The day had started to heat up, the midday sun casting a bright golden hue over the campsite. Laughter and splashing echoed from the riverbank, where Amber and Ayaka were trying their best to keep Ventiâs reckless antics in check. Meanwhile, Lumine and Scaramouche were strolling leisurely, enjoying the moment of calm in the midst of the chaos.
As they approached the river, Lumine heard a rustling behind them but didnât have time to turn before a sudden force shoved Scaramouche into the water.
âScaramouche!â Lumine shouted, her eyes widening in surprise.
Scaramoucheâs yelp echoed as he flailed briefly in the river before regaining his balance, standing in the shallow water. He looked up, his soaked hair clinging to his face, his usual composure nowhere to be found.
"Who the hell did that?" he snarled, his eyes scanning the riverbank in annoyance.
Lumine spun around to find Aether, who was leaning casually against a nearby tree, a grin plastered on his face.
"Oops," Aether said, raising his hands in mock innocence. "Guess I didnât see you there, Scaramouche. My bad."
Scaramouche glared at him, his fingers twitching as if he were considering making a move. But before he could, Aether walked past him, casually sitting down next to Lumine with a smug look on his face.
"I canât believe you did that," Lumine said, crossing her arms and shooting her twin a disapproving look. "Heâs not a kid, Aether."
Aether merely shrugged, unbothered. "Heâs fine. Look at him."
Scaramoucheâs soaked form stood in the river, glaring daggers at Aether. His usual sharp words were replaced with a quiet growl. "Youâre dead, Blondie."
Lumine couldnât help the snort of laughter that escaped her, quickly covering her mouth. âAether, seriously, that was uncalled for.â
Aether, now sitting beside her, glanced over at Scaramouche with a smirk. âIâm just making sure he doesnât get too comfortable. Heâs been far too smug lately.â
Scaramouche crossed his arms, standing in the water with his drenched clothes sticking to his form. He looked absolutely furious but didnât move to retaliate, likely due to the onlookers at the bank. Instead, he glared at Aether.
âAether, youâre such aâ¦â
Lumine chuckled, unable to hold back. âDonât say it,â she warned, her voice slightly amused. âHeâs still my brother, Scaramouche.â
âI donât care,â Scaramouche muttered under his breath, but his usual sharp tone was noticeably dulled by his soaked state. âThis is so embarrassingâ¦â
Aether leaned back and nonchalantly patted the spot beside him on the log. "Come on, Scaramouche. You could use some company." He grinned sarcastically, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I apologize for bumping into you⦠accidently. It wasnât intentional, I swear."
Scaramouche narrowed his eyes at him. "Oh, Iâm sure." He took one slow, deliberate step forward, his foot splashing in the water as he stared at Aether.
Lumine sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You two seriously need to get along."
But Aether only leaned closer to Lumine, ignoring Scaramoucheâs intense gaze. âYouâre right, weâre not exactly best friends. Butâ¦â His eyes twinkled with an unspoken challenge. "I think Scaramouche's the only one who hasnât realized Iâm just looking out for you."
Scaramouche, now thoroughly annoyed, opened his mouth to retort, but Lumineâs calm voice interrupted him.
"Stop it, Aether."
She turned her attention back to Scaramouche, her expression softening. âAre you okay?â
Scaramouche shifted, seemingly trying to shake off the water clinging to him, but the wet clothes werenât helping much. âIâm fine.â His voice wasnât as sharp as before, more subdued and embarrassed. "Itâs just⦠annoying."
Lumine let out a soft laugh and then reached into her bag, pulling out a towel. She tossed it over to Scaramouche with a kind smile.
âHere, you can dry off a bit.â
He blinked at her in surprise but caught the towel with a deft motion. âThanks,â he muttered, turning away slightly as he started to dry his face.
Aether, still sitting next to Lumine, grinned widely. "Well, at least we know the cat canât swim."
Scaramoucheâs head snapped up, eyes narrowed. âYouâre lucky Iâm not in the mood to turn you into a rat.â
Lumine shook her head, clearly trying to suppress another laugh. "Scaramoucheâ¦"
But her gaze softened as she looked between her brother and Scaramouche. Aetherâs grin faltered slightly when he noticed her thoughtful expression.
âI know you two donât get along,â she said quietly, âbut could you at least try to respect each other for me?â
Scaramouche and Aether exchanged one last heated glare before both looked away, their silent tension hanging between them. Finally, Scaramouche spoke, his voice low.
âFine. Iâll behave.â He glared at Aether. âFor now.â
Aether, not missing a beat, raised his hands in mock surrender. âGood. Because I donât want to hear any more complaints.â
Lumine sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. Despite everything, she was glad that, for the moment at least, the two could coexist.
But just as the awkward silence stretched on, the sound of Ventiâs loud voice rang out, causing the moment to shatter.
"HEY! I swear I just saw a giant fish jump out of the water! Everyone, come here!â
Lumine rolled her eyes, glancing at Scaramouche and Aether, both of whom groaned in unison.
âHere we go again,â Scaramouche muttered.