The sudden ringing of the doorbell took Haruto by surprise. He glanced toward the entrance before making his way over. When he opened the door, he found Sekai Saionji standing there.
"Saionji? Are you looking for Setsuna? She's not here right now…"
"No, no, I'm not here for Setsuna. I know she's at home."
Interrupting Haruto's words, Sekai lowered her head, biting her lip. Then, as if making up her mind, she clenched her fists, brushed past him, and stepped into the apartment, leaving him momentarily puzzled.
After closing the door behind him, Haruto turned to face her, still unsure of her purpose.
"If you're not looking for Setsuna, then what brings you here?"
He moved to the kitchen counter, took out a teacup, and poured some tea before setting it on the table beside Sekai.
Sekai walked toward the balcony, her eyes fixed on the Kiyoura house across the way. Her gaze flickered with hesitation, but after a moment, she took a deep breath and pulled the curtains shut. Then, turning to face Haruto, she looked straight at him.
Without a word, she reached for the buttons of her shirt. Her movements were slow at first but quickly became firm and resolute.
Haruto, who had just set the teacup down, immediately noticed what she was doing.
In the blink of an eye, she had unbuttoned her shirt and let her light blue dress slip from her shoulders, pooling at her feet.
For a brief moment, his mind went blank.
'What is she doing? What does she mean by this? Is she hot? No, it's not even summer yet… It's definitely not that.'
Though he knew deep down what she was implying, his instincts rejected the situation outright. She had barely said a word before suddenly undressing in his apartment—his mind couldn't keep up. But after a brief moment of shock, he quickly regained his composure.
"The bathroom is over there," he said, pointing.
Sekai's face flushed red at his reaction, but she took a deep breath to steady herself.
"…At a time like this, you're still pretending to be clueless?"
"I think this is exactly the kind of situation where I shouldn't be too direct. I thought I was already being subtle."
"I've come this far—there's no way I can just give up now. I'm ready to cut ties with Setsuna if I have to."
Haruto sighed, glancing at the pale skin of the girl standing before him. Keeping his gaze on her for too long felt inappropriate, so he looked away, sat down at the table, and picked up his tea.
His calm response caught Sekai off guard. She had imagined countless ways this could play out, but she hadn't expected this kind of indifference.
Slowly, she moved toward him, crouching down beside his chair. She placed her hands on the floor for support, inching closer, her gaze locked on him.
"Neh, Haruto … Something must have happened between you and Setsuna, right?"
Haruto glanced down at the girl beside him, then let his gaze drift toward the ceiling before returning to her.
The dimly lit room cast soft shadows across Sekai's skin. The faint light filtering through the curtain cracks made her seem almost unreal—like a white fox from his dreams, tempting him. He quickly averted his gaze.
He reached for his tea, but before he could take a sip, Sekai's hand wrapped around his arm, pulling herself closer against his chest.
"If you're thirsty… I can quench your thirst."
Her flushed face neared his, her lips just inches away. Her heart pounded with nervousness and excitement, a strange mix of fear and thrill. Bit by bit, the distance between them disappeared—
But just before she could close the gap, a single finger pressed gently against her forehead.
"Setsuna is at home. She could come over at any moment. You should get dressed and go back."
"…You're really saying that now? So if Setsuna weren't coming, then it would be fine?"
"…"
Haruto said nothing, but the sharp glint in Sekai's eyes made him suddenly wary. The lingering heat in his chest was instantly doused by an icy realization.
Something about her felt… off.
"…What is it?"
Noticing the shift in his expression, Sekai tilted her head slightly, her gaze meeting his directly.
"Even if Setsuna weren't coming, I wouldn't do anything with you," he stated firmly. "I'm with Setsuna right now. You know that."
His own words struck an uncomfortable chord in his chest. Memories of Mai flashed through his mind, filling him with guilt. Who was he to say something like this? And yet, as he looked at Sekai, sensing the instability in her eyes, he knew he had to say it.
For a moment, Sekai's expression wavered. She bit her lip, her eyes brimming with pain and confusion. Slowly, she pulled away and sat down beside him.
"…I know," she murmured. "I know, but even if I understand it's wrong, I still couldn't stop myself from coming here and doing this."
Her voice was quiet, laced with sorrow.
She turned her gaze toward Haruto, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Neh, Haruto … can you tell me why? Why did you choose Setsuna… and not me?"
Haruto looked at her—at the sadness in her eyes, at the single tear trailing down her cheek. He sighed and rose to his feet, walking over to where her dress lay discarded on the floor.
Picking it up, he returned to her side and placed it gently in her hands.
"…Put this back on."
Sekai gripped the fabric tightly in her hands. She hesitated, her lips parted as if to say something, but in the end, she stayed silent and quietly slipped the dress back over her shoulders.
