"Sorry I'm late!" I burst through the front doors and scrambled to kick off my flip-flops. "Time got away from me! Did I miss dinner? Obviously I did!"

After making a pit stop at the bathroom to scrub my hands down, I burst into the kitchen which was in the nearest room. Koyuki was the sole person there, seated at the table and flipping through countless books surrounding him.

Hardly acknowledging how much of a jumble I was—which was a common occurrence at this point—he barely batted an eyelash.

"Everyone went off to their rooms."

My lower lip wobbled. "No... my food."

He sighed. Rising to his feet, he ventured up to the microwave and revealed two plates. He set them down before me.

"Nori couldn't decide what you wanted, so he made us both pizza and pasta. That all right?"

My jaw plummeted—at the glorious sight and also from astonishment. "How did he know?"

"'Cause you're simple-minded."

He flopped back into his chair via the roll of his eyes. I took the spot beside him. Whether I was easy to read or not, Nori had truly blessed me tonight. The saviour of my tummy.

His frown deepened. "More importantly, are you sure you can finish this all?"

I pressed my palms together in prayer. "I have faith in my stomach."

Upon taking my first bite, my tastebuds were taken to heaven. With every nibble of the pizza, I balanced it with a forkful of pasta and vice versa. Each time, I was delivered a punch of happiness.

"Eat more carefully. You're getting sauce all over your face."

How unsightly I was scarfing this down was the least of my worries. "Nori really is the best cook! I can eat his food forever and ever. Maybe I should propose to him right now and make that a reality...!"

His eyebrow twitched.

His thumb swabbed the sauce near my lips. At the unexpected contact, my cheeks heated exponentially, especially when he put it into his mouth, sucking it off.

"Eat cleaner," he murmured. "Or else I'll finish your food myself."

Timidly, I peered up at him. "I'll... do my best."

"Good."

My pace slowed, alongside my chewing.

"Koyuki, are you fine with watching me eat? Aren't you tired?"

"Not really." He reclined in his chair, lifting the notebook he was previously engrossed in. "I planned on reviewing recipes for the competition anyway."

"Have you narrowed it down?"

"Somewhat." He flashed me a couple of pages. "What do you think?"

I hitched a gasp. "They sound delicious! Can I eat them right now! Pretty please?"

He snorted. "Even though you're already having a meal? Your gluttony knows no bounds."

It really didn't.

"Did you come up with all these yourself?"

I'd posed the question because most of them were handwritten; alterations to pre-existing recipes.

Koyuki shook his head. "Etsu helped with them in some form or another."

My heart sunk to my gut. Regardless of whether he noticed or not, he pointed to two.

"I wanted to go with lemons for these, but Etsu kept insisting honey was a better alternative. Time and time again, we'd argue and end up baking separate batches. I'd make my idea, and he'd make his, and we'd ask our parents, relatives, or friends to taste-test and choose the better one." His mouth lifted softly. "I lost to him every single time."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Every time? You did?"

"I was never a match for Etsu. Whenever I thought I'd finally overtaken him, he'd leap ten feet ahead, leaving me grovelling and trying to catch up. Throughout middle school, I read so many culinary books I thought my eyes would roll right out of my head. Baked to the point where I had more blisters than skin. And it still wasn't enough. And you know what that jerk did? Constantly offered me advice or competed with me in those bake-offs—did everything possible to help me improve."

Despite his words, there wasn't a shred of annoyance in his tone.

"He was such a busybody. Had no time to be giving me that kind of advice, especially with university in the way. But he did so anyway."

All nonchalance vanished from Koyuki's face.

"Sorry," he said. "You probably don't care about any of this. Let's—"

"Please tell me. Etsuya sounds like an amazing person! I can't believe there's someone better at baking than you, Koyuki. I'd want to taste his desserts."

For a moment, his gaze warmed indescribably. "You'd have given up baking altogether if you did."

"No way. He's that good?"

"Better than good. He won a ton of awards. Had his desserts featured in magazines. Not to mention was given a full-ride scholarship to a top culinary university in Paris. Plenty of renowned pastry chefs tried recruiting him to work in their shops."

"But he refused, right? Because he treasured that dream you shared of opening up your own. He wanted to make it a reality as much as you did. That's why he did all he could to make sure you were keeping up."

"Like I said, he was stubborn."

I wasn't able to contain my laugh. "I can't believe it. He is awesome! And someone like that is your older brother?"

