New Days

"We will arrive at the Yasogami terminal in a few minutes. Passengers headed for Inaba and Yasoinaba Station; please go to the other side of the platform."

The nasal voice that crackled over the speakers was familiar. Yuu Narukami plucked his earphones out of his ears and winded them around his mp3 player before tucking the device safely away inside his bag, which was resting on the seat next to him. He then shouldered his bag and obediently moved to the other side of the platform with a select few other passengers. Yuu was typically a really calm guy. But in that moment, he couldn’t help but tap his foot in anticipation. The train was delayed a half an hour and he actually found himself growing impatient. Fortunately he managed to contact Dojima before he left his house for the station—he wouldn’t have to wait around for him too long.

Normally when Yuu moved to a new place, he would make a few friends while still keeping his distance from them. Aside from his parents, he’d never really been extremely close to anyone.

Inaba was a different case entirely. No one could replace the friends he’d made in Inaba.

Life was somewhat dull when he’d moved back in with his parents. No doubt, he was happy to spend some time with his parents. But something was… missing. Phone calls were just about as close as he could get to his friends when he was away. It’d been more than a year since he’d seen his friends in person.

Luckily, Dojima had invited him to spend his entire summer vacation in Inaba. His Uncle most likely knew that he wanted to come back based on what his parents would say over the phone. ‘He’s never been attached to a place as much as he’s been attached to Inaba.’ ‘He really misses playing with Nanako.’ ‘He has so many friends in Inaba… More than he’s had in any other place we moved to in the past.’

And on top of that, Dojima had seen for himself how close he and his friends were. He understood that although spending summer vacation in a place like Inaba would be a disappointment for some teenagers, it wouldn’t be for Yuu. And that was why he was generous enough to let Yuu spend the entire summer at his residence.

The jolt of the train coming to a halt drove Yuu out of his thoughts. A small, somewhat distant smile crossed his features as the train’s doors slid open with a gentle hiss. Passengers filed out and he quickly fell into step with them.

The first thing Yuu noticed when he exited the train was the fresh air. He moved away from the train so that he wouldn’t block other passengers from coming through. When he found a place to stand, he began to glance about for anyone familiar.

---

Chie bounced from her right foot to her left foot out of habit after she’d pocketed her cell phone. “He said that he’ll be here any minute now.” She informed the others cheerily. “I can’t believe it’s been more than a year now. I wonder if he’ll be surprised to see all of us waiting here for him?”

“Sensei is going to be so bear-y surprised to see us!” Teddie flailed his arms around excitedly. He spun around a few times before stopping himself, narrowing his eyes as he tapped his forefinger against his chin in thought. “I wonder if he’ll have trouble finding us. I don’t want him to think we a-bear-doned him.”

Naoto noticed a few people staring over at the group—most likely due to Teddie’s behavior. With a sigh, she pulled her hat down a little so that the visor was covering her eyes. “I highly doubt that we’ll go by unnoticed.” She said quietly, almost to her self.

“I still think we should have made him a big welcoming banner! We could’ve adorned it with flashing lights and glitter!” Teddie gushed and pressed his hands up against his cheeks. Naoto could've sworn that his eyes were actually sparkling.

Chie shook her head once before setting a hand against her forehead. “I already told you—making a big flashy sign would completely overwhelm him! He’ll be tired after his trip.”

Teddie turned to face Chie and opened his mouth to reply, but Nanako tiny fingers tugging impatiently on the sleeve of his blouse made him stop. “What is it, Nana-chan?”

“Big Bro!” The pigtailed girl exclaimed, pointing a finger in Yuu’s direction. Sure enough, he had just gotten off the train. He was studying his watch—but the sound of Nanako’s voice made his head jerk up. He blinked once before spotting the lively group.

Together, Teddie and Nanako sped ahead of the group towards him. Chie let a wide grin cross her features and her thoughts of lecturing Teddie disappeared instantly.

“It’s really him!” Chie breathed out, turning back to look at Yukiko, Yosuke, Kanji, Rise and Naoto. She gestured for them to follow her eagerly before she also rushed towards Yuu.

Naoto let a small, sheepish smile cross her features as she followed the rest of the group at a less hasty pace. She was overjoyed to see Senpai, just as everyone else was… However, she knew it’d better if the whole group didn’t trample him all at once. The pint-sized detective winced when she noticed Teddie latch onto Senpai’s shoulders, throwing him off balance and nearly knocking him onto the ground in the process.

"Teddie! You have to be more careful." Chie shook her head in disbelief as she pulled the blond away from him. She smiled brilliantly at Yuu. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Yuu assured her with a smile. He recalled the first time he came to Inaba-- only Nanako and Dojima had been waiting for him. When he noticed Yosuke, Yukiko, Rise, Kanji, Naoto, and Dojima, his smile grew just a little more. "Everyone's here. Have you been waiting long?"

