Chapter 148

Where One Belongs (1) (いるべきばしょ①, Irubeki Basho) is the first part of the 148th chapter of the To Your Eternity manga.

Summary
Fushi is alarmed that Gugu wants to go back to Takunaha and asks if it's because he doesn't like Yanome. Gugu tells him that when Fushi resurrected him and dropped him in Takunaha, he saw Booze Man's shop still there and it really took him back. Picking up on Fushi's less-than-filled reaction, Gugu tells him it was a joke and heads for bed.

Fushi looks behind him and sees March, still trying to write and struggling, in her sleep. He wonders if to everyone else, this place isn't a good one.

Just then, Yuki walks out with his tablet telling Fushi to come look. Yuki is watching a news broadcast and explains that the International Uprooter Alliance wants to pull out all of Fushi's roots. Fushi looks at the broadcast and sees a reporter suggesting they pull all the roots from out of Renril but another reporter informs him Renril locals are protesting the plan. Bonchien is interviewed and he tells the reporter that the Great Tree is still alive. Another reporter brushes Bonchien off as a Fushi Fundamentalist and calls the roots harmful. Fushi, furious from hearing this, sends his roots to sprout out over the reporters. The reporters freak out and exclaim that the Church of Bennett lied about the root's growth stopping. The next day, Fushi, as Joaan, finds Hairo working at a bakery. Fushi tells Hairo he's here to find out what really happened to Gugu and him. Hairo insists they only feel as Fushi asks if he still has enough false teeth. Hairo says he does but Fushi summons him some new ones anyways which agitates Hairo. They head behind the bakery and Hairo explains that Gugu never really fit in at school since the very beginning. At school, Gugu would be hounded by his classmates pestering him about his mask. He agonized over it. One day he showed his classmates his face in hopes of them leaving him alone. They didn't mock Gugu for his injury, but rumors about Gugu spread around and delinquents would come to challenge him since they fought he was tough. Gugu and Hairo would fight the delinquents together until one day they were caught by the police, which was also the day Fushi returned home.

Fushi says that he had no idea about any of this and tells Hairo that Gugu wants to go back to Takunaha. Fushi then asks if it's hard for him here too. Hairo doesn't have an opinion but informs Fushi he also plans on leaving the house within a year. Fushi is shocked by this and points out that the house has a place for him to sleep and good food. Hairo tells him that he wants to leave because he can't act like a child forever. Fushi says he doesn't understand and asks if it's because of the school or him. Hairo tells Fushi to calm down and that he's not leaving because he doesn't like Fushi, he simply just wants to the world. At first, Fushi is happy to hear Hairo say this, but his happiness quickly fades as realization kicks in. Fushi suddenly takes off running leaving Hairo behind. As he runs, Fushi thinks to himself that he's not finished yet.