"Go home?" Miyamizu Toshiki turned his head, looking around the room that resembled a monk's austere cell. His expression was a little dazed.
"Yeah. If we go now, Yotsuba should still be awake. She'd be really happy to see you."
Kyousuke didn't bother trying to convince Toshiki to give up his long-standing ambition of changing Itomori Town.
That desire was too deeply rooted—trying to talk him out of it without a maxed-out persuasion skill was pointless.
But if it was just about giving Mitsuha and Yotsuba their father back, then maybe he could do something.
"But… will Yotsuba really forgive me? And what about my mother?"
Toshiki's voice trembled with uncertainty.
He had just revealed so many of his inner thoughts to Kyousuke, parts of himself he'd never shown to anyone.
At this point, there wasn't much pride left to protect.
Judging from his and Futaba's history… he could probably be considered Mitsuha's fiancé by now, right?
Not that he'd ever approve of it, of course.
"Of course she will. Yotsuba's always thought of your absence as a 'temporary runaway.' She never held it against you. She's even tried to convince Mitsuha to reach out, to shake hands and make up."
"Really?" For a man who normally ruled like a decisive mayor, Toshiki suddenly sounded… small. Hesitant. Vulnerable.
"Really. Oh, and there's one more thing you probably don't know, Mitsuha was once helping with a town hall meeting when an old lady gave her a hard time."
"She accused the sisters of being unfilial because they weren't living with their father."
"What!?" Even though Toshiki had once had similar thoughts himself, hearing someone else say it made him furious.
"And then Mitsuha said—'It's because I love my father and my mother that I stayed. I serve my grandmother on behalf of my late mother and the father who left, so that neither of them would have to bear the burden of being called unfilial.'"
Kyousuke recited the line gently, something he'd once heard from Yukino.
Even now, after replaying those words over and over in his mind, they still moved him deeply.
"'Because I love my father and my mother, I stayed. To serve my grandmother in their place, so they wouldn't be seen as unfilial…'"
Toshiki repeated her words in a whisper.
Then he raised a hand to his face, covering his eyes as tears silently spilled through his fingers.
"Mitsuha…" His voice trembled.
For the longest time, he thought his stubborn daughter had been shackled by the traditions of the Miyamizu Shrine, just like Futaba.
He had even resented that.
But he had never imagined that such a young girl could be carrying such deep thoughts… such selfless love.
Guilt toward his daughter.
Overwhelming emotion.
Anger at himself.
A storm of feelings swirled inside him until Toshiki suddenly looked up, only to be reminded that the one in front of him wasn't his daughter, but some random boy hijacking her body.
"You little punk! If it weren't for you, my daughter wouldn't have gotten dragged into counseling the townsfolk!"
Kyousuke, who had been quietly feeling proud of Mitsuha's growth, blinked in confusion.
Wait, how was this suddenly his fault? Wasn't it Mitsuha who had started this volunteer work on her own?
"It's because of how you acted at school. The townspeople thought the Miyamizu shrine maiden had returned!"
Toshiki growled.
'What?!'
That again?! Kyousuke could practically hear GTO's Eikichi Onizuka revving a motorcycle in his mind, screaming into the distance from sheer stress.
"Let's go. We're going home."
Toshiki didn't really intend to pick a fight.
In fact, he didn't even know how to process the relationship between his daughter and this boy named Kyousuke.
"Oh—do you want me to call a cab?" Kyousuke asked, trying to smooth things over.
"No need. I'll take you on my bike."
"The same bike you rode when you ran away from the shrine?" Kyousuke asked, eyes glinting with curiosity.
Toshiki said nothing.
He just shot Kyousuke a sidelong glare as he grabbed his jacket and headed out.
By the time they stepped outside, the sky had gone completely dark.
Though it had rained yesterday, today's weather in Itomori was clear.
The moon was bright, casting silver light across the roads. Even without streetlamps, they could see just fine.
"This takes me back," Kyousuke said as he settled onto the backseat. "Feels like I've gone back to my childhood."
"I used to carry Mitsuha like this when she was little," Toshiki murmured.
"Really? My dad always drove a car."
"Never thought that after all these years, I'd end up carrying you instead. What rotten luck."
"Hehe."
"Hahaha."
Even the stern father couldn't help but laugh.
