[Third Person Pov]
It had been a few minutes since Komi arrived at the Temple. She stood near one of the long tables, holding a limp, empty balloon between her fingers as she took a slow breath and brought the opening to her lips. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she blew into it, the rubber stretching and expanding with each steady exhale. When she finished, she tied it off carefully, her fingers working with quiet precision before reaching for another.
Lala and Momo were seated nearby, doing most of the talking while Komi listened in silence. She wore her usual calm, gentle smile, her posture relaxed, though she rarely contributed more than a nod or soft expression of acknowledgement. She didn't mind listening. In fact, she preferred it.
"Ah," Momo suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as if she had just remembered something extremely important. She leaned forward toward Lala with a mischievous spark in her gaze. "Oh right, Lala, you never shared how your date with Clark went yesterday—"
"Phttttttt!!"
The balloon Komi had been inflating slipped from her hands, the air escaping in a loud sputtering squeal as it flew wildly around the room, bouncing off surfaces and zigzagging unpredictably before collapsing somewhere out of sight.
Komi froze.
Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at Lala, her entire body stiffening without her permission. The words echoed in her mind.
Date. Lala and Clark. On a Date.
She hadn't known.
Her gaze slowly shifted between Momo and Lala, confusion and surprise flickering beneath her otherwise composed exterior. She didn't speak, but the question was clear in her eyes. She wanted to understand. She needed to understand.
"Oh, that's right, you don't know," Momo said, grinning with open amusement. "My idiot brother finally decided to be romantic and took Lala out on a date yesterday."
Her grin widened, though she conveniently left out the part where she had secretly followed them and observed nearly the entire thing firsthand.
"I mean, look at her," Momo continued, gesturing openly toward Lala. "Her skin is practically glowing. She obviously had the time of her life."
Komi's gaze instinctively drifted toward Lala.
Now that it had been pointed out, there was something different. At first, Komi thought it was simply because she wasn't used to seeing Lala in anything other than her uniform. But it wasn't just that. There was a softness to her expression. A brightness. A quiet happiness that lingered in her eyes.
And for reasons Komi couldn't explain, something tightened painfully in her chest.
She looked down at the new balloon in her hands, her fingers pressing lightly into its surface. She didn't know what expression she was making. She didn't know what she was feeling.
Lala leaned back slightly in her seat, letting out a soft, wistful sigh, her faint smile growing warmer. "It was everything and more…" she said dreamily. "He took me out to eat, and we tried all kinds of pastries and desserts."
She continued, her voice gentle as she described the places they visited, the things they tasted, and the small moments they shared together.
Each word sank into Komi like a quiet blade. She tried to ignore it. Tried to suppress it. But the feeling remained, spreading deeper with every passing second.
Momo wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, unable to resist stirring the situation further. "Did you two kiss at the end of the date?"
Lala's face turned faintly pink. In truth, they had done far more than just kiss.
But before she could respond, the sudden scrape of a chair against the floor cut through the air. Komi stood up abruptly.
Both Momo and Lala startled, their attention immediately snapping toward her.
"I… need to use the washroom," Komi whispered.
Her voice was quiet, fragile, and it cracked ever so slightly.
"Ah, it's down the hall," Momo said, pointing instinctively. "Second door on the left." She frowned faintly as Komi turned and began speed-walking away, her steps hasty.
Momo blinked in confusion. "What was that all about?"
Lala watched Komi's retreating figure, her smile turning weary, touched with something softer. Something more knowing.
"Who knows," Lala said gently. "Maybe she just really needed to use the bathroom."
Komi reached the washroom and slipped inside, closing the door behind her. The soft click of the latch sounded louder than it should have.
She didn't move.
Her hand remained on the doorknob, her fingers trembled faintly, her breathing was uneven.
She leaned back against the door, pressing her weight into it as she drew in a slow, shaky breath. Her hand moved instinctively to her chest, gripping lightly at the fabric over her heart.
It hurt.
Not physically.
But it hurt.
Her brows furrowed slightly, confusion clouding her thoughts, 'Am… Am I sick?' She didn't understand.
Her heart was beating too fast. Too hard. Each beat felt heavy, tight, constricting.
She forced herself to move, her legs carrying her toward the sink. She lifted her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her breathing was heavier than it should have been. Her hand remained over her chest. It was trembling. All she knew was that it started when she heard it. When she heard Clark and Lala had gone on a date together.
Just imagining them together was enough to make her chest tighten again.
Clark and Lala walking side by side, their hands brushing, their fingers intertwining, looking at each other with soft, affectionate smiles.
The image alone made her heart skip painfully. And not in a pleasant way.
Not in a way she understood.
Her hands slowly rose, and before she could hesitate, she clapped both palms against her cheeks with a sharp slap.
The sting grounded her.
She shook her head firmly, as if trying to physically force the thoughts out of her mind. When she looked at herself again, she noticed the faint redness on her cheeks.
She inhaled deeply.
Then exhaled slowly.
