The weeks that followed were the best weeks Shindou had ever experienced, although they had to meticulously lie to everyone's face about what they did together in his room after they decided to finally join the party again. Then again, it would have been worse if they told the truth.
His parents were skeptical about letting him move out but they eventually made a compromise that he could once he'd turned eighteen, which was only in a few months. For now, he'd stick to staying over on some nights. The main reason behind their decision was so they could make sure he was catching up with all the schoolwork he'd missed and so he could see his counsellor twice a week. If he promised he'd have sessions consecutively then he was allowed to go to Okinawa during summer break.
The trip was planned to be a week long and Tenma's parents were kind enough to fund their flight. While on the flight, Kirino threw up twice due to his awful motion sickness, a little kid kicked the back of Kariya's seat the whole flight and he nearly snapped. Meanwhile Tenma repeatedly kept messing with the setting of the seat, unaware of the elderly couple sat irritated behind him while Tsurugi slept through the whole thing like a baby. Flights weren't Ibuki's thing and Shindou had to hold his hand throughout the flight, while he panicked as the plane took off and whenever there was the tiniest bit of turbulence. When they finally reached the airport in Okinawa, there was already a little five seater car waiting for them that had been rented by Shindou's parents.
"Okay, who's driving?"
"I don't have a license." Tsurugi, Tenma, Kirino and Shindou said at the same time.
Kariya stared around before shrugging, "I'm not doing it."
Ibuki looked baffled, "How don't any of you know how to drive yet?"
"I don't have to." Shindou shrugged.
"I cycle."
"It's too much effort."
"My aunt won't let me! She thinks I'll end up killing someone haha!" Tenma said, laughing.
"That's nothing to laugh about." Kariya said raising an eyebrow.
"Forget it. Everyone get in, I'll drive."
Ibuki, being the only person who could drive besides Kariya (who refused to do so), routed the gps to Tenma's family's cabin and they drove smoothly along the quiet roads, the sun beating down on the open roof of the car. It was a three hour trip from the airport and along the way they played games and blasted music out of the speakers until Tenma, Kirino and Kariya eventually fell asleep and Tsurugi decided to block out everyone else and put on noise cancelling headphones, leaving Shindou and Ibuki in the front seat, talking about whatever they saw on the road and disagreeing on which radio station to play.
"It kinda looks like a movie scene." Shindou said with a smile, lifting his sunglasses onto his head as he squinted at the empty road ahead, his eyes focusing on the countless rows of sunflowers in the fields surrounding the isolated road they were cruising down.
"Not far now." Ibuki said, one arm on the steering wheel and the other leaning on the open car window, looking like he'd come straight out of a magazine shoot with the way the light breeze blew softly through his hair and how the reflection of the sunshine was visible through his sunglasses.
It turned out, Tenma's 'humble little cabin' was actually three times bigger than what any of them had imagined. It had two floors with four equally large bedrooms and a pool outside to top it all off. By the time they'd arrived there, it was nearly sunset. Ibuki parked in the huge driveway and looked back at everyone else.
"We're here guys, get up."
"That was probably the most uncomfortable nap I've ever taken." Kirino said groggily with a wide yawn. Since he was the shortest, and there were six people trying to fit in a five seater car, he'd been made to sit cramped with all the bags in the back of the car for three hours.
"You took one for the team."
"This is discrimination against short people." Kirino huffed. He didn't even think he was that short but according to everyone else, if he didn't grow another two inches by the end of the year, there was no hope for him and he'd remain short forever. But at the end of the day it didn't really matter because he wasn't trying to be taller than anyone in particular.
"Tenma, I thought you said this place was small." Kariya said, gazing around the entrance as if it was larger than anywhere he'd ever lived before, which it probably was.
"It is small, for Okinawa countryside houses anyway. You should see the ones a few miles ahead, they're huge."
"I agree, it is a little cramped." Shindou said, sounding exactly as rich as he was.
Kirino looked at him incredulously, "Are you being serious right now?"
"It's because your house can probably fit ten of mine." Ibuki sighed, shaking his head.
"Who cares, lets get drunk!" Tenma said, holding two bottles of Jack Daniels in his hand.
"Where did you get those?"
