Chapter 6

I never knew a friend like you could make me feel so brand new

I don't know, I really don't know oh

I wasn't like this but these days, I'm a bit strange

I had no interest in you at all but

Now, I can't look at you straight in the eye

Alice made the days fly by so fast.

Mina felt a sense of deja vu as she nailed one of the floating targets dead center.

"Wah~ that was awesome, Mina-chan!" Sookie clapped her hands excitedly. She couldn't wait to learn to do that!

Mina only shook her head with a fond smile, pulling the knife out of the floating coconut.

"You'll be able to do this with enough practice, too."

"Aye aye, senchou! Teach me your awesome knife throwing skills, sensei!" Sookie exclaimed, before bowing deeply. Mina moved to help her up, embarrassed blush on her face.

"No need to call me sensei, Soo-chan. I'm no master."

"Then Mina-chan's just being a good senchou by helping out her first mate?"

Mina put a hand atop the slightly shorter girl's head, making sure to be eye level with her.

"No. This is just me wanting to spend time with you. Can you do that, Soo-chan?"

"Like two friends having fun who just so happen to be a captain and her first mate?"

"Like that."

"Okay." Sookie smiled widely, looking satisfied with herself.

Mina could only smile back, before she took off her feathered hat and pushed it atop Sookie's head. Sookie pushed the hat up and gave her a questioning look.

"We'll start with something easy. Try hitting one of the watermelons." She gestured at the bigger fruits Momo had floating in front of them.

"Time to go fruit ninja up in here!" Sookie declared, before throwing her first knife, only for it to completely miss and fall into the ocean. Chaeyoung was quick to retrieve it.

"Darn it. It's a lot easier on the phone. Then again we're using knives, not a sword." Sookie muttered to herself, pouting.

"Chin up, Sookie-chan. It was only the first try." Mina moved to adjust her position, but hesitated. "You don't mind if I?"

"Go ahead, Mina-chan. I need all the help I can get." 

The captain stood behind her, shyly pushing Sookie's feet apart and moving her hips slightly. She grabbed one of the knives and put it in Sookie's hand, closing her hand over her's.

"I'll guide you for this throw, okay?" 

The orangette nodded, not looking bothered with the close proximity between them. Mina, on the other hand...

Too close. This is too close. She was practically embracing Sookie from behind! She was holding her! Their cheeks were almost touching! She had to remind herself how to breathe properly, and that didn't help matters because she basically caught a whiff of Sookie's fragrance being so close to her hair.

She smells so nice. Help me.

Somehow she was able to help Sookie throw the knife, and it sunk into the floating watermelon with a thwack.

"Woah! Mina-chan! I did it! We did it!" Sookie whooped with excitement before turning around and hugging her tightly.

The pirate captain managed a weak meep, wrapping one arm around Sookie's waist and using the other to pat her hat.

"W-w-want to try another, first mate?"

"Mm!"

She was really glad that she had great aim with knives.

(Never never never never) this doesn't make sense, how could I?

(Never never never never) I keep getting drawn to you

I like you, I want to earn your heart, I want to get to know you

Momo loved having one-on-one Sookie time the most out of everyone.

And she loathed to share it.

But sometimes Sookie took the choice away from her by inviting everyone to join them. And Momo didn't have the heart to refuse her Soo-chan, so she'd sprinkle fairy dust on the white rabbit, mute legged-mermaid, puppet, and pirate captain. The devil and superhero would fly after them.

She would try her best to have fun with everyone as they flew around in the clouds, but she couldn't. Her fairy body couldn't carry too many emotions at once, and all she could feel was jealousy. She would sit in one of her hidden cloud spots, glaring at the pirate captain who could get glomped by Sookie or hold hands with Sookie, the superhero for being so handsy and holding Sookie close to dance in the clouds or just because.

And she hated feeling so jealous about her best friends! It wasn't their fault that they gravitated towards the sun that was Soo-chan. She was the same way!

But right now she was glaring at the damned feathered hat on Sookie's head. After the knife throwing lessons were over, the captain didn't bother taking it back, letting her first mate borrow it, to Sookie's excitement. The stupid hat was mocking her. 

Don't I look fabulous on her head? You know what I mean? That she's the captain's girl.

You mean nothing. Soo-chan's mine!

"Mo-chan? What are you doing all alone?" 

A familiar voice broke her from her mental argument.

"I'm not in the mood to play."

As oblivious as Sookie was, even she could tell when someone was in a bad mood.

"What's wrong, Mo-chan?"

"I wanted to play with Soo-chan alone."

"Why didn't you tell me that before I invited everyone?"

Momo just shrugged. Sookie looked at the fairy thoughtfully, before scooping her up and putting her on her head.

"Soo-chan?"

"Wanna go to the beach with me, Mo-chan?"

"Let's give Minari her hat back first." She didn't want the stupid hat butting in.

Sookie pouted, but returned the hat to its owner. She flew them down to the ship first, to grab her ukelele and prepare an impromptu picnic basket, which mostly consisted of the fruit from knife throwing practice, some cheeses, and bread. They found a nice shady spot under a palm tree