“U-uh… I’m fine…” Ayaka’s eyes widened in surprise, and she stared intently back at Haruto, who was looking at her with concern. The two, who had ended up at a similar distance as when she was on the unicycle some time ago, were surprised by the sudden event and remained in close proximity in silence for a while. Oblivious to Haruto and Ayaka, the seemingly satisfied goat left with a “Mee-ee~.” “Onee-chan, your clothes got all wet.” “…Huh? Ah, ah… Y-yes.” Ayaka, told that by Ryota, snapped back to reality and quickly moved away from Haruto, whom she had been clinging to. “It looks like you should change clothes,” Haruto said, looking slightly awkward as he glanced at the hem of Ayaka’s shirt. The part that the goat had eaten was covered in sticky slobber and was wrinkled. “I think there was a changing room near the lawn area, so maybe we should change there?” “Yeah, maybe we should.” She had brought a change of clothes anyway, since they were planning to play in the water. Ayaka looked at the hem of her clothes that the goat had eaten, then looked up at Haruto with a slightly upward glance. “Um… thank you. For, um, c-catching me…” “Eh, y-yes, um… I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.” “…Yeah.” Ryota headed energetically towards the lawn area. Haruto and Ayaka followed him, carrying both embarrassment and awkwardness, and glancing at each other while averting their gazes, they headed for the lawn area.

Chapter 3: Captivated by Her Having arrived at the lawn area, Haruto and the others immediately began to play with a borrowed ball. “The weather’s nice, and it’s so spacious. It feels great, doesn’t it?” Ayaka, who had changed, said, looking at the lawn spreading out before them. In the lawn area, many people, including families and groups, were playing with balls or relaxing on picnic sheets and in small tents. However, because the area was vast, it

didn’t feel overly crowded, and one could enjoy a sufficient feeling of openness under the clear sky. The three of them played a mini-game with the soccer ball they had borrowed. “Come on, Ryota-kun, over here.” “Urgh! Hah! Aww.” It was a simple mini-game where one person kept the ball, and the other two tried to take it. Haruto was currently holding the ball, and Ryota was desperately trying to take it. However, he couldn’t quite take it, foiled by the movement of the ball being skillfully manipulated at Haruto’s feet. “Onee-chan, that way! Stop Onii-chan!” Ryota cooperated with Ayaka to surround Haruto, trying to stop his movement. “Heup!” But Haruto slipped through their encirclement with a quick spin. “Ootsuki-kun, you’re too good,” Ayaka said with a laugh, seeing him. “Are you in the soccer club, Ootsuki-kun?” “No, I’m not. I’ve just played games like this with my friends since I was little, so I’m just a bit used to it.” “Doesn’t feel like ‘just a bit’, though.” Ryota was being thoroughly run ragged by Haruto’s footwork as he moved the ball left and right. Ayaka gave a wry smile watching the scene. With no sign of them being able to take the ball, Ayaka smiled as if she’d just had an idea. “So, in other words, since you’re experienced, Ootsuki-kun, it’s okay if we have a handicap, right?” “That’s true. What kind of handicap should we set? Wait, Huh?!” “Gotcha!” Along with that cute-sounding cry, Ayaka clung onto Haruto’s arm. Haruto, who hadn’t expected her to openly use her hands in soccer, was surprised by her action, and at the same time, his body stiffened at the incredibly attractive softness transmitted through the arm she was holding onto. “Now’s your chance, Ryota.” “Okay! Hah… Yay~!!” Ryota, who had skillfully taken the ball from the immobilized Haruto, excitedly cheered with joy. “Ufufu, we won, didn’t we?” “No, that was a bit…” “Is it not allowed? Was that a foul?” Ayaka asked, letting go of Haruto’s arm slightly and tilting her head, looking up at him. From Haruto’s perspective, that gesture was a foul worthy of a red card.

