KWMS (c) Fujiwara Hiro

Summer; Beach House

of hotsprings, milk, and wordgames

"I'll pass~" Suzuna tells the rest, a smile on her expression. Her tone was carelessly light-hearted, and gives the impression that she wants to stay behind at Beach House. She had not taken a step out onto the sandy floor either, and instead, her sock-clad feet were still on the wooden floor of the entrance.

"…Idiot. What about taking a soak after today's activities?" He reluctantly queries, body turned away so that only his back was facing her. His head was slightly inclined to the right – enough for him to see her, enough for her not to see his crestfallen expression.

The brunette peers at him, gaze questioning. She seems unwilling to answer his query, given her closed mouth.

"Beach House has installed showers."

And Misaki-chi comes to her sister's rescue, Aoi thinks. The elder Ayuzawa was a flustered mess, whereas the younger was calm and composed. Is there something the sisters are keeping?

A smile lifts her almost-sombre air. Playfully, Suzuna grins at him. "Secret."

Aoi has nothing to reply to that, thus he shrugs his shoulders simply, and left with the rest of the Maid Latte staff. Where others pry, he shall respect her privacy – as long as she does not distance herself from him, like during the examinations period, again.

-x-

No one needs to know of her sensitivity to heat, save for her family. Suzuna believes while hazel eyes stare at the retreating backs. As soon as their figures 'disappeared', the brunette went for her own shower.

Armed with a distastefully salmon-pink towel, she braced herself for a freezing wash.

(How she yearns for the heat of the hot spring, now)

-x-

Misaki was the first to step out of the onsen, Aoi thinks as he towelled his midnight blue hair dry. The elder Ayuzawa was standing in front of a vending machine, pose that of contemplation. Wet tendrils of hair was dripping water onto the floor and leaving her shirt damp, yet she remained oblivious to this, her towel hanging innocuously by her neck.

"Can't you be a bit more aware of your surroundings?"Aoi bit out in annoyance. …People can see your damp shirt, you know.

She responded with a startled jump, then uttered an "Oh, it's just you, Aoi-chan. What do you mean 'aware of your surroundings'?"

"Forget it!" Blushing red, Aoi decides not to broach up the subject; he would let the boyfriend do it. Still flushed, he bought up another topic to divert her attention. "What are you staring at the vending machine for?" Her brightened expression was an indication that he succeeded.

"Ah. I was wondering if Suzuna-chan would want some."

"…Why?"

"You know the…myth that drinking milk after a shower will make one grow tall? Suzuna is…sulking about being small."

You already said that it's a myth! Aoi shrugged at the sisters' antics. "Whatever."

"Aoi, you're close to Suzuna, right? Which flavour do you think she'll like?" Misaki inquires, gazing at the many range of flavours. Out of the corner of his sapphire eyes, Aoi saw one labelled 'blueberry milk' and 'cola milk'. The teen wonders if those are drinkable.

The elder sister was making a thoughtful noise, and then turned inquisitive chocolate brown eyes to his figure.

"You're her sister, aren't you? Why are you asking me…?"

"Is this the dishonest Aoi-chan that the staffs were talking about?"

Aoi wonders if Misaki-chi was teasing or not; her demeanour seems to be joking, but her question was not. He chooses to ignore her question, opting to believe that she had unconsciously voiced out her thoughts.

"Strawberry." Aoi finally answers, eyes looking anywhere but hers. He hopes that Misaki would not ask that question.

"How does Aoi-chan know?"

Misaki had asked that question.

Sapphire eyes continue to dart around, never once landing on her figure.

"It's not because I'm close to her or anything, it's just a wild guess." It was anything but a wild guess.

"Is that so? I thought Suzuna-chan would prefer plain things. Well, to 'reward' her once in a while is not bad, either. Strawberry, it is!"

-x-

"Welcome back." She presented a bland greeting. Seems that her earlier cheeriness was washed away with the water, Aoi thought cuttingly. As he eyes the comfortable sleeping gown and the fluffy rabbit she holds loosely on her left hand, Aoi has to bite his tongue to keep jealous comments from being heard.

He really dislikes her when she is ignorant of her own cuteness.

So, in a moment of spite, he takes the small bottle of strawberry milk from Misaki's hands. Poking the thin straw into the plastic cover, he shoves it into her slightly open lips. "I hope you grow tall!" He whispers unkindly, and proceeded to stomp into his own room in his Aunt's lodge.

Somewhere behind him, he can hear her ask. "Did I do anything wrong?" Aoi hurries along the way, unwilling to hear their reasons for his sudden change of mood.

-x-

Suzuna went to his shared room later on.

"I'll stay awake with you for a while," Even though I am sleepy, is what the brunette left unsaid. "Because you seem angry." She announced. Her tone was apathetic, but somehow the words themselves were haughty – Aoi wonders if she knew that. Probably not, the teen digresses.

Before he could mouth his objection, the rest of the Maid Latte staff entered the room –

They spent the rest of the time playing shiritori.

A/N:

(i) My sincerest thanks to sonic-elric, DiamondRainbows, Twillk and Krissy2lip for reviewing! Your reviews always make me smile.

(ii) Explanation: Aoi and co. went to the hotspring. Suzuna remained at BH because she is sensitive to heat. After Misaki and Aoi had a soak, both started conversing. Misaki wants to get milk for Suzuna (the myth that drinking milk after bath will make one grow tall), but can't decide on a flavour. So she asks Aoi. Aoi knew Suzuna liked strawberry (will be addressed in future chapter). Once they got back, Aoi got jealous that Suzuna is cuter than him, so he got angry. Somehow, the entire gang ended up playing Japanese word game shiritori to appease his anger before tuning in.

(iii) Things aren't going for me in real-life, so expect crazy speedy updates; since I write to forget unpleasant events. Well, that's what I say, but...