The golden hour of 3:30 PM blanketed the city in gentle sunlight, casting a warm glow that softened sharp edges and made every color come alive. The golden hues danced through the streets like lazy musical notes, weaving tranquility into the afternoon rhythm.
At a fork in Wako City, near the Kasumigaoka residence—
Kasumigaoka Touji handed his bag to Kasumigaoka Utaha with an easy tone. "Nee-san, can you take this back for me? I need to pick up a package."
The merchant who had contacted him about promoting snacks via video had already delivered the goods to the nearby convenience store.
"You're already here?"
Utaha accepted the school bag with a small nod.
"Mhm." Touji's voice was soft as ever, as calm as the breeze rustling through the trees.
The two separated at the fork, parting without fuss.
A short while later, Touji returned home, carrying two chilled delivery boxes.
Utaha leaned in immediately, her curiosity piqued.
"What a shame," Touji said with a smug grin, setting the boxes on the kitchen counter, "you can't eat any of these."
The two boxes, one filled with matcha cream dorayaki and the other with assorted snow meiniang, were packed in cold insulation.
Utaha's brows twitched. She was on her period—cold food was off-limits. By the time she was able to eat them, the treats would've expired.
"You're looking suspiciously pleased with yourself," she remarked, raising an elegant brow.
"By the way, I still haven't gotten back at you for calling me 'THE QUEEN OF BOUNCE' earlier."
"Baka… Making a fuss over something that tiny?" she huffed, trying to pinch his waist in retaliation.
Touji dodged and slapped her hand away. "I don't want to hear that from the culprit herself!"
He crouched down to cut the packing tape with a utility knife. Inside, both companies had sent three gift boxes each. Though called gift boxes, they weren't large—just generous enough to tempt someone with a sweet tooth.
One box of matcha cream dorayaki contained four fluffy pieces. The snow meiniang came in six flavors: Oreo, matcha red bean, strawberry, purple sweet potato starry sky, mango, and the limited-edition spring cherry blossom.
Just reading the names made Touji feel full. If he sampled each one, he probably wouldn't have room for dinner.
But that was a thought for later.
"I'm gonna get the phone stand and change clothes. Don't even think about sneaking a bite."
He placed the smaller insulated box into the larger one, stacked them neatly in the utility room, then gave Utaha a warning glance as he headed for the stairs.
"Like I'd be that dumb." Utaha rolled her eyes, settling into the living room with a sigh. Even she wouldn't risk cold food during her period.
Thump, thump, thump—
After Touji ascended the stairs, Utaha picked up her freshly laundered clothes from the sofa and followed him up.
A few minutes later, in Touji's room—
"…Eh?"
"You want to watch me change?"
Touji had taken off his uniform and was left with only a white shirt clinging loosely to his frame. His hand was on his waistband when he noticed Utaha leaning against the wall, arms crossed and legs casually bent.
"You're embarrassed, aren't you, Touji-kun?"
Her eyes sparkled mischievously, that carnivorous smile spreading across her lips. Wine-red irises glinted like a cat spotting its prey.
"Ha! Who's embarrassed?" Touji smirked. "You're the one who's gonna get flustered!"
Beep beep beep—if anything, he was totally unfazed.
Touji undid his waistband without hesitation… until a sharp thought struck him. Hold on—letting her watch for free? No way! That'd be a massive loss!
He turned to glance at Utaha again, only to spot her lifting her phone and pointing it his way.
"…"
Silence fell like a bomb.
Utaha nonchalantly lowered her phone and pretended to scroll, her finger twirling a loose strand of hair.
"…Were you about to record me?" Touji twitched. This girl was dangerous!
"No, I wasn't." She replied coolly. "Someone messaged me, so I was checking it."
"Oh? Then let me see."
Touji began walking toward her, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.
"Touji-kun, you shouldn't be peeking at a girl's private messages."
With a calm tap, she turned off her screen.
Thud.
Touji's hand slammed against the wall behind her in a classic wall-slam move. The air around them changed.
Caught off guard, Utaha blinked up at him for a second—but only a second.
"Secret filming is a crime, you know. You could get arrested~."
Touji flipped her line back at her with a victorious grin.
"Oh my, the netizens of Japan have taught you well."
She reached out and pressed her palm against his chest, trying to push him away. But Touji didn't budge an inch.
"Ugh, you're already using my own lines against me? You learn too fast, baka…!"
