—

  —

  A melodic tone began playing, drawing my attention to my phone. I pushed my book aside and grabbed it, noting the various notifications and blocked messages. However, hers always came through.

  “Hey Diya,” I said, answering the call and putting it on speaker.

  “Konnichiwa! Let’s hang out,” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement.

  Classic Diya. I smiled, knowing how this would end already. Even though I was in the thick of studying, I knew that she would find a way to make me drop everything and join her.

  “What do you have planned?” I asked, accepting my fate with a sigh.

  “Shopping. I’m on my way to your room right now,” she said, abruptly ending the call. Time to get ready.

  I hurriedly changed into more fitting attire, searching through my closet for something cosy but fashionable. After roughly ten minutes, I heard a knock on my door. Opening it, I was greeted by the radiant aura of Diya, her enthusiasm almost tangible.

  “You ready?” She questioned, grinning eagerly as she stood at the entrance, her vibrant energy making it clear she wasn’t coming in—she wanted to leave immediately.

  “Yep, let me grab my bag,” I said. In a swift motion, I slung my bag over my shoulder, turned off the lights, and locked my room.

  “Alrighty, let's go,” Diya said, and I followed her closely as she led the way to today’s adventure.

  —

  —

  We made a quick trip to Kokubu via the station, a place we would frequently visit whenever we ventured out from school to hang out. I've never really been into shopping as a pastime, but I’d come to understand that with the right person, even this could be entertaining.

  As soon as we entered the busy mall, I saw a few things had changed. It had been about a month since my last visit, and the new stores and rearranged layouts made it feel almost unfamiliar.

  “Come on, there’s a place I want to check out,” Diya said, taking hold of my hand and pulling me towards a trendy clothing store. I already knew what was coming.

  “As long as it’s nothing too revealing like last time,” I cautioned, thinking back to the previous shopping trip's more daring outfits.

  “You’re overreacting,” Diya chuckled but I could see the sly twinkle in her eyes.

  Once inside, we looked over the racks, each picking out outfits we thought would suit the other. The store was alive with the hum of soft music and the rustling of hangers. Diya flitted from rack to rack, periodically putting up a piece for my scrutiny, her eyes sparkling with every move. I matched her enthusiasm, selecting items I thought would look great on her. Finally, with arms full of clothing, we headed towards the changing rooms.

  We exchanged our chosen outfits with a grin, then disappeared into our respective booths. I sighed as I looked at what Diya had chosen for me. She never learns, does she? Apart from the boots being a bit tight, everything else fit perfectly. As soon as I stepped out, I found Diya waiting and her face lit up.

  She wore a dark blue oversized cotton coat over a plain white shirt and jeans of a similar hue. Knee-high boots completed the ensemble, and I couldn’t help but admire how well everything came together.

  “Wow, you look great,” I said, impressed with my own selections.

  “Thanks! You too!” Diya said, grinning. She looked me up and down, her smile widening. “See, you look amazing.”

  I took a quick look in the mirror. Diya had chosen a white sleeveless crop top paired with a loose brown cotton shirt. For my lower half, she’d picked denim shorts and black knee-high boots. The outfit showed off more of my legs than I was comfortable with.

  “So, what do you think?” Diya questioned me, slanting her head to examine my expression.

  “You really love making me show off my legs, don’t you?” I uttered a light-hearted groan.

  “Of course! Why hide something so beautiful?” She teased, making me roll my eyes.

  “I do love the boots, though,” I admitted, causing her to laugh.

  “Of course you do. Well, I do love my outfit,” she said, slowly spinning to give me a full view.

  “Alright, let’s decide,” she said, and I nodded, ready to give my verdict.

  “Three, two, one…” We counted down together.

  “Buy.”

  “Don’t buy.”

  Our answers collided in the air, and I could immediately see the disappointment on Diya’s face.

  “But the outfit looks so good on you,” she remarked with a pout.

  “Too much leg showing, you know this already,” I shot back, turning to face the racks.

  “Come on, let’s try again,” I said over my shoulder.

  “And I actually like this coat,” she said, following reluctantly.

  Diya picked out a few more things as we browsed the store once more, clearly trying to find something I would approve of. I found a couple of pieces for her as well, aiming for a balance between her stylish preferences and my modest comfort zone.