Setting aside the body-hijacking situation, from the way Kyousuke conducted himself to his academics, Toshiki had to admit the kid was pretty remarkable.
They chatted casually along the way.
Kyousuke noticed that the man who once shut himself off now seemed… almost normal.
He even started asking about Kyousuke's family, his school, his daily life.
Though he couldn't say much due to the body-swapping secrecy, Kyousuke did his best to share what he could.
His social life? Doing great.
He got along with everyone from upperclassmen at his school to students from other schools. Teachers, too. Not a single person had anything bad to say about him.
His family? Very warm and welcoming.
Mitsuha was probably being spoiled by his mom back in Hokkaido right now, and Hokkaido is famous for its delicious cuisine.
Academics?
Toshiki already knew Kyousuke was a top-tier student. Becoming a math teacher at Itomori High would've been a breeze for someone like him.
"Mitsuha's already met your parents?" Toshiki suddenly honed in on the most crucial detail.
"Yup. When we swapped yesterday, I was on a plane heading to a kendo tournament. My parents came to pick me up at the airport."
"Kendo tournament!?"
"Yup. If the timing's right, they've probably just finished the victory party."
'Victory party?!'
'Why was this kid so confident Mitsuha would do well?'
Toshiki was confused. Was Kyousuke just carrying bags for the team or something? But wait… a kendo tournament?
He tried to recall any recent news.
There hadn't been any kendo events announced lately… wasn't the national middle school tournament scheduled for next month?
"Didn't you just say you're good at kendo?"
"Yup. I'm the team captain."
"You little brat! You threw my daughter into that kind of battlefield?!"
He knew his daughter well.
Mitsuha was the quiet bookworm type, always reading in a corner somewhere.
She only danced Kagura because she had a sense of responsibility. She had zero interest in sports—especially something like kendo.
"Relax, relax. Mitsuha's got this. She's a hundred times tougher than you think!" Kyousuke said cheerfully, gripping the back of the bike.
"…"
Toshiki stayed silent.
Yeah, even though he had kept an eye on Mitsuha and Yotsuba's lives from afar, maybe this kid really did understand his daughter better than he did.
Kyousuke, blissfully unaware of the emotional damage his offhand comments caused, kept rambling about all the delicious Hokkaido dishes he'd looked up online.
"Off the bike!"
While Kyousuke chatted on, they had already crossed Itomori Lake and arrived at the winding mountain road beneath the Miyamizu Shrine.
"Oh." Kyousuke hadn't expected that after joking just yesterday about Yotsuba pushing the bike uphill, he'd actually be the one doing it today.
As they climbed the long slope, Miyamizu Toshiki could feel his heart beating faster.
He'd walked this road countless times while campaigning in the Kozawa district, but today felt entirely different.
He was finally returning to Miyamizu Shrine a place he hadn't set foot in for four years. He was going home, to see Yotsuba and his mother again.
The only regret was that Mitsuha wasn't there.
The thought made him glance back at the young man leisurely pushing the bicycle and looking around like it was just another day.
Toshiki was grateful to Kyousuke for helping him mend the rift with his daughters, but every time he remembered what the kid had done with Mitsuha, it stung like watching a thief walk away with something precious.
A part of him wanted to ease up on the handlebars, make the bike heavier just to give the guy a hard time.
But this was his daughter's body he was using, after all. Toshiki sighed inwardly and focused on pushing forward.
Before long, the two of them arrived at the stone steps leading to Miyamizu Shrine.
From the top, Toshiki could already see the warm yellow glow of the living room lights.
Kyousuke figured the old lady was probably sitting neatly on a cushion with a cup of strong tea, staring calmly at the garden or out toward the serene waters of Itomori Lake.
Yotsuba was most likely watching cartoons by now.
Toshiki effortlessly hoisted the bike onto his shoulder.
He used to come home like this all the time one hand carrying the bike, the other holding Mitsuha's, and Mitsuha holding his wife's.
Beautiful memories, poisoned by time. They hurt more than anything.
Taking a deep breath, he began climbing the steps with quiet resolve.
He was finally going home.
Kyousuke watched the man ahead of him, a little surprised.
He thought Toshiki would hesitate, maybe even need a motivational speech or some tough love before stepping inside.
But no—he didn't become a well-respected mayor in just a few years by second-guessing himself.
