You stand still, feeling anxiety building in your chest. Baji stares at you with wide eyes. He takes a few steps forward. His breathing sounds a bit shaky. He tilts his head a bit, examining you.
"What are you doing here?" He questions. You stare at him, feeling anxious. You can't tell if his tone sounded genuinely curious or if he's upset to see you.
"Uh... Draken... invited me." You slowly say. Baji slowly looks towards Draken, who is staring back at him.
"She put something in the capsule too... so I thought it would be fair if she also came." Draken adds.
"YUKI!" Chifuyu rushes towards you, tightly hugging you. "HaHa! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!" He sniffles. "I thought you forgot about us!" Your eyes widen and then soften. You wrap your arms around him. Baji stares at you for a bit before turning away.
"Peh, throw me the shovel..." Baji says loudly. Peh-yan tosses him the shovel and Baji starts digging up the spot.
"Hey Yuki." Mitsuya says, his eyes teary. You smile at him. Chifuyu lets you go, allowing you to walk up to Mitsuya. He wraps his arms around you, hugging you.
"You've grown a lot." He smiles.
"So have you." You smile back at him. "And your hair is black." You say, pointing at his hair.
"Yeah, I dyed it." He smiles.
"Everyone's hair is black... is this a theme?" You question, smiling. Mitsuya shakes his head and shrugs.
"Didn't think you'd come back." Peh-yan says, patting your shoulder hard. "It's good to see you again."
Pah-chin stares at you, his eyes narrowing a bit.
"Oh, yeh... you guys haven't gotten to know each other, eh?"
"I know about her... Mitsuya spoke about her often..."
"Haha... it wasn't that much." Mitsuya awkwardly laughs. Baji clenches his hands tighter around the shovel.
"I dug it up." Baji shouts, interrupting the reunion. He grabs the capsule, preparing to open it. He furrows his eyebrows a bit when he realizes the tape on the box is gone.
"Didn't I tape it closed?" Baji asks. Draken walks towards him, looking at it.
"I don't remember, but it doesn't matter. Open it." He motions. Baji nods and opens it. He lays everything out. "Grab what's yours." He says. You wait for everyone to grab their stuff before grabbing yours. You reach inside the box, pulling out the stuff you placed inside. The bear keychains. One bear is holding a red heart, and the other is holding a lavender pink one. Your eyes soften when staring at them.
You grab your letter. You slide down, looking at it. Everyone is chatting around you. You zone out, staring at the two bear keychains.
"Yuki." Chifuyu softly says. You slowly look up.
"What did you put inside the time capsule?" He asks. You slowly hold out two bear keychains. Draken's eyes widen when he sees them.
"It's the keychains Emma picked out... the red one is supposed to be Mikey's and the other is mine... it matched with the one that's supposed to be for Draken and Emma. She mentioned having a future, the four of us together." You softly say. Draken's eyes soften. You open your note, reading it.
"Everyone should read their notes out loud." Pah-chin says. You stare down at your note while listening to everyone's notes.
"Baji, your turn." Chifuyu smiles.
"My note is ruined..." He says, shoving it into his pocket.
"Really?" Chifuyu looks at him, confused.
"Really." Baji glares at Chifuyu.
"I think he's shy." Peh-yan laughs, teasing him a bit.
"Shut up, Pah." Baji glares at Pah-chin.
"WHAT? I didn't even say anything?" He huffs.
"You were thinking it."
"Uh- tch." Pah-chin crosses his arms.
"What about you, Yuki?" Draken asks. You slowly look up at Draken and then down at the paper. You frown a bit, looking at it. You take a deep breath, staring at the paper, tears filling your eyes. You take a deep breath, preparing to read.
"Hi, future me, are you still the same? Did you learn everything you wanted to know? How is Emma doing? Is she better? Is she married to Draken yet? How are Chifuyu and Baji? Are they doing well? How is Mikey? Is Mitsuya a designer yet? Are you and Izana running the bakery together?" You stare at the paper, pausing a bit. "Have you found Takemichi like you promised Hina? How are you...? Did you get everything you wanted? Did you pick the right choice?" You pause, staring at the last question. Did I? You take a deep breath, continuing to read.
"I was afraid of leaving everything behind... I was afraid things would be too different when I come back... but I hope whatever I choose to do... and what everyone else chooses to do is right... as long as everyone is happy, then I'll also be happy." You stop reading, staring down at the paper. You take a deep breath, folding the paper, putting it back into the envelope.
