"Yeah Rin told me. Is it home?"

"Nah it's away. The one after is home." Isagi turns to look at the girl. The two decided to sit up on the rooftop for lunch, enjoying the warm air at the high ground. Seiren sat with her legs crossed, her bento box sitting on her lap while Isagi stared at her with a question in mind. She'd forgot to tell him. That day he got the letter, something was bothering her and she said she'd tell him later but later never came.

He thought she just wanted to avoid speaking about it but Isagi was curious so he asked. "So you know when I got my letter?" he began. Seiren could already tell where this was going. "Yeah?" she says, poking her chopsticks into her food. "What were you going to tell me?" he proceeds to say. "Oh. Right that." she sighed. "Sae and Rin got recruitment letters too." she looked up at him with a smile.

"What?! I mean I'm not surprised but that's crazy! Maybe they're getting ready for training." Isagi finds it easier to joke around but he knew Seiren was feeling a type of way about it deep down. "To where?" he asked. "Sae is going to Re Al and Rin is going to PXG." she lifts up the food into her mouth, savoring the tasty flavor on her tongue. "Wow. That's honestly really impressive. They're great. Re Al? I'm not surprised honestly. I would've thought he'd been got recruited."

"He's been to their training camps and I'm sure they offered. I just don't know what stopped him."

"Probably you and Rin."

"Hm? Why'd you say that?"

"I don't know. Sae is kinda..your older brother. I'd assume he wouldn't want to leave you two yet until he knew you two would be okay. He's a weird captain." Isagi takes a pause as she listens, placing her chopsticks down. "He pays a lot of attention to us and it's scary but in an odd good way. He's the last one to leave practice because he gives everyone like these daily health checkups before we go. I know it's to keep us in check but I know he cares."

"He has a hard time showing he cares. Sae's just a bit different when it comes to that." Seiren says. "Kinda like you?" Isagi tilts his head to the side. "Me? What do you mean?" she furrows her eyebrows. "You hide how you feel. I get it. It's not easy talking to anyone and you show it in different ways but wouldn't it be better to outright say it?" the boy gulps, worries his question might tick her off.

"I suppose. It's just not easy." she shrugs it off. "Do you care about me? You gave me some of your food." he grins. "Doesn't mean I care about you." Seiren rolls her eyes, trying to act a bit tough but a smile forces its way onto her lips. "You do care." Isagi snickers. "A young lad didn't have food today and you gave me some of yours. You care."

"Shut up before I take it back."

"You won't!"

Seiren was quick to reach her arms over to him, snatching up the food she had gave him. "You're gonna let me starve?" Isagi gasps. "Yeah actually." she turns away from him. The boy then stands up, sitting himself in front of her. Seiren looks the other way, avoiding his gaze. "I know you care." he said. "I do not.." she muttered. "Don't treat me like how we first met. We're closer than that now." Isagi mumbled his words.

Seiren cleared her throat, passing him his food back. Isagi chuckled. "Prom's in two months. Any idea what you're going to wear?" she mentions. "Oh prom? I'm not going." the boy shakes his head. "What? It's your prom before you leave for recruitment..you should go. It's kinda like your senior year." Seiren holds onto his arm. "I'm not really a fan of big events anyways.." Isagi tried avoiding the topic. "What about if you went with someone?" she says.

"What do you mean?"

"Like a friend or even a date? Would you go then?"

"Are you going?" he asked.

"Only if you are." she glances at him briefly.

Isagi squinted his eyes at the girl. "You're only saying that to get me to go." he laughs. "Maybe." Seiren shrugged her shoulders. "Fine i'll go." he lets out a defeated sigh. "Cool." her face bland, almost seemingly bored yet her teal eyes couldn't hide how happy she was to hear that. Isagi continues to watch her, trying to read her face. "Wanna be my plus one?" he leaned closer to her.

"Your plus one? You want me to be your date?" Seiren scoffs but his face turns red. "What? What! I was just—" Isagi became a stuttering mess, placing his hands on his chest until the bell saved him. He lets out a shaky exhale. "The bell..the bell! Class?" he hums, quickly packing up her unfinished lunch for her. Seiren couldn't understand why he was acting so weird all of a sudden. She was just joking.

