"Ahh~ I love the beach!" Reiji inhaled deeply and stretched his arms high above his head. He glanced down at his grumpy band mate and nudged him in the side. "Ne, Ran-Ran? Isn't it great to finally be on vacation?"

The bassist lowered his sunglasses and snapped, "It'd be even greater if you left me the hell alone. I'm trying to catch some Z's here…" Ignoring Reiji's pouty expression, he replaced his glasses and leaned back in his chair. "Go bug one of the kids or something."

Reiji opened his mouth to smart off, but abruptly halted when he saw Haruka walk by. His eyebrows raised high into his forehead, and his plump frown thinned into a catty grin.

"Haru-chan! Wait up!" he called to her and ran over. "Did those good-for-nothing juniors of mine make you carry the cooler? Here, let me take that."

Haruka rewarded him with a sunny smile. "Thank you, Kotobuki-senpai."

"Ehh? We've known each other for more than six months and you're still being formal with me?" The idol sighed and placed the cooler beside the picnic table. His shoulders slumped and he whimpered, "I thought we were closer than that, but – "

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings by it, I just…" The redhead's voice trailed off.

Reiji spun around and took her hands in his. Feigning hurt emotions was a tactic that had yet to fail him. "You can call me 'Rei-chan' like everyone else!"

"Okay, ah…Rei-chan."

Hearing her say it had more of an impact than Reiji thought. He squeezed her hands lightly and begged her, "Would you say it again?"

Haruka laughed. "Do you like hearing it that much?"

"Only when you say it," whispered the older idol with a soft smile. His eyes flitted beyond the beach and up a small embankment suddenly. "Say, Haru-chan, would you go on a date with me?"

The composer's laughter screeched to a halt, choked by his strange inquiry. She frantically glanced around to make sure no one heard him, and then scolded him, "You know we can't do that sort of thing. We'd both get into trouble with the Headmaster and – "

Reiji's fingers silenced her, pressing against her lips. "It's okay. No one needs to know, ne?" He turned towards the ridge just ahead and pointed, explaining, "There's something I want to show you, but we'll have to sneak away for a minute. We might as well call it a date, ne?"

"Oh, all right…" murmured Haruka, casting her gaze into the sand to hide her blush. "But we shouldn't linger. If anyone finds out we're missing, then they might suspect something."

Reiji simply nodded and held her hand in his, leading her to the rocky path behind a grove of trees. It was almost as lush as a forest.

"I used to come to this beach with my mom and sister during summer vacation. I looked forward to it every year," he told her while they strolled up the winding, ruddy road. "It's just like I remember it."

A pair of bluebirds flew overhead and landed in a tree just up ahead. They twittered and preened each other's feathers, sneaking affectionate nuzzles between. Reiji's grip tightened around Haruka's hand and he chuckled.

"You know what they say about bluebirds, ne?"

Haruka returned his sweet gesture, squeezing his fingers. "I-If a couple sees a pair of bluebirds then it means their union is blessed with happiness everlasting. My Grandma used to tell me that…She and my Grandpa saw a pair on their first date…" When she realized whats he said, Haruka snapped her head up and retracted, "I-I mean…! Oh God, that sounded weird…I-I'm sorry, Rei-chan, I – "

"Ha! Actually, I thought it was cute~" Reiji stopped beneath the large tree that the bluebirds landed in, and lifted her hand to kiss her fingers. "Your grandparents mean a lot to you, and I understand that; I feel the same about my mom and sister." He turned her towards the sun and outstretched his free hand. "This is what I wanted to show you."

Sunlight sparkled on the ocean's reflective surface in the distance, stretching into eternity. Vivid hues of orange, yellow, pink and violet splashed across the sky's vast canvas. The moon barely shone amid the glorious display, heralding eventide.

"It's beautiful…" breathed Haruka, mesmerized.

Reiji adopted an unusually thoughtful tone as he explained, "Like I said, I used to come up here with my mom and sister every summer." His grip loosened on Haruka's hand suddenly. "This is where my mom and dad met, too. After he left, mom couldn't watch the sunset without breaking down in tears…I wanted so much to see her smile while watching it again."

Haruka stayed silent, but her hand affirmed his sorrow, embracing his.

"So I promised mom that I would bring my girlfriend up here one day, and that we'd watch the sunset together with smiles. I hope I can take you to meet her someday, Haru-chan." Reiji turned away from the magnificent scenery overlooking the ridge to study his date's reaction. She looked directly at him, smiling warmly and sincerely. "You know, you kinda remind me of mom. She's sweet and quiet, and a little shy sometimes. Maybe…"

Haruka piped up hopefully, "Y-Yes, Rei-chan?" She gasped slightly as Reiji drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"Maybe that's why I like you so much, ne?" he whispered to her, winking.