Naota Nandaba never expected Haruko to ever come back. To be honest, in the ten years since he'd last seen her he'd begun to wonder if he'd imagined very second with her, or fallen prey to some strange hallucinogen created by Medica Merchanica. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing amazing, ever happened in Mabase, right? Wasn't he always telling people that? Were it not for the insistence of Mamimi – on her odd visits – and Ninamori – on her notably more frequent visits – he might have dismissed Haruko-San as nothing more than a prepubescent fantasy or an imaginary girlfriend.

Canti's presence in the bread shop helped Naota to forget about Haruko even less, serving as a constant reminder that she had chosen the pirate King Atomsk over him in the end. She'd left the planet, and left him behind to deal with his family, Amarao's team, and Mamimi's disappearance now that he was unwilling to play Tak-kun at her beck and call. And for a while Naota had hated Haruko for it. As she'd said so herself, he had still been just a kid. But eventually he'd moved beyond expecting her return, or any help. He'd grown up, practiced his swing at baseball, and learned to play the base guitar left-handed just to prove that he wasn't intimidated by her memory. And then she'd gone and shown up again and ruined... Everything.

"You were the first one I saw Naota. It had to be you."

Apparently unwilling to break from tradition, Haruko had run him over in her trademark yellow Vesper upon return. Pulling off her helmet and broad, blue goggles she had stood over him, head tipped to one side that way she did so, a grin slowly growing on her face like a fire somebody was slowly adding wood to. Naota clasped his hands to his head with a growl, pouting angrily up at the alien with a disbelieving look in his eyes. He tapped the side of his head, as if wondering if he was hallucinating from the bump, and Haruko tipped her head even further so that she was practically doubled over sideways as she appraised him.

She pursed her lips, then started to laugh, moving her Rickenbacker so that it slung over her back instead of sitting in her hands, using both of her gloved appendages to pull him to his feet and dust him down. Naota didn't smile back, standing stock still as she cleaned and sorted him, even licking her thumb to put his hair back into order, and had to force himself not to blush as her fingers brushed tenderly and thoughtfully over his forehead. Seemingly certain that nothing was about to come out of him, Haruko folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. Naota narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Raharu." Haruko recoiled momentarily at her real name, then snorted and began to circle the twenty two year old man, occasionally prodding him or reaching out towards him. Unlike last time they'd met she seemed to have developed something more of a respect for his personal space, almost as though she was as nervous around him now as he was around her. She seemed, if anything, apologetic, and to be blushing a little; but that might have been the glow from her hair in the dusk light.

"That's not my name."

"Grow up." Haruko recoiled, and then narrowed her eyes, clearly unimpressed by Naota's outburst. She glanced him over, then quickly came closer, causing him to back into the wall behind him, eyes widening in shock. He blushed from behind his hat – far too big for him to still be wearing, but he liked it – and Haruko pulled it off, dropping it nonchalantly to the ground. Naota opened his mouth to protest but Haruko shushed him irritably, sorting his hair into a messed-up look that she preferred. He frowned, and rubbed the top of his arms through his t-shirt. "I mean it, Haruko." She smirked when he used her preferred name, considering the word a personal victory. "Grow up, and go away."

"I mean it too, Naota. You were the first one I saw."

"What's your point?"

"I came back for you."

"Yeah, right. I'm not a kid anym-"

"Yeah you're all grown up Taku." Haruko grinned, patting the front of Naota's trousers. She was almost snappy about it, using his brother's name intentionally to annoy him. Haruko knew Naota far too well, and more than he cared to admit. But it was her hand that had his attention now. He hadn't even realised where her hand had gone after stroking at the buttons on his shirt, but felt his ears go pink again, at the hard feeling he felt beneath her hand. He willed it to go away, along with the memory he had of telling Haruko that he loved her. Neither obeyed him. "Not a kid at all anymore."

"Shut up!"

"What?" Haruko pouted, a devilish grin on her face. She pursed her lips playfully. "Don't you love me anymore?"

"No!"

"No?"

"N-" Haruko quieted Naota with a kiss. She grabbed his front harder, making him gasp out, and then swallowed the gasp, pressing her whole body against him. Naota's back hit the wall harder, and his hands – after a moment's startled hesitation – slid over her shoulders and around her neck, hanging loosely in place. He paused again, then pulled her close as Haruko did the same, gripping her hands into his now-longer hair and tugging less than gently. Naota moved closer so that she couldn't pull, biting her lip and drawing it closer to him, sucking gently, and then a little more insistently, resenting that she had left him. All too soon Haruko pulled back, and before Naota had time to whimper grabbed his hand possessively and pulled him towards her bike, thrusting a helmet onto her head. "What are you-"

"Well? Are you coming?"

"I-"

"It has to be you Naota." Haruko gave a seductive purr and patted the seat of the bike, wriggling his ass just so, and Naota climbed on behind and wrapped his arms around her stomach, stroking and resting his chin on her shoulder. Haruko fired up the Vesper and pressed her back into Naota before taking off.

Nothing exciting ever happened in Mabase.