They decided to go to the beach for a picnic that Saturday. Ballqis blurted that she had never sat down at any of the country's beach alone to just enjoy the day. Iqball said he had jogged along the beach near campus since the first month he stepped foot down under and found several interesting nooks and crannies.

So with a couple of bagpacks filled with their favourite food, the pair tracked the small trail from their campus' back entrance that led towards a nearby public beach. It was a 3-kilometre walk on a well-trodden, tree-canopied path, but it did zapped Ballqis energy.

"Ugh, I have to start some kind of fitness regime," she mused as she huffed behind Iqball.

"I could keep you company if you just want to brisk walk after classes or jog along the beach on weekends," he offered.

"That would be nice, but I have to invest on a pair of proper shoes. Look at my trainers, they're not made for trails like this," she said.

Iqball peered and saw that she got a pair of running shoes, but perhaps the fit wasn't the best.

"The ones you have should serve this purpose, actually, but do your feet feel comfortable in it?"

Ballqis huffed a yes, then laughed.

"So it's just me and my lungs, huh," she joked. Iqball laughed along.

The beach soon materialised. They walked for another stretch before they found the nook Iqball was telling her about. It not quite the main beach, rather, a stretch that seems to be available when the tide was low.

"Let's eat here," Iqball suggested. 

He quickly set their small beach mat and dug out his food selection. Ballqis took out a big bottle of water and offered him some.

As they ate they saw a bunch of small crabs burying themselves in the sand before the gulls could make brunch out of them.

Iqball loved the orange chicken salad Ballqis made. 

"You're quite a cook," he complimented.

"I try. I like your tuna sandwich too. I don't usually choose tuna," she responded.

"How about tilapias?" he bantered.

"I used to eat them, you know. My mother made superb gulai dish with them. But now that I've met T7... I don't know. Would you eat tilapias now?"

"I don't exactly enjoy freshwater fish unless they are grilled to perfection. But, yeah, I'm not that keen to eat T7 cousins either these days," he admitted and they both guffawed.

"Oh, you know what I heard from Micah the other day?" Iqball said.

Ballqis raised her brow but continued eating. The sandwiches was good!

"He said Mrs Jogh do not know how to prepare a fish for cooking. That's why she ripped the poor creature's gills, and that she only gets to eat fish when she dine out or bought them ready to be cooked," Iqball told her.

Micah, Aga and him were hanging out at the gym and comparing grip strength when Aga suddenly commented that he saw the video of Mrs Jogh's controversial fish grilling presentation. Aga thought Mrs Jogh's grip was enviable.

"Really?" Ballqis said.

"Yeah, he said Prof Jogh used to do all the cooking at their household. So maybe Mrs Jogh did not mean to be so cruel, huh?" Iqball said, and he sounded almost forgiving.

Suddenly his hand, which was splayed on the mat holding his weight, felt warm despite the cool Antarctic breeze.

"I know you were pretty shocked that day. Now that you know, do you feel any better about it?" Ballqis asked cautiously. Her hand rested on his, encouraging him to just open up.

The young man nodded.

"I was pretty sure Mrs Jogh had an evil streak to her, but now that I know, perhaps she was just misunderstood. Though I still would not prepare my fish for the hot grill like that!" he quipped.

Their first date went on without a hitch.

***

Their next shift at the lab was quite a memorable one. First, true to Mirna's words, T7 did seem to shake his tail a little erratically often enough.

Secondly, when T6 was scooped out of its tank and sent to the double tank, T7 tucked himself to the opposite corner of his home and sulked.

It sulked, they know, because the fish told them so.

Why do you have to remove her first? Why am I not transferred as well?  he demanded through their brain synaps.

"You're going to be transferred after three days. Don't worry," Iqball whispered. 

Mrs Jogh had planned the transfer in such a way as advised by her breeding partner. In fact she even invited all the volunteers to come on Friday to commemorate the start of the special micro project with pizza and drinks.

I don't like this, the fish whined and refused to eat.

"Shouldn't you eat so that you remain strong and handsome for the transfer? I doubt she'd be attracted to you if you're skinnier and pale," Ballqis whispered as she wiped Tank 8.

The fish stilled.

Is there a chance she might not be attracted to me?

T7's question made Ballqis want to kick her own butt yet again.

"No way. She would not have jumped with you if she didn't find you attractive," Iqball quickly saved.

The fish began to wag his tail like it did to Mirna.

"Why are you moving like that?" Ballqis said, knowing she had overwiped Tank 8.

The wag of T7's tail became more apparent.

"What's worrying you?" Iqball hissed as he mopped the floor.

The fish swam in circles, as if it was contemplating something.

Ballqis quickly finish wiping Tank 9 and Tank 10. She quickly disposed the wipes while Iqball rounded the other parts of the lab with the mop.

Ballqis tidied up the work desks and cabinets while Iqball did his turn cleaning the toilet.

By the time they were done with cleaning, the fish was still swimming in circles, only slower.

The duo started recording the feeding behaviour of each fish. Ballqis started from T6 at the double tank while Iqball took the last tank. They worked their way to the middle where T7 was still swimming and making the 'O' shape.

"Come on, you can tell us what's bothering you," Iqball whispered as he wrote on Tank 9's file.

Ballqis too waited impatiently. When the fish would not talk, she decided to scare him a little.

"We can only come to see you today. By the time we meet next, you'd be scooped out and plonked into that big tank where she waits. Are you sure you don't want to talk?"

The fish stopped swimming.

I'm nervous.

Ballqis and Iqball stopped in their tracks.

What are you scared of? The duo had the same question in their heads.

I'm nervous. I've never lived with a female before.

T7's voice rang inside their heads.

Ballqis wanted to roll on the floor and laugh.