The soft rustling of fabric filled the air as she dressed.
As he watched her, Haruto's emotions were tangled. He couldn't deny that Sekai was an attractive girl. Her personality, her looks—she had always been the kind of girl who naturally drew people in.
But still…
"If the person you love… loves someone else, what would you do?"
Sekai sat in Haruto's room, momentarily dazed by his unexpected question. She blinked at him, unsure why he had suddenly brought it up. His expression was serious—he genuinely wanted to hear her thoughts.
Frowning slightly, she gave it some thought, sensing that Haruto was asking about her current feelings.
"It's painful… So, I'd probably do whatever I think would make things better."
"Like what?"
"…"
Sekai gazed at the young man sitting in front of her. Then, as if something had clicked, the pain and hesitation on her face vanished, replaced by a sudden smile.
"If Setsuna saw us together, she'd be furious, wouldn't she? If she couldn't accept it, she'd probably break up with you. And then… we could be together."
"…"
Sekai's words sent an icy chill down Haruto's spine. For a moment, he felt like he had become the villain in someone else's tragic love story, scheming with Sekai to betray his girlfriend, Kiyoura Setsuna. His hand instinctively rose to cover his face.
"…Ahahaha!"
Sekai burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she rolled on the floor. Haruto, his hand still over his face, peeked through his fingers to glance at her.
"Relax, it was just a joke! You didn't actually take me seriously, did you? Well, I knew I didn't really stand a chance anyway. I just saw Setsuna today, and she didn't seem to be in a good mood. Thought it might have something to do with you, so I came to test the waters. You didn't betray her… that's good to know."
Wiping the corners of her eyes, she got to her feet. Looking down at Haruto, she flashed him a soft smile.
"Take good care of Setsuna, okay? I'll be heading back."
With a final, almost affectionate reminder, Sekai turned toward the door. Haruto remained seated, watching her with a mix of confusion and unreadable emotions.
She slipped on her shoes, then turned back one last time, lifting her hand in a casual wave.
"Bye-bye~"
As she stepped out, she suddenly froze. Her eyes widened in surprise, her expression stiffening.
Standing in the doorway was a familiar figure.
The person didn't speak. Instead, they simply raised a finger to their lips, signaling for silence.
Sekai hesitated, then, without a word, glanced back into the apartment once more before stepping out and gently closing the door behind her.
Inside, Haruto looked toward the entrance, then sighed. Rising to his feet, he flicked on the lights and began preparing dinner.
Meanwhile, outside the apartment, Sekai stood face to face with Setsuna.
She hadn't expected to run into her the moment she walked out.
"…How long have you been here?"
"A while."
Setsuna tilted her head slightly, gazing at the girl beside her.
They had grown up together, side by side. And yet, here they were now, standing on opposite sides, separated by something as fragile and devastating as love.
"…Did you hear everything?"
Sekai's voice was barely a whisper.
"Most of it."
Setsuna glanced toward the stairwell, then began walking. Sekai followed quietly behind her.
"Haruto didn't do anything… he didn't agree to anything, either. Even though I had made up my mind, just a few words from him were enough to make me give up."
Sekai let out a bitter laugh.
"Sorry, Setsuna. I've made so many mistakes these past few weeks."
She had seen it in Haruto's eyes—the hesitation, the way he avoided looking directly at her. There was no hope for her in this.
From the very beginning, she had been rejected. Even if she continued pushing forward, she would only become more of a nuisance.
Loving someone wasn't wrong.
But clinging to someone who didn't love you back? That was just painful. For everyone.
"…I know."
Setsuna had been standing outside her home when she saw Sekai arrive at Haruto's apartment. And so, she had silently waited outside, listening through the thin walls.
The apartment's soundproofing wasn't perfect. As long as their voices were loud enough, she could make out fragments of their conversation.
Haruto's firm rejection.
Sekai's desperate attempt.
The way it all fell apart in the end.
"…Sekai, do you really love Haruto?"
"…Love?"
Sekai stopped walking, caught off guard by the question.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she fell into silence, staring at the ground.
Then, slowly, she shook her head.
"I don't know."
Her voice was soft. Uncertain.
"At first, it was just playful, kind of like a joke. But then… I think I started to feel something real. And when I got rejected, and then saw you two together… I couldn't accept it. It wasn't just about love anymore. I wanted to prove something to myself."
She let out a small, breathless laugh.
"…But now, I don't even know what's real anymore."
Setsuna studied her friend's face, the dim glow of the streetlights casting soft shadows on her features.
She didn't say anything for a moment. Then, she looked toward the setting sun, watching as the sky faded from orange to deep purple.
"…Are you free tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow…?"
Sekai blinked, puzzled by the sudden question.
She hesitated, then nodded.
"…Yeah."