Ayuka seemed genuinely surprised by the invitation, wide eyes darting at her new classmate behind those blue lenses.

Was that bad? Kentaro could already feel himself regretting his decision. Of course it wasn't a good idea, it hadn't even been that long since they'd met. And who knows, maybe she just ate by herself because she enjoyed her own company than others.

Snapping to after having realized that her silence was a little rude, she sputtered, "N-No, it's... it's really fine, there's no need! I'm sort of... used to eating alone by now."

Her last statement barely surpassed a mumble, but it was still audible enough for both Ken and the party lounging outside to hear it.

"You don't have to get used to it though," spoke a sudden voice right when Kentaro was about to respond, startling both him and Ayuka. Turning to face the direction of the entrance, the teens found Haruki sauntering their way with both hands tucked casually in his pockets, seeming as if he'd just arrived.

"Haru," Ginger practically saw the golden halo surrounding his savior's head, almost crying tears of relief for having been saved yet again from such an awkward situation. His face might not show it, but Kentaro really was glad his best friend had walked in right at that moment. "I was just about to come over there."

And most likely he'd have just awkwardly moved on since Ayuka had already declined his invitation once.

"Yeah right, you'd have just gotten yourself lost. Of course I had to come get you," Haruki smirked, earning a rather disdained look from his friend. His smile turned kinder as he turned back to the girl, whose eyes were still as wide as saucers. "The name's Haruki Fukuda. You could almost say that this 'thing' and I are friends."

Thing... Kentaro's expression almost twisted.

"Oh, yes, um, nice to meet you too," the girl offered a nod in greeting. "I'm Ayuka Hagiwara."

Haru's expression turned a little thoughtful at the last name, before he suddenly snapped his fingers when he'd finally figured it out. "Ah, as in the Social Studies teacher's relative?"

"No, just the same last name," the girl gave a little helpless chuckle. Ken guessed people made this mistake a lot.

"Oh, I see," nodded Haruki before finally returning to the matter in hand. "You sure you don't wanna join us though? I feel kind of bad stealing this guy..."

Ayuka's smile turned a little reassuring as she shook her head, "It's okay, honest. I'd be happy to come join you guys next time... I-If the invitation still stands, I mean."

"It won't be closing," Kentaro's words tumbled out before he could think, so quick and nervous that even the boy next to him couldn't resist puffing a small chuckle.

With a small shrug, Haruki added, "Well, you heard him. It's an open invitation. Whenever you feel like having company... well, you've now got someone here to show you our hideouts."

"Thank you," the girl responded with another gentle laugh, bidding the boys an enjoyable lunch before they parted ways.

Having left the classroom, silence draped over Haruki and Kentaro as they strolled side by side, each lost in their own thoughts and worlds, heading in the direction of the building's exit. Kentaro, still unfamiliar with the layout of the school, trusted Haruki to navigate the way through the corridors, but after a while, he began to wonder about his friend's prolonged silence. Haruki appeared so focused ahead that it was unclear whether he noticed Ginger's gaze fixed on him or not.

"So," Haruki abruptly broke the silence, startling Kentaro who felt like he'd been caught doing something bad. "She seemed nice. New friend?"

"I... guess so?" Kentaro replied tentatively, still unsure about the extent of that claim, but denying it felt somehow wrong. Rubbing the back of his neck, he let his gaze wander aimlessly. "You really saved me back there, though. Otherwise, I think she might have gotten spooked and run off."

Haruki finally looked at him, a hint of confusion raising his eyebrow. "Why would she run?"

"You arrived just when I was about to freeze up."

"Freeze?" Haruki couldn't help but snicker at that. "You were that nervous? And here I thought you were smooth with that invitation."

Kentaro gave him a disbelieving look.

"No, seriously. Compared to how you used to handle girls back in Middle School, this is a definite upgrade," Haru explained. "You used to avoid talking to them altogether, let alone inviting them to eat with you. In the same space, no less."

"I..." Ginger contemplated those words for a while, his face showing a mix of faint confusion. "I wasn't... that bad, was I?"

"Wow."

"No, really, I..." There was no way he had been that averse to girls, right?

...Right?

The look Haruki gave him left no room for doubt, as if even the heavens themselves would confirm it.

Observing his friend's slowly dawning acceptance of the truth, Haruki tactfully shoved his hands into his pockets and flashed Kentaro a knowing grin. "So, what made you have a change of heart?"

"You make it sound like I was some horrible person."

"Ginger, Ginger, Ginger," Haru clicked his tongue sympathetically, shaking his head slowly. "You once told me how you hardly saw the need to talk to girls."

That had to be an exaggeration! But before Kentaro could respond, Haruki was already back on the case.

