A weekend afternoon. The plaza in front of the station was moderately crowded with shoppers and people meeting up. The autumn sunlight reflected off the large glass walls of the station building, and the shadows of passersby crossed the pavement. Every time the ticket gates opened, a wave of people flowed into the plaza, scattering in different directions. The scent of coffee wafting from the cafes along the street mingled with light music playing from one of the shops. Amidst the flow of people, two men were walking side by side.

Haruki Tsuda stated this as if it were the most natural thing in the world, turning his face toward the station building's directory. His light ash hair swayed with every step, and the row of piercings in his ears caught the sunlight. Not much time had passed since they finished lunch, but for Haruki, that and this were two different matters. While looking at the floor lined with restaurants, he started piling up reasons to eat strawberry daifuku by himself, talking about how the seasonal flavor was supposed to be great and how it was perfectly fine for two guys to eat them together. Junya Saeki, walking beside him, tucked his smartphone into his pocket while half-ignoring the chatter. He had a build a size larger than Haruki's and wore unadorned clothing. In a crowded place, he naturally drew eyes, but he didn't seem to care about the surrounding gazes. Since high school, Haruki had always blurted out whatever came to mind. If Junya brushed him off, he'd bring up another logic; if Junya poked a hole in that, he'd find the next. Junya, who had been dealing with this for years, no longer bothered to face him head-on every time. Still, he didn't ignore him completely, occasionally tossing back a short retort. Every time he did, Haruki would laugh happily. Noticing Junya's mouth relax slightly for a moment, Haruki immediately peeked at his face from the side. He even came up with his own logic that if Junya smiled, it was proof he was in the mood for strawberry daifuku.