Aoki wasn't sure what to say in response.
Silence settled over the hospital room again—until a sudden ringtone broke the stillness.
It was Kita's father, calling to ask why she hadn't come home yet.
Kita briefly explained her situation.
Her father's voice immediately shifted to concern.
After making sure she wasn't in any serious danger, he told her he'd head straight to the hospital.
Knowing her parents were on their way, Aoki decided not to stay the night like he had originally planned.
Even though he knew things should be viewed from multiple perspectives, after hearing what Kita had said about her mother, he honestly didn't know how he was supposed to face them.
So before her parents arrived, he quietly told Kita he'd be leaving, gathered his things, and left the hospital.
The walk home was a blur of tangled thoughts.
The chilly autumn night breeze only made him feel more awake—and more restless.
It was already past 11. With no trains running at that hour, and taxis being too expensive, Aoki figured he might as well walk.
The distance wasn't terrible, and at least the walk could count as some exercise.
As the wind rustled through the now flowerless cherry trees, their leaves whispered like a quiet reminder of the changing season.
Tokyo's nightscape was as beautiful as ever—but tonight, the neon signs lining the streets just irritated him.
His mind was spinning.
Problems he couldn't solve.
The situation with JVC Records.
The misunderstanding with Ryo. And now, this.
Was running away really the best he could do?
A passing car stirred the air as it drove by, brushing against him like a nudge from the night.
———————————————————————
September 4th.
The gloom of yesterday's skies had been a clear warning: it was going to rain.
Sure enough, by 6 a.m., droplets had started falling steadily from the clouds.
His cheap apartment had plenty of flaws—getting damp on rainy days was just one of them.
Awakened by the sound of raindrops tapping against the window, Aoki rubbed his eyes and went through his morning routine.
He didn't plan to go out today, so he didn't bother fixing his hair.
Last night, he'd messaged Nijika and the others to let them know Kita was sick, and that he himself wasn't feeling great mentally either.
So he told them he'd be taking the day off.
No one objected.
In fact, Bōcchi, Ryo, and Nijika even offered to bring something to visit Kita.
Aoki didn't know what they planned to do, but judging from the weather, their visit might be rained out anyway.
He didn't want to get soaked, so he skipped breakfast.
Instead, he spent the morning reading his French textbook—something he often did in his spare moments.
He was nearly done with it by now.
Language aptitude had its perks.
He wasn't quite fluent enough to talk circles around a Parisian, but he could understand them perfectly well.
Still, his mind kept drifting.
After a few pages, he gave up and shut the book.
Maybe some cleaning would help clear his head.
But just as he closed the book, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from Hachiman Hikigaya—someone he hadn't heard from in nearly a week.
Aoki opened it, blinking in surprise.
———————————————————————
[Hikigaya]: "I've been seeing a lot of negative stuff online about you and Kessoku Band. Are you okay?"
"Isn't this basically slander? Can't you report them or something?"
———————————————————————
Aoki almost laughed.
Hikigaya always acted like nothing fazed him, but when something happened to a friend, he was usually the first one to show concern.
And the fact that he didn't even question whether Aoki was in the wrong…
———————————————————————
[Aoki]: "I'm fine. Stuff like this just comes with the job."
"No point reporting it. The law doesn't go after crowds. Besides, they're just 'repeating what they heard.'"
———————————————————————
He hesitated for a second, then hit send.
The message was marked as read almost immediately, and a few minutes later, Hikigaya replied.
———————————————————————
[Hikigaya]: "That's why that kind of job is a pain. You'd be better off as a stay-at-home husband."
———————————————————————
Aoki let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.
He wasn't planning to keep the conversation going, and was about to put his phone down— But a thought stopped him.
Instead of sitting around, indecisive and distracted, why not ask someone else for their perspective?
He unlocked his phone again and returned to the chat with Hikigaya.
Skipping over the "stay-at-home husband" comment, he typed out a new message:
———————————————————————
[Aoki]: "Hey, say you had a friend who was going through a rough patch with their parents. If it were you, how would you handle it?"
———————————————————————
The message was marked as read, but there was no immediate reply.
Eventually, Hikigaya responded.
———————————————————————
[Hikigaya]: "Me? Honestly, I probably wouldn't do anything. You know how I am."
"And really, most people wouldn't get involved in something like that. Not when it's about someone else's family."
"But still— If it were you, Aoki… I don't know. You've always struck me as the kind of guy who can't just sit back and watch. Like, not in a bad way, but you're always doing things no one expects."
"You messaged me out of the blue that one time, turned down a friend request from someone everyone liked, gave me your math textbook when I forgot mine… You're just not like me."
"If a friend of yours was going through something, you'd get involved. And then you'd find a way to fix it."