Usami woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He pressed snooze and rolled over again.
This was his fifth snooze.
By the sixth alarm, he finally opened his eyes and checked the time.
"It's already seven?!" he shouted.
His parents had the day off, so they were still asleep. Usami rushed to get ready, but in his hurry, he forgot his I.D.
---
Scene shifts to the classroom.
Usami arrived twenty minutes late, without his I.D. The student council president, acting as officer, greeted him kindly but firmly.
"You'll need to pay five bucks for being late without your I.D."
Usami sighed, handed over the money, and started to leave—until Mahiru stopped him by tugging on his shirt.
"Did you stay up late?" she asked, a confused look on her face.
Flustered, Usami quickly turned his head.
"Yeah…" he admitted, embarrassed.
Mahiru frowned, her tone sharp. "That's not healthy."
"Sorry," Usami muttered.
---
Scene shifts to the cafeteria.
The three boys sat together.
"Usami, when are you going to work again?" Ren asked.
"When I have time," Usami replied.
Suddenly, both of them turned their heads toward Haruto.
"...What?" Haruto blinked, startled.
Ren leaned in first. "Soo… what's with you and Yumi?"
Haruto, embarrassed, waved it off. "We're just friends."
Usami disagreed immediately. "If it weren't for you and Yumi, suddenly five people wouldn't have been waiting outside my house when I woke up."
Haruto shot back, "That's your fault for not sleeping early."
Ren quickly raised his hands. "Stop, stop! Let's not fight, okay?"
The three sighed and continued eating.
---
Three tables away, the girls sat together—Hana, Yumi, and Mahiru.
"We should go to that neko café," Hana suggested.
"Yeah, let's go this Saturday," Yumi agreed.
Mahiru nodded along.
---
Scene shifts to Mahiru's bedroom.
She was deciding what shoes to wear when her phone rang.
"Mahiru, you ready?" Hana's voice came through the line.
Mahiru quickly picked a pair and answered, "Don't worry, I won't be late."
She left her house and boarded the bus. Inside, she spotted Usami sitting behind her. Her chest tightened, and her heart skipped. She wanted to greet him, but he was talking to an unfamiliar girl. Mahiru stopped herself, unsure why she felt so restless.
---
At the café.
Mahiru arrived and spotted Hana and Yumi waiting outside. They waved to her, and together the three went in.
Almost immediately, Mahiru was surrounded by four cats. The other customers turned to stare, envy clear in their eyes.
Hana laughed. "See? You really are like a princess beyond the skies—animals just flock to you."
"Hana!" Mahiru said, embarrassed.
They took their seats. Soon, their drinks arrived—coffee topped with a cute cat-shaped cream.
"So cute," Yumi praised.
Mahiru admired it too, but when she took her first sip, the art melted away. Guilt pricked her chest.
---
Meanwhile, Usami was outside, walking a girl—his cousin—back to her house.
"Thanks for taking me to the mall," she said warmly.
"No problem," Usami replied.
As he headed home alone, he couldn't shake the thought.
That person on the bus earlier… why did they look so familiar?