Souji sat in his room, trying to concentrate on his book. It was an old one he had bought from Yomenaido, but apparently he had never picked it up after that. It wasn't particularly interesting, but Souji could not think of anything else to do. He had thought about taking a walk or going fishing, but neither of those options seemed more interesting than the book. He had quickly ruled out going to Junes; the risk of seeing someone he knew (as well as the nostalgia factor) was too high. And who knows what kind of shape the shopping district is in, he thought gloomily. That visit would be depressing when it inevitably occurred.
Suddenly, his phone chirped in his pocket. Souji flipped it open, surprised to see Chie's name instead of Rise's.
"Hello?" he said weakly.
"Souji? It's Chie."
"Oh, hey," Souji responded. Well, that certainly sounded enthusiastic. But what else was there to say? After about 5 seconds of silence, he settled on "It's been a while."
"I'll say. So, um, Rise said you were in town already. I was kind of hoping that we could get the old gang together for a visit. Maybe... we could go to the Amagi Inn?" she suggested, clearly flustered.
"Chie... aren't you busy? I mean, your wedding's in a week."
"Five days," she corrected. "I know, but the preparations are getting really stressful. There's not much that I'm needed for right now, and God knows I need a break. So... please? As a favor, can't we just get together one more time? I mean, who knows when we'll get another chance?"
"Of course, I'd love to! As long as you're sure you want to," Souji added.
"I'll call the others. We can meet up at the Inn tonight; I'll text you the time when I get it figured out," said Chie.
"Great. I'll see you tonight. Oh, and... I know it's a bit late, but... congratulations."
"Thank you, Souji. I can't wait.
After a long day of waiting and playing with Nanako, Souji packed a bag and headed for the bus stop. The routes were different now than the ones he was used to, but he quickly figured them out and was on his way to the Amagi Inn. It was the first time he had actually been in public since he had come back to Inaba. He scanned the bus for people he knew. Most of them were total strangers, but there were a few that looked familiar. That looks like the old fisherman I used to talk to, Souji thought. At least, I think it's him... I better not say anything, just in case I'm wrong. His eyes landed on a kid who looked around Nanako's age. I think he used to go to the day care center, but it's hard to tell. And then there was a man who was sitting with his back to Souji. He could swear he knew the man from somewhere, but without seeing his face, it was difficult to recognize him. There were also couple of women who looked vaguely familiar, but Souji couldn't remember ever meeting them.
The ride passed in silence.
Finally, the driver announced that they were stopping within walking distance of the Amagi Inn. As Souji got up, the familiar man also rose and walked toward the door. Turn around, he thought. I know you from somewhere, I just can't recognize you from the back. Luckily, as the pair got off the bus, the man turned enough for Souji to see his face.
"Yosuke?"
As Yosuke Hanamura turned all the way around, Souji could see shock in his features as he recognized his old friend. "Souji? Wow, um, you surprised me," he said. Souji smiled as Yosuke gave him an awkward handshake.
"Hey, I really missed you! It's been way too long," said Souji.
"That's for sure," Yosuke replied. "It's been a while since I called, huh, partner?" Souji smiled upon hearing his old nickname. Strangely, Yosuke looked the same as Souji remembered him, and yet he looked completely different. His hair was shorter, and it might have been lighter. It was hard to say. He wore a shirt with a crisp collar, which Souji had never seen Yosuke do before. Most noticeably, he no longer carried his headphones around his neck. If Souji hadn't known him so well, he probably would never have recognized him.
"Honestly, I haven't been keeping in touch myself. I really wanted to visit, but I couldn't find the time," Souji said, allowing Yosuke to lead him down the path to the inn. As they walked and conversed, Souji began to notice bits and pieces of the old Yosuke. He still had the same disheveled hair; it was just a few centimeters shorter. He still had the habit of winking whenever he smiled. He still spoke slightly more loudly than he probably intended to.
Yosuke held the door open for Souji as they entered the inn. He made his way to the front desk to talk to the hostess.
"Souji-kun?" she asked. Wait, that was... Yukiko? She smiled. "We've been waiting for you guys."
"Yukiko! Wow, I didn't even recognize you," Souji said, hoping he hadn't sounded too rude. She had grown out her bangs and was wearing her hair up in a bun. Her pink kimono didn't flatter her the way red always had.
"I've reserved two rooms upstairs," she stated, all business. "But I think we'll probably congregate in the guys' room for a while before we bathe in the hot springs.
"Great! So, ah... who else is here?" Yosuke wondered.
"Chie and Rise are upstairs," she said, leading them up toward the rooms. "Teddie and Kanji should be here soon."
"Do you know if Naoto is coming?" Souji whispered to Yosuke.
"I'm pretty sure she won't be getting back until this weekend," he whispered back.
That was too bad. At least he would get to see the others, Chie in particular. He stopped in front of the door. Well, this is it, he thought. Time to meet the bride.
Author's Note: I promise this is going somewhere! XP Please review, because I really want to improve!