"We made it!" Mr. Lemon announced to us. I was so glad that we were finally here. I felt a terrible bromance tension between these two guys that I wanted to escape badly from.

When we exited the car, I took a big stretch that was moved when Jax came out. "I need to come through."

I stopped stretching and then followed Kai, Mr. Lemon, and Gray to the shopping center. It was pretty big compared to the shopping malls Iris and I always went to. This mall contained anime and manga products, shops, bakeries, and other shopping necessities. My mouth dropped at the sight of it.

"I wonder how many girls are dressed in cosplay here," Jax said to the right of me. I looked up at him with disgust and noticed his nose bleeding. I did not want to know what on earth he was thinking about.

"So where are we going shopping first?" Gray asked Mr. Lemon.

"The cosplay shop." Mr. Lemon answered.

We all stood there silently.

"Mr. Lemon, I knew Jax was into that kind of thing, but you too? I have lost all hope in humanity." I shook my head.

"Wait, listen to me. It's because they have good outfits for your band. I feel that we can use some of the materials and ask the sewing club to help with making your outfits." Mr. Lemon explained.

I suppose it was alright as long as it wasn't for some other purposes.

"Alright, let's go in!" Jax cheered.

Walking in, it felt a bit weird. There were a ton of people dressed as certain anime characters. They were really into cosplay. Though, besides that, Mr. Lemon was right. The type of material and clothing they had would work well in a band.

I walked over to the skirt section and gazed at the different variety of skirts they had. Some of them were super short, though, which must have been for those certain types of cosplays that I shall not name.

"I think you would look great in a skirt," Jax said over my shoulder, looking at the skirts with me. "I think one where you could get a panty shot would be great!"

I then put down one of the skirts I was looking at and then waves at the store lady. "I want shorts instead!"

When I walked over to the shorts section, I noticed Jax pouting at the skirt table. Served that weirdo right.

"Here's the shorts section. We have a variety of shorts here. Choose one to your liking." The clerk explained to me. She hovered her hand over the shorts, catching my eye to the blue one.

"Can I take this one?" I asked, holding it in my hand.

"Of course! A great pair of shorts. This accessory matches well with it too!" She handed me a pair of suspenders.

"Thank you," I bowed and then took the clothing to Kai and Gray.

"Is that what you're planning to wear?" Kai looked at it. "You know you should probably throw in a shirt. We aren't giving out a nude show."

"I know!" I socked him in the arm. "I was planning to pair it with a shirt I had at home."

"Ow." He whined, rubbing his arm.

"You have such a nice relationship with your brother, Maple." Gray gave his most innocent smile ever.

It had me wondering, though. He just saw me punch Kai in the arm and watched Kai groan in pain.

"What kind of family situation are you living in, Gray? Is it that bad?" I looked at him with pitiful eyes.

Gray then blushed, realizing that what he did sounded a bit weird. "No, no. What I meant was that you guys are super close to each other. My brother and I never communicate. So, I thought it was nice how you guys can play around like that with each other."

I then let out a deep sigh and leaned against the maid outfit table right next to Gray. "It is true. I am happy to have a twin, like Kai. I mostly view my older brother more like a motherly type than a brother. He takes care of Kai and me well." I then turned my focus back to Gray. "What about you? Is your brother in college and doesn't talk to you that much?"

Gray then shook his head and smiled. "No. He's only three months old."

I stopped for a moment to think. I then gave him an, "Are you serious," expression.

"Gray..." I decided to tell him the truth, "You do know that three months old babies can't talk yet, right?"

Gray then looked at me with a confused expression before realizing that what I said was possibly why he didn't have a good relationship with his brother yet. "Oh, that is true."

"Hey, so did you buy a skirt, Maple?" Jax walked down the small space between the tables, happily waving at us.

"No. I bought shorts." I sighed. I was pissed that he interrupted the intimate moment that Gray and I were having.

"Well, I can still see the thighs. You know what they say, 'thick thighs save...'" Jax was about to say the rest of the quote before being interrupted by Gray.

"Jax, I don't think Maple likes it when you talk about girl's body parts like that." He shyly explained.

"But I can't help liking her thighs. They are not too big and not too skinny." Jax continued, standing next to me.

"Watch it, or I will get a restraining order on you." I threatened him.

"I like girls who play hard to get!" He grinned happily.

"I bought my outfit!" Kai came back running to us. "How about you guys?"

"Yes." Both Gray and Jax said holding up their bags.

"We are ready to go then?" Mr. Lemon smiled. "Well, since we have no school today, why don't we go and get some ice cream?"

All four of us happily agreed to it. No one in their right mind would turn down a free ice cream offer.

"What did you get?" Gray asked me after I ordered.

"Chocolate. It's my favorite."

"Oh? You're just like Jax. I got strawberry." Gray smiled and then handed me a spoonful of his strawberry ice cream. "Want to try some?"

It was the same spoon that Gray used. Would this be what they considered an indirect kiss?

"Sure!" I happily pushed my hair behind my ear, slowly moving in to take a bite. But before I was able to, Jax took it.

He took his time swallowing it in front of me, giving me a "too bad" face. I squinted my eyes in anger.

"It's so tasty, Gray." Jax hugged Gray.

"But that was for Maple." Gray was confused.

"Yes, but you know that I like strawberry more than her, right?" Jax rubbed Gray's head and grinned at me.

"But I thought you liked chocolate ice cream..."

"That's a lie!" Jax quickly refuted. "I love strawberries like you."

For some reason, not that I didn't notice before, but Jax was trying his hardest to keep me away from Gray. He might have caught on to my game of trying to get closer to Gray. But the way how he stroked Gray's hair, took the ice cream, and even earlier, the way how they acted with each other, gave me chills. There was only one possibility as to why he was doing this: he liked Gray.

Even though he did mention about my legs and pulled up my skirt, it felt that he was trying to mask how he truly felt. I was all for it, but at the same time, he was now my rival in love.