This inn seemed to be a lot smaller and cozier than the one they had stayed at when they had just met, Hinata noted as they walked into the inn. He preferred that in all honesty; not too fancy like the hotel, but it didn't seem like it'd get really cold at night like the motel had been. Komaeda had asked him if this place was okay beforehand, and Hinata was glad he had agreed.

Not that he had had any reason not to. Komaeda seemed to be checking everything with him; he probably had been doing it all the time throughout the journey but Hinata hadn't really paid so much attention to it before. But it was starting to feel weird after some time, having to be the one to always say the last word on what they did. He remembered that when Komaeda took him to the arcade in Tokyo, he hadn't asked Hinata back then though…

The thought was making him feel a bit weird.

He glanced at Komaeda who was talking with the receptionist. They had talked a bit here and there on the way, but most of the day they had spent in calming silence. Hinata had been trying to gather up his thoughts the whole time, and it seemed like Komaeda had something on his mind too.

Hinata turned to look away from the other again. He didn't know what the other had in mind, but he felt a bit disturbed that his thoughts had been mostly around Komaeda. He had been trying to rationalize out his thoughts, to figure out his own thoughts.

But it wasn't really easy. He did have an inkling what it was that was messing up with his thoughts, but… it wasn't something he wanted to consider in this situation. It would be easier to just settle his questions by saying he was just slowly developing a friendship with Komaeda. But despite him trying to draw that conclusion, the same line of thought popped up in his mind over and over again, like it was forcing him to repeat the question until he gave a satisfactory answer; or more like, the correct answer.

It was nothing short of frustrating. He didn't want to keep repeating this same thing again and again, and he didn't want to give in to the idea that his mind was trying to bubble up. It couldn't be right. He didn't want it to be right. There was already enough on his mind, enough things to worry about and enough stiff, heavy air between them. He didn't need anything more to add to his burden.

Not to mention he didn't need any more weaknesses, not another vulnerability to add to the list of things he had to be careful about. Maybe the answer he kept forcing to the question wasn't right but he didn't think the one in the back of his mind was right either. It felt too difficult to handle, but also too easy of a conclusion to draw up.

He sighed; he didn't want to try and think about what the real answer was. He needed to figure out something to distract him from these thoughts.

"Hinata-kun?" Komaeda asked him suddenly, tilting his head. Apparently he was done dealing with the receptionist. "Is everything alright? You seem troubled..."

"It's nothing. Did you get the room?" It was a weak way to change the topic, but Komaeda seemed to decide to just go along with it, probably for his sake.

"Yeah, they had vacancy," Komaeda answered as a young man began to lead them into the inn. "We have a great view of the garden from our room apparently."

They talked about the inn for the short while that they walked to the room, with the young man leading them chiming in occasionally to tell them more details, and for a moment Hinata could stop thinking about it.

"Are you going to go into the bath?" Komaeda asked, and Hinata lifted his eyes from the book he was reading. They had been sitting on the porch watching the garden and then they had just kind of stayed there.

"Oh, should we go?" Hinata asked hesitantly. They had gone into the bath in the beginning of their trip too, but for some reason he felt nervous in a whole different way than back then. Then, he had been convinced that Komaeda was deceiving him, that any moment the police would come to get him and to save Komaeda from him. But now just the whole thought of going into the bath with Komaeda was a bit nerve-wracking.

"Ah, I meant if you want to go. I don't think I'll go…," Komaeda answered looking at the garden, his face not really showing anything. Hinata frowned; the other was probably trying to be considerate of him once again. In a way, it'd be so easy to just accept what Komaeda was saying, and be able to bathe alone without all the stress and worry about it but… Hinata bit his lip. The thought in itself was making him frustrated.

"Huh? Why? We came all the way here so wouldn't it be disrespectful not to?" Hinata said, his tone once again harsher than he had intended. Komaeda seemed set back by his outburst.

"Eh, that is…," Komaeda said almost instantly, before falling quiet like he didn't know how to continue from there. Hinata was getting more annoyed every second, and it didn't help that his own actions were making him feel annoyed at himself too. He didn't want to get angry again… They just stared at each other in silence, Hinata with a glare and Komaeda seeming bewildered by the situation.

"Or is there a reason you won't? Say straight up if there's something wrong!" Hinata raised his voice, and bit on his lower lip again. They were technically outside so there was even more reason to keep his volume in control. Komaeda flashed an awkward smile at him, like he was trying to soothe his anger somehow.

It didn't really help.

"There's no specific reason to it…," Komaeda started but he shut off as soon as Hinata glared at him.

"You've been really uppity in general lately! If you have a problem with me, say it! Don't think I won't notice you're trying to avoid me!" Hinata didn't really know what was coming out from his mouth, and Komaeda seemed to understand even less.

"That's not…" Komaeda seemed speechless, the only words coming out of his lips being a feeble denial. Hinata turned to look away, at the garden below them, as he tried to control his thoughts. "Hinata-kun, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Hinata snapped back instantly, and even though he didn't look at Komaeda, he knew the other was thrown back. "Look, if you really, really wanted me to leave back in Tokyo, you should have said so back then. Now it's..." '...Too late', was what he was going to add but he stopped himself. Too late for what? What reason there was for him to force Komaeda to stay with him if the other wanted to go back? Maybe all that speaking about his past had made Komaeda reconsider his options. That wasn't something Hinata could really just selfishly step all over like this.

He pressed his lips together. Why was he even considering this in the first place? He shouldn't be so considerate over Komaeda at this point anymore. Even with the gun gone now there was still the fact that it all had happened. He had decided to try and understand the reasoning behind Komaeda's actions that time and before that, but he wasn't anyhow closer to finding out anything, despite having asked so many questions. It was all just a messy circle in his head.

What was he even supposed to be upset about anymore?

"That's not the case, Hinata-kun! I absolutely want to see the end of the world with you, and witness all the hope you'll certainly show that day! There's no hope for me to witness back in Kyoto, I need to see this with you!" Komaeda protested now, suddenly with much more energy and certainty. But it just made Hinata sigh.

"So that's the part you finally manage to answer to," Hinata said defeatedly, and stood up from the porch. "Forget it, I'm tired of this. I'll go to the bath, you do whatever you want, I don't care." Komaeda just looked at him wordlessly, and Hinata stomped out of the room to escape the deafening silence that fell between them.

Essentially, he was still just taking his own anger out on Komaeda without even knowing if the other was the source of it or even anyhow to blame for the confusion in his head. Hinata clenched his hands into fists as he suddenly realized he was frustrated to the point of almost crying. This was just ridiculous.

He was being extremely childish, that much he could say. Throwing tantrums here and there just because he couldn't understand what was going on in his head. And somehow, it felt like everything went awfully every time after he got upset; it was always easy and relaxing until he just went and got upset. Hinata didn't know at this point if it was Komaeda's fault for saying things that made him upset, or maybe he was the one making this all difficult by taking it too hard.

He pressed his lips tightly together.

Just pathetic.

Thank you for reading all the way here ! And thank you for the reviews! I don't have a lot to say this time other than just more thank you's so! The next chapter will be up on 10th of June, I hope to see you there~