Tonight, she longed to climb the stairs to womanhood.

Concluding this farce, Jinguguji Tsuki took Sakurakoji Sakura to tour the Komaba campus.

However, after what had transpired, an awkward silence settled between them, as if even the flow of time had slowed down. Every unremarkable little movement the other made was magnified countless times in their eyes.

Reunited after a long separation, Sakurakoji Sakura was more beautiful, more mature, and more proactive than ever before. Most importantly, she remained that same innocent and carefree girl at heart, her eyes filled entirely with the boy she loved most.

When "change" and "unchanged" intertwined, she deeply captivated Jinguguji Tsuki's previously calm heart.

Thus, Jinguguji Tsuki acted on impulse.

Driven by that impulse, he kissed Sakurakoji Sakura.

For the two of them, the significance of this kiss was profound.

Something was bound to change between them because of this kiss.

If their future days remained peaceful and unrippled, these childhood friends who had grown up together would undoubtedly and naturally end up together.

It was not that Jinguguji Tsuki did not like Sakurakoji Sakura; deep down, he considered her the most important girl in his life, and he absolutely could not tolerate the thought of her becoming someone else's wife in the future.

Therefore, as a man, after making such a move, it would be utterly pathetic of him to act as if nothing had happened.

On the way to the campus, Sakurakoji Sakura walked quietly beside him. The thought that this was the street where he lived his daily life, the path he walked, and the scenery he gazed upon at every moment filled her with a profound sense of intimacy and fondness for everything around them.

Jinguguji Tsuki kept turning his head to glance at her, while she was completely absorbed in appreciating the surrounding scenery. Gradually making up his mind, Jinguguji Tsuki took the initiative and gently took her hand.

Startled, Sakurakoji Sakura looked up at him in surprise. Seeing Jinguguji Tsuki looking away with a nonchalant expression, she then looked down at her hand enclosed within his palm, before breaking into a radiant smile and taking a slight step closer to his side.

"Well, well, Tsuki does like me after all. Did you see that I've become prettier and get scared that some other man might snatch me away?"

"...... How annoying."

"Hahaha."

Reflected on the ground, two lonely shadows overlapped and merged, gradually absorbing each other's warmth.

That evening, Sakurakoji Sakura was invited to Matsubara Miki's room for dinner, the attendees naturally being the usual quartet from the apartment.

Yet the atmosphere could hardly be described as harmonious, largely because of Matsubara Miki, whose afternoon antics had basically caused the whole farce.

Although Sakurakoji Sakura waved her hands and said it was nothing to worry about, Arisugawa Alice was still furious, nagging the outspoken senior incessantly throughout the meal.

And when Sakurakoji Sakura learned that Matsubara Miki and Katagiri Hiroaki were former spouses, her eyes widened in astonishment, her curiosity instantly piqued.

During her high school days, Sakurakoji Sakura was famous for her excellent sociability, a credit to her exceptional talent for making friends.

Consequently, merely ten minutes into the dinner, Sakurakoji Sakura had already hit it off swimmingly with the other two women, prompting Jinguguji Tsuki to secretly give her a thumbs-up.

"Hey, hey, Miss Sakurakoji, you and Jinguguji are childhood friends, right?"

"Ah, just Sakura is fine."

"Then Sakura-chan, has this guy always been like this since he was a kid?" Matsubara Miki asked unceremoniously, pointing straight at Jinguguji Tsuki.

"Like what?"

"A bookworm, putting on a brooding act, a homo."

"Hey! I can't let that last one slide!"

Jinguguji Tsuki, who had been burying his head in his meal, immediately raised his head, feeling that this was a direct insult to his character.

Sakurakoji Sakura pouted and thought for a moment. "Umm... Tsuki wasn't as smart as he is now when he was little. He was a bit clumsy and spent all day just playing football."

"Eh... How unexpected."

"Jinguguji, you used to play football? Then let's play together next week."

"I haven't played in ages. Besides, don't you have a movie to shoot, Senior Katagiri?"

"That's true."

"What else? What else? Can you share some of his embarrassing stories? This guy does nothing besides study all day. Has he seriously never had a girlfriend?"

