Cold water splashed against his face, clearing Haruto's mind as he sat in his room. He glanced at the fridge—this was about the time he should be preparing breakfast—but he didn't really feel like moving.
Back when he lived at home, his grandmother and mother, and sometimes even Mitsuha, would help with meals. But now, living alone in Tokyo, he had to prepare breakfast himself every day. There were food stalls outside, of course, but they weren't cheap. Compared to that, making his own meals was the more practical option.
For some reason, at that moment, an image of Sayuri in a black-and-white maid outfit popped into his head.
His expression stiffened slightly. Shaking off the thought, he stood up and began making breakfast.
"I should probably get a toaster next time."
Cooking every morning was becoming a hassle. A cheap toaster wouldn't cost much, and as long as he had bread at home, he could just pop it in every morning. That would save him a lot of time.
Seated at the table, Haruto quietly ate his breakfast, sipping miso soup with a blank expression. He wasn't just indifferent toward life—he was also annoyed by the fact that he had to attend school on a Saturday.
After finishing, he left the dishes in the sink, planning to clean them when he got back. He wrapped up the leftover food with plastic wrap and stored it in the fridge before heading out of his apartment.
As he stepped outside, his eyes landed on Sekai, standing across the street. He absentmindedly stared at her legs for a moment.
"Haruto… What are you looking at?"
Sekai's face turned slightly red. Noticing his gaze, she started to feel self-conscious. Was he seriously thinking of doing something like that… right here?
"Hm? Nothing. Has Setsuna not woken up yet?"
Those legs, standing stiffly in front of him, reminded Haruto of that day—the way they had trembled and twitched. His mood became somewhat complicated. It was only when Sekai spoke that he finally pulled his gaze away from what could've been considered a "questionable" stare and looked up at her face.
Asking about Setsuna was just an excuse to change the subject. The fact that Sekai was here meant that Setsuna was probably already awake but hadn't come outside yet.
"She's probably up by now, but she hasn't come out yet."
"You're not going to check on her?"
"Eh… I'll pass."
It wasn't that Sekai disliked Kiyoura Mai. She didn't have any particular reason to avoid her. But for some reason, being around people older than her always made her feel strangely uncomfortable.
"Alright then. I'll leave you to it—I'm heading to school."
Haruto never really understood why Sekai always waited outside for Setsuna instead of going into the Kiyoura household. But since it was her choice, he wasn't going to interfere.
As usual, after exchanging a brief greeting, he turned and walked toward the school, leaving Sekai behind to continue waiting for Setsuna.
Watching his retreating figure, Sekai sighed, then turned her gaze toward the apartment behind her. She wondered if, one day, Setsuna might finally come out just a little bit earlier…
—
When Haruto arrived in the classroom and took his seat, he immediately noticed something felt off inside his desk. Glancing around at his classmates, he slowly lowered his head and reached into the desk's compartment.
Inside, he found a plain white envelope.
Quietly pulling it out, he weighed it in his hand, feeling its thickness. Without a word, he opened it and checked the contents.
It wasn't money, which was slightly disappointing. But as he examined it more closely, a strange sense of familiarity crept over him.
"…Photos?"
He took one out and gave it a glance.
It was a picture of him, walking home after school.
"…"
Thinking back to the photos he had found in his shoe locker last time, Haruto fell silent for a moment. He placed the new set of photos back into the envelope and casually slipped them into his bag.
Who would be so bored as to follow him around and take so many pictures?
There was no doubt that stalking and taking photos without consent was a crime. But, he had to admit, the photographer had some impressive skills.
Thinking it over carefully, he couldn't recall anyone he knew who was particularly skilled in photography. It definitely wasn't someone from Itomori, which meant that it had to be someone he had interacted with recently—someone with a talent for photography who, for whatever reason, had started following him and taking secret photos.
Were they doing it for the thrill? Or was there some other reason?
The corners of his lips curled up slightly. If he ever met this person, there was only one thing he wanted to say:
"You sure have a lot of free time."
—
When class started, the students had all arrived. Sitting at his desk, Haruto couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Every now and then, he sensed pairs of eyes sneaking glances in his direction.
At first, he ignored it. But after a while, it became too much.
One person staring at him was one thing. Two or three people taking turns, as if they were on some kind of shift rotation—now that was overkill.
Following his instincts, he turned toward the source of those gazes—only to see four nearly identical faces quickly snapping their heads forward, pretending to focus on the blackboard.
"Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki?"
Haruto blinked. He hadn't expected the ones watching him to be the Nakano sisters.
If it had been Ichika, he might have understood. But why these four?
Frowning slightly, he recalled his prior conversation with Ichika and suddenly understood—it must be about the tutoring.
But why would tutoring Ichika have anything to do with them?
Still puzzled, Haruto returned his attention to the front of the classroom. Once they noticed that he had caught on, the four sisters also stopped staring—for now.
However, during break time, they huddled together, whispering among themselves until school ended.
—
As soon as the final bell rang, Ichika stood up and walked toward Haruto.
But before she could reach him, another figure appeared at his side first, thanks to their closer seat placement. Seeing this, Ichika furrowed her brows, an unmistakable trace of displeasure surfacing in her expression.
From Ichika's perspective, she and Haruto had already made plans. From the moment school let out, the rest of Haruto's day should have belonged to her.
Normally, she wouldn't have cared if someone else approached him. But this particular person…
Call it a woman's intuition or just pure instinct, but the sight of Eriri standing next to Haruto, chatting with him in a familiar and close manner, sent a wave of unease through Ichika's heart. Especially after what she had witnessed that day in the gym storage room.
