At the request of Kyoto's friends, Ryou entered the dormitory with them. The large one-room house was perfect for visiting teenagers, both for its location and its favorable price for a temporary stay. It was cozy and a little empty, but the boys couldn't complain. One of their conversations revealed that they had settled into this dormitory the morning before. Also, at Isshin's question, the thick-haired man told them about his new friends, praising their interests. It was as if the heavy burden that he had been carrying ever since Ryou had left for another city had been lifted from Isshin. He was worried that his friend wouldn't be able to settle in among the urban youth from the capital, and the boy had his own personal justifications for that.

"You've changed," Aiko said, "Ryou-kun, and that's for the good."

"Who was I before that you noticed a change in me?"

"I can see it in your eyes," Isshin replied, stroking his brownish hair, "that you've transformed. You've become more open-minded! Have you forgotten how you, Ryou-kun, didn't like to get involved with people, or even start conversations?"

Everyone in the room fell silent. Isshin pushed a sore subject for them, which made Ryou express his displeasure with his eyes. "Looks like we should thank your friends here for their hard work that we couldn't do!"

"There you go again."

"Why, are you unhappy, Ryou-kun?" he continued to provoke his friend, communicating in a prejudiced tone. "They've really done more than we've done in more than three years of a relationship. By the way, how did they do it?"

Remembering the girl with the long, dark brown hair and the charming brown eyes, Ryou momentarily forgot his hatred for the dialogue, as if he had found himself in a reverie.

"One girl brought us all together in an empty literary circle," said Ryou, whose memories made him happy, causing his cuteness to express itself outwardly. "Isn't that ridiculous? The unwanted circle alone was able to connect me to them. Thanks to them, I've made acquaintances with whom, truth be told, I wouldn't mind chatting with during school breaks."

"One girl? Hmm, looks like Aiko-chan has some competition!"

"Shut up, Isshin!" the cute girl with the brown hair blushed, and glared angrily at Isshin throughout the conversation, making her brother feel uneasy. Aiko was nicknamed the brilliant princess from birth, for she had a bright and mysterious look that Isshin did not have in her case, though they were twins. The bluish color of their eyes gave their personalities a charismatic quality, and they attracted good people to them with their leadership abilities.

Eventually, it was early evening and Ryou said goodbye, thanking them for coming here. He also said that he would visit them often, for two weeks could fly by quickly. Everyone accepted his thanks, and Isshin approached him and reminded him of his offer. Ryou replied that he would think deeply about it and would reply soon. Ryou began to wonder if he should leave town. Being at home, he sat by the window and thought about Isshin's offer. On the one hand, he wanted immensely to go back to Kyoto and resume his routine with his old friends. On the other hand, a certain keen feeling and desire to continue his studies in Tokyo held him back. To these feelings and a sense of weakness in front of the club members led him to his memories in their surroundings. Ryou didn't know what he should have chosen so as not to make the mistake of feeling his usual sense of self-pity again, and as a result he was assured that there could be no right decision here at all. Such a choice between one of the two, in Ryou's opinion, could mean more in his life than the rest, and the consequences could be irreversible for reasons unprecedented.

The next Sunday afternoon, he visited his dorm friends again. When he knocked on the door, he waited a few seconds until Aiko opened it for him, behind her, in the room, the boys were having lunch in silence. He sat down next to them and only glanced, answering the girl that he wasn't going to eat.

"Maybe," Isshin said, mouth full of food, "you and Aiko-chan will take a walk alone around town?"

"Sure, that's obligatory," Ryou added, putting his cheek to his palm. "If my walk with her will make Aiko-chan happy, I won't mind at all."

"R-right?" blushed Aiko, full in kindness after his gentle words.

"Then it's settled!" sharply Isshin pointed his spoon at him. "Let's go out for a walk in Tokyo tonight!"

"Finish your cooking first!"

"Isshin-kun, talking with your mouth full is unethical. Also, you're yapping."

Outside, near the door to the dormitory, the two young men huddled pensively against the thin parapet. Isshin thought then that it was about time he told Ryou about one thing that could have potentially motivated his friend to decide whether or not to move out.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"I keep getting this feeling about your relationship with Aiko-chan. I won't mind if you, Ryou-kun, go out with her."

In response, Ryou recalled an earlier moment in his life when he dated the attractive Aiko. Back then Ryou didn't know at all how life was supposed to be for the guy he loved for his girlfriend, for he had no experience in love affairs, which kept him in the dark until the last moment, whether he really loved Aiko, or whether he was mistaken in his feelings. Aiko, on the other hand, was patient and acted recklessly every time.

