Seeing the girl wave her hands, Haruto let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to apologize for his carelessness, his eyes caught a glimpse of her knee beneath her short skirt—tiny spots of crimson dotted her skin. His brows furrowed, and his expression grew serious.
"You're hurt. Please wait here for a moment."
Following Haruto's gaze, the girl looked down at her own knee. Noticing the scrape, her expression flickered with surprise, but there was no trace of annoyance in her eyes—only a growing sense of unease.
She wanted to gesture that it wasn't a big deal, but before she could, Haruto had already turned and walked into a nearby drugstore. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
"Are you okay, Shouko?"
Auntie, the owner of the fruit shop, stepped out and immediately recognized the girl. Seeing the injury on her knee, she gasped in concern.
"You got hurt? That boy, Haruto, bumped into you just now, didn't he? He probably didn't mean to. He went to the drugstore—likely to buy something for your wound. Just wait here for a bit and be careful not to hurt yourself again."
The girl hesitated, shaking her hands to indicate that she was fine, but under Auntie's insistent concern, she was eventually led into the store and seated on a small stool. She looked around anxiously, unsure of what to do.
Meanwhile, in the drugstore, Haruto quickly asked the staff for disinfectant, cotton swabs, and bandages. After paying for everything, he hurried back to the fruit shop.
"Haruto, over here."
The fruit shop's auntie waved at him as he approached. He followed her gaze and spotted the girl sitting on the stool, looking visibly unsettled.
"Sorry for taking a bit of time. Let me take care of your wound."
Kneeling before her, Haruto didn't pay much attention to the girl's anxious expression. He soaked a cotton swab with water and gently wiped away the dust and dirt from her knee. The rough pavement must have scraped her skin, leaving small spots of blood. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep, so a simple cleaning should suffice.
"This might sting a little. Please bear with it," he said, looking up at her.
The girl's eyes wavered with hesitation and concern, but after a moment, she nodded.
As the disinfectant misted over her wound, her legs tensed slightly, her entire body stiffening, though she made no sound.
Impressed by her resilience, Haruto looked up at her once more. When their eyes met, he saw a hint of grievance in her gaze, making him feel a twinge of guilt.
After wiping away the excess alcohol, he took out a bandage and carefully placed it over her knee.
As she watched his serious and meticulous expression, Nishimiya Shouko's emotions grew complex. She sat in silence, observing him until he finished tending to her wound and stood up.
"Can you walk?"
She looked at the boy in front of her, slowly standing up. The sting from the disinfectant still lingered, making her knee ache slightly, but it wasn't anything unbearable. She nodded.
"If you don't mind, I can walk you home. Since you're injured, I'd feel more at ease if—"
Before he could finish, the girl shook her head vigorously, waving her hands to decline.
But as he watched her, Haruto noticed something peculiar. From the moment they met, she hadn't spoken a single word. His gaze drifted to her ears, where he thought he caught a glimpse of something white—
Before he could get a closer look, she abruptly covered her ears, clutching her paper bag tightly as she hurried away from the fruit shop.
Haruto instinctively wanted to follow her, but something told him that doing so might only make her dislike him more. He stopped and turned to the shop's auntie instead.
"That girl's name is Shouko. She's had a difficult life," the woman sighed.
"She's been unable to hear anything since birth."
Haruto's eyes widened slightly.
"She lives with her mother and grandmother, and she has a younger sister. They don't go out much, but sometimes she comes here to buy groceries for her family. Everyone in the neighborhood tries to look out for her."
"She… can't hear?"
"When she was in elementary school, she was bullied because of it. In the end, she had to transfer. Those kids were just awful. Haruto, if you ever see her again, promise me you won't bully her!"
Haruto was never the type to bully others, but hearing her words, he nodded firmly.
"It was an accident just now. I didn't notice her behind me. But if I see her again, I'll be more careful."
"I know you're a good kid. But still… that girl is so pitiful."
After learning about Shouko's circumstances, Haruto turned toward the direction she had run off in. He fell silent for a moment before thanking the fruit shop's auntie and heading back toward his apartment with the groceries he had bought.
As he walked, he recalled the flustered expression on her face when he helped her up—the unease in her eyes.
With a sigh, he muttered to himself, "If I see her again, I should apologize properly."
Back at his apartment, Haruto put away the groceries, washed some rice, and set it in the cooker. As he contemplated dinner, he leaned back in his chair.
