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Chapter Text

Opening his eyes, Sunny looks around to see a place that he never seen before. A blue room with curtains as walls and lights shining to reveal the whole setting. In the middle is an old man with a hunched back, long nose, and large eyes, sitting next to a table. He never saw this person before, not even in the dreams he ever recalled. But if there is a reason for him to be here, then he should hear this man out.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," he said, "My name is Igor and I am here to send a message to you."

Sunny raises his eyebrows, trying to speak to Igor.

"I know this is unexpected for you to be here, but fear not, this is taking place in a dream. It seems that your fate is taken to an interesting turn, especially with the realms of your mind starting to form into an amalgamation of dreams and fears. Meaning there are many cases that you have yet to overcome."

He tries to figure out what he meant. What does he mean that there are some things he hasn't let go?

"Of course, it is for you to search before you can start, as your potential is yet to be made. You might find it difficult to take in from past events you dealt with. However, the deepest pits of your mind hold secrets that have yet to be revealed."

Another thing that is mentioned brings Sunny more questions than answers. What was the potential that Igor mentioned?

"Oh, it seems that our meeting is coming to an end, unfortunately. But before you go, please keep this message in mind and we will eventually meet again. Until then, farewell, Dreamer."

Sunny opened his mouth to protest, but his eyes start to fall heavy, drifting back to reality.

Sunday 9/07

Today is the day that Sunny is moving away from his hometown. He didn't want to at first, since he has to go far away from his friends. Sunny doesn't seem to have a choice, since his mom said that a new type of environment would be a breath of fresh air after a while. They were to move to Nearby City, something that Sunny would guess last. He has never been to a city before and thinking about it is anxiety-inducing. Of course, he doesn't want this to get the better of him, so he tries to dismiss it.

Sunny is currently packing up his belongings and bringing them to the trunk of the car. He puts his last box in and wipes some sweat off his brows, stretching his back after all of the carrying he's done. Then, he heard running footsteps behind and he looked back to see his group of friends coming by.

"Sunny!" Kel shouts as he stops in front of him, with everyone else following.

"Kel, guys," Sunny spoke, "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Aubrey said, "We came here just to say goodbye before you leave."

"We can't just stay away and not see you for the last time," Basil added, "It wouldn't be the best thing to do."

"At least we're able to make it," Hero said, "Though it is sad that we have to meet each other like this now."

"You know... we can always talk to each other with our phones," Sunny pointed out, "It's not really a goodbye."

"I know, but still," Kel huffs, "This is your departure after all, so we have to come here."

Sunny widen his eye, "You don't have to... but thank you," he gives a small smile, "At least we're able to see each other."

The rest of his friends smile back and Sunny couldn't help but feel a bit of tears coming out. Then, he hears the door of his former home shut, turning to see his mom, Miyuki, carrying a box. She goes to the trunk and places it before shutting the back.

"Phew, this is a workout," she muttered, then turns to Sunny, "Oh Sunny, did you get everything packed for yourself?"

"I did," he replied.

"Okay good, I just don't want you to forget anything."

She looks behind to see Sunny's friends grouped together.

"This is emotional for us to be gathered at this time," she said, "But thank you for taking care of Sunny while I was away. It must be great for him to spend his last days here with all of you," she gives a smile.

"Of course, Mrs. Suzuki," Hero replied, "We wanted to make sure that Sunny would be alright at this time. However, it isn't what we expected because of what happened, but at least we're able to recover."

"Right," she goes to the driver's side of the car, "Now we have to leave. But of course, there would be times when we can meet up again. Just let me know when it is time."

Miyuki enters with Sunny going to the passenger side. He buckles up and looks out the window to see his friends crowding at the side.

"Sunny, be sure to give us a message when you arrive!" Kel shouts through the window, "Tell us what the city is like!"

"I will," Sunny replied.

His mom starts the car and it begins to drive forward in the direction of the city. Sunny watches through the glass to see his friends run after him before the speed of the car overtakes them. He could have sworn he saw Kel trip and fall on his face, much to Sunny's sympathy just to see it. He sighs and looks upon the moving scenery of trees and power lines outside, at least he has a bit of entertainment while he waits. Then, Sunny looks beside him to see his mom.

"Mom, when are we gonna arrive at the city?" he asked.

"Just about half an hour," she answered, "So it won't be for long for us to be here."

"Okay," he replied, "Also, I'm not sure if it's another issue, since I don't usually acknowledge this."

"Sure, what is it?"

"What school am I gonna be in?"

