Prologue: Secret

One crisp night in the middle of October, Ayano stirred awake, discomfort tugging at her from the shadows of her slumber.

It’s so…hot…

The moment her eyes snapped open, she realized that her entire body felt like it was on fire, so she irritably flung the comforter off her. The evenings had finally begun to cool down lately, prompting her to pull out a light blanket…but tonight was simply too muggy.

Still feels like summer…

Ayano rolled over, attempting to fall back asleep. However, not even ten seconds went by before she accepted that she wasn’t able to go back to sleep, so she sat up.

I need to pee…

The young maid left her room, taking even more care than usual to move silently, so as not to wake anyone in the house. She walked down the dimly lit hallway, used the bathroom, and was about to return to her room…when a soft sound tickled her ears.

“…!”

The possibility that she had woken someone instantly erased any lingering signs of drowsiness. It wouldn’t be an issue if this were the sound of another maid or butler like her grandparents, but if, by chance, it was someone from the Suou family whom Ayano served—well, she would have no choice but to get on her knees and ask to be pardoned.

Her heart raced at the terrifying possibility while she clung to the hope that it was just her imagination. With a shaky breath and her steps hesitant, Ayano followed the sound up the stairs. She moved down the dim hallway before turning the corner…only to freeze when she saw where the noise was coming from.

A woman stood before her, her long black hair woven into a neat braid that cascaded down the back of her negligee. It was unmistakably Yumi Suou—the mother of Yuki Suou.

I must beg for forgiveness…!

Ayano instinctively tensed, ready to throw herself to the ground in a desperate plea for forgiveness…but then, a sudden thought stopped her. If Yumi had simply gone to the bathroom and was planning to go right back to sleep, startling her in this state would only make things worse. In fact, perhaps it would be better if she refrained from saying anything tonight and simply apologized tomorrow morning instead.

Yes, that would be the best course of action, Ayano decided…but then, she noticed something was off.

“…?”

Even when considering that Yumi had just woken up, her footsteps were unusually unsteady as she walked down the hallway. Plus, she wasn’t even walking in the direction of the bathroom.

Where is she going…?

Unease gnawed at Ayano as she trailed behind Yumi, only to be utterly perplexed when she saw the room Yumi stumbled into.

The piano room? At this time of night?

There was no way that she was going to start playing piano in the middle of the night…which meant that she must have forgotten something in the room. At least, that was what Ayano assumed as she carefully peeked inside, only to find herself even more confused.

Lady Yumi…?

In the moonlit room, Yumi sat in front of the grand piano, but that was it. She hadn’t even opened the fallboard, and her gaze seemed to be fixed somewhere between the keyboard and the music stand… She wasn’t looking at anything at all.

“…!”

Yumi’s unnatural behavior sent a chill down Ayano’s spine, instinctively prompting her to reach out to wake her up—

“Wait.”

A voice called out from right beside her, making her jump and turn around, at which point she found a large figure looming over her. Her eyes went wide.

“Master—”

But before Ayano could utter another word, Gensei raised his hand, halting her mid-sentence. He then crossed the room toward Yumi, his voice breaking the silence as he called out to his daughter, who remained transfixed by the piano.

“Yumi.”

Yumi didn’t respond to her father’s call, her gaze still fixed on the piano. Gensei, however, said nothing more, his eyes never leaving his daughter as he stood and quietly observed. Moments passed, and then, slowly, Yumi’s eyelids fluttered shut, her body beginning to fall back.

“Ah!” Ayano gasped. She instinctively reached out, but before she could get any closer, Gensei had already caught Yumi’s fragile form in his arms as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, to Ayano’s astonishment, the nearly seventy-year-old man somehow effortlessly lifted his daughter’s limp body.

“Allow me—”

“It’s fine.”

Ayano offered her help in a soft voice, but Gensei declined tersely before continuing toward Yumi’s room. A knot of unease twisted in Ayano’s stomach as she trailed behind him, yet Gensei moved with unhurried determination. His steps remained steady until he reached the room, the door still open, and laid his daughter onto her bed. But as he quietly left the room and closed the door, Ayano couldn’t help but ask:

“So…is Lady Yumi…?” Ayano muttered quietly, trying to avoid being so direct as to say ‘sleepwalking.’

After briefly exhaling, Gensei replied, “She went through a phase like this from time to time after Naotaka passed away as well. I thought she was cured after meeting Kyoutarou, but she started up again a few days ago.”

“A few days ago…?”

The cause immediately dawned on her, surprising her.

“You should get back to bed, and keep this between us. I don’t want Yuki or even Yumi to know.”

Ayano stood frozen, forgetting even to say goodnight as she watched Gensei disappear into his bedroom one room over.

Was I…

If Yumi’s sleepwalking was caused by psychological stress, then Ayano could only think of one possible instigator.

Was I wrong for taking her…?

