Hakuta had a hard time arguing this fact. Sure they were still different people, but most would assume they actually shared a lot in common just based on appearances alone. Of course, looks weren’t everything, but it certainly gave a start.

“You seem like a nice guy.” Masahito continued on. “So I don’t have anything against you at all. I’m sure you have a few qualms about myself, but I keep telling you that I’m just trying to be helpful.”

“You’ve got a real weird way of doing it then.” Hakuta would put making a girl cry very low on his list of things he’d be willing to do just to lend aid to someone. Then he realized Masahito wasn’t alone and there was another person beyond just Ninka watching the conversation. “Oh, sorry if we’re bothering you.”

“It’s not a problem for me.” She responded. Now that he had heard her voice, he began to wonder about this girl. She reminded him a lot like Ino, but more importantly there was something else about her he was reminded about.

“I’m sorry, but did you ever know Iruka?” He asked. The more he thought about who this person was, the more he got a sneaking suspicion that this was the girl whom Iruka had told him about. The girl who her old friend, who he now knew to be Masahito, ditched her for.

“We used to be classmates.” She answered. “I’m not from around here, I’m only visiting because Masahito moved here recently. So it just made sense to see him one more time before school came up again and got in the way.”

“You know…” Ninka leaned to him and whispered into the boy’s ear. “Just letting you know that if you did date me. I wouldn’t tell you to ditch everyone else.” She got the feeling the two they were speaking with were actually a real couple. Which gave her what she believed was the reason for Masahito to no longer be Iruka’s friend.

“Not now Ninka.” Hakuta did not appreciate being told this information. To him, it was a rather inopportune time for such a topic.

“A part of me assumes that since you’re hanging out with this other girl.” If Masahito had a poor opinion on Iruka, the it was highly likely he had a much lower one of Ninka. “That you don’t agree with what I told you before.” He then leaned in to whisper to the boy without her hearing. “Unless you’re trapped with them for some reason. In which which, blink twice to let me know you’re in trouble.”

“I’m with them because I want to be, not because I have too.” He replied, motioning his hand to get some space. Though Hakuta knew this to be a lie. He only got close to them because of his living situation. And the time where this boy saw him and Iruka together at the park was due to him repaying a favor. It wasn’t as if he actually enjoyed playing on a playground meant for little children.

“Why are you even entertaining this guy?” Ninka asked him quietly. “What’s the point? It’s obvious he’s not going to listen to you.”

“I assume because he’s listening to me instead.” Masahito responded to the words not directed towards him. “I’m just telling him that he doesn’t have to deal with people he doesn’t want to, even if they are nice.” The boy turned to direct his next sentence to Ninka. “And I’m sure you are a perfectly fine individual.” She took his words not as well, almost as if he had been patronizing her. “I know for a fact that Iruka is mostly fine too. Even if a bit air headed and definitely selfish.”

“If you really feel that way, then why bother trying to break up a good thing?” Asked Hakuta.

“Because it’s not a good thing. Some might call it a silent killer of sorts.” He explained. “Iruka didn’t realize it, but I had begun to get more and more annoyed with her antics as we grew up. We always had to do things the way she wanted to do them and it never seemed like she noticed or cared that I wasn’t a fan of the same things I used to be when I was much littler.” Masahito paused, looking back on those memories with bitterness. “She’s a nice girl, but at the end of the day, people like us just don’t mix well.”

“Mix well…” Hakuta knew he had heard these words before. These were the same things Iruka had told him when she recounted her side of the story. It seemed these two had very different interpretations on whether or not that was a good thing.

“Come on Hakuta, let’s go.” Ninka had enough of biting her tongue and holding back for her friend’s sake. She had on a tough scowl while giving a strong glare. “It doesn’t matter what he says, you already know what you’re going to do.”

“That’s the thing…” For the first time, despite thinking it the entire time, Hakuta admitted the truth out loud. “...I don’t.”

“It’s still your choice in the end.” Masahito turned away, ready to end their conversation. “If you want to still be with her, I’m not going to stop you anymore. To be honest, sometimes I wonder if I should’ve even told you in the first place.” With that, he walked away alongside his friend.

“Hakuta…” Now they were left alone, but Ninka’s growing anger began to target someone else. “You can’t be serious, right?” She stared at him, knowing the answer, but hoped it would not be what she feared.

“We all know I spend a lot of time complaining.” He answered. “He’s not wrong that we really don’t have a lot in common.” At first, she didn’t say anything while the girl stared at the ground. Then suddenly Ninka put both hands of her on his arms, locking the boy in place.

“Tell me right now.” She looked in dead in the eye, tears beginning to form. “Tell me right now that you’ll go see Iruka and tell her you’re cool with her. That you’re nothing like that creep and you always want to be friends with her.”

“Ninka, what’s wrong?” He couldn’t answer for their was a more pressing concern right in front of him. Why would she be so adamant about her friend? Sure, it was her friend after all, but this made it seem much more personal. “If I did anything to you, you can just tell me.”

“It’s really uncool though.” She felt as though the truth would make her out to be a loser. “But if you’re really questioning everything with Iruka, then that means you think the same way about me, don’t you?” Ninka could tell that this wasn’t just about Iruka in general. That boy implied it well enough that it had to do with the gyarus in total. “I’m being real selfish, aren't I?”

“No, I get how you feel.” He realized it was more than just Iruka at this point. Even though he hadn’t been willing to confront those feelings himself before, even Hakuta had been thinking it over. But he recalled a moment some time ago, a bad dream he had. Them losing him as a friend wouldn’t just be painful for them. He knew he’d be greatly upset with the decisions as well. The boy couldn’t tell why that would be the case, but it was the truth.

“So what are you going to do?” She asked, loosening her grip on him.

“I’m going to find Iruka.” That was his answer. If there was one thing Hakuta knew for sure this past week was he hadn’t seen that girl. And in doing so, he knew he really missed her deeply. “After all, she’s my friend.”

“Thank goodness.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “You really shouldn’t be scaring us like that, you know that?” She gave him a tight hug in a show of gratitude. “But how are you going to find her?”

“Hmm, well her dad did give me his contact.” Hakuta whipped out his phone and moved to the number in question. “He told me to just call him and he’d tell me where he was so I could come meet them.” The boy dialed the number and rung up the older man.

“Hello?” It didn’t take long to get an answer.

“Oh Noto I was just…” Hakuta spoke first, but noticed something strange about the greeting he got. It sounded like he was able to hear Omihiro twice for some odd reason.

“Is something wrong?” The man asked, which gave him the double voice once again. This time he was able to listen in on it and realize they were apparently closer than he had realized.

“Oh never mind, I can actually see you.” He said, looking towards the source of the second sound. It was here that he had finally gotten to see Iruka for the first time in way too long.