"Festival time!" Mei-chan spins around in her yukata from last year, I too am in the yukata I wore last year. Ami-chan's wearing a grey one with red roses on it, Hika-chan's is green. Kurono-kun's not going with us. We've been freed for a holiday where we can stay or leave campus.

Fubuki, Nito' and Kaito will be here soon. Hinata, Sho and Kenta are meeting us there.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. I open the door and there stand my friends, also in yukatas.

"Hinata and Sho and Kenta said they won't wear yukatas this year but if we do then they will next year!" Nito' explains.

"Selfie in yukatas! Pose!" Mei-chan declares.

After so so so many photos we head toward the festival.

"We should watch the fireworks. Get some pictures for Mei-chan's portfolio." Recently Mei-chan invested in a huge book to paste her images in, categorised into people, nature, lucky shots and night time. It's biased to lucky shots.

Hinata, Sho and Kenta are at the train station. They roll their eyes at the group of teens in yukatas but suddenly seem to feel out of place in casual clothing.

"Let's hope we can find more friends in normal clothes."

"You could have embraced the spirit of festivals!" Mei-chan pouts.

"Gomene, all high and mightly queen Middleshiba Mei. We bow to you, We're not worthy."

"No, no you're not." We head towards some food stalls and get candy apples.

"Nostalga." Fubuki sighs, looking to me and Kaito. A little clementine butterfly flies slowly around the three of us. Fubuki puts his finger out and the bug lands on his finger.

"Miss you Shizu'."

"Err...Fubu'." Kaito murmurs.

"Huh?"

"Behind you." Kaito whispers.

The snoring sound makes the butterfly move away. Fubuki sighs, turning to glare at who distrubed his moment of grief. Yuma! Yuma is ALREADY passed out on a bench with a bottle of vodka in his fist.

"Let's just..." I murmur.

"Vamoose!" Mei-chan hisses, beckoning us toward the beach. We've been here once ir twice as a group during our last summer holiday. Here was one of the places I got to see Ami-chan, except at Mei-chan's birthday party. I smirk at the memory.

"Look! It's your brother!" Ami-chan exclaims.

"Rei! Nagisa!" I wave.

"Nice yukatas." Nagisa exclaims.

"Casual clothes! Oh thank GOD!" Hinata exclaims. Rei looks distrubed as three guys move away from us to stand closer to him and his byfriend.

"Rei, Nagisa. This is Hinata, Sho and Kenta. Our classmates and teammates."

"Also known as SPOIL SPORTS!" Mei-chan teases.

"Is it just you two, are we interrupting?" Fubuki asks.

"If you want we can just go." I add.

"Haru-chan and Mako-chan went up there to talk alone."

I gulp.

He chose now, now of all times to break the news to Haru? I sigh with a small shake of my head.

"Wait." Makoto calls.

"Let go!" Did he grab Haru? Okay, that was a stupid question.

"Listen to me!" My boyfriend begs.

"However many times I listen it's the same! You can't find a dream just by looking for one!" Haru shouts. So he didn't go up there to tell Haru about Tokyo?

Nonetheless, this doesn't sound good.

"I'm fine with the way things are!" he shouts. So much for stoic, how much emotion does Rin's boyfriend have bottled up.

"You're lying! The truth is, you want to find a dream for yourself too! You should find that dream, and go flying to the outside world to follow it! You have the ability to do that!" Does he know something? Is there something going on that not even Haru knows about? Flying? That just seems a weird way to explain chasing a dream.

"Even you're talking like this! Where I swim and who I swim for... I'm free to decide that for myself! And I'm saying that I'm fine with the way things are." Oh Haru... this explains so much.

"But you're not fine!" Makoto sounds pained. "You're not fine! That's why we keep telling you this! Nagisa, Rei and Rin... and me... it's because we all love you. Because we care about you. Why can't you understand that! We want you to find your dream... to look to the future..."