Naoto shook her head as she neared the group. "Not at all." She tipped her hat up just a bit. "It's been too long, Senpai."

Yuu nodded once at her in acknowledgment before glancing at the rest of the group. It seemed amazing to him that everyone had taken the time to gather at the station to greet him.

Yosuke had been growing increasingly restless ever since he heard the news that Yuu would be returning to Inaba for the summer. He had never been the patient type, and it had only taken him a few days after Yuu’s departure before he had become uneasy about the absence of the one he considered to be his best friend. Until recently he had grown accustomed to it. But now when he knew he’d be coming back he could hardly wait to see him.

Life in Inaba was less harsh on him after last year’s events. Thanks to their adventures he had managed to accept a side of himself he never wanted to acknowledge, and he had gained genuine friends. It was something he hadn’t experienced before. Even back when he was living in the city his relationship with his so-called friends there had been fleeting and based on lies. At the time he didn’t realize someone might like him for who he was rather than who he claimed to be.

However even now he had some trouble opening up to people. He would still keep up his cheeky attitude around the former investigation team. The kind of attitude that often earned him threats from Kanji or critical hits to the nads from Chie. He was simply unsure of how else he could interact with them. Though they would all stick together and defend each other when it really counted, Yosuke had a hard time admitting his true feelings to them. This was why he’d probably never voice thoughts like “Chie, I really admire your strength and you’re actually pretty cute.” or “Kanji, you’re actually a cool guy and I honestly don’t mind your strange hobbies anymore.” He feared that if he revealed how much he cared for them all it would make him vulnerable.

It was only around Yuu he had managed to lower his guard. This guy had already seen the worst of him, yet he still accepted him. Because of this he felt like it was safe to be himself without worrying about being judged. It had been a huge relief for his bruised ego, and he missed it. They had kept in touch through calls, but it simply wasn’t the same. And Yosuke knew there was a limit to how many times he could call without seeming clingy. Due to the lesson he had learned after Saki’s disappearance he had grown very aware that he had a tendency to act needy. And while he knew he could count on Yuu to support him he didn’t want to end up becoming a burden. Besides he felt like it would be weird if he relied on him too much. Surely it wasn’t normal for a guy to long for a friend’s company that badly. He better not seem too eager or it would definitely look strange.

---

Finally the long-awaited day arrived. The entire group had gathered to greet him, and though they had all kept in touch it had been a while since they were all together at once. After the murder investigation had ended each of them were busy with their own projects. But today was something none of them could afford to miss.

Even Yukiko had made it despite this being the beginning of the most busy period of the year at the inn, and she felt obliged to help out. Fortunately business was going well and her family had been able to hire more staff. Thus she could afford to take breaks for important events like this. She thought she would be one of the few to act level-headed upon Yuu’s arrival, but in the end she was among the first to scurry over to him along with Chie. When Teddie practically tackled Yuu she couldn’t help but laugh a little at the blonde’s eagerness. There was a time when she would have found such a wild greeting inappropriate, but she was so accustomed to Teddie’s behavior by now she could only find it amusing. “haha sorry I hehehahaha I’m so glad to see you again, Narukami-kun” she said after having managed to muffle her laughter.

She didn’t have time to say anything else before she was interrupted by a loud squeal coming from the brunette next to her. “Senpai! Senpai!” Rise called, practically bouncing up and down like a child “It’s been forever! It’s so good to finally see you” The young idol was still rather smitten with the silver-haired boy. Judging by her behavior one would think Yuu was actually the famous one of the two as she treated him much like how any young girl would treat their favorite movie star.

Kanji followed with a simple “Yo, Senpai”, behaving a lot calmer than certain other members of the group. However it was easy to tell from the smile on his otherwise intimidating face that he was just as excited as the rest. Like Naoto he had figured it was better not to overwhelm the guy. After all he was probably tired after the travel and if everyone were going to fight over his attention at once they’d wear him out.

As soon as the conversation was calming slightly, Yosuke stepped over to give Yuu a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Welcome back, partner” he exclaimed with a grin. Had he not been so afraid of displaying physical affection for a male friend he might have hugged him. Nothing too girly, just a quick hug accompanied with a pat on the back. But it would be far too embarrassing for him. Especially when everyone were gathered. “I-” he started, before quickly correcting himself “I mean, everyone’s missed you.”

Meanwhile Dojima simply watched the spectacle unfold. He sighed and shook his head. He still didn’t understand the fascination all these kids had with his nephew. Sure he was proud of him, but when Yuu had arrived here over a year ago he didn’t seem like he had grown up to be the outgoing type. It was surprising how he had managed to gather such a big group of close friends within that short time.

“I’ll take your luggage.” He offered and motioned towards where his car was parked “I can give you a ride back as well, but I’m guessing you want to walk with your friends?”

