"Are you certain it's a good idea, Akira? We barely know him. Sure, he seems like a good guy, but we have only known him for that one afternoon at the playground and—"

It was a Thursday and the Kinoya cousins were sitting in the empty cafeteria afterschool, poring over their trigonometry homework while also chatting about their upcoming excursion with the botany club. Akira had brought up the topic of who the two of them should bring as their guests and Kenta kept throwing every argument under the sun to veto her suggestions. Not one for giving up so easily, however, Akira persisted in persuading him.

"Hey, I know you like him. Besides, could you imagine how cute his siblings would be as they scamper off chasing desert fennec foxes? Let the twins be brave little explorers, you killjoy!"

"I'm not babysitting!" Kenta brushed the girl off and continued powering through his set of trigonometry problems. "Hmm, the sine of x is the opposite side divided by hypotenuse, isn't it?"

"Who cares about finding x?" Akira forcefully slammed Kenta's homework book closed. "That homework isn't due until Monday third period, why are we even doing this right now? Forget about tangents and cosine for a moment and focus on enjoying the present, talking about love."

"Because, my dearest cousin," Kenta gritted his teeth, "I want to be the best student in our Honors mathematics, or even the best on Silver Pine, so that I could be eligible to compete in next year's Interplanetary Mathlympics. You know that, don't you? I've told you a thousand times that it would be my ticket to proving I'm not just some rich boy whose life is as easy as apple pies. Actually, that's a stupid idiom. Apple pies aren't that easy to bake, if you get what I'm saying. The idiom should be something like as easy as a pampered housecat's life."

"Yeah, you and your obsession with proving everyone wrong." Akira snickered. "I applaud your tenacity, but you need to get out of your head sometimes. That homework can wait, that rigorous Mathlympics preparation can wait, but your life can't. Live a little. Flirt with cute guys."

"Live a little as in invite a stranger and his siblings to our outing? Yeah, no."

"Live a little as in stop being so uptight and actually enjoy your youth!" Akira lightly shoved him. "You're being too cautious, it's maddening. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Akira, you do know that I'm still closeted. If I invite him to tag along, rumors would start spreading and I'm already the butt of Aiden's bullying as it is. Do you want to see me suffer even more? Wait, are you forcing me to be out?" Kenta narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"You're such a worrywart." Akira crossed her arms. "Isn't it normal for guys to hang out with other guys without any need for it to be romantic? Nobody else but me would know about your crush on Johan. Also, if anybody start badmouthing you, I'll sock them in the jaw, no lie."

"You're not a bodyguard, Akira." Kenta couldn't help laughing. "And could you stop calling him my crush? I just think he's gorgeous, that's all. Can't I admire him in peace?"

"Nope, as your cousin it's my job to turn your ears pink!" Akira smirked. "Seriously, though, you'll regret it when he goes home and you never find out if he likes you back romantically."

"He could be heterosexual, don't be a daydreamer." Kenta deadpanned. "And I'm not interested in romance. My focus until we graduate high school is to ace it academically, make my parents proud, and prove to everyone that I can get accepted to a great university without relying on Uncle Lee's position as a tenured professor. I'll get a merit-based scholarship, just you wait."

"Hey, now, who said you can't have it all? What's stopping you from becoming an academic wunderkind and also having a satisfying love story?" Akira winked. "Reach for the stars, dude."

"If you insist. But if he says no and my heart breaks into a million little pieces, you're responsible for mending it back, you hear me?" Kenta glared at her. "You'll be the wing woman because this is your idea and I'm leaving all the details of the execution to you, ma'am."

"Yes, sir!" Akira bowed dramatically. "Your wish is my command."

"Excellent. Now, what time is it?" Kenta glanced at his phone screen. "3.30 PM already? We only have like thirty minutes to find Johan and his family at the playground and then report to Ms. Smith! What if they're not even at the playground today? We haven't thought this through."

"We won't know until we head there!" Akira grabbed Kenta's hand and dashed out of the cafeteria. "Go, go, go! No time to dillydally!"

----

Despite only having half an hour to find Johan and his family, the Kinoya cousins beat the odds and Johan's parents give their children permission to join the excursion to Flaming Sand Oasis. Convincing Ms. Smith to allow tourists into the botany club's program was not that hard, either, as Akira made a point that tourists from another planet would certainly be financially comfortable enough to spend money on sponsoring club activities since "they already spent an exorbitant amount on round-trip spaceship fares and fancy hotel, therefore donating to our club would be like spending a dime to them. It's just my assumption but they seem pretty wealthy."

