Even when he was with Sayuri, even though she trusted him, she would still casually ask about his interactions with other women. However, with Setsuna, despite knowing he had relationships with other women, she never asked.
Haruto, who had initially intended to explain things, suddenly found himself at a loss for words in the face of this unspoken tension.
He watched as the girl in front of him gently wiped his face clean, then casually placed the damp towel back in the bathroom, soaking it in hot water before returning to the living room.
"Dinner?"
"I already ate outside."
"I see."
"Did you and Mai-san already have dinner?"
"Yes."
It was a simple exchange about mundane matters, yet the conversation felt strangely dry. Haruto hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
"Is Mai-san home now?"
"Yes."
Glancing at the clock on his desk, Haruto noted that it was still early. He didn't feel like writing, nor was it time to sleep yet. He figured he might as well visit Mai.
"There's something I need to discuss with Mai-san. Let's go to your place, Setsuna."
He gave her a faint smile before heading toward the door. Setsuna remained silent for a moment, standing in the living room, before quietly following him.
When they arrived at the Kiyoura household, Mai was sitting in the living room, pondering what Haruto and Setsuna might have been doing together. The sudden sound of the door opening made her glance up. Seeing Haruto step inside, she was momentarily taken aback.
"Huh? Haruto … and Setsuna?"
It wasn't surprising that Setsuna had come home, but she hadn't expected Haruto to be with her. His unexpected visit immediately put Mai on guard, worried that her daughter might have come to confront her.
"Good evening, Mai-san. Sorry to drop by so suddenly."
"Good evening… Did you just get home, Haruto? Have you had dinner?"
Mai observed Setsuna for a moment, noticing her calm demeanor, though she seemed a little distracted. Seeing this, Mai relaxed slightly and turned her attention back to Haruto.
"Yes, I've eaten. I just had a few things I wanted to ask you, so I came over. Hope I'm not intruding."
"That's a bit too formal—if it's just a question, you could have called. So, what's on your mind?"
Looking at Mai, then glancing at Setsuna beside him, Haruto felt a headache coming on. After a moment of silence, he decided to speak openly without hiding anything from Setsuna.
That night, the lights in the Kiyoura household stayed on until late. It wasn't until past ten that the front door opened, and Haruto stepped out. Setsuna stood behind him, watching him leave with an unreadable expression.
"Well… see you tomorrow."
Haruto turned back and smiled at her. The girl standing in the doorway gave a quiet nod, watching as he walked away before slowly closing the door.
Feeling somewhat relieved after his conversation with Mai and Setsuna, Haruto returned to his apartment, took a shower, dried his hair, and lay down to rest.
That night, he had a good dream—at least, it started that way. But by the end, a sudden flash of a blade and a crimson hue shattered the peaceful slumber, jolting him awake with a shudder.
He looked toward the window and saw that dawn had barely begun to break. He shut his eyes, trying to go back to sleep, but the vivid memory of that sharp glint kept him wide awake.
With a sigh, Haruto sat up in bed. The clock read 4:50 AM. He turned on the lamp, pulled out his chair, and sat at his desk.
'So, after all, emotions are complicated... She's dating him, but she still likes someone else. Love triangles always create countless stories.'
A girl with a boyfriend who secretly admires her gentle, mature teacher—a pure yet wistful emotion. Haruto felt that was the correct way to depict it.
Picking up his pen, he reviewed what he had written earlier and continued.
At 5:40 AM, the sudden sound of the doorbell interrupted his writing. Haruto frowned, glancing toward the entrance.
At this hour? Could it be a neighbor?
But he barely interacted with them. His neighbor worked at a ruthless company, often coming home late and leaving slightly later than he did in the morning. They hardly spoke, and he rarely saw them on weekends.
Doubtful, he went to the door and opened it—only to find Sekai standing there, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"Saionji…? What brings you here so early?"
"Just call me Sekai now. I happened to wake up early and saw your apartment light on, so I decided to come over."
"..."
After resting over the weekend, Sekai had mostly recovered. But seeing Haruto still reminded her of what had happened on Saturday, bringing a flush of embarrassment to her face.
She never imagined she would lose her first time in such an absurd, unexpected way—and with Setsuna present as well…
Yet, looking at Haruto now, that strange and surreal event somehow felt… acceptable.
"Come in."
Seeing her standing outside in the morning chill, Haruto let her inside and closed the door. They moved to the living room, where he poured her a cup of tea.
Sekai took the cup, her eyes scanning the apartment. Not seeing Setsuna around, she felt a bit more at ease.
