Squad reunion (2026)

“Three, two, one. Congratulations on your graduation!”

As the train pulled away from the station, I pressed my hand to the window and watched until my parents and friends became nothing more than silhouettes swallowed by distance.

Even now, I remembered that day with painful clarity - the day of my graduation, the day everything changed.

I had left behind everyone I loved and every place I knew to board a train headed for a city I had never seen. My diploma was tucked under one arm, my overstuffed backpack dragging at my shoulders. Somewhere between the moment the whistle blew and the moment the countryside blurred past the glass, excitement and dread traded blows in my chest without either one winning.

University. A real city. My passion, finally within reach.

I was alone.

But I was determined to make it.

Life would not be easy.

But it would be an adventure.

~

“Here’s your tea.”

Himari held out a steaming cup with both hands, her voice soft and even - like the rustle of leaves at the tail end of summer.

I took it from her gratefully.

The rich, bittersweet taste of matcha bloomed across my tongue, carrying with it the faint freshness of mint, and just like that I was somewhere else entirely. Back in an open field under a bright sky, the grass brushed at our shins while we chased butterflies that glimmered like living jewels in the afternoon light. Laughing at nothing. Running toward everything.

Those were simple days.

“Thank you, Himari,” I said quietly.

She moved about the room, tidying up the remains of lunch on my desk with practiced ease. Watching her, I couldn't help but smile.

Himari had been one of my closest friends growing up.

And now she was my housemate.

But things hadn't always been this way.

There was a stretch of time - nearly a year after I first arrived in Tokyo - when I genuinely believed I would never see her, or anyone from home, again.

Back when the city's neon glare felt less like wonder and more like an opponent. When loneliness and exhaustion had worn me down to something small and brittle, when giving up on everything I'd come here to chase felt less like failure and more like mercy.

Then she called.

She'd just graduated high school, she said. She'd decided to move in with me. She wanted to help, and to start her own journey in the city too.

Just like that, she arrived - and like sunlight breaking through a window that hadn't been opened in months, she lit up everything she touched. Her gentle smile. Her extraordinary cooking. The steady warmth she carried into every room.

"Oh my, can't say I'm not jealous of you, Niko sir." A voice crackled through my headset. One of my streaming partners, clearly reading the mood through the screen. "Having an adorable underclassman taking care of you every day should be illegal."

"Seriously my guy,” another one joined in, “you're a grown adult. Do something for yourself once in a while."

The group call dissolved into laughter the moment Himari stepped out of the room.

“Shut it,” I muttered, bringing the cup to my lips as I tried to focus on my monitor.

“Oh look, he’s mad.” The first voice again, practically singing. “What are you, an elementary school kid?”

I sighed and kept working, ignoring their relentless teasing.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone." Our fourth member finally rejoined the call. "Let's get back to the meeting."

Time flew by as we worked on our upcoming livestream project.

Somewhere behind me, I could hear Himari moving around downstairs - the quiet sounds of someone making a home out of a house.

We'd been living here for over two months and there was still a long list of things left to sort out. My desk in particular was in a state that I was fairly sure qualified as a biohazard. I really needed to deal with that before she decided to deal with it for me.

Knock knock

"Niko-senpai, dinner's ready.”

Himari leaned in through the doorway, peeking inside.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

I wrapped up the meeting, shut down my computer, and stretched until my spine made a sound like a bag of gravel being shaken.

Downstairs, the kitchen smelled like something out of a dream - sushi and spaghetti bolognese, the kind of combination that only made sense when Himari was the one cooking it.

“Woah, that smells so good,” I said, stopping at the table to take it all in.

“Senpai, no sneaking bites,” she said without even turning around from the counter.

“I won't, don't worry,” I reassured her with a wink and a thumbs-up, “being sneaky isn’t my style, I intend to eat them openly right in front of you.”

“You’re really bad at winking, you know.” A small smile crept onto her face despite herself. “If you’re that eager, come help me instead.”

“Okie doki.” I happily obeyed.

We set the table together and sat down to dinner.

“Absolutely delicious! Your sushi is truly something out of this world,” I said.

“You're flattering me,” Himari beamed.

“Oh right, you have a day off tomorrow, don’t you?”

"Yeah. Did you need something?”

“Wanna go shopping tomorrow?”

“Really?” She looked at me sideways. “You’re always busy, though.”

“You know I always make time for the people who matter."

“Oh, you even know how to sweet-talk now huh?” She tilted her head, studying me with theatrical suspicion. “…Well, in that case, I’ll go with you.”

~

The city the next evening was alive in the way only a city at dusk can be, orange and violet bleeding into one another above the skyline while everything below it hummed with motion and noise. Just thinking about the errand ahead of us put a restless energy in my chest.

