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Focus. Setsuna feels the ocean breeze whipping her hair. She predicts when and where the juice dribbling down her chin will fall. She bends her body backward as a drop becomes airborne. Her hair dodges another droplet. It lands on her thigh instead. She smiles at success then takes another bite of watermelon.
“What… are you doing?” Kasumi asks. Setsuna doesn’t look over. The next drop comes and she dodges. She watches it hit the ground. Her hair is still safe.
“Dodging juice,” Setsuna answers, as if it’s obvious.
“Didn’t pack a hair tie?” Karin asks.
“I did, but it’s in our bag.” Setsuna remembers Ayumu pestering her about it earlier that morning and smiles. She forgets to dodge the next drop and misses where it goes. “Uh oh. Pomu!”
Ayumu runs over, hair tie in hand. “Jeez, what did I tell you earlier, Nacchan?”
“It feels nice in the wind, though.” A strong gust blows Setsuna’s long hair into Kasumi’s face. Kasumi complains about it getting in her mouth while the others laugh. “Okay, maybe it needs to be tied.”
Ayumu walks behind Setsuna and runs fingers through her hair. Setsuna remembers when she used to feel embarrassment when Ayumu would touch her hair, but those times are many years in the past. Now she feels a familiar warmth spread throughout her body.
Three, two, one. Setsuna spins around as soon as Ayumu finishes tying her ponytail. “Thanks, Pomu. Hey, wanna take a walk?”
“We can go when you finish your food.”
“‘Kay!”
Setsuna watches Ayumu head back to the umbrella, where she starts talking with Yuu and Shioriko. Kanata is laying around on a towel next to them and talking in between what seems like minute-long power naps.
Some members of the Nijigasaki School Idol Club decided to go to Odaiba Beach on that weekend. Not everyone is free, but that’s to be expected. Lanzhu and Emma are back in their home countries, visiting family. Shizuku’s troupe has a performance in Kyoto that night. Rina and Ai already have plans. Mia is swamped with compositions for her clients.
That’s one thing Setsuna misses from high school. Everyone used to hang out together almost every day. It was much easier to plan events with all the members of their club. They get together as a group once or twice a year nowadays. Setsuna reminisces about those days. Nostalgia tugs at the corners of her lips.
Part of growing up, I guess.
Well, that’s enough thinking. Ayumu is waiting for Setsuna to finish her watermelon. She starts wolfing it down, not caring about all the juice now that her hair is safe.
“She’s like your mom,” Kasumi says while shaking her head. “Honestly, how did you even end up together?”
“Don’t listen to her, Setsuna.” Karin walks next to Kasumi and nudges her with an elbow. “What you two have is beautiful. She’s just jealous.” Setsuna thanks her in between bites.
“Oh, shut it. Idols can’t date anyway.” Setsuna nods, remembering how she only revealed her relationship with Ayumu after she made the transition from idol to soloist.
“Sounds like an easy excuse for someone who can’t find a girlfriend.”
“I could if I wanted!”
“Want to start a scandal, then?” Karin tilts Kasumi’s chin upwards before she can react.
“H-Hell no!” Kasumi swats Karin’s hand away.
“Idols also can’t curse, Kasumi-san,” Setsuna says. Karin laughs. Kasumi grumbles but can’t help but smile.
Setsuna finishes her watermelon and leaves Karin and Kasumi. Their bickering and teasing is fun to listen to, but nothing beats being with Ayumu. Setsuna points further down the beach when Ayumu sees her. They grin at the encouraging remarks from Shioriko and Yuu before going off on their own.
Back when they first started dating, Setsuna would lead the way. She’d wait for Ayumu to catch up and point towards where they were going. Places would capture Ayumu’s attention on the way, but Setsuna would be oblivious. They had places to be! Things to do! Ayumu wanted Setsuna to be happy, so she played along. After months, Setsuna realized that detours with Ayumu were wonderful, too. She didn’t need to be so set on the place she wanted to go. They could take their time, as long as they were together. Wherever they were going could wait.
Nowadays, they walk next to each other, enjoying the time they can share together. Setsuna slows down and Ayumu speeds up so their paces match, as if they’re marching in step to a silent symphony. Their hands intertwine, fingers interlace. Wedding bands, symbols of their interwoven lives, adorn their ring fingers. The cool metal on Setsuna’s absorbs the growing warmth between them.
