Haruto wiped his lips with a napkin as he walked back to the classroom. In the schoolyard, he suddenly noticed a somewhat familiar figure. Focusing on the face, he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
"Mr. Ogiwara?"
"Miyamizu-kun?"
Hearing a slightly familiar voice, Ogiwara Issa also turned to see Haruto, who had somehow ended up beside him. Surprise flickered across his face.
Issa had only come to handle some matters. He knew Haruto was at this school, but he hadn't intended to meet him. Yet, by sheer coincidence, they ran into each other in the schoolyard.
"Didn't expect to see you here. Are you here regarding Sayu's enrollment?"
Haruto was initially surprised to see Issa in the school, but recalling Sayu mentioning difficulties with her enrollment, he figured Issa was here for that reason.
"Yeah. You probably guessed it. Sayu couldn't handle it alone, and I had some work to take care of, so I came over to handle things."
"Everything settled?"
"Pretty much. Soon, Sayu should be able to enroll. Miyamizu-kun, please take care of her when the time comes."
"Understood."
After chatting briefly with Issa, lunchtime ended. Haruto was the first to say goodbye, heading toward the school building.
Standing in the schoolyard, Issa watched Haruto's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression. After a moment, he walked toward the school gate and left Toyogasaki, heading to the hotel where he was staying.
"Miyamizu-kun, the person you were talking to earlier… do you know him?"
Upon entering the classroom and sitting down, someone approached him with curious eyes, asking about Issa.
From his window-side seat in the schoolyard, she could see Haruto and Issa's conversation. Now, up close, Hinami Aoi's wide-eyed curiosity practically overwhelmed him.
"Ogiwara Food's heir? Want to get to know him and have a fairy-tale story with such a young master?"
"Ogihara Foods?"
"You probably haven't heard of that company in Tokyo. It's normal if you don't know him."
Haruto didn't explain much about Issa and simply smiled slightly at Aoi.
"Any other questions?"
"No, just a bit surprised. I didn't expect you to know such an outstanding man."
A puzzled expression crossed Aoi's gentle face. She couldn't understand how Haruto knew Issa. Haruto smiled faintly at her curiosity.
"Outstanding people tend to be surrounded by other outstanding people. If that piques your interest in me, that could be very dangerous."
"That just makes me more curious!"
Aoi's face showed surprise at Haruto's playful remark. After learning a little about Issa, she returned to her seat.
"What did Aoi talk to you about?"
In the afternoon, as they left the school gate, Itsuki casually asked Haruto.
"Men's affairs, are you interested in men?"
Itsuki's question startled Haruto. She had no idea Aoi would suddenly bring up men in a conversation with him.
"It concerns a young master. Are you interested in him? Last time I visited your home, it was clear your family is wealthy. The person Aoi talked about is also upper-class. Want to meet him?"
"No interest."
Itsuki frowned. Hearing Haruto's answer, she instinctively felt annoyed. Looking at his calm expression only worsened her mood.
The rest of the way to the cram school, they spoke little. Once there, they greeted Tsubota and then went about their own tasks.
Seeing the subtle tension between the two, Tsubota was somewhat puzzled but decided not to interfere.
'As long as it doesn't affect the cram school, I'll just pretend I didn't notice.'
Haruto left the cram school slightly earlier than usual and returned to his apartment by seven.
After arriving, he took a business card from his drawer, ordered sushi, and called Mari to inform her that his work was finished.
"Finished?"
"Yes. There were a few parts I wasn't sure how to write, and I felt the story was near its end, so I just wrote a conclusion."
"I see. The manuscript?"
"I'll bring it to Sakura Publishing tomorrow afternoon. Thanks in advance."
"Tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes, in the afternoon."
"Then I'll wait for you at the publisher tomorrow afternoon."
"Alright."
After confirming the meeting with Mari for the next day, Haruto hung up the phone and reopened his document. He reviewed the content he had written the night before, checking for typos and making minor corrections. Then he connected his printer and printed the manuscript.
It was a small, home-use printer, not very expensive. Haruto had bought it for around 30,000 yen at an electronics store. Normally, he rarely needed it, but this was one of those rare occasions where it came in handy.
Sitting at his desk, watching the pages print out one by one, he wondered if this work would sell as well as his previous one.
"The last one was a success, but I'm not sure if this one will do as well… though it shouldn't completely flop either."
