Among the Nakano sisters, hardly anyone was paying attention to his explanations. Initially, it was only supposed to be Ichika listening, but judging by the way she stared at him, it didn't seem like she was interested in learning at all. Feeling unmotivated and uninterested, Haruto found the whole situation dull.
By the time the clock struck three in the afternoon, he had more or less finished explaining the entire test paper. However, realizing that only Miku had truly listened to him, Haruto lost any desire to stay longer.
"It's about time for me to go."
After gathering his things, he prepared to leave. Ichika, who had been sitting idly, suddenly stood up in surprise.
"It's only three o'clock. Why don't you stay a little longer?"
"My girlfriend would be worried."
"…Your girlfriend?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Ichika froze. The word "girlfriend" echoed in her mind, as if caught in an endless loop. She couldn't comprehend it—had she misheard?
Miku, sitting in the living room, also looked up in surprise. She stared at Haruto, trying to read his expression. Yet, his gaze held no trace of humor or deception.
"…Alright, I'll be going."
Shouldering his bag, Haruto walked toward the door. Ichika remained seated, lost in thought, unable to shake the emptiness in her heart. She wanted to get up and walk him out but didn't know how to react.
Instead, Miku stood up.
"I'll walk you out."
Haruto glanced at Ichika before shifting his gaze to Miku. Since she had already made the offer, he didn't refuse.
At the entrance, Miku opened the door and stepped outside with him.
"Is it true?"
As they reached the elevator, she stopped walking. Lifting her head slightly, her eyes locked onto his, searching for the answer she sought.
Haruto pressed the elevator button. The numbers on the panel changed as the elevator ascended, still a few floors away.
Hearing her question, he turned to meet her gaze, then gave a small nod before shifting his attention back to the screen.
"…Ichika, she…"
Miku parted her lips as if she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She glanced at Haruto , but before she could organize her thoughts, the elevator chimed with a soft ding.
Stepping inside, Haruto smiled at her.
"This is far enough. You can head back now."
Miku remained silent.
"Well then, see you at school the day after tomorrow."
With a soft click, the elevator doors closed, and Haruto's figure gradually disappeared from Miku's view. Only after the doors fully shut did she press her lips together and turn back toward the apartment.
Stepping out onto the street, Haruto glanced back at the high-rise building before heading home.
By the time he arrived, it was almost four in the afternoon. Along the way, he had stopped by a shopping district and bought a good amount of groceries, now neatly stacked in his fridge. Pouring himself a cup of green tea, he sat down at his desk.
Spending nearly two hours explaining the test paper at the Nakano household, only to have one person actually listen, left him feeling a little defeated.
"Was I really that hard to understand? I thought I made everything simple enough."
Back at home, when he helped Mitsuha and Yotsuha with their studies, even Mitsuha—who could be a bit mischievous—listened attentively when he explained things. He had assumed his teaching skills were decent, but apparently, he had overestimated himself.
Sighing, he pulled out a half-written manuscript from his drawer and resumed writing.
That afternoon, Sekai arrived at Haruto's apartment. She had planned to spend some time alone with him, but upon arriving, she found the door shut tight. Even after ringing the doorbell, there was no response.
After a moment's thought, she guessed he might be at Setsuna's house and headed straight there.
"He's not here," Setsuna said when she opened the door. "He didn't come back at noon. He's probably somewhere else."
"You're home alone?"
"Aren't you also home alone?"
Setsuna remained calm, unsurprised that Sekai had come looking for Haruto.
"When do you think he'll be back?"
"No idea."
Realizing she wouldn't be able to see him, Sekai sighed and stepped inside. Since she had come all this way, she decided to spend some time with Setsuna instead.
By the time evening arrived and Sekai was preparing to leave, she noticed the lights in Haruto's apartment had turned on. She turned to Setsuna.
"He's back."
"Yeah."
"…Forget it. I'll just go home."
Initially, Sekai had wanted to go see Haruto, but with Setsuna here, she wasn't sure what to say or do in front of both of them. In the end, she decided it was better to go home.
"What about you?" she asked. "Are you going over?"
"No."
Setsuna watched her without much emotion. She didn't seem interested in seeing Haruto at all. With that, she closed the door behind Sekai without another word.
Stepping out onto the street, Sekai glanced back, half-expecting Setsuna to follow. But she didn't. Looking up at Haruto's apartment, Sekai bit her lip, suppressing the urge to turn back.
After hesitating for a moment, she sighed and decided to wait until later that night to find a chance to see him.
Meanwhile, inside his apartment, Haruto suddenly sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he turned toward the window.
Realizing it was still open, he walked over and shut the glass doors leading to the balcony.
"Is Setsuna home?"
He glanced across to the neighboring apartment, but after a moment, he turned away, letting the thought fade.
Feeling exhausted, he flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes.
After spending so much time writing, he needed a break.
_ _ _ _
"Could you at least be careful?"
