"Ah~ That movie was so good."
"It really was."
"Even though Takamine-kun fell asleep halfway through."
As they exited the theater, Rinji was still yawning.
What was emotionally moving to others merely served as a sleeping pill for him.
Fujiwara Chika glanced at the time—it was already afternoon.
"Well then, I'll head home first. Our 'date' ends here for today~" she smiled. "Let's hang out again sometime, okay? See you, Takamine-kun! And you too, Hayasaka-san. See you Monday."
"Bye-bye~"
"Mm, take care."
Rinji waved goodbye to Fujiwara, then checked the time—he should be heading home too.
He turned toward Hayasaka Ai.
Hayasaka was someone very skilled at putting on masks—she wore one expression around classmates, another around Shinomiya Kaguya. Nobody knew which was truly her.
"Hayasaka, I'm going to call a cab. Want me to take you home?"
"No need to trouble yourself. I've got my own way back," she said with a wave of her hand.
Though she really did want to ride home with Rinji, her current residence was the Shinomiya mansion in Tokyo. If she went back with him, her residence would be exposed—and that would make it obvious she was Kaguya's personal maid.
Part of it was concern for Kaguya's safety, but more than that...
She cast a subtle glance at Rinji's face.
Hayasaka had long suspected his true identity. Maybe the son of a regional IW division head, or the grandson of someone in the Senate?
IW was an unbelievably powerful organization—even a regional branch executive could put pressure on the Shinomiya head family. And on top of that, Rinji already had past conflict with them.
So could she—just a servant of the Shinomiya Family—really stand by his side?
"You're going home alone? Alright, I'll get going then..."
"Wait!"
Just as Rinji was about to walk out of the theater, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by Hayasaka Ai.
He turned back—and was met with her beautiful, teary eyes, looking up at him pleadingly.
"Can you... stay with me for a little while?"
"..."
---
What happens when someone who never wears a mask meets someone who always wears one?
The answer is: instant defeat.
Because someone who never wears a "mask" can't easily tell when the other person is wearing one.
Hayasaka Ai was incredibly good at pretending. Even though she had dropped most of her act around Rinji, out of habit, there were still traces of performance in her behavior—something Rinji never doubted.
Especially when it came to people close to him.
The two were now sitting at a family restaurant not far from the movie theater, each with a drink in front of them.
"It's rare for you to invite me to a restaurant. We've never gone out together like this before—it's always been meeting in parks," Rinji said with a smile. "Something happen?"
"No, I just wanted to talk alone."
"I see. So what do you want to talk about? If it's about me, it might be boring. I haven't exactly had any grand, sweeping experiences these past few years."
Since their farewell four years ago, Rinji had roamed various countries and battlefields. For him, those bullet-ridden days felt like peaceful normalcy—habit, after all, becomes comfort.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka's mind was rapidly analyzing.
Sitting across from her was the boy she had rejected four years ago. Though that rejection had been for his safety, from everything he'd done since, it seemed like it was the Shinomiya family who needed protection.
Now she faced two major problems:
• The disparity between their identities.
• He was someone she had rejected before.
These two issues were the biggest walls between them.
The second problem couldn't be tackled yet—based on his behavior lately, he didn't seem to resent or avoid her. So for now, she focused on the first.
"Rinji..."
"Yeah?"
Hayasaka rested her chin on her hand, nervously stirring her drink with the straw.
"Has your family ever said anything about the kind of girl you should date? Like insisting she be from a compatible background?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she asked. It felt too direct—and a little shameless, especially coming from someone who had turned him down before.
"My family? They've never interfered with who I date."
Rinji didn't notice anything odd in her question. Leaning back in his chair, he thought aloud.
"Actually, it reminds me of something my dad said when I came to Japan four years ago..."
[Flashback]
"Dad, dad!"
"What is it, son~?"
"What kind of girlfriend would you want me to have?"
"..."
Little Rinji looked up to see his dad giving him a look like he'd just heard something ridiculous.
"Maybe I didn't word that right. I mean—do you have any requirements for the girl I date? Like her background, personality, that kind of thing?"
"No... I was just wondering when you got the idea that you could get a girlfriend."
"...Huh?"
"Be realistic, kid. With your IQ, landing a girlfriend is tough."
"That's a low blow!!"
"You want to know my standards for your future girlfriend? Honestly, I'd be burning incense out of gratitude if you found one. Alive. Female. That's all."
His dad turned back to what he was doing but added as he worked:
"Don't waste time on this nonsense. I didn't even have a girlfriend in my twenties. If you get one at twelve, I'll admit... maybe you inherited something from your grandpa."
"What was Grandpa like?"
"I'd rather not talk about it. In any case, I have no requirements. Whoever she is—if you can find one, I'm happy."
"..."
----
"That's what he told me back then. Looking back... I think he made some good points."
"I see..."
Hayasaka took another sip of her drink, feeling a small thrill in her chest.
Looks like she'd gotten past the first obstacle. Now came the second—perhaps the most important: the emotional wall between them.