That night, Haruya was finally back in his bedroom in Tokyo.
The familiar ceiling greeted him as he lay on his bed, laptop propped open on his desk.
His hair was still damp from recently coming out shower, but he didn't care.
The glow of the screen showed the joyful faces of the Super Peace Busters all huddled into the group call.
"Man, you should've seen Mom's face!" Poppo hollered, clutching his stomach as he laughed. "She nearly fainted when I walked in, dripping all over the floor!"
"Serve you right," Anaru said, groaning and shaking her head. "My Mom made me mop the entrance the second I stepped in. They wouldn't even let me change first."
"Same," Yukiatsu sighed, running a hand down his face. "It was humiliating. My dad wouldn't stop going on about responsibility, either."
Jinta shrugged, showing off his easy situation. "My dad didn't really say anything. He was happy as long as I got to have fun."
"Whatever." Yukiatsu rolled his eyes and scowled.
Tsuruko, as usual, was calmly sipping tea on her side of the call. "Menma, your poor mother looked like she aged ten years in one night."
Menma squeaked, her cheeks puffing up. "She just got worried! But then she laughed too, so it was fine!"
Everyone burst out laughing at that.
"How about you, Haru? Didn't you get the worst of the impact?" Poppo asked.
Haruya shrugged and replied, "Nothing that won't heal quickly. Besides, my Mom said that a few scratches here and these are normal for a boy playing around outside. Although she doesn't really know the incident."
"I'm really sorry again, Haru." Menma apologized.
"You don't need to keep apologizing, after all... I already got my reward in advance." Haruya laughed loudly, confusing the others, while Menma's face turned red from top to bottom.
"Next time you come back," Anaru said, her smile tinged with something softer, "let's do another picnic. But this time, no one's allowed near rivers."
Menma recovered from her embarrassment immediately and clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling on the screen. "And let's go stargazing again, too! It's so much prettier when we're all together. How about we go camping next time?"
"That sounds like a good idea!" The rest of them cheered and agreed.
"Then it's settled," Haruya said, leaning back against his pillow. "Next time I go back, we'll make even more memories. That's a promise."
One by one, the group began logging off. Jinta had to help his dad with the shop, Poppo wanted to eat again, Tsuruko claimed she had reading to finish, and Yukiatsu muttered something about laundry, and Anaru eventually excused herself, though not before teasing the remaining two.
"Enjoy your online date, you two." Anaru teased before going offline as well.
Soon, only two faces remained on the screen: Haruya and Menma.
Menma fidgeted the moment Anaru's words sank in, her entire face glowing red. She covered her cheeks with both hands and puffed them up, sneaking glances at Haruya through the camera.
"D-Don't listen to Anaru!" Menma stammered, her voice higher than usual.
Haruya couldn't help but chuckle amusely. "Relax, I know she was just teasing."
Still, Menma's lips pursed, and she leaned closer to her camera until her forehead nearly touched the screen. "But... really, Haru, are you okay? You didn't show it earlier, but when you fell, it looked really bad..."
Her eyes softened, the worry spilling through despite her embarrassed pout.
Haruya leaned back against his pillow, his smile gentler this time. "I told you already, didn't I? It's nothing serious. Just a couple of scratches. I'll heal up before you even notice."
"But—" Menma started, then stopped, pressing her lips together as if debating. Finally, she whispered, "I don't want you to get hurt... not because of me."
For a moment, Haruya stayed quiet, watching the sincerity in her expression.
Then he laughed softly, shaking his head. "You really are impossible, Menma. Always worrying about everyone else before yourself."
Menma puffed her cheeks again, though this time her eyes glistened a little. "Because I care!"
Haruya's smile widened at her sudden burst. "And I care too. So don't waste your energy feeling guilty, okay? As long as you're always smiling, I'm fine."
Menma froze, her blush spreading all the way to her ears. She ducked her head, hiding part of her face with her hands. "Uuuh... Haru, you can't just say things like that…"
Haruya tilted his head, teasing, "Why not? It's the truth."
Her muffled squeal through her hands made him laugh out loud, the sound echoing warmly in his room.
Haruya rested his chin on his hand. "You know, if you ever miss me, just give me a call. I'll answer, even if it's in the middle of the night."
Menma nodded, her eyes darting away. "I won't call at night... you'll need to sleep."
"Oh? Then you'll just wait until you can't stand it anymore, huh?" Haruya teased, grinning when she puffed her cheeks in protest.
"You're so mean, Haru…" she muttered, though her smile was shy and soft.
"Hey, someone's gotta keep you honest." He leaned back, stretching. "Anyway, don't cry too much while I'm gone, alright? The others will laugh at you if you do."
Menma stuck out her tongue. "I won't! I'll be fine."
A quiet moment lingered, filled only by the faint sound of their microphones.
"…Good night, Haru," she whispered softly.
"Good night, Menma. Sweet dreams."
With a final wave, their call ended.
The glow of the laptop faded from Haruya's face, leaving only the faint light of the Tokyo night spilling into his room.
He leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Meanwhile, back in Chichibu, Menma set her phone down on her desk, her reflection faint in the dark screen.
Her thoughts wandered back to a quiet conversation from earlier that day, just before Haruya and Akari had left.
Akari had pulled her mother Irene aside, her tone gentle but filled with something hopeful.
She had been pulled aside by Akari, who spoke with Irene in low voices.
Menma hadn't understood at first, but then Akari had crouched down and whispered something to her.
Something that made her eyes go wide with shock before lighting up with pure excitement.
The memory made her giggle quietly to herself now, her cheeks warming.
She rolled onto her bed, kicking her legs softly in the air. "I can't wait… Haru's gonna be so surprised."
...
The next day had set in.
Unlike Haruya's days in Chichibu, where he'd go out every day and hang out with his group, his friends here in Tokyo were nowhere to be seen.
Nagisa was still in Osaka with her family, set to return in a few more days just before the start of the next school year.
Meanwhile, Hazuki... well, her cram school was already over, but to be honest, hanging out with her required Nagisa as a middleman in between to truly get the full experience of their friendship with each other.
It's basically the same situation as being a group of three friends, with two of them being close to one specific friend.
Once that friend is absent, the situation becomes a bit awkward for the remaining two.
Yeah, that kind of situation.
Thinking about this, Haruya, who was slouched on the couch, swiping through his phone, suddenly stood up with a shocking revelation.
In Tokyo, he only had Nagisa as a real close friend!
It wasn't that he was a loner at all. In fact, with his appearance, smarts, and personality, elementary kids loved to flock to him.
He knew plenty of kids in his school, but that was it.
Instead of calling them friends, it would be more suitable to call them acquaintances.
Haruya clenched his fists and swore to himself, "This can't continue on. During my next school year, I'll definitely make plenty of friends!"