The last bell of the day rang like freedom itself. Students spilled out of the university building, and among them, six familiar figures drifted down the tree-lined path,, the afternoon sun casting long shadows behind them.
Arisa stretched so dramatically it was a wonder she didn't pull something, her arms reaching for the sky. Her long blonde hair shimmered in the sun as she let out a cat-like yawn.
"Ughhh, I swear my brain is fried," she declared to the world. "Tanaka's lectures should be classified as torture. Like economic theory? At four p.m.? That's not education, that's a crime." She dropped her arms, letting her designer bag slide back down her shoulder.
"I need a full system reboot. Shinjuku, this evening. We're going shopping, obviously. Don't even argue." She punctuated the statement with a decisive nod, hands on her hips as if the matter was already settled law.
"Shopping again? Seriously?" Haruto let out an exaggerated groan, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his hoodie and kicking at a loose pebble on the path. "Don't you own, like, half of Tokyo's retail inventory already?"
It seems 'Don't even argue' was directed towards him specifically.
"And? Fashion waits for no one. It's called stimulating the economy. You wouldn't get it, Haru." Arisa shot him a look, a mischievous glint in her amber eyes.
"He wouldn't get it because he wears the same hoodie three times a week." Mizuki, his sister, spoke sarcastically while side-eyeing him.
"Oi! This is a classic. Limited edition. People would kill for this hoodie."
"Limited edition trash is still trash, Haru." Mizuki said coolly, not even looking up from her phone. Her thumbs moved expertly across the screen as she typed.
"Oi! Rude!"
"Not wrong," Yukino added flatly from behind her glasses. Her dark hair was neatly tied back, her sharp gaze giving her words extra bite.
"Didn't you literally pay for ramen last week with pocket lint and a coupon he found on the floor?" Mizuki finally looked up from her phone, a cruel smirk playing on her lips.
"Et tu, Mizuki?!" Haruto clutched his chest as if mortally wounded. "Amane, bro, back me up here."
Amane walked in the middle of the group, hands tucked in his pockets, posture relaxed smiled warmly at Haruto.
"I can't, Haru. Gotta side with facts on this one"
"Even you, Amane?" Haruto spoke in a shocked voice, causing a ripple of laughter through the group, leaving Haruto to pout.
"Don't be such a baby," Arisa teased, finally sitting up and poking his cheek. "You're just mad 'cause you know we're right."
"Don't bully him too much, he might cry. You know he's sensitive." Amane said with a smile almost mocking.
"Sensitive?!" Suddenly, Haruto's demeanor changed, "I'm the toughest guy here! Right, Daichi?" Haruto insisted, puffing out his chest and looking at the biggest guy for backup.
"…You cried during that cat movie last month." Daichi standing beside him said with some reminiscence.
"…Okay but that was a cinematic exploration of feline loneliness and societal alienation! and anyone with a heart would've cried."
"I didn't cry." Mizuki said without missing a beat.
"Cause you don't have a heart."Haruto groaned, slumping in defeat.
"And yet I still have to deal with you every day. Life's unfair," she quipped, bumping her shoulder against his.
Arisa burst into laughter. "You two fight like you're married."
"OBVIOUSLY we're siblings!" Haruto groaned, burying his face in his hands for a second.
"Still feels like a marriage," Arisa quipped, smirking.
"Anyway," Haruto tried to steer the conversation, "how about something fun? Like the arcade! Daichi can show off his punching-machine world record."
"…Pass," Daichi rumbled. "Knuckles are still sore."
"See?" Arisa chirped, seizing the opportunity. "Even Dai's muscle is bored of your ideas. So, we're back to my flawless plan. Yuki, you can be my moral support while I decide between sky-blue and powder-blue."
Yukino's gaze was flat.
"The last time I was your 'moral support,' I ended up as your personal coat rack for three hours while you debated which handbag to pick, despite both being the same."
"But you looked so chic doing it!" Arisa insisted with a grin.
"Okay, okay," Amane interjected, his voice easily cutting smoothly through the banter.
"Compromise. What if we do something in the evening, and then go for dinner? That way, Arisa gets her shopping, and the rest of us get… Well, go do something else."
"Food. At least that's useful." Yukino's expression shifted almost imperceptibly. It felt like she was escaping.
"…I could go for yakiniku." Daichi also agreed.
"Oooh, I'm down for that. Meat and shopping. Perfect day." Miziki muttered, The word hung in the air for a second before Arisa's face lit up.
"Oh my god, yes! A perfect plan! We'll shop 'til we drop, and then Daichi can treat us all to a mountain of meat to celebrate his good idea!" Arisa added enthusiastically.
"…I just said I wanted to go." Daichi blinked slowly.
"Too late! The motion has been passed! As long as I'm not paying, I'll go anywhere." Haruto declared, jumping back into the conversation with renewed vigor.
"Of course you are." Mizuki sighed, the sound a perfect blend of exasperation "You never pay. You just 'forget your wallet.'"
"That's called strategic saving. You should learn from me."
"More like freeloading."
Amane chuckled at Haruto's goofy antics.
"SO! Shinjuku in the evening, meet at the station?"
"It's a date!" Arisa beamed, clapping her hands together. She leaned towards Haruto, wagging a perfectly manicured finger at him.
