Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Maki takes a step back at her minivan. “Does this look normal?”

Her two companions look to one another and nod. Behind them are stacks of firearms, explosives, and knives. Each weapon previously hidden amongst the compartments of the van. With no contraband hopefully the true purpose of the van will remain hidden.

“We can move your weapons to storage.” Peko says closing the trunk.

“I appreciate that. Feel free to use any while I’m away.”

Mukuro nods, setting aside the rifle she took interest in earlier. “Are you excited? You told us this was your first time going to a beach.”

“I’ve been to some before. For work.”

“It should be fun.” Mukuro smiles. “I’ve been to the beach a lot these past few summers.”

“Fuyuhiko’s family owns beachfront property.”

“If that’s the case, could I ask you guys for advice? What do people do for fun on the beach?”

The other girls are silent.

“I’m not sure if it counts as fun, but Junko always puts me in charge of fending off people who come to flirt with her. She’ll also try burying me in the sand…but that includes my head. I would avoid doing that.”

“My time on the beach is usually spent escorting or observing Fuyuhiko from a distance...I’d avoid that.”

Maki bites her thumbnail, she hoped the others would offer something. Maki’s been trying to find a plan since learning of the trip. It’s her first time having something to do over the summer. Something that doesn’t involve babysitting or killing.

Kaito, Shuichi, and Kaede have coerced her into joining them on a double date overnight trip. She was unable to find a way to escape it. Admittedly she didn’t try very hard, the idea of going to the beach with friends…and her boyfriend.

“Well.” Mukuro taps her chin. “What do other people do on the beach, we’ve all seen other beachgoers it sounds like.”
“Swimming.”
“Volleyball.”
“Exercise.”
“Building sandcastles.”
“Dumping bodies.”
“Peko.”
“Apologies.”

“It’s fine, to be honest I’m worried I’ll be too busy scanning for snipers to have fun.”
“I don’t think so. You’re always different when with Kaito. You seem less defensive, vulnerable… but in that good way you talked about. The emotional sense not lethal one.”

Peko pats Maki on the back. “Don’t fret, I’m certain you’ll have an excellent time with you boyfriend.”

Maki nods. The trio say their goodbyes and wish each other well for summer break before going their separate ways. The assassin feeling less anxious thanks to the parting words.

Kaede is ten minutes late. Maki finishes leaving her fourth message before unbuckling her seatbelt. If Kaede’s this distracted it can mean only one thing.

Maki has memorized the route to the practice room, this isn’t her first time retrieving Kaede from her instruments. The rooms are soundproofed, but only one is marked as occupied. Maki pounds on the door hoping she’s heard over the music Kaede is playing.

She’s about to try picking the lock when the door opens. A flustered Kaede is on the other side, frantically shoveling papers into her backpack.

“Sorry! I lost track of time!”

“I figured.” Maki enters to grab a few pages that fell to the floor. “Oh.”

Unlike the usual neat and tidy sheet music, this one seems handwritten. Kaede’s signature proves it’s hers, but the title would also give that away. Maki returns it to her friend and waits for her to finish packing.

“You wrote a song for Shuichi?”

“Um, yeah.” Kaede laughs. “I mean I wanted to do something special for him. It’s not often you go on a trip with your boyfriend. I…was practicing before we left. Guess I got a little too into it.”

“I figured.”

Most would find her bluntness rude or intimidating; thankfully Kaede has grown used to Maki’s mannerisms.

“Sorry to make you wait.” Kaede leans and whispers. “Are you excited to see your boyfriend in a swimsuit.”

“Do you want to walk?” Maki thinks about anything else and pulls giggling blonde out of the room.

“I’m just teasing, c’mon. I’m excited to see Shuichi, Kaito’s workouts have really done something for his body.” Kaede whistles. Maki knows she’s just trying to get a reaction from her, she won’t let it happen. She refuses to think about Kaito and his stupid sculpted chest…bare chest…slick with water and-

“Why’d you write a song?” Maki grabs the first non-Kaito related thought to distract herself.

“Well, I wanted to do something else. I’ve played a lot of songs for him. But I never wrote him one. I want him to feel special. And…as cheesy as it is relying on my talent, I’m confident that’s a way I can show him how important he is.”

“It’s not cheesy, it’s smart. I’m envious you can use your talent to help.”

“Ha, yeah I guess the Ultimate Child Caregiver can’t do much.”

Maki says nothing more and leads Kaede to the car.

“But we’re on our way now.” Kaede says. “So, no worries.”

“Were you playing piano again?”

“Am I that obvious?”

“No, I just know you well.”

Kaede laughs. “Good answer, okay Shuichi we’ll see you soon.”

“Okay.”

“Shuichi. I love you.”

Shuichi turns to make sure Kaito isn’t too close. “I love you too Kaede.”

There’s one last giggle before the line ends. Shuichi pockets his phone and lets his heart settle down before joining Kaito.

“Hey man, catch.” An orange bottle of sun lotion lands in Shuichi’s hands. “Don’t wanna get sunburnt while you’re having fun.”

“Uh Kaito. The beach is six hours away. Is now the best time to apply lotion?”

“Hey c’mon.” Kaito folds his lotion slick arms behind his head. “You never know, we may make good time.”

Shuichi is envious of how positive Kaito is. He’s already changed out of regular clothes and is sporting his space themed swim trunks. Not to mention the more muscular features along his body.

Shuichi peeks down his sweater, comparing his much less impressive build to Kaito’s. He zips up all the way to his neck and sinks into his shoulders.

“Hey man, what’s up? You got a look on your face.” Kaito leans forward and takes off his sunglasses.

“Um…I don’t really go to the beach all that often. I usually just stay in the sand. When I was younger, I could at least make sandcastles. Now I’m too old for that. I also don’t swim too well. I’m worried Kaede won’t have fun with me if I go.”

Laughter wasn’t the expected response. But Kaito is slapping his knee and leaning back as he laughs.

“Sorry man. You had me worried. I thought something bad was on your mind.”

“Kaito, weren’t you listening?”

“Yeah, I guess you weren’t. Don’t you realize how silly you sound?”

“Silly?”

“So what if you don’t know what to do at the beach?” Kaito proudly thumps his chest. “That’s why I’m here. I’ve got a ton of fun beach ideas for the four of us. There’s bound to be something you’ll enjoy.”

“I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about Kaede.”

“See.” Kaito comes over to loop an arm over Shuichi. He can feel the lotion seep into his sweater. “Kaede ain’t the type to not have fun when she’s with you. I bet she’d have a blast even if you two just sat under the umbrella.”

“But I don’t want to make her do that. I want her to have fun.”

“Man,” Kaito gives one of his big confident smirks. Complete with a thumbs up and wink. “You gotta have more confidence in yourself. You’re one of the smartest guys I know, I bet that big ol’ brain of yours will come up with something. And if all else fails. Just ask what she wants to do.”

Kaito says it so simply. And the answer itself is so simple, Shuichi feels a little silly for worrying so much. He lets out brief smile, banished away by a powerful clap on the back.

“See, you’re already looking more confident. I know this summer trip is gonna be the best one in the world. Now enough of those stupid worries, look, I see the minivan.”

Shuichi follows Kaito’s gesture. Sure enough a steel grey minivan rounded the corner. Kaede’s in there, that alone makes him giddy. He gets to spend a weekend with his girlfriend and closest friends. There’s no way this trip can go wrong.

The first problem arises before they set off.

“Kaito why did you bring so much asinine stuff.” Maki motions towards his telescope. “Why are we bringing that?”

Kaito laughs. “It’s a telescope, Maki-roll. Don’t you know what that’s for?”

Shuichi’s not brave enough to clarify things for Kaito. Maki barks her question was rhetorical.

“I have a minivan, not a moving van. Why did you think this would all fit?”

“I mean all we’d have to do is move up the seats and put stuff on our laps. I could even try tying stuff to the roof.”

“No.” Maki moves the telescope to the side. “I’m not taking everything here. Shuichi, bring me that picnic basket.”

“Makiiiiii.” Kaito whines.

“Kaito, you have a cooler, why do you need a basket as well.”

“Shuichi help me out.” Kaito gestures to his hoard. “I mean you can see why all this is important right?”

“Uh…do we really need two umbrellas.”

“What if one breaks?” Maki has already moved the second one into the discard pile. “Maki I’ll need that what if I get sunburnt?”

“Then put a shirt on. Not everyone wants to see your stupid bo- stupid chest.”
“But the shirt will get sticky with my lotion.”
“Wha- Why did you already apply lotion? It’s a six-hour drive.”
“We might dodge traffic.”
“Shirt. Now. Momota.”

Shuichi can’t help but laugh at the flustered Maki and defeated Kaito. He looks forward to seeing them get along the rest of the trip. But even more than that, Shuichi looks forward to:

“Heya.” His girlfriend leans out the passenger window. She waves him over to her side. She’s wearing a bright floral sundress and her usual enchanting smile. He finds himself fumbling out a hello.

“Those two at it again?” She chuckles. “Oh Maki, just loosen up and admit you’re excited.”

“I’m sure Kaito knows she is.”

“Are you excited?”

“Absolutely.” His response is faster and a bit louder than he intended. Thankfully Kaede finds that endearing.

“Ohhh, lots of energy behind that. I’m excited too, could barely get any sleep the past few nights.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I get to show off my handsome boyfriend to an entire beach.” Shuichi squawks and shrivels into his sweater. Kaede takes his hood off and sighs dreamily. “How’d I get so lucky?”

“C-come on. I’m the lucky one here.”

“Nope. And I have evidence Mr. Detective.” She motions him to come closer, intending to whisper her findings to him. Instead, he’s given a brief kiss on the cheek. His body is electrified, and he’s begun grinning. “See?”

“Th-that’s not really evidence Kaede.”

“Well,” She shrugs, eyes still fixed to him. “I guess not, but, I can see how handsome you are in your swimsuit.”

Kaede says it so matter-of-factly Shuichi hiccups. “You look great in a swimsuit as well…oh uh.”

