Rivalry Wars [COMPLETED]

✴️ 7 - Just Us ✴️

"Finally, school's over!" Blaze groaned in frustration as he walked together with his friends. "This first day of school didn't give me anything but stress already!"

It was their dismissal time, and the group of elementals are making their way home. Some of them were feeling a bit moody, while the others were trying to calm their nerves down from what had happened earlier during their first day of school. Currently, they were walking on the side of the road, seemingly quiet ever since they exited the school.

Like earlier, Taufan and Duri couldn't stand seeing their friends so silent. It feels unusual for them to be like this, and all they want is for them to have fun, like teasing each other, smiling genuinely at each other and laughing hysterically together like they used to before. But now, their friends just became so wretch that they aren't themselves anymore, and clearly it's because of one reason: those transferees— who happened to be their rivals too at the same time.

But they wouldn't give up just yet. Things would get better and they know it. They knew it will.

Taufan firstly spoke up, and tried to lighten up the mood for them.

"You know, if you're stressed, you should eat desserts." He stated, as he grinned at his varsity buddy.

"Why?" The fire elemental asked, raising a brow at him.

The cyan-blue eyed boy only grinned wider from his question. "Try to spell it backwards." He replied, as he let out a slight chuckle. "You'll see why."

"Stre— Oh." Blaze's crimson eyes blinked twice in disbelief before nodding in realization. He cheekily giggled, curving a wide grin on his lips. "You're right!" He exclaimed, with his eyes sparkling in awe.

"Feeling stressed lately? Eat some desserts!~" Taufan said, with a serious yet joking tone in his voice.

"Cool! You can be an amazing advertiser someday!" Duri commented, as he grinned adorably at the wind element.

"I can?! If yes, then alright! I can be an adman one day!"

Meanwhile with their other friends, they were calmly watching the trio, a small smile crept on their faces. Even though they find Taufan's line a bit corny, it still made them calm down. Just by seeing their friends happy from afar, makes them feel happy as well.

The light elemental shook his head and let out a long sigh, as he stared at them while smiling. "I don't know why but I feel lucky to have some friends in our group who would make us feel better after all that just happened in school..." He softly said, earning a nod from his other friends.

"Actually, if it wasn't for Taufan and Duri, we wouldn't be here together as close friends, or, a family." Gempa stated, smiling warmly at the said teenagers. "They're like the peacemakers in this group." He added, glancing back at Solar, then at his other elemental friends.

Halilintar hummed. "To be honest, I do enjoy their company." He uttered, pursing his lips. "Even though it annoys me 'cause sometimes they're just wild." He added, as he folded both of his arms on his chest.

The earth elemental chuckled from his grumpy friend's response. "But they're the reason why we are here today." He stated, as he curved a genuine smile at Halilintar and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Few moments later, the famed alchemist turned to look at his friend, Ais, who seemed to be so lost in his thoughts.

"Hey Ais, you okay?" He worriedly asked.

The ice elemental's head shot up immediately, facing his light elemental friend with a questioning look. "Oh, I'm alright." He replied, giving him a reassuring smile. "Just some school matters, that's all." He stated, chuckling softly afterwards.

"Well, don't think about it too much. Let's take a break from them every once in a while." Solar said, smiling warmly at him. The light-blue eyed boy only smiled back at him and gave him a slight nod after.

"Speaking of desserts," Blaze butted in between his four silent friends, a wide grin plastered on his face. "Why don't we get some ice creams first and hang out for a while before we go back to our homes?" He suggested, making all his elemental friends to nod in agreement.

"Great idea, Blaze!" Duri responded, enthusiastically. After that, he quickly went to Solar and gave him his non-resistant, big, pleading puppy green eyes. "Can we, Sollie?" He asked, with a begging tone in his voice.

The light element chuckled softly as he gently pat his close friend's head. "Sure, Duri." He sincerely said, smiling warmly at him.

Meanwhile, Taufan suddenly pounced at his best friend, tackling him into a bear hug that caused the latter to stumble a bit. "Can we, Hali?! Can we?! Please!?" He eagerly asked, as he hugged the poor fearsome badboy a little tightly.

Halilintar grunted in annoyance, trying to push his half-brother away from him. "Yeah, yeah, we can, you airhead! Now, let me go!" He frustratingly exclaimed, while still trying to remove his friend's grip from him.

"Yay! And nah! I prefer to hug you, Hali!~ Hihihi!~"

"Taufan, you idiot! Get off me!"

While the wind elemental's trying to fool around his best friend, Blaze noticed his childhood friend was kind of spacing out, like his mind just drifted off to another dimension.

"Ais, you're pretty quiet, you know?" The fire elemental stated, as he walked beside his ice elemental friend.

"Well, who wouldn't? You know I've been quiet like this even before we met them." Ais replied, before glancing at their other friends then back at Blaze.

"Something's in your mind. I can feel it," The crimson-eyed boy frowned at first, then curved a mischievous grin as he held his own belly with his two hands. "In my belly."

The ice elemental scoffed at him before smacking him on the head because of his stupidness, making his childhood friend groaned in pain afterwards.

"Hey! Why did you hit me for!?" Blaze exclaimed, his face frowning while his lips formed into a sad pout.

"'Cause your brain gone cuckoo." Ais retorted, glaring at him. "Let's just go. I heard that we're going to get some ice creams before going home?"

Blaze huffed, rolling his eyes playfully. "Yeah, they did." He replied, sulking afterwards.

The light-blue eyed boy glanced at his childhood friend, frowning after noticing that he became silent. He heaved a deep sigh before tugging his arm, pulling him a little close to him.

"Leave the ice creams to me. I'll buy them for you." Ais stated, as he faced Blaze with a serious look. "Stop with that attitude already. It annoys me." He added, groaning afterwards.

The fire elemental's eyes lit up, a broad smile made its way on his lips. "Really!?" He exclaimed, his crimson eyes sparkled in joy.

"Yes. Just, don't... do that again." Ais softly said, avoiding his friend's gaze at him while pursing his lips.

"Alright!" Blaze grinned as he slung an arm around his childhood friend. "You said that! There's no turning back!" He cheerfully said, laughing cheekily while poking his friend to his side afterwards.

"Yes! So, stop poking me!"

On the other hand, Gempa was silently watching his best friends talking with one other, a relief sigh escaped his lips. He felt better after seeing them in their usual way, crazy but happy at the same time. This scene made him smiled heartily.

"I like this. I like how we are used to be... Just, us."