It was because she brought Yumi to listen to Masachika’s piano performance at the Autumn Heights Festival. She’d believed that showing Yumi that her son was moving forward would ease the mental strain of her regret, but…

Master Masachika… It appears I have made a grave mistake…

Ayano felt like she was being swallowed by guilt and helplessness. After all, her superficial view of the situation was never going to allow her to save Yumi. It should have been obvious. Even Yuki couldn’t save her…and while Kyoutarou could perhaps soothe Yumi’s heart, there was no way he was going to save her, either. If anyone could save her, it would be…

“…”

Gazing up at the moon in the night sky, Ayano made a wish. She understood that Masachika bore wounds in his heart far deeper than Yumi’s, and that was why she couldn’t put it into words. In her powerlessness and inadequacy, all she could do was pray that her great master would save Yumi…and Yuki.

“Please…”

Ayano turned on her heel with her unspoken wish tucked away in her heart.

Chapter 1. First Love

Seirei Academy’s schoolyard was buzzing with energy. It was an exciting midday after the events of field day and the Run between student council presidential candidates. Yet, just beyond the lively scene, there was a single building where all was silent…

“Phew…”

Stepping out of the Class 1-B classroom, Masachika Kuze let out a small breath while walking a few steps down the hallway. His team had just lost to the Yuki-Ayano team in the Run, but instead of dwelling on it, he focused on cheering up Alisa, who was alone in the classroom and feeling down. He’d even promised to celebrate her birthday with her. But now, as the confidence from that moment faded…he cringed, replaying every little thing he’d done in his mind.

Ugh… I’m such a loser.

Feeling embarrassment creeping in, Masachika hurried toward the schoolyard for lunch, darting his eyes around in search of his grandparents. But it was his grandfather, Tomohisa, who spotted him first and waved.

“Oh! Hey, Masachika! Over here!”

“Come on, stop yelling. You’re embarrassing me.”

Many other students and their families were busy eating, so his grandfather didn’t draw much attention, but Masachika was still a teenage boy; he was unable to hide his embarrassment as he hunched his shoulders and made a beeline for his grandparents.

“Ah, you’re finally here. Come have a seat with us,” said his grandmother, Asae, as he joined them on the plastic picnic sheet.

“Here’s a damp towel.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Although he’d already cleaned himself up after the cavalry battle, he briefly wiped his hands with the damp towel again. A quick glance confirmed that his mother, who had been with his grandparents earlier, was gone as well. It also made him realize that his father hadn’t arrived yet, so he casually pointed that out.

“Looks like Dad’s not here yet. He sent me a text this morning saying he’d be here for lunch.”

“He’s probably running late. Maybe he overslept on the plane and missed his stop.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. It’s not like it’s a train,” interjected Masachika, glaring at Tomohisa.

“Come, let’s eat. I brought a lot of ham because I know just how much you love it,” Asae suggested as she opened the lunchbox.

“Whoa. Those are some thick slices of ham.”

“Just for you, sweetie.”

Though Masachika felt self-conscious—as any teenager eating lunch with his grandparents would—he didn’t complain, choosing instead to simply enjoy Asae’s warm smile as she savored their meal together.

“Thanks for the food.”

After a brief, respectful bow with his hands pressed together, Masachika picked up his chopsticks and dug in to the lunch his grandmother had prepared. Tomohisa and Asae watched their grandson eat, their smiles filled with joy…and a hint of relief.

“Whew… I ate way too much,” Masachika muttered to himself while wandering around the schoolyard to walk off some of his lunch. He had only intended to eat until he was about eighty-percent full so it wouldn’t affect his performance in the afternoon events, but Asae had kept offering him this and that, and he ended up overeating.

Yeah… I should probably stop by the nurse’s office to check up on everybody.

The sudden thought struck Masachika, and he turned toward the school building, worrying about the members from his team that had gotten injured during the cavalry battle—Nonoa and Takeshi specifically.

I mean, from what I heard, that tackle was absolutely insane… Knowing her, she probably went all out and pulled off some kind of brutal tackle that would’ve gotten her banned even if it were rugby.

His expression was tinged with remorse as he thought of the girl who had likely initiated the tackle at the head of their “horse.” Nonoa, after all, was the most seriously injured. While her wound was just a scrape, she was a girl and model at that—a profession where even a minor cut could be a big deal. Therefore, his smile was more apologetic than anything.

Nonoa herself seemed to be completely unfazed…but there’s something terrifying about how she doesn’t even hesitate to do these things. I guess I should just be glad that she’s on our side…

But whatever the case, it was something she did to help Alisa and Masachika win, so if she were still resting in the nurse’s office, it was only natural to bring her a gift of some sort.

Takeshi, on the other hand, had earned his honorable (?) wound while trying to catch Sayaka as she fell off the “horse,” taking an accidental hit to the face from her arm or back (or something) that resulted in a bloody nose.

With that being said, