~ Michi ~

"Forecast looks pretty good today…" I pulled on a loose tank top and shorts over my swimsuit and exited the bathroom while trying my hair up. "Too bad…"

"You don't sound excited at all. Do you not want to go?" Toma tilted his head at me.

"Well… I didn't think about it last night, but I…" I placed a hand on my stomach. The stitches were out so it was safe to get it wet for a little while without straining myself, but it was still in an ugly stage of healing, angry, scabby and bruised.

"Does it still hurt?" Toma asked with clueless concern, not understanding that the only issue was my shy lack of self-confidence.

"N-no, it's fine. Come on, let's go!" I grabbed up the bag we had packed with towels and sunscreen and ran out the door, trying to cast doubt out of my mind.

"A pool, huh?" Musca tilted her head. "Don't people pee in those?"

"You're not supposed to think about it. Please don't mention it again," I sighed.

"If you say so…" Musca floated next to me. "Did you sleep well?" It was obviously a loaded question.

I grinned evilly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Her eyes bugged out. "What happened? Wait, don't tell me! But tell me!"

"I choose to leave it up to your imagination." I winked.

"She's just messing with you, Musca. Nothing happened," Toma explained with a laugh, blushing slightly.

"He's lying. We made wild steamy love into the twilight, me and this burning ball of desire over here," I countered him, wanting to mess with Musca.

"Stooop!" She flew around in a circle, shaking her head as her ears and neck went red.

"Michi, you're so…" Toma put a hand over his face.

"What is it, my sweet love machine? Please tell me."

"LALALALALALALA!" Musca clamped her hands over her ears.

"I think you broke her, Michi." Toma bit back laughter.

"Musca… I was just kidding. You don't have to freak out."

"I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU!"

"Welp…" I shrugged. "She's seen a lot while she's been with me, but she definitely has a tolerance."

"Seen a lot?" Toma's face fell. "Like… intimacy wise?"

"I guess so." I grinned, poking his cheek. "Don't get all jealous now…"

He swatted my hand away, face turning red. "Of course I'm jealous…"

"Look, I haven't done anything… Beyond a certain point."

"A certain point, huh…" He mumbled, pouting.

"Chill out, Toma." I ruffled his hair.

"Hmm…" He still looked a bit grumbly but smiled at me. "Today's going to be a surprise for you."

"Huh? How so?"

He just winked and put a finger to his lips.

"Are you messing with me now?"

"No, no. I just think you'll be happy."

"Okay…? But now that my expectations have been raised you'd better not let me down."

"Trust me." He took my hand and walked faster once we got closer to the public pool. "Okay…" He stood behind me and covered my eyes with his hands.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" I blushed with his chest at my back. "Eek!" I yelped when his lips touched the back of my neck firmly for a moment.

"Just walk forward… It's fine."

"Urgh… You asshole…" I walked with trepidation, hands held out, scared of bumping into something.

"Okay, stop." Toma laughed and withdrew his hands from my face.

I blinked, squinting in the sunlight, and jumped when suddenly there was yelling. All of my coworkers from the café and the manager were standing at the side of the pool cheering, grinning; even Shin had a bit of a cheerful smile. Once the noise died down I gazed at them all incredulously. "What the actual hell is going on here?" No sooner had the question been said that Sawa and Mine flew at me, squeezing the breath from my lungs with the tightest hugs in history.

"You're definitely back! That's the Michi I know!" Sawa cried, and Mine sobbed in agreement.

"Toma, what did you do?" I craned my neck to look back at him. Part of this was definitely his doing.

He laughed behind me. "We all felt bad that the pool party didn't happen, and when you got your memories back we figured we should celebrate. The manager reserved the pool for the day, and that's that."

"Sneaky bastard." I grinned at him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He smiled warmly, but there was a hint of something else, some sadness, behind it.

"Come on, let's swim! It's hot here!" Sawa grabbed my hands and pulled me towards the pool.

"I, uh, I think I'll sit on the edge for a while. You go on ahead."

"Oh, are you sure? Okay then." She leaped into the deep end even though there was a sign forbidding it.

