Squad reunion V2

“1, 2, 3. Congratulations on your graduation!”

As the train left the station, I waved goodbye to my parents and friends. I still remember the day of my graduation vividly, the day that changed my life forever. I had to leave behind everything I knew and loved in my hometown, and embark on a journey to a new and unfamiliar city. I felt a mix of excitement and fear as I boarded the train, clutching my backpack and diploma. I had dreamed of going to college and pursuing my passion, but I didn’t know what challenges and opportunities awaited me in the big city. I was alone, but I was determined to make it. Life was not easy, but it was full of adventure.

“Here’s your tea,” the girl said as she handed me a cup of steaming matcha tea. Her voice was soft and soothing, like a gentle breeze.

I could smell the bittersweet aroma and fresh mint in the tea, and it reminded me of our childhood days. Days when we used to run through the fields, where the wind whispered secrets in our ears and the grass tickled our feet. Butterflies, like flying jewels in the sun, would catch our eyes and we would chase them with delight. Days when we were inseparable. Those were the days of innocence and joy.

“Thank you, Himari,” I said gratefully. I took a sip and felt the warmth spread through my body. I looked at her and smiled. She was one of my best childhood friends, and now she was my roommate.

But it wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I thought I would never see her or anyone back in my hometown again. A time when I was alone and miserable in the neon jungle of Tokyo, struggling to survive in college and find my place in the world. A time when I almost gave up on my dreams and purposes.

That was until one day, I received a phone call from her. She had graduated from our high school and decided to move in with me. She said she wanted to help me out and started her own journey here. She was like a ray of sunshine that brightened up my days with her gentle smile and delicious cooking.

“Oh my, can't say I'm not jealous of you, Niko. There is always a gentle and pretty lady to take care of you every day,” one of my friends said on the voice chat.

"Seriously dude? You've grown up and still let a lady do all the work?" Another friend chimed in.

My friends erupted in voice chat after Himari left the room.

"Be quiet, will you all?" I snapped at them. I took a sip of my tea and tried to focus on my work.

“Haha…he must be pouting again. There there, who's the good boy? Who's the good boy?" The first friend teased me.

I sighed and ignored them, focusing on my work.

“Sorry to everyone for the delay. Let's continue where we left off," our final livestream member finally joined the group chat.

Time flew by as I worked on my streaming project with my online team. Himari was probably still slaving away with the housework at that moment. Even though we had moved into our new home over two months ago, there was still a lot to unpack and organize. I also needed to quickly tidy up and improve my messy office, which was full of papers and electronics, to avoid disturbing her peace.

*Knock knock*

"Niko-senpai, dinner's ready," Himari popped her head into the room and called out to me.

"Coming."

The online meeting was finally over. I shutdown the computer and stretched my whole body. Downstairs, the kitchen was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of sushi and spaghetti tomato sauce

“Woah, it smells so good,” I said as I walked to the table and saw the dishes Himari had prepared.

“Senpai, don’t try to have a sneaky bite,” she warned me as she caught me eyeing the sushi.

“I won't, don't worry, I intend to eat these in front of you,” I joked.

“If you want to eat that much, come here and help me out, will you?”

“Okay, okay."

We finished preparing the table soon after and sat down to eat dinner together.

“Tasty. Your sushi is truly something out of this world,” I complimented her.

“Thank you for the compliment,” Himari smiled happily.

“Oh, you have a day off tomorrow, right?”

"Yeah, is there anything you would like me to help with?” She offered.

“Want to go shopping with me tomorrow?”

“I’d love to,” she agreed. Her smile shone brightly.

The sun was setting over the city, painting the sky with orange and purple hues. As a new day arrived, the city buzzed with life and energy, as people rushed to their destinations and cars honked their horns. I felt a surge of excitement as I got ready for the evening. That night we decided to eat dinner earlier than usual to prepare for the shopping trip. After locking the house door, we hopped right in the car and headed straight to the supermarket.

“Woah, you really bought so much today, senpai,” Himari talked to me at the counter. She looked at me with a playful grin, as if she was teasing me.

"Hehe, the gang back from home is coming here to visit us so it’s fine to splurge," I said, feeling proud of myself.