"I'm not saying this development is a bad thing, dude. Actually, I'm a little... happy that you finally broke down those walls. Keep it up," Haru's eyes shifted back ahead, but Ginger noticed a distant look in them.

By now, they had reached the school building's exit, where students buzzed around, their voices echoing through the corridors. Kentaro took an unusually long time to respond, causing Haruki to steal a quick glance at his friend.

Had he said something wrong? It didn't seem like Ginger was angry or anything of the sort...

"Maybe it's because she reminded me of my early days at Ichihara Middle," Kentaro finally said, prompting the other person to seriously pay attention. "I know I don't know anything about her or what's really happened, so it's probably none of my business. But the isolation... it felt a bit... familiar."

Haruki nodded, a hint of comprehension in his eyes, while his hands remained cozily tucked away in his pockets. A refreshing spring breeze brushed past them, causing him to appreciate his choice of a light sleeveless cardigan and a short-sleeved shirt that day. As the days gradually grew warmer, they knew the sweltering summer was right around the corner.

"Seems like you've found yourself a kindred spirit," Haruki sighed. "It would have been frosting on the cake if it turned out that she was being bullied too..."

Kentaro threw him a questioning and rather concerned glance.

"... I don't mean it in a bad way," Haruki quickly tried to salvage with an awkward (if not panicked) little laugh. "I-It's just... if it also turned out that she was going through something similar, then you'd have a lot in common..."

"That still doesn't sound great, Haru," Ginger's expression grew somewhat complicated as he gazed straight ahead. His next words came out almost in a whisper, "And that might actually be the case, from what I saw."

...Oh? Haruki realized belatedly that he probably should have kept his mouth shut. Maybe that's why it suddenly felt as if the cafeteria was miles away. Weren't they supposed to have reached the building by now?

"If it does turn out that some people are targeting her," Ken started again, suddenly stopping in his tracks as his eyes fixated on the other person, "what... should I do?"

Haruki also came to a halt, staring back at him, and never before had he been more grateful for misreading Ginger's emotions earlier. Apparently, the guy hadn't been displeased; he had simply been deep in thought. With a small smile, Haruki responded with a question of his own, "What do you want to do, Ken?"

Ginger seemed to wrestle with his decision.

"Do you think it would be easier to keep your distance from her?" Haru asked, tilting his head slightly. "You know, to avoid unnecessary attention or drama?"

"... No," Kentaro responded after a moment, shaking his head. "No, it would feel too cruel."

"And there you have it," Haruki chuckled, finally freeing one of his hands to give his friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder before they resumed walking. "You don't need to overthink certain things. She did seem like a genuinely nice girl, so wanting to befriend her isn't a bad thing."

"Hmm," Ginger acknowledged with a small, genuine smile of his own.

This was clearly weighing on his mind; Haruki thought, a fond smile playing on his lips. He really does want to befriend her.

Maybe this kind of change wouldn't be so terrible after all.

**

They spotted Haruki's group already settled at one of the farthest corners of the bustling cafeteria hall, trays in hand. If one of them hadn't waved Haruki over to indicate their location, Kentaro would have been completely lost amidst the sea of students.

The food line had diminished considerably since most students had already been served, yet the food was still considerably abundant. This was just one of the perks of this school, apparently: cafeteria food never ran out, no matter how late you were...

... According to Haruki, anyway.

"They might be a little weird, but please bare with them," came Haruki's whisper in warning directed to his best friend as they neared the fated table, and Kentaro couldn't help throwing him a puzzled glance.

Before he could question further, Kentaro's attention was drawn to the only girl in the group, who suddenly shot up from her seat, her eyes wide with what appeared to be genuine astonishment or shock. The guy seated on her right tried to discreetly coax her back into her seat, his embarrassment evident, but it took a few attempts before she finally complied. Meanwhile, the guy on her left stared at Kentaro, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise.

O...kay?

"Thanks for saving us a seat," Haruki said as he placed his tray on the table, unknowingly blocking Kentaro from doing the same. And just like that, he began the introductions while still standing. "Everyone, I want you to meet my best friend."

So much for sitting down first, Kentaro thought, noting the group's understanding nods. It seemed that Haruki had mentioned his existence a few times during his absence. Ginger's expression grew even friendlier, adorned with a smile, as he took the initiative to introduce himself (since Haruki suddenly seemed to have forgotten, despite his earlier excitement).

"So you're Kentaro," the guy sitting on the left was the first to speak, though the way he said it would make one assume there was deeper meaning lacing his words. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'd shake your hand but we're about to eat, so that's probably unsanitary."