Kaede laughs. The sweet music of her joy makes Shuichi forget about all his anxieties.

“Are you looking forward to seeing me in a swimsuit?” She whispers mischievously.

Shuichi’s body grows rigid and his face flashes red in response. He’s saved from further embarrassment by Kaito’s boisterous arrival.

“Hey-a lovebirds. Sorry to interrupt but it’s time to get this show on the road.” Now clad in a shirt, Kaito loops an arm around Shuichi and brings him into the minivan. The summer trip has officially begun.

Kaede’s fingers play across the invisible keys. She hits the final notes of the song just as they ring out. As the song ends, she does her best to curtsy, a challenge when buckled into your seat.

“That was Sonatine Number 2, by Maurice Ravel.” She pauses her playlist. “Maurice is a French composer. Just like, my favorite, Claude Debusy. They were even both active at the same time. The two were like the biggest rockstars in France. Well not rockstars, but they were the names of classical music at the time. Sorry, what was I talking about again, uhhhhh- Oh! Ravel, Sontaine 2…Uh sorry I got a little-”

“It’s fine.” Shuichi chimes. “I wanna hear more.”

“More of Ravel’s music or more about his music?”

“Both works.”

Kaede smiles appreciatively, but she knows if she starts talking about it, she won’t stop. Her ranting about Ravel won’t be very inclusive to the others. “Hey, does anyone else have any songs they’d recommend?”

Maki says she doesn’t care. Shuichi and Kaito are fine with Kaede’s playlist, but they’ve just been listening to music. The road trip should be about them. With that in mind Kaede selects a calming playlist. Soft, chill beats that serve as background noise for their conversation.

“So Kaito, you strike me as the type to go on lots of road trips.”

“Haha, yep. Lots of astronaut training camps are far away from the cities so I’m used to these kinds of road hauls. If you want, I got a few fun games. Hey Maki-roll, ever hear of the license plate game?”

“No stupid games-
“But it isn’t stupid.” He whimpers.
“-we’re college students not children.”

Kaede can’t help but roll her eyes. Maki’s stubbornness knows no bounds. “Okay, so how’d everyone’s final exam go?”

“Fine.”

“I feel I nailed it! That thing was so easy I bet even you sidekicks could ace it for me.”

“I don’t know, I’m kind of nervous.”

“Why’s that?” Kaede twists in her seat to better look at her boyfriend. “You told me you felt pretty good once you finished it.”

“True, but now that I’ve had time to step back there feels like a few things I missed.”

“Walk us through it.”

Shuichi is a great detective, it’s a shame he doesn’t always see it. He starts by explaining what his final consists of; a fake murder was staged with the help of Ultimates in acting or theatre talents. The case is a locked room mystery, one of Kaede’s favorites.

She and Shuichi started dating in the first weeks of the school year. She was enamored with what kind and genuine soul he was. He would listen to her recitals and ramblings about her favorite musicians. In return she got to hear about the incredible mysteries he worked on. Soon she found herself listening to true crime podcasts over her usual musical documentaries. That isn’t to say she’s a master detective like her partner, but she’s able to keep up with his line of reasoning.

“But that sounds like the room wasn’t really locked.”

“Exactly!” Shuichi’s become much livelier since his retelling began. The jovial light in his eyes makes it hard for Kaede to concentrate on what’s being said. He’s about to explain why he accused the Ultimate Pop Sensation when he coughs. “Sorry, have I been-”

“C’mon man you can’t stop now.” Kaito groans. “You were just getting to the good part.”

“Shuichi.” Kaede presses against her chair, she’s just able to reach out and place a hand on his knee. “We’re your friends. You’re never a bother.”

“…thanks guys…so I think her undoing was the knife…”

Kaede, and the other two, are blown away. They had assumed the Ultimate Lucky Student was to blame, but Shuichi’s reasoning is solid. The car is filled with congratulations and assurances of his good grade. It takes a bit for Shuichi to recover from the praise, but eventually his complexion becomes less red.

“Thanks guys. Oh! Kaede, I forgot to ask about your final. I wasn’t able to attend, so please tell me about it.”

“Oh my God, Shuichi, it was-” Kaede’s teeth clack together. That was close.

Shuichi knows her final was playing a song she wrote, what he doesn’t know is that song was dedicated to him. Kaede used her final as a chance to get expert opinions on the song. All three of the judges gave her high praise and immediately could tell it was a love song. They gave advice on how to symbolize the high points in her love life with a few new keystrokes and longevity of the song.

Kaede has been practicing it every chance she had, including when Maki came to get her. She’s so proud, and even more excited to show Shuichi. But she can’t blow the surprise yet. Kaede feels her toes clench in anguish as she restrains the need to talk about her song.

“It went well.” The words are so underwhelming she feels sick. “I wasn’t too nervous; I played the song for some others, and they loved it.”

“That sounds amazing, I’d love to hear it.” Shuichi’s puppy dog eyes light up and his voice overflows with heartfelt sincerity. Kaede pulls on all her inner strength to not blab about the song.

“I can’t wait to play it for you.” Kaede is unsure how controlled her emotions were while saying that. She feels her resolve slipping and turns to Kaito. “Hey, just checking, but you did confirm there is a piano in the hotel lobby?”

“Uhhhh.” Kaito fishes for his phone. Since his swimsuit doesn’t have pockets he has to lean into the back and grab it from his backpack. “Let me see, yep, there it is.”

Kaito shows the interior of a cozy looking hotel lobby. The grand piano is kept in mint condition. Kaede can see that the instrument is not just for show. The keys seem smooth, and pedals have sign of use. There are no interior shots, but Kaede would bet money the strings and hammers have been aligned properly.

Kaede bites her lower lip to stifle the excited squeal. The piano will be perfect for her performance…and the bench seems wide enough to seat two.

“Thanks, Kaito.” Kaede smiles.

“Course.” He flashes a thumbs up before swiping through more photos. “Also, I snagged us an incredible room. It’s got a view of the outdoors.”

“Every window does that.” Maki scoffs.

“No, no, but this is a really good view of the outside.”

“Did you see it?”

“No, but I just got a good feeling about it.” Kaito deflates. “It would’ve been great for a telescope.”

“Kaito we’re not going to the beach just to look at stars.”

“Yeah, but still. Ah well. This trip is still gonna be blast.”

Despite the roads being clear it doesn’t seem like they’ll be getting to the beach as soon as Kaito hoped. Regardless, getting to spend the time with his three closest friends is nothing to complain about. The weather is clear, the music is good, and even Shuichi is coming out of his shell. A perfect trip.

“Kaito put your arm back inside.” Maki barks.

“Aw, c’mon Maki-roll.” Kaito enjoys the cool rush of air against his arm. “It feels nice.”

“I don’t care, I don’t want blood on my car. Now pull your arm back in before something snaps it off.” Maki doesn’t wait and begins rolling up the back window. Kaito’s just fast enough to avoid being bitten by the closing window.

“I bet you have to do that a lot in your job?” Kaede laughs.

“Clean blood?” Maki’s confusion is reflected in the rear-view mirror.

“Uh…I meant the telling people to not stick their arms out o the car.”

“Oh…right. No, the kids I work with aren’t that stupid.”

“Are you calling me stupid?” Kaito is further betrayed when Shuichi snickers. “Hey c’mon, nothing bad could happen to us.”

Kaito tries to roll the window back down. There’s no response from the button, Maki must have used the child locks. With that he can only look, longingly, out the window. The scenery races by prompting an idea with Kaito.

“Hey, you guys ever do the ninja runner game?”

“Kaito what the hell are you talking about?”

Kaede seems to know what he’s talking about. She twists around in her seat with an excited gasp.

“Is that the one where you look out the window and pretend a little guy is running across the landscape?”

“So…it’s not an actual game?”

Kaito loops an arm around his sidekick. “Nah man, it’s one of those you played as a kid. Y’know during long car rides, you had to play the Quiet Game but that gets boring. So, you make up that Ninja Runner game. Look.”

Shuichi looks outside. The highway divider has a series of ridges atop it. “You pretend your guy has to jump from platform to platform.”

“Okay but how do you win?”

“Not every game’s about winning. This is just a fun one. Have you really never done this?”

“I never really went on long road trips. The ones I did go on, my uncle usually had me review the case files.”

Kaito sighs. It’s a bummer Shuichi and Maki haven’t gone on a road trip before. Something like that belongs on everyone’s bucket list.

Kaito goes over his mental checklist for the trip. Maki said no license plate game. We’ve listened to plenty of music and did some karaoke. What they really need is-

The passing sign serves as a sign of what he needs to do.

“Hey Maki.” He frees Shuichi and leans over the driver’s seat. “Did-”

“Sit properly idiot, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

He does his best not to be too smug. It’s not often Maki voices concern for him so openly before others. Kaito sits properly and makes sure his belt is properly buckled.

“Sorry about that. Anyways, it looks like there’s a Mega Burger coming up in a few miles. I think we should stop by the drive thru.”

“Mega Burger.” Maki scoffs. “Why would you want cheap fast food. I’m sure there’s much nicer restaurants at the hotel.”

“Awww c’mon. The other day you told me you never tried Mega Burger’s: Mega Shake. They’re mega good. Remember how I told you that Mega Fries dipped in your Mega Shake are mega delicious?”

“Kaito, if you say ‘mega’ one more time you’re walking to the beach.”

“Maki-roll pleeeeease.”

“No.”

Kaito can do nothing but watch in despair as the car drives past the exit ramp. He can see the large cartoon mascot on the roof. Slowly becoming smaller and smaller until vanishing beyond the horizon.

“Don’t put your face on the window, I don’t want gross marks left on the glass.”

“You’re killing me Maki-roll.”

“You’ll know when I’m killing you, believe me.”

“Oh, cheer up Kaito.” Kaede skips forward to a cheery piece of music. Oh! He recognizes it, his grandparents would dance to this song on their anniversary. The gnawing absence of a delicious burger melts away. Leave it to the Ultimate Pianist to change the mood with one classy tune.

