While Mai was out, Kotonoha sat quietly in the living room, watching as the three of them moved in and out of Setsuna's room. She saw with her own eyes as Setsuna pulled Sekai into the bathroom, both entering together in a hurry and coming out just as quickly.
As for Haruto, he exited the room with a complicated expression. Noticing Kotonoha sitting in the living room, he gave her a slight nod before leaving the Kiyoura household.
"That Miyamizu-kun…"
Watching Haruto leave through the front door, Kotonoha hesitated before directing a question at Setsuna, who had just stepped out of the bathroom.
"Yeah, Haruto went home for now to change his clothes. He'll be back later tonight, so don't worry about it. I still need to go back to my room and tidy up—it's a bit of a mess right now. Sekai will be out soon; you can talk to her."
Since her room had become quite disorganized from the earlier events, Setsuna wanted to clean it up before Mai returned home. Without waiting for Kotonoha to respond, she headed straight to her room and shut the door.
Watching Setsuna hurry into her room and close the door behind her, Kotonoha found herself unsure of what to do. It felt as though she was the only idle person in the entire house.
Not long after Setsuna left the bathroom, Sekai also emerged, stepping into Kotonoha's line of sight.
Haruto, now back in his apartment, closed the door behind him and walked straight to the bathroom. He turned on the shower, extending his hand under the water to check the temperature.
The cold water quickly warmed up. He unbuttoned his clothes, placed them in the laundry basket, and stepped under the stream, closing his eyes.
Water cascaded over every inch of his skin. Raising his hand to wipe the droplets from his face, he suddenly paused, sighing before grabbing the body wash nearby. He lathered his hands thoroughly, rinsing off the foam, then finally brushed the water from his face.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that visiting Setsuna's house would lead to that. If he had known in advance…
Well, he probably would have still gone anyway.
"Sekai, huh…"
The way things unfolded—how she had eavesdropped and then ended up being pulled into the room—was something he never could have predicted.
His thoughts became tangled. Standing under the running water, Haruto spent a long time trying to make sense of what had happened. Why had Setsuna orchestrated everything so precisely? What was she thinking? What was her goal?
Unable to come up with a clear answer, he decided to stop overanalyzing it. Instead, he focused on washing himself thoroughly before stepping out of the bathroom. Tossing his dirty clothes into the washing machine, he sat down in his room, staring blankly into space.
For a while, he let his mind drift—to the connection between individuals and the universe, the meaning of personal existence in this world, the conflicts between idealism and reality, the struggle between capitalism and human rights…
By the time night had fallen, Mai had already returned from the shopping district and was preparing dinner. Setsuna helped her, while Kotonoha and Sekai remained seated in the living room, resting on the couch.
When Haruto finally arrived at the Kiyoura household, he acted as if nothing had happened. Greeting Kotonoha and the Sekai who was lowering her head casually, he made his way to the kitchen, where he joined Mai in preparing dinner.
"You took a shower?"
Mai immediately noticed the faint scent of body wash lingering on Haruto. His slightly damp hair was another giveaway.
"Yeah. I sweated a bit earlier, and since you weren't home, I didn't really have anything to do here. So, I went back to freshen up."
"I see."
Mai nodded, shifting her focus back to the food. Handing Haruto some tasks, she concentrated on the pot in front of her, adjusting the heat and checking the ingredients. Meanwhile, Setsuna stood beside Haruto, helping prepare the meal.
Sitting quietly on the couch, Sekai lifted her head, gazing at the three of them cooking together in the kitchen. She then turned to Kotonoha, who was beside her.
"Hey, Kotonoha… don't they look like a family?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard, Kotonoha followed Sekai's gaze to the three figures at the kitchen counter. She observed them for a moment, then glanced back at Sekai.
Before today, she could have easily answered, Yes.
But now… she hesitated, unable to respond.
Sekai didn't press further. Her eyes held a flicker of envy before she lowered her head again, sinking into silence.
Dinner took quite a while to prepare, and when everyone finally sat down at the table, the spread was plentiful. Seeing the feast laid out before them, both Sekai and Kotonoha couldn't help but express their admiration.
"Sorry, this was all I could prepare on short notice. Just make yourselves at home," Mai said warmly.
The two girls exchanged a look, then thanked her for the meal before picking up their chopsticks and saying, Itadakimasu.
Dinner was eaten in relative silence.
When the meal ended, the same three who had prepared it took on the task of cleaning up, while Sekai and Kotonoha remained seated in the living room.
