"We are dating!"
Kani Nayuta glanced over at Touji, her soft, pink lips curving into an irrepressible, radiant smile as she announced happily, "We made it official two days ago, at the Tokyo Skytree!"
Hearing this straightforward confession, Kumin Tsuyuri, Gotou Hitori, and Kato Megumi all turned their gazes—almost in unison—toward Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been standing with one hand on her hip, engaged in a silent, staring contest with Touji, felt the weight of their collective attention. She frowned slightly, turning her head to address them directly. "They're dating. Why are you all looking at me?"
"Uhm… it's just… a little surprising, I suppose?" Kumin Tsuyuri said, her voice lilting with innocent curiosity. "Kasumigaoka-senpai actually… agreed?"
She distinctly remembered the palpable hostility Kasumigaoka Utaha had initially shown towards Kani Nayuta. It was clear she hadn't been keen on sharing Touji with anyone else…
"Ji—!"
Touji narrowed his eyes, shooting a pointed look at Kumin Tsuyuri. "What kind of question is that?!"
He felt a strong urge to administer a light karate chop to her head. It was a good thing Kasumigaoka Utaha had brought the topic up herself this time. Otherwise, wouldn't that line of questioning just be stirring the pot and adding fuel to the fire?
Ding—!
The microwave chimed, signaling the end of its cycle. The bento was heated.
Touji slipped on a pair of heat-resistant gloves. Kasumigaoka Utaha sidled up next to him, glancing at him sideways before saying, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Initially, I did refuse."
She paused for dramatic effect. "But then, Otouto-kun clung to my leg, begging and pleading. He promised that from now on, he'd obey my every word. If I told him to go east, he'd never head west. If I told him to chase a dog, he'd never go after a chicken… Things like that."
A faint, smug smile touched her lips as she concluded, "So, in the end, I reluctantly agreed."
As she spoke, she finally opened her own bento box. Seeing the heart-shaped rice with its 'I love you' scrawled in ketchup, a flicker of surprise crossed her features before being replaced by a satisfied, knowing curve of her mouth.
"Don't go spreading such serious fabrications. I have no memory of doing anything of the sort!" Touji retorted, placing the heated bento down on the table. He looked over with a speechless expression at Kani Nayuta, who was staring at him with wide, slightly blank eyes.
It seemed she wasn't the only one who'd bought it. The other three appeared to have swallowed at least part of the story as well…
Are you all really that gullible?
You're high school students! Use some common sense, please!
Touji took off the heat-resistant gloves, tossed them back onto the low table, and complained, "Don't listen to her nonsense. Everything she just said is pure fiction. There's absolutely no basis for it."
Sure, he might cling to her leg sometimes… but clinging to her thigh while begging? That had never happened!
"Tsk—!" Kasumigaoka Utaha clicked her tongue lightly. "Is Otouto-kun going back on his word now? That's not very manly of you. Don't make me look down on you."
Touji shot her a sidelong glance, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "You're the one who shouldn't be making up tall tales!"
An extra chair was squeezed in on his right side—now he and Kani Nayuta were sitting together on one side, making it a bit of a cozy squeeze.
Listening to their back-and-forth, Kani Nayuta finally seemed to grasp that Kasumigaoka Utaha was just teasing. If Touji had genuinely made such a promise and then broken it, Utaha-senpai definitely wouldn't be acting so… playful. Kani Nayuta let out a quiet sigh of relief and patted her ample chest. "You scared me! I actually thought Winter-sensei had sold himself into servitude…"
"If you really thought that, I'd be a little disappointed," Touji said, feigning hurt. "Is that how you see me?"
"Of course not! Ehehe~." Kani Nayuta immediately leaned against his shoulder, acting coquettishly.
...
Kato Megumi quietly ate the bento her mother had prepared, watching the scene unfold—the three of them bickering yet existing in a harmony that, for now at least, seemed strangely natural. She pondered silently how she might one day find a place within such a dynamic.
