A few days after the camping trip with the Tojo family. Haruto visited the Tojo house as usual and was diligently studying sideby-side with Ayaka in her room. “Haruto-kun, about this problem here…” “Ah, for this one, you break down the angle in the question using standard angles, and then use the addition theorem…” Haruto stopped his own studying to explain how to solve the problem to Ayaka. “Ah, I see… Then this would be with 30° and 45°… Um, since it’s sin…” Ayaka tapped her mechanical pencil against her notebook, trying to recall the formula. Haruto gave her a hint. “Saita Cosmos, Cosmos Saita.” “Ah! That’s right! Then this is sin30° times cos45° and…” With Haruto’s advice, Ayaka applied the formula to solve the trigonometry problem. Soon after, she reached the answer, and Ayaka let out a light sigh, “Phew~”. “I got it~” She wore an expression full of accomplishment. However, seeing that the next problem was also trigonometry, she pouted her lips slightly, “Hmm.” “I wonder why we learn trigonometry? I really don’t think we’ll ever use sine, cosine, or tangent when we become adults?” Haruto let out a small chuckle at Ayaka, who was adorably complaining beside him. “Skyscrapers, airplanes flying, roads and cars existing – it’s all thanks to trigonometry, you know?” “Is that so? Really?” “Really. Plus, if you master trigonometry, you can cut a whole cake however you want.” “Huh? Cake? What do you mean?” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka tilted her head, a question mark floating above it. “For example, when you want to divide a whole cake into three equal parts, that means 2π/3, so you decompose it into partial fractions, π/2 +

π/6, and then since sin π/6 is equal to 1/2, you mark a spot on half of the whole cake’s half and──” “Wait! Wait a minute! I don’t understand what you’re saying at all!” “Huh? Really?” Ayaka interrupted Haruto’s explanation midway.

Haruto tilted his head and looked blankly at her. “You learned in the previous class that π/6 is 30°, and a 30° triangle has ratios of 1:2:√3, right? So, sin π/6 is—” “Wah~ wah~ wah~! I don’t want to hear about sin or π anymore~!” Ayaka covered her ears with both hands and shook her head, shutting out Haruto’s explanation. Haruto gave a wry smile at her resistance. “If you can’t cut a cake into equal parts properly, you’ll fight with Ryotakun.” At his words, Ayaka took her hands away from her ears, leaned just slightly towards Haruto, putting a little weight on him, and said, “In that case, I’ll ask Haruto-kun to cut the cake for me.” “……!?” Ayaka said this in a slightly spoiled tone, and Haruto couldn’t help but be lost for words. Ever since the day they went camping, spending the night together under the starry sky, Haruto had felt Ayaka’s proximity was closer than usual. As for him, since that night, he had felt more strongly attracted to Ayaka Tojo than ever before, and the current situation was putting considerable strain on his heart. “I won’t necessarily be there when you eat cake.” Unable to look directly at the charming girl, Haruto lowered his gaze to his notebook and said weakly. Ayaka, in contrast, looked up at his downward-turned profile with slightly moist eyes and whispered the question. “……You won’t be there?” “…! How… I mean, more importantly, we need to make serious progress with studying, summer break is almost over, after all.” Haruto deflected the topic, as if running away from her. He had felt his heart skip a beat for Ayaka many times before, even during their ‘practice’ as a couple. However, since that night, Haruto’s heart seemed to have been completely captivated by her, and staying at the previous distance became impossible without his emotions getting uncontrollably chaotic. Today, Ayaka had suggested practicing being a couple again. But because he was finding it difficult to control his emotions, Haruto had avoided the practice with her, citing summer homework and the upcoming test after the break as reasons.

“You need to get good grades on the test after the break, Ayaka. I’ve told Ikue-san and others that I come to Ayaka’s room before my part-time job to teach you.” “Ugh… I don’t want summer break to end…” Haruto gave a wry smile at Ayaka’s sullen expression. “If your test results are bad, Ikue-san will get angry, right? Asking if you weren’t studying during the summer break.” “Ugh… I don’t want that either…” Ayaka stretched her arms limply across the desk, deepening her frown, then suddenly looked at Haruto as if she had thought of something. “I think you can work hard studying if there’s something to look forward to.” “You mean a reward?” “Uh-huh, uh-huh.” Ayaka’s expression changed from the previous frown to one filled with expectation as she gazed at Haruto. “If Haruto-kun gives me a reward, I think I can work hard studying.” Gazed upon by her sparkling eyes, Haruto hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth. “…Alright. Then, if you get 95 points or more in all subjects, you get a reward.” “Eh!? 95 is impossible! Let’s make it 60 or more?” Haruto’s proposed condition was too difficult, and Ayaka couldn’t help but raise her voice, stating her own standard. This time, Haruto looked surprised. “Eh? Isn’t 60 too low? Let’s make it at least 90 or more.” “I can’t study as well as Haruto-kun. How about 70?” “Hmm, well… 85.” “75.” “…………Fine. How about a reward if you get 80 points or more in all subjects?” He offered what he considered a significant compromise. Hearing that, Ayaka smiled broadly and nodded. “It’s decided! Okay, I’m going to work hard studying!” Ayaka put all her effort into facing her reference books. Her expression as she wrote in her notebook with serious eyes was somehow satisfied. Seeing that, Haruto gave a wry smile, realizing he had

completely fallen for Ayaka’s negotiation tactics, and resumed his own studying. After that, they both studied seriously. Occasionally, Ayaka would ask Haruto about parts she didn’t understand, and he would patiently teach and explain, and they diligently studied. For a while, they focused on studying. Then, Haruto suddenly noticed that the room had become unusually dark. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was just past 2:30 PM. It was still a time when sunlight alone should have been plenty bright. “Is the weather getting bad?” Haruto muttered, looking at the sky outside the window. At his words, Ayaka, who had been focused on her notebook, also looked up and noticed the room was dark. “You’re right. Should we turn on the light?” She picked up the remote control on the desk and turned on the room light. “The morning weather forecast said it would be clear all day, though.” “It looks like it’s going to rain, doesn’t it?” Looking out the window at the thick clouds hanging low in the gloomy sky, they had such a conversation. Then suddenly, a violent rain started, as if someone had dumped a bucket. The intense sound of rain drumming against the roof in a relentless downpour. Ayaka looked at Haruto with a slightly uneasy expression. “It’s pouring.” “It is. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of sudden downpours like this that aren’t in the forecast, haven’t we?” The unstable summer weather of recent days. The rain didn’t weaken; instead, it intensified, and proportionally, the sound of rain grew louder, and the outside grew darker. Despite it being midday, the outside was as dark as dusk. On top of that, the rain sound became more violent. They silently watched the increasingly rough scene outside the window. Then, a flash of light streaked across the sky for an instant, and a few seconds later, a heavy, low sound like the rumbling of the earth echoed. “The thunder’s starting.” “…Yeah.”

Ayaka replied weakly, her expression appearing forlorn, and she gently leaned closer to Haruto. Haruto’s emotions surged more wildly than the weather outside due to their closeness, but he desperately suppressed them. He couldn’t possibly push away Ayaka, who was genuinely scared of the thunder, so Haruto gently placed a hand on her back to reassure her. Just then, the outside became blindingly bright for a moment through the window, and at the same time, a massive explosive sound echoed, shaking the house. “Kya!?” Ayaka instinctively let out a scream. Her body jolted, and she clutched Haruto’s right arm tightly. “!?” Along with the explosive sound of thunder, he felt a soft sensation on his arm. Haruto reflexively tried to pull his arm away. At that moment, the lights went out, plunging the room into dim darkness. “W-wah!?” “Whoa!?” Because Haruto pulled his arm, Ayaka, who had a firm grip on it, lost her balance significantly and fell towards Haruto. He tried to catch her. However, the sudden thunder and power outage, coupled with her closeness, flustered Haruto, preventing him from moving his body well. As a result, he fell with Ayaka on top of him. “Ah…!” “……!” Ayaka, who had pushed Haruto down. Haruto, who had been pushed down by Ayaka. They looked into each other’s eyes in silence, their expressions filled with surprise. In the dim room due to the power outage. All Haruto could hear was the sound of the heavy rain. And his own pounding heart, just as loud. It was as if he was paralyzed; he couldn’t take his eyes off Ayaka, who was on top of him.

He knew in his head that he had to get up immediately and move away from her. But his body wouldn’t obey. His body was following his heart, not his head, it seemed. Under the cloudy sky bringing the thunderstorm, the room was dim. Despite that, Haruto simply looked into her eyes, which were clearly visible at their distance, in silence. Then, a thin, trembling voice reached his ears, a voice that seemed about to be swallowed by the fierce rain. “Haruto-kun…” She opened her lips slightly, looking straight into Haruto’s eyes. “Speaking of which… we still haven’t done… the most important practice… as a couple… have we…” Her whisper was filled with heat, yet also fragile. “Uh… no…” Haruto couldn’t form words; only meaningless sounds escaped his mouth. Like someone who had lost their language, Haruto just repeatedly opened and closed his mouth slightly. Ayaka slowly brought her lips closer to his. Her soft, lustrous hair flowed and covered Haruto, blocking out the outside world. In his current field of vision, only Ayaka, who was getting closer, remained. Inside Haruto’s mind, reason was desperately sounding the alarm. Ayaka wasn’t his real girlfriend. He shouldn’t do this. ‘Practice being a couple’ shouldn’t be used as an excuse for this. However, his body was dominated by his heart. And that heart desired her. Ayaka’s face got closer than ever before, approaching until he could feel her warm breath. Just then, the room light turned on, brightly illuminating the two of them lying on top of each other. Having been in the dimness until now, the sudden brightness made Haruto momentarily snap back to reality, and he mobilized all his reason in that instant. He placed his hands on Ayaka’s shoulders and gently pushed her away. At first, he felt a slight resistance, but as Haruto continued to push, Ayaka eventually seemed to resign herself and slowly moved away from Haruto. With Ayaka no longer on top, Haruto sat up.

Beside him, her ears were bright red, but her eyes, moist as if on the verge of tears, stared at Haruto. “Hey… Haruto-kun…” Calling his name, Ayaka tried to close the distance again. Towards her, Haruto felt emotions that threatened to explode in his chest, but he desperately feigned calmness and somehow managed to squeeze out the words. “Ayaka. The practice you just tried to do… I can’t do it.” At those words, Ayaka’s movement, which had been towards Haruto, stopped dead. “I’m truly grateful for the practice being a couple. But any more than this… I feel too guilty towards you to do it.” “…B-but! So that Grandma doesn’t find out the lie—” “Even so. Anything more than this… shouldn’t be done under the guise of practice being a couple. For Ayaka’s sake… for when she has a real boyfriend.” “…………Uh, you know! Haruto-kun!” After a brief silence, Ayaka looked at Haruto with determined eyes. However, before she could say more, Haruto spoke up and interrupted her. “Sorry. It’s almost three o’clock, so I have to start the housekeeping job.” Haruto said this flatly, without inflection, put away his study materials spread out on the desk, and then left Ayaka’s room as if he were escaping. ※※※ Haruto walked slowly and alone down a residential alleyway where the air was cool and damp after the rain. “Ah… damn…” He looked down, letting out a small curse. Having finished his housekeeping work at the Tojo house, Haruto headed home with his head down as dusk began to fall. In his mind, the events in Ayaka’s room played on repeat endlessly. “Why did I… sigh…” Her moist eyes. A small voice, trembling with anxiety, yet somehow filled with expectation.

Just remembering Ayaka’s appearance and voice made Haruto’s chest ache more intensely than he had ever experienced before. Why had he left her room like that, pushing her away? Haruto was aware of his feelings, his emotions for Ayaka. Yet, the moment she tried to close the distance, for some reason, he had an inexplicable urge to run away. He didn’t even understand himself why he had acted that way. The person he liked had made a move towards him, and he had run away from it. “I’m the worst…” During the rest of the housekeeping job, Ayaka had tried to talk to him several times. But Haruto had avoided her, pretending to be busy playing with Ryota or preoccupied with cooking. He was invited to eat dinner together, but he made a false excuse, saying he “had plans today,” and left the Tojo house just like that. Walking alone on the path in the twilight, Haruto gradually regained his composure. At the same time, a feeling of self-loathing welled up inside him due to the sheer terrible nature of his actions. He couldn’t quite articulate it, but when Ayaka had pressed herself against him, Haruto had felt a vague fear. That fear, felt deep in his heart, had rejected the idea of their relationship changing. When his contract time was up and he was quickly getting ready to leave, he caught a glimpse of Ayaka’s expression. It was something unbearable, full of anxiety and a sense of tragedy. Regarding the fact that he had made her wear such an expression, Haruto blamed himself further. “Was I such a wimp…?” Looking utterly depressed, he didn’t feel like going straight home and wandered aimlessly through the residential area. And he found a deserted park, dimly lit by faint streetlights. Haruto slowly walked towards the park and sat down on a slightly rusted swing. “Haa~…” Haruto slumped his shoulders while sitting on the swing. The upcoming housekeeping part-time job.

What kind of face should he make when he goes to the Tojo house? He continued to worry amidst his thoughts that weren’t working properly, occasionally letting out big sighs. Then, someone suddenly called out to him. “Isn’t that Haruto? What are you doing in a place like this?” When Haruto raised his face towards where the voice came from, Ishikura stood there, holding a paper bag in one hand and wearing a puzzled expression. “Huh? Kazu-senpai? What’s up?” “No no, ‘What’s up?’ is what I should be asking. Your house isn’t this way, right?” “That’s… right. Well, I was just… thinking about various things…” Haruto offered a weak bitter smile in response to Ishikura’s retort. To him, Ishikura muttered “Can’t be helped,” and sat down on the swing next to Haruto. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll listen?” “Huh? No, I’m fine.” After glancing slightly at Ishikura next to him, Haruto shook his head. “Are you really okay?” “Yes…………” After nodding slightly once, Haruto paused for a somewhat long silence before looking at Ishikura again. “Excuse me, Kazu-senpai. After all… can I ask you to listen?” “Alright.” The reliable older brother figure wore a smile on his stern face. If a normal person saw it, it would look like a cold, nihilistic smile just before a killer finishes off their target. However, for Haruto, who had spent time together at the dojo since childhood, his smile was a very warm and also dependable smile. “The story might get long, is that okay?” “Alright, don’t worry about it. Let it all out.” Taking advantage of Ishikura’s words, which showed his depth of character, Haruto told Ishikura about Ayaka and his feelings for her. Regarding the housekeeping service, since it involved the Tojo family’s privacy, he spoke about the general flow of events to Ishikura, although without mentioning names. While listening, Ishikura listened without interrupting Haruto’s story, quietly nodding in agreement.

Eventually, after hearing the story to the end, he nodded slightly and said, “I see.” “I didn’t even understand why I ran away…” To Haruto, who slumped his shoulders as he said that, Ishikura looked up slightly and chose his words carefully while thinking. “That might be related to your circumstances.” “My circumstances?” Turning towards Ishikura, Haruto tilted his head, unable to understand his words. “When you were little, you lost your parents in a traffic accident, right? And you also lost your grandfather when you entered junior high. You’ve lost important people up until now. So, somewhere in your heart, aren’t you afraid of creating new people you can consider important? Because you’re afraid of losing them someday.” “…Is that how it is? But I thought I had come to terms with my father, mother, and grandfather properly within myself?” “You ‘thought’ you had, right? Surprisingly, the depths of your heart are something even you yourself don’t understand.” Haruto slowly chewed over what Ishikura told him. The vague fear he felt when Ayaka pressed him. The impulse to run away from the change in his relationship with her. That was because he was afraid of Ayaka becoming an important person to him, and then losing her. Just like his parents and grandfather. “…Maybe that’s it…” Haruto nodded quietly. At that moment, he felt as if his mind had cleared up a little. Until now, something unknown and hazy had been swirling in his chest, but he felt as though he had somewhat understood its true nature. At the same time, he reconfirmed his feelings for her. The fact that he was afraid of her becoming an important person meant, conversely, that he wanted her to be that important person. “Haa~” Haruto let out a sigh, slightly different from before, this time containing tension. Why he had run away from Ayaka. Now that he knew the reason, he couldn’t leave this problem unresolved. He needed to face himself properly. What his own heart desired.

How strong that feeling was. However, Haruto slightly flinched at the magnitude of the emotions swelling up inside him. “Kazu-senpai. If the other person… tries to kiss you… does that mean there’s a chance?” “Isn’t that right? I don’t know, though.” To the timid Haruto, Ishikura gave a casual reply. After that, Ishikura opened his mouth as if admonishing him. “Haruto, you like that girl, don’t you?” “Uh, well… yes.” “Then don’t mope about whether there’s a chance or not. It’s strange to confess just because there seems to be a chance, right? So if there doesn’t seem to be a chance, you won’t confess?” “No, that’s…” “Right? It’s important to respect the other person’s feelings, but confessing just because they show interest… isn’t that seeing them not as someone you like, but just as someone convenient?” To Ishikura’s lecture, Haruto just listened in silence. “What’s important is your own feelings, right? How much you care about the other person. Conveying those feelings sincerely is the most important thing. If the confession succeeds, great. If not, give up completely, or desperately improve yourself to make them turn around. Worrying about how the other person feels isn’t something a man does.” At Ishikura’s straightforward words, full of manly spirit, Haruto wore a somehow refreshed expression. “Kazu-senpai, thank you. I feel like I’ve woken up.” “I see, that’s good then.” To Haruto’s thanks, Ishikura wore a frank smile. “If I were a girl, I would have fallen for Kazu-senpai.” “Stop it, that’s gross.” At Haruto’s words, Ishikura exaggeratedly grimaced slightly. Haruto showed a bright smile at Ishikura’s expression. “Thank you very much. I’ll treat you to something next time.” “It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it.” Ishikura, waving one hand dismissively, stood up from the swing. “You seem alright now. I’m heading home?” Saying that, he picked up the paper bag he had placed at his feet. “Kazu-senpai. What’s inside that?”

“Huh? Ah, this is… a new electric whisk.” Saying that, Ishikura smirked and patted the paper bag. “It’s the latest model, you see. The whipping efficiency is on another level.” In the dimly lit, deserted, and unpopular park, the stern-faced Ishikura held a paper bag with a satisfied expression, wearing a suspicious smile. From the side, it looked completely like a scene of black market dealing. Anyone would expect the contents of the paper bag to be white powder. Thinking such things in a corner of his mind, Haruto grinned an innocent smile. “Kazu-senpai. I’m looking forward to your delicious dessert treats again.” “Alright. Leave it to me.” Exchanging such words, the two left the park and headed towards their respective homes. On the way back home, Haruto made a decision. He was smitten with Ayaka Tojo. He was deeply captivated. Then, he had to convey those feelings. However, before making that confession, there was something he had to do. That was settling the mistakes he had made in the past. Unless he did that, Haruto wouldn’t be able to face her with sincerity. He opened the front door of his house, feeling more nervous than ever before. “I’m home.” “Welcome back, Haruto.” His grandmother appeared from the back of the hallway and greeted him with a bright smile. Since he had introduced Ayaka as his girlfriend, his grandmother had been in a good mood all along. Thinking that he would have to take away that smile, Haruto’s resolve wavered. However, in order to face her properly and move their relationship forward, he could not run away. Haruto made up his mind and opened his mouth. “Grandma. There’s something I have to tell you.” With a serious look in his eyes, Haruto told the truth. In order to turn his relationship with Ayaka from a false one into a real one.

※※※ The living room was dominated by silence. Grandmother and Haruto were facing each other across the table. Haruto spoke honestly about the lie he had told. The truth that Ayaka was not his real girlfriend, without hiding anything. After listening to the story, his grandmother closed her eyes and looked down for a while, then began to speak in a slow tone. “Haruto. Is that everything you just told me? Are there no more lies?” “Yes. There are no more lies. Ayaka was pretending to be my girlfriend for me.” To his grandmother’s confirmation, Haruto nodded with a serious expression. “…Haruto, the lie you told was a terribly foolish lie. Even if you did it thinking of me.” His grandmother did not raise her voice, but scolded Haruto in a quiet tone. “Truth always follows lies. It’s easy to create something with a lie. But it will definitely be broken by the truth someday. Compared to the truth, lies are far too fragile and ridiculous. Therefore, it’s better not to lie from the start.” His grandmother stared straight at Haruto. “Yes. I’m truly sorry.” To Haruto, who bowed deeply, his grandmother opened her mouth while keeping a stern expression. “It’s not me you truly need to apologize to, Haruto. You understand that, don’t you? The worst part of your lie is that you involved Ayaka-san. Haruto, you carelessly toyed with Ayaka-san’s feelings. That is something that can never be forgiven.” “Yes…” Haruto slumped his shoulders in disappointment. Seeing her grandson like that, his grandmother sensed that he was sufficiently remorseful and relaxed her expression somewhat. “Apologize properly to Ayaka-san. Apologize sincerely and with all your heart.” “Yes. I will.” His grandmother nodded slightly at Haruto’s reply.

“People are weak creatures, you see. It’s difficult to live without making mistakes. So, what’s important is to admit the mistakes you’ve made, and never make the same mistake again. Haruto, can you promise me you won’t tell the same kind of lie for the rest of your life?” “Yes, I promise. I will absolutely never tell a lie like this again.” To Haruto, who declared clearly while looking into his grandmother’s eyes, his grandmother finally showed a small smile. She spoke in a slightly softer, warmer tone. “Haruto, you mustn’t lie to others. But more than that, you mustn’t lie to yourself. You mustn’t deceive yourself at any time. Because you’ll lose sight of yourself and won’t be able to believe in anything. At any time, be honest with yourself.” “Be honest with myself… Yes, I understand.” Until now, Haruto had been deceiving himself. He had averted his eyes from the feelings that called out to him, and kept running away from his emotions. “Also, Haruto. Apologize properly to Ayaka-san. But, you also need to listen carefully to what she says and how she feels, okay? You absolutely must not make a self-righteous apology, okay?” To his grandmother, who was emphasizing the point, Haruto nodded deeply and vigorously. “I think I’ll meet Ayaka directly and talk to her properly.” “You should do that. Okay, then that’s the end of this conversation. Shall we have dinner?” “Yes. I’ll help you, Grandma.” The two finished their conversation and headed to the kitchen side by side. After that, having finished dinner and sitting down at his desk in his room, Haruto let out a long breath, “Fuu~,” trying to calm his pounding heart from nervousness. This summer vacation, he had started going to the Tojo house for his housekeeping part-time job. There, he began interacting with Ayaka, and while surprised by the gap between how she acted at school and how she was there, Haruto was also drawn to the fact that Ayaka was a normal girl. When Haruto gently closed his eyelids, various events he had experienced through the housekeeping job this summer were reflected behind them. When he first visited the Tojo house.

Ayaka wearing a bewildered expression, with her hand still on the front door, surprised. He had thought he would never be called again, but contrary to his expectation, he ended up signing a regular contract with the Tojo house. From then on, he was liked by the Tojo family members, and it became not unusual to share dinner with them around the dining table. Occasionally, he was teased about things related to Ayaka, but Haruto really liked the bright and lively atmosphere of the Tojo family. Haruto recalled those times and felt his heart gradually warm up. He took out his smartphone and opened the chat labeled Ayaka Tojo in the messaging app. “Come to think of it, I exchanged contact information with Ayaka to go see a movie…” They decided to meet outside to discuss the schedule for going to the Animal Crossing Park, and at that time, Haruto was invited by Ayaka to see a movie together. “Was that the first time we held hands…” He could still vividly remember the moment he held her hand for the first time. Her soft, slender, beautiful hand was a little cool. But as they held hands, it gradually felt warmer, as if his own body heat was transferring to it. “I was surprised when she did the ‘couple’s grip’…” Recalling the time when the way they were holding hands was changed to the couple’s grip during the movie credits, Haruto let out a small smile and at the same time, his cheeks turned slightly red. Since then, he had held hands with Ayaka in the couple’s grip several times. In his memory, she was wearing a bright and joyful smile. Not only when they were holding hands, but Ayaka next to him always wore a joyful, radiant smile. When they went to Animal Crossing Park too. When they had a barbecue at the Tojo house too. When they did fireworks, and when they looked for ice cream together too. During the camping trip, and when they looked up at the starry sky side by side too. And when they were practicing being a couple too… From now on, too, he wanted Ayaka to keep smiling.

He wanted to stay by her side and see that smile forever. The expression full of anxiety and a sense of tragedy that she showed when Haruto ran away from her. He didn’t want to see that face again. Feeling strongly the responsibility for making her wear such an expression, Haruto operated his smartphone and typed out words. “Be honest with myself… huh.” Haruto muttered quietly and sent the message to Ayaka.

Haruto and the others visited a campsite that had a hot spring about a ten-minute walk away. “Ah, this is the best.” Shuichi said, soaking in the hot spring up to his shoulders, with a towel on his head. “It is. Feels like I’m coming back to life.” Haruto also soaked up to his shoulders in the hot spring, letting out a sigh as if expelling fatigue. Compared to the two of them, Ryota was standing on the edge of the tub, checking the temperature with his toes. As Haruto watched him with a gentle smile, Shuichi next to him spoke in a relaxed tone. “How is it, Ōtsuki-kun? Are you enjoying your first proper camping trip?” “Yes. Sitting around the bonfire with everyone, the camp food, everything is the best.” “That’s good. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying it.” Shuichi nodded, satisfied with Haruto’s reply. “The seafood paella was also incredibly delicious. Ikue-san is a great cook. I’m envious of Ayaka-san and the others who get to eat this cooking every day.” “Ahahaha. Is that right! Ikue will be very happy to hear that.” Shuichi laughed cheerfully, then let out another “Ah~” before speaking to Haruto in a deeply felt tone. “But still, it was really good that Ōtsuki-kun came to our house as a housekeeper.” “I also think it’s good that I could be a housekeeper for a family like yours, Shuichi-san. I feel a lot of fulfillment.” “I’m happy to hear you say that.” Shuichi smiled at Haruto’s words. He wiped his face with his palm once, then closed his eyes to savor the hot spring. “Ever since you started coming as a housekeeper, Ayaka seems to be having a lot of fun.” “Is that… right?”

“Hmm. Actually, my daughter has a slight aversion towards men. As a parent, I was worried about that.” “Ah… so that’s how it was.” Shuichi opened his closed eyes, leaned his back against the edge of the tub, and looked up at the ceiling as he spoke. Haruto nodded in understanding at his words. At school, Ayaka was always surrounded by female students, with male students pushed outside that circle. Before he started interacting with her as a housekeeper, seeing her behavior at school like that made Haruto think that Ayaka might not be interested in men, feeling like she rejected men. “Maybe it’s a parent’s bias, but Ayaka was very cute when she was little. Because of that, boys would often tease her, and well…” “I see.” Boys intentionally being mean to girls they like is a common behavior pattern among young children, but it’s not surprising that if it happens frequently, a girl might develop a fear to boys. Shuichi continued speaking while looking up at the ceiling. “If I only prioritized my own desires, I wouldn’t want the shadows of many men fluttering around my cute daughter. I might even wish she wouldn’t interact with boys while having an aversion to men. But things don’t really work out that way.” Saying that, Shuichi showed a wry smile and continued speaking with the look of a father who cares for his daughter. “The period you and Ayaka are in now, what’s called youth, allows you to feel many different joys. On the other hand, I think it’s also a time when you become sensitive to sadness and hardship, causing your feelings to fluctuate and become unstable. It’s fun, but sometimes you’re also attacked by an indescribable anxiety. I believe that the various emotions you feel during such youth will enrich you and your life when you become an adult.” Shuichi slowly lowered his gaze from the ceiling. “That’s why. As a parent who cares about my daughter, I wanted her to experience various things and emotions during that precious time that passes in an instant.” Saying that, Shuichi turned a gentle smile towards Haruto. “You two are in a very sensitive period right now, so adults shouldn’t meddle too much. I understand that in my head.” Shuichi paused, then turned towards Haruto and bowed his head. “Please, continue to be good friends with Ayaka.”

“Wh-What?! Shuichi-san! Please raise your head!!” Haruto said in a panic to Shuichi, who bowed so deeply his face was almost in the water. Just then, Ryota made up his mind and plunged into the hot spring up to his shoulders with a splash, then came over to Haruto and Shuichi. “Dad, what are you doing? Are you having a breath-holding contest?” Shuichi, who had been bowing his head, laughed “Ahahaha” at his son’s words and raised his head. “No, Ryota. I was asking Ōtsuki-kun to continue being good friends with you and Ayaka.” Shuichi explained with a laugh to his son, who tilted his head. Then Ryota looked at Haruto with a puzzled expression. “Onii-chan, don’t you love Onee-chan yet? Does it still take time?” “Eh?!” Haruto was struck speechless by Ryota’s sudden question. Ryota then started explaining to his father with an excited expression. “Hey, Dad! Onii-chan wants to marry Onee-chan! He said so before!!” “Ah, wait, Ryota-kun!?” Ryota dropped a bombshell on Shuichi, looking like he was having fun. It seemed Ryota clearly remembered what Haruto had said about marriage at Animal Forest Park. Haruto tried to stop him in a panic. However, Ryota, who had turned into a runaway train who loved his Onee-chan and Onii-chan, knew no stopping. “But he said! He can’t get married because he doesn’t love Onee-chan yet!” Every word Ryota uttered pierced Haruto and relentlessly chipped away at his mental state. But Ryota mercilessly and gleefully continued explaining to his father. “Do you know, Dad? For marriage, just liking someone isn’t enough!” “Is that right? Then, can you tell Dad how you can get married?” Shuichi gently asked Ryota, who was trying hard to explain. Ryota then declared clearly with a smile so full it looked like it would burst. “For marriage, you need love!!” Perhaps because he was in the hot spring, Haruto felt Ryota’s voice had a slight echo. “Even when you fight, you need love to stay together! That’s why for marriage, just liking someone isn’t enough, you need love!!”

“Oh, you know that well. Ryota, you’re amazing.” When Shuichi smiled and stroked his head, Ryota showed off an adorable smug face saying “Hehehe!” “When we went to the zoo, Onii-chan told me!!” “I see, I see.” “And he said! Onii-chan likes Onee-chan, but it still takes time for them to love each other!!” With his innocent words, Ryota mercilessly obliterated Haruto’s already damaged mental state. As Haruto, whose mental state was tattered like a sandbag, fell into a light daze, Ryota launched a follow-up attack. “Onii-chan. It’s been several days since then, does it still take time to love Onee-chan?” “Ah, ah… um, yeah…” “How much longer? Tomorrow?” “No, a little longer… It might still take some time.” “Next week? When will Onii-chan become my real Onii-chan?” Ryota, who had completely taken a liking to Haruto, seemed to want him to marry his sister as soon as possible. Haruto’s smile became strained because of him. “Ry-Ryota-kun, listen… that’s not so simple…” “Why? Onii-chan said you can get married if you have love?” “Um, that’s right, but… it’s not ‘you can get married if you have love,’ but rather ‘you need love for marriage’ is more correct, or something…” “What’s different? Isn’t it the same? Onii-chan, can’t you love Onee-chan? Do you dislike getting married?” “No… I don’t dislike it, but, um…” Haruto faltered under Ryota’s high-attack-power ‘Why?’ barrage. Just then, Shuichi, who had been watching their exchange with amusement, offered a lifeline. “Ryota. For marriage, of course, you need love, but there’s one more thing you need?” “Is that right? What is it?” “That is… money.” “Money?” Shuichi explained soothingly to Ryota, who tilted his head adorably.

“Listen, Ryota. For marriage, there’s something called a wedding ceremony. And you buy wedding rings, too. You need a lot of money for that. Your Onee-chan and Ōtsuki-kun have to save money for marriage from now on, so they can’t get married yet, okay? Do you understand?” “Hmm~, so you need money for marriage.” Ryota didn’t fully understand Shuichi’s explanation, but he seemed convinced for now. “Onii-chan, work hard and save money! I’ll cheer you on!” Haruto somehow managed a strained smile at Ryota, who clenched both fists and made a cheering pose. “Ah, thank you, Ryota-kun. Um, I’ll do my best…” Ryota’s ‘Why?’ attack had stopped for now thanks to Shuichi’s persuasion. But at the same time, Haruto felt something when he saw Shuichi’s satisfied smile. A sense of being surrounded by some kind of wall, an illusion. ※※※ “Hot spring at the campsite is the best~!” “Bonfires are fun, but you get covered in the smell.” I cupped the hot water in my hands and poured it over my shoulders, next to Saki, who stretched widely while soaking in the hot spring. The large public bath was spacious and felt open, and that alone made my heart feel somehow healed. Saki was also stretching her arms and legs in the tub, completely relaxed. “My stomach’s full, the hot spring feels great, I’m so happy right now~” Mama, across from Saki, who was relaxed and slightly floating, smiled. “It’s lively with Saki-chan here, I have fun too~” “Thank you so much for inviting me today! Ikue Mama’s paella was incredibly delicious!” “Oh, thank you.” Mama smiled, putting her hand on her cheek, looking happy at Saki’s words. “Lately, I’ve been completely relying on Ōtsuki-kun’s cooking, so I have to try hard once in a while or my skills will get dull.” “Now, for breakfast, there’s always at least one dish Haruto-kun made in advance, isn’t there.”

