Chapter Text
The morning air in Makochi was soft and sweet, carrying the delicate perfume of cherry blossoms that bloomed in glorious pink clouds along every street. Sunlight, filtered through the petals, dappled Hana’s bedroom. Hana, now officially a 2nd year at Fujioka High, was kneeling on the floor of her room, a simple cardboard box overflowing with instant camera photos beside her. It was a rare quiet weekend, and she’d finally decided to sort through the chaotic collection of memories from her first year of high school, organizing them into a proper album.
Each polaroid she picked up brought a fresh wave of nostalgia. There were shots of her and her school bandmates, pictures of late-night study sessions, and many, many photos featuring the distinct green gakuran of Furin High. She slid through the pile until her fingers snagged on a particular photograph. It was a picture of her, mid-laugh, her head thrown back a little, while Kaji leaned in, his platinum blond hair stark against her brown, planting a kiss on her cheek. At the bottom, in bold black marker, a single word was scrawled: ‘Congrats’. Hana smiled, a soft, wistful curve of her lips as the memory blossomed in her mind, as vibrant as the cherry trees outside.
It had been a crisp autumn day, they were still in their first year, adapting to the rhythm of high school. She’d been hanging out with Kaji, Enomoto, and Kusumi after their patrol. Kaji, as usual, had his headphones around his neck and a lollipop stick jutting from his lips.
“Let’s take some pictures!” Hana announced, pulling out her instant camera.
Enomoto had raised an eyebrow. “Why not just use yourrrr phone like usual?”
“No, no, it’s different!” she insisted, shaking her head. “The paper is important!”
Kusumi, always supportive, typed: 'I’ll take one of you and Kaji together.'
Hana’s pink eyes widened with delight. “Really? Thank you, Kusumi-kun!”
Kaji, who had been quietly fiddling with his empty lollipop stick, pushed himself off the bench and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black jeans. He maintained his typical poker face, but Hana knew him well enough now to sense the faint tension in his shoulders whenever they were overtly affectionate in front of their friends.
Kusumi held the camera up, ready to press the shutter.
An idea sparked in Hana’s mind. She tugged gently on the sleeve of Kaji’s green gakuran. He obligingly bent his head a little, his gray-blue eyes meeting her pink ones, a silent question in their depths. He probably thought she wanted to whisper something.
Instead, Hana leaned closer and pressed a quick, feather-light peck to his cheek.
Click.
The unexpected affection jolted Kaji back. He pulled away fast, his face immediately coloring bright red. The usually composed, poker-faced Furin Grade Captain was visibly flustered.
“Hana!” he barked, the sound halfway between irritated and mortified. He glanced quickly at Enomoto and Kusumi to gauge their reactions. Enomoto was already whistling and clapping in amusement. Kusumi, meanwhile, was smiling broadly, holding the camera in one hand and waiting patiently for the picture to slide out. Hana, still giggling, knew he was annoyed at having his cool exterior shattered, especially in front of their friends, but she found his shyness endearing.
An embarrassed heat coiled tight in Kaji’s chest. He didn’t care for the sudden, intense scrutiny of his friends, but he cared even less that Hana was currently delighting in his flustered state.
With a swift, almost rough movement, Kaji wound his arm around her shoulder, pulling her tightly and abruptly against his chest. Before she could gasp in surprise, he dipped his head and pressed his lips firmly against her cheek, holding the contact just long enough to make his point.
Hana giggled even harder, the sensation tickling her skin. Kaji’s lips, she noted, were surprisingly soft. Neither of them realized that Kusumi had been ready the entire time, swiftly angle the camera and press the shutter again, capturing this second, more deliberate exchange.
The photo she now held in her hand was a testament to that second click.
She hadn’t known about that second picture until her birthday a month later. Kusumi had presented her with a small, neatly wrapped gift box, and inside was an aroma candle and the polaroid. Enomoto had eagerly filled her in on the details. Kusumi, intending to give Hana a special birthday present, had shown Kaji the photo first, thinking he might want to write a personal message on it for Hana. Apparently, Kaji had gone even redder than he had that day, snatching the photo and staring at it for a long moment, a conflicted expression on his face.
Enomoto grinned. “When Kusumi asked him to wrrrite some message on it, he kept saying, ‘What am I supposed to write?’ He got totally shy. In the end, he just scribbled that one worrrd, and thrrrrew the marrker down.”
And that was why, despite the chaotic affection captured in the frame, the inscription was the incredibly simple, slightly generic word, congrats. It wasn’t a profession of love or a sweet message; it was the quickest, most impersonal greeting Kaji could manage while his heart was undoubtedly pounding with mortification and affection.
Hana traced the black ink with her fingertip, a soft smile playing on her lips. She placed the photo carefully into the slot of her new album, right on the first page. The pink petals of a stray cherry blossom, having blown in through her window, settled softly on the white border of the photograph. It was a memory she knew she would keep close forever.