Kumin Tsuyuri suddenly spoke up, changing the subject. "How is everyone planning to spend Golden Week?"
There were less than three days left until the holiday break began.
Touji looked at her and replied casually, "Utaha and I are going to Hokkaido to visit our parents."
"After that, I'll spend a day or two with Kani Nayuta-sensei. Then, I'll accompany Utaha to her book signing event."
His schedule was packed!
"Book signing event?"
Hearing this, everyone except the already-informed Kani Nayuta turned their attention to Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Kasumigaoka Utaha took a delicate bite of her hamburger steak with rice, a faint, proud smile appearing on her lips. "It's on the afternoon of the 5th, at the Kadokawa Shoten main store in Tokyo… But it's mainly a promotional event. The goal is to boost sales for the work."
"That's incredible! I feel like Kasumigaoka-senpai is already a full-fledged, amazing author!" Kumin Tsuyuri exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"You're too kind. I'm not even a bestselling author yet," Kasumigaoka Utaha waved a hand modestly, though her posture remained regal. It was true that 'Love Metronome' had been flying off the shelves these past couple of days, even experiencing shortages. But that was largely due to the bonus popularity from Touji's song. How the second volume would perform was still unknown. Nevertheless, she had confidence in her own abilities.
"The afternoon of the 5th… I don't have any plans that day. I'll go and support you!" Kumin Tsuyuri declared enthusiastically, clenching a fist.
"I'll go to support you, too," Kato Megumi added softly.
"Uhm… then, I-I'll also go to support…" Not wanting to seem unsociable when everyone else was going, Gotou Hitori forced herself to speak up.
"Ah… that's really not necessary," Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Gotou Hitori, who famously never left her house, and offered a gentle smile. "Mine is just a small-scale signing. They're only accommodating a hundred fans… My editor informed me on Saturday that the reservation slots were already fully booked."
"Eh? Really?"
"You need a reservation for that?"
Kumin Tsuyuri and Kato Megumi, unfamiliar with such events, expressed their surprise. Gotou Hitori, meanwhile, secretly let out a sigh of relief.
It's better not to have to go out.
Going anywhere during Golden Week was a nightmare for her. The crowds were unbearable, making her profoundly uncomfortable from the depths of her soul!
"You can make a reservation or just show up at the venue," Kasumigaoka Utaha explained, having learned the details from her editor, Machida Sonoko. "But if the reservation quota is met, they won't allow walk-ins."
...
After chatting a bit more, the conversation circled back to Golden Week plans.
"I plan to… stay at home," Gotou Hitori mumbled. No one was surprised.
"As for me, I thought I'd go shopping and watch some movies," Kato Megumi said softly. Her parents had no family trip planned, and her older sister was going out with her boyfriend, so she was left to her own devices.
Kumin Tsuyuri's eyes lit up upon hearing this. She raised a hand. "Megumi-chan! Count me in! Take me with you~!"
"Mm, okay," Kato Megumi gave a gentle nod. "We can discuss the specifics later."
"Okay~!"
"I plan to play games and work on my novel at home first," Kani Nayuta said, the last to share her plans. "Then I'll go out with Winter-sensei, and finally attend Utaha-senpai's book signing…"
...
The group chatted amiably, quickly finishing their lunches before moving on to share the Mizu Shingen Mochi that Gotou Hitori had brought.
What she'd brought wasn't the traditional version made from glutinous rice flour and dusted with kinako. Instead, it was the modern, crystal-clear variety made with agar-agar. They were perfectly round, transparent jelly spheres, each with a delicate pink cherry blossom suspended in the center—visually stunning.
Served with brown sugar syrup and a side of roasted soybean flour for dipping, they offered a refreshing, lightly sweet treat that was perfect for an occasional indulgence.
Touji and the others enjoyed them happily, the sweet dessert marking a pleasant end to their lively lunchtime gathering.