The morning sun streamed through Hiro's bedroom window, painting warm stripes across the wooden floor. He stood before his mirror, rolling his shoulders, then extending his arms slowly to the sides. The faint, silvery lines across his ribs and shoulder blade—remnants of the deep lacerations from the warehouse fight—were the only proof anything had happened at all. They were already fading, blending into the tapestry of old scars and new skin. Beast folk healing was, as his mother often said, a quiet miracle.
"How do you feel?"
Hiro turned. His mother leaned against the doorframe, a teacup cradled in her hands. Her eyes, the same warm brown as his, scanned him with a mixture of clinical assessment and maternal worry.
"Perfect," Hiro said, and he meant it. The stiffness was gone. The phantom ache had vanished days ago. "Like nothing happened."
A soft smile touched her lips. "Beast folk healing is remarkable. But don't test its limits again anytime soon, okay?"
Before he could answer, his phone buzzed insistently on the dresser. He picked it up. The screen lit up with a cascade of notifications from the group chat titled "THE PACK ."
TAKESHI: GUYS. I DID IT. I SAVED UP ENOUGH! LET'S GO TO NAGASHIMA SPA LAND!
YUKI : OMG OMG OMG YES!!! THE HUGE WATER PARK?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
KAEDE : I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO! THE SLIDES LOOK INSANE!
LOLO: That's a wonderful idea, Takeshi. I'll help with costs if anyone needs it.
LUNA : When are you thinking?
TAKESHI: THIS SATURDAY! IS EVERYONE FREE? SAY YES!
Hiro's thumb hovered over the screen. A water park. A whole day, out in the open, with everyone. No shadows, no threats. Just… fun. The concept felt foreign and dazzling. A grin spread across his face.
HIRO: I'm in.
Saturday morning bloomed bright and cloudless, a perfect day for water. The group converged at the train station, a burst of color and energy against the sterile grey concrete. Hiro wore simple black swim trunks under a loose grey t-shirt, a towel slung over his shoulder. Luna stood beside him in a light sundress that swayed around her knees, her white-tipped tail creating a small, eager arc behind her. Yuki bounced in place, her sundress covered in little strawberries, while Kaede radiated summer energy in denim shorts and a orange tank top. Lolo looked effortlessly elegant in a linen cover-up.
Takeshi arrived last, looking uncharacterually flustered. Clinging to each of his hands was a small child.
"Guys," he began, his ears tinged with red. "I am so, so sorry. My mom's business trip got extended. There was no one else…"
The little girl, about eight, beamed up at them with Takeshi's same bright eyes. The boy, maybe six, peered out from behind his brother's leg, clutching a toy dolphin.
"Water park!" the girl chirped.
"Big brother said there's giant slides!" the boy added, his voice a mix of awe and trepidation.
The collective tension melted away. Kaede cooed, Yuki clasped her hands together, and Luna immediately knelt down, her wolf ears tilting forward gently.
"They're adorable!" Luna said, her voice softening. "What are your names?"
"I'm Momo!" the girl announced.
The boy shuffled a bit. "Ren."
Hiro clapped a hand on Takeshi's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. More the merrier. We'll all keep an eye out."
The relief on Takeshi's face was palpable. "Thanks, man. Seriously."
The train ride to Kuwana City was a symphony of chatter, laughter, and the endless, hopeful questions of children.
"Are we there yet?"
"Not yet,Momo."
"How about now?"
"Still no,Ren."
The adults laughed, the rhythm of the journey absorbing the kids' impatience. Hiro found himself seated next to Luna, the landscape blurring past the window. She watched it with a quiet intensity, her tail giving an occasional, soft thump against the seat.
"I've never been to a water park before," she said, almost to herself.
Hiro turned. "Really?"
She shook her head, a few strands of silver hair escaping her loose bun. "Beast folk districts don't have places like this. They're… expensive. And human-centric. The public pools near our neighborhood are always crowded and…" She trailed off, but Hiro understood. They were places where stares could be harsh, and whispers could cut deeper than claws.
A protective warmth spread through his chest. "Then we'll make today unforgettable," he said, his voice firm.
Luna looked at him, her golden eyes catching the sunlight. Her smile was small but radiant, and her tail wagged in a steady, happy tempo against his leg.
Nagashima Spa Land unfurled before them like a dream made of colorful plastic, roaring water, and screaming joy. Towers of twisting slides pierced the blue sky. The thunderous crash of wave pools and the delighted shrieks of thousands of visitors created a cacophonous, welcoming anthem.
"It's HUGE!" Yuki gasped, spinning in a circle.
"Where do we even start?!" Kaede cried, vibrating with energy.