Ever since Haruto-kun started coming as a housekeeper, the Tojo family’s dining table seems to have more dishes and feels a little more luxurious. It’s not that Mama hasn’t cooked before, but when both parents are working, there are times when she simply can’t get around to cooking. At those times, we used to just eat simple instant meals or order delivery. But now, thanks to the constant stock of Ōtsuki-kun’s home cooking in the fridge, we can eat healthy and delicious meals. “That carrot salad Haruto-kun made the other day. That was really delicious~” The flavor of carrots and the crunchy texture. The acidity of grain mustard mixed with the sweetness of honey, and the exquisite saltiness added to it, made it so delicious I felt like I could eat it infinitely. Even Ryota, who isn’t very fond of carrots, ate Haruto-kun’s carrot salad in an instant. “That’s right. It adds color, and it was good, wasn’t it? Also, I like the beef and glass noodle japchae~” “Definitely! The japchae Haruto-kun makes is really delicious, isn’t it.” I nodded vigorously at Mama’s opinion. Saki, seeing me and Mama, laughed amusingly. “Ōtsuki-kun, you seriously captured the Tojo family’s stomachs.” “Saki, you ate Ōtsuki-kun’s meal prep when you stayed over for the barbecue before, right? It was delicious, wasn’t it?” “Well, it was delicious, but after that, Ayaka also declared ‘Haruto-kun is mine’.” “Ah, that was! Saki, you were trying to… um…” “Oh my? Ayaka-san, your face is red, isn’t it?” “O-Oh, it’s just because I’m in the hot spring and my circulation is getting better!” I turned my face away from Saki, who was peering at me to tease me. Then Mama spoke with a gentle smile. “But Ayaka, you really have to make Ōtsuki-kun yours during this summer vacation. I shiver and can’t sleep at night just thinking about his meal prep stock disappearing from the fridge.” Mama hugged her own shoulders and shivered. “Ikue Mama, you’ve become addicted to Ōtsuki-kun.” “Saki-chan, Ōtsuki-kun isn’t just good at cooking, you know? He’s also meticulous with cleaning, and he plays with Ryota. Honestly, the minimum

standard for a future son-in-law coming into our house has to be Ōtsukikun’s level.” “Whoa~, the standard for Ayaka’s husband candidates just skyrocketed!” “Hey! Mama and Saki, don’t just blow things out of proportion on your own!” Mama has been talking about Haruto-kun as a son-in-law, but we aren’t even dating yet, so I’m troubled when she talks like that. First, I think it’s normal to properly date Haruto-kun and become official lovers, and then think about what comes after that… “Seriously… just how much do you like Haruto-kun?” “Isn’t it obvious that I like him so much I’d welcome him into the Tojo house right now? Besides… Ayaka, you like Ōtsuki-kun, too, don’t you?” “Uhm… Th-That’s… Ugh… I-I like him, okay?” I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. Since I hadn’t particularly tried to hide it, I thought Mama already knew how I felt about Haruto-kun. But when she said it so directly, the feeling of embarrassment still overflowed. “If Ōtsuki-kun had been forcefully pursuing you, or if Ayaka had been uncomfortable with it, I might have cancelled the regular contract, but…” Mama looked at me with a soft, embracing smile. “If you like Ōtsuki-kun, then there’s no reason to object anymore, is there? My cute daughter’s happiness comes true, and a wonderful, domestic young man comes to be our son-in-law. As a parent, it’s hitting two birds with one stone.” Mama, saying that, didn’t have her usual teasing, smirking look, but a gentle expression that showed she was genuinely thinking about me. Oh, saying that with that face just makes me even more embarrassed… I soaked my face up to my mouth in the hot spring to hide my embarrassment and flushed face. Next to me, Saki said, “By the way,” “Does it seem like Ōtsuki-kun might confess yet? Can you break free from the fake boyfriend relationship?” “U-Um, I wonder… I think I’m trying pretty hard to appeal to him, but…” I replied hesitantly to Saki’s words. Then, Mama’s face lit up like never before, and she looked at me with sparkling eyes. “What, what? What’s this about a fake boyfriend?”

Saki looked at me with a slightly awkward expression, saying “Huh?” to Mama, who was full of curiosity. “Maybe you kept things with Ōtsuki-kun a secret from Ikue Mama?” “Um, it’s not like I was keeping it a secret, but… I was too embarrassed to talk about it myself…” Besides, Mama might be okay, but I don’t know what kind of crazy reaction Dad would have if he heard about it. That’s why when I practice being lovers in my room, I pretend I’m studying to deceive them. “Ayaka, really. What were you doing with Ōtsuki-kun behind my back?” Mama’s expression changed from that of a mother to a teasing, smirking smile as she questioned me. “I-It’s not like I was hiding it, but… um…” I felt like I couldn’t resist the pressure from Mama, so I explained my current relationship with Haruto-kun to her. Of course, I kept things about Haruto-kun’s parents hidden since I couldn’t just talk about them behind his back. Mama, who had finished listening to the explanation, had a very excited expression, her eyes shining. “Oh my, oh my! So that’s how it was! Oh my, oh my! Just recently there wasn’t a single boy in your life, this is nice, isn’t it? Youth, indeed.” “P-Please keep it a secret from Papa, okay?” “Hehehe, alright. I’ll keep it a secret. But seriously, Ōtsuki-kun. I thought he was quite mature, but he has some cute sides, doesn’t he? So…” Mama looked at my eyes in a good mood. “As Saki-chan said, can you win Ōtsuki-kun over?” “Ugh… I wonder…” I think things are going pretty well with Haruto-kun. I think so… but I still don’t know if he’ll confess… Saki then said, resting her hand on her chin. “Watching Ōtsuki-kun and Ayaka together during the barbecue and this camping trip, I think Ōtsuki-kun definitely likes Ayaka by now.” “I-Is that so? Do you think so?” “Yeah, in fact, I can’t see it any other way. So, I think you can do it if there’s some kind of event that triggers a confession.” “Event…” What kind of event would trigger a confession? To me, tilting my head, Saki said with a joking smile.

“For example, dragging Ōtsuki-kun to a church and standing in front of the priest together?” “Th-That’s not a confession anymore! That’s swearing eternal vows!” “But Ayaka, you want to be by Ōtsuki-kun’s side in sickness and in health, right?” “…………I-I do, but…” “Hyu~, so devoted, aren’t we.” “Mo-Mom! Don’t tease me!” I protested and scooped up some hot water, lightly splashing it at Saki. Saki, who got hot water on her face, said “Agh! Hehehe, sorry, sorry,” but her expression was definitely smirking. While I was pouting at my best friend, Mama suddenly said, as if she had a flash of inspiration. “Speaking of which, isn’t there a fireworks festival next week?” “Oh! Ayaka, there’s a really good event!” At Mama’s words, Saki also looked at me with high spirits. “Ah, u-um… Now that you mention it, yeah…” “Huh? Why the lukewarm reaction?” Saki tilted her head curiously. “No, I want to watch the fireworks with Haruto-kun too, but… um…” “Um?” “If possible, I was hoping Haruto-kun would invite me~” I twiddled my fingers, feeling embarrassed at what I just said. Saki let out a sigh at me. “There you go again, being greedy Ayaka.” “B-But…” I know I have to be proactive, but I still want to pursue my ideal a little bit… “If Ōtsuki-kun forgets about the fireworks festival, you might not get invited and it’ll just end like that?” “Before that happens, I’ll invite him. But there’s still a possibility that Haruto-kun will invite me, right?” “Ayaka, you’re really such a maiden.” Saki shook her head as if saying “Oh, dear”. I feel like I’ve been getting closer to Haruto-kun lately, so I personally think there’s a high possibility that he’ll invite me.

Just as I was thinking that, Mama looked at me and said, “Speaking of which.” “The day of that fireworks festival is Ryota’s overnight preschool trip.” “That’s right, now that you mention it.” Ryota’s preschool has an event called an overnight trip for the senior class, which lasts one night and two days. Ryota will be at the preschool from the evening until before noon the next day. “I think I’ll also be getting home late that day.” On the day of the overnight trip, there’s also some kind of exchange meeting for parents, and Mama seems to be participating in that. “Besides, Shuichi-san is going on a business trip starting next week.” After saying that, Mama smiled at me kindly. “That day, you’ll be the only one home, so it’s a chance to bring Ōtsukikun back to the house while the atmosphere is still good after the fireworks festival!” I protested with a red face to Mama, who said something unfitting for a parent while giving me a quick wink. “Br-Bringing him back?! Mama, you can’t say that?! Parents are supposed to make sure that doesn’t happen usually!” “That’s right. Certainly, it’s still too early for grandchildren.” “Gr-Grandchildren?!” I was speechless without thinking. Until now, I thought Mama was okay, although Papa needed to be cautious. But maybe Mama is also quite dangerous… I looked at Mama with caution, who was saying things like “But I do want to see my grandchildren’s faces.” Saki, next to me, egged on. “Ōtsuki-kun is a boy too, you know. If you go after him with Ayaka’s attractive body, it’s one shot!” “W-We’re still high school students! We have to have a pure relationship!!” I swat away Saki’s hand, which was poking my chest. “Anyway, I’m not even dating Haruto-kun yet! First, we have to become official lovers!” “Oh, Ayaka, don’t get so worked up. I’m just kidding, of course.” Mama said with a chuckle. “Really? Are you seriously just kidding?” When I looked at Mama with suspicious eyes, she returned a smile.

“Of course, it’s half a joke.” “Half of it is serious!!” ※※※ Haruto, who got out of the hot spring, walked back to the campsite carrying Ryota, who had fallen completely asleep, on his back. As Haruto readjusted Ryota, who had slipped down a little, saying “Whoa,” Ayaka came next to him and said. “My prediction was spot on.” “Yeah.” “Are you okay? Is he heavy?” Ayaka turned her face towards Haruto, looking concerned. From her, the scent of shampoo, specific to after a bath, gently wafted, tickling Haruto’s nose. “Yeah. I’m totally fine.” Haruto nodded slightly, slightly averting his gaze from her attractive hair, which felt moist and glossy. Why do women after a bath appear so attractive? The scent they wear, their slightly wet hair. And their fresh, plump, unadorned smiles. Ayaka, with a beaming expression, had slightly flushed cheeks, perhaps because she had just gotten out of the bath. That’s when Haruto looked at Ikue and Saki, who were walking a little ahead, and thought. Why is it? I feel like Ayaka’s face is somewhat redder than the other two. As Haruto was wondering, Saki, who slowed down and came closer to Haruto and Ayaka, put on a teasing smile. “Now now, you lovebirds over there. If you’re so lovey-dovey, you might get lost, you know?” “Oh my- Saki stop!” Ayaka immediately turned towards Saki, showing a flustered, embarrassed expression. “Haruto-kun and I aren’t married yet!” “Oh? ‘Yet’ means you plan to be in the future?” Huh?! That’s not what I meant!!” Haruto gave a wry smile at the two girls talking lively, then slightly lifted Ryota on his back, who had slipped down again, and walked back to the campsite at a slow pace.

After that, Haruto returned to the campsite after walking for a few minutes and put the sleeping Ryota to bed in the tent. “Ōtsuki-kun, thank you. You always take care of Ryota.” “No, it’s totally fine.” Ikue thanked Haruto, who had come out of the tent. Just then, Shuichi, holding a bottle that looked like wine, came over with a beaming face and proposed. “How about it? Shall we all have a feast?” Saki was the first to react to his proposal. “A feast! That’s a great idea, Shuichi-san!” “But Papa, we can’t drink alcohol yet?” Ayaka frowned, looking at the bottle in her father’s hand. Shuichi smiled more deeply at his daughter’s reaction. “No problem. Actually, this isn’t wine, it’s just grape juice.” Saying that, Shuichi held out the bottle towards Ayaka so she could see the label clearly. It was indeed clearly labeled as one hundred percent grape juice. Haruto also looked at the grape juice, which looked exactly like a wine bottle, with admiration. “That’s amazing. There’s juice like that.” “Hmm. It’s probably delicious. After all, it’s a five-thousand-yen item.” “Fi-?! Five thousand?!” Haruto’s eyes popped out at the astonishing price uttered by Shuichi. Next to him, Saki, who was also a commoner, let out a mysterious sound of “Ah, ah, ah”. Shuichi and Ikue are both very friendly and easy to talk to, and Ayaka and Ryota have no pretense at all, so Haruto tends to forget that the Tojo family is celebrity. Haruto and Saki trembled with fear at the excessively expensive juice. Seeing the two of them, Ikue said with a gentle smile. “Please don’t hesitate to drink it. It’s okay to have many refills. I brought four of these.” “Fo-Four bottles…” “Wow…” Just the juice alone cost twenty thousand yen. Haruto was speechless at that fact, and Saki reacted like a foreigner. Just then, Ayaka, who didn’t seem to mind at all, came over with disposable paper cups in her hand.

“Are these cups okay? I have bigger ones too?” “…You rich bastard… You, you’re so lucky!!” Saki suddenly hugged Ayaka from behind and started tickling her sides. “Kya?! Saki, wait!?” “You! Being a celebrity, beautiful, and having a great figure is cheating!” “Sa-Saki, you’re thin too!! Stop, ahahaha! Wa-Wait! That tickles!!” “Shut up~! You cheater! Give me half of this chest size!!” “Th-That’s impossible, obviously!? W-Wait, Saki?! No, d-don’t grab me!!” Saki, who was attacking, and Ayaka, who was desperately resisting. Haruto quietly averted his gaze from the interaction between the high school girls unfolding in front of him. He felt that the fact that both of them had just gotten out of the hot spring was a factor that increased their charm in various ways. “…Shuichi-san. Are these cups alright?”

Haruto picked up the paper cup Ayaka had brought earlier, as if to distract himself from the awkwardness. “No, we’re drinking this, so it’s fine.” Shuichi shook his head and then picked up a bottle of genuine wine this time. Seeing that, Haruto made a suggestion. “In that case, how about I make some snacks?” “Oh! What will you make?” “I have canned tomatoes and penne, so I thought I’d make arrabbiata. I think it will pair well with wine.” “Oh!! Please do!!” Shuichi responded excitedly to the dish Haruto proposed. “By the way, is spicy food okay for everyone?” When cooking as a housekeeper, since Ryota is also present, Haruto tries to make the seasoning less spicy and sour. However, now that Ryota is sleeping, that consideration is unnecessary. Haruto, who believes arrabbiata is best when it’s spicy, asked, and Ikue nodded and replied. “Totally fine. Actually, I like spicy food. Right, dear?” “Yes. Besides, spicy food goes well with alcohol.” After hearing the Tojo couple’s replies, Haruto also confirmed with the two girls who were still playing around. “How about you two? Is spicy food okay?” “Spicy is welcome!” Saki, who had been thoroughly tickling Ayaka, stopped her hands and saluted Haruto. Ayaka, finally freed from Saki’s clutches, said “Saki, you idiot…” while pouting, then said to Haruto. “I’m fine with spicy food too.” “Got it. Then I’ll make it with a spicy seasoning.” Having confirmed with everyone, Haruto immediately started cooking. Since the bonfire had been put out before going to the hot spring, Haruto placed the frying pan on the stove. Then, Saki looked into the frying pan from behind him and asked. “By the way, Ōtsuki-kun. I wasn’t listening at all, what are you making?” “Arrabbiata.”

“Wow~. You’re making something stylish again~. I’ve only ever eaten arrabbiata at family restaurants.” Saki, who said this admiringly, smirked and looked at Ayaka. “Really, I’m so envious… Ayaka, you’re going to eat the arrabbiata Harutokun make from now on, right?” “That’s right~” Ayaka replied to her teasing, her cheeks slightly puffed out. Seeing her expression, Saki smirked even more. “Haruto-kun. Make Saki’s portion extra spicy.” “Ahaha, roger.” “Ah~! Ayaka, you’d do something like that to your best friend?” “Because Saki is being mean to me.” “Isn’t this just a form of expressing love?” “Hmph.” Perhaps because Ayaka and Saki have known each other for a long time. They were talking without any reservations towards each other. Haruto continued making the arrabbiata, occasionally joining in their conversation. He added chopped garlic and red pepper to olive oil, and heated it to transfer the aroma and spiciness to the olive oil. Shuichi’s face softened at the aroma of garlic and pepper that gently drifted on the night breeze. “I could drink wine just from this scent.” Haruto smiled at his words and continued cooking, stir-frying onions, adding canned tomatoes, and simmering it down. A few minutes later, Haruto tossed the boiled penne in the sauce, adjusted the seasoning with salt, and finally added a small amount of olive oil for finishing before plating it. “It’s finished. Penne all’arrabbiata.” Haruto placed the plated arrabbiata on the table that everyone was gathered around. Then, Shuichi started pouring drinks for everyone as if he couldn’t wait. And when everyone had their drinks, he raised his glass and said cheerfully. “Then let’s make a toast! Cheers!!” To his toast, Haruto and the others also held up their cups and said “Cheers!” “Kyuu~ this grape juice is delicious!! What is this!?”

Saki’s eyes widened at the expensive juice. Next to her, Ayaka reached for the arrabbiata Haruto had made with her chopsticks. “Haruto-kun, this is really delicious.” “Good. Eat a lot.” “Yeah! Ah… but it’s a little spicy.” Ayaka gave a wry smile at the spiciness that slowly spread across her tongue. Ikue smiled gently at her daughter. “This spiciness is good. It goes so well with the wine, it’s the best. Thank you, Ōtsuki-kun.” “I’m glad it suited your taste.” Haruto bowed his head happily at Ikue’s praise. “Delicious drinks, delicious food, and a sky full of stars when you look up. Ah, it’s the best!” Shuichi said with satisfaction and tilted his wine glass. After that, the feast continued lively as everyone snacked on the arrabbiata. Shuichi and Ikue, while praising Haruto’s cooking, drank the alcohol heartily, and Saki, regretting that she couldn’t drink alcohol, said while drinking juice, “Ōtsuki-kun, why don’t you open an izakaya in the future? I’ll be a regular there.” Ayaka was also drinking and eating juice and arrabbiata alternately, saying “This spiciness is addictive…”. The lively and fun feast under the starry sky eventually concluded when Shuichi, completely drunk, put his arm around Haruto’s shoulder and cheerfully said things like “You can call me ‘Otou-san’ instead of ‘Shuichisan’.” The women and men went into separate tents. Haruto, wrapped in his sleeping bag, felt a great sense of fulfillment that his first proper camping trip was more fun than he had imagined. Immediately, he could hear Shuichi’s snoring from next door. Haruto felt gratitude towards the Tojo family once again. The pressure he felt regarding Ayaka made him a little nervous, but still, they were very kind to him, inviting him to camping and barbecues like this. Thanks to that, he could also enjoy his part-time job as a housekeeper and feel a sense of fulfillment. “They’re such a good family…” Haruto muttered quietly to himself.

The lively, bright, and loving atmosphere of the Tojo family. Through his part-time job as a housekeeper, Haruto also experienced that atmosphere, and his heart felt naturally warm. He was truly glad he took on the housekeeping job this summer vacation. And he was glad he met the Tojo family. Thinking that, Haruto quietly closed his eyelids and fell asleep. ※※※ Perhaps because it was his first time sleeping in a tent, his sleep might have been a little shallow. Haruto woke up naturally and thought that as he stared blankly at the tent ceiling. It was still completely dark outside. He fumbled for his smartphone, which was placed near his pillow, and checked the time. It was just past midnight. Haruto tried to close his eyes and fall asleep again for a while, but his eyes were unexpectedly wide awake and he couldn’t fall asleep. Reluctantly, he gave up on sleeping and carefully crept out of the tent, being careful not to wake the Tojo family sleeping next to him comfortably. In the dark of the middle of the night, relying on the soft moonlight, Haruto managed to find his shoes placed near the tent entrance and put them on. He then slowly stood up and casually looked up at the night sky. “Oh…” Immediately, a small voice of admiration leaked from his mouth. The night sky spread out above his head. There was a starry sky that felt infinitely vast. Thousands of stars were densely packed in the night curtain, spread out above him as if to envelop him, twinkling fantastically. “Is this what they call a sky full of stars…” Haruto just stared blankly at the night sky, at the overwhelming sight that was hard to come by in urban areas and residential areas with lots of artificial lights. At first, Haruto had thought of taking a walk and moving his body a little before going to sleep. However, the starry sky was so beautiful that he simply sat down on the grass a little distance from the tent and quietly looked up at the night sky. How long had he been doing that?

Suddenly, a zipping sound of a zipper opening entered Haruto’s ears as he watched the stars, forgetting the time. When he turned his gaze towards the sound, he saw Ayaka, whose eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness of the night, coming out of the tent with hesitant movements. After struggling a bit to put on her shoes, she started walking slowly and then stopped when she noticed Haruto sitting on the grass a little distance from the tent. “Huh? …Haruto-kun?” Ayaka asked with a little confusion, seemingly not seeing clearly in the dark. “Yeah. I’m not used to sleeping in a tent, so I woke up. And when I came outside, the starry sky was really beautiful.” “Oh, so that’s what happened.” “What about you, Ayaka?” “Um, I… I think I drank too much juice before going to bed…” Haruto nodded slightly, saying “Ah, I see,” to Ayaka, who spoke with a little embarrassment. “I think the restroom is over there, right?” Haruto said, looking towards the log house-like hut a little distance away. “Yeah.” She nodded her head slightly, glanced at Haruto sitting on the grass, and then looked up at the starry sky. “Haruto-kun, are you still awake?” “Yeah. I think I’ll stay here a little longer.” Saying that, Haruto looked up with a calm expression on his face. “I see… Ah, well, I’ll just, um…” “It’s okay, go ahead.” When Haruto said that, Ayaka hurried towards the log house-like hut. After seeing her off, Haruto continued to gaze leisurely at the starry sky. Ayaka returned to him. “Good. You were still awake… Hey, Haruto-kun. Can I, uh, sit next to you?” Haruto thought she came back faster than he expected. She was a little breathless. It seemed she had hurried back from the hut to here. “Yeah. Of course.”

Maybe she was a little scared to go to the restroom alone? If so, he should have gone with her. While thinking this internally, Haruto readily agreed for Ayaka to sit next to him. Ayaka looked very happy at Haruto’s reply and sat down next to Haruto, leaving a gap about the width of a fist. “It’s beautiful. The starry sky.” “Yeah, it’s really beautiful.” The night breeze gently stroked the two of them, who were sitting side by side, looking up at the night sky. Thanks to the high altitude, the temperature dropped considerably at night even in midsummer, and the gently flowing night breeze felt comfortable. Ayaka said in a deeply felt tone next to Haruto. “Without unnecessary lights, you can see so many stars.” “That’s right. It feels like the night sky has gotten a little closer when you can see so many stars.” “I know! It makes you lose your sense of distance, doesn’t it?” Ayaka showed happy agreement with Haruto’s words. The dark night world, where no light was felt except for the slightly illuminating soft moonlight. The sky full of stars seen from there was such a spectacular view that it felt like it was pressing in on them, giving a sense of fantastical vastness. “Stars are mysterious, aren’t they?” Ayaka took her eyes off the starry sky and looked sideways at Haruto, who muttered quietly. “When you think that each of those lights is a star, the universe is truly vast.” “A star means a star like the sun?” “Yeah. A star that emits its own light.” After nodding at Ayaka’s words, Haruto looked up at the night sky, his eyes shining like a young boy. “Around those countless stars, there are many planets, and on one of them, there might be a planet like Earth, and they might be looking at the stars and saying how beautiful they are, just like us. Thinking about that makes me kind of excited.” “Hehehe, Haruto-kun, are you surprisingly romantic?” While Ayaka smiled amusedly, Haruto explained to her very seriously and with a little bit of enthusiasm.

“No, no. This is about science?” “Is that so?” “There’s actually an equation to calculate the possibility of intelligent life existing other than humans on Earth.” “Equation…” “You apply various variables to that equation, but until recently, we couldn’t prove that planets actually exist around stars.” “H-Heh…” To Haruto, who suddenly started talking passionately about space science, Ayaka replied with a slightly overwhelmed tone. He then continued to talk about space happily. “But recently, with recent research, we’ve found that stars move slightly, and it was found that this is due to the gravitational influence of the planets around them. Because of that, it’s been proven that the possibility of stars having planetary systems is not zero, so the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent civilization existing has also significantly increased.” “Oh, so that’s how it is…” Ayaka showed a slightly strained smile, thinking that it was going to be a romantic story at first, but it turned out to be a very scientific one. “Because there’s a big difference between zero and one, you know. Whatever you multiply by zero is zero.” Ayaka looked at Haruto, who said something like that while looking up at the fantastical starry sky, with a slightly dissatisfied expression. “………Hey, Haruto-kun.” “Yeah?” “Isn’t there something a little more romantic? Like, do you know any myths about constellations?” Haruto tilted his head at Ayaka’s words. “Hmm. I don’t really know much about constellations.” “Oh, I see… Oh, that’s right.” Looking at the dimly shining moon, Ayaka suddenly had an idea and turned the conversation towards Haruto. “Haruto-kun, did you know that saying ‘The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?’ can be a declaration of love?” “Ah, yes. That’s Natsume Soseki, right?” “Huh? Is that so?” Ayaka had intended to lead the conversation towards something romantic, but she never expected him to mention the name of an old literary

master. She couldn’t help but look surprised. Perhaps finding her expression amusing, Haruto chuckled softly and began to speak. “When Natsume Soseki was an English teacher, one of his students translated ‘I love you’ directly as ‘I think fondly of you’. Natsume Soseki then said that Japanese people don’t use such direct expressions. So when the student asked, ‘How should I translate it?’, Natsume Soseki apparently told him to translate it as something like ‘The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?’. That’s supposedly the origin.” “That’s how it was, I didn’t know. Haruto-kun is knowledgeable.” To Ayaka, who was genuinely impressed, Haruto scratched his cheek as if to hide his embarrassment and replied, “This is a pretty well-known story.” “Is that so? But why would the translation of ‘I love you’ be ‘The moon is beautiful’?” Standing beside Haruto, Ayaka also looked up at the night sky and asked, looking puzzled. Catching her profile out of the corner of his eye, Haruto opened his mouth in a quiet voice. “Seeing the same moon side-by-side, sharing the feeling that it’s beautiful. That’s worth ‘I love you’. I feel like I saw an explanation like that somewhere.” “That sounds really nice. Romantic and lovely.” “Well, I doubt there are many people in reality who are stylish enough to make such a confession.” At least, he couldn’t imagine a date plan where they looked up at the night sky together at the end and confessed with “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”. As Haruto was thinking such things, Ayaka beside him suddenly took her gaze away from the starry sky and looked at him. “Haruto-kun, what would you translate ‘I love you’ as?” “Eh…? You’re asking for something really tough.” Haruto smiled awkwardly at Ayaka, who was smiling back happily. “Haruto-kun is good at studying, right? So I thought you might come up with an expression that rivals Natsume Soseki.” “No, no. The other party is a representative Japanese literary master whose face is on banknotes, you know?” Haruto said this with a wry smile, but she continued to gaze at him with expectant eyes. It seems she won’t back down unless I give some kind of answer.

Feeling this, Haruto looked up at the starry sky in the middle of the night and racked his brain for something. Ayaka continued to watch him with a happy and amused expression. At that moment, a gentle summer night breeze brushed between the two. At the same time, Haruto felt enveloped in Ayaka’s scent. The faint smell of soap from her recent bath, still lingering, and Ayaka’s usual scent, somehow subtly sweet. Carried on the wind, that scent made Haruto, still looking up at the starry sky, murmur softly. “Tonight’s night breeze feels pleasant… or something?” “…………” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka just silently stared at him. Under her gaze, embarrassment gradually welled up inside Haruto. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Haruto’s face turned bright red, and he spoke quickly. “Forget it! Forget that! Forget it!” “Huh? I thought it was really good, though? As expected of Haruto-kun.” “Stop it, it’s embarrassing.” To Ayaka, who was praising him with a full smile, Haruto still had red cheeks and scratched his head vigorously with one hand, writhing in shame. Seeing his reaction, Ayaka smiled gently and made a suggestion to Haruto. “Hey, Haruto-kun.” “Hmm?” “Shall we practice being a couple?” “Huh? Right now?” “Yeah.” Ayaka nodded bashfully. “Looking up at the starry sky together late at night feels kind of like a couple, you know?” “Does it?” “Yeah. So, I think it would be a waste to miss this situation.” Saying this, Ayaka tilted her head slightly and looked towards Haruto, asking, “You don’t want to?” “No, I don’t dislike it at all, but…” “Then it’s decided!”

With a buoyant voice, Ayaka said this and filled the gap, which had been about a fist-width, sitting down so close that she was snuggled right up against Haruto. “…Um, what kind of things should we practice?” Feeling the warmth from beside him, Haruto felt his heart beating faster. “Hmm. What do real couples do in times like this, I wonder?” “…Holding hands and quietly observing the starry sky, maybe?” Haruto just said the first thing that came to mind. At his words, Ayaka murmured “I see” before slowly extending her right hand towards Haruto. Haruto looked at her right hand for a moment, then slowly intertwined his left hand with hers. From beside him, he could hear her “Hehehe,” a somehow joyful smile. To distract himself from the shyness, Haruto looked up at the starry sky filled with stars, and following suit, Ayaka also looked up at the night sky with him. “…It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” “Yeah, it’s incredibly beautiful…” After exchanging brief words, the two stood side by side in the darkness spread with stars, looking in the same direction. After a while of silently gazing at the starry sky, Haruto suddenly felt a weight on his left shoulder. Pulled by this, he lowered the gaze he had been directing upwards to his left shoulder. There was Ayaka, resting her head on his shoulder, leaning against him. From Ayaka’s hair right in front of him, he could smell her scent more strongly and clearly than when the night breeze carried it earlier. As Haruto’s heart pounded at this, her soft, ethereal, thin voice reached his ear. “Haruto-kun… you know… tonight’s night breeze feels pleasant… or something.” “………!” At those words, Haruto involuntarily turned his face towards her. Then, Ayaka, who had been resting her head on Haruto’s shoulder, slowly looked towards him as well. Their eyes met at a close distance. Reflected in Haruto’s eyes was Ayaka, illuminated by the gentle, ephemeral moonlight.

She appeared so beautiful and mystical, as if she didn’t belong to this world, and to Haruto, she seemed more captivating than ever before. Haruto hastily broke their gaze and looked back up at the night sky. However, the countless stars, which had been breathtakingly spectacular just moments ago, were now completely out of his sight. This was because the charm of the girl beside him was too dazzling; her radiance had made the stars fade. Haruto couldn’t help but realize that his feelings had reached a point where they could no longer be concealed, his heart pounding so loudly he worried Ayaka might hear it. I can’t keep pretending to be a fake couple anymore… No, I don’t want to. Thinking that, Haruto had completely lost his heart and become captivated by the girl named Ayaka Tojo. “Hey, Haruto-kun. Which one is the Summer Triangle, I wonder?” Ayaka, unaware of Haruto’s emotional state, spoke to him with a fragile yet beautiful, innocent smile, illuminated by the moonlight. He, while struggling not to be swallowed by the turbulent current of emotions welling up and spreading within him, desperately feigned calmness and replied. “…Aren’t those and those and those ones?” “You’re just guessing, aren’t you?” “Yeah, sorry.” “Geez… Hehehe.” While desperately suppressing the emotions that threatened to overflow, Haruto spent the quiet night with her, who was laughing happily beside him.

Lush green mountains spread out before their eyes. The wind brushing against their skin was cool for midsummer, feeling pleasant on bodies warmed by the strong sunlight. “Because the elevation is high, the temperature is comfortable,” Shuichi said, stretching broadly after being freed from the long drive, as he got out of the car. “Thanks for the driving, dear,” Ikue, who got out from the passenger seat, said words of appreciation to Shuichi and handed him the coffee she had in a thermos. As the Tojo couple were exchanging those words, the sliding door of the rear seat opened, and Ryota, freed from the cramped car interior, jumped out. “It’s camping time~!” As if venting the stress from sitting still during the long drive, Ryota ran across the green grassland at full speed. Ayaka, getting out of the car, warned her innocent younger brother’s back. “Ryota! Don’t go too far by yourself!” “Okayーy!” Ryota replied cheerfully, but being too high-spirited, he didn’t seem to be listening to his sister’s warning. Saki, who got out of the car after Ayaka, chased after the energetic Ryota. “Ryotaー! How about we explore the forest together!” “Yeah!! Let’s explore!!” Ryota replied in a loud voice, then ran towards Saki, held her hand, and went towards the forest adjacent to the campsite. Watching that scene, Haruto, who got out of the car last, showed a gentle smile. “Ryota-kun looks like he’s having fun.” “I hope he doesn’t get too carried away and get injured or anything,” Ayaka said with a bit of worry. Haruto looked towards Saki, who was having fun with Ryota but was also taking good care of him while firmly holding his hand. “Aizawa-san is good at looking after others.” “Saki has been looking after Ryota since he was little, you see.” As Ayaka and Haruto stood side-by-side watching Ryota and the others, Shuichi approached them, carrying luggage in one hand.

“Ōtsuki-kun, could you help me unload the luggage from the car?”

“Yes, of course. Where should I take the luggage?” “We reserved that section over there, so could you take them there?” Shuichi said, pointing to a section around the middle of the campsite. Haruto replied, “Understood,” and took out luggage like tents from the roof box attached to the Tojo family’s minivan and carried it. Haruto, who was invited to camp by Shuichi when he attended the Tojo family’s barbecue last week, came camping with Saki, who was also invited. The campsite, which they reached after about a three-hour drive, was located in a high-altitude mountainous area, so although the sunlight was strong like summer, the temperature felt lower compared to the plains. To Haruto, who had finished unloading the luggage from the car, Shuichi said, pointing to the bag containing the tent set. “Ōtsuki-kun, could I leave the assembly of that tent to you? I’ll assemble this tent here.” “Understood. Leave it to me.” Two tents were prepared, one for men and one for women. The plan was to set up a tarp tent in the middle and arrange each tent on either side of it. “Um… first, insert the poles into the sleeves of the inner tent. The inner tent.” Haruto assembled the tent while looking at the diagrams in the instruction manual. He had not had many opportunities for outdoor activities before. In fact, this was his first time assembling a tent. “I see, so inserting the poles into the lower parts makes the tent stand up. It’s surprisingly easy to assemble. But the person who first came up with the idea of a tent must be a genius.” Haruto felt a slight sense of awe at assembling a tent for the first time. Ayaka came over to him as he proceeded smoothly with the tent assembly, setting up the front poles and so on. “Haruto-kun, can I help with anything?” “Ah, okay, I’m going to put this flysheet over, so could you hold that side?” “Okay, got it.” Ayaka nodded at his words, moved to face Haruto, and held an edge of the flysheet. “Okay, let’s put it on.” At Haruto’s signal, they coordinated their movements and placed the flysheet over the inner tent.

