Epilogue: Their arduous path toward the perfect youth begins.

***
Maegahara Shosei

After a meal at the cafe, we headed to the karaoke. Itsuki was planning for us to go straight to the arcade, but at Fumiko-san's suggestion, we changed our destination.

A clear singing voice resounded throughout the booth. Its beauty captivated us as it reverberated in our hearts. The song was approaching its climax, and the voice's pitch rose, peaking in sync with the ending.

The performance was nothing short of phenomenal, but what moved me the most was something completely different. Yukino-san looked like she was shining. It felt as if her brilliant smile lit up the surroundings. I couldn't help but feel excited for her, wondering if I would someday see her on the big stage. That thought put a smile on my face.

Applauses erupted, filling the karaoke room.

"Woooo! Yukino, you're so great! Like a professional!" Akira-san cheered.

"Hmph. I still have a long way to go," Yukino-san attempted to reply cooly, but her face was slightly red as she turned away. Heh, your reactions are too easy to see through. Why aren't they as readable when you direct your cold stares at me...?

Watching over Yukino-san, the rest of us erupted in warm smiles. Well, except one of us.

"Why am I even here?" Itsuki complained. His chin was resting on his hand, and he was looking outside the window, doing his best to ignore us.

Yamada-san, Fumiko-san, and Mitsu-san smiled in response. The difference was that the first two's smiles were wry, but Mitsu-san's was a full-fledged sadistic grin.

"Don't say that, Itsuki-kun. You're the one who invited us to celebrate your friend's birthday, so you can't complain," she noted.

"Ugh..." Itsuki didn't reply. Faced with an undeniable argument, he went silent, unable to retort. As she watched his reaction, Mitsu-san's smile became wider as she suggested to him.

"I know! Since you're here, why won't you show off your singing skills?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

"Huh? Why the hell am I supposed to sing? Whatever, don't bother me until it's time to leave. I'm going to be reading in the meantime," Itsuki grumbled and opened his phone. He was probably reading some e-books he downloaded.

Still... Itsuki's singing? I kinda want to see that. I'd suffered for my poor performances before, and I can't be the only one who has to go through that, right?

"Why not?" I asked. "I've never heard you sing, so give it a try."

And experience my pain while you're at it. Muahahaha.

"See, even the hero of the occasion wants to hear you. Don't ruin the mood by being a party pooper!" Mitsu-san exclaimed as she smiled sadistically. She undoubtedly knew the unreasonableness of her argument, but she enjoyed putting others through a wringer, so she didn't care. Still, I didn't think that would ever work on Itsuki.

"Tsk," Itsuki clicked his tongue. He sighed in exasperation and reluctantly went to the microphone.

Huh? It actually worked?

While I was standing still, shocked at Itsuki's unusual cooperativeness, he had already chosen the song and began singing.

"Only one time, okay? Only. A single. Song," he remarked before the music started.

Heh. Now Itsuki will experience my pain, I thought with an evil grin. The time of his embarrassment has now come! Now I won't be alone in my humiliation! I happily smiled as Itsuki headed to his moral and spiritual demise.

That is until my jaw dropped.

***

Itsuki's singing was downright impressive. He wasn't as good as Yukino-san, but he managed to blow everyone else away. His voice had a great range, and he nailed every note.

Itsuki smiled smugly. He undoubtedly agreed to this just to flex his skills. What an asshole.

"Damn it... Am I the only one whose singing sucks...?" I complained and sighed in defeat.

It seemed my genius plan to gain a fellow teammate in the 'can't sing to save my life' gang failed. Far from the first one that miserably flopped...

Suddenly, a phone rang. It was Akira-san's.

"Oh, sorry, I have to answer it," he said and left the room, giving me a feeling of deja vu. Remembering the last time this happened, I wanted to follow him, but after some hesitation, I decided against that.

***
Nakano Akira

Once again, I received a call. Phone in hand, I went into the hallway. On my way out, I could hear the lively voices behind me.

