𝟭. 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 || 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 [✔]

Chapter 5: Bittersweet

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#070722
•••

Not only were Aeris's friends curious about where she would spend her high school years, but her family was also deeply invested in her decision.

"So, Aeris, have you thought about what school you want to attend?" Harumi-san asked while they were in the kitchen, cleaning and washing the dishes.

Aeris continued scrubbing a plate as she replied, "I don't know yet. Maybe I'll go to Miyagi, where Tobio goes."

Harumi-san paused her work and looked at Aeris with a concerned expression. "Miyagi? That's quite far from here."

Aeris nodded. "I know."

"Asahi will miss you, you know," Harumi-san said, voicing her worries.

Aeris sighed and replied, "I know."

Harumi-san, seeing her niece's internal struggle, suggested, "Why don't you consider going to Inarizaki? You already have friends there, and you won't have to leave Asahi."

Asahi had grown attached to Harumi-san during the time Aeris had been living with them.

Aeris stopped what she was doing and turned to face her aunt. "Aunt Koari called me a few days ago. We talked for hours, and she told me to look after Tobio since he's home alone and no one is looking after him. I didn't tell you because I still don't know what to do or say. I'll miss this place."

They remained silent for a solid minute, the weight of Aeris's decision hanging in the air.

"Hey, the door is open 24/7; you can visit anytime you want," Harumi-san finally said, offering some comfort.

"Really?" Aeris asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Of course, you're always welcome, and so is Tobio," Harumi-san reassured Aeris.

"Thank you, obasan!" Aeris exclaimed, hugging her aunt tightly. "And thanks for breaking the silence," she added with a chuckle.

Harumi-san was supposed to cry, but instead, she burst into laughter at Aeris's words. It was a bittersweet moment for both of them.

࣪𖤐 — ᡴꪫ ִ₊‧⁺˖๋࣭ ⭑ ᡴꪫ — ִ ࣪𖤐

⊂•Month Passed By•⊃

Months went by, and Aeris gradually said her goodbyes to her friends.

"Are you sure you're going?" Atsumu asked, his eyes welling up with tears.

Aeris nodded. "I'm sure, Atsumu. I'm going to miss your accent," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"You'll come back, right?" Osamu asked with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Aeris nodded once more. "Of course, I will," she reassured Osamu.

"That's good. We're going to miss you," Aran said, hugging Aeris tightly.

"I'll miss you all too," Aeris replied, returning the embrace.

Each member of the Inarizaki team hugged Aeris individually and bid her farewell.

"Why are you guys crying? I'll be back maybe every weekend or holiday, so chill," Aeris laughed. "I still have a month before I move."

"Let us be; you're ruining the moment," Michinari said playfully.

They all shared a laugh, but underneath, they couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness at Aeris's impending departure.

Later that night, Aeris knocked on her aunt's bedroom door.

"Come in," Harumi-san said.

"Harumi-obasan," Aeris said as she entered the room.

"Aeris, come sit beside me," Harumi-san patted the bed, inviting her niece to sit.

"So, are you ready, kiddo?" Hide-san asked.

"Yeah, I am. Everything is packed and secured," Aeris said. She looked at her aunt and uncle with gratitude in her eyes. "I want to say thanks for comforting and adopting me for a few months. I enjoyed your company. It's nice that I had someone to lean on and support me in every way."

Hide-san smiled warmly at Aeris. "No problem, you're the oldest child; you're always welcome."

Harumi-san suddenly hugged Aeris tightly, planted a kiss on her cheek, and said, "I'll miss you dearly. Visit us as often as you can."

Aeris nodded, returning the hug. Hide-san joined in, and in that moment, they shared a heartfelt embrace, knowing that distance wouldn't weaken the bond they shared as family.

« ֪ ׅ ֹ =͟͞ ♡

𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗.
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 ♡

— Sidenote
• I'll be following this theory or observations by these Reddit users since we don't have a family background of Tobio, ofc we knew abt he's grandpa & his sister. But not the parents http://surl.li/eykxp<br />
• I just chose Koari as Tobio's mom's name

— translation
▪︎ obasan - In Japanese, "obasan" (おばさん) is a polite and respectful term used to refer to an adult woman, typically someone who is older than the speaker but not necessarily a close relative. It can be translated to English as "aunt," "ma'am," or "lady." The specific meaning and usage of "obasan" can vary depending on the context and the relationship between the speaker and the person being referred to.