Lolo calmly produced a meticulously folded park map. "I took the liberty of researching. The must-sees are the Typhoon Harbor wave pool, the Adventure River lazy river, and the six-story Master Blaster slides. I suggest a clockwise route."
Momo jumped up and down, pulling on Takeshi's hand. "I wanna go on ALL of them!"
"Me too!"Ren echoed, his earlier shyness drowned in excitement.
After a quick group huddle, they split to change. The boys' side was a study in efficient simplicity. The girls' side, however, buzzed with a different energy.
When they reconvened at the designated meeting spot, Hiro felt his brain short-circuit.
Yuki emerged in a frilly pink bikini that suited her bubbly energy. Kaede's orange two-piece had a clever, stylish cut that hinted at her fox heritage. Lolo looked like she'd stepped off a magazine cover in a sleek white one-piece.
Then there was Luna.
She wore a two-piece swimsuit in a deep, ocean blue that made her silver hair and white fur glow. It was modest but undeniably flattering, with a high-waisted bottom and a top that provided support without being flashy. A discreet opening accommodated her tail, which now swayed gently behind her. The simple blue bracelet he'd given her for Valentine's Day was tied securely around her wrist. She was breathtaking.
Hiro froze. His mouth went dry. All the blood in his body seemed to rush to his face.
She's… she's…
Luna noticed his stare and crossed her arms slightly, a blush blooming on her cheeks. "Is it… too much?" she asked, her ears flattening a little.
"No!" The word burst out of him, too loud. He cleared his throat, forcing his eyes to meet hers instead of lingering elsewhere. "No. You look… you look really great."
Behind them, Kaede muffled a giggle into Yuki's shoulder. "He's so obvious!"
"It's adorable,"Yuki whispered back, not quietly enough.
The day dissolved into a blur of liquid joy. In the Typhoon Harbor, Kaede and Lolo shrieked with laughter as artificial waves crashed over them, floating on their backs like contented otters.
"Thank you for including me," Lolo said during a calm moment, her voice unusually soft. "I… don't have many real friends."
Kaede splashed water playfully at her. "You're part of the pack now, silly! We stick together!"
Meanwhile, Luna and Yuki became slide conquistadors. They raced up the endless stairs, waited in the winding lines, and launched themselves down the twisting, pitch-dark tubes of the Master Blaster, their synchronized screams of terror and delight echoing in the chambers. They emerged at the bottom, gasping and laughing, and immediately ran back to do it again.
Hiro and Takeshi stationed themselves in the kiddie area with Momo and Ren. The world here was smaller, safer, full of miniature slides and gentle fountains. Hiro watched Takeshi, usually so laid-back, transform into the world's most enthusiastic cheerleader as Momo mastered a tiny curving slide.
"Big brother! Watch me!" Momo yelled.
"I'm watching!Go, go, GO!"
The splash was small but triumphant.
"My turn!" Ren declared, puffing out his little chest.
Hiro felt a deep, settled contentment. "They're having the time of their lives."
Takeshi ruffled his own hair,smiling. "Thanks for not minding. I know this wasn't the 'cool' trip you all signed up for."
"Are you kidding?"Hiro said, catching Ren as he barreled into his legs. "They're the best part."
The dynamic shifted when Lolo returned from a concession stand visit, her arms laden with an arsenal of high-capacity water guns.
"I thought we could use some structured competition," she announced primly, though her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Chaos, beautiful and soaking wet, ensued. Teams formed and dissolved. Alliances were made and betrayed. Momo and Ren, the smallest and most underestimated, became a tactical nightmare, darting between legs and launching surprise attacks. In the end, the adults surrendered en masse to the giggling, victorious siblings.
"Okay, okay! You win!" Hiro laughed, raising his hands as Momo squirted him squarely in the chest for the tenth time.
Exhausted and waterlogged, they finally drifted together on the Adventure River, a slow, meandering current carrying them in a lazy circle. Hiro floated on his back, the sun warm on his face, the sounds of the park muffled by the water in his ears.
"I haven't enjoyed myself this much since I was a kid," he murmured.
Luna floated beside him on a rented tube, one hand trailing in the water. "Really?"
"Really.I was always hiding. Holding part of myself back. But today…" He looked around at his friends—Yuki and Kaede splashing each other, Takeshi letting Ren steer his tube, Lolo smiling peacefully at the sky. "Today I just feel… free."
Takeshi snorted from a nearby tube. "Don't get all sappy on us, man. You'll make me cry into the chlorinated water."
Everyone laughed, the sound blending with the ripple of the river.
As the sun began to dip, painting the sky in oranges and pinks, exhaustion finally claimed them. The consensus was unanimous: they needed drinks before the journey home.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" Yuki declared. "Losers buy for everyone!"
