After spending some time wandering around Shinjuku with Eriri, having lunch at a restaurant, gazing at the cityscape from the SKY observation deck, and watching her pick out various spring and summer outfits at a trendy clothing store—only to have them all dumped into his hands—Haruto finally found himself back at the Sawamura residence.
By the time they reached the front door, Eriri was holding the bags in her arms, while Haruto's arms felt as though they no longer belonged to him. Even curling his fingers had become a struggle, leaving behind nothing but an overwhelming soreness and exhaustion.
"Want to come in for a bit?"
Standing at the doorstep, Eriri glanced at Haruto with a sly curve at the corner of her lips, her small white canine tooth peeking out mischievously. Her narrowed eyes carried a teasing glint.
Haruto figured she was probably doing this on purpose, knowing full well that he wasn't keen on running into Sayuri.
"Sayuri isn't like you. Honestly, I wouldn't mind stepping inside for a while, but I wonder if this time, she'll be as... forward as before."
"Forget it. Just go."
Before Haruto could finish speaking, Eriri had already shut the door in his face and disappeared inside. Watching her retreating figure, Haruto sighed with a wry smile and turned to head back to his apartment.
Now that he had enough food in his fridge, his sense of urgency wasn't as intense as the day before. Walking quietly along the familiar streets, Haruto found himself at a loss for what to do next. He had told himself to focus on his studies, yet so far, he had made little real progress.
"My grades are about average for my class… Maybe slightly above average for the whole school."
Estimating his current academic standing, Haruto recalled the results of their last small test. Though not exactly impressive, they were at least passable. Now that his memories of past school lessons were gradually returning, attending classes had become significantly easier.
That is, at least for the subjects he was naturally inclined toward. As for the ones he had always struggled with—no matter how many times he reviewed the material, there were always problems he just couldn't solve.
"Should I enroll in a cram school?"
The mere thought of those elite institutions, where students were rigorously trained for prestigious universities, made Haruto grimace. With his laid-back personality, he knew he wouldn't survive in that kind of high-pressure environment. But if he didn't go, what would his future look like...?
"For the greater good."
After some brief contemplation, Haruto made up his mind and continued his quiet walk home.
That afternoon, three girls gathered at the Kiyoura household. With plenty of ingredients stocked in the fridge and both Setsuna and Sekai being skilled in cooking, preparing a delicious lunch wasn't a difficult task.
"Kotonoha, are you not good at cooking?"
While helping out, Sekai noticed that Kotonoha seemed completely lost when it came to meal preparation. The sheer amount of sugar and salt she had tried to add was enough to be lethal—fortunately, Sekai had stopped her just in time. Otherwise, their lunch might have turned into a last supper.
Hearing Sekai's blunt question, Kotonoha's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. She lowered her head slightly and admitted, "My mother and our house's chef always handle the cooking, so I never really had to learn."
"A true rich girl, huh?"
Sekai nodded in understanding, while Setsuna merely glanced at Kotonoha before returning her focus to the food.
"But your knife skills are pretty impressive."
Sekai picked up a few slices of potato and examined them closely. Each slice was cut with near-perfect uniformity, the same thickness down to the millimeter. She tried again with another slice—same result. The precision left her astonished.
"That's because I practice kendo regularly. If there's one thing I'm confident in, it's this."
"I see..."
Sekai placed the slices back onto the cutting board, but for some reason, a faint chill ran down her spine. She quickly changed the topic.
"By the way, Miyamizu-kun still isn't home?"
Bringing up Haruto in front of Setsuna was a bit of a sensitive subject at the moment, and Sekai knew that. But since she wasn't sure what else to say, she acted as though last night's events hadn't happened and casually asked anyway.
"I don't know. I haven't seen him since last night, so I have no idea what he's up to."
"Did something happen?"
Kotonoha seemed surprised. In the past, Setsuna would often mention Haruto in conversation, which had made Kotonoha admire their relationship. She had even daydreamed about the day she might meet someone special like that.
But now, hearing Setsuna speak so indifferently about him made Kotonoha a little uneasy.
"Ah, sorry... I didn't mean to pry. That was rude of me."
Realizing that she had overstepped, Kotonoha quickly apologized.
Setsuna shook her head. "It's not that. I just never considered Haruto's feelings seriously. I've been too clingy, always staying close to him. So, I want to take a step back and reevaluate our relationship."
"..."
Sekai fell silent.
Something about Setsuna's words made it sound as though she was preparing to break up with him.
Her heart tensed at the thought, though at the same time, she knew Setsuna wouldn't give up on Haruto that easily. If anything, this felt more like a warning—especially for someone like Sekai, who had almost crossed a line the night before.
Kotonoha, meanwhile, didn't fully grasp the meaning behind Setsuna's words. She simply glanced between her two friends and decided to let the matter drop. Instead, she quietly helped prepare lunch alongside them.
