How should she respond to that...?
Should she tell her mother the truth? That he was actually Setsuna's boyfriend and that the two of them weren't in a serious relationship at all?
If she really said that, her mother would probably kick her out of the house on the spot. Rationality won out, and Sekai decided to modify her answer slightly. She told her mother about Haruto, leaving out the part about him being Setsuna's boyfriend.
"Sounds like a very capable young man. I haven't had the chance to meet him today, but next time I'm free, be sure to bring him home. I'd like to get a good look at my daughter's boyfriend."
After hearing her daughter's explanation, Yoko sensed that Sekai was hiding something. But she didn't press the matter.
"Alright, I'll let him know."
The thought of her mother wanting to meet Haruto made Sekai's heart pound. It seemed like she wasn't completely against their relationship. That thought suddenly reminded her of the conversation she had with Haruto before—about the conditions under which he had started dating Setsuna.
If... If she had taken the initiative back then, would she have been his official girlfriend instead?
A strange sense of regret settled in her chest. She bit her lip and sank into the warm water of the bathtub. Meanwhile, Yoko, wrapped in the misty steam of the bathroom, watched her daughter staring blankly ahead and felt a small pang of concern.
"What's wrong, Sekai?"
"Huh? It's nothing. Just spaced out for a second."
"Are you pregnant?"
Yoko narrowed her eyes in suspicion. After rinsing herself off, she walked over to the bathtub, crouched down, and reached out to gently touch Sekai's smooth, flat stomach under the water. But she didn't feel anything unusual.
Feeling her mother's hand moving over her belly, Sekai quickly grabbed Yoko's wrist and pushed it away, her face burning red.
"Of course not! Haruto and I only… um, on Saturday—no! I mean, I'm always careful about these things, so there's no way I'd get pregnant!"
She had wanted to explain that her first time had been on a Saturday, but that was when she had stayed over at Setsuna's house. Her mother knew that detail all too well. If she told the truth, Yoko would undoubtedly start suspecting Setsuna and the others. That was something Sekai wanted to avoid at all costs.
"Hmm?"
"It's nothing."
With that, she dunked her face under the water, blowing bubbles in embarrassment. Yoko watched, her concern still lingering, but since Sekai clearly didn't want to talk about it, she didn't push further.
When Sekai finally ran out of air and resurfaced, Yoko simply reminded her to be careful not to get pregnant before standing up and leaving the bathroom. Left alone in the bath, Sekai sat there with her long, wet hair clinging to her back, her face full of complicated emotions.
"Sigh—"
She let out a deep sigh.
Honestly... she wouldn't mind getting pregnant.
No, no—now wasn't the time. It was better to wait. But maybe after graduating high school, she could consider it.
"Two years from now… when I'm close to graduating, I could try..."
Meanwhile, Haruto, completely unaware that someone had already been making plans for his future two years down the line, was at a convenience store picking up some daily necessities. He grabbed a carton of milk and headed to the register, where he found a familiar face.
"You again?"
"…Is there a problem with that?"
The female cashier smiled, not showing any irritation but clearly exasperated. Seeing him again made her feel awkward. From what she had observed so far, this guy was definitely not the innocent type.
"No, not at all. Sorry, that came out weird."
Watching her quietly scan his items, Haruto offered an apology. The cashier didn't seem too bothered and simply packed up his groceries before handing them over.
Taking his bag, Haruto left the store and began his quiet walk back to his apartment.
When he reached his building, he glanced toward the Kiyoura household across the street. Their lights were still on. He wondered if Setsuna had gone to bed yet.
He hesitated for just a moment before turning away, stepping into his apartment, tossing his clothes into the laundry basket, and heading straight for the bathroom. The warm water cascaded over him as he let out a quiet sigh.
_ _ _ _ _
"Alright, here are the test results. If I call your name, come up and get your paper."
Standing at the podium, Fukuhara scanned the classroom. Normally, he didn't care too much about test scores. He believed that no matter how bad a student's grades were, there was always a limit.
But when that "limit" turned into a whole group of students struggling together... well, even he started questioning whether his teaching methods were the problem.
When he called the Nakano sisters' names, he watched them walk up one by one to collect their test results. He had so many things he wanted to say to them—but when the moment came, all he could do was swallow his words and sigh.
He didn't dare ask. He was afraid his entire worldview might collapse.
Silently, he handed each of the sisters their papers. Watching their various reactions, he remained standing at the podium, unmoving—like a weathered statue that had endured countless storms.
"Yoshii Akihisa."
"Heeey~"
Yoshii was the kind of student who did turn in his homework on time… but his accuracy was another matter entirely. Fukuhara wasn't particularly surprised by his score. Even though it was bad, it was still better than the Nakano sisters. At least his grades were comparable to two of them.
Seeing Akihisa frown at his test paper, Fukuhara felt a small sense of relief. At least he cared about his results.
"Sensei, are you sure you didn't mix up my test? My score can't be this low, right?"
"…."
Fukuhara stared at him in silence for a long moment before calling the next name.
Eriri's scores had always been excellent. This was all material she had studied before, so the test was easy for her. Haruto, on the other hand, had been putting in quite a bit of effort lately, so his results weren't bad either. In fact, he ranked among the top in the class.
During lunch break, Haruto was debating whether to get bread from the store or eat in the cafeteria when someone suddenly approached him.
"Hey, how'd you do?"
Hearing the familiar voice, he glanced at Ichika.