On Friday morning, Kenta woke up very early to prepare the bento boxes he would bring on the trip. Akira had wanted him to make risotto but he argued that "it would take me forever to stir the rice and reduce the broth to a thick sauce", but they reached a compromise and agreed on bringing miso-glazed broiled salmon with a side of assorted vegetable tempura and cold salad. Shiori stopped them just before they were ready to leave home and handed them some desserts, telling them to "share with the other kids and ask how they like my strawberry pudding!"

When they reached the underground train station, they were relieved to see Ms. Smith was already waiting for them together with Johan and the toddlers. Their smiles vanished, however, when they spotted Aiden among the group of students eager to get some fresh air.

"Uh, Aiden, you aren't a member of the botany club, so how did you get the permission to come along?" Akira asked. "Don't tell me you became a member at the last minute."

"I'm a member as of yesterday evening." Aiden said nonchalantly and pointed at the bright green cactus-shaped badge on his shirt's pocket. "Like it or not, I'm boarding the train with you guys."

"But you've never shown any passion in studying plants before!" Kenta cut in. "Why the sudden interest? You just want an excuse to get out of the classroom, don't you?"

"Young men!" Ms. Smith put a hand on her hip and stared at the two boys. "It's never to let to discover your true calling. Kenta, you should be supportive of your friend's newfound passion."

"He's not my friend." Kenta muttered under his breath. "He's nothing but a meanie."

Amidst the argument, Johan had not-so-subtly eyed Aiden as if to signal that if the boy dared to bother Kenta any further then there would be real consequences. Noticing who Johan was eyeing, Akira elbowed Kenta and grinned while her cousin struggled to keep a straight face.

The train arrived and, to everyone's amazement, it was not too crowded inside as they had feared although they had come aboard at what usually was rush hour. Akira took a seat next to Ms. Smith while Aiden sat opposite them, together with other tenth grader boys and some older girls. Kenta looked around to find a seat big enough to fit not only him but also his enormous backpack, which contained not only his bento box but also first aid kit and outdoor recreation gear, and smiled in relief when Johan waved to him from a row of four adjoining big seats.

"Thank you for asking us to go with you." Johan said as the train started moving. "Nardho here couldn't shut up about seeing Mr. Sailor Man and Ms. Beautiful, while Nardhia has been bombarding me with questions about desert ecosystem. Hey, Dhia," he called his sister who was trying to climb onto Kenta's lap. "Why don't you direct your questions to the guy himself?"

"Mr. Smart Guy!" Nardhia hugged Kenta's leg. "Is it true that some species of morning glories are drought-resistant? Mommy said there are plants that don't need much water."

"And is it true that there are hyenas in the desert too, not just in the savannah?" Nardho chimed in. "I don't want to get eaten by a hyena! Hyenas bad! Hyenas kill hares."

"Yup, morning glories are drought-tolerant." Kenta turned his attention to Nardhia. "And don't you worry, buddy," he ruffled Nardho's hair. "Hyenas usually rest during the day and only come to hunt at dusk or dawn. They mostly sleep in their den. You'll be fine, I promise."

"What about scorpions?" Nardho looked at Kenta with fearful dark brown eyes. "They bite?"

"Only if you poke at them. Leave them alone and they won't attack."

"Okay." Nardho clung tighter to his older brother, who chuckled softly. "Scorpions bad too."

"The only predators you need to worry about in Flaming Sand Oasis is the horned viper, a species of rattlesnake." Kenta explained. "I won't let you get bitten, though. I've studied what plants they can most often be found hanging around and I'll make sure you steer clear of those plants, so no need to be frightened. I'll keep you safe."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?" Nardho held up a pinky finger and Johan shook his head.

"Cross my heart." Kenta linked his pinky finger with Nardho's. "No harm's coming your way."

---

An hour and several minutes later, the underground train came to a halt and the overhead sign on the railway platform read "Welcome to Mizunotori, Your Top Destination for Desert Adventure". The students and other passengers waited patiently until the automatic train doors opened, revealing a huge station bustling with travelers, backpackers, office workers hurrying to their next stops, and all sort of commuters filling the space like sardines in a can.

"Don't get separated, kids!" Ms. Smith said as she led the group down an escalator. "Our destination is just around seven minutes from here, give or take. Keep on walking and be careful as you cross the roads! Watch for incoming traffic."