“You sure is unfair, I didn't get to have such a grand welcome when I first came here. Not to mention, I had to wait at the airport because you overslept,” she pouted, pretending to be angry.

"Sorry, what do you want me to treat?" I asked, trying to appease her.

"Jeez, I’m not robbing you or anything, don’t make me look like it."

'Beep, beep', the invoice was being printed. I signed the invoice and showed it to the staff to check.

"Hey Himari, wanna see a movie?" I asked, feeling adventurous.

"Sure!" She said, nodding eagerly.

“Okay, let's make a contest. Whoever can carry the most bags to the car will get to go to the movies sooner.” I challenged her, hoping to have some fun.

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that."

We quickly took the bags to the car.

"You really are different today, senpai."

"Really? I'm just wearing different clothes."

“Usually, you're not quite proactive and lively today. It is as if you had a girlfriend.”

"But aren’t you my girl friend?”

"That is not what I meant. It’s the other "girlfriend".” She said, emphasizing the word.

“What do you mean?”

“No wonder you are still single."

We quickly finished stuffing the bags in the back of the car and headed to the cinema. I let Himari choose the movie which interested her. I let Himari pick the movie that interested her. We enjoyed the film and then strolled around the supermarket, having a blast until the supermarket announced its closing time. That night was filled with bliss and happiness for us.

"You're really heavy, Himari." I complained, as I carried her on my back.

"Who asked you to drive like a maniac and ruin my sleep?"

As a punishment for my little tease, I had to carry Himari with all the bags hanging on both hands from the yard all the way back to the house. Inside, we quickly spruced the dining table up with snacks and sweets before taking care of our personal hygiene and going to bed. After setting up the alarm for fetching everyone from the airport tomorrow, I switched off my phone and dozed off.

Before the sun could illuminate the entire city, we both woke up in excitement and full of joy.

“Himari, put on a sweater. It's cold outside."

"Roger."

We got in the car and drove straight to the airport.

"It's a long way to the airport, you should take a nap. I'll wake you up when we get there." I suggested, as I turned on the radio.

"I'm good."

The city view in the early morning was quite mesmerizing and beautiful. The street lights were still on, creating a contrast with the dark sky. The buildings were silhouetted against the horizon, and we could see some stars twinkling above them.

Closer to the airport, the surrounding scenery also changed. On our right and left, green trees surrounded us while there were mountains in the far distance. They reminded me of the scenery back in my hometown. Looking in the mirror behind me, I saw Himari eagerly looking at her surroundings like the day she first arrived in the city.

In the distance ahead of us, I could see planes landing while some were taking off into the clear blue sky. One of them must definitely be from our hometown.

“Niko-Senpai, hurry up.” She said, as she pointed at the sign that said ‘Arrivals’.

"One minute, let me take a picture of the parking area.”

We finally arrived at the airport. Our hearts fluttered when we were about to see our friends from our hometown again.

"Himari, do you remember which flight they took?"

"Yes, it's flight number 7B703."

We were both checking the information on our own phones.

“Senpai, should we give them a call?”

“We arrive 30 minutes early so I don't think they've landed yet. Shall we go eat breakfast then?"

"Oki."

Breakfast at the airport was somewhat expensive, but their food sure was delicious and the view of nature scenery was breathtaking. I savored the last bite of my croissant and sipped my coffee, feeling relaxed and excited at the same time.

Sitting at the coffee shop, Himari suddenly beamed with a smile when she received the message from our friends.

“Senpai, they're here,” she showed me the messages on her phone.

"Okay, let's go pick them up."

We got up from our seats and headed to the arrival area of the airport. Himari was practically bouncing with excitement, while I tried to act cool and calm.

Clutching her phone to her chest, Himari couldn't hold back from smiling like crazy as she eagerly looked inside the arrival area of the airport.

In the distance, we saw the silhouettes of three familiar girls. The gang from the hometown was finally here.

Their faces lit up with joy as they waved and called our names. Himari suddenly switched to a blank expression and ignored them, acting as if they were strangers. They almost had a heart attack from her prank, but soon their happy tears revealed their true feelings when she hugged them.

"Everyone, put your luggage on the cart, I’ll do the heavy duty.”

