Saionji Sekai stepped into her mother's room. It wasn't the first time she had explored this space—she already knew where everything was kept. Without hesitation, she walked straight to the wardrobe.
Opening it, she glanced at the neatly hung clothes belonging to her mother. However, those weren't what she was looking for. Gently pushing aside the garments, her gaze fell to the lower section of the wardrobe. After a brief search, her eyes landed on a pink paper bag tucked into the corner. She reached in, hooked a finger around it, and pulled it out.
Lowering her gaze, she peered inside. Her fingers carefully retrieved a small, round rubber ball with a cord attached. She stared at it for a moment, hesitating, before reaching into the bag again to pull out a small switch. With a cautious twist, she turned it to "ON"—
Bzzzz—
A faint yet distinct vibrating sound filled the quiet room. The tingling sensation at her fingertips made her flinch, almost dropping the object.
Steadying herself, Sekai quickly turned the switch back to "OFF." As the vibrations ceased, she let out a small breath of relief.
"So this is what she uses? Hmm..."
Sekai continued to stare at the small device. She contemplated trying it herself but hesitated—it belonged to her mother, after all. Using it felt strange… and maybe even unsanitary.
After a long pause, she decided against it. Carefully, she placed everything back into the paper bag, tucked it into the wardrobe's depths, and restored everything to its original order. With a lingering sense of disappointment, she quietly closed the wardrobe and left the room.
That morning, she had gone to visit Haruto's apartment. Knocking on the door, she found that he wasn't home. Assuming he was with Setsuna, she made her way to the Kiyoura residence—only to find that Setsuna was also alone.
The two exchanged glances, realizing that Haruto had once again wandered off without telling anyone where he was going. Left with nothing else to do, they spent the morning together, later strolling through the city in the afternoon. By the time they returned home around three o'clock, Sekai found herself at a loss. Sitting in her room, a deep sense of emptiness settled in. Her mind drifted back to the moments she had shared with Haruto…
Those fleeting, intimate memories surfaced vividly.
Lying on her bed, Sekai fell silent. The last time she had been with Haruto, he seemed far more experienced than she was. She suspected it was because of his time with Setsuna, and the thought irked her.
If Setsuna could do it, then there was no reason she couldn't.
With that determination, she had stepped into her mother's room, intent on using Yoko Saionji's tools to "train" herself.
But in the end, faced with her mother's private belongings, she backed down. It just didn't feel right.
Frustrated, she returned to her room, curled up on her bed, and closed her eyes. In her mind, only Haruto's image remained…
_ _ _ _
"I get it, I get it! It was my fault, okay?"
"Still being stubborn, huh?"
"Ugh..."
"I was planning to send something back home, but I guess there's no need now. See you later, Mitsuha. When the holidays come, I'll return and properly deal with you."
"Wait—!"
Before she could protest, Haruto swiftly ended the call. Just imagining Mitsuha's frustrated expression brought a satisfied smirk to his face. Teasing her always added a bit of amusement to his life.
The upcoming May holiday presented an opportunity to visit Itomori, but Haruto didn't feel particularly eager to go back.
He'd rather wait until summer and have Mitsuha come to Tokyo instead.
Lying on his bed, still feeling restless despite his afternoon nap, he found himself caught in a lazy stupor. He stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally sitting up, dragging himself to the desk to continue working on his manuscript—one that was barely one-fifth complete.
At around six o'clock, a message from Kiyoura Mai arrived:
"Come over for dinner."
That meant he didn't have to worry about preparing his own meal—someone had already taken care of it.
Setting his pen down, he left for the Kiyoura residence.
After dinner, he lingered there for a while. Around nine o'clock, as he stepped out of Setsuna's room and entered the living room, he found Mai sitting on the couch. Their eyes met briefly before he quickly averted his gaze. Muttering a brief farewell, he made his way back to his apartment.
Ever since last Saturday, when he told Ichika that he had a girlfriend, their dynamic had subtly shifted. Though she hadn't cut off contact, the warmth and familiarity between them had faded. She would occasionally bring up Setsuna in conversation, probing for details.
"She's not from our school."
That was all Haruto revealed, surprising Ichika, who had assumed it was Eriri Spencer.
"Not Sawamura?"
"Nope."
During PE class, Ichika, sitting beside him, cast a sidelong glance. Upon hearing his response, her expression momentarily flickered with surprise—before giving way to curiosity.
"Then she must be from a nearby school?"
"Mm."
"Did she confess first?"
"Mm."
"And you just accepted right away?"
Haruto fell silent.
He was starting to feel exhausted by Ichika's relentless questioning. Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps drew his attention.
Glancing sideways, his eyes landed on a pair of long legs clad in black stockings. As he looked up, he saw the familiar twin tails of golden hair.
"What is it?"
"We're still on cleaning duty today."
"Wait, what? Wasn't it supposed to be Furuhashi and...?"
"I talked to him and switched our shifts. He didn't mind."
Haruto's gaze shifted toward Furuhashi Fumino, who noticed him looking and responded with a knowing glance. His arms crossed, he casually raised a thumb in encouragement—as if silently cheering him on.
Haruto sighed.
"Fine. Anything else?"
It was just a change in the cleaning schedule. Since Eriri had already settled it with Furuhashi, there was no point in arguing.
"That's all."
