Work Text:
Chinen Miya was having a problem.
Well, not a huge, world-ending one, to be exact. More like the times when you can’t decide between having milkshake or chicken nuggets as the side at A&W. It was Friday afternoon, he didn’t have skateboarding class after school, and was supposed to be now at his living room playing Splatoon on TV, enjoying some well-deserved peace to wrap up his day; however, his parents went on a business trip on the main island and wouldn't be home until tomorrow, and it felt kind of…off not having any company. Usually, his mom would cook in the kitchen and idly chat with him about their day, and dad would come home from work by noon, praise him for being a good kid throughout the week, and they’d eat dinner together. Now, unwilling to face an empty house all by himself, Miya sat on a swing at the kid’s playground, and contemplated his next destination while watching the summer sky clouds pile up like cotton candy.
The first option is Sia la luce, naturally. Joe would be there, and he can easily spend the rest of the day sipping on lemonade and bothering Cherry, who he knew would be at the counter, bothering Joe. But it was literally as clear as day that the two were head over heels for each other, yet for Adam-knows-what reasons chose to suffer instead of confess, and he wasn’t exactly feeling like watching them banter like an old married couple. He could swing by Shadow’s flower shop, too, and stick his tongue out at him by the cashier after picking out something nice for his mom; but that way he could come across that store manager, and get forced to witness shadow goes into full-on bashful lover boy mode, and he didn’t wanna throw up on the floor upon the sight. Cross it off the list.
Skateboarding, then? It could never let him down. Perhaps Reki and Langa would be at that park they always go to, he can sit on top of the slope after practicing some tricks with them, and watch the ocean surface glimmer coral against the setting sun. Yet he immediately remembered how the two had got together last week at S, after Langa straight-up confessed like Shakespeare himself reincarnated, and kissed the dumbfounded redhead in front of the whole community; if they weren’t close enough before that, they’re practically glued by the hip now, and always seemed seconds away from making out on the spot if not surrounded by pedestrians. Miya wondered if his familiar existence could possibly hold them back from the urge.
As if on cue, a high school couple walked right by the small playground, all holding hands and nuzzling against each other, chuckling. Miya’s face crumpled with discomfort as he turned away. How are people in love so unbearable?
“Oh my god, is it really you!? Chinen-senshu!”
The exclamation made his head shot up. To his surprise, it wasn’t any reporters or regular fans; in front of him stood a rather familiar girl his age, with round, gleaming amber eyes and long lashes, slightly covered by auburn fringes, and two pigtails tied with cherry checked scrunchies on either side of her head. She was wearing the brightest, sweetest smile that rivals the sun itself, and Miya could feel heat bloom on his cheeks. Must’ve been the weather. “Kyan-san?”
Ah, Kyan Koyomi. How should he begin with her?
She and Miya had met exactly once, back in summer vacation, when a sudden downpour led him to the karuta battle at Reki’s place. She had been fun to be around, talked to him about school and skateboarding tips when her brother and Langa headed out, and enjoyed the same ice cream flavor (PB&J) as he did. It felt especially genuine, since the girls in his school usually just pretended to know skateboarding to get close to him, while Koyomi knew actual tricks and practiced on weekends, aiming to become better. He had been at Reki’s house more than once after that, too, but she always happens to not be around. Not that he secretly wished to see her again, of course, that would be so weird and uncool—okay maybe just a little, a tiny bit of him hoped for it. Definitely not creepy. Just pure, friendly, platonic feelings, if they could even be considered as friends.
Koyomi waved playfully. “Just Koyomi is fine, really. Are you not busy with practice after school? Never thought I could run into you at this time.”
He gulped. “Yeah, only on Friday though. I—“ he was suddenly aware he was still on the swing, in a children’s playground, shit that was kinda embarrassing—“I, uh, happened to be free and is still thinking about where to go. The scenery’s nice here.” Oh great, that definitely didn’t sound cringe as hell.
