#it has been an utter delight to write my FUCKIGN kids

[96percentdone]

31 the higu kids post-canon

31. Road-Trips

July 26th, 1986: the 61st year of the Shouwa Era

On a sweltering summer morning, where the air sticks to his skin almost as much as his clothes—typical for Hinamizawa this time of year—someone blasts the car horn for the seventh time outside of ‘Maebara Manor’ at 8:45am. That Mion…. With a half snort/half grumble, Keiichi throws the last of his things in his makeshift backpack-suitcase and speeds down the stairs. “I’m off!”

“Make sure you call once you get to a hotel,” Mom calls from the kitchen.

“I will!”

“And don’t stay out too late! Rika-chan and Satoko-chan are both still middle schoolers!”

“Okay!” Keiichi agrees, and the door thumps closed behind him. It’s funny how much she worries; even after all these years, she still has no idea the kinds of shenanigans their club gets up to!

Though she can definitely see him, just to be annoying Mion slams her fist on the horn of her brand-new bright red Mitsubishi Chariot for one final, lengthy honk. “You’re late!” she greets just as he opens the door. 

“Stop honking! My mom is still home!”

“Oops!” In an instant, Mion’s hands fly off the wheel and to her sides, like she means to sit on them. “Sorry! I forgot!”

“She would have hit it less if you just packed your things faster.”

Whirling around, Keiichi lunges over the backseat and scruffs up the first hint of blonde hair he can spot. “Like you weren’t also slamming the horn!”

“Auau…I told them not to…”

“Mii, it’s more fun this way~”

Satoko whines and swats at his hands—“Unhand me, you brute!”—but he does not relent, not until her hair is sufficiently mussed up. “So full of energy this early in the morning…”

“Good morning, Keiichi-kun~☆”

It’s only with Rena’s greeting that everything fully clicks into place. In the back, Rena sits with Hanyuu, with a tower of homemade snacks in the seat between them that’s crept into the middle row with Rika-chan and Satoko (who is sitting right behind him). Isn’t that basically everyone? But when Mion first knocked on the door, she was alone, wasn’t she? “When did you all get here?”

“Turn around, and put your seatbelt on; I’m not getting ticketed a week after getting my license.”

“Mion-san did barely pass the test in the first place.”

“That wasn’t my fault!”

A hand reaches from behind the driver’s seat and just barely manages to pat Mion’s head. “There, there.”

Although she’s still grumbling under her breath something about ‘that damn Shion…,’ she slowly pulls out with the telltale click of his seatbelt. 

Rena actually answers him. “Mii-chan came to pick us up while waiting for you.”

“Mhmm!” says Hanyuu. “Said it would waste less time, since she knew we were all ready.”

“Haah?” Keiichi yells. His home disappears down the road, foot by foot into grass and mountainside. Why didn’t anyone tell him? He’s always the last to know, throwing shit into a bag and booking it out the door as the event starts.

“I did tell you,” Mion says.

“When?”

“Yesterday. I called.”

“You just said to prepare for the adventure of a lifetime!”

“She also said to pack your things,” says Rika. 

“‘At least a week’s worth of supplies to survive the wilderness and the city streets!’ or something like that,” says Satoko.

“How do you know?”

“She gave us the same speech, au!” Hanyuu says.

“Plus, Keiichi-kun, I also called last night and asked if you needed help….”

That’s what that was about? Was this all obvious? Is he that stupid? It’s just him after all that didn’t realize she was planning a road-trip? I was never good at those word association games…Now everyone is bullying him. Again. “Pull over. I’m going back home.”

The whole car erupts into laughter. It’s been three years since Maebara Keiichi first moved to Hinamizawa;  some things never change. In the middle row, just behind Mion, Furude Rika smiles with a satisfied hum.

July 1st, 1983, the 58st year of the Shouwa Era

The last day of June still rests, crumpled into a ball in Rika’s hand as she stares at the wall calendar. “I’ve made it.”

“Mhmhm!” Hanyuu agrees. “What do you want to do next?”

A great question. She can do anything now. The world is so big, so full of places and moments outside of this small town she calls home, beyond June of 1983, where does she even start? How can she begin to see it all? To do it all? “It’d be nice to travel.” It wouldn’t matter where she goes, just that she can.

“Auau, it would! Although it will be a little difficult to go far until you can learn how to drive.”

That’s true, eighteen years old is a ways off, but she has time. She has years and years and years! Right now, she can take her bike an hour down the mountain to Okinomiya, and play games with her beloved friends, but when she gets bigger, grows up further, they can go farther, to Shishibone City, and beyond. “Maybe I can conquer Japan before high school. Mii should have her license by then.” In this world, anything is possible.

“Auau! Let’s do it!”

“Rikaaaaa! Hanyuu-san! We’re going to be late!” Satoko shouts from the doorway.

“Coming!” Rika tosses the paper ball into the wastebasket, and dashes towards the door. Her new life starts now: how far will she go today?