“No… it’s not… not allowed,” Haruto said under his breath, glancing briefly at the arm she had been holding onto before averting his gaze. Seeing his reaction, Ayaka also blushed shyly and laughed happily, “Fufufu.” “Onii-chan! Change sides!” “R-right. Alright! I’ll steal the ball back right away!” Matching Ryota’s energetic voice, Haruto also spoke a little louder to cover up his embarrassment. The subsequent mini-game became a close match due to Haruto’s movements being significantly impaired by Ayaka clinging to him. After that, Haruto and the others played other games besides soccer. And as the sun climbed to its highest point, Ayaka said, narrowing her eyes against the strong sunlight. “Shall we have lunch soon?” “That sounds good. Shall we spread the picnic sheet in the shade over there?” Haruto said, pointing to a suitable spot of shade nearby. “You’re hungry too, right, Ryota?” “Yeah! I’m eating the bento!” “I made your favorite fried chicken and rolled omelets, Ryota-kun.” “Yay~!” Ryota shouted with joy at Haruto’s words and ran towards the shade at full speed. “Children’s stamina is terrifying, isn’t it?” “No, I think you’re amazing for keeping up with Ryota the whole time,” Ayaka, who had been watching from the sidelines for a while, said, looking at Haruto admiringly. “No, I was pretty much at my limit too,” he replied. “Really? You looked like you had plenty of energy. You weren’t out of breath at all.” Ayaka peered into Haruto’s face, giving him a suspicious look. “I certainly can’t match a kindergartener’s stamina.” Haruto slightly averted his gaze from her, who was close by. “There’s still the afternoon, are you going to be okay?” “I’ll recover once I eat my bento.” “That’s a quick recovery.” After exchanging such words, they smiled at each other faintly. “Onii-chan! Onee-chan! Hurry!” Ryota, who was already in the shade, bounced impatiently towards them. “Yes, yes, we’re coming now.” After replying to her brother, Ayaka smiled at Haruto. “Let’s go, Ootsuki-kun.” “Okay.” Haruto and Ayaka walked side by side towards Ryota. ※※※ After finishing their bento, the three of them relaxed on the picnic sheet. The sun was strong, and the heat felt like it was burning their skin. However, in the shade of the trees, the heat eased a little, and in the carpet of grass that swayed in the occasional breeze, they felt the summer and their hearts became open and free.

“Shall we go to the water play area in the afternoon?” Haruto suggested as he put the finished bento box back into his backpack. “That’s a good idea. The temperature has gotten pretty high, too.” The heat pouring down from the sun had reached its peak, and it was simply too hot to keep moving around outside the shade as they had been doing earlier. “Ah, but I don’t have a change of clothes…” Ayaka suddenly remembered and said. “Ah, yes, your t-shirt was eaten by the goat,” he replied. Her t-shirt, whose hem had been eaten by the goat, had become soaked with drool, so she had already changed into the shirt she had brought for playing in the water. “I have clothes for my lower body, so maybe I’ll just put my feet in the water.” “Okay. We’ll have to be careful not to fall.” “Right.” After exchanging such remarks, Haruto and the others immediately headed for the water play area. “Wow… there are so many people…” Ayaka said, surprised at the crowd in the water play area. Haruto responded to her with a wry smile. “Well, given this heat, everyone’s thinking the same thing.” The water play area had various large and small pools scattered around, designed to resemble ponds with water depths around adult calves, and fountains were placed here and there. The pools were mainly filled with children around Ryota’s age playing and having fun, but there were also accompanying parents and couples playing by splashing in the fountain water. “Onii-chan, that spot looks empty?” Ryota pulled Haruto’s arm and pointed to a place with relatively few people. “You’re right. Well then, let’s play there.” “Okay!” At the same time as he nodded, Ryota dashed to the pool and entered the water with the same momentum. Ryota, who had splashed water everywhere, turned back to Haruto and Ayaka with a big smile. “Onii-chan! Onee-chan! It feels so good!!” Seeing Ryota happily splashing water from his hair, Haruto and Ayaka also entered the pool with smiles on their faces. “It’s cold and feels nice.” “Splashing in the water in the middle of summer is the best.” In the scorching heat, the cool coldness of the water made both Haruto and Ayaka’s faces soften into smiles. Just then, Ryota ran up and splashed water he scooped up with his hands at Haruto. “Onii-chan! Take that!” “Whoa, you got me, Ryota-kun. Time for revenge!” “Whoa! Hahahaha!”