"Oh, there is one that I think could be suited for you. From my research, it does have a suitable environment for transfer students, especially those who aren't used to communication. There are also offers of help in case you ever have any trouble here, so I believe it would be a great school for you to be in."

"Great," Sunny said, "Are we gonna see it?"

"Just as we're about to set foot in the city, we can take a look before we'll see our new home."

"Okay."

Their conversation ended there and Sunny continued watching out the window. For a while, they ended up in the city and Sunny looks at the environment. He saw tall skyscrapers and buildings raised towards the sky, various cars driving across the streets, and many interesting places that expanded more to what Sunny never knew about. He stares out of the window in amazement, observing the city more throughout the ride. While watching, he felt the car stop slowly and park at the side of the road, and he turns to look at his mom to know why they stopped.

"We're here at your school," she said, pointing to her left.

Sunny sat up to look to see the school outside with the set of stairs that leads to the entrance. The two exit the vehicle and walk up to the gate, looking up to observe the whole building. The school isn't alike to the one back in Faraway, being a few floors tall and larger. 

"So this is where I'm attending to now?" Sunny asked.

"Yes," Miyuki nodded, "Is there something wrong?"

"N-No, not really," he stuttered, "It's just... I've never seen a school this big before."

"Well, it is in the city and many kids would have to attend school. Then again, I did pick this specifically just for you to feel comfortable around here. I can assure you that it's not scary as you think it is."

"Yeah, I know."

"If you're done looking, we'll go ahead to our new home. It's not far away from your school, so you'll easily walk from there," she said.

"Where are we gonna live?" Sunny asked.

"It's an apartment, which is all I can afford for us to live. So anyways, let's go on ahead to our home, it's about to get late."

He nods and the two return to the car to leave the school. A couple of minutes later, they eventually made it to the apartment building. Miyuki parks at the front and the two exit out of the car. She opened the trunk and picked out some boxes that generalize with decoration for rooms.

"You go pick out the boxes you packed for your room while I take the heavier ones," she said.

"Got it," Sunny picks up one box, "By the way, what would my room be anyway?"

"Just the first door to the left of the hallway," Miyuki answered, "The bed and everything else you have is already settled. I'll show you where we're going to live, so follow me."

He nodded and she takes the lead for him to follow. They went up the stairs and passed a few doors until they stopped at one of them. She reaches for the keys and unlocks the door, opening it for Sunny to enter inside. Sunny goes in and proceeds to look around the place, all clean and tidy for a new home to be in. The living room is in front with the kitchen being close by. On his left, he saw a hallway, which he assumes could be the way to his room.

Sunny goes through the hallway and opens the first door to his left, the room his mom mentioned. He goes inside and observes the place, the furniture that he had from his own home is there. He places the box beside the doorway and repeats the steps he took before. Now, he had a stack of boxes full of his belongings and Sunny can organize everything here. He took his time to place all of his packaged items in the best way he could, making sure that it was put in place for him to navigate comfortably around his new room. While he was placing his books on the shelves, he heard Miyuki walk in to see him organizing his room.

"Oh, you actually organize your room all by yourself," she said stunned.

"Yeah, or it's the least I can do," Sunny replied.

"You did well, I suppose you'll be willing to live comfortably in your new home."

Sunny nodded.

"Now, you must be tired from all the work," Miyuki said, "I made some dinner for us to eat. Come on, it's our treat."

She and Sunny exit the room and they sit at their seats to start eating. Sunny sighed, now he has a chance to adapt to his new surroundings and be able to live a normal life again. Despite not having to see his friends for a while, at least they are still in contact with each other. There are some worries that Sunny has to focus on: having to go to his new school and meeting new people there. He wasn't used to speaking to strangers, as he would say a few words and avoid eye contact. This could be difficult to go through, so he has to think of some way to pass this.

"Sunny?"

Sunny heard his mom say his name.

"Are you alright? You seemed to be thinking about something."

"U-Um..." he stuttered, "I was thinking about the school I will attend soon. Mostly about having to meet new people and I'm nervous about it."

"I can understand," she nodded, "I know it's hard to communicate with strangers, but I would highly recommend you try to at least talk to them. It's best that you feel like you are part of this school and not feel left out."

"I know you are being cautious about those who might cause trouble, so all I can say is to trust your gut," Miyuki continued, "If anyone does mark your suspicions, I suggest you don't associate with them whatsoever. Another thing is: if you still harbor any doubt about a person, you have the right to judge before you can conclude. But if you deem them trustworthy, then go for your plan of being friends. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good, now we should get some rest for the next day. Tomorrow is going to be your first day of school, so you should sleep early."