“Okay!” Everyone replied in unison.

"Big bro, my mother sent you some goods," the girl in the hoodie quickly flaunting me the dried fruit package.

"Sora, can you not say it as if you are smuggling drugs every time?"

She was the only one who called me ‘big bro’, even though we were not related. She had always looked up to me as an older brother figure.

They were as energetic as ever. From the airport to the car, there was no moment of silence.

“Look, we just flew on those big planes.”

“That's amazing.”

"Guys, be careful in the back. Don't point your fingers outside of the car like that," I reminded them.

“Your car is really huge, big bro,” Sora said, leaning forward from the back seat.

"Sit down Sora, you might hurt yourself if you keep on messing around."

Behind me was a burst of laughter, they were all in a good mood, happy to be reunited with us. I too smiled and felt a surge of nostalgia. They were my childhood friends, and we had shared so many memories together. I hadn’t seen them since I left, but they hadn’t changed much. They were still the same sweet and silly girls I knew and adored.

My eyes suddenly filled with tears. I wiped away the tears of nostalgia and focused on driving.

"We're here, girls," Himari announced as we pulled up to our house.

The automatic door opened and revealed a spacious and modern home.

“Woah, Niko’s house looks so big in real life,” one of the girls said, impressed.

“Nee-chan, Nitori, look! He even has his own swimming pool,” Sora directed everyone's glaze at the pool area.

"It's still early, you guys can go for a swim if you want," parking the car, I suggested.

“Let’s!” All four of them said in unison.

They grabbed their luggage and swiftly ran inside, excited to change into their swimsuits.

I locked the car and followed them. I wanted to make sure they settled in comfortably.

"Himari, can you help me prepare fruit for everyone?" I asked her as we entered the kitchen.

"No problem!" She said, smiling.

“I’ll…I’ll help too,” said Mio, the girl in the beautiful white dress.

She was Sora’s big sister, and she was very shy most of the time. She rarely spoke up or joined in the conversation. But we all found her adorable and secretly agreed to list her in the “Endangered cute creature” book that we made up when we were kids.

Sora couldn’t wait to dive into the pool. She didn’t bother with changing into her swimsuit and dove right into the water, making a big splash.

“Ohhh Waaa, this must be heaven.”

She swam around and splashed water viciously, enjoying herself.

"Nee-chan, come down here, how long do you plan to stand there?" she called out to Mio, who was looking at my humble little flower garden Himari planted.

"Mind your own business," she said, without turning around.

“Don't tell me you're still afraid of cold water, take this!” Sora said, launching a jet of water at Mio with her hands.

“Hey, stop it, you idiot.”

"The fruit and snacks are on the guest table, you guys better eat up, you hear?" Himari shouted from the kitchen.

"Roger," Sora and Mio said in unison.

Inside of the house, I was struggling with Nitori, the most active girl in our team. She was dragging me to the pool with her.

“Niko, come swimming with us,” she pleaded, pulling my arm.

"Wait, I still need to finish my work…," I protested, gluing my hands on the chair for my dear life.

"Everyone, let's all attack him," she called out for support.

Jumping out from the pool to flank, Sora joined forces with Himari and Mio to help her drag me into the pool.

“Oi, guys…” I said, trying to resist.

But it was no use. They were too strong and determined. They lifted me up and threw me into the pool.

*splash*

I emerged from the water, gasping for air. I looked at them and saw their smiling faces. They were laughing and cheering, happy to have succeeded in their mission. I couldn’t help but smile too. I splashed the water towards them to fire back their previous attack, starting a water fight. We played and joked around in the pool, forgetting about everything else.

My yard was filled with laughter and joy.

It felt like we were back in our hometown, when we would dive into the river or the lake and play in the water. The sun was shining brightly on our faces, and we were soaked from head to toe. We laughed and joked with each other, feeling happy and carefree. Lying flat on the floor to dry off, feeling the breeze on our bodies, the five of us were hungry and none of us could wait for lunch.

“And the last dish, creamy lobster,” I announced, placing the final dish on the table.

“Wow, so much food.” Sora said, her eyes sparkling.

“Amazing.”

