Hello it's me again! Thank you for the people who reviewed. Darn, you're really great you know? :)) They always pump me up to do my best each time I write, and make writing so much more worth it and exciting.

Here's a part 1 of the finale arc! Again, summarized and split so that it isn't such an overwhelming read hehe. I didn't plan this one as thoroughly as I did the cultural fest arc, but I worked with summarizing what I had. The story is about to reach its end AAAAAA. It's been nice revisiting this, and though I really wish I could've written it fully, I guess I'm also satisfied with the closure on my end too. This is the final arc for To Reach You. I had a sequel in mind though! So I have some ideas of scenes written out for it that I plan to share here too once this arc is over :). Thanks again and I'll have the next part of this final arc out soon! Have a good day loves!

Winter break arc: To Reach You (part 1)

Despite circumstances, Yuzuki got to convince Sugino to see Manami off with her – after she ambushed him in the cafeteria later on.

"Rio-chan hasn't responded to my messages and I couldn't find her, so at the very least you should come and see her off with me."

When he hesitated, she tugged at his sleeve. "C'mon, don't leave things this way."

Sugino got that what she also meant was the state of their relationship, so that when Manami did come back, this wasn't something she'd worry about. As far as they knew, Manami was unaware that their whole club had fallen out. He eventually said yes, like a whole weight was now off him with Yuzuki talking to him again.

He noted how much she's changed, wondering how it all happened – but he liked this down-to-earth, open version of Yuzuki now. It felt easier to be his natural self around her.

Manami regretted being unable to talk properly with her friends before the day she had to leave. She'd considered passing by the clubroom multiple times, but it didn't feel right to. Her mind still at a constant battle – demons of the past resurfaced as all she'd known had been changed with footnotes of truth – she wanted the last time she was there to be the only bad memory she had associated with it.

But now, that early winter morning as she stood in an empty train station, bags by her side, waiting for Inari to come back from the restroom, there were a number of things she longed for – and she hadn't even left yet.

She was caught by surprise when she suddenly got a message from Rinka. Before she could open it, she got another surprise by seeing Yuzuki and Sugino in the station this early.

Although she hadn't been 'okay' the past few weeks, Manami felt like she hadn't seen them in forever, and somehow the morning felt less cold. They talked for a bit, albeit rather awkwardly, most of the conversation just small talk. Manami couldn't respond as naturally as she once did, Sugino was uncharacteristically silent, but Yuzuki was able to read the air and made it comfortable enough for the both of them. Sugino wasn't able to make eye contact for a while, figuring out whether or not it was right to apologize, and he really wanted to. But was that really what she wanted right now?

But then they were all shocked by Rio's unprecedented arrival. The blonde met no one's eyes, however, but Manami's. Stunned to see her, Manami could only watch her friend step towards her – face serious, and for once without room for jokes. After moments in suspense, Rio said her name, and then bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

She went on to let her know that she didn't expect forgiveness, and that she felt responsible for what happened. Even though Manami might think otherwise, Rio said that's what her feelings were. But even if she felt that way, she wanted to take this time to let Manami know who she really was to her – a dear friend that she couldn't bear to lose. That when she fell hard like that, it tore Rio apart. She never wanted to see her so hurt, and felt horrible for being of no use to her – but Rio sighed. "These aren't excuses and I don't want them to be. It all boils down to the fact that I wasn't being fair to you...and didn't respect you enough. But I just wanted to let you know that that's how I really," she took a breath, and hoping it came across that she spoke from the bottom of her heart, she said, "really feel about you."

Rio finally managed to smile. "It's okay if you don't think of me as a friend, but I want to keep trying to be one – and hopefully, even better than before."

Struck by her words, Manami's eyes turned misty – but all the same, warmth spread across her chest.

Just as moved, Sugino was convinced he should stop with his habit of being a people-pleaser. No matter what can happen, he wanted to be sincere like she was. After all, they say that if you're completely honest with someone, whether or not those words keep people with you or away from you, they surely will reach them if they're true.

So he apologized as well for how it turned out, and just wished for her to recover and come back strong. He had no idea if she still wanted to be a part of their little group, but he knows he won't regret what he said today, for they were his real feelings.

Yuzuki couldn't help her stupid grin seeing the two of them – oh how she loved character development.

That was when Inari came back and greeted the kids like nothing has changed – but they did notice she looked a lot less burdened and was genuinely happy to see them.

As they boarded, Yuzuki gave Manami a parting gift – which she also called an early Christmas gift. It was another shounen manga from her collection that Yuzuki told her to open up when she was up for it. At the mention of Christmas though, Manami looked around.