"I haven't even told you half of it." There was a glint in his eye, as if he were talking about his own achievements. "See these recipes?"

He resumed at that, chatting on and on about his beloved sibling. Stories about their childhood. Petty feuds. It was almost as if Etsuya was right here with us, due to how vividly he spoke of him.

Time passed pleasantly like that.

I always looked forward to showers every day. Having the water cascade down my back and hair, ridding me of all tense knots and replacing them with relief. Plus I got to daydream about lovely desserts, world domination, and today—a sleepover with my favourite people!

After exiting the bathroom, now changed into my pyjamas, I ambled through the hall on my way to my room. Akin to Nori's actual house, this place was a big and spacious labyrinth. Looking back, I should have left a trail of breadcrumbs to avoid getting lost.

Right as the thought came to mind, I crashed into a solid surface. My first thought was to rebuke myself for not watching where I was going—knocking into a wall of all things. At least, until I realized this wall was skin-soft and muscular.

And that it wasn't a wall at all.

"Chiaki?!"

Rubbing at his eyelid with the backside of his hand, he groggily peered down at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Teru...?"

I was drawn to his bare chest and abdomen—grooves sharp enough to wash clothes on.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

Not that I was particularly complaining or anything...

"I was sleeping... then left to find the bathroom Nori designated for the boys... Was pinpointing my way back to my room, but..."

"Oh, you got lost," I concluded.

He struggled to contain a yawn in reply.

Dejectedly, he eyed the ground. "At this rate, I'll never find it. I should snooze on the floor. Ko'll probably find me and carry me there himself."

"Koyuki said he'd be busy practicing for the second round so I doubt that'll be for a while."

His lips were downturned. "Fine. I'll search some more."

Settling his fingers onto my head top, he caressed it once.

"Goodnight." He paused for a beat then cracked a tender smile. "I can say 'goodnight' instead of 'goodbye', huh?"

"It's a lot less lonely of a word," I agreed.

"Goodnight, Teru. Sleep well."

"'Night."

He toddled forward. With him as out of it as he was, he lost his balance one too many times as he disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

The audible thud and lethargic 'ow' that followed left me uneasy.

Was it really all right leaving him by himself?

After bidding Chiaki farewell, I meandered my way to my room. I spotted an intriguing sight at the end of the corridor.

"There's a balcony out here?" Slipping out into the cold night air, I craned my neck. "Wow! You can even see the stars!"

"Kotorin?"

I had company.

"Hayate, you were here?" Tilting my head, I addressed the boy adjacent to me.

He flashed a timid smile. "I was here from the beginning."

"You were? I didn't notice."

"That's okay. People often tell me I'm forgettable."

I recoiled.

"That's not what I meant! I'm an idiot! I have a one-track mind! I hardly pay attention to my surroundings or the mood in a room. My attention span is smaller than a goldfish's! So, me not noticing you has nothing to do with you being unforgettable—like, at all."

His lips quirked upwards in a minuscule smile.

"I know," he said. "You consistently act without thinking, dash straight into things without contemplating others' reactions. You're gluttonous and cheesy, but extremely considerate."

"Are those compliments?"

He shyly tittered. Beneath the pale light of the moon, his profile was illuminated.

"I'm not any better. I'm weak. And hopeless. Bad at communicating. Often get scared over little things. But if you're there, Kotorin—as long as you're there—I can do my best. I convinced myself of that. Though, that's just self-serving, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You constantly look out for me, defend me, and are patient with me when I don't have the confidence. There's nobody as kind and remarkable as you are, Kotorin. That's why... I want to support you too. The way I am now, there's no way I can do that. I know, it's all in my head. That it's my insecurities talking. Of course, when I actually see you or talk to you, those worries melt away. But, it still frightens me. That for the second round and going forward, I'll hold us back again."

"None of us can predict the future, Hayate. I'm scared I'll mess up for a second time too. But, as long as we're all together, I'm sure we'll be fine," I said. "I told you, remember? Those sides of yourself you can't view positively—all your doubts and fears—I'll be your anchor to prove otherwise. And if you ever creep into those pessimistic lines of thought, let me be the first person you talk to. I'll instantly remind you you're being an idiot so you can smile again."

The colour that spread across his cheeks warmed my insides.

"You're... unfair, Kotorin. How can you be so perfect?"

"Not the first time I heard that."

