"It's about time we headed back…"
Seeing that it was almost four o'clock, Kasumigaoka Touji gave Kani Nayuta's back a light pat, signaling for her to get off his lap.
Kani Nayuta had been particularly clingy this afternoon. She'd been sitting in his lap since they'd entered the clubroom—and several times, she'd come dangerously close to making him lose his composure. If not for the utterly inappropriate setting, he would have taught her a proper lesson right then and there!
"Are you going straight to the airport after you pick up your things at home?" Kani Nayuta asked as she reluctantly slid off his lap.
"Hmm… pretty much. We need to check the doors, windows, water, and electricity, then do a final luggage check before we leave," Kasumigaoka Touji replied, standing up and giving his legs a slight shake to get the blood flowing again.
He walked to the classroom door with Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had also risen to her feet, and waved to the others. "Well then… everyone, we'll be heading off now. Mata raishuu! See you next month."
"See you next month."
Kato Megumi and Gotou Hitori bid their farewells one after the other.
On the rug, Kumin Tsuyuri suddenly raised a hand and waved sleepily… but her eyes were clearly still shut tight.
Good grief! Are you asleep or awake? Or in some kind of somnambulant state?
Kasumigaoka Touji felt a powerful urge to tsukkomi well up inside him.
*the urge to blurt out a sharp, common-sense remark pointing out how ridiculous the situation is
Kani Nayuta followed them to the clubroom door, her school bag in hand, also waving. "Well then, I'll be heading home now, too. See you all next month."
With that, the three of them left the clubroom.
Outside, the sun was at that perfect afternoon angle. Golden sunlight streamed down from the sky, coating the city in a dazzling, gilded edge.
Kasumigaoka Touji, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Kani Nayuta arrived at the school gates together. There, the trio came to a stop.
"Send me a message when you get there," Kani Nayuta said, her gaze sweeping briefly over Kasumigaoka Utaha before lingering on Kasumigaoka Touji.
"Hai." Kasumigaoka Touji nodded.
Kani Nayuta then stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a fierce, lingering kiss right there at the school entrance.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression remained perfectly calm, her gaze distant and indifferent as she looked off toward the horizon. Anyway, Otouto-kun will be mine alone for the next several days. I'm the ultimate winner here. With that perspective, she could afford to be magnanimous about these minor displays.
One minute later—
"Just how long are you two planning to keep this up? Could you please have some consideration for the people around you?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice cut through the moment, her tone faintly tinged with exasperation. "I'm getting secondhand embarrassment just standing next to you."
"Ahem."
Kasumigaoka Touji and Kani Nayuta separated, finally noticing the small cluster of passersby who had stopped to watch the spectacle. Among them were two boys from their own school, currently shooting him looks brimming with envy, jealousy, and outright resentment.
"Well then… we'll talk on the phone later," he said, giving a final wave.
"Mm." Kani Nayuta responded, her expression now sweet and innocent, as if she hadn't just been engaged in a very public, minute-long make-out session.
Then, one turned and walked toward the bus stop across the street, while the other two hurried off in the direction of the train station.
On the way—
Kasumigaoka Touji bought a portion of takoyaki, two potato croquettes, and a taiyaki (fish-shaped pancake). He and Kasumigaoka Utaha had a quick bite to tide them over. They would have dinner on the plane later—their tickets included an in-flight meal—but with a 7 PM departure, they'd get hungry if they didn't eat something beforehand.
"..."
"Nii-san, I'm thirsty."
Kasumigaoka Utaha used her slender fingers to wipe away a tiny speck of taiyaki filling from the corner of her mouth. Her wine-red eyes slid sideways toward Kasumigaoka Touji.
"Then… how about some bubble tea?" Kasumigaoka Touji looked around and spotted a popular milk tea shop.
"Mm, one cup." She glanced over and gave a light nod.
So the two made their way to the bubble tea shop. This particular shop, named 'Pearlmilktea,' was quite trendy, with a line of customers waiting. They queued for about ten minutes before each walked out with a large cup of milky tea, complete with chewy tapioca pearls.
After that, they took the train home together.
Once home—they gathered the dry laundry from the courtyard balcony, meticulously locked all the doors and windows, turned off the main water valve and unnecessary electrical breakers, did a final check of their packed luggage, and then hailed a taxi to the airport. By the time they did all this, it was already past five o'clock.
