The earlier probing had been a complete failure.
Kaoru felt as though he had been exposed.
But it wasn't entirely his fault.
He had assumed Hasebe Haruka merely suspected him—he never expected her to be an original fan.
Racking his brain, Kaoru tried to recall if he had ever met Hasebe Haruka before.
She carried so many wishes within her; she should have stood out in a crowd.
Why couldn't he remember her?
Buzz—
His phone vibrated. Sakayanagi Arisu was calling.
"Are you back at the dorm yet?"
"Are you coming over?"
"Hehehe, try not to answer questions with questions in the future. It might upset girls."
"Having the privilege to upset you is my honor."
"Such a smooth talker. I heard you were with Ichinose today, then holding hands with a senior. You're even more impressive than I imagined."
"I'm about to play Santa Claus later. Are you done?"
"Am I interrupting something good?"
"Ran into some trouble earlier. I'm in a bit of a bad mood."
"Is that so? Come to my room later then."
Kaoru froze for a moment.
Though her tone was casual, as if discussing trivial matters, the content somehow felt strangely unsettling.
"Come to your room?"
"You dont want to?" Sakayanagi Arisu's voice carried a hint of regret. "I wanted to show you a girl's room, but I suppose Mitoma-kun must be tired of seeing them. My apologies."
"I'd love to, but I have a girlfriend now." Kaoru walked to the elevator just as several girls were exiting.
He nodded and smiled at them before stepping inside.
Silence lingered on the other end.
Kaoru only saw the girls blushing slightly as the elevator doors closed, catching fragments of their whispers.
"What does that matter?" Sakayanagi finally said. "First you steal Nagumo-kun's childhood sweetheart, then flirt with other girls. You're the most shameless boyfriend ever."
"Either way, I won't be at a disadvantage. What about you, Sakayanagi-san?" Kaoru watched the elevator stop at his floor.
"Almost forgot—we still have that promise. A preview might be nice."
"Heh, even if you're trying to provoke me, it won't work, idiot." Sakayanagi chuckled. "Come over. I have a gift prepared."
Exiting the elevator, Kaoru spotted Sakayanagi's room down the hallway.
Passing Miki Yamamura's room number, he finally understood how she'd caught this invisible girl.
Outside, darkness drowned in black tides as chaotic snow curtains fell.
Kaoru stood before her door and knocked.
"I believe the doorbell still works."
It had been a while since he'd seen her.
Kaoru realized she seemed shorter than he remembered—perhaps because she wore unguarded loungewear tonight, something like a sleep dress with long hemline brushing her calves, revealing only a glimpse of pale ankles and bare feet.
A faint fragrance lingered, and her hair seemed slightly damp.
Had she just bathed?
"I expected someone to check who's visiting Sakayanagi's room." Kaoru found himself staring—this was his first time seeing her barefoot.
"This is my territory." Sakayanagi turned, leaning on her cane as she walked back inside. "Close the door. It's cold."
Leaving the young mistress to live alone here seemed rather harsh.
Kaoru removed his shoes in the genkan, glancing at the shoe rack—no extra pairs in sight.
Entering her room surprised him.
Contrary to expectations, the space carried a girl's warmth, filled with neatly arranged personal items—even a teddy bear.
For all her usual arrogance, she was still just a girl at heart.
Seeing that Sakayanagi Arisu was about to make tea, he stepped forward to help.
After the tea was ready, he sat across the table while Sakayanagi settled on the bed.
They both took a sip of tea.
"I originally planned to have you wait in your room for an hour or two before I came over, but I figured you'd get angry, so I abandoned that idea."
Kaoru's lips twitched.
What kind of mindset did she have to even consider doing that—and then casually say it out loud to him?
"You're overthinking it. I'd hit you not only in my room but also in yours," Kaoru said expressionlessly.
"In other words, I don't follow any rules."
"I see." Sakayanagi nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, I suggest you hit me sooner rather than later."
As she spoke, she used her nearby cane to hook the hem of her skirt, lifting it slightly to reveal a generous stretch of soft, pale calf—plush and delicate.
"And here are the feet you love so much, Mitoma-kun. I just took a bath, so there shouldn't be any unpleasant scent." Sakayanagi's cheeks flushed faintly as if she were teasing him.
"Well? Do you want to... do it now?"
"Is this my Christmas present?" Kaoru shot her a sidelong glance.
"Could it be that Ichinose-san is really better than me?" Sakayanagi pressed. "Aside from her figure, I surpass her in every other way, don't I?"
"Are you sure it's just her figure?" Kaoru looked at her strangely.
"Otherwise? The girls you pick all seem to have great bodies." Sakayanagi counted them off on her fingers.
"Not just Ichinose-san—there's Asahina-senpai from the upperclassmen, Masumi-san from Class A, and then Kushida-san, Horikita-san, Hasebe-san from Class D... Did you come here just to date?"
"There's no law saying high schoolers can't date, is there?" Kaoru countered.
"Hmm, no, there isn't." Sakayanagi tilted her head. "So why not me? Weren't you so bold with me before? Why hesitate now?"
"Take down the cameras first, then we'll talk." Kaoru wasn't fooled.
As she had said earlier, this was her territory—she could have hidden cameras anywhere.
"Strange. The Mitoma-kun I know would charge ahead even if he knew there were cameras."
Sakayanagi looked genuinely surprised, as if witnessing something unexpected.
"Since you can predict that, it's all the more reason not to." Kaoru took another sip of tea. "I don't know what you're scheming, but caution never hurts."
"Who knows? Maybe there are no cameras—maybe I just drugged your tea?" Sakayanagi smiled faintly, like a mischievous child.
Kaoru froze for a second.
Surely not—he had helped prepare the tea himself.
"Ahaha, just kidding. I'm not as underhanded as a certain someone." Sakayanagi pulled out her phone, tapped a few times, then turned the screen toward him.
His own face appeared on the display.
"Good evening, Producer."