—Toshima Ward, Kami-Ikebukuro 3-chome, No.19
At the street corner, Katou Megumi finally managed to wrestle her phone back from her best friend after promising for the third time that if there was any news about her beloved "Hojou-sensei," she'd report it immediately.
"You have to tell me right away, okay? If not, Megumi, I swear that bowl of ramen you ate tonight is going to magically add three pounds to you!" Rinko Ohashi pressed, still not entirely convinced. No one knew Megumi better than she did.
"That's way too exaggerated. And besides," Megumi muttered in protest, "even if I do gain weight, you'll still end up heavier than me, Rinko."
She pouted a little.
Honestly, she had almost forgotten about the ramen on the way home, but thanks to her friend's reminder, now all she could think about was food again.
How was she supposed to relax and scroll on her phone later with that on her mind?
"I don't care if I get fat," Rinko shot back breezily. "It's not like I have a handsome guy tutoring me after school. Even if I blow up into a balloon, it's no big deal~~"
Megumi's counterattack rolled right off her.
After all, this was the same girl who never hesitated to order the richest broth and ask for an extra serving of noodles.
Instead, Rinko leaned in again, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Anyway, my reputation depends on you! At least give me some inside scoop before the news breaks, okay? You've got to help me show off a little!"
"You're such a pain," Megumi sighed. "I already said I can introduce you to Hojou-kun myself. If you want to know something, why not just ask him directly?"
She knew perfectly well what her friend meant.
Rinko had once flaunted the rare merchandise Hojou had given her, showing it off to their online fan group.
That "community," of course, was basically a Hojou Kyousuke fan club.
But the people there were… not exactly normal.
They weren't just star-chasers; some were even talking about joining biker gangs and getting motorcycle licenses just because of him.
Megumi had quit the group less than a day after joining.
The Hojou-kun they idolized seemed like a completely different person from the one she knew.
To her, he was the gentle honor student who patiently tutored her after school and encouraged a girl who'd once hated studying.
Yet in their eyes, he was some kind of delinquent legend who could take down dozens of people in a single brawl.
Well, at least she had his contact information.
She didn't need a fan club to stay connected with him.
"Ugh, Megumi, you're so full of yourself!" Rinko wailed, lunging forward to hug her friend and shake her back and forth.
"Listen to you—'introduce him to me'—you make it sound like you two are dating! If you'd ever invited me along when you went to see him, I might've even let myself be fooled for once."
"Um…"
Megumi's gaze flickered for just a second, but under the dim night sky it wasn't obvious.
She quickly recovered and said calmly,
"Well, those times were at Hojou-kun's house. I couldn't just bring you without asking him first."
"There it is again! You are showing off!"
Rinko stared in disbelief.
How could this sweet, pure-looking high school girl say something so casually devastating with such a straight face?
"Eh? Showing off? I don't think so… Visiting his house was just a normal thing. Don't you often come over to mine?"
"That's completely different! This is Hojou-sensei's house we're talking about! Forget who he is for a moment—your place is just an ordinary suburban home.
His is a luxury residence with over 400 square meters of space and a cherry blossom tree in the yard—super rare in Tokyo!
Even just getting a peek would be a dream come true for his fans. If the fan club heard you say that, they'd go absolutely insane with jealousy!"
Rinko's voice tumbled on and on, faster and louder.
As the birthplace of idol culture, Japan's fan communities could be terrifying.
Knowing Hojou Kyousuke's home address wasn't impossible—he wasn't a celebrity cut off from ordinary life.
He was still just a high school student, after all.
If he hadn't hired a major remodeling firm, his house's blueprints probably would've been leaked online by now, revealing exactly what kind of bedroom he slept in or what kind of dining room he ate in.
The thought alone was chilling.
"…Sorry my house isn't anything special," Megumi said evenly, "but I didn't just go there to hang out. I even had hotpot that Hojou-kun cooked himself. Not Japanese-style—Chinese hotpot. The red broth was so spicy I can still remember the taste."
Megumi didn't look offended at all by her friend's words.
Instead, she generously shared details she hadn't mentioned before.
Normally it would've sounded like bragging, but now it felt just right.
Still, she deliberately held back from mentioning the taiyaki rice bowl Hojou had made just for her.
That was something she wanted to keep to herself—something too precious to share.
The tender fish flakes melting against her tongue, the sharp kick of scallions… Just thinking about it made the flavors bloom on her taste buds again, cleansing even the greasy aftertaste of ramen.
But more than the food—it was how he treated her.
Just like that first time, when he'd spotted her in a crowd at a glance.
Even when surrounded by incredible girls like Eriri or Kasumigaoka-senpai, he never overlooked her.
He always looked directly at her, asking what she wanted to eat.
That wasn't just kindness. It was something special—being treated as unique. And that kind of feeling couldn't be shared.
Saying it out loud would somehow take the joy away.
"Arghhh, Megumi! You evil girl! Evil! You're totally doing this on purpose to get back at me!"
Rinko practically screamed, pulling at her hair.
Even though Megumi's face was calm and serene, Rinko was convinced this was payback.
"And? And? You didn't just go once, right? What else happened? Did Hojou-sensei tuck you into bed? Help you change clothes? Wash your back in the bath? Dry you off with a towel? Or maybe—carry you straight into bed himself?"
She rattled off in a frenzy, half jealous, half thrilled.
Her best friend being close to her idol was infuriating, sure, but at the same time—if her best friend was that close, then she felt like she was part of it too.
Just imagining it was exciting enough to make her giddy.
"Rinko!"
Megumi's brows furrowed as she raised her voice in protest, trying to sound angry.
But Rinko wasn't fooled at all. She knew her friend's temper too well.
Megumi never truly got angry over something like this.