Sunny nodded and got off of his chair and made his way to the bathroom to refresh. Then, he enters his room before he shuts the door and rummages through his closet for his sleepwear. Sunny places his discarded clothes in a basket, turn off the lights next to the doorway, and lies on his bed. It has been a long day since he moved, but all of this work seemed to be worth it. Soon, Sunny would eventually let himself be in the city life. He closes his eyes and lets sleep take over him, the sinking feeling starts to grow.

*^*^*

Sunny opens his eyes to see he is in the Dream World? He sat up and looked around, which he thought could be the Dream World. However, the place looked different, barren and silent, even taking more realism than it was before. He shook his head, there is no way he is back, the world is supposed to be gone as Omori mentioned. Sunny thought there could be something else going on, so a bit of an investigation is his plan.

The place he might be is somewhere in the middle of the Vast Forest. Sunny can't tell the exact location, since the placement of the trees is unfamiliar. Even though he has good memory, it isn't like he can recall back when he had his adventure here. He stood up and walked through the path, seeing if there are any signs of life somewhere. So far, there isn't any, which concerns him even more. While he looked around, Sunny heard what seems like ominous splashing somewhere. He turned back for the source but doesn't spot anything. Sunny sensed something from behind and he looked to see a stranger about to grab at him.

His mind then starts to go into a full panic as he turns to run away from it. In front of him, a couple more summoned themselves and Sunny stopped from getting close. He looks around for any escape routes but he was surrounded. More strangers are completely circling him, their hands reaching out and grabbing him limb by limb. Sunny stumbled to escape to no avail when he starts feeling more hands taking hold of him as they covered his whole body. He tries to scream but nothing came out, and his struggle starts to become futile.

*^*^*

Sunny opens his eyes quickly as he gasps for air, his body drenched in sweat as he frantically looks around the room. He realized that what he saw was just a dream, but everything he felt was real to him. He sat up from his bed and wipes off the sweat from his face, then covers it when his mind starts to waver from the aftermath. He has never had a nightmare ever since he uncovers the truth, but it doesn't explain how this nightmare became different than before. It doesn't explain how it happens either, so it's difficult for Sunny to figure it out.

Then why is he experiencing a nightmare this different? Is he missing something? Many thoughts start to spin in his head, as Sunny tries to put together what is happening then and now. Though this does intrigue him, he still felt overwhelmed by something unexpected like this. Sunny sighs, maybe he should look into this further if he can, unless if he tries to remember it clearly.

Sunny doesn't know if he can sleep peacefully tonight. However, he has school the next morning and he shouldn't pull himself back from just one nightmare. Sunny has no choice but to sleep again, having to pray silently that he won't continue being in this dream again. He lays down on his bed, covering himself with his blanket. Sunny slowly shuts his eyes and hopes he won't return to that place.

Monday 9/08

Sunny felt the morning rays through his window, prompting him to wake up in response. He sat up and wiped his eyes to clear his vision, then stretched his body after his slumber. Today is his first day of his new school and Sunny couldn't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. He removes himself from the bed and goes to his closet for his change of clothes. After that, Sunny packs up his supplies he needs for today and puts on his eyepatch over his scarred eye.

Sunny exits his room to go to the bathroom to refresh and walks his way to the living room. Sunny stopped by to see Miyuki preparing lunch for him, then she looked up and greeted him with a smile and Sunny goes next to her to retrieve his lunch.

She pats his head, "Morning sweetie, have you been sleeping well?"

"Yeah, I'm well," he replied.

"That's good, I want to make sure that you don't sleep too often. It won't balance out your schedule well."

"I know, I'm trying since then."

"Alright, just let me know if there's anything else that is troubling you."

Sunny nods and heads out to the door.

"This is your first day, so be good okay?

"I will," Sunny waves goodbye and exits out of the apartment.

He takes down the stairs and makes his way to ground level, stopping at the sidewalk. Sunny had recalled the directions to where his school is located and it is not far away from here on foot. He then proceeds to his first steps to his school, while looking around the city scenery at the same time. It is about five minutes to reach to the location and he stops to look at the building one more time. The structure looks over him, the towering walls don't seem to intimidate him like the first time, so Sunny thinks he might be able to make it through the day. He takes a deep breath and walks up the stairs to the entrance.

