'So many people…' Rei thought as he shuffled through the busy shopping center.

As he was in the market for a new suit for work, he stepped into a Uniqlo, browsing the menswear section.

'Normally, I'd just grab something like this, but…' He thought to himself as he looked through a row of neatly hung gray suit jackets. Rei darted his eyes left and right, searching for something else.

He walked towards a dark teal suit set. He held it up to himself as he looked into a nearby mirror, reminiscing about his last outing with Shiho.

'That's right, Shiho is at a soccer game today. It's too bad we couldn't go shopping together.' Rei shook his head. 'No, no. I'm glad she's having fun with her friend.'

He purchased the suit and looked down at his watch as he exited the building.

'It's almost time.' He thought as a slight frown appeared on his face. He got back in his car, tossing the bag onto the passenger seat and began driving ahead in silence.

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Rei arrived at a nearby park. Of course, with it being a weekend with nice weather, it was just as busy as the shopping center.

He walked along a large bridge, pacing back and forth.

"I'm surprised you asked to meet with me." A man in a black baseball cap called out to him. He had his favorite canned coffee in hand, passing a bottle of iced tea to Rei.

"We never did have a proper discussion about him…" Rei said as he twisted off the cap. "Akai-san."

The two leaned over the bridge, overlooking the water. The sunlight glistened over it, shining like diamonds. Despite this, and all the cheerful chatter and footsteps around, it felt cold and tense.

The men continued to gaze at the ripples in the river, standing side by side, not giving each other a single glance.

"What really happened to Hiromitsu-san…" Akai suddenly said. "It wouldn't have changed anything, that's why…"

"No." Rei shook his head. "Hiro was my best friend. We grew up together. To not know the whole story, it makes a big difference to me."

Akai closed his eyes, tilting his head down as groups of families and friends passed behind them on the bridge. "I didn't realize how close you two were." He sighed.

"It upsets me, Akai-san." Rei said as he swirled around the tea in the bottle. "How you were able to pull off that stunt on Raiha Pass. It makes me wonder what I could have changed to keep him here."

Rei took a sip of his drink, clearing his voice. "But more than any dislike for you, it's that I miss Hiro." He anxiously bit his tongue . "I don't know why I'm telling you this..."

"I wonder about it too, what I could have done differently…" Akai said as he pressed a dent into his can. "I think about a lot of things I could have done differently."

"A friend told me the other day." Rei smiled sadly. "To protect the ones I love for Hiro's sake." He looked over at Akai. "I guess part of being Okiya Subaru was for Akemi-san's sake?"

Akai looked back at him with a small smile.

"But don't forget about the others in your life." Rei turned to lean his back against the railing. "I'm sure Sera-san would love to spend time with her brother, even if it's a stoic guy like you."

BEEP BEEP

Rei checked his phone, reading a new message from Agasa.

Hi Furuya-san! Would you like to have lunch at Dondy's with me and Shiho-kun tomorrow? I promised to treat you to a meal, remember?

He smiled brightly as he sent back a quick reply.

"Is it about that girl?" Akai asked.

"What gave it away?"

"You two just seem to shine when you're with each other." He said as he tossed his empty can in a nearby bin. "Just something I noticed."

Rei sighed. "I guess I'm losing my poker face."

"Well, that's not always a bad thing." Akai looked up, lightly touching his cell phone. "You never know when you might not be able to properly express yourself… But what does a stoic guy like me know?"

Rei smirked, crossing his arms.

"By the way, it was really good." Akai said. "That stir fry you made."

"Yeah?" Rei chuckled. "That was one of the first things Hiro taught me to make. I'm sure you could make it as well. Those kids seem to enjoy your curry, after all."

"It was a nice change of the usual food, maybe I should have a picnic out here with my little sister…" Akai said as he looked around the park. "It isn't really my style, but it doesn't sound bad either."

"Now that would be quite a sight!" Rei laughed.

"Would it really?" Akai chuckled.

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Shortly after, Akai took his leave, pulling out his cell phone.

"Masumi, why don't we do something after school together sometime?"

"Really?!" Masumi gasped so loudly, Akai had to pull his phone away from his ear.

"Excitable as usual…"

Rei chugged the rest of his drink before tossing the bottle. He took his leave as well, heading back to his car. On his way there, he passed by a group of students taking graduation photos under the cherry blossom trees.

"Would you like me to take one for you?" He asked one of the students. "So you can all be in it together."

"Ah, that would be great, thank you!"

He held up the phone, looking at the group of smiling faces through the screen.

'It is that time of year, I guess some things don't change…' He thought to himself as he took a couple of shots.

"Congratulations on graduating!" He said as he handed the phone back to them.

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Rei hopped back into his white Mazda RX-7 and let out a deep breath before putting his key in.

He rolled down his window to let in some fresh air.

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew, making crowds of cherry blossom petals dance in the air. Four petals floated through his open window, resting on top of his shopping bag. He smiled at the light pink petals as they rustled against the plastic.

He hesitantly scrolled through his contacts, connecting his phone to his car speaker.

"Hi, Morofushi-san..."

"Zero! Please, just call me Taka'aki-san. What can I do for you?"

Rei smiled at the sound of his old nickname in such a cheerful tone. "I'm just on my way home, I was wondering if you mind chatting while I drive?"

"Ah…about Hiro?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you and I could just get to know each other better, that is, if you want to." Rei paused. "I'm sure you have a lot of great stories, being in the Nagano police department."

Taka'aki smiled as thought about his two colleagues, Yui and Kansuke. "I guess I have a few."

The two ended up talking for over an hour, talking about the past, the future, the little things and the big things, anything that came to mind. It was truly a blissful feeling, to have such a joyous conversation.

Rei drove home the long way, enjoying the vibrant sunset as it showered the streets in orange and pink tones while he listened to Taka'aki's stories.

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Rei eventually headed back home, welcomed by an excited Haro.

"Did you miss me?" He said as he lovingly pet the puppy that jumped into his arms.

As he went to put his things away, he paused to look at his bookshelf. He pulled out his photo album, opening to the graduation photo he had shown Shiho before.

He pulled four cherry blossom petals out of his shopping bag, tucking them into the transparent photo sleeve before putting the album back on his bookshelf.

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After washing up, Rei scrolled through his phone for a bit, reading the news as he laid in bed.

'Ryusuke Higo scored a big goal? I'm sure that made her quite happy.' He smiled as he felt his eyes get heavy.

Rei soon fell deep asleep, one of the best nights of rest he's had in a long time.