Cold Shards and Warm Stars (OliKase-FukaOli)

4. Group Outing

   The tantalizing stretch of cheese, the tender slices of sausage, and the juicy tomato made for a perfect sandwich, suitable for breakfast or any other time of day or night. I adored these succulent sandwiches, especially when washed down with tea. They uplifted my mood and warmed me inside.

   – Is it good? – Lily asked, ruffling my hair as I bit into another sandwich, carefully biting the tomato in half. It was crucial to split it right, or the rest of the sandwich wouldn't taste as delicious, lacking its highlight, – I'll take that as a "yes!"

   I kept devouring the sandwiches, one after another.

   – It's windy today... and cool. – Yohi remarked, standing up from the table and finishing his meal with tea, – Lily, could you give me a ride? I lingered too long, and my evening shift is starting soon...

   – Sure! – she replied, storing the leftover sandwiches back in the oven, which was now off, – Oliver, these are for the rest of your day. If you get hungry, just warm them up. I have a date, so bye for now!

   She grabbed my brother by his jacket and pulled him towards the door. I rushed to the window and watched Lily's car drive away. Once they were gone, I went up to my room, grabbed my bag, put on a warm sweater, and went back downstairs. I packed the remaining sandwiches into a box, placed it in my bag, left the house, locked the door, and hid the key under one of the shoes by the doorstep.

   Taking a deep breath and reveling in the sense of freedom, I hurried towards Piko's house, thankful it wasn't too far away. When I reached, I saw him standing by the sidewalk with his bicycle. He waved at me with a smile as he noticed me approaching.

   – Hurry up and hop on, Nana and Defo have already left, we need to catch up! We should hurry, or we'll have to return in the dark! – I rushed to him and settled on the second seat behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist as we set off. I was slightly panicked, having never ridden a bicycle before, let alone with someone else, but Piko seemed skilled enough to handle it, so I relaxed a bit.

   I had no idea where we were heading. The guys had simply invited me to go "somewhere nice" with beautiful nature, a river, and if we walked far enough, an abandoned building they used as a base in warmer times. Although it was autumn, it was only the end of the second week, and the temperature was sometimes even warmer than in summer.

   Soon, I spotted the girls waiting for us in the distance. We rode up to them, and I got off the bike, feeling a bit wobbly from the ride, but quickly steadied myself and hugged the girls.

   – Hi there! – Nana greeted, hugging me tighter.

   – Let's go! It's time to officially welcome Oliver into our group! – Piko exclaimed, nudging us forward. But Defo halted us:

   – The group's got a problem... someone nasty is blocking our way.

   Peeking from behind the bushes at the pathway, we saw Fukase with a guitar. He was sitting on some rocks in the middle of a small stream, like a little island, with his back to us. He was strumming and humming something, seemingly enjoying the gentle sound of the flowing water.

   We stopped watching and gathered in a circle.

   – What are we going to do? – Piko asked, irritation evident in his voice, as he placed his hands on his hips.

   – We could go around through the forest... – I suggested, preferring not to disturb Fukase in his moment.

   – Yeah, and trudge through all those long bushes! – Nana scoffed sarcastically.