"I guess there's no rush. I'll wait for Setsuna and the others to get home before deciding."
Sitting at his desk, he pulled out his manuscript, flipping through what he had written earlier. With his thoughts in order, he picked up his pen and continued writing—
"I feel like I've become like Raoul, jealous of Christine and the Phantom, filled with unease. Even when I try to save Christine from the Phantom, I'm completely powerless."
"There are many protagonists like that."
As his ideas grew clearer, Haruto immersed himself in his writing. Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was five in the evening.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Thinking it was Setsuna, he set down his pen and walked to the entrance, only to be surprised when he opened the door to find Sekai standing there.
Instead of speaking, she lifted a wrapped bento box and handed it to him.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" she teased.
"I'm worried that 'sitting for a while' might turn into 'doing for a while,'" he quipped.
"...Huh?"
Sekai blinked in confusion, not catching the wordplay. But as she thought about his meaning, her face flushed red, reminded of their conversation that morning.
She had acted impulsively, driven by the rare opportunity of having Haruto to herself. Though she didn't regret it, thinking back on it was undeniably embarrassing.
"I-I do have some sense of shame, you know!" she huffed.
Seeing her flustered reaction, Haruto decided not to tease her further and let her inside.
After pouring her some tea, Sekai's eyes wandered to his desk, where his manuscript lay.
"You're still working on that story?"
"Yeah. I'll be focusing on this for a while. Also, I might go out this weekend for research."
"Research?"
"Just walking around, looking for inspiration."
"Then… can I come with you?" she asked hopefully.
Haruto raised an eyebrow and shook his head.
"I prefer to do it alone. If I go with someone else, I'll miss the little details."
"I-I see… Ahaha."
Sekai forced a laugh, trying to cover up her disappointment. She hadn't been holding out too much hope, but having her expectations dashed still stung a little.
"Wasn't Setsuna with you after school?"
"We walked home together at first, but I had something to do, so I left early. She should've reached home by now. I'm a bit surprised she's not here with you."
Haruto stepped onto the balcony and glanced at the house across from his. The lights in the Kiyoura residence were on—Setsuna was definitely home.
"She's there."
"Should we go check on her?"
"Yeah."
Haruto thought about it for a moment. He hadn't noticed earlier while writing, but now that he knew both Sekai and Setsuna were home, there was no reason not to drop by.
It would also be better to go together rather than have Setsuna come over and find Sekai at his place.
Even though Setsuna had once said she didn't care about things like this, her expression at the time had told a different story. To Haruto, it seemed more like she was forcing herself to say it.
He sighed, unable to fully grasp Setsuna's feelings, then turned to Sekai.
"Let's go."
"Okay."
Sekai didn't mind either way. Spending time with Haruto was nice, but she knew she couldn't get too close. If she overstepped, she risked making him grow tired of her.
Together, they left for the Kiyoura house. Standing side by side at the entrance, Sekai reached out and rang the doorbell.
A soft "ding-dong" echoed through the house, and soon, the door opened.
Setsuna appeared before them, now dressed in casual homewear instead of her school uniform. She blinked at the two of them standing together, her brow furrowing slightly in surprise before quickly smoothing out.
"Good evening, Setsuna! Hope we're not intruding~"
Sekai greeted her with a bright smile. Setsuna glanced at her before silently stepping aside, holding the door open for them.
"Is Mai-san home?" Haruto asked.
"She just got back. She's changing now," Setsuna replied in her usual calm voice.
As she walked ahead, Sekai followed behind, suddenly feeling like an unnecessary third wheel.
The light from Mai's room spilled into the hallway. Since her door wasn't completely shut, she must have heard the commotion, because soon, Mai stepped out.
"Haruto, Sekai, you're both here. Did Yoko make it home yet?"
"Mom's still at the restaurant. She always gets home late. I doubt she'll be back before nine tonight."
"She's as hardworking as ever… Wouldn't it be easier to leave things to the staff?"
"I've tried convincing her, but she insists on managing it herself. The only time she comes home early is on holidays."
Sekai sighed. Being alone at home every night was dull and lonely. Maybe that was why she spent so much time watching over Ha— Ahem, keeping an eye on Haruto.
"Not sure if that's dedication or just stubbornness… Oh well. If you're ever bored, feel free to come over. You're always with Setsuna anyway," Mai said with a knowing smile before shifting her gaze to Haruto.