As they left, Manami managed to give them a small smile, said she'll see them again soon, and waved until she couldn't see them through the train window anymore.

She then took the time to look at whatever Rinka had sent her, and a digital postcard with a geisha design – wishing her a good break and speedy recovery. It was followed up by an old photo of them that she remembered Chiba took with his phone when they first visited her apartment in the summer. Manami responded with thanks.

There was a seed of hope that now sprouted – and she wasn't too scared of leaving anymore.

Then, her smile disappeared. Where was he?

The three of them parted ways soon, with Yuzuki telling Rio that she just looked like she aged ten years after getting that weight off her chest – but at least she clearly looked better now.

Rio appreciated it, and saw her and Sugino off. On the way back though, Rio caught sight of someone familiar leaving the station too, and felt her blood boil.

"You're acting really pathetic, you know that?"

She got Karma cornered and confronted him about why he was there – surely, to see Manami off, but why didn't he go and actually do that?

When all Karma did was try to walk away, wordlessly, Rio tried to grab his shoulder. He grabbed her wrist and caught her off-guard.

His grip on her wrist so tight it hurt, all Karma did was tell her to leave him alone. Caught like a mouse of prey and unable to move, he let go of her wrist – roughly, enough to make her stumble back. Rio watched him walk away – terrified, for once – because she had never seen him so hostile. And at the same time...so fragile.

In the final few days before the school's official winter break, Chiba and Rinka had a conversation about Karma.

"Aren't you bothered with the way he's acting?" Rinka asked.

"Not at all."

"Huh?"

"With a guy like that, who's hard to keep up with…seeing him fall behind is refreshing to see. It makes it easier to be around him."

Rinka hummed. "You do have a point. But…I'm still worried about both of them."

Chiba shrugged. "Understandable. But... I have a good feeling that things will lighten up soon."

"What a positive outlook," Rinka said, and snorted. "I wish I could have that."

During Manami's break, she and Inari first stayed in her old house in Osaka. They took the time to explore old places, allowing Manami to understand how things used to be. She was introduced again to Inari's parents, but officially now. Inari showed her around places of her childhood that changed and stayed the same, and what they meant.

Weeks later, they visited the various places that had to do with their past, in hopes of both of them understanding it better, making sense of their present, both of them working towards a hopeful future together.

Inari and her now spent nights of storytelling, talking about old friends, secrets kept from the other, doubts, fears, laughs – slowly forgiving themselves.

Day by day, things got better, and Manami was not just acting like her old self again, but even better. Her insecurities were gradually losing power over her – she became more certain of herself, her actions, and what she wanted. The two of them were open with each other about everything now, sometimes even argued – proof that Manami was respecting herself more now.

One day, they decided to go a little bit closer to home, and paid a visit to the Arata café. It was Manami's idea, to help Inari finally come face to face with old connections and have a good long talk with them. Apologies, explanations, and hopes of reconciliation were exchanged. With their sincerity, their innermost feelings of missing one another were revealed.

Soon enough, the seriousness turned into their banter from all those years ago, with Manami laughing as Hifumi and Inari argued like high schoolers. Just goes to show growing up didn't mean forgetting who you were. That night as she spent dinner with Hide, Hifumi, and Inari, Manami for once felt like she had a big family.

The next morning, they were told they were welcome to come back anytime. They'd love to have Manami back not for Hanako, but for Manami herself.

That was when Manami opened up to Inari and said she would be okay with going back home now. Inari said okay – she knew Manami had been yearning to see the boy she liked again anyway.

Manami panicked. "Y-You knew?!"

"Not really," Inari said, then smirked. "But now I do."

Manami had to try keeping from jumping off the train in her embarrassment.

After getting over her nerves, Manami called Karma one night. She couldn't shake the feeling he wasn't happy about hearing from her, and her joyful greeting slowly turned to unease and insecurity once more.

"We're…we're still going to…"

His voice came almost monotonously. "What?"

Manami spoke in pauses. "We're...Still going to...celebrate your…birthday together…right?"

There was a long, tense silence.

"…Meet me at around 8 pm on that day, at the lamp post near the supermarket."

Manami's face lit up, her cheeks heating up – he was finally really talking to her. She couldn't wait to fully reconcile with him on that day, and finally try to face her feelings.

"Mm!"

But then, startling her, he hung up without a goodbye.

END

(for now)

See you guys again soon! We're nearing the end of this summary installment wahoo. Please leave a review if you may! Thanks for reading!