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RRIIII~~NNNGGG!

"Uh!" His eyes awaken and his body slightly jolts. His vision clears up, with the ceiling staring back at him. Rubbing his face, he turns on one side and reaches out.

SLAM!

He shuts the alarm off, the time reading 7-am. Sitting up, he hears a knock on the door.

"Hajime~ are you awake? I got breakfast ready."

"I'll be downstairs in a sec, mom."

He quickly gets dressed in a plain black-tank-top and baize pants and goes down to the living room. While eating, his mom strikes up a conversation.

"So, did you pack up everything?"

"Yeah."

"Sunscreen? Toothbrush? Extra pair of under--"

"Mom, I'll be fine," he chuckles.

"Alright~ I'm just making sure. Tell me again where you're going?"

"The guys and I are heading to a lodge that Oikawa's family rented for us near the mountains."

"Oh, right...that was nice of them."

"Oikawa practically begged his mom, and I knew he would force me to go despite my protest."

"Hehehe. Well, it's good you boys are getting a break from all that volleyball practice. The important thing now, is to have fun. Now, finish your food or you'll be late for the train." He smiles and does what she says.

Moments Later...

HOO~~NNKK!

"Hah~ we're finally getting some time to ourselves." Oikawa stretches his arms while leaning back on the seat. He and his fellow third-years were on the train and only fifteen minutes away.

"Hey, Iwa-chan...are you gonna visit your uncle later on?"

Across from him was Iwaizumi, who had a window-seat.

"Yeah. Probably before we leave on the third day."

"Good thing we have Monday's off," Hanamaki implies.

"So, is the lodge near a lake," Matsukawa asks.

"Sure is," Oikawa grins, "there's even some equipment in the closet for fishing, too."

"If you're any good that is..."

"That's mean, Matsun! I'm an excellent fisherman!"

Iwaizumi zones them out while staring at the ocean view.

'That dream, again...why do I keep seeing it? Who was that girl? And why did she call me brother? I'm an only child...'

He ponders on the matter for a while. But then, he sees a reflection of someone coming through the door. What stood out was the sunhat. The person quickly left his view, too far to see over his seat.

"What's wrong, Iwaizumi," Hanamaki mumbles.

"Ah...it's nothing." But it wasn't. That sudden encounter perplexed him.

'That can't be...'

>>>>>>>FAST FORWARD>>>>>>>

After arriving at their destination, the four high schoolers take a taxi to the mountains and walk the rest of the way.

"We're almost there, guys."

"You said that ten minutes ago," Matsukawa retorts to Oikawa. They walk down the long path with flat stones, through a patch of trees acting like shadow umbrellas, protecting their skin.

"We're here~!" Oikawa stretches his arms out. His friends look around at the open space; the lake, the lodge, even a beautiful view of the highest mountain peak.

"Not bad," Iwaizumi thought.

"Yosh! Let's get settled in."

After a while...

"Alright! Time for some fishing!"

"Shut it, Crappykawa. You're scaring the fish." Iwaizumi and Oikawa were standing side-by-side, while Hanamaki and Matsukawa were a few yards upstream.

FWIP!

The four cast their lines into the river and wait. After ten minutes, Hanamaki looks over to his friends downstream.

"Hey, guys," he hollers, "if we catch the most fish, you're cooking it!"

"As if," Oikawa smirks, "you're challenging the fishing master, here."

"The only thing you've ever caught were girls!"

"Before you throw them back again!"

"Oi/Hahahaha!"

Splosh!

"Huh?" Iwaizumi looks over and sees the bobber moving.

"I got one!"

"Hah! Eat that--Makki! Don't let it get away Iwa-chan!"

"Dang--it's putting up a fight!"

"You got this!"

"Argh~!"

With enough strength, he reels it in.

Flop-Flop-Flop

"Haha~!/Nice!" Iwaizumi lifts it up.

Slide~

"Ah!"

Oikawa quickly grabs the bucket and catches it before hitting the ground.

"Whew..."

"Woah--look..." They realize a medium-sized fish was attached to the hook.

"Talk about lucky."

"We're 2 to zip now," Oikawa taunts.

"Aw~ what? No fair."

"We won't lose yet."

"You're on!"

For the past hour, it was an all-out fishing battle. In the end, Iwaizumi's team won. While his friends prep the haul, he volunteered to get some other ingredients to go with their barbecue.

Vroom~

Getting off the bus, he heads to the nearest market.

DING~

Inside, he sees the vegetable section and takes a few in plastic bags.

"Let's see...onions, corn-on-the-cob, and cabbage. All I need is the meat." He walks down the isle to the frozen section. He takes two containers and examines them.

"This looks good, but the price is ridiculous. Maybe I should go for the other. Do I have enough money?" Putting the meat down, he reaches into his right-pocket.

"Hm?"

Rustle--Rustle

"Eh...huh...?" Iwaizumi looks in every pocket, but nothing.

'Crap! My wallet's back at the lodge!'

He sighs tirelessly.

"Dammit...now I gotta go back."

"Need some help?"

