Chapter 37: The Turning Point
The sun dipped low in the sky, painting Hoshikawa in warm golden hues as the group of friends made their way to Souta Aizawa's apartment. His parents were away for the week, and the invitation for a sleepover had been extended like a ray of excitement after a long week of school.
"Wait, wait, is that your building?!" Aiko asked, eyes wide with surprise. "I thought you lived in a haunted house or something!"
Souta laughed. "I never said that. You just assumed because I always look tired."
The apartment was modest but cozy, filled with the scent of instant noodles and books. Posters of anime and music bands lined the walls. Rika, Aiko, Naoto, Daichi, Yuto, and Ayumi all threw down their bags and immediately began exploring like kids on a school trip.
Ayumi jumped onto a beanbag chair and sank dramatically. "I claim this as my throne!"
Daichi grabbed a pillow and tossed it at her. "Too late! The kingdom belongs to me now!"
Within minutes, the apartment turned into a chaos of laughter, snacks, and board games. Rika and Aiko found some of Souta's childhood manga and started teasing him about his old drawing attempts.
"These are so bad they're almost good," Rika giggled, holding up a scribbled superhero character.
"Hey! That's Super-Noodle Man! He was ahead of his time," Souta protested.
Naoto sat with Yuto, both chuckling quietly while watching the group bounce around. There was a strange comfort in the noise, in the silly insults and competitive Uno matches.
Then Aiko suddenly looked around, counting with her fingers. "Wait… aren't we missing someone?"
Rika paused mid-laugh. "Oh yeah… where's Himari?"
Naoto looked up, hiding the slight stiffening of his shoulders. "She said she had something come up. Family visit or something. She sounded kind of tired too."
"Oh, alright," Aiko said with a nod, quickly swept away by Daichi's challenge to a karaoke battle.
Naoto let out a quiet breath. In truth, Himari had called just before he arrived, her voice soft but clear. "Enjoy today with them," she had said. "But don't forget me."
That sentence echoed quietly in the back of his mind, but he pushed it aside for now.
The rest of the night was filled with wild card games, ramen cooking disasters, and storytelling under dim lights. They built a blanket fort, named it "Friendship Castle," and stayed up late talking about dreams, fears, and weird childhood habits.
Rika fell asleep against a pile of pillows, Daichi snored loudly, and Aiko doodled mustaches on the faces of anyone who passed out first. It was loud, chaotic, and childish.
And it was perfect.
---
Later that evening, the laughter had died down, and now the group sat in a comfortable silence, each of them finding their own space in the quiet. Even though they'd spent the entire afternoon together, it felt like they had all just started to relax and truly enjoy each other's company.
Rika, who had been unusually quiet for most of the evening, finally spoke up, her voice almost lost in the hum of the room. "Do you think we'll always be like this?" she asked, looking directly at Naoto.
Naoto, who had been lying back with his hands behind his head, looked over at her. He could sense the weight in her question, the quiet uncertainty she was trying to mask.
"Like what?" he asked, though he had a feeling he knew what she meant.
"Like… together. Like this, as a group." Her words hung in the air, but they felt heavy, as if there were a bigger truth beneath them that neither of them was ready to face.
The group was still, each person either avoiding eye contact or pretending not to overhear the conversation. It wasn't that they didn't want to be a part of this friendship, but the growing feelings, the emotions starting to surface, had made everything feel more complicated than it had ever been before.
Naoto sat up, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual. "But I think… I think that whatever happens, we've already made memories that will last. Maybe that's enough."
Rika's lips curled into a faint smile, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I guess you're right."
The group fell into an awkward silence, but it wasn't the same as the silence earlier. There was a kind of understanding between them now—a realization that things were changing, but they didn't know how yet. They weren't sure what was going to happen next, but the fact that they were still there for each other, still sitting in that room, felt like a step forward.
---
A Sudden Call
Just as the quietness seemed to settle, Naoto's phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the moment. He fished it out, noticing an unknown number flashing on the screen. For a split second, his heart skipped a beat, thinking it might be Himari, but the number didn't seem familiar.
"Who's that?" Mei asked casually, glancing over.
"I don't know," Naoto replied. He hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
"Hello?" he said, his voice cautious.
The voice on the other end was low and somewhat distorted. "Naoto, it's me."
Naoto stiffened at the sound of the voice, his heart pounding in his chest. He recognized it immediately.
"Himari?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah," she replied, her tone soft but urgent. "I need to talk to you. Can we meet? It's important."
Naoto's mind raced. He looked around at his friends, all of them waiting for him to explain who it was, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew that once he told them, things would change. They would know more than they were ready to know.
"I… I can't right now," he said, his voice hesitant. "I'm with friends."
"I understand," Himari's voice said quietly. "But this can't wait. Please, Naoto. It's about your family."
Naoto felt his stomach tighten. "I'll come," he said quickly, standing up. His friends immediately noticed the change in his demeanor.
"Naoto?" Rika asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What's going on?"
Naoto hesitated. "It's Himari. She needs to talk to me about something important."
There was a brief moment of silence, before Rika spoke again, her voice softer than before. "Are you going to be okay?"
Naoto paused, meeting her gaze. There was something about the way she looked at him—something fragile, as if she knew more than she was letting on.
"I think I'll be fine," he replied, though his voice lacked confidence.
"Let us know if you need anything," Souta added, standing up. "We've got your back."
Naoto nodded, grateful for the support, before quickly walking out of the room. As he left, he heard the group settle back into their previous conversations, but the weight of the moment remained.
---
The Meeting
Naoto stepped out into the cool evening air, his mind racing with questions. What did Himari want to talk about? What was so important that she couldn't wait? His heart pounded as he walked toward the agreed meeting spot, an old park bench near a small bridge in their neighborhood. The park was quiet at this time of night, the only sound coming from the rustling of leaves in the wind.
He arrived, his breath visible in the cold air. And there, standing by the bench, was Himari. Her long, dark hair swayed in the breeze, and her expression was unreadable. She looked just as he remembered—beautiful, strong, and somewhat distant.
"You came," she said softly, almost as if she hadn't expected him to show up.
Naoto nodded, taking a step closer. "You said it was important. What's going on, Himari?"
She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his. "It's about your mother."
Naoto felt a sharp pang of concern in his chest. "What do you mean?"
Himari glanced around, as though making sure they were alone, before speaking in a low voice. "There's something you don't know. Something about your family's past. It's not just your mother's illness… It's bigger than that. And it's connected to your father."
Naoto felt his heart stop. "What are you talking about?"
Himari hesitated, then reached into her bag, pulling out a small, folded piece of paper. She handed it to Naoto, her hands trembling. "Read this," she said softly.
Naoto unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the words. The letter was short, but it left him with more questions than answers.