Ryota, who had been splashed with water by Haruto, splashed water back with great enjoyment. Haruto and Ryota splashed water at each other, playing happily. Ayaka watched the two of them with a happy smile, sitting on the edge of the pool with only her feet in the water. “Ryota, be careful not to bother other people.” “Okay! I know!” Besides Ryota and the others, many other children were also playing intently in the pool. “It looks cool, that’s nice.” Ayaka rested her chin on her hands, regretting a little that she didn’t have a change of clothes, and watched the happy Haruto and Ryota. Then, suddenly, Ryota waved his hand vigorously and called out to his sister. “Onee-chan! The water here is really cold and feels good!” “Is that so?” Ayaka tilted her head, and Haruto nodded in agreement. “It’s very cold and feels really nice, so would you like to dip just your feet in?” “Is it? Then I might go try it.” Ayaka rolled up the hems of her pants a little more and then went over to Haruto and the others. “Wow, you’re right! It’s cool and feels nice.” “This seems to be where the water supply is.” While Ayaka and the others were distracted by the cold, fresh water, another child running nearby bumped into Ayaka. “Kya?!” With a thud, the boy who bumped into her fell on his bottom, and Ayaka’s body was greatly thrown off balance. “Watch out!” Instinctively, Haruto reached out his hand to support her. However, since they were in the water, Haruto himself lost his balance while holding Ayaka’s hand, unable to brace himself. Deciding that falling was unavoidable, Haruto strongly pulled Ayaka’s hand, drawing her close and holding her body. Then, he changed their positions so that he would be underneath and fell into the pool. With a loud splash, the two of them fell. Although the water wasn’t very deep, if they lay down, their faces would be submerged. Haruto, who had fallen in a way that put Ayaka on top of him, quickly lifted his head, only his face out of the water. “Ootsuki-kun! Are you okay?!” “Yes, I’m fine…” Right in front of Haruto’s eyes and nose, who had lifted his face, was Ayaka’s face, her eyes wide with surprise and worry. Haruto was momentarily speechless, seeing her on top of him, looking down with a worried expression.

Why? He wasn’t sure exactly why. But Haruto was more captivated by the girl named Ayaka Tojo in this moment than ever before. Was it the expression of concern with which she was looking at him? Or perhaps her wet hair, glistening in the sunlight with water dripping from it, was enchanting? Or maybe it was the softness and weight of her body held in his arms that was so appealing? Or perhaps it was the combination of all of it? Haruto lost his words and simply continued to stare blankly at Ayaka. “…Ootsuki-kun?” Haruto had suddenly fallen silent after falling and was staring at Ayaka. Seeing his reaction, Ayaka looked worried, wondering if he had injured himself somewhere. “…………” Haruto doesn’t respond to her call. Instead, he puts a little more strength into the arms embracing Ayaka. “Eh!? O-, Ootsuki-kun?”

Ayaka shows a surprised expression at being hugged so tightly. Haruto can feel her body stiffening and tensing in his arms. However, a few seconds later. The strength suddenly leaves her body, and the weight on Haruto increases. He becomes unable to look away from Ayaka’s wet eyes, as if he’s been put under a spell. Their gazes intertwine and gradually draw closer. Without either of them initiating, their eyelids slowly begin to lower, at that moment. “Excuse me!!” It must be the mother of the child who bumped into Ayaka. A middle-aged woman rushes over in a fluster and bows her head deeply to apologize to the two of them who have fallen and are overlapping. “!” “Huh?!” Suddenly, Haruto and Ayaka sprang apart as if they had been released, and quickly stood up. “Look! You apologize properly too!” “S-sorry…” The boy, told strongly by his mother, bowed his head to Haruto and Ayaka dejectedly. “Ah, n-no… I didn’t get hurt or anything.” “Are you alright?” Ayaka smiled faintly, and Haruto gently spoke to the boy who had bumped into Ayaka and fallen on his bottom. “Y-yeah. I’m fine…” “Okay. Next time, let’s play while watching our surroundings carefully, okay?” “Okay, I’m sorry.” “We are truly sorry.” The mother and son left, bowing their heads repeatedly, as they walked away from Haruto and Ayaka. Once the mother and son were far away, Haruto spoke to Ayaka hesitantly. “Um… just now, well… I’m sorry.” “U-uh. If Ootsuki-kun hadn’t pulled me close, I might have fallen and hit my head… Are you okay, Ootsuki-kun?” “I’m… yes. I’m fine.” “I see, that’s good…” The two of them, in an awkward atmosphere, exchanged glances for a moment before immediately looking away. Haruto’s heart was still pounding as if in the lingering effect of the recent event. Just then, Ryota ran up and looked up at them. “Onee-chan, Onii-chan, are you okay?” “Yeah, we’re fine.” “We’re fine, Ryota-kun, thank you.” Ryota, looking relieved after hearing their replies, looked at his sister’s clothes and said.

