A few minutes after separating from Paisen, Gamo had already reached the hotel and rode the elevator up to their rooms.
Unsurprisingly, she couldn't get the last two hours she had spent with Paisen out of her mind. They hadn't seen each other in three years, only for their reunion to be so emotional charged. Despite the potential pitfalls ahead of them, Gamo felt closer to Naoto than she ever had before. In fact, she kind of already missed being around him, in spite of the emotionally draining situation they had found themselves in. Being open and honest with her feelings was simply something she wasn't used to or had much experience with, but somehow, it felt easier with Naoto than anyone else she knew.
Yoshi was an amazing friend and always by Gamo's side, but she never felt comfortable burdening her more childlike friend with the heavy topics weighing on her mind.
Sakura on the other hand, while being the most mature out of all of them in certain ways, felt the least compatible to Gamo in a one on one situation and the redhead felt guilty to admit, she didn't see herself being comfortable with her in that kind of discussion.
Hayase would have been the closest to a confidant Gamo had about three years ago. However, after the dreadful blight on their friendships, Nagatoro had changed too much to really be reliable. It wasn't that she wouldn't be prepared to listen and keep Gamo's secrets safe. Rather, the girl Hayase had become, molded by her internal suffering, simply lacked the ability to emotionally empathize with another's pain. There was too much broken within her to take on anymore damage from those around her.
As the elevator doors slid open, Gamo was surprised to see Hayase step out of her apartment.
It was already about two in the afternoon, so the idea that her friend was still holed up alone in her room worried Gamo greatly. Despite the fallout they had experienced the night prior, she had hoped that the anger and regret Hayase felt after the fact, would have at least pulled her out of her rut. Maybe Gamo had to be even more proactive than she assumed.
Hayase shut the apartment door and turned toward the elevator, finally catching sight of Gamo watching her. Immediately, the shorter woman could feel shame creeping it's way up to the surface.
"H-Hi Maki…" Hayase timidly greeted her friend. She never used Gamo's first name, which instantly made it clear to Gamo just how badly she wanted to fall back into her good grace.
Gamo wasn't about to let her flounder any longer than necessary. "'sup Hayacchi? You still sulking by yourself?"
Hayase lowered her head a little, slightly upset by her friend's phrasing, but not willing to let her emotions get the better of her once again.
"Y-Yeah," she admitted, just wanting to brush this terrible feeling between them aside. "I didn't feel like going with Yoshi and Sakura. They went to do some more shopping and that's… it's just not really what's on my mind right now."
"I get ya."
Hayase pursed her lips, unwilling to let this guilt and feeling of isolation from her best friend continue clawing at her.
"Maki-chan!" she addressed her friend once again, a slight blush forming on her face. "I-I am so… so sorry about last night! I shouldn't have- I know you were just trying to help me and I-"
Gamo quickly walked over to Hayase's side and put her hand on her friend's shoulder to shut her up. "Listen, I am going to grab some stuff from my room and then you and I should head out and grab you something to eat. You haven't had breakfast yet, right?"
Hayase shook her head. Even if she had already eaten, being suddenly invited by Gamo, as if she had forgiven her for last night, was not something she was about to pass up.
"Okay," Gamo cheered with a grin on her face. "Then gimme a few minutes and we'll be off!"
Gamo quickly opened the door to room 404 with her key and pushed through the door. Outside of being mirrored, it was the exact same setup as the room Hayase and Sakura were in.
She quickly rummaged in her coat pockets, flinging out everything that was in her way of finding the one item she was seeking. Soon enough she brought the note with Naoto's autograph out from her pocket and placed it on the night table beside her bed.
Gamo wasn't quite sure what Naoto's cryptic message actually meant, or even if it had a much deeper meaning, but she was sure of one thing: She would treasure that silly piece of paper for a long time to come.
Trying to hurry as to not leave Hayase awkwardly standing in the hallway, Gamo quickly snatched her coat, so she wouldn't be caught unguarded once evening rolled around and left the apartment again.
Hayase for her part was leaning against the wall in the hall, happily typing on her phone, letting Sakura and Yoshi know that she and Gamo had mostly made up. She wasn't feeling comfortable telling Gamo to her face, but the idea of her best friend pushing her aside after last night, which is something she definitely deserved, had kept her up all night. By the time she was finally able to pass out from exhaustion, the sun was already rising and Sakura did not have the heart to awake her from her much needed slumber.
Hayase heard Gamo lock the door and turned to address her.