"I am her brother," added Isshin, "Ryou-kun, and I worry about both her everyday life and her future. I want to be able to, you know, provide her with a happy future with the guy she loves. The thing is, all her life, Aiko-chan has loved..."

"Don't bother," Ryou interrupted, sensing his friend's sadness.

"However, I think you have your own problems and reasons for not reciprocating her as it is. Know one thing, I give you permission to court her and make any decision regarding her, for I trust you."

"Aiko-chan was planning dates instead of me. How foolish I was in my sixteen years, not understanding how to handle my love and conduct myself alone with girls."

"I'm glad you realized your stupidity and recognized it as part of yourself."

"One joke is better than another."

"Those two girlfriends – would you be kind enough to give me one of the two?"

"Never in your life will you get them!"

"That's right, they're yours. You have, then, three girls already waiting for your answer? Then, accept me into your harem!"

After a little time, which the boys decided to spend tidying themselves up, they came out groomed, as befitted the standards of morality. Having dreamed of seeing the sights of the capital since childhood, Iruma bothered to take a professional camera with him. Oda, on the other hand, planned to check out popular restaurants and cafes in order to compare them with Kyoto, since his parents' family business was a catering establishment. All in all, Ryou was doomed to have a busy day, and his expectations were justified by the fact that the guys really strolled back and forth through the streets, looking at every nook and cranny of a pebble. The first thing they did after reaching the central point was to go to the Hachiko monument, and Iruma, to get his parents excited, asked the boys to take a picture together and get their picture taken in front of one of the main sculptures. They took a walk in the central park; went to a large restaurant on the whim of the big guy, but Aiko forbade them to buy food; and went to the National Museum of Nature and Science, which Ryou wanted to visit for a long time. The Kyoto boys were fascinated by the enormity of this city and its distinction from quiet Kyoto. They had never before imagined that Tokyo was a perpetually awake ant city in which a sense of both busyness and inner freedom prevailed at the same time. This was what captivated the boys, even though they felt somewhat overwhelmed by the relentless noise of city traffic and the saturation of human pragma.

As dusk fell, Tokyo transformed into its own kind of bright, irresistible city, with big banners and city lights shining from everywhere. As it began to get colder, they immediately boarded the bus back home and shared only glowing emotions with each other, expressing their opinions about the exclusivity of this city from any other. As they reached the dormitory, they expressed their gratitude to the tired Ryou, who was made happy by the pleasant faces of the guys. After saying goodbye, they left for the house, and Aiko, dressed in a light-colored dress, was the only one left with the thick-haired man. They remained to gaze one last time at the starry sky, which whispered in the girl's ear favorable thoughts in an effort to lock them within her. Enchanted by the stars, she longed with all her heart to grab one of them and bury it in her palms as a personal guide.

"You'll catch cold," he marveled at her radiant face, embodying true femininity and natural beauty in the smallest detail. "And Isshin will scold us."

"Just a little longer," she snickered in a doting voice, not taking her eyes off the sky, "I want to dream a little longer. How time flies, and how quickly we've grown. Before I knew it, I was a teenager, dreaming of a bright life, a coveted job, and a loved one I longed for. I think it's time for us to grow up, too. To change, as much as we'd like otherwise."

"Loved one?"

"I envy you, Ryou-kun, and your desire to remain in the dark. It makes life so much easier, because if you immerse yourself in reflection, you end up unwittingly realizing how sad the world around you is, and how sad people are if they try to seem different."

"Maybe that's the point of my nature, not to look away or back."

"I don't care at all," Aiko changed the subject, gripping the boy's palm with her hands, "whether you're coming back with us or staying. I just... want to be with you a little longer. Just a little more..."

Ryou was silent in surprise. Not knowing how to answer her, the young man continued to stare into her pitying eyes.

"Ever since you moved out, all I've wanted to do was hold you, hard and hard. What kept me from going crazy was the desire to be near you. All my thoughts, Ryou-kun, in truth... have long since merged with your desires. They became one. My feelings haven't gone anywhere, they're only meant to..."

Ryou interrupted her by taking her hands in return and intertwining their fingers. Hugging her tightly, he closed his eyes, accepting the circumstances.

"Tomorrow. Aiko-chan, would you like to go for a walk with me?"

"Apparently, I agree," she lifted her head to him with a happy smile.

Their relationship seemed rather odd from the outside in terms of love, but that didn't embarrass them, because every day they spent alone with each other had a special meaning to them, which encouraged the couple not to care about unnecessary uneven looks.