"A-as I said, I can just teach you if you want," Yukino offered.

"T-that's right! I can always just train until I beat Itsuki!" Shosei exclaimed, excited and revitalized.

"When did that become your goal? And also, how would you determine who's better...?" A retort followed.

I shut the door and brought the phone to my ear. I could no longer hear the voices from behind.

"Hello? What's up?" I started the conversation after answering the phone.

"..."

"Me? I'm celebrating a friend's birthday. He's a fun guy."

"..."

"Oh, you quit the last one? That's good. Normally, people only work at one job, you know."

"..."

"Yeah, I have my first day tomorrow."

"..."

"Don't worry, that's what I want. Besides, can you imagine? Yamada says he will work with me. What a nice guy.

"..."

"Hahaha. Yeah, kind of like Renji."

"..."

"...Thanks. I'm gonna go now, bye!"

"..."

"Yeah, you too."

I hang the call. This situation was reminiscent of the one that happened during our previous karaoke trip. She constantly worried about me, and her calls were a daily occurrence at this point. Well, with that said, if there was one thing different about today...

...it was the fact that I was smiling. Sincerely.

***
Maegahara Shosei

After karaoke, we went to the arcade. In the end, I didn't make much progress with my singing, but surprisingly, I did have some fun. Satisfied with that, I offered to go to the arcade. As we walked down the street, Yamada-san talked to me.

"Arcade, huh? I've never been to one of those before... Oh, that reminds me," he exclaimed, lifting his head. "I tried out that game you gifted me."

His sudden mention of my (horrible) birthday gift surprised me. I gave him one of my favorite games so he could try it out, but apparently, he didn't have a console for it. Obviously, he didn't. He doesn't play games! That's the whole point!

Since then, I've been desperately trying to forget about my blunder, so his mentioning it startled me. Who would have thought it would get some use?

"Hm? How come?" I asked. "I'm pretty sure you didn't have a console to play it."

"Yeah, I just borrowed Fumiko's," Yamada replied.

Fumiko-san's? That made sense. I remember she was a rabid fan of the game, so she must have a console to play it on. While I processed his answer, Yamada-san continued.

"I had a lot of fun. Although, I thought some o the scenes were overly dramatic...," he voiced his impressions. That elicited an exasperated reaction from me.

"I would agree if the lives of those around you weren't as ridiculous as those from the game... Do you have no self-awareness?" I asked, but my question only provoked a confused stare from Yamada-san. Seriously, was no one going to talk about how this group was a minefield of personal traumas and dramatic developments?

"Have some self-awareness, dumbass. You're also a part of the ridiculous teen-drama-esque troupe," Itsuki retorted from behind.

His words reminded me of the scene that happened only a few hours ago, and I shut my mouth. Apparently, the title of 'dumbass' would stick for quite some time... Well, at least Yamada-san enjoyed the game. I was satisfied with that much.

***
Maeda Fumiko

We entered the arcade and began playing through the various machines. It was fun, but every time we played a versus game, Shosei would mercilessly crush whoever his opponent was. He said that holding back wasn't his style and that it was dishonest. I understood his logic, but there's no need to go ham like that.

Yamada was unused to the arcade, but he was always serious about everything he tried. In no time, he made pretty sizeable progress. On the downside, Yamada quickly exhausted himself and was now taking a break.

"You're okay there?" I asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little bit overwhelmed," Yamada replied and mustered up a smile.

"You're actually pretty stupid, so be careful, alright? Most of these require too much thinking, so it must be hard on you," I warned him.

"...The fact that you are genuinely worried and didn't mean anything malicious by that is the most worrying part," he said, exasperated.

"?" I tilted my head. "What's wrong with that? I just said the truth, didn't I?"

"That was basically an insult, though..."

"It really wasn't. Simply the problem behind your interpretation of the word stupid," I replied, shrugging off Yamada's complaint.

