Archive of Our Own

"...I will grab my stuff next week. You won't be bothered by me ever again."

"Understood."

"..."

"..."

"This is farewell, Amane-kun. No, Fujimiya-san."

"...Likewise, Shiina. I wish you well for whatever you do next."

"...Appreciated. Then I shall bother you no longer."

Laughter and chattering echoed from beyond the sliding door. Gripping the handle, Amane opened it and entered the establishment. The smell of meat and alcohol entered his nose. Rows of tables met his eye, each filled with people engaging in small talk while passing around small plates of meat and cups of alcohol.

Amane, slightly exhausted, was currently in a rather fancy-looking izakaya located at the top floor of an equally fancy building. His office worker suit, slightly wrinkled from him being squashed in the train, was not exactly what he had wanted to wear for such an occasion, but as he had just gotten out of work, he had no choice to let the matter slide.

A decade had passed since he graduated high school. Everyone had gone their separate ways, pursued their goals, and had integrated into society. Amane wouldn't deny the notion of feeling a bit nostalgic when he received an invitation to attend a high school reunion. Unfortunately, it was on a weekday. He wanted to complain about the timing, but he figured that it might be because this was the most convenient time for everyone invited to attend.

It would be a lie to say that he was fully on board with this gathering. After all, attending would mean that he would most likely encounter her. At the same time though, he believed that his regret in not seeing his old classmates again would outweigh his regrets of going, so he forced down any ill feelings he had as he accepted the invite.

"Hey, you made it!"

Amane turned to look at the man calling him. His eyes landed on a slightly frivolous-looking person sitting at a nearby table.

"Good to see you doing well, Itsuki."

Itsuki waved and invited him over. Next to him, a girl waved as well, beaming with an equally mischievous grin.

"Hey! Long time no see, Amane!"

"...Good to see you too, Chitose."

"I'm not sure I liked that pause just now!"

A flurry of laughter erupted from the table. Contrary to his reserved reply, Amane was quite glad to see Chitose again, even if he still couldn't fully stand up to her exuberance.

It had been some time since he had seen them. They still kept in contact with each other over social media and sometimes met up to hang out and catch up about what they had been up to, but slowly, over the years, they slowly grew apart as they went to fill their place in society. It was nostalgic hearing their voices again.

He made his way over to the table where Itsuki and Chitose were at and sat across them. It wasn't like he hadn't been out of touch with them, he met up with Itsuki a month prior in fact, but it was rather nostalgic to be able to meet them again under a more jovial atmosphere.

Almost everyone in the establishment turned to Amane.

"Been a while, Fujimiya!"

"Wow! Looking sharp, man!"

"Come over here, I'll pour you a drink."

"Where's Shiina-san?"

The establishment noticeably hushed upon hearing this question, with some people on other tables noticeably straining their ears to hear his reply.

"Yeah, tell us Fujimiya! How have things been between you and the angel?"

"Have you two gotten hitched yet?"

Itsuki and Chitose's smiles stiffened.

"We broke up six years ago," Amane answered almost immediately without a hint of hesitation.

Besides the patrons who weren't involved in the class reunion, almost everyone fell silent, causing an awkward atmosphere to descend over the izakaya. It was almost as if the lively chatter from a few seconds ago had all been an illusion. The only sounds that could be heard were the establishment's music and the bustle of the staff in the kitchen preparing their orders before a few brave souls broke the silence.

"Oh, um..."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

"What? How?! You two were all over each other!"

Amane took a second to organize his words in his mind.

"Well," he began, "we slowly drifted apart a bit because of...scheduling issues. We then had a disagreement six years ago and, well, we broke up. That's it."

His former classmates turned to each other with shocked and depressed stares.

"Well... I didn't expect this..."

"The world has ended..."

"Wait, that means she's available again, right?"

"Yeah, right. Don't you remember how she was before? There's no way she will be."

Amane ignored the remarks and made his way to Itsuki's table and sat next to him. While the breakup had occurred six years ago, to him it was mostly in the past. Although he went through a rather dark chapter of his life after that, he had already accepted it.

As soon as he sat down, Itsuki poured him a drink and slid the glass over to him.

"Here, Amane, try this. This is some good stuff."

"Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?"

"Oh loosen up a bit. Anyway, we're here to catch up, so just sit back and have fun my friend."

Itsuki lightly slapped him on the back. Aamane accepted the drink, feeling the burning sensation of alcohol slide down his throat.

"How've you been Amane?" Chitose asked him, looking a bit giddy. "Ah, but nothing about work if you can. Tell us something funny!"

Amane shot her a slightly stern look which did nothing to faze her. He decided to indulge her request and wracked his mind. He couldn't really think of anything exciting to tell, much less anything 'funny', due to how much time he spent at work. Scraping together what bits and pieces of memory he could describe as pleasant, he slowly formulated a story to tell her. She looked at him in anticipation.

As he was about to answer, the sliding door opened.

"My apologies for being late."

Walking through the door was a man in a faded red polo shirt with a yellow-green hoodie over it along with a pair of slacks. The casual attire gave the man an air of approachability and complemented his princely facial features.

"Yuuta, nice to see you!" Itsuki bellowed towards the man.

Yuuta smiled and waved. A few excited shrieks from the ladies erupted across the izakaya, prompting a few other patrons to swivel their heads towards the commotion.

"Very nice to see you again, Kadowa...ki..." Amane's greeting slowly faded as he noticed something shining on Yuuta's finger.

"Um, Kadowaki," he said, raising a finger to point at what he was looking at, "is that a wedding band?"

His words caught everyone's attention as a few dozen heads were now staring at Yuuta's ring finger, adorned with a simple yet tasteful silver ring.

"Ah yeah, this," Yuuta smiled as he made his way over to them, "no, it's an engagement ring."

The girls shrieked again. Yuuta promptly ignored them and sat down next to Amane.

"Whaaaat?!" Chitose screeched, "when did you get engaged?! No, scratch that, when and where did you find a girlfriend?! Why didn't you introduce her to us?! " Yuuta was suddenly bombarded with a flurry of questions from the suddenly excited woman.

"She's right, pal!" Itsuki joined in. "I thought we were friends! Introduce your fiancée to us next time so we can celebrate properly!"

Yuuta slightly leaned backwards under the sudden pressure. Amane could only smile and give him his sympathies. At the same time, he couldn't blame Itsuki and Chitose for their outburst; he didn't see any sign of a fiancée on any of Yuuta's social media accounts. "I'm honestly surprised too, Kadowaki. And, um, congratulations? Though I guess it's a bit late for that."

