Chapter CXXVI: Flushed
It's another day and it begins peacefully. Morning sunlight pours through the windows of Kota's house, illuminating the living room with warm golden light. Outside, birds chirp from the nearby trees while the neighborhood slowly awakens to the sounds of motorcycles, distant conversations, and shopkeepers preparing for another day. Breakfast has already ended. Kota stretches his arms as he heads toward the bathroom. His mother is busy washing dishes. Everything feels normal.
Yet as Kota enters the bathroom and closes the door behind him, he suddenly pauses. A strange feeling washes over him, almost as if somebody is watching. He glances over his shoulder and nothing. He looks toward the small window, nothing again. The same goes for the shower curtain, and the ceiling, still nothing. Kota narrows his eyes.
"Huh."
The strange sensation lingers for several moments, then gradually fades. Eventually he shrugs.
"Maybe I've been hanging around mystery investigations for too long."
A few minutes later, he focuses on getting ready. After all, the squad is meeting again. And knowing them, something ridiculous is probably going to happen.
After finishing his bath, Kota dries his hair and walks upstairs. He opens the door to his room and immediately freezes. Akiko is already there, sitting comfortably on the edge of his bed. A playful grin sits on her face.
"Good morning again, my Ai."
Kota blinks.
"How long have you been here?"
Akiko shrugs.
"Long enough." (Akiko)
"Uh-huh, that's concerning." (Kota)
She giggles. Kota grabs his clothes.
"Uhm..."
He points toward the hallway.
"Can you go out for a while, my Ai?"
Akiko tilts her head.
"Why?"
"I'm getting ready for our hangout." (Kota)
The girl stands, then casually leans closer.
"Really?"
Her voice drops slightly.
"Am I not permitted to look?"
Kota immediately turns red. His brain temporarily disconnects from reality. Akiko bursts into laughter.
"I'm joking."
"I know." (Kota)
"You looked terrified." (Akiko)
"Maybe I was." (Kota)
The girl pats his shoulder.
"Fine."
She points toward the computer desk with her right hand.
"I'll stay over there and mind my own business."
Kota sighs in relief. Then immediately regrets speaking.
"I mean..."
He scratches his cheek.
"It's not exactly the first time we've accidentally ended up in embarrassing situations."
The moment the words leave his mouth, Akiko freezes. Her cheeks become slightly pink, and a smile slowly appears.
"That's... *nods* actually true."
Both immediately remember several awkward moments from their time in Sendai. It's nothing dangerous nor dramatic. It's just the kind of accidental misunderstandings that become embarrassing memories later. Neither chooses to elaborate for the sake of their sanity.
"Anyways."
Akiko points toward the closet.
"Get dressed before the squad starts spamming your phone."
A notification immediately sounds. Both stare at the screen.
"WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE" (Enmei)
Another notification.
"I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR 4 MINUTES" (Enmei)
Then another.
"THIS IS OPPRESSION" (Enmei)
"SHUT-UP GREEN-HAIR! WE'RE COMING!" (Gin)
Akiko starts laughing.
"See?"
Not long afterward, both are fully prepared. The disguises come next as the familiar wigs return of white and pink hair. Within moments, Akiko becomes Honoka Shirogane once more, and Kota becomes Reo Momogawa. The operation remains active, better safe than sorry.
As they head downstairs, Kota's mother greets them. The two wave.
"We're off!"
"Stay safe!" she immediately responds.
"Always."
The front door closes. Soon afterward, a motorcycle travels through the streets. Reo drives, and Honoka sits behind him. The morning breeze flows through the city as they head toward Central Park.
The park is already lively. Joggers move along pathways. Children play near open fields. Families relax beneath trees. Near one of the benches, three familiar figures wait. Asahi, Gin, and Natsuki are there. Asahi immediately waves as Reo and Honoka arrive.
"There they are."
A few minutes later, Enmei and Yui arrive as well. The entire squad is assembled. Naturally, their first destination is the Old Mall.
Inside the mall, the billiards area remains surprisingly busy. The familiar table becomes theirs within minutes. The games begin, and just as always, Reo becomes the group's most accurate player. Shot after shot finds its target. Balls disappear into pockets with satisfying precision. Enmei points dramatically.
"He's cheating." (Enmei)
"I'm not." (Reo)
"You are." (Enmei)
"Skill issue." (Yui)
Gin nearly laughs. Meanwhile Honoka performs her famous move. It's the move that nobody understands and nobody can replicate. She casually sits on the edge of the pool table, balances herself, and positions the cue stick behind her. She then strikes.
CLACK.
The ball sinks perfectly and the entire group applauds.
"What kind of technique is that?"
Honoka smiles proudly.
"I call it style." (Honoka)
"It's illegal." (Enmei)
"It isn't." (Kota)
"It should be." (Gin)
After several rounds, the group decides to move elsewhere. Their next destination lies across town to quieter place and more discreet location, Ochafe. The cozy café sits on a relatively peaceful street surrounded by small shops and residential buildings. The atmosphere feels calm and relaxing, perfect for spending an afternoon. The group enters and are immediately greeted by pleasant aromas of fresh tea, coffee, and warm rice meals as casual jazz music plays from above. Asahi takes charge of ordering as usual.
"Make sure not to screw up, four-eyes!" (Natsuki)
"Of course, I won't. Just leave it to me" (Asahi)
"Make sure you have, write it down on a paper or you phone's notepad, bro" (Gin)
Several minutes later, he returns victorious.
"Boba tea secured."
The group cheers.
"Donburi secured."
More cheering.
"Curry rice secured."
Even more cheering.
"Katsudon secured."