"So you're aware of the problematic part?" he asked as his exasperation deepened.

"Aware of what people interpret as insulting, at least. But it wasn't an insult."

"Yeah, just be careful not to say something like that to some stranger." Yamada gave up on arguing with me and instead opted for a word of caution.

"I wouldn't. I know that much, you know? I would only say that to people here," I stated, smiling.

"Is it supposed to be a moving show of sincerity...? Because I'm certainly not moved. I'm glad you're being honest with us, though."

I ignored his retort and shifted my gaze to the rest of the group. Furukawa-san erupted in frustration after losing another game to Shosei. He immediately requested a rematch, and they continued playing. Noticing the shift in my attention, Yamada also looked in the same direction. A smile adorned his face. I was sure I had the same on mine.

Both of us didn't solve anything yet. The scars ran deep, and our hearts still ached. We might not be able to move on from our pasts anytime soon, but I wasn't worried. Maybe it won't happen tomorrow, next week, or next month, but I was sure. Those scars slowly healed as we watched over them, slowly closing the distance. And if they were getting better — then a day will come when they disappear. I was ready to wait for that day. I'm pretty sure the same applied to Yamada-san.

After all, not all wounds heal instantly. But that's no reason to live with them forever.

***

Yamada-san rested for some time and then decided it was time to get back to everyone.

"Well, I'm feeling better now, so it's time to go," he said, lifting his hand in the air as he left.

"So you're joining them first? Good luck," I said, watching his back grow more distant.

It seemed he had left first. Leaving me behind, Yamada closed the distance between him and the rest of the group. I didn't mind as I was sure that, with time, I would also walk alongside everyone. But for now, since I was still watching them from the side, there was something I needed to do.

I pulled my pouch closer and opened it. I took a notebook and a few pencils from it and began sketching.

It was a drawing of Yamada and the others enjoying their time in the arcade. It was the group I held dear to my heart as they ventured out on the long, arduous path to their goals. They were walking shoulder to shoulder with each other, and no matter how many challenges arose, they faced them confidently. I wasn't in the picture yet, but I was sure I would, someday, be added there. For now, a hazy, uncertain, undefined silhouette would do. It was only a shadow, barely having a semblance of a form. 

But it was still something. 

I looked forward to the day when this silhouette would gain proper form and colors.

***
Maegahara Shosei

"Oh, are you guys thirsty? I'll grab us some drinks," I said and headed to the vending machines.

"I'll help carry the drinks," Itsuki offered. I thought that was an uncharacteristic offer, but maybe he just wanted to get a break from Yamada-san and the others.

We got to the vending machine outside the arcade, and I bought the beverages. Meanwhile, Itsuki began speaking.

"Hey," he started. "Are you satisfied?"

"Hmm? With my birthday, you mean? Yeah, it has been a lot of fun so far. Thank you for inviting everyone," I expressed my gratitude, but Itsuki shook his head in response.

"No — that's not what I meant. I was talking about your dream. Do you feel satisfied now?"

"..."

I took some time to consider his words. I closed my eyes, reaffirming my answer. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, I spoke.

"No," I replied. "There are so many things we still need to do. I'm still not sure what's the deal with Fumiko-san and Mitsu-san, but I'm confident their problems aren't over yet. Besides, there are so many places we've yet to visit — so many memories to be made!"

As I said that, I smiled. It was a smile seemingly at odds with my words, but Itsuki understood everything he needed from that.

"We're only making the first step toward our perfect youth, " I added. "We might stumble, get lost along the way, and fail countless times. We will accumulate regrets, struggle and compromise. The feeling of wrongness will undoubtedly come back many times more. But—"

I lifted my head and faced Itsuki head-on as I finished my words. He had a satisfied smile, as If he was finally happy about my answer.

"—we will certainly reach our dreams. Even if our goals change countless times, we will adjust as many times as needed, and in the end—"

I faced the sun and stretched my hand toward it.

