Standing beneath the streetlight, Haruto lifted his head and looked at the apartment building before him. Behind him, Sayu also raised her eyes and followed his gaze.
"This is… the place?"
The girl tilted her face up, taking in the dark silhouette of the building. The thought of finally meeting the person she had wanted to see made her nervous—but when she glanced at Haruto and saw how calm he looked, some of her unease quietly melted away.
Without answering her question, he simply walked forward and stepped onto the stairs. Sayu followed close behind as they ascended together, one step at a time.
When they reached Mito Yuka's apartment door, Haruto stopped and dug into his pocket, pulling out a key. Sayu looked on in surprise as he didn't even bother ringing the doorbell—instead, he just unlocked the door and walked right in.
The room inside was warmly lit. Sitting at her desk, studying a sheet of music, was a girl.
Haruto had messaged Yuka in advance while they were on the way, so the sound of the door opening didn't surprise or alarm her. She calmly set down her music, turned, and looked toward Haruto—and the unfamiliar girl standing awkwardly in the entryway.
"Haruto, who's this?"
"She's a girl who's had some similar experiences to you… but also very different. She wanted to meet you and have a chat, so I brought her here."
"…She wants to talk to me?"
Yuka turned to the girl who had just entered the room. The girl looked cute, with long chestnut hair and delicate features—somewhere between "adorable" and "beautiful." She probably had a lot of admirers.
If Yuka herself could be compared to a glass of water, then this girl, to Yuka, looked like a sweet cup of milk tea.
Haruto let out a small sigh as he looked at the two of them, then turned toward the door.
"The shops outside are still open. I'm going to take a look around. You two go ahead and talk. I'll be back in a bit."
He waved his hand lightly and disappeared out the door, leaving the two girls alone. Yuka looked at the unfamiliar girl with curious eyes—but not a hint of shyness.
"Mito Yuka."
"Ah—! I'm Sayu Ogiwara . I read one of Miyamizu-kun's stories, and it just didn't feel fictional… so I asked about it and learned it was connected to you. I'm really sorry for imposing like this…"
"No need to apologize. I haven't had a proper chat with someone my age in a long time. Please, have a seat. I'll make us some tea."
Yuka poured two cups and handed one to Sayu before returning to her desk with the other. She sat, glancing once again at the girl named Sayu.
"So, what do you want to ask?"
_ _ _ _
Meanwhile, Haruto strolled the quiet nighttime streets. Without the sunlight of day, the empty road felt oddly lonely and dim.
Occasionally he heard the drunken humming of a stranger, or the cries of stray cats lurking in the bushes. Eventually, he reached the shopping street near Yuka's place and spotted a convenience store still open. He headed inside.
"…Still haven't gotten a date with her? Half of summer's already over. Don't you think you should hurry up?"
"Shut up! I've been trying. We've been texting constantly, but every time I ask her out, she dodges and says she's busy!"
"Then why not just move on and try someone else?"
"I'm not the kind of guy who just falls for anyone!"
As he entered, Haruto overheard two teenage boys chatting at the dine-in area. They were clearly talking about love. He glanced at them briefly—didn't recognize either of them, which wasn't surprising.
His eyes paused on them just a moment. Hormone-fueled teenagers talking about romance… he turned back to the shelves.
"The fireworks festival's coming up, right? You should ask her to go with you."
"I dunno… it feels like she'll say no."
"You won't know until you try! This is your last summer in high school, man. What, you gonna carry that regret into college with you? For the rest of your life?"
"…You're right."
The boy fell silent for a moment, biting his lip. After a long pause, he drew in a deep breath, and the hesitation in his eyes slowly turned into determination.
"I'll do it. I'll ask her out. Even if she doesn't show up, I'll be there waiting."
"Now that's the spirit. Go get her."
"Yeah… I'm heading home now."
Back by the chocolate section, Haruto stood staring at a shelf of chocolate-covered almonds. He couldn't decide which brand to pick—checking the expiry dates, then the prices, comparing them. Honestly, there wasn't much difference, and he didn't even know which flavor he preferred.
He realized he'd been spending money a bit too freely lately, so he was trying to be more careful now. Normally, he'd just buy both.
"Renka, you don't want your sister to be heartbroken, do you?"
"Then make sure to say yes when Hirogo asks you out tonight—or tomorrow."
"What, he thinks I'm the one who likes him? Hah, does he think I'd betray my own friend over a girl? I'm not that kind of lowlife."
Still crouched in front of the shelf, Haruto's ears perked up.
That sounded serious.
He slowly peeked through the gap between shelves toward the boy who was speaking on the phone. He blinked in surprise, curiosity piqued by the dramatic tension.
"That's all."
After hanging up the phone, the boy took a sip of his drink, stood up from the convenience store's eat-in area, and left the store. Haruto, having watched the two boys disappear, quietly bought both boxes of chocolate-covered peanuts and made his way to the cashier.
"That'll be 454 yen."