"Right. Nice to meet you too... uh..." Kentaro trailed off, prompting the other guy to introduce himself as well. Atsushi Hanasaki, he learned, no thanks to Haruki's unhelpful silence by his side.

"Oh, I'm Fumiye Hasegawa!" the girl eagerly introduced herself, giving a nod since a handshake was off the table. "By the way, you're very handsome. And I really like your hair!"

Receiving such a direct compliment in front of an audience caused a faint blush to spread across Ginger's cheeks. The people at the school certainly didn't hold back. "Thank you. Uh... you're pretty."

A strange, strangled sound escaped Haruki's lips at that moment, capturing the group's attention, although he quickly played it off as a cough. Yet, behind his hands, a faint upturn of his lips couldn't be concealed.

Ah, now I get it. This is his way of torturing me; Kentaro realized, finally attaining enlightenment.

Back in middle school, Haruki had handled all the introductions for the sake of his socially-constipated friend, thus it was thanks to him that Ken had gotten along with Takumi and Tadashi fairly quickly. This time though, it seemed like he was determined to let Kentaro handle the situation like a mature adult.

Ginger was able to invite a girl to lunch on his first day to school; he was perfectly capable of introducing himself to these guys.

"Ryomi Ichizaki," the third group member spoke, offering Ginger a nod as well before donning a helpless smile. "Feel free to take a seat."

"Ah, right. Thanks," Ken spoke as he finally set his food on the table, taking a seat opposite the trio. Well, these nerves certainly weren't doing him any good. Even his injured arm now had a faint numbness from holding up the tray for so long.

Haruki took a seat beside Ginger, looking rather pleased with himself as he spoke up. "Now that we all know each other, I'm sure there are questions—"

"Why didn't you help Kentaro with the tray?" Fumiye interrupted, her gaze directed at Haruki. His words trailed off as confusion washed over his face. To emphasize her point, Fumiye added, "He's clearly injured."

Well, Fumiye certainly adapted quickly, using Ginger's first name and all.

Kentaro wasn't bothered. In fact, he quite enjoyed seeing Haruki at a loss for words. His arm didn't hurt as much anymore, and he was perfectly capable of carrying his own things. But teasing Haruki seemed like the perfect revenge for what he had put him through earlier.

"That..." Haruki's smile became slightly strained. "He... insisted."

Kentaro pretended to be shocked, prompting the other three pairs of eyes to regard Haruki with well-deserved suspicion.

"Oh, don't give me that. You know you would have refused my help even if I offered, just like you always do at home," Haruki accused the ginger-haired teen, causing him to chuckle.

Taking a sip from his apple juice can, Ryomi raised an eyebrow curiously, his eyes darting between the two. "Oh, you guys live together?"

"No, but we visit each other often," Ken answered when Haruki faltered. "Our parents know each other."

Well, at least they had known each other since last week.

Ginger knew Haru hadn't shared his real-life backstory with these three, and he understood why. Talking about the Harada drama and his mother's confinement at the Estate would undoubtedly be uncomfortable for him. His life in Asahikawa was behind him, and Ken was more than happy to pretend the Haradas had never existed. He wouldn't mention his solo move to this small town, and he certainly didn't need to fabricate any lies about his friendship with Haruki, because it was all real.

Meeting in middle school, living in the same neighborhood, knowing each other's parents—none of those things were lies.

Fumiye was the most eager of the three, bombarding Ginger with questions about how he first met Haruki and which school he had transferred from (a necessary lie since they hadn't come up with anything else). And of course, Kentaro answered most of them with a calm smile, smoothly explaining how he and his mother had just moved to Chiba Prefecture around the time of his first encounter with Haruki.

Ken also learned some new things about his new friends, although it was mostly information Haruki had already shared with him the night he returned. He had anticipated an awkward meeting, but thankfully, Haruki's taste in friends hadn't changed.

They were open-minded and laid-back spirits, not overly nosy.

"You know, I can't shake the feeling that I recognize your name from somewhere," Atsushi suddenly remarked after Fumiye finished her questioning, causing both Haruki and Kentaro to simultaneously stiffen.

Know Kentaro? From where? The guy hadn't attended the same middle school as them, so that left... Asahikawa? No, that couldn't be it, or Ginger would have recognized him.

Still, Haruki and Kentaro couldn't help their nerves.

"Kentaro, Kentaro... Ken-ta-ro..." Atsushi mumbled to himself, lost in thought. He seemed determined to figure it out. Just as it seemed someone would interject to break the silence, Atsushi snapped his fingers abruptly, recapturing everyone's attention.

"Wait, it's just Ken! That's the character from Fukuda's novel, right? No wonder I thought your name sounded familiar."

~~~~~~