Afterwards, they connected the inner tent and the flysheet and finally inserted pegs into the ground. While Haruto was pegging down the opposite side, checking the tension of the tent, Ayaka surprisingly hammered in the pegs efficiently. “You’re good at this.” When Haruto praised her, Ayaka gave a slightly smug smile. “I come camping with my family every year. Was this your first time camping, Haruto-kun?” “For a proper one, yes.” Haruto had done day-trip-like camping several times with Tomoya before. However, a full-fledged camping trip where you pitch a tent and stay overnight was a first experience for him this time. “You didn’t get lost assembling a tent for the first time.” “Well, if you just follow the instructions, it wasn’t that difficult, you know?” “Seriously? When I assembled a tent for the first time, it turned into a mysterious object!” “A mysterious object… Heh.” Imagining Ayaka fumbling and building a mysterious structure during her first tent assembly, looking lost, Haruto couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Ah! Haruto-kun, you just laughed! You’re making fun of me!” “No, not at all. Only a little bit.” “So you are making fun of me!” Ayaka puffed out her cheeks and lightly smacked Haruto with the empty bag that had contained the pegs and such. “Sorry, sorry. No, I just thought you’d be kind of cute imagining you like that back then.” “Hmph… Ngh!” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka not only puffed out her cheeks but also pursed her lips, vigorously smacking Haruto. As Haruto’s expression softened at her cuteness, diligently delivering zero-attack-power bag smacks, Shuichi, who had been assembling the other tent, came over. “Oh, you’re fast at assembling it. As expected of Ōtsuki-kun.” “No, Ayaka-san helped me.” When Haruto said this while looking at the slightly pouting Ayaka, Ikue, who was tidying up the luggage, smiled warmly.

“I’m so happy to see you two have become quite close.” Ikue said this with a beaming expression, teasing them a little. When Haruto first came to the Tojo house for housekeeping help, when teased like this, Ayaka would immediately protest, her face turning red. However, now, although her face still turns red, she no longer denies her mother’s words as she used to. “You’ve come to the house many times for housekeeping work now, so it would be strange if you didn’t get along. Right, Haruto-kun?” “Uh, ah, well, yeah.” “Oh my, that’s nice~. Ōtsuki-kun, please take care of Ayaka from now on too, okay?” “Ah, yes.” Haruto, requested by Ikue, replied reflexively. At that moment, Shuichi, holding the tarp fabric, called out. “Alright, let’s quickly set up the tarp together.” Saying so, Shuichi spread out the fabric between the two assembled tents. The tarp the Tojo family had prepared this time was a rectangular type called a Recta tarp. “Ōtsuki-kun, I’ll set up this pole here, so could you set up the pole over there?” “Understood.” Haruto nodded at Shuichi, who was pointing to one of the two main poles that would serve as supports, and moved to the base of the opposite main pole. Seeing Shuichi fixing the guide ropes that support the main poles with pegs, Haruto imitated him and fixed the guide ropes to the ground in the same way. “Okay, let’s raise the poles. Is your side alright, Ōtsuki-kun?” “Yes, I think it’s fine.” “Alright. Then let’s go? Ready, set!” At Shuichi’s signal, they raised the poles simultaneously. As the tarp shot up, Ikue and Ayaka fixed the ropes at the four corners to the ground with pegs, stretching the tarp taught. Shuichi and Haruto adjusted the tension of the guide ropes to ensure the main poles were standing securely. “Alright! Tent setup complete!” Stepping back a few steps, Shuichi nodded with satisfaction, looking at the completed tent setup.

Just then, Ryota, who had been exploring the forest with Saki, ran back. “Onii-chan! Look at this! There was a weird bug!” Full of energy and excitement, Ryota held up a brown insect he had in his hand and showed it to Haruto. “This is a cicada nymph.” “Huh?! This is a cicada? Its shape is totally different!” Haruto said this upon seeing the insect Ryota held, and Ryota stared intently at the insect with a look of utter wonder. “You see, cicadas spend a long time underground, and when they come out onto the surface, they molt and become adult cicadas.” “Molt?” “Molting is… when a cicada with wings comes out of this nymph.” “A cicada comes out of this?” It seemed Ryota couldn’t picture Haruto’s explanation at all, as he kept tilting his head the whole time. At his expression, Haruto smiled fondly. “Maybe you’ll be able to see it molt tonight, so how about we put the cicada nymph on the tent?” “Yeah!” Ryota nodded vigorously at Haruto’s suggestion and released the cicada nymph he was holding onto the tent. “Become a strong cicada!” Ryota called out while watching the cicada nymph, released onto the tent, slowly climb up the tent. As Haruto smiled at this heartwarming scene, Shuichi, untying a bundle of firewood, spoke to Haruto. “Ōtsuki-kun, it seems you can use fallen branches from the forest for the bonfire here, so could you pick up a few?” “Understood. Ryota-kun, how about we go pick up branches for the bonfire together?” “Yeah! Let’s go!” “Oh, Haruto-kun, I’ll go too.” Following Ryota, who nodded enthusiastically, Ayaka also said she would go with Haruto and the others. “Saki, are you coming too?” “I’ll pass… I need a little rest…” Ayaka called out to Saki, who was sitting on the cooler box placed next to the tent.

However, she shook her head with a slightly breathless voice. It seemed her energy had been completely drained from keeping up with high-energy Ryota. “Saki-chan, you must be tired. Want some cocoa when I make it?” “Yes, please! I’d love some!” Saki nodded back happily to Ikue, who spoke in a comforting tone. “Okay, we’ll go and pick up some firewood?” “Yeah, have fun~” Seen off by Saki, who waved one hand casually, Haruto and the others went into the forest to collect firewood. “When we explored the forest just now, lots of branches were lying around!” “Oh, then let’s pick up lots of branches and have an amazing bonfire.” “We’ll have a splendid bonfire!” “Be careful not to get too excited and burn yourself, okay?” Ryota’s eyes sparkled at Haruto’s words. Ayaka smiled wryly at her brother and warned him. Not just Ryota, but Haruto too, with his heart leaping with anticipation for his first proper camping trip that was about to begin, headed towards the forest adjacent to the campsite. “Just as Ryota-kun said, there are lots of branches fallen.” The three of them, Haruto, Ayaka, and Ryota, walked through the forest, picking up fallen twigs. “Onii-chan! This branch is big!” Ryota came over to Haruto with a big smile, holding a branch in both hands. “Oh, it’s big. But maybe that’s a bit too big? Let’s pick up slightly smaller branches.” What Ryota dragged over felt more like a trunk than a branch. They had bought firewood for the bonfire, so what Haruto and the others were collecting now were thin branches for kindling. Haruto picked up a branch that had fallen just at his feet and showed it to Ryota. “Ryota-kun, let’s collect lots of branches around this size.” “Yeah! Got it!” Ryota nodded cheerfully, threw down the tree trunk he was holding with a thud, and ran off again to gather branches.

“Ryota. Try to collect wood that’s as dry as possible.” “Okay!” Ayaka called out to Ryota, who was running around in the forest, with a wry smile. Since this forest was managed by the campsite, the trees grew neatly in rows, the ground was somewhat leveled, and there were no tall grasses or bamboo grass, making it very easy to walk. “Looks like Ryota will collect an amazing amount by himself.” Saying so, Ayaka slowly gathered the branches lying nearby. Beside her, Haruto also smiled while picking up branches. “That stamina is a little bit enviable, isn’t it?” Ryota had been repeating a tough workout of running at full speed, crouching to pick up branches, standing up, and immediately running at full speed to the next branch. “But he’ll probably start sleeping like a log in the evening or at night, like he suddenly ran out of battery?” “That’s cute in its own way.” “My prediction is he’ll whine about being sleepy on the way back from the hot spring.” “If that happens, I’ll carry him back on my back.” “Carrying a sleeping child on your back is heavy~” To Ayaka, who said this teasingly, trying to test Haruto a little, he smiled and said, “It’s okay.” “Someone like Ryota-kun is fine. It’s not that long a distance either.” The campsite they were staying at today had a hot spring facility about a ten-minute walk away. After enjoying camping food in the evening, everyone was planning to go to that hot spring. “If anything, I can even carry Ayaka on my back.” When Haruto, who had been attending a karate dojo since childhood and was confident in his physical strength, said this jokingly, Ayaka’s face turned slightly red with embarrassment. “If you say things like that, I might really ask for a piggyback ride, you know?” Haruto’s heart gave a sudden lurch when Ayaka looked up at him with a slightly serious look. “Huh? Ah~… If Ayaka throws a tantrum saying she’s too sleepy to take even one step, then I’ll carry you on my back.”

“Hmm, that might be a little embarrassing.” Haruto replied, feigning calmness while hiding his inner turmoil. Then Ayaka made a slightly thoughtful expression. “But I think I’ll feel good and get sleepy after the hot spring, so being carried on Haruto-kun’s back would be convenient and appealing, you know?” “Don’t talk about people like they’re a taxi!” To her words, said like a monologue, Haruto retorted with a small laugh. Drawn by this, Ayaka also smiled. “Hey, Haruto-kun.” “Hmm?” “Haruto-kun, if you get a real girlfriend, would you prefer to do outdoor activities like this together? Or would you prefer to relax and spend time together at home?” “Hmm, let’s see.” Haruto tilted his head at Ayaka’s question while casually picking up a branch that looked just right. “Both are appealing, but…” In Haruto’s mind as he answered, he recalled his time with Ayaka during this summer break. The time they spent in her room practicing being a couple and studying for summer homework was fun, and walking around town together, like the other day visiting the shopping mall or having lunch at a cafe, was also very enjoyable. “I think a girlfriend I can enjoy both outdoor and indoor activities with would be nice. Is that a selfish answer?” “No, I think the same way as you, Haruto-kun.” Ayaka smiled brightly and continued speaking, looking at Haruto with a little embarrassment. “You see, I had a really fun time when I was with you in my room, and during the ice cream hunt date the other day, and I’m having a lot of fun now too… So, recently I’ve often thought that when I get a boyfriend in the future, I’d like someone that I can feel happy just being with, like this.” “Oh, is that so…” “Yeah…” At Ayaka’s words, Haruto stopped the hand he had extended to pick up a branch dead in its tracks and replied with confusion. In response, Ayaka also looked down shyly and nodded slightly.

“Um… if Ayaka wants to, I think you could get a boyfriend right away, you know?” “…Really?” Ayaka stared at Haruto with slightly moist eyes. Her eyes seemed to overflow with various emotions, and Haruto, hesitant to interpret them, reflexively averted his gaze from her. “Ayaka is, um… cute, you know.” “Hehehe, thank you.” “Mm…” Haruto could only manage a short reply to her shy, bashful smile. Just as the atmosphere became slightly awkward, Ryota returned to them, his arms full of branches. “Onii-chan! With this much, can we have a splendid bonfire?” “Ah, ah, yeah. That’s amazing, Ryota-kun. It’s great that you collected so many branches.” “Hehe~” Praised by Haruto, Ryota’s expression became smug. “Alright, let’s go back to everyone and start the bonfire.” “Yeah! Splendid bonfire!” Following the overly excited Ryota, who was hugging a chestful of branches, Haruto returned to the campsite. In his head, the words Ayaka had just said were repeating over and over. Upon returning to the campsite from the forest, Haruto immediately began preparing for the bonfire. “You picked up a lot.” Seeing the branches piled up like a small mountain next to the firewood they had bought for the bonfire, Saki wore an expression that was both impressed and exasperated. “I collected the most!” Next to the small mountain of branches, Ryota showed a proud expression to Saki. “Really? How pathetic for both Ayaka and Ōtsuki-kun to lose to Ryota~” “I really can’t compete with Ryota-kun’s stamina.” To Saki, who brought both hands up to her shoulders and shook her head as if saying “Oh dear,” Haruto said in defense. At his words, Saki put a hand on her chin and said, “Hmm?” looking back and forth between Ayaka and Haruto.

“Is it really a matter of stamina? Weren’t you actually flirting instead of picking up branches~?” “Th- That’s not true at all!” At Saki’s suggestion, Ayaka hastily denied it. “Really? Is it just me, or does Ayaka’s face look a bit red?” “Yes, it’s just your imagination! Right, Haruto-kun! We were seriously picking up branches, weren’t we?” “Yep. We weren’t focused on quantity, but quality, carefully selecting the branches.” Haruto, prompted by Ayaka, deliberately joked and exaggerated his answer. Seeing the two of them, Saki grinned. “I see. Well, I’ll just pretend that’s the case.” “It’s the truth. I was just having a normal conversation with Haruto-kun.” “There are times when Ayaka’s ‘normal’ is completely not normal.” “That’s not true. I’m always normal, a person of common sense.” “Oh ho, if that’s what you think, would it be alright if I shared some stories about Ayaka’s airheadedness with Ōtsuki-kun?” At Saki’s words, Ayaka said anxiously. “W- wait! Tell me what kind of stories they are first, okay?” “Ehh~ That won’t be fun though.” “It’s fine if it’s not fun!” Ayaka was busy getting embarrassed and flustered at Saki’s teasing, but somehow they seemed to be having a fun conversation. As Haruto smiled wryly at the two who had started a girls’ talk, Ryota, looking impatient, tugged at his sleeve. “Onii-chan. Is the bonfire ready yet?” “Right. Let’s start the bonfire.” Haruto smiled at Ryota and then called out to Shuichi, who was carrying chairs and tables under the tarp. “Shuichi-san. I’m thinking of starting the bonfire, but where is the bonfire stand?” “Ah, um… Mom. Where did you put the bonfire stand?” “I think it’s in that grey box over there. Could you open it and check?” Ikue, who was carrying tableware onto the assembled table, said, pointing to a plastic storage box. “Understood. Thank you.”

After thanking Ikue, Haruto peeked inside the storage box she mentioned. Inside, he found what he was looking for, neatly folded and compactly stored. Haruto immediately assembled the bonfire stand and began preparing for the bonfire. Just then, Ikue brought a bundle of bamboo skewers and a bag of marshmallows. “Eat these once the fire is lit.” “Wow! Roasted marshmallows! Ikue-mama is the best!” Saki, who had been having a girls’ talk with Ayaka, looked at the bag of marshmallows with sparkling eyes. “Hehe, Saki-chan, we have these too, so eat the roasted marshmallows sandwiched in them.” Saying so, Ikue handed Saki a box of crackers. “Oh! S’mores, right!” Saki’s face broke into a happy smile at the simple sweet that could be made by just roasting marshmallows and sandwiching them with crackers. “Ōtsuki-kun! We must make a fire immediately!” To Ryota and Saki, who were looking at him with excited expressions, Haruto smiled wryly and said to Ryota. “Got it. Okay, Ryota-kun, could you place the fire starter in the middle of the bonfire stand?” “Okay! Um… is it okay here?” “Yeah. Alright, let’s arrange small branches over it.” Haruto and Ryota together arranged the collected twigs over the fire starter like a pyramid. After arranging the branches, Haruto lit the fire starter through a gap. Seeing the flickering, weak flame caress the branches, Ryota looked up at Haruto. “Onii-chan. Should we fan it?” “No, let’s wait a bit longer before fanning. Let’s fan it once the branches have caught fire properly.” “Yeah!” Ryota stared intently at the fire with a serious look. Eventually, the fire from the kindling transferred to the thin branches, and the unreliable flame grew a little larger. Haruto added slightly thicker branches and said to Ryota, “Alright, let’s fan it. Fire might fly, so stay a little bit away, and fan slowly at first.”

“Got it!” Ryota took the fan from Haruto and slowly sent air from a spot a little distance from the bonfire. “Good job. Very good.” “Hehehe.” Ryota beamed happily at Haruto’s praise. After that, the fire continued to grow steadily, and once the purchased firewood caught fire, Saki, as if she had been waiting, held a bag of marshmallows and said, “Ōtsuki-kun, is the fire-starting complete?” “Yeah, I think it’s fine now.” “Saki-neechan, I helped start the fire too!” “Good boy! For such a good Ryota, I’ll give you this.” Saki patted Ryota’s head and then handed him a marshmallow from the bag. Just then, Ayaka came over with bamboo skewers. “Ryota, you skewer the marshmallow on this and roast it.” “Like this?” “Yes, exactly. Now bring it close to the fire.” Hearing Ayaka’s words, Ryota forcefully plunged the marshmallow skewered on the bamboo stick into the fiercely burning fire. Immediately, the marshmallow caught fire, and what was pure white rapidly turned pitch black. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!? It turned all black!?” Ryota looked at the carbonized marshmallow in surprise, and Haruto skewered a marshmallow on his own skewer, showing Ryota an example. “Ryota-kun. If you roast it slowly like this, away from the fire and turning it, it’ll turn out well.” The marshmallow, roasted slowly over indirect heat, had a faintly goldenbrown surface. Haruto removed the perfectly roasted marshmallow from the skewer, put it between crackers, and handed it to Ryota. “Here you go. It’s a snack called a S’more.” “Thank you! It’s sweet and delicious!” Ryota’s face lit up as he tasted a S’more for the first time. Next to him, Ayaka, just like her brother, had carbonized her roasted marshmallow.

“Ah… I messed up.” With a sad expression, she looked towards Haruto as if seeking help. Receiving her gaze, he chuckled and skewered a marshmallow for Ayaka. “The heat might be a bit too strong.” Saying something to back her up, Haruto, like he did for Ryota, placed the golden-brown marshmallow between crackers and handed it to Ayaka. “Thank you, Haruto-kun.” Ayaka thanked him with a beaming smile. The moment he saw her smile, a conversation with her in the forest flashed back in Haruto’s mind, and he felt his face redden slightly. Praying that she would think his face was red from the heat of the bonfire, Haruto returned Ayaka’s thanks with a smile. Just then, Saki, munching on a S’more she had made herself, said as if something had sparked in her mind, “I think I’ve come up with the best combination!” Saki said that and rummaged through her backpack, which held her belongings, pulling out a box of snacks. “Wouldn’t making S’mores with these be amazing?” In her hand was a packet of everyone’s favorite biscuits with chocolate shaped like a sailboat. The moment she saw them, Ayaka’s excitement also soared. “That’s definitely going to be delicious! Saki, you’re a genius!” “Heheheh~. Praise me more.” To Saki, who stood with her hands on her hips, Ayaka bowed exaggeratedly, saying, “Yes, Saki-sama~.” “Hmm, you may rise. I shall share these biscuits with everyone.” Saying that, Saki distributed the snacks to everyone. Ayaka, who received a biscuit from her, looked at Haruto with expectant eyes. “Haruto-kun.” “Understood. I’ll roast them now, just a moment.” “Me too, Onii-chan.” At the Tojo siblings’ pleas, Haruto gave a wry smile and skewered three marshmallows onto a stick. The Tojo siblings looked on with sparkling eyes, excitedly watching Haruto roast the marshmallows. Seeing their similar expressions, Haruto smiled, thinking they were indeed siblings, and then placed the roasted marshmallow between Saki’s

biscuits. “Here you go.” “Thank you, Haruto-kun.” “Thank you! Onii-chan!” The Tojo siblings happily accepted them and immediately popped them into their mouths, their faces glowing with happiness. “Mmm~, the melted marshmallow and chocolate mixed with the crispy biscuit is the best~.” “Onii-chan! This is so delicious!” “That’s good to hear.” Haruto nodded gently at Ryota’s words, eating a S’more himself with one hand, while with the other, he roasted the next marshmallow for the Tojo siblings. Saki, next to Ayaka, was eating her proposed S’more variation, muttering, “Am I a genius?” As the four enjoyed S’mores, the large bag of marshmallows disappeared in an instant. Just then, Ikue came over with a slightly larger skillet. “Can I use the bonfire?” “Yes, of course.” Haruto replied and spread the fire slightly to make it easier for Ikue to cook, then set up a trivet over it. “Thank you, Ōtsuki-kun.” “Ikue-mama. What are you making?” Saki looked at Ikue with expectant eyes, watching the skillet placed on the trivet. “Seafood paella.” “Paella at a camp! How stylish!” “Heheheh~, sometimes, as a housewife, I need to show off that I can make delicious food, you know?” Ikue oiled the skillet with olive oil and, while sautéing onions and garlic, smiled sweetly at Haruto. Receiving her smile, Haruto subtly raised the corners of his mouth, showing a slight competitive spirit. “Then I’ll have to make something not to lose to Ikue-san either.” Saying that, he took out another skillet, different from Ikue’s, which he had brought, and placed it on the trivet. “What are you making, Onii-chan?”

“Ajillo.” “A-jil-lo?” Ryota tilted his head at the unfamiliar word. Haruto smiled, saying, “Wait a little until it’s done,” and then accepted some olive oil from Ikue and poured it into his skillet. Haruto had told Ikue and Shuichi in advance that he would cook dinner as a thank-you for being invited to the Tojo family’s camping trip. He had planned to buy and bring ingredients himself, but when he told Shuichi, he was told, “We’ll prepare all the ingredients, so Ōtsuki-kun just needs to bring changes of clothes and a sleeping bag.” Incidentally, when Shuichi, with sparkling eyes, asked, “What are you planning to make?” and Haruto replied Ajillo, Shuichi had a happy expression, saying, “I see, perhaps some wine?” Ikue and Haruto, side by side, continued cooking with their skillets. A garlic aroma wafted from Ikue’s skillet. She added rice and seafood mix to it. “Ikue-san, can I have some of that seafood mix later?” “Of course. I’ll leave it here for you.” “Thank you.” Haruto thanked Ikue for placing the seafood mix on the adjacent table, then peeled garlic and put it into his skillet filled with olive oil. “I’m looking forward to Haruto-kun’s Ajillo.” Ayaka said, watching Haruto cook. “Well, Ajillo is just putting ingredients into olive oil and simmering them, so the taste doesn’t change much no matter who makes it,” Haruto replied, adding a few chili peppers. Since Ryota would also be eating, he was careful not to let any seeds get in, keeping the amount small enough for just a hint of flavor. Just then, Shuichi came to the bonfire with sliced baguettes on a tray. “Ayaka, could you roast these for a bit?” “Yeah, got it.” Ayaka took the tray from Shuichi and arranged the baguettes in the space between the two skillets to roast them. Watching her, Saki’s expression softened. “It’s the best to dip baguettes in Ajillo and eat them, isn’t it?” “Hey, Onee-chan. I want one piece of bread.” While Saki happily watched the cooking, Ryota looked at the tray Ayaka was holding with longing eyes and said,

“Alright, fine. Just one, okay? It’s tastier if you roast it properly and eat it with Ajillo.” Saying that, Ayaka handed one baguette to Ryota. Ryota said, “Yay!” and took it with both hands, happily taking a bite. Listening to their exchange, Haruto added broccoli, shrimp, scallops, and cherry tomatoes to his Ajillo and simmered them, then added a little herb salt. “The Ajillo is mostly done.” “The paella will take a little longer.” Ikue replied, looking at the covered skillet. “Well then, let’s eat the Ajillo first.” At Shuichi’s words, Haruto nodded, took the Ajillo off the trivet, and moved it to the table. “Let’s eat.” Everyone put their hands together and said “Itadakimasu!”, then Ryota immediately reached for the Ajillo with sparkling eyes. “Ryota-kun, it’s delicious with bread.” “Really?” Haruto said that to Ryota, took a roasted baguette, put shrimp on it, and handed it to Ryota. “Thank you, Onii-chan!” Ryota took it from Haruto, took a bite, and his face lit up. “Onii-chan, this is delicious!!” “That’s good to hear.” Haruto was soothed by Ryota’s smile. Saki, sitting opposite him, dipped a baguette in the Ajillo, placed garlic on it, and brought it to her mouth. “Mmm-hmm~! It’s the BEST!! Ōtsuki-kun, the seasoning is perfect!” Saki, who shivered and moaned in ecstasy the moment she tasted it, gave Haruto a thumbs-up. Next to her, Ayaka also ate broccoli and nodded. “Yeah, as expected of Haruto-kun.” “Hahaha, thanks. But as I said earlier, Ajillo is just simmering ingredients in olive oil and garlic, so the taste doesn’t change much no matter who makes it,” Haruto replied, trying to hide his embarrassment by handing Ryota a baguette soaked in Ajillo oil. Just then, Ikue smiled sweetly. “The simpler the dish, the harder it can be because there’s less to hide behind.”

“Ayaka, you’re so lucky to get to eat so much of Ōtsuki-kun’s home cooking. You naughty girl~.” Saki said, lightly nudging Ayaka next to her. “W-Well, it’s not just me, Ryota’s eating it too, and…” Ayaka replied to Saki’s words and reached for the Ajillo as if to escape from Saki, eating a scallop. “Even so, when someone is this good at cooking, Ōtsuki-kun’s future wife must be envious, huh?” Saki said to Ayaka with a slightly mischievous expression, in a voice quiet enough that Haruto couldn’t hear. “That’s… that’s true.” “It looks like she needs to secure that position quickly, or someone might steal it~.” “U-Ugh…” As Ayaka’s face reddened slightly and she looked down, Saki grinned. Then Ikue, who had been checking on the paella, seemed to have heard Saki’s words and joined the conversation. “That’s right, Ayaka. If you don’t catch Ōtsuki-kun quickly, I’ll be in trouble.” “M-Mama, that has nothing to do with you!” “It has everything to do with me!” Ayaka’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at her mother joining the conversation. To her daughter, Ikue explained with a very serious expression. “Because Ōtsuki-kun is only doing the house-keeping part-time job for the summer holidays, isn’t he?” “Yeah, he is.” “That means when summer vacation ends, Ōtsuki-kun won’t come to our house anymore, right?” “That’s…” “This summer holiday, Ōtsuki-kun’s house-keeping has helped me so much that I can’t live without him anymore.” Ikue said with a slightly exaggerated, joking tone. “Mama, what!?” To her mother, Ayaka looked at Haruto in a slight panic. He was currently feeding Ajillo to Ryota, engrossed in an outdoor discussion with Shuichi next to him, and couldn’t hear Ayaka’s conversation.

Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief at this. Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Ikue smiled and continued speaking. “If Ayaka catches Ōtsuki-kun, he’ll still come to the house even after summer vacation ends, won’t he?” “T-That might be true, but since he won’t be doing house-keeping work anymore, it’d be rude to ask Haruto-kun to cook.” To Ayaka, who was arguing with Ikue, Saki said with a grinning expression, “That’s where you, as his girlfriend, ask your boyfriend, ‘Haruto-kun, I want to eat your cooking!’” Ayaka’s cheeks instantly reddened upon hearing Saki’s words. Ikue then pressed on further. “As for me, I’d like Ōtsuki-kun to eventually come to our house as a sonin-law, you know.” “A s-son-in-law!? T-That’s too soon to talk about!” “But if Ayaka becomes Ōtsuki-kun’s wife, you’ll have all-you-can-eat of his home cooking, won’t you?” “T-That’s… certainly tempting, but…” Under the barrage from Ikue and Saki, Ayaka’s face was completely red, looking as if steam might pour from her head. Just then, Ryota, who had been engrossed in eating Ajillo, opened his mouth with a pure, innocent expression. “Onee-chan, are you going to be Onii-chan’s wife?” Ryota said loudly, looking at his sister with shining, expectant eyes. That question clearly reached Haruto’s ears, who had been engrossed in conversation with Shuichi. Ryota had been engrossed in Ajillo until now. Ikue and the others had also been talking in a slightly lower voice so Haruto wouldn’t hear, but it seemed Ryota’s ears were exceptionally sharp when it came to his beloved sister and Haruto. He had clearly heard Ikue’s statement, “If Ayaka becomes Ōtsuki-kun’s wife,” and was looking excited. At Ryota’s sudden remark, Haruto paused his conversation with Shuichi and looked at Ryota with a bewildered expression. In response to the situation, Ayaka, with a bright red face, hurriedly denied Ryota’s statement. “W-What are you saying, Ryota!! Don’t suddenly say weird things!!” “But Mom just said that Onee-chan is going to be Onii-chan’s wife!” “Eh?”

At Ryota’s words, Haruto looked at Ikue with a surprised expression. “Oh dear, oh my.” Receiving his gaze, Ikue gave a slightly troubled smile, placing a hand on her cheek. “Mama, what!? Not ‘Oh dear, oh my’! Please deny it properly!” “Hmm, Ayaka’s time to marry off has finally come…” “Eh? Eh!?” To Shuichi, who mumbled contemplatively, Haruto looked at him with a confused expression, completely unable to grasp the flow of the conversation. “Wha- Papa!! Don’t take it seriously!!” Ayaka desperately tried to stop her father, who was, as usual, getting carried away. Watching her best friend, Saki covered her mouth with a hand and stifled a laugh, muttering, “Ōtsuki-kun is completely surrounded…” “Eh? What is this? What’s the context of this conversation?” As Haruto looked around in confusion, Ikue clapped her hands. “Ah, look! The paella is ready, so let’s all eat.” “Mama… try to change the subject a little more gracefully…” In the summer twilight, at the campsite in the mountains, Ayaka’s weary murmur drifted softly.

The day after the date with Ayaka. Haruto was at his best friend Tomoya’s room. “So? Since when have you been dating Tojo-san, Haru?” To Tomoya, who spoke definitively, Haruto replied with a sigh. “Like I said back then, I’m not dating Aya… Tojo-san.” “You just started to say ‘Ayaka’ for Tojo-san.” “…I didn’t.” Haruto turned his face away from Tomoya’s glare. “Haruto-kun! Lying is no good!” Tomoya mimicked Ayaka’s way of speaking in a falsetto voice towards Haruto, who averted his gaze and closed his mouth. Tomoya blinked excessively while saying it, making Haruto’s temple twitch. “So, Tojo-san and I aren’t in the kind of relationship you’re thinking. It’s just a housekeeping staff plus customer relationship after all.” “Speaking of which, you’re currently working at Tojo-san’s house regularly, right, Haru?” “Well… Tojo-san’s family really liked my cooking and stuff, so they signed a regular contract with me.” “In other words, you have the family’s approval of your relationship with Tojo-san.” “Family’s approval, you’re…” Haruto gave him an exasperated look, but Tomoya dropped his joking expression and looked at him with serious eyes. “Haru, you said it before, remember? Something about still needing to sort out your feelings. And you asked me how I spent my time when I had a girlfriend, right? So you were dating Tojo-san for that, weren’t you?” Tomoya continued speaking with a sharp gaze. “Hey… Are you really not dating? Because if that’s the case, the distance between you two yesterday was abnormal. That’s, if you’re really not dating.” “Abnormal… It wasn’t that much, was it?” “It truely was that much. If you’re saying there’s nothing between you two after that, then either Haru is incredibly dense to the point of his daily life

being affected, or Tojo-san is a succubus who can wrap many men around her finger for that atmosphere to happen. The realisc option is that Tojo-san is madly in love with Haru though.” Haruto scratched his head at Tomoya’s clear statement. Despite his seemingly frivolous demeanor, he was surprisingly insightful and could hit on the core truth. Haruto let out a small sigh. After opening and closing his mouth several times, seemingly debating whether to speak, he resigned himself and revealed his current relationship with Ayaka to Tomoya. The lie Haruto told his grandmother. Ayaka agreeing to be his fake girlfriend to go along with that lie. The date practice they were doing to make sure the lie wasn’t exposed. After listening to all of this, Tomoya was silent for a few seconds after Haruto finished speaking. Then, he slowly opened his mouth. “Haru. You… are you an idiot?” “What’s with you suddenly?” “Fake girlfriend? Date practice? You wouldn’t normally do something like that unless it was with someone you like.” “…You can’t possibly know that, can you?” Although Haruto denied Tomoya’s words, his voice lacked strength. For Haruto, who had just been told something similar by Shizuku, his best friend’s remark deeply shook him. “Tojo-san is really kind… Maybe she’s just going along with my lie out of goodwill?” Haruto retorted, sounding a bit like he was making an excuse. Tomoya folded his arms and asked, “Are you seriously saying that?” “I don’t know anything about Tojo-san, so I can’t say for sure, but thinking normally? No matter how kind a person is, they wouldn’t go that far, would they?” “…………” Haruto simply fell silent at Tomoya’s words. “Conversely, what do you think of Tojo-san, Haru?” “That is…” “Do you like her? Or is she still just a customer from your part-time job?” Haruto looked down at Tomoya’s question. He had already realized his own feelings. He knew what kind of emotions he held for Ayaka. However, he couldn’t voice those feelings clearly.

Haruto’s mouth wouldn’t open, as if sewn shut. Seeing his state, Tomoya nodded, saying, “I see.” “So Haru is head over heels for Tojo-san too.” “I haven’t said anything yet. Don’t just decide that on your own.” Tomoya shook his head slightly in exasperation at Haruto’s reflexive protest. “I knew because you didn’t say anything. In other words, you’re so seriously in love with Tojo-san that you can’t easily say ‘I like you’, right?” “…………” “And because you’re seriously in love, you lack confidence and have become timid about your relationship with Tojo-san. If it were someone you didn’t care about, you’d confess with a casual attitude, thinking it’d be lucky if you started dating.” “It’s not like that…” Hit squarely by his best friend, Haruto weakly denied it while averting his gaze. Haruto himself had never had a girlfriend before and couldn’t say he was experienced in romance. However, even he had a vague feeling that Ayaka might have feelings for him. He felt it, but he couldn’t be sure. Because he wasn’t sure and lacked confidence, he’d run away, thinking Ayaka’s affection might just be his imagination. But when he was with Ayaka, her smile, her cheerful demeanor, the warmth of her hand – they gave Haruto hope. The hope that she might become his real girlfriend. Haruto let out an even bigger, deeper sigh than before. “The other person is ‘the School Idol’, you know? She turned down every guy who confessed to her, so is there any chance she’d fall for me?” “Who knows, but I don’t think any of those guys ever had date practice with Tojo-san, you know?” “That’s true, but…” Haruto sighed for the third time at Tomoya’s words. What Tomoya had said resonated strongly in his head. ‘You’re so seriously in love that you lack confidence and have become timid about your relationship with Tojo-san.’ That was exactly right. Haruto desired something more than just the relationship of a housekeeping service staff and a customer with Ayaka. He wished to be more than just a classmate. And the stronger that feeling became, the more he would hesitate, imagining what would happen if that feeling wasn’t reciprocated. “Haah, am I… a coward?”

