Asahi strode his way down the restless Tokyo streets, weaving and ducking underneath the sea of umbrellas around him. The umbrella culture in Tokyo was something Asahi had yet to get used to, especially for a man his size who oftentimes got poked by said umbrellas, but he adapted. So even as the swarm of people rushed forward as the streetlight turned green, Asahi strolled out onto the crossing with his umbrella held high above his head.

Coming to Tokyo was by far the biggest change Asahi had ever made in his life, but it was a welcome one. Normally, Asahi would tower over everyone, like he usually did back in Miyagi. But now, amid the swarms of people, the bright building lights, and the bright twilight of the city, Asahi blended in. He had thought that coming to the city would make him more self-conscious than he already was, but it actually made him forget about his height. He wasn't thinking of how his coat was still damp despite using an umbrella, and he didn't even consider what passersby would think of the oversized bag hanging off his shoulder. Here, walking in the biggest city he'd ever known, Asahi felt content.

A familiar ding came from his jacket pocket, and Asahi smiled. He waited until he had crossed the street to pull his phone out and leaned against the wall of the café he'd been walking to. His friend was likely already inside, but as Asahi opened the text message, his anxiety about being late subsided a little. But only a little!

The first thing he saw was the picture. It was of his friend wearing a long shirt that ended at his knees. It had long sleeves that ended halfway up his forearm, and he was wearing matching colored pants. The red ensemble was bright, but not in a tacky way. And even though it was long and loose, the outfit had a slim fit to it. His friend was standing in a wide field with grass as green as that of Miyagi, and in the background was a long mountain range way out in the distance, so long and massive that it didn't even fit in the picture.

Nishinoya: Check out what I found! It's really comfy and it doesn't look big on short guys like me! I think it's called a salwar kameez

Asahi: It looks great, Nishinoya! What's that mountain in the background?

Nishinoya: Karakoram mountain range! It's nearly as tall as you, Asahi-san!

Asahi: I don't think I can be as tall as a mountain

Nishinoya: Yeah, sure. Gotta go. Talk soon!

Asahi: Talk to you soon. Take care, Nishinoya

Asahi put away his phone and smiled. Closing his umbrella, Asahi shrugged off the light drizzle as he shuffled his way into a warm cafe, immediately feeling self-conscious of the slight puddle forming beneath his feet. Ok, so maybe living in Tokyo hadn't solved all of his anxiety issues, but at least he managed to get away with only a light blush on his cheeks.

Asahi carefully stored his umbrella in the rack by the door and looked around the warm room. It was a fairly standard café, with fresh beans getting ground at the counter and a multitude of seats crammed with panicking students rushing to cram for finals, but it was the first one Asahi had found in Tokyo. It felt like his little retreat, so much so that even his friends had started finding him here without having to ask where he was.

The scent of roasted beans reached Asahi's nose. He took a deep breath in and felt himself getting dragged towards the counter, but he quickly stopped himself and shook his head. As much as his brain wanted the caffeine, it'd be rude of him to not at least try to find his friend first.

So he walked through the café, past tiny tables and bar seats, until he found the booths at the back of the café. Sure enough, there was a man with a streak of green painted into his hair slouching in one of them. He had his head tucked into his hands and was scanning the papers he had strewn about the table. To his left were empty cups of coffee, and he only stirred when Asahi walked up to the table.

"What are your designs for the modern apparel class?" Sato said by way of greeting. "Mine look like crap."

Asahi laughed. "Hello, Sato. Don't worry. They can't be that bad."

Sato raised himself up and pulled his arms back, revealing a slew of drawings that had been spread across the entire table. Some of them were rough sketches, others were cleaner designs, but all of them were… messy, which was the nicest word Asahi could come up with.

"A—Ah, they're not that bad," Asahi said. "I can show you mine and you can see how much better yours are. I've only worked on them for two days."

Sato gave him a look. "Azumane, you're one of the best students in that goddamn class."

Asahi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I have a good friend who's traveling abroad and sends me good reference photos. Doesn't mean I'm one of the best students. I just have a lot of help."

"Yeah, well now I need help." Sato pointed a finger at Asahi. "References or not, you still make good clothes. Now go get that coffee I know you want and come back here so you can help me pass!"

Asahi rubbed his head again and let out an awkward laugh. He left his bag on the opposite side of the booth and ran off before his face could turn red from embarrassment. He settled himself in line, already thinking about the newest photo sent by Nishinoya. He was just thinking of a new fit to use for one of his shirt designs, and though he'd likely have to make the hem shorter, Nishinoya had given him an excellent idea.

Sugawara Koushi had always enjoyed being the first one out of the house. Unlike Daichi, the eldest of five, he was fortunate enough to be the younger sibling who didn't have sisters' hair to braid or brothers' schoolbags to pick up. Suga could always just leave the house, walk when the street was empty, and raise his legs high up in the air as if he owned the road beneath him.

Today was a particularly wonderful day. The sun was bright, the only clouds in sight were fluffy and white, and the bright blue sky just seemed to welcome Suga with open arms. So Suga put his hands in his pockets and strolled down the long streets. Aside from the local high school students, few people were out this early, and fewer still were heading in Suga's direction. His university was by no means far, but with a day such as this, how was Suga supposed to convince himself that taking the bus was the better option?

Suga was roughly halfway to his university when his phone buzzed next to his hand. Suga answered the call and grinned into the phone, "Good morning, Daichi! How are you on this wonderful day?"

Daichi groaned. Loud. "How are you always so awake in the mornings?"

Suga held himself back from laughing. It was really good to talk to his high school friends, especially those who he graduated with. All four of them had gone to different schools post-graduation, but they kept in touch as much as possible. Mostly it was by text, but Daichi was calling, which meant he was driving. "Who are you dropping off today?"

"Junichiro." Suga heard Daichi sigh again. "If I'd known I'd have to chofer my family around so much, I would've sold this damn car."

"And sell your gift from your precious parents?" Suga tsked disapprovingly. "That's so harsh, Daichi."

"See?" Another voice came on the line. Suga had been over to Daichi's house plenty of times, and it was pretty easy to recognize Junichiro's teenage drawl. "You shouldn't do that, so you better just put up with me."

"Shut up!" Daichi yelled at his sibling. Most people would've had to pull the phone away from their ear, but after knowing Daichi for so long, Suga was pretty sure his ears had gotten used to his friend's yells. "Look, the reason I'm calling is because I need you to settle a debate."

"What kind of debate?" Suga asked.

"Shoyu ramen or Tonkotsu ramen. Which is better?"

"Say—"

"Junichiro, quiet!" Daichi yelled again. "Suga?"

Suga gave pause for a moment, to drag out the tension and anticipation of his response. Then, with a blazing grin, Suga proudly declared, "Tonkotsu, of course!"

"Yeah!" Junichiro cheered. "Thanks for proving that my brother is delusional, Suga!"

"What!" Daichi yelled. "Suga, I know you like Shoyu ramen better! You trying to tease me?"

Suga grinned even wider. "Not at all. Bye, Daichi!"

"Suga, you trai—"

Suga cut the call, and that was the moment he finally let himself laugh. He put his phone back into his pocket, and with a new surge of energy, he skipped all the way to uni.

Yeah, it really was a beautiful day today.