Ken dazedly walked back home, his brain feeling as if it was full of cotton. Every time he thought about his first kiss, his face would redden considerably.
As the afternoon sun cast his long shadow on the road before him, Ken felt a mixture of emotions run through his mind.
'Is this what they call the spring of youth' He thought.
He'd heard the term in plenty of anime and had even seen his coach utter these words before when looking at his teammates.
Despite being filled with happiness, he had a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.
'When will I see her again?'
After the kiss, Ai had quickly run back home, probably from embarrassment. She ran right past her father and Tsukasa before heading into the house, not once turning back.
Ken was left stunned as he watched her retreating figure, touching his lips with his fingertips. He could taste something sweet, almost like the flavor of strawberry which lingered.
When he finally snapped out of his reverie, he saw Tetsu and Tsukasa staring at him from afar, their gazes full of shock.
What followed one of the most awkward moments of his life, as he was forced to walk past them. It was like he was a model walking down the runway with those pairs of eyes gawking at him.
All he could do was lower his head to the ground before breaking into a brisk jog. The quicker he could get away, the less time he'd have to get stared at.
Only after he had disappeared from their view did he finally slow down his pace.
He had continued to walk slowly back home, in order to process everything.
Now as he rounded the corner he could see his house not far away. A big part of him wanted to go back and see Ai one last time, but he didn't want to ruin their last moment together.
BUZZ BUZZ
Ken felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, prompting him to grab it and see who had messaged him.
"Don't forget your promise, otherwise no more kisses…"
Her words were followed by a few choice emoji's, causing Ken to subconsciously grin. He eagerly messaged her back, feeling his heart flutter.
"I'll never forget. I wouldn't want my first kiss to become my last."
Just as he was about to put his phone away, it vibrated again.
"Wow that was fast." He commented.
"It was my first kiss too… I want my second to be with you as well."
Ken felt his face heat up and he began to reply.
"Hey man, what you doing?"
"UGH!"
Ken jumped a few feet in the air out of fright, accidentally flinging his phone through the air behind him.
The person who had spoken happened to be in the spot where his phone was going to land. With adept reflexes, he managed to safely catch it.
"D-Dude what the hell? Why you gotta sneak up on me like that?" Ken felt his already fragile heart almost beat out of his chest.
Daichi who had sweat on his brow grinned cheekily at him.
"I was going for a run because you took so long. I didn't expect to meet you on your way home." He said nonchalantly.
Ken let out a small sigh before holding his hand out, "Ah whatever, pass me my phone."
"Yep here you go."
Daichi held out the phone only to see a certain keyword flash in front of his eyes.
"Kiss!? Hold on a moment."
With that, he quickly relinquished his hand and began to read the messages with interest.
"Oi ya bastard, give it back."
Ken's face darkened as he quickly tried to approach his brother and get back the phone.
However, Daichi was far too interested in the contents of the messages to dare give it back. He quickly dodged the incoming attacks using his lightning fast reflexes while still trying to read.
"Y-YOU!"
This time Ken was really mad. His muscles contracted and he finally became serious as he ran forwards and threw a flying side kick at his brother.
'Those messages are private!' He yelled inwardly.
Daichi on the other hand freaked out when he saw just how pissed off his brother was. Yet, sometimes in life there were risks that one must take in order to get something they wanted.
He also wanted to get pay back for Ken telling their Mom about Miho before he had left.
"Sorry bro!"
He yelled out an apology, yet in the next moment he ran away at full speed, still clutching the phone in his hand. It was clear that he had no intention of giving it back until he read the contents of the message.
"ARGH! I'll Kill You!"
Ken sped off behind him, using every ounce of his strength in order to catch up to the criminal. He saw people coming out of their house, reacting to his yells as he chased with all of his might.
"HELP, THIEF!"
Using the opportunity, he called for help, hoping that his brother would be cowed into submission. However, he underestimated Daichi's shamelessness.
The two continued their cat and mouse game until arriving at the park where they usually stretched and cooled down their muscles.
It was only then that Daichi slowed down and held his hands up in submission, holding the phone out towards Ken.
"Okay I give up!" Daichi yelled, however his face was turned up in a grin.
Ken seemed to calm down at these words, slowing his approach. He sent an annoyed glare at his brother and snatched the phone out of his hand before putting it in his pocket.
Just as he was about to turn away and head back home, his brother's words froze him in place.
"So? How was your first kiss?" He asked, a gloating smile creeping onto his lips.
In that moment Ken snapped. In a flash, he quickly turned around and grabbed Daichi by the waist. His muscles bulged as he picked up his brother's sturdy frame and yanked him over his head.
Daichi's body flew as he was thrown into a German Suplex. His shoulders and back were driven into the sand beneath them, stunning him and causing the air in his lungs to be expended.