The sun peeked through the curtains of the small but cozy apartment, casting a warm glow on the neatly arranged furniture. Aries was already up, bustling around the living room with a feather duster in one hand and a mop in the other. She hummed softly as she cleaned, her usual laid-back demeanor replaced with surprising diligence.

Aria, still in her pajamas, padded into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She stopped in her tracks, blinking in surprise at the sight of her sister working so hard this early in the morning.

"Wow, who are you, and what have you done with my sister? This place hasn't looked this clean in... months," Aria teased, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.

Aries smirked back. "My friend's coming over today."

Aria raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, a friend, huh? Is it a boy?"

Aries snorted, shaking her head as she rolled her eyes. "Nope. Just a girl. A pretty one, if you're wondering."

Aria chuckled, leaning against the counter with her coffee mug. "I don't mind a sister-in-law, you know."

Aries shot her a look, grinning but brushing off the comment as she wiped down the table. "Why aren't you getting ready for work yet? Aren't you gonna be late?"

Aria stretched lazily. "I'm off today. There's a big ceremony at work, but it's not mandatory, so I decided to take the day off."

Aries paused mid-clean, glancing over her shoulder with a mock groan. "Oh man, you're home today? You're gonna steal my friends again! They always like you more than me!"

Aria smiled knowingly, her voice light as she took a sip of her coffee. "Well, I can't stop people from liking me. I'm just too charming."

Aries laughed and rolled her eyes, focusing on getting the place perfect for her guest. Aria always had that magnetic charm, the kind that could light up an entire room without trying. People just naturally gravitated toward her, and it was no wonder Aries's friends always ended up getting along with her sister so well. But despite all the jokes, Aries never felt jealous. How could she? Aria was her role model, the person who loved her most. No one could hate Aria.

A knock on the door came a little after 10 a.m., and when Aries opened it, Sagittarius burst in, her energy filling the room. She wrapped Aries in a big hug, slightly sweaty from the heat outside, and breathed a sigh of relief once inside.

"Oh, thank goodness for shade. It's boiling out there!" Sagittarius exclaimed, her breath heavy as she held up a tray of iced teas and a bag of fruits.

"I brought enough for three since you said Aria would be home, too!" she added, flashing a wide grin.

Aries smiled and introduced Sagittarius to Aria, who gave a welcoming nod and helped her put the fruit in the fridge. The apartment, though modest, felt like a cool haven compared to the heat outside, especially with the fans spinning softly in the corners.

Sagittarius, ever the curious one, began exploring, her eyes widening as she spotted an old magazine. "Oh my god, is this an old issue of Modern Dance? I've been looking for this one!"

Aria laughed as she watched Sagittarius flit from one corner of the room to another, marveling at every little detail—magazines, art pieces, quirky decorations. Aries, meanwhile, headed into the kitchen to prepare a simple udon soup for everyone.

Sagittarius plopped onto the couch, exclaiming, "You guys have so many cool stuff!" She spotted an old gaming console by the TV and immediately perked up. "Wait, you have retro games? Can we play?"

Aria chuckled, sitting down next to her. "Sure, if you can handle losing."

While Aries cooked, Aria and Sagittarius became engrossed in a friendly competition, playing one of Aria's childhood games. The sound of laughter and playful taunts filled the room, their voices echoing with lightness and joy.

When the food was ready, Aries called them to the table. The trio sat down to eat, the comforting aroma of soup wafting through the apartment. As they started digging in, Aria couldn't resist teasing the two younger girls.

"Alright, spill it, you two. Any crushes I should know about?" Aria grinned.

Aries blushed immediately, focusing on her soup, while Sagittarius was the opposite—grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, definitely. There's this guy, Pisces. He's in the singing club at school, and he's just... so cool. He's quiet, you know? Distant, but in a mysterious way."

Aria and Aries leaned in, intrigued.

"Sounds interesting. How'd you meet?" Aria asked.

Sagittarius's grin widened. "Well, we've been hanging out a few times. The first time was when he picked up my hair clip—I kind of just decided I'd go for it. We text sometimes, nothing serious yet, but I like the chase."

Aria raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp but playful. "So, you're not seriously into him?"

Sagittarius shrugged, still smiling. "Not yet. I mean, it's fun, right? Flirting with someone like him—it's exciting."

Aries, who had been quietly listening, furrowed her brow, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. Aria noticed and tilted her head.

"What's on your mind, Aries?"

Aries hesitated before answering, her voice soft. "I think I've heard something about Pisces back when I was in school, but... I can't remember exactly what."

Sagittarius waved her hand dismissively, unconcerned. "Eh, probably nothing. He's just a chill guy."

A few minutes later, Aries's phone buzzed on the table. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name on the screen.

Sagittarius glanced over curiously. "Who's calling?"

Aries blushed and dodged the question. "Uh... no one important. I'll be right back."

She quickly stepped out onto the balcony to take the call. It was Capricorn.

"Hey, Aries. What're you up to?" Capricorn's voice was soft, almost hesitant.

"Just hanging out at home. Why?" Aries replied, trying to keep her voice casual.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the festival last week. Things got a bit hectic at work. But... I won two movie tickets for tonight. Would you like to go with me? As a way to make it up to you?"