"May I hold your hand?" Nardho asked Kenta as they hopped off the escalator and onto the busy main road. "I don't want to get lost in a sea of people and Johan is already holding Nardhia."

"Of course, buddy." Kenta took Nardho's hand. "Watch your step. Good boy."

"Look at you, being a babysitter." Aiden jeered as he passed them. "Daddy doesn't give you enough pocket money? Is that why you're working like a lowly commoner?"

"He's not my babysitter!" Nardho hissed at Aiden. "Kenta Onii-chan is my big bro's cool friend and I like him. Why do you not like him? Oh, I remember you! Mr. Gut Punch!"

"Ha!" Akira giggled as she overheard the banter. "Even the kiddo knows you're a bad person, Aiden. And for your information, Kenta doesn't need pocket money, he has his own money from tutoring younger students in botany club, so shut your trap. He's amazing, unlike you."

"If he's amazing, why doesn't he have a girlfriend?" Aiden scoffed. "He's lame."

"He isn't defined by who he is or isn't dating!" Akira snapped. "He's free not to date anyone."

"I'm watching you, Kenta." Aiden made a V-sign back and forth gesture before disappearing among the rest of the student body. "You have a secret and I'll figure out what it is. I'll figure out why you haven't dated any girl yet. Mark my words."

"My big bro doesn't have a girlfriend too." Nardho reassured Kenta. "And I think that's okay. If he has a girlfriend he won't have time to play with me and Dhia, so I'm happy he's single."

"Ignore Aiden, Kenta." Akira patted him on the back. "He's just being a dick."

---

The paved streets turned into sandy soil littered with dead grasses and a few black vultures flew above a long wooden bridge connecting the electric car-filled side of the street with the field of sand dunes on the other side. Cautiously, the East Hinotori High students and their guests crossed the bridge, all the while marveling at the flying black vultures' shiny feathers.

"Do they eat carrions?" Nardho asked Kenta as they watched the birds circled around what appeared to be a dead kangaroo rat. "They're like bottom feeders of the desert, aren't they?"

"Someone has been reading his encyclopedia!" Kenta snorted. "Yep, that's correct."

"Don't they get sick from eating dead animals?" Nardho wondered aloud. "Germs. Ew."

"I heard their stomachs are lined with a type of acid that kills diseases so that they don't get sick from eating rotting flesh." Kenta answered. "That's what my uncle told me. Those vultures have strong immune system. I find them terrifying, honestly, but also mystifying."

"We're here, everyone!" Ms. Smith's excited announcement put Kenta and Nardho's chatter to a stop. "Feel free to roam around but remember, by 2.15 PM we'll meet back at the bridge."

"Roger that!" Akira and Kenta gave their teacher a thumbs up.

"Hey, Kinoya-san, what should we check out first?" Johan approached Kenta with Nardhia trailing behind. "My sister has been babbling about seeing a kitsune-tanuki hybrid. Is that real? What is tanuki and what is kitsune? I didn't get what she was saying amidst the street noises."

"A kitsune is a fox and a tanuki is a raccoon dog. I think your sister was referring to the Tanusune, a species of terrestrial carnivore that was developed centuries ago when scientists hybridized coyotes with weasels." Kenta said. "Tanusune is a protected species and I'm not sure if we can find many of them in the wilderness since their numbers have dwindled since the 2590s, at least according to what my uncle and his colleagues know, but maybe we'll see one."

"Is that a Tanusune?" Nardhia yelled and pointed at an animal with bushy grey tail, huge yellow eyes, long snout, and semi-circle tiny ears. "Tanusune, wait for me! I wanna pet you!" She sprinted toward the unsuspecting mammal before Johan could forbid her from running.

"Nardhia, come back, that area could be dangerous!" Kenta chased after her. "Akira, help me catch her before she collided into a wild cranberry bush. Bring the first aid kit too."

The cousins followed the energetic little girl as she went on a hunt for the Tanusune. As Kenta had predicted, Nardhia bumped onto a cranberry bush. She tried to get up but screamed in pain and fell backward. A large, brown-striped snake slithered past her, hissing, and she was left crying for Johan and Nardho, who rushed to her side and gave her a tight hug while Kenta made sure the giant snake wouldn't return and that the Tanusune did not cross path with it.

"Nardhia!" Akira crouched down next to the crying girl and inspected her feet. "Your ankle is swollen. Lie still. Is it numb? Do you feel nauseous?"

