Heat in spiraling motion surrounded her frame in an ambrosial warmth. She leaned against the mineral stone resting on the edge of the pool and sighed deeply. The open sky greeted her with a stinging cool sensation, so she sinked deeper into the hot water.

"Nee-san, you shouldn't do that, you'll get dizzy!"

Rin gave a bitter chuckle, shrugging off her sister's concern and sighed at the feeling of warmth pooling in every inch of her body. Ema shook her head from the bathing section, wrapping a dry towel around her wet hair before entering the open-aired bath next to her sister.

"You're too cruel, Ema." Rin sighed, an arm covering her pink-tinted face, "I'm supposed to be older: more responsible of you yet, you always go beyond my expectations. You grew up too fast."

Ema pouted, "You sound like a father whose daughter is leaving him."

"Since our father never even took a glance at us, I might as well be one."

"Now, don't be like that." Ema frowned at her sister's remark, "He cares about us, you know that — he's just a busy man!"

Rin gave a short hum in reply, turning her head away before mumbling:

"Cares, huh." Ema nodded in response eagerly, "Caring and loving is not the same thing, Ema."

"Well, forget it. It was a mere slip of my tongue."

Ema gave her sister a brief hum in reply, losing her words to Rin's sharp comment. Rin was like an cutting icicle and Ema was the opposite — someone who could never cut through an icy being such as her sister. Ema heard a faint whisper of apology rang through the air and she smiled in reply. Rin wasn't looking her way but Ema doesn't need her to. Ema giggled before sinking herself deeper into the water.

Even if she can't cut through it, doesn't mean she can't melt it.

"The stars are so clear tonight," Rin trailed off, staring into the open ceiling displaying a sprawl of tiny twinkling pristine light. "I wonder why."

"Actually now that you've said it, they are really bright — at least compared to what he can see from our house." Ema thought out loud, now also staring at the same sight. "Ah! Maybe it's because we're currently further away from the city and the sky is clearer?"

"Maybe."

"Should we go star-gazing tonight?" Ema suggested in glee, smiling towards her with a smile impossible for Rin to resist. "Please?"

Rin shook her head with a chuckle, "Why not?"

"It's settled then!"

***

The vending machine dinged mechanically before a can dropped down from the display with a loud clank. Rin kneeled down to pick the frosted beverage from the machine. She picked up her coins of change before popping the tab of the can open. She gulped down the drink, savoring the coldness that washed down her flushed cheeks.

"Excuse me,"

Rin scooted to the side to give space for the next user, leaning against the wall next to the vending machine. She cradled the freezing can on her hand and once or twice pressing it against her warm cheeks. The person occupied by choosing a drink to by smiled at the scene, before tapping a hand against her head.

"Cute."

Rin jumped back, hitting her shoulders against the wall in process. Natsume hurried to her aid and grabbed her shoulders gently in concern. Natsume sighed in relief once the girl confirmed that she was fine.

"You surprised me."

"Really? But I greeted you before though," Natsume replied in confusion.

"...my mind was elsewhere." Rin looked away, drinking away her own citrusy drink until the can was empty. Rin narrowed her eyes at him, "you should've told me before you did that."

"Sorry," Natsume shrugged a reply, pulling the tab of his own drink before gulping three huge gulps. Natsume wiped the residue of his fizzy drink with the back of his hand, "I thought you already heard me the first time."

"Lemonade?"

"Rootbeer, huh?" Rin nodded before glancing at his can. She scrunched up her face once she recognized his drink, "They taste bad, you know, and terrible for you."

"So is cigarette, but I still smoke," Natsume chuckled, tipping the can once more to drink, "bad things are sometimes good things."

"No thanks," Rin stepped back as Natsume offered the can to her — beckoning her to take a sip, "Sodas are horrible."

Natsume chuckled at her remark, finishing his drink before tossing it into a trash bin next to the vending machine. He glanced at Rin, wearing the yukata provided by the bath with a half-dry hair slightly dripping droplets of water into the fabric of her garment. Rin fiddled with her phone and was unaware of the other person's attention.

"You should hurry to your room," Natsume advised, grabbing her arm that was typing furiously on her phone. "Where's Ema?"

Rin huffed, crossing her arms, "She went back first, saying something about making an announcement or something."

Natsume hummed in reply, "Well, are you going back? Want to walk together?"

Rin just shrugged and started walking to her room and Natsume followed suit. The inn was rather vacant, they rarely passed by any people on the way to their rooms. Silence filled the gap between them, the only sound being the quiet whisper of the wind and the rustles of leaves on a nearby row of trees — red spider lilies bloomed with pride.

"Ne, have you noticed anything different with Azusa lately?"

Rin tensed up, her steps halted for a mere second before looking away to avoid orange purple eyes — similar to the devil he brought up, "Why should I?"

Natsume narrowed his eyes, "Well, Masaomi said you were the one who spent most time with him lately, you can't possibly miss it."

Rin crossed her arms, eyes narrowing ever so slightly turning herself to face him. "Well, I didn't notice anything different, alright?"

"You don't have to get defensive." Natsume argued, giving a frustrated sigh as well, "I was just asking, Rin."

She didn't utter a reply, casting her eyes downwards with something that almost looked like guilt — but Natsume might be biased. He sighed again but this time it didn't hold any meaning. A warm palm brushed through her platinum blonde hair gingerly.

"Just forget I ever asked anything, okay?"

His answer was a wave of silence that rang through his ears.

