ai | s. manjiro & m. takashi

じゅうに

After classes and the session at the ballet academy of August 3, Ai slipped out of her tights, leotards and pointe shoes and into a red kimono, tying her long hair into a tight bun before applying light makeup inside the female's restroom inside the building of the ballet academy.

To: Ai
From: Kokonoi

Were already outside. pm 7:11

Upon reading his sent text, Ai rushes out of the bathroom and towards the main entrance of the building. The heels of her slippers clacking at every step she makes, colliding against the polished white floor tiles.

"I didn't mean to make you two wait!" She says, swinging the clear doors opens. Inui gets off his bike and takes her backpack from her.

"It's fine. We arrived a few seconds before you came out." Inui says, smiling gently at her.

"Aw, don't you look pretty wearing a kimono now." Kokonoi says, teasing her while handing a spare helmet to her, helping her get into his bike.

"Hold on tightly, okay? Don't want you falling for someone else." He teases her again, chuckling before he felt a slap on his back.

"Don't joke like that. Besides, I have something to tell you two, but I'll tell you two once we get there." Ai smiles, nodding her head.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"What? You're dating Sano Manjiro?! As in...the Sano Manjiro?!" Kokonoi asks in disbelief.

The three of them settled inside a tea house, a plateful of wagashi sweets and tea pot filled with green tea.

Ai nodded her head, taking a bite of the skewered dango. "We made our status official yesterday. August 2." She smiles while chewing on the glutinous pink rice sweet.

"You're dating a legend's brother." Inui says after sipping on his cup. "Does boss know this?" He asks

Ai immediately shook her head. "Even Hakkai and Yuzuha don't know about it. For the meantime, please keep it a secret. I don't want them to clash and collide with each other." She requests, hands holding onto her cup tightly.

The two were very much aware of the situation Ai is in. Even thinking about it, it was a difficult being placed in between.

"What if" Kokonoi begins to say "Boss finds out you're dating him?"

Ai smiles before shaking her head. "I'll try and make him understand my part." She says

Though both Inui and Kokonoi cannot guarantee backing her up when it came to Taiju, they honestly hoped and wished the best for the newborn couple.

After spending time inside the tea house, the three of them went from stall to stall - playing shooting games, catching goldfishes (to which Inui clumsily dropped the bag causing all the caught fishes to return back) and then strolling around. When the rain came, they took refuge in the forest.

"I should have brought an umbrella with me" Ai says, sighing to herself while dusting away the rain droplets from her red kimono.

Inui and Kokonoi, standing behind Ai, sensed an immediate unwanted party behind them. Turning around, they caught sight of a few men wearing a white uniform. Seeing them almost huddled around the three of them Kokonoi immediately took a hold of Ai's wrist.

"Hey Ai. I have an umbrella in my bike. Let's go get it." He says, dragging her away and back under the rain before Ai could even protest. Once Inui saw that they were far away enough from him, he returned his look back to them.