“Don’t think about holding back. I still have a lot of food and snacks laying around.” I said, smiling.

"Let’s dig in." Himari said, grabbing a plate.

Everyone happily served themselves and filled their bowls.

“This is superb,” Mio said, taking a bite of the lobster.

“Hehe, glad you like my specialty,” I smiled with a smug face.

“Unbelievable, it's only been a year, but your cooking skill has already improved so much,” Sora said, impressed.

"He has Himari-chan to teach him all this time," said Nitori, the pool attacker who just organized a worldwide attack on me.

"Nitori, don't talk while chewing like that," I reminded her.

She swallowed and stuck out her tongue at me.

After lunch, they rushed upstairs to continue their sightseeing trip of my house.

*clack*

I opened one of the rooms upstairs and showed them their bedroom.

"This is your room, girls," I said.

“Woah, it sure looks a lot like a hotel,” Nitori said, admiring the room.

It was spacious and cozy, with a king-sized bed, a sofa, a TV, and a beautiful white closet.

"Hey Sora, don't jump on the bed like that," Mio said, trying to calm her sister down as Sora was just too excited to stay still.

I put their luggage on the floor.

"My and Himari's rooms are right around the corner, you know where to find us if you need anything."

"Roger that." Sora and Nitori replied in unison.

“You girls have fun, I’ll go and prepare the dessert now,” I said as I closed the door behind me.

*Clack*

“Sora, Sora. Look. Big bathtub,” Nitori called out to her best friend from the bathroom.

She had found the jacuzzi tub that I had installed. It was big enough for four people and had jets and lights that changed colors.

"Aye yo~, that’s lit!” Sora said, joining Nitori in the bathroom.

She was amazed by the tub. She had never seen anything like it before.

“Don’t try and break anything. I’ll go downstairs and help them out now,” Mio said, leaving them alone.

“See ya, nee-chan,” Sora said, waving goodbye to Mio.

*Splash splash*

“Woah, the faucet is automatic.” Nitori said, turning on the water with a touch of her hand.

“There are color changing lights too, incredible, so eye-catching.” Sora said, watching the water change from blue to green to red.

“We must be in the future.” Nitori said, awed by the technology.

“No doubt about it.” Sora agreed.

They moved their attention to the lava lamp on the nightstand. It was another thing that fascinated them. They had never seen a lamp like that before. It had blobs of colored wax that moved up and down inside a glass container filled with clear liquid.

"What a strange lamp," Sora took out her phone to record the sight she was seeing.

“How do you think it works, Sora?”

“Must be magic.”

"Agree." Nitori said, nodding her head.

"Eek?!" Sora screamed as the cleaning robot bumped into her feet from under the bed.

It was a small device that I had bought to keep the house clean. It moved around on wheels and vacuumed the floor automatically. It had sensors that detected obstacles and avoided them. But sometimes it made mistakes and bumped into things or people.

Both of them quickly jumped on the bed without a thought.

"What is this?" Sora asked curiously, pointing at the robot that was still moving around on the floor.

"It's moving,” Nitori said, watching the robot bump into the furniture and change its direction. She seemed to be entertained by the sight.

"It's coming towards us." Sora said fearfully as the robot approached the bed again.

The robot hit the bed frame and changed its direction. It moved away from them and continued its cleaning task.

"Phew, it can't get up here, we're safe,” Sora signed in relief.

“What do you think it is, Sora?” Nitori asked her friend curiously.

"I have no idea. Must be a landmine," a wild guess from Sora.

“Eh? Landmine?” Nitori suddenly looked at Sora with fear in her eyes.

"That’s right. You see, big bro’s house is this big, so of course he must have some kind of advanced security system," Sora said, trying to sound smart and logical.

“Dope. Let's blow it up!” Nitori said, getting excited by the idea.

"Eh? No way, what if it actually explodes?" Sora said, backing away from the idea.

"What? You're scared? Come on, the forefathers won't yell at you for bad grades, Sora." Nitori said, trying to persuade Sora to join her.

"You sure have the weirdest way to comfort people."

Himari called the two of them from downstairs: "So-chan, Ni-chan, the cake is ready."

She had baked a chocolate cake for us as a dessert. It was one of her specialties and one of our favorites.