I settled at the edge with my legs in the water, watching them splash around and act like idiots. At one point there was a grappling match between the four guys, Shin on Toma's shoulders and Ikki on Kent's, and with his thinner frame of course Shin got knocked over in seconds. I busted a gut laughing and he glared as he swam over to splash me mercilessly.

"H-hey!" I laughed, kicking water at him.

He sighed, lifting himself out of the pool to sit next to me. "Feeling alright today?"

"Yeah. Just really glad to get outside."

"I figured…" He sighed. "Toma's an asshole, but he did set this up. He's the one who texted all of us that your memory came back and suggested a belated pool party."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Not that I wanted to give him that credit," he grumbled.

"Haha, grumpy little Shin…" I pinched his cheek and he pushed my shoulder.

"You're just…" He sighed, lowering his voice. "I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to push you so hard."

"Oh." I looked at the almost harsh glitter of the sun on water instead of at him. "Well… It's fine."

"You don't have to say that. Be pissed at me if you want."

"It's really fine, Shin." My voice devolved into a mumble. "I'm the kind of person who likes… being pushed around sometimes. In that fashion."

"What?" He looked at me for a few seconds and then his face turned red as realization struck. "Oh. I, uh… Okay."

"… Yeah." My heart was beating painfully, but I still licked my lips nervously and spoke. "Does that… bother you? Do you think it's weird?"

"No!" He exclaimed instantly, then cleared his throat. "Of course not. Since it's you. A-anyways. I, uh… My dad! He wanted me to invite you over for dinner. We've cleaned up the place and he wanted you to see it. To thank you. He's not a terrible cook."

"Really? Awesome. Sure, I'll come." Kind of like having that awkward dinner with your boyfriend's parents… "Hehe…"

"What was that creepy laugh for?"

"I'm just fantasizing, don't mind me." I waved a hand as he rolled his eyes and smiled. "But about the other day…" I returned to seriousness and his expression tightened. "Just let me think about it, okay? I've got… a lot to think about lately."

He nodded. "Okay. Take all the time you need. I… I'd definitely be willing to wait for a long time."

I blushed, almost punching him. "D-don't say that… That's too much pressure."

"Sorry." He laughed softly. "The closer it gets to time to leave, the more worried I get. I want to be able to look back on times like these with nostalgia and be happy… But I don't want to let them go yet either."

I put my hand over his. "Me too."

He sighed. "… Love you."

"Eh?" I stared at him but he just shrugged at me and slid back into the pool, splashing me one last time before going over and assaulting Toma from behind. "He's… He's just… Argh!"

"He's upping his game," Musca supplied.

"Yeah… Asshole."

"Who are you talking about?" A cool, laughing voice from behind me made me flail with shock and almost fall into the pool.

"Ikki, you…" I gasped as he settled in next to me.

"Asshole?" He laughed.

"Exactly! I'm surrounded by assholes!"

"You're too funny," he said warmly. "Welcome back…"

"Oh…" I realized that the only ones I had talked to since getting out of the hospital were Toma and Shin. The others must have been worried sick. "Yeah. Thanks." I rested my head on his shoulder for a moment, trying to apologize for circumstances that were too difficult to explain. Glancing up at him revealed that he was smiling down at me, his best natural mile even if he didn't realize it, so I jerked away after becoming flustered. "Your hair… It's not pinned back today." It was hanging differently in his face, silver darkened by water.

"You don't like it?" His smile gained some playfulness.

"No… Actually I think it looks even better than usual," I said honestly.

"Oh." Ikki blushed a bit. "Didn't expect you to be so candid… You got me."

"Haha, two can play at your seduction game," I teased.

"Oh, so you're trying to seduce me now? Be my guest, darling."

"That's not what I'm doing," I muttered, hitting his arm.

"I can dream, can't I?"

"Sure, but have those dreams far away from me please." We looked at each other and just laughed.

"I really can imagine being able to talk to you like this forever. It's strange, but comforting at the same time."

"Really?" I tilted my head.

He smiled softly. "Yes."

