Mirai and Haruka had been to eight stores within two hours, and so far, Haruka didn’t like either the quality or the dresses. It was mainly the latter, however. Thankfully, they didn’t have to do much walking since they had Haruka’s chauffeur to take them around. If they had had to walk, Mirai would’ve given up by store two.

The stores they had been to were brand named stores, stores Mirai had seen in movies where the customer could try on the clothes in a private dressing room or suite and had attendants tend to the customer. Every time Haruka flashed her father’s credit card, the girls would be escorted to a private room to try on the clothes. In most of the rooms they had been in, there was a full-length, tri-fold mirror; a desk lined with various beauty care products; and a professional lady to do the nine-yard preparation of makeup, dress, shoes, and hair to match every outfit.

Mirai would get uncomfortable every time she tried on a dress, and the ladies who worked there would crowd around her and determine what kinds of eye color, lip color, or even hairstyle would match the dress she had on.

The only one, as expected, who found this to be fun and worthwhile was Haruka. She was hyperactive, energetic, and her adrenaline seemed to never deplete no matter how many times she had gone back and forth out of the door, changing dress after dress.

Not only that, but Mirai couldn’t find a dress she liked. Most of the dresses Haruka had picked out for her were too short, too low-cut, or too revealing in some way.

Haruka joined Mirai on the couch and asked her, “Why aren’t you picking anymore dresses to try on?”

Mirai eyed the tower of magazines on the small coffee table in front of them. “I’m checking from the mags instead.”

“But you can’t try them on.”

“It’s okay. I’m not in a rush to buy a dress yet. It’s not until summer, right?”

“Yeah, but the sooner you get this done, the better it is.”

“You know dresses and I don’t go together.” Mirai leaned in and whispered into her friend’s ear, “They’re too revealing.”

Haruka snorted. “That’s the point! A girl’s got to show off some beauty!”

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. I prefer something—”

“Like your sweatpants and oversized t-shirts?”

“Yeah...”

Haruka shook her head. “It’s a party.” She slouched into her seat. “By the way, I forgot to tell you guys about it.”

“About what?”

“I’ll say it when we’re with the boys.”

Mirai nodded.

The door opened, and a lady holding a hanger with a velvet dress stepped in. “Miss Haruka, your dress.”

Haruka said to Mirai, “Let me try on this one, and then we can go.”

“Take your time,” Mirai said as she smiled at her friend hopping away into the dressing room.

*

Mirai and Haruka finally finished their dress-shopping and came back empty-handed. But before going home, the boys had texted them that they were at a park and had asked them to buy some snacks and drinks, and that was what the girls had done. Arriving at the park, the girls spotted the boys playing catch while Natsu sat at a good distance away from Ryosuke’s side.

Walking to Ryosuke, Mirai gently pushed his back to get his attention. “Did you do a good job babysitting him?”

Ryosuke frowned. “Have some faith in me.”

“Don’t worry,” Juri said, running over with Shintaro at the sight of seeing the bags of chips and drinks in the girls’ hands. “We took good care of him.”

Mirai pursed her lips. “The only words I’ll trust is Shintaro’s.”

Juri and Ryosuke exclaimed, “Why?”

“You two are more likely to lie,” Mirai joked, sticking out her tongue, and the gang gathered around and sat down.

Shintaro opened a drink and said to Mirai, “Don’t worry, everything was fine.”

Mirai sighed with relief. “Thanks.”

Ryosuke playfully kicked her with his foot. “How can you not trust me?”

She wore an innocent look. “I do.” She smiled. “But not with Natsu.”

“Fine, I can take that.” He reached for a bite-sized donut with his hands, but it got slapped by Mirai.

“Wash your hands first.” She grabbed his hand, poured water from her bottle over his hands, snatched a napkin, and dried his hands.

He grinned. “Thanks.”

“It’d be funny if you die because of bacteria, but I’m too nice to let it happen.”

