Hey, it's been a long, long time. I'm really sorry for that! >w<

I don't know what it is about this story in particular but it's just so hard to get words down or I end up hating what I do end up writing,,, but I don't exactly like discontinuing books so I'll still work on completing this, no matter how crummy it turns out to be. In order to do that, I decided to cut a few scenes. I also rewrote the original chapter 38 (what I've posted now is the rewritten version). What I edited wasn't too important so you can dive into this chapter without missing anything. You probably won't even remember what I cut out considering it has been so many months since the last update lol.

I can't guarantee frequent updates like when I updated weekly last year but I will try to write for this story more often.

Happy reading!

Remember to vote & comment if you enjoy! <3

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I'd been waiting.

For the sun to shine down relentlessly. For the clouds to drift through a clear blue sky. For unlimited hours to sleep in and fool around the way I want.

It was here.

It was finally here.

Summer vacation!

"Kotori, slow down."

"But, but! I see the ocean! And it's so pretty...!"

The beach stretched further than I could see. Underneath the blistering summer sunshine it was almost as if I were melting. A briny aroma burned my nose. My gaze roved from the golden sand to the gently breaking ocean waves. All of it was so, so enchanting.

And I was going to be surrounded by this scenery for the days to come?

I hurled my arms upward. "I love life!"

"You get excited too easily."

A grin swallowed my face. "Miko, I'll race you to the villa."

"You think you can win?"

"Don't underestimate my athletic abilities. You'll regret it."

"I wouldn't dream of it, dork."

"As always, they get along well," Nori laughed.

"Don't run off like idiots," Koyuki called, a duffel bag slung over a shoulder.

"They're... already gone, Ko," Chiaki said.

"That Sakurauchi... She has Teruhashi completely wrapped around her finger. This was supposed to finally be my ideal chance to confess, too..."

"Confess?"

"F-forget it! I didn't say anything!"

Coughing, Koyuki shuffled from Chiaki and peered left.

"More importantly, are you sure it's all right we're crashing here, Nori?"

"It's totally fine. My parents hardly use this vacation house. By monopolizing it for our trip to prepare for the second round, I think we'd be doing them a favour, if anything."

"Still... It feels like I'm freeloading."

"Don't be silly, Koyuki. You're the indisputable glue that holds this club together. I wouldn't want any other man living under the same roof as me."

His expression warped in disgust.

"Stand at least ten feet away from me, creep."

He chuckled. "You've got the wrong idea. What I meant was—"

"Heeey!" I called, waving them over. "Hurry up! I wanna explore inside!"

They complied, and soon enough, they arrived in front of the expensive Yamashiro family villa.

Upon zeroing in on a particular sight, I rushed over.

"Hayate, are you all right?"

His breathing was uneven, complexion a sickly pallor. "I-I'm feeling a little l-lightheaded."

"No way. The sun's already getting to you?"

"S-sorry. I'm n-not the outdoorsy type." He ducked his head, lips quivering. "I knew I'd be baggage if I came along. The trip hasn't even started yet, and I already r-ruined it—"

"Don't say that!" Gripping his hands, I brought my face to his. "I'm super happy you came, Hayate! As long as I'm around I won't dare let you regret coming. I'll spend this entire trip right by your side! So let's focus on having tons and tons of fun together, okay?"

Minuscule awe soaked his face in a blush. "Kotorin..."

"Come on, let me help you inside."

"You don't have to!"

"Don't be modest. When you need help, rely on me. I told you that, remember?" Hauling a few of his bags in my arms filled with my own, I beamed. "Let's hit up the beach first. Then, we can get some shaved ice. What do you think?"

"Not fair...! I wanna spend all day with Teru, too!" Chiaki whined.

Nori's smirk twitched. "Playing the physically weak card to get the Angel to baby you? Not bad, Hayate."

"We've definitely underestimated him," Koyuki agreed, smiling equally as darkly. "It seems I'll have to give him a firm talking to later."

Miko snorted from the sidelines. "You're all so extra."

The second round for the Sweet Treats competition was literally around the corner. Although we'd somehow managed to make it past the first round, victory was still ways ahead. As such, we'd spent these past few months preparing for it, focusing on our respective weaknesses and practicing day after day with the intent to finally become proper rivals of the Cooking Club.