We had dinner earlier than usual and headed out before the last light faded. I locked the front door, Himari climbed into the passenger seat, and we drove straight to the supermarket.

"Whaaa~." Himari stared at the mounting pile in our cart as we moved through the aisles. "You're buying quite a lot, senpai."

“Hehe. The girls are coming to visit. I figured… why not splurge a little,” I replied proudly.

“Senpai, you really are unfair,” Himari set her hands on her hips, “When I first came here, you didn’t give me such a grand welcome. You even overslept and made me wait at the airport.”

“…Sorry about that,” I said with a wry smile. “I’ll make it for you. Whatever you want, pick something. I’ll treat you.”

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

The register beeped steadily as our items moved down the belt. I signed the receipt and handed it back to the clerk.

"Hey Himari,” I glanced over at her as we gathered the bags. "Wanna catch a movie next?"

“Sure.” She nodded.

“Alright then, let’s make it a contest. Whoever carries the most bags to the car first gets to pick the movie,” I challenged her.

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

We carried the bags out to the car together.

"You know senpai, you are kinda different today."

“Really? I just wore different clothes.”

“Usually, you're not this proactive. It’s almost like… you’ve just got a girlfriend.”

"But aren’t you my girl friend?”

"Not the kind I meant. You should know that word has two meanings.”

“What do you mean?”

“No wonder you are still single."

We quickly loaded everything into the back of the car and headed to the movie theater. I let Himari choose whatever film she wanted to watch. Afterward, we wandered through the mall until the closing announcement echoed through the building. The night settled into that particular brand of comfortable quiet that comes after a full evening well spent.

"Man, you're really heavy, Himari." I informed Himari as I carried her piggyback from the car to the front door, both hands full of shopping bags.

“Well, whose fault is that sir?” She said into the back of my head. “You kept driving like a maniac and woke me up.”

A minor crime, apparently, warranting one piggyback ride as restitution.

Once inside, we spread the snacks across the dining table, washed up, and I set an alarm early enough to make it to the airport without incident. I turned off the light and drifted off before I'd fully settled into the pillow.

~

Before the sun had fully risen over the city, we were already awake, filled with excitement.

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

"Roger."

After the previous night's rain, the morning air had a clarity to it that summer rarely offered - cool and clean, with tiny droplets of dew still clinging to the leaves along the road. I pulled out of the driveway as the streetlights were beginning to lose their argument with the rising sky.

“The drive to the airport is still about an hour.” I told her. “You should take a nap. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

"I'm good."

Tokyo at that hour was almost unrecognizable. The streets were quiet in a way the city rarely permitted itself. The warm halos of the remaining streetlights contrasted with the deep blue overhead, and above the silhouetted skyline, a few stubborn stars still held their ground.

As we neared the airport, the buildings fell away and were replaced by long rows of trees and low rolling hills. Something about the view stirred an old feeling I couldn't quite name.

I glanced at the rearview mirror. Himari had her face turned toward the window, drinking in the scenery with the same wide-eyed attention she'd had when she'd first arrived in the city - like she was determined to memorize everything she saw.

Ahead, planes were already rising into the pale sky while others descended toward the runway in long, graceful arcs. One of them was carrying our friends home to us.

"Niko-senpai, hurry up." Himari sat forward, pointing toward the ‘Arrivals’ exit.

"One minute! Let me grab a picture of the parking area real quick.”

We'd made it.

~

A flutter of nervous excitement had settled in my chest by the time we stepped into the terminal. It wasn't nerves exactly. More like the particular anticipation of something long-awaited finally becoming real.

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

"JN512, I think."

We checked our phones to confirm.

“Senpai, should we give them a call?”

“We’re about thirty minutes early. They probably haven’t landed yet.” I looked around. “Since we’ve got time, how about we go grab some breakfast?”

"Oki."

Airport food came at airport prices, but the view from the café window made it forgivable. The sky beyond the glass stretched out pale and enormous, the way it only does at altitude or in open country, and I found myself sitting quietly with my croissant and coffee, watching distant planes taxi across the tarmac while something settled pleasantly in my chest.

Himari's phone buzzed.

Her face broke into a full, unrestrained smile - the kind she usually kept carefully managed.

“Senpai! They're here!” She said, showing me the screen.

"Alright. Let's go meet them."

Himari practically vibrated with energy the whole way to the gate, clutching her phone to her chest and scanning every face that emerged through the doors. I kept pace beside her, hands in my pockets, maintaining what I hoped was a composed expression.

Then, from a distance, we spotted three familiar figures.

At last, we were reunited again.

Their faces lit up with joy as they waved and called out our names.

Suddenly, Himari’s expression turned completely blank. She looked away and pretended not to recognize them at all - like they were strangers.

The three of them nearly had heart attacks from the shock.