"You're being weird."

"I am not!"

"Whatever." she muttered. The two began walking towards the door until she stood in front of it. "So is that a yes?" Seiren placed her palm onto his chest, keeping distance between and stopping him from walking any closer. Isagi's mind went blank. "Yes..?" he lowly whispered. "To be your date. You want me to be your date to prom?" she lowers her hand to cross her arms, keeping a blank expression on her face.

"Don't put it like that.."

"I'll go with you."

"Really?"

"For reals."

Seiren breaks into a smile before opening the door to head back inside. Isagi stared at the back of her head before falling behind her. The echo of their shoes tapping against the stairwell played a comforting tune into their ears, allowing any hint of silence to be masked away. Seiren glanced over her shoulder, briefly locking eyes with Isagi before they trailed into the hallway.

"Come over my house?" she suggested, taking him by surprise. "You want me to come over?" he mutters. He was so used to her coming by his house that he hadn't thought to ask her about him coming over to hers. "Mm yeah." she glances at him. "Oh..I don't mind." Isagi grins awkwardly. "Cool."

Why is she acting weird..?

———

Sae and Rin walked feet behind them, keeping their eyes on the two. "Why is he coming over..?" the younger whispered. "I don't know..act happy about it." Sae crossed his arms, also confused as to why Isagi was suddenly making an appearance at their house. Their eyes gravitated towards this sister. Her subtle touches towards Isagi were making him noticeably flustered but she wasn't aware of her effect.

Seiren was acting as if everything were normal.

"Stay in the living room."

"Stay in the living room." she mocked before dragging Isagi to her room.

His eyes turned wide, shaky almost. His expression showed nothing but fear once he met eyes with her brothers before she closed and locked the door to her bedroom. Seiren sighed. "They don't know privacy." she said, dropping her bag onto her dresser while Isagi glanced around her room. This was the second time he had step foot into her house out of the countless times she had in his.

His mind still couldn't wrap around how girly her room was. Before he even knew Seiren, he pictured her room as dull but never had he seen so much life in one's personal space before. Isagi grinned. Even the background on her monitor screen matched. The girl quickly tied her hair loosely, crossing her arms before opening the drawer beside her bed. "Play with me." she pulled out her switch, also decorated in shades of pink.

Isagi chuckled, finding his seat right next to her on her bed. Seiren connected her switch to the tv, guiding her joystick over to Mario Kart. "I'm so going to beat you." he said. Seiren shakes her head. "You're too confident." she sighs, uncrossing her legs as she let them hang against the mattress. Isagi followed her, doing the same.

Though the two eventually began to stand once things got very serious.

Sae and Rin were both studying in their rooms when suddenly they were startled from the screaming the two have begun to make. The auburn haired boy physically felt a vein pop, dropping his pencil once he heard Seiren scream how much of a loser Isagi was. Is this what they do at his house too..?! Sae began to roll his chair back until he came to a stop once an unfamiliar laugh left her lips. Huh? Why does she sound like that?

Sae turned his head towards his door. She sounds so giggly. Ew. He sighed, deciding to leave them alone. Rin exhaled slowly, closing his eyes until he heard Eimi laugh through the phone. "Is that them?" she asked. The two first years were studying for an upcoming history quiz— to which they were both aware they were going to fail— when Isagi and Seiren had interrupted them. "Unfortunately..I don't understand how two people could be so loud.."

"You're the same way Rin.."

"Huh? What do you mean..?" he pouts.

"Like when we play a game together after you've had a bad day and suddenly you start screaming into the mic once we've won a match.."

"Sorry.."

Eimi laughs. "It's okay. It's fun seeing the camera shake and Sae yelling from his room to shut you up." she shakes her head while he turns away embarrassedly, also wondering why Sae hadn't yelled at his sister yet. "You're really weird.." Rin mumbles. "Well you like this really weird girl! Plus weird people attract their kind!" she huffs. "What does that mean?" he furrows his eyebrows. "Rin. You're freakin' weird."

"Okay..but in a good way or in a bad way..?"

"In a good way! Everyone has their perks."

