Every Second Counts

My heart raced in my chest as I barreled out of the bus.

‘Please let me make it on time.’ I prayed to whatever higher power there was.

My feet pounded hard against the pavement as I urged my body onwards.

I could feel my breath shortening, an inevitable side effect from the constant sprint I was set on.

I felt almost exactly like I did that day.

That accursed day.

That fateful day.

The day that I met him.

*~*~*~*

My heart raced in my chest as my feet pounded hard against the concrete.

‘Damn it all! I'm going to be late… again!’ I thought as I roughly rounded the corner.

I tore down the sidewalk, clutching the right strap of my backpack closely to my shoulder so that it wouldn't fly off in the face of my adversity.

I growled in frustration.

This was the third time this week that my alarm clock didn't go off. It didn't matter how many mental notes I made, if I couldn't remember, then I couldn't remember.

Checking my watch, I drew in a sharp breath.

8:43AM

I had less than 2 minutes to get to school.

I could already hear my teacher’s condescending voice in my head as she reprimanded me.

'Late, again? At this rate, you'll be banned from participating in extracurriculars.'

Oh God, please no! That can't happen!

I was so lost in the horrifying thought of having to quit the swim club that I didn't even notice the figure that darted out in front of me.

When my brain finally registered the person, it was already way too late and I ended up crashing right into them.

We tumbled straight to the ground.

I opened my eyes to find that the blue sky was spinning haphazardly and I was seeing doubles of the fluffy white clouds.

Sitting up, I groaned and rubbed my forehead.

"Sorry." I mumbled as I tried to reorient my surroundings.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A tense voice responded in fluid Japanese.

I looked up in surprise.

A boy around my age caught my gaze and stared angrily back at me. His maroon locks framed his face perfectly and brought out his ruby red orbs.

I stared transfixed at the stranger in front of me. His glare made it look like he was mad but I could see that he was mostly just feeling anxious about something.

I found it difficult to tear my eyes away from his mesmerizing irises.

Slowly I got up off the floor and brushed the dirt from my clothes. Then smiling brightly, I extended a hand to the boy.

"Sorry" I repeated but in Japanese this time. "It was my bad."

The hard expression melted from his face and was quickly replaced with one of shock.

"You speak Japanese?" The boy asked in wonder as he slowly reached for the hand I offered. The way that he said it made it seem like I was the only person left in the world who knew about the language.

I scratched my left cheek in embarrassment while I hauled the foreigner to his feet.

"Well, just a little." I responded shyly, then, upon seeing the boy’s confused look, elaborated, "My parents are from Japan. But I was born here, in Australia. I don't speak Japanese much so my knowledge of the language is quite limited."

Before I could delve further into my personal background, the unmistakable ringing of a bell was suddenly heard in the distance.

Crap.

Snatching my school bag off the ground I turned to the boy and said "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've seriously got to run! It was nice to meet you though!"

Then whirling around, I dashed off in the direction of my middle school.

*~*~*~*

The double doors slid open and I all but skidded inside. Checking the display board, I quickly found the flight I was looking for.

Flight BA006, gate 27, destination: Tokyo, departure time 8:45AM

Checking my watch I drew in a sharp breath.

I had less than 12 minutes to find him.

*~*~*~*

I was panting by the time I reached my classroom. Checking my watch I let out a slight chuckle.

8:46AM

I was less than 2 minutes late.

If I hadn't crashed into that boy earlier I probably would've made it to school on time.

I guess this was what was meant when they said that every second counts.

Sighing, I hesitantly opened the classroom door. To my utmost surprise and relief, my home room teacher still wasn't there yet.

Not wanting to push my luck, I squelched the mental gloating that was bubbling forth in my mind and hurried over to my seat in the back of the class.

Not a minute later, the classroom door slid open and in came Ms. Williams.

"Class, sorry I'm late," she announced, "There was a small delay at the office regarding the new transfer student, but now that he's here I'd like to introduce you all to your new classmate."

Then as if on cue, a young boy walked into the room.

I had to stifle a gasp of surprise. His maroon colored hair fell beautifully into his face and his eyes were as bright as rubies.

Writing his name on the white board he turned and faced the class.

Suddenly his red orbs were staring directly into my cerulean ones. I saw his eyes widen in recognition and then I was lost, caught completely off guard by the wide grin that was quickly spreading across his face.

"My name is Rin Matsuoka!" the boy started then launched into his introduction.