"So, where do you wanna go Gamooooo~"
Hayase was practically beaming at this point, a huge smile on her lips, reaching from ear to ear.
Gamo grinned at her, already having made her decision before she even proposed the outing to her friend. "We're getting pudding!"
Hayase squeed in delight, hopping up and down at the idea of getting her favorite dessert, on top of being able to return into the good grace of her best friend.
Gamo was delighted to watch Hayase regaining some of her childish spirit, feeling relieved by the knowledge that she had managed to comfort both of the people she had set out to help on this day.
A few minutes later, the two women were out on the streets, following Gamo's GPS toward the location of a restaurant that apparently specialized in all sorts of desserts and frozen treats and had a bunch of really good reviews to boot.
The two spent most of the walk in silence, happy about their friendship remaining in tact, yet being without any real topics they could bring up without derailing into the chaos of the previous night.
Gamo occasionally glanced over to see Hayase skipping every few steps, with a cute, content smile on her face at all times. The redhead knew that this was partially a lie. Hayase was definitely in pain. Naoto had been right there in front of her and then made it violently apparently as to why meeting him was never going to end well. It added another deep gash into her already riddled heart.
If anything, the joyful things Gamo was experiencing at this point were simple defense mechanics that Hayase had honed and perfected over the last three years and at times it was quite hard to tell where those ended and the girl actually began. Nevertheless, this was a step forward.
After an almost hour long stroll through Tokyo, they finally arrived at the place. Their timing couldn't have been more perfect, as a light rain shower began to drizzle down from the sky the moment they stepped inside. It wasn't super packed and the two quickly managed to snatch up a table for themselves, where they plopped down and dropped their bags besides them.
The restaurant had the appearance of a pretty simple, yet elegant ice cream parlor, with two windows, one for the titular dairy product and the second for any other type of desserts. Smaller table booths, like the one Gamo and Hayase were sitting in, were placed at either sides of the place.
After looking at the menu, Gamo was blown away by the amount of variety one could possible find within the same basic idea. There had to be like twelve different type of puddings on this one page alone!
Hayase was blissfully scanning each page for the potential pudding of a life time experience, while Gamo decided to go for an ice cream. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that she had mocked Naoto a little over the Gyukatsu, when she was now about to eat ice cream, not even a few hours later.
The two quickly got a server to take their orders, Gamo having gone for the classic banana split, while Hayase decided on a strawberry pudding, with a multitude of fruits served alongside it.
The tanned woman began humming and wiggling around in excitement. Gamo watched her intently, still concerned about the damage that might have been done to her beneath the veneer she was putting up.
"So, Hayacchi," Gamo started as she put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. "Any idea what you want to do for the next three days we're still here?"
As she had expected, Hayase initially twitched at the question, clamped up for a second, then returned to acting as if she was having a grand old time. Gamo decided not the push the issue at the moment, not wanting to light the short fuse on an already on edge Nagatoro.
"I don't really know," Hayase eventually responded, faking an expression of confusion. "M-Maybe we could go to the zoo? Do they have Penguins in the Tokyo zoo!?"
Gamo let out a small laugh, charmed by her friend's love for the flightless bird. "I am sure the Tokyo zoo got like every animal you could want to see. We'll check for Penguins."
Hayase clapped her hands together happily. "Thank you so much Gamo-chaaaan~"
Gamo could feel a truly content smile breaching her lips. It was obvious Hayase was still close to a breaking point, but she honestly couldn't remember a time within the last three years were that hadn't been the case. It was disturbing to say, but since that day three years ago, being a kettle on the brink of boiling over and destroying everything in it's vicinity was essentially Hayase's default. Nagatoro wasn't one to show her feelings willingly, but Gamo was privileged to see more of her than anyone else.
The way things ended up with Senpai had permanently damaged Hayase emotionally and mentally.
She was still the intelligent, determined, highly energetic and athletic woman that those around her remembered her for, but that was mainly on the surface.
Below it, there was a void, a vacuum lacking much of any true emotion or feelings outside of a desperate longing. It tore Gamo up, knowing that the girl she had always admired and loved like a sister was barely more than a front for the broken mess that was behind it.
But love and friendship wasn't always easy and Gamo would never be so shallow as to push Hayase or any of her aside because the woman was going through something difficult. This was the time she needed her most, and Gamo would support her with all her heart. And maybe, just maybe, one day, the true Hayase would return to them.
A few minutes later, the rain outside now violently pounding against the window, the two received their orders and went to town on the food. Gamo thoroughly enjoyed the soft treat, while Hayase outright ravaged her pudding in a way that was most likely illegal in several countries.