He already knew her level, so he didn't bother playing coy. Without hesitation, he slid his test paper toward her.
Ichika, who had been feeling slightly anxious, took one look at his score and instantly deflated.
"…Ugh."
She stared at the paper, let out a deep sigh, then slowly shifted her gaze toward him.
"Aren't you going to ask me how I did?"
"Your expression already tells me everything. The exact number doesn't really matter."
"Ugh… geez. You know, you'll never get a girlfriend with that attitude!"
Resting her chin in one hand, Ichika pouted. But Haruto just smiled at her.
That calm, unbothered attitude of his—it was seriously annoying.
Ichika bit her lip and glared at him. But then, a thought crossed her mind, and her eyes sparkled mischievously.
Her initial frustration over her grades had completely vanished. Instead, a mischievous smile played on her lips as she gazed at the boy in front of her.
Sensing Ichika's intense stare, Haruto felt an ominous premonition. His smile faded slightly, but Ichika simply leaned in closer, shortening the distance between them. Without hesitation, she draped herself over his back, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her left hand lightly poked his cheek with her index finger.
"Hey, hey, Haruto~"
"...I already have a bad feeling about this, but fine. Let's hear it. What do you want to say?"
"You're free this Saturday after school, right?"
Ichika's eyes gleamed as she smiled at him. Haruto's gaze subconsciously flickered toward Eriri, who was seated diagonally in front of him. She hadn't asked to meet up on Saturday yet, but if nothing unexpected happened, she would probably invite him out for some shopping.
But thinking about it... was there really any need to keep going out with Eriri like this? Their usual outings consisted of wandering aimlessly through the streets, occasionally stopping for a meal. Given the nature of their relationship, there was no reason to feel guilty, but they had undeniably been spending a lot of time together.
"...I guess I don't have any plans for now. Why do you ask?"
Haruto turned his attention back to Ichika, catching a faint whiff of her subtle fragrance as it drifted toward him. The warmth of her body pressed against his back, making him wonder—was she planning to ask him out for a day of shopping?
He also noticed that she had briefly glanced at Eriri when he mentioned being free on Saturday before quickly refocusing on him. That tiny reaction made Haruto suspect that Ichika was somewhat concerned about his relationship with Eriri.
Well, in any case, if he was free on Saturday...
"My test scores were really bad this time," Ichika sighed. "And this is just the start of the semester. If my grades don't improve soon, I might have to spend my holidays stuck at school for remedial classes or even get sent to a private tutor. So... I was hoping you could help me with some studying~"
"...You want me to tutor you?" Haruto blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected that. His own grades weren't the best in class, but compared to the average student, he was definitely among the top scorers.
Ichika looked at him with hopeful eyes, waiting for his response. He hesitated for a moment—this wasn't necessarily a problem, but still...
"If you need tutoring, wouldn't it be better to ask someone with higher grades? Like Eriri? You'd probably have more common topics to talk about since you're both girls."
Ichika stared at him in stunned silence, unsure if he was being serious or if he simply had no clue about the current class dynamics. For someone usually so perceptive about social matters, Haruto's response was shockingly blunt.
At the start of the semester, most of their classmates had assumed that she and Haruto would end up together. But then Eriri had entered the picture, and soon, more people began to believe that Haruto and Eriri were the more likely pair.
Especially recently—Haruto and Eriri had been spending a lot of time together. Their closeness didn't go unnoticed, and before long, the majority of the class had started treating them as an unofficial couple.
Ichika hadn't cared at first, but after hearing about it over and over, she couldn't help but start paying attention. She found herself unconsciously comparing herself to Eriri, wondering what set them apart.
And now, there was no way she would ask Eriri for help.
"Well~ Eriri and I aren't really that close," Ichika said cheerfully. "Compared to her, I'd say my relationship with you is much better. Besides, you've never been to my house before, right? If you'd rather, I could even come to your place instead~"
Haruto fell silent.
He pictured Ichika showing up at his apartment... running into Setsuna... and possibly even encountering Sekai if she decided to drop by unannounced.
Yeah. That scenario was a disaster waiting to happen.
"...Fine, I'll help you study. But just so you know, my own skills aren't anything extraordinary. And I'm not great at teaching, so don't blame me if your grades don't improve much."
"Of course!" Ichika grinned.
Her grades weren't the point.
From the start, she had never seriously considered excelling academically. Unlike her sisters, who were still figuring out their own futures, Ichika had already made up her mind.
She didn't want to walk the path of a scholar—she wanted to shine on the silver screen.
More than anything...
She glanced at Haruto.
She wanted his eyes to linger on her for just a little longer.
Haruto, oblivious to Ichika's true intentions, simply viewed this as an opportunity to improve her studies. Teaching others was a skill he was curious about developing, and after gauging her current level, he could help her focus on her weak points. A few hours of tutoring, and he'd be free to head home and continue writing his novel.
"Alright. Let's talk again on Saturday. You have a phone, right?"
"Of course~"
Ichika grabbed Haruto's pen and jotted down her number in his notebook before flashing him a smile and heading back to her seat.
Haruto watched her retreating figure, then looked down at his notebook.
After a brief silence, he sighed and closed it.
…A minute later, he reopened it.
Staring at the hastily scribbled phone number, he reached into his pencil case, pulled out a ruler, and carefully tore out the entire page.
Then, without another word, he folded it neatly and tucked it into his bag.