“Ha! As if it could kill me!” He picked up a bite-sized donut with his cleaned hands and popped it into his mouth. “How was shopping?” He picked another one and wanted to feed her, but she shook her head, saying that she wasn’t hungry, so he stuffed himself again.

“Where are the dresses?” asked Juri, looking around his friends for it.

“We didn’t buy any.”

Haruka added, “They aren’t beautiful enough.” She gasped, “Ah, yes. I need to tell you guys something.”

Everyone gave her attention.

“So, my father’s wedding is going to be during the summer, you guys know that.”

Everyone nodded.

“But there’s a bit of a change.”

Shintaro asked, “What kind of change?”

“The theme. At first, since she really likes European stuff, everyone was supposed to come to the wedding dressed in sixteenth-century European fashion.”

The friends gasped in horror as they thought of trench coats, heavy boots, shoulder pads, and clothes out of the 21st-century norm.

Haruka rolled her eyes. “I know, right? Thankfully, there was a reconsideration, so it’ll be a ball with a touch of European history.”

“A…ball?” Mirai questioned, not liking the sound of it.

“A masquerade ball,” Haruka added. “Formal dress wear is still mandatory, but we’ll wear masks.”

Juri blinked. “Why a masquerade ball?”

Haruka shrugged and slurred her speech, “Iono. All I heard was that it’s to give off a sense of mystery or something and that back in the European days, masked balls were the hit. Stupid, right?” She squinted her eyes, “But the best part, the only best part that I like is this.” She gave the friends a dramatic pause. “The wedding will take place on a ship!”

“A ship?” the friends questioned.

“That’s right.” Haruka scoffed. “Although she doesn’t deserve it, I can’t make a big deal about a ship!”

Juri got excited. “Oh, oh! Where are we gonna go?”

“And here’s the dumb part.” Haruka exhaled. “We’re going out in the middle of the sea and then right back to shore. Apparently, it’s for safety.”

The friends blinked.

“Exactly.”

Mirai furrowed her brows. “Wait, this is an overnight wedding?”

Haruka nodded.

“What-what about Natsu?”

“Don’t worry. We got you covered.”

Ryosuke innocently asked, “Covered?”

“My dad made sure that people with kids can come, so there’ll be a special place just for kids while the adults are entertained.”

Mirai inhaled. “I’m not so sure about this, Haruka. I haven’t really let him stay with anyone other than me, Natsu Jr.,” she pointed to Ryosuke, who proudly smiled, “Kota, or the daycare center people.”

“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. I’m sure my dad will get people who are as professional as yours. Please, still go. Or can you call Ryosuke’s brother to babysit him?”

“We’ve already bothered him more than we need to.”

Ryosuke shot a look at Mirai. “You’re planning to not go?” He became nervous and pointed to himself. “What about me? Who’s going to watch me?”

“Watch you?” Mirai raised a brow at him. “I’m not your babysitter.”

“When you’re not his, you’re mine,” he sweetly said, hoping to win her over. He tugged on her hand. “Go, go, go!”

Juri added, “It’s nothing if we miss out on any of us.”

Shintaro hopped onto the begging wagon. “It’s always better when we’re all together.”

Ryosuke clicked his tongue and jokingly said to them, “Actually, it’s better when man-girl isn’t here, but—”

Mirai pinched his cheek. “What was that?”

“Go with us?” Ryosuke slyly smiled. “Please!”

Haruka joined in. “Let’s go and have fun! Natsu will be well-taken care of. I promise you.”

Mirai hesitated. “I... I guess so.”

The gang shouted, “Whoo!”

Mirai laughed. Her friends really were the best.

Juri leaned forward and asked Haruka, “I can still invite Mayu-chan, right?”

Haruka nodded, so Juri pumped an excited fist in the air. She picked up their trash. “You guys ready to head back? It’s too cold.”

Mirai shivered and hugged Natsu, who had been sitting on her lap the entire time. “Yeah. I don’t want him to get sick again.”

Ryosuke took off his jacket and tossed it to her. “Here. I’m hot anyway.”

She grimaced at him as she took the jacket and wore it. “You’re not hot. You’re ugly.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He looked at the guys. “Last round of catch?”

