In Between 28

“Wow, this place is huuuge!”

Totori exclaimed, spinning on his heel as he took in the spacious room they were given for the night in Nagashima. Saturday had arrived quickly, and as was evident, the one and only school in Hinami had begun its field trip to the largest island within a thousand-mile radius.

"Maybe it's due to the lack of furnishing," Reo remarked, his enthusiasm nowhere near that of his peppy friend. Toraichi merely shrugged it off, placing his belongings on the tatami floor.

“Well, the price for the whole trip was reasonable at least.”

The room was indeed devoid of furnishings, and a couple of other similar rooms were interconnected through a thin sliding door. The rest of the Hinami team was staying in the rooms next to theirs, while the other students were in a different building on the same property altogether.

“Keep it down Totori, will ya?!”

Umio, their next door neighbor, stuck his head in through the opened sliding door and snarled.

“Hehe, my bad.” Totori merely laughed it off sheepishly.

The rooms, although simple, still offered ample space for the residents to lay out their futons on the flooring and enjoy a peaceful sleep, if nothing else. But the morning was in full swing, and nobody would be napping, let alone sleeping, just yet.

“They said they’ll be waiting downstairs, right?”

Reo asked and Toraichi’s reply came in the form of a nod.

“Come on, the girls and Maemi-chan are waiting for us!”

Totori was practically ready to jump out of his skin. Clearly, the three had made plans to explore Nagashima during the free time they were given before the school gathered for lunch with Shuna and Maemi.

“Oye, why’d you single out my sister for?” Toraichi narrowed his eyes, but Totori was too far ahead to notice.

“Don’t sweat the deets!”

Girls? Wasn’t it just Shuna?

And with that, the group gathered in front of the Hinami team’s lodging. The group plus one that is.

As the three of them approached the entrance, an agitated Shuna spoke with a grinning, tall blonde girl.

Risa Haneda. Reo cringed a little, his mind wandering back to their first meeting.

“What is your aim, Risa?”

“What aim are you talking about here, Shuna-chan?”

“Will you stop beating around the bush already?”

Shuna, the one that looked like she was doing the questioning, shook her head in exasperation. On the other hand, Risa maintained her cool façade.

When the two girls noticed the boys’ arrival, Shuna opted to stay silent. Yet her scowl was still on full display.

“Hello… Haneda-san.” Reo greeted, cautiously, “Something the matter?”

“Yo, Haneda-san!” In contrast, Totori didn’t seem cautious at all. He had a knack of being friendly and comfortable with everyone and anyone regardless of gender. Everyone, except for Maemi that is.

While Toraichi nodded his greeting, Haneda’s grin grew wider.

“Good morning everyone.”

Shuna sighed for some odd reason.

“You don’t mind if I accompany you 5 today, do you?”

And then, the blonde girl came out with the proposal. Much to Shuna’s dismay.

“We actually do.”

“We don’t!”

“Splendid.”

“Totori!” Shuna hissed under her breath. Whatever her deal with Risa Haneda was, it was not only lost on Totori but on everyone else present as well.

What’s up with those two? Reo wondered, looking between the two girls. They certainly seemed acquainted, and while Risa regarded Shuna as she would a dear friend, the coach’s daughter on the other hand looked like she wanted to bolt out of there right this instant.

“What?” Totori didn’t seem to catch on. And Toraichi didn’t want to get involved in a squabble, so instead he turned his attention elsewhere.

“Where’s the little brat?”

“Maemi-san will be here shortly.” Risa firmly replied.

“Ah, yes! Maemi-chan! We can’t go without Maemi-chan!”

Everyone shared a collective eye roll at Totori’s usual antics.

❖ ⚽ ❖

When the group was finally assembled, and no one other than Shuna really objected to Risa joining them, they went off into the town of Nagashima.

“So where to?” Totori asked, causing the newly arrived Maemi to smile smugly.

“Well, to the shops at the center of town of course!”

“Was there ever any doubt?” Toraichi shook his head, as if he already knew.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the group, a rather odd trio walked.

“Say, Yuusaki-kun, what do you do on your spare time?” Risa, holding a slight hint of a grin all the while, asked.

“Uh…” That out of the blue question certainly caught the young man off guard, “Against my better wishes, I’d probably say… training with the team?”

It was true, training really did a number on his free time. When he wasn’t training he was probably fooling around with Toto and Take, or meeting up with Shuna.

“I see. A diligent worker then.”

“Not really, no.” It wasn’t modesty that made Reo deny that. He really wasn’t hardworking when it came to football anymore. He would just show up at practice and perform every drill with the minimum amount of effort needed.