His English, I noted, was just a tad bit broken, but then again so was my Japanese.

I smiled.

Something told me that Rin Matsuoka and I were going to get along just fine.

*~*~*~*

My eyes flew frantically across the sea of people, hoping against hope that I would spot that all too familiar maroon color.

Was I too late? Had he already entered the gates?

I could feel the anxiety building in my chest and I fought hard to keep the tears at bay.

I couldn't give up.

Not yet.

Checking my watch I realized I still had 8 minutes left to find him.

'Every second counts.' I thought as I raced towards the nearest airline counter.

*~*~*~*

"When in Rome do as the Romans do." I read the phrase written in the textbook.
Rin groaned in aggravation.

"I don't get it!" He moaned in perfect Japanese then flopped down onto his back.

We were currently sitting on the floor of my room studying for our upcoming English test.

"Hey! No Japanese!" I scolded, "You'll never get better if you don't practice."

"What's the use?" He responded, completely ignoring my advice, "The test is tomorrow. I'll never pass!"

"Where there's a will, there's a way." I retorted, folding my arms defiantly.

The boy looked at me completely puzzled. Judging by the look on his face, he probably had no idea what I just said.

Laughing at his confusion, I repeated the idiom but this time in Japanese.

"Oh!" Rin exclaimed, bolting upright as realization lit up his features, then in English, "I get it."

I grinned, happy that he was finally attempting to converse in the official language.

Then, Rin said something in Japanese and I frowned. Partly because his use of English was so short lived, but mostly because I didn't understand what he said.

"What?" I asked in Japanese.

Rin repeated what he had just said, then attempted to explain what it meant in English.

"It's when you hold every moment precious." Rin said, choosing his word carefully.

My eyes widened in understanding.

"Every second counts." I murmured.

"Huh?" The boy asked, not quite catching what I just said.

I smiled at Rin then repeated louder, "Every second counts."

Spurred by this new found determination, I turned my attention back to the textbook.

"Come on Rin, we still have all night. Let's do this. We'll make every second count!"

As if drawing energy from my enthusiasm, Rin beamed and flipped open his textbook.

"Alright! Let's go!" He cheered.

*~*~*~*

I tore through the airport, boarding pass in hand. I had no idea what the destination printed on the ticket was and I had no time to find out. There was only one thought in my mind.

‘I've got to get to him.’

Two kids suddenly dashed in front of me causing me to slow a little.

They both had flaming orange hair although one was styled in pigtails while the other sported a short buzz cut.

"I won't lose to you." The girl yelled as the boy rushed ahead.

"Just try and beat me." The other responded cockily, turning his head back to make a face.

I watched as the two sprinted through the airport, slightly curious to know where their parents were or if they were even traveling with guardians.

Then, suddenly remembering I had a more important task to attend to than supervising kids, I raced off in the direction of gate 27, berating myself for losing focus while I ran.

*~*~*~*

"I won't lose to you" I said, fluid Japanese spilling from my mouth.

"Just try and beat me." Rin taunted in his native tongue.

It was the summer of grade 10 and Rin and I were having a showdown. He'd been training non-stop with his swim coach for 4 years now. I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice any change in him. For one, he had grown significantly taller. He now towered a full head over me whereas before, we were pretty much the same height. He'd also put on quite a couple pounds of muscle and boy, did that do wonders to my imagination.

"Loser has to do one thing the winner wants." Rin challenged, hiking the stakes.

I grinned, "Deal."

We took our positions on the diving board and when the minute hand on the clock struck 60, we were off.

My hands sliced through the water, legs propelling my body forward.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw Rin pull ahead of me.

Shit. He was fast.

Urging my limbs to move quicker, I tried to match his speed.

We were coming close to the other wall now. If I timed this right, I could push off ahead of him. Flipping my body into a perfect somersault, I kicked off the wall and shot forwards.

Yes! Success! My plan worked. I was in the lead now. Unfortunately, my victory was short lived, for Rin was coming up on my flank, fast.

With each stroke, he seemed to gain even more momentum. We were at the five meter mark and at this point we were about even.

I could see the wall fast approaching. It was right in front of me. If I could just reach out and –

In the fraction of a second, Rin suddenly careened forward and his hand collided with the wall an instant before mine did.

Panting, I whipped my goggles and swim cap off my face and turned to the maroon haired man.

