𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓

chapter twelve; four of us

Akane knew Takayama like the back of her hand. 

She knew every store, street, house, and person, she knew everything and everyone. It was a small town, and there wasn't that much to remember, anyway. So, Akane had no problem navigating her way from the train station back to her home. Only, she wasn't alone. 

"Woah!" Yukihira Soma said with wide eyes. He stopped at almost every exciting sight to take pictures and stare. He was the most enthusiastic of the four students. "Makahama is so cool!"

"It's Takayama," Hayama Akira corrected. The silver-haired boy wasn't as interested as Soma was, though he was intrigued by the small town. His mind wondered every time he saw shops that specialized in herbs and spices, a reminder set in his mind to drag Akane with him to each one. 

Akane ignored her two friends, keeping her gaze straight and focused. Just as Dojima had said, a day ago, the teachers had announced the first 'project' that the students were tasked with. Akane had already made her choice and had immediately contacted the three people she wanted to make the trip with. 

Soma was first. Akane called Soma and invited him to join her, to which he merrily accepted. Soma had heard of Miyata countless times and had often heard his father's own restaurant compared to it. He wanted to know if it really was as good as people said, and wanted to bring out his own skills to make the store even better. 

Akane called Akira next. As they had become close friends, Akane would have found it wrong to not invite him. She knew he probably planned to make an excuse of staying back with Jun if anyone else asked, so she called him. The only reason Akira had even said yes to her was because Akane promised to make him her specialty dishes in Takayama. Along with that was the reason that Akira preferred Akane over everyone else.

Lastly, she had called a very special person. 

A hand was interlocked with Akane's own, warm and protecting. Ryo walked by her side, briefly sightseeing the town that his beloved Akane had grown up in. 

Akane didn't know whether to ask Ryo or not. After all, he was the aide of Alice. She asked anyway because he was the boy she liked. However, it turned out that Alice was excused from the first project due to some family issues. She reassured Akane that nothing serious had gone on, and a little sickness had overtaken her mother. So, Ryo gladly went with Akane. 

"Why did you invite those two, again?" Ryo asked Akane. He had ignored Akira and Soma the whole trip to Takayama and had only spent his time smothering Akane to pieces. He knew of both boys but had never spoken to them. 

"They're the only two friends that I have." Since entering Totsuki, Akane really had only made four friends. Ryo, Akira, Alice, and Soma. That was it. Unless Dojima was considered a friend, Akane considered him more of an uncle than a friend. 

Ryo only huffed.

Akane perked up when she saw the familiar street. "It's here," she said. A frown fell on her face when she saw that there wasn't a line out the door like there usually was. She spotted a few groups of people exiting Miyata, looking disappointed and grumbling to their acquaintances. One of them happened to turn and spot Akane. 

"It's Okazaki!" one called. Everyone's heads turned. Akane held hands with Ryo, Akira, and Soma following with curious gazes behind them.