After parting ways with Yuki, Futaba returned to her classroom. Her steps were light, and a faint smile lingered on her face—clear signs that she was in a good mood.
The moment she walked in, her three close friends immediately surrounded her.
"Rio-chan, how'd it go?"
"Yeah, Rio, did it happen?"
The three girls spoke over one another, leaving Futaba confused.
"What are you guys talking about? Did what happen?" She looked at them blankly, not following at all.
"Come on, Rio-chan, stop pretending! He called you out in front of the whole class!"
"Yeah, Rio. That handsome guy definitely called you out to confess. Confess!"
"Exactly! So? Did you say yes? What class is he in? When are you two going on a date?!"
Seeing her confused expression, the three friends laid out exactly what they thought was going on. Futaba's face instantly turned red.
"Ah—!" She suddenly looked flustered and embarrassed.
"See that blush? Something's definitely up!"
"So nice. A perfect guy like that... I want a boyfriend like that too."
"Even a third as good would be amazing." They sighed with envy at Futaba's reaction.
"Ugh, you've got it all wrong!" Futaba quickly cut them off and denied everything. "It's not what you think! Yuki-kun came to ask me to join a band."
She quickly explained the gist of what had happened, adding that she'd met Yuki for the first time today. But that didn't change her friends' minds—if anything, they started filling in the gaps with their imagination.
"Come on, even if he didn't confess outright, asking you to join a band means he's noticed you for sure!"
"Exactly. Let me ask you—in what situation would a guy notice a girl he's never interacted with before and personally come to invite her to join a club or a band?"
Caught off guard by the question, Futaba's heart skipped a beat.
"You mean..." She hesitated, looking surprised.
"That's right! Exactly what you're thinking. He's definitely got a crush on you! Asking you to join is just an excuse to get closer to you. You get that, right, our dear Rio-chan?"
The three girls grinned, laying out their "logical" theory. Futaba fell silent, lost in thought. She didn't answer them; she seemed completely distracted.
Soon, class started—but Futaba was still deep in thought.
Could Yuki-kun really have done that just to...
The more Futaba thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. After all, the reason Yuki had given was that her voice sounded nice. But honestly, she found that reason a bit weak. As she saw it, there were plenty of people with nice voices—not just her. Yet he had chosen her specifically. That made her think.
Maybe her friends were right. Maybe he'd just used that as an excuse to get closer to her. At that thought, a ripple of emotion stirred in her heart. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of shyness and quiet excitement.
To be honest—herself included—what girl could resist someone like Yuki? If he had confessed on the spot, she probably would've said yes right away. Even though that hadn't happened, she still thought it was likely, as her friends suggested, that he was trying to get close to her.
To confirm it, she'd have to watch and see over the next few days.
Soon, school let out. Yuki didn't go home with Lala, Kotori, or the others. Instead, he headed to the meeting spot he'd arranged with the two girls.
Watching Yuki walk off in the opposite direction, Kotori pouted in dissatisfaction. "What's my brother been up to these past few days?" Her tone was distinctly grumpy.
"Do you think Yuki found something fun and didn't tell us?" Lala tilted her head thoughtfully.
At first, Lala had called Yuki "big brother," but she'd since switched to just calling him by name. Her reason? She felt "big brother" sounded a bit awkward. Not that Kotori minded—it made her feel a little more special.
"Uh... Sis, I don't think Yuki is that immature." Nana looked up at Lala and sighed.
Lala turned to her, eyes clear and innocent, and asked, "Then what has Yuki been doing every day?"
"Probably just handling his own stuff." Nana didn't really know how to answer that—after all, she had no idea what Yuki was actually up to.
Momo, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. She didn't know exactly what he was doing either, but she was certain it involved other women. Based on her observations over the past few days, combined with what her mother Sephie had discussed with Yuki in the study, she'd come to understand him fairly well.
She knew what kind of things he liked. Judging by the number of beautiful women around him, it was pretty clear what his preferences were. And Momo wasn't bothered by it. In fact, an idea had started forming in her mind—a grand plan to help Yuki. And the more she thought about it, the more it took shape.
A bright smile spread across her face. "Let's go, sisters. We should head home," Momo said to Lala and Nana.
Seeing how composed and unruffled Momo was, Lala's face lit up with curiosity. "Momo, aren't you curious about what Yuki is doing?"
"Not at all, Sis. A gentle, understanding woman doesn't pry into a man's affairs." Momo's calm, elegant smile carried the air of a true leading lady.
Kotori and Origami exchanged surprised glances.
Wow. Putting it that way makes it seem like we're not his women and she is.
They both silently tagged Momo with the same label in their minds: This woman is on another level.
"Okay!" Lala nodded cheerfully, and the group headed home together.
Meanwhile, Yuki soon arrived at the meeting spot. He had arranged to meet Hitori Gotoh and Kita Ikuyo at a coffee shop about a hundred meters from the school.
When he walked in, they were already there waiting. He also noticed something amusing—and couldn't help but let out a small, wry smile.