Kaede herself seems distracted by the tune. Silently swaying for a few beats before collecting herself. “Uh, what I’m saying is. Why do you care about some cheap fast-food burger? We get the best food ever made for us at college.”

“Kaede. I figured you’d be on my side. Road trip. Drive thru. Like they’re the Phobos and Deimos.”

“What?” Kaede and Shuichi say in unison.

“Phobos and Deimos are Mars’s two moons. Kaito’s saying ‘they go together’ in his stupid space loving way.”

Kaito wishes he could kiss Maki. The fact she remembers the two moons makes his heart throb. If she could name all of Saturn’s moons, he may have to kiss her.

“Look.” Kaito gets back on track. “The point is, it’s not a road trip unless we go to a drive thru. Even if we get amazing food everyday, it gets old. Like it’s too perfect. I want a disgusting burger so greasy it stains everything.”

“Yeah, that’s not allowed in my car.” The other two murmur in agreement.

“Alright I’ll settle for an averagely greasy burger. But the point is I can’t let us call this a road trip, unless we hit the drive thru.”

“Y’know all of Kaito’s talking has gotten me pretty hungry. What about you Shuichi?”

“I wouldn’t mind stopping to eat.”

All eyes are on Maki. Kaito knows when to back down. If Maki still doesn’t feel like going to a drive thru then he’ll surrender. He made sandwiches for the beach, but it seems like traffic won’t let them get there for lunch.

“Fine Kaito.” Maki-roll sighs. “I’ll go to the next Mega Burger I see. I could use a chance to stretch my legs.”

“No, we’re going to the drive thru. You can stop to stretch before we eat.”

“If I’m already out of the car why would I get back in to order? If I’m out let’s just eat inside.”

“But we need to hit the drive thru.”

“I’ll already be outside!” Maki-roll’s voice begins to rise. Kaito does his best not to laugh at how cute she is when she’s stubborn. Maki’s given into his request to use the drive thru, laughing would be mean.

The occupants tries to placate the increasingly frustrated Maki as they drive. By the time they reach the burger joint Maki has threatened everyone in the car at least once. She paces around the parking lot massaging her temples.

“Heya.” Kaito keeps pace with her.

“I’ll do the drive thru.”

“Oh cool, but I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling? Legs sore? Stiff back? Eyesight okay? Any headaches?”

“Just you.”

“Hahaha. That’s fair, but if you need a break from driving, I’m more than happy to take over.”

Maki stops her pacing to face Kaito with a scrunched expression. Her fingers twiddle with the strands of hair that reach her waist. “I’m fine…but thanks.”

Maki’s hair is soft. Kaito ruffles her head and flashes her a wink. She stands on the tips of her toes to further nuzzle into his touch. She’s adorable. If she didn’t hate public affection so much, he’d kiss her right there.

He pulls his hand back before the others notice. In a display of blinding reflexes, Maki has grabbed his hand and brought it back to her head. She can’t meet his eyes or say anything, but her desire is clear. Gentle soothing movements run along her lengthy hair. Maki hums and even closes her eyes briefly. It’d be so easy to sneak a kiss on her tender lips.

Nah. He’s gotta be-

Maki’s arms shoot out again. She’s brought Kaito’s hand to her lips. Her kiss is brief but the sensation of it stays.

“Stop smiling.” Maki says as she walks back to the van.

“I was smiling?” Kaito reaches to his mouth. He has been smiling, so much so his cheeks hurt.

“Order what you want guys.” Kaito announces as they pull up to the menu board. “This is my treat.”

“Are you sure? Thanks, Kaito. Shuichi and I spoke earlier we’re both getting a Number 8.”

“Oh that sounds good, but I want that shake. Hey Maki-roll if I get large fries will you share it with me?”

“Fine.”

“And you gotta get a shake.”

“Fine.”

“And you gotta dip your fries in the shake and try them.”

“Fine.”

“Hello,” A garbled voice comes from the speaker as they approach. “Welcome to Mega Burger what can I get for you?”

“Two number 8’s, a number 4 with large fries, a number 1 and two Mega Shakes.”

“What flavor are those shakes gonna be?”

“Vanilla.”

“Maki-roll can you make mine chocolate?”

“Wait,” The employee coughs. “Did you ask if we have a maki-roll flavor, like the sushi?”

“Ignore that.” Maki hisses. “One chocolate shake and one vanilla shake. That’ll be all.”

Maki pulls forward, shoulders hunched to her ears. Kaede is laughing at her friend’s expense.

“Man, this drive thru has good audio systems, surprised they heard that eh… Maki-Roll.”

“Do you wanna die Kaede? Kaito give me your money.”

Maki yanks the card from Kaito’s hand and buys the food. The group return to the parking lot, deciding it’s best to eat before driving.

“So.” Kaito leans forward to look at his girlfriend. “What’d you think of the drive thru?”

“It was a fucking drive thru, Kaito. Did you think it’d be some eye-opening miracle? If anything, the experience was worse because of that dumb pet name you call me.”

“Yeah, but it was a drive thru, with friends.”

“Sit down idiot.” Maki tries her shake.

“What do you think?”

“It’s a shake.”

Kaede snickers.

“Okay but now dip your fries in and try it.”

Maki grimaces, but hesitantly complies. Kaito knows she’ll love it. She gets a nice coat of the treat on her fry and eats it in one bite. She shrugs.

“Oh…maybe try my flavor.”

Maki sighs. She does everything again, but this time perks up when she tries it.

“Good right?”

Maki tries to hide her response but it’s too late. She mumbles out a reluctant ‘I suppose.’ Kaito trades his shake for Maki’s. She eats most of the fries with the chocolate.

Chapter Text

Maki drinks from her milkshake. The cup has been empty for a while, but some of the drink has pooled from the sides. She hates to admit it, but that was mega delicious.

Just thinking that upsets her. What a stupid way to describe it.

“Pretty good huh.”

“Shut up Kaito.” Maki huffs. “We’re pulling over for gas next chance we get.”

“I’ll pay for it.” Kaito announces.

“No let me get it. You paid for our food.”

There’s the familiar sound of Kaito clapping Shuichi on the back as thanks. Part of her is envious that Shuichi is sitting in the back. Wouldn’t it be better if the couples were seated beside each other?

Then again, Kaito’s the kind that could distract her while driving. Whatever.

There’re no other cars filling up at the station. Shuichi and Kaede head into the building to pay for gas and use the restroom. They must be taking their time, Maki has finished refueling and the pair haven’t returned.

“You excited for the beach Maki-roll?”

“I guess.” She re-buckles into her seat.

“I bought a new swimsuit for the occasion?” Kaito pats his trunks. “What about you?”

“If you’re hoping for me to be in some kind of bikini, you’ll be disappointed. I brought a wetsuit.”

“Psh, Maki, doesn’t matter what you wear. You’ll look stunning no matter what.”

“Shut up.” Maki starts fidgeting with her hair.

“I mean it. You’re always incredible. Like it’s just unfair how pretty you are.”

Maki grabs the reclining lever on her chair. She had hoped to lean back in the chair and have the back crash into his lap. An attack like that would stop his babbling nonsense. But it didn’t extend enough so now Maki’s just lying in his lap. Her crimson flushed faced bare for him to see.

Kaito smiles. But it’s not that infuriating smug smile. It’s a tender smile. His hand traces along her cheekbone. His strong hands always manage to land so tenderly. “See, beautiful as always.”

He’s so handsome. The sculpture of his face and his eyes that always hold her in such smitten wonder. Maki’s acutely aware of the stirring in her gut and pounding in her chest. Kaito’s lips hover above, taunting her.

Ever since the parking lot she’s been fighting the need to kiss him. It’s infuriating. Why is someone so stupid capable of creating this sensation? Kaede and Shuichi are gone, there’s nothing that could stop her.

Kaito brings his fingers to his lips. He kisses the tips of his middle and pointer, gently placing them on her forehead.

“N-not good enough.” Maki stutters. She looks to the side. How could she have said something so stupid.

Her head is pointed back towards Kaito. He’s closer. He’s leaning in, she can smell the vanilla on his lips. The scent overpowers the slight chemical smell of sunscreen. Maki lifts off the chair, just a quick kiss. A quick kiss and she should be good for the rest of the drive.

“Hey Maki.” Kaito murmurs in a hushed tone.

“Yeah.”

“I can’t bend any lower.” He giggles.

Kaito’s bent his back as much as possible but if Maki’s getting kissed she needs to meet him halfway. Maki leans forward, but is held back by her seatbelt. Hands blindly slap at the button. There’s a click and Maki is free. Kaito closes his eyes. Maki does the same, wrapping her arms around his head to guide.

She feels his breath against her lips.

A shrill ring. Maki drops back onto the chair. Kaito sits upright and coughs. Another ring.

Her phone is ringing in her pocket. Kaede.

“Hey Maki. What did you want from the station again?”

“I didn’t ask for anything.”

“Oops my bad.”

Maki hangs up and sighs. Kaito strokes her hair with a content smile. The moment is gone for Maki. She’d have to psyche herself back up for another kiss, and there won’t be enough time. The others will be back soon.

Maki brings her seat back up and-

Soft. Warm. Relaxed.

Kaito pulls away from her forehead. “I love you Maki-roll.”

Maki rights her chair the rest of the way. She turns the rear view mirror so she’s not faced with her stupid blushing face. But then she’s looking at that handsome idiot in the back. Maki decides to look at her feet.

One of her hands has been touching the spot on her forehead. There’s still a wet imprint of his lips.

“I love you too.” Maki mumbles.

“Thanks for coming on this trip with me.”

“…of course.”

“Aaaaaaaaaaand we’re here.” Kaito is able to time it, so he says it just as Maki parks. “Welcome to Hotel Mirai.”

Kaito jumps out of the car a bit too quickly. The world blurs and he stumbles. He can tell the person catching him is Maki. She props him against the car, both hands firmly on his hips.