"—we will undoubtedly grasp our dreams."

My hand clasped, grabbing hold of the star.

***
Furukawa Itsuki

We had finally found our answers. They weren't even close to being groundbreaking, and our new conclusions didn't magically flip the world upside-down. They were merely many of the findings we would stumble upon going forward.

Achieving those didn't let us change the world. But it did change us. And that was enough for me. At least for the time being.

The celebration ended, and we all went home. As soon as I arrived at my house, I quickly changed clothes and slumped on my bed. I was relieved that this long day was finally over.

Just as I was about to relax, the phone suddenly rang. Reluctantly, I reached over and grabbed it. While I was looking at the caller's name, a wave of uneasiness washed over me.

I have a bad feeling about this...

***

"So? Why the hell are we in the cinema again?" I complained in my seat.

"What. You didn't enjoy our little 'date' last time?" Kato replied, an impish — no, a demonic smile on her face.

"Don't call it a 'date.' That sends chills down my spine, you creepy, inhuman, terrifying creature," I retorted.

"How harsh. Don't you feel lucky to be in the cinema alone with a cute girl?" she asked in a teary voice.

"Scared is the right word," I replied.

Yesterday, she called me and said she had something important to discuss with me. The meeting spot was the closest to our school cinema. Reluctantly, I showed up and... Well, the rest is pretty obvious.

"Still, why an anime movie?" I asked, confused by her choice.

"Oh, you don't like my pick? I was sure you would enjoy yourself more this way."

"I guess it's better than a shitty B-grade movie..."

Noticing that we hadn't touched on the crucial part, I switched the topic.

"So? What did you want to discuss?"

"Oh, that?" she exclaimed as if she had forgotten about that entirely. "That was a complete lie. I just thought you wouldn't come here any other way."

Her reply stunned me, and it took me a while to recover.

"...You..."

Frustration was evident on my face, but the movie was about to begin. We'd already paid for the tickets, so I didn't have much any choice but to stay.

"Whatever. Are you just feeling bored and want to have to torture someone for fun?"

"Geez, just what is your opinion of me? I invited you simply because you're an interesting fellow," Kato replied.

"Interesting? There are quite a few pseudo-cynical dumbasses out there, so it doesn't have to be me, you know?" I retorted, still annoyed at having a potential reading day ruined.

"No, I'm not talking about that," she said, and her smile deepened. Then, Kato added as her tone turned to the cold voice of the enigma.

"You saw a glimpse of my true self, didn't you? Even I am never sure when I see one, so I was surprised someone else could notice."

"..." I went silent. Kato continued.

"Will you help me uncover what's so broken about me, Itsuki? I certainly hope so."

I stayed quiet for a while longer.

But I did have a thought on my mind. Anything broken can be eventually repaired. No matter how much time it took.

***
Maegahara Shosei

A week passed since my birthday. I was changing my clothes, preparing to go outside. I was invited to the new year's first shrine visit by Yamada-san and the others. It was one more memory I wanted to make on my path to perfect youth. One out of many more to come.

As I was leaving, a flipped photo frame caught my attention. The photo was facing the desk, so the picture couldn't be seen. Smiling lightly, I picked it up and placed it correctly. In the picture, younger Itsuki and I were posing in a park.

"Hey, me from the past," I began speaking, facing the photo. Facing myself.

"You are lost and confused. You bide your time searching for an opportunity, and, many times, doubts and worries overtake you. As you move forward, you will fail countless times and get up just as many. Hell, your goal itself might betray you. But I believe."

I didn't address the last words to the boy in the picture but to myself.

"Someday, you will reach your dream. Regardless of the form it will take by then."

I stood up and walked through the doorway, ready to meet tomorrow with my friends. I moved forward as I left my past self behind. I began closing the door, like the last page of a book I came to treasure. Or maybe like another page in my life.

A memory I would certainly fondly look back on.

And then the door shut.