The train hissed to a halt at the Tokyo station. Ren Sakamoto blinked against the morning light filtering through the windows. His sketchbook rested in his lap, open to a half-drawn page of six chibi boys sitting around a kotatsu. He closed it gently.
He was finally seeing them again.
It had been almost four months since they'd all been in the same space. Schedules clashed, universities kept them pinned, and life moved—ruthless and fast. But today, they'd carved time. A weekend together. All six.
Ren's heart beat faster the closer he got to the café.
---
Inside a quiet retro café tucked into a Nakano side street, Ian Moore sat tapping his spoon against his coffee glass. Rio Wilson was late. Of course.
"Relax," Will Ethan grinned from across the booth. "You'll sprain your wrist."
"I'm not—ugh. I'm just—" Ian fumbled for a word, then turned to look at Kenji Suguru beside Will, calm as ever, sipping green tea.
"You two came together?" Ian asked.
Kenji nodded. "Dorm neighbors. Caught the morning bullet train."
Will added, "We were nearly late because Kenji took fifteen minutes packing extra watercolors. For Ren."
Ian tried to smile, but his foot bounced under the table.
---
The door chimed.
Rio burst in like a sunbeam, jacket slipping off one shoulder, hair slightly windblown, his phone still open on maps. "I swear Tokyo stations are built like mazes."
He spun dramatically. "Are we complete?"
"Not yet," Will said, just as the door chimed again.
Ren stepped in. He looked the same—and somehow not. Taller maybe. His expression softer. When his eyes met Yuuji Aikawa's behind him, walking in with hands in his pockets and a half-smile, everything fell into place.
The café suddenly felt like home.
---
"Look at this place," Ren whispered as they all gathered into the booth area the café owner had blocked off just for them. "It's like a time skip."
Yuuji smirked. "I feel like we're in an alternate timeline where we're still second-years and haven't been wrecked by university stress."
Will raised his cup. "To delusions."
"To delusions," they echoed, laughing.
---
They ordered snacks. The table was full—bubble tea, crepes, parfaits, edamame, takoyaki. The way they argued over who got the last mochi was exactly the same as before.
Ian's eyes lingered on Rio more than he wanted to admit.
Rio caught it and winked.
Ren nudged Yuuji's thigh under the table.
Yuuji turned his head, quietly whispering, "Missed me?"
"Don't say something you already know," Ren mumbled, ears pink.
"I just like hearing it confirmed."
---
"So," Kenji said, shifting the conversation, "how's everyone holding up?"
Will beamed. "Our theatre group is doing a Pride Month musical. I got cast as a lead."
"Of course you did," Rio said. "You're allergic to background roles."
Yuuji chuckled. "I'm mostly drowning in case studies, but I've never been this focused in my life. Guess having someone to impress helps." His glance at Ren didn't go unnoticed.
Ian said, "I'm working on a research paper about emotional memory in childhood development."
Rio raised his brows. "So you're learning how to analyze why I keep falling for emotionally repressed weirdos?"
Ian flushed. "You're unbelievable."
Ren added softly, "I made a new art blog. I post my classwork there. It's anonymous, but... I think people are starting to notice it."
Will grinned. "Are you famous? Can I say I dated the guy before he went viral?"
Ren blinked. "You didn't date me—"
"Details."
They all laughed again.
---
As the sky dimmed and the café lights glowed low and amber, their conversations deepened. Soft, nostalgic. Comforting.
Rio reached across the table, brushing Ian's hand.
Yuuji pulled Ren's head onto his shoulder.
Will leaned into Kenji like it was muscle memory.
In this moment, time folded. They weren't in separate dorms, chasing credits and future dreams. They were just... them.
Back to the start.
But also somewhere new.
---
Later, they sat in a park nearby, bundled in their coats. The wind was soft, carrying the scent of night-blooming sakura.
"I missed this," Ren said into the silence.
Yuuji whispered, "Same."
Kenji added, "Let's not wait another four months."
"We won't," Will promised. "Even if I have to kidnap you all mid-semester."
Ian looked up at the stars. "We're still us, right?"
Rio leaned on his shoulder, smiling. "Always."