The sky stretched overhead in a vast, transparent expanse of blue, dotted with a few soft, marshmallow-like clouds that drifted lazily across the horizon. The sunlight, filtered through the thin veil of these clouds, scattered evenly across the wide school grounds, bathing every blade of grass, every track lane in a warm, golden hue.
It was a picture-perfect afternoon, starkly contrasting the complicated turbulence within Kasumigaoka Touji. He walked back toward the main building alongside Kato Megumi, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions, desperately trying to organize a coherent response.
"Is it… a difficult question to answer?"
Seeing Kasumigaoka Touji only manage a noncommittal "Ugh…" before falling silent again, even the typically stoic Kato Megumi couldn't completely mask the flicker of disappointment that crossed her delicate features. Her usual placid expression gained a subtle, poignant crack.
"Not exactly difficult…" he began, then stopped. He took a steadying breath. "More like… I want to ask Kato-san for something incredibly rude."
They had reached a relatively secluded spot behind the school building. Kasumigaoka Touji's eyes darted around, confirming no stray students or teachers were paying them any mind. Emboldened by the privacy, he did something unprecedented—he reached out and placed his hands gently, yet firmly, on Kato Megumi's slender shoulders.
He looked down at her face, which seemed even more exquisitely radiant framed by the afternoon sun. Up until this moment, their physical contact had been virtually nonexistent. The sudden weight of his hands, the directness of his gaze—it was enough to make the usually unflappable Kato Megumi's long eyelashes flutter twice in surprise. She found herself momentarily unable to meet his eyes directly, a faint pink tinge dusting the tips of her ears.
"…W-What is it?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.
"I want to ask Kato-san… to be my secret girlfriend. Just for a while." The words tumbled out of Kasumigaoka Touji's mouth, shocking even himself with their audacity.
"…?"
Kato Megumi was visibly taken aback, her beautifully shaped, cherry-colored lips parting slightly in a silent question.
"Until summer vacation… around the time of the final exams. Then we'll make it public." He paused, thinking it over, then finished his proposal, looking at her with an expression full of genuine embarrassment and self-awareness.
Asking a girl to be a secret lover was, by any measure, an unreasonable, borderline offensive request. But Kasumigaoka Touji was out of better options.
Dating a new girlfriend every single month? Even he had to acknowledge how that looked—it was utterly indefensible.
He was also deeply afraid of how Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kani Nayuta would react. Their sense of security, their trust… he couldn't risk shattering it all at once. This 'delaying tactic' was the only stratagem he could devise.
Of course, this was profoundly unfair to Kato Megumi. He was acutely aware of that, and silently vowed to find ways to make it up to her later. The success of this plan also hinged on whether that heartbroken classmate, Fukuyama, would spread rumors. Even if he did, as long as they didn't fan the flames publicly, it might still be manageable…
"Why does it become a secret relationship when it comes to me? That's… too unfair." Kato Megumi puffed out her cheeks, a clear look of dissatisfaction in her eyes as she regarded Kasumigaoka Touji. She wasn't truly angry, but the disappointment was real, mixed with a desire to be petty, to make him work for it.
Hearing her words, Kasumigaoka Touji's embarrassment deepened. He clasped his hands together in a gesture of sincere apology. "I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault… I'll make it up to you properly, I promise!"
"Does Kasumigaoka-kun have other… secret lovers?" Kato Megumi didn't directly address his apology. Instead, her gaze drifted to the sports field before returning to him, her question loaded with implication.
Kasumigaoka Touji understood perfectly. A joyful smile broke through his conflicted expression as he looked up. "Of course not! Megumi, you're the first!"
"I haven't agreed to be your secret lover yet, have I?" Kato Megumi chided him softly, her voice a gentle, melodic rebuke.
This afternoon, in these moments, Kasumigaoka Touji was witnessing more varied reactions from her than in all their previous interactions combined. Kato Megumi—she really had changed immensely. It wasn't just her outward appearance; something fundamental within her had shifted, become more vibrant, more present.
Sighing inwardly, Kasumigaoka Touji knew better than to press his luck after making such an outrageous request. He adopted a carefully nervous expression. "Then… is Kato-san going to refuse me?"
"That depends on your performance."
Leaving him with that tantalizing, playful reply, Kato Megumi turned on her heel and began walking back toward the school building.
Not refusing meant agreeing.
Elated, Kasumigaoka Touji quickly caught up with her. It was in that moment of shared understanding that he sensed the subtle shift and accepted her newly surfaced dream:
A Girl's Love Story!
Dream Level: ★★★★
Dream Description: Grass grows, orioles fly, spring returns to the earth. In this season of cherry blossoms, a girl entering high school also wishes to experience a sweet, romantic love.
(Note: This quest is divided into two stages. Completing the corresponding stage will grant partial rewards and unlock the next stage.)
First Stage: Confirm the relationship and have a doki-doki date. Reward: 15,000 Dream Points.
Final Dream Reward: 30,000 Dream Points.
"…"
His system panel now reflected the updated status:
[Dream Weaver System]Bound Host: Kasumigaoka ToujiDream Weaving Level: Apprentice (81/100)Accepted Dreams:
Brother's Bride! (First Stage Completed, Second Stage in Progress!)
Light Novel Author! (Uncompleted)
Manga Artist! (Uncompleted)
Idol's Lover! (First Stage Completed, Second Stage in Progress!)
A Girl's Love Story! (Uncompleted)Dream Points: 6411.5!Dream Shop: Opened
Five concurrent dreams, three of them intimately tied to romance. Kasumigaoka Touji couldn't help but feel he was living the plot of a dense Galgame visual novel. But if he was being completely honest with himself, he truly enjoyed these kinds of dreams. Each one felt meaningful, a chapter in a shared story.
Catching up to Kato Megumi, he decided to launch his offensive immediately.
"Kato-san, are you free tomorrow? If you are, let's go on a date!"
His motivation wasn't solely to complete the dream task; more importantly, he wanted to solidify their new, delicate connection, to win her over fully now that the bridge had been crossed.
"I am free," she replied, then glanced sideways at him, her tone light. "But does Kasumigaoka-kun have the time?"
The implication was clear: a certain someone already had two official girlfriends. Wouldn't his rare weekend be booked with them?
"Even if I wasn't free, I'd make time!" he declared with exaggerated bravado.
In reality, his schedule this weekend was surprisingly open. On Kani Nayuta's side, the submission deadline for the second volume of Silver Season was hurtling closer—less than three days away—and she had only managed to write about 60,000 words. There was no question she would be chained to her desk tomorrow and the day after, engaged in a frantic, last-ditch manuscript rush. Even then, timely submission seemed doubtful.
As the deadline loomed, even the usually unflappable Kani Nayuta had begun to show signs of panic. For the past two afternoons, she hadn't lingered to cling to him after school; instead, she'd dashed home the moment the final bell rang, her schoolbag a blur.
What was particularly amusing was the tweet she'd posted that very morning: 'Men only slow down my writing speed!' Reading that, the designated 'scapegoat,' Kasumigaoka Touji, had felt a complex mix of speechlessness, exasperation, and a strange sense of pride.
As for Kasumigaoka Utaha's side, she had finished the manuscript for the third volume of Love Metronome the previous night. Tomorrow, she would be delivering it to Fujikawa Bunko for editorial review.
So, for Kasumigaoka Touji, this weekend—tomorrow in particular—presented a rare window of opportunity. The stage was, unexpectedly, set.