"Aaaah, I give up," I exclaimed loudly - as I slumped atop the metallic table, releasing a hearty sigh as I became limp.

"This was your idea, don't try to run away now," My dear partner replied as she took a sip of coffee, uncommon to her usual diet.

"You can't think of anything either, huh," I quipped back, noticing her chosen beverage for our current undertaking. A day had passed since we went to the convention with Hunter, and a day was left until their anniversary was to take place. Neither I nor Myla had been able to come up with a conclusion, even after getting a taste of both of their hobbies firsthand. To make things worse, we were to meet them in half an hour.

What if we like, just combine them. Have them watch an anime about bikes on their anniversary.

I joked, but I knew that the idea would immediately be shot down by my dear partner.

"Ilya's plan is already great for a normal couple. And I think even Hunter could find fun in getting to recreate a few scenes from his favorite stories with her during a sunset."

I said as I fiddled around with the paper bag leftover from my meal.

"Yes, but Hunter's idea may be a viable choice as well. Seeing as Ilya wants Hunter to express himself more," Myla stated, surprisingly enough standing with Hunter.

Out of all the people to defend the opinion of, him? Role reversal much?

I pondered as I gave her an irritated look which she responded to with her own.

Can't beat her at her own game, damn.

I leaned far back into my chair, threatening to fall off as I stretched to attempt to think of a solution. The problem lay in the fact that they were both good choices, allowing one of the pair to express themselves in a way that the other rarely saw in person. That was the thing, it only allowed one of them to do so, and we weren't going to pick favorites.

That's what my high school teachers said, but there were always those cliques of girls who would suck up to them, and their previous statements would crumble apart in the span of the following few weeks.

I recalled as Myla finished her drink and pulled out a book which was the same one she purchased back in the convention; she opened it to what she presumed was the first page and gave a surprised look.

"You read it starting from the right," I said as I took it from her clasp and opened it to the actual first page of the story.

"Thank you." She responded briefly, as she began reading through it. I returned to fiddling with my phone, checking the photos that I transferred from the camera.

...

"Hey! Wait a damn minute. We need to be thinking of something!" I exclaimed as I got up from my seat and faced my partner with an irritated look. Her gaze left the book as she let out a sigh.

"What do you think we've been trying to do for the past thirty minutes? Perhaps peace and quiet will give us more of an answer than your impulsive determination." She replied, annoyed at me for at least trying.

Then again, most of those thirty minutes were me throwing out ideas and her shooting them down immediately, so I don't know who to blame.

I considered as a young woman left the shop, taking notice of our quarrel.

"Hey, guys! Good to see you being lively." Fable greeted as she greeted us with her bright smile and sat at her usual spot.

"Hey Fable, just the usual problems, don't worry," I responded as Myla gave a quick nod as her greeting.

"You say that, but it's usually only Myla who looks tired whenever you argue, you've lost your normal spunk, Bridger!" She stated with a considerate smile. I faced Myla with a curious expression, to which she replied with a short sigh and opened her lips to speak.

"It seems you might be able to aid us, Fable." My partner said, which made Fable let out a short Hmm? in response.

"I see, so in short, you guys can't figure out what's more fun?" Fable noted with her chin on her hand. Myla faced me with a partially worried look.

"Eh, close enough, really," I replied as the young woman's face lit up.

"Well, when it comes to hobbies from loved ones, I'm no stranger." She said with a nostalgic smile written across her face. Myla and I became intrigued as we nodded to signal her to continue.

"Well, when my husband decided to bring in music to my life, it wasn't exactly a new thing for him, but when Dad decided to get me into lessons, he tried doing them with me too. He listened to a bunch of tutorials and musicians online and even went to classes with me a few times. I still have fond memories of that, y'know?" She recalled with a joyful expression. That's when it hit me. Getting to show someone something you love is a great experience, magical even. It allowed one to show their truest self and let someone they love experience something intertwined with their very being. But there was another experience that we had gotten a taste of during our escapades with the couple.

"To experience something completely new with someone you love, a shared experience about something you've never done before, or have always wanted to do," I said quietly as Myla took notice.

