Part 1
The class bell rang sluggishly, as if it too wanted to stay in bed.
Touma sighed and walked down the halls of Seisen Academy, backpack slung over one shoulder, his hair still a bit messy.
"Morning, Hina," he greeted, seeing her at the classroom door.
"Hump."
That was all he got in return.
He tried not to take it personally. Maybe she just didn't hear him. Yeah. That had to be it.
Later, during break, he approached her while she was putting away her notebook.
"Want me to grab you something from the store? They've got jam buns today."
"Hump."
Same note, same tone. Not even a glance.
"Three 'humps' in a row… we're officially in hostile territory," he thought, shoulders sinking slightly.
By the end of the day, with the classroom now empty, Touma opened the door to the Literature and Film Club. The warm afternoon light filtered through the window, and the shelves filled with books echoed a familiar peace.
There was only one person inside.
Viciously playing the arcade machine.
"Can I come in, or are you going to greet me with another 'hump'?" Touma asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Hina didn't reply immediately. She kept mashing the buttons a bit harder than necessary.
"I haven't decided yet."
Touma gave a sheepish smile and dropped onto the couch across from her.
"Hey… if you've got something to say, I'd rather hear it with words."
"And what if I don't want to?"
"Then I'll sit here in silence. Emotional punishment."
She crossed her arms and, for the first time all day, looked straight at him.
"What exactly happened last night with that home-wrecking cat?"
Touma blinked, genuinely confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. I've known you since we were five," she said, landing a final button-smashing combo just as the screen displayed a dramatic "You Win", followed by the credits.
"If you mean my talk with Shizuki… she just told me something personal."
"Ohhh, something you can't share with me, huh?"
He lowered his gaze without a word.
"I knew it… that cat. She came to tear apart our beautiful family… sniff sniff."
In the background, sad music started playing.
"Wait… did you queue that music on your phone?"
"Tch. At least pretend you feel bad for me," she said, slipping briefly back into seriousness.
"That was a quick mood shift…"
"It's just that…" she said, resuming her theatrics and raising the volume.
"You don't spend time with me anymore… You've abandoned the one person who's always been by your side… sniff sniff."
"What would my father say if he saw this?!" she added, collapsing onto the sofa with dramatic flair.
Touma just rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright… I'll make it up to you."
"Hehe, just what I wanted to hear!" she said with a grin, pulling a handful of arcade cards from her pocket.
"Let's hit the arcades in the shopping district!"
"I knew you had this all planned… that's why no one's at the club today."
"Ahem," she coughed, looking away.
"No idea what you're talking about."
Touma just smiled.
Without another word, the two of them walked out of the clubroom together, heading toward Tenryu City's shopping district.
The afternoon in Tenryu City had that soft glow of a clear, peaceful day. In the commercial district, the background music blended with voices, laughter, and neon lights.
Touma strolled alongside Hina, unhurried. She was happily chewing on a star-shaped lollipop, looking smug.
"I can't believe they still sell these," he said, eyeing the wrapper.
"Of course they do. It's the only thing keeping me young."
"You're sixteen…"
"And you act like you're forty!"
They entered the arcade. The flashing lights welcomed them with vivid colors, and the upbeat electronic tunes felt like old friends.
Hina made a beeline for the classic: Dance Idols EX.
"Come on, show me if you've got any reflexes left, old man."
"You're challenging me… to a dance duel?"
"Exactly. And if you lose, you're paying for the cat-face ice cream."
"That's cheating."
"Life is cheating, Touma."
The game began. On screen, their avatars moved in sync with a fast-paced track. Hina nailed every step with sharp precision. Touma… survived.
At the end, a huge score display made it clear:
"Victory!"
"I should've surrendered after the first step…" Touma muttered, leaning against the machine.
"Told you! You weren't gonna last even one round," Hina grinned, spinning in place with genuine delight.
Near the exit, they each bought an ice cream. Touma picked lemon, Hina went with grape.
They sat on a bench on the second floor, overlooking the busy shopping center below. Escalators hummed, children ran by, couples wandered hand in hand.
"It's weird, isn't it?" Touma said after a while.
"What is?"
"Doing this again with you. Feels like… something from another life."
"Maybe," she replied, staring at her ice cream without taking a bite.
"But it also feels like the most normal thing we've done in weeks."
"Yeah… at first, when you dragged me into Seisen, I thought it'd be just another school. Never imagined we'd meet people like Eva and Shizuki."
She looked down at the floor, a trace of melancholy in her eyes.
"It's funny… I came here thinking we could just stay together, peacefully. Maybe enjoy the views of Okinawa…"
He pulled her into a tight hug—like a teammate would after a hard match.
"Hey, come on. Don't be like that. Sure, we've had less time together, but we've made a lot of friends."
She pushed him off gently.
"Don't cling to me, you're all sweaty," she said flatly—then, softer, "Yeah… that's true. But it's not the same anymore."
For a brief moment, an image of Shizuki flashed through Touma's mind.
"I just… don't want us to drift apart. That's all."
"Hinata Fujimura," Touma said with sudden, surprising seriousness. "I've been your friend almost my whole life. We've always been together. That's not going to change."
She felt a genuine sense of relief. Maybe it wasn't enough to fix everything… but it was enough to hold on a little longer.
"Besides," he added, trying to lighten the mood, "I don't think Colonel Fujimura would let me go that easily."
"Heh, of course not! My dad would hunt you down with the military if you ever abandoned me!" she said, trying to sound like a pouty little kid.
Touma laughed, finally feeling at ease again.
The sun dipped below the horizon, giving way to a starry night.
For a moment, the world felt a little less complicated.
Hina rested her head on his shoulder as they gazed up at the stars, and finally murmured…
"I wish it could always be like this," she said softly, reaching out as if to catch a falling star in her hand.