Everyone has something they're not good at. For Rio Futaba, what Haruto had just said struck a particularly sore spot—one she found mentally and physically hard to accept. The discomfort made her nauseous, but after taking a short break, she managed to calm herself.
"Do you really hate it that much?" Haruto asked.
Rio glanced up at him without a word and took a sip of water to settle her stomach.
"I do."
He didn't push the topic. "Got any plans for summer break?"
"Yeah."
Her gaze lingered on him quietly.
"Even if we've got time, what difference does it make?"
"Well, if we do have time, maybe we could hang out—go somewhere like Shinjuku or Shibuya, you know? It's been a while since we last went out. Maybe next weekend… want to go on a date?"
At his sudden invitation, Rio lowered her head. She didn't respond right away, and a moment of silence passed before she gave the faintest nod and murmured a soft "Mm."
"Alright then," Haruto said with a smile. "I'll message you about it next weekend. And if there's anywhere specific you want to go, just let me know."
"Mm."
Rio had occasionally imagined going on a date with Haruto, but those thoughts were always fleeting—quickly pushed aside before they could take root. Now that he'd brought it up himself, she found herself caught off guard, with no idea where she'd even want to go.
Noticing her sudden silence, Haruto studied her quiet expression under the veil of her long hair, then shifted his focus back to his lunch.
Returning to class after lunch, Haruto found himself unexpectedly surrounded by classmates asking about his recent appearance on TV. Playing the part of the shy, flustered boy, he earned the captivated gazes of several girls. In no time, he had become the center of attention.
Later that afternoon, when school let out, even girls he rarely interacted with invited him to hang out or go shopping. He turned them all down politely with a smile and left the classroom.
I've really attracted quite a bit of attention, huh… not that I mind. I guess this is what it's like to be a celebrity, even just a little.
After changing shoes at the locker, he headed straight home. He didn't run into anyone he knew and made his way back to his apartment in peace.
Back in his room, he took off his uniform and changed into casual clothes. After confirming through a message that Sekai hadn't arrived home yet, he sat down at his desk and spent some time writing, taking advantage of the quiet.
Around 5 PM, the doorbell rang.
Saving his work, he stood up and went to the door. Opening it, he found Sekai standing there in her school uniform.
"Setuna's not with you?"
"I told her I invited you over for dinner. She went home by herself."
Haruto blinked. That was unexpected.
"I realized there's no point in hiding it anymore. Figured it's better to be honest with Setuna."
"And… how did she react?"
"She wasn't thrilled," Sekai said with a shrug. "She frowned a little, but once I bought her a chocolate-strawberry sundae, she got over it."
"…"
Haruto let out a soft sigh. He hadn't expected Setuna to be so easily bribed. He glanced around his room. Everything seemed tidy enough.
"Are we heading to your place now?"
"If you don't have anything else planned, yeah. Mom's been home all afternoon preparing."
"Preparing what, exactly?"
"I… don't really know," Sekai answered vaguely, averting her eyes.
Haruto squinted. Something felt off. Was it really safe to go?
"Wait here for a second. I need to grab something."
"Huh?"
She tilted her head but nodded when she saw the seriousness in his eyes. While she waited at the door, Haruto went back to his desk, pulled something from a drawer, slipped it into his pocket, and returned.
"All right, let's go."
As they descended the stairs together, his eyes briefly dropped to Sekai's legs beneath her short skirt, before he quickly looked away and shut the door behind him.
"You're not going to let Setuna know we're heading out?"
"Some things are better left unspoken. Sometimes, it's best when everyone just keeps a quiet understanding. Saying it out loud only invites trouble."
"…"
Sekai fell silent, her lips pursed. Haruto noticed her reaction but didn't comment. His gaze wandered to the scenery: ivy-covered walls, overgrown branches, and a stray cat lounging atop a concrete fence. The cat glanced at him lazily before burying its face in its paws and dozing off.
He smiled faintly and kept walking. Soon, they reached Sekai's apartment. He hadn't been there in a long time.
I wonder what her mother—Yoko—is going to do today…
If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have been nervous. But with Yoko and her strange connection to Mai… and the odd tension between Sekai and Setuna, things had gotten way too complicated.
Tonight, I need to settle things with Yoko.
He glanced at Sekai beside him as she unlocked the door, then followed her inside.
The door shut softly behind them. He instinctively looked back, uneasy at how final the sound felt. Still, he followed Sekai into the living room.
Just then—
Click.
The door to the hallway opened, and Yoko stepped out.