"Thank you," Yuuta beamed. Amane could only stare at him in awe. He didn't recall Yuuta ever smiling like that in high school. The sight before him was so bright and lively that it was as if he was staring at the sun itself. Perhaps it was the power of love that made his smile so radiant.

Handsome guys are fearsome!, he thought to himself.

Despite his happiness of seeing his friend finally finding someone special, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Yuuta for managing to make it all the way to engagement.

Another wave of murmurs spread through the establishment.

"I can't believe the prince is getting hitched."

"What fair maiden caught his attention?"

"I can't tell what's more shocking, him getting married or Fujimiya and the angel breaking up..."

"Has the world actually ended?"

Yuuta's ears pricked up.

"I'm sorry," he said, "did I just hear someone say Fujimiya and Shiina-san broke up?"

The voices quietened down a bit.

"Um, yeah," Amane replied sheepishly, "Shiina and I broke up a few years back..."

The happy expression was wiped clean from Yuuta's face.

"Wait, what?!" Yuuta raised his voice a little as he conveyed his shock, "but you two were all over each other?! How did this happen?!"

Yuuta rarely raised his voice, so to hear him do so meant that the news of Amane's breakup really was that unexpected.

It was almost comedic as to how outspoken the cool and collected school prince had become, Amane thought to himself as he told Yuuta his breakup story.

"Um, my condolences..." Yuuta said, putting a hand on Amane's shoulder.

"It's really no big deal," Amane replied with a self-deprecating smile, "but, thanks."

"Excuse me, but that's not something we can just call 'no big deal'", Chitose piped up. "Mahirun was head over heels for you and vice versa! You two were practically attached to the hip! You can't just brush this off Amane!"

"So where did you meet your girlfriend?" Amane asked Yuuta, ignoring Chitose. He was desperate to get himself out of this uncomfortable topic before any unpleasant memories decided to manifest in his head. Chitose shot him a dirty look, which he promptly ignored.

"Yes, well it all started when-" Yuuta began before he was interrupted by the sound of the door being slid open.

Walking through this time was a petite woman in a white button-up office shirt with a black blazer on top. Her black skirt complemented her equally dark stockings, which seemingly melded into the high heels she wore. The woman's long flaxen hair contrasted well against the dark outfit.

"It's been a while, everyone," she slightly bowed as she greeted them all with a heavenly smile.

"Glad to see you doing well, Shiina," Amane greeted her.

Mahiru's smile slightly faltered before greeting him.

"Likewise, Fujimiya-san."

Some whispers bubbled over at some of the other tables.

"Well... This is awkward..."

"It's so weird hearing them use their last names again."

"Do you think the Angel has a new boyfriend?"

"Impossible. I don't think anyone other than Fujimiya could have cracked her shell."

"So...how did you two break up anyway?"

An uncomfortable atmosphere filled the air. Someone slapped the asker upside the head.

Mahiru went silent for a second before she said, "We slowly drifted apart because of...circumstances. We had a bit of a disagreement, and then we broke up. The end."

"Ugh, that's the same thing Amane said," Chitose bemoaned.

"Because that's literally what happened," Amane protested, "it's not like we had a dramatic fallout or anything."

"...Yes, what he said," Mahiru backed him up while slightly fidgeting on the spot; something that didn't escape Amane's notice.

As everyone was talking amongst themselves, Mahiru made her way over to the table where Amane was currently sitting. To his surprise, she sat down in the seat directly opposite him, ensuring face-to-face contact. Seeing her up-close after all these years made him quite nervous. He wasn't even sure what he would say, let alone what he should talk about.

"So...how've you been?" he asked her, trying his best to remove all traces of nervousness from his voice.

"Not too bad, just busy with work. I think you know how it is." Mahiru said, putting on an angelic smile. It was the same smile she used back when she kept her distance from others. It made Amane feel a bit isolated and lonely, though he couldn't fault her for using it. "What about you? Are you still working in that place?"

By 'that place', she was presumably referring to the job he was employed in when they broke up. Long hours, frequent overtime with a minimal increase in overtime pay, and shifts during public holidays. He didn't have many good memories of 'that place', though he couldn't deny the beneficial effects it had on his resume.

"Oh, that?" Amane waved his hand. "No, I already found a better job. They pay me better and I get more sleep now, so I'm faring pretty well I'd say."

"That's good," Mahiru said, softly sighing. For a brief moment, hints of relief seemed to have appeared in her smile, though Amane was sure it was just the alcohol speaking. He decided not to drink too much that night in order to hold a reasonable conversation with everyone around him.

"Boo! We're here to relax, not talk about work!" Chitose suddenly exclaimed. Her face was slightly flushed. "Come one Mahirun! Tell us something funny!"

"Wait, you're drunk already?!"

"We're at an izakaya, Amane. You're supposed to get drunk." Chitose exclaimed as she passed a plate full of meat to Mahiru. "Anyways! You've got to try this karaage Mahirun! It's, like, way better than the rest of the stuff I've had here!"

"Chi, you've literally only eaten the squid so far," Itsuki jabbed.

"Exactly, and the karaage is way better!" Chitose exclaimed before pushing a bowl full of it in front of Mahiru.

Mahiru, slightly bewildered, took some of the karaage into her plate while thanking her friend for the offer. Amane quietly sighed as his discomfort eased. Chitose might still be a bit much for him to handle at times, but he always appreciated her ability to remove any lingering awkwardness from their surroundings. He decided to let himself follow the sudden change in atmosphere and dug his own chopsticks into a nearby bowl of food.

Before he knew it, it was already past ten, and there was an hour left before the party wrapped up and everyone had to go home.

While they were talking, Amane found out a few things about Mahiru's life after they broke up. For one thing, she never got herself another boyfriend. Not a huge surprise, though he felt a prick of disappointment upon hearing that the main reason was that she never seemed to have time off for herself to look for one.

On a related note, when he revealed the lack of his own girlfriend, Mahiru shot him a strange look. He could only speculate what it meant, though he didn't think it wise to ask her.

What did surprise him, however, was hearing about how Mahiru moved to a new prefecture shortly after she graduated university. She cited a job opportunity that caught her eye as the reason, and eagerly packed up her stuff to apply. Despite it turning out to be a total bust, moving turned out to be the right choice as she eventually found a successful career near her current area.

Amane, Itsuki, Chitose and everyone on the table also talked about their lives after finishing their education, with some making it big and enjoying successful careers while some turned to a life of freelance jobbing. Chitose complained a few times about how she didn't want to talk about work, eliciting a few laughs across the table. Amane couldn't help but notice the looks that Mahiru sometimes shot his way that night, though he decided to ignore them in fear of offending her should he point it out.

