After stepping out of his room and getting into Sayuri's car, Haruto found himself seated beside Eriri, who looked visibly displeased. He didn't pay it much mind. After exchanging a brief greeting with Sayuri, the car started smoothly, heading toward the venue for the exhibition.
During the ride, Sayuri, driven by her own curiosity, asked Haruto a few questions about himself.
Some of the topics she brought up were things both parties should have been well aware of. Yet, even when asked directly, Haruto showed no particular reaction—he simply responded calmly and quietly.
Eriri, who had been sulking at first, couldn't help but glance away from the car window and toward Haruto after hearing both her mother's questions and his unbothered responses. Seeing that calm and indifferent look in his eyes, a faint melancholy stirred within her heart.
The car rolled quietly to a stop in the parking area near the venue. After stepping out, Haruto helped Sayuri load the doujinshi onto a cart, and the two of them entered the convention hall. Eriri, meanwhile, had tied up her long hair and wore a cap and mask to keep a low profile as she silently followed behind them.
For now, the venue was filled only with doujinshi creators and exhibitors. Everyone stood quietly in their own space, waiting for the event to begin.
Hell.
Even now, the venue was already packed wall-to-wall with booths. Once the event began and the crowds poured in, it would be nothing short of chaos—hell, in its purest form.
"I'm going to look around at the other artists and maybe buy a few doujinshi."
Eriri stood up and wandered off toward the other booths, leaving Haruto and Sayuri at theirs.
Sayuri fanned herself slowly as her gaze settled on the boy beside her. Curiosity continued to grow in her eyes. She didn't understand why she was so drawn to him—why she cared this much.
That dream from back then...
Noticing Sayuri watching him, Haruto turned slightly to meet her gaze. Her eyes were the same as when they first met—clear, brilliant, and mesmerizing.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
Snapped from her thoughts, Sayuri blinked and opened her mouth, hesitating.
It was as if she'd dreamed of this boy before… and perhaps, in that dream, there had been strange, unfamiliar emotions between them. Normally, she would have teased him lightly, but now she felt oddly nervous and shy.
"Would you like some water? We'll be sitting here a long while today."
"No, thanks. If I drink now, I'll just have to run to the bathroom later. I'll wait."
"I see."
Silence fell between them. Until Eriri returned, the two barely exchanged a word.
_ _ _ _ _
Lying in a stranger's home—it was her first time experiencing something like this.
Having come to Tokyo with her older brother under the pretense of "taking a break," she had left their apartment and wandered this unfamiliar city. The turmoil in her heart erupted all at once.
Taking out her phone, she hurled it into the nearby river and then aimlessly drifted through the city, with no direction in mind.
Ding-dong.
The sound of the doorbell roused the girl from her slumber. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
"Morning already…? Looks like he left."
She vaguely remembered a girl visiting at dawn, before the sun had even risen. What had he said to her?
Still groggy, Sayu tried to recall but couldn't. She glanced at the bed.
"It's all over now… so it doesn't matter anymore."
Her face wore a resigned yet confused expression. Sitting up, she changed into the clothes he had lent her the day before, stepped into slippers that were a size too big, and walked to the door.
Opening it, she found a girl she didn't recognize standing there.
Unfamiliar?
Yes—completely unfamiliar. Sayu had no idea who she was. She looked at the shorter girl standing before her, hesitating.
"Uh, are you looking for the guy who lives here... Miyamizu?"
The girl asked calmly, her expression unreadable. Sayu felt a flicker of guilt for some reason.
"Yes," she replied. "He went out this morning. Someone came for him. Are you... a friend of his?"
"Girlfriend."
"…"
Sayu's heart skipped a beat. Her face tensed with awkwardness.
"I'm sorry—I was just staying here for the night. I'll be leaving soon."
The girl, Setsuna, said nothing. She walked silently past Sayu into the apartment. Her eyes swept over the messy bed and the lingering scent in the air. She let out a quiet sigh.
_ _ _ _ _ _
I told Setsuna I wouldn't be home today. It should be fine. That girl will probably leave once her clothes are dry, right?
Haruto's heart beat faster. This peaceful life of his had been shaken by an unexpected variable—and he couldn't help but feel intrigued by what would happen next.
"Is your girlfriend coming today?" Eriri's voice rang out beside him.
"Huh?"
Haruto looked over at the blonde girl beside him.
Sayuri, sitting nearby, also turned her gaze toward her daughter, surprised by the blunt question.
"I don't know. I didn't give her the details. I only told her I'd be helping you today—we didn't talk about much else."