“Don’t fall idiot.” Maki huffs.

“Haha. Well, I already fell for you!”

“You- I’ll- Do you wanna…” Maki’s eyes seem to double in size. Her entire body is shaking and two small red circles form on her cheeks. “Sh-shut up. Go unload the car.”

Maki stomps off, and dives into unpacking. Kaito gives himself a pat on the back, that’s the smoothest he’s been all day. He’ll have to teach that line to Shuichi some time. He finds his sidekick struggling to pull out his luggage free.

“C’mon dude on three.” With their combined efforts they pull the bag free, as well as every other bag.

“Aw crud.” Kaito bends over to collect the fallen belongings.

“Uh did any papers spill out of my bag?” Kaede rushes over, frantically scanning the bags.

“Nah.”

“Oh.” Kaede lets out a long breath of relief.

“Did you bring something important? Should I be careful with your bag?” Shuichi gingerly hands over Kaede’s backpack.

“Oh, uh n-nothing special. It’s just some music sheets. Y’know me, can’t go anywhere with out my music.”

“Yeah, but I like that about you.”

“Awww Shuichi.”

Kaito grabs the nearest bag and heads off. “You guys handle the rest.”

“Wh- Kaito.”

“C’mon sidekick. Think of this as extra training. Put those muscles to use.”

Kaito gives a final wave and heads into the hotel. They should really be thanking him. He’s a swell enough guy to give those lovebirds time to themselves. Speaking of love.

“Hey Maki where are ya?” Kaito’s call gets everyone in the lobby to look at him.

He turns towards the approaching stomping of feet. Maki hasn’t stopped blushing and drags Kaito towards the counter.

“Can you stop being embarrassing for two seconds?”

“Hey there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Kaito greets the receptionist with a smile. “Hey there, I got a reservation under Luminary of the Stars.”

“Oh, we were wondering when you would show up.” The employee giggles to themselves. “Don’t worry I know about you guys, I’ll get the keys. He guys guess who showed up.” The employee’s words are cut off as they go to the back room.

“See Maki-roll. Look how useful my title is. They recognized my greatness.”

“What they recognized is your stupid title. I doubt that guy’ll ever forget something as stupid as this. Are you going to be like this at the beach?”

“That’s right. Aw man I am so stoked for the beach. What about you?”

The glare she’s been wearing wavers. There’s less tension in her shoulders and she’s not fidgeting as much.

“It’s whatever.”

“C’mon, you know it’s gonna be a good time.” The employee returns with the two keys. “Hey, let’s check out the rooms before Shuichi and Kaede get there.”

Room 303 for the girls, and 302 for the men. Each room has two queen sized beds, a couch and mounted TV. The windows do show off the clear summer sky. Without a telescope they’d have to lean out the window to get a proper look at the stars.

“Idiot.” Kaito feels two powerful arms wrap around his waist. He’s pulled back inside and tossed on the bed. He sits up to meet Maki’s glare with a cheery smile.

“Hahaha. Looks like that training’s been paying off. My girlfriend must be crazy strong to lift me like that.”

“Shut it idiot. The hell are you thinking leaning that far out of a window?”

“Aw relax it’s not like I’d-”

“Don’t do that again.” The inflection is different. There’s not the usually lighthearted annoyance. There’s worry. Maki’s fists are balled up to a degree he can hear her knuckles pop. He may have gone too far.

“Well.” Kaito scratches the back of his head, his jovial attitude muted. “Sorry if I worried ya, just wanted to see how good we could see the sky.”

“You’re an idiot.” Maki sighs. “Just be more careful, I’m here to relax, not babysit you.”

She’s teasing him again but her fists are still wound tight. Kaito’s gotta make things right, his pride as a boyfriend demands it. He gets up and closes the window. It’ll take more than a head pat to reassure her, time for the big guns.

Maki flinches when his arms wrap around her. She’s lifted ever so slightly off the ground. Slowly the tension in her shoulders bleeds out and she sighs. He rests his chin atop her head and rocks them side to side. “Sorry for worrying ya’ Maki-roll.”

“…It’s fine, just don’t do it again.”

Kaito turns Maki around to face him. There’s still a bit of frustration in her eyes, but her cheeks have puffed. The truest sign that she’s okay. He can’t help but laugh and bring her back for a tighter hug.

“Let go idiot!” Her voice is muffled from being buried in his chest.

“Okay, but you gotta go get changed. I’ll go help Shuichi and Kaede with the bags, those guys sure are taking their time.”

“That’s because you left everything to us.”

An exasperated Shuichi appears in the doorway. He’s wearing a second backpack on his front as well as dragging a suitcase behind him. Kaede appears, like a real man Shuichi made sure not to leave her all the heavy stuff. She’s probably impressed by what a stud her boyfriend is.

“I knew you’d be able to handle it.” Kaito relieves his friend of one of the bags. Casually tossing it on the nearest bed. “I call dibs on this bed. Now let’s get you guys changed, the beach awaits.”

“I need a break.” Shuichi stammers.

Sure, the task was tough, but it shouldn’t have winded him that badly. Oh. Kaito can’t believe he didn’t realize it immediately, Maki’s not the only one anxious about the beach. He hoped Kaede would have helped, but it looks like a single road trip wasn’t enough to help his sidekick.

Kaito scratches his goatee, glancing between Maki and Shuichi. The beach was a lot more crowded than he expected, he had hoped they’d get here early to avoid that. The group’ll need to find a more private area for everyone to have a good time, but that’ll be hard to find.

A genius idea springs forth.

“I got it. I’ll take Maki-roll and we’ll find the best spot on the beach. Shuichi, you make sure that you and Kaede are rested up enough for some fun in the sun!”

He ignores Maki’s comment on how childish he sounds. This is a good idea, and he knows it.

“Uh, but I don’t want to make Kaede wait because of-”

“What’re ya talking about man? Excuse us ladies.” Kaito loops his arm around Shuichi and takes him to the girl’s room. Once the door is closed he releases his pal. “Look man you gotta get with the program. You and Kaede. Alone. Don’t you want some quality time?”

“K-Kaito you don’t mea-”

“Picture it now. You and her. Holding hands. Walking across a sandy beach. The sun feels nice. The mood is good. You don’t want a guy like me interrupting that good time do you? Hey man why ya blushing so much?”

“I th-thought you meant something else.”

“Well, I won’t lie.” Kaito checks the door is still closed and leans into Shuichi, whispering. “I really wanna kiss Maki-roll, but she hates when I do that in public. So maybe… you’re doing me a favor, ya know? Let me and my girlfriend find us a radical spot, then I’ll text you the location.”

He pulls back and gives a firm, confidence inspiring slap on the back. Shuichi stumbles forward from the impact. He straightens up and scratches his cheek. “W-well, if you inisist.”

“All right! Don’t worry man I’ll try not to take too long.” With Shuichi’s worries settled, Kaito rejoins the women. But there’s only Kaede waiting in the hall.”

“Maki’s getting changed.” She gives Kaito the keys to the car. “The picnic stuff and umbrella are still in the car; we didn’t think it made sense to bring it up.”

“Good call Kaede. I was just telling Shuichi that me and Maki were going on ahead to get a nice spot. You guys rest up, no point in going to the beach if you’re tired from carrying junk.”

“I’d like that.” Kaede takes Shuichi by the hand and pulls him to her side of the hallway. “It’ll give me a chance to unpack my stuff as well.”

Kaede’s eyes lock to Shuichi, drinking up every bit of him. Shuichi himself isn’t slouched as badly and a wobbly smile is breaking through. That ‘adorkable’ expression, as Kaede likes to call it. Total lovebirds. Shuichi’s lucky to have wingman like Kaito.

Kaito doesn’t want to think about what a dork he looks like when Maki appears. He wasn’t being suave for suave’s sake when he told Maki she looks amazing in anything. The simple black wetsuit she wears makes him think of a cover model. How her toned arms and abs can be seen against the material. There’s some red accents along her shoulders that match the complexion of her face. Her hair’s down! Of course, her hair would be down, he should’ve expected it since they’d be swimming but it’s such an entrancing sight. Beautiful.

“Uh Kaito.” Kaede’s nervous laugh breaks him from his stupor. “I’d reign it in, you might start drooling.”

“Huh?” His mouth had fallen open at some point. “Uh, nah it’s nothing. Oh, hey Makil, you all ready? Man you look great. Better get ready too.”

Kaito strips off his shirt and tosses it over Maki’s head. It lands perfectly on the foot of his bed.

“Alright.” He pounds his fists together. “Let’s start our radical summer day…Hey Maki you okay in there.”

His girlfriend’s mouth had fallen open. But the sound of her name has snapped her out of her daze. Kaito wraps one of his arms around her and holds her tight. She makes a dazed ‘gluh’ when she lands on his chest.

“Maki and I’ll find the four of us a killer spot, you two rest up. Shuichi, remember, I’ll call you when I found our spot so just hang tight.”

“Idiot.” Maki sighs. “You’re gonna hurt yourself, give me some stuff to carry.”

Kaito shakes his head. “C’mon, a man’s gotta be the one to carry everything for their beautiful girlfriend.”

He’s trying to flatter her to distract from the issue at hand. It works, but only somewhat. “Hey, you said you’d be more careful.”

“Yeah, but this is…No you’re right. Alright Maki-roll.” He sets down a bag to pat her on the head, that works in distracting her. Kaito insists he take parasol as it’s the heaviest. Maki doesn’t argue further, hoisting the food and towel bag onto her shoulders.

The beach is packed. There are not so many people she could slip away in the crowd, but enough that eyewitness accounts could be unreliable.

She bites her thumbnail. Why is her first thought going towards that? She’s at a beach with Kaito…her boyfriend. Focus on having fun.

Her mind absentmindedly continues surveying the area. She’s the only one in a wetsuit. This fact makes her stand out more than ever. People will pass and murmur about her swimwear. Annoying idiots. They should worry about themselves.