Seeing as it was officially summer vacation, Nori had suggested we spend a few days at his family's vacation house nearby the beach. Here, we could ultimately do some last minute preparations (not to mention relax). After receiving our guardians' approval—Chiaki's grandparents were super understanding about letting us take some time off work, too—all of us had travelled by train to get here.

Even now, the reality made me giddy.

Spending time with my favourite people under the summer sun, having fun. I put in an incredible amount of work these last couple of months. Nobody could nag me about goofing off to make up for it now (at least, I hoped so).

I'd make the most of it. Firstly, by swimming to my heart's content!

An uncontrollable ball of elation, I charged across the beach in my two piece swimsuit.

Koyuki, freshly changed into his swim trunks (we were the first here out of the others), had his gaze drilled in my direction.

I came to a standstill.

"Koyuki?" I looked up at him. "What's wrong? You're not going to swim?"

His mouth twitched. Awkwardness swept across his countenance in one fluid moment.

"Aren't you embarrassed showing so much skin?"

"But... we're at the beach, right?" I put up a peace sign and winked, purposefully flaunting my curves. "Plus this body's too sexy to hide to the world. It'd be a sin."

Clearly, that wasn't the appropriate answer. He threw his sweater over my shoulders and zipped it right up.

His blond hair fell across his eyes as he retreated. "Then I guess I'm evil."

I puffed my cheeks. Since he was bigger than me, it covered majority of my body, including my thighs. "This is a violation of my rights. You'll be hearing from my lawyers."

"Let them try their worst."

Sighing, I brought the baggy sleeves upwards. Then waved it. "This is the first time I've ever worn a boy's jacket..." I brought it to my nose, whiffing gently. "It smells like you."

His blush was instantaneous.

"I— wha— what're you doing?!"

Tittering, I swung my arms. "I feel like a girl in a shoujo manga. What's wrong, Koyuki? Marking your territory or something?"

I meant it as a joke. Since I did, I expected he'd stutter senselessly like every other time I messed with him.

Instead, no ounce of amusement presented in his features.

"Is that a problem?"

My heart unintentionally lurched a beat. His solemn stare sent shivers up my spine.

At that same moment, whispers resounded.

"Man, that girl is mega cute."

"Should we shoot our shot?"

"I'd advise against it, man. Her boyfriend..."

Eyebrows high, I caught the loose glances and offhanded comments from passing boys. My shoulders tensed. I didn't even notice. I was being ogled.

How long? Possibly the moment I stepped onto the beach. Then, the reason Koyuki...

"Sorry." I clenched my arm, lowering my chin. "I had no idea. My beauty truly is a crime."

"Oi."

Laughing, I smiled, wide. Even during moments I didn't notice it, he looked out for me like this. "I really have the greatest knight at my side. Thank you for always taking care of me, Koyuki."

His mouth parted, newfound pinkness colouring the tips of his ears.

"T-Teruhashi."

He seized my shoulders with unbelievable force.

I fluttered my eyelids. "Yes?"

"I-I... uh... I just want you to know that I..."

Why was he nervous?

Playing along, I nodded. "That you...?"

"Th-that I..."

"That you! Wait, what game are we playing?"

He squeezed my arms, silencing me.

"Teruhashi." His Adam's apple bobbed. "I... for a while now... have... really... For a long time, I've... truly... cherished our—our friendship?"

A beat of silence elapsed.

He released me, burying his palms into his face, as if in self-reproach.

I covered my mouth in a chuckle. Why go to such extremes? He could've said that normally.

Cutie.

"Oh, so you two are just friends? That's relieving to hear."

We jumped.

A hefty warmth enclosed my shoulders. Nori, the cause, firmly rested his own sweater around me. "Are you cozy now, Angel?"

Stricken, I absorbed everyone's presence. They'd arrived unbeknownst to me. I gandered downwards. "Well, yes," I replied, "but this wasn't really..."

"Teru, take my sweater, too! It's super warm!"

Chiaki wrapped his around me. This burden was weighing me down.

"G-guys."