As conversations exchanged throughout the table, Amane waited for the right opportunity to talk to Mahiru alone. It didn't matter if he had to wait until the very end to do so, yet every second that passed with him not being able to talk to her increased his anxiety.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Mahiru turned to him with a look of resolve on her face.

"Fujimiya-san," Mahiru called out to him, shrugging her head towards the sliding door that led to the balcony located at the back of the establishment, "would you like to come with me for a moment?"

"...Sure," Amane agreed. A chance had appeared before him from the most unexpected person. Despite feeling a slight sense of defeat of not being the one to extend an invitation, he knew he'd be a fool to not take it. "Itsuki, I'll be back."

"Yeah, take your time, man," Itsuki laughed, "I'm gonna needle Makoto here in the meantime."

"Why have I been sacrificed?!" a complaint came from the sacrifice's direction, eliciting a few chuckles from around the table.

Amane smiled as he stood up and followed Mahiru, squeezing his way past a few people as he pushed his way through the tight rows of tables.

He followed Mahiru into the balcony, sliding the door shut behind them.

The balcony, dimly lit from the weak illumination of a single light suspended from a small pole, was quite small, though it was roomy enough for him to walk around comfortably. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out varnished wooden flooring and a simple metal railing forming the balcony's barriers. A few ash trays were built into the railing, while the lack of a roof revealed a faint tapestry of stars above them. Presumably, this balcony was used for smoking purposes. However, not a single soul was there tonight besides him and Mahiru.

Mahiru leaned forward against the railing, looking out into the scenery beyond. An urban jungle spread out before her, buildings dotting the horizon like trees. Looking down from the edge of the railing next to Mahiru, he could make out small roads snaking between the buildings, lined with sidewalks decorated with neatly trimmed hedges and rubbish bins close to bursting. Streetlights below glowed a slight orange, softly tinting the woman next to him with a faint otherworldly glow.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Amane asked her.

"Nothing too substantial," she said, looking at the nighttime scenery, "just wanted to see what you're up to. Catch up and all that."

"Didn't we already do that earlier?"

"We did, but isn't a one-on-one talk more like the old times?"

All of a sudden, Amane realized why she had been throwing looks at him all night. She had also wanted to find a time for the two of them to talk together alone. He didn't know whether to be happy or nervous.

"Hmmm, it has been some time, I guess."

He settled for a guarded optimism. He didn't know what she wanted to actually talk to him about, but he was more than willing to hear her out. Even if it meant being subjected to anything negative she might throw at him.

Mahiru looked at Amane's suit.

"Hard to believe you're a salaryman now..."

"Yeah. Like I said earlier, I entered the workforce soon after university. My mom recommended me somewhere and that led to another thing and, well, here I am."

"Connections are wonderful, aren't they?"

"I won't deny that they have their perks," Amane said. If he were to be completely honest, he more often than not found networking to be a pain, and the nights where he had to listen to his superiors and acquaintances moan about something over some drinks were more than he could count. However, as it paid his bills, he tolerated it. At the very least, it was still better than working at 'that place'. "What about you? How were you after university?"

"My parents pretty much disowned me after I entered the workforce so I had to work hard using the connections I made before I graduated," Mahiru sighed with a somber smile on her face.

Amane felt his chest prick upon hearing that. He slightly recalled Mahiru mentioning her parents' plans to disown her after university, but he had forgotten about it until that moment.

"It's nothing to be too upset over, Fujimiya-san," she said with a troubled smile, "I was able to get through somehow so there's no need to worry about me."

"That's good to hear," Amane said, a small sense of relief washing over him. "We've, uh, been through a lot, haven't we?"

"I suppose we have," Mahiru replied.

"Yep."

"Mm-hmm..."

Silence fell between the two of them. It was a complete contrast to the lively conversations they had earlier that night. However, without Itsuki and Chitose there to act as the mood-makers, they suddenly found themselves hard to talk to each other, leaving a quiet atmosphere that was only filled in by the distant sounds of urban noise. Silence wasn't an unfamiliar sensation; the two of them often enjoyed basking in each other's company through periods of quietness back when they were dating. This time, though, Amane felt like wanting to crawl into a hole.

Picking his mind for a conversation topic, Amane suddenly remembered something he always wanted to tell her.

However, it terrified him. Yet here was the perfect chance to do so.

He was presented with two choices: do it, and be done with it, leaving no unfinished business behind him, or he could ignore it and carry on as he had for the past six years.

The first option filled him with paralyzing fear, though the second choice was far more unpleasant. Weighing the options, he reached a consensus and made up his mind.

"Is there something you want to say to me?," Mahiru asked him, making him realize that she was staring at him.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're fidgeting and you look like you're deep in thought. Not to mention you looked like you've been wanting to talk to me all night."

Amane wondered if he was that easy to read, though she always had some way of seeing through him. Either way, the thought of running away now made him feel pathetic. He had no other choice but to plow ahead if he ever wished to move forward in his life.

No choice but to do this, he told himself. He took a large breath to fight back his nervousness.

"I do, actually," Amane said, turning to face her. "Shiina," he started, looking her in the eye. She looked a little uncomfortable under his gaze, prompting Amane to immediately break off eye contact. He got on his knees and prostrated himself, his forehead touching the cold flooring.

"F-Fujimiya-san?" Surprise and confusion leaked out of the woman in front of him.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"On the day we broke up, you tried to invite me out somewhere. But I brushed aside your sincerity and didn't listen to a word you said. We ended up having an ugly fight because of that, and I ended up saying some pretty horrible things to you."

He could still remember the day they broke up all too vividly. Amane had come home after a long day of working at 'that place', and, too tired to return Mahiru's greeting, simply stared at the television set in the living room after eating dinner. Back then, this was already a normal routine for him. In a bid to secure a comfortable living for the both of them, Amane ended up prioritizing his job over Mahiru despite her pleas for him to search for a less taxing job.

As he sat there mindlessly staring at the screen, she attempted to invite him out somewhere. He didn't know how long it had been building up for, but looking back he recognized that she had been suffering from a lack of affection. She had made some friends in university and hung out with them often, which led Amane to think that her social needs were being taken care of. Thinking about it though, he couldn't help but wonder if the reason she hung out with her friends sometimes was because he didn't make himself available for her.

"I was incredibly burnt out that day and was unable to think logically, and because of that, I pinned the blame of my workload on you," Amane continued.

In a sleep-deprived state, Amane unfairly argued back at her, grumbling about his busy schedule while wishing for Mahiru to understand just how hard he worked to support the both of them. It seemed that was the final straw for her, however, as Mahiru soon declared her intention of splitting up afterwards. She moved out one week later, taking her belongings with her.