“And what about the weekends?”

“What’s with the interrogation?” Shuna narrowed her eyes.

“I’d hardly call it an interrogation. I’m simply making small talk, Shuna-chan.”

“Haha…”

Sandwiched between the two ladies, Reo upped his pace, hoping that catching up with the rest of the group would make the tension in the air dissipate.

❖ ⚽ ❖

When the group had reached the district with shops lining the paths on each side, and cobble streets paving the way, Maemi could not be contained.

She dragged the girls every which way she could find, trying out jewelry, clothes and even checking out cute stationery as she called it. Of course without really having that much of a say in the matter, the three boys tagged along.

“Reo… what do you think?”

After checking out a good handful of clothing shops, Shuna finally found something that caught her eye.

She held up a dark blue blouse against her frame, and looked skeptical.

Reo turned to his girlfriend, giving her a once over. The color perfectly matched her eyes, and the design was a perfect fit for her usual style.

“I think it’s—“

“Yuusaki-kun, I need your opinion.”

Before Reo could file his report on how much he loved Shuna’s choice, Risa grinned smugly.

She was holding up a vibrant red camisole dress.

Yeah, that was a little too formal.

Yet Reo could see the elegant tall girl pull off a fit like that.

“Who told you to butt in?” Of course Shuna wasn’t amused by her friend’s antics.

“Hm, looks nice I guess.”

“And why are you answering?!”

While the back-and-forth between the three never really came to a close, on the other side of the shop Maemi hopped around from shelf to shelf, grabbing anything that caught her eye.

“Hm… is this too flashy?”

With Totori and her brother as judges, Maemi was perusing a set of party dresses.

“No, not at all! It w-would look g-great on… you.” Somehow Toto’s vigor seemed to die down the more he tried to reply to her in his usual enthusiasm.

The article in question was a short dress, with an open front. It would definitely look great on someone like Maemi.

“Whatever, just get it over with.” Toraichi probably couldn’t care less.

“Wait, I want to try them on first!”

“WAIT! SHE WANTS TO TRY THEM ON FIRST!”

Yeah, Totori was definitely a little too eager to assess those outfits.

❖ ⚽ ❖

When the girls had their fun, it was the boy’s turn to browse the stores.

Well, more like one store in particular.

"Look at all these fresh-out-of-the-factory boots!" Totori was practically drooling at the sight of the football boots lining the wall, displayed prominently on glass shelves. The latest cleat technology from the most famous brands encircled them, and more than one design caught their eye

Soccer balls, basketball hoops, tennis rackets and sportswear were neatly lined across the large shop. Totori resembled Maemi in the way he seemingly teleported around the room, scanning every corner. Even Toraichi had found a sports jacket that made the ends of his mouth tug up.

Naturally, sports goods riled up the heart of every athlete out there.

But the purpose to this visit wasn’t merely window shopping. At the upper floor, specifically lined with football equipment, Reo mulled over the huge selection of football boots. The pair he wore was still borrowed from the old shoe box back in Hinami, and not to mention the wear and tear on those things made him question the century in which they were designed.

Thus, he needed new ones. And the biggest sports shop in Shinrin was definitely the best place to look.

While he was milling about, looking every which way, a familiar face popped out from around the corner. Offering a warm and friendly smile, Kaoru, the team’s vice captain, sent a wave to Reo.

“Reo-kun! Here to shop too?”

Kaoru asked, walking over.

“Yeah, I need a new pair of cleats, actually.” Catching Reo’s wry smile, Kaoru chuckled.

“Can’t blame you. Those old borrowed boots can get you through a few matches but they’re not a permanent fix, right?” Tagging along next to Kaoru, was another young man, his bangs covering his eyes for the most part.

“Ah… hey, Yuusaki-kun.” The timid young man was none other than their teammate, Sota Inoue.

“Yo, Inoue.”

“Want us to help you look? I actually have family over in Nagashima and I shop regularly from around here.”

“Y-Yeah, if you need—“

When Sota was about to nod in agreement to Kaoru’s proposal, a certain duo of brown and blonde emerged.

“Reo.”

“Yuusaki-kun.”

Risa and Shuna held up a pair of football boots each, their gaze unyielding. Why are they looking so… tense?

Reo naturally questioned, as he glanced at their expressions.

“I picked these, maybe you could try them on?”

“I thought this would be the perfect fit for you.”

Shuna and Risa, ignoring each other, or at least trying to, offered their choices up to the young man who looked between them both.

