Before It Snows

After our memorable camping trip, the days swiftly returned to the hustle and bustle of school life. Assignments piled up, and the pressure to excel in our classes intensified. While everyone was focused on their studies, Yujiro, being the fun-loving guy he was, still found time for occasional hangouts. Little did he know that this carefree attitude would come back to haunt him during the dreaded finals, where he found himself on the verge of tears, begging Aika for help. Ayumi and I couldn't help but chuckle at his predicament during our study sessions together.

As autumn progressed, the days grew colder, and the crisp air reminded us that winter was just around the corner. With the workload becoming more demanding, I found myself dedicating more time to my studies and less time to hanging out with friends. I also felt guilty about not spending as much time with my siblings, Sakura and Kaito.

I decided to make it up to them by planning a special outing to the playground at the park. The joy in their eyes as we played and laughed together was worth every moment of my busy schedule. Later, I surprised them with a treat, and the smiles on their faces made me realize that these little moments of togetherness were the true gems amidst the hectic days of life.

"Did you two have fun today?" I asked Sakura and Kaito as we walked back home from the park.

"Yeah!" Sakura replied, skipping. "We haven't played at the park for a long time!"

"Would you want to go more often?" I asked, smiling. They both nodded with eager expressions on their faces.

"Okay then," I said. "How 'bout we go fishing at the lake next time before it snows this month?" They grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh boy!" Kaito said. "Are we going to bring nets?" He asked.

"Of course," I replied. "We can't go fishing without nets." I rubbed his head.

As we arrived home and ate dinner, I heard a notification on my phone—Yujiro's ringtone sound. Taking out my phone, I saw that he had sent a picture of him at the mall.

I smiled. Looking at the picture, I saw that Aika, Ayumi, and Tami were with him. "Wait a minute..." I looked closer at the corner of the picture.

"Is that..? Yellow shaggy hair… Yato?!" I quickly texted Yujiro about the return of his older brother, the same person who had been helping me with my job and shift arrangements.

"Yep! It turns out that he arrived home earlier than any of us thought. You should have come." He replied after a few seconds. I sighed. Well, at least I know he's back. "Oh, by the way..." Yujiro texted.

"I kind of had a little talk with Ayumi. You two seem like the perfect couple!" He typed. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you mean?" I texted back.

"You know… Blushing, compliments. Things like that!" He added a winking emoji at the end of the text. I groaned, annoyed at his mentions about our study sessions and back during the first campout.

He really knows how to push my buttons. I decided not to reply and turned off my phone. As the three of us finished dinner, Kaito and Sakura decided to watch some TV. I decided to lie down on the floor beside them.

"Things are going to be more fun again," I thought.

Monday soon came by, and before I knew it, there was another Astronomy Club meeting. If Aika hadn't reminded me earlier in the day, I would have completely forgotten. When school ended, I was one of the first ones in the room.

Taking a seat in the middle of the classroom, I waited for the others to arrive. I placed my bag on the table and rested my head on it. As the sound of chattering filled the room, I felt someone poke my cheek.

"Just because I'm sleeping doesn't mean I'm dead, Yujiro," I mumbled. Instead of hearing Yujiro's reply, I heard a soft giggle.

"Ayumi?" I turned my head to face her.

"Evening, Haruki," she smiled. I sighed.

"Has Yujiro's habits rubbed off on you?" I joked and returned the smile.

"Well, when you spend half a day with half of the Jyako siblings, you kind of get adjusted to their setting," she said. I laughed.

"So I heard you met Yato. How was he?" I asked.

"Like a pure gentleman," Ayumi shrugged. I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant.

I saw Aika smile slyly just a little bit and kind of gesture behind me. Before I could turn around, I felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around me from behind the chair.

"Gotcha!" Aika shouted with a huge grin.

"Whoa!" I stumbled forward a bit off my chair, but her grip kept me steady. Ayumi and Aika started laughing as I saw Yujiro running into the room.

"Man! Did I just miss it?" He asked. Ayumi stopped laughing for a second and nodded.

Yujiro sighed but smiled. "I didn't get to see Haruki's surprised face." He walked in front of me and sat on the table. I glanced at all three of them.

"Do I have to deal with three Yujiros?!" I yelled, half-joking.

Aika laughed, still having her arms forming a lock around me. "Yato's back! Yato's back!" She sang.

I sighed. "I know he's back, but why is everyone acting like this to me?"

"Oh, come on, Haruki!" Yujiro grinned.

"You were the same as us last time he returned," he reminded. Rolling my eyes, I smiled slightly.

"Fine, you've got me," I said. Aika finally released her grip on me and sat down in the seat next to me.

As Ayumi and Yujiro settled down, I saw Izumi walk in and start to head to the front of the class.

"Alright class!" He shouted and smiled brightly. "Welcome back to another day in the Astronomy Club!"

"Now before we get back into working on our constellation posters, I have one really important announcement I want everyone to listen to." He started writing huge words on the board.

"WINTER CAMPING TRIP" is what he wrote. "Now," Izumi started to speak. "I know even though we only had one trip, since winter's here, the school has decided for us to have one last trip before it snows for the rest of this year," he announced.

"Let me make this clear. We'll be going to Sekai's peak. Our meeting place will be right at the train station at Katomi. Be there by seven in the evening this Saturday," he said, eyeing each of us. I heard a few students sigh.

He held up a pamphlet. "I have further information here if you guys can't remember," Izumi declared. "Anyone who wants one should come up and get one right now." A few people, including Ayumi, walked over as she handed out the papers.

"Okay then," Yujiro grinned. "Let's get working on our poster maps!"

As Aika took out the map the four of us had been working on, I saw Ayumi read over the pamphlet.

"According to this, even though Katomi is going to have the warmest weather, temperatures will drop to the low 40s," Ayumi mentioned before looking up at us. "Make sure you guys all bring a jacket."

Yujiro and I nodded. I noticed that Aika wasn't paying attention to what Ayumi was saying. "Aika, are you listening?" I asked. She shrugged as she straightened out the map.

"It won't really matter for me," she said blankly.

"Why not?" Yujiro asked.

"Well," Aika sighed. "My parents have decided to start tutoring me on the weekends on more advanced studies." She explained.

"Oh, I see." Yujiro slumped back in his seat.

"I'm guessing that you can't make them change their minds?" Ayumi asked. AIka nodded.

"They said that they'll be teaching me for the rest of this year," she said. "I mean, I can still hang out on weekends from time to time but not as often."

The four of us all sighed loudly. "Hey Haruki, will Kaito and Sakura come as well?" Yujiro looked at me. I scratched the back of my head. "I don't know. Probably not," I replied. "It's going to be quite chilly outside. I don't want them to get a cold."

"You know, I could probably hang out with them since I won't be able to go," Aika smiled. "It won't be a problem. It'll be quite fun after all the studying."

"Thanks," I replied.

"Anyways," Ayumi interrupted. "Let's finish this map!"