It’s not like a wet suit is her first choice. She is, in fact, wearing a one piece beneath it. She had hoped it be enough, but the scar along her arm runs to her elbow. Others on her back peek out around the neckline. The wet suit would draw less stares than the scars it covers.

Maki nearly bumps into Kaito when he stops. He’s been looking at her for a while.

“Hey…you look hot.”

Maki’s used to his stupidity, it’s expected at this point, but this is a whole new level. Maki’s unable to utter a coherent threat before Kaito smirks.

“I meant in that wet suit, that thing probably feels stifling.” He doesn’t even try hiding his laughter.

It was a joke? That stupid line was a joke. It wasn’t even a good one, it was just stupid. But Kaito and his stupid laugh are infectious. Maki refuses to admit there’s an ounce of humor in that joke. She walks the beach with tight knit lips and set facial muscles. It makes it look like she just tasted a lemon, but she won’t back down.

When her body finally relaxes, she realizes they’ve gone a fair distance. She hadn’t even noticed if people were staring at her outfit…stupid Kaito. That dumb joke was to distract her from her own worries.

“Thanks.” Maki mumbles at barely audible levels.

“Hmmm?”

“Nothing.” Maki scans her surroundings. There’re less people, and less eyes fixed on her. But a few are targeting Kaito.

‘I’m not sure if it counts as fun, but Junko always puts me in charge of fending off people who come to flirt with her.’ Mukuro’s words echo in her head.

How do you go about fending people off? Does she need to show Kaito is with her? Should they kiss? No that’s too much.

A woman in a bikini passes and does a double take at Kaito. As if on instinct Maki wraps an arm around Kaito’s waist.

“Woah, what’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“Wait.” Kaito looks towards the stranger that prompted Maki’s affection. “Maki-roll are you jealous?”

Of course, he figures that out. He’s only oblivious when it’s inconvenient. Kaito’s gonna let loose a myriad of smug comments and-

Kaito plants the umbrella, with both arms free he captures her in a full-fledged hug. She’s scooped off the ground and gifted a loud smooch on the cheek. Maki flushes red and kicks her legs in the air, desperate to escape his affection.

He grows more aggressive. Peppering Maki’s cheeks with brief kisses and his arms wrap tighter to her body. Maki is stuck between struggling to break free and trying to kiss him back. The barrage ends and she’s dropped back to the sand. Her mind is dizzy from the sudden attack and she stumbles forward.

“Hey,” Kaito places a staying hand on her head. “Don’t worry, you’re the only girl for me.”

Don’t blush. Don’t blush. Don’t blush.

“I know that, idiot.” Maki smooths out her hair. “It’s just…like…wouldn’t you want me in something…”

“I love you in anything. Whatever makes you happy will make me happy.” Kaito hoists the umbrella. “Besides,” He leans in and whispers. “Maybe I prefer you in a wet suit.”

It was a joke. It was a joke because he did his stupid little laugh. It’s a joke. So, her blushing is stupid, and she should stop immediately. Stop now. Stop.

Maki can’t focus enough to care about what others are thinking. And whenever her mind starts to wander Kaito will swoop in with another stupid joke or aside. The beach begins to curve, obscuring the greater crowd on the beach from view.

“Alright.” Kaito spikes the umbrella into the sand. He turns to face Maki, there’s a good deal of sweat on his brow. “This place is the best spot on the beach. I can feel it.”

“Are you sure you’re not stopping because you’re tired.” Maki hands him a water bottle from her bag.

Kaito chugs half the water before responding. “Nah, I could go for like another hour. The thing is Shuichi and Kaede still need to get here, I’d feel bad tiring them out.”

Maki turns, considering the hotel is still in sight they haven’t gone too far. But she’s not one to complain. Kaito opens the umbrella while Maki smooths out the towels beneath. As Kaito calls Shuichi, Maki inspects the food bag.

Looks like Kaito packed lunch, which makes her wonder why he was so insistent on the drive thru. Four bags for four people. All the paper bags are identical, except one is labeled with her name. Inside she finds her favorite sandwich. Turkey, bacon, ham, with melted Swiss cheese and tomatoes, no pickles and made with whole wheat. She assumes hers was made with her preferences in mind.

“Heya, found your lunch, huh.” Kaito plops down beside her. “The others are on their way, but remember you cramp up if you eat and go swimming too soon.”

“I wasn’t going to eat…thanks though.”

“What for the sandwich, it was nothing.”

“I was talking about the trip. I’m glad I came here.” Maki lays her hand beside Kaito’s. He doesn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers in hers.

A few grains of sand get caught between their grasp, they come loose as they adjust their grip. Kaito’s hands are greasy from the lingering lotion he put on in the hotel. She runs her thumb along the lines of his palm. Traveling along them as if they were pathways, enjoying the route along her boyfriend.

Maki’s legs gradually un-tuck from her chest and stretch out along the towel. Ensuring no one is watching, she scoots closer. Hip to hip, their joined hands rest along Kaito’s thigh. Maki can’t help but admire his arm. Bulky and strong, defined muscles that run up to his shoulder and taunt her along his bare neck. Walking her eyes up to his face, she’s greeted with a dreamy lovestruck smile.

She scoots closer, shoulder to shoulder. The familiar scent of Kaito draws her ever closer to his lips. Her chest is pounding and stomach swirls. His goatee brushes her chin as her lips dock with his.

Eyes closed; Maki loses herself amongst her other sensations. The sound of Kaito’s breath, the brief gasps for air when they break. The slow smacking of their lips breaking and kissing again and again. Kaito’s hand breaks from hers, two fingers trace from her hand to her shoulder. His touch trails an electric sensation that makes her jolt when his hand finds the back of her neck.

Maki gasps as Kaito leans forward, half pushing her, half lowering her onto her back. He never strays too far from her lips. Kaito’s thumb rubs along the collar of her wet suit, soothing her sun kissed skin. Maki’s hands find themselves around Kaito’s head, pressing him even deeper into their kiss.

Kaito pulls away, eliciting a needy whine from Maki, he hovers above. He sighs dreamily, staring in wonder at the woman beneath him.

“I love you Maki.”

“Say it…”

“Hmm?”

“Maki-roll…say that.”

Kaito leans in for another kiss, a brief touch across her lips. “I love you Maki-roll.”

Her fingers strike the top of the bathroom counter. They make a dull thud, but Kaede can hear the notes she’s playing. The climactic part of her piece, when her left hand dances across the keys and her right plays the steady repetitions of two notes. It represents the way her heart can go into a thumping frenzy when Shuichi does anything. No matter how mundane he thinks he is, she can see just how amazing he really is.

The pace increases. Shuichi’s notes begin to move closer to hers. Soon they start to dance with her. Her pulse steadies, playing in tempo with him. A perfect duet with him. She-

“Kaede?”

The pianist chirps, broken from her imaginary symphony. She’s stood in the bathroom, half undressed staring in the mirror. She covers her face with both hands. How’d she get so distracted during the simple task of ‘change into swimsuit.’

“Kaede, is everything okay?” Shuichi asks from the other side of the door. She wonders just how long she’s been spaced out for.

“Y-yes. Sorry I’ll be out in just a minute.” Kaede quickly switches into her swimsuit. A plain two piece that doesn’t show off much skin, but there’s enough exposed to make Kaede anxious.

She looks at her stomach, grabbing a small handful off it. She regrets not working out more. Her friends always exercise, they probably look great. She might stand out. She remembers why she played her song again. She’s nervous.

She knows it doesn’t matter to Shuichi, and it shouldn’t matter to her. But she can’t help but compare her body to others. She doesn’t do much of anything but play piano, not exactly a calorie burning exercise. Is she going to be pretty enough to be beside Shuichi?

“Kaede?” Shuichi calls again. “Uh…I’m really glad you’re here.”

Warmth courses along her body. Each heartbeat carries Shuichi’s words to the ends of her limbs.

“Shuichi…can you tell me I’m pretty?”

“What? I mean of course, sorry do I not say it enough?”

“No, it’s just I want to hear you say it.”

“…Are you worried about your body?”

“Hehehe, I guess there’s no hiding it from the Ultimate Detective.”

“No, but I’m your boyfriend…I’m nervous too. About my body of course.”

“What?” Kaeade opens the door a crack. Shuichi has his swim trunks on, but his sweater is zipped all the way up to his collar.

“I’m way too skinny. I worry I look weird or malnourished when I don’t have a shirt on…honestly, I didn’t want to go to the beach because I thought I’d look weird…but uh, that doesn’t matter…” Shuichi slowly unzips his collar. Bit by bit revealing more of his bare torso.

Soon the sweater hangs open. Kaede smiles, he’s so handsome. “Why do you worry about looking weird. You’re…oh.”

“Y…yeah, I figured you don’t think I look weird…so I should be more confident…and-”

“And then I should realize that applies to me as well.” She smiles, slowly inching out from behind the door. “Clever.”

“A good detective needs to be able to lead others to the truth.” He clears his throat. One of his hands rigidly extends towards her. “And a good boyfriend should let his girlfriend know how beautiful she is.”

Kaede blushes. She grabs his hand and exits the bathroom. Kaede doesn’t get the compliment she fished for; she gets something better. Shuichi’s jaw goes slack and his head tilts to the side. His hand would slip from hers were she not holding it. The smitten look in Shuichi’s eyes is everything she needs.

“H-hey, Shuichi.” Kaede giggles. “C’mon don’t stare too much.”

“Huh, sorry, it’s just…wow. You look amazing.”

Kaede smiles, rocking back and forth on her feet. She gives in and leans forward, planting a quick peck on his cheek. He’s back to his dazed state, thankfully this one is brief. Reinvigorated, she grabs her sunhat and sandals. She’s ready to go, but there’s tension in Shuichi.

“Hey…everything okay?”

“I’m uh…could we hold hands the entire way?”

Kaede snickers. “Do you think I was going to let you go?”