The girl smiled wider. “I get it! The swing is nice too, I sometimes come by after school to relax a little before heading home.” She seemed to be just off campus as well, telling from the white sailor top and pleated navy blue skirt. “Not today, though, since I bought this and gotta bring it back soon.”
Now that she mentioned it, Miya’s curious gaze fixed on the bottle in her hand. Thick, translucent light-green liquid swayed and glistened through the plastic body, with a huge label stuck in the front: on the picture of a glass with ice cubes and whatever green stuff in the bottle, some unfamiliar katakana flew across in a nostalgic font. Meronn-so-da. Huh. “Emm—Is it some sort of a drink?”
Koyomi’s eyes went wide at the question. She stared right back at Miya, who seemed genuinely confused. “You’ve never heard of melon soda? Or a melon soda float? The drink you order at old-fashioned cafés?”
He blinked, slightly embarrassed. “Um, yeah. Sorry about it, I guess?”
Unfortunately, it’s true that he barely knew about trending treats. When you’re a thriving young athlete, you could have parents who strictly control your diet and ban anything unnatural in the house, leaving half the pleasure on the stomach out of their sight, in school and on weekends. He had tasted chocolates before—thanks to Valentine’s Day, sorry to those rejected girls though—and chips and coke when he still hung out with Takahashi, but it was all memories now. He didn’t have other friends who’d take him to cafés after that, of course, so that’s…that. It did kind of sucked, but he managed to live through it.
Koyomi took a step back, covered her mouth with her hand, eyes gleaming with disbelief. “Shut up. Shut up!” I wasn’t saying anything, Miya thought, but whatever, “You’d have to try it out! It’s crazy delicious! This here is actually the stock solution, just add soda water and it tastes just like the ones they serve! Are you free this afternoon?”
Miya’s eyes widened a little. “Ah, yes? I don’t have much to do.”
“Then come to my place! I’ll make one for you, with the ice cream and cherry! You gotta have a taste, promise it’ll be worth it!”
Oh dear. Oh gosh. Damn, this was definitely not on his bingo card of the day—“What—wait, for real!? But it could bother your parents—“
“No, for real, it’s fine! Mom took Chihiro and Nanaka to her community center volunteering, so they’re cool. Langa and nii-chan will be home though, they won’t mind either, just try to ignore them being all lovey-dovey around the place. Please, Miya-senshu? I literally cannot stand against those two idiots alone!”
Koyomi bowed forward, making a praying gesture before her chest, all while staring straight at Miya with wide, pleading puppy eyes. The sun danced like magic in those caramel irises, making it impossible to say no, and Miya could hear his heartbeat skyrocketing at the sight. How will he withstand this the whole afternoon without embarrassing himself? Should he just decline the offer?
Nope, calm down, of course he wouldn’t. He was Chinen Miya, the genius teenage skater MIYA at S, the least he’d do anytime was backing down from a challenge. Not even when it involved Kyan Koyomi, either, although she could mean a lot of indescribable emotions and possibilities. He took a deep breath.
“Thanks for the invitation, then. Can you lead the way?”
“I’m home!”
Despite visiting multiple times before, Miya always found the Kyan household intriguing. It was so different from the detached house his family owned in the city, with wooden interiors and rooms with tatami, and all the siblings running around like human pikachus was fun as well. Today, though, he took off his dress shoes behind Koyomi at the genkan, and shouted greetings after her into an empty hallway. “Sorry for the intrusion!”
Behind the wall, a head of unruly red hair poked out. “Welcome back!” Reki waved his younger sister over earnestly, and blinked when Miya followed up into his sight. “What—Miya? Are you here with Koyomi?”
“Yup! Chinen-senshu’s here for tea!” Koyomi sang back, taking off her backpack while skipping into the kitchen.
“Um, Just Miya is alright actually—“
Another head poked out above Reki, with calm aquamarine eyes and equally light hair, chin rested on Reki’s head. “Welcome back. Ah, Miya, welcome too.”
“Langa! It tickles!”
