Haruka felt clumsy and lost in the forest, despite feeling sure she had been on the safety of a path not too long ago, though perhaps it could have been hours. With a tinge of regret, she recalled what had brought her here.

After hearing from locals that The Wanderer's Forest was a place full of magic and inspiration, Haruka had barely been able to contain her excitement. She had hurried her lunch and left with her little bag before any of STARISH had noticed she was missing, child-like enthusiasm bubbling within her chest. Perhaps, the magic of the forest would inspire her to write a greatest hit for STARISH! She had imagined the smiles and amazement on their faces when she handed them the composition, the hearts they could touch with their beautiful singing, and a flush of happiness had coloured her cheeks.

And now, through the tree canopy she could see that the sun was gradually tipping downwards, ever so slowly making its way down the sky. Pink hues began to touch the clouds, and the blue seemed to be getting darker. A little bit of her was starting to feel scared, but she tried to be brave. Haruka searched around her for a landmark, perhaps the large tree with a swirly pattern that looked like a face, but found nothing. She sighed.

"Haa… Will I be lost here forever?"

Unanswered by the vast, endless forest, Haruka's voice sounded particularly small.

She took a few steps forward, and noticed something strange at the bottom of a small cliff in the distance. Partially obscured behind trees and bushes, she could be sure she saw bright, royal blue.

Haruka cried out in alarm upon noticing the still form of Masato lying half-buried by leaves amongst the undergrowth. Her tangerine hair was swept back by a sudden gust of wind. Haruka sprinted to where he lay, arms raised to protect her face from being hit by the leaves and petals also caught in the powerful breeze. A sharp pain grew in her side from the exertion, but she ignored it and ran all the same.

"Hijirikawa-san!" She called, dropping to kneel at his side. Desperate tears sprung to her eyes. What on earth had happened to her friend, and what was Hijirikawa Masato doing alone all the way out here?

His clothes were a little muddy from lying on the dirt, and his usual perfectly groomed hair was messy and full of leaves. Her clothes were likely dirty now too, she thought, feeling the damp ground against her, but Nanami Haruka did not care one bit. She could feel his heartbeat through her palm on his chest, see his breathing, and his body appeared to be uninjured. Thank goodness, she thought. With shaking hands, she brushed the blue bangs away from his face and cupped it in her hands.

"Hijirikawa-san! Hijirikawa-san!"

It's no good, she thought, I'm too quiet. She inhaled deeply to prepare for the shout.

"Masato-kun! Please wake up, Masato-kun!"

Her heart nearly burst with relief when she saw fluttering beneath his eyelids and then those cool, pale blue eyes gaze up at her.

Hijirikawa Masato felt the first drops of summer rain land on his cheeks. His head felt strange, his body ached, and yet he remembered a strong urge to get up and explore deep into the forest. Why? He asked himself, struggling to open his eyelids before giving up in frustration. It was an important reason, he could be sure. To protect something. Or someone. At that thought, his heart jumped suddenly. Something changed. He heard a female voice call him by his name, felt small, warm hands on his cheeks…

"Oh! Masato-kun! You're awake!"

His eyes were open, but his mind was still fuzzy. A girl with eyes like amber was crying. Ah, the summer rain, he noted. He focused on her face, trying to remember who she was. When one of her hands fell from his face to wipe her eyes, the urge to protect sprang back up. Someone, he noted again. A strange feeling filled his chest, but he did not let the emotion show on his face. He never did.

"Your head… I think you hit it…" She told him between sniffles. "Thank goodness, you're okay… thank goodness…"

Before he could really know what he was doing, his hand was on the smooth skin of her cheek and he was wiping tears from her eyes. The tears stopped as she opened her eyes wider in shock. Her cheeks became hot and her mouth opened into a small, pink 'o'. It was irresistible. His eyes fell half-shut.

"Are you okay, Masato… kun…?" She asked, her face suddenly much closer to his. His heart swelled in contentment at how his name sounded from her lips.

It was at that moment, the clarity of his mind decided to return. Masato was enormously, overwhelmingly aware of the petite girl encircled in his arms, close enough to feel her breath on his face. She stared at him, eyes wide open in confusion. By reflex, Masato released her from his grip and pushed her away as gently and as quickly as he could. He felt terrified by his lapse in control, realising what he had tried to do. Masato stood up and turned away from her, ignoring the waves of pain and dizziness from the back of his head, using the opportunity to calm the maddening blush on his face. After a few minutes, he had managed to create a mask that showed slight irritation, but inside he was screaming. He had no idea of how to react other than a desire to run away.

"Are you hurt, Masa… Hijirikawa-san?"

The return to formality helped him cool his head entirely. He was back to being calm, logical, and in control. Quickly surveying their surroundings, Masato calculated where they were, the shortest route back to the hotel, and how he would rationalise his actions.

"I apologise, Nanami." He turned to face her, offering a small bow. "When you had not returned, I volunteered to search for you, but lost my footing on the edge of that cliff. I must have hit my head from the fall. My actions… I," despite his collectedness, the memory of feeling her warm body close to his came unbidden. He quickly dismissed it before the blush could show on his face. "I was not feeling myself. I apologise."

"N-no, I…" Flustered, Haruka stood up suddenly and bowed in return. Finding her words again, she spoke without looking him in the eye. "Thank you for looking for me. Your head, we should go to the nurse, at least…" Her face reddened in embarrassment as she realised Masato was the only one who knew where they were.

"Indeed. Let's return, everyone is waiting for us. We are not far."

Despite his outburst and the leaves, mud, and twigs on his clothes, the person before her was still very much Hijirikawa-san, she thought, quietly following his steps.