"Oh, good. I thought I heard the door. Welcome back, Sekai—Haruto, too."
"Good afternoon, Miss Yoko."
"No need to be so formal. You weren't shy at all last time, but now you're acting all reserved. Is it because Sekai's here?"
"M-Mom!"
Sekai's face flushed red. Her mother's teasing was too much, especially when her feelings were already conflicted.
"What's there to be embarrassed about at this point?"
"I'm not embarrassed! You know I hate—"
"Fine, fine. I get it. I won't say anything more. Haruto, why don't you take a seat? Or better yet, go take a look at Sekai's room."
"Come on, let's go to my room."
Fearing her mom might say something even worse, Sekai quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her room, leaving Yoko behind.
Yoko watched them go, a touch of exasperation in her eyes, before silently returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Sekai shut the door behind them and turned to Haruto, clearly feeling both awkward and apologetic.
"Sorry. My mom said some weird things again."
"It's okay. What happened that time… well, it did happen."
"But you didn't like it, right?"
"Kind of. It's still a bit embarrassing when someone just blurts it out like that…"
Haruto glanced around Sekai's room and walked over to her desk. He pulled out the chair and sat down, then looked up at her.
"What I'm more curious about is you. How do you feel about all this? Can you accept it?"
"Accept it…? How could I possibly accept something like that?"
Her face darkened. She looked away, then back at him. After a few back-and-forths, she bit her lip and slowly stepped forward.
"And you? How do you feel about it? Wasn't it my mom who set that whole thing up—tricked you with drinks and everything?"
She stared into his eyes, desperate for some kind of answer that could bring her peace. Haruto studied her uncertain, conflicted expression—one full of anxiety and hope—and after a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Maybe I was a victim at first… but it's not like I hated it. Even when I woke up, I didn't feel disgusted or anything."
"You're lying."
"What about you, Sekai? That time, when Setuna pulled you into the room—how did you feel?"
"That was… totally different!"
Sekai recalled the events of that day, and her expression gradually darkened. She didn't like remembering what had happened, and she never brought it up with Haruto of her own accord. Now that he had suddenly mentioned it, it left her feeling unusually sensitive.
"It wasn't the same? Maybe not… But our feelings might've been similar. No, maybe not even that. I think I just didn't care that much. As long as it didn't mess up my life, then it didn't really matter—that's how I felt."
"Didn't care…? Was I really something that didn't matter to you?"
"That's not what I meant. I'm just saying… when it comes to your mother, I wasn't especially bothered by it."
Haruto's words didn't bring Sekai any comfort. She stared at the boy in front of her, knowing deep down that his gaze never really lingered on her—or even on Setsuna. Even though he was supposedly dating Setsuna, it felt more like a relationship in name only.
There were plenty of couples around them, but Haruto was different. His attitude toward both Setsuna and her was strangely indifferent. Even when he smiled, there was something distant in it. Over time, Sekai had come to recognize that faint sense of detachment—of perfunctory politeness hiding something else entirely.
She never really understood what he was thinking.
"So this… counts as comfort, huh?"
She let out a quiet laugh, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the room. Haruto, sitting across from her, offered a small smile in response—but he didn't say anything.
"I get it," Sekai said softly. "Really… I don't mind either. As long as you don't hate me, Haruto, that's all that matters."
"…"
Looking at the girl forcing a smile in front of him, Haruto lowered his eyes and hummed softly.
"Sekai, come out here and give me a hand. I need help with the ingredients in the fridge."
The voice of Yoko rang from the hallway.
Standing in the room, Sekai glanced toward the door, then back at Haruto. She pointed toward the living room.
"I'm going to go help."
"I'll come too."
"…Okay."
She didn't refuse him. The two of them stepped out of the room together and entered the living room, where they saw Yoko wearing an apron, busy preparing dinner.
"Ah, you both came out?"
She seemed a little surprised to see them, especially her daughter, and her gaze lingered on Sekai's face for a moment. Sekai's expression was off—her mood clearly sour, the forced smile not quite reaching her eyes. Yoko frowned slightly at the sight.
Her eyes then moved to Haruto. After watching him quietly for a second, she gave him a warm smile.
"Haruto, why don't you take a break in the living room? Leave the dinner prep to Sekai and me. You're a guest, after all—just relax and wait for everything to be ready. If you get bored, feel free to watch some TV."
Haruto had been about to offer his help, but Yoko cut him off before he could say anything. Her words left no room for argument, and she had already motioned for Sekai to come over.
It seemed she had something she wanted to ask her daughter in private…