“Well, yeah, you’re a coward.” “Be a little more considerate.” Haruto protested weakly with a wry smile at Tomoya’s blunt response. Just then, the door to the room burst open. “Haru-nii!!” It was Tomoya’s sister, Haruka, who burst into the room with a loud voice. “Hey, Haruka. I told you to knock before entering a room.” “Shut up, Onii.” Haruka gave her brother a cold look at his nagging. “You, toward your brother──” “Yes, yes. I don’t have time to entertain Onii’s ramblings right now.” Haruka waved her hand at her brother in a shooing motion, then turned towards Haruto with a high-spirited attitude, as if her demeanor towards Tomoya was a lie. “Haru-nii!! Who was that super beautiful woman yesterday!? Is she your girlfriend!?” Haruka pressed Haruto with heavy breathing, interrogating him about Ayaka. “Uh, Haruka-chan. Tojo-san isn’t exactly my girlfriend──” “Liar! You’re definitely dating!!” “He says it’s not a lie, you know? Haru says he’s not dating Tojo-san.” Tomoya interjected, looking exasperated at Haruka who had interrupted Haruto’s words. “Ehh!? Really!? You’re not dating her even with that!? Haru-nii, are you crazy!?” Haruto awkwardly averted his gaze at Haruka, whose eyes were wide with astonishment. “I thought I was sane, but… I’m not so sure right now.” Haruto said this, looking off into the distance. Seeing his state, Haruka put her hand on her chin and spoke with a serious expression. “I think Tojo-san likes Haru-nii, you know. And Haru-nii likes Tojo-san too, right?” “Well, I don’t know about that? It’s not necessarily true that Tojo-san likes me, is it?” When he said something similar in nuance to what he’d told Tomoya earlier, Haruka vigorously shook her head, denying Haruto’s opinion.

“No way! Tojo-san is definitely in love with Haru-nii! One hundred percent she’s in love!!” “…What’s your basis for that?” “Woman’s intuition!” When Haruto asked for a reason, Haruka puffed out her chest and declared it with utter confidence, as if it were the most obvious thing. “Is that intuition reliable?” “Of course! So, when are you going to introduce Tojo-san to me, Harunii?” Haruto gave a wry smile at Haruka, who said this as if it were a matter of course. “At the moment, I don’t have any plans to introduce you to her, Harukachan.” “Why!? As Haru-nii’s sister, I have a duty to assess whether Tojo-san is suitable as your girlfriend!”

“No, no. Haruka-chan, you’re Tomoya’s sister, not mine.” I retorted, stating the absolute truth. At my words, Haruka looked at me with a serious gaze and said, “I think of Haru-nii as my real older brother, you know? Since way back, Haru-nii has been one of my important family members. Right? Onii, you think of Haru-nii as family too, don’t you?” “Damn right! Haru is my important best friend and also family!” At Tomoya, who declared this with his chest puffed out, I scratched my cheek to hide my embarrassment. Long ago, when my grandfather passed away, Tomoya and Haruka said similar things and stayed close by. I felt truly grateful to the childhood friend siblings for that. “So, please introduce me to Tojo-san!” “Hmm, I’ll consider it positively.” “That’s what someone who won’t introduce me would say!” But that and Ayaka were separate issues. I intuitively felt that if Ayaka and Haruka met, a lot of troublesome things would happen. I continued to skillfully evade her request until lunchtime, when I headed to the Tojo house. ※※※ In front of the full-length mirror in my room, I checked my appearance for perhaps the umpteenth time today. “Yep, I’m okay. Nothing strange, right?” Twisting my body to check my back view, I said to myself, as if convincing myself. I wore a white blouse on top and paired it with a pastel-colored skirt, aiming for a clean, gentle impression. Today was the day I would meet Haruto-kun’s grandmother. It would be the first time meeting her since becoming Haruto-kun’s fake girlfriend. Phew, I’m nervous… I met his grandmother once when I was taking care of Haruto-kun. She was very kind back then, and I had the impression she was a good person. But if she finds out it’s a lie, she’ll probably get angry, right? Imagining that moment, I trembled slightly. But on the other hand, if Haruto-kun’s grandmother takes a liking to me here, I feel like she’ll become a very powerful ally. If that happens, the

chance of Haruto-kun confessing to me should increase significantly! “Al- alright! I’ll do my best!” With renewed determination, I left the room. I went to the living room to tell them I was going out, and Dad was playing with Ryota. Mom went to the office today, and Dad was working remotely from home. “Dad, I’m going out for a bit.” “Oh, okay.” Dad, who was playing toy sword fighting with Ryota, took his eyes off Ryota and looked at me. “Will you be back late?” “No. I’ll be back in the evening.” “If you’re going to be late, make sure you contact us, okay?” “Okay, got it. See you later.” As I left the living room with a wave, I heard Ryota’s sharp cry of “Opening!” from behind me, followed immediately by Dad’s dying scream, “Guh! You got me~” It seems Dad was taken down by Ryota. I went outside, easing my tension slightly with the cheerful family conversation I heard from behind me. Passing through the residential area and coming out onto a main street, I walked along that street for a while. Then I saw a famous coffee chain store appear before me. “Is Haruto-kun there?” Actually, I was going to head straight to his house, but Haruto-kun said that would be too much trouble, so we decided to meet at a nearby coffee chain store. When I looked towards the store, I found the person I was looking for right away. Haruto-kun was sitting on a pole in front of the store, looking at his smartphone. The moment I saw him, my face automatically broke into a smile, and I rushed towards him as if drawn by a magnet. “Haruto-kun, sorry, did I keep you waiting?” “No, not at all. I just arrived.” Haruto-kun lifted his gaze from his smartphone and gave me a gentle smile. Since Haruto-kun started coming to my house for housekeeping, I’ve seen many of his expressions, but among them, I like this smile the best.

When I see Haruto-kun’s gentle smile, I feel like my mood brightens instantly, no matter how down I am. I wish I could take a photo of Haruto-kun smiling someday. But if I had something like that on my smartphone, I’d probably stare at it all day and wouldn’t be able to get anything else done. The other day, Saki took a two-shot photo of us during a barbecue in the backyard, and even that photo makes me grin when I look at it. A photo of him smiling would be dangerous… As I was thinking such things, Haruto-kun’s gaze turned towards my hands. “Ayaka, what’s that?” “Oh, this. I thought it might be rude to go empty-handed, you see.” I slightly lifted the paper bag I was holding and said. Inside was an assortment of baked goods. I originally thought about getting sweets like cake, but with this heat, it would probably spoil quickly, so I safely chose something that would last. “Sorry, I made you worry.” “No! Not at all. Don’t worry about it.” I have to make a good impression on his grandmother, even just a little bit. For Haruto-kun to turn my way! As the first step to becoming Harutokun’s real girlfriend, it’s absolutely essential to get his grandmother to like me! “Alright, let’s go.” “Okay.” I nodded with determination. Until now, I’ve been pretending to be his girlfriend for practice. But today, in front of Haruto-kun’s grandmother, I can be his real girlfriend. So, I can show the results of our practice and act as Haruto-kun’s ideal girlfriend to the best of my ability. Well, even when I say “act,” since I’m already in love with Haruto-kun, I just need to express the feelings I have for him. I never even dreamed that I would be so completely captivated by a classmate who came to my house for housekeeping. Now, when I can’t see him, I just space out, wondering “What is he doing right now?”. When he comes for housekeeping, just being in the same house makes my heart pound, and I’m constantly thinking about how I can talk to him naturally or if there’s anything we have in common to talk about. And when we’re alone in my room doing date practice, I’m so happy that I feel like I’m floating, like my body might just lift into the air.

This summer break, every day has been exciting, fun, and I couldn’t wait for the next day to come, but I also felt a bit of sadness for the days passing by. I’m truly spending a summer that’s completely different from any before. The boy in front of me, who is the cause of all this, is walking beside me, still wearing the gentle smile that captivates my gaze. As I was thinking such things, we arrived at his house in no time. It was the same ordinary detached house that felt a little old that I visited before when I was taking care of Haruto-kun. But for me, it was a special place: the home of the person I liked. Haruto-kun stepped ahead and opened the front door for me. “Thank you.” Saying my thanks, I stepped through the front door and entered Harutokun’s house. I felt it when I came before too, but inside the house, there was a faint scent of Haruto-kun, and I unconsciously took a small deep breath. “Grandma, I’m home. Ayaka is here.” Haruto-kun closed the front door and called out towards the living room. Immediately, his grandmother came to the entrance. “Oh, welcome, Ayaka-san.” “Hello. Um, it’s just a small token, but…” I handed the grandmother the paper bag containing the baked goods that I was holding. “Oh dear! Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness. It must have been hot outside, wasn’t it? Please come in and make yourself comfortable.” Saying that, his grandmother prepared slippers for me. I lowered my head and said, “Thank you very much,” as I put on the slippers. When I came last time, I went straight from the entrance to Haruto-kun’s room on the second floor, but this time, I was shown into the living room instead of his room. “Please sit down and make yourself comfortable. I’ll go make some tea now.” “Ah, yes. Thank you.” As I lowered my head to thank her, his grandmother smiled broadly and disappeared towards the kitchen. “You might think it’s cramped, but please sit wherever you like.” “No, it’s not cramped at all. I think it’s a lovely house!”

Certainly, compared to the living room in my house, Haruto-kun’s living room might be smaller in terms of area alone. But I would never feel uncomfortable about that. In fact, I’d be happy even if it were smaller. Because that way, I can naturally get closer to Haruto-kun. As I was thinking such things, Haruto-kun sat down on a cushion in front of the table. Seeing that, I also sat down on the cushion laid out next to Haruto-kun. To make myself look like a real girlfriend as much as possible, I sat in the seiza position, snuggling right up next to Haruto-kun. “…Uh, doesn’t it get hot if we’re too close? You see, the air conditioner in the house is a bit old, and it doesn’t cool down the house that much.” “It’s okay. More importantly, if we don’t properly show that we’re a close couple, Grandma will find out it’s a lie.” I lowered my voice and whispered into Haruto-kun’s ear, so that his grandmother in the kitchen wouldn’t hear. “Oh, I see… Thank you.” Haruto-kun, who thanked me shyly with a slightly red face, was so cute that I let out a small chuckle. Like just now, when Haruto-kun gets shy and his face turns red, my heart overflows with an indescribable sense of happiness and satisfaction. After all, if Haruto-kun reacts like that, it means he’s conscious of me, doesn’t it? As I happily gazed at Haruto-kun’s profile, which was adorably blushing, his grandmother returned to the living room with a tray carrying teacups and the baked goods I had brought. “Oh my. It’s lovely to see you two getting along so well.” His grandmother looked at Haruto-kun and me, who were sitting snugly together, and spoke with a happy expression. Her words made me feel a little itchy and shy. “Haruto. Ayaka-san is truly a lovely and wonderful girlfriend, isn’t she?” “Of course, Ayaka is, well… the world’s best girlfriend.” “Hwa… Ah, thank you, Haruto-kun.” The world’s best! I’m the world’s best for Haruto-kun! Of course, that was said under the premise that I’m a fake girlfriend. I know. My head understands it perfectly. But my heart just rejoices on its own! Ignoring my reason altogether, I just feel happy automatically!

Right now, I might be wearing a sloppy, relaxed smile. I shouldn’t show that kind of expression to his grandmother, but for some reason, I can’t put any strength into my cheeks. “Well, well, it’s most important that you two are getting along so well.” Saying that, his grandmother placed the tea and sweets in front of us. I said, “Thank you. I’ll have some,” and took a sip of tea. “Ayaka-san.” “Yes?” “Is Haruto doing well? Is he making you sad or neglecting you?” At his grandmother’s words, I shook my head vigorously and replied with a full-powered smile. “Haruto-kun is the world’s absolute best boyfriend for me!!” My ears got hot, embarrassed by my own declaration. But those words were from my heart. If Haruto-kun really became my boyfriend, it’s already certain that he would be the world’s best boyfriend. ※※※ “Haruto-kun is the world’s absolute best boyfriend for me!!” Ayaka’s expression as she clearly declared this, while red with embarrassment, shone so brightly it felt like she was emitting light. His grandmother, who had looked directly at her charming smile from the front, froze for a few seconds, then sharply turned to look at Haruto. “Haruto! What a wonderful girlfriend she is! Ayaka-san is!” “Uh, yeah. Grandma, it’s not good for your health to get too excited.” “Just seeing Ayaka-san’s wonderful smile makes me feel ten years younger.” “Hehe, thank you very much.” Ayaka smiled happily at his grandmother’s words, and the grandmother was captivated by her expression once again. I felt I had never seen my grandmother so cheerful. His grandmother, who seemed to have taken a great liking to Ayaka, apparently thought of something, clapped her hands, and stood up. “That’s right, Ayaka-san. Would you like to see Haruto’s childhood albums?” “Yes!! I want to see them!!”

Ayaka replied to his grandmother’s suggestion without a moment’s hesitation. She must have really wanted to see those albums; she leaned forward with her hands on the table in front of her, her hips slightly raised. Seeing Ayaka’s state, I protested shyly to my grandmother. “Hold on, Grandma. Don’t say weird things.” “It’s absolutely wonderful! Little Haruto-kun is definitely going to be cute!” “Yes, yes, I’ll bring them now, just wait a moment.” “Yes!” My grandmother, who paid no attention whatsoever to her grandson’s words, left the living room for a moment to get the albums. Ayaka, who was eagerly anticipating my albums, wore a beaming, almost bursting smile. “It’s not that great, you know? Don’t expect too much.” Ayaka turned to face me, who was giving a wry smile, keeping her beaming face. “Huh? I will expect a lot. Because it’s little Haruto-kun, right? It’s Mini Haruto-kun?” “Mini… I’m not some kind of mascot.” “If there was a Haruto-kun mascot, I’d want one.” Although her tone sounded like a joke, seeing that her eyes were surprisingly serious, I put on a strained smile. “No way, I don’t want to see merchandise like that of myself.” “I think it would sell, though.” “In that case, I feel like making merchandise of Ayaka instead of me would sell better.” If they made figures and acrylic stands of Ayaka, who was called the school idol and was such a beautiful girl, they could probably make a fortune. As I was thinking such things, Ayaka stared intently at me. “Haruto-kun, do you want them? My merchandise?” “Huh? Oh, uh, well… but you see, Ayaka is as cute as a real idol, so there might be a lot of people who would want to put up posters of you in their rooms, don’t you think?” At my words ‘as cute as an idol’, her mouth corners curved up happily. “Haruto-kun too?” “Huh?” “Haruto-kun, if there were a poster of me, would you put it up in your room?”

I was about to answer ‘Yes’ reflexively to Ayaka’s question. However, admitting that honestly to her was too embarrassing for me, so I tried to change the subject without answering. “S-speaking of which, I sometimes hear rumors at school that Ayaka is affiliated with an entertainment agency. Is that actually true?” “Huh, what’s that?! Is that kind of rumor going around at school!?” My words seemed to be completely unexpected to her, and she opened her eyes wide in surprise. “Based on that reaction, it seems the rumor is false.” “Of course! I could never become someone like an entertainer!” “Is that so? Don’t you ever get scouted when you’re walking around town, Ayaka?” “…Sometimes, I do get business cards from people wearing suits, maybe?” “Those are definitely scouts from entertainment agencies.” As expected, it’s probably natural for girls as beautiful as her to be approached by people like that. “If Ayaka wanted to, she could probably become a popular idol easily.” At my words, Ayaka’s cheeks were faintly colored, and she looked at me shyly from under her eyelashes. “Rather than being cheered by many people… I want just one special person to look at me.” “…” I, who was looked at with moist eyes as she said this, lost my words at her excessive cuteness. I froze, unable to avert my gaze, as if sucked into Ayaka’s eyes. To me, she gave a soft smile. “If only Haruto-kun is by my side… I’m happy with just that.” After saying that with a smile like an angel’s, Ayaka, unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, added hastily with a bright red face. “H-how was that? I feel like I said that really like a real couple would, didn’t I?” “Huh? …Ah, ah! Yes! It was very real-like!” At Ayaka’s words, I came back to my senses and nodded my head up and down repeatedly, looking slightly flustered like she was. Just as we were nodding at each other, faces bright red, my grandmother, who had gone to get the albums, returned to the living room. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Ayaka-san.”

My grandmother spread out the three albums she was holding on the table. “Thank you. May I see them?” As if to dispel the awkward atmosphere with me, Ayaka’s voice was brighter than usual. Confirming that his grandmother had nodded, saying, “Of course you may,” she reached out for the albums. “That one is from when Haruto was in elementary school.” My grandmother said, looking at the album Ayaka had picked up. “Wow! Little Haruto-kun is so cute!! Is this Sports Day?” “Yes, that’s right. These are photos from when he was running the anchor leg in the relay.” Perhaps remembering those days, my grandmother narrowed her eyes nostalgically and looked at the albums. Several photos were pasted there of me as an elementary school student, wearing a red and white hat and running on the track with a baton in my hand. “Haruto-kun was the anchor for the relay. You were fast, weren’t you?” “Back then, yes. I’m really slow now.” “Is that so? Do your legs get slower?” “I don’t feel like I could beat anyone from the track and field club.” “You shouldn’t compare yourself to people from the track and field club.” Ayaka smiled “Hehe” at my words, and continued flipping through the albums happily afterwards. Occasionally, she would ask my grandmother for anecdotes from back then and looked at the photos without getting bored. “Oh, the school play. This is… Momotaro? Haruto-kun playing the monkey is cute.” “Haruto seemed to love playing the monkey. Even after the school play ended and he came home, he would happily talk, adding ‘Ukiki’ to the end of his sentences.” “Isn’t that too cute?” “Grandma… don’t tell Ayaka weird things.” My grandmother and Ayaka were having a wonderfully enjoyable time, but for me, it was a time of enduring embarrassment. Every time Ayaka turned a page and saw a new photo, she would repeatedly say “cute,” making my heart feel incredibly itchy.

After that, Ayaka and my grandmother seemed to hit it off through the photos of young me, and they had a lively discussion about childhood me. By the time they finished looking through the three albums my grandmother had brought, the sun had begun to set. Seeing the clock on the wall, my grandmother let out a slightly surprised voice. “Oh? Is it this late already?” “It’s already evening, isn’t it?” The setting sun streamed in through the window, and Ayaka looked around the living room bathed in orange light. “Um, I should probably be going soon.” My grandmother smiled broadly at Ayaka, who spoke regretfully. “Ayaka-san. Thank you for the enjoyable time. Please come visit again anytime.” “Yes!” Ayaka, showing a truly happy expression at my grandmother’s words, nodded greatly. “Ayaka, I’ll walk you home.” “Okay, thank you, Haruto-kun.” Ayaka and I stood up and headed for the entrance. My grandmother followed behind us. Ayaka, who changed into her shoes at the entrance, turned back once, faced my grandmother, and bowed her head. “Thank you very much for today.” “Not at all, it is we who should be thanking you.” “Well then, goodbye.” “I’m heading out, Grandma.” Ayaka waved to my grandmother, who was seeing us off at the entrance, and left the Ōtsuki house. ※※※ Haruto and Ayaka walked side by side through the residential area, which was dyed red by the setting sun. “Thank you so much for today. It’s been a while since I saw Grandma that happy.” “That’s good. If she hadn’t been happy, there wouldn’t be any meaning to acting as a fake girlfriend, right?”

“Yeah… you’re right.” My voice hitched slightly at Ayaka’s reply. My grandmother was very happy. That’s what I wanted. I didn’t want to make my grandmother sad, I wanted to make her feel at ease, I wanted her to be happy. It was because I wished for that that Ayaka cooperated with my feelings and acted as my fake girlfriend. I felt an overwhelming debt of gratitude towards Ayaka. However, at the same time, I felt a pain in my chest, like guilt. “Oh, Haruto-kun. This is fine. Thank you for walking me.” “Okay, then take care on your way back.” “Okay. Bye-bye!” Even after parting from me, Ayaka turned back many times and waved with a smile. In response, I also stopped at the place where we parted and waved back slightly. Eventually, when Ayaka turned the corner and was completely out of sight, I let out a small sigh. “Staying like this… is no good, is it?” Seeing Ayaka and my grandmother together, and the happier the atmosphere, the more the fact that she was a fake girlfriend seemed to weigh heavily on my heart. My grandmother’s smile was made from my lie, from the false relationship between me and Ayaka. That fact was constricting my heart. “Fake girlfriend… huh.” In the back of my mind, as I murmured this alone, Ayaka’s smile appeared. Ayaka next to him always had a joyful, happy expression. Every time I recalled such a captivating girl, the words of Shizuku and Tomoya would simultaneously resurface in my mind. ‘Haru-senpai, you don’t understand a woman’s heart at all. Even if it’s just for show, you’re acting like a couple, you know? You wouldn’t do that with someone you don’t even like, right? And date practice? Tojo-senpai is trying hard because she wants Haru-senpai to turn her way.’ ‘Fake girlfriend? Date practice? You wouldn’t normally do something like that unless it was with someone you like.’ Ayaka, who always showed me a dazzling smile. And the words of my friends. If this weren’t about myself, I would surely think the same thing. ‘Just confess and start dating her,’ I’d think. However, when it comes to myself, I can’t make up my mind easily.

If Ayaka were to become my real girlfriend, I could see my grandmother’s happy face without any worries. And above all, my own feelings for her would be realized. That would be a truly wonderful thing for me. That’s exactly why I couldn’t make up my mind. The more strongly I wished for it, the more I became afraid of what would happen if it didn’t come true. As a result, I would escape into the current situation and be satisfied with it. “…Damn, I’m pathetic… I’m really a coward.” My powerless monologue drifted sadly through the residential area, which was starting to grow dark.

To achieve the original date objective of finding the limited edition flavor, Haruto and Ayaka decided to search in the other department store located in front of the station as well. However, they couldn’t find the target ice cream there either. “As expected, it’s quite hard to find.” Ayaka said this, but her expression didn’t look disappointed at all; rather, she seemed to be happy. Glancing at her state, Haruto also nodded. “Yeah.” Since a little while ago, the image of Ayaka clad in a daring outfit had been flashing back in his mind repeatedly. And each time, he felt embarrassed and couldn’t look her straight in the eye. As if to shake off the figure of Ayaka, who was too attractive and flickering in his vision, Haruto stared intently at the general store nearby. Then, following Haruto’s gaze, Ayaka also looked at the general store, tilted her head, and asked, “Haruto-kun, are you interested in that general store?” “Huh? Oh, yeah. Stores like that have all sorts of things, so you just end up wanting to wander in.” Haruto couldn’t possibly say, ‘I was just looking to forget your stimulating appearance,’ so he blurted out something plausible on the spur of the moment. “I know how you feel. When there’s a general store with cute dishes lined up, I stop by even if I don’t plan to buy anything.” Haruto unintentionally gained Ayaka’s sympathy. He smiled and replied with an agreement, “Right?” “Want to take a look?” “Let’s do that.” Although it wasn’t planned, there was no particular reason to refuse, so Haruto went inside the store with Ayaka. The general store they entered had various goods lined up, including character merchandise, smartphone accessories, party supplies, and even cosplay costumes. Ayaka looked around with a joyful expression. “Hey, Haruto-kun. If a boyfriend wore this T-shirt, he’d be the worst, right?” Saying that, she showed him a T-shirt with “I Want To Be Your Sugar Baby” printed on it.

“Certainly. But isn’t something like this also bad?” Saying that, Haruto also picked up a T-shirt. On that T-shirt, the words “I’m always watching you. You are my everything. I can’t live without you” were printed in a font often used for horror movie titles. “Wow, that’s a bit scary, isn’t it? …Haruto-kun, are you going to wear that?” “As expected, I wouldn’t want to walk around town wearing this.” Walking next to an eye-catching beautiful girl like Ayaka while wearing a T-shirt printed with yandere lines could potentially lead to being reported in the worst-case scenario, Haruto thought with a wry smile as he shook his head. “Oh, okay. I kind of wanted to see Haruto-kun wearing that T-shirt just a little bit, though.” Saying things like that, Ayaka continued looking around the store. Haruto followed her and also looked at various things. A wide range of products were crammed together, from trendy character badges and fan goods like uchiwa fans for attaching idol photos, to household items usable as room decor like small lights. Walking while looking at such product shelves, Haruto picked up a super spicy cup noodle placed in the party supplies corner and showed a wry smile. “Being placed in the party goods section means it’s totally for punishment games, huh?” As he was muttering this, his shoulder was suddenly tapped. “Haruto-kun…” Called by Ayaka in a slightly reserved voice, Haruto lifted his gaze from the super spicy cup noodle and turned towards her. And simultaneously, he froze. “Huh?!” Ayaka blushed shyly at Haruto, who widened his eyes in shock. “How… is it?” Near the top of her head, where she was asking this, two fluffy ears were attached. “It’s not… strange?” Haruto, who had been caught off guard by seeing Ayaka in animal ears, replied in polite Japanese while standing rooted to the spot. “Yeah… It’s very, cute…” Then Ayaka let out a happy “Hehe” and smiled, brought both hands in front of her chest, lightly clasped her fists, and tilted her head slightly. “…Nyaa.”

At the word spoken with a combination of shyness and calculated cuteness, aimed precisely with her captivating upward gaze, Haruto’s heart gave a strange leap, thump. Until now, he hadn’t quite understood the appeal of animal ears. Was it really that cute just having animal ears on a girl’s head? He had even doubted it. However, at this very moment, Haruto understood. It wasn’t about logic. A beautiful girl with animal ears, her very existence was precious. That was an eternal truth that had continued since ancient times. The sheer radiance of Ayaka in animal ears made Haruto involuntarily avert his gaze. His averted gaze landed on the animal ear headband she was currently wearing, displayed on the shelf. Seeing that, Haruto noticed something and hesitantly told Ayaka, “Um… the ears Ayaka’s wearing right now… they seem to be… fox, not cat?” “Huh?!” Ayaka, who was hesitantly pointed out, hurriedly checked the product shelf. Just as Haruto said, the shelf clearly stated ‘Fox Ear Headband’. “Ah, I, I made a mistake!” Ayaka, who had completely misunderstood and even imitated a cat’s meow, became flustered and panicked out of embarrassment. Even that appearance looked adorable in Haruto’s eyes. The guy who first thought of putting animal ears on a girl is too much of a genius, isn’t he? Haruto felt respect and awe towards the great person who first brought the beautiful girl with animal ears into this world. At the same time, he had an irresistible urge to touch the fox ears growing from Ayaka’s head. He felt nothing towards the headbands displayed on the shelf. But the moment they were attached to Ayaka’s head, an overwhelming urge to pet the fluffy ears surged over him. Haruto desperately suppressed that urge. Just then, Ayaka, who had regained a little composure, launched a surprising follow-up attack. “I, if it’s a fox, it’s not nyaa… but…” Bringing her hands in front of her chest like she did for the cat pose earlier, she again lightly clasped her fists and tilted her head slightly. “…Konkon… maybe?” Ayaka, radiating a powerful cuteness that could even be felt as a physical mass. Haruto couldn’t reply, only thinking to himself. I wonder if she’ll put on the tail placed next to the headband, too. ※※※

Having been shown the charm of a girl with animal ears, Haruto asked Ayaka as they left the general store, “It’s almost noon, how about we go get something to eat?” “Oh, is it that time already? It feels like time just flies by when I’m with Haruto-kun.” “…” Haruto couldn’t help but turn his face away from Ayaka, who said that with a pure smile, and covered his mouth with one hand to hide his grinning lips. “Ahem… Alright then, going to eat lunch is okay?” Haruto cleared his throat, trying to somehow disguise his smirking face. “Yeah. Where should we go for lunch? What do you want to eat, Harutokun?” Without mentioning Haruto’s unnatural cough, Ayaka tilted her head and looked up at him slightly as she asked. Her gesture and the distance were so adorable that Haruto’s expression almost softened again. “…Um, actually, I have a reservation for a lunch place, would that be okay?” “Huh?! You made a reservation for lunch?” “Yeah, well… this is a date, after all, so I thought doing something like that would make it seem more real.” Haruto, looking a bit shy, shifted his gaze slightly away from Ayaka and said, “Well, it’s just practice though…” while scratching the back of his head with one hand as if to hide his embarrassment. Ayaka, who had not expected Haruto to have made a lunch reservation at all, widened her round eyes as much as possible in surprise and joy. “Amazing! What kind of place did you reserve?” “That’s something to look forward to when we get there.” Ayaka’s eyes sparkled with anticipation at Haruto’s evasive answer. Unable to contain her happiness, the shape of her mouth remained slightly relaxed in a smile. Seeing her reaction, a slight tension welled up in Haruto. He had kept the restaurant a secret to create a little surprise, but thinking about what if the restaurant wasn’t to Ayaka’s liking made Haruto’s stomach ache a little. Feeling that the bar for the restaurant had been raised, Haruto, pretending to be calm to not let his inner impatience show, subtly set a preventative line. “Um… I should say this first, but it’s not a fancy restaurant, okay? It’s a place normal high school students can go to.”

“Hehehe, I’m really looking forward to it! Thank you for making a reservation, I’m happy!” “Y-yeah. Alright then, let’s go.” Haruto, thinking that if he kept watching Ayaka’s happy smile any longer his sanity might collapse, hurriedly looked forward and started walking towards their destination. Ayaka, walking next to him, was in quite high spirits, and probably unconsciously humming a little “Humph humph”, walking with what literally seemed like bouncy steps, not losing to the midsummer sun. On the way to the restaurant Haruto had reserved, Ayaka wore a bright smile that didn’t lose to the midsummer sun. Even though she was already a beautiful girl who attracted attention, she was radiating such a charming smile that everyone passing by glanced at Ayaka once or twice. And towards Haruto, who was walking beside her, glances filled with envy, jealousy, and curiosity were directed. Normally, he might have been worn down by those stares. However, the current Haruto had no room to worry about such things. What occupied his mind now was solely whether Ayaka would like the restaurant he had reserved. The two, Ayaka smiling happily and Haruto with a hint of tension, continued to walk while attracting the gazes of passersby, and eventually arrived in front of a certain store. The store had green houseplants decorating the entrance area and also had terrace seating. Haruto stopped in front of the entrance of the store, which gave off a calm and stylish atmosphere. “This is the place I reserved.” “Wow! It looks like a nice place! Is this… a pancake house?” “Yes, I heard the pancakes here are really delicious… I hope pancakes are okay for lunch?” “Yes! I love pancakes!” Haruto’s tension eased a little at Ayaka’s happy smile. Reassured that the initial impression of the store was positive, he led Ayaka’s hand and entered the store with a sigh of relief. As expected for a place known for being delicious, the store was packed with customers, but since they had a reservation, the two were smoothly guided to their table. “The interior is really stylish too!” “Yeah. It sort of feels like being inside a forest, doesn’t it?” “It does.” Haruto and Ayaka exchanged such words while sitting down on the wooden chairs. The interior of the store was like a log house, with walls built of logs and thick log beams spanning the high ceiling. Furthermore, houseplants were decorated in many places, creating an interior much like a log cabin in a forest.

“But this kind of atmosphere is calming, isn’t it?” “Seems like there would be a lot of negative ions.” Haruto replied while stroking the wooden table at Ayaka’s words. Just as he was feeling cozy from the warmth and softness of the wood transmitted through his hand, a waiter brought water and menus. “Here is your water and menus. Please call us when you are ready to order. Excuse me.” Ayaka also gave a small bow in return to the waiter who left after a polite bow, and immediately reached out for the menu and opened it. “Waha~! Everything looks so delicious!” It seemed true that she loved pancakes, as Ayaka’s eyes sparkled. Her gaze busily wandered over the menu. “Ugh… I can’t decide… Haruto-kun, have you decided yet?” “I think I’ll go with this matcha pancake?” “Hmmmm, so Haruto-kun is having that one…” Ayaka groaned and pondered. She glared at the menu with an earnest gaze as if making a major life decision. Seeing her state, Haruto couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, “Hehe.” “Which one are you considering, Ayaka?” “I’m considering all of them… but…” “All of them…” “But, um… If I have to narrow it down, it would be either this one or this one?” Saying that, Ayaka pointed to two options. One was a simple yet classic pancake with butter and maple syrup. The other was a pancake topped with strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, etc., which looked perfect for photos. “Which one should I choose… Both are hard to give up…” Ayaka looked back at the photos of the two pancakes repeatedly, as if trying to stare a hole through them. “Then, how about we do this? I’ll order the butter and maple syrup one, and Ayaka, you order the photogenic pancake. Then, we can share half of each other’s. How does that sound?” “Huh? But then Haruto-kun wouldn’t be able to eat the matcha one.” “I was also curious about this simple one, so it’s perfectly fine.” “…Really? Is it okay?” Haruto’s expression softened as he nodded at her cuteness when she asked with a slight upward gaze.

“It’s okay.” “Yay! Then let’s do that! Is it okay to order?” “Yeah.” Ayaka showed a slightly playful demeanor out of sheer happiness. Seeing her like that, Haruto felt a resemblance to Ryota somewhere and watched with admiration, thinking, ‘They really are siblings.’ Just then, Ayaka, who had finished ordering, turned her face towards Haruto with a smile. “Haruto-kun, you’re kind.” “No, no, I’m normal.” “That’s not true. Haruto-kun is really, really kind.” Haruto replied in a slightly teasing tone to Ayaka, who asserted this with emphasis. “Well, after seeing that expression like a painful decision. I couldn’t bring myself to say something cruel like giving up one of them.” “Th-that’s… I think it’s Haruto-kun’s fault for bringing me to such a charming place!” “Eh, that’s a bit of a jump.” “It’s not a jump. It’s Haruto-kun’s fault.” As if to counter Haruto’s teasing, Ayaka pouted her lips and insisted it was his fault. Haruto couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter at her expression. Then, Ayaka was drawn in and started laughing with him. “Ahahahahaha.” “Fufufufufu.” The two laughed together in a very enjoyable way, maintaining that atmosphere while exchanging words like, “I’m looking forward to the pancakes,” and “Me too,” as they waited for their order to arrive. Eventually, two freshly made pancakes were brought to them. Immediately, Ayaka’s excitement reached its peak. “Wow! They look so delicious!” “Yeah, they smell really good too.” Facing the two pancakes side by side, Ayaka took out her smartphone and launched the camera app. “Haruto-kun, can I take a picture?” “Sure.” Haruto smoothly moved the plate to make it easier for Ayaka to take photos. She said “Thank you” and took pictures of the pancakes from multiple angles. “Hehe, I’ll brag to Saki about it later.”

Seeing Ayaka’s very happy smile, Haruto picked up his knife and fork and said, “Alright then, let’s eat.” “Okay! Let’s eat!” After putting his hands together in greeting, Haruto immediately cut off a bite-sized piece of pancake and brought it to his mouth. The fluffy, thick pancake had a soft texture just as it looked, and the rich richness of the butter and the natural sweetness of the maple syrup spread throughout his mouth. “Yeah, it’s delicious.” Haruto quietly let out his impression while his mouth relaxed into a smile. In contrast, Ayaka stuffed a piece of pancake topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce into her mouth and was in ecstasy. “Mmm~!” Ayaka burst with joy at the delicious pancake, her body even shaking slightly. “Haruto-kun! This is really delicious!” “Right? It’s delicious, isn’t it?” The two continued to eat their pancakes, exchanging smiles. And when they had eaten about halfway, Haruto tried to pass his pancake to Ayaka. But Ayaka didn’t take it; instead, she nonchalantly cut off a bite-sized piece of her pancake, took it with her fork, and brought it directly to Haruto’s mouth.

