The sun had long dipped beneath the horizon, leaving streaks of purple and gold behind.
The crackle of the bonfire was the only sound that filled the clearing as the group settled in on wooden logs and foldable chairs arranged in a wide circle.
Marshmallows were passed around on skewers, along with chocolate squares and graham crackers.
Takeshi brought out a guitar, strumming a lazy tune while the firelight danced across faces and shadows flickered over the nearby trees.
Kazumi was holding his marshmallow too close to the flame—again.
"Dude." Takeshi deadpanned, "you're not summoning spirits, back off."
"It's not burnt yet!" Kazumi argued, the marshmallow promptly catching fire.
Takeshi burst into laughter.
Makoto, sitting beside him, leaned closer with a grin. "Did you know marshmallow arson is a serious crime?"
Takeshi wiped tears of laughter from the corner of his eye. "Should we report him?"
From across the circle, Akihiko sat in a relaxed lean, long legs stretched out in front of him, fingers loosely curled around a skewer.
His marshmallow was perfectly golden—of course it was.
Ayaka tried not to look, but then he caught her eye.
She quickly turned back to her s'more, heart skipping.
Keiko clapped her hands. "Alright! Time for the classic—truth or dare!"
"YES!" Kazumi pumped a fist. "I've been waiting all day."
Takeshi groaned. "No weird questions this time, Kazumi."
"No promises."
The bottle was found—a random water bottle emptied of its contents—and they placed it in the center of the circle.
Keiko spun first.
The bottle landed on Makoto.
"Truth or dare?" she grinned.
Makoto rolled up his sleeves dramatically. "Dare."
Keiko smirked. "I dare you to serenade the person sitting two places to your right."
Makoto blinked, counted, and grinned when he saw it was Ayaka.
"Oh?" he said, smirking at her. "I guess fate just wants me to humiliate myself."
Ayaka laughed, hiding behind her marshmallow stick. "Don't you dare."
But Makoto grabbed the guitar from Takeshi strummed a few chords, and launched into a soft, husky-voiced version of a popular love ballad.
He even winked at Ayaka halfway through.
Ayaka hid her face in her knees.
Kazumi was practically howling. "HE'S ACTUALLY GOOD."
Even Akihiko cracked a faint smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
The game continued, spiraling into silly dares—Kazumi was made to do ten jumping jacks while holding a burnt marshmallow in his mouth, Takeshi had to do a slow-motion run around the camp, and Keiko had to hug a tree and confess her love to it.
Then it was Ayaka's turn to spin the bottle.
It landed on—of course—Akihiko.
Everyone ooohed dramatically.
Ayaka blinked, heart stuttering. "T-Truth or dare?"
Akihiko stared at her across the fire.
His silver hair glowed gold in the firelight, the shadows emphasizing the curve of his jaw and the calm steadiness in his blue eyes.
"…Truth." he said quietly.
The group leaned in, curious.
Ayaka paused.
Her fingers tightened around her stick, the marshmallow long forgotten.
"…Why did you join this camping trip?" she asked, voice softer than she meant.
There was a beat of silence.
Everyone was still.
Even the fire seemed quiet.
Akihiko's eyes never left hers.
"Because you're here." he said simply.
Ayaka's throat caught.
The group burst into teasing howls and whistles, but her ears were roaring.
Ayaka glanced down quickly, unable to meet anyone's eyes.
Gasps. Whoops. Kazumi fell over laughing. "BRO."
Ayaka's heart pounded against her ribs.
She looked down, ears burning.
Makoto said nothing, but his gaze had sharpened slightly.
Keiko let out a long, satisfied hum. "Now that's how you drop a truth bomb."
The game moved on, but Ayaka's thoughts didn't.
She caught herself glancing at Akihiko over and over.
He was half-lit by firelight, half-lost in shadows, like a dream she hadn't figured out yet.
Later, after one more round of marshmallows and Takeshi's soft strumming from Josie, the group began to stretch and yawn.
Blankets were pulled tighter, the fire began to die down, and the stars blinked brighter above them.
But the firelight in Ayaka's chest still hadn't gone out.
------
The vans were packed.
Sleeping bags stowed, tents folded, the lingering scent of campfire smoke clinging to everyone's clothes.
The morning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows as the group prepared for the drive back to Tokyo.
As everyone began to board the vehicles, there was a soft shift in the air—something different this time.
Akihiko, without saying a word, walked straight past the usual open spot beside Kazumi and slid into the seat next to Ayaka.
Ayaka blinked in surprise, eyes darting toward him.
"…You sure you want to sit here?" she asked quietly, heart already picking up speed.
Akihiko gave her a small, nonchalant glance. "Why? You planning to kick me out?"
She smiled despite herself. "You're the one who always picks the back corner."
"I felt like changing things up." he murmured, leaning his head slightly against the seat.
From across the aisle, Makoto paused mid-step.
His gaze locked on the two of them.
Ayaka, so naturally leaning toward Akihiko without realizing it.
Akihiko, finally allowing himself to be near her again without hiding in his cold, untouchable silence.
Makoto's fingers curled slightly at his side before he turned, wordlessly slipping into the seat next to Kazumi.
The van hummed to life, pulling out onto the winding road.
The forest blurred past the window, but Makoto didn't look outside.
He tilted his head back and exhaled, the sharp ache in his chest refusing to dull.
"You okay?" Kazumi asked after a few minutes, chewing on a gum wrapper and glancing sideways.