But moments later, the truth burst through in the form of happy tears when Himari rushed forward and wrapped them in a tight hug.

The girls clung to her in a laughing, tearful pile while I loaded their suitcases onto the cart and tried to look like I hadn't felt something tighten in my own throat at the sight of it.

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

“Okay!”

“Aye aye.”

They answered in unison.

"Big bro—this is for you. Ma sent you some goods!" The girl in the hoodie shoved a paper bag at me the moment she pulled free.

"Sora, could you not phrase it as if you’re smuggling drugs every time?"

Sora was the only one who called me that. We weren't related by blood, but she'd been calling me ‘big bro’ since we were children, and somewhere along the way it had simply become true.

The walk from the terminal to the parking lot was not a quiet one. It was never quiet when this group was together, and I realized with something warm and unexpected that I had genuinely missed the noise.

~

“Look! We were just flying in one of those huge planes!”

“That's so cool.”

"Guys, be careful in the back.” I reminded them. “Don't stick your hands out like that."

“Your car’s really spacious, big bro,” Sora said, already halfway leaning between the front seats.

“Sit down, Sora. You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep messing around like that.”

“Do you seriously think I’m that childish?” She poked my cheek from behind.

“With Sora, anything’s possible,” Himari chimed in from the passenger seat beside me.

"Hey!" She turned to Himari. "Don’t take his side!"

The back seat dissolved into noise and laughter. I found myself smiling before I realized I was doing it - a deep, quiet smile that had nothing to do with anything I could explain.

They were the same. Exactly the same as when I'd left.

Carefree and warm and relentless and sweet. My chest ached with something that wasn't sadness but lived right next door to it.

I wiped my eyes quickly and focused on the road.

"We have arrived, ladies."

Himari announced as the automatic gate slid open to reveal the driveway.

"Whoa." A reverent pause from the back seat. "Niko's house looks so epic in person."

"Nee-chan! Nitori! He has a pool!" Sora pressed her face to the window.

"It's still early," I offered, pulling into the garage. "You girls can go for a swim if you want."

All four of them answered at the same time.

"Let's!"

~

They grabbed their luggage and thundered upstairs to change. Himari and I exchanged a look in the sudden silence of the kitchen.

"Himari, could you help me prep some fruit for everyone?"

“Sure thing. Leave it to me.” She was already moving toward the refrigerator.

"I—" A quiet voice from the doorway. "I’ll help too."

Mio hovered at the threshold, hands clasped in front of her white dress.

She was the oldest of the three - Sora's sister, and about as different from her as it was possible to be while sharing the same bloodline. Reserved where Sora was loud, careful where Sora was reckless. She had always been that way.

Still, all of us secretly found that trait adorable. Back when we were kids, we had even jokingly agreed to list her in our imaginary book titled “Endangered Cute Creatures”.

"Of course, Mio. Come in," I said.

Time quickly passed by when all of us were minding our own business.

Outside, a tremendous splash announced that Sora had dispensed with the swimsuit entirely and simply jumped in.

“Oooh wow, this must be heaven.”

She splashed water everywhere, kicking and thrashing around the pool in pure delight.

"Nee-chan, come down here already. How long are you planning to stand there?”

She tilted her head curiously when she noticed Mio still standing by the edge, staring quietly toward the small, colorful garden in my backyard.

It was thanks to Himari’s hands that my garden had become a world of its own.

Vibrant flowers bloomed in every corner, their colors weaving together with lush greenery to form a quiet, living tapestry. At times, I would catch myself simply standing there, watching - losing track of time without even realizing it.

"Mind your own business.” Mio replied back.

“Don’t tell me you’re still shy.”

When Mio didn’t respond, Sora’s lips curled into a mischievous grin.

“Aha, so I was right, huh? Come on, big sis. You and Niko haven’t been apart that long. Back then you two even bathed together. What’s there to be embarrassed about now?”

"Shut up." Mio said, flatly and without turning.

Though Mio’s words were often blunt, the faint redness in her ears behind her betrayed her completely.

Sora grinned and launched a wave of water at her.

“Catch this!”

“Hey! Stop that, you idiot!”

“I left snacks and fruit on the living room table,” Himari called from the kitchen. “You guys better eat up, you hear?”

“Roger!” Sora and Mio replied together.

Meanwhile, inside the house, I was locked in a desperate struggle with Nitori - the most energetic member of the group. She was trying to drag me toward the pool.

“Come swim with us, Niko!” she pleaded, tugging on my arm.

"Wait! I still have stuff to do—”

I clung to the sofa with both hands like my life depended on it.

“Everyone! Full assault!” Nitori shouted for reinforcements.

Without a second’s hesitation, Sora leapt out of the pool, Mio dashed in from the deck, and Himari came running from the kitchen to join forces.

“Hey—wait a second!” I protested, fighting back with everything I had.