After a fierce,multi-round tournament, Hiro and Takeshi stood defeated.
"The universe is cruel," Takeshi moaned, but he was still grinning.
They returned from the concession stand laden with drinks, passing them out to the tired, happy group. On the bus ride home, the gentle rocking and the day's exertions took their toll. Yuki and Kaede dozed off against each other. Takeshi sat sandwiched between his sleeping siblings, a look of pure, weary contentment on his face.
Hiro took a window seat. Luna slid in beside him. Lolo took the seat directly behind them.
For a while, they talked in soft murmurs about the best slide, the funniest moment. Then, the murmurs ceased. Hiro felt a gentle weight settle on his right shoulder. He turned his head slowly.
Luna was asleep. Her silver lashes fanned against her cheeks, her lips slightly parted. Her head nestled perfectly in the crook of his shoulder, her wolf ear twitching occasionally with some dream. Her scent—rain and summer grass—was soft and calming.
His heart performed a complicated, thrilling acrobatic routine. She's asleep on my shoulder.
Then, another weight, on his left shoulder. He glanced to the other side.
Lolo had leaned forward from her seat, her head now resting on his left shoulder, also fast asleep, looking serene and elegant even in slumber.
Hiro sat perfectly still, trapped in the best possible prison. His face burned. He couldn't move a muscle without disturbing one of them.
Across the aisle, Kaede and Yuki were very much awake. They spotted him. Kaede's eyes went wide, and she silently pulled out her phone, snapping a picture. Yuki covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Hiro shot them a desperate, pleading look.
Help me! he mouthed.
They just waved cheerfully and went back to their phones, giggling.
He was doomed. But as the initial panic subsided, a profound warmth took its place. He carefully, so carefully, adjusted his posture to make them both more comfortable. Luna sighed in her sleep, nuzzling closer. Lolo's breathing remained deep and even.
He looked at Luna's peaceful face, then at the reflection of Lolo's in the dark window. A quiet smile touched his lips.
"Thank you," he whispered into the humming dark of the bus, "for being in my life."
He let his head lean back against the seat, the vibrations of the road lulling him, surrounded by the warmth of his friends, and drifted into a contented sleep.
From across the aisle, Takeshi, one of the last awake, watched the scene. He smiled to himself, shifting so Momo could sleep more comfortably against him.
This guy, he thought, has no idea how lucky he is.
On Monday morning, the pack reclaimed their spot on the school rooftop. The usual lunchtime quiet was replaced with vibrant recountings of the weekend.
"That wave pool was INCREDIBLE! I felt like I was in the ocean!" Yuki said, waving a carrot stick for emphasis.
"The slides!I dreamt about them!" Kaede added. "I want to go back next weekend!"
Takeshi laughed,rubbing his neck. "Momo and Ren won't stop talking about it. They've asked if we can move there."
Luna sat quietly, peeling a mandarin orange. She looked across the circle at Hiro. "It was," she said, her voice clear and sure, "the best day of my life."
The chatter softened. Everyone looked at her, then at Hiro.
"Thank you," she said directly to him. "For making it so special."
Hiro held her gaze, the memory of her asleep on his shoulder flashing in his mind. "Anytime," he said, and the word felt like a promise.
"We should do it again," Lolo suggested, brushing crumbs from her lap. "Perhaps a beach trip next summer?"
A chorus of enthusiastic agreement rose from the group.
Later, in the classroom, Hiro scrolled through his phone. He stopped on a photo from the day: all of them, lined up and soaking wet, arms around each other's shoulders, grinning wildly at Kaede's outstretched phone. Momo was making a peace sign on Takeshi's back. Ren was mid-giggle. Luna was smiling so widely her eyes were crinkled shut. Lolo's elegant composure was broken by a genuine, bright laugh. And he, Hiro, stood in the middle, looking more relaxed and happy than he could ever remember being.
'A year ago,' he thought, the noise of the classroom fading around him, 'I was alone. Hiding in plain sight. Afraid of everything I was.'
He looked up. Across the room, Luna was tapping her pencil against her notebook, listening to the teacher. As if sensing his gaze, she glanced over. She met his eyes, and a soft, private smile touched her lips. She gave a small, almost imperceptible wave.
'Now… I have this. Friends. Laughter. A place where I belong.'
He smiled down at the photo again, his thumb brushing over the pixelated, joyful faces.
'Thank you, Luna,' he thought, his heart full. 'For being the first to truly see me.'
The future, for once, didn't feel like something to brace against. It felt like a clear, sun-drenched pool, waiting for him to dive in.