Hayate fluttered for his bag. "I brought two...! Also a hat and sunscreen...!"

They'd gotten the wrong idea...

"Hey!" Koyuki hollered, shooing them off. "Stop butting in!"

"How so?" Nori remarked. "I'm simply conversing with my angel."

"She's not yours!"

"Then she's yours, Mr. I-Cherish-Our-Friendship?"

"Th-that was—"

Chiaki snickered. "Pathetic."

Koyuki, redder than a cherry, hurled him into a headlock. "Shut up!"

"G-guys," Hayate interrupted, "stop fighting...!"

Amidst their lively back and forth, Miko, donned in modest swimwear, approached me.

"Was yours too revealing?"

I situated my index finger and thumb beneath my chin. "What can I say, I'm a national treasure."

She sighed, as if through with my arrogance. "I had a feeling this would happen, so I snagged another pair from your belongings. Change in one of those changing stalls over there. Preferably before you have more of the boy population falling at your feet."

Following Miko's orders, I slipped into another swimsuit. This one wasn't as revealing—in fact, it was countless times humbler—which steered off unwanted gazes from the male population. Although the prospect of being leered at should have made me uncomfortable, as a teenage girl, I was guilty of ogling the boy population as well. Particularly, their broad builds and glorious abs. Those that garnered the most attention, unsurprisingly, was the group I'd accompanied today.

The girls couldn't tear their eyes from them. And by girls, yes, that included me.

Since I was with them almost every day, it nearly slipped my mind how attractive they all were. Their handsome faces were one thing but their toned physiques were well-defined and drool-worthy. Truth be told, aside from those making sheep's eyes at them, I was much bolder in my goggling.

Nori and Koyuki competed in surfing. Since it seemed fun I tried my chances at balancing on a board too only to fail one too many times. Chiaki managed to balance straightaway despite being a novice. I'd heard that despite appearances, Chiaki was a genius, even toward school, so anything he gave a go he ended up mastering in no time. Except warm dessert making, ironically. Hayate's skin was insanely pale and fragile (boy truly was Snow White) so on top of insisting he wasn't a great swimmer, he didn't stay in the sun too long. Miko insisted she'd rather read, so the two of them hung back beneath the shade we'd assembled.

After purchasing shaved ice for two, I made my way back to Hayate where we ended up chatting about our favourite mangas. Following much toing and froing, I got him to remove his glasses and tie back his hair. My heart failed from the cuteness. His large, round eyes glistened brighter, like gems underneath the summer sky. Honestly, I couldn't blame him for covering it up. If he walked around openly like that, there'd be casualties.

When the sun began to dip below the horizon, staining the beds of water and nearby rocks pastels of tangerine and indigo, Nori went ahead to the villa, insistent he cook us the best dinner. Succeeding a decent amount of time, the others packed up to go too. I promised to catch up to them and gave them permission to eat without me. Upon watching the sun set for a while longer, I sauntered my way up the beach.

"Meditating really is all-powerful. If it's to get closer to Lord Atteru, Eru will do anything."

Fluttering my eyelids, I glanced in the direction of the source. There, seated on the beds of sand, legs folded overtop the other and fingers pinched in meditation, was a face I'd recognize anywhere.

"You're..."

The girl craned her head right. Emitting a sharp cry, she clambered to her feet.

"Tori!"

Eru Onitsuka was in my vicinity in the next heartbeat, long white hair flowing after her and framing her tiny build.

"What a coincidence!" she squealed, oblivious to my shock. "Did Tori come all the way out here to worship Lord Atteru, too?"

Spotting a member of the Cooking Club was enough to send my mind swirling, but the estranged title only worsened that. "'Lord... Atteru'?"

"It's the name of some pseudo deity she's created."

The gruff remark originated from our left. Fit in a sweater and swim trunk was another person who sucked all the oxygen from my lungs.

Ryoma Fukui?!

Eru glared at her clubmate in distaste. "Created? Lord Atteru is the muse of baking that Eru's people has worshipped since ancient times. Everyone from Eru's island must offer their all to Lord Atteru to properly engage in the culinary arts. Such has been compulsory since ancient times."

