After stepping out of the restaurant, Haruto found himself back on the afternoon streets. The warm wind brushed past him, and before long, sweat was already trickling down his forehead. He let out a quiet breath, the heat clinging stickily to his skin, and began walking along the shaded eaves of the restaurant toward the nearby train station.
He had expected to be busy until the afternoon, but things wrapped up by midday. That left him with more free time than he'd anticipated.
"Seems like I won't need to help out for the next couple of days either..."
Tomorrow, he could return to the Cram school and resume his usual routine.
"I wonder how she's doing."
He had lent a helping hand last night to that runaway girl. Whether she was still resting or had already left, he didn't know.
They weren't close, and Haruto couldn't begin to guess what kind of choice she'd make. But whatever it was, it wouldn't change much for him.
The blazing sun scorched the pavement, the heat smothering everything around him. The temperature dulled his thoughts. After only a few steps, he found himself breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as he gasped for cooler air.
Things felt slightly better once he got on the subway. It wasn't long before he arrived at the entrance of his apartment. Just as he was about to press the doorbell, a faint sound came from inside, making him pause mid-motion.
He lowered his hand and gently gripped the doorknob. It turned easily, and the door creaked open, revealing the scene inside.
Two girls sat quietly at the dining table, eating.
The moment Haruto stepped in, both girls turned toward the entrance, gazes falling on him.
Their eyes met. Their expressions were calm, almost serene, and the scene painted a strangely peaceful picture.
"..."
Though startled on the inside, Haruto maintained a stiff expression. He lowered his gaze slightly, avoiding their eyes, and stepped fully into the apartment, gently shutting the door behind him. Then he walked quietly over to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of iced tea.
Only once the coolness calmed him down did he return to the table and sit down beside the two girls, watching them as they continued their meal.
"I'm back," he said.
"Mm."
"Welcome back."
Facing her boyfriend, Setsuna didn't react with any particular emotion. Her grip on the bowl of miso soup was steady—there was no hint that she might "accidentally" toss it into Haruto's face.
Sitting opposite them, Sayu glanced at Setsuna, then at Haruto, who sat as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
She couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dissonance.
What kind of girl could stay this calm in front of a cheating boyfriend?
And what kind of guy could be this composed in front of the girlfriend he cheated on?
While marveling at the strangeness of the world—and in order to avoid getting dragged into it—Sayu responded meekly and continued eating in silence, trying her best to go unnoticed.
"Why?" Setsuna finally asked.
"I thought I'd be back around evening, but the sales went surprisingly well, so everything sold out by noon. I had nothing to do, so I said my goodbyes and came home."
"She didn't try to make you stay?"
"She hinted at it, but I turned her down. I'm not interested in her."
"I see."
Setsuna didn't press further and simply continued eating.
Sayu, meanwhile, was trying to decipher their slightly strange conversation. There was a lot of implied context, but nothing too specific—she couldn't piece the whole picture together.
Not wanting to intrude, she kept her head low and ate silently.
The room sank into a heavy silence, which only deepened when Setsuna finished eating and set her chopsticks down. Sayu also finished around the same time, and the air grew even more tense.
"I-I'll clean up," Sayu offered awkwardly, standing and picking up the dishes. She didn't know how to deal with this atmosphere, so she escaped to the sink without waiting for a reply.
Neither of the others responded—both turned to look at each other.
Men tend to dislike giving explanations, and Haruto was no exception. But sometimes, an explanation is necessary.
"Do you want to hear the details?"
Setsuna didn't respond. She just looked at him silently and slowly lowered her gaze.
"No need."
"Then… what did you two talk about this morning?"
"Curious?"
"It might affect what happens next, so I thought I should ask."
"You're planning to let her stay?"
"I'm considering it. She's got nowhere to go, and it doesn't feel right to just leave her wandering the streets."
"I see. Then let her stay at my place."
At the sink, Sayu froze mid-rinse. She hadn't expected that kind of conversation from the other room. It was surprisingly... calm?
And wasn't this about her?
Didn't she get a say?
"What about you, Ogiwara?" Setsuna turned and asked.
"Eh?"
Caught off guard, Sayu glanced at both of them, then focused on Setsuna.
"I-I'm fine as long as I have somewhere to stay…"
"Then she can stay at your place," Haruto said. "I've got classes, and I won't be around to look after her. Maybe get in touch with Sekai."