"It hurts!" Nardhia sobbed. "It hurts so badly. Am I gonna die, Onee-chan?"

"No, you'll be okay. We have the antidote." Akira opened the first aid kit and pulled out a vial of transparent liquid. "Be sure to thank Kenta later for always being prepared for accident and for his knowledge of healing herbs. This is a serum made from garlic skins, papaya sap, caper, violet sunflower, and petunia. Those plants have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties."

"It stings and it smells funky." Nardhia sniffled. "It smells like rotten eggs."

"Yep, but it's gonna make you feel better." Kenta said as he returned from securing the perimeter against anymore venomous reptiles. "A year or so ago, our family's cat was bitten by a snake quite similar to the one we saw earlier and this concoction saved her life. It can take a while to work, though, so why don't we eat lunch while the antidote is doing its job?"

"Lunch time!" Nardho bounced in place. "Mommy packed us kokoda. You should try!"

"What is kokoda? Some culinary delicacy from your home planet?" Kenta asked.

"It's a Papua New Guinean specialty our mom is proud of." Johan replied. "It is basically white fish marinated with coconut, citrus, onion, and coriander leaves. It's traditionally made with mahi-mahi but mom couldn't find any in the market this week so she substituted it with snapper. I know, you're thinking why we still bother to cook when we can just go to restaurants or cafes. It's because Nardho and Nardhia are finicky about eating new foods."

"I see. Well, I don't suppose they want my mother's strawberry pudding, then?" Kenta asked.

"Pudding?" Nardhia had stopped crying and perked up at the mention of the sweet treat. "I love pudding. Tell your mother a gazillion of thanks! Yeayyy pudding!"

"Your sister is easy to please." Akira said to Johan. "I wish I have a sister like her."

"You don't have any sibling?" Nardho asked. "You can be our big sister! You're Johan's age, right? He's sixteen, how old are you?"

"I'm fourteen going on fifteen." Akira held up four fingers on her right hand and one finger on another. "My birthday is at the end of this month. Hey, maybe you three can come celebrate."

"Well, I'll have to ask dad about it." Johan scratched his head. "We have some places still on our bucket list and he is eager to cross everything on the list, but I hope he will say yes."

"No pressure." Akira said. "I haven't talked to my parents about making new friends, either."

"What are your parents like?" Johan asked. "Are they strict and have traditional values?"

"Define traditional." Akira chortled. "I mean, they do insist my cousin and I hold onto our Japanese roots but they're not like super strict with us or unaffectionate or believe in corporeal punishment. Their disciplining style is more reward-based and they shower us with praises."

"Sounds fun." Johan sighed. "My parents believe in physical punishment. My siblings and I got spanked growing up if we were naughty. I'm kinda scared of dad, honestly."

"Oh well, nothing you can do while you're still living under their roof." Kenta shrugged. "But you're going to college soon, right? Are you going to one in Black Elm?"

"I'm actually thinking of applying to one in Red Sycamore. Blue Orchid University of Xenobiology. Ever heard of it? I wanna major in something that allows me to help animals."

"Heard of it? Man, my uncle is a professor there. Well, he's on a leave of absence for now but plans to go back to teaching next year. Hey, what's your favorite animal?"

"I should say birds of paradise because of its cultural significance to Papua New Guineans." Johan laughed. "But no, I love butterflies. Butterflies remind me of freedom but also beauty after a hardship. Like, they go through a metamorphosis and spend time in a cocoon."

"I believe one day you'll be free from your dad's spanking or whatever it is you want to escape from." Kenta said. "And perhaps I'll attend the same college you're dreaming of."

"It would be so nice to see you in Blue Orchid." Johan nodded. "You're going there too, Akira?"

"I-I haven't made up my mind." Akira stammered. "I don't even know what I'm gonna major in. I'm not as future-oriented as my cousin is, unfortunately. I don't know what I should pursue."

"Don't stress." Johan shook his head. "You still have a couple of years to decide."

"It's just that... My mom is dying and I'm afraid she's gonna pass away before I can show her what I really enjoy doing. If she dies, I want her to die knowing her daughter has chosen a good path to walk on." Akira bit her lower lip. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad."

"No, it's okay, we're friends now and friends support each other." Johan said. "I'm sure your mom is gonna be proud of you no matter what you end up choosing to do."