Sakurakoji Sakura instantly choked back a laugh. Looking at Jinguguji Tsuki, who wore a speechless expression, she nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes, yes! He has never been in a single relationship his entire life, hahaha!"

Matsubara Miki immediately assumed an "I knew it" expression, looking quite smug.

Arisugawa Alice, who had been silent all along, sat quietly to the side. Hearing Sakurakoji Sakura's words, her gaze quietly shifted back and forth between her and Jinguguji Tsuki.

"What is it, Arisugawa?" Jinguguji Tsuki looked over at her.

"No, nothing at all."

Although he felt that something seemed a bit off about Arisugawa Alice tonight, Jinguguji Tsuki didn't dwell on it.

After dinner, Sakurakoji Sakura prepared to take her leave. Jinguguji Tsuki carried her suitcase and accompanied her downstairs.

"Tsuki, are you coming back to Jiyugaoka with me tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Heh~~ Do you want to spend time with me that badly?" Sakurakoji Sakura asked with a full-faced smile, teasing him.

Jinguguji Tsuki looked at her helplessly and, dragging the suitcase, walked with her toward the station.

Though it was summer, night had already fallen. The childhood friend by his side hooked her arm through Jinguguji Tsuki's, leaning her entire weight against him intimately to the point where Jinguguji Tsuki felt like his arm was about to be pulled out of its socket.

"Can you walk properly?"

"I am walking properly."

"Stop pulling on me."

"I'll pull if I want to."

Unable to win against her, Jinguguji Tsuki simply let her be.

Strolling down the familiar street, the girl beside him hummed a cheerful tune softly. The summer breeze blowing against their faces carried a hint of warmth, and his heart pounded incessantly.

Glancing at Sakurakoji Sakura from time to time, her high side-ponytail remained as vibrant as ever, exactly as it was in his memories.

They were childhood friends who had grown up together, and now that they were adults, the fact that they were still walking side by side felt truly miraculous.

Following that sense of wonder came a deep, stirring emotion for this long-lasting companionship.

Throughout a person's entire life, just how many people could walk alongside them for eighteen years?

Silently, Jinguguji Tsuki withdrew his arm from Sakurakoji Sakura's grip. Before she could react, he grasped her hand tightly without a word.

"Behave yourself."

"Uhm..."

Thus, Sakurakoji Sakura truly did behave, letting Jinguguji Tsuki hold her hand as they walked together through the night.

Tacitly, they slowed their pace, as if trying to hold onto the surrounding scenery, to hold onto the person beside them, and to hold onto the lingering flutter and tranquility in their hearts at that very moment.

"Tsuki seems to be surrounded by good people, so I can rest easy."

After a long silence, Sakurakoji Sakura said softly.

"Does Senior Matsubara count?"

"Even if she's a bit strange, she's very interesting."

"Well... interesting, she certainly is," Jinguguji Tsuki agreed.

Yet the mere thought of that woman constantly teasing him for no reason made him let out a long sigh.

"And there's also Arisugawa-san, isn't there? She was famous for being serious and proper even back in high school."

"That she was."

"Heh... So that means you were already paying attention to her back in high school?"

"What kind of entrapment fishing is this?"

"I'm not angry, you know."

Jinguguji Tsuki shook his head. "Arisugawa is just too serious. She was always solitary during high school."

"Is that something for you to say? How well off were you in high school?"

"I was the student council president deeply loved by all the students. Because you were on a leave of absence, you missed my glorious prime during the third year. When I graduated, the underclassmen were crying in buckets."

"Hmph, I don't believe that for a second."

"Remember Iwasaki?"

"Oh, the guy who was always opposing you?"

"When I graduated, he came over in tears to apologize to me."

"Really?"

"Hmph-hmph, do you realize my majesty and brilliance now?"

"All I see is your talent for bragging."

"Believe what you want."

The two of them reminisced about the past, pouring out their missing for one another. Jinguguji Tsuki felt as though time was slowly rewinding, returning to those innocent and unforgettable years that belonged solely to them.

"Hey, Tsuki."

"Hmm?"

"Am I qualified now to stand at the same starting line as her?"

"Have I become your pillar of support?"

"Can you... look at me alone now?"

Her soft, melodious voice momentarily dazed Jinguguji Tsuki, flashing the silhouette of a certain person clearly in his mind.