“She’s like your mom.”
Kasumi said that, and in some ways, Setsuna thought she was right. But in most ways, Kasumi was wrong.
Sure, Ayumu cared for her. She even scolded Setsuna from time to time. Deservedly, of course.
However, Ayumu understood Setsuna even more than her own mother.
Ayumu knows Setsuna’s eyes sparkle whenever she talks about her interests. They can go from flat to full of life in a split second when someone mentions something she’s interested in. Ayumu has commented on it many times. She started resorting to physical attention to get Setsuna back on track. Nothing works better than Ayumu’s touch. It even works when Setsuna’s anxiety starts acting up. Ayumu brings Setsuna’s focus back to the present, when she’s normally focused on what’s to come. She knows exactly when she needs to intervene.
The understanding between them goes both ways. Setsuna slays Ayumu’s doubts with encouraging affirmations. Her fears fade away when she’s with Setsuna. Ayumu’s dream of owning a hair salon became a reality as Setsuna pushed her forward. Setsuna remembers being her first customer. Now Ayumu is thinking of opening a second location because of how much traffic her salon gets. Setsuna knows Ayumu can do it.
Another piece of Ayumu that no one would ever know as well as Setsuna is her eyes. Setsuna had spent countless hours staring into them. She wants to memorize those unchanging patterns, as if they are nameless constellations in starscapes only she can see so closely. Maybe she’ll give them names one day. Their beauty will remain regardless.
Setsuna thinks of naming one and turns to face Ayumu. Olive green eyes stare back at her.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Ayumu asks.
“You and irises and constellations.”
Ayumu comes to a stop and giggles. “All at once?” She puts her hand on Setsuna’s forehead. “You’ll overheat!”
“It all connects, I swear.” Setsuna tries explaining herself. Her words pale in comparison to what’s in her head.
“Hmm… I wanna try.” Ayumu brings her face closer and Setsuna flinches. “Keep them open,” she whispers, her hot breath spreading across Setsuna’s cheek.
While Ayumu searches, Setsuna does the same. A whole universe exists in Ayumu’s irises.
“Deciding on one is hard,” Ayumu says.
“It’s all beautiful.”
“Shouldn’t you let me tell you that?”
“I was talking about your eyes.” Ayumu giggles so sweetly it’s intoxicating.
“Who taught you how to be so smooth? Karin?”
“My list of lines I want to use on you is quite long, Pomu.”
“So you read it in a manga.”
“… Light novel.” They both laugh at Setsuna’s admission. Ayumu wraps her arms around Setsuna’s back.
“What happens next in the story?”
“You hate spoilers.”
“This time I want to be spoiled. In more ways than one.”
“Who’s smooth now, huh?” Setsuna leans in and gives her a quick kiss. Ayumu whines when she backs away. “Later, later. We’re still in public.” Setsuna looks around. Sure enough, someone’s taking pictures. She waves in their direction with a smile.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
They turn towards the end of the beach together. They’ll run out of beach to walk through soon.
“What you two have is beautiful.”
Setsuna smiles and reaches for Ayumu’s hand. At this point it’s the most natural thing in the world. It’s home for Setsuna’s hand.
If this isn’t “beautiful” then what is?
“Wanna head back?” Ayumu asks as they reach the trees that mark the end of the beach. Setsuna nods. Their walk is halfway done.
Setsuna knows it’s impossible to spend every waking moment with Ayumu. They’re busier than ever. This weekend is one of few break days she has throughout the year. Soon Ayumu will start working on her next salon. Setsuna has an upcoming album and an accompanying tour later in the year. Being apart from each other is inevitable. That’s why Setsuna cherishes the time they can spend with each other.
She glances at Ayumu, who asks, “What is it now, Nacchan? Still thinking of ten things at the same time?”
“Just you, Pomu.”
“Good.” Ayumu kisses Setsuna on the cheek. “Keep it that way.”
They walk on in synchronized steps, slowly and steadily, along the sandy beach. Sights they pass, surroundings they take in, destinations they look forward towards, none of that is as important as each other. Setsuna stops thinking. She wants to enjoy every second she spends with Ayumu.
So she does.