“Onee-chan, your clothes got wet.” “Ah, that’s right…” Ayaka looked down at her clothes and thought for a moment, then resigned herself and smiled. “Well, since they’re already wet, I might as well just go all out and play in the water.” “Yay! Let’s play together, Onee-chan!” Ryota’s excitement instantly surged at his sister’s words. Ayaka also happily scooped up water with her hands and began splashing water back and forth with Ryota. “Onii-chan, play with us too!” “Okay, I understand.” Haruto also smiled at Ryota’s innocent smile and ran over. While feeling a surge of excitement in his chest that he had never felt before, at Ayaka’s innocent expression and radiant smile sparkling in the summer sun. ※※※ Haruto and the others play while soaked from head to toe. Ayaka, who had refrained from playing because she had no change of clothes, has now decided to get completely soaked. While glancing at Ayaka, who is having a great time frolicking with her brother, Haruto reflects on his actions from earlier. He had no ulterior motives when he instinctively hugged Ayaka to help her when she was about to fall. To save her. That was all he was thinking about. But then, after Ayaka had fallen and they were pressed together, Haruto unconsciously hugged her tightly. If he’d been careless, or even if he hadn’t been careless, his actions from earlier would have been considered sexual harassment. He wouldn’t have been able to complain if Ayaka had screamed and slapped him on the cheek at that moment. Did the summer heat make him go crazy? Haruto asks himself. The scene is still burned into his mind clearly and strongly. She didn’t seem angry at that time. Rather, he felt like he had relaxed his body, somewhere accepting, that sort of atmosphere. Thinking that, his heart couldn’t help but beat faster. Ayaka’s somewhat fantastical appearance, which stirred Haruto’s chest. From her lustrous flaxen hair, shimmering in the sunlight, drops of water dripped like pearls. A blush on her flushed cheeks, a sigh escaping from her soft-looking lips. Her moist eyes, like a magical charm, drew and held his gaze, seemingly swaying between expectation and anxiety. The sight of those eyes slowly approaching him. If no one had been around at that moment. If it had just been the two of them. Maybe… Suddenly, water splashed on Haruto’s face, just as he was about to think about what might have happened next. “—Whoa!”

“Fufufu, Ootsuki-kun, caught you off guard.” Haruto blinked his eyes, shaking his head. In front of him was Ayaka, smiling happily. After his gaze fell on her, Haruto suddenly looked away. He couldn’t quite explain why, even to himself. However, in that moment, she appeared even more attractive to Haruto than ever before. Haruto was already aware that Ayaka Tojo was a very cute girl. From his perspective, Ayaka’s appearance was exceptionally beautiful, and he understood why she captivated the gazes of the boys at school and the men they passed on the street. However, that was merely the recognition that “Ayaka Tojo is a cute girl,” perhaps the same feeling as admiring a work of high art. And Haruto was a man. He liked looking at cute girls, and talking to and interacting with them made him feel happy. Yes, until now, it had stopped at “feeling happy.” Or rather, concerning Ayaka Tojo, perhaps “trying to stop” was more accurate. As a housekeeping help part-time job during summer vacation. To provide proper service to the Tojo family, who had signed a regular contract. To avoid bringing in impure feelings, he had tried not to harbor special feelings for Ayaka, turning a blind eye to the core of his heart. However, Haruto was now feeling that this was becoming very difficult. He felt that a feeling he couldn’t control, a feeling other than the ‘happy feeling’ he had been trying to suppress, an emotion he himself couldn’t quite understand, was swirling within his chest. “Alright! Got you, Ryota!” “Hahahaha! Onii-chan, help!” Ayaka and Ryota playing together. Haruto joined them, feigning ‘as usual’ while hiding his inner emotions. “Take this! Eat that!” Spreading his hands wide, Haruto splashed water generously on both Ayaka and Ryota. “Whoa! You got us, Ootsuki-kun!” “I asked for help! That’s mean, Onii-chan!” The two, thoroughly soaked by Haruto, laughed happily while protesting. “Ryota, let’s work together and take down Ootsuki-kun!” “Okay! We’ll defeat Onii-chan!!” The Tojo siblings, burning with determination to defeat Haruto, slowly closed the distance. “You won’t catch me that easily.” Haruto smiles fearlessly and quickly takes off running away from the two. “Ah! Wait! You’re running away, Onii-chan!” “I’m going after you, Ryota!” Haruto runs away, occasionally looking back at the two who are chasing him in a panic. After running for a while, he slows down his speed so that he will be caught. “I got you, Onii-chan!”