"I… haven't really thought about forever yet. I've just been trying to get through this one day at a time…" Who knew what the end of this month would bring? The course of my life had changed drastically throughout this August of fights and love and tears, no matter which direction I ended up going.

"No, that's good. You shouldn't stress out about the big things right now. A small contained moment like this one should be enjoyed."

"Why are you sounding so smart all of a sudden?"

"Hey… You wound me."

"I'm sure you'll survive."

"I don't think I will. Maybe kiss it and make it better?"

"Kiss it where? You're not even physically hurt. Although we could easily change that."

"My heart is hurt." He pointed to his chest. "So can I have a kiss right here?"

"D-dumb! That's dumb!" Instead of a kiss on the chest I gave him a punch.

"Ah! I was just teasing you…" He pouted.

"Idiot…" I jumped when he touched my cheek.

"Ah, there's that adorable flustered face."

"You're… dumb. That's what you are."

"Yes, yes." He nodded indulgently.

"S-so… Have you been going on any dates or making new friends lately?"

"Both, yes. But the dates never go well. I don't really return any calls." He shrugged. "So it goes."

"Why not? There must be at least one person worth seeing again."

"I mean, yes, but it's not you. I'm still hung up, so what's there to do?" His smile got a bit heavier as he gazed at me with warmth overflowing in his eyes. "If you tell me to move on and forget about any chance with you, I will."

"Please don't make me do that," I whispered.

"I'm just teasing you." He ruffled my hair. "Can I get you anything? A drink maybe?"

"No thanks… Just go enjoy yourself, okay?"

"As my lady wishes," he half-joked, leaving my side.

"What are you gonna do, Michi?" Musca asked, patting my hair down.

"Hell if I know. Maybe they'll just give me a heart attack so I won't have to decide."

"Oh, come on…" She laughed. "Whoops, next contestant's here. I'm gonna go chat with Toma, okay?"

"Oh, okay?" I watched her float away and turned when a leg brushed against mine. Suddenly I was being pulled into an embrace from the side, my cheek pressed to someone's chest. "K-K-Kent?" I looked up at him and he blinked pensive green eyes down at me, even more vivid without his glasses there to hide them.

"Good day to you, Michi." He kept looking at me, not showing any signs of letting go even as the seconds ticked by at the others started to notice. When I saw Sawa staring I shoved him away.

"Cut that out, idiot! You'll… You'll make her sad," I mumbled.

"Ah. My apologies." He settled for having his arm against mine, leaning with a slightly heavy pressure. I hadn't noticed before how his shoulders and chest were broad enough for me to feel very comfortable with myself there, secured.

"What was that for anyways? You scared me."

"I was simply overjoyed to see you. It… It scared me deeply, the thought of your memories being lost permanently."

"I really am sorry, Kent. I didn't want to worry everyone."

"You're worried over because you're loved. It's nothing to apologize for."

I blushed. "Thanks… If you say so. Wah!" I jumped as his arms went around my shoulders. "What did I just say, huh?!"

"I believe that my body is acting on its own."

"That doesn't even make any sense…" I sighed. "Aren't you worried about Sawa too?"

"Not as much as I was worried about you. Besides…" Kent sighed, slumping against me. "Worrying so much is tiring. May I relax now?"

"Ah…" Yeah, they definitely deserved that. I'd caused them a lot of stress in all the confusion. "Okay, fine." I patted his head. "What am I gonna do with you…?" He was just so adorable sometimes it was enough to make my heart ache.

He closed his eyes. "Remind me later… I have something to give you."

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

"Not telling…" He murmured.

"Uh, Kent?" He was still leaning over on me, and the pressure was becoming too much. "Wah!" I yelped as he fell over on my lap, body sprawled out on top of my legs. "Kent! Hey, Kent?!" I tried to heave him up by the shoulders. "A little help here!"

"Kent!" Ikki and Sawa rushed over and helped to lift him up.

"He's… He's asleep?" I shook my head, amazed.

"He hasn't been sleeping well lately. For obvious reasons," Ikki explained, shrugging as he and Shin hefted Kent up, Sawa and Mine fluttering beside them as they moved to take him inside a rest area.

