It had been over a month since Yutaka had died. Akari, since his death, hadn't spoken to Akane at all, unless you count the arguments they had. She was devastated to find him dead, broken, and useless on their kitchen floor. Akane tried to console her, but to no avail. Akari spent hours crying in her room because of her.

Akane knocked on Akari's door. No answer. She had been standing there for at least five minutes but her little sister just would not come out. She did seem awfully quiet in there… Akane decided not to wait any longer and went ahead inside. What she saw shocked her.

Feet dangling in the air, arms hanging limply at her sides, from the fan on the ceiling was a rope fashioned into a noose, with Akari's neck fastened through it. Her jaw was slack and her tongue protruded from her mouth. Akane could also see her eyes rolled up, completely devoid of life. It was a horrifying sight for her to walk in on.

Akane rushed in and frantically loosened the rope. Once she was free, she set her down on the floor and tried to shake her awake. "Akari! Akari!" But she wouldn't say anything. She didn't want to believe it. Her little sister, dead? And of all causes, suicide? Just the knowledge that Akari was depressed enough to have ended her own life sent Akane to despair. She dropped down her head and cried into Akari's bruised neck. Her body was still warm; it hadn't been that long since she died.

"Akari…" The only person that meant anything to her was gone. Forever. There was no chance of her coming back. Did Yutaka really mean that much to her?

There was loud bang downstairs and it sounded like someone had broken the front door open. There was some loud yelling telling her that she was under arrest.

'So they finally figured out it was me who killed him, huh?' Wiping away her tears, she rested Akari's body on the floor and closed her eyes with her fingers. 'I'm sorry, Akari. Find peace.' She could hear the sound of heavy footsteps coming upstairs and she knew that if she didn't disappear fast, the cops would make sure she spends the rest of her life rotting away in a jail cell.

Akane made haste and found the nearest escape route. She ran towards the room's window, forced it open, and jumped out as soon as the men slammed down her door. She landed in a bush and sprinted away from the house as fast as she could. There were cop cars parked everywhere and looking ahead she could see more police men searching for her.

'I have to fix this. I need to find some way to bring back Akari. But how? She's already...' She had a sudden realization. 'Of course. I can make sure this never happens. But at the cost of my own life... no. Akari's happiness is more important than my own.' She changed direction and headed towards her old middle school. Once there, she went past the school's building and went into the woods located near it. She eventually reached the tea room. Akane took a moment to catch her breath before sliding open the door. Walking inside, she found the closet at the end of the room and slid it open.

'Once I do this, there's no going back. I'm sorry I caused you all this pain, Akari.' She stepped into the machine and set the time to one month previous. The machine rumbled loudly and time as she knew it reversed itself like an old video tape. 'If being with that bastard really means that much to you, then so be it.'

...

Akane watched carefully as her past self searched the drawers for a knife. She had made sure to go to the kitchen prior to ensure no knives could be found. Knowing herself, however, she knew ther was no way her past self would give up on trying to kill him. Which was why she had to do this.

Silently, she stepped into the kitchen with knife in hand and while her past self's back was turned, she came up behind her, plastered a hand over her mouth, and slit her throat. She squirmed and screamed into her palm, though she wasn't loud enough to actually be heard. Akane's future self could feel the searing pain going through her neck as well but endured it and kept slicing in deeper with saw-like motions. Copious amounts of blood spilled over her hand and the sink in front of her became stained crimson. Akane, too, wanted to cry out in pain.

Her past self finally stopped struggling and fell back limply against her. Akane's future self felt weak, too, and collapsed onto the floor with herself on top of her body.

'Be happy with him, Akari. Your onee-chan will always be watching you.' Her own body started to decompose until there was nothing left but the corpse of her past self.

Five years later...

A gentle breeze blew through the trees and carried with it the cherry blossom petals that marked the beginning of spring. Underneath a huge tree that was still in full bloom was a boy and a girl sitting side by side in the grass, looking out to a nearby river. Akari hovered her hand over Yutaka's hesitantly before shyly settling her palm.

