𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 | 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘺𝘢 𝘵. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

022. | ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɴᴅ

Takemichi bursted into Kana's room, his excitement bubbling over as he loudly yelled, "Happy birthday!"

The sudden noise startled Kana from her sleep, her eyes flying open in surprise as she sat up in bed. She sat up, her eyes wide and still heavy with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Takemichi, her expression confused and slightly annoyed.

"What the...?" she mumbled, her voice hoarse with sleep. "... what's going on?"

Takemichi grinned sheepishly, realizing that he had woken her up abruptly. "Sorry," he said, still sounding excited. "I just wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday!"

Kana rolled her eyes, still adjusting to being woken up suddenly. "Couldn't you have woken me up in a less obnoxious way?" she grumbled, stretching her arms above her head.

Takemichi chuckled, still full of energy despite the early hour. "Oh come on, where's the fun in that?" he teased, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to her.

She gave him a playful shove, trying to hide a smile. "You're such a pain," she said, her voice still groggy but with a hint of amusement.

Takemichi just laughed. "What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't wake you up obnoxiously on your birthday?"

Kana sighed dramatically, pretending to be annoyed."I was sleeping, Takemichi. You couldn't wait until I woke up on my own?" she asked, sticking her tongue out at him.

He grinned mischievously. "Nope!" he said, popping the 'p' sound at the end of the word. "We're spending your birthday at the beach, remember?"

Her expression shifted to one of confusion as she tried to recall any memory of planning a day at the beach. She furrowed her brow, thinking hard, but nothing came to mind. "Wait..." she said slowly, turning to look at Takemichi. "The beach?"

Takemichi's expression turned puzzled as he tried to understand why she was so confused. "Yeah, the beach!" he repeated, a hint of impatience in his voice. "We're all going to spend your birthday there. Aren't you excited?"

Kana raised her brow at him, her expression dripping with sarcasm. "Let me guess," she said dryly. "You only remember this day because you've lived it before, right? Because you're a time leaper and all that stuff?"

He chuckled nervously, feeling a little embarrassed at being called out. "Yeah, I guess you got me there," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I forgot that most of the things I know haven't happened for you yet."

Kana couldn't help but snicker at his sheepish expression. "Oh, how ironic," she teased, her tone playful. "I guess it comes with the territory of being a time leaper. All these future memories must be tough to keep straight.

He chuckled awkwardly, knowing that she had a point. "Yeah, it's not always easy," he admitted. "I sometimes forget that not everyone has lived the same day twice before. I just get ahead of myself thinking that you should know everything that I do."

Kana's eyes twinkled with mischief as she leaned in closer. "Well, Mr. Time Leaper, I guess I'll just have to remind you that I'm living in the present," she said with a grin. "You might know all the spoilers, but I get to enjoy the plot twists as they come." She laughed, giving him a playful nudge.

Takemichi couldn't help but laugh along with her, feeling a bit more at ease. "Alright, alright," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But trust me, some of those plot twists are worth the wait."

He smiled warmly at her, appreciating her light-hearted approach. "And who knows, maybe you'll surprise me with a few twists of your own. After all, you're pretty good at keeping me on my toes."