"We’re coming."

They got off the bed and ran downstairs to join us at the dining table. The table was once again filled with delicious food and happy faces.

"So where do you guys want to go this afternoon?" I asked them while we were sharing cake and sweets.

The cake was spongy and rich, and the sweets were colorful and tasty. We had enjoyed Himari’s dessert as a reward for our fun morning.

“Waterpark!”. “Shopping mall!”. “Bookstore!”.

Three different answers spoken at the same time.

“Eh, bookstore? You're boring, nee-chan," Sora said to Mio, teasing her sister.

"What? Is there a problem with that?” Mio said, defending her choice.

“Ehehe, there's still time. You don't have to worry," Himari intervened to calm them down.

“We will go wherever you want. Just list them out," I suggested.

"Really?" they asked, surprised by my offer.

“Of course, have I ever broken a promise before?” I answered them.

They silently looked at me and then kept on discussing where to go, pretending they didn’t hear it.

"Looks like your credit scores keep getting lower, senpai," Himari said, teasing me.

"What are you, a finance expert?"

"Uhm, excuse me, can we also go to the aquarium?" Mio shyly asked us.

"Anywhere you like Mio." I said, smiling.

"And the zoo, also?" She asked timidly.

"The more the merrier."

Mio smiled happily.

"Niko, I love you!" She blurted out without thinking.

She was so excited and overwhelmed by her emotions that she said something that she didn’t mean to say. She realized her mistake as soon as she said it. She covered her embarrassed face in shame, wishing she could take back her words.

“Broooo, I think nee-chan has fallen for you,” coming closer to me, Sora spoke quietly as if she was telling me a secret. However, she stressed every single word, trying to tease Mio.

“Hey, shut up,” Mio blushed and angrily chased after Sora.

“Nitori, Himari-chan, save me. I'm being chased by a monster," Sora said, running away from Mio.

We laughed together. Nothing had really changed.

~

Time passed by. The noonday sun shone brightly on every street corner.

Taking a break downstairs, I saw Mio reading a book in front of my kitchen hall overlooking the pool. That was quite a nice spot where she could enjoy the summer breeze with a stunning view of the garden.

“Don’t you feel like taking a nap, Mio?” I asked her gently.

"Oh Niko, I thought you were busy with your work."

“Well, I was at first. But Sora and Nitori seemed to enjoy playing VR games, so I just let them have fun in my office,” I said casually.

The sounds from above echoed down. They were laughing and screaming as they played with the virtual reality headset and controllers that I had bought for entertainment.

“Got it. They are as energetic as ever,” Mio said fondly.

"What book are you reading?" I asked her curiously.

“I just picked up a random book or two from your bookshelf. Let's see, 'The way of flowers',” she showed me the cover of the book.

“Ah, I remember that one. Simple and cozy everyday life. So, you like slice-of-life titles?”

“I don't think I have a genre I like best. I just go along with whatever sounds compelling.”

"It seems you and I are in the same boat."

"Niko, how do we change the game?" Nitori called me from above.

"One sec, I’m coming," I said loudly enough for her to hear.

I stood up and did a light stretch.

"There's juice in the fridge, feel free to grab whatever you want," I said to Mio before I went upstairs.

"Understood. Thank you very much.”

Mio looked outside at the lush yard with a warm smile as bright as the sun. She felt a surge of joy as she watched Himari tend to the colorful flowers in the garden. Himari wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled back at Mio, proud of her work. Upstairs, the three of us were having a blast playing games together, laughing and cheering at every turn.

Scene transition:

Pulling out a book in the bookcase, quickly glancing at the cover of the book, Mio immediately pushed the book back as she saw the word "love" in the title.

“…”, she blushed.

End.

"You girls ready yet?" I called out to them from downstairs.

"All done!" They replied cheerfully, and came down the stairs.

They were wearing their beautiful clothes and dresses, each one reflecting their unique style and taste. Mio had a simple but elegant blue dress that matched her brown eyes. She smiled shyly as she followed the others. Himari wore a cute pink skirt and a white blouse that showed off her bubbly but gentle personality. Nitori had a bright yellow dress with a floral pattern that matched her blonde hair and lively spirit. Sora had a colorful floral dress that bloomed with vibrant hues, belied her boyish and playful attitude. They all looked stunning and gorgeous, and I felt a pang of admiration as my heart skipped a beat.

