My alarm gave a beeping sound as I tossed and turned under my blanket. Before long, I finally managed to open my heavy eyelids, greeting the plain white ceiling.
"Mmm... Hmm?" I looked at my clock to see the time:
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8:00A.M
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"Huh?! Oh no, I am so late!" I jerked out of bed, changed into my uniform, and dashed downstairs only to find that my mom and dad were asleep as well.
(What...? How come mom is sleeping? Doesn't dad have work? What's going on?!)
Thinking the situation was pretty weird, I hurriedly checked my schedule only to slap my forehead at the end of it all.
"Ugh, today is a day off! I got worked up for nothing..."
Drowsiness washed over my body once again as I trudged upstairs. I opened my room's door and saw Raizo sleeping on the sofa.
"Ehhh?! Raizo! What are you doing here?!" I screamed in panic.
Probably due to all the commotion and my mind being in a state of panic, I didn't notice that Raizo was present in the room as well. Or maybe, I didn't bother to notice.
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"Mmmh... Asuna? Don't... shout... zzz..." Raizo's eyelids opened ever so slightly for a split second, before closing once more as he started snoring peacefully.
"Haaa... Guess I will ask him later then. *yawn* I should probably sleep as well..."
And with that, I curled up in my blanket and dozed off.
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A few hours later...
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"Asuna..... Asuna..... ...Asuna! Wake up!"
I felt someone shaking me lightly.
"Mmm... H-Huh?"
I opened my eyes once more only to find Raizo staring at my face from up close.
"Waaa--! R-Raizo?! What are you doing here?!" I sat up in a fluster.
In my doing so, Raizo didn't see it coming and we both bumped our foreheads loudly.
"OOUCHHH...!" We both massaged them at the same time, wincing in pain.
"Arrrkk... Um, sorry! I know I should have asked you first but you see, yesterday night, you kind of used up a little too much of your energy which led to you passing out. I was worried so I figured I should stay with you, and umm... yeah, I guess that's about it..."
Raizo let out an awkward laugh.
"Is that so... I don't remember anything though." I spoke as I looked at him while steadily coming out of my throbbing forehead pain.
"Asuna! Breakfast's ready! Oh, and bring Raizo as well!" Mom called from downstairs.
(Eh? Mom knows he's here too? Maybe he already informed her...)
Raizo went out the room, leaving me for changing into my casual clothes.
(I can't believe I slept in my uniform! Way to make it all wrinkled!!)
After reminding myself never to sleep in my uniform again, I quickly changed up and joined Raizo on the kitchen table, beaming with delight.
The fresh scent of a warm holiday breakfast was drifting pleasantly in the air. It sure accelerated my appetite.
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"Sorry mom for dropping by so randomly." Raizo apologized.
"No, it's okay dear. You know it is good to visit once in a while, I mean, it has been ages since I saw you. How are the others doing?"
"Ah, they are great." He answered, taking a bite out of his golden cooked omelette.
"My my, look at you all grown up! The last time I saw you was when Yuichi was only 5 and you were 2." Mom complimented as she examined Raizo from head to toe while drying her hands with the apron.
(Wow, they got separated at such an early age...? It is kind of sad in a way...)
After completing breakfast when dad arrived, who was just as pleased to meet Raizo as mom, Raizo suggested that we go out somewhere so I immediately agreed. At days like these, it is perfect to hang out with my brothers and sisters, not to mention, also a good change of pace.
Last time, I only hung with Raizo - which was a blast, so knowing that I would spend a whole day with the others couldn't have made me more excited. I wondered what we'd do today~
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Upon Raizo's suggestion, I called Mizore to come meet us at a restaurant and a few other attractions standing tall aside a pure-white beach where we both were waiting. A few minutes later, everyone had arrived: Mizore, Yuichi, Nikki and Natsuno.
"Everyone! It's good to see you all!" I squeaked with happiness.
Everyone else nodded in return.
"Hey, since we are at a beach, can we go swimming and stuff? Huh, huuh~?" Natsuno suggested eagerly as he gazed around.
(Now that sounds exciting!)
"Yeah! We have been so busy the past days that we didn't even get time to relax and enjoy!" Nikki added.
"...Do we have to?" Yuichi groaned, shading his eyes from the sun.
"Hehe, of course! It would be a waste to come to the beach without at least going in the water, right?" Mizore accepted with a thumbs up.
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"Okay, LET'S GO!!!"
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Everyone cheered happily as they dashed towards the water. We all brought the necessities as soon as we planned to go to a beach beforehand.
I was wearing a turquoise and white tank top with pink denim shorts and white-peach flip flops. I had two ponytails.
Mizore was wearing a thin purple dress with a blue rose on the right chest area. She had light blue sunglasses with loose hair and blue sandals.
Nikki wore a knotted shirt which was dark orange in colour followed by a short black pleated skirt and pink flip flops. She also had a matching straw bag with a heart printed on the left bottom corner. Her hair were half braided.
