#sunsale

"Alright, Agent York. We've had our fun, but I think it's about time we wrap it up," Emily said as she pushed back the damp strands of hair from her forehead. Her feet kicked lazily back and forth in the lake below. It was a particularly sweltering day for Greenvale, without a single cloud in the sky, but it made the water refreshingly cool.

"So soon?" York, who had been standing waist-deep in the lake, turned to look in her direction. "Weren't you the one who proposed the idea of swimming in the first place? You seemed so pleased when I accepted. I don't think I would have bothered changing into a bathing suit if I knew we would only be here all of ten minutes."

"I wasn't so pleased..." she said. "It's just... been a long time since I've had someone else swim with me."

He raised an eyebrow at her curiously. "That's surprising to hear. Is there a reason?"

Emily scoffed. "Who would I ask? Thomas doesn't like swimming, and I think it would be too weird to be around George in a swimsuit." She sighed, picked up a small rock, and then skipped it across the lake's surface. "And that's it. I don't really have any other friends."

"Quality over quantity," York shrugged. "It's only been me and Zach for most of my life, but I've never been lonely."

"Yeah, but some things just aren't the same by yourself. Swimming, for instance. Sure, I can do it on my own, but it's not as fun as when you have someone there to splash you."

"You mean like this?" He moved his hand back under the water and swung forward, sending a torrent to splash Emily directly in the face.

She laughed and shook her head. "Agent York! I'm trying to dry off here!"

"But isn't this more fun?"

"Well, yes, but that's the problem! We're in the middle of a murder investigation! You may be used to taking however long you want and following your own schedule, but that's not how I've ever done things. It feels... wrong to be goofing off like this. Disrespectful."

York moved closer to her spot near the edge of the lake. "Emily, there's nothing more that can be done until tomorrow. Whether you spend the rest of the day at home being serious or here enjoying yourself, the case won't get solved any faster. So, in my professional opinion, I recommend doing what makes you feel the best. A good mood and positive outlook help more with an investigation than you might realize."

Emily looked off into the distance, considering his words. Finally, she smiled. "Okay, fine. We're already here, after all. Move over!"

He propelled himself back as Emily stood up and got a running start before she cannon-balled into the lake. Emerging from the water and wiping the hair out of her face, she spun around to reorient herself. Spotting York, she grinned and splashed at him.

"That's the spirit!" York said as he returned the favor with another splash. "Say, does this make us friends?"

She tilted her head at him, perplexed by the question. She didn't think she needed to spell out something so obvious to someone as smart as him. But as he looked at her in earnest, her features softened.

Dialogue between Eric and Junpei

Eric: My girlfriend is a good girl. But whenever I first introduce her to people, they can’t see her full potential like I can. You are the same way too, aren’t you?

Junpei: Huh, what do you mean by that?

Eric: You can’t think I hadn’t noticed it. The way you look at that girl you like. How you try and track her every movement. And try twice as hard just to keep up… To remain in her reach?

Junpei: Well you’re not wrong about that. Especially about that last part.

Junpei: I guess you and me and hell. Now that I think about it, Akane and Mira. We’re all pretty similar to each other. That’s probably how we got so close to each other so fast.

Eric: (laughs) Yeah I know. I tried to get that point across from close to when we first met. I could see it then and still do now. It was so hard to convince you after we started getting closer and became friends.

Junpei: Can you honestly blame me? I couldn’t trust you that much in the beginning. Plus I didn’t want to believe such an obvious parallel. It hit too close to home to see such desperation from myself in you.

Eric: You can say that again. In truth, if I wasn’t already so set in my beliefs and how strongly I feel about Mira, perhaps I would react the same way.

Eric: We both truly worship and cherish the women we love. How’s about starting a fan club for them?

Junpei: (Still in shock) Hm. I’ll consider it.

Junpei: It’s kinda cringe when you say it like that, but Akane is very special to me. So it would be worth it.

Eric: Same for my Mira.