After Aiko finished speaking, the room stayed quiet for a long moment. The weight of her words hung heavy in the soft morning light. Tears were still slowly rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't try to hide them anymore.
Then, without a word, Erica moved first. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Aiko, pulling her into a warm, tight hug. Mina followed immediately, sliding closer and wrapping her arms around both of them from the other side. Haruto sat up fully and joined them, his strong arms encircling all three girls at once.
But Haruto held Aiko the longest.