"Uh..." Hearing a voice, he glance down to see none other than that orange-haired teen.

"Hi, Hajime."

"M-Mizuki?" He notices her sunhat hanging behind her head, the very same one he saw before.

"So that was you on the train."

"Yeah~ sorry I didn't say hi earlier, but it didn't seem like the right time. What are you doing here?"

"Just having some fun. You?"

"I'm just enjoying the sites."

"Wait...are you by yourself? Do you have a place to stay, or are you--"

"There you go again," she giggles, "you just never stop worrying."

"Aha...my bad."

"Actually, I was planning to book a hotel room."

"Save your money. Why not just stay with me and the guys back at the lodge?"

"Really?"

"Sure." Mizuki points at the bags.

"And in return, I'll repay you by paying those."

"It's a deal," he grins.

After leaving with the ingredients, it only took them ten minutes to find the lodge. Out on the terrace, Oikawa and Hanamaki were prepping at the table while Matsukawa was manning the grill.

"Hey guys," Iwaizumi hollers, "set up another plate for our guest!"

"Ah! Mizuki~! Hey there!" Oikawa cheerfully waves his arms around.

"What a coincidence," Matsukawa implies.

"That fish smells good."

"Iwaizumi...you forgot your wallet."

"Don't worry," Mizuki reassures, "I bought everything. I'll even make dessert, later."

"You're the best, Mizuki!"

Minutes Later...

"Hey, don't hog all the meat!"

"Your loss~/Bastard!"

"And that's how I got those cuts on my arm."

"You're one tough shortie."

"But I never thought our rebel second-year had a soft-side."

"Don't you dare tease him."

Everyone was enjoying their expense. There was even an eating contest, which no one thought Mizuki would win. When things calmed down, the boys were playing jenga while Mizuki was in the kitchen.

CLANK/CLANK

"Aww~ damn!"

"We win, again!" Oikawa and Hanamaki high-five their victory. Iwaizumi looks up to check on Mizuki, and a good thing too; she was struggling to get some spice from the second shelf. He comes in to save the day and reaches for the small bottle.

"Here you go."

"Thank you. Hey, can you preheat the oven to 375?"

"Sure thing." He turns on the timer.

"So, what're you making?"

"Just your basic chocolate chip and snicker-doodle cookies."

"Sounds great. Mind if I help?"

"Yeah, thanks." They each scoop some dough and roll it into nicely round balls, placing them on the flat pans. After putting the first batch into the oven, they stand there and watch the others play a new game.

"Hey, Mizuki..."

"Hm?" She looks up.

"Do you wanna come with me to see my uncle?"

"You sure? I don't wanna impose."

"No way, it'll be fun. I'll even let you tease me when he tells embarrassing stories."

"Ooh~ I'm in!"

"I knew you'd say that." They snicker at each other.

>>>>>>>NEXT DAY>>>>>>>

"You sure you guys won't come?" The five teens were standing between a fork in the road.

"We're going to the nearest shrine up the hill," Matsukawa implies.

"You 'siblings' have fun," Oikawa teases.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you," Iwaizumi irks.

"See ya guys." After splitting up, Mizuki and Iwaizumi walk halfway to the next bus stop. After taking a half-hour drive up a hill, they find themselves near an open field of sunflowers.

"Oh my god!" Mizuki climbs on the wooden fence, her back facing Iwaizumi.

"It's so beautiful~!"

"Aren't you a little too excited," Iwaizumi laughs.

"Oh, lay off."

"Ahaha..."

WHOOSH~

"Ngh!" Iwaizumi shields himself from a gust of wind.

When he opens his eyes, he sees Mizuki with her sunhat on, her hair flowing in the summer breeze.

"..." Something about her silhouette looked familiar.

'Onii-chan! Look at this!'

"!"

'Another dream...?'

"Hajime."

"Y-yeah?" He snaps back to reality.

"Is your relative's house near by?"

"Should be. It's at (address/name)."

"Hey, that is close. Just a ten minute walk."

"Just don't get heatstroke." He playfully pats her sunhat-head.

"Whatever." She shoves him with a grin.

>>>>>>>FAST FORWARD>>>>>>>

"Hello~!" Iwaizumi hollers as he and Mizuki stand outside the quaint country home, surrounded by plant life.

"It's like a mini-forest."

"My uncle takes too much pride in his hobby," Iwaizumi sweat-drops.

"Is that you, Hajime?"

"Yeah!"

"Come around the back!" And so they did. Once there, they can see the wide open yard turned into a paradise garden, as if the home of mother nature. Fresh vegetables neatly lined up in one patch, a pear and apple tree in another, and a couple of wall-hanging-plants. Watering the produce was a man with short-black hair, wearing gloves and an apron.

"Hey, uncle."

"Hajime..."

Creak-Creak...

He turns off the hose and dusts himself off.

"You're looking well."

"You too."

"And you brought a friend."

"H-hello, sir," Mizuki bows, "I'm Hinata Mizuki."

"I'm Iwaizumi Daiju. It's nice to meet you, Hinata."

