Around 9 p.m., Chisato packed up his things, ready to clock out.
The Starry Night bar was still bustling, with customers gathered in small groups, chatting or drinking.
But none of that concerned Chisato—he could leave the rest to the manager. Judging by the crowd, the bar likely wouldn't close until after midnight again.
"Hitori"
With his backpack slung over one shoulder, Chisato pushed open the recording studio door but didn't step inside.
Instead, he simply called out from the doorway:
"Time to head home."
Inside, the members of Kesshoku Band were huddled around a small table, playing Old Maid.
Hitori seemed to be losing badly—her adorable face was covered in sticky notes, completely obscuring her delicate features.
Hearing her boyfriend's voice, Hitori turned around and responded softly. Then, she glanced at the other three girls.
Seeing this, Nijika set down her cards.
"Oh wow, it's already past nine. I guess we should wrap up for today."
Ikuyo stretched her arms above her head.
"Yeah, I need to head home too."
Ryo tugged at Nijika's sleeve.
"I don't wanna go home. Nijika, can I stay over at your place tonight?"
"Sure, but there's no way we're sharing a bed. You sleep like a wild animal, so I'm taking the floor."
The four girls pulled the sticky notes off their faces, tidied up the table, and stepped outside.
They found Chisato standing by the roadside, casually fiddling with his phone while waiting.
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Ikuyo-chan, Bocchi-chan."
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
They waved at each other.
Since Nijika lived in the apartment above the Starry Night bar, she and Ryo turned and headed inside.
Ikuyo flagged down a taxi—since they finished late today, her family had insisted she take one home.
"Shall we go?"
Chisato slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"Mm."
Hitori obediently fell into step beside him.
Whenever he had no other plans after work, this was their routine—they'd walk to the train station together.
When no one else was around, Chisato would sometimes act mischievously, like holding her hand or pulling her into a side alley on the way to the station, where they'd savor each other's taste, indulging in something a little naughty.
But tonight, Chisato showed no such intentions. He walked properly, behaving himself the entire way.
His unusually disciplined demeanor left Hitori feeling somewhat empty inside—after all, she had been secretly looking forward to it.
Still, she hadn't forgotten the request Nijika and Ikuyo had entrusted to her.
As they chatted idly, she found a gap in the conversation and nervously asked,
"Chisato-kun, do you have time this Sunday?"
Chisato glanced at her and replied,
"Sunday? No plans yet. Why?"
Hitori explained,
"It's about Nijika-chan. This Sunday is her birthday. She didn't tell us herself, so she probably wasn't planning on celebrating, but Ikuyo-chan, Ryo, and I all felt like that wouldn't be right."
"So we decided to throw her a surprise party. We'd really love for you to come too, Chisato-kun."
After speaking, she felt like she might have been too abrupt, so she hurriedly added,
"…If you have time, of course."
It wasn't a big deal, so Chisato responded without hesitation,
"Of course, I'll be there. But why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Because only Ryo knew Nijika-chan's birthday. She only remembered today when her phone reminded her."
Chisato chuckled.
"Yeah, that sounds just like her."
"Haha, right…"
Hitori giggled along at his remark.
"Today's Wednesday, which means we have three days to prepare. Where are you planning to hold the surprise party?"
Hitori counted on her fingers before answering,
"Hmm… Ryo's place won't work. Her dad's hosting guests that day, so it'll either be at my house or Ikuyo-chan's."
Chisato had been considering offering his place if they hadn't settled on a location. If that were the case, he could just let Eriri and Utaha know not to come over on Sunday.
But since they already had a plan, there was no need for him to bring it up.
Sunday, huh…
Chisato pulled out his phone and glanced at the date—May 29th.
…Why did this feel so familiar?
He searched his memory, and after a moment, he found the answer.
Back when his relationship with Kazusa hadn't yet reached today's level of closeness, he had once borrowed her phone in her private music room.
After lighting up the screen, he had naturally asked for the passcode.
And back then, the password Kazusa had given him was—
528.
The previously blocked thoughts suddenly connected, and Chisato's eyes widened slightly.
No wonder he had a strange sense of familiarity when he saw the date of Nijika's birthday.
If his guess was correct, then Kazusa's birthday should be on May 28th, just one day before Nijika's—this Saturday.
That meant there were... two days left.
During the short walk of just over a dozen steps, Chisato's expression went through several changes.
Beside him, Hitori noticed his reaction and could roughly guess that he was deep in thought, but with so little outward expression, she couldn't gather any useful information.
So, with the gentle intention of not disturbing him, Hitori quietly fulfilled her role as a well-behaved kitten.
She stepped forward and gently held his wrist while carefully paying attention to the road, the pedestrians, and bicycles passing by, preventing Chisato from stumbling while he was lost in thought.
This thoughtfulness was something Chisato noticed when he snapped back to reality.
He smiled slightly, withdrew his arm, and instead took the girl's hand in his own.
"By the way, when's your birthday, Hitori?"
Hitori was still blushing as she felt the warmth of her boyfriend's broad hand. She hadn't expected him to suddenly ask such a question, but she still answered quickly,
"February 21st."
That was quite early—still more than half a year away.
Chisato nodded, indicating that he understood.
"If we're preparing a surprise birthday party for Nijika, then naturally, we need to prepare gifts too, right?"
"Yeah. Ikuyo-chan and Ryo seem to have already decided on what they want to give Nijika, but I'm still struggling to come up with a present. I have no idea what she'd like."