To be honest, she had been afraid that upon entering Haruto's home, she might find Setsuna asleep in his bed.
Taking a small sip of tea, her gaze shifted to the desk, where a thick stack of manuscript pages lay. She approached and caught sight of the freshly written text.
"Mito's father became a guarantor for a friend's debt, so the liability fell onto him. Debt collectors hounded him at work, making it impossible for him to continue his job."
Intrigued, Sekai was about to read further when she heard footsteps beside her. She looked up and met Haruto's gaze.
"Ah… Am I interrupting your writing?"
"Not really. I usually wake up around this time anyway. Have you had breakfast yet?"
As he spoke, he gathered his manuscript and stored it in the drawer before looking back at her.
"Not yet."
"Then let's have breakfast together."
Having breakfast with Haruto —something she had only dreamed about before—was suddenly happening. A sense of elation filled her, making her feel light-headed. Looking at him, she shyly nodded.
Cooking breakfast wasn't a hassle for Haruto. Whether it was for one or two didn't make much of a difference.
As he stood in the kitchen preparing food, Sekai sat in the living room, watching him work, her eyes gleaming.
"Was that your new story just now?"
"Hmm?"
Haruto looked up from his cooking, meeting her gaze. After a brief thought, he nodded.
"Yeah."
"It doesn't seem like a happy story."
"It's a bit heavy, but I think it's still somewhat healing."
"Healing?"
Haruto didn't elaborate further. He simply smiled and lowered his head again, continuing to prepare breakfast. Sekai, on the other hand, pondered the meaning behind his words. What exactly did he mean by "healing"?
After a long moment of contemplation without reaching an answer, she decided to stop thinking about it. Instead, she let her gaze settle on Haruto.
Watching him quietly prepare breakfast, such a gentle and composed young man, she felt warmth stir inside her chest. She wanted to do something for him, yet she was also afraid of overstepping and making him uncomfortable. So, she simply sat in silence, watching him work from the living room.
She wondered how many times Setsuna had watched him like this before. Just the thought of it made a subtle ache rise within her heart.
"It's ready. Go wash your hands, and let's eat," Haruto said.
After about half an hour, breakfast was finally ready. He placed the simple meal of grilled fish and miso soup on the table, along with some pickled vegetables neatly arranged in small dishes. Only after everything was set did he sit down and begin eating quietly.
Looking at the meal he had prepared himself, Sekai felt a deep warmth and satisfaction welling up inside her. She silently picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of the grilled fish, and placed it over the warm, white rice before taking a bite.
Haruto, meanwhile, remained focused on his own meal, paying little attention to her.
"It's delicious," she murmured.
"I'm glad it suits your taste," he replied, glancing at her with a small smile before returning to his food.
There wasn't much conversation between them. The events of Saturday still lingered unspoken between them, and Sekai had no idea how to bring it up. In truth, she wasn't even sure how she was supposed to feel about it herself.
And so, the two sat in quiet companionship, finishing their breakfast with only a few words exchanged.
"Are you making a bento?" she asked as she watched Haruto tidying up the table and taking out a lunchbox.
"Hmm? Yeah. This way, I won't have to worry about lunch later."
After packing the remaining rice and side dishes into a bento box, he placed a single pickled plum in the center of the rice before securing the lid and wrapping it neatly in a furoshiki cloth. Then, he slipped it into his school bag before turning his attention back to her.
"Saionji... No, Sekai, do you and Setsuna usually bring bento to school?"
"Mm? Yeah, we both bring lunch. But I left in a bit of a rush today... I'll just grab some bread from the school store."
"You didn't bring one?"
Haruto looked slightly surprised. He paused for a moment, then turned toward the cupboard. Without a word, he took out another lunchbox and began preparing a second bento.
Once it was wrapped in a furoshiki, he handed it to Sekai.
"Here, take this. When you come back in the evening, just give the empty bento box to Setsuna."
"Eh?"
Originally, this extra bento was meant for Setsuna. But since she didn't need it today and Sekai hadn't prepared her own lunch, Haruto figured he might as well put it to use.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, take it."
"Then... I'll accept it."
Sekai's eyes shimmered as she looked at Haruto. She bit her lip lightly, feeling a little shy as she reached out with both hands to accept the bento box.
"Um, Haruto ..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Haruto glanced at her, then at the clock on the table. It was only 6:40 AM—still early. Even if they left now, they'd end up waiting at school for almost an hour.
"It's still not time for school yet, so, um... should we...?"
"..."
— — — —