“You got me. Ryota, you’re fast.” Haruto gently strokes the head of Ryota, who clings to his waist. Then, not only Ryota but Ayaka joins in as well. “I caught you too, Ootsuki-kun!” “Eh?! Wait?!” From a different direction than Ryota, Ayaka hugged Haruto’s arm tightly. Haruto cried out in surprise at her action. Seeing her hug his arm and show an innocent smile, the emotions swirling inside Haruto’s chest surfaced. Cute. Haruto purely thought of Ayaka as cute. That feeling wasn’t just about her appearance. Her figure playing cheerfully with her young brother. The dazzling smile she wore right now. Her attitude of trying to close the distance with him, even while blushing shyly. All of it stirred Haruto’s heart and feelings. “Now you’re the tagger, Ootsuki-kun?” “Yay! Run away!” At his sister’s words, Ryota quickly let go of Haruto and ran away cheering happily. Without even having time to wonder when it had turned into a game of tag, Ayaka whispered into Haruto’s ear. “Catch me?” At those words, Haruto quickly turned his face towards her, but Ayaka immediately let go of his arm and ran away. Just before running away, her sideways glance met his eyes, and Haruto’s heart was greatly stirred. He felt an impulse to run at full speed and catch Ayaka right away. However, unable to honestly follow that desire, Haruto chased after Ryota, who was running away with all his might. As if to escape Ayaka’s gaze, which seemed slightly dissatisfied, Haruto desperately chased after Ryota. After that, Haruto continued to enjoy playing in the water to his fullest, as if to deceive the conflict within his heart. And then, the three of them, having enjoyed playing in the water longer than they had expected, got out of the pool as the sun began to set. “That was fun~!!” Ryota shouted, soaking wet. “Here, dry your head with the towel.” To her brother, Ayaka took a bath towel out of her backpack and put it over Ryota’s head, and Haruto rubbed his head dry for him. “Tojo-san, if you don’t mind, please use this.” While drying Ryota’s head, Haruto offered Ayaka the spare shirt he had brought. “Eh? But this is Ootsuki-kun’s change of clothes…” Ayaka looked a little hesitant. “It’s not good for women to get cold.” “But… my shirt was eaten by the goat, but I have a change for my camisole, so I thought I might be able to manage.” “Even if you change your camisole, if your shirt is wet, the new camisole will also get wet, you know?”

“Mm…” Haruto made a slightly sad expression at Ayaka, who wasn’t nodding easily. “Does my shirt feel gross? If so… I guess it can’t be helped…” “Ah, n-no! That’s not it!” Seeing Haruto look clearly dejected, Ayaka hurriedly made an excuse. “See, if I wear Ootsuki-kun’s shirt, Ootsuki-kun will have to wear his wet shirt, right? I feel bad about that.” “You don’t have to worry about it. With this weather, if I wring it out firmly by hand and wear it, it will surely dry quickly.” “Really? Are you sure?” Haruto nodded strongly at Ayaka, who was looking up at him tentatively. “I’m fine. On the contrary, if Tojo-san continues to wear a wet shirt, it would bother me and I wouldn’t be able to relax.” According to Haruto’s standards of chivalry, it felt very wrong for him to wear dry clothes while a woman wore cold, wet clothes. “Please use it, for my sake.” “…Okay, thank you, Ootsuki-kun.” Ayaka accepted the change of clothes from Haruto. “Well then, Ryota-kun, let’s go to the changing room together and change clothes.” “Okay.” Haruto holds Ryota’s hand and heads to the changing room in the water play area. Ayaka follows him, heading to the women’s changing room. After helping Ryota get changed in the changing room, Haruto wrings out his shirt with his hands to get as much water out as possible before putting it back on. The feeling of the wet shirt clinging to his skin makes Haruto instinctively frown, but he thinks of Ayaka and quickly changes his expression to normal. Having finished changing, Haruto and Ryota waited for Ayaka to finish in front of the women’s changing room entrance, holding hands. Ryota, perhaps tired from playing all morning, had heavy eyelids and occasionally his head would nod. Just as Haruto was thinking about carrying him on his back, Ayaka emerged from the changing room entrance. “Sorry, did I keep you waiting?” “……Ah, no. Not at all, it’s fine.” Haruto’s reaction was slightly delayed. He was momentarily captivated by the sight of Ayaka wearing his shirt. It was an oversized shirt for Ayaka, giving her a loose, baggy look. The neckline was quite loose, and the hem length reached just above her knees. “Ootsuki-kun, this is a little too big, so can I tie the hem?” “Eh? Ah, yes, you can.” After getting Haruto’s permission, Ayaka tied the excess fabric of the shirt around her waist. “How do I look? Does it suit me?” To Ayaka, who smiled a little shyly, Haruto replied with some hesitation.