"I stole them, my aunts gonna be furious when she finds out but that's something to worry about later." Tenma said, making a peace sign.
"Aren't we going to see your parents tomorrow?"
"So what?"
"You're not gonna show up hungover."
Tenma raised an eyebrow, glanced at the time on his watch, and chugged half of the bottle in his hand, "Who's gonna stop me?"
Everyone stood in silence, baffled at how sudden the action was. Kariya shrugged.
"Not me, now pass that here before you take it all."
"If anyone asks, Ibuki bought it." Kirino said, and everyone agreed.
"Hey! I don't consent to that."
"You're the oldest! Take one for the team."
The next few hours were chaos. The amount that they drank should've been illegal, even though it technically was since they were all minors. Shindou made sure he had the hospital on speed dial in case any of them went too far. He also had to resist the urge to join in, it hadn't been too long since he quit and it was still difficult even to watch his parents drink wine during family meals out. But it was all part of the recovery process: he wasn't willing to risk another trip to the ICU for the same reason.
Ibuki was out of it. Shindou had never seen him so completely wasted and it felt like the rarest and most hilarious experience ever. He was picking up the discarded bottle in the corner when it was swiftly snatched out of his hands.
"You aren't allowed this." Ibuki said, his voice slightly slurry.
"I'm just cleaning it up, I think it's empty any—"
"Thinking, I like thinking. You know what I thinks, I thinks you're veeerryy attractive."
"Really?"
Ibuki nodded, his hands reaching up to cup Shindou's face, "Like yeah, of course. I would totally date you, unless you're already dating someone— because that would be really bad."
"Nah, I'm single." Shindou said, deciding to play along.
"Then I'd love to take you out to dinner some time."
"Only if you're paying." Shindou said, getting his phone out and recording so he'd owe him dinner when he was sober again.
"Sure I'll pay."
"Great."
Shindou could barely hold back his laughter, it seemed like Ibuki had completely forgotten they were together. He glanced around when he suddenly heard raised voices and saw Tsurugi trying to yank another bottle out of Tenma's hand. Tenma had probably drank twice as much as everyone else.
"Let go!"
"No!"
"Tenma let go!"
"Nooooo, this is my best friend." Tenma said, giggling softly and whispering to it, "He wants to keep us apart, but we're unbrokable aren't we, hehe."
Kirino and Kariya were on the couch, staring upwards with the most curious expressions.
Kariya pointed upwards, "D'ya know what that is?"
"That's the sky, you idiot." Kirino said.
"No, but why is it white?"
"Oh my god Kariya, you can't just ask things why they're white."
"Did you just quote mean girls?"
"Ha, maybe."
"You idiot. But why is it white?
"Because it's daytime."
"I've never seen it that colour before."
"That's because you're too busy looking at me to look at anything else."
"I guess so." Kariya said, his arms slipping around Kirino's waist and pulling him towards him, "Hey, what's that?"
"That's the moon."
"Why is it out during the day?"
"That's really strange, we should probably tell someone."
"Hey, Kirino, the moon's out during the day."
"I didn't mean me, tell someone else."
In truth, they were actually staring at the ceiling and the light bulb. Shindou could've cried laughing.
For the rest of the night Ibuki drunkenly hit on his own boyfriend, Tenma had named his bottle of alcohol and planned their future together, while Tsurugi had completely given up on trying to get it away from him. Kariya and Kirino had already passed out on the couch.
"I'm sleepy, are you sleepy because I really wanna sleep." Ibuki said, hiccuping.
Shindou led Ibuki to the room that they were sharing and pointed to the bed, "You sleep on that side."
"I think I wanna sleep on the couch."
"Are you sure? The couch isn't very comfortable—"
"Shindou Takuto, I am an independent human being. I can sleep all by myself! We're born alone, we die alone!"
Shindou rolled his eyes, he'd been calling him by his full name the whole night, "Suit yourself."
Shindou curled up under the covers and fell asleep quickly. He'd barely gotten an hour of sleep before he felt Ibuki shuffle next to him and cuddle him under the covers.
"Back so soon?" He whispered.
"The couch is uncomfortable."
Shindou was about to reply when he noticed that Ibuki had already fallen asleep. He let out a small laugh: he was going to wake up with the worst hangover.