Chapter 12: Last Afternoon on the Beach

"So what happened?" Nanase asked, sitting on the beach with Ayano and Yukari.

"Yea how'd this all go down last night?" Yukari inquired.

"And why didn't you stay long enough to tell us!" Nanase added.

"Okay, look. I'm sorry I wasn't there Nanase but honestly…things got really awkward between us. He thought I was ignoring him, and I was just taking your advice so…"

"Wait, wait, what advice?" Nanase looked lost.

"The stuff you said about putting our walls up? Like me getting mad instead of accepting it, and him being such a flirt instead of showing serious emotion…" Ayano didn't like feeling so vulnerable. She mumbled her words, and itched to get out of the situation.

"Wow, I can't believe that all sunk in so deep…" Yukari added.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" She said with a tinge of accusatory anger.

"Haha, relax. I'm happy it worked out." Nanase smiled.

"Actually all of us might be going back to school with boyfriends this year." Yukari made a small squeal noise.

"Yea, now we don't need to bug Ayano so much, we'll be too busy with ours." Nanase leaned back onto her towel.

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourselves? I mean they didn't ask you yet…" Ayano said slightly irritated.

"Oh jealous because it took us only a few days Ayano?"

"What! No! But I mean-"

"Although I don't know if we'll end up with a nice necklace like Ayano's to show for it after." Yukari added. "He totally spoiled you!"

"Hey, but didn't my brother say he didn't see Kazuma in his room last night by the time we got back." Nanase looked a bit more serious.

"Yea, I remember Kenta went to go talk to him after we came back and he wasn't in there." Yukari nodded.

"Oh- uh- are you sure? I, I mean I'm… sure he was. He came back with me." Ayano tried to play it off.

"Nope definitely empty." Nanase grinned a little to Yukari.

"Wait, could this mean…" Yukari's eyes enlarged.

"AYANO!" They the proclaimed looked at her with large smiles.

"What? I'm sure he, uh, stepped out for a bit. He always is out on his balcony. I'm sure he just went for a little fresh air. I mean…nothing…happened if that's what your thinking…" She recalled the previous night and started to blush on accident. Most of what happened didn't seem like part of reality. It was strange how Kazuma and her had managed to open up so well to each other. There was still that sense of denial she had, and a sense of anger that came with his shameless flirting now that they were public but she didn't really want to make all the details public.

"Right. Very convincing." Nanase laughed.

"Hey, look the guys are playing volleyball again! I guess they just couldn't get enough." Yukari pointed, as the guys were casually passing the ball not more than a meter or so from them.

"But Nori's not playing. Actually I don't see Kazuma there either…" Nanase added.

"I don't think Nori likes sports as much as Kenji does." Yukari stood up for him.

"Well then where's Kazuma? Ayano do you know?" She was closest to the game. And she looked over her shoulder at them.

"No clue. Probably in the water or something."

"Well at least she's not an uptight girlfriend." Yukari shrugged to Nanase.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. It's good. Some girls get super jealous or worried when their boyfriends aren't with them. But I mean clearly Kazuma likes you, although he has been with some other girls too since you guys have been at it."

Ayano used to think the same thing. But twice this summer he'd reassured her he hadn't been with anyone except for Tsui Ling. "No, actually he hasn't. Sometimes he comes off that way, but I realize now maybe I was just jealous or something." She said rather quietly staring off past the girls into the beach.

"Woah, this relationship stuff is making you super mature Ayano. But I'm happy for you." Nanase smiled. "Gives us less to worry about."

"Yea, no more setting you two up!" Yukari gleamed.

"Wait, setting us up?"

"Oh of course, all those times we followed you around! Totally because we were team Kazu-no." Nanase admitted.

"Or is it team Ay-uma?" Yukari asked.

"Hey watch out!"

The three turned to see the volleyball rushing towards them. Actually it was going straight for Ayano.

She tried to flinch away, holding up her arm, expecting the hit.

Instead she felt a woosh of air go past her. She opened her eyes to see Kazuma had stopped the ball from hitting her head, it sitting in his palm, adjacent to his hip.

Ayano turned around to the guys. "Do I have a target on my head or something!?"

"Sorry Ayano! I'm not really the best at it compared to the older guys!" Ren said sheepishly.

She sighed.

"You okay?" Kazuma turned to her.

"Thanks to you. When did you get here?"

"I was grabbing a drink from the stand, and happened to come over at the right time I guess. Kind of vollyballed-out myself. I'd rather relax."

"Oh, I see."

"Why did you miss me?" He gave her a smirk.

"No! I uhm- I , well that's not…" She felt herself getting red. Why was he so good at that? Especially now...

"Either way, unfortunately because not all things run in the family, I think we ought to move a bit farther from their game."

"Actually, Yukari and I are going to go watch! See you too!" Nanase grabbed Yukari's hand and led her closer to the game.

Ayano swallowed. Of course her friends were going to leave her here with him. As they sat down farther away, she felt even more put on the spot. What did she say now? But what about the previous night? It all came rushing back. She felt her face start to get red again.

"The sun getting to you Ayano?" Kazuma leaned back.

"No that's not it. I was just-"

"If you don't mind I'm just going to doze off. Make sure I don't get burned okay?" Kazuma then sleepily closed his eyes. He already knew his skin bared sun better than hers, but he left it to himself.

She watched him doze. "Why should I?"

"Well you are the reason I didn't get much sleep last night…"

"Kazuma!" She roared, and then found herself ignored by him, as he had appeared to be already sleeping. How was she to relax? If she fell asleep now, the sun would surely burn her.

She sighed. He looked much more peaceful in his sleep. She looked around. She grabbed an unused umbrella on the beach and brought it over. She laid on her chest on her towel and felt herself drowning in the summer heat. Maybe now she could really relax…

*Fump*

Something knocked over the umbrella.

"Sorry Ayano!"

"What the hell Ren?! I AM not a MOVING TARGET! How did you even get it this far!?"