But no matter how hard I resisted, it was useless.

They were simply too strong, and far too determined.

Before I knew it, they had lifted me clean off the ground.

My fate was sealed.

Splash!

Water exploded upward as I hit the pool.

I surfaced to the sound of four triumphant voices. Shaking water from my eyes, I looked up at their grinning faces.

I couldn’t help but laugh too.

Scooping up a handful of water, I splashed it back at them.

And just like that, a full-scale water fight broke out.

Soon we were all splashing, chasing, and wrestling in the pool, completely forgetting about everything else.

The backyard filled with the sound of laughter.

The gentle summer sunlight washed over us, warming our faces as we stood soaked from head to toe, laughing without a single worry. In the end, we collapsed onto the poolside floor, breathless, letting the sun and the soft breeze slowly dry us off. The backyard carried the faint scent of summer - quiet, warm, and at peace.

Just for a moment, it felt like we were back home, standing by the rivers we used to know so well.

~

After all that swimming, the five of us were absolutely starving - and no one had the patience to wait until lunchtime.

"And the last dish—" I set the final plate on the table with appropriate ceremony. "Creamy lobster."

“Holy macaroni! So much food!” Sora stared at the spread with the expression of someone who had entered a place of worship.

“Amazing!”

“Don’t think about holding back.” I said with a grin. “There’s plenty more.”

“Roger!”

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

Everyone eagerly filled their plates.

"So good!" Mio said softly, after her first bite of lobster. Her eyes closed. Her expression melting into pure satisfaction.

“Heh. Glad you like my special dish,” I said, probably a little too proudly.

"I genuinely cannot believe this," Sora said, lowering her fork to stare at me. "Two years. You've improved this much in two years?"

"He has Himari-san as a coach," Nitori, the very same girl who had just orchestrated the earlier poolside ambush, said around a mouthful.

“Nitori, don’t talk with your mouth full,” I scolded lightly.

She swallowed and stuck her tongue out at me.

After lunch, they set off on a self-guided tour of the upstairs, still full of energy I could only envy.

Cack.

"This is your room," I said, opening the guest bedroom door.

“Woah… it sure looks a lot like a hotel,” Nitori said in awe.

The room was spacious and cozy, furnished with a king-sized bed, a sofa, a TV, and a beautiful white wardrobe.

“Sora, stop jumping on the bed!” Mio's voice was pained, trying to calm her sister down while Sora bounced around with far too much excitement to stay still.

I left their suitcases on the floor and lingered in the doorway.

"My room and Himari's are right next door. If you need anything, you know where to find us.”

"Roger that!" Sora and Nitori answered in unison.

“You girls have fun. I'll go start on dessert," I said, and closed the door.

From behind it, almost immediately—

“Sora! Sora! Look at this!” followed by Nitori's shriek of delight as she discovered the double hot tub in the bathroom, complete with automatic fill and color-changing lights.

"Aye yo~, that’s lit!” Sora said, staring at the tub in amazement. She had never seen anything like it before.

Mio, the most composed of the three, while also amazed, tried not to let her excitement show.

“Anyway, make sure to not break anything.” She told the room at large. “I’ll head down downstairs and help Niko and Himari now,”

“See ya, big sis!” Sora called back while Nitori waved with a smile.

Splash splash.

“Whoa! The water turns on automatically,” Nitori said, reaching out to touch the stream.

“And it changes colors too!” Sora exclaimed as the water shifted from blue to yellow, then to red. “This is amazing! Seriously amazing.”

“We must be in the future.” Nitori muttered in awe.

“No doubt about it.”

Their attention soon drifted to the lava lamp on the bedside table.

That strange bed lamp fascinated them just as much.

Inside the glass cylinder, blobs of colorful wax floated slowly up and down through clear liquid.

“What kind of weird lamp is this?” Sora said, pulling out her phone to record it.

“How do you think it works, Sora?” Nitori asked.

“Must be magic.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Nitori agreed with a nod.

While the two of them continued inspecting every inch of the guest bedroom, the robot vacuum cleaner carried on with its quiet routine - gliding across the floor, bumping lightly into furniture, turning, and continuing on its way as if nothing in the world concerned it.

When it first rolled out from under the bed, however, it had nearly sent them into orbit.

Sora let out a shriek and leapt onto the mattress, while Nitori scrambled up right behind her, eyes wide with fascination.

“The heck is that?” Sora asked, pointing cautiously at the moving object.

“It’s moving!” Nitori said, watching with fascination as it bumped into a chair leg and changed direction.

“Wait–it’s heading toward us!?” Sora squealed as the robot approached the bed.

The robot gently tapped against the frame, paused for a moment, then turned and rolled away as if it had lost interest.

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

“What do you think it is?” Nitori asked, tilting her head.