Shuichi is pulled to her side; she loops her arm around his and holds tight. They ride the elevator in comfortable silence. Their ‘I love you’s and ‘you look great’ are told in small kisses and squeezes. The door dings open revealing the lobby.

There’re more people there. Or maybe she’s just worried people will stare. She’s in a bikini and not on the beach, is that normal? She’s going to the beach, so it shouldn’t be. There’re other women in bikinis, some more bold than what she has, but nothing too Miu’s level. She shouldn’t be nervous.

“Do you wanna play the piano?”

“Huh?” Shuichi took her by surprise. That’s the kind of question she’d ask him.

“I can feel there’s some goosebumps on your arm. You’ve also been pursing your lips, you do that when you’re nervous…it’s okay…I am too. Honestly, I’d feel better if I could hear one of your songs. They always manage to cheer me up.”

Kaede balls her free hand tightly. She wants, so badly, to play his song. The kindness he’s shown her is exactly why she fell for him. Why she wrote him that song. But not yet.

“Okay, but just one song.”

“Uh, sure.”

“No, I’m telling you. Don’t let me try playing more than one song, I’ll get distracted otherwise and will completely forget about the beach.”

With that she drags him to the piano. People do look at her curiously, but when she begins to play the world vanishes. She doesn’t feel any staring. Just the joy and wonder of everyone her notes reach. The most overpowering sensation of happiness sprouts from the man seated beside her.

Chapter Text

“The sun feels nice.” Kaede pauses to soak up some rays on her skin. “I should’ve played a sunnier song, oh maybe something more tropical. I mean we’re at the beach after all I should’ve picked a nice summer piece.”

“I loved your song.” Shuichi says. He’s taken off his sweater and tucked it under his arm. “Thanks for playing it.”

“Hehe, thanks for stopping me from playing another. I didn’t think people would enjoy it that much.”

“How? The music you make is always beautiful.”

“I know but…I think it’s just a me issue. Y’know, ‘you’re your biggest critic’ kind of deal. Kinda like with the whole swimsuit thing.”

Shuichi tenses up. Kaede catches him checking to make sure no one is looking. His arm loops around her waist. His hand brushes along the paunch of her stomach.

“I think you’re beautiful.”

Now it’s Kaede’s turn to be slack jawed. Shuichi’s being bolder than ever today. She likes it. Kaede grabs his hand and brings it in for several kisses. Shuichi is now beet red and making a high-pitched squeak.

“Hey, keep calling me beautiful.”

“Always.”

“Hey guys.” Kaito’s voice booms.

They spot him waving in the distance jumping up and down to get their attention.

That’s right, they’re here to have fun.

“I’ll race you.” Kaede cheats by running off before Shuichi can react.

She apologizes to the other beach goers as she dodges them. One hand clutches her hat atop her head, the other pumps at her side. To her shock Shuichi catches up, he’s been training after all. Kaede breaks into a full sprint, unable to stop laughing.

Her worries are left behind as she breaks forward. She and Shuichi are neck and neck. Her hat slips loose, she must stop and get it. Her chance at victory falls away. Shuichi comes to a stop beside Maki and the umbrella. He’s thrown his hands up in victory, but he hasn’t won.

Kaede tosses her hat onto the towels as she flies past. She smiles at the confused face of Shuichi.

“It’s a race to the water, silly.”

“Oh, snap. C’mon guys! Last one in is a-”

Whatever Kaito says is drowned out by the splashing water as Kaede dives into the surf. The ocean water is chillier than expected, but feels great considering the scorching heat and workout she just had.

Kaede bursts from the water. Her blonde locks are plastered to her face. “I won!”

Kaede moves her hair aside. Shuichi and Kaito are nowhere to be seen. Maki is standing in the water with her arms crossed. She jerks her chin behind Kaede. The others are swimming out further into the water.

“Kaito said it was to the buoy.”

“So, the race isn’t over? C’mon Maki.”

“No that’s dumb.”

“Worried you’ll lose.” Kaede sticks out her tongue before swimming off. She’s thoroughly humbled as in a matter of moments the black blur of Maki’s wetsuit shoots across the water. Maki passes her, overtakes the boys, and returns to her original spot before Kaede reaches the buoy.

While Maki stands in the water only slightly winded the other four are on their knees panting for breath.

“Y’know,” Kaito points. “It’s not really fair, your wetsuit made it so you won. If I wore something more aerodynamic, I’d have totally won.”

“Kaito, you got in last place.” Kaede was worried when she found Kaito clinging to the buoy in exhaustion.

“I pulled a muscle.”

“Sure, you know it’d be more respectful if you were a graceful loser instead of making up things.”

“When have I ever not been graceful Maki-roll.”

“Every pushup contest.”

“And the sit-ups.”

“Shuichi, not you too! Alright fine. If we wanna settle things on the beach there’s only one way to do that.” Kaito pounds his fists together and strides out of the water. He reaches into one of the bags and pulls out a large colorful water gun.

“This is stupid.” Maki turns the ‘gun’ over in her hands. She shouldn’t expect much from a water toy, but did it have to be themed like space laser gun.

“C’mon, I saw how excited you were when Kaito showed off the gun. Plus, haven’t you always wanted to have a play fight with Kaito?”

Maki shakes her head. To her fights are never about playing. But Kaede wants to do it. The idea of having a water gun fight wowed her to the point she immediately chose Maki as a teammate. If it means so much that she has to be on a team with her, it’d be unfair if she didn’t give it her all. And there’s no harm in trying to have some fun at the same time.

“Okay listen up.” Maki test fires the pistols she and Kaede have. The sights are useless and effective range is roughly seven meters. Kaede’s inexperience likely drops that down to four. Maki returns the gun to Kaede. “Make sure you keep steady when firing. Kaito’s going to do something stupid like use himself as a shield for Shuichi. If that’s the case, focus fire on Kaito and both of us swing to opposite sides. He’ll only be able to block one of us letting the other focus on the real threat.”

“Geez Maki,” Kaede laughs. “Didn’t expect you to get so serious.”

“Sorry, I just-”

“We’ll kick their freaking asses.”

The devilish grin and curse came as a surprise to Maki. But I does hype her up. “They don’t stand a chance.”

Maki hammers out the finer details until Kaito declares their side ready. Compared to the jovial demeanor of the boys team, Maki and Kaede are steely and silent. Both teams start in knee deep water a fair distance from each other.

“Ready…Go.” Kaito immediately begins firing. They’re too far from each other to land shots accurately. Eventually Kaito’s out of water.

“Now.” Using Kaito’s time to reload, Maki and Kaede sprint forward. They close the distance and begin firing.

“Shuichi shoot back.” Kaito abandons his weapon and places himself before Shuichi. “I’ll protect ya man jus-glagh!”

A bolt of water strikes the center of his forehead. The stupefied expression on Kaito’s face pulls at the corner of Maki’s lips. With a whistle Kaede and Maki begin splitting up. Kaede heads closer to shore while Maki goes deeper into the water.

Kaito moves to block Maki’s shots leaving Shuichi to battle his girlfriend. Maki moves till the water is up to her navel. She runs out of water and quickly reloads. Kaito has begun wading towards her, but he’s forgotten his weapon.

Maki fires into the center of his chest. It’d be unfair to land headshots on an unarmed opponent, even if it is Kaito. Kaito advances, a broad toothy grin on his face. His hands are outstretched and he’s chuckling maliciously.

Maki realizes his plans. She begins focusing at his head, but he brings a hand up to shield. She can still hit his goatee.

“Kaito.” Maki’s words are warbled from creeping laughs. “Don’t you dare.”

“C’mere Maki-roll.”
“Don’t you try-“
“C’mere Maki-roll.”
“I’m warning you.” She’s full on laughing.
“C’mere Maki-roll.”
“Kaito Momota I swear-” She’s no longer coherent.
“Gotcha Maki-roll!” Kaito lunges, his hands grab her waist.

Maki’s lifted out of the water, abandoning all trigger control she fires blindly as she’s thrown into the air.

“Kiatoooooo-”

Maki crashes beneath the water. She surfaces with a fit of coughs and laughs. It’s a miracle no water got in her mouth. She calms herself, enough to think straight, and finds Kaito kissing his biceps.

“I’m the greatest warrior ever!” He declares to the world.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho.” Maki has reloaded. “Are you now?”

She can’t aim straight with how hard her laughs rock her body. But she’s able to land shots. Kaito tries advancing again but wise to his tricks Maki dances around him.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Kaito laughs after maki empties her gun once more. “We’ll call it a draw?”

“A draw.” Maki’s lips hurt from laughing. “I kicked your ass.”

“No see you’re entirely soaked, only the front of my body is.”

“That’s because you threw me.”
“I’m the winner.”
“That’s not a gunfight.”
“I won.”
“No you-”
“Gotcha Maki-roll.”

He’s snuck forward under the guise of a truce. His arms wrap around Maki. She locks her legs around his waist. His attempt to throw her sends them both under water. Maki emerges first, gun at the ready. Kaito is met with squirting gunfire.

“Surrender, say I won.”

“Neveeeeeeer!” Kaito begins to splash at Maki.

Something hits the back of Maki’s head.

“Take that!”

Kaede? Maki discovers Kaede and Shuichi advancing their way. They’ve joined forces and are opening fire on Maki.

“Traitor.”

“Sorry Maki, it’s nothing personal.” Maki fires back, but it’s two on one.

“I gotcha Maki-roll!” Kaito (over)dramatically dives in front. “I’ll be your shield!”

Maki jumps on the back of Kaito. Able to focus entirely on her aim, Maki and Kaito push forward. Maki instructs Kaito to retrieve his discarded weapon. The moment Maki has a second weapon, it’s no longer a fight. It’s a massacre.

Shuichi and Kaede are pushed out of the water. They retreat up the beach. Throwing down their weapons in surrender as the reach the towels. Maki, now moving on her own feet walks up to the giggling Kaede.

“Hehehehe, I surrender. We’ve been bested.”

“No mercy to traitors.”

