We're all together.

Finally, after being some fifteen minutes late, the last two people in our band of miscreants appear on the roof.

“Sorry we’re late, ladies and gents. Akane wanted to make sure it was all perfect.”

As he speaks, Yosuke strolls to the centre of the group and puts down the most ridiculously oversized bento box I’ve ever seen. Close behind him walks Akane, holding a slightly smaller but still absurdly large bento that appears to be nearly overflowing.

“Legends.” Said Makoto, digging into the sashimi without a seconds hesitation.
“My saviours.” Said Saki, grabbing a spring roll a second later.
“I love you both.” Said Hanji, taking a bite out of a large tuna sandwich.
“Thanks for the food, you two.” Said I, snagging a piece of sushi with my chopsticks.

One look at Akane’s face tells me she’s both incredibly proud of her work and very happy that everyone is pleased with it.

“She absolutely insisted on cooking for everyone as a celebration for finishing exams. I’m a tad upset that I don’t get to hog her food for myself, to be perfectly honest.” Yosuke looked a little exasperated at having to carry a lunch that could feed the five thousand, but pleased all the same that Akane was happy.

“Compliments to the resident chef!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”

Those of us already sat down stuffing our faces responded to Hanji’s call, making Akane’s cheeks tinge red a little. As the wonderful chef and her errand boy sit down to join us, we all fall silent as we continue to attack the mountain of food before us. I find myself incredibly jealous that Yosuke will get to eat this practically every day once he and Akane move in together, her skill in food preparation is second only to her prowess in programming.

“Mine!” Makoto’s chopsticks charge towards the last piece of sushi in the box, but I’m faster, snagging it from under his nose.

“Too slow, Koto.”

“Bastard.” He jabs his chopsticks towards me as if threatening me, but I know him well enough by now to tell that it’s purely theatrical. “Don’t go getting too big for your boots, Taro boy. I’m only letting you have my Hanji cos I’ve already gotten my use out of her.”

“Your Hanji? When we were dating, your were the bitch in the relationship, you genetic defect.”

“Hey, I was born this way. You actually had a chance and still ended up a nutjob.”

“Oh, that’s how we’re gonna play it, huh? Stand up, bitch boy, let’s see which of the two of us is more of man.”
Hanji gets to her feet and takes up her Muay Thai stance, a slightly sadistic grin on her face.

“You wanna go? Let’s go, then, nymphogirl, I’ll beat you down in no time flat.”
Makoto also rises to his feet, taking a stance more resembling that of an American Kick-boxer.

“Oooh, it’s been a while since we saw the psycho-socio show down. Taro bro, who you bettin’ on?” Yosuke watched the confrontation with a sadistic anticipation.

“Hold on, let’s see what the PR department says before taking bets.” I look over to the exasperated Saki, who’s shaking her head.

“Fuck. No. If one of you two injures the other it’ll be the talk of school right up until we leave. At least wait until you have gloves on, you pair of delinquents.”

Damn, no dice. I’ve wanted to see Hanji kick Makoto’s ass for a while, Yosuke tells me it’s one hell of a spectacle.
A slight whimper draws all of our attention in a direction we haven’t looked in a while.
‘Please don’t fight! I want us all to be friends!’
Akane was holding up a piece of paper with those words written on it, a fearful look on her face.

“We’re not gonna fight! Don’t worry a hair on your pretty little head.”
“Yeah, we’re just joking around. We won’t hurt each other, I swear.”

First Hanji then Makoto speaks to soothe Akane’s nerves. It’s likely just something that Yosuke has scolded them for in the past, but I’d like to believe Akane’s pure innocence and kindness is enough to make even those with no moral compass repent for their actions.

“Speaking of the end of college, by the way…” I hesitantly switch the subject to the one we’ve all be avoiding, “how’s everyone feeling about exams?”

The collective groan tells me everyone is predictably on edge.

“I think I did alright, but considering where we wanna go, alright might not be good enough. I don’t want Akane on her own in America, so I’m shitting bricks thinking about it.” Yosuke is the first to answer, his consistently flat expression faltering ever so slightly.

“There were a lot of questions I was unsure on, but that’s the fault of the stupid test. Still, I think I’ll be alright.” Saki looks less on edge than Yosuke, but her unwavering confidence in the face of adversity is rarely interrupted at all.