Mai picked up her scattered clothes and slipped them on, her face still flushed. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, but her expression softened with a hint of affection as she gazed at Haruto, who was sitting up in bed.
"You're going to give Setsuna a little brother or sister at this rate."
Haruto, now fully dressed, stood up and stretched. His body was young, full of energy—despite going at it for an hour and a half, he had recovered quickly.
"Would you mind if I did?"
"…That's not the point!"
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at him, slightly panicked.
"I don't have the energy or the means to raise another child. Setsuna still relies on me to work and provide for her. If I got pregnant, it'd be a disaster."
Mai knew her own circumstances well. She couldn't afford any careless mistakes, and she was afraid Haruto might not take things seriously.
Seeing how flustered she was, Haruto chuckled softly.
"If circumstances allowed, I wouldn't mind giving Setsuna a little brother or sister. But right now, that's just not realistic, so let's forget about it."
"You actually thought about that?"
"Having a child with someone you love… isn't that the most natural thing in the world?"
Haruto's gentle smile accompanied his words, and the phrase 'someone you love' stirred something deep within Kiyoura Mai's heart. A warmth spread through her chest, her long-dormant emotions awakening. Her cheeks flushed, and she felt an uncharacteristic shyness take over. She quickly dressed herself, pulling her black stockings up her legs and adjusting them at her waist before letting go.
"You should consider when you and Setsuna will have a child. If the two of you have one early, by the time you graduate high school, you can get married."
"We can get married in a year, but getting married while still in high school… that's pretty rare, isn't it?"
"Are you unwilling?"
Mai's sharp gaze locked onto Haruto, observing his expression carefully. His words made it seem like he wasn't too eager to marry Setsuna right away.
"What if I married you instead?"
"..."
Mai's entire face turned bright red. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, placed both hands on Haruto's shoulders, and pushed him onto the bed. She straddled him, her gaze filled with raw, undeniable desire. The way she looked at him sent a shiver down his spine—he hadn't expected his words to have such a powerful effect.
"Then prove it to me… show me just how much you lo—"
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang, cutting through the charged atmosphere like a cold gust of wind. Mai, who had been about to make her next move, froze. Her head turned slightly toward the door, and in that moment, the spell was broken.
Her hands still resting on Haruto's shoulders, she glanced down at him and saw that he, too, was caught off guard. After a moment of silence, she pressed her lips together, then slowly got up from the bed.
Fixing her clothes, Mai took a deep breath and glanced at Haruto.
"Who is it?"
"Setsuna?"
"Probably not. She knew I was coming here when I left."
They exchanged a look. Haruto gestured for Mai to tidy up the room while he made his way to the door. Looking through the peephole, he was slightly surprised but not exactly shocked when he saw who was standing outside.
It was Saionji Sekai.
Taking a quick glance back at the living room, Haruto saw that Mai had already cleaned up most of the room. He gestured for her to crack open a window to let the air circulate before he opened the door.
"Haruto"
"It's already late. What brings you here alone?"
"I… Is there someone else inside?"
Sekai had started to say something, but her words faltered when she noticed a pair of women's shoes near the entrance. They weren't Setsuna's—rather, they looked like they belonged to a mature woman. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked up at Haruto.
Hearing the familiar voice at the door, Mai calmly stepped out of the living room. When she saw Sekai standing at the entrance, she blinked in surprise.
"Sekai?"
"Aunt Mai?"
The two women stared at each other in shock.
Sekai had expected Setsuna to be here, but instead, she found Mai in Haruto's apartment. Meanwhile, Mai hadn't expected Sekai to show up looking for Haruto so late at night.
A strange sense of awkwardness filled the air, both women feeling a bit guilty for different reasons. But as the adult in the situation, Mai composed herself first. She shot a quick glance at Haruto before stepping forward with a smile.
"It's pretty late. Did you need something from Haruto?"
"...I just had something… to ask him." Sekai hesitated, her voice uncertain. Then, as if realizing something, she turned back to Mai with a puzzled expression. "Aunt Mai, why are you here?"
She couldn't understand why Mai would be in Haruto's apartment so late at night. And where was Setsuna?
"Oh, I was just checking up on Haruto. Since he lives alone, I thought he might need some help around the house, so I stopped by to see if everything was okay. I also helped clean up a little. You know, living alone in Tokyo isn't easy, and I worry he might not tell me if something's wrong."
"I see…"
"Would you like me to give you two some time alone?" Mai asked, tilting her head playfully.
"N-No! It's nothing important! I'll just come back tomorrow!"
Sekai waved her hands frantically, her face turning pink. The last thing she wanted was for Mai to misunderstand her relationship with Haruto.
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, Har— I mean, Miyamizu-kun."
With an awkward smile, Sekai quickly turned and hurried away.
As Haruto watched her retreating figure, he felt a hand gently reach for his. The door clicked shut, and when he turned around, he was met with Mai's smiling eyes.
"So… care to explain?"