“…How are you acting like a part of this household? Aren’t you a guest too?”
“Nii-chan! Stop being lovesick and help me with the cups!”
The kitchen was rather new to Miya, as he mostly stayed in either Reki’s room or his skateboard workshop, occasionally the living room table to cram on exams together. The stove and cabinets were old-fashioned and worn out, aligned with a wide window facing the ocean, and big, avocado green tiles covering the wall. Pots and plates lay everywhere, cooking utensils hung off racks, the fridge in the corner was covered with colorful magnets and to-do lists, alongside some pieces of childish doodles. Around the wooden dining table, Koyomi stood on a chair with her hands full of mugs and glasses, the cupboard door open behind her; Miya rushed over, took them from her hand so she could climb down, earning a lovely grin and a “Thanks!” that made his ear go pink. Reki, an eyebrow raised in suspicion, squinted at him. “Soooo…you two had been close? Did Koyomi invite you in advance?”
His cheeks heated up. “It’s a coincidence! I was at the playground and she found me sitting alone, and heard I’ve never had a melon soda float, so she insisted I try it here.”
The older teen remained skeptical. “Oh yeah, whatever you say—hold up!” His pupils blew wide, a hand clutched before his chest emotionally. “Bro, what do you mean you’ve never had a melon soda float? Where’s your childhood memories as a Japanese?”
“I got a diet unlike you slime, that’s why! Not everyone gets to run around the city all day and eat whatever they want!”
Langa tilted his head. “What’s a melon soda float?”
“What—Dude! Does Canada not have soda float at all? How could you not know?”
“We’ve got Coca Cola float. Dad used to make them in summer for me, but not with melon soda. Does it taste nice?”
“Well, in that case, we will all have a melon soda float today!” Koyomi announced, and popped the cap of the stock solution open. The teens’ heads snapped back to the sound right away, three pairs of eyes stared in awe as she poured a bit of the mesmerizing emerald liquid into each cup. “You all go grab soda water from the fridge. Nii-san, get the vanilla ice cream and ice cubes!”
The fridge’s inner view was a fresh sight for Miya, too, filled with fresh ingredients that seemed straight out of a traditional market, unlike the plastic wraps and containers in the Chinen household’s. He and Langa both took two silver cans from the top shelves, while Reki dug in the frozen layer and pulled out an ice cream container covered in frost, and three ice molds in different colors; when they dumped the findings on the table, Koyomi had already brought out spoons and striped paper straws, plus a small jar of maraschino cherries.
“Sorry we only have two glasses available. Langa and Miya can have them, Nii-san and I will use the mug. You are guests after all!”
Reki frowned. “What! Are you sure we don’t have any left?”
Langa raised his hand. “It’s alright. Koyomi, may I have your mug instead?”
“Hey, you don’t have to do that, you go ahead and have the glass—“
“But if Reki is using the mug, I wanna match with you. Can I?”
Langa’s eyes sparkled like a fawn straight out of whatever fairy tale that has one, making Reki blush a mad shade of scarlet that rivals his hair, incoherent stutters overflowing from his mouth. Miya pretended to choke on air, and gagged dramatically at the high schooler’s reaction; Koyomi, seeming way too used to what was going on, rolled her eyes with a knowing smile and pushed the mug over. “Mug it is for you two then!” She turned to Miya, “Now we can also match with the glasses!”
Oh. Oh. Miya’s brain short-circuited like a computer overheating, his mouth opened and closed, not forming anything reasonable under Koyomi’s beam. “Um, yeah, sure! That’d be nice,” oh thank god his voice didn’t crack—
A hand slapped his shoulder. “Don’t even think about it.”
“What the hell!”
