The following day, the group arrived at the Shibazakura Festival. The hillside stretched wide, a carpet of pink moss phlox blooming in every direction.
Stalls lined the paths leading up, with paper lanterns swaying gently in the spring breeze. The air carried the faint scent of grilled food mixed with the sweetness of festival snacks.
A group of two older women and seven kids gathered near the entrance.
"Alright, you kids be careful, and don't go off too far," Akari reminded them with a firm smile. "We'll find a spot to set up the picnic. Haruya, I'll call you on the phone when it's ready. Have fun."
"Got it, Mom," he replied, waving his phone.
"Let's go, Irene-san," Akari said, turning to Menma's mother.
Irene nodded, adjusting the basket in her hand. "Meiko, stay with the others. Just like Auntie Akari said, don't separate from each other."
"Got it!" Menma chirped, flashing a peace sign.
Akari suddenly took something out of her bag and handed it to Haruya.
"Here's a camera. Make sure to take a lot of good photos."
"Thanks, Mom!"
With the guardians leaving to set up the picnic, the seven friends walked forward together, eyes wide at the sea of pink stretching across the hills.
"Whoa…" Poppo was the first to voice what everyone was thinking, his jaw practically dropping. "It's like the whole ground turned into a giant fluffy blanket!"
Menma spun around with her arms spread wide. "It's sooo pretty! Look, Haru, the flowers go all the way up the hill! So pink… It's like looking at a sea of flowers!"
Anaru brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling softly. "It really is beautiful. Pictures in magazines don't even compare."
"Perfect place for a date," Yukiatsu muttered, gazing at all the couples gathered around the area.
Tsuruko stared at him for a moment and looked away.
The group fanned out slightly as they walked, stopping here and there to take in the views.
Tsuruko crouched beside a patch of deep purple flowers, jotting down notes in her notebook.
"What are you writing?" Yukiatsu asked, peeking over her shoulder.
"Just observations," she replied, barely looking up. "It helps me remember the colors and the patterns."
Poppo sniffed a few flowers dramatically. "Smells amazing! I wonder if they make sweets from these…"
Jinta laughed. "Knowing you, Poppo, you'd probably try to taste every flower if you could."
Menma giggled, running around the place. "I just wanna lie down on them and roll around!"
Crossing his arms, Yukiatsu called out. "Don't trip, Menma. You'll ruin the flowers."
"That's mean, Yukiatsu!" she puffed her cheeks before running back to cling to Haruya's arm. "Haru will catch me if I fall."
Haruya chuckled, letting her hang on. "I don't mind. But Yukiatsu's right, be careful not to fall. We don't want anyone getting injured."
"Okay~!"
The group continued to walk forward and admire the scenery, with Haruya taking photos of the rest every couple of stops.
"Haruya, why don't I take pictures of you too? We don't want it to always just be us." Yukiatsu offered.
The former thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay. Make it look good, alright?"
Putting his thumbs up, Yukiatsu nodded.
"I want to join in too!" Menma jumped into the frame.
"Menma, it's just for—"
"It's okay, I'd like her to be in the photo as well." Haruya cut him off and looked down at the girl.
"Hehe~"
She gave him a bright smile and hugged his left arm.
Photographer Yukiatsu sighed and shook his head. "Alright then, both of you, say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
"Chee— Wait what?"
*Click!*
"Hahaha! Look at both of your faces!"
Yukiatsu couldn't hold back his laughter and turned the camera to the two.
Their eyebrows were crossed together, mouths open as if making a "huh" sound, and eyes half-closed from blinking in confusion.
"Yukiatsu!!" Menma raged.
Ignoring this, Yukiatsu called the rest and showed them the photo, gaining the group's laughter.
Seeing this, Haruya could only helplessly laugh.
Looking at the increasingly upset Menma's eyes, tears were slowly starting to form again.
Uh oh.
Haruya cleared his throat, gaining the group's attention.
He gestured at teary-eyed Menma using his eyes.
*Bang!*
Anaru crisply slapped Yukiatsu's back with her palm.
"That hurt! What was that for?!" Massaging his back, Yukiatsu complained.
"Yukiatsu!! Stop messing around and take their photo!" The girl raised her hand again and threatened.
"Okay, okay! Jeez... I was just messing around," Yukiatsu groaned. Turning around, he apologized. "Sorry about that, Menma. I'll be taking both of your photos now."
"Alright, don't cry anymore. You wouldn't want to look sad in our photo, right?"
Haruya once again wiped the girl's tears for the second time this week.
Looking at the teary-eyed Menma, he felt his heart melt a little.
'Aaah, I don't want to see her cry, but she looks so cute when she does.'
Menma nodded, wiping away the rest of the forming tears with her sleeve.
She turned towards Yukiatsu and stared daggers at him, before turning her frown upside down.
She leaned over Haruya's arm and made a V sign with her fingers.
Haruya adjusted his posture closer towards the girl and smiled brightly.
*Click!*
The camera shutter clicked, and the photo captured a moment that looked almost like a scene out of a storybook.
Menma pressed against Haruya's side, her eyes shining as she threw up a cheerful V-sign, while Haruya's smile was calm and gentle, his posture leaning protectively close to her.
Behind them, the hillside rolled into a blanket of pink blossoms stretching into the distance, making the two look like they were standing in the middle of a sea of flowers.
"Perfect!" Yukiatsu muttered, checking the preview on the screen.
"Hey, hey! Me too, me too!" Poppo suddenly threw himself into the frame with his arms spread wide.
His oversized grin nearly pushed Menma's smile out of the spotlight. "C'mon, Yukiatsu, take another one!"
"Wait, calm down— Poppo!" Haruya chuckled, trying not to get toppled over.
But Yukiatsu had already pressed the shutter.
*Click!*
"Haha! Perfect!" Poppo laughed at his own ridiculous pose, puffing out his chest proudly.
"Not fair, I want one too," Anaru said, stepping forward as she tucked her hair behind her ear, casually sliding next to Menma and Haruya.
"Me too," Tsuruko added softly, though her eyes gleamed as she joined.
"Hold on, one by one—" Haruya started talking, but Jinta had already shuffled into the picture on the other side, squeezing Haruya and Menma in.
Soon enough, everyone but Yukiatsu had squished themselves into the shot.
"Okay, okay, hold still..." Yukiatsu tried to keep things straight, but Haruya called out and stopped him."
"Wait! Yukiatsu, you're not in it!"
He blinked. "Huh?"
"No fair!" Poppo shouted, pointing at him. "You can't just take all the photos! You gotta join too!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Tch… fine," Yukiatsu muttered, looking reluctant but secretly pleased. "But who's gonna take it then?"
Menma's eyes darted around the area before she raised her hand and waved enthusiastically at a passing lady.
"Excuse meee! Can you take a picture of us, please?"
The older woman smiled warmly and nodded, taking the camera from Yukiatsu.
The seven friends quickly bunched together, awkwardly trying to fit into the frame against the rolling hills of pink blossoms.
Poppo threw both his arms up, Menma leaned into Haruya with her peace sign high, while Anaru posed with her hand on her hip. Even Tsuruko allowed herself a faint smile as she stood at the edge of the group beside Yukiatsu.
The woman lifted the camera.
"Okay, say cheese!"
"Cheeeese!" they all shouted in unison.
*Click!*
And just like that, their happy smiles and closeness were captured forever against the endless horizon of flowers.