"You're fast!" I exclaimed, still a little shocked at the amount of energy he had left to pull off that last spurt.

Taking off his own swim gear he grinned at me.

"It's cause I'm a – " he started but bit off his next words as he caught sight of my irritated glare.

He knew I hated it when he brought gender into this. True or not, I refused to believe that men were superior to women.

We got out of the pool and I couldn't help but grimace at our times.

I was only a couple seconds slower than him.

Groaning I griped, "Damn it, two seconds and your shark plushie would've been mine.

Rin laughed and said, "Hey, every second counts."

I pouted. I couldn't argue with that. It was true.

In swimming every second counted. It was that one second that differentiated a win from a loss, a new world record from an old.

Rin stared at his time.

"I'm not fast enough though." He said suddenly as a dark shadowed passed over his eyes.

I knew he was referring to Haru. I've never met his childhood friend before but I knew something happened between them. Ever since he came back from Japan that New Year, 2 years ago, Rin had been… off. He even told me he was planning to quit swimming all together. That was the scariest thing Rin had ever said to me. After a heated pep talk and a slight scuffle, I managed to persuade him to stay on his swim team. But lately his doubts seemed to have been coming back.

To me, Haru was like a shadow that tailed Rin wherever he went. Sometimes, if I was lucky, I'd be able to take his mind off of the infamous swimmer. However, like a shadow, Haru wouldn't just disappear one day. He'd stick to him, always lingering somewhere in the recesses of his mind.

Wanting to take his mind off of his unsettling thoughts, I blurted the first thing that came to my mind.

"Okay, you won. So, what do you want?" I asked, then mentally slapped myself for reminding him.

At this Rin perked up. I could see the large smirk making its way across his features and I knew then, that whatever it was he wanted, it couldn't have been good.

Grinning wickedly, the boy leaned forward and whispered something in my ear that made my blood run cold.

*~*~*~*

22.

23.

24.

The gate numbers flew by in a blur.

‘Just a little further.’ I chanted to myself as I maneuvered through the onslaught of travellers.

25.

26.

I was passing by a duty free store when out of the corner of my eye something caught my attention.

There, sitting on a shelf beside a couple of green and gold mugs, was a crochet kangaroo wearing red boxer gloves.

I couldn't help but stop and marvel at the detailed handiwork.

Suddenly, a loud announcement blared through the airport speakers.

"Attention, please! Passengers for Japan Airlines, flight BA006 to Tokyo are kindly requested to proceed to gate number 27 for immediate boarding."

And just as abruptly as I stopped, I was off, sprinting towards the aforementioned gate; the image of the boxing kangaroo still lingering in my mind’s eye.

*~*~*~*

My tongue lolled out of my mouth as Rin and I walked down Main Street.

“Damn it Rin! My tongue is burning. You know I can't take spicy food.” I moaned.

We had just had hotpot at the regular Japanese restaurant that Rin frequented with his swim coach. And of course the boy just had to order the one that was extra spicy.

The swimmer grinned slyly at me.

“Well, then you shouldn't have lost that race.” He retorted as he nonchalantly brought both hands up to rest at the back of his head.

I glared at him. The nerve he had to play it cool as if this wasn't even his fault.

“You're evil personified, you know that?” I growled whilst fanning my taste buds.

He just smiled in response.

We were passing by a toy store when out of the corner of my eye something caught my attention.

Eyes growing wide, I pressed my face to the display window and marveled at the sight before me.

There, nestled between a doll house and a remote controlled car, was the largest collection of crochet animals that I had ever seen.

My eyes shone with admiration at the amount of detail that went into the craftsmanship of each of these yarned creatures.

Rin, suddenly noticing that I had lagged behind, let out an audible sigh.

“You really want my stuffed shark don't you?” He asked, as he walked back to the window.

It was then that I realized that behind this large array of crochet animals was an even larger collection of stuffed animals. And the biggest one of them just so happened to be the aforementioned marine creature.

Laughing, I turned to the marooned haired boy and smiled.

"Would you give it to me if I said yes?" I answered his question with one of my own.

He smirked, "The only way you're ever going to get Squ-chan [1] is if I move back to Japan. And that's only because I wouldn't be able to fit him in my suitcase.”

I chuckled, "Yeah, I figured as much."

Then, turning my gaze back to the display window, I continued to gaze adoringly at the crochet toys.
They were as familiar to me as an old friend. An old friend that was very important and so dearly missed.