"Got it."
"Um… you two…"
"You probably don't have any source of income, right? So I was thinking of helping you find a part-time job. If it's too hard, you can always go back home."
"..."
Haruto's expression remained blank as he looked at her. He always wore this kind of face when Setsuna was around—unconsciously defaulting to this emotionless state.
Sayu, still washing dishes, paused at his words. He was going to help her find a job?
"You don't mind?"
"I don't. Whether or not they accept you depends on if they need staff. That's up to them."
He looked at Sayu, then at Setsuna, and pulled out his phone. Finding Sekai's number, he dialed it—it had been a while since they last spoke.
Meanwhile, behind drawn curtains in her dimly lit room, Sekai lay on her bed, scrolling through the latest chapter from her favorite author on her phone. The emotional scene pulled her in completely.
I wish I could lie next to Haruto, have him hold me, kiss me, whisper 'I love you'…
Just like how boys fantasized about their dream girls, Sekai longed for Haruto's gentle touch—his fair fingers wrapping around her, holding her tightly, sharing warmth.
"Prince and princess… ahhhh—!"
She buried her face in her blanket, writhing with frustration and loneliness. She had plans to go shopping with Setsuna today, but the emptiness in her chest when she woke made her skip it and stay in bed.
The more she read, the worse it got. She wanted to run to Haruto's place, jump on his bed, and—
Bzzzzzz... Bzzz bzzz...
Her phone buzzed beside her. Disheveled, Sekai brushed her bangs aside and looked at the screen.
"Haruto?"
Stunned to see his name, she hesitated—was this destiny? Heart pounding, she answered the call.
"Ahem… Haruto?"
"Sekai?"
"Yes, it's me. What's up?"
"I wanted to talk about something. Are you free right now?"
"I am… well, kind of busy. If it's important, I can make time. Is it really important?"
Even though she had nothing planned, she made herself sound busy to seem important. She wanted him to think she was worth the call.
"It's nothing urgent. If you have time, come over. I'll be at home."
"At your place? Oh—okay! Give me a second, I'll get ready and come over."
"You busy?"
"I'm just wrapping up. I'll be over soon."
"Alright. I'll wait."
"Mm!"
Trying to contain her excitement, Sekai leapt out of bed and rushed to wash up and fix her hair.
Back at the apartment, Haruto looked at Setsuna.
"She should be here soon."
"Okay."
Sayu had finished cleaning up but wasn't sure what else to do, so she quietly sat down again. The three of them waited in silence.
About an hour later, the doorbell rang.
Sekai opened the door, expecting just Haruto. Instead, she froze—her smile faded as she took in the scene inside.
Setsuna. Haruto. A girl she didn't know.
Her voice caught in her throat. She entered quietly, her stylish outfit and faint perfume trailing behind her.
Sayu glanced sideways, noticing the girl's elegance, then quickly looked down again. Haruto and Setsuna knew what was coming.
"Ahaha... So everyone's here. I thought it'd just be Haruto... Um, who's this?"
"This is Sayu Ogiwara. She's going to be staying here for a while."
"Oh… huh?"
Sekai blinked. "Staying here?"
Both Haruto and Setsuna nodded.
Her expression stiffened. She turned slowly toward the unfamiliar girl beside her, eyes narrowing. Sayu instinctively avoided eye contact.
"She left home and has nowhere else to go," Haruto explained. "I figured she could stay here for now. But she doesn't have any income, so I wanted to ask—does your family's restaurant need a part-timer?"
"Haah… so that's what this is about?"
"Pretty much."
Sekai sighed and glanced again at Sayu. After a moment, she pulled out her phone and called her mom.
"It's me. Do we still need servers at the restaurant?"
"Not really. Why?"
"I'm recommending someone. Might be short-term or might be long-term."
"That's fine. Will she come today?"
Sekai glanced around. Haruto and Setsuna looked at Sayu.
Sayu bit her lip and nodded.
"She can come now."
"Then have her try out today."
"Okay. We'll be there soon."
With that, the job was arranged. Haruto stood up.
"Alright. Let's head to the restaurant."
"Okay."
Sayu stood slowly. But as she did, her face tensed—her body still hadn't fully recovered from last night. Moving was still a little difficult...
~~~~~~~~~~
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