They shared some light banter throughout, winding each other up over how much training it would require to work off these calories and how guys would possibly lose their appetite over watching them eat, so very unlike the prim and proper ladies they seemed to prefer.
After finally putting her spoon down, Hayase grinned from ear to ear and stuck her tongue out toward Gamo. The usual pink flesh had turned a pure red, having been dyed by the pudding.
"Thank you for taking me here Gamo," Hayase said after returning her tongue it's rightful place. "I was worried you'd… you know. Still be mad at me."
"Oh, don't get it twisted girl," Gamo instantly replied, a huge grin on her face. "Imma beat your ass for what you did, mark my words. But that can wait. For now, I just want us both to have a good time."
Hayase beamed at her, most likely showing the most genuine smile and crack in her armor that Gamo had seen in years.
"I am looking forward to the whooping," the tanned girl giggled.
Gamo smiled inward, elated to see her friend in such a positive mood. That smile wasn't a fake, there was no insincerity to the display. For once, Hayase had let her guard fully down and was filled with joy. The redhead couldn't help but be proud of herself and her handiwork.
Reading the sign at the center of the table informed Gamo of the fact that one was supposed to walk up to the counter to pay for the food. This seemed a little risky to her, as she could imagine some delinquents taking advantage of a busy day, to sit down, eat and then quickly make a run for it. But it wasn't her place to run after all.
Gamo got up from her seat and winked at Hayase. "Don't get up. It's my treat. I'll be right back."
Nagatoro wiggled bashfully in her seat, somewhat overwhelmed by how kindly her friend was treating her. Gamo had always been by her side, no matter how dark it got, but occasionally she remembered just how lucky she was to have made such a wonderful friend so early in her life.
If it were up to Hayase, Gamo and her would be friends until the day they died. And she hoped that Gamo felt the same way about her.
As Gamo approached the window and reached into her coat pocket to pay for the food, she felt a whole lot of nothing.
"Eh?"
The redhead quickly turned her pockets inside out, both the coats and the jeans, only to confirm what she feared. She had forgotten her wallet back at the hotel when she was going through them to find Naoto's note!
Chiding herself for that blunder, she quickly turned and called out to Hayase. "Yo, Hayacchi! Can you bring my my phone? I'll pay digitally."
Hayase, who didn't notice the search for the wallet, was taken by surprise but quickly went for it regardless. She got up from her seat and walked around the table to where Gamo had placed her bag. With a smooth motion she unzipped the middle part and quickly began rummaged through the thing to feel for Gamo's phone. For some reason, the taller woman always stashed the device at the very bottom, which seemed like such a hassle.
Finally grabbing a hold of it, Hayase retrieved her hand and began walking to Gamo and the counter, when she could feel a slight vibration in her hand. Surprised by it, she quickly glanced down at the dimly lit screen of the phone and saw a message pop up at the very top.
Really enjoyed the lunch together, let's do it again soon – Naoto
Hayase froze in her steps.
An ice cold sensation ran through her veins, as she broke out into sweat. With a trembling hand, she clutched the phone harder than before.
Did she just misread that? She had to have. There was absolutely no way. Why would she be texting Naoto?
Why would Gamo have gone behind her back and spent time alone with her Senpai, when she wasn't even allowed to talk to him?
No way.
No way.
No way.
She was her best friend. Hayase knew she herself was a handful and could be downright unlikable at times, but she loved Maki Gamou like a sister. The idea that this woman could betray her in such a manner and then invite her as if nothing wrong had occurred was unfathomable.
Had Gamo brought her here to ease her own conscience? Was this just a joke to her? Was she laughing behind her back, trying to make her forgot about her Senpai while Gamo was going to try and steal him from her?
Hayase could feel herself getting sick. She wanted to fall to the ground and throw up the food she had just eaten. The food that now felt like poison, slowly wiggling it's way through her system. She felt cheap, as if her best friend had just bought her off.
Gamo looked back at Hayase, having wasted the time by chatting with the store owner at the window, and instantly recognized that something was wrong.
She followed Nagatoro's gaze to the phone screen and it only took her a few more moments than she would have liked to admit to understand what most likely had happened.
Instantly, a vile feeling of discomfort erupted within Gamo.
"H-Hayas-"
But it was already too late. Hayase dropped the phone. The moment it hit the ground, as if startled by a gunshot ringing through the place, Nagatoro turned and ran out into the rain.