"And they are—"

Rin was interrupted by another scream, this time coming from Isagi. The boy had just made it into first place with Seiren coming right behind him. They were close to the finish line when she decided to use her last red shell on him, creating a huge gap between them as she sped off into first place, winning the round. "What is wrong with you?!" Isagi almost fell to his knees. They were on their third match, both winning back to back as she just won her second round.

Seiren felt like she couldn't breathe, holding her stomach as nothing but silence came from her mouth. She folded. Laughing silently while tears formed at the outer corners of her eyes. She would gasp every few seconds, Isagi laughing with her. "It's not that funny!" he crossed his arms. Seiren could only nod her head after sliding onto the floor. Isagi paused the game, letting the girl collect herself before starting again.

Seiren tried clearing her throat, trying to avoid Isagi's gaze but once she got a glimpse of him she started to laugh all over again.

The boy sighed deeply before putting a pillow— gently— over her face. Seiren huffed out uneven breaths, rubbing her eyes before finally going silent. "Oh that was funny." she said. "It wasn't that funny." Isagi rolled his eyes, passing her the controller before unpausing the game She sniffled, letting out a light chuckle before sitting back on the bed. "Damn now I'm hungry. After this let's get something." she said, her focus now averted to the screen.

"Of course.."

"Why'd you say it like that?"

"You're always hungry.."

"A girl can't eat now?" Seiren scoffs.

Isagi turned to her. "You're such a pain." he groaned. "Me? Me?! Poor little me?" Seiren pouts her lips as he lifted his lip in disgust. "You're actually not little. You're tall for a girl! We're almost the same height!" he says. "I was joking!" she laughs. "Wait really? I never really noticed." she hums sarcastically. Isagi pauses the game once more, this time standing up and preparing to leave her room. "I was kidding..!" Seiren said, reaching her hand over to the hem of his shirt, stretching herself over her bed to bring him back.

Isagi felt himself being pulled, sighing deeply while taking a few steps back and finally sitting back beside her. "Let's just finish this round! Stop distracting me." Seiren nudges his arm with her elbow before unpausing the game. Isagi kept quiet. The two now focused on their final round.

Sae was on his final nerve the second he heard them screaming again and so was Rin. The two brothers left their room at the same time, both rushing to her room. Sae swung her door opened, his eyes set on Isagi and Seiren standing extremely close to the tv screen. "Shut up." he said firmly, watching the teens tense up. "Sorry.." they mumbled, glancing at each other before snickering. "You guys are annoying!" Rin said louder, almost childlike.

Once their match had ended, Seiren winning, Isagi promised her to buy food for her. The two begun walking towards the nearest corner store, enjoying the peaceful breeze brushing past them. "What's your plan for summer?" he decides to ask her. "Summer?" she perks up at the question, gently shaking her head. "Nothing really. I usually just stay home or stay at my grandparents." Seiren rolled her shoulders, feeling the backlash after staying in a position for so long.

"You stay for the whole summer?"

"Yeah they have this lake house so whenever they go I go. This year they're going so..perfect time to isolate again." she laughs.

"I'm not leaving until a week before the next school year starts." Isagi mentions.

"Really? Wanna come? I'm sure they wouldn't mind. They talk about me always bringing a friend. Would your parents mind?" Seiren spots the store nearby, stopping by the red light, both waiting to cross the street. "Dude. My parents love you. I'm sure they wouldn't. If anything, they'd be more than happy for me to go with you. They'd give me a whole send off and everything." Isagi laughs, watching the corners of her lips turn.

"Good. I'll call them later and ask. I'll let you know." she pauses. "Normally it's just me and my brothers but I haven't gone since they've been going away for summers." Seiren looks up at him, meeting the blue eyes she thought so similarly of a fresh lake at night. "It's nice to not be alone." she said. Isagi couldn't help the blush rushing to his cheeks. "See. You care.." he mutters, gently pushing her as they crossed the street. Seiren rolled her eyes. "I don't.."

"You so do.."

"Whatever."

After reaching the store, Seiren insisted on getting a popsicle, deciding to share with him to be cheaper. Isagi paid and soon later Seiren led him down another path, straying away from the route to her house. The boy didn't question where she was leading him, hoping he had enough trust in her to follow. Though he was met with a street, one that overviewed a pretty beach.