*~*~*~*

Fuck.

There were too many people.

My eyes scoured the crowd of passengers lining up to board the plane.

‘Where are you?’ I thought desperately as I sifted through the mob looking for that all too familiar face.

Just then, a shock of maroon flitted by my periphery.

I whipped my head to the left, not even daring to breathe.

And then I saw him.

Relief flooded over me like waves tumbling over a dry sandy beach.

Rin.

*~*~*~*

I stared blankly at the box in front of me.

"It was on the front steps this morning." my mom called from the laundry room.

The plain cardboard box was bare save for my name, hastily scrawled across the top in a black sharpie.

"I had half the mind to throw it out if it wasn't for your name." Mom continued as the sound of the washing machine banging closed echoed in the hall.

My heart pounded as I reached shakily for the package. I knew that hand writing anywhere. Grabbing a paring knife from the drawer I hastily dragged the tip across the taped top.

Opening the flaps I peered nervously inside the box.

My heart stopped.

There, nestled between a thin layer of bubble wrap, was a relatively large stuffed shark.

‘The only way you're ever going to get Squ-chan is if I move back to Japan.’

I felt my breath hitch in my throat and I struggled to breathe. The world had gone silent save for the loud rushing sound of my blood as it pumped passed my ears.

Somewhere in the distance I heard my mom complain about the sender’s terrible gift wrapping skills.

But none of that was important.

I breathed out a ragged breath. And then like the strap of Rin's goggles everything suddenly snapped into place, clearer than it ever was before.

My body went into over drive and I felt my heart slamming wildly against my chest.

There was only one coherent thought tumbling in my brain as I raced towards the front door.

Rin.

*~*~*~*

A loud resounding slap echoed in the waiting area of gate 27.

I stared angrily at the boy, hot, salty tears brimming in the corner of my eyes.

Rin, who was stunned, in shock, just stood there, mind trying desperately to assess the situation.

However, before he could recover, I all but flung my arms around the boy’s neck and buried my head in his chest.

‘This was it.’ I thought sombrely, ‘Rin was leaving.’

This unsettling notion stormed my mind like a gust of wind stirring up a blizzard and the next thing I knew, I was a trembling mess.

"You idiot," I cried, voice muffled slightly by his black hoodie, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Rin, finally catching back up with reality, wrapped a strong arm around me and gently began stroking my soft dark locks, trying in vain to calm my shuddering form.

"Because I knew you would cry." He murmured softly against my hair.

It was then that I realized that the tears that had been welling up in my eyes a second ago, had all but flooded down my cheeks, staining his black shirt with wet blotches.

Pulling away from him, I swiped furiously at my eyes.

"I'm not crying." I said, as defiantly as I could. However, my voice cracked on the last syllable, betraying my true emotion.

I was utterly devastated.

Taking in a shaky breath, I composed myself the best I could, then lifted my head up to regard him.

"Are you going to find Haru?" I asked quietly.

At this, the look on Rin's face darkened.

"Yeah." He replied, hard determination tinting his tone.

Part of me was relieved that he was finally facing his fears. But an even bigger part of me wanted nothing more than for him to stay. I knew that was selfish of me, though. I had realized long ago that Rin had lost something important. I tried my best to help him find it, encouraging him to continue swimming, even going as far as training for nationals myself so I could keep a better eye on him. However, compared to his buddies back in Japan, I was only a road sign that could point him in the right direction. I knew that if there was anyone in this world who could help him out of his adversity it would be his childhood friends. They would be the ones who would lead him to his answer, walking with him every step of the way. And I knew that that was going to be the most important discovery he would ever make.

So, throwing aside my own worries, I put on my biggest smile and said, "Good."

At this, Rin looked at me in shock.

However before he could respond, a second announcement suddenly echoed through the airport.

“Attention, please! This is the final boarding call for Japan Airlines, flight BA006 to Tokyo. Departing passengers should proceed to gate number 27, immediately. Once again, this is the final boarding call for Japan Airlines, flight BA006 to Tokyo.”

I stared up at the maroon haired man. And it was then that realization finally hit. This was it. Rin was going to Japan, a country that was thousands of miles away from here. And who knew if he’d even be back. For all I was aware, this could be the last time I was ever going to see him.

All at once, the memories of the past 4 years we spent together came rushing back at me: after school cramming sessions, late night beach adventures, in-class snoozing, midnight snacks, weekend outings, sick days, birthdays, holidays, you name it. We’ve done it all.