Chie shook her head in disbelief, letting out an airy laugh as Yukiko began to giggle hysterically. It was a relief for her to feel this jovial atmosphere coming from her friends. Everyone’s spirits seemed a little less high after Yuu left Inaba. She had tried her best most of the time to get everyone to have some fun—she’d crack some jokes and do funny things purposefully to get her friends to smile. It helped to an extent, but Yuu’s absence seemed to bring everyone in the group into somewhat of a rut. Yuu’s very presence appeared to make everyone just… fit together again.

When Yosuke spoke up, she glanced quickly over at him. He sounded as though he was holding something back… Never mind. The brunette shook the thought off quickly. The situation was kind of overwhelming altogether, who was she to judge anyone? Perhaps she was merely overanalyzing something minor. “Of course we have!” Chie agreed with an energetic nod. “It’s great to see you again, Yuu!”

Yuu tried his best to reply to everyone as they spoke, but instead he’d only managed a glance and a smile or nod before someone else was greeting him. He appreciated the gesture, nonetheless. He’d never had such a large group around to welcome him before—it was almost beyond him when it came to what responses to give his friends without sounding overly repetitive. He wanted to talk to all of his friends about all sorts of things; but they’d have time during the entire summer to do that.

Yuu nodded at Yosuke and then at Chie. They were his first friends in Inaba—even though he wasn’t one to prefer one friend over another, they were the ones he’d spent the most time with and he’d missed that. Sitting in class at his new school was extremely boring and he would frequently wish that Yosuke were sitting there with him, complaining about the lecture. “I’ve missed all of you too.” He smiled at his friends, “I hope we can all catch up over the summer.”

‘Summer… that’s right.’ Chie thought, just a bit solemnly. When she heard the news that Yuu would be coming back to Inaba, she’d been overjoyed to the point where she couldn’t sleep at night. But at the same time, she had to remind herself that he wasn’t ‘permanently’ moving back to Inaba. His visit was temporary—she couldn’t take this special time for granted. Summer went by so quickly… Even so, she let another grin cross her features. She couldn’t let herself sulk at a time like this! It was awful for her to already be thinking of him leaving when he’d only just arrived, after all.

Yuu turned to Dojima when he spoke up. “Oh.” He glanced at his bag, shifted it on his shoulder, and then handed it over to Dojima with a nod of recognition. “Thanks. I appreciate you inviting me to stay for the summer.” He then looked over at his friends, who were all watching him expectantly. He knew he’d feel a bit bad about refusing Dojima’s offer to drive him home, but walking with his friends in Inaba’s fresh air was just what he needed after his trip. “I’ll walk with my friends. I’ll see you at home?”

Nanako tugged hesitantly at her father’s sleeve. “Daddy, can I go with them?” To say the least, Nanako missed having her older cousin around to play with. Although it’d been somewhat lonely for her since he left, Big Bro’s friends played with her from time to time, just as they said they would. And Nanako enjoyed that a lot. Even so—little things, like Yuu’s room being empty of his things and his absence during dinner were painfully noticeable. Suddenly feeling as though she may have been imposing on Yuu and his friends, she turned her head to look at him and blushed a little. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Of course Nana-chan can come with us!” Teddie sang out merrily. He grabbed onto Yuu’s arm and held tight. “We can walk arm in arm, Sensei!” Teddie’d definitely been more bubbly than usual after hearing the news of Yuu’s scheduled return. Although he frequently traveled in and out of the TV, he was sure he’d be spending a lot more time at Junes with the others because of Yuu’s return. He would normally come out in order to spend some time with Yosuke and Kanji and the girls—but ever since Yuu left, it’d been a rare occasion for everyone to be brought together in one place. Yosuke would be busy, Kanji would be sewing something for the textile shop, Naoto would be working on some minor case for the police department, Yukiko would be busy at the inn. It was tough trying to get everyone together sometimes. So Teddie would preoccupy himself in the TV and would come out only on special occasions… or when he needed a bite to eat. He was confident that Sensei being back would bring the whole gang together again.

“What does that even mean?” Chie rubbed the back of her head before shaking it once. “I get it! You want to hog him all to yourself, don’t you?” She crossed her arms and nodded to herself, as though she was confirming that what she was saying was correct.

Naoto observed the group quietly before tugging down on the brim of her hat out of habit. It was still a bit odd for her, being in a group of friends this lively. She was beginning to get used to it, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit out of place at times. Everyone else knew Senpai a bit longer than she did, it’d be natural for him to want to spend more time with the others. As much as she wanted to talk to someone who she was sure would listen to her and take her seriously, she knew that her time to do so wouldn’t occur anytime soon. She wasn’t one to compete for attention, and Senpai’s whole schedule was bound to be full by the end of the week.

Yuu bobbed his head ‘yes’ at Nanako, who was still awaiting his response. He seemed somewhat oblivious to the conversation Chie and Teddie were having nearby. “It’ll be fun.” In return the little girl smiled vibrantly before looking back up at her dad. He had the final say in this matter, after all.