***

Rin gave another sigh for the umpteenth time, pulling her pastel pink knitted cardigan closer to her; begging for some warmth she was lacking. The wind hiss pleasantly but it was no doubt cold, goosebumps tattered her forearms and the base of her neck. She was only wearing a white thin spaghetti strap nightgown she wore to sleep underneath her cardigan. She would be lying through her chattering teeth if she dare to say it wasn't cold.

"Cold?"

Rin could hiss at the person questioning her, but she swore her tongue stopped once she met a pair of familiar amethyst eyes. She nodded meekly, hands twiddling underneath her sleeves for some warmth. She gave a muffled sneeze in reply, rubbing her nose vigorously and she was sure she resembled Rudolph at this point. The person next to her chuckled, shifting next to her and she could feel warmth radiating.

"Want my blazer?" He gestured towards his usual black blazer that usually wrapped around his frame like second skin, now it was hung loosely around his shoulders and he was only wearing blue checkered shirt and black slacks. "I'm not really freezing unlike someone," He added playfully.

Rin huffed in response as the man laughed, quiet and careful arms wrapped the blazer around her shoulders. Rin had only noticed when she suddenly felt a rush of warmth. Azusa smiled as he draped the rest of the blazer on her frame. Rin gave a quiet murmur of thank you in response even though her teeth are no longer clinking against each other.

"The stars are really clear, huh." Azusa stated, completely focused on admiring the purplish night sky, "Why are you here alone?"

A beat skipped. "When Ema brought up stargazing into our conversation, I thought she meant the two of us -- not well.."

"Well, Ema said that it was your idea to stargaze together," Azusa raised a brow, his tone questioning, "That's why we all came here you know."

Rin felt her pulse quicken, the warmth radiating somewhere inside of her was quickly blown away by the cool night air. She sighed, dropping to her knees and sitting cross-legged on the sheet of checkered fabric thrown on the grass. Azusa followed suit, laying on his back with eyes focused on the sky scattered with pristine stars.

"I'm sorry."

A whisper almost masked by the wind rang through his ears, his head whipped into her direction almost instantly -- yet she wasn't looking him straight in the eyes, as usual, she was avoiding his gaze. Azusa narrowed his eyes, it didn't hold any anger or frustration or whatsoever yet it scares her more than the previous things ever could.

"What for?" He genuinely asked, slipping of his glasses from his eyes, taking in a breath of crisp night air, "I recall nothing that you could have possibly apologized to me for."

"Oh, don't play that card with me." 

Azusa raised his brow, slipping his glasses back on after wiping the lenses with the edge of his shirt, "What card?"

Rin pressed two fingers on her temple, breathing in a deep sigh before pushing a strand of hair back from her eyes. "You clearly have been avoiding me these past few days," Rin crossed her arms together on top of her chest and huffed, "Well, ever since that day actually." 

"I apologize if I've said something out of limit," Rin sighed and it came out like a quiet whine, "I never expected you to act the same way around me after that, too actually." 

Rin shut her eyes tightly, hands balling into a fist and gripping tightly on the material of her nightgown. She winced as a hand brushed her shoulder and she dared not open her eyes. Azusa snaked an arm around her frame before pulling her closer next to him. Rin didn't resist and continued to cast her eyes away from him. 

"Rin, please listen to me." Azusa started as his voice was gentle and almost careful, "I-I didn't know how to approach you and I know it was my fault that I kept avoiding you a lot these days -- I have a reason for it, I do really. I've been thinking a lot lately and it sometimes kept me away from seeing the answer that's been clearly sprawled out in front of me."

Rin opened her eyes, looking up to meet bright purple irises staring down to her in a way that she couldn't possibly describe; it was a mixture of care, guilt, and adoring. She could feel a surge of warmth circling from the pit of her stomach and into the night air. Azusa smiled, ruffling her hair with his free hand while his other hand was occupied in holding her closer. 

"I'm sorry too, Rin."

Unconsciously, she glided her hand away from her lap to gently hold the hand resting on the blades of her shoulder. Azusa tensed when he felt a warm hand on top of his and Rin shivered as touch his cold skin. 

"Your hands are cold," Rin mumbled, unravelling the arm on her shoulder before wrapping both of her palm around them and rubbing to bring warmth back to his skin, "I think you should have your blazer back."

Azusa suppressed the butterflies from flying out of his heart and into the air, a tint of pink on his cheeks as he hold her hand back in return. Rin jolted in surprise but accepted it anyway, looking down from his eyes because she was scared of meeting that glimmering orbs of his that always managed to melt through her icicle walls. 

"I'll just stay next to you so I won't be cold," Azusa replied cheekily, giving Rin a toothy smile before pressing their bodies closer against each other -- Rin defiantly saw a resemblance of Azusa and Tsubaki at this moment -- Rin just shook her head but quirked her lips up ever so slightly, "Well, didn't you smile just now?"

Her head shot up, "I didn't."

"You did!"

"I didn't, Azusa. Don't push your luck further than this," she smirked before nuzzling her head against his shoulders, "You're really warm."

Azusa only smiled at her action, eyes gazing back to the star scattered sky. Rin looked up and saw yet again his shine-laced eyes. She chuckled, before focusing her attention on the sky again to not let the beauty of it go to waste. 

Secretly, she still thought that somethings shined brighter than the stars could ever be that night. 

And the warmth circling around them, lingers. 

End of Chapter Nine