The next day Ayano had woken her three friends up early, they barely had time to eat before Ayano dragged them out to the superhero museum.
Ayano stared fascinated at a consume displayed on a mannequin.
"This is amazing." Said Ayano
Shintaro and Takane stared in confusion at Ayano while Haruka was looking at the display for Snack boy's costume.
"Uh... Its just an outfit." Said Takane.
"Its not just an outfit!" Defended Ayano. "Its the same costume Captain Zero wore in the Captain Zero movie!"
"Didnt that movie suck?" Asked Takane.
"I watched it on dvd with my sister." Said Shintaro. "It was so bad she threw the disc out the window and buried the pieces in the park."
"Thats overreacting a bit." Said Ayano.
"Not really, I helped dig the hole." Added Shintaro
Haruka walked up to the group.
"Is there a vending machine man? Because Snack boy made me hungry."
They stood in a room full of concept drawings and framed comic book pages. Haruka was taking a great interest in the exhibit as he had his face pressed against the glass, looking at the drawings in awe.
"Wow theres so much art here!" Said Haruka.
Shintaro was fiddling with his phone while Takane tried to scold Haruka for pressing his face against the glass.
"Eh." Muttered Shintaro.
Surprisingly the museum had a dress up section. Ayano had practically forced her friends to put on some costumes.
Ayano emerged from her changing room wearing a red Sentai ranger outfit minus the helmet and with her usual scarf.
"Assemble my companions!" Said Ayano, Dramatically striking a pose.
Takane emerged from her own changing room dressed in a blue superhero outfit with a black eye mask.
"I hate you right now." Muttered Takane.
Haruka emerged from a changing room wearing a green superhero top, Yellow cape, and a yellow headpiece.
"Present!"
Takane looked at his pants.
"No tights?"
"Don't say that word please." Replied Haruka.
Shintaro was the last to get out, his only costume was a long black cloak that covered most of his body.
"Are we done yet?" Asked Shintaro.
"We haven't even taken any photos yet!" Said Ayano happily.
She grabbed Shintaro and pulled him closer with one hand while pulling her phone out with the other.
"Say cheese!"
"Wait don-"
Ayano had gotten them to pose for various combinations of photos.
Takane sighed as she looked at the pictures Ayano had texted her.
"You better not email these to everyone you know." Said Takane.
Their trip to the museum was finally reaching its end. They were in the gift shop now. Ayano was trying to pick out souvenirs for her siblings, Shintaro was purchasing a soda and a keychain, and Haruka was looking at a brochure he picked up about the town, looking for a good place to eat. Takane stood next to Haruka, still grumpy from dress up.
"Hey Takane." Said Ayano.
Ayano held up a souvenir in each hand.
"Would they like the baseball cap or the miniature cape?
"Why not just get them each something you think they'd like?" Replied Shintaro.
"Oh good idea!" Said Ayano.
She went back to her souvenir search as Takane groaned.
"You know I might know something that could cheer you up." Said Haruka.
"I'm listening..."
The group had picked an unusual location for lunch, Haruka had picked an arcade that served food, for two reasons. The first was the food of course, the other reason was playing a shooter game against some kid while the rest of them ate hot dogs at a nearby table.
"Takane looks like shes having fun." Said Haruka,
"Good thinking with the arcade Haruka." Said Ayano.
Shintaro finished his hot dog.
"Well if your going to chat for awhile, I'm going to play some skee ball." Said Shintaro.
Shintaro got up and made his way to the skee ball machines.
"Thanks again for bringing us all here." Said Ayano.
"I should be the one thanking you guys." Said Haruka.
Haruka took a bite out of one of his two hot dogs.
"Its nice for all of us to just, hang out like this." Continued Ayano. "You know, everybody seems to be enjoying themselves."
"Well maybe not Shintaro." Said Haruka.
Haruka gestured to Shintaro who was dominating the Skee ball machines.
"There will be something he likes." Said Ayano.
Haruka looked at Takane, who had just defeated her opponent an was basking in her victory.
"You ever notice that Takane never looses to anyone?" Asked Haruka. "Other than that one time with Shintaro."
"She has talent." Said Ayano.
Takane sat down with the group and took a sip of her drink.
"So whats next?" Asked Takane.
"Well I was thinking we would grab some snacks on our way back for Haruka." Sugested Ayano.
Haruka's ears perked up at the mention of the word snack.
"Works for me- Woah."
Shintaro had returned with armfuls of tickets.
"Thats alot of tickets." Said Takane.
"The machines here were too easy." Said Shintaro. "I'm about ready to leave, just let me cash in these tickets."
Shintaro approached the prize exchange as the rest of the group looked on in awe.
"Takane isn't the only one with skills." Muttered Ayano.
Shintaro had barely put a dent in his earnings, picking only a stuffed monkey for his sister and a set of ear buds as his prizes. The rest he handed to the boy Takane beat in the game, a "runner up" prize. The quartet had stopped in a convent store for snacks and drinks.
"You cant just get all that food!" Said Takane.
Haruka had two baskets full of snacks and candy. Ayano and Shintaro were in the back of the store.
"But I'm paying." Said Haruka.
"Even so, you cant just buy all those snacks." Said Takane. "You'll blow all your money and ruin your appetite...okay not that last part."
"I have plenty of money" said Haruka. "My mom gave me alot before I left."
Takane had forgotten that Haruka came from a very well off family, so money was no concern to them even with his medical expenses.
"J-Just put some of that candy back." Said Takane. "You'll rot your teeth... N-not that I care or anything."
Haruka laughed.
"Thats fair."
"Guys!"
Ayano ran up to them holding a flyer.
"Check this out!"
Ayano showed them the flyer.
"Annual Winter Festival..." Read Takane. "This friday."
"Since Friday is our last day here I thought we could end our trip with it." Said Ayano. "What do you think?"
"Sounds great!" Said Haruka.
"I'm alright with that." Said Takane. "What did Shintaro think?"
"He'll go." Said Ayano.
Shintaro approached the group with two six packs of soda in hand.
"The inn has vending machines, remember?" Said Takane.
"And leave the room whenever I wanted a drink? No way." Replied Shintaro.
They paid and made their way back to the inn.
So whats the plan for tomorrow?" Asked Shintaro.
The four were in the dining room of the inn, today's dinner was stew.
"Well we can either visit the shrine or see the old building where they shot that horror movie." Said Ayano "And we were going to have lunch at the Hibachi place."
"Hope the food is good there." Said Haruka.
"All food is good to you." Said Takane. "You ate a moldy muffin once and didn't notice until I pointed it out."
"Still tasted good..."
Ayano swallowed a spoonful of stew.
"Shintaro is there anyplace you wanted to go?" Asked Ayano.
"Not unless theres a soda factory with free tours or a computer museum." Replied Shintaro.
"Your such a NEET." Said Takane.
"Shut up."
Haruka finished his stew and started to creep away as Takane was distracted arguing with Shintaro when suddenly something wrapped around his arm and pulled him back to his seat. It was Ayano's scarf. The girl had used her scarf as a lasso.
"You have snacks in your room." Said Ayano. "Eat those."
"Aaaaawwwwww..."
"We're not having a repeat of the sushi bar."
Takane and Shintaro stared at Ayano as he scolded Haruka.
"She would make a decent mom someday." Said Shintaro.
"Long as its not your ki-"
"Don't even start."
I'm back from my grandpa's house. So heres a new chapter.
I imagine Haruka's family is well off, not rich, but they can pay his medical bills and still have alot of money left.