Gamo's eyes widened in panic. This was the second person to ditch her in the middle of a food related transaction on this day, but this one seemed far worse than the previous one.
"I-I am really sorry," Gamo yelled over her shoulder toward the man at the counter. "I promise I'll be back to pay! I have to catch her!"
Gamo started after Hayase, thrusting herself through the glass double doors onto the street and just barely spotted Nagatoro sprinting down the road they had come from. Unlike Naoto, Hayase was an absolutely athletic monster and could easily make distance between her and Gamo. If she lost sight of her, that would be the end of it.
Gamo took one deep breath and took off at a blinding speed. Followng her through open streets and back roads, the redhead always managing to spot the very back end of Hayase's silhouette, before she turned the next corner.
They continued running this way for a good five minutes, Gamo having by now completely lost track of where the restaurant had been and how to get back to it. Luckily she had thought of grabbing her Phone off the floor on the way out, otherwise she'd be completely lost by the end of this.
Another turn and Gamo followed Hayase into an alley, which ended in a chain link fence reaching almost to the top of the buildings it was put up between.
A dead end.
Just by the slight movements and tilting of her head, Gamo could tell her friend was running through all kinds of scenarios in her mind to get out of the situation and continue her escape. But Gamo wasn't going to let her get away that easily.
"Hayase, stop!" she pleaded, her adrenaline fueled body still bursting with energy. If she had to tackle her to the ground, she would.
Nagatoro refused to turn and face her, instead opting to run toward the fence. "Get away from me!"
"Please, just let me explain!" Gamo shouted as Hayase actually began climbing the fence.
Nagatoro tried to ignore the bitter tears running down her face and focused her all into the shaky ascend.
"I don't need your excuses!"
Gamo jumped onto the fence herself, trying to follow after her friend. "Hayase, I am serious! It's not what you think it is!"
"My best friend meeting with the man I love behind my back!?" Hayase shouted back, almost halfway to the top. "Seems pretty obvious to me!"
"I just wanted to help re-establish a friendship between us all!"
Gamo was feeling herself becoming desperate, knowing that if Hayase would hit the ground running before her, the distance she could make would spell out the end for this chase.
"Then why didn't you tell us!?" Nagatoro cried over her shoulder, now only a few inches from the top." Why keep this a secret!? You're not stupid! You knew this- You knew how much this would hurt me and you did it anyway, right behind my back!"
"Listen, I am pretty stupid Hayacchi!" Gamo replied, hoping to make her best friend understand. "He invited me and I just thought it'd be a good chance to help him ease into the idea of hanging out with us again!"
Gamo wasn't sure whether she was lying or not at this point. When the invitation came from Naoto to hang out, Gamo honestly thought very little of the potential consequences and simply went for it without hesitation. There had been no real consideration for her friend at the time she agreed to meeting with him. Maybe the beer had played a role in that.
If Gamo was being honestly with herself, maybe she was a terrible friend at that very moment.
That second of hesitation was all it took for Nagatoro to reach the other side, where she quickly let herself fall onto a few garbage cans to soften her fall. She wasn't messing around.
That had to have hurt.
Hayase just wanted to get out of this situation and away from Gamo.
"Hayacchi, wait!" Gamo begged her friend, but the tanned woman quickly sprang back up and started running again, swiftly disappearing around the corner at the end of the alley.
Gamo cursed her own foolishness. She should have seen this kind of situation coming.
How unlucky did she have to be for Naoto to text her the instant that her phone was in Nagatoro's hand!? What had been so important that he chose to write her at that moment, out of the blue, anyway!
Having now reached the bottom of the other side of the fence, Gamo pulled out her phone and unlocked the screen to check his message.
A combination of incredibly warmth and absolute pain mixed inside of her at the sight of Naoto's words. No wonder Hayase had interpreted it the way she did. This essentially reeked of an invitation to a follow up date.
If she had received this text at any other time of the day, while by herself, away from prying eyes, she probably would have turned to overjoyed mush at the very idea of a guy writing something like that to her of all people. Even if it was Paisen.
But as it stood, this was the worst possible message she could have received in that moment.
Now Hayase had vanished on her, her bag and phone still sitting in the restaurant, leaving her entirely without the ability to navigate in the middle of Tokyo, a city she had never been to.
Gamo could feel her heart racing behind her chest, pure panic setting into the older woman. If anything were to happen to Hayase now, there would be no way she could forgive herself.
This was her fault for so eagerly accepting the prospect of being asked to lunch with Naoto of all people and then not preparing for the worst case scenario.