Since he is a transfer student, he has to go to the guidance staff room to meet with his homeroom teacher and learn about his schedule here. Sunny takes a look around to see if there is a map on the wall to know where the room is. He spotted it shortly and noted down the direction he has to go to meet up with his teacher. Sunny nods to himself and proceeds onward to the guidance staff room. It didn't take long for him to reach his destination and he enters inside to who he assumes is his teacher sitting at his desk waiting. Sunny goes to the man and greets him with a wave, to which he responds by waving back.

"Oh hello," he said, "Sunny Suzuki I'm assuming."

Sunny nodded.

"Good, now since you're a transfer student, you would have to get used to your new surrounding since you moved out. I'll be happy to oblige to give you help if you're having trouble. You may know me as your homeroom teacher, so I'll lead you to where you'll be settling at the start of the day."

"Also, I will hand you your schedule that you have to follow every day," he added, "It will include a note of where each classroom is located, so you won't have a problem looking for them."

He picks up a slip of paper on the desk and hands it to Sunny to look through. Sunny takes a look and sees a list of classrooms he will take this school year.

"If you think you're ready, let me lead you to your classroom."

His teacher stands up and walks to the door as Sunny follows him behind. They went up a couple flights of stairs and pass a few doors until they made it to their classroom. He opens the door and they enter the room. Some students turn to look at who is entering, while others are talking about who the new arrival is. The teacher goes to his desk as Sunny stands in front of the class since he knows it is a way to introduce himself. In front of him is a crowd of people of all different heights, hair colors, and skin tones.

"Before we begin, I would like to introduce you to our new student. His name is Sunny Suzuki."

Sunny takes a deep breath, "It's... nice to meet you," he said softly and makes a slight bow, "I hope that we can get along..."

He looks up to see that people are talking about him already. Throughout the chattering he picked up, mostly concerns about his eyepatch and assumptions about his injury, commenting about their worry.

The other half is commenting about his appearance, saying he looks strange and harmless, even saying he's cute. Sunny looked down at his feet, feeling overwhelmed that he got that much attention, especially on his first day here. Suddenly he heard his teacher clear his throat to bring attention from everyone.

"Okay, settle down," he said, "Now Sunny, take an empty seat over there."

His teacher points to an empty desk at the second column to his right and Sunny walks to the seat. He sits on the chair and goes to unpack his stuff to get ready. Sunny can still sense some stares from the room, having him look around and one of them is to his right. There is one guy who seemed tall with grey hair in a mop cut. Then the boy tilts his head and gives a smile, which almost made Sunny flinch from the sudden action.

"Something you want to talk about?" he asked.

"H-Huh?" Sunny replied unconsciously.

"It's okay if you don't have anything in mind. I can start," he shifts himself to face Sunny, "I'm Yu Narukami, it's nice to meet you, Suzuki."

"Yeah, same... Narukami."

"We can always talk if we ever have a chance, I think we'll get along well."

Sunny nodded.

"C'mon Partner, leaving me out on meeting the transfer student? That's harsh."

Another voice came from behind Yu, grabbing him by the shoulders. He has brunette spiky hair and headphones supported by his neck. 

"Excuse him, sorry about that," Yu said, "This is my friend, Yosuke Hanamura."

"'Sup, nice to meet you," Yosuke said.

"It's nice to meet you too, Hanamura," Sunny replied.

"There's no need to be formal, you can just call me Yosuke."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm not against it when I was the one who suggest it."

"Um, well-"

Sunny is then interrupted by the school bell ringing.

"Everyone, in your seats now," the teacher announced.

Yosuke briefly removes himself from Yu and goes back to his desk, and Sunny looks in front to prepare today. The first half of the day is uneventful, but Sunny didn't mind much anyway. There are things that he can do while in classes: sketching small doodles in his notebook and letting his mind wander about. Of course, having to overdo them would lead him into trouble, so Sunny would have to balance them out with his studying.

The times when the school bell ring, he would walk around to the ones he is assigned and it repeats. When it is lunchtime, he got up from his seat and exited his classroom. As Sunny walks his way out, he has suddenly felt a force on his back. Startled, he looks back to see Yosuke on him.

"Yo Suzuki, want to hang out with me and Yu at lunch?" he asked.

"I... um-"

"Yosuke, you shouldn't jump on someone without any warning," Sunny heard Yu coming along, "Especially to someone who you just met."

"What's the harm in that?" Yosuke questioned.

Sunny heard Yu sigh and goes beside him.

"Sorry about him again," Yu said, "But I can allow his suggestion about us hanging out during lunch. How does that sound?"

"Sure, I can go," Sunny replied.

"Hell yeah! Let's go to the rooftop then," Yosuke suggested.

"Are we even allowed to go there?"