“Ooh la la, senpai, you look impressive,” Himari complimented me.

“You and everyone look gorgeous too.”

"Thank you," Himari said, smiling while one hand covering her lips like a princess.

“I prefer wearing casual clothes. This is too girly for me,” Sora complained about her colorful outfit, which clashed with her character.

"Absolutely not. We'll be taking pictures together," Mio said, insisting that Sora wear the white dress Himari picked for her.

“But you look super cute in this dress, Sora,” said Nitori.

"So usually I'm not cute then?"

“Ahh, the weather is nice today, isn’t it?” Nitori tried to change the topic.

“Oi, are you dodging my question?”

Everyone got in the car and readied for the ride.

“Remember to fasten your seat belts,” I told everyone.

"All done!"

The city in the late afternoon was splendid and beautiful. A place which was both peaceful and bustling at the same time. On the big streets, they couldn’t take their eyes off the tall and monumental buildings. They reminded me of the first day when Himari and I were captivated by the same beauty of this city.

On the back seat, Himari was happily answering and telling the girls everything about this city.

“Welcome to the city center,” I announced as we arrived at the heart of the city.

"WOAH!"

We spent time together exploring places and taking pictures of ourselves and our surroundings.

“Are we going to dine here?” Mio asked as we arrived at a fancy place that offered a variety of dishes and a panoramic view of the city.

"That's right, eat to your heart's content," I said, smiling.

We then had dinner at a rooftop buffet restaurant.

We walked into the shopping center, a massive building that dominated the city skyline. It was like a city within a city, with hundreds of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options.

“And this is the biggest shopping mall in the city center,” I said.

“Truly wonderful. It's like I'm in a palace!” Nitori said as she looked around with wonder.

Their eyes lit up like children seeing miracles before their eyes.

“Now it's my special gift for you guys. You guys can buy whatever you want, my treat."

"Really? Are you not going to sell your teammates out like you did in the game, are you?" Sora asked, doubting my sincerity.

"I'm telling you the truth."

"Senpai, I didn't expect you to be so cruel," Himari said, trying to add more fuel to the fire.

"Which side are you on, Himari? And since when did I sell you guys out in the game? Don't try to switch the role here, Sora."

“Senpai, senpai, do the trick,” said Himari.

As I put my hand in my pocket and slowly pulled out something, the other three looked at me to see what would come next. Good, they had taken the bait.

“Then, would this convince you otherwise?” I showed them a black credit card of mine.

“No way, he’s telling the truth. Then let's go shopping together."

All four of them beamed delightfully. Along with the excitement and the fact that they were always full of energy, it was also quite tiring having such an adventure with everyone.

“I didn't think that taking care of high school girls would be so difficult,” I chatted with Himari.

"I understand how you feel," she replied, nodding sympathetically.

"You don’t want to get anything?”

"Not really. You've bought me many things already."

Seeing her dazzling smile, I replied back to her with a gentle smile.

“Big bro, come and help us choose our clothes,” Sora called out from a distance.

"Coming."

"Look, what do you think?"

She held up a bra and showed it to me.

“I refuse to answer that question,” I answered without looking at the object.

“Eh? Your reaction isn’t funny at all.”

This girl, she sure wanted to pick a fight.

"But do you really need them?" I asked curiously.

"You wanna fight or something? What do you mean by that? Can't you see these two hills in front of you? Are you blind?!" She seemed angry.

"Ah, I forgot."

"Are you dumb?! Just because the nutrient went to my brain doesn't mean I don't own one. Stupid big bro. Go to hell," she spitted fire as she grabbed my sleeve by the collar.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

I couldn’t tell her that as a force of habit, sometimes I still forgot that she was a girl. Ever since we were little, I had always thought that she was a boy until the flat became round.

"Ho, you think so, huh?"

"Ah, did I say it out loud..."

Nearby, a staff member was showing her hospitality toward her customer: “This dress will look very nice on you. Would you like to try it? Or perhaps this set will suit your style more? This is a very popular spring collection set among high school students."