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

“Eh?! A landmine?!” Nitori recoiled in horror.

“Yeah. I mean, big bro’s house is huge, right? Of course he’d have advanced security systems,” Sora said, trying to sound logical.

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

“Eh? No way! What if it actually explodes?” Sora immediately backed off.

“What? Are you scared?” Nitori teased. “Come on. Our ancestors won’t scold you just for bad grades, Sora.”

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

"So-chan! Ni-chan!" Himari's voice rose from downstairs. "Cake's ready!"

They looked at each other.

Then at the robot vacuum cleaner.

And raced to the door.

~

Himari had baked a chocolate layer cake - one of her signature recipes, dense and dark and layered with sweet filling that dissolved on the tongue. We gathered around the table again and enjoyed every bite.

"So," I said, when everyone had a slice in front of them, "where do you want to go this afternoon?"

“Waterpark!”

“Shopping mall!”

“Bookstore.”

Three completely different answers were delivered simultaneously.

“A bookstore?” Sora teased her sister. “You’re so boring, big sis.”

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

“Ehehe, there's still time,” Himari said, stepping smoothly into the gap before it could widen. “No need to worry.”

"Wherever you want to go," I added. "Just make the list."

The three of them exchanged uncertain looks among themselves.

"…Really?" Sora said.

“Of course. Have I ever broken a promise?”

A beat of silence. Then they dissolved into negotiation among themselves, voices overlapping.

"Looks like your credit scores keep getting lower, senpai," Himari murmured beside me.

"What are you, a financial expert?"

"Excuse me," Mio said, just above a whisper. "Could we… also go to the aquarium?"

"Wherever you like, Mio."

She hesitated. Then: "And… the zoo?"

"The more the merrier."

Her face changed entirely. That particular brightness that lived just beneath her careful surface came through all at once, unconstrained and genuine—

“Niko, I love you!”

The words left her mouth before she knew they were coming.

The silence that followed lasted approximately two seconds and felt considerably longer.

Mio processed what she'd said. Then she covered her face with both hands and made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a prayer.

“Broooo, I think nee-chan has fallen for you,” Sora whispered beside me, deliberately pitching every syllable for maximum effect.

“H-Hey! Shut up!” Mio shouted, her face blazing red as she chased after Sora.

Mio, abandoning all composure, launched herself across the table at her sister. Sora fled the kitchen at a dead sprint, screaming for Nitori and Himari to provide cover.

Himari watched the chaos with a gentle smile and made no move to intervene.

I took a quiet sip of tea.

Some things really didn't change.

~

The midday sun had pulled long and warm across the house by the time I slipped away downstairs from my desk to get a drink.

I almost missed Mio entirely - she'd settled into the patio chair that faced the pool and the garden, a book open across her knees, the summer breeze moving through her hair. She looked entirely at ease, which for Mio was as close to a declaration of happiness as she was likely to make out loud.

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

“Oh—Niko.” She looked up, surprised. "I thought you were still working."

“Well, I was at first.” I tilted my head toward the ceiling, where bursts of excited shouting were periodically breaking through. “But Sora and Nitori found the VR headset, so I just let them have fun in my office.”

“I see.” Mio smiled. “They’re still as energetic as ever.”

“Anyway, what are you reading?”

“Oh, I just picked a couple books from your shelf. Let’s see… The Life of Flowers.” She turned the cover toward me.

“Ah, I remember that one. So, are you into slice-of-life titles as well?”

“I don't think I have a genre I like best. I just go wherever the title leads me.”

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

"Niko! How do we switch games?" Nitori bellowed from upstairs.

"One second—I'm coming."

I pushed myself up from the railing, stretching as I turned toward the stairs.

"There’s juice in the fridge if you need it, Mio." I called back on my way up.

"Got it. Thank you very much,” Mio said, with that small, precise courtesy that was entirely her own.

Mio looked out over the lush green yard, a warm smile spreading across her face like sunlight. Watching Himari carefully tend to the colorful flowers in the garden, she felt a quiet happiness well up inside her.

Himari wiped the sweat from her forehead and glanced up at Mio, giving her a small, proud smile. Mio returned it.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the three of us were playing games together - laughing, carefree, and having the time of our lives.

~

Mio reached for another book from the shelf.

The moment she saw the cover, however, she quickly shoved it back into place.

The title contained the word ‘love’.

She stared at the spine for a moment, willing her face back to a reasonable temperature.

Then she went back to her chair and her tea and her view of the garden, and told herself firmly not to think about it.

~

"You girls ready yet?" I called up the stairs.

Four voices answered. Four sets of footsteps.

They came down together.

I wasn't prepared for it, honestly. Not for how they looked - each of them in something different, each of them with their own kind of elegance.

Mio in a pale cream dress that made the warm brown of her eyes stand out even more.

