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 mixed 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 piercings lined up on his ears caught the sunlight. Not much time had passed since they finished lunch, but for Haruki, that was a completely separate matter. While looking at the floor lined with restaurants, he started piling up reasons to eat strawberry daifuku on his own—how the seasonal flavors were great, or how it was perfectly fine for two guys to eat them together. Junya Saeki, walking beside him, tucked his smartphone into his pocket while tuning out about half of it. He had a build a size larger than Haruki's and wore unadorned clothing. In crowded places, he naturally drew eyes, but he didn't seem to care about the gazes of those around him. 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 one. Having dealt with this for years, Junya no longer faced him head-on every single 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 peered into 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.