"Mizuki made cookies yesterday, so we brought some to share."

"Sounds delicious. I'm getting hungry, anyway..." He takes off his gloves and hops onto the outdoor living space.

"Come right in. I'll make us tea."

"Thank you."

They leave their footwear outside and sit at the table. Once the tea was done, Daiju pours each of them a cup.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, sir."

"So, Hajime...I heard from your mom that you're staying at a friend's lodge."

"Just until Monday."

"I see," Daiju smiles, "invite your friends before you go, okay?" He then notices Mizuki staring at his garden.

"Do you like it?"

"Oh, yes. I'm jealous you have so much room to make a beautiful yard like this."

"I'm flattered," he chuckles, "hey, since you're here, you wanna see pictures of Hajime?"

"U-uncle..."

"Don't complain, Hajime," Mizuki giggles, "you said I could tease you as much as I wanted if I came. No takebacks." Iwaizumi chuckles in response.

Fwip-Fwip

"Wuahh~ how cute." She sees a picture of kid Iwaizumi with a bug-net, standing next to his childhood friend.

"You and Oikawa are really close, huh?"

"More like stuck with each other."

"Ahahaha!"

Crunch~

"Mm~ these cookies are marvelous, young lady."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"Ah, here's one with the whole family." Daiju points to the upper-right photo on the page. Hajime points at the picture.

"This here is my mom and dad. And there's my grandpa..."

"Hey, who's this? She's really pretty." Mizuki points at the woman next to Daiju.

"That's my uncle's wife."

"She passed away when Hajime was still a child," Daiju explains.

"I'm so sorry, sir."

"Thank you. When she died...I was very depressed. Fortunately, I had good family and friends who were willing to look out for me until I was back on my feet. Say..." Daiju looks to Mizuki.

"Since you're here, you can wander around the garden if you like."

"Eh...really?"

"Of course. And the fruit is ripe for the picking, so help yourself."

"Wow, thank you, sir. In return, I'll use the fruit to make something for all of us."

"Ahaha--go right ahead. But take your time, okay?" Mizuki retrieves her scandals and strolls around the luscious yard. Meanwhile, Daiju turns to his nephew.

"Hajime..."

"Yeah?"

"There's...something you should see."

"Uh..." His uncle has a calm yet serious tone in his voice. Daiju goes to a cabinet and takes out an envelope. Giving it to Hajime, the teen curiously opens it. Lifting a corner of a photo, his eyes widen.

"...T...This is..."

The picture reveals him as a child, along with a very, very familiar girl his age with a sunhat.

"Is that...Mizuki?" His stunned expression stares into his uncle's calm composure.

"Remember when you came with your mother to see me for a week?"

"Um...yeah?"

"You weren't the only ones. You see..." Daiju holds his cup.

"Your auntie was old friends with Hinata's mother."

"Eh?"

"A week after her funeral, she and her daughter came for a visit. The same day you and your mother did. You immediately hit it off with Hinata; always by her side, taking care of her like she was your own sister. But I guess when you went your separate ways, few months later, you never mentioned her again. I assumed you forgot...so I didn't say anything."

"..." Hajime stares intensely at the photo. Daiju sees Mizuki picking apples and pears, dropping them in her sunhat.

"If it wasn't for the hair, I wouldn't have recognized her." He looks back at his nephew, still in a daze.

"I...I had these dreams," Hajime admits, "of me as a kid. And every time I had that dream, the same girl would show up. I never thought that...well..."

Daiju only smiles, and pours more tea into their cups.

"Hajime!" Mizuki comes running in.

"Look at how fresh these are," she beams, "and I know exactly what I'm gonna make for...huh..." She notices him staring into space.

"Hajime...? Is something wrong?"

"Eh? A-ah, sorry, Mizuki." He sheepishly rubs his neck, quickly stuffing the photo into his pocket.

"You picked the right ones, Hinata." Daiju gets up.

"So, what have you decided?"

"An apple-pear loaf."

"Ah~ perfect. I even have a loaf pan. I'll show you."

"Okay."

"......" Iwaizumi blankly stares as his uncle and Mizuki were preparing the ingredients.

'All this time...' Iwaizumi wasn't just shocked; he was ashamed. He was always observant of things, and yet, he couldn't remember the face of a girl he met during childhood. Or even now.

When it was around 2 pm, Iwaizumi and Mizuki had just said their goodbyes to Daiju, leaving with a few slices of apple-pear loaf. Throughout the whole walk to the bus stop, they didn't say a word. Or rather, Iwaizumi barely said a word. The more he thought about it, the more the memories were flowing back into his mind.

"Um..." He looks down at Mizuki.

"Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet this whole time."

"Oh...yeah. I'm just thinking, that's all."

"Heh~..." He stares back at the empty street.

'What should I do,' he wonders, 'forget that...what am I gonna say? I mean--I can't keep this to myself. But...if I did tell her...would she remember?'

"...Hah~...Dammit, this is so frustrating." He scratches his head with a frown. Calming himself, he takes a deep breath.