Himari in a soft red blouse and white skirt that suited her perfectly.

Nitori in a bright yellow floral shirt and denim shorts that matched her energy exactly.

Sora, who normally dressed in whatever gave her the most freedom of movement, wearing a colorful floral dress she clearly had complicated feelings about.

For a moment, my brain temporarily misplaced what it was doing.

"Ooh la la," Himari said, turning her attention to me instead. "Looking impressive, senpai."

"You all look amazing as well," I said, and meant it.

"Thank you, thank you," Himari said with a performed curtsy.

"I look ridiculous," Sora complained. "These clothes are way too girly."

"We'll be taking pictures together," Mio said, insisting that Sora wear the dress Himari had picked for her. “And you will be wearing it.”

"But you look so cute in it, Sora," Nitori said.

Sora narrowed her eyes

"So, then normally I'm not cute?"

"Ah, the weather is really lovely today!" Nitori said brightly to the ceiling.

“Oi! Don’t dodge the question!”

Soon everyone got into the car, ready for the trip.

“Remember to fasten your seat belts,” I reminded them.

"All done!"

The city in the late afternoon was dazzling. Peaceful yet lively at the same time.

Along the main streets, the girls couldn’t stop staring at the towering skyscrapers. Seeing their reactions reminded me of the day Himari and I first arrived in this city, completely mesmerized by its beauty.

From the passenger seat, Himari told stories about the city with the authority of someone who had made it her own.

"Welcome to the city center," I announced as we pulled in.

The sound they made in response was not one I'm able to reproduce in text.

We spent time exploring different places, taking photos of ourselves and the scenery around us.

“A—are we having dinner here?!” Mio asked when we arrived at an elegant buffet restaurant with panoramic views of the city and a wide variety of food.

"That's right!” I said with a smile. “Eat to your heart's content.”

After dinner, we headed to the shopping mall.

Inside was the largest shopping mall in the downtown district.

It was the largest in the downtown district - so vast it generated its own atmosphere, packed with hundreds of stores and restaurants and things to discover. I watched them take it in and felt something secondhand and fond.

“And this,” I announced, spreading my arms slightly, “is the biggest mall in the city center.”

“This is incredible! It feels like I’m inside a palace!” Nitori said, staring around in awe.

Their eyes sparkled like children witnessing a miracle.

“And now for my special gift to you guys,” I continued. “Pick whatever you like. It’s on me.”

"Really? You’re not planning to sell your teammates out like you did in the game, are you?" Sora said, deeply suspicious.

"I'm serious."

"Senpai," Himari said, the picture of innocence, "I didn't realize you were capable of such calculated cruelty."

“Whose 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,” Himari suggested.

When I slowly reached into my pocket and pulled something out, the other three stared at me, waiting to see what would happen.

Good. They had taken the bait.

“Then, would this convince you otherwise?”

I held up my black credit card.

“No way! He’s serious!”

“Alright, let’s go shopping!”

All three of them lit up with excitement.

With how energetic they were, an adventure like this was surprisingly exhausting to keep up with.

“I didn’t realize babysitting high schoolers was this hard,” I murmured to Himari as we let ourselves fall a few steps behind, watching over them from the back.

“I understand how you feel, Senpai,” she said sympathetically.

"You don’t want anything?”

She shrugged.

"Not really. You've done so much for me already."

Personally, I’d never minded spending money on the people I cared about. And since I was fortunate enough to be in a better financial position than most, I always wanted to treat everyone fairly.

“It’s fine. I want Himari to join in too.”

“Senpai,” she said, shaking her head, “that’s no good. You need to save the money you earn.”

"But you treat me all the time," I said. "I don't want to be the only one on the receiving end."

“Do you seriously keep a mental scoreboard?” she laughed softly. “Then again… you’ve always remembered the small things people do for you.”

All I could do was give an awkward smile.

"I know you mean well," she said. "And I genuinely appreciate it. But—" she nudged my arm, "you’re being unfair. Give me the chance to return the favor sometimes."

Sora waved at us from afar.

“Big bro! Come help us pick something!”

“See? Time for your performance,” Himari teased.

The two of us walked over to where Sora and Nitori were browsing.

“Look! What do you think?”

Sora, in the lingerie section, held up a bra and presented it to me with the energy of someone submitting evidence at trial.

“I refuse to answer that question,” I said immediately, refusing to even look at it.

“Eh? That reaction isn’t fun at all.”

This brat was clearly trying to pick a fight.

“But do you really need them?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Huh? You wanna fight or something?” She snapped. “What do you mean ‘need’? Can’t you see the two hills right in front of you!?”

“Ah… right. I forgot.”

“Forgot what?! Are you dumb!? she shouted, grabbing my collar. ”Just because all my nutrients went into developing my brain doesn’t mean I don’t have a chest, idiot! Stupid big bro. Go to hell!”