She turned on the faucet and began washing her hands, focusing on the sensation of the cool water against her skin. She told herself not to think about it. Not to overthink it.
Their engagement wasn't real.
It was just a sham.
Just a disguise to protect Lala.
Just an act and nothing more.
After all, Clark told her that himself.
And Clark would never lie to her.
…Would he?
…
Komi exited the bathroom after taking a few moments to calm herself. She had splashed cool water on her face, steadied her breathing, and forced her racing heart to settle into something more manageable. Her expression returned to its usual gentle calm, though the faint redness lingering on her cheeks hadn't fully faded. She told herself she was fine. She had to be fine.
When she returned to the main room, Lala and Momo were still seated where she had left them, the atmosphere light and casual as they continued preparing decorations and organizing supplies.
It was at that moment the front door opened.
Seiko stepped inside, announcing her presence without needing to say a word. She carried a large, carefully handled box in both hands, her posture confident and relaxed.
Her eyes immediately fell on Komi, "Woah," Seiko said without hesitation, her voice filled with genuine admiration. "You're gorgeous."
Komi froze in place, her face flushed instantly, heat rushing to her cheeks as she stared at Seiko in stunned embarrassment. Compliments were never something she handled well, especially when they were so direct and sincere.
But more than that, Komi couldn't stop staring. Seiko looked far too young. Her beauty was refined and effortless, her presence warm. Komi had expected someone much older, someone visibly fitting the role of a grandmother. Instead, Seiko looked vibrant, elegant, and full of life.
It was hard to believe she was Clark's grandmother at all.
Momo stepped in, grinning as she took the box from Seiko's hands.
"Grandma, this is Komi Shouko," Momo said as she carefully carried the cake toward the table. "She's the one I told you about when I called you that one time and said Clark actually made a friend for once."
"Ah," Seiko said, her expression lighting up in recognition. "I remember now."
She chuckled softly before turning her full attention back to Komi. "Seiko Ayase," she introduced herself warmly.
Before Komi could react, Seiko stepped forward and gently took both of Komi's hands in her own. Komi stiffened slightly at the sudden contact, her fingers tensing in surprise.
"Thank you," Seiko said sincerely, her voice soft but filled with emotion. "Thank you for being friends with someone like Clark. I know he can be difficult. He has a lot of issues, a lot of things he struggles with… but I hope you can continue to look past them and stay by his side."
Komi's eyes widened slightly, her face grew even redder. She quickly shook her head, her ponytail swaying rapidly side to side as she fumbled to respond.
"I—I should be the one who's grateful," Komi said, her voice quiet but earnest. "Clark has been nothing but helpful to me. It's thanks to him that I've been able to make so many friends."
She tightened her hands slightly without realizing it. "He's always been kind."
Seiko blinked, her brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "…Are we sure we're talking about the same Clark?" she asked honestly.
Komi nodded without hesitation. Behind her, Momo and Lala burst into quiet laughter, clearly entertained by the contrast.
Seiko stared at Komi for a moment longer before her expression softened into something warm and deeply relieved.
She could see it clearly. The sincerity. The care. She genuinely cared about Clark. And that alone made Seiko happier than she could put into words.
They continued chatting, slowly getting to know each other when the doorbell rang, echoing through the house.
"That must be the others," Momo said.
Seiko turned and walked toward the door, reaching for the handle before pulling it open. She raised an eyebrow slightly at what she saw.
Five beautiful young women stood on her doorstep. Each of them was dressed elegantly, their appearances polished and stunning in their own unique ways.
Miku, Nino, Ichika, Lois, and Lucy, all five stood together, their presence eye-catching enough to momentarily catch even Seiko off guard.
Her lips twitched faintly. 'Are all of that brat's friends just beautiful women?' she wondered privately.
"Ah!" Ichika suddenly exclaimed, her face lighting up with recognition. "I remember you! You're Clark's beautiful grandma! We met before!"
Seiko blinked, "We have?" she asked, genuinely confused.
"That's his grandma?!" Lois and Lucy exclaimed at the same time, both staring at Seiko in disbelief.
The three sisters nodded.
"It was during our trip to Kyoto," Miku said calmly, her faint smile gentle. "Five years ago."
Seiko's eyes widened slightly, then she snapped her fingers. "The Quintuplets!" she said, remembering at last.
Of course she remembered. How could she forget?
One of them had been the reason Clark began leaning more toward heroics. One of them had been at the center of a conversation she had never forgotten.
"You girls have certainly changed," Seiko said, her tone filled with impressed amusement.
"We're not with them," Lois clarified quickly, stepping slightly away from the trio. Lucy mirrored the motion beside her.
"Yeah," Nino added with a sigh. "Two of ours couldn't make it today, unfortunately."
"I see," Seiko said, nodding in understanding. "That's unfortunate, but I suppose this was short notice."
She stepped aside, opening the door wider, "Come in. We're just about finished setting everything up."
The five girls bowed their heads politely before stepping inside.
The room, already lively, suddenly felt even more full.
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