Chapter 40: A Place We Can Call Ours
After the tension of the previous days, the group decided they needed a break—from secrets, from school, from everything weighing them down. Souta, cheerful as always, suggested they hang out at his place.
"You're home alone again?" Aiko asked, raising an eyebrow as they all walked toward the station.
Souta grinned. "Yup. My parents are away for work. Again. So my house is all yours, folks. Let's turn it into a mini paradise."
"Mini paradise?" Naoto repeated with a smirk. "That sounds suspicious coming from you."
They all laughed, the tension easing like sunlight after a storm. Rika rolled her eyes but smiled too. "Let's just make sure it doesn't turn into a war zone."
Souta's house was surprisingly cozy. Despite being large, it didn't feel cold or empty. The group kicked off their shoes at the entrance, chatting and laughing as they explored the place. It quickly became their sanctuary for the evening.
Aiko immediately took over the kitchen. "I'm making yakisoba. Nobody touch anything."
"I'm helping!" Rika announced, grabbing an apron.
"You'll ruin it," Aiko teased.
"That's the plan," Rika grinned mischievously.
In the living room, Mei and Himari set up a blanket fort using sofa cushions and bedsheets. Naoto helped Souta carry in snacks and drinks.
"Man," Souta said, plopping down in the middle of the mess. "Feels like we're in middle school again. Remember those sleepovers where we just stayed up talking about ghosts and crushes?"
"Don't bring up ghosts," Aiko yelled from the kitchen. "Or I'll cry!"
That only encouraged Souta. "Remember that time you thought the curtain was a ghost and screamed so loud my neighbor called the police?"
Naoto chuckled. "That was legendary."
"Still traumatized," Aiko grumbled, though her smile gave her away.
Soon, the living room was glowing with warm light, the scent of yakisoba in the air. Music played softly in the background. They sat around the low table, eating, laughing, and teasing each other like siblings.
As the night deepened, they played card games, tried (and failed) to act out silly movie scenes, and told exaggerated stories from school. Naoto even shared a rare embarrassing moment of his own, earning a chorus of gasps and laughter.
"Wait, you tripped and fell into the pool during PE?" Mei asked, eyes wide.
Naoto nodded, face red. "No one tells that story. Ever."
"Oh, we're telling it at your wedding," Souta declared.
"Who said I'm getting married?" Naoto shot back.
Everyone suddenly went quiet for a second. Rika looked down, a small smile playing on her lips. Himari glanced away, hiding something in her expression. Then Aiko saved the moment by pretending to choke on her drink, and the room burst into laughter again.
Later, as they all huddled together under the blanket fort, the world outside felt far away. It was just them, wrapped in warmth and the kind of comfort only true friendship brings.
Naoto watched them—their sleepy smiles, the soft chatter, the way their laughter lingered even in silence. He realized he didn't just care for them—he was part of something real, something irreplaceable.
And for tonight, that was enough.
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