But somewhere along the way, something changed. Words were spoken not to convey a thought, but to mask a hidden desire. Actions were taken not on a whim but always with an underlying connotation.

Should I tell him? I might never get a chance if I don’t. Wouldn’t it be better if he didn’t know? It wasn’t like anything would come of it, now. Besides, what if he didn’t return my feelings? Wouldn’t that just make everything more awkward? But then again, what if he felt the same way? I could probably do long distance.

Oh, fuck it.

I’ll never know if I don’t try. Besides…

Stepping forward, I boldly closed the gap between our bodies.

Every…

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I brought his face down to mine.

Second…

His startled ruby orbs widened in shock.

Counts.

And then before anyone of us knew what was happening, my lips were suddenly on his.

He tasted sweet. Not like candy or apples, but like a cool summer breeze on a hot spring day. It was refreshing and intoxicating at the same time. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Rin to understand the situation, for not a second later his arms were wounding its way around my middle, dragging me closer to him. His sharp teeth nicked lightly on my bottom lip and I gasped at the unfamiliar sensation.

Seizing this chance, he slipped his tongue into my mouth and began exploring the hot, wet cavern, mapping out the nether regions; memorizing every nook and cranny. I moaned at the feel of his slick tongue sliding against the walls of my mouth. I felt hot all over. My mind was screaming at me to break for air but I didn’t want to let Rin go. His mouth just felt… so damn good. Rin, seeming to sense my distraught, smirked then, gently pulled away, allowing my lungs to replenish its much needed nutrients.

“Fuck.” I breathed after I had caught my breath, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

Rin just chuckled, arms tightening around my body, caging me to his muscular form.

I laid my head against his broad chest, relishing in this new found feeling of endearment. I didn’t want this moment to end. I wanted to stay like this forever and ever and ever and…

“Alice.” Rin suddenly murmured against my ear, “I have to go.”

Heaving a reluctant sigh, I slowly pulled away from his warm front. I cast my gaze to the airport floor. I didn’t want him to leave. I knew it was for the best, but I didn’t want him to leave.

Catching sight of my downcast expression, the swimmer softly lifted my chin up so that my gaze met his. Even now, his bright ruby lenses had my heart rate speeding up.

“I’ll write to you.” Rin said, quietly.

“Every day.” I stated.

It wasn’t a question.

The boy smiled.

“Every day.” he promised.

Taking a deep breath, I bottled up my feelings and punched him lightly on the arm.

“Don’t go getting yourself a girlfriend, now.” I chastised. “I definitely won’t forgive you if you do.”

Rin laughed, “I won’t. Trust me. I doubt there’s anyone in the world that could compare to you.”
I blushed, “Damn right.”

Placing a soft kiss on my lips, he murmured three words and then turned to leave.

I watched him go, heart heavy with unfamiliar emotions. Yet, I was surprised to find that regret wasn’t in the mix. Not even the slightest. Because I knew, for certain, that this wasn’t it. If we lived by our motto, then this definitely wasn’t the last time we’d see each other.

‘Every second counts.’

*~*~*~*

"Hey Rin," I asked suddenly, "Did I ever tell you about my grandmother?"

We were currently sitting on a park bench overlooking a large, round fountain. Because I had lost that swim race, a week ago, I challenged Rin to another match. Except this time, the contest didn’t involve a pool, rather it was hosted right here, on this wooden bench.

The rules were simple: whoever could sit here the longest, wins. We’d been at it since this afternoon, but by now, the sun was already beginning to set; bathing the sky in shades of red and purple. Save for a small group of children playing near the bushes, we were the only ones left in the park.

The boy twitched uncomfortably beside me and I knew he was confused as to what brought this on. Not giving him a chance to question this seemingly random inquiry, I quickly launched into my story.

"I used to visit my grandmother all the time," I started, "She lived in New Zealand with my grandfather and together they ran a little toy shop where they sold crochet animals. I used to sit at the back of the store with her for hours on end, watching as she looped stitch after stitch. She even tried to teach me how to use a crochet hook once, but that ended in a complete failure when I tangled myself up in yarn instead."

I chuckled slightly at the memory.

"I loved going to my grandparent’s place. There was never a dull moment there and I enjoyed listening to her stories of the good old days. But then everything changed when my grandfather passed away. My dad wanted her to move here to Sydney with us so that he could take better care of her. However, no matter how hard my dad tried to persuade her, she refused to leave her shop. That's when the fighting started and the next thing I knew, we didn't visit grandma anymore.