Here, Haruto-kun.” “…Huh?” Haruto let out a confused voice at Ayaka, who suddenly attempted the “Ahn” gesture. “We’re sharing half and half, right? I’ve finished half too, so I’ll feed you the rest.” “No… I can eat it myself──” “This is also practice for being a couple, you know? Look, look at the couple over there.” At her words, Haruto looked where Ayaka was gazing, and there, a couple who seemed very close were feeding each other pancakes. “Close couples eat like that, you know?” “…” Having witnessed a real couple doing the “Ahn” gesture right in front of him, Haruto couldn’t say anything back. “Here, Haruto-kun. Say ‘Ahn’.” Ayaka relentlessly thrust the pancake towards Haruto’s mouth with a dazzling, beaming smile. Haruto glanced around at the other customers for a brief moment, then leaned forward slightly and took the pancake from Ayaka with a bite. “Hehe, delicious?” “…It’s very sweet.” The pancake he chewed was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. Was it due to the whipped cream, or the chocolate sauce? Or was it an illusion caused by having her feed him? In any case, Haruto’s mouth was the sweetest it had ever been in his life. “Haruto-kun, I want to try your pancake too.” “Oh, yeah. Okay.” Haruto, slightly flustered, cut off a bite-sized piece of his pancake for Ayaka who was asking for it. Then Haruto glanced at Ayaka’s expression. She was looking intently at the pancake Haruto had cut, her face full of anticipation. Haruto let out a small sigh, barely audible to Ayaka. He took the cut pancake with his fork and brought it to Ayaka’s mouth. “Here, Ayaka.” “Thank you.” Saying thanks, Ayaka then took a bite of Haruto’s pancake. “Uhuhu, it’s sweet and delicious.”

Ayaka said happily, showing Haruto a relaxed smile. Her cheeks were faintly flushed red. A feeling of gratitude welled up in Haruto towards Ayaka, who was practicing being a couple with him despite feeling shy. “Here, Haruto-kun, Ahn~” Seeing Ayaka offering him the pancake with a look of enjoyment, Haruto’s expression naturally became brighter and more relaxed. Afterwards, having finished the sweet-tasting pancakes, Haruto and Ayaka leisurely enjoyed their post-meal drinks. “The pancakes were delicious.” Ayaka smiled, holding the cup of tea with both hands wrapped around it. “It was a taste that makes sense why this place is popular.” Haruto agreed with her words, drinking his coffee without sugar or milk. The coffee’s unique aroma and bitterness calmed his mind. “Oh, right. There’s something I want to ask you, or rather, something I’d like to ask of you, Ayaka.” “Hmm? What is it?” Ayaka, who had been sipping her tea little by little, looked up at Haruto’s words. “Um… on the next day I’m off from house-keeping, are you okay with meeting my grandmother?” “Is your next day off the day after tomorrow?” “Yeah. Actually, this morning, my grandmother seemed to want to meet you…” His grandmother hadn’t explicitly said she wanted to meet her. However, Haruto, being her family, somewhat sensed her feelings. At Haruto’s request to meet his grandmother, Ayaka clenched her fists tightly. “Yes! My schedule is free, so it’s fine! It’s time to show the results of all our boyfriend-girlfriend practice!” Haruto felt a slight unease at Ayaka, who was full of motivation. The boyfriend-girlfriend practice they had been doing so far. Ayaka, who had no romantic experience, was worried about their lie being exposed to Haruto’s grandmother. So, she had suggested practicing acting like a natural couple. Remembering the details of that practice, Haruto unconsciously took a sip of coffee. Practicing saying ‘I love you’ without embarrassment. Practicing giving lap pillows and stroking heads. And couple yoga. Probably, if she were to unleash the full extent of their practice so far, his grandmother would likely say something like, “Won’t you marry into our family, dear?” Even just being in a situation where she was pretending to be his girlfriend

made his heart ache with guilt, and if she were to say something like that on top of it, Haruto wouldn’t be able to look Ayaka in the face properly. “Um, I told my grandmother that we just started dating, so, um… if there’s too much physical contact, it might seem a little unnatural…” “Is… that so?” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka tilted her head slightly. Haruto felt that her standard for what a normal couple does was based on fiction. As he recalled the lineup of books on the bookshelf in Ayaka’s room, she suddenly looked at him with a serious gaze. “Hey, Haruto-kun.” “Yes, what is it?” “I might have asked before… but what kind of person is your ideal girlfriend?” In Ayaka’s eyes, which were asking this, a hint of anxiety was mixed. “We’ve been practicing being a couple, but… I think I might have been a little too excited…? Maybe Haruto-kun didn’t like it?” Her voice tone gradually dropped as she became more unsure of herself. Haruto felt guilty for making Ayaka anxious. “…I didn’t, dislike it. I didn’t dislike it at all.” “Really?” “Yeah, really.” Even though Haruto said that, Ayaka’s anxiety didn’t seem to have completely disappeared, and her eyes, looking at him, were slightly wavering. Haruto smiled softly, trying to reassure Ayaka with a gentle expression. “About my ideal girlfriend, as I said before, I like girls with cute smiles. Also, girls who look happy when they eat delicious things, and girls who walk excitedly and happily beside me, they are all ideal girlfriends to me.” “I-is that so…” Ayaka’s cheeks flushed quickly and she looked down at Haruto’s words, spoken with a soft smile but a serious tone. “So, I can confidently introduce Ayaka to my grandmother as the best girlfriend.” “…O-okay…” Ayaka nodded slightly, still looking down. Seeing her like that, Haruto’s expression suddenly changed, and he hurriedly added. “Of course, assuming that Ayaka isn’t my real girlfriend, and is just pretending to be, though.”

“Ah… okay. Y-yeah, that’s right.” Ayaka showed a complicated expression that seemed happy yet regretful, then declared to Haruto as if she had made up her mind. “I’ll work harder!” “Huh? No, as I just said, Ayaka is already sufficiently an ideal girlfriend, you don’t have to work that hard…” “No. I have to work harder. This is for my own sake too.” Ayaka said, shaking her head. Haruto felt an unusual resolve from her. “Thank you. Sorry, for being so serious about my lie.” Saying that, Haruto bowed his head to Ayaka. Ayaka, in contrast, muttered in a small voice that he couldn’t hear, as if telling herself, “I’ll definitely make sure I don’t get told ‘sorry’.” “Hmm? Did you say something?” “No, don’t worry about it.” Ayaka smiled broadly and quickly drank the remaining tea. “Haruto-kun. Let’s go continue the ice cream search!” Standing up, Ayaka said, reaching out her hand to Haruto. At her words, Haruto also finished his remaining coffee and stood up. The two held hands again and went out into the midsummer sun to continue their search for the limited edition ice cream. ※※※ The sun, which had been relentlessly beating down with strong white sunlight from above, had significantly lowered by the time they noticed, dyeing the entire surroundings in a vibrant red sunset. “Couldn’t find it at all, huh?” “Maybe it’s not even in supermarkets anymore.” The two walked slowly side by side along the riverbank dyed in the sunset. There was a hint of resignation in their conversation. That being said, there was no hint of sadness in their expressions at all. After eating pancakes, they continued searching for ice cream, but in between, they stopped by an arcade to play games, went window shopping in the shopping district, and ate crepes from a food truck operating in the park. Although they couldn’t find their target ice cream, they were able to fully enjoy the date instead. “We couldn’t find the ice cream, but the whole day was so much fun!” Compared to the beginning, the two were able to naturally hold hands like a couple. Ayaka squeezed Haruto’s hand tightly and said with a smile that

was about to overflow. “Yeah. Well, it would have been perfect if we could have found the ice cream too, but…” Haruto replied, looking up at the red-dyed sky. It was about time to start heading back, or he would be late dropping Ayaka off at home. If that happened, Shuichi and Ikue would worry. Haruto started thinking about heading home. Just then, a small shop caught his eye. A small, modest shop that seemed like local children would gather at to buy cheap sweets. Pointing to it, Haruto said to Ayaka, “Want to check out that store last?” “Yeah, sure.” Ayaka, who nodded at Haruto’s words, tilted her head playfully and said, “I wonder if they have the ice cream?” Since it was evening, the inside of the shop felt a little dark, and there were no customers other than Haruto and Ayaka. In the back of the store, next to the register, an old woman was sitting alone and called out “Welcome” to Haruto and Ayaka as they entered. Haruto felt a sense of nostalgia among the cheap sweets crammed into the small store. “I used to come to shops like this a lot when I was little.” “Me too. Whenever Mom gave me allowance, I always had trouble deciding which sweets to buy.” “With the financial power I have from my part-time job now, I can be invincible.” Haruto quickly scanned the sweets on display and showed a fearless smile. When he was a child, he used to clench coins in his hand and ponder carefully which sweets to buy. However, for the current Haruto, who earned income from a part-time job, cheap sweets costing a few tens of yen could be bought with immediate decisions. Buying by the box wasn’t just a dream. As if sensing his thoughts, Ayaka smiled wryly and warned him, “You shouldn’t waste money.” “But somehow, I felt like these shops were spacious when I was little, but coming back now that I’m older, they feel a little cramped.” “Yeah, that’s true. It means we’ve gotten older… Speaking of which, this is starting to sound like a really old-person conversation.” “Even though we’re still just high school students.” Saying that, Haruto and Ayaka laughed together. “Oh, Ayaka. They’re selling ice cream here.” “Really? Do you think they have the ice cream we’re looking for?” “Hmm, they don’t seem to have many varieties… Oh!”

The small freezer placed in the corner of the store was a small one, and Haruto had peered inside without much expectation. Immediately after, he let out a voice of surprise. At his voice, Ayaka also hurried over. “Huh?! Did you actually find it?!” Ayaka came right next to Haruto and peered into the freezer with him. The moment she saw it, she let out a cry of joy. “No way!! It’s here! It’s here, Haruto-kun!” In front of their eyes, the limited edition ice cream they had been searching for was placed there, only one. The moment she saw it, Ayaka jumped up and down slightly in place out of pure joy. “I can’t believe we found it in a place like this.” Haruto was also surprised but had a smile on his face. They had searched all over town all day and couldn’t find it, and had almost given up. That’s why the joy of finally finding it was bigger than he himself had expected. “Haruto-kun! We have to buy it quickly!” “Yeah, you’re right.” Even though there were no other customers besides them, Ayaka said this to Haruto with a slight sense of urgency. Haruto felt the same way, so he quickly reached out and secured the target ice cream. Then, he hurried to the old woman at the register and paid for it. Afterwards, they left the store with the old woman’s “Thank you” behind them. “Where should we eat it?” Having left the store, Haruto said, looking around. “How about this bench?” Ayaka next to him pointed to the old bench placed in front of the store. “Okay. Then, let’s eat it there.” Nodding at Ayaka’s words, the two sat down on the bench where some paint was peeled off and rust was showing. Above their heads, a wind chime hanging from the eaves swayed in the evening breeze, playing a cool, clear sound. “The long-awaited ice cream is right in front of me…” Ayaka gazed at the limited edition ice cream they had been searching for with an emotional expression. “We can finally eat it.” “Yeah!” The limited edition ice cream that was all the buzz for being delicious, which she had reluctantly sacrificed to go shopping with Haruto once before. Ayaka received it from Haruto. This summer’s limited edition Apple

Pie flavor of high-end cup ice cream. Ayaka happily took off the lid of the cup ice cream, feeling that she could finally eat it. Then, she scooped the surface with a plastic spoon and brought it to her mouth. “Mmm~!” Ayaka reacted similarly to when she ate the pancakes at lunchtime. Haruto also smiled enjoyably at her sight of eating with such delight. “How is it? Is it delicious?” “It’s super delicious!” Ayaka, replying with a radiant smile, scooped up more ice cream with the spoon and brought it to Haruto’s mouth. “I’ve already had it once before, so Ayaka, you can eat it.” “Things this delicious taste even better when you share them, you know?” “Is that so? Really?” “Yeah, believe me?” Ayaka smiled and brought the ice cream closer to Haruto’s mouth. After glancing at her happy expression, he took the ice cream into his mouth. “See? It’s delicious, right?” “…It tastes sweeter than when I ate it before.” Haruto had thought he had built up considerable tolerance to Ayaka’s “Ahn” during the lunch pancakes and had gotten used to it, but perhaps the concept of getting used to this didn’t exist. He thought so as he gazed at the ice cream being brought to his mouth by Ayaka again, finding it several times more delicious and sweeter than when he had eaten it before.

Haruto stands in the kitchen beside his grandmother, finely chopping green onions. A light ton ton ton sound and the fresh green scent unique to green onions spread through the early morning kitchen. “Grandma, I’ll be out all day today. Make sure you don’t get heatstroke like the other day, okay?” “Yes, yes, I know.” His grandmother, making rolled omelets, nodded repeatedly at Haruto’s words. “Haruto, are you going out with Ayaka today?” “Yeah, that’s right.” Haruto sprinkled the chopped green onions into the miso soup as he replied. “Is that so?” His grandmother smiled, her facial wrinkles deepening with obvious delight. Seeing her reaction, Haruto felt a tightening sense of guilt in his chest. “Are you two getting along well?” “It’s fine, we’re getting along.” Haruto carried the finished breakfast to the living room, answering with a smile to hide his inner guilt. He wanted to introduce her to his grandmother and see her happy face. Ayaka was acting as his fake girlfriend to help him fulfill that wish. Was it truly for his grandmother’s benefit? The rational part of Haruto’s mind understood that his current relationship with Ayaka wasn’t good. However, it was also true that he felt a certain comfort in Ayaka being his ‘girlfriend’, even if it was fake. “Make sure you cherish Ayaka-san properly.” Sitting at the breakfast table, which was now set, his grandmother said the exact same words she had said the other day. In response, Haruto nodded emphatically, covering up his complicated feelings. “Of course, I’ll cherish her.” As he replied, he couldn’t help but think about his relationship with Ayaka.

The feeling of apologizing for making her lie. Guilt. His reason, wanting to treat her sincerely as a housekeeping staff member. Doubt about how she truly felt about him. And sometimes, the feeling of romantic love, which threatened to overwhelm and rewrite all those emotions like a flood. Images of Ayaka’s happy, cheerful smiles came to mind one after another. Each time, Haruto’s chest tightened, making it difficult to control his emotions. His heart would race on its own, and his expression would soften, the corners of his mouth turning up involuntarily. It was his own body, yet it wouldn’t listen to him at all. As Haruto let out a silent sigh due to this situation, his grandmother, sitting opposite him, put down her rice bowl and asked, “It’s been hot lately, but is Ayaka-san not suffering from heat fatigue or anything?” “No, she’s fine. She’s energetic.” Haruto nodded at his grandmother’s words and was about to drink his miso soup when he suddenly stopped. His grandmother had been talking about Ayaka frequently since the morning. Haruto sensed what she was thinking and opened his mouth. “Ah… um, I still need to ask Ayaka, but I was thinking about having her come over sometime to properly introduce her to you, Grandma…” “Is that so? That’s something to look forward to!” Hearing Haruto’s words, his grandmother’s face instantly brightened, and she smiled broadly. Seeing that smile, Haruto’s feelings became even more complicated, but he distracted himself by focusing on breakfast. After finishing breakfast with his grandmother, Haruto got ready and headed towards the station square where he was meeting Ayaka. Initially, Haruto had said he would pick her up at her house, but Ayaka had requested to meet outside, saying, “I’d rather meet up like it’s a date.” “I wonder if Ayaka’s already here?” Haruto checked his phone screen and quickened his pace towards the station. The last time they met at the station square to see a movie, she had arrived quite a bit earlier than the meeting time.

Because of that, Haruto had left his house planning to arrive quite a bit earlier than the meeting time this time as well. And when he arrived at the station square forty minutes before the meeting time, he scanned the plaza. “As expected, she’s not here yet…” Haruto muttered to himself, his gaze directed at the busy crowd passing by. Just as he was about to walk towards a bench to wait until Ayaka arrived, a familiar voice echoed from behind him. “Haruto-kun!” Haruto turned around at the sound of his name being called, and there stood Ayaka with a delighted smile. “Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?” “No, I just got here too.” Haruto also smiled and welcomed Ayaka, who was running towards him with a beaming face. Today, she was wearing a casual white dress, filling her surroundings with a pure and lovely atmosphere. “That dress today suits you really well, you look beautiful.” “Hehe, thank you. I’m happy.” Ayaka blushed at Haruto’s words but showed him a shy, happy expression with a bashful smile. “Haruto-kun, you look really handsome too.” Today was supposed to be a practice date for being a couple. Because of that, Haruto had also paid attention to his appearance, even setting his hair properly with styling gel. Haruto usually didn’t use styling gel. But just receiving Ayaka’s simple comment, “You look handsome,” made him feel that fixing his hair and tidying his appearance properly had been worth it, and his expression softened. “Thank you. Um, it’s quite a bit earlier than the meeting time, but shall we go now?” The two of them had met up more than thirty minutes earlier than the original meeting time. Haruto checked the current time on his phone and looked at Ayaka. She was slightly blushing and averted her gaze, looking a little embarrassed. “I was so excited about finding the ice cream with Haruto-kun today that I left the house early.” “Oh, I see…”

Ayaka’s incredibly cute reaction made Haruto momentarily speechless. He desperately tried to compose his expression, which was breaking into a blush and a smile. “That limited edition ice cream is really delicious, you know. I understand being excited about it.” “…Yeah.” Ayaka paused slightly before nodding at Haruto’s words. That pause made Haruto’s heart race. “…Well then, shall we go look for the ice cream right away?” “Yeah! I hope we can find the ice cream.” Today, too, the midsummer sun was relentless. It looked like it would be a good day to eat ice cream, Haruto thought, walking away, trying to distract himself from his pounding heart. However, Ayaka next to him remained standing still, and he stopped immediately. “Ayaka?” To Haruto, who was tilting his head, Ayaka looked at him with slightly embarrassed, upturned eyes. “Today is a date… practice, right?” “Yeah, that’s right.” “Then… shouldn’t we act like a couple?” “Yes, that’s right.” “Even when we’re moving, we should walk like a couple, right?” “…Yeah, that’s right.” Haruto understood what she was asking for and offered his left hand to Ayaka. “Okay then, let’s go.” “Okay!” Ayaka replied excitedly and intertwined her right hand with Haruto’s offered left hand. For a moment, Haruto glanced at the left hand connected to Ayaka’s, then, inwardly struggling with how difficult it was to distract himself, he began walking slowly, matching her pace. “First, we’re going to the department store in front of the station, right?” “Yeah, that’s right. I wonder if they’ll have the ice cream?” “I wonder? Their selection is quite extensive, so I think we can be hopeful?”

Exchanging such conversation, the two walked amicably towards their destination, holding hands like a couple. In the basement of the station department store, various food items were sold. Side dishes and sweets like cakes. Souvenirs for tourists, Japanese confectionery, and more. Amidst products with relatively high price ranges, Haruto and Ayaka walked hand-in-hand. “Oh, look, Haruto-kun! This cake looks delicious!” “Wow! These sweets are beautiful!” “I smell freshly baked bread… it smells nice, Haruto-kun.” Next to him, Ayaka was looking around everywhere, her face shining with excitement. She was already captivating with her dazzling smile, but today she was even more adorably beautiful. “Ayaka, don’t wander off alone and get lost, okay?” Haruto said with a wry smile to Ayaka, who was glued to the display case of Japanese sweets. “Then, so I don’t get lost, Haruto-kun should hold my hand properly.” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka looked away from the display case and stared directly at Haruto. At the same time, his left hand was squeezed a little tighter. “…I’m holding it properly.” Haruto averted his gaze from her and quietly mumbled, trying to prevent her from noticing that his face was red. He heard Ayaka’s giggle next to him, but he couldn’t face her right now. “If they sell ice cream, the section over there is probably it? Shall we go take a look?” “Yeah, okay.” Haruto continued through the bustling basement of the department store, still averting his face from Ayaka but holding her hand firmly. As expected, Ayaka’s beauty was tremendous, and Haruto, holding her hand, occasionally felt impolite stares piercing him. However, Haruto told himself that if he could feel the soft, small touch of Ayaka’s hand and its gentle warmth, such stares were a cheap price to pay. The two reached the ice cream section and scanned the display cases. There was a wide variety of ice cream, including familiar standard products and multipacks. “There’s no limited edition ice cream…” “Yeah.”

However, their target wasn’t there. Haruto was inwardly pleased about this. If they found the ice cream, the purpose of this date would be achieved. But if they didn’t, it would be an excuse to continue the date. He could spend more time with Ayaka. Haruto spoke words of disappointment aloud, trying to hide his true feelings. “As expected, it doesn’t seem like we’ll find it easily.” “Yeah, but… I’m happier about that.” “Huh?” Haruto questioned Ayaka’s words and looked at her face. “Because, that way… I can spend more time with Haruto-kun.” “…Oh, I see.” “U-uh huh.” Ayaka said exactly what Haruto had secretly felt in his heart, her cheeks slightly flushed. Certainly, they were in the middle of practicing being a couple. If so, the desire to spend even a little more time together must be the correct feeling for a couple. Ayaka is truly taking this practice seriously. Ayaka, who had said something incredibly potent with an expression mixed with shyness. Haruto almost stopped thinking for a moment at her words but somehow managed to come up with a plausible rationale to maintain his composure. “Well then, let’s go to the next place.” “Okay.” Feeling his ears were unusually hot, Haruto took Ayaka’s hand and began to walk. Leaving the food section in the basement, the two went up to the first floor and were about to head outside the department store. On the way, Ayaka stopped, saying, “Ah,” and looking at something. Haruto stopped with her and looked in the direction she was facing. There was a display of many yukata with a banner that said “Summer Festival Fair.” Haruto smiled at Ayaka, who was staring at the yukata with interest. “Let’s take a look.” “Is it okay?”

“Of course.” Haruto replied and headed towards the yukata display area. “Wow, this yukata is beautiful!” Ayaka immediately started looking at the yukata on display. Ayaka’s face softened as she looked at the brightly colored yukata. Seeing her like this, Haruto’s face naturally brightened as well. Haruto followed behind Ayaka with a gentle smile when she suddenly turned around. “Haruto-kun, what kind of yukata would you want your girlfriend to wear?” “Huh? Um… let’s see…” Haruto quickly scanned the displayed yukata at Ayaka’s sudden question. “I guess I prefer the calm, cool-looking ones like indigo or light blue, rather than red or pink?” “I see, calm and cool-looking…” Ayaka nodded with a very serious expression at Haruto’s opinion. He felt a little awkward and embarrassed and added some words to cover it up. “Well, I think Ayaka would look good in anything, though.” If Ayaka were his real girlfriend and wore a yukata to his liking, that would be very happy. Thinking such things, he watched Ayaka’s back as she began examining the yukata with even greater seriousness. Just then, someone unexpectedly called out to Haruto. “Huh? Isn’t that Haru? And… Tojo-san?” Hearing that familiar voice, Haruto looked in the direction it came from. There was his best friend, Tomoya, looking surprised to see Haruto and Ayaka standing side-by-side. He looked at Haruto and Ayaka alternately with an gaze mixed with slight confusion and definite curiosity. “Huh? Huh? You two look really close?” “Ah, no, this is…” Haruto, who could clearly tell what Tomoya was thinking from his smirking expression, racked his brain trying to figure out how to clear up the misunderstanding. At that moment, Ayaka tugged at Haruto’s clothes. “Haruto-kun…”

Haruto, seeing Ayaka looking up at him with a slightly anxious expression, decided to introduce his best friend in front of him for now. “This is my best friend, Akagi Tomoya. He’s technically in the same class as us.” “Akagi-kun… Ah! Um, hello.” At Haruto’s introduction, Ayaka looked up slightly, tracing her memory. Then, remembering Tomoya, she bowed her head. “Hello~! Wow, Tojo-san in casual clothes is super cute!” “Ah, um… thank you very much.” Ayaka seemed a little flustered by Tomoya’s cheerful compliment. “Hey, Tojo-san, can I borrow Haru for just a moment? Just for a second.” “Huh? U-um…” Seeing Ayaka nod slightly with hesitation, Tomoya put his arm around Haruto’s shoulder and pulled him a little distance away from her. “Hey Haru! You didn’t tell me you started dating Tojo-san!?” Turning his back to Ayaka and lowering his voice so she couldn’t hear, Tomoya said to Haruto, leaning his face close. “Why didn’t you tell me! We’re best friends, right? Hey hey.” “Stop poking my side. Besides, I’m not dating Ayaka…” “Huh? No way? After seeing you two so lovey-dovey. And you’re even calling Tojo-san ‘Ayaka’?” “That’s… well, it’s complicated.” Haruto averted his gaze to escape Tomoya’s questioning. Seeing his reaction, Tomoya’s grin widened. “Even if you’re not dating, you must like each other, right? Definitely.” “I don’t know about that. My feelings aside, I don’t know hers.” Haruto replied in a barely audible voice to Tomoya’s confident assertion. Hearing his unconfident tone, Tomoya made a sound of understanding, “Ho ho ho?” Haruto couldn’t bear his friend’s expression and shrugged off the arm around his shoulder. “Anyway, what are you doing at the station square? Are you alone?” “Nah, I was dragged along to go shopping with Haruka—” “Haru-nii~!” Tomoya’s explanation was suddenly cut off by a high-pitched, energetic scream.

Haruto looked in the direction of the voice, and a girl with bright hair tied in a side ponytail came running from a distance and threw herself onto Haruto’s arm with the force of her run. “To meet Haru-nii in a place like this! It’s good my horoscope was number one today!” “Whoa, Haruka-chan!?” The girl who suddenly appeared was Akagi Haruka. Tomoya’s younger sister. His sister, Haruka, was as good-looking as her brother. She had a slightly assertive face, but her straight nose bridge and almondshaped, double-lidded eyes were as round and cute as an idol’s, giving her a sense of loveliness. Being a third-year middle schooler, she still had a bit of childishness about her, but it was clear to anyone that in a few years, she would become a beauty who would make men on the street turn their heads. She was bouncing up and down, still holding his arm, which flustered Haruto. “Haruka-chan, there are people around, maybe don’t stick so close…” “Eeeeh~! I haven’t seen Haru-nii in a while, so I need to get a proper refill!” “Refill what?” Haruto asked with a slightly strained smile. Then, a hesitant voice came from behind him. “Um… Haruto-kun?” Haruto turned around at the voice, and Ayaka was looking back and forth between Haruka and Haruto. Her expression seemed to heavily show a hint of impatience or anxiety. “Um… that girl is… that… um…”

“Ah, sorry. This is Tomoya’s sis—” “I’m Haruka, Haru-nii’s little sister!” Despite actually being Tomoya’s sister, Haruka casually told a lie. “Oh! Is that so?” However, Ayaka, not realizing it was a lie, bowed her head to Haruka with a somewhat relieved expression. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ayaka Tojo, in the same class as your brother.” “Thank you for always taking care of my brother! I’m Haruka Ōtsuki, his little sister!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Along with the retort, Haruto couldn’t help but give Haruka a light chop on the forehead. Haruka covered her forehead with both hands, saying “Ow!” “Huh? Haruto-kun, what’s wrong?” “Sorry Ayaka, this isn’t my sister, it’s Tomoya’s sister.” “Huh? Huh? Akagi-kun’s?” Haruto pointed at Tomoya while holding his head, dealing with the unruly Haruka. In response, Ayaka seemed quite confused, looking back and forth between Haruto, Tomoya, and Haruka repeatedly. “Ehh! I am Haru-nii’s sister!! Haru-nii is way better than this!” “Hey, what do you mean ‘this’ to your actual brother? Your brother will be hurt, you know?” Haruka stuck her tongue out at Tomoya, who was protesting. Watching that exchange, Ayaka, still confused, somehow managed to understand that Haruka was not Haruto’s sister. “Let me introduce her again. This is Haruka Akagi. Tomoya’s sister, not mine.” “Is that so… but Haruto-kun and Haruka-chan, you look like real siblings, don’t you?” “Ah~ well, Tomoya and I are childhood friends, so naturally I’ve been close with Haruka-chan since way back.” For Haruto, Tomoya is both his best friend and childhood friend. And his sister, Haruka, whom he’s known since she was in diapers, is like a real little sister to him. “We’re close enough to even take baths together!” For some reason, Haruka puffed out her chest triumphantly. Hearing her words, Ayaka wore a very strained expression.

“H-huh… together, in the bath…? Huh?! The bath!?” “No no! That was way back, okay? That was when we were kindergarteners or just starting elementary school!” “O-oh, right. Yeah…” Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief at Haruto’s desperate defense. Just then, Haruka turned her gaze to Ayaka and said, “Ayaka-san, was it? What is your relationship with Haru-nii?” Ayaka stumbled over her words at the slightly pressing atmosphere, which felt somewhat like an interrogation. “Um…” “For just being classmates, I feel a remarkably close atmosphere between you?” Haruka leaned towards Ayaka, muttering, “Mmm.” “Could you be Haru-nii’s girlfriend? If so, as his sister, I must properly judge whether Ayaka-san is suitable for Haru-nii──” “Stop saying stupid things and let’s go shopping.” Tomoya cut in midsentence and grabbed his sister by the scruff of her neck. “Hey! Onii-chan! Don’t interfere!” “You’re the one interfering. Well, we’re leaving now. See you, Haru, and Tojo-san too.” Tomoya dragged Haruka away, holding her firmly. As he left, he patted Haruto on the shoulder and said, “Tell me everything later, okay?” before departing. Ayaka stood dumbfounded by the Akagi siblings, who had passed through like a storm. While being pulled away by Tomoya, Haruka was making a fuss, shouting about “a sister’s duty!”, to which her own brother, Tomoya, retorted, “Your brother is me!” “Um… Akagi-kun’s sister, she’s an interesting girl, isn’t she?” “Yeah… I guess she’s a little unique?” Ayaka said, carefully choosing her words, while Haruto gave a wry smile in return. “But, Haruka-chan, was it? She seemed just like Haruto-kun’s real sister. I completely forgot Haruto-kun was an only child.” “Well, yeah… I’ve known them since we were babies, so I admit they’re like real siblings to me.” He had interacted with the Akagi siblings, his childhood friends, like real family. So, he himself was aware that Haruka had become like a real sister to him. “Oh… Haruka-chan was really cute, wasn’t she?” “Huh? Oh, the Akagi siblings have good looks.” When he said this, Tomoya, if not Haruka, would immediately get cocky, so Haruto tried not to say it in front of them if possible. However, it was a fact that Tomoya and Haruka were a beautiful brother and sister pair.

Ayaka let out a small “Hmm” at Haruto’s remark, which seemed to acknowledge that fact. Her expression looked somewhat sulky, not entirely unlike it. “…For Haruto-kun, Haruka-chan is like a sister?” “That’s right.” “I see…” Ayaka kept mentioning Haruka, which made a strange ticklish feeling well up in Haruto’s chest. If she was jealous of Haruka being friendly with him, then it was highly likely that the feelings he had for Ayaka were the same as the feelings she had for him. Thinking that, Haruto’s heart started beating faster on its own, and his face grew hot. He desperately tried to suppress the urge to smile and subtly peeked at Ayaka’s expression. She, who was in his line of sight, was deep in thought with a serious look on her face. “…Ayaka?” “Ah, sorry, Haruto-kun.” Ayaka smiled brightly at Haruto calling her name. “Okay then, shall we continue our date?” She said this with an incredibly cute and charming smile, for some reason emphasizing the word ‘date’. Feeling a slight pressure from Ayaka, Haruto nodded. “R-right. What should we do next? Since we’re here, maybe look around the station building shops a bit more?” “Okay!” When Haruto replied, Ayaka nodded with a smile. At the same time, she wrapped her arms around Haruto’s arm as if hugging him and tightly gripped his hand. “Ayaka?” “We’re practicing being a couple right now, after all. I need to act like a proper girlfriend.” Ayaka was pressed close, which flustered Haruto. To him, Ayaka seemed full of spirit, showing a strong enthusiasm for practicing being a couple. She’s already acting like a girlfriend plenty… Suppressing that thought in his heart, Haruto started walking with Ayaka. ※※※ I walked, tightly hugging Haruto-kun’s left arm to my chest.

In my heart right now, a considerable amount of anxiety has started to sprout. The cause of it is the existence of his best friend Akagi-kun’s sister, Haruka-chan. Haruto-kun said that Haruka-chan is like a sister to him, but that doesn’t guarantee it will always be that way in the future. You can’t predict what will trigger romantic feelings, after all. I’ve deeply felt that myself, falling in love with Haruto-kun. Also, there’s the possibility that Haruka-chan has feelings for Haruto-kun. Watching their friendly interaction just now, I felt a squeezing anxiety in my chest. To calm the emotions swirling in my heart, I tightly gripped Haruto-kun’s left hand. “…Ayaka?” “Hey, Haruto-kun. I’d like to look at some clothes, if that’s okay?” “Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s totally fine.” Haruto-kun immediately agreed to my request. He was currently looking at the information display next to the escalator, checking which floor to go to, “Um, the women’s clothing section is…” I stared intently at Haruto-kun’s profile. Saki said before that if we dragged on this fake couple relationship, my relationship with Haruto-kun would get awkwardly complicated. Besides, it seems he’s secretly popular with girls at school. There’s no time to dawdle! I have to use this couple practice strategy to try my best and attract Harutokun’s attention with all my might! With renewed determination, I came to the women’s clothing section with Haruto-kun. “Is it okay to look around a bit?” “Of course.” Haruto-kun followed behind me without a hint of displeasure at my words. If this were a real date as a real couple, I wonder how incredibly happy I would be… I have to work hard to win that future! I carefully considered what kind of clothes would appeal to Haruto-kun. The selection of clothes being sold is transitioning from summer items to autumn items, but since hot days are still continuing, there are still plenty of light summer clothes available. As expected, Haruto-kun is a guy, so maybe something that shows a little more skin would be good…? Thinking about the impression I’d make on him, I picked up a few types of clothes I would never normally choose. “…Could you watch me try some on?”