"Don't worry, it's safe. We're just gonna sit and eat, that's all."

"Okay..."

"C'mon then, let's go!"

Yosuke is the first to lead as Yu and Sunny follow him behind. They climb up a row of stairs until they made it to the top floor and went to the rooftop door. Yosuke opens it and lets the two go outside, with him rushing by to a spot at the corner. Yu and Sunny went to him and they sat on the ground, then took out their lunch boxes from their bags. Sunny proceeds to find his utensils he can use to eat when an awed response came from Yosuke is heard.

"Yo... the lunch looks great, Partner!"

Sunny takes a peak at Yu's lunchbox and the looks of it almost made him drool.

"Did you make it?" Sunny asked.

"Yes, he did!" Yosuke jumps up, "He's an absolute god at cooking! You should try it if you got the chance."

"I wouldn't say that I'm flawlessly good," Yu comments, "You're just exaggerating."

"I know, but still. Let Suzuki have a try," Yosuke insisted.

"I can give a piece to him," Yu uses his chopsticks to grab a slice of pork katsu, "Okay, here you go."

Sunny looked to see the pork katsu in front of him, it nearly startled him again. He found out it was Yu offering it to him, and Sunny couldn't understand why he would share his food with him. He shrugged to himself and takes a bite of the pork katsu, then immediately tasted the exploding flavor. Sunny is shocked, he never knew that Yu's food can taste this delicious. This cooking might even rival Hero's, now he couldn't help but feel conflicted on which is better.

Yosuke laughs, "I can tell by the look on your face that you like it as well."

Sunny nodded unconsciously and continues relishing the flavor.

"It seems you have something in mind," Yu said, "You don't mind telling us, right?"

"Oh, well," Sunny gulps down the food, "It's just... I have a friend who also cooks as well. It just brings me back."

"Really?" Yosuke said, "If we meet that friend of yours, then Yu could have a competition with them."

"Not sure if I can follow along with that," Yu replied.

"It wouldn't be that bad if it involves someone else. It's not like we will allow Yukiko, Chie, and Rise to the competition again."

Yu chuckled, "You do have a point."

He and Yosuke have a good laugh as Sunny still recalls the moments of his past. Then he made a realization, he did just talk about himself to the two people he just met. Does it mean he trusts them? Sure, it seems far-fetched to trust someone on day one, but Sunny couldn't help but think that those two guys in front of him are nice people. He places his hand on his chest, gripping his vest. This moment is something he should expect, but having to experience this for the first time made his heart swell.

"Hey Suzuki, you alright?"

Sunny heard Yosuke through his thoughts and he looked up to see the two boys, examining him with concerned gazes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, "I just have this feeling... how do I describe it?"

Sunny rubs his head, "It's something like... the feeling of euphoria when you experience a memorable moment. It's only because I was able to trust you two, even if it's just my first day here."

"You trust us?" Yosuke echoed.

"Yes, I wasn't at first, because it's how I would respond whenever I'm near strangers. I just don't feel like associating with anyone who I don't know, so I say a few words or I don't speak at all."

"Is that how you feel?" Yu asked astonished, "Honestly, I never expected you to open up like this."

"Sorry, it's something you need to know about me," Sunny lowers his head.

"No need to apologize, I'm glad you did. Otherwise, we would've troubled you without knowing."

"Yeah, as Yu said, we don't want to make you uncomfortable since you're here," Yosuke agreed, "Of course, you can always talk to us if you need to."

"Y-Yeah, thanks," Sunny felt slight heat on his cheeks.

"Well, we should continue eating lunch. It's bound to get cold if we don't," Yu said.

The rest of lunchtime went along quietly until they return to their regular schedule. The rest of class time doesn't have anything going, so Sunny would continue with his distractions whilst trying to pay attention. It drags on for too long for him until the bell rings, and he packs up his stuff to leave the school. As he steps out of the entrance, a shout is heard behind him.

"Hey Suzuki, wait up!" Yosuke exclaimed.

Sunny stops to look and sees him and Yu walking close.

"Narukami, Hanamura, what is it?" Sunny asked.

"We just wanted to meet you here," Yu answered, "Also checking to see how you are feeling."

"I'm doing fine," Sunny waved a hand, "I appreciate your concern. My first day here seemed to be better than I expected, thanks to you two."

"Eh, it's no problem," Yosuke smiles, "It's best to help you out at this time."

Sunny nodded, "So... what is it that you want to meet me for?"

"We thought we can get to know each other a bit better," Yu said, "We can go to a cafe to hang out before we return home."

"Sure, I can go."