"Geez…" I laughed. At least I could never say that this life was a boring one.

~ Toma ~

I paused when I noticed Musca drifting towards me. She gestured and I snuck off to the side of the pool so we could talk without me looking as if I was conversing with myself. "What is it?"

"I wanted to say that I was proud of you. And pleasantly surprised."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows.

"It was kind of you to organize this for Michi. I wasn't expecting it. I thought you'd work harder to keep her for yourself."

"I mean, I want to do that. But since she'd hate it, I figured this would make her happy." Although watching her talk to the others was nearly unbearable.

"So you're saying that as long as Michi is happy then you're fine?"

"Basically."

Musca gazed at Michi as Kent hugged her, making my blood boil a bit. "I don't believe you."

"What?" I tore my gaze away from the girl I loved to meet the stern eyes of a spirit child determined to protect her from me.

"Tell yourself that, but that's not the truth, is it? How far you'd go, what you're willing to do to keep her. I want your help, true, but what are you expecting after Michi is safe from her mother? What conclusion are you imagining, Toma? Her gratefulness, her love for you? You won't get any of it. The way it's going to play out, you getting rid of her mother… This is the end, Toma."

"… And you knew that, didn't you?" I sighed. "But so did I. Even so, there's nothing else to do."

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you want from me?" I snapped.

"I want you to become a man worthy of Michi. I want you to think about who you are by yourself, not who you are in relation to her. The pathway we're all on together… My loved ones and your love for Michi… I knew very well that by enlisting you I might be sending us towards disaster." Musca closed her eyes. "Everything is supposed to be resolved by the end of August. If it's not…" She gritted her teeth. "Nothing… It won't be alright for us…"

"What's going to happen?"

"Nothing bad to Michi. That's all you care about, right?"

"I mean yes, but since Michi cares about you I'll help you out too."

"Hah! You're candid in moments like these. No matter." She shook her head. "There's more than one conclusion to this story, you know. If you can find it… If you can forge it somehow… Then you'll win this pathway. But you'll have to think about it. What you can do, not always what you want to do. You're like a beast, always operating on instinct. I know very well what you're capable of… But I do care about you."

"What?" I stared, shocked at the last statement.

"You have such an important place in Michi's heart. I don't want anything to happen to you, because despite everything you've worked hard to get there. You're different than you were in the other world, and yet so similar… I'm protective of Michi because quite frankly I never know what to expect from you." She smiled, only halfway with mirth. "You keep each and every one of us on our toes."

"Other world?" I echoed, confused.

"There are worlds parallel to this one, in one of which you were… You weren't good, Toma. Michi is from one of those different worlds, but to save her life she was brought here. She, too, had fought hard to earn here place in it. The two of you are both beautiful and terrible together. I don't know what to think… All I'm sure of is that Michi is the person who's most important to both of us." She sighed, smiling fondly.

"… Do you have anyone you care about besides her?" I asked quietly, feeling a strange sense of companionship towards this otherworldly being.

"I have people I regard as brother, mother and father. We're all going to be expelled from the Spirit World for our interference in human affairs. But still… We chose this because we…" She held her hands up and looked at them, searching for words. "We see something in humans we can't seem to attain. Your struggles and happiness, your love, aren't like anything we've ever been able to reach."

"Musca…" I put a hand on her shoulder and she jumped.

"It's okay. You don't have to feel sorry for me."

"I don't. We've both made choices."

She smiled. "Good. Oh." She blinked when the scene began where Kent fell over on Michi for no apparent reason. "Aren't you going to help?"

"No way. Michi's finally going to be alone. I'm going to keep her all to myself for a moment."

"Of course you are. Well… I'll leave you to it, then." She started to float after the others.

"Hey, uh…" I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Thanks, Musca."

"Yeah." She nodded and smiled before departing.

It was an answer I couldn't reach yet, how else to end this fleeting time while protecting Michi and having her able to still love me by the end of it. For now I approached her with greed for this temporary moment in my heart, lost in the myriad of choices I could make to either keep or destroy everything I had worked for.

