Sekai's arrival took Mai by slight surprise. However, since Sekai and Setsuna were already close friends—and Mai herself was also on good terms with Saionji Yoko—she didn't pay it much mind. Instead, her gaze shifted toward Haruto.
The conversations and moments the three of them had shared the previous night were still fresh in her memory. As she glanced sideways at her daughter, she noticed Setsuna's calm and indifferent expression and let out a quiet sigh.
"Well then, why don't you two stay for dinner tonight? Yoko usually gets home quite late, doesn't she?"
"Are you sure we won't be intruding?"
Sekai hesitated. While she was close to Setsuna and had indeed spent the night here on Saturday, she rarely stayed over at the Kiyoura house on regular weekdays.
"It's not like you're a stranger. You stayed over on Saturday, didn't you? If you don't have anything urgent, you can stay the night again. If there's anything that needs to be passed on to Yoko, I can let her know. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
If Mai said so, Sekai was inclined to believe her mother truly wouldn't object. In fact, she might even be happy about it. But even if she understood that… whether she was willing to do so was another matter entirely.
Sekai glanced at Setsuna's back, then at Haruto standing beside her. In the end, she shook her head.
Dinner was fine, but staying the night was another story. She didn't want to let Setsuna keep holding the reins like this. If things continued this way, she feared she might lose sight of herself.
"Then, I'll stay for dinner, but I'll head home afterward. If I leave my mom alone all night, she might feel lonely."
Mai remained composed, but deep down, she had her doubts.
Based on what she knew about Yoko… whether she'd actually feel lonely without Sekai at home was highly questionable.
Since it was already decided that Sekai would stay for dinner, Mai got to work preparing the meal. She asked Setsuna to fetch some ingredients and had Haruto help with the cooking. As for Sekai, being the guest, she was only assigned light and simple tasks.
As the preparations went on, Mai eventually let both Sekai and Setsuna rest on the sofa, taking full charge of the kitchen with Haruto.
The delicious aroma of the food soon filled the room. Seated on the couch, Sekai gazed toward the kitchen, watching as the two of them worked together. The way they moved—so naturally in sync, with an almost intimate air—made her narrow her eyes slightly.
She suddenly recalled a conversation she had overheard in the restaurant's office—one between Mai Kiyoura and her own mother, Yoko Saionji.
At the time, she hadn't given it much thought. It had seemed unimportant. But now, looking at those two… Could it be…?
She turned slightly to glance at Setsuna, who was sitting beside her watching television. A strange, almost inconceivable thought surfaced in her mind.
She parted her lips, her tongue pressing lightly against her teeth, about to ask Setsuna something.
But just as the words reached her lips, she couldn't bring herself to say them.
Before she could dwell on it any further, Setsuna, having sensed her unease, turned toward her with a puzzled look.
"What's wrong?"
"…No, it's nothing."
Shaking her head, Sekai lowered her gaze. Perhaps she was overthinking things. She fell silent, no longer paying attention to Haruto and Mai.
Dinner was ready before long. Mai called them over, and the four of them gathered around the table to eat.
As they ate, Haruto noticed that Sekai seemed a bit off. When their eyes met, she quickly forced a small, awkward smile before turning away, as if avoiding something.
Then, out of nowhere, Mai brought up a rather casual yet pointed question.
"Since Setsuna and Haruto are already dating, what about you, Sekai? Is there anyone in your class or school that you like?"
Sekai stiffened slightly at the sudden topic. Glancing discreetly at Setsuna's expression, she hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
"There isn't really anyone I'm particularly interested in," she replied. "I think it's better to focus on studying for now. As for love… I'll think about it later."
Setsuna, who had been quietly eating, looked up at her for a brief moment before lowering her gaze again, resuming her meal without a word. Meanwhile, Mai seemed slightly disappointed by Sekai's predictable response. She had been hoping for something more interesting.
"But youth only comes once," Mai remarked. "If you find someone you like, you should go for it. You might not get another chance later."
She spoke as if offering advice, but as she finished, she suddenly noticed Setsuna looking at her with an odd, unreadable expression.
"Hm? Did I say something wrong?"
"…No."
Setsuna simply shook her head.
Neither she nor Haruto had ever told Mai about Sekai's situation. Setsuna knew all too well that revealing such a thing to her mother would only make things more complicated. Just as she had no intention of telling Sekai about what was going on between Haruto and Mai.
Haruto, for his part, remained silent, keeping his head down as he ate. He had no intention of getting involved in this conversation. Mai had asked the question out of ignorance, but as someone directly entangled in all of this, Haruto knew better than to voice his thoughts.
At this table sat four people.
Three of them were women who, in different ways, were deeply connected to him.
Setsuna Kiyoura—his official girlfriend.
Mai Kiyoura—Setsuna's mother.
Sekai Saionji—Setsuna's best friend.
The relationships between these three were already complicated enough. Though he wasn't fully aware of all the history between the Kiyoura and Saionji families, he did know that there was a certain degree of blood relation.
Thinking about it all—about their connections, and his own involvement with each of them—sent a shiver down his spine.
If everything were to come to light…
Even just imagining that scenario made him uneasy.
So, he quietly ate his meal, doing his best to minimize his presence.