He hadn't realized it then, but on that fateful day, he selfishly tried to make Mahiru take responsibility for a burden he voluntarily and foolishly took. He remembered the look of dismay on her expression as he vented to her. It was the face of someone who looked as if they had been betrayed by the one they trusted.

A few months later, Amane graduated from university. Quitting his previous job to enter the hunt for a better position in wider society, Amane finally had the time to get some rest and ponder the options he wanted to take. And that was when the weight and reality of his actions kicked in. What shocked Amane was not Mahiru's declaration of splitting up, but rather how easily he had conceded to it. Had he been in his right mind he would have never willingly given up the position of being her boyfriend, yet he so readily threw it away when she broke up with him.

They didn't grow to hate each other, nor did their relationship crumble due to irreconcilable differences. It was simply neglected, and their love grew colder and colder until the warmth they once shared ceased to exist.

"I won't ask for your forgiveness. But I just want to say that I really am sorry for what I did back then."

Silence filled the air, each second filled with an anxious tension. However, he had already said what he had wanted to say for the past six years. Whatever her reaction will be, whether she accepted or rejected it, he resolved himself to live with the outcome. He felt that it was the least he could do after having treated her so horribly in the past.

"You always were a serious person, Fujimiya-san."

When Amane looked up, he saw Mahiru bent down, her face almost level to his. Her warm breath tickled his nose. To his surprise, he saw no hint of her being upset on her expression. Instead there was a gentle smile traced with melancholy. It wasn't the angelic smile she had shown him earlier that night, but a genuine smile that told him her true emotions.

"For the meantime, why don't you stand up, Fujimiya-san?" she said, offering a hand to him. He looked at it for a while before getting up on his feet. He didn't accept her hand out of a lingering sense of guilt. He knew that she was a kind person, but he expected a little more anger to be directed towards him, and it made him feel all the more disgusted with himself.

Mahiru took a deep breath before she said something that shook Amane to his core.

"Alright. I'll accept your apology, Fujimiya-san."

"...What?"

"I said I'll accept your apology. What, did you think I would just reject it?"

Amane looked away without answering her. Mahiru frowned and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What happened to the self-esteem you built up over the years, Fujimiya-san? Don't tell me you've become a total pushover?"

"I haven't, don't worry. I was just surprised you accepted it so easily."

"That's because I'm a nice person, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's some astounding self-confidence you have..."

"You need some if you wish to survive in this world, Fujimiya-san," Mahiru said before she crossed her arms and gave him a puzzled look. "Speaking of self-confidence, I can't help but notice your lack of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier you apologized but specifically said you weren't asking for forgiveness. That doesn't exactly strike me as confident. Also, isn't that a bit of a contradiction?"

"Is it?"

"Normally, when you apologize it means you're asking for forgiveness as well, right? People at work do it all the time. I know Akazawa-san does it as well when Chitose gets mad at him."

The small jab at Itsuki brought a fleeting smile to his face, though it didn't answer her questions. The answer was all too simple to Amane. He didn't think he was worthy of her forgiveness.

"Honestly, I don't think there's a need to ask for it."

"Why?"

"I mean, I treated you pretty badly, right? I don't think I'd need to ask for something I don't deserve." He put on a self-deprecating smile aimed at himself. He used the words 'pretty badly' to describe his neglect of her, though he knew that was an understatement. He treated her very badly, and the regret he felt from that outweighed any desire for forgiveness from her.

Upon hearing him say that, Mahiru glumly stared at him with pursed lips before she took her hand and smacked it across his face. The loud impact echoed through the night sky, accompanied with a searing sensation of pain on his left cheek.

It was so sudden and unexpected that he couldn't help but look at her in shock. Despite how it appeared, he didn't blame her for slapping him. If anything, he knew it was well-deserved.

Mahiru herself looked a bit troubled. "I-I'm so sorry!" she immediately apologized, her eyes darting back and forth.

"Uh, no you have nothing to apologize for," he said, touching the cheek where she slapped him. "I'm just more surprised. Really, it's not a big deal. To be honest, I was kind of expecting this to happen when we came out here."

"You were expecting me to slap you?"

"Well, think about it. My ex wanted to talk to me alone away from the eyes of other people. It isn't too unreasonable to assume you wanted to chew me off right?"

"...Is that how you really saw it?" she asked him, a hint of sadness weaved within.

Mahiru folded her arms and rested them against the railing, turning to look at the urban scenery sprawled around them.

"Tell me then, Fujimiya-san," she sighed sadly as she stared in front of her, her flaxen hair fluttering in the night breeze, "did you regret our relationship? And I mean the time we spent together, not how it ended."

"What?"

"Please answer me."

"No," his reply was immediate, "no, I did not regret our relationship."

"...That was a rather quick reply."

"Well, I'm serious. You taught me how to take care of myself, restored my self-respect, and helped me be willing to open up to people again. If anything, I hate the idea of not having that relationship in the first place."

Mahiru smiled, a faint of red blooming on her cheeks.

"It's the same with me. Before I met you, I was lying to myself and to others, and didn't let anyone close to me. But then I met you. You showed me the value of relationships. I could never regret our time together."

Amane's eyes widened a fraction. "Really?"

"Yes." Not a trace of deceit could be found in her affirmation.

Amane internally breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Regrets still lingered, but he felt as if he could breathe again after affirming the lack of hate from the woman in front of him.

"Besides, even if I didn't want to forgive you, I think I eventually would."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Fujimiya-san, would you enjoy going through life obsessing over your ex?"

"That sounds painful."

"Isn't it? Well, maybe 'forgiveness' might not be the right term, but it would be much better to let go of a matter instead of dwelling on it, wouldn't you agree? Though, I'll admit that's easier said than done...Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'm letting you off the hook, okay? So don't look so glum, Fujimiya-san."

"In my defense, your slap didn't exactly scream forgiveness..."

"I-I already apologized! And besides, that was entirely on you Fujimiya-san," she pouted. "You seemed to have fallen back on your self-depreciative ways and my body just acted on reflex."

"You slap people on reflex now?"

"No! I just remembered something one of my coworkers told me."

"Let me guess. 'If you meet your ex, be sure to slap him', or something along those lines?"

Mahiru shot him a dirty look.

"You really have fallen back to your lack of self-esteem, haven't you? She just told me to 'correct' someone if they're saying something stupid," Mahiru said, making small slapping motions in the air as she did so. "I heard something stupid, so I did exactly what she said. You're the first one I've actually slapped though..."

