It was a Friday and Maki was in a hurry to finish her work she didn’t want to leave behind and return to in the Monday. So naturally, a little over time from her couldn’t hurt. She checked her wristwatch and saw that if she finished in 30 minutes, she’d get there just in time.

“Maki, I am going to call you the queen of over time.”

Maki chuckled at her best friend, Meisa’s comment but didn’t look up from her work. She was darn good at multi-tasking. “Just a little bit more, you head on out Mei-tan, baby Theia is waiting!” Maki challenged. When it came to her daughter, Meisa was a goner.

Meisa huffed. “Fine fine, but I’m sending reinforcement.” She approached Maki who finally looked up to receive Meisa’s goodbye kiss on the cheek.

“Kiotsukete ne Mei-tan.” Maki smiled back.

Meisa finally left and Maki went back to her work. It wasn’t half a minute when she heard footsteps approaching her cubicle. She looked up to see her friend, co-worker and secret crush—Tomohisa standing there, looking handsome in his blue button down shirt, neck tie removed and all.

“Tomo! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be heading on home?” The end of their day started at least 15 minutes ago.

“And let you go home at night alone again?” Tomohisa challenged, approaching Maki. “No way, come on Maki, you really are the queen of overtime.”

Maki fake gasped. “You were talking with Meisa, it’s a miracle.”

Tomohisa rolled his eyes but laughed. “Just finish up so we can both head on home.”

Maki sighed, returning to her work but then spoke up again after some time. “Tomo, I’m not heading home yet after this so you can go on.”

“Nope, my feet are glued until you go home.”

“Oh have it your way.” Maki half snarled but it was so adorable that Tomohisa only laughed and watched her as she worked.

Now that was getting on Maki’s nerves. Or probably her heart since the man she had a crush on for 2 years was staring at her. But she knew it was nothing. She wasn’t Tomohisa’s type after all. Like other men, those tall and leggy big-ed women were what they want. Maki was the complete opposite. She was neither tall nor leggy and she thinks she fell asleep when Kami-sama granted every girl on the planet with s. But it got her to thinking why he never had a girlfriend in the time span she knew him. Oh he flirted and dated but never had a stable relationship.

Why was he even waiting for her? He could head on home or relax somewhere. Finally she finished! And it was amazing to see Tomohisa was still there.

He stood up when she packed up her things and fixed her cubicle. Maki waited for him as he grabbed his things and they made their way to the elevator and down to the front of the building.

“Tomo, I told you I wasn’t going home yet.”

She usually walked home, sometimes with Tomohisa since their apartment buildings were close to each other.

“Where are you going then?” Tomohisa asked with genuine curiosity.

Maki shrugged and smiled at him just as the bus came. “You’re welcome to come with me.” She joked before getting on the bus, sending Tomohisa a small wave.

 She sat down on one seat by the window and closed her eyes for a moment, just resting her sight for a while when a slight pressure beside her caused her to open her eyes again.

“Tomo what are you d--!” She practically yelled causing the other passengers to look their way.

Tomohisa quickly covered with his hand then smiled apologetically to the other passengers. “Sorry folks, she was just excited to see me.”

Accepting that answer, the people went back to their own doings. Tomohisa pulled his hand away to see Maki’s adorable scowling face.

“What are you doing here?” Maki asked, this time her voice in a whisper.

“You told me I could come.” Tomohisa replied.

Maki sighed. “I was joking!”

“Too late, guess I’m going to see what you’re doing every Friday.”

Maki froze slightly at that. How come he knew she did this every Friday? “Didn’t know you actually notice that.” She said off-handedly. Before Tomohisa could speak, she turned away, leaning her head by the window. “Anyways, just wake me when we’re near the beach.” In no time, she had fallen, not realizing that Tomohisa had changed her position; instead of leaning on the window, she was leaning against his shoulder.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, Maki woke up as Tomohisa patted her arm. “Ne Maki-chan, we’re here.”

“Hmm? Oh yeah.” She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She stood up and urged Tomohisa to follow until they had gotten out of the bus.

It was almost sunset. Maki walked to the beach, taking her shoes off. Not asking any questions, Tomohisa took his own shoes off then followed Maki to the middle of the beach.

It was there that he realized an old woman sitting by a wooden chair and a wooden table.

“Obaa-chan!” Maki yelled.

The old woman turned and Tomohisa had no doubt that this was Maki’s grandma. And he knew for a fact that when Maki turned old, she still would’ve been impeccably beautiful.

“Maki-chan.” The old woman said. She stood up and gathered her granddaughter into her arms while Tomohisa stood beside, watching as he held his shoes in his hand.