Once he made a decision, he followed through.
With a slight grin, Kyousuke made sure the bike wouldn't fall and crush him if it slipped, then followed Toshiki up the steps.
Just as Kyousuke had imagined, under the golden glow of the living room, Miyamizu Yotsuba sat watching cartoons intently.
Across from her, sipping tea, was her grandmother, Miyamizu Hitoha, who slowly turned her gaze toward the door.
Mitsuha should be back soon too… Should I ask Miss Nobuko to go fetch her? she wondered.
But it was odd—Mitsuha had only said she'd be late today, without mentioning where she was going.
Pushing that concern aside, the old woman turned her thoughts to another family member who had long drifted away.
She had always known that her runaway son-in-law lived just across Itomori Lake.
And now, as she watched the stone steps, she saw a figure slowly approaching.
"…Toshiki?" she murmured, lowering her head and peering over the rim of her glasses in disbelief.
"What did you say, Grandma?" Yotsuba's voice broke the quiet.
Though the words were soft, they were clear as day in a room where the only other sound came from the TV.
She turned her head and immediately spotted the figure now stepping into the courtyard.
"Papa?" the little girl gasped, rubbing her eyes hard.
Was she seeing things from watching too much TV? But Mitsuha had said she could watch until 8:30…
Toshiki saw them both.
Gently setting down the bike, he propped up the kickstand, gave Yotsuba a warm smile, and walked up to the entrance of the living room.
Then, in one swift motion, he dropped to his knees in a deep, formal bow—a perfect dogeza.
"Mother. I've come home."
"Papa!"
Seeing Mitsuha come up the steps behind him, Yotsuba realized she wasn't imagining things.
Her eyes went wide, and she instinctively tried to run toward them but one look at her grandmother's stern expression made her freeze mid-step.
She timidly stayed behind her, though her eyes brimmed with longing.
Then she saw Mitsuha behind Toshiki give her a calm, reassuring nod.
Even though Yotsuba had always been wary of her father because of how angry her sister had been with him, Mitsuha had just fixed her bike yesterday.
That had earned her trust. Now, with that reassuring smile, Yotsuba suddenly felt overjoyed.
"What are you doing back here? This is the Miyamizu household," Hitoha said sharply.
She'd been ready to throw her teacup at the man, but stopped when she saw Mitsuha smiling behind him, and felt her granddaughter's tiny fingers clutch her shoulder.
"I'm Miyamizu Toshiki, Mother. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused." He still hadn't lifted his head.
As a politician, groveling like this was practically part of the job but his voice now was more sincere than it ever was during any campaign.
Hitoha glanced down at her granddaughter, who looked like she was about to burst if she didn't run to her father.
With a sigh, she gestured toward Toshiki.
That was all Yotsuba needed.
Like a starter pistol had gone off, she bolted across the floor, jumped barefoot from the hallway, and ran straight into her father's arms.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Toshiki finally lifted his head and instinctively opened his arms.
"Yotsuba!" he cried, pulling his daughter close, resting his chin on her small head as tears streamed down his face.
"Papa!"
Usually the one trying to act like a grown-up and play peacemaker between her sister and father, Yotsuba was now crying too hard to say anything else.
Watching the touching reunion, Kyousuke felt a lump rise in his throat.
Good thing he hadn't cried since getting slapped at birth, he barely held it in.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Yotsuba. Papa's home now," Toshiki whispered, gently stroking her head as he wept.
Kyousuke, smiling from behind, suddenly felt like maybe he should leap into "Dad's" arms and cry too, just for the emotional synergy.
Too bad he couldn't see Mitsuha's face was she crying?
Maybe he should ask Yotsuba to record it next time.
"You really were just out to clear your head like Grandma said!" Yotsuba beamed through her tears, finally able to speak again.
"You're back, just like she promised!"
That…
Toshiki and Kyousuke froze, both lifting their heads to stare at the serene-faced grandmother.
Kyousuke had assumed Yotsuba believed her father had only gone on a little journey because that's how kids saw the world.
He never expected the old lady—who'd called Toshiki every name in the book—to be the one who'd told her that.
Toshiki was even more stunned.
After everything he'd done, his mother had still protected his image in front of her granddaughter.
Guilt surged through him, making him want to bow even lower.