And for the second time that day, Maki Gamou considered herself to be scum.
But the self loathing would have to wait. Her friend was out there, in pain, heart broken and most importantly, absolutely lost.
Gamo quickly pulled up Naoto's contacts again to text him.
Paisen! Hayase saw the message you sent me! She freaking bailed on me!
After sending the text, she immediately made a group message chat with Yoshi and Sakura to inform them as well. But how would she even go about this? She'd have to admit to her own disgusting actions before anything else, to allow them context for the situation.
Before she could properly deliberate on how to break the news, Naoto got back to her.
What!? Where did she go!? Is she okay!?
Gamo was as much shocked as she was grateful for the fact that her Paisen was still able to show immediate concern for the woman that had once hurt him so. Despite the pain he had so clearly shown to her only a handful of hours prior, he was able to push it all aside and still show such consideration.
Her heartbeat quickened.
He was something else.
I don't know! I tried to chase her down, but you know how quick on her feet she is! She climbed a god damn chain link fence and just dropped herself like a rock to get away from me.
Gamo was honestly still pretty amazed by that display of absolute determination, as well as highly concerned over whether or not Hayase had gotten hurt during it.
Naoto responded quicker this time.
Where did you see her last!? I'll help look!
Gamo pursed her lips, fighting back all the warm emotions bubbling up inside of her.
This guy was too much.
If this hadn't been such a sincerely messed up and stressful situation, Gamo wasn't sure how she would have reacted.
Gamo quickly pulled up her GPS and related the location she was at to Naoto, who responded only a few seconds later.
Got it! I am on my way! Keep me posted!
Thank you so much Naoto. Let me know immediately if you find her!
Taking a deep breath, Gamo returned to the group conversation with the other two girls and began typing her message with shaky hands.
Listen, I messed up. Bad. I need your help. - Gamo
Huh? What's up Gamo-chan? - Sakura
What's up? - Yoshi
Gamo bit down on her lip and started typing without filter, without giving herself a moment to think it through and chickening out at the last second.
When I went back to apologize to Paisen and his band for what happened, feeling kinda like I should have kept Hayase in line, I ended up getting Paisen's contacts. I was just hoping maybe we could try to work stuff out and be friends again and then eventually all of us could be cool with each other and maybe he could forgive Nagatoro, but I didn't play it right. I messed up.
Gamo released a breath she had felt herself holding the entire time she was typing. There was more to the story, stuff she would have to explain in agonizing detail when the time was right, but for now she would try and keep it to the bare minimum.
I went to see Paisen at lunch today, that's why I went off on my own. We hung out for a couple hours and just talked. I didn't really think it was that bad, but Hayase found out. She ran from me. I don't know where she went and I am just scared. I don't want anything to happen to her.
Gamo sent the message and instantly felt a strange sense of relief, followed by tears mixing with the rain to blur her vision.
It seemed that she had felt guilty about the whole affair after all, even if only subconsciously and telling her friends about it felt like a weight lifted off her shoulder.
Sakura was the first to respond.
Oh no… That is indeed a problem... – Sakura
A problem for sure… - Yoshi
Paisen and I are looking for her right now – Gamo
Wait, Paisen too!? - Sakura
Gamo couldn't help but laugh internally, knowing that Sakura was just as surprised as she had been.
Yeah, he immediately wanted to know where we were at to start searching. Paisen's gonna be Paisen, ya know – Gamo
I guess we do know 3 – Sakura
Feeling a little reassured by the fact that her friends weren't berating her outright for her foolish actions, Gamo began formulating a plan.
Alright, Sakura! Stay at the hotel in case Hayacchi shows up there! Yoshi, join me and Paisen in searching for her, I'll send you the location where I last saw her. - Gamo
Roger that! - Sakura
Roger! - Yoshi
Gamo, true to her word, quickly texted Yoshi Hayase's last known location before wishing her luck and taking off herself. This day was potentially the most chaotic Gamo had ever had in her entire life.
First, she had been led on a roller coaster of emotions by Paisen, making her view him in a different light she wasn't incredibly comfortable with yet, or even aware of what it meant.
Now this crazy search for their friend, which was admittedly Gamo's fault, that would probably keep them out in the cold rain for some time.
If they ended the night without every last one of them bed ridden by a cold, Gamo would consider it a win in her book.
Naoto stepped out of the shower, having decided to clean himself both physically and mentally off the negative emotions he had experienced during the lunch with Gamo.