"I don't have time. I did, but not anymore—I already have plans with someone."
"Who?"
Ichika, who had been listening in as she approached, overheard Haruto rejecting Eriri.
"Hm? Why is it that the first thing you assume is that I have plans with another girl? Couldn't it be something else?"
"I never said it was a girl, did I?"
"…"
"So, who is it?"
Completely unaware that Ichika was now standing right behind her, Eriri continued pressing Haruto for answers.
"If you're asking about Miyamizu-kun's plans for the afternoon, that would be me."
With a warm smile, Ichika stepped forward, inserting herself between Haruto and Eriri. She turned to face the blonde girl, her expression gentle—but beneath that kindness lay the unshakable pride of a woman who refused to back down.
Eriri, caught off guard, turned around and found herself face-to-face with Ichika.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Though Ichika's demeanor seemed pleasant, there was an unmistakable firmness in her gaze.
Eriri shifted her focus between Haruto and Ichika, taking a moment to assess the situation. Then, fixing her gaze on Haruto, she suddenly asked:
"Does she know?"
At first, Haruto didn't quite grasp what she meant. But when he saw the sly curve of her lips, he immediately understood.
She wasn't just asking about Setsuna. She was also asking about Ichika.
Eriri already knew about his relationship situation. But Ichika… clearly did not.
A seemingly simple question, yet it carried the weight of a warning—perhaps even a threat.
But Haruto remained completely unfazed. Meeting Eriri's gaze, he simply smiled and responded,
"No idea."
Ichika, who had been watching the exchange with caution, now saw Eriri's expression shift slightly. The blonde girl stared at Haruto for a moment before silently turning back to her desk, grabbing her bag, and leaving the classroom.
Ichika frowned.
"What were you two just talking about? It felt like I was listening to an entirely different conversation."
Looking at Haruto, she could tell that there was something between him and Eriri—something hidden. And the fact that she wasn't in on it left an uncomfortable feeling in her chest.
Haruto, as composed as ever, answered casually,
"She was just asking about my family. But don't worry, it's nothing important."
"Oh."
Ichika didn't quite understand, but she could tell that Haruto wasn't lying.
Still, it bugged her that she didn't know what was going on.
But instead of dwelling on it, she quickly changed the subject.
"So, you're coming to my place this afternoon. Are you mentally prepared?"
"Mentally prepared for what?"
Haruto cast a quick glance at the four Nakano sisters still sitting motionless in the classroom before shifting his gaze back to Ichika in front of him.
"You should be preparing to visit my house," Ichika said with a playful smile. "We don't usually have guests over. It's always just the five of us, so having a boy come visit is kind of a big deal."
"Couldn't we just go to a fast-food place or a café?" Haruto asked.
"We could, but home is quieter. Isn't that better for studying?"
With her hands clasped behind her back, Ichika leaned down slightly. The open collar of her shirt revealed a hint of her cleavage. Even though Haruto tried to keep his gaze steady, the moment she leaned in, a glimpse of pale skin inevitably entered his field of vision.
His eyes flickered up and down for a brief second before he forced himself to meet Ichika's eyes again—only to find a mischievous glint in hers.
"Haruto, you're such a perv," she teased.
"..."
So this was what they called a baited trap, huh?
Originally, the plan was for Ichika to text him the address in the afternoon so he could head over for tutoring. But apparently worried he might run away, Ichika took matters into her own hands—quite literally—by looping her arms around his and locking him in place.
"Lunch is a minor issue. We haven't eaten yet anyway. And since you're tutoring me, it's only fair to show my gratitude with a meal. Lunch is on me!" she declared cheerfully.
"No, that's unnecessary. I don't let girls pay for my meals."
Eriri's so-called "treat" didn't count—he had bartered away his precious time and physical labor for that meal. It was nothing less than fair compensation!
"Didn't you say before that you'd let me take care of you in the future?" Ichika smirked. "Think of this as an early practice run. What do you say?"
"…I'll consider it."
He let out a small sigh, glancing at Ichika, who was now clinging to his arm with a triumphant smile. After a brief moment of silence, he nodded in reluctant agreement.
He wasn't particularly eager to go back and make himself a meal anyway, and judging by how tightly Ichika was holding onto him, it didn't seem like she was going to let him leave anytime soon.
And so, with his arm still in her grasp, Haruto allowed Ichika to lead him out of the classroom, heading toward her home. Meanwhile, the other four Nakano sisters trailed behind them at a subtle distance. Watching Ichika's bold initiative, they could only sigh inwardly before following along in silent resignation.
When they finally arrived at the towering, luxurious apartment complex, Haruto couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
Once upon a time, his dream had been to live in a place like this—a high-end apartment, a life of freedom and ease…
"Are you shocked?"
Ichika, standing beside him, noticed the change in his expression.
"Not really," he replied. "I was just wondering… If I married you, would I get to live in a place like this?"
"Of course," Ichika chuckled. "So, do you want to marry me?"
Recognizing that Haruto was just joking, she turned the question back on him with a playful smirk.
"Unfortunately, I'm not old enough to get married yet," he replied dryly.
Before Ichika could respond, a familiar voice cut in.
"Can we go in already? We've been standing here forever."
It was Nino, arms crossed, her tone laced with impatience. She had been watching the two of them chat about marriage of all things, and honestly, she just couldn't understand them.