"That's not a bad idea, but we still need a proper event and place for them to attend...Wait, I think I know of an event." Myla said with a curious look as she put away her book and walked over to the car.

She returned to us with our ticket to success, and I gave her a determined smile.

"Yep! That works. It's fine with you, Fable, right?" I asked, facing her with the same smile.

"If it helps you guys out, I'm more than willing." She answered with a joyful expression.

"Well, if you want to help more..." I said as I whispered something into her ear.

"Oh? Really? What a ballsy man. I'll see what the guys and I can do. For now, here's our number." She said with a smile before giving me a piece of paper with a number on it.

"Thanks. Alright, Myla! Let's go!" I exclaimed as I entered the car. Myla gave a nod to show her appreciation as she, too, entered the vehicle.

"What was that about?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Nothin' much, just hoping to set the stage for something," I replied vaguely as the car started up and we headed for the peculiar pair's residence. Fifteen minutes or so had passed, and we began entering the neighborhood, the cityscape now far from our field of view.

"Oh crap, does the tablet have a slideshow maker?" I asked as the car sped up steadily.

"Yes, it should be in the glove box." She replied and pressed the button to reveal the device.

"Alright, I'll make a quick slideshow with the images we got from the past week," I stated, reawakening the high school student within me. Nostalgia struck me as it reminded me of the many rushed projects I had to create oh so long ago.

"Do you have that picture of me during the convention?" Myla asked, her eyes still focused on the road ahead. I chuckled as I decided to tease her on our way.

"Looking for a new profile picture? If you'd asked, I would've taken it near a Starbu-" I was cut off as the car took a screeching halt.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you over the loud thump noise the car makes whenever we park. We should have the breaks looked at when we finish today's shift." She said as she left the scene of the crime.

We can go to the therapist too. To get your head checked out.

I considered as I tended my wounded noggin, exiting the vehicle with the tablet in hand. I added the finishing touches to the presentation as I walked up the path to the familiar house, my partner waiting at the front door. I could hear the two of them arguing behind the door already, and the relatively quiet outside felt like a calm before the storm.

Here goes nothing,

I thought as I knocked on the door, and the arguing subsided as a few quiet footsteps made their way to the door.

"It's Bridger and Myla! We're here to conclude your counseling." I shouted as the door opened and revealed the orange hair of a young woman that shone in the afternoon sun.

"C'mon now, no need to be too formal, guys, come in." She said with a friendly smile as we entered the home. We made our way to the living room where clothing was scattered around, some sportswear, the others solid color apparel with anime graphics. In the center of it all - sat Hunter, an uncharacteristically tired expression on his face.

"What's this all about?" I asked as Myla and I took a seat.

"We thought since we hadn't thought of a place yet, the best we could do for now was get our clothes ready, but one thing led to another and," She ended her statement there, facing her partner.

"Well, turns out it's hard to know what to bring when you don't know where you're going," Hunter said with a tired but warm smile.

"Don't worry. I think me and Myla thought of something for you guys," I declared with an eager expression as I handed the tablet to my partner. I gave her a quick wink to signal her my plan, to which she responded with a nod.

Perhaps we can read each other's minds. Hello? Myla? Can you for once consider my skull a valuable asset to my well-being rather than a crash-test dummy? Thanks.

I joked to myself before beginning our presentation.

"So over the week, we've been able to experience each of your hobbies, getting to see a part of you that you hold close to yourselves," as I said this, they began to lean closer, intrigue visible on their faces.

"We experienced the serene and picturesque landscapes intertwined with our rapidly beating hearts when we went out with you, Ilya," I stated with a cheerful expression as Myla showed the slideshow of pictures we took that day. The beautiful scenery tangled with me falling on my ass.

Why did I both transfer that onto my phone and then proceed to include it here?

I swallowed those thoughts as I saw Ilya nod following my statement. Hunter's eyes lit up, seeing the pictures and getting a taste of his partner's first love. Knowing it was time for a switch, I threw a look my partner's way, and she handed me the tablet, which I then moved the presentation to the next slide.

