Fuyu Monogatari

Chapter Nine: A Decision Made

Her heart raced as she stared at the locket. "I thought it was gone forever," she whispered, a smile tugging at her lips.

Murayama twirled the locket in his hand, inspecting it thoughtfully. "I picked it up the day we fought," he explained. "I figured you'd be upset if you lost it, so I held onto it. Turns out, it's brought me some luck, so I think I'll keep it for now." He flashed her a teasing grin. "See you later, Aika-chan. Tell Cobra I said hi."

With that, he turned and walked away, pocketing her locket as he went.

Aika stood there, watching him go, her mind swirling with emotions. You can hold onto it for now, she thought to herself. It suits you better anyway.

But her thoughts were cut short. She had somewhere else she needed to be, and she couldn't be late for her best friend's discharge from the hospital.

It didn't take Aika long to get back to Sannoh, to her favorite diner where Noboru's discharge party was already in full swing. Despite the festive atmosphere, Aika couldn't shake the conflicting emotions stirring inside her. The news of Noboru's breakup with Miho weighed on her, but there was also excitement in the air. Noboru was finally being discharged. Yet her thoughts kept wandering back to Murayama, Oya, and even Jesse—especially Jesse.

As she helped her friends and family set up for the surprise party, Naomi noticed Aika's distraction.

"Ai-chan, what's going on?" Naomi asked, her voice concerned. "You're acting strange."

Aika forced a smile. "It's nothing, really. I just... I don't want to talk about it right now."

Before Naomi could press her further, the door to the diner swung open, and everyone rushed to get into position. The Sannoh boys took one side, the Ichigo Milk girls on the other, with Aika, Naomi, and Yamato in the center.

Noboru and Cobra entered, both smiling as Noboru called out, "I'm home!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, with a burst of energy, everyone fired their confetti poppers, yelling in unison, "Welcome home!"

Noboru's face lit up, emotion welling in his eyes. "Thank you," he said softly, clearly touched by the gesture.

"Today is a great day," Dan added. "Noboru's finally back!"

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, shouting, "Cheers!"

Despite the cheers and the festive atmosphere, Aika's heart felt heavy. She looked around at the people she loved so much, the family that had been her home for so long. Yet, deep down, she knew she couldn't stay. She had to make a decision, and the more she thought about it, the more certain she became of what she had to do.

As the party carried on, Chiharu turned to Noboru with a curious look. "So, Noboru-san, what are you going to do now?"

"Well," Noboru said, smiling thoughtfully. "I haven't fully recovered yet, but I'm thinking of starting something with the internet—something like IT work."

Dan nodded, grinning. "That sounds just like you."

Cobra, who had been standing quietly beside Noboru, finally spoke. "You've come clean, huh?"

Aika laughed softly. "Liar," she teased.

"We won't disappear, so don't worry," Cobra reassured, though his expression was serious.

Before anyone could say more, Tettsu and Chiharu sprang to action, pulling Noboru and Cobra toward two pinatas they had set up earlier.

"Noboru-san, pull this one!" Chiharu instructed, while Tettsu guided Cobra to the other.

Noboru pulled the string, revealing a banner that read, Welcome Back, Noboru. Cobra followed, revealing another sign that said, Resurrection of Sannoh Rengokai.

Cobra stared at the sign in silence, taking in the meaning behind the words.

"That time is now, isn't it?" Yamato said quietly, breaking the silence.

Finally, Cobra spoke. "Sannoh Rengokai has been resurrected."

Cheers erupted from every corner of the diner, but Aika stood quietly, watching her brother. The decision she had been wrestling with in her heart finally settled into clarity.

She walked over to Cobra, her voice almost a whisper. "Junpei."

Cobra looked at her, sensing something was off. "What's wrong, Ai-chan?"

Aika took a deep breath. "I'm beyond happy that you've resurrected Sannoh Rengokai, but... I'm sorry. I have to leave."

"Leave?" Noboru echoed, confusion on his face. "Leave Sannoh?"

Aika nodded, her gaze lowering. "Yes."

Cobra's face grew solemn. "Is this because I won't let you join? I'm sorry, Aika. I just can't put that risk on my only sister."

"It's not that," Aika reassured him. "It's not about you not letting me join. When I ran away from school, I joined a gang. Don't worry—it's one that lets you leave without problems if you choose. And then I came home and started going to Oya."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Cobra asked, still confused.

Aika hesitated, her voice softening. "I've been torn between three groups, three families, with people I care about. You and Sannoh will always be my family, my home. But like you, there's something I want to protect."

"Someone," Noboru corrected with a knowing smile.

"Yes," Aika admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly. "At Oya. I know he's strong and doesn't need my help, but I want to be by his side. I want to protect my friends there, too."

Cobra sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I figured. I won't get in your way this time, Ai-chan. You should be with the people who need you. We'll miss you, but I understand."

Aika hugged her brother tightly. "Thank you, Nii-chan. I promise I'll visit. You'll always be my family."

As she pulled away, Aika took out her phone and texted Murayama, knowing she needed to let him know about her decision before she headed to visit Jesse.

Yama-chan! Can you clean out a dorm for me? I kind of have nowhere to go.