"Your workplace sounds a bit violent," Amane replied with a raised eyebrow. A quick remark about her coworker getting in trouble with the law briefly surfaced into his mind, though he quickly suppressed it before it could leak out of his mouth.

"So Fujimiya-san," Mahiru said with a serious expression, "please don't say you don't deserve forgiveness or anything like that. You might be a bit different now compared to how I knew you, but I would like to believe that you're still that kind man I met all those years ago." Her voice ratcheted down a few decibels. "So please, be kind to yourself as well."

Amane could feel his heart melt when he heard those words.

Ah, that's right. This was why I fell for her in the first place. Kind, tolerant, and gentle despite the surprisingly sharp tongue she sometimes used, she always looked out for Amane even in his lowest moments. Everyone at their high school called her an 'angel', and at that moment, he couldn't think of a more befitting word to describe her.

"Shiina," Amane said, heart melting from the kindness shown to him, "I...I know I don't deserve this after what I did to you, but would you like to start over? Not as a couple, but as friends?"

Mahiru blinked in surprise at his question.

"Friends?"

"Yes," Amane confirmed, "I would like nothing more than for us to be friends again. But if you don't want to, I understand."

In all honesty, Amane would like nothing more than to become someone special to her again. He wanted to be the one to bring a smile to her face and be the joy of her life as she had been to him once more. He knew better than to suddenly jump her with such a request, though, so he settled for re-establishing a cordial relationship with her.

Silence fell as Mahiru registered the words he spoke. Time seemed to have crawled to a standstill at that moment, with the sound of music and chatter leaking out of the sliding door serving as his only anchors to reality. Every second that passed served to increase Amane's anxiety. He was starting to think that he shouldn't have asked. After a minute, her lips parted.

"Could you...say that again?"

"What?"

"Do you really want us to be friends again?"

"I do," he affirmed with a nod. "I know it won't make up for anything I've done to you, but I think it would be nice if we can start again on new ground. Only if you're interested, that is."

"Please don't immediately assume I'll turn you down, Fujimiya-san," Mahiru said with a hint of displeasure. "I was just a bit surprised, that's all. I'm more than happy to be friends with you again."

"O-oh. Um, right. Cool then." Amane was a little taken aback as to how easily she agreed to re-establish their friendship, but it didn't seem as if she was against the idea or that she was forcing herself. "Good to be friends again, Shiina."

"Likewise, Fujimiya-san."

Mahiru's eyes twinkled like the stars above them. Amane blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes in case what he was seeing was just the alcohol making him experience a momentary hallucination, but it seems that she really was that happy to be reacquainted with him. It was quite dazzling.

As he was caught off-guard, Mahiru suddenly tilted her head with a puzzled expression on her face.

"By the way Fujimiya-san, why did you look so surprised when I said that I didn't regret our time together?"

"Oh, well, I tried calling you to apologize, but I never got through so I thought you blocked me or something."

Upon fully grasping what had happened, he immediately attempted to reconcile. But no matter how many times he called or texted her, a reply was never received. The meaning was clear to him: she had cut him off from her life.

Mahiru's face stiffened. Her eyes stopped twinkling.

"Shiina?"

"Ah, that's my fault," Mahiru shrank in embarassment. "Remember how I moved to a new prefecture when I saw a job offer? I decided to get a fresh start at life while I was there so I changed my phone numbers. Chitose knows it though, she's the one who invited me here tonight."

"That would explain how you got here," said Amane.

"I considered texting you, but I was a bit nervous of what might happen if we saw each other again, so..."

"I'm really sorry I treated you that harshly."

"No, it's my fault for not telling you."

"I don't think you have to apologize for that. Anyone would react like that after being mistreated like that."

"But-"

"Shiina, let's just stop here, otherwise we'll be here all night." Amane said, putting a hand up to interrupt her. Her accepting his apology was already enough for him, and it really was his own fault that made her decide not to share her new contact in the first place. He decided to change the topic to prevent any more unnecessary apologies coming out of her. "If we're about to apologize a thousand times to each other tonight, we might as well use that time to plan how we'll move forward from here."

"What do you mean?" Mahiru looked a little confused.

"If we're starting over, I want to know what our new friendship will look like. I feel like it would be a big waste to just go back to our normal lives without any plans to make contact with each other again. Kind of defeats the whole point of being friends again, don't you think?"

Mahiru looked a bit stunned as she absorbed his words before she closed her eyes. She looked as if she were in deep thought, making Amane rather glad that she was seriously considering his proposal. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Well," she said after a minute of thinking, "for starters, I would like to come hang out once in a while, even if it's just walking in a park or something. I know it'll be a bit challenging because we live in different prefectures, but I would like for us to at least try to come together."

"Hangouts, got it," Amane affirmed with a nod, "we can compare our schedules later and see when we're free, does that sound good?"

"Sounds good," Mahiru smiled. "That reminds me, you don't have my contact info do you?"

"Yeah...I don't," Amane admitted sheepishly. It was the lack of this information that led to his dilemma in the first place, but he decided to stop complaining about it before Mahiru started apologizing again.

"Here, give me your phone," Mahiru said, hand outstretched. Reaching a hand into his pocket, Amane fished out his phone and obediently handed it over. Mahiru's fingers danced over the screen. "Right, I've given you my new phone number. Be sure to text me okay?" she requested with a soft smile, her voice betraying hints of anticipation.

"Yes ma'am." Amane replied. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her excitement.

"But still though, Fujimiya-san," Mahiru said while handing him back his phone, her head tilted in confusion, "why didn't you send me an e-mail? That was one of the few contacts I didn't change."

Amane froze, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt. A slight breeze passed by, softly breathing a cool scent upon them. His brain slowly registered her words before he came to a single consensus.

Wait...that's right! I could've sent her an e-mail, what was I thinking?!

If he had only calmed down and thought about it, he would've realized that there were other options besides the usual methods he and Mahiru communicated with.

Amane buried his face in his hands.

"Oh man, I've made a complete moron of myself, haven't I?"

"You must have been really worn out if you couldn't even think of that." Mahiru shot him an exasperated look. "I'll have to keep an eye on you so you don't overwork yourself this time."

"Rest assured, my schedule is properly managed these days."

"Then I'm sure I'm just imagining those faint eyebags then?" Mahiru said, looking directly at his eyes.

"Ugh..."

He was admittedly feeling a little tired due to coming to the party straight after work. Not to mention it was already past his self-imposed curfew. He would've been long asleep by now had it been a normal day. It only made sense that he was feeling a little under the weather.

"Goodness, you really are a hopeless case," Mahiru sighed, shaking her head. Despite the clear disapproval she displayed over Amane's sleeping conditions, it seems she didn't necessarily see him as an entirely hopeless case if she was willing to help him out with it.