“I don’t think it looks strange.” “I see, that’s good.” Even though he had dressed her in his clothes, Haruto simply couldn’t bring himself to say that it suited her right now, unable to express a direct compliment. Despite that, Ayaka wore a shy, happy expression. “Well then, shall we go home?” “…Yes, let’s go home.” Haruto felt his heart rate quicken and replied, slightly stumbling over his words. On the way back from Animal Crossing Park, Haruto found himself stealing glances at Ayaka next to him many times. Seeing Ayaka in what is commonly known as a “boyfriend shirt” look, Haruto felt some kind of possessiveness being stimulated. Ayaka was wearing clothes that he usually wore. This made him feel as if she had become his girlfriend, and he became strangely conscious. Furthermore, because Ayaka had tied the hem of the shirt around her waist, her stomach was visible. He shouldn’t look. But his gaze was drawn there. Haruto desperately struggled with this conflict. Just then, Ryota’s sleepiness seemed to have reached its limit, and on the way back to the Tojo residence from the station, Haruto placed a bath towel on his back and carried Ryota piggyback. Thanks to that, Haruto was able to distract himself somewhat from his inner turmoil. And by the time they arrived at the Tojo residence, the sky was painted in a vivid sunset. “Ryota-kun, we’re home.” Haruto gently called out to Ryota on his back and lightly shook him awake. “Mmm… Huh? Where are we?” Ayaka replied to Ryota, who was speaking vaguely with his eyes half-closed. “We’re home. Come on, get off Ootsuki-kun’s back.” “…Okay.” Ryota nodded weakly and then busied himself getting off Haruto’s back. “Look, Ryota, Ootsuki-kun is leaving, so say thank you and goodbye.” “…Okay, Onii-chan, thank you… Bye-bye…” Ayaka gave a wry smile at Ryota, who was speaking indistinctly while rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Ootsuki-kun, thank you for carrying Ryota on your back.” “Not at all.” “And I’ll wash your change of clothes and return them next time.” Ayaka said, slightly pinching the collar of the shirt she was wearing. “Today was so much fun. Thank you, truly.” “I had fun too.” They exchanged smiles. After that, they looked at each other in silence for a little while. “…Um, well then, see you at the next part-time job.” “…Okay, see you.” They exchanged words containing a little awkwardness.

It felt comfortable, yet also a little embarrassing. Like he wanted to leave quickly, but also wanted to stay like this forever. In such a complicated atmosphere, Haruto opened his mouth. “Well then.” “…Okay.” Raising one hand lightly, Haruto turned his back to Ayaka. As he turned, he thought for a moment that she had worn a sad expression, but unable to turn back to confirm it, Haruto headed straight for home. It should have taken about thirty minutes to walk from the Tojo residence to the Ootsuki residence, but he found himself at the entrance of his house without even realizing it. On the way, he had been absentminded, thinking about Ayaka all day, so Haruto felt as if he had teleported. He slowly opened the front door and entered the house. “I’m home.” Haruto called out to his grandmother in the dark house. And then, just as he sat down in the entrance to take off his shoes, he felt something was off and stopped moving completely. It’s strange, something’s wrong. The sun had already almost set, and the house was completely dark. Yet, none of the lights inside the house were on. His grandmother wasn’t supposed to go out today. She should be at home, but the lights aren’t on… In Haruto’s mind, which had been preoccupied with thoughts of Ayaka, various thoughts flashed through in an instant. All of them were bad predictions, ones he wanted to avert his eyes from. “Grandma!!” Haruto called out to his grandmother as if shouting, threw off his shoes, and ran in a great hurry. She wasn’t in the corridor. She wasn’t in the Japanese-style room! She wasn’t in the living room either!! Haruto desperately tried to suppress his焦る feelings and searched the house. His heart had been pounding rapidly, to the point of being painful, since a while ago. “Haa… haa… Grandma!!” Amidst his ragged breathing, Haruto entered the kitchen, which was at the back of the living room. There, he finally managed to confirm his grandmother’s presence. However, his grandmother was collapsed on the kitchen floor. Haruto felt all the blood drain from his body. He rushed over to his grandmother in a panic. “Grandma!!” His desperate cry echoed through the house where only his grandmother and he lived.