“It was cinch, law is trivially easy if you’re not an idiot.” Makoto, predictably, was as confident as a person could be. Then again, I can think of no position more suitable for him than a lawyer, considering how good his lying ass is at deception.

“Psychology is fucking stupid, man.” Hanji, however, does not look quite so at ease. “Why I gotta know how to ease a patients nerves or whatever? That ain’t my job, I just gotta figure out what’s wrong with ‘em and fix it.”

“Thank the good lord above you were not my psychologist.”

Hanji flicks me in the forehead while everyone else chuckles at my jab.

While the rest of us are showing our different levels of anxiety, the silent Akane peacefully smiles to herself in her seat. Considering her practically perfect scores in the mock exam, I doubt she has a care in the world right now.

“Still, can’t believe all four of you fuckers are leaving me and Koto behind in Japan. How am I gonna stop you idiots from causing trouble now?” Saki speaks with a joking tone but a somewhat serious expression.

“Hey, you just worry about Makoto, I’ll keep Hanji out of prison.”

“If you lot get back and I find out she’s killed someone or somethi-“

“I’ll help her hide the body.”
Saki shoots me an irritated look for my joke, but after a quick eye roll she seems to drop it.

“Still, America? Hanji, do you even speak a word of English?”

“ええと…ちょっと英語を出来る”

“I don’t think that bit works in translation.”

Jokes aside, Saki does raise a fair point. None of the four of us are particularly fluent in English, which means we’re gonna have to brush up before moving to the States. Assuming we all get in, of course.

“Gonna be weird not having you four around anymore. You better take care of Hanji, Taro. I’ll kill you if you don’t.”

“Somehow I don’t think you’re joking. But it’s cool, I’ll take good care of her.”

“Well, not as good care as I used to take of her. At least not in one aspect.”

“Funny. You say that, but everything past the first inch feels unused.”

Makoto and I stare each other down, before breaking out into fits of laughter. When Hanji and I first got ‘together’ I was a little worried he’d object, but he’s mostly just used it to rib on me. There’s a weird camaraderie between us that’s a little difficult to explain.

“If dumb and dumber are finished arguing over my vagina in public, I actually have something I wanna talk about.” The voice comes from a much less enthused Hanji. Thankfully she doesn’t actually give a shit about the jokes, but she’s heard so many iteration of this same conversation that she seems completely bored of it.

“What’s on your mind, Ji?” While me and Makoto finish sniggering, Saki enquires as to the matter in Hanji’s mind.

“Well, there ain’t a lotta point just breakin’ up the group altogether, especially as it would just leave Koto and Saki out. So I got an idea. Every year, on the first day of summer that we all have free, we should meet back up here. Break in while the college is empty and get back up on the roof, have lunch together like we always do. Better than losin’ contact for good, right?”

Despite how horrendously illegal it is, the idea is one I find appealing. Hanji’s friends are now my friends, and I don’t wanna lose that. We may be a group of people too "broken" or too "twisted" to ever be normal in the eyes of society, but none of us care about that. We fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Would never feel right to lose some of those pieces.

“I’m game, sounds like a hell of a time.” Yosuke is the first to affirm.

“Sound like a plan to me, let’s do it.” Saki follows suit a second later.

“Don’t think you’re getting rid of us that easy. Course I’m on board.” Makoto echoes their words.

“You even gotta ask? Say the word and I’m there.” The last voice to give approval is my own. Happy that the rest of us are in agreement, we turn our heads to the last member of the group.

‘That sounds like fun!’

Akane had quickly scribbled those words on her paper, giving a wide smile as she held it up.

“Sounds like we’re all in agreement then. Hanji House ain’t ending any time soon.”

By all means, we’re a group that shouldn’t work. But in our own abnormal way, we click. And that’s something none of us want to let go off.

“Hanji, you gonna sound us off?” I ask, waiting for her signature call.

"Fuck yeah, I’m sounding us off. Ready everyone?” As we all nod to confirm that we understand, Hanji raises her hand in the air.

“Love and peace!”
“Love and peace!”
“Love and peace!”
“Love and peace!”
“Love and peace!”
‘（＾ω＾）Love and peace!’