"All you ever do is meddle with everyone!" I flinch at Haru's words to Makoto. They're being REALLY loud.

"Stop sticking your nose in everybody else's business! A dream? A future? Well, what about yours?" I squeak in fear. This isn't how he wanted to tell Haru.

"Stop going on about everybody elses' futures when you haven't even decided on your own! ...Well, say something."

"It's almost time for the fireworks!" Mei-chan enthuses, grabbing her camera. She hasn't been listening to the row like Fubuki, Rei, Nagisa and I have.

"I have decided. I'm...going to a university in Tokyo.

Flash!

Bang!

Flash!

"Yosh!" Mei-chan enthuses.

Flash!

Bang!

Flash!

"Yosh!" she squeals with a pump of her fist.

"I meant to tell you sooner, but I just couldn't find a way to say it."

Flash!

Bang!

Flash!

"Yosh!" Mei-chan cheers.

"Mei!" I hiss.

"I..." Makoto is cut off by his childhood friend.

"Do whatever you want!" Haru snaps.

"Haru!" Makoto calls.

"Makoto." I hiccup.

"Aoi?" Rei puts his hand on my shoulder.

"It just seems real now..." I murmur.

"Huh? Aoi-chan, you knew Mako-chan's...leaving?" Nagisa looks so pained. I hang my head.

I watch as Haru runs down the stairs and sprints by. Man, he's slow.

"Haru-chan!" Nagisa calls.

"Nagisa-kun..." Rei says softly. "He needs a moment."

"Hai." his boyfriend hangs his head.

"Aoi...do you want to talk about..." I shake my head, brushing by my twin and making my way up the stairs. Makoto's holding one of the railings, the other hand is to his face. He's crying.

"...Haru." he hiccups.

"Makoto, it's okay. He'll just be cooling off, calming down. It's hard to hear. It killed me when Aki told me he was leaving." I try to empathise with my boyfriend.

"It's not that...that was our first fight." Makoto mutters.

"First?" I tilt my head. "But you've been friends forever! You two just never fought?"

"Never." he nods.

"Please don't cry. Haru can work things out. I think Rin's got a plan." I encourage.

"You know about that too?" he cocks a brow, drying his eyes. I help him to his feet.

"I think so...he asked me a few questions that are starting to make sense." I smile warmly.

"Aoi-chan!" Mei-chan hollers.

"Get your butt here NOW!" Fubuki commands.

"Seems my friends are mad." I duck my head apologetically. "Shall we hang out tomorrow?"

"Maybe." he says. "If I can."

"Hai, love you."

"You're so strong Aoi...I love you so much. I don't want to lose you."

"You wont." I vow, running off to my angry friends.

Rei and Nagisa have since left the beach and Mei has put her photography equipment away, except the camera. She's snapping the occasional shot of some kids splashing around in the sea. Those will be for her night photos.

"Hey!" I call. "What's up? Where are Ami-chan, Hika-chan, Hinata, Sho and Kenta."

"They've gone to give you space."

"Space?" I tilt my head.

"Space."

"We all saw your face when Makoto mentioned his university plans. You said you knew about them..."

"It just seems REAL." I explain. "Makoto didn't want to tell Haru, I knew it would hit me hard because telling Haru makes it permanent."

"Oh..."

"Can I just...go? I just don't feel in the festival mood." I say.

"Oh hey Tachib-!" Kaito puts his hand over Nito's mouth as Fubuki steers me toward the train station.

Fubuki and I hop on the train, Kaito's right behind us, he clearly ran to get on board.

"You guys didn't have to go with me."

"We don't want you to do something ridiculous."

"So." I giggle. "Which of you is the sassy gay friend?"

"Fubu'!" Kaito states quickly.

"Hey!" Fubuki pouts. I hug my friends. Clearly Nito' stayed with Mei. They'll probably catch up with the rest of the group soon.

"Thank you." I smile.