The man had surprised himself with the way he had suddenly stormed out on her in the middle of a conversation, without paying for his food. It wasn't the first time he had done so and luckily the owner of the restaurant, Sano, had gotten well acquainted with Naoto's quirky behavior at times and greeted him like an old friend upon his return.
While relieved, Naoto also felt that people forgave him too quickly for most of his shortcomings. The last three years had turned him into a strange mess of flaws and awkward tendencies that people around him always seemed to overlook and it bothered him more than a little bit.
He wanted people to call him out for his strange and uncomfortable behavior when he did fail to reign it in, but it never happened. It was almost like the world refused to acknowledge any of his wrong doings, something he wasn't satisfied with.
Naoto was prone to messing up and turning situations sour at the drop of a hat if permitted. Why did people let him get away with it?
Deep down, Naoto knew it was simply because the people around him very genuinely caring and loving individuals that could see the scars he carried with him at all times.
But on the surface, he just hated being coddled for being too weak to behave properly. Part of him occasionally wished there would be someone like Nagatoro in his life that could pull him out of his gloomy moments and tell him to get his stuff in order.
Yet it was that exact person that caused him to become so emotionally 'clumsy' that he'd end up in a random outburst of all kinds of conflicting emotions, just as it had happened with Gamo earlier that day.
There was an incredibly irony to the whole thing and Naoto couldn't help but smile wryly.
Having fully dried himself off in the meantime, Naoto quickly put on some comfy clothes he had brought out of his room and moved to sit on the couch in the living room.
After the emotionally exhausting tirade he had already been through today, he considered spending the rest of the day just relaxing here and watching TV.
So it was that he tuned into the first anime he could find and sprawled himself out across the couch.
While putting in the bare minimum effort to keep up with the motion displaying on the screen, Naoto's mind kept wondering to the lunch he had and how talking to Gamo had mostly felt like it was completely normal. As if almost no time had passed since the last time they had hung out like this.
Considering how easily the two of them managed to slip back into their roles of three years ago, he wondered if the same thing was possible in regards to the Yoshi and Sakura.
Maybe even…
The slamming of the front door ripped Naoto right out of his thoughts. In the frame of the door stood Tadano, weighed down by a handful of grocery bags hanging off of him. Behind the young man was Komi, trying her best to convince her boyfriend to let her help him in his endeavors without the use of words.
It wasn't working out.
Naoto quickly hopped off the couch and went to take a couple of bags off of his friend.
"T-Thanks Naoto," Tadano stammered out, the strain seemingly getting the better of him. "I thought I was about to keel over."
Naoto couldn't help but chuckle, seeing as Komi was now huffing loudly in protest. "I think Komi would have loved to help you."
Tadano quickly glanced over his shoulder at the determined face of an invigorated Komi, furiously nodding her head.
"A-Ah, sorry Shouko," Tadano apologized, most likely too overwhelmed by his physical burden to notice her attempt at communicating with him. "I hadn't realized and I didn't want to uh- D-Don't worry about it."
But Komi very clearly did worry and quickly snatched all the bags Naoto hadn't grabbed himself yet.
Tadano was reeling from the speed at which she relieved him off all the groceries and took off into the kitchen, closely followed by Naoto.
The two quickly dropped the bags once in front of the fridge and began putting everything away. Without sharing a word between each other, Naoto and Komi managed to work as a unit and store the groceries in record time.
Tadano was smiling at the scene in front of him, overjoyed at the fact that his friend was able to work in tandem with his girlfriend and both of them seemed comfortable with it.
Most people tended to be impressed by Komi's appearance and got the wrong impression of her overly shy behavior, viewing her as somewhat of an aloof goddess.
But Tadano had immediately been able to look past that false image the day they had met and assisted her in overcoming her own communication issues to make a ton of friends.
Unfortunately, ever since leaving high school and moving to Tokyo for college, they had very little time to keep in contact with most of them, despite trying their best and inviting as many of their friends to social gatherings as possible.
Due to this, while still incredibly comfortable and open while alone with Tadano, Komi definitely reverted a tad into her shy and rarely speaking personality when around others.
While worried about it at first, when he decided to move in with his band mates over staying at the college dorm, the two of them had almost immediately grown fond of Komi and fully understanding of her unique circumstances.
Especially Naoto, who himself had suffered from social issues for as long as Tadano had known him, evidently managed to bond quite a bit over this with Komi.
While rarely managing to bring herself to physically speak to him, he was the closest thing to a regular friend the girl had in Tokyo.
And whether Naoto knew it or not, being supportive of Komi and just being there for her if she ever felt brave enough to pursue a friendship, meant the world to Tadano.
