With his window opened, Taichi propped head in his arm as he relaxed by his window sill, watched the clouds pass over the country landscape aimlessly. The fresh summer air of the countryside wafted past his nose, a distinct smell of the fresh tea harvest combined with the salty sea. He took sips of his canned coffee, freshly heated from the convenience store down the street from his apartment. His was on the second floor of a two storey building, full of students like himself and elder retirees.
The outskirts of Chiba was all he could afford. He could have stayed home, it would've saved Taichi money that way, but he was adamant that he got his own place once he entered university. The decision had upset his parents and his sister. Hikari wasn't even on speaking terms with him at first, she was never good with abandonment, especially with Taichi being her only sibling. Eventually she forgave him - with some bribery of sweets.
His thoughts were interrupted as the familiar bing-bong ring of his doorbell. Taichi didn't have to guess who it was, only one person ever visited him at his apartment.
As Taichi opened his apartment door, he was greeted with the scent of his girlfriend's perfume - it was sweet strawberry and it made his heart race.
"Ojamashimasu!" Tachikawa Mimi excitedly greeted as she slipped off her stylish flats for her pair of slippers - pink which she had bought for his apartment, to which she claimed it would remind her of him as he would get lonely.
"Hey you." He smiled at her.
"Hey yourself!" She pecked him on the cheeks and set about into his tiny kitchen, "Honestly, without me, all you eat is meals from the convenience store!"
Mimi was already setting up pots and ingredients. It was a familiar sight for Taichi. Mimi would often stay at his apartment on weekends, cooking and cleaning after him. Some of his elderly neighbours had thought they were a married couple with the way they acted around each other, but he assured them they were merely just dating.
Taichi was bold enough to embrace her from behind, whispering into her ears, "You were amazing last night."
"Thanks." Taichi could see the redness of her face, "I saw you in the front row. Don't ever do that again!"
"Hmm?" He questioned.
"Do you know how embarrassed I was? I nearly forgot the words to the song when I saw you!"
Taichi could only laugh before kissing her, "What do you want to do today?"
"We have to head back to Odaiba tonight."
"It's only nine right now, I'd promise Hikari we would be back by eight. I'm not looking forward to mom's cooking anyways." He replied.
"It's not that bad."
"Your's is better."
They stayed in their embrace but were interrupted as Mimi's pot of water began to boil. He left Mimi to her devices as Taichi returned to his coffee by the window, still warm from the summer heat.
[ Mom says to bring sweet bean mochi for tonight. ]
[ Mom said it or you're putting words into Mom's mouth? ]
[ Cheeee ]
Taichi put away his phone and sighed.
"What's got you down?" Mimi asked as she prepared his small living room table with plates of breakfast dishes.
"You're lucky you don't have a sister." He puffed but was met with Mimi rolling her eyes.
"Be nice! Hikari-chen's your one and only sweet little sister." Taichi laughed.
"Sweet? She's definitely has you on her side!"
Again Taichi was met with Mimi ignoring him.
"I actually met her a couple of days ago at Palette Town." Mimi injected, but Taichi was more concentrated on his breakfast.
"Oh? Mom probably needed something." He replied with a mouthful.
"Hmm, I wonder." She had her chopsticks playfully on her lips, as in thought, "It was in a bikini store."
He chocked.
After sometime trying to catch his breath, he looked at Mimi with a playful glare. She had a smirk on her face and patted his head.
"Who was with her?!" He asked her all of the sudden.
"Her friends!" Replied happily.
"Any guys?" He asked, intensely staring into Mimi's eyes.
"Nope." He was relieved to hear, "Although one of the girls had said they invited a certain blond boy to the beach."
"I'll kill him!" He replied hotly.
"And Sora-chan and Yamato-san will kill you if you touch a hair on Takeru-kun."
"I don't care!"
"Then why don't we also goto the beach to spy on them!" Mimi happily asked.
He fell for it again. This was Mimi's plan all along. She had baited him, hook, line and sinker.
They spent the rest of the day cleaning up Taichi's apartment. He would be spending the majority of his summer at home with his parents - the same apartment complex himself and Mimi had grew up in, where Mimi's parents still lived as well, along with herself. His small television played in the background as they both enjoy each other's presence while going about their chores.
It was when his stomach began to rumble, that Taichi had suggested the couple visit the closest ramen shop to his apartment. To which Mimi puffed her cheeks in jealously but conceited defeat when Taichi reminded her he had an empty fridge after her over-the-top breakfast.