Makoto forced a smile. "Yeah."
Kazumi raised an eyebrow. "Terrible liar."
Makoto didn't answer right away.
His gaze drifted once more to where Ayaka and Akihiko were sharing something on her phone—laughing softly about some blurry group photos.
"…Were they always that close?" he asked quietly, his voice almost drowned out by the music playing up front.
Kazumi's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then he looked ahead.
"They were..." he said. "Closer than anyone realized."
Makoto stayed silent.
Kazumi shrugged a little. "I used to like Ayaka too, you know."
Makoto's head turned toward him, eyes slightly wide. "…Seriously?"
Kazumi nodded. "Back then. I always liked girls like her—bright, warm, the kind who talked too much when she was nervous."
He laughed at the memory. "But I didn't stand a chance. Not with that guy around."
He tilted his chin toward Akihiko's direction.
Makoto's jaw tensed, but he didn't speak.
Kazumi looked at him then, more serious than usual.
"But listen… I'm not telling you to give up."
Makoto glanced at him.
"I gave up." Kazumi said plainly. "I knew I couldn't beat him. But you—you're different."
Makoto frowned slightly. "How?"
"You're Moonlight Sonata, the king of romance novels!" Kazumi said, smirking faintly. "You were there when the Ice Prince wasn't."
Makoto blinked.
He opened his mouth to respond—but nothing came out.
Kazumi looked away again, letting the words sink in.
"You comforted her, light fireworks for her, always there for here."
"…But the way she looks at him."
Kazumi shrugged. "Yeah... But Ayaka hasn't decided anything yet!"
The van turned a sharp curve.
Ayaka's laugh rang through the cabin again—light, carefree.
Akihiko leaned closer to say something, his silver hair falling slightly over his eyes.
Makoto looked down at his hands.
He still didn't know if Kazumi's words gave him hope—or made the ache sharper.
But he appreciated the honesty.
Kazumi leaned back, hands behind his head. "I want to cheer you on but I prefer to be neutral since both of you are my friends."
Makoto chuckled softly. "I wasn't asking for a cheerleader."
"Good." Kazumi grinned. "Because I'd be a terrible one."
As the van rumbled onward toward Tokyo, the sun rose higher—and with it, the quiet promise of unresolved feelings, of stories not yet finished.
And somewhere in that moving world of dusty roads and shared glances, something had shifted.
------
The vans rolled to a stop, the familiar skyline of Tokyo unfolding in the distance.
Everyone climbed out with a mixture of yawns, stretches, and reluctant smiles—none quite ready to leave behind the warmth of the trip, the laughter of the bonfire, or the memories of confessions and quiet glances under the stars.
Suitcases were dragged out.
Sleeping bags were slung over shoulders.
The air was filled with the rustle of bags and the low hum of people murmuring their goodbyes.
"Alright!" Yuki clapped her hands, still glowing with happiness, her engagement ring catching the sunlight.
"We'll send all the wedding details in the group chat, okay? So please check your messages for once, Takeshi."
Takeshi raised a hand with a mock offense. "I'm quite popular our group chat is being flooded."
"Keep in touch from now on." Yuki stuck out her tongue playfully, before hugging Keiko, then Ayaka.
Ayaka held her a second longer. "I'm really happy for you, Yuki."
Yuki beamed. "You better cry at the ceremony. I'm counting on your emotional breakdown."
Ayaka laughed. "You're cruel."
"I know." Yuki smirked, then turned to greet the others.
As people began to say their final goodbyes and scatter to waiting taxis or cars, Ayaka pulled her duffel bag over one shoulder.
She paused near the curb, brushing her hair from her eyes.
"I can give you a ride." Makoto said, stepping up beside her with that effortless charm, his tone gentle. "If you haven't called one yet."
Ayaka looked up, slightly startled, but smiled. "Ah… I haven't. That would be… nice."
Just as Makoto opened his mouth to say more, a sharp ringtone cut through the air.
Akihiko, a few feet away, checked his phone.
His eyes narrowed slightly at the screen.
"Emergency shift..." he said under his breath.
Ayaka turned toward the voice, her smile faltering just a little.
Akihiko looked up from his phone, gaze meeting hers for a fleeting second.
Something unreadable passed between them—something soft and sharp all at once.
Then he turned to Makoto.
"…Take her home safely." he said firmly.
Makoto's brows lifted slightly in surprise, but he nodded. "Of course."
Akihiko gave a faint nod in return, then adjusted his coat.
He didn't linger.
He didn't offer excuses or promises.
Just a quiet glance toward Ayaka as he stepped past her—his voice barely audible as he said, "…Rest well."
She turned her head, catching the last glimpse of his retreating figure as he disappeared into the crowd, the city already swallowing him whole again.
A beat of silence hung in the air.
Makoto cleared his throat, offering her a kind smile. "Shall we?"
Ayaka looked at him, then toward where Akihiko had stood, then back at Makoto. She nodded slowly.
"…Yeah. Let's go."
As they walked toward his car, Ayaka glanced at her phone screen, which was still blank.
No messages from Akihiko.
Nothing new.
Just the memory of his voice, low and calm: "Take her home safely."
Makoto opened the car door for her.
She got in, feeling the emptiness of the front passenger seat beside her—and the warmth of the lingering memories from the trip.
And even as the city rose up to meet them again, she couldn't help but wonder…
Why did it feel like she wants Akihiko to be the one who takes her home?