Reo promptly turned around and bowed lightly to his two teammates, “Sorry guys, uh…”

“Hey, it’s cool, we understand.” Kaoru suppressed a laugh, and bowed back.

If you do, then please explain it to me too!

Reo wanted to say, but for the sake of his own wellbeing, decided against it.

Why was Risa so fixated on him all of a sudden? And why was Shuna acting so hostile and… competitive?

Never mind, for now he had shoes to try on. And something told him his choice would be detrimental to each of their favors.

Risa’s pick was a high ankle football boot, the kind that had a fabric similar to a sock attached for better protection. It was a vibrant red, with a few white details.

On the other hand, Shuna’s pick was more modest and less flashy. It was a simple low ankle boot, with a retro kind of vibe to them, featuring an all-white body and a light blue plate on the bottom lined with similarly colored studs.

As he tried both of them on, he could tell the grip and stability was different for each, but the quality was there. If he were to be fair, he liked them both the same…

“So?”

“Thoughts?”

The girls looked at him expectantly. Yeah, he was sure. He wasn’t merely picking boots here. His heart on the items though, was torn.

Wait.

Reo suddenly had a thought. He picked up each boot collectively and examined them. From within he fished out the price tag.

“Gh!”

Reo almost swallowed down the wrong pipe when he glanced at Risa’s preferred choice. It was almost double the budget he had brought with him for the trip alone!

Yeah that settles it.

“YES! I knew it!”

While Shuna pumped her fist up in the air, Reo exhaled in relief at his wallet, and Risa merely grinned undeterred, the group left the store.

❖ ⚽ ❖

When all the shopping had concluded, the six schoolmates’ excursion into higher civilization led them into a flashy, dimly lit room, neon lights flashing about, and silly game tunes playing through speakers.

“The arcade!”

Totori voiced, beaming with enthusiasm.

“Again?” Reo narrowed his eyes. He had spent some time of his with Shuna last weekend, engaging in some friendly competition over at the table hockey. And that’s where it seemed Risa drifted off to.

“Yuusaki-kun, do you know how to play?”

“Ah…” Shuna eyed her boyfriend, as he wavered, “I do, yeah.”

“Then why don’t we—“

“Nuh-uh, that rascal’s mine to beat.” Toraichi tossed a coin into the machine, his eyes shining like a tiger’s just like when he saw a scoring chance. Truth was, that Reo and Toraichi had quite the fierce rivalry when it came to gaming back in Totori’s place.

“Toraichi-kun? You mean to say you’re good at this?” Risa Haneda, raised a brow.

“The best.” Toraichi cracked his knuckles.

“Hah. Color me intrigued.” The blonde girl, seemingly forgetting all about riling up Shuna, grabbed one of the two paddles and squinted her eyes into two thin red lines.

The challenge seemed to be on.

“I’ll get it for you, Maemi-chan!”

On the other side, Totori engaged in a simple hook game, Maemi had already lost interest in, and was taking pictures on a photo booth to the side.

Yeah, everybody seemed to be doing their own thing.

“Should we— WOAH!”

Before Reo could propose any of the various activities present, Shuna took the liberty to drag him out of the arcade altogether.

“Hey—“

“Shhh!”

Shuna brought a finger to her lips, guiding him out onto the street.

“Not a fan of arcades anymore?”

Reo asked, when he was finally released from his girlfriend’s grip. Not that he minded.

“I just… wanted to be alone with you, I guess.” Shuna replied, her sigh indicating signs of fatigue. Well, constantly trying to one up someone as stubborn as Risa certainly took a toll on her.

While the question of why remained, her words didn’t fail to light a spark within Reo’s chest.

“Then I’m glad you dragged me out.” He smiled, prompting Shuna to share the sentiment.

“Is that so…?” Her tone was a lot more playful than her words let on.

As the two of them began walking, they soon realized how close they were to the side of the island, the sea stretching before them and the sun blazing down on their skin.

Deftly, Shuna climbed the low ramp next to the paved path, walking lightly between sea and land.

“Hey, careful there.”

Reo raised a brow at her sudden playfulness.

“Oh, now you worry about me?” Shuna grinned.

“Well, yeah… I kinda always do.” Reo admitted. For better or worse, his girlfriend always seemed to bring the truth out of him, even if he wanted to play hard to get.

“Really?” Shuna’s very subtle blush, didn’t deter her from her quest for questions, “Even if you’re enjoying the extra attention today?”

Extra attention?

“You mean Risa?” Reo cocked a brow, “She seems cool… but I have no clue what she’s trying to accomplish.”