That afternoon, Kotonoha called home. Her younger sister, Kokoro, answered. Unlike Kotonoha, who still had school on Saturdays, Kokoro was in elementary school and had been home since morning.
"Are you coming home tonight?"
Hearing her sister's question, Kotonoha hesitated and glanced at Sekai and Setsuna in the living room.
"I'm not sure yet. If I decide to stay out, I'll let you know."
"Okay. Got it."
Having a sweet and understanding younger sister was one of the greatest blessings in Kotonoha's life. She truly cherished their time together, but she also valued her new friendships.
After finishing her call, she returned to the living room, where the three of them sat together, watching TV. As usual, Sekai led the conversation, bringing up various topics.
But this time, both Sekai and Kotonoha noticed something unusual—Setsuna seemed completely distracted.
Back at home, Haruto took off his school uniform jacket and tossed it onto a chair. After changing into his usual comfortable loungewear, he felt an immediate sense of relief.
Since he had already eaten, he sat down at his desk, pulled open a drawer, and retrieved his manuscript.
With a quick glance at the clock, he noted that it was already past three in the afternoon. Deciding to make the most of his time before dinner, he focused on writing.
Haruto had just written about the neighbor's lady's husband, who had returned from outside. He was considering whether he should add some ntr plots and have the husband peek from a corner of the room to add some special elements, when he was interrupted by the doorbell.
Setting aside his manuscript, Haruto stood up and walked to the door.
When he opened it, he found Setsuna standing there in a white dress, her expression as calm as ever.
"Good afternoon, Setsuna."
"Were you out?"
"No, I got back around three. What's up?"
Haruto wasn't particularly surprised to see her. Of all the people he knew, there were only a handful who would come knocking on his door unannounced.
"I am not coming in. I need to talk to you. Can you come to my place?"
"Your place?"
Seeing her serious expression, Haruto glanced back into his apartment. There wasn't much for him to do here anyway.
"...Alright."
Locking his door, he followed Setsuna up the stairs to her apartment.
As soon as the door opened, he noticed an unexpected sight—two extra pairs of shoes at the entrance.
"Saionji and Katsura are here too?"
"Yeah."
Responding with a soft acknowledgment, Setsuna walked straight into the living room without looking back. Haruto quietly slipped on the indoor slippers that Mai had thoughtfully prepared for him and followed her inside.
In the living room, Sekai was sitting on the couch, with Kotonoha by her side.
Unlike usual, Sekai didn't greet him with her usual lively energy. Instead, she remained silent, her mood visibly heavy as she sat there quietly.
Kotonoha, on the other hand, cast her gaze toward Haruto. She already knew that something had happened between him and Setsuna, but she still greeted him politely.
"Good afternoon, Miyamizu-kun."
"Hey, Kotonoha. You and Saionji are both here, huh?"
"Mm."
"Come to my room."
Setsuna barely gave him a second glance after greeting Kotonoha and immediately walked over to open her bedroom door, stepping inside first.
Haruto hesitated for a moment, slightly puzzled as he watched her go. Then, he glanced at the two girls sitting in the living room.
His eyes briefly met Kotonoha's, but she quickly averted her gaze in silence. Sekai, meanwhile, kept her head down the entire time, avoiding eye contact altogether.
Seeing that he wouldn't get any answers from them, Haruto sighed inwardly and resignedly followed Setsuna into her room.
"Close the door."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Setsuna looked up at Haruto and parted her soft lips, giving the quiet order.
Haruto instinctively turned to glance at the door, then toward the living room again.
Kotonoha and Sekai were still outside. Would it really be okay for him to be alone in Setsuna's room like this? And with the door closed, no less?
His hesitation didn't last long.
Taking one last look at Setsuna, who seemed slightly different from her usual self—more assertive, even a little domineering—Haruto reached out and shut the door.
Just as he was about to ask what she wanted to talk about, Setsuna, still seated on the bed, suddenly reached for the buttons of her dress—
"Setsuna?"
Haruto blinked, momentarily stunned. His mind went blank for a second as he stared at her. His gaze flickered toward the closed door behind him, as if confirming that it was, in fact, shut.
"What's wrong?"
Setsuna calmly asked, slipping off her dress in one smooth motion.
Sitting there on the bed, her petite and delicate figure was now fully exposed under the soft glow of the afternoon light. She looked up at him, her expression unshaken.
"Saionji and Kotonoha are still in the living room," Haruto muttered, his voice uncertain.
"I know."
"Then why are you—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Setsuna rose from the bed and took a step closer.
Her white cotton socks pressed lightly against the wooden floor as she stood in front of him, tilting her head up to meet his eyes.
Then, without hesitation, she reached out, took Haruto's hand, and pulled him toward the bed—
Before he knew it, he had been pushed down onto the mattress.