Mizuki sighed as they rode the bus across the island, and her sister Shizune looked at her and asked, "What's wrong? I'm finally feeling cheerful again and now you're moping."

Mizuki replied, "Nothing. I'm glad we found a replacement hotel that we can afford, even if it is out away from anything else."

"Oh, but the bus isn't expensive and the scenery is really nice?" Shizune protested mildly. Mizuki nodded and smiled at her sister, and then Shizune sighed and added, "I still can't believe that hotel double booked our reservation."

Mizuki suggested darkly, "Maybe that jerk called and cancelled it and they just didn't want to tell you."

Shizune objected immediately, "They refunded the reservation fee even though I showed up late, if it had been cancelled they wouldn't have. And don't call him a jerk."

Mizuki sighed again and then said apologetically, "Sorry."

Shizune hugged her little sister impulsively and told her, "Thank you for spending your savings to come with me when he cancelled."

Mizuki asked laughingly, "Who doesn't want to spend a week of summer vacation on a tropical island? I don't mind at all. It's too bad we couldn't get me a ticket for the flight you originally had though."

Shizune replied quickly, "It's fine, it's not even a whole day less."

--

When they arrived at the hotel, which seemed to actually be a series of low bungalow style buildings squeezed up against each other to look out at the ocean, they were welcomed warmly. 

The cheerful older man who checked them in encouraged them to order the daily fruit basket, if they weren't sure what they planned to do for lunches. He explained that they only served breakfast for an hour, and then the supper was provided as an evening beach party style of thing.

He showed them to their room, and Mizuki exclaimed, "Wow! This is amazing!"

Shizune agreed enthusiastically, and as soon as their host left, she flopped onto the bed nearest the picture windows looking out at the beach and said, "I call this one!"

Mizuki pretended to pout at her, then smiled. "I get the shower first then," she bargained laughingly.

Shizune agreed, "Go, take it. I have an ocean to stare at."

Mizuki took a shower, changed clothes, and then asked, "Can I borrow your phone?"

Shizune sat up and asked with concern, "Why? Where's yours?"

Mizuki blushed and looked away before replying, "I left it somewhere, but maybe someone will find it if I call it."

"Mizuki!" Shizune scolded, "You need to be more careful, we're a thousand miles from home."

"I know, I know," agreed Mizuki. "So lend me yours?" Shizune handed over her phone and Mizuki couldn't help but add, "It's not really a thousand you know, it's only a few hundred?"

She carried it out the door to make the call, as Shizune called out, "Don't go down to the water without me, just let me shower and change too!"

"Okay," Mizuki agreed. Then she nervously called her phone.

Sora pulled out the phone and stared at it for a few minutes before answering reluctantly, "Hello, Mizuki-chan's phone."

Mizuki said, "I know. Um, hi."

Sora replied flatly, "I really hate this kind of thing."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Mizuki winced as she protested, "But I really wanted to talk to you more, and I didn't have time."

He replied grimly, "Well I don't want to talk to the kind of girl who does this sort of thing."

Mizuki gulped, and asked miserably, "Why didn't you just throw it away then?"

He grimaced and covered his face with his other hand as he replied, "I don't know, you would have deserved it."

After a moment Mizuki asked, "Where are you? I can take the bus back in a little while and get it."

Sora replied grouchily, "What if I don't want to see your face again today."

"I could call again tomorrow," she suggested a little hopefully.

"No, let's just get this over with," he muttered. "I'm at my hotel though and I don't think you should come here, because now I think you're the kind of girl who will stalk me. Where are you staying? I'll bring it there tonight."

Mizuki gave the name of the hotel and it's general location and Sora didn't respond. After a moment she asked, "Konami-san? Are you still there?"

He sighed audibly, and told her, "I'm laying under a tree in front of the second building."

Mizuki took a moment to process this response and then ran down the steps and out a little ways to look back along the row. 

"I see you," she gasped and then stuffed the phone into her pocket and ran over to him. When she reached him, she hit her knees beside him, and he held out her phone. She reached for it hesitantly while he glared at her. 

Mizuki gulped and then told him unhappily, "I slipped my phone into your pocket, that is my fault. But I wouldn't stalk you, I really just wanted a chance to talk to you again. This is not my fault. I'm sorry."

Sora sighed and covered his face with an arm. "What's so good about me anyway that you wanted to talk to me that much?"

She gazed at him for a minute and then said, "I like you."

He informed her bitterly, "You don't even know me."

Mizuki frowned at him and agreed, "Not very well yet." She blushed as she explained shyly, "I admit that at first I just thought you were hot." She swallowed nervously and continued without looking at his face, "But you laughed at all the things I thought were funny, and I really like the way you laugh. And you're sweet, I like how you're trying to cheer that girl up. And you're right, I don't know you very well, but that's why I wanted to be able to talk to you more!"

He uncovered his face and looked at her, and then said, "That's a lot to like about someone in only a few minutes."

She nodded.

He sighed again, and then told her, "Alright. I'm not angry with you anymore, but I still can't date a kid." He stretched his arms out and stared at the sky.

Mizuki looked at him for a moment and then flopped down beside him with her head on his arm. He turned his face toward her and asked, "Weren't you listening?"

"Yes, I'm not kissing you," she replied.

He breathed a laugh and said, "I don't know how to deal with you." He looked back at the sky.

"How long are you here for?" she asked, watching his face and the way the sun lit the copper strands in his hair. "We're here for a week," she volunteered.

"Two more weeks," he answered wryly, but then asked, "Who's we?"

"My sister and I. Her boyfriend dumped her right before they were supposed to come. And she said she couldn't go alone even though her tickets were already paid for, so I got tickets and came with her," Mizuki explained.

"Jerk," he commented.

Mizuki grinned at him and agreed, "That's what I keep saying, but she asked me to stop calling him that."

He turned and looked at her for a minute.

"How old are you anyway?" she asked.

A smile lurked at the corner of his mouth when he replied, "I just turned 27, definitely too old to date a kid." Then he sighed, looked back up at the sky and added, "Not that I want to date anyone right now."

"That's why you came to a tropical beach to stare at girls in bikinis?" she asked skeptically.

He laughed and told her, "It seemed like a good idea at the time!"

"I have one," she offered.

"What?" he asked.

"A bikini," she explained while grinning at him. He stuck his tongue out at her, and she asked, "Are you sure I can't kiss you?"

"Stop," he pleaded helplessly.

"Fine," she agreed grumpily and stared at the sky.

After a minute he asked, "How long are you going to lay on my arm?"

"Am I hurting you?" she asked without moving. 

"No," he replied after a moment. 

She looked at him and he was still watching her. Her sister called out, "Mizuki?" from the direction of their room and Mizuki sighed and sat up. 

"Only that long," she said regretfully. 

"Bye," he said quietly. 

She looked at him and told him, "I'd rather say see you later."

He shrugged.