"Well, with all of that in mind, I think we're ready to start anew, don't you think?" Amane asked her. "Again, only if you want to." He didn't think she would refuse at this stage, though he wanted to absolutely make sure she wanted to associate with him again.

"Isn't it a bit late to be asking me that? I'm not going to suddenly cut ties with you after I gave you my phone number, you know?" Mahiru shot him a look as if she was wondering whether he was being serious or not.

"Then it's settled. I look forward to spending time with you, Shiina."

Amane stretched out his arm and offered it to Mahiru. He didn't doubt her verbal agreement, though he thought a formal gesture like a handshake would make the whole thing seem more official. It was something he often did at work, so he couldn't help but wonder if it was just a case of some ingrained habits leaking out.

Seeing the outstretched hand, Mahiru started fidgeting, her hands interlocking behind her back as her shoulders slightly shrank.

"Something the matter, Shiina?" Amane asked her.

Mahiru continued to fidget for a bit before she looked shyly at Amane, her face showing a hint of red. It seemed she had taken some time to think and come to some kind of decision.

"...Fujimiya-san," Mahiru stretched out her arms, "would you hug me like you used to instead? To, um, seal the agreement?"

Amane looked at her in slight disbelief at what he heard.

"Come again?"

"Please don't make me say it again," Mahiru said, bashfully clasping her hands behind her back, "it was embarrassing enough to say it once."

"No, uh...sorry. I heard you the first time, but it took me by surprise."

"We hugged all the time before we went out, didn't we?"

"Well, true..."

"Then it's fine this time as well, right?" Mahiru looked down at the ground, her face suddenly becoming downtrodden. "Or maybe you don't want to?"

Amane internally groaned. This was a completely unexpected turn of events for him. In his mind, he thought Mahiru would be a little more reserved, or at the very least not as willing to be as physically close as she used to be.

If he were asked whether or not he would like to take Mahiru on her offer, he would say yes. A mix of guilt and nervousness stopped him, however. Although Mahiru had told him to stop beating himself up over the circumstances of their breakup, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the idea that he was allowed to wrap his arms around her again as if nothing had happened. His nervousness came from the fact that, besides his mother, he hadn't had close physical contact with someone of the opposite sex in six years. Also, he had just spent a long day in the office, and was a bit worried that he might smell a bit. They were currently in the middle of changing seasons, and although today wasn't scorchingly hot, it was warm enough that he felt himself sweat a little.

As he was mulling, Mahiru continued to look at him, waiting for an answer. Realizing that she was staring at him with a hint of expectation, he stretched out his arms and wrapped himself around her, his mind made up after sensing her earnest desire for his touch.

He just couldn't find it in him to refuse her at that moment.

"Alright, come here..." he muttered.

As he hugged her, Amane felt a warmth and softness he hadn't felt in years
As he hugged her, Amane felt a warmth and softness he hadn't felt in years. A sweet nostalgic feeling welled up in his chest. It wasn't as strong as it used to be, but he wondered how long it had been since he experienced this feeling of bliss. Underneath the smell of perfume, he could slightly make out Mahiru's scent, as sweet as he remembered. No, it smelled a bit different. It was like a ripened fruit, more mature and mellow than he recalled.

In his arms, Mahiru let out a soft sigh of contentment. She seemed to have missed this as much as he did. Her hands slightly rubbed against his back, as if she was unwilling to let go of the moment. Amane took one hand and caressed her hair. Mahiru flinched, prompting Amane to quickly let go of Mahiru and take a step back. Mahiru, however, kept her arms wrapped around him, causing her to slightly tumble forward with him.

"Ah, sorry! I got carried away there," Amane explained in a panic. It may have been fine before, but now it was highly inappropriate and bordered on sexual harassment.

"I didn't say I hated it..." Mahiru trailed off. She looked up at Amane, her eyes filled with a slight hint of embarrassment. "Um, could you...do it one more time?" Even in the dim light of the balcony, he could tell that her face was starting to glow red again.

Amane could feel his face start to heat up as he reached out and ran his fingers over her hair once more. It was just as soft and silky as it looked, and to feel this again brought a sense of calm to him, as if all of his worries were disappearing like morning mist. It was clear that Mahiru had kept up her diligent beauty and self-care routine.

"Hey, Fujimiya-san, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Um..." Mahiru fidgeted in his arms, "can...can you call me by my first name?"

Amane blinked in surprise. It was an easy request, though he was rather surprised how soon she wanted to return to a first-name basis. He figured it would have taken at least a few months.

"Aren't we skipping a few steps?"

"You don't want to?" Her soft voice sweetly tortured his ears.

"I mean, I don't mind, but you're gonna give me the wrong idea you know?"

"Wrong idea?"

"Uh, you might end up making me think that you'd want to go back to the way we were before..."

The two may have been intimate before they went out, but they didn't casually hold each other like this when they first met. Amane was a bit worried that he might end up acting on some lingering feelings for Mahiru and tried warning her to prevent her from making any requests that might cause him to act in a manner unbefitting of a friend.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to lead you on. I was just so overcome with nostalgia that I got carried away a bit..."

"Well...okay, yeah, I can definitely understand what you're thinking." Amane himself had no ground to deny her thought process when he felt the exact same way. He was rather tempted to steal her lips there and then as he did back then, but the thought of her pulling away from him after they had just re-established their friendship put that thought to a grinding halt. "But seriously, please control yourself. I'm a guy and you're a girl, remember? If you toy around with my heart too much I might actually end up falling for you again."

"I wouldn't mind that too much though..."

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"Nothing."

Mahiru mumbled something he wasn't able to hear before burying her face deeper into his chest.

"Well, if you don't like the idea of calling me by my name, then I won't force you."

"I never said I was against it...Mahiru."

As her name left his lips, a peculiar feeling clicked inside him. It felt as if he had regained something important, as if a missing piece of him had suddenly been placed back to where it belonged. He didn't know how he had lived without it for so long.

The woman in front of him slightly tightened her grip around his waist.

"One more time?"

"I'll say your name as many times as you want, Mahiru."

Her face buried itself deeper into his chest. Amane could see her ears gradually tinting red. His own face felt a bit warmer after saying her name, so he didn't feel tease her over her reaction.

"Thank you, Fujimiya-san."

"You don't play fair, you know," Amane grumbled. "But, well, if that's how it's going to be, then you can call me by my first name too, you know? It's not fair for me to be the only one who can do that."

"...Thank you, Amane-kun."