~ Michi ~

"That was a surprise," Toma said as he rested his arms on the edge of the pool.

"I mean, yeah! He just fell over. I thought he'd fainted, but he was just asleep. How crazy is that?" I laughed.

Toma just shrugged. "I guess."

"You okay?" I peered down at him, catching his undefinable mood.

"Fine." He frowned and moved to rest his head on my thighs.

"Wh…" I sighed. "You just do as you like, don't you?"

"Hm." He shrugged again, sighing and blowing cool air over my legs.

"Tell me what the matter is."

"I'm just jealous. Since this morning I can't get what you've said out of my head. Not going past a certain point… I don't like the idea of other guys touching you, and then they all come up to you today acting like that… It makes me go crazy without meaning to,"

I nodded slowly, petting his hair. "It's you, though, Toma."

"Hm?" He looked up at me.

"That time before we broke up, that's the most physically intimate I've ever gotten. Does that make you feel any better?" I smiled with amusement. He was so childishly jealous at times, one of his cuter sides.

"You…" He took my knee in his hand and pulled one leg away from the other to lean in and press his mouth to my inner thigh before biting down.

I squealed but cut it off my covering my mouth with my hands, not wanting to attract the other's attention. "What the hell, Toma?" I whispered when he backed away with a smirk.

"That's what you get for teasing me. I've been obsessing all day and you could have just told me that in the first place."

"I didn't think it mattered that much to you."

He sighed. "It always matters."

"Fine, I get it…"

"Hey, why aren't you swimming? It's hot outside."

"I just… I'm fine."

"Come on. Tell me what it is."

I sighed at our roles having been switched. "It still… looks really bad. I don't want everyone to be looking at it and feeling bad or grossed out." I put a hand to my stomach.

"Idiot, we won't think that. It's more concerning to see you just sitting here. That's why they all felt the need to check in on you."

"I guess…"

"Come on. Get in while it's just me here. No one will see when it's under water if that makes you more comfortable."

"Okay, fine…" I squeaked as he pulled my shorts down and hit him on the head. "I can do it myself!"

"Whatever you say." He dangled my shorts, smirking, before tossing them onto the bag we'd brought. "Go ahead then."

My hands shook on the hem of my shirt he was watching me so intently. "Look away."

"No," he said simply.

"Urk…" I squeezed my eyes shut and slipped my shirt off, then screeched with half laughter and half shock when he grabbed onto my hips and lifted me into the water with him. "You jerk!" I clung reflexively to his shoulders while he laughed and carried me to the middle of the deep end.

"It looks good on you."

"Hm?"

"The swimsuit. Buying it with you that day was fun too, even if some unexpected things happened."

"Yeah… I had fun too." We laughed, reminiscing about something that hadn't happened very long ago. I looked up at him again when he settled into the corner of the pool, relaxing with his eyes closed. "What are you doing?"

"Just let me hold you until the others some back. It'll help me get through the rest of this."

"You're so ridiculous," I teased but let him hold on. "I guess I shouldn't tease you though, huh? I don't really like the idea of you with other girls either."

"So where does that leave us?" Toma smiled, looking very pleased to have heard me say that.

"I dunno."

He sighed, leaning in. "You don't always say what I want to hear, but it's sweet when you do…" He murmured it against my mouth before kissing me fully, arms sliding against my back. His hands worked there before I could work out how to respond, and there was a faint slipping as he stole my top and held it up triumphantly. He laughed at my expression and cracked up more when I yelled and moved to cover myself with one arm and try to get back his loot with the other.

"You asshole, give it back!" It was no use; he was too tall and there was a limit to what I could do while still remaining covered. "Argh!"

"Consider this the end of your punishment for being a tease."

"I am so gonna kick your ass later!"

"What are you guys doing?" Mine asked as the others rejoined us, a bleary-eyed but now awake Kent at the rear. She registered my top in Toma's hand and my position and scowled at him. "That's not funny, Toma, give it back! And you guys, stop looking!"

"Sorry, what?" Ikki blinked at her, having been staring too much to pay attention.