Everyone stares at you. You slightly smile and then stand up.
"I should probably get going." You softly say. You pull out your phone, checking the time. "I have to go to the dinner..." You say, looking at Draken. "I'm really happy I got to see everyone again." You smile.
"You're leaving already?" Chifuyu says in shock.
"I'm sorry..." You frown.
"Well... come back to see us again... okay?" Chifuyu quickly says.
"Yeah!" Mitsuya says loudly. "Don't forget that we are always here." He smiles. You nod, walking off into the distance. Baji's eyes narrow as he grips his pants tightly. He stands up, looking in the box, grabbing out Mikey's note.
"Yuki." Baji says loudly. You look back at him. He holds out the letter.
"You should take Mikey's letter with you."
"Huh... but-"
"Just take it." He places it into your hand.
"You have five minutes until seven." Draken shouts. Your eyes widen, and you take the note, quickly turning around.
"Bye bye." You wave, smiling at them. They wave back at you. You rush down the stairs, following behind Draken. Once you both make it to the shop, he drives you to the place you were staying at.
Takeomi furrows his eyebrows when he sees your dad walk in without you.
"Hey." He smiles, looking at your dad.
"Hey."
"Where's Yuki?"
"Oh, she's out with friends earlier. She should be on her way... she texted me."
"She went out?" Takeomi asks, his eyes narrowed.
"Yeah. She wanted to reminisce with them." Your father smiles. Takeomi's eyes narrow. His face relaxes, and a smile grows on his face.
"That's nice." Takeomi softly says. "Enjoy dinner... I'm sure she will be here soon." Your father walks in, smiling and nodding. Takeomi smiles at your father, watching him go towards a table. He grabs his phone and walks off towards a corner, preparing to call Izana. He holds up the phone as it rings.
"Hello?" Izana says through the phone.
"Do you know where Yuki could possibly be?" Takeomi asks.
"Isn't she with you all?" Izana asks.
"No... she didn't show up. Her father said she went out to reminisce with friends."
"..."
"Do you know where she would be?"
"Probably with Baji... or that girl... uh, the girl that visits the bakery from time to time, asking how Yuki is."
"What girl?"
"Uh... she said her name was Manami or something..."
"Well... can you get in touch with-" Takeomi pauses when he notices someone in the distance.
"Hello?"
"Actually... nevermind... make sure she doesn't come." Takeomi says in a low tone.
"Everything ok?"
"Yeah... Just someone I didn't expect to show... showed."
"..."
"Text me when you find her." Takeomi says before hanging up. He walks towards the man walking in. The man looks towards Takeomi, his pink hair moving slightly as he looks at him. His green eyes bore into Takeomi's.
"Hi... big bro." Sanzu says, smiling at Takeomi.
"What are you doing here?" Takeomi asks.
"Just wanting to see the family you're marrying into." He smiles. "You know... wanting to be here to support my brother."
"Mmm..." Takeomi hums as he looks in the distance to see Hikari talking to her relatives.
"Hikari... is she going to be an Akashi or are you taking her last name?"
"..." Takeomi stares at Hikari and looks at Sanzu. "She's taking my last name." Takeomi answers. Sanzu smiles. His eyes drift around the room, looking for a familiar face.
"She's not here." Takeomi says.
"Hm? She didn't want to show up to her Aunt's wedding?" Sanzu calmly asks, still looking around the room.
"No... I guess not."
"That's a bummer." Sanzu softly says.
"Is that why you came? Is that all?"
"No, I came to enjoy the night... is that okay?" He smiles, popping a pill into his mouth. His eyes narrow; they're smiling a bit at Takeomi. Takeomi sighs and smiles back.
"Alright."
You stand outside the place, realizing the door is locked. You sigh, rubbing your head.
"You okay?" Draken shouts up to you. You sigh, turning to look at him.
"I don't know... the door is locked." You sigh.
"Do you know where the dinner is going to be?" Draken asks. You sigh and shake your head. Your eyes widen when you see a car pull up beside Draken. The window lowers. Draken flinches, and Izana sticks his head forward.
"Hey, Yuki." He says.
"Hi."
"Change of plans." He pushes the door open for you to get in.
"What do you mean?" You question.
"You're going back to Osaka."
"What?"