Kazuki stretched out on the living room couch, flipping through a book he barely cared about. His high school classes had started off dull, and today's lessons hadn't helped. Thankfully, Shizuka was coming over soon to study, and Aoi had plans to hang out with friends after school, which meant a rare moment alone with Shizuka.
As he thought this, the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find Shizuka, carrying her school bag and wearing a bright smile.
"Hey, Kazuki!" she greeted, stepping in.
"Hey, Shizuka." He returned her smile, taking her bag and placing it on the table. "Ready to 'study'?"
Shizuka laughed, raising an eyebrow. "What? I thought you needed help catching up in literature!"
"Maybe, but I think I'd rather just relax," he replied, shrugging.
They settled down at the table with their books open, though neither seemed especially focused on the pages in front of them. Kazuki found his gaze wandering to Shizuka, who was completely absorbed in writing something in her notebook, a small crease forming on her brow as she concentrated.
"Kazuki," she said suddenly, breaking his gaze. "What's 17th-century prose even supposed to mean?"
He chuckled, realizing she was just as confused as he was. "I have no clue. Want to just call it 'good writing' and move on?"
Shizuka laughed, nodding. "Fine by me. Let's move on to…um…any other topic?"
Just as they shared a grin, Shizuka leaned over to reach a pencil on the far side of the table, and in doing so, she ended up close enough for Kazuki to catch a faint, sweet scent—like vanilla and flowers. He found himself frozen for a second, completely caught off guard.
She noticed his gaze and smirked, giving him a playful look. "You alright there, Kazuki?"
Kazuki coughed, turning his gaze away quickly. "Yeah! Just, uh…thinking about 17th-century prose."
"Oh really?" Shizuka teased, leaning in even closer, now just inches from his face. "Are you sure you're not just trying to avoid studying?"
Kazuki rolled his eyes, trying to regain his composure. "What? Me? I'm fully focused!"
She giggled, letting the moment linger just a bit longer before leaning back. "Alright then, 'fully focused.' How about we focus on…something else?"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow, amused by her mischievous tone. "Like what?"
Shizuka tapped her chin thoughtfully, then reached over and playfully ruffled his hair. "Like why you're always such a mess!" she teased, laughing as he tried to duck away.
"Hey, stop it!" he protested, swatting at her hand. "I'm not a mess."
"Oh, really?" Shizuka challenged, smirking. "Then why did you leave your lunch container in your bag all day yesterday? The whole classroom could smell it!"
Kazuki groaned, his face heating up. "That was one time!"
Shizuka laughed harder, and in an attempt to get her to stop, he poked her side, eliciting a surprised squeal. "Kazuki!" she gasped, laughing as he poked her again, and she swatted his hand away.
Before they knew it, they were in a full-on tickle war, both of them laughing uncontrollably. Shizuka tried to dodge Kazuki's attacks, only to end up backed into a corner on the couch, her face flushed from laughter.
"Alright, I surrender!" she gasped, her hands held up in defeat.
Kazuki grinned, catching his breath as he looked down at her, still close from their playful scuffle. Their laughter slowly faded as the reality of how close they were settled in. For a moment, neither of them moved, their faces mere inches apart.
Shizuka's smile softened, her gaze meeting his. "You really do make studying fun," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kazuki swallowed, feeling his heart race. "I…could say the same about you," he replied, trying to sound casual but feeling anything but.
The moment hung between them, heavy and electric. Just as Kazuki gathered the courage to close the distance, the door creaked open.
"Aoi?" Kazuki and Shizuka jerked apart, but there was no sign of his little sister.
Kazuki quickly got up and peeked outside. He returned, relieved. "It's nothing. I think the wind moved the door."
Shizuka let out a sigh of relief, though her cheeks were still pink. "You scared me there, Kazuki. Thought Aoi caught us for a second."
Kazuki chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't put it past her to sneak up on us. We'll have to be more careful."
Shizuka smirked, regaining her composure. "Careful, huh? I think you're the one who needs to watch out. You're the one who started the tickling war."
Kazuki held up his hands, grinning. "Guilty as charged."
They shared a laugh, and soon enough, their conversation drifted back to their summer memories, each moment laced with lingering glances and playful banter. Their study session had been far from productive, but Kazuki couldn't think of a better way to spend the afternoon.