Fire and Ice

Setting Sun

When the arena was cleared, everyone from the Polar Star Dorm headed back to the dorms to celebrate the victory and for Soma making it to the top 4 in BLUE. Rindo even surprised the group by arriving, saying that she had watched everything from above. Tsuki, Tsukasa and Rindo decided to stay behind, with Tsuki went to look around for Asahi, to see if he was still around.

"Tsuki." Tsuki heard Asahi calling for her as she turned around with a smile on her face.

"A-chan!" Tsuki was relieved to find the man as she walked up to him. "There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"You were.. looking for me?" Asahi was taken aback as Tsuki smiled and nodded.

"I wanted to talk about earlier... I want to talk things out with you." Tsuki fidgeted slightly. "About everything..."

"Tsuki." Asahi had a kind smile on his face as he patted Tsuki's head. Behind the smile... a sad look was hidden in his eyes. "We have all the time to catch up... I booked the flight for the day after tomorrow. But before that..." Asahi held out a magazine to Tsuki. 

"Tsuki... are you sure you can trust Tsukasa Eishi?" 

Tsuki's eyes widened hearing the news as she was in disbelief. On the front page, it was Tsukasa and Rindo together on the park bench, the two faces were leaned in... and they seemed almost about to kiss. Tsuki read the headline before looking back up to Asahi, trying to gauge if it was a joke or not.

"...Are you lying?" Tsuki cautiously asked as Asahi put his hands in the air, keeping the smile on his face.

"I would never lie to you." Asahi assured. "I found it when I passed by the convenience store during the second round prelims for you guys."

"Eishi..!" Tsuki remembered that Tsukasa and Rindo were left alone as she started quickly heading back to the arena where she had left the two. When Tsuki arrived back at the arena, with Asahi at her side, the arena was silent, the sunset's light was entering the arena, reddening the inside. Someone with raspberry colored hair was staring in Tsuki's direction as she leaned to the side while looking.

"Rindo...senpai?" Tsuki muttered to herself.

The raspberry haired girl was facing Tsukasa with a serious face. It looks like they were talking about something but they were far away so Tsuki couldn't hear. "I'll get a bit closer." Tsuki mumbled to herself, inching closer to the conversation while still staying hidden away from sight.

"Is something wrong Rindo?" Tsukasa asked. "Did you get in trouble when I didn't go to the work for the past few days?"

"No it's nothing." Rindo closed her eyes.

"I-I see.. Eh... so what you said before... were you serious?" Tsukasa asked.

"...Yeah." Rindo nodded.

"I see... I didn't really believe it at first but.." Tsukasa trailed off. "Well it's not like I didn't really want it...?"

Tsuki couldn't understand the context of the conversation, not wanting to assume anything. Tsuki didn't manage to catch what was said earlier when she arrived.

"It was a bit unexpected..." Tsukasa nervously laughed as Tsuki peeped in, watching Tsukasa from the stands. "But... I really can't believe that you would have feelings for me all this time... ever since we were in middle school? We've been... partners for about 6 years now no?"

Hearing those words, Tsuki's heart seemed to drop. Rindo.... had feelings for... Tsukasa..?! "You don't want to?" Rindo asked. "The magazines already assuming our relationship as well as your parents-"