The loudest cheering yet. The squad proceeds upstairs.
The second floor offers a wonderful view as large windows overlook the street below and soft music plays through hidden speakers. The atmosphere feels comfortable. Then, a golden retriever appears. The dog's tail wags furiously.
"Tomato!"
Natsuki, Yui, and Honoka immediately exclaim. The dog happily approaches. Apparently the café owner's dog has decided to join the gathering. Tomato receives approximately twelve minutes of uninterrupted attention which he clearly enjoys.
Eventually everyone settles into their seats. The drinks haven't arrived yet and the food isn't ready, that of which means conversation begins. And unfortunately for Honoka and Reo, Natsuki has a question, apparently a dangerous one. The girl leans forward. Her eyebrows rise suspiciously.
"Honoka, Reo..."
The two immediately know trouble is coming.
"...what did you two actually do during your disappearance in Sendai?"
The table erupts and everyone suddenly pays attention. Enmei practically teleports closer. Gin lowers his drink. Yui becomes curious. Asahi smirks. Natsuki continues raising her eyebrows dramatically.
"Anything interesting happen?"
Reo points.
"Stop doing that with your eyebrows." (Reo)
"LOL No." (Natsuki)
Honoka sighs, then smiles.
"Fine."
The flashback begins. Back then, the day they disappeared, both stand with backpacks and hoodies nervous, determined, scared, but committed. Their first stop is StarYen. A simple visit before heading toward the station. Then disaster strikes as Akiko's hair clip suddenly falls. Her hair immediately becomes messy. Several strands fly everywhere and Kota stares.
"You look like you fought a tornado." (Kota)
"Easy for you to say, Demon King slayer." (Akiko)
Moments later he buys a scrunchie, and the ponytail appears. Kota immediately grins.
"You look like Oguri Helm."
Akiko points accusingly.
"Shut up, Trainer."
The memory makes the entire table laugh. Afterward they board a train. Initially they consider Tokyo but eventually decide otherwise. It's too crowded and too obvious. Sendai offers better anonymity. In the aftermath, Sendai becomes their destination.
At Sendai, they rent an apartment, settled in, and begin figuring things out. The first few days are awkward, not because of anything dramatic. But because suddenly two teenagers are trying to manage daily life on their own such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting, laundry, schedules, and everything. The adjustment takes time.
Back in the present, Enmei narrows his eyes.
"And?" (Enmei)
"And what?" (Reo)
"The apartment." (Gin)
"What about it?" (Honoka)
"What happened?" (Natsuki)
Honoka and Reo glance at one another simultaneously and both become slightly red.
"Nothing."
The answer arrives too quickly. Natsuki immediately points.
"Something happened." (Natsuki)
"No." (Reo)
"Definitely." (Yui)
"Nope, literally nothing." (Honoka)
The group begins laughing, and Honoka covers her face.
"Nothing happened."
In reality, the memories mostly involve embarrassing misunderstandings, awkward timing, and accidentally walking into situations that became extremely uncomfortable for both of them. The kind of stories that become funny later.
When Akiko went to have a shower, Kota just woke up from his sleep, and wants to use the toilet. As he opened the door, he was flustered of what he saw. It's Akiko no clothes and just wet, shocked. Akiko blushed red, and Kota closes the door.
Another time during their stay at Sendai, Kota just got out from the shower, and Akiko was already in the room. The apartment has only one room, and this is because it's the only one they can afford. Kota was in a towel, and told Akiko to turn the other way. Kota changes during that, and Akiko turned and peeked numerous times. Another incident with that happened to Akiko, yet both were alright with it because they are both mature now. The flashback ends there.
"Don't bring that up," Honoka mutters.
Natsuki laughs.
"I knew it." (Natsuki)
"You know nothing, Bish." (Akiko)
"Sure." (Yui)
The conversation moves on and thankfully, the food finally arrives. Boba teas, Donburi, Curry rice, and Katsudon. The table instantly becomes quieter because eating takes priority.
While they eat, Honoka continues describing Sendai. They played a lot of video games together, cooking omurice, making chao fan, visiting bookstores, and reading manga. The squad listens attentively.
"Avenge of the Titan?"
Asahi asks.
"Just Volume 5." (Reo)
"Agent x Family?"
Gin asks.
"Volumes 1 and 15."
"How about My Sister is a Demon?"
Natsuki asks. Honoka nods.
"Surprisingly wholesome, we only read Volume 5"
Everyone seems satisfied. The story sounds much less dramatic than they imagined. And honestly, that is probably a good thing. By the time the flashback ends, everyone has their own reactions.
"Sounds peaceful." (Yui)
"Sounds stressful." (Asahi)
"Sounds expensive." (Gin)
"Sounds fun." (Natsuki)
"Sounds like Enmei would've gotten lost immediately." (Asahi)
"HEY." (Enmei)
The laughter returns. Eventually Asahi reaches into his backpack. The entire table immediately groans.
"Oh no." (Enmei)
"Oh no" (Gin)
"Oh no" (Honoka)
"Oh yes." (Asahi)
Another gaming device appears. Asahi grins.
"Time to GameGo Flip."
Several minutes later the café transforms into a miniature gaming convention. Players take turns and challenges begin. Scores are compared. Arguments erupt, victories are celebrated, and defeats are questioned. Tomato the golden retriever occasionally wanders past as if supervising the competition.
Hours seem to pass in an instant. The afternoon becomes filled with laughter, games, food, memes, anime discussions, and the simple comfort of friendship.
For now, the investigation remains far away. The dangers remain distant. And beneath the warm atmosphere of the café, the squad enjoys something they have almost forgotten during the past few weeks, just a normal day.
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