He had taken so much from that person yet had completely failed to return anything.

Perhaps she didn't need anything in return from him anyway.

Meeting the girl's eyes, he saw her gaze waver slightly, as if she were terrified of hearing the man utter words of denial.

Yet she still stared straight into his eyes. Over the past year and a half of separation, she had worked to improve herself day and night, striving desperately to catch up to that figure who was so close to her yet felt so out of reach.

Faced with such a girl, Jinguguji Tsuki took a deep breath of the warm summer air and slowly shook his head.

"Sakura is Sakura; she doesn't need to be compared to anyone. No one will ever be able to replace your place in my heart."

Jinguguji Tsuki thought to himself that this must be his true inner voice, untainted by even a shred of falsehood. Every word he spoke, every heartbeat, was his absolute sincerity.

"Just because I'm Tsuki's childhood friend?"

Sakurakoji Sakura gazed at him for a long time, as if searching his eyes for the silhouette of another woman besides herself.

Yet at this very moment, Jinguguji Tsuki's heart had perhaps already reached a decision.

The moment he decided to kiss her, the moment he took the initiative to hold her hand, the moment he resolved to be an honest person—

Jinguguji Tsuki had already answered.

"...Because Sakura is the first girl I ever fell in love with in this world."

She looked earnestly at the man beside her. He was taller than before, more handsome, and his expression had softened, no longer feigning a lonely aloofness to keep people at a distance. He had made friends in college and genuinely integrated into society.

Furthermore, he had probably become terrible at telling lies.

"Hmph! With you saying all that, you've completely cornered me."

Jinguguji Tsuki let out a soft laugh, gazing intently at the girl before him.

Sakurakoji Sakura raised her arm and gently touched his cheek. "Am I special to you?"

He covered the back of her hand with his own.

"...Ah, you are irreplaceable and special."

"One and only?"

"One and only."

"Will you abandon me again? Just like back then?"

"Never."

"Have you really decided to settle down and stop messing with any women other than me?"

"Definitely."

"Even if that person comes back, can you still hold my hand and appear proudly by her side in front of her?"

A trace of timidity and anxiety flickered across her face, prompting Jinguguji Tsuki to tighten his grip on her hand. "Are you really that insecure?"

Lowering her eyelids slightly, Sakurakoji Sakura spoke in a soft voice steeped in memories. "Insecure? Of course I'm insecure.

"She is prettier than me, gentler than me, more understanding than me, and even understands what you need better than I do.

"Even I've thought to myself that she must be better suited to stay by Tsuki's side than I am.

"Faced with a woman like that, are you not even going to allow me to be afraid?"

"Sakura..."

Jinguguji Tsuki had known for a long time that that woman had left an imprint exclusively belonging to their youth in both his and Sakurakoji Sakura's hearts.

Jinguguji Tsuki had been trying to forget that imprint, even though he knew he couldn't forget anything.

Yet it was only now that he realized Sakurakoji Sakura remembered it far more deeply than he did.

Her gentleness, her assertiveness, her thoughtfulness—everything about her.

Both of them had been marked by her.

Now, Sakurakoji Sakura, reunited after a long time, wanted to formally challenge her—to challenge the person who existed jointly in their memories—and untie the bindings she had placed upon them.

Sakurakoji Sakura cherished both of them; after all, who wouldn't want to possess both love and friendship?

And emotions could not simply be bartered away—trading love for friendship, or friendship for family. Emotions were not such cheap things.

She simply wanted to fight for this romance that she had once lost.

The girl embraced him, slowly rising onto her tiptoes. Her soft, rosy lips pressed close to his ear, breathing out a hot, moist sigh.

"Tsuki, let me tell you a secret.

"Actually, I lied to my parents. I told them tomorrow is a holiday, so tonight..."

"..."

Her heels touched the ground. She looked up at the man before her, a captivating blush dusting her cheeks, biting her lower lip slightly while ambiguous lights shimmered in her amber pupils.

"With me saying this much, do you understand?"

Jinguguji Tsuki parted his lips slightly, staring in disbelief at the girl before him, as she slowly broke into a radiant, shy smile.

"Let's finish what we couldn't finish five years ago tonight."