After having disposed off the grocery bags, Naoto returned to his seat on the couch, letting out a heavy sigh as he sunk into the plush.
"Thanks for the help Nao-kun," Tadano said with a broad grin on his face. Behind him Komi nodded quite energetically.
Naoto smirked at the pair and pointed past them at the fridge. "I mean, I'll be helping myself to the stuff in there, so I am not sure if you should be thanking me."
"You think that the ice cream in there is for us alone?" Tadano joked.
It was natural for the three band members to buy groceries while keeping an eye on each other's supply, to ensure that no one would go hungry or without their favorites.
Naoto often felt guilty when he would return home from a long day at college, only to see the shelves of the fridge filled to the brim with his favorite snacks and drinks, but he always made sure to pay his room mates back in kind.
Tadano sat down besides him, while Komi seemed to be planning out a meal to make. She enjoyed spoiling her boyfriend with homemade cooking, quite frequently actually. Tadano would always try to help her with preparations, only to be shot down at every turn.
The woman wasn't good with words, but she definitely knew how to let her actions speak for her these days.
With his mind on the topic of food, he thought back to the meal he shared with Gamo and how much the time they had spent together truly delighted him, in spite of all his awkwardness.
With a small smile on his lips, he texted the girl something before his mind could convince him of how silly it sounded.
Really enjoyed the lunch together, let's do it again soon – Naoto
Trying not overthink what he had just sent too much, he quickly stashed the phone in his pockets.
"So Nao-kun," Tadano opened the conversation, a calming smile on his lips. "How was your lunch?"
Naoto could feel himself gaining a slight blush, but nothing he couldn't quickly brush off.
Knowing that he was running the risk of another 'incident' like at the concert, Naoto had decided to clue Tadano in on his plans on the way to the restaurant.
He knew that, if anything where to happen, Tadano would be by his side as quickly as the world would let him.
Still, being questioned about it all of a sudden was not something he had expected.
"It went fine," Naoto answered, deciding that a straight forward answer could end up being the best in this case.
Tadano nodded, aware that Naoto's positive mood could only mean it went well.
"I am not quite sure who they were, or what happened to make you feel so uncomfortable around them initially, but I am happy if it means you ended up making a friend because of it."
Naoto averted his gaze from Tadano, trying his best not to let the flush on his cheeks show. Why did this guy have to be such a sweetheart?
"I-I guess so, yeah," Naoto responded, pushing his nonexistent glasses up onto his nose. Something he hadn't done in quite some time. In fact, he didn't even notice.
His mood suddenly soured as he thought back on the events of yesterday.
"I guess we're friends now, true. But… Who knows if that'll last. She has her group of friends that I am not really able to get along with, for one reason or another."
Tadano furrowed his brow at that comment. "You are pretty easy to get along with Nao-kun. I don't think there could ever be a case where a friendship was bound to fail because of you. So are you saying they are bad people?"
"N-No!" Naoto vehemently denied. "That's not what I meant to say either. I just… There's a lot of history there."
Tadano nodded pensively, not wanting to make his friend uncomfortable in any way.
To both of their surprises, Komi slowly shuffled over to the two of them, her hands timidly clasped together over her lap. As she reached the couch, she turned her head to look at Naoto. Yet once their eyes actually met, she quickly dropped her head, causing her bangs to hide the entirety of her face from Naoto's view.
"K-Komi?" Naoto wasn't sure what was going on, but he wanted to make sure she was okay regardless.
He didn't expect what came next.
"I… think you are a great person… and whenever I see you hiding away from the world in your room… it saddens me greatly."
Naoto didn't have to glance at Tadano to realize that he hadn't foreseen this either. Neither of them dared to interrupt this sudden stream of words.
"I know that… Due to my own worries and insecurities, I am not… a great friend. I am not really capable of… sitting with anyone and talking to them about what bothers them. I can listen, I am good at that. But when it comes to… reassuring others… or telling them what they need to hear, I am no good."
Naoto wanted to tell her to stop spouting such nonsense. He knew how hard it was for her to express herself and he wasn't about to hold this against her. She tried her best regardless, every single day, in order to brighten up the life of those around her.
Still, he respected Komi and her difficulty to communicate enough to not speak up until he was certain she had finished.
"I know opening up to others can be absolutely terrifying... Especially if they have already disappointed you once before. There is this girl we know… she tied Tadano up one day and…"
Komi suddenly shuddered as if someone had put a droplet of cold water on her neck and it slowly made it's way down her spine. With a sudden shaking of her head, she dispelled the apparently odd and uncomfortable memory.