“I don’t know much about women’s fashion, is that okay?” “Yes. W-well, see, today I’m Haruto-kun’s girlfriend, right? So, for me right now, my boyfriend Haruto-kun’s opinion is the most important.” “O-oh, right…” Embarrassed, I said it a little quickly, then held the clothes to my chest and headed for the fitting room. I could hear Haruto-kun’s footsteps following behind me, but too shy to face him, I went straight into the fitting room and closed the curtain. “Phew…” After taking a deep breath to calm myself, I gathered my resolve and took off the dress I was wearing. Then, I immediately put on the first outfit I had brought. The first thing I put on was a white off-shoulder blouse and a skirt that was shorter than the ones I usually wear. I’ve worn off-shoulder tops before, like on the movie date with Harutokun, and occasionally for casual wear, so the psychological hurdle was slightly lower. But the one I wore on the movie date had a more modest design, and I wore a thin cardigan over it. Also, the ones I usually wear are simple designs. Compared to that, the blouse I’m wearing now has a large frill at the chest, which is really cute, but I feel like it exposes a little too much skin… B-but if this can catch Haruto-kun’s attention!! I braced myself and pulled open the fitting room curtain. “Haruto-kun, how is… it?” I asked for his opinion from Haruto-kun, who was waiting properly in front of the fitting room. “Yeah, I think it suits you really well and looks cute.” “T-…thank you… Okay, I’ll change into the next outfit.” Saying that, I quickly closed the curtain to hide my face, which was grinning from being praised. I was incredibly happy to be called cute. But I also felt a bit frustrated. I worked up the courage to show some skin, but Haruto-kun’s reaction was just normal. For me, I wanted to… make him more nervous… “With this, maybe it will resonate with Haruto-kun?” I muttered that to myself, checking my appearance in the full-length mirror. The next outfit I wore was a combination of a shirt with a V-neck back and skinny denim pants. From the front, it looked normal, but the back was boldly exposed. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Haruto-kun. How about this?” I asked Haruto-kun, subtly twisting my body to show the back.

Then, I felt his face might have turned red just slightly. “…That also suits you really well, I think. Ayaka, you look cute in anything.” “O-oh, thank you… Could you look at just one more outfit?” “Yes, gladly.” Seeing Haruto-kun nod, I retreated back into the fitting room. “Did he get a little nervous, I wonder?” Remembering Haruto-kun’s reaction just now, both embarrassment and happiness welled up inside me. More… I want to make him more nervous… Feeling such a desire surge in my chest, I tried on the last outfit. “…Is this… too daring…?” I found myself staring intently at my reflection in the mirror. What I was wearing now was an off-shoulder top that was even wider open than the first blouse, and it was short, exposing my stomach and even my belly button. Is this called a tube top? Is just this one piece okay for the top? It has a big frill, so it’s not like underwear, right? I felt a little uneasy about the outfit, which barely covered anything but my chest area. By the way, the bottoms were also shorts that only came down to about halfway up my thighs. “It feels like wearing a swimsuit…” With so much exposure, I stopped moving, gripping the curtain. I froze like that for several seconds. But driven by the desire to make Haruto-kun nervous, which was growing within my chest, I pulled the curtain open with a swoosh. “Huh!?” The moment Haruto-kun saw me, he widened his eyes in a way that was almost funny, and stared at me without blinking, as if he was frozen. “Um… how is… it?” I asked, feeling his gaze on my body. Then Haruto-kun’s expression changed as if he’d come back to his senses. After that, he answered with his eyes darting around, so much so that it made me want to laugh. “Um… well…” Haruto-kun spoke in a small voice, stumbling over his words. “Since we’re practicing being a couple right now, my opinion as a boyfriend… is that okay?” “Yes. Please do.” When I nodded, he was silent for a moment before answering. “Then, that outfit is… no good, I think?”

“Huh!?” At the unexpected ‘no,’ my heart instantly filled with anxiety. Was I too daring?! Too much exposure?! Could it be… he thinks I’m a loose woman?! W-w-what should I do~~!! My thoughts froze at his words, halfway to panic. I might have gotten carried away and messed up… Just as I was thinking such things, Haruto-kun’s quiet voice reached my ears. “I think the outfit suits you really well. It’s very, um, mature and attractive. But it’s too attractive, to the point where I might not be able to concentrate on the date.” “Huh?” “I’m really happy that you’d wear such a dedicated outfit for the date, but I’d hate it if I were absent-minded throughout the date because of it. Also…” Haruto-kun paused for a moment, then said to me while shyly scratching his cheek and averting his gaze. “I don’t want to show that look to other guys. If I were Ayaka’s… real boyfriend, I’d want to monopolize… you right now. That’s why… that outfit is no good, I think?” “Huh!?” The moment I heard Haruto-kun’s words, I felt my body suddenly heat up. “…Okay. Um… I’ll change.” “Okay.” I pulled the curtain open sheepishly, looking down. Once the curtain completely blocked Haruto-kun from view, I couldn’t help but squat down on the spot and cover my face with both hands. “Ugh…” I changed slowly, taking my time, and somehow managed to regain my composure in the meantime. “S-sorry to keep you waiting…” “Okay… Are you going to buy that outfit?” “No. I think I’ll come shopping for clothes again next time with Saki.” “Ah… Aizawa-san would probably give good advice.” “Yeah…” “…Well then, shall we go to the next place?” Even though the atmosphere was a little awkward, Haruto-kun still held out his hand to me. Hearing my noisy pounding heart, I took his hand and started walking beside him. In my head, the words “I want to monopolize you” have been repeating endlessly since just now. Hah… monopolized… I want to be monopolized… I muttered that in my heart, glancing at Haruto-kun out of the corner of my eye repeatedly.

Midsummer sun relentlessly beats down on the residential area. Haruto heads towards the Tojo house, feeling the scorching heat like his neck is being grilled by the sunlight pouring down from directly overhead. On days he has his housekeeping part-time job, he’s scheduled to practice being a couple with Ayaka from the early afternoon. Visiting the Tojo house for the first time since the barbecue, Haruto felt a slight tension as he checked his appearance before pressing the intercom button. “…Haruto-kun?” “Yeah, I’m here.” Haruto replied to Ayaka’s voice coming through the intercom. Immediately, the front door opened, and Ayaka appeared. “I’ve been waiting for you, Haruto-kun.” Seeing her welcome him with a beaming smile, Shizuku’s words from yesterday flashed through Haruto’s mind. “A girl doesn’t say ‘I like you’ to someone she doesn’t feel anything for.” Haruto couldn’t help but feel his face turning red at Ayaka’s smile, which made him want to stare. “Can I come in?” “Yes, of course.” Ayaka opened the door wide and invited Haruto in. “Oh, is it okay if I check the fridge first to think about today’s dinner menu?” Haruto said as he took off his shoes and stepped into the entrance. “Sure.” Together with Ayaka, who readily nodded, Haruto entered the living room. Then, Ikue, who had her laptop open on the living-dining table, called out to Haruto. “Welcome, Ōtsuki-kun.” “Thank you for having me. Thank you for inviting me to the barbecue the other day. It was very delicious and fun.” “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” “Onii-chan! Let’s do fireworks again!!” Ryota, who was watching a superhero show on the living room TV, said with sparkling eyes. Haruto replied to him with a smile.

“Okay, let’s do it again. Oh, Ikue-san. Is it okay if I check inside the fridge for a bit?” “Yes, of course.” Ikue, who was working remotely, looked up from her laptop and gave a smiling nod of approval. Haruto opened the fridge door and checked the ingredients. “Hey, Haruto-kun. What are you planning for dinner today?” “Hmm, oh, there’s pork loin, so how about ginger pork?” As if he heard Haruto’s voice saying that, Ryota came rushing over with a shout of joy. “Ginger pork!! I like ginger pork!!” “Okay. Then I’ll make delicious ginger pork today.” “Yay!!” Ikue was telling the joyfully running Ryota, “Hey, settle down.” “Is ginger pork okay with Ayaka-san and Ikue-san?” Haruto checked with the two of them just in case. In response, Ikue immediately replied, “Of course.” Ayaka, on the other hand, had a slightly strained look on her face. “Was ginger pork not good?” “Huh!? No, it’s not that I dislike it at all…” As she said that, her gaze wandered slightly, and Haruto tilted his head, when Ikue said to Haruto with a smile, “Ōtsuki-kun, ginger pork is perfectly fine for dinner tonight.” “Is that so?” “Yes, right, Ayaka?” “Yeah, it’s fine…” Her daughter gave a somewhat reluctant reply to her mother’s voice asking for agreement. While feeling a slight sense of discomfort, Haruto decided on ginger pork for today’s dinner, thinking it would be fine if they said it was okay. “Okay, Mom. I’ll go study in my room with Haruto-kun now. Let’s go, Haruto-kun.” “Ah, okay. See you in the evening then.” “Okay~. Good luck with your studies,” Ikue said, smiling and waving lightly at the two. Entering Ayaka’s room on the second floor, Haruto asked Ayaka to confirm. “Are you really okay with ginger pork, Ayaka? If you don’t like it, we can make a separate dish just for you.”

“No! It’s fine. I love ginger pork. It’s more like the problem is that I love it so much…” Ayaka waved both hands to refuse Haruto’s suggestion. After trailing off her words, she looked at Haruto with a determined gaze. “Haruto-kun.” “Y-yes.” Called by his name in a suddenly strong voice, Haruto couldn’t help but straighten his back. “The sparkler contest the day before yesterday. I won, right?” “…That’s right.” “Then, you’ll do what I say, right?” “W-within the bounds of common sense…” Haruto replied, feeling overwhelmed by Ayaka, who seemed to be in a fierce mood. Hearing his reply, Ayaka nodded contentedly and took out her smartphone, starting to look something up. Haruto waited nervously, wondering what she would demand, when Ayaka suddenly thrust her smartphone screen towards him and declared, “Haruto-kun, you’re going to do this with me!!” “Huh? …Couple Yoga?” While looking at the smartphone screen presented to him, Haruto slowly read out the words displayed on the screen. “Yes! Couple Yoga! I think this is perfect for practicing being a couple!” “…Is that so?” Haruto, who felt her criteria for being a couple were quite questionable, looked at Ayaka with a dubious gaze, but she started explaining with a very firm look in her eyes. “Couple Yoga is where you work together with someone to do poses you can’t do alone. So, it has better stretching than regular yoga.” “Oh.” “Also, it has various benefits like stress relief, improved sleep, and increased concentration!” Seeing Ayaka’s enthusiastic state, Haruto also became curious about what Couple Yoga was like and took her smartphone. He then scrolled through the screen and read the explanation about Couple Yoga. “I see, it’s easy and recommended even for beginners.” “Yeah, yeah!” “It lasts longer when done by two people than when done alone.”

“That’s right!” “It also has a diet effect.” “That’s right!!” Ayaka reacted particularly strongly to the word “diet” that Haruto uttered. Seeing that, Haruto somewhat guessed the reason why she was so keen on Couple Yoga. Well, she did eat quite a lot at the barbecue… Recalling Ayaka’s hearty eating the other day, he subtly smiled. To Haruto, Ayaka looked thin, and he even thought she might be healthier if she gained a little weight. However, saying that to her would be insensitive. As he thought about such things, Haruto was skimming through a website explaining Couple Yoga when his hand stopped at a photo showing example poses. “…Huh? Are we going to do this?” Haruto muttered unintentionally. What he saw was a pose where a man was underneath, lifting his hands and feet up to form a base, and a woman was on top, stretching her limbs out straight as if flying. Couple Yoga had acrobatic poses that went far beyond Haruto’s imagination. “Oh, I think that’s for advanced practitioners. Let’s start with something like this first.” Ayaka took her smartphone back from Haruto for a moment, looked something up, and then showed him the screen again. “We look like we can do this, right?” “…Yeah, well…” The pose Ayaka was suggesting was one where a man and woman sit cross-legged back-to-back, twist their bodies, place their hands on the other person’s thigh, and stretch their side. Certainly, it looked easy to do and seemed like a good stretch for the waist. However, what bothered Haruto was the sense of distance. Couple Yoga, literally “partner yoga,” is done with lovers, couples, partners, etc., and is performed by two people who completely trust each other. Therefore, all the poses were very close. “Um… you’re not… uncomfortable with this, Ayaka?” “Yeah! This is for di— I mean, for practicing being a couple!” Ayaka slightly slipped up. It was already obvious to Haruto that she was burning with enthusiasm for this Couple Yoga for the sake of dieting. However, Ayaka, burning with the destiny of women, couldn’t possibly notice that and was determined to carry out Couple Yoga, regardless of the closeness.

“First, let’s do some light stretching as preparation,” she said, and laid a yoga mat on the floor of her room. The fact that there was a mat here meant that she had probably tried yoga before and failed to continue. To Haruto, who was thinking that, she told him to sit on the mat. “Okay, Haruto-kun, sit here with your legs stretched out. I’ll push your back.” “Understood.” Haruto obediently sat on the yoga mat and took a forward bending posture, stretching his hands and feet forward. “Okay, I’ll push your back now, alright? Tell me if it hurts.” Saying that, Ayaka gently pushed Haruto’s back. Haruto gradually bent his upper body forward. The bending didn’t stop; the more Ayaka pushed, the more his upper body bent. “Huh? Huh? Isn’t your body too flexible, Haruto-kun?” Seeing that Haruto’s forehead was about to touch his knees, Ayaka let out a voice of surprise. “I’ve been doing stretching at the karate dojo since I was little.” “Oh, I see. Hey, can I push more?” “Yeah, it’s fine.” Ayaka, perhaps enjoying pushing the flexible Haruto, pushed his back with a little more force. “Does it hurt?” “Not at all.” Even while completely folding his body, Haruto replied without showing any sign of discomfort. “Is it okay if I push with all my strength?” “Okay… wait, hey!?” “Wow, that’s amazing! It’s fine even if I put my whole weight on you,” Ayaka said in an excited voice to Haruto, who seemed perfectly fine, as she pressed her body firmly against his back and pushed. Haruto, on the other hand, felt an incredibly soft and appealing sensation transferring from his back where she was pushing, and his mind was in turmoil. Of course, it wasn’t as if Ayaka was deliberately pressing her body against him; she was mainly using her arms to push Haruto’s back, but when she leaned forward to apply her whole weight, whether due to her attractive physique working against her or in Haruto’s favor, it ended up with her body pressing closely against his back. “Um… maybe that’s enough?” Haruto, neatly folded in half with Ayaka partly leaning on him, spoke up, unable to bear it anymore. “Oh, right. Sorry, I got carried away,” Ayaka said as she moved away. Haruto breathed a sigh of relief that the sensation on his back was finally

gone, but he also noticed his own feeling of slight disappointment, leading to a mild self-loathing. “Okay, then let’s switch places. Haruto-kun, will you push my back?” “…Um, can I finish my stretching first?” Haruto said, sitting on the yoga mat with a slightly awkward expression. Haruto, who would have various problems if he stood up now, wished to continue sitting and stretching. “Oh, I see. That’s more efficient,” Ayaka nodded at Haruto’s suggestion. He felt a sense of relief that he didn’t have to stand up for the time being, while also feeling both excitement and a hint of anxiety about the upcoming Couple Yoga. After Haruto finished his series of stretches, Ayaka moved away from his back and said, “Okay, let’s switch now. This time, Haruto-kun will push my back.” Saying that, Ayaka sat on the yoga mat with her legs stretched out. Haruto, who had somehow managed to calm his mind during his own stretching, moved behind Ayaka and gently placed his palms on her back. “Okay, I’ll push now, alright?” “Yeah, go ahead.” After giving a heads-up, Haruto slowly pushed Ayaka’s back. At the same time, a strange sound like “Unyuu~” came from her mouth. “…Are you okay? Does it hurt?” “Hoooh~… I-it’s fine.” A rather cute groan escaped from Ayaka, who was desperately reaching her arms towards her toes. Hearing that, Haruto desperately tried to hold back his laughter. “Then, I’ll push a little harder?” “Ugh, please do…” Haruto pushed her back slightly stronger than before. “Okay, hold it here for ten seconds.” “Gunyuu…” “One, two, three…” “Haruto-kun… aren’t you counting slowly?” “Four, that’s not true, is it? It’s normal, you know? Okay, fi-ve, si-x…” While Haruto was counting, Ayaka was enduring with a slight struggle, groaning “Fununu…” “Nine, ten, okay, that’s it.” “Phew! That stretched really well~.” “Okay, now let’s open your legs and lean your body to the right.”

“…Are you actually quite a drill sergeant, Haruto-kun?” Ayaka said with half-closed eyes, looking back at Haruto behind her. Haruto replied to her with a cheerful smile. “That’s not true, you know? I’m the type who encourages and helps you grow.” “Hmm.” To Haruto, who denied it, she showed a slightly displeased expression. “Okay, face forward. I’m going to lean your body to the right.” “Ugyu~…” Pushed on the back by Haruto, Ayaka let out another cute groan. It wasn’t that her body was particularly stiff, but compared to Haruto, who had been stretching since childhood, the angle of her bend was completely different. “One, two, three…” Haruto counted while pushing Ayaka’s back. When she was pushing his back, he had felt flustered by the soft sensation he occasionally felt, so although it wasn’t exactly retaliation, he slowed down his counting just a little. After opening her legs and bending her upper body to the right, left, and forward, Ayaka then sat with the soles of her feet together and had Haruto press down on her knees. “If your teaching policy is to praise and help grow, I’d like you to praise me more while you push,” Ayaka said, slightly pouting at Haruto, who had been relentlessly pushing her back. “…Ayaka, your body is so flexible~. Okay, I’ll count slowly, alright? One, two.” “I feel like you’re making fun of me…” “I’ll push your knees a little more, okay? I’m sure you can do it, Ayaka. Okay, fi-ve, si-x.” “Unununu…” “Nine, ten, okay, finished. You did great.” To Haruto, who lightly patted her shoulder at the end and gave words of praise, Ayaka pouted her lips in dissatisfaction, saying, “I still feel like you’re making fun of me…” Seeing her reaction, Haruto smiled amusingly. “Your reactions when I was pushing your back were funny, so I couldn’t help it.” “Ah, so you were making fun of me after all!” To Ayaka, who puffed up her cheeks cutely, Haruto gave a wry smile, saying, “Sorry, sorry.” Despite complaining, “Geez!”, at his apology, Ayaka seemed to be enjoying herself, as a slight smile played on her lips.

“Okay, we’re done with the warm-up, so next is the main part, Couple Yoga.” “Understood, um… which pose should we start with?” “First, let’s do this one where we sit and twist our bodies?” Ayaka suggested while showing Haruto the smartphone screen. “Okay, first we sit cross-legged back-to-back.” Haruto leaned in to look at her smartphone screen and check the pose. When he sat cross-legged on the yoga mat, Ayaka also sat cross-legged, aligning her back with his. “With this, we twist our waists and place our hands on Haruto-kun’s knees, right?” “That’s right. I’ll also place my hands on Ayaka’s knees.” They both twisted their bodies at the same time and placed their hands on each other’s knees. “How is it? Is this right?” “Probably. But it feels kind of good, like my waist and back are stretching.” They maintained the posture of sitting cross-legged back-to-back and twisting their bodies. Ayaka’s back was pressed tightly against Haruto’s back, transmitting a soft warmth and her breathing. Feeling that, Haruto’s heart naturally pounded, and his face turned red. “Next is the other side.” “Understood.” At Ayaka’s words, they switched the direction they twisted their bodies. While doing yoga with Ayaka, Haruto’s mind was filled with thoughts about her feelings, wondering what she thought of him. “Phew, okay, let’s do this pose next?” Ayaka showed Haruto her smartphone screen again. It said “Tree Pose” and showed an image of a male and female pair standing on one leg side by side, raising their hands to form a pose like a single tree. “…It’s quite close, isn’t it?” “It’s Couple Yoga, you know. You don’t like it, Haruto-kun?” Ayaka asked, tilting her head slightly. Seeing her expression, Haruto felt she was being unfair. There was no way he could refuse when she said something like that with such a face. “Um, do I stand like this?” While looking at Ayaka’s smartphone screen, Haruto took the Tree Pose. Seeing that, she showed a happy expression. Then, she moved next to Haruto and took the same pose. “Couple Yoga is quite fun,” Ayaka said with a beaming smile right next to him, her profile visible.

Haruto watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge what was in her heart. What does Ayaka think of me…? Ayaka, who was so close that there was no personal space at all, yet smiled happily without showing any sign of discomfort. The practice of being a couple, which Ayaka had suggested so that she could act as a perfect girlfriend in front of his grandmother. Did she really propose this just to improve the quality of the fake girlfriend role? As Haruto thought about such things, Shizuku’s words came back to his mind, along with her dramatic sigh. “Practicing being a couple? That’s Tojo-senpai trying her best to get Haru-senpai to notice her.” If Shizuku’s words were true… “Haruto-kun, let’s try this heart pose next,” Ayaka said, looking cheerful and smiling. Seeing her smile, Haruto thought. Maybe I am dense, slow, and a blockhead, just as Shizuku said. But what if my idea is just a misunderstanding…? If I interpreted Ayaka’s feelings on my own and confessed only to be rejected, this housekeeping part-time job would turn into hell from now on. Ayaka, who knew nothing of Haruto’s conflict, gave him a captivating smile that troubled him. “Haruto-kun, put your left foot forward. I’ll put my right foot forward.” “Like this?” “Yeah. Then, put your feet together and hold hands.” Saying that, Ayaka reached out her hand towards Haruto. Haruto took her hand. “With this, we pull each other to make a heart shape.” At her words, Haruto pulled Ayaka’s hand gently. “Haha, we should take a picture of this pose.” “But it might be a little embarrassing to be seen doing this by others.” If the boys at school saw him so close to Ayaka, the school idol, happily doing Couple Yoga like this, Haruto would surely get beaten up. “Haruto-kun, next is the boat pose.” “Isn’t this pretty difficult if you’re not flexible? Are you sure, Ayaka?” “Ah, you just made fun of me, didn’t you? It’s fine, I can do it!” To Ayaka, who puffed up her cheeks cutely, Haruto naturally smiled, and they continued to diligently work on Couple Yoga afterwards. After finishing a series of Couple Yoga poses, Ayaka and Haruto spread open their reference books on the desk and applied themselves to studying. Since they had declared to Ikue and Shuichi that they would be studying, they couldn’t keep practicing being a couple forever. They had to study properly to some extent and get good grades on the tests after the summer break, or Ikue and the others would ask, “What exactly were you doing?” Ayaka said with a serious expression while writing in her notebook, “Maybe it’s the effect of Couple Yoga? I feel like I can concentrate really

well.” “My circulation seems to have improved, and my body feels loosened up,” Haruto said, stopping his studying for a moment to pick up his smartphone and look up the benefits of Couple Yoga. “Yoga also has the effect of meditation, so it’s great for improving concentration.” “It also improves sleep, and it helps with dieting too! It was quite fun doing it, and Couple Yoga has so many benefits!” Haruto, who returned a smile to Ayaka speaking with a beaming face, happened to read a cautionary note about the effects of Couple Yoga. “…Hey, it says here that you need to continue this for three or four months for the diet effect to show?” Hearing those words, Ayaka’s pen stopped dead. She slowly raised her face and deliberately gave a thumbs-up. “Perseverance is power, Haruto-kun.” “…Indeed,” Haruto resumed studying with a wry smile. He’ll probably be invited to ‘do Couple Yoga?’ quite often from now on, he thought. As he considered this, Haruto thought that maybe that wasn’t so bad after all.

Early hours before the full force of the summer heat bore down. In the Ōtsuki family kitchen in the early morning, Haruto and his grandmother were lined up, making breakfast. “Grandma, for the miso soup, which is better, tofu or onion?” “The tofu should be closer to its expiration date.” “Okay, then let’s make tofu and seaweed miso soup today.” Saying that, Haruto added dried seaweed to the dashi he had prepared the day before. “Grandma. I’m going to the dojo today.” “Alright. What about lunch?” “I’ll eat out today.” Haruto replied while checking the doneness of the grilled salmon. “Speaking of which, Haruto, how are things with Ayaka-san?” At his grandmother’s words, Haruto paused the hand that was plating the grilled salmon. “Yeah, things are going well.” “Is that so? That’s good.” His grandmother’s wrinkles deepened with joy. As she smiled, a complex feeling mixed with happiness and guilt spread within Haruto’s chest. “…She really is such a wonderful person, almost too good for me.” Haruto started moving his hands again to continue preparing breakfast. “Make sure you cherish Ayaka-san properly, alright?” “Yeah… I know.” As Haruto nodded, the image of Ayaka illuminated by a sparkler was clearly reflected in his mind. There was definitely a desire in his heart to cherish her. However, that wasn’t something a fake boyfriend should do. It was the role of a real boyfriend, not a fake one. Next to his grandmother, who was delighted that her grandson had found such a wonderful girlfriend, Haruto fretted alone. ※※※

Haruto, who had the day off from his part-time job, headed to the karate dojo after finishing breakfast. There, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to training. While concentrating, he didn’t have to think about unnecessary things, so he trained with all his might. “What is it, Haruto? You’re unusually fired up today.” Ishikura, his sparring partner, spoke to Haruto during the break. “No, well, I just want to shake off some distracting thoughts.” “Are you a monk?” Saying that, Ishikura laughed heartily. One year older than him, he was like a reliable older brother figure to Haruto. Moreover, he was also a rival they had honed their skills with at this Doujima Dojo since childhood. “When I spar with Kazu-senpai with all my might, I feel really focused and it’s fun.” “Oh, you’re saying something nice, aren’t you? Well, shall we go for another round?” The intimidating-looking Ishikura grinned. Ishikura gave off an aura as if he might pull a knife from his pocket. However, Haruto knew that despite his appearance, he was a kind-hearted young man inside. “Yes, please.” Haruto roused his spirit and resumed sparring with Ishikura. After that, Haruto continued to train enthusiastically, and before he knew it, it was already lunchtime. Finishing his karate practice, Haruto, who was heading to the changing room to change from his gi to his casual clothes, called out to Shizuku, who happened to be passing by. “Shizuku, do you have a minute?” “What is it, Haru-senpai? A marriage proposal? Yes, let’s get married.” “Have you decided what you’re having for lunch today?” Haruto ignored Shizuku’s usual joking reply and asked her about her lunch plans. “No, I haven’t decided anything in particular. I had natto and bananas in the fridge, so I was planning to put them on toast for lunch.” “…That’s quite an eccentric combination. Do natto and bananas go well together?”

“Do you want to try some too, Haru-senpai? Want to have lunch together?” Shizuku, expressionless, said things like “I’ll even go ‘Ah~n’ for you?”. “No, I’ll pass. Rather, if it’s okay, would you let me treat you to lunch today?” “Hmm? Why are you suddenly confessing your love? I’m totally ready for it though.” “No, I just invited you to lunch.” In their verbal back-and-forth, Shizuku occasionally threw incredibly wild pitches. Haruto gave a wry smile at her. “When I was sick, you took care of me, right? I want to thank you for that.” “Ah, you don’t need to worry about that. It’s something I did because I wanted to.” “Is that so… Despite saying that, you’re immediately searching for a restaurant though.” Even while saying words of refusal, she was quickly searching for a restaurant to eat lunch at on the smartphone in her hand. She swiped her thumb quickly, muttering things like “Should I trust the reviews on this site…” while enthusiastically searching for potential lunch spots. “Make sure it’s a place high schoolers can go to, okay?” As Haruto smiled at Shizuku’s usual behavior, Ishikura, who had changed from his gi to casual clothes, came over to the two of them. “Hey, what are you two lovey-doveying about?” “Haru-senpai and I are always lovey-dovey. Kazu-senpai is a third wheel.” Shizuku looked up from her smartphone, leaning slightly towards Haruto as she said it expressionlessly. Haruto ignored her words and invited Ishikura as well. “I thought I’d treat her to lunch as thanks for taking care of me before. Do you want to come along too, Kazu-senpai?” “Ah, I’ll pass.” He waved his hand, declining Haruto’s invitation. “Do you have plans?” “Kazu-senpai is a third wheel.” “I’m planning to bake some sweets in the afternoon.” Ishikura looked quite intimidating to others. However, contrary to his appearance, his hobby was baking sweets. Moreover, his skill was quite

high, and the fruit tart he had let them try last time was as delicious as anything from a store. “Oh, what are you making today?” “Kazu-senpai is a third wheel.” To Haruto’s curious question, Ishikura replied with a slightly happy expression. “I bought some pretty good butter the other day. I’m thinking of trying financiers.” “Financiers, huh? That sounds good.” “Requesting a handout for tomorrow’s practice. Also, Kazu-senpai is a third wheel.” “Hey, Shizuku. You keep calling me a third wheel, but you want me to bring sweets? You’ve got some nerve.” Shizuku, who had been diligently squeezing in “third wheel” into Haruto and Ishikura’s conversation, her eyes sparkled expressionlessly at the word “financier.” In response, Ishikura’s temple twitched slightly. “Kazu-senpai is SO cool, SO handsome, SO amazing, SO intimidating. Okay, I praised you, so please bring the handout tomorrow.” “That’s so half-hearted, hey! And ‘intimidating look’ isn’t a compliment!!” Ishikura raised his voice in protest at Shizuku’s utterly unmotivated words. To that, Shizuku replied, “Kazu-senpai, you’re being selfish?”. “Good grief, you really do have a great personality.” “No, no, not at all.” “I wasn’t praising you! sigh… Well, that’s how it is, so you two go for lunch. I’m going home. See ya.” Ishikura, looking a little tired from the exchange with Shizuku, waved a hand and left the dojo. Watching his back, Shizuku muttered expressionlessly. “Just how much more gap does Kazu-senpai need to master before he’s satisfied?” “Well, he’s the kind of person who truly embodies ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.” A large physique close to two meters tall, thin eyebrows, sharp eyes, short hair with three lines shaved into the sides, and a single scar running from his temple to his mouth. Based on his appearance alone, he was completely an outlaw.

However, inside, he was a kind-hearted young man whose hobby was baking sweets and who loved children and small animals dearly. “Do you think he’ll bring the handout tomorrow?” “He’ll bring it. He’ll grumble and complain, but he’ll bring it. That’s the kind of person he is.” “Will Haru-senpai be here tomorrow?” “It would be a waste to miss out on Kazu-senpai’s financiers.” Haruto was also looking forward to the financiers that Ishikura made. Tomorrow, he had his housekeeping service part-time job at the Tojo household. And he was scheduled to practice being a couple with Ayaka, but that was planned for after noon. Since his morning was free, Haruto decided to show up at the dojo and enjoy some delicious financiers. At his words, Shizuku nodded with a satisfied “Mhm, mhm,” then quickly showed Haruto her smartphone. “Haru-senpai. I want to go here for lunch.” “Mhm, got it.” Haruto nodded at Shizuku’s suggestion and headed to the changing room to change into his casual clothes. ※※※ “This unique smell. This is the true essence of Iekei ramen.” Shizuku brought her face close to the bowl the staff had brought and sniffed the ordered ramen. “This smell, once you get used to it, it becomes addictive.” “Agreed. This smell that seems stinky at first becomes seriously addictive the more times you have it.” Shizuku nodded, showing agreement with Haruto’s opinion. As thanks for taking care of him, the lunch Shizuku had suggested was ramen. A new Iekei ramen restaurant had recently opened near the Doujima Dojo. It seemed she had been curious about it. “This place always has a line. But waiting alone is boring, so your invitation, Haru-senpai, was perfect.” “Well, waiting in line alone in this heat is tough too.” Haruto exchanged such conversation with Shizuku while scooping up soup with a ladle and bringing it to his mouth.

“Oh, this is delicious.” From the rich soup spreading on his tongue, he could feel the concentrated umami of pork bone and the deep richness of soy sauce. At the same time, the fragrant aroma of chicken oil ran through his nasal passages, followed slowly by the unique aroma of Iekei. There was another Iekei ramen restaurant near the Doujima Dojo. That restaurant had been in business for a long time, and the taste was exceptionally delicious, so Haruto, Ishikura, and Shizuku often went there to eat after practice. The taste of this new ramen restaurant might be just as delicious as the familiar one. Just as Haruto was thinking that, Shizuku next to him also slurped a mouthful of noodles and nodded. “Rich soup and chewy thick noodles. This is… a pass.” Though her expression was still blank, Shizuku’s voice was oddly serious as she said it. Next to her, who was giving off the atmosphere of a master commenting on a cooking show, Haruto also put on a serious expression. “The lineup of tabletop condiments is also wonderful. The fact that they have garlic chips shows this place understands.” “And the ramen vinegar is a high point too.” “Right.” Both of them crossed their arms and nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, Haruto and Shizuku silently continued slurping their ramen. When they had eaten about eighty percent, Shizuku suddenly spoke to Haruto as if remembering something. “Speaking of which, Haru-senpai.” “Hmm?” “I’ve asked before… but Haru-senpai, do you have someone you like?”

“Huh!?” At the sudden question, Haruto stopped moving, the seaweed he was carefully saving still gripped between his chopsticks. “What’s up, Shizuku? So sudden…” “Because you were talking to Kazu-senpai about it before, weren’t you? About the appropriate distance with a girl you’re getting close to, or something like that.” “Ah… you heard that?” Before, when Ayaka had pressed him about practicing being lovers, his feelings had almost gotten out of control, and he had tried to consult Ishikura about it. It seemed Shizuku had overheard that conversation. Although, even if she had overheard, they hadn’t ended up talking about anything significant. “So, how is it? Did you get a crush?” “Well, uh… I wonder…” Haruto was conscious of his feelings for Ayaka. He was conscious of them, but he hadn’t quite sorted out his feelings enough to verbalize and affirm them yet. However, seeing Haruto equivocate, Shizuku let out a small, exasperated sigh. “’I wonder…’ That’s practically saying you have a crush, you know?” “…How can you be so sure? You can’t know that.” “I do know.” She stated firmly, looking straight into Haruto’s eyes. “I’ve been watching you ever since I was little, so of course I’d know.” Her words were unchanging as always, showing little emotional fluctuation. Yet, they held a strange persuasiveness, and Haruto couldn’t deny them. “…Was I that easy to read?” “No, it’s because I’ve known you for a long time, so it’s special.” Shizuku said that, and puffed out her chest proudly. “So, who is the object of Haru-senpai’s affection?” Shizuku seemed certain that Haruto had gotten a crush, and proceeded the conversation based on that assumption. Seeing her like that, Haruto also resigned himself and opened his mouth. “…It’s a girl from my class, and I got to know her a little during summer break. So, well…” “Oh my. So the thieving cat who stole Haru-senpai from me is a girl from your class?”