“Sure,” they said.

Ryosuke stood up with his friends and looked at the girls. “Let’s play.”

Haruka whined, “But it’s two against three.”

Mirai waved a hand. “No, thanks. I’ll stay here with Natsu to keep him warm.”

Juri grabbed the ball and looked at Haruka and Shintaro. “Then, me and Ryosuke versus you two?”

“Okay,” said everyone but Mirai.

Ryosuke bent down to Mirai’s eye level and zipped up the jacket. “Gosh, who told you to wear such light clothes?”

Mirai shoved him away, playfully. “No, don’t zip it. I’m going to cover him too.” She ped it and looked at her friend. “Hurry. They’re playing already.” She glanced at Natsu and with a childish voice, she said to him, “Let’s see how much he , shall we?”

Provoked, he nudged her forehead. “I’m awesome, okay? Don’t tell him otherwise.” He stood up and walked backward, eyes only focused on her.

Smiling, she encouraged him, “Show them what you can do, Ryosuke!”

*

Yuta had been running in the park for almost two hours, stopping occasionally to catch his breath. He needed to train his body even when he wasn’t at school since this year was going to be his last baseball game. And he also wanted to show off his best for his girlfriend. Just even thinking about the fact that he was dating his crush of almost two years, he couldn’t contain his happiness. He had liked her ever since he laid eyes on her when he saw her sitting on the benches, who seemed bewildered at the sight of the baseball game amidst a group of noisy girls cheering for the boys instead of the team, something he disliked. But now, he wanted her to be like those girls, cheering him on and not the team. He passed by a bench and hesitated to sit. If he sat, he wouldn’t want to continue running. He clenched onto his water bottle and walked away.

He had a girl to impress after all.

He checked the time and then glanced at the gray sky. Maybe he should end his training for the day. Besides, he was just wearing shorts and a hooded jacket as his phone clung to his side. He decided this would be his last lap. He uncapped his water bottle that was already two-thirds finished as he scanned the park. Because there weren’t as many people as there usually were, the peace was calming. He liked these kinds of atmosphere. After indulging in peace, he headed back to his bike, and excited voices grabbed his attention, especially a voice shouting a familiar name. He turned in the direction of the voices.

About seven to ten meters away were people from his school—his girlfriend and her friends.

He stood there and waited to see what was happening. He didn’t care if any of them saw him because he was seeing a sight he didn’t want to see—his girlfriend getting a back hug from her friend, a guy. He observed her and saw a laugh he had never seen from her. It was always to that guy—Ryosuke.

Yuta continued to silently watch the friends from his distance.

Ryosuke, still hugging Mirai from the back, challenged their innocent son, who was sitting on the grass and looking at them with twinkling eyes, “Try to get me!”

She giggled as she got dragged away from Natsu by Ryosuke. “Let go! Guys, help me!”

He let out an evil laugh. “You can’t save this girl’s life! She’s mine! Mine, I—”

She gave him a gentle blow at his stomach to free herself. “Ha, what now?”

Pretending to be in pain, he growled as he crouched down to the floor.” You—! You! Come...back...here!”

She ran to Natsu and picked him up and said to Ryosuke, “Enough of your act. Let’s go home.” She made Natsu stand in front of her and held his hands to help him walk.

Ryosuke brushed the grasses and dirt from his legs and took Natsu’s other hand. “Fine, I’ll get the princess next time.” He crouched to Natsu’s eye level and locked eyes with the amused boy. “And the prince will have to save her.”

The virtual couple laughed at their inside joke and started walking.

Juri ran to them. “Don’t forget me, guys!”

The friends looked at him holding onto all the trash.

“Ryosuke, you were supposed to help me clean up the trash since we lost.”

Ryosuke nudged Mirai with his free hand. “Don’t blame me. Man-girl cursed me before the game. That’s why we lost.”

She glared at him. “I did not. It’s not nice to lie.”

Haruka and Shintaro laughed from behind the virtual couple.