"Great, and also, there's someone that we're friends with who is working here. I bet you'll take a liking to him too."

"Oh alright, we'll see."

"Okay, I'll lead the way."

Yu takes the front and turns right at the school gate, with Yosuke and Sunny following him. It took about a few minutes to get to the location and they eventually reach their stop. Sunny takes a look at the building, a homey and simple vibe coming from it.

"'Leblanc,'" Sunny read the sign above him.

"This cafe is nice to relax after a long day," Yu added, "They have drinks you can choose and curry too."

"Oh yeah, the curry from there is my favorite," Yosuke commented, "You should try it out."

"Sure, I'll give it a try," Sunny replied.

The three enter the cafe, and the welcoming aroma of coffee surrounds them. Sunny felt at peace when he steps into this place, giving off a safe environment.

"Welcome," a server said, "Ah, Yu, Yosuke, it's you two."

"Yeah, we're here to relax," Yu replied, "And we wanted to introduce you to someone as well."

"Oh? Who is it?"

Yu moved aside to reveal Sunny behind him, and he jumped when it happened. The server in front of him has frizzly black hair and large-framed glasses.

"Ren, this is Sunny Suzuki," Yu said, "Suzuki, this is Ren Amamiya, he goes to the same school as us."

"Nice to meet you, Suzuki," Ren said, "Pleasure to be your acquaintance."

"Yeah, likewise," Sunny replied.

Ren nodded, "So, what would your orders be?"

"Just the usual for us," Yu said.

"Oh, give us two serves of curry," Yosuke added quickly, "Suzuki wanted to try one."

"Of course, and what would be your drink, Suzuki?" Ren asked.

"Just coffee," Sunny replied.

"Alright, I'll get them ready."

Ren proceeds to work as Yu leads Yosuke and Sunny to their seats close to the window. Sunny sits alone from the seats as the other two take the opposite side. Sunny start to think about how their relationship is, considering how close they are. It made him reminisce about the times he hung out with Kel back then and how they would stick together often. It made him nostalgic thinking about it and Sunny thinks he can invite his friends to come over to the city.

"Suzuki, are you alright?" he heard Yu said, "You seemed to be spacing out a lot."

"Y-Yeah, I do that sometimes," Sunny replied mortified, "It's something about how it reminds me of my home I moved away from when I see you two."

"Oh? Do you have a friend you're close to?"

"Yes, there is one friend who kind of acts like Hanamura. He's full of energy, fun to hang out with, a type to joke, and can be a bit dumb."

"Wha- hey!" Yosuke exclaimed, feeling offended.

"But that's the charm of who he is," Sunny added, "Even with that, he cares for anyone who he trusts and always lends me a shoulder to cry on."

Yu and Yosuke exchanged glances, picking up some points from Sunny that they can understand.

"But... having me to move away from home means that I won't see him and the rest of my friends who live here," Sunny rests his head on his hand, elbow on the table, "Even though it's my first day at the city, I couldn't help but miss them.

"That is hard to deal with," Yu said understandably, "There could be some way that you can contact them."

"I mean, I do have their phone numbers, so I can talk to them any time. But, it wasn't the same as before..."

"Maybe you can invite them over here someday," Yosuke suggested, "Wouldn't hurt to try."

"That's what I was thinking," Sunny jumped from his seat, "Funnily enough, we already discussed this before I arrived here."

"I'm curious though," Yu spoke, "What is that home like?"

"Well, I lived in a small town named Faraway," Sunny began.

"A town, huh?" Yosuke said.

"Yeah, there are many things that you can do and places I like to go. There is a supermarket, a hobby store, a playground, and a lake nearby too. This town is what I hold close to since it is where I was born."

"That must be nice," Yu comments.

"Yeah... maybe one day I can let you visit here later on."

"Sure, we would love that."

Sunny nodded, "Now, it's my turn to ask the questions."

"Alright, go on ahead," Yosuke insisted.

"Okay, my first one is: how do you two first meet?"

"I found Yosuke in a trash can when he crashed his bike," Yu answered.

"Yeah... what he said," Yosuke replied sheepishly.

"It's hard to believe, but I'll allow it," Sunny said, "Another question, which is up to you to answer."

"What do you mean by that?" Yu questioned.

"It's just something that I'm wondering, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable, that's all."

"Just go ahead and ask, we'll try our best to answer."

"Oh... okay then," Sunny takes a deep breath, "So my question is: are you two... dating?"

The partners widen their eyes and look away blushing.

"L-Like I said, you don't have to answer," Sunny said quickly, "I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, just disregard it."

