After glancing at Inagawa a few more times from afar, Aoto turned back and whispered to Mukiwa beside him:
"Let's go."
Mukiwa nodded obediently: "Mm."
The two figures vanished one after the other into the shadows of the dark alley.
They moved swiftly through the streets, illuminated by the faint moonlight, darting past buildings, and it wasn't long before they left the outskirts.
Just then, a petal of sakura suddenly drifted past Mukiwa's eyes.
The sakura petal appeared suddenly and disappeared quickly, but it successfully captured Mukiwa's gaze and attention.
Mukiwa watched the petal, which swiftly vanished into the nearby darkness, with a slightly dazed look.
Next, a touch of contemplation and hesitation flitted across Mukiwa's brow.
"Contemplation" and "hesitation" tugged back and forth for quite a while before Mukiwa finally took a deep breath: "…Mr. Tachibana. Before heading back... can you accompany me to a place? I'll take you to a nice spot."