Rather than sharing in my amusement, conviction of the likes I'd never witnessed from him swirled behind his eyes. "I... can't stay like this."

"Hmm?"

"K-Kotorin! Your hair's dripping everywhere!"

His abrupt declaration startled me. I addressed the droplets soaking my head top, staining my shoulders, and hitting the floor.

"Oh, that's okay," I laughed, tossing the towel I'd wrapped around my neck overtop my curly hair. "It'll dry eventually."

"You have to do it properly. It's not good for your hair. Plus you can get sick."

He filed me onto the nearest chair, and without giving me a chance to refute, utilized the towel sitting on my head to dry it in my stead.

"It doesn't matter," I insisted. "Idiots don't catch colds."

"If you go around saying stuff like that even I'll get angry. I know you're stubborn, Kotorin, but you will get sick if you're not careful. You need to take better care of your well-being, starting with the simple things."

Positioned before me, gingerly sopping up excess moisture from my long hair, Hayate's concentration never wavered. Possibly because of the uniqueness of the situation, and the gentleness, my heart warmed. Sure I liked coddling Hayate, but I tended to forget how adamant he could be in situations I least expected.

"Supposing that you do get ill, I'll have no choice but to take care of you."

"You will?" My grin was ear-splitting. "Then, maybe catching a cold doesn't sound too bad. You know what—sniffle, sniffle—I'm starting to feel something coming on now. Brr. I'm freezing oh so very terribly. If I'm not pampered immediately, I will wither away unloved...!"

His lips twisted into a hopeless smile. "You'll leave me no choice but to spoil you unconditionally then."

And there went my ability to breathe.

Hayate Inoue was the cutest cinnamon roll to have ever walked the planet.

And no, I would not be receiving any other opinions on this matter.

Entering my bedroom took its toll on me. The messiness was smothering—unsurprisingly, considering this was me I was talking about. After stashing my belongings in their rightful place, I tied up my hair, flickered off the light switch then padded my way across the floor and up to the futon I'd readied earlier today. My eyelids drooped shut as I lifted the blanket and cocooned myself underneath.

Comfort instantaneously claimed me. Since we didn't get to do many sleepover-like things today because of our exhaustion, tomorrow we definitely were. King's Game was first on my list.

I shifted slightly on the futon and my forehead bonked against something.

It wasn't my pillow. The wall was ways ahead as well.

My mind blanked. Goosebumps scaled my arms.

Calm down, me. There had to be a reasonable explanation behind this.

When something shifted across from me, I defenestrated the notion completely. My torso lurched upwards, scream catching in my throat. The identity of the individual had me screaming for another reason altogether.

"N-Nori?!"

On cue, he peered up at me. His eyelids crinkled at the corners.

"Hello, Angel."

"Don't 'hello' me! Why are you in my bed?"

He rubbed his forehead—where I'd knocked my head against. "I assumed you'd be lonely by yourself and wanted to provide some friendly company. But you took your sweet time. I almost dozed off."

My mouth flapped for words.

Nori was dangerous.

I heaved aloud in an attempt to settle my frayed nerves. My grip around my blanket to my chest eased, as did the frenetic beat of my heart. There were so many things wrong with this picture. If he wanted to keep me company, he didn't have to literally be under the covers—could've stood outside the door or elsewhere inside the room.

"How much of that is a lie?" I sourly asked.

"Why do you assume I'm lying? My intentions are pure and wholesome. Always."

I pulled a face. My vision slowly accustomed itself to the darkness. Nori's perfect face. His hair wasn't tied up per usual so his red strands dangled overtop his shoulders and shielded the left side of his face.

"No need to be so cautious, Angel. I'm not shady at all."

"That's exactly what someone shady would say."

Expelling another breath, and very much bone-weary, I collapsed ear first onto my pillow, as far a distance from him as possible. Side by side, every contour of his gorgeous features was clear as glass.

"Are you sure this isn't your way of killing boredom?"

He formed a smile after prolonged hesitation. "Of course not. Where would you get that idea?"

"I'm wrong?"

"Just so. In the past, boredom was all that made up my life. But from the moment I met you, and after interacting with everyone, I haven't thought for a single second that being by your side was boring. I doubt I'll ever think so either."

"Then, were you lonely?"

"If I say yes, will you let me spend the night in your arms?"

I imitated his expression. "No."

"Ouch."

I snorted.

"I did want to see you, though. Now that I have, I'm sure I'll have pleasant dreams."