“Oh and who is this handsome young man?” Obaa-chan asked when she pulled away from Maki.

Tomohisa smiled back and reached a hand out. Instead of shaking obaa-chan’s hand, he kissed it softly in greeting. “Yamaa Tomohisa desu ma’am, I’m a friend of Maki’s.”

“Just a friend?” Obaa-chan mischievously asked, looking at the youngsters.

Maki laughed uneasily. “Oh obaa-chan. Ne, so what time is it?”

“Just a few minutes more.” Obaa-chan replied, she pulled a bottle of wine and glasses from the basket she had underneath the wooden table.

Both Maki and Tomohisa accepted them as obaa-chan poured the wine.

“What do you guys do?” Tomohisa asked, staring at the wine glass he had. Maki had already taken a sip.

Then she explained as she stood beside her obaa-chan. “Oji-chan and obaa-chan always used to toast to the sunset during Fridays, and since oji-chan is with Kami-sama now, I’m the one who toasts with obaa-chan.”

Tomohisa stayed quiet after that, drinking from his wine.

At that moment, the sun slowly started to set in front of their very eyes. It was so beautiful that Maki had to stop herself from shedding a tear. Kami-sama knows how many times she’d already done so whenever she did this with her obaa-chan. Plus, she didn’t want Tomohisa to see. The three of them stayed like that until it was full dark, twilight making itself known.

“Jaa, I’ll head on back Maki-chan.” Obaa-chan said. Maki made a move to go with her but the old woman stopped her.

“Oh I can make it to my own house Maki-chan, why don’t you entertain Yamaa-kun here?” Obaa-chan smiled. She scurried away, leaving Maki and Tomohisa in the darkness of the beach.

“Your grandma’s adorable.” Tomohisa commented.

Maki smiled back. “Yes, and a little crazy. Come on…” she led him away further along the beach.

The sand felt cool against their skin and Tomohisa always loved the beach. They sat where the water reached their feet.

The stars dotted the skies as they watched the waves seemingly performing for them.

“Why’d you follow me Tomo?” Maki asked with a small laugh. “If you didn’t then you’d probably be relaxing by now.”

He shrugged slowly but then turned serious. “I just wanted to.”

Maki laughed. “You’re weird.” The night wind made its presence known and Maki shivered from the contact. Tomohisa immediately noticed and wrapped one arm around her.

She froze slightly at the contact but relaxed.

“Why don’t you have a boyfirned yet Maki-chan?” Tomohisa suddenly asked.

Maki stiffened slightly. Would it be totally inappropriate to answer that she didn’t have one because no one matched up to Tomohisa? No. So instead she answered; “I don’t know, guess I haven’t yet tasted my piece of one sweet love…” She looked at the sand under them and decided she needed to steer away from the conversation.

“Na Tomo, how about you? why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

Tomohisa turned to face her. “What?”

“You! I mean I’ve seen you on dates but you don’t have a steady relationship.” She suddenly stood up and Tomohisa watched as he continued sitting.

“You could be with Yui you know, she’s cute and I think she likes you…” Maki began and before you know it, started listing their co-workers. “Or you could be with Masami, she’s pretty smart… oh wait! Karina seems to like you too and she’s very hardworking but wait! The most beautiful, aside from Mei-tan that is but she’s already happily married to Jin and has a beautiful daughter, is Keiko-chan. Take your pick.” Maki teased as she dug her feet into the watered sand.

Tomohisa frowned also standing up. “You didn’t list yourself…”

“What?” Maki turned to him in a distracted tone.

“I said, you didn’t list yourself…” Tomohisa repeated. He was closer to Maki now.

Though slightly nervous, Maki masked this with a chuckle. “Atashi? Please Tomo, I’m your friend right? She chuckled again. “Plus, I’m not your type…”

“That’s not true… You’re the one I want.”

Maki turned to her friend. Was he serious? “I think obaa-chan poured too much wine in your glass, why don’t we head on h--”

Her words were cut short when Tomohisa grabbed her waist and softly pressed his lips to hers. Well then, Maki heard about kisses, her first hadn’t been phenomenal, but this… this was breath taking and Tomohisa didn’t want to pull away. In no time, her hands had travelled until they were wrapped around Tomohisa’s neck and she answered his kiss. He tasted wonderful.

When they both could no longer breathe, Tomohisa pulled away but kept her close, his forehead against hers. “I wish I’d known before Tomo.” Maki whispered.

He smiled before softly kissing her again. “We’ve taken some time but it’s not wasted.”

Maki smiled and again pecked his lips. Apparently when you started kissing Tomohisa, you couldn’t stop. “I guess I didn’t know I’ve already tasted my one sweet love.”