Honestly, Higo thought that he would have at least a peaceful week before having to go back to Germany. However, he forgot and somehow underestimated the fame he brought as one of the members of the national team who became second in the world. Even if no one really paid attention in Tokyo, back home, his already high reputation jumped higher, and he couldn’t even get a peaceful day to hang out with his friends.
It would be okay if the only things bothering him were the reporters and the official meeting with the higher-ups. Higo’s super agent, Koisuke Fujita, was able to deal with everything efficiently. He only picked one meeting with the city’s mayor and arranged an interview with the biggest local news platform, allowing Higo to occupy the headline in this city without having to go to too many meetings.
However, things were different when it came to the real people around him.
It had been three days since Higo arrived back home, and he couldn’t get out of the house without getting swarmed by people who wanted to have a photo or take a video with him. Hell, the neighbors whom he had never communicated with in the past also joined the fun, always dragging him for a quick chat when he tried to sneak outside. They suddenly talked like they watched him growing up, while Higo himself didn’t know who the hell those neighbors were.
Well, in hindsight, Higo himself didn’t really mind this situation. He was never a boy who liked to hang out too much, preferring to stay at home and play with his phone. Still, the boy felt guilty for impacting Kumiko. The girl next door also couldn’t get out, getting trapped by people around.
Then, on the fourth day of his precious holiday, Higo suddenly received a short message from the girl.
Kumiko-chan: Ryukkun, let’s go out and get some fresh air tomorrow!
Kumiko-chan: Wake up early, we will sneak before the sun is high!
Higo raised one of his eyebrows slightly. Still, other than the indoor physical training that he had done in the last couple of days, the boy really needed to get out a little, so he didn’t hesitate to agree.
You: Sure, what time should I get out?
After waiting for a while, he got a short reply from the girl.
Kumiko-chan: What about 6 in the morning?
Well, talk about being early. Even though the sun should’ve already been out at that point, everything else was still asleep. The city would only start breathing life around 8, and it would get crowded at around 9. Going out that early meant there would be no distraction, just him and Kumiko in their own world.
Thinking about that, Higo couldn’t help but smile, typing quickly on his phone.
You: Sure, wait for me outside!
The night fell pretty slowly, and Higo spent most of his time rolling around restlessly. Whenever his eyes were closed and his consciousness began to slip, his mind would start imagining what would happen tomorrow, and honestly, the smile on his face couldn’t be bigger than right now.
Fortunately, he was already half-exhausted, so it was easy for the boy to fall asleep. The next thing he knew, his alarm rang so loudly, and when the boy checked the clock, it was already 5, half an hour before his little ’appointment’ with Kumiko.
Kumiko-chan: Hey, have you been awake already?
This question alone was enough to wake him up. Higo blinked for a moment, shaking his head quickly to regain his consciousness before typing on his phone, ’Yeah, but it is still 5:13, right? Wait a moment, let me prepare myself.’
Right after that, he didn’t wait for too long, jumping to the bathroom immediately. Of course, taking a shower was the last thing he wanted to do right now. No, the temperature was still so low, and the chilly wind breezing from the window would be enough to freeze him to death.
The boy just washed his face and brushed his teeth before changing his clothes, then blitzing as quickly as possible outside of the house.
"Hey, it’s been a long time since we hung out together, right?" Higo panted slightly from rushing things up, yet still smiling at the sight of Kumiko waiting outside. "Have you been waiting for a long time?"
"Don’t worry, I have just been here for two minutes." Kumiko smiled prettily while also taking her eyes off her phone. She was wearing jeans and a casual jacket, letting her hair loose behind her. The round glasses were the chef kiss here, enough to hypnotize Higo on the spot. "Anyway, come on! Let’s go somewhere else!"
This was enough to snap Higo from his own thoughts. Still, the boy just followed along, walking next to Kumiko. The peaceful silence in the morning was a contrast to the hectic and chaotic atmosphere in the last couple of days, and it would be a lie if Higo said that he didn’t enjoy it. Hell, even just to go out for a run, he couldn’t really do that without being swarmed by people, and this was probably the first time Higo could just walk without any hindrance.
At this point, the weather in Hakodate had started to get friendlier, and even though it was still around 5:30 in the morning, the temperature was quite warm, around 13 degrees Celcius. This was definitely a perfect condition to go out in the morning.
After taking a few turns to the familiar roads and alleyways, Higo finally couldn’t hide his curiosity anymore. "So, where are we going?" He asked the girl next to him.
Instead of getting an immediate answer, though, the girl just smiled mysteriously, keeping her lips tight. Well, Higo just shrugged, knowing full well that when Kumiko was like this, there was no way he could pry her mouth open. It was better for him to wait.
However, it didn’t take a long time before he realized where they were going right now. After finding themselves taking a familiar path, the closer they got to the destination, the brighter Higo’s eyes shone.
"Are we going to Hakodate Nishi?"