"It's getting chilly. Come inside," Hitoha finally said, turning away and walking to her room with a soft sigh.
Toshiki and Kyousuke exchanged glances.
Toshiki then scooped up Yotsuba and stepped into the living room.
Sitting on the porch, he carefully brushed the dirt off her little feet before taking off his shoes and entering the room.
Snuggled beside her father at the low table, Yotsuba looked first at her smiling big sister, then up at her doting father.
Her face was radiant with joy but behind those bright eyes, her sharp little mind was already brewing a bunch of questions.
Even that sister who would forgive her for eating her ice cream just by sleeping it off—when it came to their father, her resentment was always so stubborn, long-lasting, and deeply rooted.
Yotsuba had tried so many times to get them to reconcile, but every time, her sister would shut her down with a firm, "This is an adult issue."
So then… why did that same sister bring their father home today?
Still, she was so happy.
Under the table, Yotsuba quietly reached out her tiny hands and held onto both her sister and her father.
In that moment, her small world felt completely whole.
Maybe tomorrow she could ride bikes with her dad.
He'd probably be shocked to find out she already knew how to ride one.
Oh! She should show him how beautiful the bike looked after her sister fixed it up.
And maybe her sister could make those delicious fruit smoothies again.
They could invite Grandma too, and all eat together on the grass field outside the school at lunchtime…
'Papa, there's so much I want to tell you."
A flood of thoughts built up over the years rushed through her mind. Smiling in her sleep, Yotsuba dozed off peacefully in her father's arms.
Miyamizu Toshiki gently stroked his youngest daughter's hair, a bittersweet warmth swelling in his chest.
It felt just like the days when his wife was still around.
What had he been doing all these years—abandoning such an adorable child?
He had originally planned to have a serious talk with Kyousuke tonight, but seeing his daughter asleep like this, he could only sigh and shake his head.
He silently picked her up in his arms.
As the boy led the way to Yotsuba's room, somehow more familiar with the house than he was, Toshiki felt a strange discomfort.
After tucking Yotsuba into bed, he had no desire to talk to the boy who irritated him just by existing.
Instead, he silently walked off toward what used to be his and his wife's room.
Watching the grumpy old man stomp off, Kyousuke smirked to himself and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
At this point, he had no problem bathing here. A bath was a bath—no big deal. Sure, the process had its thrills, but nothing he couldn't handle.
Afterward, he returned to his room and typed up everything that had happened today—every word exchanged with Miyamizu Toshiki—into his memo app.
Then, he slipped out of his undergarments, changed into a pink nightgown, and fell fast asleep. He'd really worked hard today.
Meanwhile, in his old room, Miyamizu Toshiki was surprised to find that nothing had been covered in white sheets.
The Technics turntable, Marantz amplifier, Tannoy speakers, and boxes of records he'd brought from his Tokyo apartment when he got married, all of it was still right where he had left it, not even a speck of dust.
He wasn't sure if it was his mother or Mitsuha who had kept everything clean.
Maybe he could teach Mitsuha how to sing.
She used to love leaning against him and reading while he played records when she was little, didn't she? Though Yotsuba might be even more into that kind of stuff.
Who knows—maybe in high school she'd even start a band with her friends.
Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the tatami room, Toshiki felt like he had traveled back in time.
He would listen to Mozart's piano sonatas while researching shrine texts, Mitsuha would grab a book from the shelf and quietly lean against him to read, and his wife would be sitting in front of them folding laundry.
That's why he had wanted to move away from the shrine in the first place.
After she died, the memories they shared here had become too heavy to bear.
This house was filled with happy memories, but every little detail cut into him like a blade.
'Just wait.'
'Once I tear down everything that the Miyamizu Shrine has shackled this town with, we'll move to a big city.'
[TL Note – You don't really have to the freaking meteor will do it's job -_-]
Mitsuha and Yotsuba will get to live normal, happy lives—no more of this shrine maiden nonsense!
As he ran his hand along the familiar folds in the tatami, the fire inside him roared to life.
He felt so fired up he could storm down to the town office right now and start writing the development plan for next year.
Step one: tear down the old house.
———————————————————————
"Ugh—"
Miyamizu Mitsuha woke up with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. A strange, unpleasant taste lingered in her mouth, instantly snapping her awake.
What was that?