To Chisato, Hitori's concern seemed unnecessary.
"Ultimately, as long as it's a gift that carries your feelings, that should be enough, right?"
"If you're still unsure, how about we find some time to go shopping together in the shopping district? I need to figure out a present for Nijika too."
"Okay!"
Hitori agreed almost instantly, without even thinking.
She had wanted to ask Chisato to go shopping together several times before, but her timid personality had always held her back. There was no way she would let this chance slip away.
Even though their main goal was to pick a gift for Nijika-chan, something about it still felt a little off... but this was a great opportunity!
Ever since they had kissed, she had been wondering about how their relationship could progress further. Now, it seemed like she had found a good chance.
"Alright, then it's decided. Tomorrow or the day after school, we'll go pick out a gift. Send me a message when you get home."
Chisato finalized the plan.
"Mm!"
Hitori nodded firmly.
After watching Hitori's train depart, Chisato turned around and boarded another train.
Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the gate of the Touma household.
In the end, he had come.
To be honest, he wasn't sure how Youko would react to seeing him. But at this point, avoiding the situation wouldn't solve anything—he had to face it head-on.
Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, he pressed the doorbell.
Before long, the door's lock clicked open, and a voice came through the intercom below the doorbell.
"Boyfriend-kun, I've been waiting for you. Come in."
Chisato entered as instructed. At the entryway inside the house, Youko was already waiting, having prepared a pair of slippers for him.
He softly said, "Excuse me for intruding," then crouched down to change his shoes.
As he did, he couldn't help but glance at the pair of women's leather shoes neatly placed beside him.
Youko noticed his gaze but said nothing. Instead, she led him to the living room and gestured for him to sit on the sofa.
This wasn't his first time here, but this visit felt much more nerve-wracking than the previous ones.
While Youko went to pour some tea, he glanced up at the ceiling.
Kazusa was probably in her room upstairs right now.
"You arrived much later than I expected. Is your part-time job tiring?"
Youko didn't get straight to the main topic. Instead, she started with a casual conversation, pouring a cup of tea for Chisato before sitting a short distance away.
Her words carried a sense of warmth and concern.
But Chisato didn't follow her lead. Instead, he shook his head.
"The people at my workplace are all really great. While the closing hours aren't exactly early, the workload itself isn't too exhausting."
Youko smiled slightly.
"Is that so? I remember Kazusa mentioning that your part-time job is at a music venue where bands frequently perform."
"I never had much interest in such lively, youthful places, but after hearing you talk about it, I feel a little curious."
"Maybe I'll drop by sometime to see you at work. You'd treat me well, wouldn't you?"
"Of course. You're always welcome."
From the moment he stepped inside until now, their conversation had gone smoothly, and the atmosphere wasn't particularly oppressive.
But Chisato knew—this was only the beginning.
"Then it's settled. Now, let's get to the main topic. Back at the hospital, there were too many inconveniences, and we couldn't have a proper talk."
"But now, we don't have that concern anymore—we have all the time we need."
The relaxed smile on Youko's face gradually faded, replaced by a stern and imposing demeanor.
"What do you plan to do about Kazusa?"
Just as Chisato had expected, things had reached this point.
There was no avoiding it—he had to face it head-on.
He had to voice that selfish, even despicable, thought within him.
In the corridor facing the front door, the staircase that extended upward at the center—Kazusa silently descended from the second floor.
She leaned against the corner of the wall, hidden from view in the living room, deliberately slowing her breathing.
Chisato, of course, didn't notice her presence. His hands, resting on his knees, unconsciously clenched into fists as he responded to Youko's serious question.
"I can't give up on Kazusa."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm enough for Kazusa, hiding at the staircase landing, to hear clearly.
Youko stared at him for a moment before continuing in the same stern tone.
"Should I take that answer to mean that you've made up your mind? That you're choosing Kazusa and are ready to completely cut ties with the other girls in your life?"
"I don't intend to do that."
Chisato's response was immediate.
Hearing this, Youko's eyes narrowed slightly, the pressure in the room growing heavier.
From the stairway, Kazusa, having heard her boyfriend's answer, bit her lip hard and clenched her fists tightly.
After a brief silence, Youko spoke again.
"So, you mean to say—you're not giving up on Kazusa, but you're also not giving up on the other girls either?"
"Yes."
"You told me back in the hospital that there are three other girls in your life. Including Kazusa, that makes four. And you don't plan to give up on any of them—am I correct?"
"Yes."
"..."
At this point in the conversation, Chisato had laid everything out with a kind of brutal honesty.
Even with Youko's vast life experience—having seen all sorts of people and situations—she was momentarily speechless.
As a world-renowned pianist, she was well aware of the extravagant private lives of bureaucrats and top-tier billionaires. She knew exactly how decadent things could get.
But hearing something like this come from Chisato—a boy she had found somewhat decent—was still hard for her to accept.
"Chisato, do you even realize what you're saying? Even the Emperor of Japan can only have one wife."
"The Emperor is the Emperor. My life is not dictated by his standards."
As a transmigrator, Chisato felt no particular respect for the Emperor.
Fortunately, Youko was also someone who lived freely and didn't care much about the Emperor.
She had only brought him up as a casual example and wasn't particularly offended by Chisato's slightly irreverent tone.
"You sure talk big. Do you really think that with this attitude and reasoning, Kazusa will forgive you and accept you back?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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