My first time writing a Tsuritama fic! I did this mostly because I felt a desperate urge to write something after the show ended. I wanted it to be based on friendship, and as usual, this turned into one of my "reflection" one-shots.

Enjoy, and I hope it isn't too fast-paced or OOC...

Disclaimer: I don't own Tsuritama or its characters

Friendship

'Friendship usually changes people.'

Yuki looked up from the book he was reading. From his seat in the kitchen, he could see the garden where his grandmother worked, as well as the ever-blue sky, stretching far out to meet the ocean. It was a beautiful sight, and it reminded him of the days he had spent out at sea with his friends, not too long ago.

Friends. The word meant much more to him now than it had for so many years. His first real friends had been the ones he made in elementary school; before his life with Keito, and his string of transfers. Since then, he had been unable to establish a bond with anyone, and had always remained alone.

It wasn't that he didn't want friends…somehow, even when he tried to talk to people, the words never managed to come out. And so, after changing schools over and over, he had begun to think that he was a lost cause.

And then he met Haru.

Yuki laughed lightly as memories of warm summer days filled his mind. That was the first summer he had spent in the company of others, learning more about fishing than he had ever expected to care about.

'Those were some of the best days of my life,' he thought to himself. 'There may have been some painful moments, but we had fun together.'

He turned around to glance at the book he had been reading, now abandoned on the table. It was a late birthday present from Natsuki, who sent it over from America. The book contained information on lures, as well as fishing techniques, some of which Yuki had never even heard of. Inside the book was another "present", this time from Akira. It was a postcard, with a birthday wish as well as a lot of haphazard drawings on the back. The picture was one of a fishing boat out at sea, which had brought back even more memories when he first saw it in the mail. Even now, Yuki couldn't understand why.

'I never expected to remember those days so well…but now they're so clear in my mind. Could it be…?'

And then it hit him. So many times, the past seemed distant, almost fuzzy. He could barely remember his days in middle school, or his many high school introduction speeches. So why did a few months spent in a new place have such an impact on him? One so strong that he could never forget…

'These days were easy to remember…because my friends were by my side. I-I changed.'

If it was possible, his grin grew wider. 'I changed! Making friends changed me…made me what I am now.'

His smile faltered. 'And now…they're not here anymore.'

The sun began to dip below the horizon, dying the sky pink and orange. Yuki drew the curtains and walked back to his seat, picking up the book he abandoned hours ago. But before putting it away, he stared at the cover for a few moments, lost in thought once again.

Many months had passed since the incident at Enoshima. Natsuki was still training in America, and the chances of Akira returning, from wherever he was, were slim. He sighed. 'And Haru…'

'Once he left, everything had seemed so…normal. My life became dull, and I had thought I would never get used to it. Until-'

Just then, the door burst open. Haru strolled in; fishing pole slung over one shoulder, a confident look on his face. Urara was behind him, awkward as always. He grasped at the ends of his hair and looked around the room uncertainly.

"We're home!" Haru exclaimed, dropping the pole unceremoniously on the floor. He ran over to where Yuki stood in the kitchen.

"Look Yuki! We found shells for everyone! One for me, one for Urara, and one for Keito too-"

Yuki grinned at his friend, his first real friend, as he continued to ramble on.

'I've changed a lot since then…but now I have more things to care about. Friendship usually changes people…but that isn't such a bad thing after all.'

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Haru grabbed his hands and placed something in them.

"And this one is for Yuki! It was the prettiest one, so we wanted you to have it!"

He looked down at his hands; the shell was as big as his palm, patterned with ridges. And it was bright red. Yuki laughed again, but this time it was with a mixture of emotions. A few tears formed in his eyes, but he blinked them away. Clasping the shell tightly in his hand, he said "Thanks, Haru. I'll treasure it always."

Haru grinned, his cheeks turning slightly pink. Behind him, Urara murmured a soft "…we're home." Yuki glanced at him and smiled.

"Welcome home."

Please R&R!