The black-haired woman set the red SAAB 900 in park, overlooking the Hiroshima cityscape as the sun began to set along the horizon.

"So this is what you wanted to show me?" A voice in the car's passenger seat broke the silence of the moment as the driver killed the engine, slid open the sunroof, and chewed into spearmint-flavored gum.

"Not a half bad view. Don't you think, Kotori?"

"I mean… it's pretty I guess." The taupe-haired woman rolled down her window. "Not sure if it was worth the 30 minute drive from our hotel though…"

"Mmm, compared to other cities, you'd have a point. Hiroshima ain't exactly known for its breathtaking skyline or, well, having anything too remarkable to gawk over like Kyoto or Nagoya really." Nico continued chewing her gum. "Hell, the only reason most of us even visit this city is all because of what happened to it during the war."

Kotori only looked on in silence at the driver as she continued staring out into the city horizon beyond the car's windshield.

"But hey, 75 years later can make a difference, huh? Just look at how far they've come since that day. Rebuilding what was destroyed, remembering what was lost, and yet, still moving forward towards the future."

"That's what healing is."

...

"And…" The taupe-haired woman looked down towards her legs in the car seat. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Why? Because it's about time you start that healing process ourselves, Kotori." The driver put a hand on the shoulder of her passenger, forcing the woman to look at her.

"Because no amount of moping in your life is going to bring Honoka back to us."

Kotori took a deep breath, not breaking eye contact with her friend and former idol member anymore, as she tried to remain composed. "But… what if I move on too quickly? When even is the right time to move on from something like that?"

"I… can't really give you an answer to that honestly." Nico took a moment to collect her thoughts, thinking briefly about her own struggles up to this point. "But… healing also means remembering what we lost, Kotori. Just because we move on with our lives doesn't mean we just forget what happened, but we also can't just let the past dictate our lives."

"I'm…" The taupe-haired woman broke her silence, scooting closer to the driver as she looked out towards the mountains behind Hiroshima. "I'm not ready to do that. Not yet at least…"

Nico glanced at her friend for a few moments before humming, continuing to chew her gum before taking a pen and book out of the glove compartment. Marking down another day in its pages, she tossed the book into the backseat before joining Kotori in gazing at the city view. 83 Days Free.

"Well, whenever you are ready, I'll be with you every step of the way, Kotori."

The black-haired woman put an arm around her friend before resting her head on her shoulder, settling into her own process of healing with what occurred to their beloved leader and friend.

"You got my word on that."