The group started walking toward the station since the aquarium was quite far away, and they had to take the train. Everyone was chatting and laughing with each other, except for Ayane — who stayed completely silent, her eyes fixed on the ground as she walked.
Miyu noticed it."Hey, Ayane," she asked softly, "what's wrong? Why are you so quiet?"
Ayane looked a bit startled. "N-no, it's n-nothing. I'm just… q-quiet by nature."
Miyu smiled kindly. "Don't be so nervous, okay? We're all friends now. You don't have to be shy. By the way, weren't you with Arashi that day when I called?"
"Y-yeah," Ayane nodded awkwardly, "I-I just h-happened to be…"
Miyu tilted her head playfully. "Oh really? Then tell me more about that."
Ayane blinked nervously. "Th-there's… n-nothing t-to tell…"
Arashi, who was walking a little behind them, noticed the two. "Miyu," he called out, "you're not teasing her too much, are you?"
Miyu frowned immediately. "Mind your own business! Or do you want me to remind you that I still have a compass with me?"
Arashi raised his hands in mock surrender. "Yes, ma'am."
As they kept walking, Miyu suddenly turned to Ayane and asked, "Hey, Ayane, do you like anyone?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Ayane's face turned bright red. Hina, noticing it right away, hurried over with a grin. "Wait up! I'm coming too — I'm your friend as well!" she said, joining them.
"So," Hina continued curiously, "what did you ask her, Miyu?""I just asked if she likes someone," Miyu replied casually.
Hina gasped dramatically. "Wait—really? Ayane, who is it? Come on, tell us! We're friends now, you can share anything with us!"
Ayane's blush deepened, spreading all the way to her ears. She quickly shook her head. "N-no, it's n-not like that… I-I don't like anyone…"
Miyu smirked. "Oh really? Then why is your face so red, huh? Come on, just tell us already!"
While the girls teased Ayane, a few steps behind them, Satoru nudged Arashi. "Hey, Arashi, what's your deal with her? Who is she to you?"
Arashi replied calmly, "No one special. I met her at my cousin's place. She used to help him with his homework, so we just happened to meet."
Takumi leaned in with a grin. "So what, she's your girlfriend now?"
"What? No!" Arashi frowned. "It's not like that. Why would you even think that?"
Satoru shrugged. "I don't know, man. When you were talking to her mom, the way she looked at you—it kind of seemed like there was something there."
Arashi sighed. "You guys are overthinking it. There's nothing like that between us. We just talk sometimes, that's all."
The group finally reached the train station and began waiting for the next train to arrive.Ayane stood beside Arashi, her hands folded nervously in front of her.
"I didn't expect you to have so many friends," she said softly, glancing at him.
Arashi gave a small laugh. "Yeah, that's what everyone says. But no matter what, I'm pretty good at making friends."
Before Ayane could reply, the train arrived — crowded with passengers. It took them a while, but they finally managed to find seats together.
As the train started moving, Arashi noticed an elderly man standing nearby, his arms full of heavy bags. Without a second thought, Arashi stood up and offered his seat.
Ayane quietly watched him, her eyes following every little action he made. Something about his calm kindness struck deep inside her — and she couldn't look away.
Hina, sitting next to her, noticed Ayane's gaze fixed on Arashi. A mischievous smile crept across her face. She leaned closer to Miyu and whispered something.
Miyu turned to Ayane with a teasing tone, "So, Ayane… what are you looking at?"
Ayane flinched, her face instantly turning red. "N-nothing! I-I wasn't looking at anything!"
"Oh really?" Miyu smirked. "Then why are you blushing so much? Be honest—do you like Arashi?"
The moment she said his name, Ayane's blush deepened even more, and she quickly looked down.
"Aha! Caught you!" Miyu giggled. "You totally like him, don't you?"
For a few moments, Ayane stayed silent. Then, in a small trembling voice, she whispered, "...Yeah. I do. But please, don't tell anyone."
Miyu and Hina both smiled gently. "Don't worry," Hina said softly, "your secret's safe with us."
Miyu leaned in curiously. "So, what do you like about him?"
Ayane looked down, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Everything," she said quietly.
Hina and Miyu exchanged a glance — and in that moment, they understood. This wasn't just a crush.Ayane was in love with him — truly, deeply, and completely.
As the train slowed to a stop, the group stepped out onto the platform, stretching after the long ride.
