Even though the new term had begun, Haruto's life hadn't eased up in the slightest. School in the morning was a given, and once classes ended, he headed straight to Aomine Cram School for extra lessons from Tsubota.
Compared to summer break—when he'd practically lived at the cram school—things were slightly lighter now. On weekdays, he only stayed three or four hours after school. That was mostly because he lived alone and went home earlier than most. At a typical cram school, lessons began around five in the evening and lasted until nearly ten at night before students trudged home.
People liked to call his generation the "relaxed era" or even "the lost generation," but for those who actually had goals, there was nothing relaxed about it. It was pure hell.
"By the way," Haruto said as they were leaving Aomine, "either tomorrow or maybe during the holidays, a new student might be coming. She is thinking about taking classes here."
He remembered Itsuki's mention of wanting to join him at Aomine, though he wasn't sure she'd really follow through. Still, he decided to give Tsubota a heads-up.
Tsubota, always a little concerned about his small class sizes, looked genuinely surprised—and pleased—at the news.
"Tomorrow? Is this someone you know?"
"A classmate. Just… a different type from me. You might want to be mentally prepared."
"Mental preparation?"
Haruto didn't elaborate. He wasn't about to reveal how nightmarish Itsuki's study level actually was—at least not yet. Better to let Tsubota experience it firsthand before forming any judgments.
Tsubota studied Haruto's oddly neutral expression and seemed to catch on to something. Before he could speak, Haruto waved goodbye and stepped out into the dimly lit street. Under the glow of the streetlamps, he walked toward his apartment.
On the way, he stopped at a convenience store for juice and tea. Back home, he pulled ingredients from the fridge to start dinner. Supplies were low—he'd need to restock tomorrow.
If he went to the shopping street to buy groceries before cram school, the round trip would take about an hour. He'd probably arrive a little late, but knowing Tsubota, it wouldn't be an issue.
After a moment's thought, Haruto cooked a simple meal: one stir-fried dish and a bowl of miso soup. He ate quietly, then tidied his room, did some laundry, and took a shower. After hanging up his clothes, he washed a small plate of cherries, set them beside a cup of tea at his desk, and worked until about ten o'clock.
He'd just saved his document and lain down when the sharp, repeated chime of the doorbell rattled through his skull. Groaning, he cracked open his eyes. The faint pre-dawn light leaking through the curtains told him it was far too early.
Dragging himself to the door, he found Sekai standing there. Before he could ask why she was here at this hour, she pushed her way inside.
"You're not worried about getting your uniform dirty?"
"It's fine. I can wipe it off later."
She dabbed at her skirt with a tissue, then sat on the edge of his bed, smoothing her clothes before glancing back at him.
"You and Setsuna haven't been together much lately. I barely even hear her mention you anymore."
"That so."
"So something has happened."
"It's six in the morning. I wake up at seven. If you've got nothing urgent, I'm going back to sleep for five more minutes."
Sekai eyed the window. If she left now, she'd have to stand around for an hour before Setsuna woke up. Instead, she lay down beside Haruto, looping her arms around his waist.
He glanced at her hands, then closed his eyes again.
Around seven, Sekai got up, rubbed her face, and left. Haruto stayed in bed for a few moments before freshening up. He made two rice balls for breakfast, washed them down with milk, and stepped outside—where he found Sekai still waiting across the street.
"I'm heading out."
"Mm. Bye-bye~"
Her oddly cheerful mood left Haruto mildly curious, but he turned toward the school without asking.
On the way, he overheard bits of conversation from passing students:
"Got rejected. Well, I figured it would turn out like that."
"Didn't she just break up with her third-year boyfriend on the baseball team?"
"Who knows."
"Hey, Atsumi, I've got a good-paying gig—interested?"
"What kind of gig?"
"Ten thousand yen a day~"
Haruto tuned it out, slipping into the school building. After changing into his indoor shoes, he headed straight to class. A fair number of students were already inside. Unlike the first days of term, his arrival didn't draw much attention anymore; a few glanced up, then went back to what they were doing.
He sat down, set his bag beside his desk, and stared blankly around the room for a moment.
At lunch, Itsuki entered the cafeteria with her sister but didn't spot Haruto. A faint shadow crossed her face.
"He's not here. Almost every day at lunch, he just disappears—only occasionally do I run into him here. Maybe he's meeting his girlfriend?"
Nino leaned closer to whisper something in her sister's ear. Itsuki bit her lip, staring at Nino for a long moment before saying nothing. She picked up her tray, ate quickly, and left the cafeteria alone.