The guys were also well suited up.
Raizo wore a sleeveless, short white hoodie jacket with a short sleeve red shirt on which '雷蔵' was imprinted and a white with a red line on the side, shorts. He wore dark brown guy-ish sandals.
Yuichi wore a grey and yellow checkered, short sleeved shirt with a collar and dark grey long shorts with yellow flip flops. He also wore black sunglasses.
Natsuno wore a white and green open jacket with dark green shorts and light blue slippers. Coincidentally, he was also wearing an amulet which looked like some sharp animal tooth, just like Nikki's.
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I wasn't really willing to go in the water as I wasn't wearing the right type of clothes so I just walked along the shore with Nikki and Natsuno splashing in the water happily like little kids.
Yuichi, too, wasn't up with the idea since the beginning so he just stood next to me in front of the glistening water, but it didn't last for long...
Suddenly, someone took him by the waist and pushed him in the water from behind, scaring both of us.
"...Whoa!"
Yuichi fell in with a splash - enough to get me wet as well.
"Hey!" I groaned as I looked at my wet clothes.
"Hahaha! You should have seen your guys' faces!"
Sure enough, it was Raizo who pulled off that kind of a crazy stunt.
"...Why you...!" Yuichi angrily spat the water and chased after Raizo, and to top it off, pushed him hard in the water as well.
I chuckled to myself.
"Your turn!" Mizore's voice sounded from behind as she shoved me in the cold water as well.
"Eek!" I fell with my head first in the water.
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Seconds ticked by.
"Asuna...?"
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I didn't respond.
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Mizore worriedly stared at the water. As soon as she stepped in the still water, I grabbed her foot and made her fall in as well.
"Ufff... That is what you get Mizore!" I shot as I emerged out with a grin.
"Asuna! You had me so worried!" Mizore couldn't hide how troubled that made her.
"*giggle* Sorry."
(I feel kind of bad now...)
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And so, we all used up the remaining time having water fights or swimming in the water. In the end, we all were soaking wet. We even made sand castles, played volleyball and had a cook off competition, which was really fun. In the end of the contest, Mizore won, obviously. Raizo and Yuichi were at the bottom of the ranks.
"Ahaha... I'm no good with the kitchen labor..." Raizo chuckled with defeat.
"...Me... neither..." Yuichi mumbled as he stared at his burnt veggies. His face seemed really expressionless, so I couldn't tell if he was disappointed or not.
After that, Yuichi took naps from time to time under the umbrella chair and rarely participated in any of the other events. He really felt like a napping wolf then.
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It was also a good thing that the restaurant had a separate summer house for men and women for showering or for tourists staying. We all took a warm bath, left our clothes for drying and changed into the bath robes.
"Asuna, did you have fun today?" Mizore asked as she dried her hair.
"Mmhm. Totally!"
"That's good! This type of hangout comes once in a million years you know." Nikki squeaked as she poked her head from the shower, water dripping down her curly maroon hair.
"Yeah, true. It was a good change of pace." I added.
"Good thing we did it then, huh?" Mizore commented, smiling.
I nodded. We all laughed in harmony.
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A few moments later...
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It was already evening by the time we met the guys outside the summer house.
"Phew, that felt sooo good!" Raizo boomed as he stretched his arms in the air.
"Totally!" I joined.
"Now, why don't we eat at that restaurant? I am starving!" Nikki questioned.
We all agreed.
The restaurant was known as 'Dip N Flip: So good you'll Flip!', the weirdest name I have ever heard. Nonetheless, it was well known for its mash-up flavour sauces which added the right touch to all their popular dishes.
Once inside, we took the seat near the window, enjoying the peaceful view of the pleasant beach with the sparkling water, almost as if it were alive.
Nikki and Natsuno ordered a lobster with a spicy dipping sauce on the side. Nikki, however, cancelled the sauce for herself.
I ordered a meat and cream cheese stuffed ravioli with a ranch and spring onion sauce on the side.
Raizo ordered a Toastwood Turkey, a fancy name for sandwich with onion rings, including a cheese and mayonnaise hot sauce dipping.
Yuichi also preferred the same ravioli as mine.
Mizore, on the other hand, asked for a warm ramen with soya and miso sauce.
As for dessert, we all agreed on a coffee tiramisu.
Boy, was the food delicious! I was stuffed that I couldn't even move. I bet everyone felt the same way.
"Okay everyone, I have something to say." Mizore announced as she tapped the glass with her spoon and it did get everyone's attention.
"What is it, Mii-nee?" Nikki asked but Mizore just continued to look at us with a serious expression.
"Mizore...?" I whispered to myself.
I gulped for what was about to come. The air felt really tense, it was hard to breathe.
Yuichi gestured as a way to continue which gave me a feeling that he, too, knew something about this.
(I wonder what could be so important that they both are so serious about...)
I held my breath as Mizore's mouth opened slightly, "It is..."
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~To be continued...