Finale?

Satoru stood at the train station, his breath a dense fog in front of him as he glanced at his watch and checked the digital schedule to see what time the train was supposed to be arriving as he heard the sound of it coming around the corner.

As the train pulled up to the platform, it slowed until it was precisely centered on the markers that indicated where the doors should be before they slid open automatically and out poured the day shifters heading to their first shift positions.

He stepped aboard the train and grabbed onto the handle dangling from the rail as he watched the doors slide closed with a hiss.

Over the intercom system the train sounded off what the next stop was and what the next stop after that would be.

He looked around the nearly empty car briefly before deciding to take a seat and, opening his briefcase, he withdrew the manuscript he had just finished. He flipped through a few pages, checking the grammar and the art as well as making sure there were no glaring continuity issues that might need to be addressed, but, mostly, just enjoying the story he'd finally managed to finish crafting.

As he finished his proof read, he sat back with his head against the window of the train and his eyes closed.

It had been nearly seven years since Yashiro had been caught and arrested. He'd fully confessed to his crimes and, much to the relief of Satoru, he'd been so focused on his survival of the murder attempt that he'd been completely inactive throughout his coma.

Satoru wasn't sure how much guilt he'd have felt if his coma had been followed by countless other children's deaths, but he'd been more of a hero than he could've ever hoped for. He still felt some slight pang of guilt occasionally that he could only save himself and his friends and not the three children Yashiro had killed before attempting to kill Kayo.

The train slowed to a halt at the next station, briefly drawing him to reality. He decided to put away his manuscript before resting his head on the window again after looking at the train's path on the roof next to him, seeing how far his stop was from here.

He rested his head on the window again, watching the environment outside fly by as his mind wandered again.

One year ago or so, Yashiro was finally executed and the boogeyman that he represented to Kenya, Kayo and Satoru was finally put to rest as they went to witness the execution.

Moreso than ever before, it was finally and definitively over.

His stop approached and he stood up and approached the door. As the train slid to a stop he yawned and watched the doors open, stepping onto the platform nearest his home.

He walked out of the station and looked around the early dawn light, stretching his arms and back as he yawned again, walking towards the apartment complex.

His feet carried him home quickly as he watched the stores lifting their gates all around town and he smelled fresh baked bread as he passed a few different bakeries.

He pulled his key from his pocket and was about to unlock the door when it opened to reveal a young boy, around six, dressed in warm winter clothing, heavy gloves and snow boots, a coat, stocking cap and scarf all wrapped tightly around him.

He froze when he met Satoru's eyes.

"Good morning, dad," he said as he opened the door further for his father to step in.

"Where exactly do you think you're going, Tomoya?" Satoru asked the mischievous boy as they both stood off at the door.

"I was just going out to the park," Tomoya answered with an innocent grin.

"Uh-huh," came the response as Satoru pushed the boy into the house and closed the door. "And does your mother know where you're going?"

"Umm..." the boy began.

"Alright, go back to your room," came Kayo's answer as she rounded the corner, her short hair sightly messy since she'd just woken up.

"But Mom-!" he began to argue.

"No buts. You know better than to go outside without permission, much less without someone with you," she said as Satoru came up and kissed her cheek.

"How was your week?" he asked.

"Not bad when Tomo here wants to listen. Always difficult when you're in the manga office," she answered as she tried to fix her hair. "God, I need to get my hair done."

Satoru smiled and kissed her again.

"Even with bed-head you look amazing," he blurted out.

"Shut up, dumbass," she said, blushing slightly and kissing him back before pulling back as she saw Tomoya trying to sneak out the door.

"Ah ah ah," she said, disengaging from Satoru as she went and caught him by the arm. "If you keep this up, I'll eat all of your pudding and your candy!"

"But Mom, I gotta go to the park!"

"And why is that?"

"Because yesterday I saw this really cool butterfly and it made made the whole world weird. I didn't know there were such cool butterflies in the winter time!"