Aries was caught off guard by the sudden invitation. Capricorn had always been polite and distant, never showing much interest beyond kindness. She had made the first move every time—asking for his contact, inviting him to the festival—and yet he had never given her much of a signal. Now, though, something had changed. Her heart raced with excitement. She hadn't expected this sudden development, but her answer was immediate.

"Yeah, I'd love to," Aries replied, a smile tugging at her lips.

They agreed to meet at 7 p.m., and after hanging up, Aries stood there for a moment, processing what had just happened. Capricorn had asked her out. For real. She didn't know what had brought on this sudden shift, but she wasn't about to question it. Her feelings, which had been quieted after the disappointment of the festival, were now rushing back in full force.

When she returned inside, both Sagittarius and Aria were waiting, curiosity written all over their faces.

"So, who was that?" Aria grinned, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Aries fidgeted. "Oh, uh... I've got something going on at 7, so if we're having dinner, we should do it early."

Sagittarius, ever the tease, chimed in. "Come on, who was it? You're totally hiding something."

Aries laughed nervously, trying to dodge their probing questions. "It's nothing, seriously."

Despite their best efforts to pry, Aria and Sagittarius couldn't get her to spill the details. Admitting defeat, they shifted their attention to looking up where to order food for dinner, while Aries remained lost in thought, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Capricorn arrived at the cinema a good thirty minutes before the agreed time, his nerves already buzzing. He stood awkwardly by the billboard, eyes occasionally flicking toward the big red panda on the screen above him. People passed by, busy with their own schedules, but Capricorn's mind was elsewhere. The raffle at work earlier had thrown him off. He hadn't even realized it was a celebration day at the company until someone mentioned it, too caught up in his workload. If he had known, he might have stayed home like Aria had, avoiding all the awkward small talk and festivities.

When his name was called for the movie tickets, he had immediately texted Gemini, assuming his friend would take them off his hands. After all, Gemini was the master of finding a last-minute date. But, of course, Gemini had other ideas. He'd pushed Capricorn to invite Aries instead, reminding him of the festival he'd missed.

"As an apology," Gemini had said, and normally, Capricorn wouldn't have given in so easily. But when it came to Aries, the guilt he carried weighed him down. He picked up the phone, made the call, and now here he was, unsure of what he was even doing.

Capricorn checked his watch again. He was early, too early. Just as he was starting to wonder if he should grab a coffee, Aries appeared. She wore a sleeveless denim dress, perfect for the hot day, and her hair was down, looking effortlessly neat despite the weather. He noticed she didn't seem to be sweating, probably a result of all the running she did every morning.

"Hey," she greeted him with a smile, her tone light and casual. "You're early."

Capricorn chuckled, a bit awkwardly. "Yeah, thought I'd scout the place. You're early too."

They exchanged some small talk, both clearly a little nervous. It was odd, given how many times they had spoken before, but this felt different. More intentional. The casual banter didn't last long, and they soon decided to head inside. Aries picked up a small popcorn, while Capricorn got them both sodas. He wasn't big on sweets, but Aries had insisted on the snack, claiming it wasn't a proper movie experience without it.

The film they'd gotten tickets for was a romance, and neither of them had expected much from it. But as it turned out, it was surprisingly good. As the story unfolded, Capricorn found himself genuinely drawn in, and whenever a particularly heartwarming or emotional scene played out, Aries would nudge him or give him a look. He started to poke her back, making quick comments or sharing quiet laughs. It was easier than he thought it would be, and by the end of the movie, the tension between them had melted away.

Leaving the theater, they were both still talking about the film, more comfortable now. Aries was especially animated, commenting on the female lead's arc.

"That moment when she stood up for herself... it really hit home," Aries said, her voice soft but sincere. "She went through so much but found a way to take back her life. It's so motivating, you know?"

Capricorn glanced at her, sensing something deeper in her words. "Resonate? Did something happen to you?"

The question slipped out before he could stop himself, and as soon as it did, Capricorn regretted it. His eyes widened, and he quickly tried to backtrack. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Aries gave him a reassuring smile, though it was a bit strained. "It's okay," she said, though she swiftly changed the subject. "So, how's work? Did you manage to sort out whatever was keeping you from the festival?"

Capricorn felt a pang of guilt as the lie formed on his tongue, but he managed to keep his tone steady. "Yeah, things were just hectic. I'm really sorry I couldn't make it."

Aries smiled warmly. "It's okay. I actually made tiramisu for you that day, though. I was practicing for work. They're thinking of adding it to the menu at the café, and I know you like coffee, so I thought you'd like to try it. It wasn't too sweet, either."

"Tiramisu?" Capricorn's voice held genuine surprise. "That's actually my favorite dessert."

Aries lit up at that, her eyes sparkling. "Really? I had no idea! I'll definitely make some for you next time then."

Capricorn found himself smiling at her enthusiasm, feeling more at ease than he had all evening. "I'd love that."

Aries beamed, clearly thrilled by the idea of baking for him. As they walked away from the cinema, still chatting, she felt lighter. And Capricorn, despite his earlier reservations, found himself looking forward to whatever would come next.