To Shizuku, who said this while resting her hand on her chin, Haruto gave a wry smile, saying, “A thieving cat…” “Speaking of which. The famous Tojo-senpai was also in Haru-senpai’s class, wasn’t she?” “Huh!? Ah, ah. That’s right, yeah.” At the name ‘Tojo’ that came from Shizuku’s voice, Haruto couldn’t help but react with a jolt. Shizuku didn’t miss that slight reaction, and looked at Haruto with scrutinizing eyes. “Haru-senpai’s crush, could it be…?” “…………I exercise my right to remain silent.” Haruto, unable to bear it any longer and escaping Shizuku’s gaze, turned his face away from her and muttered. At his reaction, Shizuku let out another sigh and said, “See? That’s the same as saying ‘yes’, Haru-senpai.” “Uh… But seriously, of all people, it’s that Tojo-senpai…? Poor Harusenpai, you’re going to become just another part of the mountain of corpses of those brave warriors who confessed and were defeated. Don’t worry, I’ll heal my Senpai who confesses and is defeated. You can soak my chest with your tears if you want.” The school’s idol, Ayaka Tojo, doesn’t say yes to anyone’s confession. That’s a very famous story among the students at the school Haruto and others attend. Therefore, it’s only natural that Shizuku would pity and try to comfort Haruto, assuming he’ll be rejected. “Besides, isn’t it rumored among the first-year girls that Tojo-senpai isn’t interested in romance?” However, Haruto, having actually become involved with her through the housekeeping service, was starting to wonder if there might be a chance, so he instinctively denied Shizuku’s words. “It’s not like Tojo-san isn’t interested in romance. I don’t think so, anyway.” Someone not interested in romance wouldn’t suggest practicing being lovers, or ask for a ‘commanding’ tone for the boyfriend role. At Haruto, who immediately denied Shizuku’s words, she turned a probing gaze on him. “Haru-senpai, did something happen with Tojo-senpai? And how did you even get to know her during summer break? Ah, maybe it’s related to a short-term part-time job? Is that it, Haru-senpai?” To Shizuku, who pressed him one question after another, Haruto thought that trying to awkwardly dodge the questions would only make the situation

more complicated, so he put his hands up in surrender and told Shizuku about Ayaka to some extent. Shizuku, who had been listening to Haruto’s story in silence, let out a small word after he finished. “…Spineless.” “Huh? What did you say?” The word Shizuku let out was so small that Haruto missed hearing it. To him asking again, Shizuku started speaking in a slightly angry tone. Maybe it was his imagination, but even her usually expressionless eyes seemed slightly slanted upwards. “Haru-senpai, you don’t understand women’s feelings at all. She’s your girlfriend, even if it’s just pretend! Nobody would do that with someone they don’t like, would they? And ‘practice being lovers’? That’s Tojo-senpai trying hard because she wants Haru-senpai to notice her!” Shizuku shook her head exasperatedly and let out a big sigh, her third of the day. “Poor Tojo-senpai. To have to deal with such a dense, slow-witted, wooden-headed Haru-senpai.” “Hey, hey, I’m not that bad, am I?” “You are. First of all, why did you lie to your grandma? That’s not like Haru-senpai.” After saying that, Shizuku pouted and let out a slightly sulky mutter, “I could have pretended for you instead.” “Sorry. I was really upset then, I wasn’t thinking straight… When I thought Grandma was really going to leave, my mind just went blank…” At Haruto, who spoke a little weakly, Shizuku’s expression softened slightly before returning to her usual poker face. “Well, I suppose I understand what kind of person Grandma is to Harusenpai.” Shizuku slurped up all the noodles barely left in her bowl and put her hands together, saying, “Thank you for the meal.” Then, as she returned the finished bowl to the counter, she turned her face towards Haruto and said, “Let me just say this.” “A girl doesn’t say ‘I like you’ to someone she doesn’t feel anything for.” After saying that, Shizuku stood up from her seat, saying, “Well, I’m done eating, so I’ll head outside first,” and left the shop. Haruto also hurried to finish the rest of his ramen, trying to follow her. And here, he suddenly realized something.

“’She doesn’t say ‘I like you’ to someone she doesn’t feel anything for’… What about Shizuku?” Every time Haruto spoke to her, Shizuku would make jokes like ‘Let’s date’ or ‘Let’s get married.’ What about that? Haruto stopped moving for a moment and sank into thought, but remembering she was waiting outside, he slurped his ramen again. Well, Shizuku’s always been like that since way back… Maybe she’s a bit special. Haruto concluded this within himself, put his hands together saying, “Thank you for the meal” to the finished ramen, and left the shop.

“Phew~ I ate so much~” Saki said, leaning heavily against the backrest of her folding chair. “Maybe that last banana was a bit heavy.” Next to Saki, Ayaka also said, slightly struggling, while rubbing her stomach with one hand. “Dessert is supposed to be a separate stomach, but I really think I ate too much this time.” Two girls struggling with fullness. Haruto gave a wry smile and looked towards the barbecue grill. On the grill rack, burnt and partially blackened banana peels were scattered. Bananas as dessert after eating plenty of meat, seafood, and vegetables. That was quite a challenge even for Haruto, a high school boy with a hearty appetite. Perhaps the double sweetness from the chocolate sauce was also a factor that promoted the feeling of fullness. So, Haruto only ate one grilled banana. However, the two high school girls next to him had incredibly finished three each. The tenacity of girls when it comes to sweets is something to be feared. While Haruto was thinking such things, his sleeve was suddenly tugged. “Hm? What is it, Ryota-kun?” When Haruto turned his face to Ryota, who was pulling his sleeve, he opened his mouth impatiently. “Hey, hey. Are the fireworks ready yet?” It seemed Ryota couldn’t wait to do the fireworks Haruto had bought. At his words, Haruto looked up at the sky. The sky, which was still evening when they started the barbecue, was now completely covered by the night curtain, and the surroundings had become completely dark. “That’s right, let’s do fireworks. But before that, we need to clean up the barbecue, okay?” Saying that, Haruto looked at the folding table. Scattered there were trays that had held meat, seafood, and other items. As Haruto was about to stand up to clean, Ikue called out to him. “Otsuki-kun, you just need to clear the plates and trays. I’ll do the rest of the washing up.” “Really? But…” For this barbecue, they had prepared a lot of ingredients because Haruto and Saki were participating. As a result, the number of trays and other items to wash was naturally large.

Plus, there was the cleaning of the grill rack and the disposal of the charcoal. Considering these things, Haruto showed a hesitant expression. Seeing him, Shuichi, who was in a good mood with alcohol, said with a full smile on his slightly red face. “Really, don’t worry about it. Leave the cleanup to us adults, and the kids should play to their heart’s content!” Shuichi chuckled happily with a beer in his hand, saying, “Hahaaha.” Haruto looked at Ikue with a slightly worried face at Shuichi, who was starting to show signs of being slightly drunk. Ikue, receiving Haruto’s gaze, smiled sweetly. “You really don’t need to worry about it? More importantly, please play with Ryota.” “Understood. Alright, Ryota-kun. Let’s do fireworks after clearing the dishes, okay?” “Yeah!!” Ryota, nodding with a full smile, and Haruto shared the task, holding plates and trays in both hands. “We should move too.” Seeing the two start cleaning up, Ayaka and Saki, with movements as slow as sloths, joined in the cleanup. After clearing the dishes and leaving the rest of the cleanup to Ikue and Shuichi, Haruto and the others immediately started preparing for the fireworks. “Put the finished fireworks in this bucket, okay?” “Are we lighting them with a lighter? Or a candle?” “Maybe we can just use the one we used for lighting the fire earlier?” Saki asked Ayaka, who was carrying a bucket of water in both hands, how to light the fireworks. Haruto said this while holding the ignition lighter they had used earlier for starting the fire. “The handle is long and easy to light.” Haruto handed the ignition lighter to Saki, then took the bucket from Ayaka’s hands as she carried the heavy water-filled bucket. “Thank you, Haruto-kun. Can you put the bucket in the middle there?” “Got it.” “Brother, can I do this one first?” Ryota ran up to Haruto, who was placing the bucket near the middle of the yard. In his hand, he clutched a colorful handheld firework with gold lines on pink. “Okay. But don’t point it at people because you might get burned, okay?” “Yeah!!” “Ryota, come over here. I’ll light it for you.” Saki beckoned Ryota with the ignition lighter in her hand. Looking excited, Ryota stared intently at Saki as she lit it. “Ryota, don’t shake the tip. Yes, just like that… Okay, it’s lit.”

Saki, confirming the tip where the paper was fluttering had caught fire, backed away slightly, creating distance from Ryota. The firework Ryota held, once the fire reached the gunpowder part, began to emit small sparks with a ‘chi-chi-chi’ sound at first. Then, immediately after, it spewed out vivid sparks forward like a fountain. “Wow!! Look, look!!” “It’s pretty~ I’ll do one too.” Saki also picked up the same kind of firework as Ryota and lit it herself. Making a ‘shuu’ sound similar to Ryota’s, a waterfall of sparks flowed from Saki’s firework. “It’s fun doing this after a long time! You two hurry up and do it too!” She, who was as excited as Ryota, urged Haruto and Ayaka. “Yeah, Haruto-kun, let’s do it together?” “Okay.” Ayaka picked up two fireworks and handed one to Haruto. Ayaka, receiving the ignition lighter from Saki, immediately lit her handheld firework. “Wow! Beautiful!” Ayaka’s firework, unlike Ryota’s which spewed out sparks like a fountain, opened up with fine sparks like snowflakes that popped and burst. Seeing that, Ayaka innocently squealed and looked at Haruto. “Look, look, Haruto-kun! It’s so beautiful!” Seeing her excited figure, which somehow resembled Ryota’s, and realizing they were indeed siblings, Haruto also took his own firework and approached Ayaka. “Can you lower your firework a little bit?” “Is this good?” “Yeah, thanks.” Haruto brought his own firework close to the tip of Ayaka’s firework. His handheld firework, having borrowed fire from hers, scattered beautiful sparks as if bouncing. On a summer night. In the backyard of the Tojo house, colorful sparks danced. Everyone smiled at each other with fireworks in hand. A faint smell of gunpowder mixed with the soft night breeze, and along with cheerful laughter, it was etched into their memories as a colorful remembrance. “Look, look, Ayaka. Dual-wielding!” “Hehe, Saki, you’re getting too excited.” “Brother! This firework changes color so much!” “Ryota-kun, after you finish that one, let’s try this one next.” Holding their desired fireworks, Haruto and the others enjoyed the display.

Shuichi and Ikue, after finishing the barbecue cleanup, sat side by side on the wood deck and smiled fondly at the sight of the children excitedly enjoying the fireworks. “Yeah, yeah, looks like youth, doesn’t it?” “I envy the young.” “Right. But adults also have their own enjoyment, don’t they?” Saying that, Shuichi poured red wine into the glass he had brought and handed it to Ikue. “That’s true. Thank you, dear.” Ikue received the wine with a smile and raised it slightly. “Cheers.” “Cheers.” The Tojo couple lightly snacked on cheese and smoked salmon while sipping wine and happily watching the fireworks. Haruto, holding a firework that scattered sparks like pampas grass, spoke to Ayaka next to him. “Mr. Shuichi and Ms. Ikue seem like an ideal couple, don’t they?” “Eh? Do they?” Ayaka shifted her gaze from her firework and looked at her parents on the wood deck. “I guess they’re pretty close, but sometimes when they start being lovey-dovey, I’m like, ‘Give me a break!’” “Ahahaha, it’s great that they have a happy marriage.” As Haruto laughed out loud, Ayaka gave a wry smile and said, “From a child’s perspective, it’s a bit awkward.” At that moment, Saki came over with a firework shaped like a gun. “Ryota! Ryota! Let’s do this one together!” “Yeah!! Let’s do it!!” “Alright! Then, let’s go over there and do it!” Saki moved a little distance away from Haruto and Ayaka. At that moment, she quickly glanced at Ayaka and Haruto for just a second. Immediately after, she started playing excitedly with Ryota and the picture-shaped firework. “Hey, Haruto-kun. Shall we do this one together?” Saying that, Ayaka showed Haruto a sparkler. “A sparkler? Sounds good, let’s do it.” Haruto received one sparkler from Ayaka. “Oh, I know. Let’s have a competition to see whose lasts longer.” Ayaka suggested this while crouching down. Haruto also crouched down next to her and showed a fearless smile. “Okay. I accept that challenge.”

“Then, the loser has to grant the winner one wish in our next boyfriend/girlfriend practice, okay?” Ayaka lowered her voice slightly so that the surroundings couldn’t hear and whispered into Haruto’s ear. That proximity made Haruto’s heart skip a beat. “Anything… I’m not sure about ‘anything’.” Haruto felt it might be a bit dangerous to allow ‘anything’ to Ayaka, who had already suggested saying ‘I love you’ and lap pillows. To him, Ayaka smiled slightly provocatively. “Haruto-kun, don’t you have confidence you’ll win?” “…No, I’ll definitely win.” His competitive spirit was expertly tickled, and Haruto reflexively declared victory. “Then there’s no problem, right?” Haruto nodded to Ayaka, who was smiling sweetly, thinking he had been outplayed. “Alright. Then, let’s light them at the same time.” “Okay.” As Haruto took the ignition lighter, Ayaka crouched down and came closer. To light them simultaneously, they had to hold the sparklers to the same flame, so their distance naturally became closer. His heart rate couldn’t help but accelerate at the proximity where their shoulders were almost touching. Hiding his pounding heart, Haruto lit the tip of the lighter. Then, both of them held their sparklers to the flame at the same time. “Ah, it lit.” Ayaka softly murmured happily. At the tips of their two sparklers, a red sphere like a bud began to swell. Eventually, that bud grew larger, trembling finely, and occasionally scattered small sparks. Ayaka gazed dreamily at the ball of fire, which looked like a peony flower. Gradually, the ball of fire popped and crackled, becoming more intense, scattering sparks like pine needles. At that sight, Ayaka’s expression also brightened. “It’s beautiful, Haruto-kun.” “Yeah──!! Right?” Haruto, who had nodded and raised his head, lost his words for a moment. In front of Haruto was Ayaka’s profile, intently watching the sparkler. Her face was brightly and fantastically illuminated by the bursting sparkler, though with some shadows. And more than anything, what captivated Haruto’s gaze were Ayaka’s eyes. In those eyes, the beautifully bursting sparks were reflected. “It’s truly… beautiful.”

A sparkler reflected in the eyes of the person he had feelings for. He hadn’t known it could be so beautiful and captivating. Haruto wished. He wished it would continue to illuminate her so brightly. However, such a wish could not be granted, and the intense sparkler gradually weakened, becoming thin and soft like a willow. At the same time, Ayaka’s profile was also illuminated more faintly. “Ah… it’s ending.” At Ayaka’s sad voice, the sparkler trembled slightly. The sparks had lost their intensity, and small sparks quietly danced. “…Ah.” The sparkler in Haruto’s hand popped a single spark, and finally, like a chrysanthemum scattering its petals, the ball of fire fell to the ground and vanished. “It ended, didn’t it?” Ayaka’s sparkler also went out just a moment after Haruto’s. With the sparklers finished, illuminated by the moonlight, she smiled softly and looked at Haruto. “I won the bet, didn’t I?” “…Yeah. Please go easy on me.” “Hehe, I wonder what I should ask for~” Haruto gave a wry smile at Ayaka, who was smiling like a child just before playing a trick. Inside, he was slightly looking forward to what she might ask for. ※※※ After enjoying the barbecue and fireworks, Haruto-kun went home, and Saki stayed over in my room. I said, opening the closet door. “Saki, do you need a comforter?” “Nah, a single towel blanket is enough for me.” “Okay, then use this.” “Alright, thanks.” I handed Saki a towel blanket I didn’t usually use. I was so happy that Saki was staying over at my house after a long time that my expression naturally softened. How long has it been since Saki last stayed in my room? I think the last time was when I asked Saki to stay over because I was sad that we would be living further apart due to my move? I was really lonely back then and cried while hugging Saki. “Phew~ Today was fun~” “Yeah, it really was fun.”

Saki, after diving onto the futon laid next to the bed, looked around my room. “As always, it’s a nice room~” Saki said, kicking her legs on the futon. Saki glanced over the bookshelf along the wall and said, “Oh, the new volume of this is out,” picking up the romance manga that I love to read. “Hey, can I read it for a bit?” “Yeah, sure. Then I’ll read the volume before that.” This manga is really interesting, and I read it over and over again. For a while, Saki and I read the manga in silence. The story about two childhood friends who have mutual feelings, misunderstand each other, yet gradually close the distance between them, makes my heart flutter no matter how many times I reread it. As I was flipping through the pages, skimming the manga, my hand suddenly stopped at a certain scene. It was a scene where the two childhood friends were doing sparklers in a park at night. As they watched the sparklers, they suddenly looked up at the same moment, their eyes met, and they both blushed at the closeness. I lightly groaned at the innocent and frustrating relationship between the two. At the same time, I realized something. This, it’s like me and Haruto-kun from earlier, isn’t it? The scene of the sparklers with Haruto-kun vividly appeared in my mind. Haruto-kun’s profile illuminated by the sparkler. Actually, I wanted to turn my face and look at him head-on. But I was too shy to look into each other’s eyes at that distance, so I could only sneak glances from the side. But, if at that time, we had looked into each other’s eyes… Leaning our faces together under the faint, bursting light… Ugh, just imagining it makes my face hot. But, it might be very romantic and nice. Just like in this manga, maybe we actually have mutual feelings, and we’re starting to vaguely realize it. …Huh? Uh, I like Haruto-kun. And, since Haruto-kun asked me to be his fake girlfriend, maybe he likes me too? …Meaning mutual feelings! Could it be that I was in almost the exact same situation as this manga scene?! I looked at the sparkler scene in the manga again. The two, conscious of each other and shy. The two crouching side by side, so close their shoulders were almost touching. Hahahaha, that was us just now! At that time, weren’t we actually in a really good mood?! If only I could have pushed a little more there, maybe I could have captured Haruto-kun’s heart.

But, but it’s a little embarrassing to be proactive there… but I have to try hard to get Haruto-kun to confess… As I buried my face in the pillow and groaned, Saki, who had finished reading the manga, said with satisfaction, “That was interesting~” “No kidding~ This manga makes you too curious about what happens next. I wish these two would just start dating already.” Saki, putting the manga back on the shelf, looked at me who was still burying my face in the pillow and said in an exasperated voice, “What are you doing?” “Speaking of just dating already, Ayaka, you should hurry up and date Otsuki-kun.” “Eh! But I need Haruto-kun to confess…” “Well, yeah, that’s true. But, you know, seeing you with Otsuki-kun for the first time today…” Saki said bluntly to me, crossing her arms. “The atmosphere between you two is already exactly like a couple! Seriously, why aren’t you dating yet?!” “Th-That’s… If Haruto-kun doesn’t confess, my true feelings will be held back by the guilt of the lie…” “That’s it! Why would Otsuki-kun tell such a useless lie in the first place? That lie is messing everything up!” Saki was pouting and looking angry with her arms crossed. “Haruto-kun didn’t want to make his grandmother sad…” “I heard that, but if he’s really thinking about his grandmother, instead of telling a useless lie, he should properly confess to Ayaka and make her his real girlfriend! Ayaka is already head over heels for Otsuki-kun.” “Head over heels… Do I look like that?” I don’t think I’ve completely hidden my feelings for Haruto-kun myself, but when it’s said so clearly, my body heats up with embarrassment. “Because Ayaka, you were following Otsuki-kun with your eyes all the time, right?” “Was I…?” “And you had a full smile on your face whenever you talked to Otsuki-kun.” “W-Well, you know. Recently, when I see Haruto-kun’s face, my mouth naturally curves upwards. I can’t control it…” Just seeing Haruto-kun in my line of sight makes my expression naturally soften and my heart pound. Also, it feels like only the area around Haruto-kun is more vivid in color, or something, I can’t explain it well, but I feel like he’s sparkling. “That’s completely a girl in love, isn’t it?” “U-Uh…” Since I realized my feelings for Haruto-kun, I feel like my feelings for him have been getting stronger day by day.

Recently, there are times when I feel a little scared because I don’t know how far these feelings will go. It feels like there’s someone else inside me. But still, I can clearly recognize that it’s definitely a part of me. Uncontrollable emotions are swirling inside me, and I don’t know how to deal with them. “Ayaka, honestly, how much do you like Otsuki-kun right now?” Saki asked, sitting cross-legged on the futon and looking up at me on the bed. “How much… I don’t know how to say that.” “Look, even when you say ‘like’ in one word, there are various kinds of ‘like’, right? From a light feeling like ‘I’m bored during summer vacation, I want a boyfriend,’ to a heavy feeling like ‘This is my fated person, I’ve found my life partner.’ So, how about you, Ayaka?” “Hmm. I guess I think I like him properly, more than a ‘summer romance’ kind of feeling…” “Then, what if, just hypothetically? The person who came for housekeeping was a boy from a different class than Otsuki-kun, but that boy also had max housekeeping skills and a calm atmosphere, like Otsuki-kun. Would you have liked that person, Ayaka?” “Eh… I wonder?” I’ve formed an image of housekeeping meaning Haruto-kun, so if someone else came, I can’t imagine it at all. “I can’t imagine anyone other than Haruto-kun, but I probably wouldn’t have liked them?” I said that, but honestly, I don’t know. My first love was Haruto-kun, and the person I like now is Haruto-kun. I can’t imagine it being a different boy. “I see, you’re really head over heels for Otsuki-kun after all.” “Being told I’m head over heels… that’s a bit embarrassing…” “But it’s the truth, isn’t it?” “Y-Yeah, but…” After that, Saki and I talked about love late into the night. The next morning. I woke up to the morning sun shining through the gap in the curtains. “Nn… sleepy…” My body still seemed to crave sleep, and I couldn’t quite get out of bed. Actually, when I tried to go to sleep after talking about love with Saki last night, Saki’s words suddenly came to mind.

‘Then, what if, just hypothetically? The person who came for housekeeping was a boy from a different class than Otsuki-kun, but that boy also had max housekeeping skills and a calm atmosphere, like Otsuki-kun. Would you have liked that person, Ayaka?’ Thinking about this question made it hard to fall asleep. The possibility of me falling in love with someone other than Haruto-kun. If the housekeeper had been someone other than Haruto-kun… Thinking about such things, I couldn’t sleep at all. “Fwah~… Maybe I’ll go back to sleep…” While I was thinking that, Saki started stirring on the futon. “Nnya? …Huh?” Saki sat up, blinking sleepily, and looked around my room. “Good morning, Saki.” “…Good morning, Ayaka? …Oh, right, I stayed over.” It seemed the current situation and the recognition in her head matched, and Saki gave a big stretch. “Nnn~! Fwee~ I’m awake~” “Did you sleep well?” “Of course, the rich people’s futons are fluffy and the best to sleep on.” Saki, saying it half-jokingly, gave me a thumbs-up. “That futon is worth more than the price, you know. Are you getting up now, Saki?” “Yeah, I’m awake now. How about you, Ayaka?” “I’m still a little sleepy, but I’m getting hungry, so I guess I’ll get up.” Saki and I washed our faces and brushed our teeth at the sink, then headed to the living room. Mom was already awake there, sitting at the dining table, looking at her computer and drinking milk tea. “Oh, Saki-chan and Ayaka. Good morning.” “Good morning.” “Good morning, Mom.” “Are you two hungry?” Mom asked us, getting up from her chair. “Yeah, I’m hungry. How about you, Saki?” “I’m getting hungry too, maybe.” Mom smiled sweetly at Saki, who was rubbing her stomach, saying that. “Understood. I’ll get it ready right away, so please sit and wait.” “Thank you! I’ll enjoy the meal!” Saki thanked Mom and sat down at the dining table. I also sat down next to Saki and watched Mom standing in the kitchen. “Mom, is it Japanese food today?” “Yes. Is rice okay for Saki-chan in the morning? Or would you prefer bread?”

“No, rice is fine. Thank you, Ikue Mama.” Mom started making breakfast as soon as she heard Saki’s reply. And in just a few minutes, dish after dish of breakfast side dishes was lined up on the table. Saki looked surprised at the breakfast items coming out almost as fast as fast food. That was funny, and I chuckled. “Eh? Eh? Isn’t breakfast ready fast? You can make this many dishes in such a short time? What kind of time-saving technique is this?” Lined up on the table were spinach ohitashi, pickled daikon and carrots, chikuzenni, and nanbanzuke of small horse mackerel. And then, miso soup and freshly cooked rice. Saki seemed dumbfounded by the abundant side dishes coming out from the morning. “This… could this all be meal prep?” Mom smiled and replied, “That’s correct,” when Saki said that. “Actually, you know. Otsuki-kun made these when he came for housekeeping. When I’m busy in the morning, Otsuki-kun’s meal prep is a big help, you know, it really makes things easy for me.” “Wow~ Otsuki-kun’s housekeeping skills are amazing.” “And you know. Haruto-kun’s cooking is all incredibly delicious.” Haruto-kun’s cooking has never been anything less than delicious. It’s all so good, it’s almost dangerous if I don’t watch out for overeating. “Okay, let’s eat.” Saki put her hands together and first reached for the chikuzenni with her chopsticks. “Eh? Delicious!” Saki’s eyes widened slightly, then she reached for the other dishes with her chopsticks. And each time she put it in her mouth, she quietly murmured, “Delicious.” When Haruto-kun’s cooking is praised, it somehow makes me happy too. “See? It’s delicious, right?” “Yeah, it’s amazing. Wow~ I’m a little jealous. Should I ask Otsuki-kun for housekeeping too?” At Saki’s words, a slight sense of panic welled up inside me.

“H-Haruto-kun is mine… no, he has an exclusive contract with the Tojo family, so if

you want housekeeping, please ask for other staff, okay?” “Ah! You’re selfish for hogging this cooking!” “I-I’m not selfish! It’s a proper contract, a regular exclusive contract!” While we were arguing about being selfish or not, Mom laughed and brought over chawanmushi. “Saki-chan. This was also made by Otsuki-kun, it’s delicious so give it a try.” “I’ll try it!” Saki immediately started eating the chawanmushi she was given. The moment she scooped a spoonful into her mouth, Saki’s face beamed. “Smooth texture and rich egg flavor, gentle dashi broth… Hey, Ayaka. Just a little bit of Otsuki-kun…” “No! Absolutely not!” I interrupted Saki’s words mid-sentence. Haruto-kun is an indispensable presence not just for me, but for the Tojo family! I don’t have any authority to decide where Haruto-kun works part-time at all, but I still want him to remain exclusively for the Tojo family. His cooking was so appealing that it made me feel that possessive. “…I won’t hand Haruto-kun over to anyone…” I muttered softly. It seemed Saki heard me, and she looked at me with a mischievous grin and said, “Hehe, head over heels, greedy Ayaka.” ※※※ The morning after being invited to the Tojo family barbecue. Haruto was diligently doing his daily morning study, bathed in the early morning sunlight streaming through the window. He had been intently looking back and forth between his reference book and notebook for a while, but at a good stopping point, he put down his pen and gave a big stretch on the chair. “Ah~ The barbecue was delicious…” Haruto recalled the meat and seafood he ate yesterday. Just thinking about it made his mouth water. The barbecue yesterday was that delicious. “And everyone seemed happy with the fireworks afterwards too.” Haruto leaned his elbows on the desk and rested his cheek in his hand, a smile on his lips. Ryota, holding a firework, gave him a full smile and said, “Brother, you’re amazing!” Saki, holding fireworks in both hands, seemed to be having a blast and enjoying herself. And Ayaka, sitting next to him, watching the sparkler. “…………She was beautiful.” Those shining eyes.

The light of the fireworks and the light of the moon. Her profile, wrapped in a fantastical beauty, illuminated by both. Haruto narrowed his eyes at the gradually rising morning sun. He realized that summer vacation was already halfway over. The girl he met through his housekeeping part-time job. Thinking of her, Haruto felt a faint sadness in his chest for the summer days that had passed. And at the same time, he felt a feeling of something stuck in his heart, a sense of uneasiness. Boyfriend/Girlfriend practice. His relationship with Ayaka, which began with a lie he told. It couldn’t stay like this. Haruto averted his gaze from the window and shook his head slightly. Although it was a lie told to make his grandmother happy, it was ultimately just creating a false joy. A time would come when he would have to confess the truth. If that happened, he would eventually make his grandmother sad and disappointed. Therefore, someday he had to reveal the truth about him and Ayaka. Every time he practiced being a couple with her, that feeling gradually grew stronger within Haruto. This was due to the guilt of involving her in the lie. However, recently, that was no longer the only reason. When he practiced with her, he couldn’t help but imagine. What if this wasn’t practice, but real interaction as a couple? Changing his relationship with Ayaka. Losing the feeling of guilt and purely conveying the feelings in his heart. For that, resolving the lie he told would be an absolute condition. “…Haa, no work today…” Haruto muttered, staring at the calendar on the wall. Feeling a definite loneliness at not being able to see her…

Chapter 7: Tojo Family BBQ “So, how are things going with Otsuki-kun?” To Saki’s voice coming through the smartphone, I replied with a slightly cheerful tone.

“Yeah, I think it’s probably going well? We gave each other lap pillows today.” “Oh! You’re going all out with the strategy, Ayaka-san.” “Yeah, the ‘boyfriend/girlfriend practice strategy’ is going smoothly so far!” It’s a strategy to dispel Haruto-kun’s guilt about the lie and make him genuinely fall for me. I call it the ‘Boyfriend/Girlfriend Practice Strategy’. With this strategy, I’m going to make a strong appeal to Haruto-kun and have him confess to me. I sat on my bed in my room and continued talking to Saki. “Anyway, we started calling each other by our first names, and Haruto-kun’s dropping a lot of his polite speech. And for the first boyfriend/girlfriend practice, we said ‘I love you’ to each other.” “And? What was Otsuki-kun’s reaction?” “Well, when Haruto-kun told me he ‘liked’ me, he said it with such a serious look in his eyes, and his expression at that moment was so incredibly cool that I kind of lost my memory.” “…Is that so? Sorry, Ayaka, I’m just going to get some coffee.” “Won’t you be unable to sleep if you drink it at this hour?” Looking out the window, it was completely dark outside. If she drank coffee at that hour, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night and her day-night cycle would get reversed. Even though it was summer vacation, I didn’t think it was good to mess up her lifestyle rhythm too much. “Lack of sleep isn’t good for your skin, you know?” “Thanks for the concern, but right now I just want to make my mouth taste bitter as soon as possible.” “Hmm? Is that so?” “Yeah, so just wait a moment.” When Saki said that, I heard rattling sounds coming from the smartphone as she moved around. While she made coffee, I thought back on the time I spent with Haruto-kun today. It was my first lap pillow ever. Haruto-kun’s lap pillow was a little firm, but warm. It made my heart pound and I was so embarrassed, but at the same time, it was somehow calming, like my heart was being filled. It was a truly happy time. When he stroked my head, I thought my heart would stop from the embarrassment… but, despite that, it felt really good. That might be dangerous. If I could become Haruto-kun’s real girlfriend, I might beg him for lap pillows every day. It was that comfortable.

Also, when I gave Haruto-kun a lap pillow, that was also dangerous. When he was on my lap, he seemed so cute, and as I stroked his head on my thighs, I felt like I was mistaken him for being mine. And, it was a new discovery that Haruto-kun’s earlobe was very nice to touch. His earlobe was very soft and slightly cool. Touching it for a long time made me think of chewy, fluffy bread dough, and I just wanted to nibble on it. Well, Haruto-kun did tell me, “Don’t nibble on me, okay?” But, someday… when I’m his real girlfriend, then maybe I can nibble on it just a little, right? He won’t get mad if it’s just a little playful bite, right? As I secretly held such ambitions, I heard the sound of Saki returning to her room with coffee from the smartphone. “Thanks for waiting~, So, back to what we were talking about, what’s the next plan for boyfriend/girlfriend practice? You said ‘I love you’ to each other, you did lap pillows, have you thought of anything else?” “Oh, um. About that. Actually, today, Haruto-kun asked me out on a date.” When I said that, I heard Saki cough as if she had choked a little. Is she okay? Did the coffee go down the wrong pipe? “Cough, cough… Huh? What, what? Otsuki-kun asked you out on a date?” “Yeah.” “Hmm? And, what’s the plan for the date he asked you on?” I could hear Saki’s excited and happy voice through the smartphone. I remembered the moment Haruto-kun asked me out on a date and reported it to Saki with a slight smile. “Next time, I’m going on an ice cream finding date with Haruto-kun.” “…Hmm? That sounds like a pretty unique date?” To Saki’s voice filled with doubt, I explained the circumstances of how I ended up going on an ice cream finding date with Haruto-kun. Before, when I went shopping at the supermarket with Haruto-kun, I lamented that Ryota had eaten the limited edition ice cream, and he told me we should look for it together next time. Haruto-kun remembered that, and next week, we’re going to search for the limited edition ice cream together. “Ah, that ice cream, huh? It was certainly very delicious.” “Huh? You’ve eaten it too, Saki?” “Yeah. I finally bought it after going to about three supermarkets nearby. I was lucky to get the last one.” “See? It really is hard to find. I wonder if we’ll find it next week.” “But wouldn’t it be better if it’s not easy to find so the date lasts longer?” “Well, that’s true, but… I also really want to eat that ice cream…”

“Greedy Ayaka, huh?” “Ugh…” I pouted my lips at Saki’s teasing words. But everyone who ate that ice cream said it was delicious! Of course I’d want to eat it! “Well, anyway, at least you get to go on a date, right?” “Well, yeah. Oh, hey, I wanted to get your opinion on something…” “Hm? What is it?” “Since Haruto-kun asked me out on a date, does that mean my appeal is working quite well?” I asked Saki feeling a little nervous. Since Haruto-kun is taking initiative, it means he’s starting to be conscious of me, right? However, Saki expressed a more cautious opinion than me. “Hmm, I wonder. That’s a possibility, or maybe he’s finding it a bit hard to bear being alone with Ayaka in your room.” “Huh?! Why?! I haven’t done anything that would make Haruto-kun dislike me?!” I might have been a little aggressive, but he didn’t seem to dislike it. He was just blushing a little with embarrassment… To me, who was suddenly about to be crushed by anxiety, Saki said, “I don’t think he dislikes you.” “Look, Otsuki-kun is in his puberty, right? And you, like a girl in puberty, are approaching him in a closed room, so he might just be having trouble bearing various things.” “Having trouble bearing various things? What do you mean?” I tilted my head, not quite understanding what Saki was saying. Saki also seemed a little troubled as she spoke to me. “Hmm, how should I put it… Well, I think you should just keep appealing to Otsuki-kun as you are.” “Really? Is that okay?” Saki’s way of speaking left me feeling a little uneasy, though? “More importantly, that ice cream finding date? You’re going to visit various stores, right?” “Yeah, that’s the plan. I’m hoping we can go to shopping malls with food sections.” “That’s good, that’s good! That means you can casually do a window shopping date too, right?” “Exactly! That’s it!” Searching for the limited edition ice cream is just an excuse for the date. The real goal is to enjoy shopping together with Haruto-kun! “Are you going to look at clothes and ask which one looks better on you?”

