The Space Between [RanTaku] [MuneTaku]

t w e n t y - s e v e n

The weeks that followed were the best weeks Shindou had ever experienced, although they had to meticulously lie to everyone's face about what they did together in his room after they decided to finally join the party again. Then again, it would have been worse if they told the truth.

His parents were skeptical about letting him move out but they eventually made a compromise that he could once he'd turned eighteen, which was only in a few months. For now, he'd stick to staying over on some nights. The main reason behind their decision was so they could make sure he was catching up with all the schoolwork he'd missed and so he could see his counsellor twice a week. If he promised he'd have sessions consecutively then he was allowed to go to Okinawa during summer break.

The trip was planned to be a week long and Tenma's parents were kind enough to fund their flight. While on the flight, Kirino threw up twice due to his awful motion sickness, a little kid kicked the back of Kariya's seat the whole flight and he nearly snapped. Meanwhile Tenma repeatedly kept messing with the setting of the seat, unaware of the elderly couple sat irritated behind him while Tsurugi slept through the whole thing like a baby. Flights weren't Ibuki's thing and Shindou had to hold his hand throughout the flight, while he panicked as the plane took off and whenever there was the tiniest bit of turbulence. When they finally reached the airport in Okinawa, there was already a little five seater car waiting for them that had been rented by Shindou's parents.

"Okay, who's driving?"

"I don't have a license." Tsurugi, Tenma, Kirino and Shindou said at the same time.

Kariya stared around before shrugging, "I'm not doing it."

Ibuki looked baffled, "How don't any of you know how to drive yet?"

"I don't have to." Shindou shrugged.

"I cycle."

"It's too much effort."

"My aunt won't let me! She thinks I'll end up killing someone haha!" Tenma said, laughing.

"That's nothing to laugh about." Kariya said raising an eyebrow.

"Forget it. Everyone get in, I'll drive."

Ibuki, being the only person who could drive besides Kariya (who refused to do so), routed the gps to Tenma's family's cabin and they drove smoothly along the quiet roads, the sun beating down on the open roof of the car. It was a three hour trip from the airport and along the way they played games and blasted music out of the speakers until Tenma, Kirino and Kariya eventually fell asleep and Tsurugi decided to block out everyone else and put on noise cancelling headphones, leaving Shindou and Ibuki in the front seat, talking about whatever they saw on the road and disagreeing on which radio station to play.

"It kinda looks like a movie scene." Shindou said with a smile, lifting his sunglasses onto his head as he squinted at the empty road ahead, his eyes focusing on the countless rows of sunflowers in the fields surrounding the isolated road they were cruising down.

"Not far now." Ibuki said, one arm on the steering wheel and the other leaning on the open car window, looking like he'd come straight out of a magazine shoot with the way the light breeze blew softly through his hair and how the reflection of the sunshine was visible through his sunglasses.

It turned out, Tenma's 'humble little cabin' was actually three times bigger than what any of them had imagined. It had two floors with four equally large bedrooms and a pool outside to top it all off. By the time they'd arrived there, it was nearly sunset. Ibuki parked in the huge driveway and looked back at everyone else.

"We're here guys, get up."

"That was probably the most uncomfortable nap I've ever taken." Kirino said groggily with a wide yawn. Since he was the shortest, and there were six people trying to fit in a five seater car, he'd been made to sit cramped with all the bags in the back of the car for three hours.