It wasn't that Sekai didn't want to help—she was still feeling a bit sore and worried that Mai might notice something was off. So, she opted to stay put.
"Setsuna, clear the table. Haruto, help me with the dishes."
Giving out instructions, Mai deliberately sent Setsuna away before taking Haruto to the sink. While washing the dishes, she leaned forward slightly, stealing a glance into the living room to confirm that Setsuna was occupied. Then, she turned her attention to Haruto.
Haruto quietly placed the used pots in the sink. Since there were two sinks available, he and Mai worked side by side.
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
"…Huh?"
"I don't think I understand young people anymore."
Mai's soft voice carried a hint of exasperation, making Haruto glance at her out of the corner of his eye. She was watching him intently.
The moment their eyes met, Haruto saw the faint grievance hidden within her gaze. He let out a dry chuckle.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't have the right to say much about this… but does Setsuna know?"
From her tone, it was clear that Mai had already pieced things together.
Haruto sighed. "Yeah."
So she really had figured it out.
Mai pursed her lips, a heavy expression settling on her face.
"And she hasn't said anything?"
"No."
Haruto's flat response made Mai glance at him again, her frustration evident.
"…Is that all you have to say?"
"I have plenty of thoughts about it. But overthinking won't change anything. For now, this is fine."
He wasn't even aware of the term giving up, yet his words carried the same meaning. Watching him, Mai opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it, choosing silence instead.
The cleanup didn't take long. Within five minutes, everything was spotless. With Setsuna also finishing up at the table, Haruto glanced at the two girls in the living room before looking at Mai and her daughter.
"I should head home."
"So soon?" Mai asked, surprised.
Both Kotonoha and Sekai, along with Setsuna, turned to look at him.
"It's getting late. We'll see each other tomorrow."
With a small smile, Haruto bid Mai farewell and walked toward the door. Setsuna watched him go, her eyes flicking toward Mai.
"…."
Noticing her daughter's gaze, Mai hesitated. She had considered walking Haruto out to speak with him alone, but now, she dismissed the thought. Instead, she simply watched him leave.
"Would you two like some fruit?"
Turning back to her daughter, Mai smiled as she posed the question.
By the time Haruto stepped out of the Kiyoura household, the moon was already high in the sky. The dark night stretched above him, dotted with twinkling stars. A gentle night breeze swept past, bringing with it the fresh air of the outdoors. He took a deep breath, savoring the crispness before making his way back to his apartment.
As soon as he entered, he poured himself a cup of tea, then quietly sat at his desk. Lowering his gaze to the tabletop, he spaced out for a while before finally pulling open the drawer.
"What should I write?"
He took out his manuscript, placing it in front of him. For a moment, he felt lost, unsure of where to begin. But he knew he had to write something—anything—to make some progress. Staring at the pages before him, he fell into deep thought.
From the moment he returned home around eight o'clock, he remained at his desk, writing in silence. By the time he put down his pen, an hour had passed—it was already after nine. Tossing the pen aside, he blinked against the strain in his eyes, then leaned back in his chair, stretching his body into a wide, relaxed sprawl.
Slowly, he moved over to his bed and sat down on the edge. Just as he was about to turn off the light and lie down, a thought crossed his mind. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.
"It's been a while since I last reached out… Time has passed so quickly—I wonder what she's up to now."
Ever since that time, Mitsuha hadn't taken the initiative to contact him. He wasn't sure if something had happened or if she was simply upset with him.
Haruto found himself reminiscing about his days in Itomori. It had been so long since he last returned home. The thought of going back lingered in his mind, but as a student in Tokyo, he knew it wasn't possible—not until the summer break at least.
"Summer vacation is in July… Right now, it's April. There's still some time to go. The break starts at the end of June—that's two months away."
Muttering to himself, he reached for the calendar on his desk, flipping through the pages until he found July. He marked a small note on the date before casually tossing it back onto the table.
"Forgot to turn off the light."
Just as he lay down, he noticed the bright glow above him. With a sigh, he sat up again and turned off the lights.
Meanwhile, in Setsuna's room, Sekai and Kotonoha shared the bed. Because the bed wasn't particularly large to begin with, having three people sleep on it would have been too much.
To make things work, Mai had brought in an extra futon, setting up a makeshift sleeping spot on the floor for herself. That left Sekai and Kotonoha sharing the bed.
Originally, Setsuna had been lying on the bed, but as they chatted late into the night, Sekai had eventually reached over, playfully pulling Setsuna down into the covers. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around her, holding her tightly…