If anything, that stern tone was just her way of covering up other emotions—like embarrassment.
"Spill it! If you don't tell me everything right now, I'm staying over at your place tonight!"
Rinko Ohashi's eyes were practically sparkling, like she was about to drool.
This was way better than shipping idol couples online!
Her threat about staying over wasn't random either.
The two had been supposed to part ways at the intersection, but they'd kept chatting without noticing and had already wandered into Megumi's neighborhood.
Familiar figures passed them along the street—salarymen heading home from work, grandparents out for a stroll after dinner.
In this setting, Rinko's teasing words hit Megumi harder than usual.
She was definitely flustered. If not for her years of practicing that calm, unreadable demeanor, and if not for the fact that the neighbors probably weren't paying attention, she would have bolted already.
"I told you, nothing like that happened," Megumi said evenly. "I know it's normal for high school girls to daydream, but dealing with someone whose imagination runs this wild is… exhausting, you know?"
Her tone was calm—but not entirely.
To stay completely unruffled after hearing something like that would've been unnatural.
She clutched one strap of her schoolbag with one hand while tugging Rinko forward with the other.
Megumi was confident in her "low presence" aura, but Rinko could be loud enough to ruin it.
She'd discovered this the hard way when going out with Hojou Kyousuke.
When she went places with Rinko—who was also an unremarkable, ordinary girl—sometimes the "invisible aura" extended to her friend.
Waiters would overlook them, orders would end up at the wrong tables, and without their order slip they might have left without eating at all.
Megumi herself didn't mind skipping a meal, but occupying a table without ordering?
That was unforgivably rude!
But with Hojou, it was different.
Back when he tutored her in a family restaurant, even after they placed their order, the waitress kept checking on them.
It was embarrassing, being watched so much, but at least it proved her invisible aura wasn't absolute.
Thinking back, Megumi realized Hojou could be surprisingly dense.
He always said he wanted to raise his grades so he'd stand out more, but honestly—just studying together with him was already enough to make her visible.
Being around him was like being on Noah's Ark: even the small, unnoticed creatures were remembered, simply because they were with Noah.
"There was no tucking me in," Megumi said as they walked. "I shared a futon with Shouko. And no, he didn't help me dry off after a bath either. Even couples don't usually go that far."
"Wrong! Of course couples do that!" Rinko shot back passionately. "That's like the ultimate way to build intimacy! Think about it, Megumi—after checking into a love hotel, both of you are nervous, right? That's when you slip into the bath together, and then—"
"Enough already, I told you nothing like that happened. We just ate dinner, played Hyakumonogatari—you know, telling ghost stories and then went to sleep. Totally normal."
"That is so not normal! If anyone else heard you say that, they'd clobber you!"
"Eh? If anything unusual happened, it was later…" Even Megumi faltered a bit at this point.
"Huh?? Later? What happened later?!" Rinko's eyes went wide, sensing an emergency-level development.
"Well… one time when I went to Hojou-kun's house, I actually met his mother."
"!!!"
Rinko froze mid-step, then jumped right in front of Megumi, eyes blazing as she shrieked,
"You're already at the 'meeting the parents' stage?! Megumi! That sneaky genius move—you're the only one who could pull that off so flawlessly!"
"…If you call sitting together with nearly a dozen other girls the same age as me 'meeting the parents,' then sure," Megumi said flatly.
"Uh…"
Rinko's triumphant grin faltered.
Choked silent by that comeback, she scrambled to save face, fumbling for an excuse.
"W-Well, maybe Hojou really is from some old noble family! Stuff like that happens all the time in aristocratic houses, right? You should've been prepared!"
"Right, right," Megumi replied vaguely.
In truth, she'd had the same impression at the time.
A lush green lawn, pristine white tables and chairs, sunlight shining on delicate cookies, cheerful girls laughing, kind and elegant adults—it had felt like walking into a scene from a British drama.
Well… maybe that impression wasn't completely wrong, considering one of the people playing on the lawn with the kids and dogs actually was a British aristocrat.
"Anyway, that still counts as meeting the parents! So how was she? Was Hojou's mom easy to talk to? And doesn't he have a little sister too? Bet they're all gorgeous!" Rinko pressed eagerly.
Megumi had to admit it: yes, she had technically met his family.
And because of that, she'd convinced herself to ask Hojou to meet at a family restaurant later—it was less nerve-racking than going to his home again.
"Hojou's mom looks so young she could pass for a high schooler," Megumi said dryly. "She's way cuter than you, Rinko."
Her jab was casual, but her lips curved into a tiny smile. Teasing her friend back like this was oddly satisfying.
"As for little Kasuko—she's a total bro-con. Really cute, though."
"Lucky her! If I had a big brother like Hojou, I'd be a bro-con too!"
Rinko's eyes gleamed with sudden inspiration.
"Okay, maybe not me—but you, Megumi, you'd totally fit the role! You don't talk much, you've got that sweet little-sister vibe. Ahh! I can totally see it—you and Hojou-sensei standing side by side. It's perfect!"
"Sorry for the crime of knowing how to talk," Megumi shot back lightly. "Anyway, even though there were a lot of girls that day, Aunt Misaki still gave everyone a gift when we went shopping together."
She couldn't help smiling at the memory.
No wonder—she was Hojou's mother.
Compared to her own mom, who would pound on her door just because Keiichi called, Hojou's mom was a saint.
Megumi wrinkled her nose a little, then sighed.
Just yesterday, her mom had called to invite her kimono shopping.
She'd turned it down, though—she was too embarrassed, and she knew her mom would pester her endlessly with questions if she took a day off for it.
Chattering all the way, the two finally arrived at the two-story house marked with the Katou family nameplate.