  We made our way back to the changing rooms. This time, I selected a casual yet chic outfit for Diya: a soft, pastel sweater with a floral skirt that reached just above her knees. She handed me a pair of high-waisted jeans and a stylish, yet conservative blouse.

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  Stepping out of the booths, we were to gaze upon one another's outfits once more. Diya’s sweater and skirt ensemble highlighted her vibrant personality without being overly flashy, and my jeans and blouse combo felt both stylish and appropriate.

  “How about now?” Diya asked, twirling once more.

  “We will see.” I said I was choosing to be mysterious this time.

  “Alright, let’s count down again.” She grinned.

  —

  —

  In and out of the changing room we went, trying on outfit after outfit until finally, we both reached the conclusive decision to buy something. Two hours had passed by then. We headed to the arcade, both of us knowing it was still too early to call it a day.

  “So you actually beat him?” With her eyes wide with excitement and interest, Diya tried to confirm as she took some coins from the attendant.

  “Of course. He tried to challenge my knowledge of art. There was no way I could lose; he even tried to learn everything in just a week,” I explained, taking some of the coins from her.

  “That explains why you were so happy yesterday,” she replied as we both walked towards the familiar beeps and lights of the arcade games.

  “Yep. I completely rubbed it in his face,” I said with a triumphant smile. The memory of Marcus’s face when I won our little competition was quite the treat, even though he didn't show any sign of anguish. But a win is a win.

  Diya halted abruptly, her eyes narrowing as she noticed something—or rather, someone—in the arcade. “Isn’t that…?”

  I followed her gaze to see a young guy shooting hoops. He hadn't noticed us since he was so preoccupied.

  “Kazuki, right?” Diya said, glancing at me for confirmation. I nodded; he was a fellow classmate. “Let’s go say hi.”

  “Shouldn’t we just let him enjoy—” I started, but before I could finish, the energetic creature had already made her way over to him with her typical exuberance. I could only trail behind her.

  “Oh, you’re here too, Hazel?” Kazuki said as he noticed me approaching.

  “Yeah. Hope we aren't disturbing you?” I asked, mostly referring to the whirlwind that was Diya, but he shook his head.

  “Not at all. I was just practicing,” he said, a modest smile on his face.

  “Practicing with a score like that?” Diya said, gazing at the scoreboard. Stretching out my neck to see, I was astounded at the high score he had attained.

  “With a score like that, I don't think practice is necessary,” I responded, to which he laughed amiably.

  “Well, let’s just say I’m an expert,” he said, still maintaining his modesty.

  “Oh? Expert? What about the other games? Are you good at those as well?” Diya asked, her mischievous eyes gleaming.

  “Of course I am,” he replied confidently.

  Diya's eyes brightened and she gave me a sly look. Immediately, I knew what she was thinking. Was I going to stop her? Absolutely not. Was I going to join in? Obviously. A smile formed on my face, and together we both said, “Let’s play Dance Dance Revolution.”

  For a brief period, Kazuki appeared confused, but his expression quickly turned into a smirk. “Lead the way.”

  Excited beyond belief, Diya took hold of our hands and dragged us in the direction of the dance machine. The machine's lights and music blasted in a cacophony of colour and sound as it stood idle, waiting for challengers.

  “Hazel, you go first,” Diya said, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because I should be the final boss, alright? Plus, I'm better at this than you.” Playfully sticking out her tongue, I rolled my eyes at her.

  “Alright, you ready?” I said, turning my attention to Kazuki.

  “Yep, let’s do this,” he answered with a glimmer of competitive spirit in his eyes.

  Taking our respective places on the dance pad, we made the necessary selections. I removed my boots, allowing my bare feet to touch the cool surface of the pad, and got into position. We gradually followed the directions as they showed on the screen, timing every move and step to the beat.

  The difficulty ramped up quickly, and as we moved quicker, I started to breathe heavily. The scores on the screen showed that I was leading at first, but that started to change as my perfect steps began to miss some beats.

  “If you lose, you’re going to buy me ice cream, Hazel,” Diya teased, her voice carrying a playful challenge.

  That dummy. I made an effort to pick up the pace, but this caused me to make even more missteps. At the end of the round, Kazuki emerged victorious.

