Nishikata squinted, half-believing. "There's really nothing left?" As he spoke, he tried to reach for Tsuna's backpack.
But Tsuna dodged him with a raised hand.
"Why would I lie to you? It's just these two photos, and only you guys would be so bold."
Excluding him and Shouko, it truly was only Nishikata and Takagi who would act like this.
"I don't believe you. Swear it."
"…" Tsuna, speechless, still swore a perfunctory oath as Nishikata demanded.
"Do you believe me now?"
Nishikata nodded vigorously, then quickly turned and walked toward his backpack. The most urgent task at hand was to find a safe place to hide those two photos.
Tsuna watched Nishikata's back disappear into the edges of the crowd before turning his attention back. Coincidentally, just as he turned, Takagi-san happened to "stroll" over.
"Hey, Takagi!" he quickly called out to her.
"Hm?" Takagi stopped, puzzled, and looked at him.
"I have two special photos here. Do you want to make an offer to buy them back?"
"…"
---
"Wait, Naoka!"
At Tōji High School, during a break, in the noisy corridor of the teaching building, Kawai Miki called out to Ueno Naoka, who was walking past her.
"Hm? What is it?" Ueno Naoka stopped and turned her head to look at Kawai Miki with a puzzled expression.
"Don't you think the novel Miyako just talked about sounds familiar?"
Ueno Naoka shook her head without thinking.
"Miki, you're overthinking it, aren't you? For famous novels, there are countless people who draw inspiration from them."
"But it really feels like I've heard it somewhere before."
Kawai Miki mumbled softly. Only after Ueno Naoka shook her head and turned to leave did she return to the classroom to look for Sahara Miyoko.
"Miyako, what's the name of that novel you mentioned last class? I want to go to the Literature Club to look for it after school."
"Hm… 'The Flower We Saw That Day.'"
"…So long…" It was no wonder she forgot such a long name so quickly.
A day passed in a flash. Not long after the dismissal bell rang, Kawai Miki rushed straight to the Literature Club.
Following the name written on the small note Sahara Miyoko had given her, after more than ten minutes of searching, she actually found a copy of Anohana that had not been borrowed yet.
"Miyamura… Nishimiya…?"
Kawai Miki opened the first page, and the author's pen name and illustrator's pen name immediately caught her eye. She could not help but murmur them.
Her previously blurred memory instantly cleared. She remembered hearing this story from Miyamura when he told it to Shouko in the gymnasium during elementary school.
Looking at the cover of the book, it was no wonder Shouko had suddenly joined the Art Club in the second semester of middle school.
"Classmate? Do you want to borrow this book? Can you…?"
A clear voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and met the gaze of a shy girl with yellow hair.
"Yes." She nodded, walked past the girl, and headed toward the Literature Club president.
It had been almost half a year since Anohana was released. Many imitations had appeared on the market, but most of them had happy endings.
That was because those clever authors had also seen how Professor Miyamura had been scolded by readers for over a month due to the unsatisfactory ending.
Of course, there were also those who imitated his ending, where either a supporting character died or the male lead died, but their popularity could not compare to Professor Miyamura's.
Tsuna's pen name had also gained some fame in Neon, while Professor Nishikata lagged just a little behind.
If it were not for her posting new illustration updates on Twitter every few days, people would only remember her when Professor Miyamura released a new book.
---
"Tsuna, I'm pregnant."
"Slap…!"
Shouko, feigning a swollen belly, was lightly slapped on the head by Tsuna, who was sprawled on the living room sofa behind her, snapping her back to reality.
"Do you want your mom to beat me half to death?" Tsuna rubbed her head, completely ignoring her silent resistance and puffed cheeks.
"What time do you want us to go to the aquarium tomorrow?"
"What time does it open again?" Shouko stood up and, not minding the heat, pounced on him.
Tsuna pushed her slightly without hesitation. Seeing that it had no effect, he let her press her two soft parts against him first.
"Both tickets are with you. How would I remember?"
"Then, 9 AM tomorrow?"
"Mmm."
Before he could say anything more, Shouko quickly pecked him on the lips and then swiftly got up and ran off.
"I'm heading back now, Tsuna. Good night!"
"…"
"Click…"
The sound of the door closing echoed. Tsuna continued to sprawl and watch TV until Shizuka came out of the bathroom, at which point he was sent back upstairs.
The night was anchored and divided by two monotonous alarm clocks, quietly slipping away.
Early in the morning, before the chill had dissipated, the seafood market was already bustling with noise.
Fish scales reflected light under the lamps, ice blocks steamed, and the wet floor was packed with people. The chopping sound of fish knives, the splashing of water buckets, and the loud shouts of bargaining buyers mixed into a cacophony, filling the air with the smell of the sea.
"Hey, Takagi-chan," Ajitani pouted, pointing at the struggling grass carp on the ice. "The aquarium Miyamura and Shouko-chan went to, does it pass by here…?"
The fishy smell in the air made her instinctively wave her hand in front of her face.
"Do you still remember the name of the aquarium Miyamura mentioned back then?" Takagi stopped and asked with a smile.
Ajitani did not remember at all and could only shake her head. At the time, Takagi had said she would lead the way, so Ajitani had forgotten everything as soon as she finished her bento.
"Binlan Aquarium on Futaba Street."
Under Ajitani's gaze, Takagi raised her hand and pointed at the name on the plaque directly above the entrance to the seafood market where they were standing.
"Do you know where we are now?"
"Futaba Street Binlan Seafood Market."
"…" The confusion in Ajitani's eyes instantly turned into speechlessness. She remembered the last time she felt this speechless was… the last time…
She truly could not believe Takagi-chan would cooperate so well with Miyamura's prank this time.
"I knew I should have just said I was busy like Nishikata and couldn't come…" Ajitani sighed, letting out all the helpless emotions in her heart.
She turned, wanting to pull Takagi away. She had dressed up beautifully early in the morning, and now she really did not want to be covered in the smell of the sea.
But Takagi clearly did not think so. She grabbed Ajitani's wrist and pulled her into the crowd.
"Come with me. I came specifically to pick out fish today. Let's go, let's go, come pick out a few with me. We can have lunch at my place!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey…"
Ajitani was ultimately dragged in helplessly, silently blaming Miyamura several times.
---
"Ah-choo…!"
"Tsuna, are you okay? Is it too cold from riding your bike in front so early?"