Amane's heart skipped a beat as he heard her call his name. There was a strong sense of nostalgia to it, as if he was rediscovering an old game he played in his youth, or savoring a delicious dish he hadn't eaten in a long time. It was lovely and melodic to his ears. Perhaps this is what Mahiru experienced when he had said her name.

"...I take it back," Mahiru murmured.

"Hm?"

Mahiru let go of her arms, prompting Amane to do the same.

"I take back what I said. I don't forgive you at all Amane-kun," she said.

"Wha-?"

"If you want my forgiveness, you better hang out with me to make up for all the times you neglected me. If you don't, I won't forgive you!"

This incredibly pushy admission was rather uncharacteristic of the Mahiru he was familiar with, catching Amane slightly off-guard. Despite her words however, her caramel eyes were once again twinkling like the stars above. It appears she was really looking forward to deepening their newfound friendship. Seeing her like this filled him with immense relief. The two had buried the hatchet and were now ready to tread down the road of life side by side again, even if they weren't as close as they were before.

"Alright, alright, you win," Amane wryly smiled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'll work hard to earn your forgiveness, Ms. Angel."

"Call me that again and we're done here, Amane-kun," Mahiru sternly told him, her smile suddenly exuding an ominous atmosphere-irritation practically leaking out of her-wiping the smile off Amane's face. Her eyes looked as if they were clouded over with frost.

"S-sorry..." he couldn't help but stammer under the pressure she gave off.

It seemed Mahiru still hated being called by her school nickname. Her reaction took him a little off-guard however. No matter how many times he teased her about it in the past, she would always pout or just grimace. Right now, however, he felt like he was suffocating in her displeasure.

Mahiru's anger abated as she sighed. "No, it's, well...everyone at my workplace calls me the 'office angel', so it's really grating to hear that outside of work as well..."

"You, uh, have my condolences."

Amane knew how much she disliked being called an angel at school, so it came off as no surprise to him how she felt about it at work too. If anything, he felt some pity towards her for having to deal with this in her adult life as well.

Hoping to steer her away from her glumness, Amane quickly decided to change the topic.

"By the way, where were you trying to invite me out to?"

"What?"

"Oh, um, on the day we broke up, you were trying to invite me somewhere, right?"

This question had been lingering on his mind ever since he came to his senses. He had forced himself to stop thinking about it lest he drive himself mad, but the thought occasionally intruded from time to time.

"...I'm surprised you remembered."

"Well, it was one of the biggest regrets of my life, so...I'm just wondering if you'd still like to go there together."

Mahiru whimsically hummed and gently prodded Amane's chest, her smile turning rather impish.

"Why don't you guess, Amane-kun? I'll give you three tries."

"...Why?"

"Hmmm...because it's fun?"

"...You cheeky little devil."

"Hehehe. Start guessing, Amane-kun, and I might take you up on your offer."

Amane pondered where Mahiru might have wanted to take him. They had been to many places before, enjoyed much scenery together, and had unique experiences together. Perhaps she wanted to relive some of those experiences with him? Going by that logic, the first guess that popped to his mind was...

"A cat cafe?"

"Nope," Mahiru replied, her impish grin growing wider. "You have two more guesses."

"Can't you give me a hint?"

"Let me think...nope!" Mahiru chortled. As she did so, memories of her younger self came back to Amane's mind. In it, she was smiling happily, laughing and teasing him as they idled the time away in small pointless conversations. The image of her in his mind overlapped with the woman in front of him, and to his surprise, they melded seamlessly together.

"Gonna go on a limb here, but it definitely wasn't a home date right?"

"Wouldn't that defeat the point of inviting you out?" Mahiru asked him somewhat mopily. It was honestly kind of adorable. "Anyway, you have one last guess."

"What?! That counts as a guess?"

"One more, Amane-kun, make it count," she giggled.

Perhaps it was the drinks he had taken that night but for some reason Amane felt himself getting a little heated hearing the woman in front of him tease him almost mercilessly. Something rather...extreme popped up in his head, and he decided to retaliate.

"...A love hotel?"

Upon hearing this, Mahiru stopped giggling. She looked at Amane, flabbergasted. Whatever she was expecting to hear, it clearly had not been this. Her face glowed like a red-hot poker and her cheeky smile morphed into a pout. Head bowed and eyes stooped towards the ground, she lightly punched Amane in the stomach a few times.

"Pervert," she muttered between punches, "Amane-kun is a pervert."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized, reaching out and stroking her hair, "I don't know why I thought that."

"Hmmph." Mahiru tilted her flushing face upwards, almost stopping Amane's heart with the sheer cuteness of her pout. "Amane-kun, if you think that you could make me feel better just by patting my head like you used to, you're sorely mistaken." Despite this, her voice was slightly softer and more tender than it was a few seconds ago.

"Sorry, sorry," Amane apologized, secretly enjoying her flustered reaction. "Anyways, I've had my three guesses, right? What's the real answer?"

Mahiru punched Amane one more time before she leaned against the balcony. She directed her face up towards the night sky above.

"Here."

"What was that?"

"I was planning to invite you here. To this izakaya."

Amane couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief. It wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Mahiru took one look at him and smiled.

"To be honest, I've actually been here before. A few people at university invited me for a small meet-up once, and, well, I thought of this place when I saw how exhausted you were. You were so caught up in work that I wanted to give you a chance to relax." She looked back up at the night sky. "When I received the invite for tonight, I was a bit surprised. I mean, what were the chances of our reunion being in the same place I wanted to take you? It almost makes you wonder if fate really exists, doesn't it?"

Amane could only listen in bewilderment. The chances of their reunion taking place in the exact same spot where she had wanted to take him was astronomically slim to the point where almost wondered if it had all been engineered in advance. Whether it was fate or coincidence or some other force at play, Amane could only be thankful for the chance to reunite with her again.

"When I got the invitation to this reunion party, I was a bit nervous," Mahiru admitted. "The last time I saw you, you were distant and self-neglectful. It was almost as if you had reverted back to when we first met each other. But tonight, I saw how much you had bounced back. You seemed a lot more lively. Well, as lively as you can be anyway."

"Mahiru..."

"I'm really glad I came tonight." Mahiru continued. "I'm glad to see that you've returned to being the Amane-kun I was good friends with."

"I don't think I've fully reverted back to be honest," Amane said sheepishly. In his mind, there were a few habits from his time in his old job that carried over to his current personality, so he can't say that he had returned to the person he was in his high school days.

"Well, I'm sure you've changed in some ways, but you're still as warm as you ever were." She paused for a second. "Sorry, allow me to correct myself. I'm glad you're back to being as warm as you were. As long as you take care of yourself, that's all that matters."