  “Damn, Kazuki, you did great,” Diya remarked as we both caught our breath. “You do owe me ice cream, though,” she continued, giving me a gentle prod with her elbow. I wanted to smack her forehead but decided to hold back.

  “If you challenge Kazuki now, that wouldn’t be fair since he’s already used up some energy,” I expressed my concerns about Diya's unfair advantage.

  “True. Then I’ll do a solo run while he rests up,” Diya suggested, her enthusiasm undiminished.

  “That’s not necessary,” Kazuki said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

  “But…” Diya started to protest, but Kazuki interjected.

  “Don’t worry about it. Besides, beating you in this state would just make me even cooler, wouldn’t it?” he said with a confident grin.

  Diya grinned and chuckled. “Well, let’s begin, shall we?” She struck a dramatic pose, placing her hand over her face to cover one eye like a character from an anime.

  She lost.

  “How?” Diya gasped, looking shocked and astonished at the scoreboard. Her score was significantly lower than Kazuki’s and, amusingly, even lower than mine had been. She fell to the ground dramatically, one arm draped over her forehead as if in a fainting spell. “This can’t be happening!”

  “Practice,” Kazuki said simply, watching Diya's dramatic performance with a light-hearted smile on his face.

  “I’ll give it to you; that was impressive,” Diya replied, still on the ground, gathering her breath. She finally sat up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

  “It really was,” I added as Kazuki stretched his body, loosening up after the intense game.

  “Thanks,” he answered humbly.

  “Me and Diya have always played Dance Dance Revolution since we were younger, so seeing you beat us so easily is really insane,” I added, sincerely impressed.

  “Well, I’ve just always been good at games, that’s all,” he replied, scratching the top of his head bashfully.

  “I wish I was that good,” Diya remarked, sulking for a little before lighting up with another idea. “Come on, Kazuki, let’s go get ice cream! Hazel’s paying.”

  “Because of Kazuki, I’m willing to bite the bullet this time,” I said, accepting my fate.

  With a hearty cheer, Diya grabbed both of our hands and dragged us to the ice cream shop. We arrived, and Diya went over to the glass, examining the myriad of flavours. “I’ll take a Cherry Vanilla.”

  “I’ll have a scoop of mint chocolate chip,” Kazuki said.

  I chose a classic vanilla cone and handed over the money, noticing Diya smiling off in the corner as she had just gotten a free snack from me.

  “That was fun,” Diya said as we found a bench outside the store and sat down to enjoy our snacks.

  “Yep,” Kazuki nodded and turned to face me. “You know, it's refreshing to see you like this.”

  “Oh, how so?” I asked, needing a bit more elaboration.

  “Well, you usually have this serious and stoic attitude that makes you seem unapproachable. It's good to see you relaxed and having fun,” he explained.

  I realised what he meant and laughed a little. “I’m just like that. I’m generally really quiet, but she manages to force this side of me out at times. So, I hope there isn't any mistaken malice?”

  “No, no, no. It’s alright, and thanks for clarifying,” he said with a smile.

  “I told you that resting bitch face of yours scares people away,” Diya joked, and I raised my hand in playful retaliation, causing her to move back, laughing. “Alright, alright. I won’t make jokes again,” she said, still chuckling.

  “And you think I’m going to believe that?” I replied, rolling my eyes.

  Kazuki and Diya laughed, and it was clear that I was their source of entertainment. We laughed and talked for a long while, and before we knew it, the sun had already set. We made our way back to the school, stopping at the entrance.

  “That was fun,” Diya said, stretching her body like a contented cat.

  “Yes, it was,” Kazuki agreed.

  “Anyways, it’s getting late, and I need to sleep,” I muttered as I felt totally depleted of energy.

  “I agree. You both have been really fun. Thank you for today,” Kazuki said with a kind smile.

  “Awww, we feel the same way. You added some much-needed spice to our hangout today,” Diya said, her eyes glimmering.

  “I feel the same,” he said before waving goodbye and making his way to his dorm.

  Diya turned to face me, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Want to race back to the dorm?”

  “No,” I said flatly, starting to walk away.

  “Hazel,” Diya called out, trying to elicit some sympathy from me with her puppy-dog eyes.

  “You always ask, and that is always my answer,” I remarked, keeping up my steady gait.

  “You’re no fun,” she pouted, but quickly caught up and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. Together, we walked back to our dorms.