Despite saying that, Maki only aims for Kaede’s lower body. Eventually both pistols run out of water. The beach is filled with the uproarious laughter of four great friends.

The rush of battle wears down and Maki retreats to the shade of the umbrella. She feels as if she could fall asleep. Not from fatigue, but serenity; she’s surrounded by the most important people to her. She’s been smiling so much her jaw hurts, when was the last time that happened in public. There’s three more days at the beach but if they went home now, she’d leave happy.

She feels her body surge with energy. The fun they’ll have will be like no other. She wants to run back into the water and splash about. But she feels Kaito looking at her. If she does that Kaito will bring it up until the day they die.

‘Hurr-Durr, hey Maki-roll remember that time you pranced around the water. Hurr-durr that was cute.’

‘Until they die.’ Is Maki really planning on staying with Kaito for the rest of her life. Will she even live long enough to reach old age? Her line of work isn’t filled with many people past their mid 40’s. Growing old alone is a rarity. Growing old with another person is unheard of.

And does Kaito deserve that? Mr. Luminary of the Stars tied to a killer. What if she dies and he never figures out why she never came back on a business trip. Knowing him he’d go on a journey to find out what happened to her. Would it be better if he never found out, how would he react to finding out she killed people for a living and never told him.

How has the day turned so sour in the blink of an eye?

“I’m going back to the hotel.” Maki reports, hoping she can keep the bile of guilty at bay.

Her friends, as expected, are shocked. She insists she’s fine and just wants to lay down.

“I’ll walk you back.” Kaito hops to his feet.”

“No it’s fine-”

“No I need a walk…hey wanna join me?” Kaito walks up to her. She’s got her shoulders hunched and arms tucked close. Kaito lays a tentative hand on her shoulder. “Y’know the sky probably looks really nice at night…why don’t we walk for a bit. The sun’s close to setting, I’m sure the night sky will do wonders for ya.’”

Maki-roll hasn’t said what’s on her mind yet. Kaito can tell it’s important, important enough he doesn’t want to push her.

They’ve been walking back and forth along the beach for a while now. The moon illuminates the empty sandscape they walk across. The cool air feels nice, cooling the slight layer of sweat built along Kaito’s brow.

Maki stops in place. She’s let go of her hair, which she’s been anxiously fidgeting with for some time now. She doesn’t say it out loud, but Kaito gets she wants to rest for a moment. He flops onto the sand and pats the space beside him.

With a roll of her eyes, Maki gently lowers herself down. The night sky is clear. Perfect!

“Hey look you see that cluster over there. It’s-“

“Orion’s belt.” It’s a relief hearing Maki talk after the hour of silence. “C’mon you’ve shown me that almost every night.” Kaito swears he hears her repeat ‘every night’ in a soft mumble.

“Alright that’s fair.” Kaito holds his gaze on Maki a bit longer before returning to the white dotted sky. “Okay, that one they form a kite looking-”

“Bootes, the herdsman, and over there is his hunting dog.”

“Okay, okay.” Kaito cracks his knuckles, which Maki scoffs at. “Let’s get serious.”

But Maki keeps pace. Able to spot, identify, and name each constellation. The ones he manages to call out before her, she’s able to give some knowledge about the constellation. Soon Maki tries testing him, giving him clusters to tell her about.

“C’mon Kaito.” Maki’s holding her knees to her chest. Kaito is smitten by the cocky gaze she’s holding him with. “How long have we been together, you can’t impress me with the same old facts.”

“Awww c’mon.” He nudges her thigh with his head. “You love hearing about the stars.”

“I never said that.” Her smile betrays her words. “C’mon, or is the Luminary of the Stars unable to find something new for me.”

“Oh? Ohohohoho. Now them’s fighting words, Maki-roll.” Kaito stands up, cracks his neck and narrows his eyes.

While not as bad as Hope’s Peak, the light pollution from the nearby resorts and cities still masks the majority of the stars. Kaito hopes to one day take Maki into the middle of nowhere, somewhere untouched by man. A place where the human eye can really take in the magnitude of just how many stars are out there. He wants the beauty to take her breath away and that sight to stay with her forever.

“There!” Kaito points. “Horologium.”

“Where?”
“That cluster. The six shaped like hands of a clock at 6:50. Look for the shiny one.”
“They’re all shiny.”
“Oh, now the expert’s having trouble?”
“I never claimed to be an expert.” Maki starts to get up, taking Kaito’s hand when offered. “Okay, now show me.”

Maki presses her back to Kaito. With gentle hands he points her head in the right direction. He tries to focus on the constellation but he keeps getting distracted. He runs his fingers through her hair. Running them down the entire length, straightening it out to lay across her back.

“I thought you wanted to show me the constellation?” Maki tries to sound dismissive, but she leans her head into his touch. Kaito enjoys petting her a bit longer before collecting himself.

“Sorry, you know how it is.” Kaito bends down, holding his head beside hers. Able to more accurately judge where Maki is looking her... finds her looking at him. “Hey.”

Maki tenses up. He can’t tell in the low light, but knowing Maki-roll she’s probably blushing like crazy. Next she’ll break away-

Her kiss is brief. Quick enough to stun him as she starts walking. Kaito takes a moment, gingerly touching the spot on his cheek, before chasing after her. Kaito’s unable to stop giggling. Why’s she so affectionate? They’re alone, but she’s not one to be that spontaneous. Maybe she’s had such a good time.

She’s chewing her thumbnail. His giggling stops. Kaito’s expression keeps the soft friendliness but is more seriousness.

“Hey, wanna rest for a bit?” He asks. “I’m actually a little tired from all the walking.”

“Sure.” Maki shrugs.

Kaito is willing to wait for as long as it takes. But Maki seems ready to share almost immediately.

“I lied about my talent.” Maki bites her lips, as if annoyed that she said something.

The only sound is the gentle movement of the waves.

“I’m the Ultimate Assassin.”

The news catches in his throat. Maki would never joke about something like this. It does explain a lot about her, and Kaito’s suspected her talent was something else. But an assassin. Does that mean she’s killed someone? He’s never been to space, but he’s still the ultimate astronaut.

“Thank you for telling me.” Kaito feels lightheaded. “I’ll admit this…is a lot to take in.”

“I understand, if you-”

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Maki takes a deep breath. She can’t manage the words but nods appreciatively. She takes a few more shaky breaths before speaking.

“I wanted to tell you…you deserved to know. You’ve…been kind to me.”

“It’s what you deserve.” Kaito moves to wrap an arm around Maki. He doesn’t touch her until she gives him a nod. “If you need to say anything else, I’ll listen.”

“I…not much…I’ve killed people.”

It’s a heavy revelation. But Kaito’s arm doesn’t twitch away from her in the slightest. He doesn’t press on that subject. He won’t press anything. There’s long bouts of silence between short phrases Maki can muster.

“I’ve done it for a while.”
“I used to think it was normal.”
“I’ve done it recently.”

Each phrase has her body shrink tighter and tighter into a ball. Kaito knows she’s choking down the need to cry. He runs his hand over her back.

“You wanna know something Maki-roll?”

“…what?”

“I love you.”
“Bullshit.”
“C’mon, you know when I’m full of it. Is this one of those times?”
“No…so you’re just stupid.”
“Did you think I’d back down just cuz of something like that?”
“It’s not something little.”
“Never said it was. You wouldn’t be so worried about a small thing. I ain’t quitting.”
“Do you understand you shouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

Kaito lets out a deep sigh. “Looks like you’re still running from things ain’t ya Maki-roll?”

“What?” There’s venom, and a bit of pain in her voice.

“Did you tell me this, hoping I’d ditch ya? Tch, ain’t that the same as running from your problems? You think it’d be easier to chase me off with your past, huh? Well, I got bad news, ain’t gonna work.” Kaito scratches the back of his head. “Y’know maybe if I thought you weren’t strong enough maybe I’d run. Still, it takes real guts facing the ugly past like that. Not to mention sharing it with the people close with you.”

Kaito smiles, he nearly tackles his girlfriend as he leans over to plant a loud wet kiss on her cheek. Maki pushes him off with a hissed ‘gross’ but doesn’t mind the arm wrapped around her waist.

“You’ve grown a whole lot since we first met. You’d rather ignore problems and stuff, but now you’re here telling me this. I’m proud of ya! Now you gotta be proud of yourself!”

“You’re not making sense idiot. Don’t you get it?”

“What’s not to get, my girlfriend made some mistakes in the past. So what? She clearly regrets them, I doubt you’d tell me otherwise. Look, as great as I am, I’m still not perfect. I’ve done lots of screw ups. Doesn’t mean I’m a screw up. A real man is defined by what they do, not what they did.”

“That’s stupid.”

“The old Maki never would’ve come on this trip. The old Maki wouldn’t have been smiling so much earlier today. The old Maki sure wouldn’t have told me about the stuff she just did. But the Maki here with me sure did. And that Maki is the one that matters most.”

Her cheeks puff out. Her eyes water. She doesn’t cry. She throws her face against his chest. He holds her close and runs his hand over her head.

“I love ya Maki-roll.”

“Idiot.” She mumbles. “Thank you…I love you too.”

He kisses her on the top of her head.

“Kaito…would you mind telling me about some constellations.”

“Of course, I’ll tell you about every damn star in the sky if you ask me to.”

Kaede makes another mistake. She groans and flops back onto the bed. Her damp hair, fresh from the shower, stains the pillow as her head sinks in.

Her fingers drum against her thighs, retrying the piece she just botched. Despite the simplicity of the piece she still messes up. Her fingers are trembling to a degree where she’d be tapping the wrong key, if she used an actual piano.

She’s felt anxious since getting back to the hotel. She’d had so much fun at the beach she actually forgot about her plan. It wasn’t until she saw the piano in the lobby did it come back to her. She kept up her façade of confidence till she and Shuichi split off to go shower. Ever since then she’s been rehearsing Shuichi’s song and any warm up piece she could think of. She manages the first few notes fine but hasn’t made it past a single stanza of the piece.