The remnants of her dream told her it was a yellow-labeled drink by Tachibana.
Wait, didn't she go shopping with Kyousuke's mom yesterday?
The memories from the body swap were still fragmented, like a fading dream, but that part she clearly remembered. She even seemed to have won some kind of contest.
'Great! At least I didn't cause any trouble for Kyousuke!'
Pushing her hair back and rubbing her eyes, Mitsuha broke into a smile.
Then she gave a big stretch, revealing her youthful figure bathed in the gentle glow of morning light—like a painting of a girl at the break of dawn.
Ignoring the neatly folded underwear and tights in the laundry basket, she grabbed a fresh set of undergarments and her school uniform.
Then she pulled a hair tie from the drawer and spent ten full minutes performing "magic" on her hair until it looked just right.
Kyousuke, that idiot. He still hasn't learned how to braid properly.
Admiring her reflection in the full-length mirror, she scrunched her nose and muttered to herself.
After turning her head side to side to make sure everything was just perfect, she slapped her cheeks and got serious.
There was one thought burned into her mind from the time they'd switched bodies:
"Alright! Today I'm definitely bringing that idiot dad back home and making him apologize to Yotsuba and Grandma!"
With a determined nod, she stormed toward the door.
'Sliiide—'
She slid the door open and only to find a man in a blue kimono and an apron standing there, hand raised to knock.
'Slide—slam!'
She immediately slammed the door shut, backed up, and leaned against it, eyes wide and lips slightly parted.
'Did I not wake up properly yet?'
She pinched her arm hard.
Nope, not dreaming.
Maybe thanks to Kyousuke, she was a little more protective of her body these days.
Just as she was about to try another method of confirming reality, a familiar voice called from outside the door.
"Mitsuha, breakfast is ready."
It's really him?! That voice—it's Dad!
Mitsuha quickly clapped both hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming.
"Sis, how long are you planning to sleep?"
"I've been up for ages!" she reflexively yelled back at Yotsuba's voice.
'Wait a second… am I the only one who can see him?'
Panicked, Mitsuha yanked the door open again.
But there was Yotsuba, happily holding their father's hand at the doorway.
When he looked at her, his expression wasn't the stern face she remembered, but the warm, familiar smile of a father.
Of course—it had to be Kyousuke!
She didn't care about being rude.
Slamming the door shut again, she rushed to the tatami mat and grabbed her charging phone, pulling up the memo app.
———————————————————————
"This afternoon after school, Uncle Miyamizu found me at the school gate and said he wanted me to marry him."
———————————————————————
What kind of nonsense is this guy writing?!
———————————————————————
"Just kidding! 😁"
———————————————————————
Ever since they'd gotten to know each other better, Mitsuha noticed that Kyousuke's memos had become way more entertaining.
They'd gone from dry instruction-manual style to something full of jokes and emojis.
———————————————————————
"Your father knows about us now. We can finally be open about things in front of him."
———————————————————————
Miyamizu Mitsuha could feel the emotional turmoil that someone had gone through when writing in the journal.
And just like that, she understood that her father now knew about their body-swapping secret.
Sure enough, her suspicions were quickly confirmed.
Damn it.
After all the mental preparation she went through to finally bring her father home... and yet, he had already done it, and flawlessly at that.
Reading through the conversation between that someone and her father, Mitsuha felt a mix of irritation and sweetness.
While others only noticed her improved grades or how she carried herself like a proper shrine maiden, Kyousuke always saw the things buried deepest in her heart, her regrets, her wishes and responded with the purest, most genuine care.
'Ugh, it's so frustrating... and that's exactly why so many girls like him!'
'Wait—so many girls?' Mitsuha blinked, caught off guard by her own thoughts.
Now that she thought about it… even while in her body, he attracted attention like a magnet.
There's no way Kyousuke wouldn't be popular with girls in his normal life too, right?
While she spiraled into the classic woes of teenage crushes, a gentle knock came from the other side of her door.
Her father, Miyamizu Toshiki, told her younger sister to go on ahead to eat first.
Then, with a soft smile, he simply waited outside—patiently, quietly—just like that.
He had spoken with Kyousuke the day before, and finally understood the strange connection the two shared.
Right now, he knew Mitsuha was likely reading the message Kyousuke left behind.