"A-Anyway… Even if I don't fully understand everything that happened and I would not presume to do so… If a person really regrets their actions and wishes to do their utmost to make amends… hearing them out is never a bad option. And, besides that-"
Komi finally lifted her head to meet Naoto's gaze. There was a stern and resolute expression on her face, very much unlike the timid image Naoto had expected to see.
"It would make me really happy to see you gain more friends."
Naoto's lips parted slightly, as if his body wanted to respond before his brain could even construct a reply.
Tadano himself was absolutely floored by, as well as incredibly proud of Komi's speech. He could only imagine how much it had taken for her to properly articulate what had been on her mind.
And it was quite plainly written on her face, just how much this interaction had drained her.
Still, she was quite happy to have been able to properly to talk to her friend.
Before Naoto could find the words to reply however, Komi's face changed to a crimson hue and she covered her face with her hands.
Both men couldn't help but smile at the timid display before them.
"Thank you so much Komi," Naoto finally responded, not believing that there were words quite right to describe how much he had appreciated her action.
"Please, just let me assure you of one thing: You are a great friend. And I am really lucky to have both, you and Tadano in my life."
Komi sheepishly glanced at Naoto between her fingers, before shutting herself off again from the two of them. The woman had evidently reached her breaking point.
The next moment, she swiftly and beautifully bowed to Naoto, before fleeing into Tadano's room.
Tadano awkwardly scratched his chin, fully aware that Komi would be spending at least the next half hour wrapped up in a blanket, trying to calm herself down.
Looking over to his friend, he was happy to see that Naoto seemed to be truly mulling over the words Komi had left him with.
And really, he was.
Naoto had his hands between his legs, his eyes fixed onto a tile on the floor, sinking deep into his thoughts.
Komi was right, he concluded. If Sakura and Yoshi were sincerely apologetic over the grief they had caused him in the past and willing to show some form of remorse, Naoto could at least hear them out and go from there.
It wasn't like he hated every moment he had spent in their midst. Over the two years the group had shared together, Naoto definitely had begun to view them as his friends, feeling joy each time they sought him out when so many other options were available to them.
The problem arose when he was faced with the reality that they saw him as nothing more than a toy to play with.
Or so he had thought.
Which led him to the last one in the group.
Hayase Nagatoro.
The girl had been the main instigator of the most vile and horrific jabs in his life, having made him cry twice in public, laughing about it the whole time, not to mention the amount of tears he had shed over her in private.
While the others had tormented him in their own cruel ways, none of them had ever gone quite as far as her.
Especially on that day, when she finally crossed the line.
The day where she finally shattered his belief that she could ever truly love him.
If she, of all people, wanted to pursue a means of penance for her actions and show herself truly remorseful, for the horrendous acts she had committed, wouldn't it at least help him heal if he were to listen to her?
Could their friendship be restored? Doubtful. Definitely not to the way it was before.
Naoto had decided the moment he left for Tokyo that if another person tried to bully and mess with him the way Nagatoro had done, he'd just straight up clock them.
If Nagatoro thought she could return to that time, to tease and annoy him the way she had always done, she was more foolish than even Naoto, who was strongly considering hearing her out.
Truly, Naoto Hachiouji felt like a complete fool. Here he was, having essentially fled from his home town, friends and even family, just to get away from one girl that was in so many ways everything he desired and yet considered absolutely abhorrent.
And after spending three years of struggling with the mental damages she had left him with, he was now considering engaging with her in a manner that could lead to further devastation.
Not only that, but his friends were encouraging the idea. What kind of crazy was everyone suddenly being infected with!?
Tadano was more than certain he could understand where Naoto's thought process had led him.
"Naoto."
The boy looked up at his friend, confused by the sudden interruption of his endless dive through his mind.
"Y-Yeah?"
Tadano gave him a reassuring smile. "Talk to them. If anything goes wrong, I will be right by your side."
Naoto took a few seconds to process his friend's words, but eventually decided that there was no mistaking the resolute tone. He was being swayed so easily.
Maybe he was weaker than he thought.
"Fine~" Naoto chuckled as he reached for the phone in his pocket. He couldn't believe what he was about to do.
Gamo would probably freak the moment she saw that he wanted to meet with the girls. All of them.
Before Naoto could even open his phone up though, the device in his hand began buzzing and a text notification popped up at the top of the screen.
Paisen! Hayase saw the message you sent me! She freaking bailed on me!