"You're here alone?"
In the afternoon, on the way to Home Economics class with his classmates, Haruto happened to pass by the science lab. Through the door, he spotted Futaba Rio standing alone in a white lab coat.
Pausing at the entrance, he glanced up at the sign above the door and then back at the girl inside. Casually, he asked, "Are you by yourself?"
The girl, hearing his voice, looked up in surprise at the unexpected visitor.
"Hm...? Why are you here, Miyamizu-kun?"
Rio was somewhat taken aback. Due to her exceptional academic performance and talent in the sciences, the school had granted her special privileges, allowing her to spend more time in the lab. But from what she knew, Haruto wasn't part of the school's special student program.
Seeing him appear out of nowhere made her wonder—had he skipped class? But at the same time, she doubted that was the case.
"I have Home Economics next. I was heading to the classroom with everyone, but I got held up for a bit. Class hasn't started yet, so it's no big deal. But what about you? Why are you here alone?"
"Mhm."
"I see."
Haruto took another look at Rio standing inside the lab, but he had no particular intention of joining her or chatting further. After a brief glance around the room, he withdrew his gaze.
"Well, class is about to start. I should get going. Let's talk later."
"Okay."
Rio silently watched as the boy turned away, his footsteps fading into the distance. When his figure finally disappeared, she slowly lowered her gaze to the equipment on the lab table.
Absentmindedly, she picked up a flask and gently swirled the liquid inside. But despite the movement, her thoughts were elsewhere.
After a moment, she let out a quiet sigh.
"What were you up to just now?"
"Hm?"
By the time Haruto arrived at the Home Economics classroom, he found himself in a rather interesting group. His assigned partners were Ichika Nakano and Nozaki Umetarou. Meanwhile, Eriri Spencer Sawamura and Hinami Aoi had been grouped together separately.
As soon as he stepped up to their workstation, Ichika casually inquired, though her tone was more curious than suspicious.
Haruto didn't think much of it and answered honestly. "I ran into someone I knew and stopped to say hello. That's all."
With that, he turned his attention to the kitchen counter, tying an apron around his waist just as the teacher walked in and class began.
Cooking wasn't something Haruto particularly loved or disliked—it was simply a skill he didn't mind improving. Learning new recipes was always useful.
That said, for some reason, every dish they had learned in class so far was something he already knew how to make.
Did we learn the same recipes last time? He tried to recall his past school experiences but wasn't sure. Maybe I picked them up during class back then?
The passage of time had blurred his memories. In any case, the content of these two lessons wasn't new to him, which made class feel somewhat dull.
Ichika, on the other hand, seemed to be paying full attention, though her eyes often strayed toward Haruto. Her gaze wasn't just one of curiosity—it held something deeper, something wistful.
That look made Haruto feel slightly uneasy.
Meanwhile, Nozaki Umetarou barely made his presence known. He simply stood there quietly, occasionally glancing between Ichika and Haruto, or even toward Eriri's group. His serious expression made it seem as if he were gathering material for one of his manga.
When the instructor finished explaining the lesson, it was time for the students to start cooking.
Working efficiently with Nozaki's help, Haruto prepared the dish with practiced ease. Ichika, who hadn't had much of a chance to contribute, was visibly impressed.
"Haruto-kun, you're really skilled at cooking," she remarked, watching him work. "You'd make the perfect househusband."
Glancing at Nozaki, she added, "And I didn't expect Nozaki-san to be so good at cooking, either."
"This level of skill is pretty simple. As long as you pay attention in class, anyone can do it easily. In fact, not being able to do this would be more surprising."
Nozaki Umetarou responded as calmly as ever—neither boasting nor looking down on anyone—just stating his understanding in a matter-of-fact way.
Haruto, who knew him well, wasn't surprised by this response. Meanwhile, Ichika blinked, looking up at the tall Nozaki before shifting her gaze back to Haruto.
"Hey, Haruto, if you have some free time, why not become my housekeeper? Just prepare three meals a day for me so I can always enjoy your cooking."
"A househusband series, huh?"
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
Seeing Ichika's confused expression, it was clear she hadn't caught his reference. Haruto wasn't surprised—he didn't expect her to know about it in the first place. If anything, he would've been more shocked if she did.
"Sounds good. If the pay is right, I wouldn't mind applying."
"In that case, I'll have to discuss it with my dad first."
"Sure."
They continued chatting about random things, neither taking the conversation too seriously. Eventually, as class ended, the three of them finished up their cooking, cleaned the dishes, and left the Home Economics classroom together.
On the way back to class with Nozaki, Haruto once again passed by the science lab. Taking a quick glance inside, he noticed that Futaba Rio was no longer there. It made him pause for a moment, a slight sense of curiosity surfacing—but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he simply continued back to class with Nozaki.
As soon as he sat down, Akihisa Yoshii leaned in, his voice filled with excitement.
"Haruto, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, it's Saturday! You don't have anything in the afternoon, right?"
"I'll probably just be at home resting. Why?"