They split into work after that. Reki fought with the hardened ice molds with all his willpower, yet still failed to get any of the cubes out, so Langa took over the work and filled each cup with a simple pop! and exactly five ice cubes. Miya gets to pop open the soda water cans and pour them out, and thankfully didn’t meet any obstacles underneath Koyomi’s occasional glances, who placed one spoon and one paper straw into each cup, plus stirring up the mixture. After that, they each dump a scoop of vanilla ice cream into their cup, and place a cherry on top to finish up the whole drink. They continued to receive side eyes from Reki, and Langa seemed way too confused, but Miya tried his very best to ignore them.
When they stepped back, four cups lined up before their eyes like a lifestyle magazine cover: on the laced tablecloth, the afternoon sunlight refracted in between the ice cubes, the bubbles and glasses, blending into what could only be described as melted emerald and made one wonder if they had a dream back to the 1900s. The ice cream was a perfect match, too, pastel against the translucency of the soda with the milky shade, and the maraschino cherry’s vibrant color contrasted even more to the overall shade of sea foam green. Reki threw his hands up and cheered.
“Done! The Kyan's special melon soda float!”
“Why does it follow your surname? We participated equally in the process!”
“But Reki and Koyomi provided the formula and every ingredient. They should have the copyright.”
“For the love of Adam, that’s not even how it works—“
“Alright, are you all gonna keep fighting or begin to drink? We should cheer!”
Gathering into a circle, each teen raised their glass before putting the paper straw to their lips. Miya’s eyes found Koyomi’s across the table, filled with energy and screaming go ahead!! at him in silence. He gulped with excitement, and took his first sip.
The bubbles came first. Then, the taste hit.
And, wow.
The first thing he immediately noticed was the distinctive tropical flavor. Not an exact replication of actual melon, of course, he could still feel the overly-artificial sweetness by the end of each sip, but it was unmistakably the iconic fruit that tasted exactly like summer, packed with carbonated bubbles that popped into a refreshing tinge at the tip of his tongue. He tried taking in a spoonful of vanilla ice cream; they melted right into his mouth, creamy and soft against the texture of soda, blending into a rich, delightful palate. His eyes lit up, and met Koyomi’s excited gaze as he looked up.
“It’s…refreshing. I like it.”
She absolutely lit up, and flashed him a smile that made his heart do an ollie in his chest. “Knew you’d love it!”
“Man, is that actually all you got to say? It’s amazing! What are your thoughts, Langa?”
“Tastes sweet. Can I have another one after this is done?”
“That was literally just as shallow! Slimes!”
“Hmm…having too much soda can make your stomach ache, so maybe another time? We can make poutine for now, though!”
“Oh my, what are you kids up to in the kitchen?”
Their heads snapped to the voice’s direction at neck-breaking speed. By the door stood Kyan Masae, hands on the doorframe, all welcoming smiles and kindness in her eyes; at the exact same moment, two identical young girls bolted into the kitchen, screaming while throwing themselves into Langa and Reki’s arms. Miya flinched to sit upright. “Mrs. Kyan! Good afternoon and sorry for the intrusion—“
She chortled, a hand over her mouth. “Please, Chinen-kun, no need to be formal! You are welcomed anytime in this house. Suppose you’re here with Reki and Langa-kun?”
“He’s with me!” Koyomi chirped. “I met him on the way back home and asked him over! We were having melon soda floats!”
“Totally friendly and platonic!” Reki added, expression cynical, prying away Chihiro’s fist from his T-shirt’s neckline.
“Aw, that’s very sweet of you darling. In that case, would you boys all stay a bit longer and have dinner? Maybe taco rice to go with your drinks?”
“Yes, thank you Ms. Kyan,” Langa replied with Nanako on his lap, her hands tugging on his hair. Miya hesitated to Masae’s encouraging eyes. “Taco rice?”
Reki’s mouth fell open. “Dude. Miya, don’t tell me you’ve never had taco rice either. What do you even eat everyday?”
“I eat like any other person! Not your problem!”
“Will you stay, then, Miya?” Koyomi reached half her body over the table. “Have taco rice with us. You will love it. Please, stay a bit longer?”