"Alright," Takumi said, rubbing his stomach. "Before anything else, we eat. All other plans can wait."
Everyone agreed quickly, laughing as they headed toward a nearby food court. After finding a table big enough for all of them, they sat down and began flipping through the menu.
When it was Ayane's turn, she hesitated. "I… I'm not really hungry," she murmured.
But everyone insisted — Miyu, Hina, and even Arashi looked at her until she gave in with a shy nod. "O-okay, just something small," she said, finally placing her order.
As they waited for their food, the table was full of chatter and laughter — until Satoru suddenly spoke up. "Oh, that reminds me, Arashi — Ayane's mom mentioned your grandfather today. What happened to him?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted. Arashi looked down for a moment, then spoke quietly."He passed away. A few days ago."
The table fell silent. Even the usual noise of the restaurant seemed to fade for a moment.
After a few seconds, Arashi gave a faint, reassuring smile. "It's okay. People come and go it's part of life."
The others slowly nodded, and the mood eased again as their food arrived. They began eating, chatting once more, though Ayane occasionally glanced at Arashi — quietly admiring his strength in hiding his pain behind calm words.
Once they finished eating, they left for the aquarium.
Inside, the world felt magical — glowing blue lights, massive glass tanks, and the soft shimmer of fish moving in unison. Takumi pressed his face to a tank, joking about becoming friends with a stingray; Hina squealed over the jellyfish; and Miyu took pictures of everything — especially Ayane, who blushed and tried to hide behind Arashi.
Arashi found himself enjoying it all — the laughter, the gentle excitement — and for a while, everything felt peaceful.
But then, as they walked through a dimly lit hallway filled with glowing coral tanks, Arashi suddenly stopped.
Among the crowd ahead, he saw her.A girl — with the same long hair, same presence, and same mysterious calm — exactly like the one from his dreams.
His heart skipped.Without thinking, he took a few quick steps forward, trying to see her face clearly. But as she turned the corner, she was gone.
He hurried after her — only to find an empty hallway. Not a single trace.
"Arashi?" Hina's voice came from behind him. She caught up, slightly out of breath. "What happened? Why did you suddenly run off?"
Arashi looked at the spot where the girl had vanished, his thoughts tangled in confusion. Then he shook his head. "It's nothing," he said quietly. "Let's go."
He turned back toward the group — but deep inside, he knew what he saw wasn't just his imagination.
After exploring the aquarium for hours, the group finally stepped outside into the soft evening light.
"Let's take a group photo before we go!" Hina said excitedly, waving her phone.
Everyone gathered together near the entrance. Arashi took the first photo, capturing everyone smiling in front of the glowing aquarium sign.
"Okay, now your turn, Arashi," Hina said, walking toward him. "Come on, I'll take the next one."
Arashi shook his head. "No thanks. I don't really like being in pictures."
"Oh, come on!" Miyu complained. "You can't just be the photographer every time. For once, stand with us."
"Yeah," Takumi added with a grin, "don't act cool now."
After a few moments of insisting, Arashi sighed. "Fine, fine."
They asked a nearby man to take the picture for them. Everyone gathered close, smiling — even Arashi, who looked slightly awkward but peaceful. The man clicked a few photos, handed the phone back, and Arashi gave him a polite thank-you before they all started heading out.
As they walked toward the station, Takumi stretched his arms above his head. "Man, that was awesome! Today was seriously one of the best days ever."
He turned to Ayane. "What about you? Did you have fun?"
Ayane smiled softly. "A lot," she said — her voice calm but warm.
Takumi froze for a second, looking genuinely surprised. "Wait, what? Where did the shy Ayane go?"
Arashi smiled faintly. She's like this — you'll understand."
Everyone laughed softly, the sound mixing with the cool evening breeze.
When they finally reached Arashi's house, he turned to them. "You guys can come in if you want. We've still got snacks inside."
But Miyu waved her hand. "Nah, we're tired. Next time, okay?"
Before leaving, she handed Ayane her phone. "Here — my number. And don't you dare ignore my messages."
Hina, Takumi, and Satoru followed, each sharing their contacts with her as well.
Then Miyu added with a playful smirk, "And if this guy ever bothers you, just call me, okay? I'll handle him."
Ayane blushed, glancing at Arashi while everyone burst into laughter.
As they waved goodbye, the group shared one last smile — a moment frozen in warmth and light.