"It's nothing major… I just happened to hear about the maid café where Hideyoshi is working…"
Akihisa lowered his voice, leaning even closer, whispering like he was revealing some forbidden secret.
Haruto involuntarily shuddered, his gaze slowly shifting toward Hideyoshi Kinoshita, who had already taken his seat. With his androgynous appearance, he looked just like any other guy in the classroom.
Haruto wasn't particularly interested in maid cafés. However, hearing that a classmate of his was working at one was surprising, to say the least.
"You saw it with your own eyes?"
With a sly smile, Akihisa moved even closer. Reaching into his pocket, he carefully pulled out a photo and discreetly handed it to Haruto.
Shielded by Akihisa's body, Haruto accepted the photo. It was a picture of Hideyoshi wearing a pink maid outfit.
Silently, Haruto pocketed the photo, closed his eyes for a moment, and then exhaled.
"I'm free."
"Give me back the photo."
Since Hideyoshi was sitting right there in the classroom, Haruto couldn't just pretend he hadn't heard anything. Without hesitation, he returned the photo to Akihisa, watching as his friend clutched it like a prized treasure and carefully tucked it back into his chest pocket.
Haruto let out a small, almost imperceptible tsk.
It wasn't like he was jealous or anything.
"Where did you even get that photo? Don't tell me you secretly followed him and took it yourself."
"Of course not! I'm not that kind of person!"
Akihisa immediately denied it, puffing up with righteous indignation. However, his expression quickly shifted into a troubled look, as if he was debating whether or not to reveal the truth. After hesitating for a moment, he finally made up his mind.
"The photo…"
"What photo? What are you guys talking about?"
A sudden voice interrupted them.
From behind Akihisa, Aoi Hinami appeared, her face full of curiosity. Startled, Akihisa visibly stiffened, turning slowly to meet her questioning gaze.
"N-no, nothing at all! What photo? We weren't talking about Hideyoshi's maid outfit! I don't have a picture of it!"
"…"
"…"
Both Aoi and Haruto were at a loss for words.
It was hard to say whether Akihisa was just bluntly honest or simply too dense, but before Aoi could even ask, he had already confessed everything.
Though she didn't press the matter further, Aoi glanced at Haruto, her expression shifting into one of mild surprise—almost as if to say, I didn't think you'd be into this kind of thing too.
Haruto, having no intention of explaining himself, simply pretended not to notice her gaze and remained silent.
Realizing he had slipped up, Akihisa awkwardly glanced at Aoi before tightly sealing his lips. He quickly scurried off toward Yuuji Sakamoto, escaping the situation entirely.
With just Haruto left behind, Aoi didn't seem to know how to continue the conversation. She gave him a slightly awkward smile before swiftly walking away.
Since Haruto had a decent understanding of Aoi's personality, he wasn't particularly worried that she'd spread weird rumors in the class.
Letting out a small sigh, he glanced toward Akihisa, who was now clinging to Yuuji, before lowering his gaze and quietly opening his book.
As soon as class ended, Haruto left the room alone.
Today, neither Ichika nor Eriri were around, leaving him to walk home by himself.
Passing through the nearby shopping district, he casually browsed a few stores, picking up some groceries, condiments, and household essentials like toilet paper. Once his shopping was done, he returned to his apartment.
After setting down his bag, he poured himself a cup of tea and took a seat at his desk, staring at the blank sheets of paper in front of him.
"…What should I write next?"
I have already written about his cousin and aunt. Now, the next part involved the neighbor. Initially, I had planned to make her a charming, mature woman, but now, I am considering something more… unconventional.
"A woman who looks young and alluring, but once the clothes come off… the loose skin under her clothes...well, there is still something..."
He trailed off, his thoughts forming an unsettlingly vivid image in his mind. His expression twisted slightly in disgust.
Even so, he picked up his pen and started writing.
A protagonist drawn in by beauty, only to face crushing disappointment when reality hit him—his mind clouded with regret, yet he pushed forward, forcing himself to see it through to the bitter end…
After writing about 3,000 words, he finally set his pen down.
Reaching for his tea, he lifted the cup—but upon seeing the murky color of the liquid, he immediately set it back down with a grimace. Standing up, he took a deep breath—only to feel as if the very air was tainted with the stench of rotting seafood.
"…What the hell am I even writing?"[1]
Before anyone else could read it, he had already disgusted himself.
Sighing, he crumpled up the pages and tossed them into the trash. Only then did he feel a sense of relief.
Sitting in his dimly lit room, he remained motionless for a while, until the golden hues of the setting sun caught his attention. Looking up at his clock, he realized—
"It's already evening, huh?"
He wondered if Setsuna had made it home yet.
Walking over to his balcony, he glanced toward the house across the street—the Kiyoura residence. The lights were on. Someone was home.
Was it Setsuna?
Should he go over?
As he hesitated, lost in thought, the sudden chime of his doorbell snapped him back to reality.
[1] T/N: I have the same fucking question.