"No, it's fine," Yu assures, mortification evident in his voice, "It's just... I never thought someone would bring this up."

"Y-Yeah, me neither," Yosuke stuttered, "Is there a reason you asked?"

"I mean... I saw it for myself. You two are close and I never saw anyone else you hung out with as far as I can tell. I mean, you called Narukami 'Partner,' which I can assume would be a use of endearment."

Yosuke just looks down, still blushing.

"It's... going to be complicated to explain," Yu said, "But just to answer: no, we're not dating."

"Huh?"

"Yeah... as he said, it's a bit confusing," Yosuke finally replied, "We're just close basically, so yeah."

"I see," Sunny looks away from the two, "Sorry, I probably made things awkward..."

"No it's fine, you were asking the question," Yu assures, "You were wondering, like you said."

"Alright, it's all ready," Ren announced as he walks to the table, "Here's your drinks and curries you ordered."

He places the cups and dishes on the table, a delightful scent of coffee accompanied by the savory smell of curry nearly made Sunny drool.

"This looks amazing, Ren!" Yosuke exclaimed, "Now it's time to eat!"

Yosuke immediately digs in the curry and eats it, humming in satisfaction from the taste.

"So good," Yosuke smiles, "C'mon Suzuki, you have to try it."

"Uh yeah, I'm about to," Sunny proceeds to take a spoonful of the curry and eats it, then he widens his eye in surprise.

"Heh, see, I told you it's good," Yosuke chuckles.

Sunny hums in response and eats his food.

"I'm glad you liked it," Ren says, "Is there anything else you like?"

"Oh uh," Sunny shifts himself from his seat to face Ren, "Thank you for the meal."

"It's no problem," Ren smiles, "If you need something, just let me know."

"Yeah, thanks," Sunny said.

Ren waves a hand and left to return to the counter.

"I assume you take a liking to Ren," Yu said.

"Yeah, he seems nice," Sunny replied.

Yu nodded, "That's good. If there are times that you have after school, we can always hang out here if you want."

"Sure, I'll let you know if that's the case."

"Alright, now let's just get settled before everything else gets cold."

The three spend their time at the cafe, engaging in small talk as it goes on. After that, they exit and stop by the front.

"I had a great time today," Sunny said, "I'm glad that I can spend it with you two."

"That's great to know," Yosuke smiled, "Since it is your first day here, we couldn't leave you hanging all alone."

"I appreciate it," Sunny looks down, "You're too kind."

"It's what we can do," Yu says, "How about we exchange numbers so we can stay in touch?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

They all took their phones out and Sunny takes the partners' phone numbers.

"Got them," Sunny said.

"Okay good," Yu replied, "Suppose we'll be off for today. We'll see each other at school tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll see you two then."

Sunny said goodbye and went off to go home. He recalls his directions back to school and then to the apartment building. Sunny enters his home and looks around for his mom, but she was nowhere to be seen. He assumes she might still be at work, meaning that Sunny has this place all to his own for now. He sighed and went to his room, placing his bag next to the chair of his desk and lying on the bed. Even though the day has been long, it became a memorable one for him. Having to gain friends this easily on the first day makes Sunny feel warm.

He smiles to himself, maybe being in the city isn't so bad after all. When he starts to relax, his phone vibrates in his pocket and Sunny takes it out to see who was calling him. It was Kel, so he decides to pick up the call.

"Hello?" Sunny said.

"Heyo Sunny, what's up?" Kel replied.

"Hello Kel," Sunny sat up from his bed, "I'm doing fine, how about you?"

"Nothing eventful, but I'm good. I think you see me took the fall earlier when you're going," Kel chuckled.

"Oh yeah, about that. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm not hurt much. So, has your first day of school been well?"

"Yeah, I made three friends," Sunny answered.

"Really?! That's awesome! I knew you can do it!" Kel applauded, "So, who are these friends?"

"Their names are Yu Narukami, Yosuke Hanamura, and Ren Amamiya," Sunny answered, "Hanamura in particular does remind me of you."

"Oh really?" Kel said interested, "When you say it like that, he must be pleasant to be around."

"Yeah."

"So, what about Yu and Ren?"

"They're cool," Sunny answered, "They give me a vibe similar to myself, but more charismatic."

"Well, you are already charming yourself, Sunny," Kel chuckled.

"You say the most ridiculous things. How would you know?"

"It's because I said so," Sunny can hear a smile in Kel's voice.

"Anyways, how are the rest doing?"

"They've been fine. Hero is busy with college as usual, Aubrey hanging out with the hooligans, and Basil's doing much better now."