“I’m sorry, okay?”

I couldn’t exactly explain that it was just a habit.

Ever since we were kids, I’d always thought of Sora like a boy.

Right up until the day that flat plain suddenly… became hills.

"Ho… you think so, huh?"

“…Did I say that out loud?”

Nearby, a store associate had gently corralled Mio against a rack of spring arrivals and was presenting options with professional enthusiasm. Mio had the look of someone who wanted very much to be rescued but was too polite to signal it.

"Thank you for the suggestion," I said, stepping in smoothly. "We'll take a look."

"Of course! Just let me know if you need anything."

I smiled politely as she left.

Mio exhaled. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Found anything you like yet?"

"There's so much—it's a little overwhelming—." Her eyes moved through the store, taking inventory. Then she noticed my general condition, collar still slightly adjusted from Sora's grip. "Are you… all right?"

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

She was speechless.

In the accessories section, Sora and Nitori had settled into a competition to find the least appropriate glasses for themselves.

"This math answer is wrong," Sora intoned, adopting a pair of heavy frames and a deep professorial register. "The problem must be solved like this.”

Nitori was dying.

"Oi. I do not sound like that," I said.

"Oh! The original showed up," Sora said.

“Niko.” Nitori lunged toward a display. “I found glasses that suit you!”

She placed them on my face with the careful precision of someone defusing a device, adjusting the angle, stepping back to assess.

"One more thing," Sora said, and settled a hat on my head.

Both of them stared at me.

“Whoa. He really transforms into a different person.”

"You look hella cool brother."

Really?” I said, trying to stay calm despite the sudden flood of compliments.

“Come here.”

Sora grabbed my hand and dragged me to a nearby mirror.

“See? You don’t look like the usual dummy of a big bro anymore.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

I studied my reflection honestly and saw approximately nothing different from usual.

“I still look the same to me.”

"Heehee. Only us girls can tell," Nitori smiled warmly.

“Alright! Photo time,” Sora declared, pulling out her phone.

She quickly snapped a picture of the three of us.

“Okay, next one.”

After that, they started piling different glasses and accessories onto me one after another, turning me into all sorts of characters and personalities. Before long, we were laughing nonstop, trying out every style the shop had while taking a ridiculous number of photos together.

At one point we posed like celebrities.

Then spies.

Then superheroes.

Of course, Mio and Himari joined us soon after. And once they did, things somehow got even more chaotic.

~

"Why does every single photo of big sis look awkward?" Sora said, scrolling through the photos on her phone for everyone to see, "not one of them looks cool."

“That’s because you all kept dressing me up without asking!" Mio shyly protested.

“Heehee, sorry,” Himari said. “You’re just too cute that I couldn’t stop.”

“Are you guys tired yet?” I asked. “Or do you want to keep walking around?”

“I vote we keep going!” Nitori immediately raised her hand.

“Same,” Sora agreed.

“Tokyo is amazing,” Mio said while looking around curiously. “It’s already late, but everything is still so lively.”

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

“It’s all so convenient and modern too,” Nitori added excitedly. “It’s like we’re living inside a manga world.”

“Totally agree,” Sora nodded.

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

“Sounds good to me.”

Just like that morning, the moment they returned to the car, they found themselves once again captivated by the city’s beauty - only now, it shimmered beneath the veil of night.

The car glided through radiant boulevards, where every light gleamed like a fallen star and every building rose like a palace of glass and brilliance.

By the time we arrived, the downtown river was even more enchanting than Himari had let on.

The promenade glittered with light and motion - couples, families, evening walkers - the water beside it dark and shimmering, the tall trees forming a canopy above the walkway. The air was cool and moving, the kind of cool that makes you expand your lungs and feel like you've been given something.

"AHHHH it's so nice out here!" Sora shouted, throwing both arms up toward the sky. “I can feel my armpits thanking me!”

"Can you please be any less vulgar?" Mio said, completely exasperated with her sister.

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

"Everyone, closer. Ready?" I raised my phone. "One, two, three."

"Cheese!"

The shutter clicked.

We wandered, taking photos, stealing each other's snacks, talking over each other without any particular destination in mind. Himari fell into step beside me for a while, both of us watching the three of them ahead.

“Hah~ this really brings back a lot of memories,” Himari said to me, her voice full of nostalgia.

“Yeah. Just like the old days.”

We watched the three of them playing around, laughing and chatting beneath the sparkling night sky.

I caught Sora's eye across the promenade. She pulled Mio close and whispered something directly into her ear. Mio's face went red immediately. Then both Sora and Nitori looked at me with matching expressions I classified as extremely suspicious.

I decided not to investigate further.

