SAMSARA

SAMSARA [1]

It's a sunny Tuesday, and there's no school this week. Well, at least, I assume it's sunny. I haven't bothered getting up from my bed and opening the curtains after taking care of myself and laying back down. Though, this train of thought of mine is interrupted and put to a halt as I grumble in annoyance upon realizing the room's gotten above normal heat. I certainly didn't turn off the air conditioner. It must be Akaza who got into my house, then.

I swear, that guy and his Pyrokinesis technique.. I sigh as I can eventually hear his voice right outside my bedroom door. Why does my mother always let him in?

"Shirou! Let's go, go, go!" Akaza's voice reverberates through the room, though he is outside.

I grumble in annoyance and try to combat his natural heat with my frost flame. My own house is now the field of a temperature fight. Sick.

"At least wait for me at the front door then, not come all the way to my room!" I sobbed out as a joke, though I did meet him outside my room after fixing myself up. By that, I mean the usual smoothing out my clothes and brushing my once unkempt dark blue hair.

"You know, it's like eleven in the morning, Akaza." I managed to speak as we walked out of my house. His bright hazel eyes stare at me in mock confusion as he merely laughs me off, "You've never had a problem with that before Shirou. Besides, this means we can spend the whole day together. Lately you've been denying requests to hang out as bros! Well, that, and uh.. ignoring me."

Now that he puts it like that, it does make a bit of sense. He's only dragging me out this early so we can spend time together and give each other some company. I guess it has been a while. This year it's been different. Whenever we are together, it's only during school hours, and I always deny his texts asking me to hang out with him. Now, I actually feel a bit bad for Akaza.. I sighed audibly as we now walked down the sidewalk. "Maybe you're right, and I need to stop being lazy. We should hang out as.. bros, or however you put our relation as.."

"And score! I'm always right!"

"You failed your Ulv'djevel Combat written test last year Akaza."

"Oh. Right."

"..Though, I suppose this time you were right. I shouldn't be spending this free week weeping around, eh?" I quickly voiced my thoughts as to lighten the mood and not damage his ego too much; I also elbowed him lightly whilst suddenly smiling as an emphasis of my words. It works, apparently. He's quick to be happy, though he stumbles a bit. "Hah! There's the Shirou I know!"

Akaza, if only you knew.

His hazel eyes soften at me for a second, though, and his wild raven black hair sways in the wind as he says these next words, "How about for the first activity today, we get some ice cream? My treat." It's comfortably enticing and the familiarity of this situation fills me with warmth different from humanity's pyrokinetic abilities. I, of course, have no other choice than a confirmation. "Of course. Kirk's Frozen Treats? Like old times?"

"Yeah.. Kirk's. I wonder how that old guy's holding up."

"I'm sure he's fine. And Akaza, Kirk is only in his late thirties by now.."

"Eh? How do you know his age?! That's unfair Shirou!"

"Bonding is a thing."

"Ah.. you're always so.. whatever, man, let's go." He drags me along in defeat at my obvious answer. Eventually as we cross several sidewalks, we reach Kirk's Frozen Treats. A long-time favorite shop of both mine and Akaza's. We see Kirk, the only one who works at this store. Even now, it's still baffling to me. How he's so successful, running a large store all by himself. I'd even go as far as saying he's the most famous sweet treat seller in this part of Winflame City. His face brightens with joy, I assume, when we approach. His face is still the same, with his bright, energetic emerald green eyes, freckles all over his face, and finally his messy yet charming blond hair. "Shirou and Akaza! It's nice to see you two again. If anything, I never see one of you without the other. It's simply fascinating. Now, what will you gentlemen be having this time?"

I grin at Akaza as I utter a shocking custom combination I don't often pick. "Vanilla and chocolate drizzle ice cream. As for the toppings, brownie bits."

"You don't order that often, Shirou! I'd know, I memorize my customers' favorites. Heh, I wonder what good thing happened?" Kirk's reaction is spot on, as per usual. "Now, what about you, Akaza?"

"Cookies and cream ice cream.. I guess.." he huffs out.

"I see, I see! I'll get you those scoops."

He beckons us over to a table and, with us already knowing how it's all going to go, we comply. Minutes later, there he is, with our ice cream. I can see that Akaza is eager to pay. My eyes stare at the money he holds in front of him, around 76 Sera. Of course the price doesn't faze me as this is the usual.

I watch Kirk leave with the money as Akaza then faces me, already biting his own ice cream. "So, I heard after our break this week, we're going out on another excursion."

"Oh.. cool." I, unsure, spoke out.

"C'mon man, is that all you have to say? It's another excursion!" Akaza looks at me in disbelief after he finishes a bite of his ice cream. I take a bite of my own, and eventually swallow it to answer him back, "Well, if we get to fight Ulv'djevler, then good for us! If not, then.. boring, man!"

"Guess you're right! Battling Ulv'djevler is fun, even if it gets dangerous!"

"Akaza, you're so reckless, man.. it's almost worrying. Actually, it already is." I sigh and chastise him, though not before finally finishing my ice cream. "If battles ever get too tough, just call on me, man! You get so reckless when you fight."

Instead of caring about what I said, my long-time best friend simply comments on how fast I ate.. though that at least means he's still himself. I sighed. Perhaps, today, I'll let the chips fall where they may. Who knows?