"Isn't she going to be worried?"
Eriri frowned. For some reason, she was thinking from Setsuna's perspective now.
"Why would she?"
Haruto gave her a faint smile as he returned the question. Eriri bit her lip and fell silent.
Sayuri, watching the exchange, let out a quiet sigh.
This boy… doesn't seem interested in my daughter at all.
Once the event began, the crowds surged in.
As a well-known doujinshi artist, Eriri—under the pen name "Eri Kashiwagi"—was popular in fan circles. Many fans came specifically for her work, though whether it was because they knew the artist was female or for her risqué content was anyone's guess.
Haruto sat behind the booth, handing out books to each customer. He bowed slightly each time, thanking them like a service worker.
By midday, all 300 copies were sold out. As he handed over the last one, Haruto felt the fatigue in his back and shoulders. His hands were numb. Placing a "SOLD OUT" sign on the table, he finally sat down in silence.
"Good work."
Sayuri handed him a cup of tea. Haruto hesitated, then took it.
Inside was chilled barley tea with ice. After a sweaty morning, the cold liquid refreshed him instantly. He thanked her and drank deeply.
"Nothing left this afternoon, right?"
"Yeah, we're done. I thought 300 copies would be plenty, but I guess we underestimated the demand. We'll need more next year."
"Next year, huh?"
Eriri didn't seem thrilled at the idea. She looked uninterested in participating again next year.
Haruto noticed her expression but said nothing. Around noon, the three of them tidied up and left the venue.
"Let's grab a meal together—my treat, as thanks."
Sayuri offered.
Haruto was about to decline but paused, then nodded in agreement.
In the car, he glanced at the dejected girl beside him. He almost reached out… but withdrew his hand. Instead, he turned to look out the window.
They arrived in Roppongi, in Tokyo's Minato Ward. Sayuri led them to a high-end Japanese restaurant.
Once seated, Haruto suddenly stood and excused himself.
Sayuri nodded knowingly. Eriri tried to follow, but her mother stopped her.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to see what he's doing."
"…You really can't tell?"
"What?"
"He went to the bathroom."
"…"
Haruto hadn't said so outright, only mentioning something urgent. Eriri hadn't thought twice about it—until now.
"You still have a lot to learn, you know. You're far too clueless when it comes to these things."
"I'm not—"
She wanted to retort but bit her lip instead, lifting her teacup in silence.
Sayuri stared at her daughter. Since entering high school, Eriri had changed in ways she couldn't quite understand.
After some time passed, Eriri stood up.
"I'm going too—I'll be right back."
"Don't forget the room."
"I remember!"
She walked to the door, hand on the knob—only to be met with Haruto's face as the door opened.
"Going somewhere?"
Haruto stepped aside to let her pass. Eriri bit her lip, brushed past him, and left without a word. Watching her retreating figure, Haruto sighed. He couldn't tell what had set her off this time.
Back in the room, Haruto sat down in his previous seat. The air grew oddly tense.
He took a sip of the restaurant's barley tea. Compared to the cheap tea back home, this was clearly higher quality.
"Miyamizu-kun," Sayuri spoke.
"Yes?"
"What do you think of Eriri?"
"…That's kind of a delicate question. Do you mean as a classmate, or as a potential girlfriend?"
"If you're willing, I'd like to hear both."
Even Sayuri was surprised by how direct he was, but she quickly regained her composure. Her eyes filled with subtle anticipation.
"As a classmate—though she's a bit of a princess—she's not a bad person. Keeping a healthy distance is best. As for dating…"
Haruto paused, thinking it through seriously.
"For the average person, Eriri is incredibly talented. Great grades, not the best at sports, but that's fine. She's a top student in the art club, basically an 'untouchable flower.'"
"But… you don't seem that into her?"
Sayuri tilted her head.
Haruto sighed internally.
At the door, Eriri stood frozen, staring at her black-stockinged legs as she listened to the conversation inside.
"It's not that I don't feel anything. It's just… some things stop me from being interested in her. She's amazing. Maybe… that's exactly why I…"
He trailed off.
Taking a deep breath, Haruto didn't meet Sayuri's eyes. His fists clenched under the table as he tried to compose himself.
Sayuri didn't understand. Why did it have to be this way?
She sensed the heaviness in his words and quickly changed the subject, asking about the event.
Outside, Eriri stood at the threshold—caught between two worlds.
Inside and out.
A door that didn't just separate rooms…
…but hearts.
~~~~~~~~~~
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