As we walked out of the café, I dialed Kazuha's number. I didn't want this to feel too sudden, but she usually rolled with whatever came her way.
The phone rang twice before her bright, familiar voice came through.
"Fumihiro? H-Hey!" Kazuha said, sounding full of energy.
"Hey, Kazuha. We're heading to the amusement park. Feel like joining us?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
There was a slight pause, like she hadn't expected the invitation.
"The amusement park, huh?" she replied, a hint of surprise in her tone. "Well, I can't turn down a day like that! I'll meet you guys at the entrance."
Obviously, Kazuha had already planned to go there, so my call was just a confirmation.
I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Great. See you there."
Hanging up, I looked ahead at the rest of the group.
Suzuki was chatting away with Benjiro, both of them lost in some animated conversation, while Evangeline trailed quietly beside them next to me.
Lately, she'd been so distant.
Even though she was physically here with us, it felt like her mind was somewhere else entirely.
She barely contributed to the conversation, nodding here and there but never really engaging.
As we made our way down the busy street, Suzuki and Benjiro's lighthearted bickering grew louder.
"I don't understand how you can prefer vanilla!" Suzuki exclaimed, hands on her hips, clearly exasperated. "Chocolate has way more flavor. It's richer, bolder… there's no comparison!"
Benjiro let out a chuckle, wagging his finger at her. "Ah, Suzuki, you're so predictable! Chocolate is good, I'll give you that, but vanilla… vanilla is perfection. It's subtle, versatile and it goes with anything! You can't even argue."
"Predictable?" Suzuki shot back, her eyes narrowing. "Did you just call me predictable?"
"Exactly! I already knew you'd go for chocolate. It's a safe choice for people who don't appreciate the complexity of flavors like vanilla, you're so… simple." Benjiro teased, clearly enjoying how riled up she was getting.
Suzuki glared at him, determined. "You're the one who doesn't get it! Chocolate has personality. It's not boring like vanilla. Vanilla is for people who play it safe. I want something with more character!"
"Ah, so you admit vanilla is the safer and, therefore, the superior option," Benjiro said, flashing her a smug grin.
"I did not say that!" she huffed, crossing her arms.
I let out a soft laugh.
Watching them argue over something as silly as ice cream flavors was always entertaining.
It was moments like these that helped me forget… forget about Ema.
But as soon as her name crept into my thoughts, I felt that familiar pang - a tight, uncomfortable grip in my chest.
I tried to keep my expression neutral, hoping no one would notice.
It was easier to keep things light, to get lost in the trivial conversations, than to confront the heaviness that still lingered.
Even Ema had always loved vanilla.
And as much as I wanted to push that memory away, it kept bubbling up, unwanted, making it hard to fully enjoy the moment.
The ache was still there, even though I was doing my best to hide it.
I had to.
They didn't need to know how much of her still lingered in the background of my mind.
And I didn't want them to see my suffering.
Shaking off the thought, I focused on the present.
With Suzuki and Benjiro fully engrossed in their ridiculous debate, I saw an opportunity to slip back and walk beside Evangeline.
She'd been awfully quiet, and I couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong.
Her current mood was in total contrast with her usual demeanor.
"Evangeline," I said softly, lowering my voice so only she could hear, "is everything okay? You've been really quiet today."
She turned to me with a small, almost forced smile.
Her eyes, though, told a different story. "Oh, Fumihiro… it's nothing, really. I'm just… thinking about a few things. Don't worry." She said, with a low voice.
I wasn't buying it.
There was something off, something she wasn't saying.
I could feel it in the way she kept avoiding eye contact.
"If something's bothering you, you know you can talk to me, right?" I offered, keeping my tone gentle.
She met my gaze for a brief moment, like she was weighing her options.
Then, she shook her head, her smile faltering slightly. "Really, I'm fine. But… thank you. You're always so thoughtful."
I smiled back, but it was hard to shake the unease.
I didn't want to push her, but at the same time, it bothered me that she was holding something in.
"Alright," I said, deciding to let it go for now. "Just know I'm here if you ever need to talk." I said, trying to comfort her as much as I could.
She nodded, but the silence between us lingered.
Meanwhile, ahead of us, the debate between Suzuki and Benjiro showed no signs of stopping.
"I can't believe you're defending vanilla with such passion!" Suzuki cried, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Only because I'm right," Benjiro said, grinning like he'd just won the argument.
I chuckled softly to myself.
Their playful back-and-forth was a welcome distraction, and for a moment, I let myself get swept up in their energy.
Anything to keep my mind off the heavier thoughts swirling around inside.
In these kind of situations, Benjiro or Suzuki used to ask me for an opinion, but this time they didn't.
They had probably noticed Evangeline's mood and wanted to leave everything to mez
Beautiful friends.
After a few more minutes of walking and debating ice cream flavors, we finally arrived at the amusement park.
The place was alive with lights and the sound of rides whirring in the distance.
The air was thick with the smell of popcorn and cotton candy, and the excited chatter of families and friends filled the space around us.
Just standing there made me feel a little lighter despite that bitter feeling of missing Ema lingering into my heart.
At the entrance, we spotted Kazuha waiting for us, a wide grin on her face as she waved enthusiastically.
"There you guys are!" she called out, practically bouncing with excitement. "You all ready for some fun?"
Kazuha was dressed with casual but "cute" clothes.
A sweet blue shirt paired with jeans.
Suzuki immediately ran up to her. "Kazuha! I'm so glad you came! This is going to be amazing!" she said, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.
Benjiro followed, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey, Kazuha. Ready to see how many games I can win today?" he said with a cocky smirk.
Kazuha laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't get too confident. I'm pretty competitive myself."
Judging from their conversation, it seemed like they already had multiple chances where they talked.
I was so "happy" to see everyone smiling and talking to each other.
Evangeline and I walked up last, and Kazuha's smile faltered for just a second as she glanced at Evangeline.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern, though still light.
Kazuha immediately noticed Evangeline's turmoil.
Evangeline smiled faintly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Kazuha."
Kazuha gave her a quick, reassuring nod before turning to me.
"Alright, then! So, where do we start? I vote for the roller coasters!" she said, clapping her hands together excitedly.
I nodded, trying to focus on the moment. "Sounds like a plan."
And just like that, we all headed toward the rides, the tension slowly lifting as we stepped deeper into the park.
The lights, the sounds, the excitement… it was easy to get swept up in it all.
But even as I laughed with my friends, there was still that small part of me that couldn't stop thinking about Ema, about the past.
I clearly wanted her to be there with me.
I wanted that nothing had actually happened between us… that everything was nothing more than a nightmare.
But… reality can sometimes be worse than dreams.
She cheated on me.
She used to manipulate my life…
All the years we spent together.
Every single laugh , every single joy, vanished.
Like sand in the wind.
But despite all she had done, I perfectly knew that if I would see her right now, I'd surely forgive her.
During my time with my friends, I he never her name flickered across my mind, that familiar tightness gripped my heart.
But I also knew that I had to push the bad feelings down, smile, and pretend everything was fine.
At least for tonight…