“Ah…I’m just…” Mio looked like she didn’t know what to say.

“Thanks for the suggestion. We will keep an eye on that,” I intervened to save her from the awkward situation.

"No problem. If you need anything, just tell me."

I thanked the staff with a smile.

“Thank you very much,” Mio sighed in relief.

“Have you chosen any clothes you like yet?”

“So many stunning and nice-looking clothes. I think I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything..." Mio was startled to see my bruised face, "are you ok?"

“I'm fine. 'Tis just a scratch. Take your time,” I reassured her.

"I’ll try my best then," Mio beamed with determination.

Over the accessories section, Nitori and Sora were trying on different glasses.

“This question is wrong. No no no, it has to be done like this,” Sora said in a deep voice while wearing glasses.

Nitori laughed at her friend's silly imitation.

"Oi, I’m not like that at all."

“Ah, the impostor appears,” said Sora when she saw me.

“Niko, I found a pair of glasses that suits you,” Nitori said as she carefully placed a pair of glasses on my face and adjusted them until they fit perfectly.

“Add a little more detail,” Sora took off the hat she was wearing and put it on my head.

“Wow, he really transforms into a different person.”

"You look hella cool brother."

"Really?" I tried to act calm.

“Follow me,” Sora grabbed my hand and dragged me to a nearby mirror, “there. Look, tell me if you’re still the same dummy big bro.”

"I’ll pretend I didn't hear that. But is there anything different? I don’t see much change at all," I looked at myself in the mirror and saw no difference.

“Hehe, only us girls can see it,” Nitori smiled warmly.

“Okay, let's take a photo,” Sora took out her phone and posed for the camera.

She snapped pictures of the three of us.

"Alright, now let’s change the style next."

They then dressed me up with different glasses and accessories, transforming me into various characters and personas. We had a blast trying on different styles at the store and taking hilarious pictures together. We pretended to be celebrities, spies, superheroes, and more. Of course, Mio and Himari also joined us later, and we had even more fun with them.

"Why do all the pictures of nee-chan look so shy and awkward? None of them are cool at all, seriously," said Sora, scrolling through the pictures on her phone for everyone to see.

“It was because you guys kept using me as a model and dressing me up,” Mio said with embarrassment.

“Hehe, I'm sorry. You were so cute that I couldn’t resist," Himari comforted Mio.

“Are you guys tired? Do you want to go for a walk?” I asked everyone.

“I vote we keep on going,” Nitori quickly raised her hand and spoke up.

"Me too," Sora agreed.

“It's fascinating being in a city, it's quite late now but everything is still bustling as usual," Mio looked around with curiosity.

"Oh, I just noticed that as well," said Sora,

“Everything is convenient and modern too. It's like I'm living in a fantasy anime world," Nitori expressed her excitement.

“Totally agree,” Sora nodded.

“Senpai, the weather is rather cool and pleasant today. How about we take a walk by the river?" Himari suggested.

“Sounds good to me.”

In the car, they continued to be spellbound by the beauty of the night city, similar to this morning. The car glided through the radiant avenues, where every light was a star and every building was a palace. We parked near a river that sparkled like a silver ribbon, and strolled along the lively boulevard.

“So cool!!! I can feel my armpit thanking me,” Sora shouted.

"Can you be any less vulgar?" Mio was speechless at her sister’s remark.

“Woah, there are big trees and dim lights all around, just like in the manga I read,” Nitori happily contemplated her surroundings.

"Everybody stands closer."

"Ready? 1, 2, 3”

"Say cheese!"

Under the starry sky, our new memories continued to be created as we took a picture of ourselves.

“Hah~, this brings back so many memories,” Himari said to me, her voice filled with nostalgia.

“Yeah. Just like the good old days."

We watched the three of them roaming around, laughing and chatting under the sparkling night sky.

Suddenly, I caught Sora’s eye. She pulled Mio closer to her and whispered something in her ear that made Mio blush. Both her and Nitori then gave me a mischievous look and a wicked grin.

'Oi, what are you saying,' I wondered from afar.