"That's good to hear," Sunny smiles.

"Yeah, even with the things we've dealt with for a while," Kel replies, "But still, we have to at least stick with each other if anything else happens."

"True," Sunny trails off, "By the way, would there be any time when you can come over here?"

"Oh yeah, we haven't talked about this further," Kel states, "Maybe we can plan this out on when we can go, so it'll take a while. I mean, Hero is busy with college, so I doubt he might come along."

"That's a shame..."

"Yeah, but there is always another time though. If he were to get a break, he can accompany us as well."

"Yeah, and also, if you were to be here, I can properly introduce you to the friends I mentioned."

"Sure, that'll be great!" Kel exclaims, "If Aubrey were to see Yosuke, she's gonna explode."

"True, that might be frustrating to deal with."

Then, Sunny heard distant calling from the speakers.

"Oh, my mom is calling me," Kel said, "Sorry, but I have to go for now. I have to help her clean the house, so should we talk another time?"

"Yeah, just help your mom out."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later."

"Later."

Sunny hung up the phone and he lay on his bed again. He sighs as he smiles to himself again, his new life is starting to get better. The people are nice and the places are pleasant to relax, there are more things that he can look around soon. He could document everything to his friends about the city and they might be able to go there soon to gain their interest. Then, it would be like being in Faraway again. All of this thinking made Sunny whirled with ecstasy, rolling on the bed.

His excitement ended when he heard a knock on his door, which caused him to sit up from his bed and opened it. In front of him is Miyuki, who looked like she had just gotten home.

"Hey Sunny," Miyuki said, "You seemed to be awfully happy, did something happen?" she then smiles.

"Well, my first day went great," Sunny began, "And I made three friends today."

"Really? That's great!" she applauded, "I knew you could do it. You can actually handle this all on your own."

"Thanks, but there is still time for me to get to know them better."

"That's true, but since you only met them today. Just be sure that they don't do anything suspicious, got it?"

Sunny nodded.

"Good, now we'll get ready for dinner. You can help if you want."

Sunny and his mom exit out of the room and went to the kitchen, beginning their preparation for dinner. They took their time to cook their food, and then settle themselves to eat.

"So how has work been treating you?" Sunny starts, taking a bite of food.

"It's been fair," Miyuki replies, "I do need some time to get used to the environment."

"Yeah, it's the same for me."

"I suppose we deal with our problems in our own ways," she said thoughtfully.

"Yeah."

His mom hums in thought, "Regarding your friends, if you ever thought about inviting them over here, I'll allow it. But, don't make a mess while I'm gone, okay?"

Sunny nodded.

"Okay good," she stood up to pick up her empty plate, "If you're full, you can save the leftovers and put them in the fridge."

"Yeah, I'll do that," he yawned, "I'm getting a bit tired."

His mom chuckles, "Then go ahead and sleep, another day of school is coming up."

Sunny hummed and got up from his seat, then went to the bathroom to refresh before he goes to his room. He wears his sleepwear and discards his clothing in the basket, then he turns off the lights and lays on his bed. Before he can shut his eyes, his phone suddenly rings on his nightstand. Sunny sat up from this bed to look beside him. He starts to wonder who was calling him at this hour, so he picks it up to see who it was. It was Yu, which confuses Sunny further that he is the one who has to call him. He shrugged and picked up the call, holding his phone by his ear.

"Hello?" Sunny said.

"Hey Suzuki," he heard Yu through the speakers.

"Hi Narukami," Sunny replied, "Why do you call me at this time? Is there something you need?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just wanted to say hi."

"What, really..." Sunny said deadpan, "I was about to sleep and that's what you called me for?"

"Oh, sorry," Yu chuckled, "I thought it would be nice to talk to you at this time. Yosuke and I would usually do this before we go to sleep."

"Ah, of course."

"By the way, do you have any plans after school tomorrow?" Yu asked, "I thought we can hang out for a bit if you want to of course."

"I don't think I have any plans as far as I know," Sunny answered, "But I'll let you know if that were to happen."

"Great, we'll talk soon after school then."

Sunny hummed.

"Okay, have a good night."

"Good night, Narukami."

Sunny hung up the call and placed his phone back on the nightstand, then lay on the bed. He pinch the bridge of his nose as he sigh, Sunny never thought Yu would be like this as well. But of course, he doesn't mind much, at least they can be themselves without any judgment. It does reassure him about the fact, now that he has friends that can understand him at least. He heaves a last sigh before he closes his eyes, slowly falling asleep.