Arriving at their neighborhood
“By the way, Ruki. This gift… Why did you have me pick it up?”
As the bus started moving and the two of us once again found a comfortable silence, Hina, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice, brought up that question. On her hand, the gift that Ogawa intentionally left behind. It was still unopened but Hina already guessed what was inside—a cosmetic item from her favorite brand.
Like we both thought, it was a birthday gift with the secondary purpose of being reconciliatory. What was written on the card was the guy wishing the girl Happy Birthday along with another written apology and his own wish to mend their cracked friendship.
I had no idea if Hina understood it, but when I read that message, why he returned at such a time became a little clear.