Seiren jumped on top of the cement railing, sitting herself on it while he followed her, their feet hanging below them. The warm sun beamed onto their faces, their popsicles melting quicker. "Your eyes are pretty dark." she mentions, taking him off guard. "Yours are pretty light." he says back, watching her chuckle. "We're like opposites don't you think?" Seiren bites the inside of her cheek. "You could say but I think we're pretty much the same." Isagi gently kicks her foot with his.

"You think so?"

"Somewhat. I still think there's parts of you that you haven't showed me yet."

"Could be. We'll never know. You'll leave before you get to see them." she joked.

"I have a feeling you're not joking." Isagi brings his arm behind her neck , pulling her closer. Her head fell on top of his shoulder, fitting perfectly as he rested his cheek against her. Their thighs pressed together, knees touching while their shoes grazed one another. Their silence was enough than words. Seiren had dozed off until she felt her popsicle melt on her. She sighed, quickly putting the sweet treat into her mouth while Isagi laughed at her.

"You look like a squirrel."

Seiren couldn't speak, her teeth ached from the cold. "Shut up!" she managed to say, a bit of it falling from her lips. Isagi could only laugh harder after realizing her teeth were sensitive. He was a loud laugher unlike her. The warming sound coming out from his mouth could echo for miles. Seiren sucked her teeth, getting the mango flavor out of her tastebuds before training her eyes on Isagi.

The way he almost fell forward, his eyes widening in horror until she gripped onto his shirt. They chuckled, finding it pretty funny until they both started laughing uncontrollably, soon losing their balance. Seiren screamed as they fell down to the ground, both bracing themselves for a hard landing. Their backs landed onto the warm sand, letting out heavy breaths before sitting up.

"Oh that's not that high." she said.

"You were screaming for life."

"Don't make me kill you."

Seiren stood up, wiping the sand off her clothes, mumbling how she had to do laundry. Isagi stared off onto the horizon, finding the scene vividly pretty. The deepest of blues swirling in his eyes rolled over to the auburn haired girl, finding her even prettier. He slowly blinked, his lashes almost sticking to one another. Once she felt satisfied, she tried looking for a way back up. "Guess we'll have to walk around.." she mumbled, eyes peering over to his. "Right.." he whispered.

"Is there sand in my hair?" she turned around, waiting for his response. Seiren heard him get up, his shoes kicking sand in front of him before his hands trailed down the strands of her hair. "You know..I didn't notice your hair was wavy." he said, taking any bits of grain off of her. "I usually straighten it.." she said. "You should stop straightening it."

"Should I? It's just annoying to handle." Seiren chuckles. "I mean yeah but I bet it's like beach waves or something." Isagi laughs, tapping her shoulder before she turned to face him. "Somewhat. Sae's the same but he always styles his hair with hairspray. Rin just has straight hair." she crosses her arms, her eyes darting off to the beach ahead of them. "I bet if you dyed your hair like his you'd look like twins."

"Oh obviously. Once I was born, everyone in my family swore the next child was going to come out the same but Rin came out with our Dad's hair."

"You guys are just copies of your Mom, minus Rin with the hair."

"She takes pride in it." Seiren sighed. "Let's head back. I wanna get inside now." she nods, Isagi agreeing with her. "Up that way we can go." he takes hold of her hand, guiding her up the hill. She never noticed how his hands locked perfectly with hers, just finding comfort running her thumb in circles against his skin. Seiren hummed softly, keeping up with his pace. "What color are we wearing?" she proceeds to ask. "Color? Oh for prom? How about green? Goes well with your hair."

"Green? What about black?"

"I think green suits you better."

She sides eyes him. "Fine." she pauses. "Wanna hang out tomorrow?" she asked him. "We always hang out. Did you expect me to say no?" he laughs, the two finally reaching the sidewalk. "Maybe. Maybe you started hating me and didn't want to be around me any more." Seiren shrugged her shoulders, looking off to the side.

"You're so weird.." he laughs.

"Yeah right.." she pouts.