"We also experienced the chaotic but culturally rich and diverse convention. Where it becomes a contest of passions, and people are allowed to be true to themselves." Myla stated, a bit of enthusiasm hidden within her usually monotone voice. The pair then got to see the photos, from the massive venue to Hunter's enthusiastic smile as he spoke to Myla about the stories he loved.

Look, I even included your photo here, so don't give me any more brain damage.

I thought as I looked at the pair once more. Hunter scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed that the cold Myla gave him praise as Ilya's face turned to a gentle smile, admiring her partner's passion.

"But," I said, as both of their faces lit up with curiosity.

Now for the final blow,

"We thought that maybe, it'd be better for the two of you to experience something new, something that you both mutually interest in. The experience of showing someone your hobby can be magical for them as it's completely foreign, so why not allow both of you that luxury?" I proclaimed with an enthusiastic expression. They turned to each other, somewhat confused. Myla gave a quick sigh as she pulled out two small pieces of paper from her bag.

"What he was trying to convey, is that perhaps this might be a better solution than picking either hobby." She said, exasperation present in her tone. She showed them the two tickets Fable had given us to the Music Festival which was to happen tomorrow, we decided on this as we had noticed both Ilya and Hunter shared a small interest in music, and if they were to form a new mutual hobby, it was best to start here.

"So? Whaddya guys say?" I asked with a smile, my partner handing the tickets to them.

How's that for a last-minute presentation? Wait, what do you mean this is 50% of our grade?

"W-well, it sounds great, but how'd you guys even get this?" Ilya asked, slightly overwhelmed.

"That part doesn't matter. Besides, you guys took us out for free, remember? Think of it as our way of repaying you guys." I replied, genuine happiness on my face.

"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you, both of you." Ilya responded, a sense of relief and joy in her tone.

"Oh, what about the schedule and venue?" Hunter perked up.

"We'll send you the details later, as well as the official online account of the people managing the place. Oh, but I did prepare a timeframe for all of the idol bands that'll be performing at the festival just for you, Hunter." I said with a friendly smile, handing him a small slip of paper with a number on it. He read the writing, and a surprised look covered his face, slowly turning into a grateful one.

"So that's how it is, thanks." He stated kindly to the deliverance of my promise. I let out a short and friendly laugh.

"No problem, man. Go get 'em." I stated with an encouraging tone of voice. Myla and Ilya took notice, both glancing at each other curiously.

"Welp, we'll be going. See you guys soon." I said as we began making it to the front door.

"Come back soon! Message us if you ever want to go out cycling again." Ilya said as her partner interjected.

"Or if you want to watch seasonal anime! Or just old anime, that's cool too." Hunter shouted from behind his partner. We both gave a short wave as we closed the door on the peculiar pairings home. We made our way back to the car, and both heaved a hearty sigh.

"Welp, that was one hell of a week," I said, leaning far back into my seat.

"Indeed, please don't ever think of doing that again." My dear partner quipped as the car sounded to life.

"C'mon, you know you had fun," I said, teasing her on her dishonesty.

"Oh, it seems the brakes aren't working properly again," She replied, facing me with a scheming expression.

"Okay, never mind," I quickly pleaded back. The car steadily made its way out of the neighborhood as the green hills dominated my view once more. The sun was still high in the sky, only now its course was headed to the West. The characteristic silence of our everyday lives had returned when Myla decided to break it.

"Strange, usually, you make a joke on how long you find the relationship we just aided would last, feeling considerate today?" She said, eyes focused on the road ahead. I let out a short laugh as I thought of my reply to that.

"Well, I'll give them a day," I stated vaguely. Myla's head turned to me, interest clear as day on her expression when she let out a short sigh.

"And I thought you at least had some faith in yourself." She replied sarcastically, not wanting to back down in a battle of sarcasm.

Bridger - 0, Myla - 2

I thought as she continued her uncharacteristic chattiness.

"Speaking of a day, are you prepared for what's to come tomorrow?

She asked, losing the previous sarcasm that her tone had earlier.

"Hopefully," I answered quietly as I pondered on fulfilling my original promise.

Day after tomorrow's the day I meet him, huh. Amanda's new match made partner.