"So she says," Ryoma deadpanned.

Looking back, Eru had mentioned this 'Lord Atteru' during the first round. When she passed out macaroons and insisted that instead of monetary payment, I offer a pint of my blood. She also alluded to being some kind of princess...

If whatever she said was faux or genuine—I couldn't tell. Considering her small-scaled accent and third person manner of speech, maybe she had what was referred to as 'eighth-grade syndrome'?

I should play along, then. Not question it too deeply.

"What are you doing here?" I asked instead. "D-don't tell me... You plan to end my life before the start of the second round? You think I've gotten too cocky and want to destroy me as soon as possible? I knew you guys were evil, and dislike threats to your power, but to think you'd succumb so low as to murder—"

"Gouda did mention you often let your imagination get the best of you," Ryoma said, crossing his arms, "but this is embarrassing."

Eru took my hands, giggling. "The entire club is staying at Mimi's place for a few days since it's summer vacation."

My shoulders stiffened. "The entire club? As in..."

"Gou, and Rin, and Mimi are here too! You just missed them!"

No way...

"Judging by your reaction, your club's doing the same thing." Ryoma read me like an open book. "That Yamashiro should've had an inkling since he knows of Hiroka's family background. Oh, well. It's only sheer luck you crawled your way past the first round. Try as you might, but you'll lose in the second."

As always, Ryoma was pleasantly conceited.

"Tori." Eru, a literal breath of fresh air, pumped my hand up and down. "Since you're here, would you like to receive a divination from Lord Atteru?"

"Divination..." I repeated the outlandish word. "Is that a fortune? What? You give out fortunes?"

Detecting my emanating excitement, she bobbed her head. "Yes! Eru was relaying Lord Atteru's wisdom to others as part of her daily acts of worship. Eru can also sense you are deeply troubled about something."

"You can?" Starstruck, the reality of the situation bounced about my head. "S-so you'll really be able to tell me what I should have for dinner? I'm stuck between pizza or pasta. I'd eat pizza, but I haven't had pasta in a while. You can never go wrong with pasta. Oh, but pizza is delicious... But, but..."

"Food troubles? You're so carefree, Tori," she giggled. "What about love?"

"Ah, yes. I love food."

"Not that. I'm talking about romance! Boyfriends. Girlfriends. Soulmates. Wouldn't you like to know more about that stuff?"

"You can figure out things like that?"

"Of course! So, what do you say? Want Eru to read Tori's love divination?"

"Honestly, I'd rather you tell me about the pasta or pizza—"

"Great! Sit over here!"

Not taking no for an answer, she tugged me downwards alongside her. Once seated across from her, she never let go of my palm. Rather, she dragged her fingers along my skin, staring intently as if something was sprawled on there worthy of consideration. Ryoma who was posted adjacent to us didn't say a thing, as if accustomed to Eru's spontaneity. Before long, Eru closed her eyelids. The air around us shifted, and the beach itself grew deathly still.

"You possess a lot of love, and share a lot of it too. You don't realize it but often, it's reciprocal. Around you exists bountiful people who care for you deeply—way more than you can imagine."

Her tone and manner of speech was uncharacteristically exalted. Stricken, I gulped. I was going to brush it off as a lighthearted joke—another one of her fraud exaggerations—but somehow, I couldn't conceal my awe. It was incredible; like she was someone else entirely.

"Around you exists your future beloved as well."

"Be...loved?"

"You haven't yet noticed it either, but they've felt this way about you for a while. Like a passionately burning fire, their feelings for you smoulder on a daily basis, unwavering upon even the most rigorous of trifles. The day will come where you will love them just as intensely, as well."

"Around me... someone I love..."

"Follow your heart, and your choice will eventually reveal itself to you." Like the flicker of a light switch, her blinding smile returned. "At least, that's what Lord Atteru advises!"

It was as if I was snapped back into reality.

She invaded my personal space, a bundle of glee. "What did you think, Tori? Did Eru do a good job of allaying Tori's romantic worries?"

Although Eru continued to ramble, explaining the fortune-telling process, and its relationship to her 'muse', part of me had stopped listening ages ago.

Why... did his face keep coming to mind?