"What's with her?" Yotsuba Nakano asked, watching her sister's retreating back.
"Bathroom?"
"We're still eating," Miku muttered, breaking her usual silence to voice her mild disapproval.
"Ah—haha, sorry, sorry~"
Yotsuba reached up to scratch the back of her head, offering an apologetic smile to Miku. Nino, however, turned her gaze toward their eldest sister. Ichika met Nino's eyes and returned a small, knowing smile.
"If something's going on, it probably doesn't have much to do with us. If you're really curious, just ask Itsuki yourself once we're back in the classroom."
Nino looked over at Yotsuba, her suggestion making Yotsuba nod in agreement.
"Alright, we'll ask Itsuki after class, then."
Meanwhile, in Rio Futaba's lab, Haruto sat quietly with her. They exchanged only a few words—mostly, they just worked on their own tasks in silence. Outside the window, the sky had darkened to a heavy gray, the clouds hanging low.
"Is there a rain forecast today?" Haruto asked.
"There is. Probably light rain this afternoon," Rio replied.
"How long will it last?"
"I'm not Doraemon—how am I supposed to know the exact time?"
"You're not?"
Hands stuffed into the pockets of her lab coat, Rio shot Haruto a sidelong glance, wondering how on earth he'd even come to associate her with a robot cat from the future. She let out a quiet sigh and turned back toward the gloomy sky.
"You didn't bring an umbrella, did you?"
"Nope."
"..."
"It should be fine. I'll just hitch a ride with someone."
"A ride?"
At once, Rio recalled the scene from the other day—the girl walking beside Haruto, petite and cute, clearly a senior student. Her expression darkened to match the overcast sky.
"Of course," Haruto added, "I'd rather share your umbrella. Mind if I come over to your place today?"
The gloom on her face vanished in an instant—only to be replaced by the strong desire to see him ride with anyone but her.
When Haruto left the lab and returned to class, he found Itsuki storming toward his desk. She slammed both hands down on it, glaring as if he'd wronged her eight different ways.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You promised me, remember?"
"Promised what?"
"To take me to that cram school you go to!"
"Oh… right. What about it?"
He remembered talking about it with her—and even mentioning it to Tsubota already. So why was she upset?
"Then why didn't you take me there yesterday?"
"I've already discussed it with Tsubota, the teacher at the cram school. I figured we could go on the weekend, during the holiday."
"Really?"
Haruto didn't answer, but Itsuki quickly realized he had no reason to lie. Her expression softened into something sheepish, and she offered him an apologetic smile.
"So… weekend, then?"
"Yeah. Weekend."
"Got it. I'll contact you then."
As Itsuki turned and walked away, Haruto noticed Eriri watching him from the side. Their eyes met. She didn't look away—instead, she held his gaze for a moment, her expression sharpening into something almost challenging, before finally turning away.
Haruto had no idea what she thought she was challenging him over. He glanced at her slim figure retreating toward the door, then quietly lowered his head and opened his book.
By mid-afternoon, around two o'clock, a light drizzle began pattering against the windows. Haruto glanced at his textbook, thinking of the laundry he'd left hanging outside. He wasn't sure if it would get wet.
"This is going to be a pain. I'll check when I get home," he muttered.
When the final bell rang, the rain hadn't stopped—it had grown heavier. Haruto left the classroom without an umbrella and headed to the lab.
Rio wasn't there. Instead, a note was stuck to the desk: Hitch a ride with someone else.
She was probably mad.
He pocketed the note and left for the Astronomy Club room.
As luck would have it, Koharu was still there. She'd been planning to take rainy-day photos of Haruto, but when she saw him walk in, she dropped the idea entirely.
"Give you a ride home? Sure~" she said, her tone almost too cheerful. Walking to and from school with Haruto was something she'd fantasized about plenty of times, but opportunities had been rare. Now, she wasn't going to miss her chance.
They lingered in the clubroom for a while, sharing a brief, quiet moment together before slipping out under her umbrella when the halls were empty. At the school gates, they got into her car.
Meanwhile, in the downpour, Setsuna returned home early. She was just about to unlock her door when the sound of a car pulling up reached her from the street below. She paused, hand hovering over the key.
"A car?"
No one in this neighborhood owned one, as far as she knew. Curious, she stepped onto the balcony and glanced down.
Click.
"Thanks. See you tomorrow at school," Haruto said, straightening up from the passenger seat.
"…Haruto."
Her mind went completely blank.
~~~~~~~~~~
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