Disclaimer: It's obvious I don't have Tales of Xillia, because it was properties of Bandai Namco.

Hello everyone~ is it summer over there? In Indonesia it is already the dry season so there are a lot of sun here than normal. But I tell you this, it wasn't pleasant at all since tomorrow, yes tomorrow, in my time of course, I have an University Entrance Exam. Yeah, I'm crazy and I knew it. Don't worry about this taking my studying time... okay, maybe it did, but not this chapter anyway as this was already quite old. Needless to say this is still a Draft version and I'm starting to get tired to repeat it.

Well, let's just stop the depressing talk and move on to the story! Let's go Summer! Since we had arrived in beach and all, I'll change the sub-title again. Please enjoy Memories From Back Then Chapter 7 'Beach Trip - Summer Equal Beach, Beach Equal Fun!'

Normal POV

After they played in the water for few hours, the party felt that they were tired and need some refreshment. Mai had volunteered since most of the time she was only watching them play. After all of them placed their orders, Mai quickly went to the shaved ice vendor since most likely it would be crowded with people and so she needed to be quick. They were in public beach full of people after all.

"Say Jun…" Leia opened the conversation after she was sure that Mai was out from the view.

"What is it?" Jun asked shortly as he tried very hard to not stare at the direction where Mai had disappeared into. He didn't want to get mocked by Leia of all people.

"How far you had taken Mai into? Did she look like she would respond to you?" Leia asked with hidden mischievous smile on her face as she looked at the now-flustered man. She intended to do something to help her two stupid friends after all.

"W-what is that for?" Jun asked with absolutely red face and flustered expression. He wasn't expecting that question to be spoken. After all, for all he known, Milla didn't know about it and how he was so hopeless at it. He already had the Mr. Honor Student do the mockery for him every day and he didn't the Miss Perfect Beauty to do it as well.

Milla saw the expression in Jun's face and chuckled lowly. Jun looked at Milla with question marks over his head. Jude took the liberty of explanation and said, "If you were worried about Milla knowing your stupidity, don't worry she had known about it."

"Isn't it quite harsh to say that to him, Jude? He was simply fall in love after all… though it looked like it would result to failure if this kept on going," Milla lightly commented as she placed a hand over her waist and let the other hung freely on her hip.

She knew perfectly that wasn't the case and the reason for the stall was because both party never had the courage to say it. She knew that all of them had known that the two fools who somehow managed to miss each other sooner or later would finally break the friendship barrier. The actual question is when.

Jun grumbled at how everyone had known it but Mai never noticed it in the slightest. Leia who had a suggestion then said, "Say Jun, could you tell us what you think of Mai's swimsuit today? Describe to us in d-e-t-a-i-l~"

Hearing Leia's question Jun's antenna turned on as he then went into deep thinking mode. Milla and Leia needed to do their best on trying to not laugh at the unfolding scene in front of them. Jude simply sighed complaining that it would take long.

Jun who had finished looking for inspiration then gazed at the sand with his hands turned into fist as he started his description monologue. He mentioned every part of Mai swimsuit as he turned to left and right and then kneeled to no one in particular as he continued his dramatic monologue.

Leia had long lost it as she laughed on the sandy beach seeing Jun's stupidity (or so Jude dubbed). Milla instead simply looked away as she tried to hide the laughter that made its way around her throat. Even as she held her laugh she still looked like she was overly amused at this turn of event.

"Was it on purpose?" Jude simply asked as he watched Jun doing his monologue without thinking about the weird gazes those around them gave to the red-haired boy.

"I wasn't in this one… it is purely Leia's way on messing with someone… or so I wanted to believe," Milla replied calmly as her laughter had died although Leia still laughing her stomach out.

Jude looked at Leia and then to Jun before he sighed. He sometimes wondered why he agreed on being friends with weirdo like them. He then looked at Milla who was the most rational one in their insane group.

Now that most of their friend occupied with what they were doing, Jude finally took his dear time looking at Milla. The first thought that came into his mind was how beautiful Milla is with her swimwear. He had deduced that Milla's favorite color is white and blue since he remembered that Milla often use white and blue as her choice of color with blue as the secondary color and even her swimwear is white though it lacked the blue. He found it complement Milla's eyes somehow and was rather fond of it.

He then gazed at her figure as she stood beside him with certain air around her. Now that he could see it with his own eyes, Jude understood why Leia and Mai had made such a fuss yesterday or so Milla said. Milla's chest was certainly very developed for a girl her age and her body curves further complement her chest. He slightly wondered how she hid those in schools but quickly shoo the thought.

He did saw some faint bruises here and there maybe from Kendo's practice, though he could clearly say that the practice had helped on shaping her figure and the bruises were barely visible. From the few girls he managed to come across and became acquaintance with, he knew that Milla was one of the best that he ever saw if not the best one.

But Jude also noticed something from the way Milla acted the whole time. He had some gut feeling that Milla was weirdly unfamiliar with this trip destination. It is possible that Milla simply never went to beach, but considering that there were only few recreational places around, he wondered how Milla had spent her summer before. But again, it might just be a misunderstanding in his part as she acted just fine and neutral about it.