After stuffing the boxes into his pockets, he exited the convenience store and returned to Yuka's apartment. He pushed open the door with ease and stepped inside, immediately spotting a silent Sayu and a smiling Yuka sitting in the room.
When Yuka saw Haruto return, she didn't show any particular reaction. It was Sayu whose gaze had noticeably changed.
If she'd looked at him before like one might glance at a stray dog or cat on the street, now, her eyes acknowledged him as a person.
After learning from Yuka everything Haruto had done for her, Sayu's understanding of him had shifted. What she'd previously seen as a man living entirely by his own impulses had now taken on more depth. She hadn't expected him to do so much for someone else.
Having opened up to Yuka about her own circumstances, and having received advice and comfort in return, Sayu's expression had softened considerably. The gloom she'd once carried seemed to have lifted.
"Chocolate beans."
Haruto offered one box to Yuka and one to Sayu. Seeing that the two seemed to have finished talking, he asked,
"So, done chatting?"
"Mm."
Sayu gave a small nod. The confusion she'd felt before meeting Yuka was now gone. In her heart, she'd begun to form a vague sense of purpose—a direction she wanted to head in. She was beginning to understand what she truly wanted.
Though… she still wasn't sure how exactly to get there.
"Well, if there's nothing else, let's head back."
Walking up to Yuka, Haruto made no effort to avoid Sayu's gaze as he opened his arms and pulled Yuka into a gentle hug, kissing her softly on the cheek before turning to leave.
Sayu's eyes widened slightly at the open display of affection. As Haruto passed by her and walked out of the room, she opened her mouth, as if to say something—but nothing came out.
Glancing back at the still-slightly-shy Yuka, she quietly said goodbye, then followed Haruto out.
It had taken them nearly an hour to get here. The walk back would take just as long, meaning it would likely be late by the time they returned to the apartment.
Under the dim glow of the streetlights, the darkness made Sayu instinctively draw closer to Haruto. She stuck close to his side, their arms almost brushing. Feeling the warmth beside him, Haruto turned his head slightly.
"Afraid of the dark?"
"Yeah."
Sayu didn't try to hide it. Without hesitation, she wrapped both arms around Haruto's arm and held on.
After their talk, she had gained a basic understanding of who Haruto was. The distance she'd once maintained had lessened. Knowing the kind of person he was had put her at ease. Her guard had lowered.
Haruto looked down at her clinging to his arm. He didn't say a word—just kept walking beside her in silence. An hour later, they finally arrived back at the apartment.
"I'm a bit sweaty. Probably need another shower. What about you?"
"I'll go after you're done."
Haruto glanced at her and reached out, gently catching her wrist as she turned to rest in the living room.
"Something wrong?"
Sayu blinked in surprise as her wrist was suddenly held, turning to face him.
"Feels like a waste of water to go one at a time. Want to shower together?"
"Huh…?"
Just as she had begun to relax, Sayu froze. She opened her mouth to decline, but then remembered—she owed this man so much. A place to stay. A job.
She fell silent.
Seeing her hesitation, Haruto let go of her wrist and stepped into the bathroom.
"Kidding," he said casually.
And with that, he shut the door behind him.
Sayu stood in the living room, conflicted, biting her lip. Her pale hands clutched her sleeve as if anchoring herself. After a long moment of silence… she lifted one foot, then the other, and slowly walked toward the bathroom door—
The next morning, Sayu was curled up in Haruto's arms when he woke. Her scent, soft and faint like shampoo, lingered in the air as he slowly opened his eyes.
Birdsong chirped from outside the window. Ever since spring, birds had returned in droves, and now in summer, their morning melodies served as natural alarms—especially in residential neighborhoods like this one near a park.
Looking down at the sleeping girl in his arms, Haruto gently rolled onto his side and stared toward the window. He carefully slipped his arm out from beneath her, inch by inch, and checked his phone.
6:46 AM.
Earlier than expected. For a second, he wondered if he'd overslept and missed his alarm, but seeing he still had time, he fell into a brief dilemma—should he get up, or lie in bed a little longer?
Glancing again at the sleeping Sayu, he chose the latter.
Five more minutes. Just five.
At 7:30, Haruto finally sat up. He pulled on a shirt and stood, his movements waking Sayu. She opened her eyes drowsily and looked up at him.
He walked over to the fridge and began pulling out ingredients.
"I'm making breakfast. You should get up too."
"Mmm… okay."
Sayu nodded and curled up in the spot Haruto had just vacated. It felt strangely empty without him there. She lay against the pillow, watching him move about the kitchen with a distant look in her eyes.
It wasn't love—not quite—but living under the same roof with Haruto filled her with a deep sense of calm. A sense of life. It reminded her of the kind of home she used to dream of as a child—watching her mother from the doorway and imagining a warm, harmonious family.
A peaceful, stable home.
As his image slowly filled her mind, Sayu bit her lip gently, pulled the blanket over herself, and let out a soft sigh.
After breakfast, which they ate together, Haruto left her with the dishes and headed off to the cram school.
~~~~~~~~~~
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