"Don't you dare be late. And for the love of all that is holy, wear a different hoodie."
"Never. This is my brand. You can't contain this level of iconic style." Haruto grinned, striking a pose.
As the others groaned and started walking again, Amane fell into step beside him, shaking his head with that same patient smile.
_ _ _ _ _ _
Later evening,
The air is warm, the kind of early evening where the sky glows faint orange fading into deep blue. Neon lights flicker on, a mix of karaoke bars, ramen shops, and game centers. Street vendors line the sidewalk, selling skewers, takoyaki, and crepes, the smell of grilled food drifting around.
The group walks in a loose cluster, laughing and bickering as usual.
"God, this street is so alive at night. Look at all the people, it feels like some drama scene." she twirls her hair, checking her reflection in a shop window.
"Yeah, and you're the lead actress, huh? The whole world's your stage, Arisa." Haruto snorted, nudging her playfully with his elbow.
"Obviously." She shot back, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You can be the comic relief who gets kicked in the background."
"Hey! I'm the fan-favorite, thank you very much," Haruto declared, puffing out his chest. "They'd cancel the show without my sparkling personality."
"Please, cancel it. I'm tired of living in your terrible spin-off." Mizuki, walking beside him, smirked without looking at him.
"You're just jealous of my screen time," he grumbled.
Amane, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, walked with a quiet, steady pace that naturally put him at the center of their loose formation. A faint smile touched his lips.
"If this was a drama, the audience would've tuned out after the first sibling squabble."
"Which means it would've ended ten seconds into episode one," Mizuki added dryly.
"Which is about as long as Haru's last crush lasted—" Arisa was about to bring Haruto dark history.
"Hey! Don't expose me on the streets!" Haruto yelped, his face flushing as he quickly grabbed Arisa's arm and half-dragged her forward, away from any potential eavesdroppers.
Walking past a few more shops, the rich scent of sizzling soy sauce and charcoal drifted from a nearby yakitori stall. It caught Daichi's attention, and he slowed, his gray eyes fixed on the vendor skillfully flipping skewers over the grill.
"...Smells good."
"You're always thinking with your stomach, Daichi."
"…Better than overthinking everything with your brain," Daichi glanced at her, a rare, small smile tugging at his mouth.
Yukino's expression didn't change, but she turned her head away quickly, adjusting her glasses to hide the faint warmth creeping into her cheeks. Idiot, she thought, though the word had no bite.
Arisa notices them and smirks knowingly, who missed nothing, let out a little gasp of feigned shock.
"Uwaa, Yuki's smiling at Dai-kun. Suspicious~."
"…It's just the streetlight reflection." Yukino stated, her voice perfectly even.
"Sure~ Sure~, a blush-colored neon sign," Haruto chimed in, wiggling his eyebrows."Next you'll be sharing pocky under the cherry blossoms."
Daichi just let out another low chuckle, not denying anything, which only made the group's grins widen. Except Yukino, who pretends to ignore them and stares at a nearby bookstore sign.
"Alright, leave them alone," Amane said, still calm, lightly amused, "Anyway, are we walking all night or actually eating somewhere?"
"Karaoke first!" Arisa demanded, linking her arm through Yukino's. "And then yakiniku. My soul requires both."
"Karaoke? With Haru? That's torture." Mizuki sighed dramatically. "I'd rather listen to nails on a chalkboard."
"Excuse me?! My singing is angelic!" Haruto pouted.
"Yeah," Arisa giggled. "Like an angel falling from heaven and hitting every note on the way down."
"…That's just mean."
Amane chuckling softly, the evening lights reflecting in his calm violet eyes.
"Guess it's settled then. Karaoke first. Let's see who survives Haru's singing."
"I should have brought earplugs." Mizuki muttered.
"My singing is a gift to humanity!"
"Yeah, a gag gift," Arisa shot back, laughing.
As they rounded a corner, heading for their usual karaoke spot, the vibrant noise of the street seemed to dim.
"Ugh… Something feels weird, right?" Haruto said, slowing down. He looked around, his goofy expression replaced by confusion. "Like someone hit the mute button."
Arisa hugged her arms, rubbing them as a sudden chill went down her spine despite the warm air.
"Yeah… where did everyone go?" The once-packed street was now eerily empty. The neon lights still buzzed and flickered, casting shifting colors on silent, empty pavement.
"Wait, is that…" Amane's calm demeanor finally cracked. He pointed toward the center of the intersection. A circle of brilliant, sapphire light was materializing on the asphalt, etched with complex symbols that pulsed with an unnatural energy. It expanded rapidly.
"What the hell is that?" Mizuki whispered, grabbing her brother's arm.
Amane's mind raced. This wasn't normal. It felt dangerous.
"Don't touch it! Everyone, get back! Run!"
He grabbed Arisa's wrist, pulling her back as he turned to urge the others. But it was too late. The light surged, swallowing the pavement, the streetlights, and then them.
There was a sickening lurch, a feeling of being pulled apart and snapped back together, and then blinding white. The street corner was empty again, the crowds and sounds returning as if nothing had ever happened.
*****
I hope you liked this chapter.
[Edited]: I had to re-upload as I was missing few lines that had been replaced their position during editing. IF there is still some piece you felt out of place. you can tell me, I want this novel enjoyable and fun.