----

The excursion finally came to an end and the tired but happy students trudged their way back to the train station. Ms. Smith had heard about Nardhia's encounter with the snake and commended Kenta and Akira for thinking fast on their feet and staying calm in the middle of an incident.

"That little girl could have lost a leg if not for you guys." Ms. Smith had said. "I'm so glad she wouldn't have to have her leg amputated. She's so young and full of energy."

"Mom is gonna kill me if she finds out about this." Johan hung his head once the teacher was out of earshot. "She acts like she doesn't care much about Nardhia, her being the middle child, but trust me when I say mom does care more than what meet the eyes."

"It's not your fault, big bro." Nardhia squeezed his hand. "I was the one who acted carelessly."

"It's my fault too." Nardho chimed in. "We're twins, we should've stayed by each other's side."

"It was an accident." Kenta argued. "No one is to blame. And Johan, I'm sure it's gonna be alright. Your mom might get mad but eventually what's important is ensuring Nardhia is okay. Bring her to a clinic just to be safe. I'm confident in my antidote but I'm no doctor."

"The train is arriving!" Akira pointed at the railway. "I hope it's like this morning, not crowded."

---

Unfortunately for Akira and her classmates, the train was crowded. Surprisingly, though, she did find a row of four empty seats, with the seat in the middle being bigger than the rest.

"You guys should share a seat." Akira said to Johan and Kenta. "The twins could take the other two seats. Don't worry about me, I think I can stand. It's just an hour ride, I'll manage."

"No, if anyone has to stand, it's me. What kind of guy would I be if I let a girl stand on the train? No, take my seat!" Johan offered. Nardho, however, protested and wanted him to sit down with Kenta because "friends sit with each other. We can all be squeezed together, Nardhia and I are small enough to fit onto either of your laps and Akira can have the seat next to us."

"Hey, mind if I take that seat by the windows?" Aiden appeared out of the blue. "It seems to be the last unoccupied seat left on this section of the train. Please?"

"He said please!" Akira stared at Aiden wide-eyed. "So he does have manners, huh?"

"Since you asked nicely, yep." Kenta said. "By the way, what did you do when we all went our own ways to explore the desert? I didn't see you with any animal."

"I sneaked away from the group." Aiden said. "I had to see someone in uptown Mizunotori."

"Someone who? A long distance girlfriend?" Akira snickered. "You missed a learning opportunity, not to mention that if Ms. Smith finds out you'll be in a huge trouble."

"None of your business." Aiden turned his back against Akira and laid his head on the arm rest. Akira did not press him on the matter but she thought she saw his body slightly trembled.

Is he holding back a tear? Maybe I was being insensitive, she wondered. Maybe my joke was too much. Boys his age, it should be normal for them to miss their girlfriends.

"Aiden, I'm sorry. Look, if you really want to see your girlfriend that badly I can—"

"I told you it's not a girlfriend!" Aiden snarled but his eyes were watery. "And if you snitch I'm gonna make you regret you were ever born. Don't be nosy."

"We might not be friends, Aiden, but I hate to see anyone hurting, even an enemy." Akira said. "I was raised to be kind to those hurting. So, if you ever need help with whatever it is that saddens you, you can come to me or Kenta. We won't care that you weren't nice to us."

"As if." Aiden scoffed. "I don't need to be pitied by rich snobs like your entire family."

"You're unbelievable." Akira sighed. "Oy, Kenta, say something, he's insulting our—"

Akira smiled as she realized Kenta was falling asleep, his head on Johan's shoulder while the twins snuggled up against his chest. The four of them looked so peaceful in their sleep.

"Your cousin's a homosexual or something?" Aiden suddenly opened his mouth after ignoring Akira for the past couple minutes. "He likes this Johan guy, doesn't he? I can tell."

"Look, his sexual orientation is not for us to speculate on." Akira said. "Whether or not he's gay is nobody's business but his alone. Can't you just respect him?"

"This is gonna be a juicy story!" Aiden pulled a camera out of his bag. "Wait until I submit a picture to the school magazine. Scandalous. The golden boy, the teacher's pet, is gay."

"Stop snapping photos!" Akira rose from her seat and tried to snatch Aiden's camera away. "Delete that immediately! You have no right to photograph them without their permission."

Aiden's camera fell to the floor and the lens cracked. He glared at Akira and the girl glared back.

"I can sue you for property damage but you're rich, it's not gonna be a big deal for you." Aiden said, his eyes reflected disgust. "I'm gonna do something much worse, you'll see."