As a half-successful author, he recalled the overwhelming number of copies for his first print run—6,000—which was an unforgettable figure for him. This time, he hoped for at least tens of thousands.
"I wonder if Sakura Publishing will offer any support this time… well, that's something to discuss with Mari tomorrow."
Haruto stapled the thick stack of printed manuscript pages, placed them in a folder, and slipped it into his bag. This way, he wouldn't have to return home after school and could head straight to Sakura Publishing.
With nothing else pressing, he prepared his dinner. After eating, he laid down on his bed to rest.
He hadn't rested well the previous night, and while he had rested a bit at school, it wasn't quality sleep. Now back in his quiet apartment, after dinner, fatigue quickly overcame him. He showered, lay down, and soon drifted off.
Ding—
Ding—
Ding-dong—
In the middle of the night, Haruto was asleep, still dreaming of chasing unattainable phantoms through an overgrown, abandoned school. The doorbell rang repeatedly, waking him.
He glanced at the door, grabbed his phone from under his pillow, and saw the time: 21:23. Opening his mouth to speak, he found no words. Pulling on his pajamas, he walked to the door.
Peering through the peephole, he saw a familiar figure bathed in the soft moonlight. He opened the door.
"Who's visiting at this hour? I thought everyone was asleep."
It was Sayu, also in pajamas, biting her lip nervously.
"I… I couldn't sleep alone."
Haruto squinted slightly, studying the girl in front of him for a moment, then reached out and led her into his room, closing the door behind them.
_ _ _ _
Back at home, Hifumi Takimoto, just settling into bed, heard the commotion next door. Her expression soured—she felt it was time to have a serious talk with her neighbor about this.
After a night of tossing and turning, Haruto lay back down next to a completely exhausted Sayu. He closed his eyes and finally rested.
The next day, afternoon.
As school ended, Itsuki followed Haruto.
"I've taken the day off today."
"Huh?"
"I have something to do, so I'm skipping the cram school. You don't have to follow me."
After informing Itsuki, he headed to the nearby station. Itsuki paused, watched his retreating figure, and after a moment of silence, continued toward the cram school alone.
Alone, Haruto took the subway to the entrance of Sakura Publishing. Once inside, he informed the receptionist about his appointment with Mari. She contacted Mari, who then led him to the meeting room.
Last time he had visited, he was served only plain water. This time, green tea was served. Haruto couldn't help but smile at the small gesture.
"The treatment has certainly improved."
He lifted the cup, took a small sip, and found it acceptable—it was the cheap tea he usually drank.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Mari finally entered the meeting room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No, it was only a short wait. Here's the manuscript. Please take a look."
Haruto handed over his manuscript and sat quietly, observing Mari as she began reading. He paid attention to the subtle changes in her expression.
After flipping through roughly three pages, Mari's brow furrowed. Her lips pressed tightly together, and she stared at the manuscript in front of her. As she continued page by page, her expression gradually became more tense. At one point, she lifted her gaze, her eyes filled with a complex mix of conflict and contemplation, staring at Haruto.
"...."
After a moment, she returned to reading and spent about two hours finishing the manuscript.
When she finally closed the manuscript, Mari let out a slow sigh and looked at Haruto with a weighty expression.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's hard to describe… It's a story rarely seen in mainstream works. Compared to your last work, this one is darker, heavier… almost suffocating."
"And…?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but it's worth trying."
"That's good to hear. I'll leave it in your hands."
With Mari's response, Haruto no longer needed to worry about the publishing process.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of the publication."
Still immersed in the story he had written, Mari studied Haruto carefully for a moment, hesitating before asking:
"Is this story based on real events?"
"Sort of. But it's not exaggerated, nor is it too tragic."
"I see."
Mari nodded lightly. She didn't press further about the content and instead discussed the approximate publication schedule and other related matters. They prepared the contract, and the terms were almost identical to last time. The two of them signed it.
"Then, I'll leave the rest to you, Mari-san."
"Of course."
With the contract in hand, Haruto said goodbye and left the publisher's office, heading home. Once home, he planned to prepare dinner and think about his new book.
That should have been the plan—
"How's the injured?"
"Being taken to the emergency room now!"
"The condition is serious. Is he conscious? Is he still conscious?"
A sudden light pierced Haruto's eyes, yet he couldn't control his gaze. He felt as if he were sinking into a swamp, his consciousness trapped, unable to think clearly.
— — — —
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