Sayaka couldn't help but glance toward Haruto's room. But all she could see was the outline of the closed door—there was no telling what lay beyond it. Still, something about it tugged at her curiosity. She turned her gaze to Mitsuha beside her.
"What's with that reaction? You're acting a little too suspicious. Are you imagining something indecent?" Mitsuha asked, raising an eyebrow.
"N-No! Of course not!" Sayaka shot back hastily.
There was no way she could admit what kinds of thoughts were actually flashing through her mind—thoughts she'd only dare entertain alone in her room, late at night, with the door locked.
"Well, not like imagining it'll get you anywhere," Mitsuha said bluntly, casually striking down her friend's daydreams. She turned her attention back to the TV, but her expression was distant, her eyes unfocused. She seemed deep in thought about something else entirely.
Seeing Mitsuha spacing out like that, Sayaka decided not to interrupt. She sat quietly and followed her gaze to the TV.
"I'm going to Tokyo soon," Mitsuha said suddenly.
"Huh? Tokyo?" Sayaka blinked in surprise and looked at her friend. Mitsuha still stared at the screen, her voice calm, as if she weren't really talking to anyone in particular—but she'd clearly responded to Sayaka's earlier question.
"I'll be staying there for a while," Mitsuha continued. "Probably won't be back until the new term starts."
"Wait, didn't you already go to Tokyo back in May?"
"Yeah, but Haruto came back since then, so this time I'll be heading back with him."
Sayaka felt a twinge of envy. She'd never been to Tokyo herself. Her family didn't have any particular reason to travel there, and the furthest she'd ever gone was Nagoya—and even that was rare.
She did feel a bit jealous of Mitsuha, who had the chance to visit such a bustling city. Still, Sayaka's personality didn't make her yearn for it all that deeply. She figured she'd probably have to wait until after high school before her parents would ever allow her to go somewhere like Tokyo. And by then, she'd be old enough to travel alone.
"Well, I guess that's still a long way off," Sayaka said with a soft sigh.
"Anyway, is Teshigawara not around today either?"
"Him? Oh, I just didn't invite him. Pretty sure he's home though. When I woke up this morning, his room light was still on. He's probably sleeping."
"Did he stay up all night?"
"Looks like it."
Sayaka and Teshigawara lived across from each other, so she could easily see into his room from her own window.
"I really don't get guys," Sayaka muttered. "What do they even do, staying up all night like that?"
"Haruto stays up late too sometimes," Mitsuha replied.
Back when Haruto was still living with them, Mitsuha would sometimes get up in the middle of the night and see the light still on in his room. Curious, she'd peek in and find him hunched over his desk, focused on something. He always looked so serious in those moments, and it had left a strange, lingering impression on her.
"Maybe he was doing homework?"
"Who knows?"
Mitsuha couldn't say for sure, but that was probably it.
—
When Haruto entered his room, he found Sekai lying on his bed, furiously tapping away at her phone, while Setsuna sat at his desk, quietly reading a book. He glanced at Setsuna for a moment, then walked over to Sekai.
"The signal here isn't the best. If you're trying to go online, it might lag a bit," he said.
"Ugh, I know," Sekai groaned. "It's been stuck loading the next page forever."
She dropped her phone with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. She was completely absorbed in the story, and being cut off in the middle of a good part was torture.
"Next page?" Haruto asked.
"Yeah, I'm reading a web novel. It's really good. Have you ever read anything like that?"
"I used to, I guess. Not recently," he replied.
"This one's great! Want to see?"
She held out her phone for him to look. He leaned in to check it out—but immediately froze.
"I... didn't take you for someone who reads this kind of stuff," he said, eyebrows lifting.
Sekai's eyes widened, and she quickly waved her hands in denial.
"No, no! I don't usually! It's just a little thing I read sometimes when I'm bored, that's all!"
Haruto chuckled and smiled at her. "Well...nothing, just a personal hobby, yeah."
He left Sekai and walked over to Setsuna, who was still quietly flipping through her book. Compared to Sekai's BL romance titled Love Parasite, Setsuna's choice of reading was far more grounded.
Hearing his footsteps approach, Setsuna looked up briefly. Their eyes met. She quickly lowered her gaze again, pretending to concentrate on her book.
Haruto stood there for a moment, then turned away and lay down on the bed beside Sekai.
The bed was not small, it was more than enough for two people, and in fact three people could barely sleep on it. However, because there were three of them, it was obviously not possible for them to just lie down on the same bed.
Last night, they'd let their guard down a little, thinking the rest of the house was already asleep. Then his mother, Futaba, had caught them. Just thinking about it made Haruto sigh.
He glanced at Sekai beside him. She was lying on her side, her phone forgotten, eyes closed. She looked like she might already be asleep.
Haruto was tempted to mess with her a little, but he resisted. There were still other people in the house, and someone could walk in at any moment.
This peaceful house, this quiet countryside—it had a calming effect on him. But at the same time, it left him feeling a bit restless. He glanced at his laptop. It had been a long time since he last wrote anything.
Ever since returning from Tokyo, he hadn't been able to focus. He opened his laptop, knowing that if he didn't seize the moment, the urge might pass.