'If that was an act, then that was one scary act,' Jude thought as he gazed at Milla for quite a long time whether he noticed it or not.

Milla felt the gaze from her side, turned her head slightly to the side, and innocently asked, effectively breaking Jude's train of thought.

"Is there something wrong with me Jude?" she asked with an innocent tone and equally clueless expression on her face.

Not responding to the question, Jude simply smiled and offered his hands to Milla as he said, "Well, I'm sure they would take their time on this one and it looked like Mai-san won't be back soon either. How about we take a walk along the beach? It sounded better than staying here."

Milla was dumbfounded at the invitation since it sounded like Jude had a feeling to her. But Milla quickly brushed off the thought. She took three months to introduce herself properly to Jude and it was purely by coincidence. There was no way that he had developed something for her over friendship in less than a month. Or so it was what Milla convinced herself so to not get her hopes too high.

But it didn't change the fact that Jude had asked her out… for a walk. Milla was still nervous to place her hands on top of Jude's hands. One of the reasons was because it was Jude, and the other was because she never held hands with other before especially male. After all she had led a quite secluded life before she entered High School and her family wasn't one to do the skin-ship stuff.

Jude didn't notice how Milla was nervous and gently grasped her hands on his when Milla actually placed her hand there. He smiled gently and then said, "How about we go explore the beach for a little bit? Today the beach is slightly packed but the scenery is still good you know."

"O-okay…" Milla briefly replied as she convinced herself that their linked hands had no other meaning except for friendship.

Jude then pulled Milla along with him as the couple left Jun who was still doing his monologue and Leia laughing her stomach out at Jun hilarious act. Both Jun and Leia didn't realize that the other two had slipped their way from the two. But if Leia knew about it, Milla knew that she would hear an endless teasing for the whole year.

At first they walked in silence until Jude who already had the nagging feeling inside his heart decided to voice out his thought and said, "Say Milla… I didn't mean to pry on your condition and maybe it was me over thinking it but… could it possibly be… your first time here?"

Milla was caught off-guard by the sudden question. Of course she knew that Jude was smarter than her peers and knew that sooner or later someone would know. But for Jude to actually voice it was something she never thought of so she couldn't prepare a retort.

"…" Jude got not answer from the person in question and merely glanced to his side as he synchronized his steps with Milla.

From his point of view, he could notice that he had managed to shake Milla a little bit. It means that what he thought was at certain extent, is true and now Milla was thinking on how to explain it to him. Of course he decided to wait and not pursue Milla further.

However Milla didn't take quite long to prepare her answer. She at least knew that Jude had noticed that her pause means that his question answer was positive so she replied, "Indeed this is the first time for me as you said… How can I explain it… well, you could say that when I was younger, I was bad at making friend and my family wasn't one to make a trip to beach. I didn't want Leia to make such a fuss over this so I decided to keep my mouth shut."

Milla looked to Jude from the corner of her eyes and saw that he laughed mirthlessly when she used Leia as her excuse and looked like wouldn't pursue the matter further. Of course what she said was true to certain extent but she didn't elaborate further about how she lives in dorm. She couldn't say much either about her family as it would bring more troublesome matter if anything. Friendship is one thing, but business is completely different thing in her judgment and Jude had thread a little bit too close on that.

Of course she felt bad with Leia when she used her name as a part of her excuse. It was one of her nature to know which button to push to make people stop asking about her private life and one of Jude's was how Leia would make simple thing become big. Jude is Leia's childhood friend and from the look of it, Jude had developed certain quirk to stop asking when he knew that Leia's nagging would be involved. She never thought she would use this early but at least, Jude's reaction was in her favor so she (unconsciously) smiled over her small victory.

Jude of course saw that slightly ghastly smile that disappeared as quickly as it graced Milla's face. When he saw it, even just for a glimpse, he sensed that Milla's aura had become malicious in instant. But, that malicious aura had died down when the smile disappeared. But since he thought that there was no reason for Milla to spread malice around, he quickly erased it from his mind.

After the small talk that lasted only for two sentences, they walked again in somewhat still silence. The still air quickly disappeared however as Jude showed Milla around, as he thought that Milla was offended about his question before. Milla followed along anyway, and was honestly interested at the new things that Jude showed her. They are friendly again as if the conversation before never take place.

After they walked quite far away, Milla started to get worried about how the crowd was diminishing around them. She wasn't familiar with the layout of the foreign town since she rarely, never even, stepped her feet out from the dorm that she live in for the most of her childhood time. She knew places from map, but map didn't explain everything right? When they had completely separated with the crowd, Milla braved herself to ask, "Jude… where did you take me to?"

Jude looked behind and saw Milla was anxious about his plan. He was then reminded that Milla had admitted that it was indeed her first time here (and he somehow made her mad when he stated it). He looked confused on how to explain and settled with, "Well… you'll see when we arrived there. Don't worry because if what I thought was right, then you will surely love it."