In the shower she was so focused on practice that she didn’t realize she emptied the entire shampoo bottle. She forgot to get changed at first, pacing the bathroom in just a towel panicking about how unprepared she is.

She tried to unwind by eating some food she found packed in Kaito’s bag. The taste barely registered. Kaito labeled her wrap with a musical note, now she can only think about the number of times the half note appears in her song. Shuichi’s song, the one she’s playing in a few minutes. The one that’s going to show her love for Shuichi. The one that, if she messes up, would essentially be saying ‘hey Shuichi your song was practiced enough to show how important you are to me.’

Kaede’s body remembers to breath. The white fuzz that bordered her vision starts to fade as oxygen resumes flowing through her body.

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In.

There’s a knock at the door. Kaede ‘in’s when she needed to ‘out.’

“Everything alright?” Shuichi asks in response to the haggard coughs choked out by Kaede.

“Yeah.” Kaede’s voice is strained. She has to cycle through the bout of coughs before responding again. “Did you need something?”

“Oh well you said you had something to show me.”

Did she? Kaede can’t remember. She must have. Checking her watch it’s about the time she planned to play the piece for Shuichi.

She feels faint. Her body slumps back onto the mattress. Her eyes focus on the circular light hanging above. She’s stuck staring till her eyes begin to hurt.

Kaede lurches forward, sitting up. Deep breaths. In-out. In-out. In-out. They don’t help. Her legs tremble as she attempts to rise.

“Give me a second. I’ll be right out.” Kaede says.

Knowing Shuichi he’ll just wait outside the door for her. She wishes he’d be the type to go back to bed and accidentally fall asleep, buying her more time. But he’s too punctual, damn him and his kindness.

Deep breaths. InOutInOutInOutInOut. She’s growing lightheaded. She falls back to the mattress. Her fingers play along her thigh. She misses the note.

When was the last time she felt this nervous? Maybe her first recital? The first time she played for other people. To her playing the piano was her way of relaxing. An indulgence for herself. But now she’s dedicating a song to someone. She’s done it before. Writing pieces for her parent’s or high school class. But this is different.

Shuichi is different. He’s sweet. He’s patient. He’s always supporting her. He’s willing to try things outside his comfort zone. He’s nothing short of amazing. This song has to be more than amazing. Because Shuichi deserves it.

It’s not that he’d be mad if she messed up. Shuichi would find a way to praise her if she did nothing but slam her palms against the keys. But he deserves a masterpiece. She wants her song to tell him what a spectacular person he is.

Her breathing returns to normal. In a trance she finds her way into the clothes she planned out before hand. She pulls the sheet music from its spot in her bag and stands before the door. Her legs shake and she’s gripping the paper too tightly and it’s crumpling, if she doesn’t act soon it’ll tear.

One final set of deep breaths.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.

Her hands steady. She manages to grab hold of the handle on her first try. The door opens smoothly revealing a dressed-up Shuichi.

“Oh.” Kaede looks him up and down. “What’s the occasion?”

“Well.” Shuichi plays with the collar of his pollo. “I got the feeling that this ‘something’ you had planned needed a nice dress code than shorts and t-shirt. Hopefully I’m not underdressed.”

“You look great.” Kaede swoops in to plant a kiss on his cheek. “But why’d you pack a nice outfit like this?”

“Uh, I told K-Kaito I wanted to take you out for a nice dinner. He said I should’ve rented a tuxedo, but I felt that was a bit much. Should I have gotten one?”

“No, this is perfect. I’m glad I brought something nice too then.” Kaede motions to her pressed khakis and button up.

“You look fantastic!” Shuichi declares with more gusto than he likely intended. He shrinks into his clothes and burns red. Kaede laughs, half humored, half smitten.

“Thank you.” Kaede loops an arm through his, accidentally brushing his side with the sheet music.

“What’re those papers?”

“Oh, yeah, well…Surprise.” Kaede waves her hands in faux fanfare. “The thing I planned for you was piano related. Who would’ve guessed?” Kaede gives a sardonic laugh.

“I don’t mind. I really enjoy hearing your music.”

His words are sweet and genuine. Just what she needed to beat away the spindly legs of anxiety that crawled back up her spine. When the elevator door close, she leans her head on her partner. His body relaxes, just as she does.

The cheap shampoo of the hotel lingers on his body, but it doesn’t mask the familiar aroma of her boyfriend. It smells of coffee and a specific type of deodorant, a strange mixture that only works with Shuichi.

“Wanna hear a secret?” Kaede whispers. Shuichi’s body shifts as he nods. “I wrote this song. Specifically for you.”

“Hu-what? Me?” Shuichi jumps in shock. “M-m-me.”

“Is it really so surprising?” Kaede pivots to stand before Shuichi. She catches his eyes scanning towards the papers. She hides them behind her back with a ‘tut-tut’ and wag of her finger. “No peeking. You’ve gotten good enough at sheet reading you can hear the first few notes.”

Kaede takes his hand in hers. A familiar rough sensation that radiates worth. “I want this to be special.”

Shuichi’s other hand lays atop hers. “Everything with you is special.”

Kaede turns such a shade of red one would think she was sunburnt. The doors open with a ding, startling both occupants. There’s no one there to witness their blushing faces, but they keep their heads low nonetheless.

The lobby is bright, contrasting the night covered world outside. There’s a few staff talking amongst themselves by the counter, but no one else is here at this hour.

Part of Kaede wishes it was just her and Shuichi, this song is for him after all. But music is for everyone, maybe Shuichi’s song would brighten their day. Kaede can’t think of a better message to get across with her song, ‘the man who I love improves the life of everyone he’s with.’

Her chest pounds. The piano seems to move farther away. Her breathing booms as loud as her footsteps. The sheet music crinkles in her grip.

“Kaede?” A distant voice pulls her back to the lobby. Shuichi’s hand is held in hers. “You seem nervous.”

“Well I mean.” A rigid laugh bleats out of her mouth. “…Man it’s no good having a detective boyfriend.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Kaede bumps against the piano’s bench. The scraping sound sets the employees’ eyes on the couple.

The keys of the piano seems to stretch on forever. Can her fingers reach the necessary notes? What if her elbows bump the instrument? What if the acoustics of the room make the song sound bad? What if? What if? What if?

“Kaede…” Shuichi leans in and kisses her on the cheek. In public. With the only other people in the room watching him do it. Her mind restarts. Before the anxiety has a chance to dig back in, Shuichi’s voice cuts in. “Thank you so much for writing a song for me. It’s… I’m really happy.”

The warmth rises from her feet. Racing with the tingling sensation they reach her heart at the same time, causing her body to erupt with confidence and brilliant emotions. She can do this. She’s not just a piano freak, she’s a piano master.

Kaede takes a deep breath. She properly sets herself on the bench, laying the music on the stand. ‘Symphony for Shuichi: Music from the heart.’

There’s an affectionate whine from behind her.

“Sit next to me.” Kaede leads her boyfriend down by the hand. “I’ll be focused on the music, could you turn the pages for me?”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I know you’ll do great.”

Kaede sucks in a deep breath of air. A slight salty hint from the nearby ocean. Her chest settles and mind clears. The familiar firmness of piano keys kiss the tips of her fingers. The pedals press silently and without resistance.

She tests the keys. The notes respond, greeting her like old friends. The song begins.

Warm. The warmth in her chest when she saw the student asking for directions smiled. The warmth of discovering they were in the same class. The warmth of being able to talk with him.

The notes flow, a soothing wave of back and forth as Kaede learns more about him. When their conversations slow, the music picks up as Kaede refuses to let their time together end.

A low note as Shuichi shies away. Did she do something wrong? Did she annoy him by only talking about pianos? Has she ruined something with her foolish fixation.

An out of place note. ‘I don’t want to bother someone like you?’ Where did that come from? Shuichi never annoyed her. He’s the highlight of her day. School is much more fun when she gets to talk with him.

1-2, 1-2, 1-2. Kaede’s laugh. The soothing wave resumes.

Frantic notes as Kaede’s heart beats faster and faster the closer she grows with Shuichi. How their time together is more natural, they natural find their way to each other. No more asks to be together, it’s assumed they want to be with each other.

The notes spasm and Kaede’s heart has fallen for Shuichi. Unbalanced rhythms as she tries not too be too obvious. A sudden stop, ‘I think you’re cute’ the words came out of nowhere. They didn’t belong in the song.

‘Thanks that’s means a lot coming from my friend.’
A confused sour note. Why is he so oblivious?

The notes of confession become more frequent. Louder, the notes hold longer as the notes of Shuichi’s symphony become slower. Oh. Oh. Oh!

Kaede’s fingers fly from one end of the piano to the other. She confessed. Her heart flutters and mouth babbles. The song is confusing but there’s a hint of hope amidst the cacophony. Her hands close in from either end soon bumping into each other as.

The song stops. Shuichi said yes. Her mind shut down. A curious note is met with a wave of joy. Feelings of spring, warm days, held gazes, gentle touches, cheering because that wonderful person who swims in your mind all day just became your partner.

Frantic. Frantic. Frantic notes. Kaede’s bouncing across the keys, the sweat on her brow goes unnoticed as her breathing turns faster.

First dates. Compliments. Held hands. Hugs. The music is cheery. The tempo is filled with the nervous tones of their love.

Kiss.

The notes come to a sudden stop. A single note amongst the silence, just to let the people know the song isn’t over.

It’s special. This isn’t… Shuichi isn’t… this is special. This is something she wants to hold on to. This is a joy that she felt only with the piano. This is something that makes her heart race and falter.

Shuichi is… she loves him.

The song ends.

Kaede’s panting and hands shake, still running with the adrenaline of the performance. She can feel Shuichi’s presence. Part of her is scared to ask if he liked it. What if the soul she poured into that piece wasn’t able to reach him?

She musters up her courage. It pays off.

“Shuichi.” Kaede dabs the tears that dripped down to his brilliant smile. “What did you think?”