But what concerned him more... was how long it would take for his stubborn daughter to forgive him.
'Click—'
The door opened.
And there she was—his eldest daughter, face expressionless.
"Mitsuha, I got your favorite strawberry ice cream," he said with a hopeful smile.
"Who eats ice cream first thing in the morning?" she snapped back, her tone irritated, though inside she was secretly thrilled to see her usually stern father acting this way.
But as soon as she said it, Mitsuha paused.
That… sounded more like something Kyousuke would say, didn't it?
Toshiki simply smiled, choosing not to respond.
Mitsuha talking to him at all was already the best possible start.
Without another word, the two made their way toward the living room, one after the other.
After breakfast, Toshiki took Yotsuba to school by bike.
Then, taking a rare day off, he returned home.
Mitsuha brought her father to the small shrine annex where she used to listen to the townfolk's confessions.
Though the endless worries of the villagers had always drained her, she'd grown fond of this place—because here, she always felt Kyousuke's presence with her.
Thinking about his helpless expressions always brought a smile to her face and a sense of calm to her heart.
"…Why didn't you ever tell me the truth about Mom?" Mitsuha said quietly.
If she hadn't seen the journal, she wouldn't have known there were so many secrets surrounding her mother's death.
"You were just a child back then, I—"
"No excuses. You let your anger cloud your judgment!" she cut him off, raising her head, her face full of barely restrained fury.
"Mitsuha…" Toshiki couldn't refute her.
"We're family. No matter how hard it gets, we should face things together," she said, as silent tears slipped down her cheeks.
"But I wanted to destroy the Miyamizu Shrine. I couldn't do that while you were involved. You're the heir, Mitsuha."
"If I didn't destroy it, one day, you'd end up just like your mother. I refuse to let that tragedy repeat itself—not to my daughters. Never again."
"Dad… I know how much you're hurting after Mom died. But Yotsuba and I lost her too.
People call me a sacred shrine maiden and act like I'm someone to be admired, but I've never felt happy about it.
Because all of it—everything—is for Mom, for Grandma, and for the Miyamizu Shrine.
'I wanted to go to Tokyo. To attend university. But I can't. Because if I leave, Yotsuba will have to inherit the shrine in my place.'
This world forces us to do things we don't want to do.
But we endure it—for the happiness of the people we care about! Why… why don't you get that, Dad?!"
Mitsuha shouted, her voice cracking with pain.
Her brown eyes, filled with sorrow, brimmed with tears that dripped from her chin without end.
Sure, Yotsuba might be excited now eager to learn how to brew sake and sell it online but Mitsuha knew all too well the suffocating pressure of being watched, judged, and expected to live for the shrine. Yotsuba wouldn't survive that life.
"Mitsuha…" Toshiki had prepared himself for his daughter's anger, but nothing could've readied him for the crushing guilt that followed.
"…I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling her into a hug.
There was nothing else to say.
All he could do now was make it up to them—one step at a time.
But even then… was her desire to go to Tokyo really just to pursue her dreams? Or was it because of that Kyousuke boy?
Though the timing was awful, as Mitsuha's crying slowly quieted in his arms, Toshiki still found himself asking.
Now that she'd released the anger she'd been holding in for so long, Mitsuha felt much calmer.
Like she had said they were family.
No matter the past, if her father was willing to come back, there was nothing they couldn't work through together.
And when he asked about Kyousuke, she didn't dodge.
She simply answered with honest clarity.
"I like him."
"…But once the body-swapping ends, all your memories of each other will disappear."
"By then, he could be with someone else maybe even several girls." Her father, desperate to protect her, didn't hesitate to smear the very boy who had helped mend their family.
"If you could defy the gods for Mom's sake, then why can't I?" Mitsuha wiped her tears, her eyes now blazing with resolve.
Even if their memories faded even if circumstances changed nothing could shake her feelings for Kyousuke.
Toshiki fell silent, staring at his daughter.
What he saw in front of him was a face he thought he'd never see again.
It wasn't exactly the same, but the shape of her eyes, that unyielding expression—it all reminded him so much of his late wife.
His wife had fought against her own arranged marriage, had stood up for what she believed in—just like this.
He never thought he'd witness that kind of determination again.
But here it was, once more.
Yes… Futaba was right.
This wasn't a farewell.
She's still with them. Always has been.