Alte Liebe Rostet Nicht

Friends

When it comes to free time... Honestly, all of Knights were wondering where Izumi was going these days. Whenever training finishes he seems to be in a hurry, changing in a hurry and running out of the room. Or when other work was over, he was just in a rush. Sometimes each of the members had spotted him in a hurry during regular staff's break time, as if wanting to not waste even a second. None of them had asked however, never having had the chance. Though that was not the weirdest thing in the world to them, no.

If they were completely honest, he seems a little... Different, as if in a better mood ever since Nyeli arrived. This was very unusual but could they ask? Well, not before... But now was the chance, wasn't it? The four had to get to the bottom of this, what the secret was for such a shift in mood all of a sudden.

"Hey Sena, what have you been doing?" Leo would ask without any hint of hesitation. He was bashful, fully honest, no beating around the bush. He didn't start a conversation to lead into it, he just said it right in the middle of the room with his usual grin. This got Izumi' attention fairly easily however, him shifting his head to the one in question. This one was staring with a certain amount of excitement, childish curiosity even. And needless to say, Izumi may have been a little irritated but there was not really a hint of annoyance, at least not as it would be there usually. It was pure surprise really, nothing else. A rare sight or a sight the group had almost forgotten about. It was something, to say the least, though none of them really minded. It was different, but in a good way. It was an expression which felt more natural, less tense... Something they've been missing for some time now.

"Where is that coming from all of a sudden?" He asked, having needed a bit to process this properly. He was probably wondering if he was really asked at this point, given the group had not been trying to strike up a conversation as of late. It might have been why, it might have been not.

Regardless, the other unit members decided to not let this opportunity slip. They would figure out what has been going on, no matter what.

"Secchan, something is up. Don't lie to us now~" Ritsu brought up with his usual soft tone yet seemed curious enough to keep himself awake at the very least. "We all have noticed~"

"Right right." Arashi nodded, her seeming to be the most curious of them all, judging from her very own smile. "Could it be that something happened between you and Makoto–Chan?"

"Yuu–Kun?" Izumi repeated, even more confused yet shook his head rather quickly. "No, nothing like that. If it were, I'd be jumping all over the place."

"Right right, I forgot~"

"You decide to ask me now because?" Izumi decided to raise an eyebrow while crossing his own arms.

"You seem a little different than usual Sena–Senpai, that's all." Tsukasa explained, out of all of them he probably sounded the calmest. Arashi and Leo were like curious kids in their own right while Ritsu was staring eagerly, a kid in his own right. It had gotten the group's attention regardless, making Izumi sigh.

"Of course, you just don't know when to quit sometimes." He even added while shaking his head, then continuing. "I'm just busier than usual, that's all."

"Busier than usual? Why's that?" Leo repeated and asked, having taken a step closer alongside Arashi and Ritsu, the three of them almost invading their unit member's personal space. It forced him to take a step backwards even.

"Woha! Hey, what's going on with you!?"

"Izumi–Chan is hiding something from us!" Arashi declared, sounding a little over dramatic in fact.

"Hiding? It was you all who refused to talk to me you know! And I'm supposed to be the bad guy here!?" He explained, a little more annoyed now yet it was not filled with annoyance at the very least as well as being less tense.

"Haha, sorry Sena. We were just suuuper angry~" Leo responded in his regular shameless fashion. "We needed some time to calm down. But hey, all of this made me think of so many new songs! Do you want to listen to them!?"

"Maybe some other time..."

"Not right now? Damn, and I thought you'd be eager."

"Nevermind that Tsukip, we still demand answers." Ritsu threw in, his gaze never leaving Izumi's. "It's something good, isn't it?"

"Something good?" The male in question repeated, a bit confused at this sudden claim.

"Yeah. Something good."

"Come on Izumi–Chan, tell us~ What could you have possibly been so busy with?"

"S... Senpai! I think that's enough!" Tsukasa tried to calm the crowd of three down, though it was as if they were not even listening to him at that point "Let's not pu—"

"It's fine. Nothing too big anyway." Izumi interrupted with a sigh, then turned to the three properly. "If you have to know... I've been meeting an old friend of mine more often."

"An old friend?" Arashi sounded genuinely surprised, her having to even ask this. "I didn't even know there was someone else."

"What? Can't I have friends outside of you all these days?" He asked, almost scoffed, not too amused.

Though it was met with a light chuckle from the woman. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. I just never thought you would say that."

"Hah? What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Nothing~"

"Right... Nothing..."

"Oh oh!" Leo suddenly jumped up and down for a moment. "Can we meet your friend too, Sena!? I'm curious!"

"Secchan's friend... Heh, could be fun~" Ritsu agreed, smirking even.

Though all of them might be unaware... That or at least one was playing along with this act. It was hard to tell sometimes. Though a proper conversation after so long, the mood became less tense, slowly fading into a state which had been around before all of this had started. A feeling which had almost been forgotten by all of them. Though they remembered it just in time, luckily. And it couldn't have been timed any better.

Hah, no way. None of you can meet him!" Izumi responded however, first sending the group into a slight shock. They were looking at him with wide eyes, wanting to ask 'Why?' though there was no need once he let out a chuckle and added the following:

"After all... You already met him some time ago."