"It's beautiful… isn't it?"

He smiled. "It is." From the river bank, a little girl with dark red hair came clambering up the grass to show her parents her newest discovery.

"Mama! Papa! Look what I found!" She held out her hand and presented to them a small, multi-colored turtle.

"Good job, Koyomi-chan!" Akari praised. "Just be sure to put it back where you found it; its mother will come looking for it."

"'Kay… look Papa!" she put her hand in his direction.

Yutaka smiled lovingly. "That's very nice." The couple heard some rustling behind them and they turned their heads back to see who was approaching. "Looks like all our friends are here."

"Just too bad they were late."

"Where have you guys been?" Akari asked, standing up to hug Kyouko. Yutaka did likewise and hugged Ayano.

"Ah, the kids were getting up to no good. Yutaka-kun!" Kyouko exclaimed energetically. Ayano rolled her eyes and nudged her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Don't yell," she scolded. "You're a bad enough influence on the kids already."

"What? As if! Am I a bad influence, kids?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Looks like I rubbed off on your kid, huh Ayano-chan?"

"At least yours has some sense in him."

The brown-haired boy folded his arms. "Daichi's just an idiot."

"I am not! You're just a stuck-up little bitch!" his purple-haired half-brother argued.

"Who taught you that word?!" Ayano questioned, glaring at Kyouko. The others arrived so Yutaka and Akari greeted them as well with warm smiles and friendly welcomes.

"How have you been, Himawari-chan?"

"Fairly well, thanks. Natsuko and Takeshi had their first day of school just last week."

"Really? That's great!"

"Right?"

"Himawari let herself go after having Takeshi, huh?" Sakurako felt a strong hand gripping her shoulder tightly.

"What was that?"

"You've become a milf recently."

"That's what I like to hear."

Chinatsu walked over to Yutaka and bowed respectfully. "Yutaka-senpai."

"Ah, Chinatsu-chan? It's been a while. You seem different."

"Well, people change with time. Becoming a mother made me realize a lot of things."

"That's good. How is she anyway?" he knelt down and patted his daughter's dark hair.

"Yui's really smart. Just like her father."

Yutaka couldn't believe how much everyone changed. Since high school, some of them had moved out of the city to go colleges located elsewhere in the prefecture or to prestigious universities in places like Tokyo and Osaka. Others stayed in Takaoka to raise their children.

"Seems the Ikeda twins couldn't make it," Akari said, checking her phone. "It's just too hard since they both have their own set of twins now."

"Well, I'm glad you all managed to come in the first place," Yutaka's said. "To have everyone gathered like this isn't something that's happened since... middle school."

"I miss those days," Kyouko reminisced.

"I don't," he sighed.

"Wha? Why not?"

"It was a complicated time."

"I'll say," Ayano added.

Kyouko cupped a hand to her girlfriend's ear. "You wanna have that foursome with Yutaka and Akari again?"

Her face heated up and she elbowed the blonde's side.

"Well I have to say, though... this is some family gathering."

Everyone hummed in agreement.

"So, what now?"

"We could let the kids play at the park and go to Karaoke."

"Sounds like a plan."

They sang for a good amount of time before having to pick up their kids to go home. Even if they could only be together for just a short while, they made the best of it. They shared stories, laughs, and overall just had a great time. It made Yutaka feel nostalgic.

The day ended with him and Akari walking back to their house with Koyomi holding their hands in between them. She swung happily and talked on and on about playing with her half-siblings. She never ceased to bring a smile onto her parents' faces. The cool air brought back memories of previous springs when they were all still in school, completely carefree without much worries. Of course, most of that changed when they had kids, but they still had their fun.

Yutaka glanced at Akari and felt dizzy with happiness. He had everything he wanted, the love of his life and their daughter to prove it. As their child continued to swing from their hands, he sighed blissfully and watched a wave of pink flow freely in the wind.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Akari nodded back at him. "It is."