As the night breeze got colder, we took one last gaze into the starry sky before we joined with the rest. The stars twinkled like diamonds, reminding us of how precious and nostalgic this moment was.

"You guys want something to eat or drink?"

“Eh? We're still going?” Mio's face turned pale as she prayed for her legs.

“You sure are full of energy. Yet I thought Nitori was the most hyperactive one of the group today,” Himari was surprised by my enthusiasm.

“Nitori surrenders.”

“Haha. Then let’s go home for today. We shall continue tomorrow.”

"Okay."

"So where are we going tomorrow, big bro?"

"That is a secret."

“Come on, tell us. The excitement will make us stay awake,” Sora was eager to know.

“Does that mean you guys still have the energy to keep going? Okay, let's go for another round!" I suggested.

"I'm retreating, knees weak," Nitori waved her imaginary white flag.

It was a clear night. Our voices and laughter echoed softer and quieter.

~

*clack*

Nitori looked around. Slowly closing the door gently to not disturb anyone, and walked out of the room with a sketch pad. She sat down at the dining table and curiously looked for a way to turn on the chandelier above her.

"Let me open it for you."

Nitori’s soul left her body in surprise.

"Sorry, did I startle you?"

"Niko!? I think you're already asleep."

"I rarely go to sleep at this time. I still have to edit the video a bit more to meet the deadline.”

"I see. You sure work really hard.”

“Thank you. Anyway, does the new environment make it difficult for you to sleep? Or is it because the room I work in is still a bit noisy? If that's the case then I apologize, I haven't had time to perfect the soundproofing yet."

“No, the bedroom is undeniably comfortable and quiet. I just couldn’t stop thinking about today."

“Tell me about it,” I handed her the box of raisins.

“I never thought that one day I would see the scenery I dreamed of. The places you took me and everyone to were so beautiful, I really think I'm living in a dream. I am really happy.”

“Glad to hear that. I and Himari were also very nervous thinking about the plan for today. Fortunately, the plan worked out as expected. If you guys weren’t happy, I would probably bury my head in the ground."

“Haha, I see. You guys felt the same way. We were also worried that you two wouldn’t enjoy yourselves when you had to go along with what we wanted."

“As long as you’re happy, we’re happy too.”

"Teehee."

“Are you going to draw something?” I glanced at her sketch pad.

“Yes."

"Then let me set things up for you," I left my tablet on the table, showing her pictures we took together today, "here, use my tablet.”

"Thank you."

She looked at the picture we took together for a while and smiled softly.

“It has been more than two years since we have been able to hang out together like this. We missed you and Himari so much."

"I missed you guys too."

“It is not fair that you graduated and moved to another place to study. I really wanted everyone to stay together and continue to be carefree for just a little bit more.”

“But that doesn't mean the end, does it? You said that distance is nothing to us. Our squad will always be together no even if we are apart.”

“But you didn’t even visit your hometown for a single day in the past two years.”

“Ahaha, I'm sorry. This year I will try to rearrange my schedule.”

“Though, we all know that you’ve been working hard all this time to pursue your dream. Seeing you as successful as you are now makes us all very happy."

“Thank you. Your words of encouragement over the past time meant a lot to me. I don’t know how to thank you and everyone enough."

“Ah…ah…stop, stop.”

"Is something wrong?"

“Now isn't the time to talk about this…I…I mean I can't bear emotional talks…” In a barely audible whisper, her words trailed off towards the end and she turned her face away as if hiding a secret. She started playing with her hair like a restless child.

“Huh? You act very strange. Are you hiding something from me?"

“No…no, I'm telling the truth.”

“Very suspicious.”

“These raisins are so delicious, yum,” Nitori tried to change the topic.

We sat there eating raisins and chatting for a while.

"Remember to go to bed early, otherwise you won't be able to hang out with everyone tomorrow."

"Ok."

“Wait up, Niko,” Nitori stopped me before I went upstairs to continue my work.

“Thank you for today,” she bowed her head to thank me.

“Aww, don’t mention it. Oh right, when you finish your drawing, can I have a copy?”

“As many as you want.”

“I can’t wait to see them. Goodnight."

"You too."

We exchanged smiles with each other.

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS CHAPTER.