus."

The brunette chuckled in response. "Aren't you running late too?"

"Nope!" Yama announced proudly, putting a hand over her heart in a pledging manner. "I'm early! I have another half an hour before my class starts."

"Not me - I'm so late…" Hiyori groaned, her shoulders dropping.

"Well what's your class? Maybe I can help," her friend offered.

The brunette chuckled. "I guess I need the help, huh?"

Yama grinned and linked her arm around Hiyori's in return, tugging her in the other direction. "This way - I think."

. . . .

The door beeped, the handle turning with ease. She stepped inside and kicked her shoes off, hearing the door click and automatically lock again behind her.

She headed towards the kitchen, but was suddenly stopped in her tracks when she noticed raven-colored hair and a black tracksuit on the living room sofa.

That couch, as well as the living room - and the whole apartment - was once her brother's. Now, with Masaomi back home officially working alongside their father in the hospital, Hiyori took his old place and went to the same college.The only thing remaining that wasn't stillhis was the bedroom, where all of her belongings resided.

A pair of brilliant blue eyes met hers as he turned over his shoulder at her.

Hiyori felt her face warm at the sight of him there. She had not known he would be there, but of course, she should've expected a visit from the delivery god so soon. He had already known the way from when he and Yukine helped her carry boxes and unpack from the move-in just last month.

"Hiyori! You're back!" Yato exclaimed cheerfully, sitting up straight.

"R-right. Hello, Yato," she answered, releasing a weak laugh. Sweat ran down the side of her forehead.

Her attention drifted towards the living room. The television was on, the screen displaying the colorful graphics of whatever video game he had been playing. Her brother left that game console - and all its games behind. He'd said he was looking into buying a newer, better one once he gathered the money from working at the hospital.

She doubted anyone, including herself, would ever touch it. Until now, when the god had seemingly made himself comfortable for several hours while she was away.

Hiyori then noticed another controller abandoned on the coffee table.

"Is Yukine-kun here too?" She asked curiously, scanning the area.

Yato followed her gaze, eyes landing on the same spot as he came to her same realization as well.

"Oh, no - he left about an hour ago," the god answered, turning back to face the TV. "He said something about 'wanting to give you space.'"

"I see…" Hiyori answered.

The god had not changed since she first met him four years ago.

To think; at fifteen, she would be saving a man from an incoming bus. And now, at nineteen, he was eating potato chips on her couch in her apartment.

"So…," Hiyori smirked, placing her bag on a kitchen chair, "it's just us then?"

The smirk was evident in Yato's voice when he answered, suddenly losing interest in his video game and turned to see her over the back of the couch. "It would appear so…"

"Great!"

Suddenly, Yato was being handed a broom and shoved into a standing position.

"You can clean the mess you've made over here-" the god instinctively glanced down at the crumbs on the floor by the boots he neglected to leave beside the doorstep, "while I start dinner."

Yato groaned and sighed in defeat, taking the broom from her. "Alright, alright, fine."

Once the living room was tidy again, and dinner was ready, the two sat across from each other.

Yato took the first bite while Hiyori clapped her hands together and recited a quick prayer.

If that was how she behaved in front of the god after preparing the same meal she made for herself, then how much more could Yato get away with for Hiyori to continue praising him?

A cocky grin spread across half his face while he observed her. He cleared his throat before beginning a conversation.

"So," he started, "how was your first day?"

A soft giggle escaped her lips. The brunette finished her bite of noodles before she answered.

"Other than being late and getting lost to my first class?"

"Oh, that bad?" The god scoffed.

"Only if you consider it bad," she grinned.

"The Hiyori Iki was late to class?" Yato teased, smiling smugly. "What happened to that squeaky-clean record you've been holding yourself to?"

Hiyori rolled her eyes at his relentlessness. "I'm not a kid anymore. I can make my own decisions now. Including who I date."

Yato raised an eyebrow, pausing from his meal to lift a skeptical eyebrow in her direction. "Including… boys?"

"Including men," she corrected.

The blue-eyed god took a second to take in that information. Hiyori wasn't sure what emotion his silence was conveying, but she didn't want to pry.

What difference did "men" make from "boys"?

"Has anyone confessed their undying love? Have you given your phone number to any of them?" Yato asked, dramatically fanning his face with his hand.

"That's a strong accusation. Is it a god's duty to know of such things?" Hiyori fired back, probing him with her own smirk.

The corner of his mouth lifted in response. "Maybe it is," he replied, his low voice tingling Hiyori's spine.

If Yato didn't have her attention before, he definitely did now. She stared back at him with the same doey-eyed look. Her cheeks felt warm.

This part of their relationship was actually new. The flirty banter.

It must've started somewhere around the end of her senior year of high school - when Hiyori finally gave in to Yato's usual teasing. Out of sheer curiosity, she decided to test the waters and see what kind of result reciprocating his advances would have.

She didn't know when she finally stopped being so shy around him and surrendered to his charm. But Hiyori found herself unable to keep away from the god's appeal, and it became even more enjoyable to run with it rather than hide.

However, it was clear that Yato was intrigued by this recent development in their relationship. Everytime she would return his energy, his eyes grew with intensity, and his smile became twisted.

It was new. Exciting.

Hiyori didn't know where it was leading them, but she knew whatever it meant, things were progressing. She loved it.

She loved Yato, and she loved feeling close to him. Mentally, emotionally and physically.

Those things didn't seem as trivial or as embarrassing anymore. Intimacy was natural.

(Not that Hiyori would know anything about physical intimacy. She never even had her first - real - kiss.)

Once they both accepted it, the once-awkward air between them was replaced with a better tension. One that attracted each other and made it difficult to ignore.

However, they were careful not to participate in their secret feelings with any friends or family around. This only seemed to exclude strangers - the ones who they'd never see again anyway. Not anyone in Hiyori's or Yato's life had noticed their change in demeanor, or overheard their exchanges.

No one knew - no one had to know. No one else mattered when it was just the two of them in their own little world.

They liked it better that way.

What was more was how everytime she and Yato were accompanied by someone else, the playful atmosphere almost came to a pause. And Hiyori would find herself anticipating the switch back again once everyone had their backs turned. It was thrilling to dance around the risks, even if there weren't any serious consequences.

Maybe there was some teenage rebellion still trapped inside her. Barking at its own cage.

"And besides-" Hiyori began again, "I ran into Yama-chan, and she helped me get to my lecture hall."

"Ah, that's your blonde friend, right? I like her."

The girl broke into a small laughter. "You've never even met her!"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I've heard your stories about her. And seen her from afar."

Somehow, the imagery of her Far Shore friends interacting with her Near Shore ones was quite humorous. Maybe she could picture Yato and Yama getting along together.

Afterall, they were both just as dramatic and carefree.

Suddenly, there was another reason for Hiyori to like them both.

"Maybe you'll get to meet her someday," she thought aloud.

Yato hummed thoughtfully in return, still eating. "Maybe someday…" he echoed.

They finished the rest of their food in comfortable silence.