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8:12:04, 6/15/2015
Souji opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Even when he had been living with the Dojimas, Souji kept his room pretty bare. Literally nothing had changed. It was almost as if the last three years had never happened, that he had never left. How should I spend my day? he thought. Today's a Monday, so I have drama club. Or, he realized, I could work the Monday shift at the daycare center. If I remember correctly, Yosuke, Yukiko, Chie, and Naoto are usually available on Mondays. I could even hang out with Naoki, if I was desperate.
But of course none of that would ever happen, because Souji wasn't in high school anymore. He no longer worked for the day care center. And he found it unlikely that the friends he missed so badly would want anything to do with him anymore.
He lazily rolled himself off of the futon, threw on some clothes, and dragged himself down the stairs. Nanako was already busy in the kitchen. She was making toast, by the smell of it. So little had changed.
"Good morning!" she chirped. "Do you want any toast?"
"Sure, I'd love some," said Souji. "Do you want to make it, or should I?"
"I'll do it, you're the guest!"
Five minutes later, the toast was ready, and Nanako had disappeared into her room. Souji barely had time to take a bite before he heard the doorbell ring. As he got up to answer the door, whoever it was rang two more times.
"SENPAI!" A high pitched squeal rang in his ears as a body forcefully hugged him, knocking him back.
"R-Rise?"
The girl looked up at him. "Of course it's me, silly! Oh my god, senpai, I missed you!" She was wearing her hair down, which was something Souji had never seen her do. Her makeup was also sharper and more subtle than he was used to. She would have looked ten years older if not for her girlish personality. "You haven't changed a bit!" she remarked, surveying Souji.
"You know Rise, we're not in high school anymore. You don't have to call me senpai." Souji said, smiling.
"But that's what you've always been! You can't just be 'Souji,' it sounds all wrong!"
"Thanks, it's not like that's my name or anything."
After a brief pause, the two erupted into laughter. It wasn't that something in particular was funny; just seeing an old friend again brought Souji to a giddy elation. "So what have you been up to?"
"Oh, this and that. I'm still a full-time employee at Marukyu, but I've been doing some modeling in my time off."
"That's great!" Souji paused uncomfortably. "So... have you seen much of... the old gang lately?" Rise giggled.
"Well, Inaba's not that big. I do get to see them a lot. But from what I hear, you haven't spoken to any of them in, like, years."
"Um..." Souji looked shameful. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to lose touch! Please believe me, I didn't forget, I didn't stop caring!"
"Calm down, no one's mad," Rise insisted, smiling. "We just missed you is all."
That was a relief. "Um, so... how is everyone?" Souji asked sheepishly.
"Well, Naoto left to study at some university whose name I forget. Kanji still works at Tatsumi Textiles. They've expanded, you know. He's practically mass producing those dollies. Yukiko now manages the inn, but her parents still own the place. Yosuke's still working at Junes, but I think he plans to go to college once he saves up some money." Hearing all this brought tears to Souji's eyes as Rise rambled on and on. "Teddie still pops in every now and then, and I usually have to put him up. And Chie, of course, is getting married! Isn't it sooooooo exciting!"
"Well, sure, yeah. Of course it is." said Souji.
"You don't sound very happy."
"It's not that. I'm happy for both of them, really, I am! I just... I wish I had known earlier. I would have liked to be there to support them," Souji admitted.
"Well, senpai, it was you who left us," Rise said, a little more icily than she had intended. "Hey, I have an idea," she said, the warmth returning to her high-pitched voice. "We should all have a slumber party at the Amagi Inn, just like old times!"
"That sounds really fun, but it's the middle of the week. Everyone's probably busy, especially Chie," Souji noted sadly.
"Why don't you just relax and let me take care of it? I'll call you later. Your number is still the same, right?" she asked. Souji nodded. "All right then, bye-bye senpai!"
Nanako reentered the room just as Rise shut the door behind her. "Was that Rise-chan?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah. How did you know?" Souji wondered.
"She called me and asked if you'd be in town for the wedding. I told her you'd be here!"
Souji smiled at his cousin. "Thank you, Nanako."