Soon after the two settled into the taxi, their mother tagged them in the family group chat.
[Mom]: "Have you left yet?"[Touji]: "Already on the way."Kasumigaoka Touji replied.Kasumigaoka Utaha also chimed in with a '✔️' emoji.[Mom]: "That's good."[Mom]: "Remember to put on a thick coat when you go outside. It's quite chilly here in Asahikawa, especially at night."[Kasumi Utako]: "Wakatta. Got it."
They'd been reminded before, and both Kasumigaoka Touji and Utaha had packed accordingly.
After exchanging a few more brief messages, the group chat fell silent.
"..."
Roughly half an hour later, Kasumigaoka Touji and Kasumigaoka Utaha arrived at Haneda Airport.
By this time, the sky had fully darkened into a deep bluish-gray, dotted with sparse, early-evening stars. Beneath the night sky, the airport lights were dazzling.
The terminal building looked solemn and somewhat mysterious in the darkness, its massive glass windows reflecting pinpricks of light like stars stolen from the sky. The silhouette of the building, illuminated from within and without, appeared crisp yet softened by the night.
Kasumigaoka Touji and Kasumigaoka Utaha first went to check in for their flight, then queued for security. Finally, they found seats at their designated boarding gate to wait.
Perhaps because Golden Week was imminent, the waiting area was exceptionally crowded. Almost every seat was taken, and a steady stream of passengers continued to flow in from the concourse.
Suddenly—
Kasumigaoka Touji's eyes landed on an urban beauty carrying a garment bag. Her looks were on par with Kasumigaoka Utaha's, and her figure was perhaps even more… eye-catching.
Perhaps it was the special telepathy between teacher and student, but the other party also happened to glance over at that moment. She paused, then, with the garment bag in hand, began walking directly toward Kasumigaoka Touji.
Her delicate, doll-like features, her hair styled in an elegant feathered bun, her ample bust that seemed ready to challenge the seams of her outfit, her slender waist, and her long, shapely legs sheathed in thin, semi-transparent pantyhose that emerged from beneath a chic black office-lady dress… every detail attracted the gazes of the surrounding men, all of which then converged on Kasumigaoka Touji with varying degrees of curiosity and envy.
"Kojima-sensei."
Kasumigaoka Touji stood up and politely greeted Kojima Kana as she approached. He was, after all, a good student who respected his teachers!
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been on her phone chatting with her editor Machida Sonoko, was drawn by the commotion. She looked up, saw Kojima Kana, and also offered a polite greeting: "Kojima-sensei."
"Hmm… Kasumigaoka-san. Where are you two off to?" Kojima Kana, a hint of weariness on her otherwise flawless face, nodded at Kasumigaoka Utaha before turning her questioning gaze to Kasumigaoka Touji.
"We're going to Hokkaido… to visit our parents for a bit," Kasumigaoka Touji answered truthfully.
A look of surprise flickered across Kojima Kana's delicate features. "Are you going to Sapporo? Or somewhere else? Do your parents work in Hokkaido?"
"No, we're headed to Asahikawa…" Kasumigaoka Touji waved a hand slightly, explaining, "Our father was transferred there for work at the beginning of the month."
He then asked in return, "What about you, sensei? Where are you traveling to?"
"Asahikawa as well," Kojima Kana replied, her surprise visibly deepening. "I'm going to attend a college classmate's wedding."
Kasumigaoka Touji was equally astonished. "What a coincidence! What time is your flight, sensei?"
"Seven o'clock."
"Uh… same as ours…"
"..."
The two then proceeded to check their boarding passes. They discovered they were not only on the same flight but also—in a twist of fate that felt almost scripted—had seats right next to each other.
"This is… too much of a coincidence!"
The coincidence was so staggering that even Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but look up from her phone, her eyes widening slightly as she regarded Kojima Kana.
"Um… Kasumigaoka-san, could I trouble you to watch my things for a moment?" Kojima Kana asked after they'd finished marveling at the odds. She gave a light cough. "I need to use the restroom."
With that, she handed the garment bag she'd been carrying to Kasumigaoka Touji.
"Of course, no problem." Kasumigaoka Touji took the bag. It was a simple favor, nothing troublesome.
"Arigatou." Kojima Kana said her thanks, then hurried off, her black, red-soled high heels clicking efficiently against the polished floor.
A few moments later, she returned, her steps measured and elegant once more…