And there’s the eyes again. Soft, kind, always gleaming a hundred shades of amber and honey and maple, framed by fluttering auburn lashes, whispering all sorts of stuff at him despite not making a noise; he had probably fallen for them the first time he looked her in the eyes in Reki’s room, drowned in her laughter and enthusiasm, in the Okinawan summer heat back then. Maybe this was what Reki felt every time he locked gaze with Langa, what Joe felt every time he looked into Cherry’s eyes. How could one ever find the words to portray this feeling?
“…Of course then. Thank you for the invitation again.”
She laughed. “Don’t mention it! Having you around is massive fun!”
Masae grinned. “Well, I should better start preparing then! Why don’t you all now head out to the living room and have some other fun? And I’ll get you guys when dinner’s ready?”
“Yes mom! We’ll skateboard in the backyard!”
“Reki, are you trying the new trick Cherry pulled off last night?”
“Hell yeah! It was dope as hell! But we’ll need to fix my board’s wheels first, and your grip tape, they’re a bit worn out—“
Koyomi skipped to Miya’s side, smiling. “Hey, do you think you can teach me how to do an ollie?”
His heart flipped again. “Sure. Anything else you wanna know?”
“Hey! Don’t even think about it!”
“What the hell!”
On Saturday morning, Miya sat at the dining table, and took a deep breath before turning to his mother across the kitchen. “Hey, mom, would it be okay if I have a friend over this afternoon? For tea?”
Mrs. Chinen, stirring a pot of miso soup on the stove, appeared rather surprised at the request. “Why, of course! It must’ve been ages since you mentioned any friend of yours. Is there anything in particular that you know they’d enjoy?”
He pondered for a second before answering. “…Strawberries, I guess? She—“ Oh no. Oh hell no. He just outright exposed himself, okay calm down, it’s not that big of a deal, just mess it over and pray to god she doesn’t make a big deal out of it—“uh, she, she wears clothes with strawberry designs a lot. So maybe that.”
And that did not work out. Mrs. Chinen’s cat-like eyes instantly grew even wider, a small, knowing smile climbing up the end of her lips meanwhile. “Sure! I’ll get you both some strawberry milk and short cakes, then. A special hangout with a lady deserves a break from dieting once in a while.” She winked at her son, who yelped “MOM!” in embarrassment and shot up from his seat, running down the hall. “Tell her to come by at three!”
Back in his room, Miya launched himself onto the double bed, and hastily fished out his phone from his hoodie pocket. He unlocked it, tapped the LINE on the home screen, and scrolled down to the new contact name with a strawberry doodle as the profile picture. After what feels like hours of drafting and deleting the message over and over, he finally gathered enough courage to tap the “send” button.
Hey
Thanks again for having me yesterday, I had a lot of fun
Would you like to come for tea this afternoon at 3?
11:47 a.m.
A minute passed. Then, two. Then, the little “read” popped up behind his texts, alongside a new string of speech bubbles at the bottom of the chat.
Koyomi <3 🍓
Omg good morning!
And yes!! ꉂꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)ꔛ♪
That’s way too kind of you to offer
What’s your address though? Don’t wanna ask my brother for it, he’ll get annoying :(
11:50 a.m.
Upon the message, Reki’s stern expression came to Miya’s mind. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, and smiled a little when opening google maps to share his address’ link to the chat. A reply immediately came in.
Koyomi <3 🍓
Thanks!
Gotta go for work now
See you in the afternoon ⸜(*ˊᵕˋ*)⸝
11:51 a.m.
No problem
See you then
(Waving cat sticker)
11:52 a.m.
Trying his best not to scream “Yay!” aloud and hopping up and down, Miya rolled off the bed all excited, and slid toward the wardrobe to search for something decent to wear; however, just as he pulled out a T-shirt from the top drawer, the soft ping! of a LINE notification from the phone on his bed rang across the room. He picked it up, holding his breath, yet was greeted with a message from someone else.
Slllliiiimmmeee (red)
Don’t even think about it
Do you hear that
11:53 a.m.
WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL
11:54 a.m.