Description

8:12:04, 6/15/2015
Souji opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Even when he had been living with the Dojimas, Souji kept his room pretty bare. Literally nothing had changed. It was almost as if the last three years had never happened, that he had never left. How should I spend my day? he thought. Today's a Monday, so I have drama club. Or, he realized, I could work the Monday shift at the daycare center. If I remember correctly, Yosuke, Yukiko, Chie, and Naoto are usually available on Mondays. I could even hang out with Naoki, if I was desperate.
But of course none of that would ever happen, because Souji wasn't in high school anymore. He no longer worked for the day care center. And he found it unlikely that the friends he missed so badly would want anything to do with him anymore.
He lazily rolled himself off of the futon, threw on some clothes, and dragged himself down the stairs. Nanako was already busy in the kitchen. She was making toast, by the smell of it. So little had changed.
"Good morning!" she chirped. "Do you want any toast?"
"Sure, I'd love some," said Souji. "Do you want to make it, or should I?"
"I'll do it, you're the guest!"
Five minutes later, the toast was ready, and Nanako had disappeared into her room. Souji barely had time to take a bite before he heard the doorbell ring. As he got up to answer the door, whoever it was rang two more times.
"SENPAI!" A high pitched squeal rang in his ears as a body forcefully hugged him, knocking him back.
"R-Rise?"
The girl looked up at him. "Of course it's me, silly! Oh my god, senpai, I missed you!" She was wearing her hair down, which was something Souji had never seen her do. Her makeup was also sharper and more subtle than he was used to. She would have looked ten years older if not for her girlish personality. "You haven't changed a bit!" she remarked, surveying Souji.
"You know Rise, we're not in high school anymore. You don't have to call me senpai." Souji said, smiling.
"But that's what you've always been! You can't just be 'Souji,' it sounds all wrong!"
"Thanks, it's not like that's my name or anything."
After a brief pause, the two erupted into laughter. It wasn't that something in particular was funny; just seeing an old friend again brought Souji to a giddy elation. "So what have you been up to?"
"Oh, this and that. I'm still a full-time employee at Marukyu, but I've been doing some modeling in my time off."
"That's great!" Souji paused uncomfortably. "So... have you seen much of... the old gang lately?" Rise giggled.
"Well, Inaba's not that big. I do get to see them a lot. But from what I hear, you haven't spoken to any of them in, like, years."
"Um..." Souji looked shameful. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to lose touch! Please believe me, I didn't forget, I didn't stop caring!"
"Calm down, no one's mad," Rise insisted, smiling. "We just missed you is all."
That was a relief. "Um, so... how is everyone?" Souji asked sheepishly.
"Well, Naoto left to study at some university whose name I forget. Kanji still works at Tatsumi Textiles. They've expanded, you know. He's practically mass producing those dollies. Yukiko now manages the inn, but her parents still own the place. Yosuke's still working at Junes, but I think he plans to go to college once he saves up some money." Hearing all this brought tears to Souji's eyes as Rise rambled on and on. "Teddie still pops in every now and then, and I usually have to put him up. And Chie, of course, is getting married! Isn't it sooooooo exciting!"
"Well, sure, yeah. Of course it is." said Souji.
"You don't sound very happy."
"It's not that. I'm happy for both of them, really, I am! I just... I wish I had known earlier. I would have liked to be there to support them," Souji admitted.
"Well, senpai, it was you who left us," Rise said, a little more icily than she had intended. "Hey, I have an idea," she said, the warmth returning to her high-pitched voice. "We should all have a slumber party at the Amagi Inn, just like old times!"
"That sounds really fun, but it's the middle of the week. Everyone's probably busy, especially Chie," Souji noted sadly.
"Why don't you just relax and let me take care of it? I'll call you later. Your number is still the same, right?" she asked. Souji nodded. "All right then, bye-bye senpai!"
Nanako reentered the room just as Rise shut the door behind her. "Was that Rise-chan?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah. How did you know?" Souji wondered.
"She called me and asked if you'd be in town for the wedding. I told her you'd be here!"
Souji smiled at his cousin. "Thank you, Nanako."