23.
chapter twenty-three
soulmates for
reaching heights

"And he goes, blah-blah-blah, as if he owns the place!" Misty chastised, shrugging. A bitter frown adorned her lips, but something deeper was blossoming in her eyes. I could see it.

You see, folks, one ain't allowed to fall in love with anyone other than your soulmate. If you do... sweet doom impending.

"Hey, how about we hang out tomorrow?!" May chimed in, sprinting forward so that she could walk backward. "Drew said one of the final years let it slip that the college is letting us off early!"

"Why?" Misty and I asked in unison. As much as I loved designing, half a day off wouldn't hurt. I could brainstorm ideas for the upcoming fashion fest or spend time with Mom.

May put a finger to her lip, as if trying to recollect what her soulmate had told her. "I think it was something about a food parade."

Misty quirked an eyebrow. She leaned close to me to whisper, "Maybe rehearsals are just a parade where they sell food."

I couldn't help the chuckle that left my lips, but May didn't seem to have noticed. She was merely skipping forward. "How about a shopping spree and grabbing some lunch?!"

Misty shook her head, motioning to the stack of books she was carrying. "My hands are full. Loads of pending assignments, and I swore to help Dawn catch up when she wakes."

"Who did you swear to if she's been unconscious the whole time?"

"Myself."

"Great." May's face fell before she looked at me, her eyes beaming. "How about you, Serena?! Don't tell me you're cramped under assignments when you stayed back with your boyfriend the other evening in the classroom!"

Heat rose to my cheeks, recollecting the sun-kissed evening I forced Ash to stay back with me until I finished all the assignments I was due on because of him.

"Um, I don't have assignments, but..."

May's eyes turned soft, almost pleading. "But what?"

"But nothing," I replied, smiling. That was the least I could do for him putting up with me. Besides, it had been a long time since I hung out with my friends. "Sign me up."

May grinned, finger-gunning and winking. "Hey, how about we convert that into a double date?"

I should have said no.

— xoxo —

"I'm surprised you like pineapple on pizza, dudette!"

"Gee, who doesn't, dude? Everyone who doesn't have a tasty tongue are the ones who don't!"

"Everyone except you both," Drew whispered consolingly. I flashed him a grin, biting back in vain the giggle that threatened to escape me. Ash's eyes were on me at once.

"What do you mean you don't?!"

"You heard him," I retorted, motioning to Drew. He shrugged, pocketing his hand as we walked beside each other. A smirk grew on his face.

"We aren't the foodies, you see. There's a class that we like to dine in."

"I agree. We're two beans in a sack, Drew," I piped, winking when Drew smiled. Ash rolled his eyes, and I didn't miss his set jaw. Boy, was it fun to see him worked up over something as trivial as pineapple on a pizza.

"Whatever. Let's just overwhelm their senses, dudette. I'm sure they'll come around," he smirked. I watched with widened eyes as his bubble got dangerously close to May's when she attempted to high-five him. They did, albeit through the bubble's wall.

"Say, where to next?" Drew probed, shooting me a look. Scrolling through my phone, my screen came to a rest on our to-do: a stationery store selling cute stuff. Drew grimaced, shooting me a look.

"What?"

"I thought you were classier than May, Ser."

"Hey!" May and I protested in unison. "Cute things are classy as well!"

"Whatever."

I pouted, setting my sling bag over my shoulder properly. I froze when Ash fell into step beside me, leaning in close enough for his breath to tickle me. "Am I classy as well?"

"Eh?!"

I knew it was a bad, bad idea to have agreed to this.

— xoxo —

The shop was painted in pastel hues, signifying that the trinkets it housed would make any collector swoon. The minute May and I set foot in, we cooed in delight. It was a paradise of adorable items!

"Ser!" May called out, gushing over an eraser with bear ears. Kawaii! "Check this out!"

I nodded, walking toward another aisle that had self-care products while May busied herself with the plushie section. My eyes scanned the shelves, finally falling on a tiny pink hair clip that resembled a fox. It was adorable, but too high for me to reach.

A thought crossed my mind to ask May to retrieve it — or at least help, seeing we were more or less the same height. But then I heard Drew commenting about May's choice of Sanrio plushies. "Right, if that's the definition of class you're going for, I stand nowhere near."

"You're blind, Grasshead. Blind as hell."

I sighed. It wouldn't do good to third-wheel them. Much better was reaching out for it myself. "Who has such high shelves in a place that's obviously fancied by girls—?"

"For one, you're a shortie." I froze, feeling his warmth on my back. "For two, that's what soulmates are for." A sleeved hand shot through from my right, grabbing a hamster-themed hair clip instead before he held it in front of me with a smirk that rivaled Gary's.

"For one," I countered, closing his fist, "you don't even know what I was reaching for. Secondly, that's the only thing you could do for me: reach heights."

"Touché," he enunciated, placing it back and seizing the entire set instead. As soon as I picked the one I wanted, he placed the rest back on the aisle and clutched his chest dramatically. "I only wanted to help, but Gods, do girls hate me for helping them."

I quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Something behind him caught my eye — a pretty binder!

I pushed past him to examine it, thanking the shop organizer for having the sense to keep binders low. It had sakura designs on it with a mini Frieren-sama stamped on the edge. The bonus? It was pastel pink!

"You really do love these things, don't you?" he mused, looking over my shoulder.

"Well, they're not just pretty. They're functional too," I answered, walking to the checkout counter. May was already there with a basket, chatting animatedly about something with a female cashier.

"Good to know." Ash smiled before he joined Drew, and they began conversing. I didn't get a chance to ask what he actually meant, but his relaxed demeanor softened my nerves.

Maybe this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.