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Then, as if to declare his victory, Touji calmly lifted his leg and hooked it around the doorframe—click.
The bedroom door closed with a soft thud.
They stood there, breath mingling in the charged silence.
The click of the door seemed to echo through the room like a spell being cast—sealing them in, sealing the moment. No more interruptions. No more pretending.
Utaha's hand remained against his chest, fingers curled ever so slightly into the fabric of his shirt. She could feel his heartbeat—steady, stubborn, maddeningly real.
"You're such an idiot," she whispered, voice barely audible.
Touji tilted his head slightly, his expression softening. "I know."
Her eyes met his—sharp, wine-red, full of conflict. Of things unsaid. Of things she couldn't say, not with words. Not yet.
He leaned in just a little.
She didn't move away.
His hand rose gently to cup the side of her face, thumb brushing just below her eye, as if to catch a tear that hadn't fallen.
The air around them seemed to shift—warm, shimmering, like they were suspended in a moment outside time. A faint breeze rustled the curtains, and somewhere in the distance, cicadas buzzed like a summer memory.
Utaha's lips parted, barely, as her voice broke through again:
"...Don't kiss me unless you mean it."
His answer was quiet. Steady.
"I do."
Then—he kissed her.
It wasn't rushed. It wasn't dramatic. It was slow, tender, and terrifying in its honesty. Like he was telling her everything he'd never dared to say. Like he was afraid she'd vanish the moment he pulled away.
Utaha's hand slipped from his chest and curled around his collar, fingers tightening slightly, pulling him closer. She melted into him—not in surrender, but in trust. In knowing that, somehow, this idiot, this baka, had slipped past her defenses and set up camp in her heart.
When they finally broke apart, just enough to breathe, she stared at him—cheeks flushed, breath shallow, heart exposed.
"…I hate how much I liked that," she murmured, looking anywhere but his eyes.
Touji grinned, forehead resting against hers.
"That's okay. I liked it enough for both of us."
Outside, the spring breeze gently stirred the newly blooming sakura trees, their petals fluttering down like snowflakes. Inside the room, a different kind of warmth filled the air.
...
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Touji came downstairs dressed casually, a fox mask hanging around his neck, a compact microphone clipped to his collar, and a tripod in one hand. Kasumigaoka Utaha followed closely behind, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
For Touji, filming footage while taste-testing internet-famous snacks had become a standard routine.
After all, sometimes the vendors would only send him one sample portion. If he tried it off-camera and ended up liking it, he'd have no footage left to use.
Requesting another portion might seem suspicious—like he was trying to scam free food—and frankly, waiting for another delivery was just too troublesome.
So, Touji had gradually developed the habit of recording as he sampled.
And of course, the designated camera operator was none other than Kasumigaoka Utaha.
They set up in the kitchen. Touji started by filming the snack's packaging to capture the branding and aesthetic.
Next was the ingredient list—so viewers could see it was legit, clean, and quality-approved.
Then came the variety of flavors. If Touji decided to take on the sponsorship, he'd usually request additional promotional images and materials from the vendor.
Finally came the main event: Touji's tasting and on-camera review.
...
The shoot for two different snack products took about fifteen to twenty minutes in total.
By the end, Utaha had already deduced Touji's verdict.
"So, does it actually taste good?" she asked, passing him the phone, her expression curious but skeptical.
Touji reviewed the footage, nodding. "Not bad at all. And more importantly, the pricing's pretty reasonable. I'll probably take the offer."
He then rubbed his stomach and added, "Anyway, I'm feeling kinda full now, so I don't feel like cooking tonight. How about we have pizza instead?"
"Mmm… having pizza once in a while isn't a bad idea," Utaha replied, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I haven't had one in ages. Now that you mention it, I'm kind of craving it."
Touji looked up at her, his eyes gleaming. "Then what flavor should we go with?"
Utaha frowned slightly as she considered. "Hmm… I'm on my period, so I can't eat anything too cold or greasy… Just get a beef one. Simple is best."
"Got it. I'll order it in a bit," Touji said, already turning toward the stairs. "Gotta finalize the terms with the vendors first. If I can squeeze out a little extra for compensation, even better."
Kasumigaoka Utaha watched his back as he disappeared upstairs, and despite herself, smiled faintly.
Though he annoyed her sometimes, Touji really was reliable when it counted.
...