“Hmm, but I don’t want Haruto-kun to think I’m troublesome… but, I also want Haruto-kun to choose clothes for me…” “You can use the boyfriend/girlfriend practice for that, can’t you? You can ask him cutely, ‘What kind of clothes do you want your girlfriend to wear?’” “That works! Saki, you’re a genius!!” I couldn’t help but applaud. From the smartphone, I heard Saki’s triumphant “Hehehe, how’s that?” voice. After that, I continued to discuss the ice cream finding date with Saki. I happened to look up at the clock on the wall of my room and realized it was getting quite late. I had been so absorbed in talking with Saki that I lost track of time. “Should we go to bed soon?” “Hm? Oh, is it that late already? Yeah, I guess so.” “Oh, right. By the way, do you have any plans the day after tomorrow, Saki?” I remembered there was something I needed to tell Saki. “The day after tomorrow? Saturday, huh? Wait a minute… No, I don’t have any specific plans, why? Is something happening?” “Um, on that day, we’re having a barbecue in our garden, and I was wondering if you’d like to come, Saki?” “Huh? Can I? I want to! I want to!” “Yeah, actually, Mom said recently she hasn’t seen Saki and asked if I should invite you.” Before Saki moved to her current house, she lived very close to mine. So she often came over to our house and was acquainted with Mom, Dad, and Ryota. Especially Mom was very fond of Saki, and they often went shopping together as a trio before. “Really?! I want to see Ikue Mama again too, it’s been a while~!” “Okay, then I’ll tell them Saki is coming the day after tomorrow.” “Okay! Thanks~” “Oh, and about that. Haruto-kun will also be there that day, is that okay?” When I said that, Saki let out a slightly surprised sound. Incidentally, I had already told Haruto-kun that Saki might be coming. “Is that so? I’m the one being invited, so it’s no problem for me, but conversely, are you okay with it, Ayaka? Won’t I be in the way?” To Saki’s slightly worried words, I couldn’t help but shake my head, even though she couldn’t see me, and replied. “You won’t be in the way at all! In fact, I’ll feel stronger with you there.” “Really? Then I’ll look forward to the day after tomorrow.” “Okay!”

“I’ll be sure to take a good look at you and Otsuki-kun getting cozy.” At Saki’s teasing words, my face got a little warm. “I-I wouldn’t do that! There’s no way I’d make a move on Haruto-kun in front of Mom and Dad!” “So you mean you want to get cozy with Otsuki-kun if Ikue Mama and Shuichi-san aren’t around?” “T-That is… if Haruto-kun wants to do that, I…” Imagining what it would be like if that happened, I became embarrassed, and my words gradually became smaller. “Haa~ This coffee tastes incredibly delicious today.” I could hear Saki saying “Phew~” from the smartphone. “Be careful not to have too much caffeine, okay?” “Yeah, yeah, thanks for the concern. Well then, I’ll hang up. See you the day after tomorrow.” “Okay, good night.” After hearing Saki say “Good night~”, I ended the call. The day after tomorrow is a barbecue with my family, and also with Haruto-kun and Saki. And next week is a date with Haruto-kun. This summer is busier and more fun than ever before, and my heart is fluttering. I’m having that kind of summer vacation. ※※※ Haruto held his eco-bag and walked down the alley of the residential area, where the sun was starting to set and shadows were getting long, towards the Tojo house. Today was his day off from housekeeping. Therefore, there would be no boyfriend/girlfriend practice with Ayaka today, so he would be visiting the Tojo house a little later than usual. “Will Ryota-kun be happy?” Saying that, Haruto looked inside his eco-bag. Inside, there was a fireworks set packed with various types. He had bought it thinking he could play with Ryota and the others after the barbecue. Imagining Ryota’s happy face when he saw the fireworks, Haruto’s expression naturally softened. As he walked through the residential area with a slight grin, he unexpectedly ran into a certain person at a crossroads. “Huh? Aizawa-san?” “Nnn? Oh, Otsuki-kun. Yahho~”

Saki, whose name was called by Haruto, waved her hand and greeted him cheerfully. The two are classmates and have a certain degree of acquaintance with each other. Ayaka avoids interacting with boys at school as much as possible. However, Saki doesn’t particularly do that, and she has built a friendly relationship with Haruto, exchanging greetings when they meet at school. “It’s nice to see you today.” “Same here.” Haruto, who had heard from Ayaka beforehand that Saki would also be participating in the barbecue, returned a smile to her smiling face. After greeting each other, they walked side by side towards the Tojo house. “Ayaka told me. Otsuki-kun, you’re doing housekeeping for Ayaka’s family, right?” “Yeah, that’s right. I was surprised myself at first.” Haruto laughed and said in a cheerful tone, “I never thought I’d be doing housekeeping for a classmate’s family.” “I was surprised too when Ayaka told me. By the way, Otsuki-kun, you’re supposed to be good at cooking, aren’t you?” “Well, I guess I’m reasonably good?” To Haruto, who said this with a little humility, Saki grinned. “Oh? Is that something someone confident would say?” At Saki’s words, Haruto gave a wry smile and said, “If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t have chosen a part-time job in housekeeping.” “Well, that’s true. By the way, what’s in that eco-bag?” When Saki looked at the eco-bag, Haruto opened it slightly so she could see inside and replied, “Fireworks. I thought Ryota-kun would be happy.” “Ooh! Nice! Ryota is definitely going to be thrilled!” Saki gave Haruto a thumbs-up and said, “Good job!” “Aizawa-san, you have a lot of luggage, don’t you?” Saki was carrying a slightly larger backpack. “I’m staying over at Ayaka’s house tonight, so I have a change of clothes and various other things.” “I see, that’s what it was. What’s in that bag?” Like Haruto, Saki was also carrying a bag in her hand. Curious about what was inside, Haruto asked, and Saki smiled fearlessly. “Hehehe, you asked the right question. What I brought is… this!” Saying “Ta-da~,” Saki took out what was in the bag and showed it to Haruto. “Is that… a banana?” “Yes! Bananas!” Saki held up the bananas with a beaming smile.

“If you grill these bananas and eat them with chocolate syrup and stuff, they’re exquisite, you see.” “Certainly, that sounds delicious. I see, a dessert thing… I never thought of that for a barbecue.” For Haruto, a barbecue only brought to mind meat or seafood. After that, the two walked along, exchanging trivial conversation, and arrived at the Tojo residence. Upon reaching the gate of the Tojo residence, Saki pushed the intercom button with practiced ease, without hesitation. “Yes?” “Ayaka~ I’m here~” “Saki~ I’ll open it now.” Ayaka’s voice coming from the intercom was slightly cheerful at her best friend’s arrival. The front door immediately opened, and Ayaka’s face appeared from it. “Huh? Haruto-kun is with you?” “I just happened to run into Aizawa-san there.” Haruto explained to Ayaka, who was showing a slightly surprised expression. “Oh, is that so? What did you two bring?” Ayaka looked at the bags Haruto and Saki were holding in their hands. “Me? Well, look, it’s bananas. We can grill them later, put chocolate on them, and eat them together.” “Wow! That sounds delicious! How about you, Haruto-kun?” “I have fireworks—” “Onii-chan!” In the middle of Haruto’s sentence, Ryota rushed towards the entrance from the living room with incredible speed. Halfway down the corridor, he also noticed Saki standing next to Haruto, and his expression brightened even further. “Wow!! Saki Onee-chan!!” “Ryota~! Long time no see~!” Saki squatted down to greet the charging Ryota and ruffled his hair. “Didn’t you get taller since I last saw you?” “Really?! Did I get taller?” To Ryota, whose eyes were sparkling, Saki nodded repeatedly, saying, “Yeah, yeah, you grew, you grew.” Ryota, in a good mood from Saki’s words, looked at the bag Haruto was holding. “Onii-chan, what’s that?” “These are fireworks. Here.” When Haruto showed him inside the eco-bag, Ryota’s joy exploded.

“Yay!! Fireworks!! Onee-chan, it’s fireworks!! We can all play with fireworks!!” “That’s nice, Ryota. Now, go thank Haruto-kun properly.” “Okay!! Thank you, Onii-chan!” “You’re welcome. We’ll play together later.” “Okay! I’m going to tell Dad and Mom that Onii-chan brought fireworks!” Saying that, Ryota ran back into the living room with incredible speed again. Saki laughed amusingly at Ryota’s storm-like welcome. “Ryota is still full of energy with people he’s used to, isn’t he?” “Right? But when there’s someone he’s not used to nearby, he becomes completely quiet, like a different person.” “Huh? Is Ryota-kun perhaps shy?” Haruto looked a little surprised at Ayaka’s words. In Haruto’s mind, Ryota always seemed full of energy, and the idea of him being shy didn’t quite fit. When Haruto first met Ryota, there was an incident where he was mistaken for a burglar, and although there was naturally some caution, they quickly hit it off and became friends during the second housekeeping session. So Haruto had assumed that he was like that with everyone, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. Ayaka let out an amused smile at Haruto’s surprise. “It’s not that bad, but if anything, Ryota is the shy type.” “Oh, I see. That was the case.” “That’s why I was a little surprised when Ryota took to Haruto-kun so quickly.” “Otsuki-kun, are you the type who is mysteriously liked by children?” Saki said, looking at Haruto with a bit of interest. In response, he tilted his head slightly and replied. “No… I don’t think that’s particularly the case.” “Like, have you ever been surrounded by preschoolers without realizing it when you go to a cheap sweets shop?” “I’ve never encountered an event like that.” “Or, when you go to a large shopping mall, you always encounter a lost child and take them to the lost and found?” “Doesn’t that have nothing to do with being liked by children?” “Hm? Oh, right. Well, I guess Otsuki-kun just happened to be a Ryota-killer.” Saki tilted her head for a moment, thinking, but quickly gave up and concluded on her own. “Standing around talking at the entrance isn’t great, can we come in?” “Oh, yeah. Please.” After getting Ayaka’s permission, Saki took off her outdoor shoes and went inside, heading towards the living room.

Perhaps because she had been to this house many times, her steps showed no hesitation. “Haruto-kun, please come in too.” “Yeah, excuse me for intruding.” Haruto also took off his shoes and was about to pass by Ayaka to head to the living room. However, as he tried to pass by Ayaka, she lightly pinched the sleeve of his arm. “Hm?” Haruto, whose sleeve was caught, turned his gaze towards Ayaka. “With Saki… you used friendly speech from the start, didn’t you?” Ayaka said, pouting her lips slightly and looking a little sulky. Seeing that expression, which he didn’t see very often, Haruto’s heart skipped a beat. “…Huh?” Haruto was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond to Ayaka’s unexpected remark. Seeing Haruto look troubled, Ayaka looked startled, then hurriedly let go of his sleeve. “S-Sorry! Forget it! Forget it!” “Huh? But…” “Sorry for saying something weird! You don’t have to worry about it at all! Yeah, really, don’t worry. Please, forget it…” Having spoken quickly, Ayaka ran off towards the living room with quick steps, her face cast down. Haruto stood still in the corridor, staring blankly at Ayaka’s retreating back. “…Huh? Was that… maybe jealousy?” The moment he muttered that, Haruto felt his heart pound in his chest. In Ayaka’s case, there was almost no contact at school, and the first time they talked properly was through the housekeeping job. That’s why he used polite speech at first. In contrast, he had a certain level of interaction with Saki as a classmate from the beginning, so he had used friendly speech from the start. However, it seemed Ayaka wasn’t pleased with that. Why was that…? Thinking about the reason, Haruto desperately tried to suppress the natural urge for the corners of his mouth to lift. “Am I interpreting this too conveniently?” Haruto asked himself. However, there was no answer to be found, and he slowly walked towards the living room. If that was truly jealousy…

Thinking such things, Haruto entered the living room, where Ayaka, Saki, and Ikue were chatting happily. “It’s been a while, Saki-chan~” “It has! Ikue Mama, you’re still so beautiful!” “Oh! She said that, Ayaka.” “That’s good, Mom.” Haruto glanced at Ayaka’s expression, but it seemed unchanged, as usual. “Oh, Otsuki-kun, welcome. You brought fireworks, didn’t you? Thank you.” “Not at all.” Ikue, noticing Haruto entering the living room, smiled at him. “Shuichi is setting up the fire in the garden right now, so please make yourself comfortable until then.” “Oh, in that case, I’ll help with the fire.” “Oh, no, it’s alright. Otsuki-kun is our guest today, so please relax.” “No, actually, I like starting fires.” “Oh, is that so? Otsuki-kun, you’re quite a boy, aren’t you? Well then, I’ll ask you to help.” Ikue laughed and said, “Ryota is also glued to the grill.” Stepping out from the living room to the garden, they saw Shuichi fanning air into the barbecue grill with a fan, and Ryota watching him excitedly from the side. “Oh! Welcome, Otsuki-kun!” Perhaps because he had been fanning the charcoal for a while, Shuichi, whose face was slightly red, wiped sweat from his forehead with one hand and greeted him. “Thank you for inviting me today.” “Saki-chan came too, huh? It’s more fun with more people.” Shuichi said happily, having seen Saki in the living room. “Dad, the red part of the charcoal got smaller?” “Oops.” To Shuichi, who started fanning again after Ryota’s remark, Haruto offered to take over. “Shuichi-san, I can take over the fire starting.” To Haruto, who offered with a smile, Shuichi waved his hand. “Otsuki-kun is a guest today, so you can relax until the barbecue starts.” “No, I like starting fires myself.” To Shuichi, who said exactly the same thing as Ikue, Haruto replied with the same words as before. “Oh? Is that so? Then I’ll take you up on your offer and let you take over for a bit?” Saying that, Shuichi handed the fan he was holding to Haruto and took a big gulp from the drink placed on the folding table next to the grill. Haruto was momentarily wary, thinking the brown liquid he drank was beer.

He remembered the other day when Shuichi drank alcohol, became incredibly cheerful, and talked about wedding plans with Ayaka. “Phew~, Ice-cold barley tea when you’re thirsty is something else.” However, realizing it was just tea, Haruto breathed a sigh of relief. With the fan he received from Shuichi, Haruto gently sent air into the gaps between the charcoal. Gradually, the fire spread through the charcoal. “Ah! Onii-chan! The charcoal is getting redder!” “Alright, Ryota-kun, could you step away from the grill for a bit?” At Haruto’s words, Ryota honestly nodded “Okay” and stepped back a few steps, creating distance from the grill. Confirming that Ryota was safely away and there was nothing nearby that could catch fire, Haruto suddenly made the gentle fanning motion much more vigorous, sending a strong gust of wind. Instantly, flames shot up from the piled charcoal with a BOOM!, and sparks flew with a crackling sound. “Wow!! It’s like fireworks!” “Hmm hmm, fire starting is indeed a man’s romance.” Ryota’s eyes sparkled beside Shuichi, who stood with his arms crossed, nodding repeatedly and excitedly saying “Amazing!” “Ryota-kun, could you get a few new pieces of charcoal from that box over there?” “Okay! Um, small ones? Big ones?” “I want big ones.” When Haruto told him that, Ryota carefully examined the charcoal in the box with serious eyes. He must be eager to help with starting the fire himself. Seeing Ryota’s serious gaze, Haruto felt a warm feeling somewhere inside and a smile naturally appeared on his face. “Here, Onii-chan! Is this okay?” “Yeah, thank you.” Ryota looked proud at Haruto’s thanks. After confirming that the charcoal was sufficiently lit, Haruto broke apart the piled charcoal and spread the white, hot embers across the entire grill. Then, he placed the new charcoal Ryota had brought on top. “It looks good. Let’s bring the ingredients now.” Shuichi, who had peeked into the grill, said that and headed back towards the living room for a moment. “Mom, the fire is ready, could you bring the ingredients?” “Okay. Ayaka and Saki-chan, could you help too?” “Yes! Are the ingredients in the refrigerator?”

Saki, asked by Ikue, replied spiritedly. “Yes. There are also some in the freezer.” “Understood~” Immediately, Saki headed to the refrigerator, opened the door, and let out a gasp of admiration. “Ooh! So much meat!!” “We prepared more than usual because Otsuki-kun and Saki-chan are coming.” Saki’s eyes sparkled as she took out trays full of meat. “Beef!! So much beef!!” As expected of a household where both parents work and are both company managers, the ingredients prepared at the Tojo house shone like jewels in the eyes of Saki, who was a commoner. “It seems they really put effort and splurged on the ingredients this time.” Ayaka said to her best friend, who looked like she was about to drool. “Dad got excited because Saki and Haruto-kun are coming, saying he’d make it more luxurious than usual.” “Shuichi-san is seriously awesome!” Ayaka, together with Saki who looked thrilled, carried the barbecue ingredients to the courtyard. Trays of ingredients were lined up one after another on the folding table. Seeing that, Haruto, who was tending the fire with Ryota, widened his eyes. “Amazing… So much beef…” Haruto showed the same commoner’s reaction as Saki. Seeing his reaction, Ayaka chuckled softly. “Haruto-kun, there’s plenty, so don’t hold back and eat a lot.” “U-Um… but is it okay… this 고급…?” Haruto felt a little overwhelmed by the expensive meat with beautiful marbling in front of him. To him, Shuichi emphasized. “As Ayaka said, don’t hold back, okay? We splurged so everyone can have fun.” “Yes, sir, Shuichi-san! I’ll dig in!” Saki, who had known Shuichi longer than Haruto, seemed to be familiar with his demeanor and replied with a salute pose. Following her lead, Haruto also bowed his head and said, “Thank you very much.” “We have vegetables too, so eat these as well.” Saying that, Ikue came into the garden holding a tray of vegetables like pumpkin, onion, potato, and eggplant. When everyone had gathered in the garden, Shuichi took the lead for the start of the barbecue.

“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s begin then. But before that, Otsuki-kun, could you give me a hand?” “Yes, of course.” Shuichi and Haruto worked together to set up tables and chairs around the barbecue grill. “I’ll sit next to Onii-chan!” Ryota pulled Haruto’s hand and sat down at the set-up table. “Heh~, Ryota, you really like Otsuki-kun.” “Yeah!” Saki looked at the two with amusement and took her seat at the table. Ayaka also sat down next to her. “Ayaka, your cute little brother is being stolen by Otsuki-kun?” “Well, it’s Haruto-kun, so it can’t be helped.” Ayaka replied to her best friend’s words with a wry smile. Then Saki grinned and said to Haruto with a slight tease, “Otsuki-kun, you’re a sinful man for charming the Tojo siblings like this.” “Huh?” Haruto, who had been engrossed in the expensive ingredients in front of him, turned to Saki with a bewildered face. To him, Saki was about to say something with a smirk, but Ayaka stopped her before she could. “Hey, Saki…” “Oh? Ayaka, your face is red?” “T-That’s because Saki…” To Ayaka, who was blushing and muttering something in response, Saki had a very amused expression. At that moment, Shuichi, who had confirmed everyone was seated, spoke up. “Everyone, let’s get our drinks ready and have a toast.” “Okay everyone, pick what you like.” Ikue lined up several kinds of juice bottles on the table. “What will you drink, Ryota-kun?” “Orange juice!” While Haruto poured orange juice into Ryota’s cup, Saki picked up apple juice and poured it into her own cup. “What are you drinking, Ayaka?” Saki held up the apple juice she was holding a little and asked, “This one?” “Um, what will Haruto-kun drink?” Ayaka hesitated for a moment, then looked at Haruto, who was just handing Ryota the cup of orange juice. “I think I’ll have ginger ale.”

“Okay, then I’ll have the same.” Saying that, Ayaka poured ginger ale into her own cup, then poured the same into Haruto’s cup. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” Seeing the two interacting like that, Saki put her hand on her chin and said, “Ho ho.” “That exchange just now, it’s like a wife pouring a drink for her husband during his evening drink.” “Hey Saki, don’t say weird things.” “Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” “Everyone got their drinks?” Shuichi, who had confirmed everyone had a drink in hand, raised the glass containing his beer. “Alright, let’s eat and have fun to our heart’s content tonight! Cheers!!” When Shuichi said that, everyone also raised their glasses and said “Cheers!”, and the Tojo family’s barbecue began. The ingredients lined up in front of them were all first-class and luxurious. For Haruto, a commoner, it felt truly extravagant. “This isn’t the thickness of tongue I know… And it’s beef tongue…” How much would a single slice of this cost? Haruto, who felt his body tremble just imagining it, carefully gripped the extra-thick beef tongue with tongs and gently placed it on the grill. Instantly, a wonderfully appealing sizzle reached his ears. “Otsuki-kun, there’s lemon juice here, so feel free to use it.” “Ah, yes. Thank you very much.” Ikue placed the lemon juice in front of Haruto. “Ayaka-san and Aizawa-san, do you want some too?” Haruto, who had put lemon juice on his and Ryota’s small plates, said. “Yeah, I’ll take some.” Ayaka nodded, and Haruto handed her the lemon juice, then immediately returned his gaze to the extra-thick beef tongue on the grill. Ayaka couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him staring intently at the extra-thick beef tongue with a serious look in his eyes. “Haruto-kun, you’re really serious.” “I don’t want to burn such good meat.” “I know~, being able to have such a luxurious barbecue, I guess it pays to have bourgeois friends.” Saki agreed with Haruto, her eyes shining brightly at the meat being grilled on the grill. “Huh~, so Saki, you wouldn’t have been my friend if I was poor?”

“Of course!” To Saki, who answered immediately with a thumbs-up, Ayaka said “Geez!” and lightly hit her best friend’s shoulder. Ayaka, who fully understood that Saki’s words were a joke, puffed out her cheeks. “I’m not talking to Saki anymore.” “Waaah~ Don’t say such lonely things, Ayaka~ We’re best friends forever, right?” Saki, also knowing that Ayaka wasn’t genuinely sulking, said this while clinging to Ayaka with a nonchalant look. In response, Ayaka said “I don’t care anymore” and turned her face away with puffed-out cheeks. “Otsuki-kun, Ayaka is sulking. Can you cheer her up?” “Huh? Me?” Haruto, who had been concentrating intently on the doneness of the extra-thick beef tongue until now, showed a bewildered expression at being suddenly brought into the conversation. “Yeah, yeah, if Otsuki-kun gently strokes her head, Ayaka will instantly be in a good mood. Please.” “Uh, well… not here…” It would be one thing if it were their boyfriend/girlfriend practice in Ayaka’s room, but now Ryota, Ikue, and Shuichi were present. If he were to stroke her head in that situation, he didn’t know what might be said. Haruto glanced at the contents of the glass in Shuichi’s hand. A golden liquid topped with creamy foam. That was definitely beer. If Shuichi, who was in a good mood from alcohol, witnessed Haruto stroking Ayaka’s head, there was even a possibility that Shuichi might go and get a marriage registration form from the city hall right there. Moreover, Haruto peeked at Ayaka’s reaction, wondering if she didn’t want something as embarrassing as having her head stroked. “…I might cheer up…” Ayaka, whose eyes met Haruto’s, muttered quietly. No no no! What are you saying, Ayaka-san!? Haruto inwardly cried out in confusion. However, as if unaware of his inner turmoil, Ayaka stared intently at Haruto with hopeful eyes. Perhaps to make it easier for him to stroke her head, she seemed to be tilting her head ever so slightly towards Haruto. Behind Ayaka, Saki, the instigator of this situation, watched the two with a beaming smile. “…………” Haruto glanced at Shuichi and Ikue.

Shuichi was happily downing beer, and Ikue was grilling onions, telling Ryota, “Make sure you eat your vegetables too.” After thinking for a few seconds about Ayaka, who was still giving him a hopeful look, Haruto slowly reached out towards her head. “You have ash on your head.” Saying that, Haruto quickly stroked her head as if brushing ash off Ayaka’s hair. “…Ah, thank you.” Ayaka blushed when her head was stroked, and seeing that, Saki grinned. “Ayaka is in a good mood instantly, huh? As expected of Otsuki-kun. A capable man is different.” “I don’t quite understand what Aizawa-san means…” Haruto, probably quite embarrassed, said this while quickly averting his gaze. “Onii-chan, isn’t this meat already cooked?” “Hm? Ah! The expensive tongue!” At Ryota’s words, Haruto snapped his gaze back to the grill and quickly removed the extra-thick beef tongue from the heat. “That was close, I almost overcooked it… Thanks for telling me, Ryota-kun.” Saying that, Haruto stroked Ryota’s head, and he made a really happy face, saying “Ehehe.” Haruto dipped the grilled tongue into the lemon juice and slowly brought it to his mouth. Instantly, Haruto’s eyes widened. The pleasant chewiness typical of tongue, the flavor spreading over his tongue and the umami he felt with every bite. However, there was absolutely no persistent greasiness, and the acidity of the lemon juice served as a good accent, allowing him to eat it refreshingly. “This is… too delicious…” Haruto was speechless from the sheer deliciousness. To him, Shuichi cheerfully recommended other meats. “Eat up, Otsuki-kun! Look, I bought kalbi too, and there’s loin as well.” Saying that, Shuichi placed meat onto the grill one after another. Haruto, determined not to burn such good meat, quickly moved the grilled meat onto serving plates. “Ryota-kun, do you want some kalbi?” “Yeah! I’ll eat it!” Haruto took a portion for himself and also for Ryota, placing it on his plate. “It’s delicious, Onii-chan.” “It really is, absolutely delicious.” Haruto and Ryota chewed on the meat, both smiling.

The beef kalbi grilled over charcoal, the moment it entered his mouth, the fragrant charcoal smell wafted through his nose, and as he chewed, a flood of umami from the overflowing meat juices flowed over his tongue. Haruto immediately shoveled white rice into his mouth. The fat and sauce from the kalbi mixed with the rice, and with every bite, a feeling of happiness spread through Haruto’s mouth. “Otsuki-kun, there’s more rice if you want.” “Ah, yes. Thank you.” The beef kalbi was so delicious that Haruto ended up eating rice more heartily than he expected. He bowed his head slightly, feeling a little embarrassed that Ikue had seen him. “Shuichi-san, is it okay if I grill these scallops?” Next to him, Saki was holding a tray with large scallops and asking Shuichi. “Of course, Saki-chan. Grill as many as you like.” “Yessir.” Immediately, she excitedly lined up the scallops on the grill. Next to her, Ayaka looked towards Haruto. “Haruto-kun, do you want some shiitake mushrooms if I grill them?” “Oh, what thick shiitake mushrooms. Please let me have some.” “Onee-chan, I want some too!!” “Okay, okay. Then I’ll grill a lot.” Ayaka lined up the shiitake mushrooms next to the scallops Saki had placed. After a while, the scallops began to open, and juice started bubbling out. And the shiitake mushrooms also got moist on the cap part, and that distinct, wonderful shiitake aroma began to rise. “The scallops look good~, I guess it’s time to put this in.” Saki opened a scallop and placed butter on top of it. “Whoa~, what a wonderful sight~” Seeing the scallops grilling with the broth and melted butter, Saki’s excitement level soared. “A little soy sauce here.” With a sizzle, the fragrant aroma of burnt soy sauce and the rich scent of butter gently tickled Haruto’s nostrils. “Saki, can you put some soy sauce on these too?” “Okay~” Nodding at Ayaka’s words, Saki also put soy sauce on the shiitake mushrooms. Haruto couldn’t help but swallow at the shiitake mushrooms, which had a different but equally appealing aroma from the scallops mixed with the scent of the sea. To him, Ayaka made an even more tempting suggestion. “Haruto-kun, want some cheese on it?”

Saying that, Ayaka slightly held up some melting cheese so Haruto could see it well. “What a terrifying combination… Please, yes.” “Onee-chan, cheese for me too!!” Haruto bowed his head politely and carefully, while Ryota appealed by raising his hand excitedly. Ayaka let out a small laugh and placed the cheese on top of the shiitake mushrooms. Just then, Saki next to her announced the scallops were ready with a beaming smile. “Finished! Who wants scallops?” When Saki said that, everyone raised their hands at once. Haruto received a scallop on his plate, brought it slightly closer to his nose to enjoy the aroma, then put the thick scallop into his mouth. “Hof! Hot! Ho-ho, delicious!” The moment he chewed, the rich sweetness overflowed from the scallop’s flesh, which had a slight elasticity but crumbled easily. Haruto immediately drank the juice left in the scallop shell. Although it was hot enough to burn him, the rich flavor of the soy sauce and butter, mixed with the seafood broth, flowed into his mouth where the lingering sweetness of the scallop remained strong, and it felt like the more he chewed, the more delicious it became. “Amazing…” Haruto said in a whisper. Across from him, Shuichi similarly held the scallop shell, drank the juice, then downed his beer with a gulping sound. “Phew! This is irresistible.” Shuichi said in a good mood, his face slightly red. Everyone else was also smiling and enjoying the scallops. “Oh, that’s right! Ayaka, let’s take a picture together.” As if remembering, Saki took out her smartphone and started taking selfies with Ayaka. “Ayaka, lift the plate a little more so the grilled stuff shows, yeah, just like that! Taking the picture~” Saki happily took photos with Ayaka. After taking a few shots, she turned the camera towards Haruto. “Okay Ryota, get closer to Otsuki-kun.” “Nnn? Like this?” At Saki’s instruction, Ryota smoothly moved his body closer to Haruto. “Perfect! Say cheese!” Since it was taken somewhat by surprise, Haruto was completely focused on the scallop. “Ahahaha! Look at Otsuki-kun’s face! He’s too mesmerized by the scallop!”

“Hey Aizawa-san, taking a surprise photo is unfair.” To Saki, who was laughing at the photo, Haruto protested with a wry smile. “Then Otsuki-kun, you can take a picture of us too, okay?” Saying that, Saki hugged Ayaka and looked towards Haruto. “Come on, Otsuki-san, it’s your chance for a JK two-shot.” “Ah, hey, hold on, my hair…” Ayaka, hugged by the enthusiastic Saki, frantically tried to fix her appearance by combing her hair with her fingers. “Um, you can take it.” “See? Ayaka says so too.” Saki prompted him, making a peace sign towards Haruto. “Okay, just one.” Saying that, Haruto took a two-shot of Ayaka and Saki with his smartphone. “Did you get it? Let me see, let me see.” At Saki’s words, Haruto said “Like this,” showing her the smartphone screen. Saki was beaming, hugging Ayaka, and Ayaka was looking slightly embarrassed and upwards. “Oh, it turned out well, didn’t it? You can even set it as your wallpaper, Otsuki-kun?” “No, I don’t think I can do that…” “But this Ayaka is super cute, right? Right, Otsuki-kun?” “Well… I admit that.” “See~ Ayaka,” Saying that, Ayaka, whose shoulder was patted by Saki, blushed. “Alright! Then, next is a two-shot photo of Otsuki-kun and Ayaka! Come on Ayaka, move next to Otsuki-kun.” Saying that, Saki forcefully pushed Ayaka’s waist, making her stick to Haruto. “Hey, hold on, Saki!?” “Come on, get closer! You won’t fit in the frame like that. Otsuki-kun, put your arm around Ayaka’s shoulder and hug her.” “No no no, Aizawa-san!? That’s too sudden!” “Oh! Photo opportunity!!” Pushed by Saki, Haruto and Ayaka were forced into a somewhat clinging state. Caught off guard by the sudden event, they both reacted in a flustered panic. Saki didn’t miss that moment and captured it on her smartphone. “Oh-ho~, their flustered state, good, good.” Looking at the photo she just took, Saki nodded repeatedly with a grin. “S-Saki, honestly… give me that picture later…” Ayaka returned to her seat from beside Haruto, pouting in protest but also demanding the two-shot photo with Haruto. Saki smiled at her.

“Of course! Oh, and I’ll make sure to send it to Otsuki-kun too. You can print it out later and hang it on the wall of Otsuki-kun’s room.” “No… I won’t do that… but thank you.” To Saki’s words, Haruto also thanked Saki, though he was embarrassed. Haruto and Ayaka looked embarrassed with each other. To diffuse the atmosphere, Ayaka looked at the shiitake mushrooms she was grilling. “Oh, the shiitake mushrooms are ready. Here, Haruto-kun. Ryota, give me your plate too.” Saki grinned at Ayaka, who was serving the grilled shiitake mushrooms. Just then, Shuichi, holding a beer, spoke to Haruto as if he just remembered something. “Speaking of which, Otsuki-kun. You said you liked starting fires earlier, do you like camping?” “Yes, that’s right. I haven’t done much overnight camping, but I do like that kind of thing.” Haruto, who had been enjoying the freshly grilled shiitake mushrooms, paused his hands at Shuichi’s question. “Oh! Is that so! Actually, we’re planning to go camping as a family next week, how about you join us, Otsuki-kun?” “Huh? Can I really join you?” “Of course! Saki-chan, how about you too if you’d like?” Shuichi also turned the conversation to Saki. “Can I really join you too!?” To Saki, who showed a slightly surprised reaction, Ayaka said, “Let’s go camping together.” At Ayaka’s words, Saki raised her hand quickly. “Yes, yes! I would love to participate!” “Good. Then it’s settled that both of you will join!” “Thank you very much. Um, I look forward to it.” Haruto bowed his head as he said that. Ryota, who was sitting next to him, looked radiant. “Onii-chan and Saki Onee-chan are going camping too?” “Yeah, I look forward to it, Ryota-kun.” To Haruto, who said this with a smile, Ryota raised both hands and cheered “Yay!”.