Shintaro said to them, “Wow, seeing you guys with him like this, you could really pass for a family.”

Mirai and Ryosuke only smiled in response while they winced internally. They still hadn’t gotten used to the word ‘family’ yet. If they had to choose, they’d prefer someone to say that they were dating.

Juri tossed the trash into a trash bin and pointed to the left. “I’m going this way.”

“We’ll go with you,” said Haruka. “We’re that way too.”

Ryosuke and Mirai watched their friends leave before heading toward their house, and Yuta continued to watch his girlfriend from afar as he treaded carefully behind them.

Ryosuke asked her, “So, no dress, huh?”

She pursed her lips. “Yep, no dress.”

“I knew they’d be too pretty for you.”

She took this chance to . “Actually, there was this one dress that didn’t go to my knees.” She whispered loud enough for him to hear, “You can almost see what’s underneath, you know.” She pulled back away immediately and saw him stiffened in response.

“Don’t-don’t-don’t say that in front of him!” He quickly eyed their son.

“I’m planning to get it.” She pretended to think. “Haruka did say that we should expose some skin, and, well, the dress also has a front where—”

He immediately came to stand in front of her, unintentionally blocking Natsu’s path from walking, and covered with his free hand. “Shh!”

She burst into a loud laugh. She couldn’t tell if he was red from the game he had played or from blushing. But whatever it was, she loved it.

He couldn’t even raise an eye to look at her.

She uncovered his hand from . “Do you seriously think I’d wear something like that to a party with a lot of people I don’t even know?”

He went back to his spot, and they continued walking and aiding Natsu. He said with relief, “That’s right. You don’t even have anything good to show off anyway.”

She clicked her tongue, “You know what? When I finally find a dress, I’m going to make you take that back.”

He sneered at her. “Try. I won’t even notice you at all.”

“I won’t even notice you either.”

They glared at each other for a long while before sharing a light laugh.

As for Yuta, he followed them until they made a turn at a corner. He had wanted to reveal himself but couldn’t, too afraid that he’d be getting in the way of something between the two friends who were supposed to be friends.

*

When the virtual couple got home, they took separate baths, cooked, ate, and then like usual, spent their last two hours watching a film. When Natsu fell asleep, the friends ended their night. She carried him into her bed, tucked him in, turned around, and caught Ryosuke enter his bedroom.

She heaved a sigh and walked to his room, which was closed. She knocked and then cracked the door open and saw him sitting on his bed with his back against the wall. “You’re not sleeping with us tonight?”

He forced a smile. “No. I’m gonna sleep here.”

“Are you bothered by what Haruka said?”

It took a moment for him to answer. “She’s right. Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean we can—”

“I want you to sleep with us. Besides, will my future guy even ask me about who I had slept with? And even if he knew, my answer is the same.” She walked to him and sat beside him. “If he can’t accept you...” she looked into his eyes, “I can’t accept him.” She sent him a reassuring smile and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “A friend always comes before a guy, right?”

He pulled her into a hug, scaring her. He knew this was wrong. He knew that if word came out about them sharing a room, it was only natural for anyone to think that they would’ve done more than just sleep.

But even if he knew that...he still wanted to sleep with Natsu...and Mirai.

He liked the warmth he felt beside him, especially during this cold season. He liked how he’d wake up and there’d be a blanket over him. He liked starting his day with them right beside him. What he loved most was seeing their hands in Natsu’s hands.

“Ryosuke?” she muffled from his chest in their embrace as she patted his back. “I-I can’t—”

He let her go. “Sorry.” He sighed. Sorry, Mirai. For being selfish. He got up and headed to the door. “You speak as if you’re going to marry some dude when you’re not. How many times do I have to repeat that you’re going to spend your last years with cats?” He headed to her room.

She gritted her teeth. “You are so sleeping by yourself!” She followed him to her room and saw him making himself comfortable on her bed. “Get off.”

“I’m sleeping here.”

She hopped on him, and the two flipped over and stared at the ceiling. They laughed as they looked into each other’s eyes.