"She said stop looking!" I snapped as redness spread across my face and neck, covering myself with both arms now. "You damn pervert!"

"What did you expect…" He mumbled. "Oh, Kent, you definitely look awake now."

"… Is this still a dream?" Kent gazed towards his feet to avoid looking at me.

"You guys are both so…! Give it back, Toma!"

"AHHHH!" There was the quick patting of bare feet running on pavement and then a shape hurtled through the air, knocking into Toma's arm and grabbing my top before flipping over and slapping onto the water painfully.

"Shin?!" I gasped. He scrambled ungracefully, splashing to get upright and not sink. With my mind instantly switched over to thoughts of his well-being, I rushed over and grabbed onto him, pulling him up to be steady. "Are you okay?!"

He turned red all the way up to his ears. "Just… Put this back on," he mumbled, covering his eyes with one hand and passing my top with the other.

"Eh?" I was effectively all over him, hugging onto his arm in an attempt to make sure he was okay. "Wah!" I squealed and jumped away, turning to look at Toma after fixing my clothes. "You have no one to blame for this but yourself, asshole!"

"Yeah, that… definitely didn't go like I had hoped," he mumbled, sputtering as I splashed him furiously.

"Pervert! Lecher! Jerkwad! Asshole! Bastard! THIEF OF GARMENTS!"

"Get him, Michi!" Mine and Sawa cheered.

"DIE!" I punched him in the stomach before swimming away, huffing and still mortified with embarrassment.

"Haha, he got what was coming to him," Ikki laughed as he and the others all got back into the pool.

"Did you see anything, you sneaking fox? I'll carve your eyes out," I hissed at him and he held his hands up innocently.

"I didn't see anything. Shin certainly did, but I didn't. I swear; promise."

"Grr…" I flicked Toma off before moving to join Mine and Sawa. "You guys look so cute!" Sawa looked sporty and fresh while Mine went for the cute look, her hair in a bun with a braid running through it.

"You too! You got him good, Michi! That was the best thing I've ever seen," Mine laughed.

"Yeah…" Sawa tilted her head at me.

"What's up?" I could tell when she had something on her mind.

"Do you like Kent? Or does he like you?"

I coughed and Mine looked between us with wide eyes. "You don't have to ask that now, Sawa…" She said, concerned over the potential for conflict.

"It's fine." The way she had said it, it wasn't an attack at all. Sawa was just so honest I knew she wasn't going to fight me earnestly here. "I, uh… Yeah." I didn't know what else to say. "But we're not dating."

"Because of me?" Now hurt was on her face.

"For multiple reasons," I tried to console her.

"And I'm one of them?"

"I…"

"I don't want to be in your way, Michi."

"You're not! Not ever. Look, it's fine. I support you."

"And I support you! Just because I like him doesn't mean you have to hold yourself back. In love, the best person wins!"

"… You've been reading shoujo manga again, haven't you? I have too..."

"That's not the point! I'm saying that you should do what you want, Michi. I'm a big girl and I can take it. Kent's not the only guy in the world. I don't want you to be thinking less of me by assuming I can't handle it, okay?"

I blinked at her, surprised. "Okay, I got it."

"Good," she huffed.

"But you're still important to me," I murmured.

"Same." She grinned. "Are you excited for the fireworks festival?"

"Oh, yeah, that. I forgot that was a thing."

"Michi! How could you forget, we went out and bought the yukata and everything!"

"I, uh, think of other things from time to time. Just slightly."

"I figured that… I'd confess to Kent that night. I know he'll reject me, but at least I'm going to look great while getting it off my chest!' She said determinedly.

"Confessing on the night of the fireworks festival, huh?" I murmured.

"It's so romantic!" Mine sighed.

"Hm." Maybe it kind of was. And not a terrible idea, either…

~ Hello! Lord Muffintops has posted this author's note at the end because, well, that's what I see other people doing. Oh well. Anyways, I estimate that there are six or seven chapters left. I'm going to post them all at once because I think they'll read better together. So, it might take a little while but the conclusion of this story will come. Please enjoy reading!