“I blamed my grandmother for being so stubborn. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't just move here with us. Didn't she want a happier life? I never got it until about 3 years ago when she sent me a letter along with a crochet giraffe for my 13th birthday. My grandma told me all about her little toy shop and how it was her and my grandpa’s dream to make little kids happy. She loved seeing the amount of joy she could bring to them with just a few small stitches. When my grandpa passed away, she worked harder than ever to keep their dream a reality. Even though she was also getting old and even though her eye sight wasn't as keen as it used to be, she still hoped to live true to her life's goal.

“And that was when I realized what my grandmother was trying to tell me. It wasn't that she was deliberately trying to put up a tough front. It was just that she honestly couldn't picture herself doing anything other than what she was doing right then. And she didn't want to because she knew that nothing in this world would’ve made her happier than that of what she was already doing. So adamantly refusing to give up, she fought tooth and nail for what she believed in, keeping her and my grandpa’s dream alive. I tried to explain this to my father but he stubbornly refused to listen. He’s just like my grandma; stubborn as mules the both of them. No wonder they never see eye to eye. I just wish I could go see her. Just once. Just to tell her I’m sorry for blaming her.”

A long silence settled between us. I didn’t expect Rin to give me any advice. He knew me long enough to know that sometimes, I just had to go off on a tangent and get everything that was bugging me off my chest.

Surprisingly though, Rin suddenly spoke up.

“Then go see her.” The boy said, simply.

“What?” I exclaimed in shock. It was like he had just suggested I fly to the moon.

The swimmer shrugged.

“Why not?” He retorted, “It’s not like you’re breaking any rules.”

“My parents would never let me go.” I argued.

“Then, don’t tell them.” He shot back, “You can do it you know. You’ve been working part time since grade 7. Money isn’t an issue.”

I sighed, “My dad will kill me if he found out.”

Rin hummed, “Maybe… But you’ll never know if you don’t try. Besides, every second counts, right?”

I laughed, “We say that so often it should be our motto.”

The boy smirked, “Every second counts, huh? That’d definitely be one cool motto.”

“Right?” I agreed.

We settled back in silence for a bit. I watched as the group of kids that had been playing by the bushes were ushered off one by one by their parents.

“Hey Alice…” Rin said suddenly. However, before he could finish conveying his thoughts, a young couple around our age suddenly walked by our bench.

They had their arms tangled around each other and were talking in hushed whispers, laughing and giggling quietly amongst themselves. I caught phrases of their conversation as they passed by; “I love you” and “Awe baby” spilling effortlessly from their lips.

I couldn’t help but blush at their public display of affection. Rin shifted awkwardly beside me and I turned my head to look at him. I could see that his cheeks were tinted a light pink and when his ruby orbs caught sight of my cerulean lenses I felt my face warm even more. I quickly forced myself to look away so that he wouldn’t see the deep scarlet that streaked across my nose.

Laughing loudly to ease the tension, I exclaimed, “They sure know how to make every second count.”

“Right?” Rin agreed, voice slightly strained in embarrassment.

We sat in silence for a bit. Neither one of us really knew how to proceed from there.

“Hey, Rin.” I started, as I searched for the right words. “Maybe we should… make every second count, too?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I immediately regretted it.

“What?” Rin asked, clearly startled by my statement.

“I mean,” I hurried as I tried to make amends, “Our contest. We should like poke at each other, or tickle each other because at the rate this is going, we’re never going to get home in time for dinner.”

“Oh.” The boy said slowly, then flashing me a devilish smirk, he inched forward.

“You’re going to regret you suggested that.” The swimmer proclaimed, before he lunged towards me for an attack.

And as the twilight rapidly turned into dusk, our laughter filled the entire park, echoing softly in the vast starlit sky.

And as I made my way home that night, having lost yet, once again, I couldn’t help but think to myself.

‘What I really wanted to say, was that I love you, idiot.’

*~*~*~*

I watched as Rin’s flight, took off on the run way.

‘I guess he wasn’t that big of an idiot after all.’

Then, glancing down at my own boarding pass, I smiled.

I was really beginning to like our motto.

Qantas Airways, Flight QF141, Gate 33, Seat 15A, Boarding Time: 10:35AM

Destination: Auckland [2]