"Must've been worth nearly giving me a heart attack then."

His eyelids thinned in amusement. Scooping my cheek in his large palm, he drew close, chastely connecting his lips to my forehead.

"Sleep well, Angel. The competition is important, yes, but since we've taken such a trip, do rest as much as you can. You deserve it."

My skin scorched at the unexpected contact.

Within a stuttering heartbeat, light consumed the room and a fist was driven from overtop of us and into Nori's cheek.

"Why don't you rest, too? In the afterlife."

"L-little flower, you're hurting me."

"Good. Get out of Kotori's bed right now, you pervert."

Miko's unexpected appearance was enough to stun me speechless. Leaving no room for rebuttal or to get a proper word in, Nori was shoved and thereby booted out of the room by my glowering best friend. In no time, we were alone, and she buried her face into her palm.

Leaping out of the covers, I barrelled her into a hug. "Miko, you came to visit me?"

"I had a feeling something like this would go down. You're way too lenient on those boys."

"It's okay. They're harmless."

"Explain why one of those 'harmless' boys was putting his hands on you then?"

"He was wishing me well," I insisted. "Nori... does questionable things, but his motives are almost always untainted. In my opinion, he's easily lonely and likes attention, that's all. Remember those dorayaki I gave you?"

Miko wasn't convinced. "If I didn't tag along on this trip, those puppies would've surely turned into wolves overnight... Agh, I can't leave you alone after all."

"Don't."

I trotted toward my door to shut it then hit the lights.

Using the moonlight that trickled in from my open window, I guided her to my bed. "Let's get some shut-eye."

I slipped under the covers while Miko stood awkwardly at the foot of my bed. She hurriedly whipped her head around. "Should I grab my futon—"

"Or," I said, seizing her wrist and pulling her right down next to me, "you can take that half of the bed and I'll take this half."

I stared into her still enlarged eyes—reflecting her evident surprise. She slipped under my blanket at that, resting her head where Nori once was.

"Are you sure you'd rather not have that flirt snuggle with you?"

I let out a laugh, keeping her warm hand encased in mine. "One hundred percent," I said. "Thanks for tagging along for my sake. I know you were busy dealing with what happened with your aunt."

"It's fine. She's all right, just recovering slowly. In any case, she's the one who insisted I get out of the house and 'enjoy my youth' with you guys."

"I don't blame her. You worry excessively."

"I want the best for her, you know. For her and Uncle Jiro to be healthy, always. They've done a lot for me. Since my actual mom is out of the picture—sometimes I even forget she's alive with how little she keeps in touch—if I can repay their kindness, if only a little, I want to. Worrying about them seems like the bare minimum."

"My best friend is the loveliest."

"I am. And you're extremely lucky to have me."

We shared a smile, and despite tiny, it was one we needed at this moment.

In the past, growing up alongside Okito, it was difficult to imagine having a female friendship like I shared with Miko. My clinginess and spontaneity had steered off a good amount of people growing up (rightfully so). However, for someone I met in my first year of high school, and in spite of the fact that we got off on the wrong foot, it was none but her who spurned me on this far-fetched goal of mine from the get-go. And she was still here, cheering me on—would, no matter how long it took.

"I bumped into Eru and Ryoma at the beach earlier. The entire Cooking Club is staying nearby."

Miko hoisted herself upright. "W-wait, they are?"

"Eru... also gave me a fortune. About soulmates and beloveds." I rolled onto my back. "I... couldn't get him out of my head."

"Him?"

"He asked me something strange a while back. 'Did you already forget what happened last summer?'"

I gnawed my lower lip.

Did it have something to do with our kiss?

***

So, I'm almost finished writing this story. I had so many ideas for this book, so much I wanted to write, but since I was feeling super uninspired and wanted to quit, I could not write them no matter how hard I tried this past year. I think because I have too high expectations for this book and I'm not living up to them whenever I write, it just isn't a fun time overall.

Any who, what I decided to do was compact those ideas and speed run to the end as quickly as I can. I apologize in advance if the pacing starts getting unusually quick/not as developed in the coming chapters. Better have an ending than nothing at all xD

I also tweaked some stuff in the last chapter: This trip to the beach was purely for fun (and the Cooking Club happened to be there too). I initially planned for the second round of the Sweet Treats competition to take place here but decided to put it off for later.

Anyway this long, long note aside, I hope you enjoy the rest of this book. Please do comment and remember to click the star to vote <3