“You caught on to that too?” Shuna seemed mildly surprised.

“Well, yeah. She suddenly wants to know everything about me, has kept tabs about the both of us, and she’s trying to compete with you to boot?” Reo shrugged, “Hardly seems normal.”

“Hey, didn’t you receive a letter of admiration the day before?” Shuna’s eyes narrowed, her hands raised for balance’s shake dropping to her sides with the gesture.

“That’s… different.”

As his reputation as a player on the island continued to grow, there was talk of a small fan club forming around the newest number 10 of Hinami. It was nothing more than admiration for a football player, but the buzz was unmistakable. However, Risa herself clearly didn’t seem like she was part of that.

Her gaze only betrayed amusement, not infatuation. And she also seemed to be constantly eying Shuna, more than she did the young man…

About that…

“Say, Shuna?”

“Hm?”

Reo couldn’t hold back down the ends of his mouth.

“Are you jealous, by any chance?”

“EH?!” That did catch her a little off guard, as she seemed to have a harder time keeping her balance. But of course that wasn’t enough to endanger her. Even so, her walking came to a stop.

She seemed to be mulling it over, her face slightly flushed, and her brows knitted together in embarrassment.

“What if I say I was? Is that a problem? Is having a jealous girlfriend bad?”

Shuna’s honest nature seemed simply endearing in Reo’s eyes. He couldn’t help but smile at that.

“On the contrary. I think I like it.”

“Y-You like it, eh?” Shuna shook her head, and resumed her walk with a smile, “As much as you like embarrassing me, right?”

“Hey, that’s a different kind of enjoyment.”

“Oh, shut it you!”

After the two shared a light laugh between them, Reo thought maybe it was time to broach the subject again.

“You know, I would kill to know what’s up between you and Haneda-san, though.”

“Eep!”

Reo had hit a nerve it seemed, judging by the sound effect Shuna made.

“W-Well, me and Risa have… history.”

“No joke, Sherlock. But—“

“It’s… very complicated.” Cutting him off, Shuna gulped at what seemed to be a recollection of her past. Maybe Reo wasn’t the only one that had things he’d wish to forget.

“I know Risa’s dragging you into this too, and naturally you deserve answers but... but I— WOAH!”

“S-Shuna?!”

While the girl was lost in her own little bubble, her dangerous walking upon the ramp had fallen back into autopilot. And as a result, Shuna had missed a step, and was dangerously close to losing her balance. Thankfully, the scale tipped over the edge of the shore, and thanks to Reo’s quick thinking and strong core, the girl landed right into his arms.

“Woah!”

Although he ultimately did kneel to the ground due to the added weight. Small details, he simply brushed it off. At least Shuna was okay, and didn’t have to hit the ground.

“Are you okay?” Reo asked, exhaling in relief. Her back was supported by his arm, and her legs were sitting on the ground, but her mouth formed a thin unbudging line.

“Ah… yeah.” She managed to reply. The random position they had found themselves in had brought them closer than they had expected, and their faces seemed mere inches apart.

It was during that time, that the both of them realized.

They were dating for around 2 weeks, and still hadn’t…

Kissed.

Heat rose to Reo’s face, by the mere thought of the moment he had anticipated drawing nearer. Shuna didn’t mind, right?

At least she didn’t seem like it, judging by the blush on her face, and her eyes boring holes into his face.

As they inched closer, and closer…

“Hey, we’ve been looking all over for you!”

A very familiar, loud, almost booming voice resounded.

Of course, Totori had to appear, and everyone else wasn’t too far behind. The two lovebirds jumped apart, rising to their feet and hastily smoothing out their clothes.

“Shuna! Shuna!” Maemi proudly trotted over to her friend, face beaming, “Look at what I caught!”

The bubbly girl presented a plump purple penguin plushie, her grin almost reaching to her ears.

“Did you get this in the crane machine?” Shuna snapping out of her embarrassment, examined the cute stuffed animal.

“Yeah, on my first try, might I add!”

“Haha… Ha…” Reminded of everything that went down back in the crane machine, Totori laughed so dryly you’d think he had been mortally wounded. He must have tried at least 10 times and gotten nothing…

“Stop grinning, I told you it was mere luck.”

“Mere luck, my ass. Nobody messes with these moves.”

Risa and Toraichi seemed to be discussing the aftermath of their air hockey game.

Phew…

At least nobody saw them while they were... Reo shook his head, face beet red as he headed for a nearby vending machine. And to think the day was just getting started...

A/N:

Haneda Risa visual is up!