Amane felt a mounting sense of embarrassment, yet he couldn't deny how warm his chest felt when he heard those words. An overflowing sense of gratitude burst from his chest.

"Well, thank you for your kind words. But like I said, I don't feel like I've fully changed back."

"Hmmm, maybe. I haven't seen you in a while so I suppose I can't be fully certain," Mahiru giggled. "But as long as you're healthy and well, it's fine for some things to not change, right?"

"I...guess?" Amane shrugged. "Speaking of things not changing, I can't help but notice that you seem to be the same height since-"

"I'll slap your other cheek if you finish that sentence."

"I'm sorry," he immediately apologized. Something else that didn't seem to change was her complex over her smaller-than-average height. He decided to switch topics again-something he seemed to be doing a lot that night-to prevent another impact. "You know what's really changed though? Kadowaki got engaged. You saw the ring on his finger, right?"

Mahiru stared at him for a few seconds as if slightly annoyed he escaped her slap before deciding to indulge him.

"I did, though I didn't think it was my place to inquire about that," she said. Unless asked to do something, she would never interfere with the affairs of others, and it seemed that this was yet another trait that still existed within her. "I'm glad he found someone though. He was always avoiding the girls back in high school. So, how did they meet anyway?"

"Funny thing, actually, he was about to tell us that when you arrived. He never actually did tell us, now that I think about it."

"Right then," Mahiru clapped her hands together, "let's go back and ask before he escapes."

"Sure," Amane smiled and turned to open the door back in before he suddenly realized something. "Say, Mahiru, is there a slap mark on my cheek?"

Mahiru froze as well before she turned to look at him. Her eyes wandered across his face and slightly squinted as if she was scrutinizing every last inch of his skin.

"I think I can see one. There's definitely some red on your face," she said glumly. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I deserved it," he said, frantically waving his hands to signal her to stop, "but, um, what are we gonna say when they ask?"

Mahiru pondered for a few seconds before she reluctantly said, "We're just going to have to tell them the truth. I don't see a way for us to get out of this one."

"Hmmm...I guess you're right," Amane said, bracing himself for his fate as he slid the door open.

Opening the door, he found a few people looking in their direction. He found it a bit odd but paid it no attention, chalking it up to their attention being grabbed by him opening the sliding door.

From the corner of the establishment where they sat, Itsuki started to greet them with a "Hey, welcome ba-!"...

...when all of a sudden cheers and claps were heard from the izakaya's bar. Everyone turned to look at the source of the commotion. The staff members, clad in aprons and work uniforms, were all looking at the reunited couple standing by the sliding door with warm smiles and mischievous grins. A few kitchen staff came out to join in.

"Congratulations to you two!"

"We're so happy for you!"

"That alone was worth minimum wage!"

"What's going on?"

"Those two exes over there got back together."

"Really?! Wow, that's amazing!"

Amane and Mahiru could only stand by the door, paralyzed with eyes wide open. The sight of young part-time workers, possibly university students, suddenly applauding with jubilant fervor-whilst ignoring the hand signals from their panicking customers to cut it out-momentarily short-circuited their brains.

"Excuse me," Amane interrupted, raising a hand to silence them, "did all of you happen to hear us?"

"No!" Chitose exclaimed before she caught Mahiru's gaze. "...Yes," she confessed, smiling awkwardly as her head tilted slightly sideways.

"We, um, might have happened to overhear...everything you two said," Yuuta added, his cheeks turning red as he averted his eyes from Amane and Mahiru. Amane's face turned red as well before burying it in his hands. Mahiru, on the other hand, turned slightly pale and quivered like a leaf strung along a breeze, her eyes looking anywhere but the people in front of her.

Mahiru, on the other hand, turned slightly pale and quivered like a leaf strung along a breeze, her eyes looking anywhere but the people in front of her
"In our defense, you guys were being pretty loud," Itsuki piped up, earning him a glare from Amane.

"...How long have you been listening?" Amane asked as he closed the sliding door behind him, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Yuuta looked back at them and slowly pointed towards his left cheek. Realizing what he meant, Amane could only cup his hands again in shame. It made sense that a strange slapping sound would catch everyone's attention. To further add to his embarrassment, it seemed that not only did his former classmates heard him, but the staff of the izakaya did as well. And considering how some of the other patrons in the establishment were flashing him grins and a few thumbs up, he and Mahiru were probably being louder than they intended.

The sound of a clap broke the awkward atmosphere.

"To make it up to you, how about we treat you all to a free round of beer?" said one of the izakaya staff.

"You sure about that, boss?" another staff member asked.

"Oh, what's the harm? That was the best thing to have happened in this joint since I took over ten years ago. I think it's fine to thank them for that little memory, right?"

The staff member, now clearly the boss-a woman that looked to be somewhere in her thirties-clapped her hands and smiled.

"Alright, everyone, one round of beer on us! The premium stuff!"

Cheers erupted throughout the izakaya.

Chitose stood up and made her way towards Amane and Mahiru. "Come on, you two, sit down," she said, gently pushing them from behind towards their seats, ignoring the glare Amane was giving her.

As soon as they sat down and after everyone received a round of beer, Itsuki stood up with a mug in hand.

"Ahem," he coughed loudly to grab everyone's attention, "as we wrap up our little get together, I would like to thank everyone for attending today's party commemorating the reunion of our class after ten years apart, and now, surprisingly, the reunion of our resident fluffy couple as well."

"Friends," Amane interjected.

"What?"

"Mahiru and I are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

Mahiru nodded to back up his statement.

No one-not even the staff-looked particularly convinced.

"Mm-hmm, totally haven't heard that one before," Itsuki smugly grinned. "Anyway, with all that said in mind, it's gonna be a return to cruel society tomorrow, so tonight just drink up and let loose!"

He raised his glass, the beer inside reflecting an amber light.

"A toast everyone! To reunions!"

"To reunions!"

Amane and Mahiru raised their mugs in unison with the others before raising the drink to his lips. Despite the slight annoyance he felt at Itsuki at that moment, the joy he felt outweighed all other thoughts he had. It was a complete change to the nervousness and anxiety that had plagued him when he arrived.

I'm so glad I accepted the invite.

The results that night were better than anything he could have ever hoped for. Not only was he able to apologize to Mahiru, but she had accepted it and had agreed to re-enter his life. While they weren't lovers anymore, he was simply happy to be able to see her smile after so long.

He had no more regrets. And although he knew that the party would end soon and he would have to once again face the harsh realities of life the next day, he was determined to make this feeling of happiness last as long as time allowed.

Amane and Mahiru both experienced severe hangovers the next day.