If he worked on his story now, Setsuna and Sekai would have to sit there and watch him write. That thought gave him pause.
Still unsure of what to do, Haruto closed his eyes, trying to quiet his mind.
—
Later that day, the portable air conditioner he'd ordered finally arrived. The workers set it up in the guest room, and with that, Setsuna and Sekai no longer had an excuse to hang around in his room. They both headed off to the guest room for a nap.
Left alone for the first time in a while, Haruto opened his laptop again. He took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and began writing.
His recent experiences had given him fresh perspective, and he found himself changing parts of the story he'd originally planned. That was how writing often went—sometimes your emotions or memories would take a scene in an entirely new direction.
"Yeah... this version flows better," he murmured to himself as he saved the new draft. "It's more cohesive than what I originally planned."
He stood up, stretched, and looked around the now-quiet room. Without anyone sleeping on the floor, it felt oddly empty. Even the bed felt a little too big for just him.
Just as he was about to climb into bed, wearing his pajamas and ready to call it a night, he heard soft footsteps outside his door.
He stopped.
Then—
Slide.
The door opened, revealing the gentle lavender hue of a familiar nightgown. Futaba stepped quietly into the room, her presence calm and composed. Once inside, she closed the door gently behind her.
"I saw your light was still on," she said softly. "Thought I'd check in. Are you getting ready for bed?"
"I was just about to," Haruto replied, blinking in surprise.
Seeing his mother suddenly walk into his room, Haruto was caught a bit off guard. He hadn't expected the visitor to be her.
"It's been a while since you came back," Futaba said as she looked around the room, her tone gentle but carrying something deeper. "You've already made your rounds around Itomori… even went to Nagoya. But don't you think something's missing?"
Her words made him frown slightly. He paused and thought, realizing what she might be referring to—but he didn't want to say it out loud. He stayed silent.
At this point in time, his relationship with his father was still civil. They hadn't yet reached the point of outright tension. It made sense that, having returned to Itomori for this long, he should at least go and see him.
But just thinking about that meeting filled him with agitation and unease. He bit his lip, took a deep breath, and tried to steady his emotions.
"Father's always busy with work. He barely has time to rest. Wouldn't it be inconsiderate to bother him when he's finally home for a break? I'll wait until we're both free, maybe during a holiday, then I'll go see him. We can always keep in touch by phone, right?"
"But calls aren't the same as seeing you in person," Futaba replied quietly. "He can't see how much you've grown. You've changed a lot since before you left for Tokyo."
She wasn't wrong. What Haruto had experienced these past few months—she didn't even know the half of it. The changes he'd undergone were inevitable after everything he'd been through.
"I'll think about it," Haruto replied at last. "When there's time… I'll go see him."
That ever-serious man—Haruto had never shared a close bond with him. His father's attitude was always distant, formal. Their relationship had always been defined by the word father and son, but there was never a deep emotional connection between them.
It wasn't that Haruto didn't understand the sacrifices his father had made during his upbringing. He did. But just understanding it didn't make affection blossom out of nowhere.
Familiar, and yet a stranger.
That was the only way he could describe their relationship.
Futaba studied her son's face and could tell he was brushing her off, but at least he'd given her an answer. Maybe when the time came, she could gently push things along to create a chance for the two of them to reconnect.
"I'll ask him if he has any time off soon," she said, turning to leave. "Make sure you get some rest."
"Okay."
But before she reached the door, the sliding door suddenly opened. Peeking into the room, about to call out Haruto's name, was Sekai . She froze the moment she spotted the familiar lavender nightgown. Lifting her gaze, she met Futaba's eyes, visibly startled.
"A-Auntie…"
"I just finished talking with Haruto," Futaba said with a calm smile. "Did you need something from him?"
"Ah, um… I just wanted to ask him something," Sekai stammered, her expression awkward.
"Well then, I'll leave you two to talk. I'm going to bed."
Futaba glanced once more at Sekai, then at her son, who remained composed and calm, and let out a soft sigh. She had no idea what the situation was between these three, nor whether Setsuna's mother, Kiyoura Mai, had any clue about her daughter's involvement.
When she'd first learned that her son had found a girlfriend in Tokyo, it had genuinely surprised her. In Itomori, he had always seemed so chaste and serious. Then, suddenly, she found out he not only had a girlfriend but had already met her family.
And now—there was Saionji Sekai too.
Futaba had stopped being surprised. Her only hope now was that her son wouldn't cause any… irreparable damage—in every possible meaning of the phrase.
She gave Sekai one last look and quietly left the room.
The two of them were left standing in awkward silence. Sekai offered Haruto a sheepish smile.
"Um… sorry if I caused any trouble."
"It's fine. She didn't say anything, right? That means she's not particularly bothered. No need to be so nervous."
"I… guess you're right."
"So? What did you want to talk about?"
"Nothing that important, really. I was just feeling bored and wanted to chat a bit. Setsuna was going to come too—she was charging her phone, so she'll be here in a bit."
Haruto let out a small sigh and gave her a wry smile.
About four or five minutes later, Setsuna arrived at his room. Seeing the two of them sitting there in silence, she blinked in confusion, wondering what she'd just walked into.
~~~~~~~~~~
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