The momentary silence between them lingered. Eriri Spencer glanced briefly at Ichika, who sat beside Haruto. Without another word, she turned away and walked back to Hinami Aoi's side, settling into her seat. Ichika, watching Eriri's retreating figure, couldn't help but let a subtle smile curve her lips. She then turned her gaze toward Haruto.
"Does she know?"
"She does."
As Eriri sat down, Haruto shifted his attention back to the basketball court, where a group of boys was playing. Their energetic movements, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the floor, and the sight of sweat glistening under the gym lights—all of it exuded an undeniable youthful energy. Even from a distance, he could almost catch the scent of hormones in the air.
Beside him, Ichika observed Haruto for a moment before casting her eyes toward Eriri.
For a fleeting second, their gazes met.
Eriri, who had been listening to Hinami Aoi's words, turned her head toward Ichika.
"…"
Neither of them spoke.
A silent exchange.
Then, as if nothing had happened, they both looked away.
—
By the time PE class ended, most of the students had already left the gym. Haruto, still inside, was about to leave when Eriri suddenly approached him. She stopped in front of him, her sharp blue eyes locking onto him.
"What's wrong? Do you need something?"
"…No."
With that, Eriri turned away and began gathering the scattered sports equipment.
Haruto, somewhat puzzled by her behavior, simply joined her in cleaning up. The two of them worked in silence, not exchanging a single word as they tidied the gym. Once everything was in order, they walked back to the classroom together.
She had purposely switched shifts for cleaning duty. Yet, in the end, she said nothing and did nothing out of the ordinary.
Haruto felt increasingly unsure of what Eriri was thinking.
Upon returning to the classroom, the usual stillness settled in. Nothing had changed.
Taking his seat, Haruto glanced sideways at Eriri but quickly gave up trying to decipher her motives.
Even when school ended that afternoon, she didn't approach him again. Instead, she quietly packed up her things, while Haruto did the same, preparing to head home.
"Hey, Miyamizu."
"Hm? What's up, Nozaki?"
Just as he stood up to leave, Nozaki Umetarou, who sat behind him, called out.
"Are you free today?"
"I don't have much going on these days, but I do have a few things to take care of. Is this about the manga?"
"Yeah. But if you're busy, forget it. I just happened to run into an old acquaintance who can help instead."
Nozaki sounded a little disappointed. Compared to his former classmates, Haruto's skill and efficiency were noticeably superior. However, if he wasn't available, there was no helping it.
"Well, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
With a polite smile, Haruto bid Nozaki farewell and left the classroom.
—
On his way down the hall, he passed by another classroom.
"Come on, just help us out. You don't have anything urgent, right? So what's the harm?"
"That's… I…"
The conversation drifting from inside made Haruto's brows furrow slightly. Something about the tone felt off.
He glanced inside and immediately recognized a familiar face—Yoshida Saki.
She was cornered at the back of the classroom by two unfamiliar girls. They had the air of trendy gyaru, though their style was more reserved compared to those in the city.
Seeing Yoshida biting her lip anxiously, Haruto stepped into the room.
"Yo, Yoshida. What're you up to?"
His casual greeting broke through the tension.
As he approached, Yoshida's troubled expression shifted to one of surprise.
"M-Miyamizu-kun…? Why are you…?"
One of the girls frowned slightly.
"D-Class's... Miyamizu?"
"Why is he here…?"
They exchanged uncertain glances.
Haruto merely smiled at them before turning back to Yoshida.
"Didn't we have plans today? I needed your input on something. Why are you still here?"
"Eh…?"
Yoshida blinked in confusion. But as the realization hit, her expression softened.
He was helping her.
For a moment, she felt as though she had been saved by a prince or an angel. A warm feeling spread through her chest.
"…Oh. No, I—there's nothing. I was just about to leave."
"Great. Let's go, then."
Haruto looked back at the two gyaru.
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation. But I need to borrow Yoshida for something. You don't mind, do you?"
The girls hesitated but ultimately backed down.
"…No, it's fine."
Without another word, they turned and left.
Haruto placed a light hand on Yoshida's shoulder, guiding her toward the door.
"Come on, let's go."
Once they stepped outside, he withdrew his hand. The two walked side by side toward the school gates.
Yoshida remained quiet, her head slightly lowered. Every so often, she stole glances at the boy beside her, her mind swirling with emotions.
"…Thank you."
Her voice was small but filled with sincerity.
"Hm?"
"For earlier…Thank you for helping me."
Haruto glanced at her.
"Well, it just annoyed me to see that happening, so I stepped in. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."
"...No. Those two... They aren't really bad people, just a little..."
"I get it. But you shouldn't let yourself be pushed around. If it happens once, it'll happen again. Next time, don't hesitate to reach out—I'll help."
Yoshida stopped walking for a moment, staring at him.
Then, with a soft smile, she nodded.
"Okay."
"…Thank you. I guess… I'll head home now."
Yoshida Saki bowed slightly as she thanked Haruto, then turned to leave, ready to walk home alone.
"Got something to do at home?"
"…No, it's just…"
"In that case, why don't you come with me for a bit? I need to buy a gift, and I could use a second opinion. Would you mind helping me out?"
"Huh? Me?"
Behind her thick glasses, Yoshida's eyes widened in surprise.
She hadn't expected him to actually invite her along. It felt… unreal. But at the same time, a spark of joy quietly bloomed in her heart.
"Is that a no?"
"N-No! I mean, of course! Just… is it really okay if it's me…?"