As the night breeze grew colder, we took one last look at the starry sky before rejoining them. The stars glittered like diamonds, reminding us how precious and nostalgic this moment was.

"You guys want something else to eat or drink?" I asked as we regrouped.

“Eh? We're still going?” Mio’s face went pale as she silently prayed that her legs would keep working.

“You sure are full of energy, senpai. I thought Nitori was supposed to be the most energetic one today,” Himari said, surprised by my enthusiasm.

“Nitori surrenders,” Nitori declared, raising an imaginary white flag.

“Haha. Alright then, let’s head back. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“So where are we going tomorrow, brother?” Sora asked.

“That’s a secret.”

“Come on, tell us! The excitement is going to keep us from sleeping,” Sora insisted eagerly.

“Oh? So that means you still have energy to keep going? Alright then, let’s continue!” I suggested.

"I'm retreating, knees weak," Nitori said, surrendering again.

Our laughter faded slowly into the evening as we walked back to the car.

~

The house was quiet long after midnight.

The soft clack of the guest bedroom door was followed by the careful footsteps of someone who didn't want to wake anyone.

Nitori carried her sketchbook to the dining table and stood in front of the chandelier, pressing buttons experimentally, achieving nothing.

“I’ll turn it on for you.”

Nitori’s soul left her body in surprise.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" I asked.

“Niko?!” She pressed a hand over her chest. “I thought you had already gone to sleep.”

"I rarely go to sleep around this time,” I turned the light on and pulled out a chair, “I still need to edit a bit more video to meet the deadline.”

"I see. You really work hard,” she sat down and set the sketchbook on the table.

“Thanks. Anyway, is it hard to sleep in a new environment? Or is my workspace still too noisy? If that’s the case, I’m sorry—I haven’t had time to finish the soundproofing yet.”

“No, it’s not that. The bedroom is undeniably comfortable and quiet. I just can’t stop thinking about today.”

A pause.

“I’m listening.” I handed her a small box of raisins I was holding.

“I never thought there would be a day when I’d get to see scenery like that… like something out of a dream. The places you took us today were all so beautiful. It’s completely different from when we see things over video calls. I’m really happy.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I said, “Himari and I were actually pretty nervous while planning today. If everyone hadn't enjoyed themselves, I would have had to bury my head in the ground.”

She laughed. "We were actually worried too, you know. That you and Himari couldn't enjoy the day properly because you were busy looking after us."

“If you guys are happy, that’s enough for us.”

"Teehee."

“Are you going to draw something?” I asked curiously, looking at her sketchbook.

“Ah—yes."

“Then let me pull up the pictures for you.” I placed my tablet on the table, displaying one of the photos we took earlier. “Here, you can use my tablet. I’ve already transferred all the pictures onto it.”

“Thank you.”

She looked through the photos for a while before letting out a soft laugh.

"It's been over two years since we all got to do something like this together," she said after a moment. "We really missed you and Himari."

“We missed you girls too.”

"It wasn't really fair, you know. When you and Himari graduated and left." She turned one of the raisins between her fingers. "I kept wanting everyone to stay just a little longer. To be carefree just a little more."

"But that's not where it ended, is it?” I said. “You were the one who said distance means nothing to us. That the squad stays together no matter what."

"Yes, but—" She gave me a look, quiet and accurate. "In nearly two years, you never came back to visit once."

“Sorry about that.” I let out an awkward laugh, “I’ll try to arrange my schedule this year.”

"Still." Her expression softened. "We've always known you were working hard. Seeing where you are now makes us happy too."

“Thank you. You and the others have been cheering me on all this time. It meant more than I ever found the right words for."

"Ah—ah—Stop, stop— "

She held up a hand, voice going small toward the end.

“Is something wrong?”

“Now’s not the time for this kind of talk… I mean… I can't handle—this kind of conversation—" She looked away and started fidgeting with the end of her hair.

“Huh? You’re acting strange. Are you hiding something from me?"

“N-No… nothing like that. I swear.”

"You seem suspicious."

"These raisins are excellent. Did you make them yourself?" she said, trying very deliberately to change the subject.

We sat there for a while, our conversation drifting from one trivial thing to another, punctuated by soft laughter as we shared raisins in the chandelier’s golden glow.

“Make sure you go to sleep early, alright.” I said eventually, pushing back my chair. “Otherwise you won’t have the energy to go out with everyone tomorrow.”

“Wait, Niko!”

Nitori called out just as I was about to head upstairs to continue working.

“Thanks for today,” she said, bowing her head.

“Don’t mention it.” I smiled, “Oh, right! When you finish your drawing, give me a copy, okay?”

“You can have as many copies as you want.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Sleep well.”

“You too.”

We exchanged smiles and said goodnight. I went upstairs. She opened her sketchbook to a clean page, picked up her pencil, and began.