Taichi had been living on the outskirts of Chiba, closer to farmland than Chiba downtown. It was a quiet neighbourhood, mostly filled with retirees and younger families. They walked the narrow streets, slowly making their way to their destination. The streets were empty of activity and only the squawks of crows, crying from the summer heat could be heard.
"Hmm, that's weird?" He noted as they passed a couple who had large cameras, with which had been taking photos of the neighbourhood.
He felt a weird presence, as if someone was watching Mimi and himself. He shook it off and thought nothing of it. The summer heat must have been getting to him.
"What is?" Mimi asked, hands intertwined with his as they walked the nearly empty streets.
"I don't usually see tourist around here." His eyes turned towards the odd couple.
"Hmm." Mimi put her finger to her lips in thought, "Isn't there a famous temple nearby."
"I guess."
Lunch was difficult for Taichi. He tried to make light conversation with Mimi, but she was more interested in their lunch and kept asking questions towards the ramen chef. He wasn't embarrassed, the ramen shop was fairly empty, it was the weekend after all and Taichi welcomed Mimi's passion for cooking. He felt sorry for the owner, Mimi was non-stop in her curiosity.
"Neh, Taichi." She suddenly turned to him.
"Hmm?" He questioned her, slurping up his remaining ramen.
"What would you think if I suddenly stopped being an idol?" She asked quietly.
"I wouldn't think of you any other way. Mimi will always be Mimi." He nonchalantly replied, not knowing how to answer his girlfriend honestly. Mimi didn't press him further about the topic.
They returned to his apartment soon after, enjoying a bit of weekend variety shows with Taichi quickly jogging to the convenience store down to street to grab snacks for the couple. He returned to surprise Mimi with her favourite drink, a large bottle of Pocari Sweat - he never understood her obsession with the drink and it made no sense that someone like Mimi would favour a sports drink of all things over something like strawberry milk or flavoured teas like a normal girl.
Soon it was time to leave for Odaiba. Even though it was the weekend, the young couple was not looking forward to the afternoon train rush. Forty minutes and multiple JR Trains after, Taichi and Mimi arrived at their childhood homes, the apartment block where they had spent the majority of their lives.
Mimi kissed Taichi good-bye as she headed home to change into something more conformable after a full day under surgical mask and faux glasses before dinner with his family. This gave Taichi an opportunity to head towards Hikari's favourite bakery to buy the sweet bean mochi she had been asking for - as Hikari wasn't one for wondering too far from home, her favourite bakery was around the corner from their apartment.
"Tadaima!" Taichi announced as he walked into the apartment.
"Okaeri!" Hikari greeted him in the family's hallway.
His mother, dressed in her apron, poked her head out of the kitchen, "Ara, you're home already Taichi?"
"Hai. I brought the mochi you asked for." He handed his mother the box of newly bought sweet bean mochi.
"You didn't have to bring gifts to your own home Taichi dear." She quickly returned to her kitchen, with Taichi glaring at a smirking Hikari.
"Where's dad?" He asked his sister.
With a sigh, Hikari answered, "He's not the only one who spends all his time with a Tachikawa."
Taichi arched his head in question, "Dad and Mimi's dad are best friends now that you two are almost husband and wife, and spends way too much time together playing Go after work."
The siblings made their way to the dinner table, Hikari already having been snacking on chips and cold barley tea. The television was on, having been stapled to TokyoTV - a travel show with celebrity guests touring different locations around Japan. Taichi grabbed his usual spot at the family table, and like his little sister, started to munch on her snacks much to Hakari's horror.
The front door rang, waking Taichi and Hikari from their television viewing. He opened the door to greet Mimi, she had changed into a purple summer dress with yellow spot pattern, her usual long hair done up in a bun. Taichi gestured her in and Mimi was met with the embrace of an overly excited Hikari.
"Ara - Mimi-chan welcome!" His mother greeted, stepping away from the kitchen and cleaning her hands with her apron.
"Susumu-san! Nice too see you again as well." Mimi replied, rushing to his mother's side and joining her in the kitchen.
"Since when was Mimi on first-name basis with mom?" He asked his sister.
"Since you two got married." Hikari shrugged.
"Very funny." Taichi ignored Hikari as he made his way back to his spot at the table.
Taichi eyed his girlfriend and mom through the kitchen passthrough, they were indeed happily chatting away. His sister joined him at the table, Hikari unlike their mother and Mimi, had no interested in cooking.
He took a sip of his cold barley tea before overhearing his mother, "This is how you prepare Taichi's favourite. I'm sure your kids will love it as well."
He chocked for the second time that day.