Milla was flattered and surprised at the same time when she heard Jude's answer. She quietly tightened her grasp on Jude's hands as she thought how it was so warm. She decided to just believe on Jude as they walked together hand in hand.

"We're here…" Jude said as he stopped on his track and that made Milla followed his gesture.

Milla was awed at what laid in front of her. After all it was the first time she ever stepped into a cave. Jude had shown her a seaside cavern that settled in the base of a cliff further from the crowded area of the beach. It was like one of her favorite book that she used to read when she was still small. She never thought that places like these did exist.

Jude looked at Milla's expression that showed one of surprise and amazement at the same time. He guessed that if Milla loved the same novel as him, then he had a good chance that she might love this place as well. It had been awhile since the last time he entered the cave himself though.

"Do you want to enter Milla?" Jude offered as he looked at Milla who never changed her expression even for a second even after it became more dignified as time passed.

Milla was snapped into reality and was ashamed to see Jude saw how she was being pathetic again. She still remembered how she was being humiliated by the fact she had spaced out during her wait for the bus when she first saw him in the Entrance Ceremony. She knew that maybe Jude didn't remember but she still remember it as if it just happened.

Milla pulled her straw hat down to hide her reddened face. She muttered a, "Yes…" as she grasped Jude's hand tighter, asking him to not laugh with the gesture.

Jude understood the gesture and simply led Milla into the cave without saying anything. He realized that Milla had quite a prideful personality, so she didn't like showing her weakness to anyone. It wasn't exactly bad in Milla's case, since Jude knew that Milla had certain image that she needed to put up. After all, he was the same.

When he noticed the area of the cavern they were in, he looked behind to see Milla who looked around. He wanted to clear his throat but remembering Milla's reaction from before, he reconsidered it.

Jude simply gripped Milla's hand as he said, "Be careful of your step… this place is quite slippery…"

Milla looked forward to see that Jude didn't turn his head to tell her that. Milla looked below and through the dim lighting in the cavern indeed she saw that the flooring looked slippery and she should be mindful on her steps. She wondered why it was like that and asked, "Jude, could you explain why it was slippery like this?"

Jude stopped in his track and looked behind to see a curious Milla. He was slightly reminded about how Milla prided herself and decided to keep his thought to himself when he asked, "Well, which version would you like? The longer one or the shorter one?"

Milla chuckled and simply said, "I love detail."

"Very well then, but it would be better to start explaining after we reached some place to sit. Do you mind it?" Jude said with polite tone though it was obvious he was delighted to have someone actually listened on his lecture for once. When he explained anything to other, most of the time his conversation partner would fall asleep… because it was either Jun or Leia who hated lecture more than anything.

"No, I don't… Anyway, was this cave deep? It looked like we had walked for quite awhile," Milla replied as she threw a question of her own after she maintained certain degree of her dignity.

Jude turned around and stopped in his track. He didn't think that it was that deep after all so he asked, "Milla, are you tired?"

Milla was surprised by the sudden concern from Jude. She was used to all sorts of things and obviously they were more dangerous than simply walking in this place. Not to mention Jude didn't even answer her question. His concern flattered her, however she wasn't that weak.

"No, I was just wondering out loud that's all… it was the first time for me. You should have known that," Milla replied with a reassuring smile with no evident of fatigue. After all she enjoyed her time (alone) with Jude and she held no reservation from showing that it was the first time she was here and Jude had found out about it too.

She felt slightly bad for rubbing salt on the wound but, it was the best answer to get out from this situation. Learning to socialize is one of her reasons to attend high school. But, making her high school friend to get involved into her Corporation matter isn't something she would want to happen.

Jude quickly looked away as he tried to hide his reddening face. He was embarrassed on how he said things without the concern of those involved and misunderstood of Milla's harmless question. He saw it perfectly that Milla was by no mean tired and the question was a pure question. Milla was different to those girls he ever know.

"Jude?" Milla called in questioning manner since Jude had turned quiet all of sudden. She was afraid that she offended him somehow.

Jude quickly shook his head and faced Milla though he did not attempt to look at the girl straight in the eyes. He begged the dim lighting to hide his embarrassment when he said, "I-I'm sorry for saying things… well, the cave wasn't that deep for me… we only need to walk a little bit more."

Milla wondered why the sudden change in tone but decided to put it aside. She gently gripped Jude's hand, unknowing that it made Jude's heart leaped, and then said, "Well let's get moving then. It would be bad if we took too long and Leia started gossiping on us."

Jude looked down and without the person realizing it, he murmured, "I wouldn't mind being rumored to be together with you…"

Milla picked up the voice though she didn't hear clearly on it so she asked, "Jude, did you say something?"

Jude who just realized what he had said quickly turned his back on Milla. He started walking, all the while holding Milla's hands, as he said, "I-I didn't say anything!"

Question marks appeared above Milla's head when she heard the frantic answer if animation was reality. She was about to ask what's going on when Jude had started walking. She decided to just forget it and just believe at Jude. Something was better to be left unknown.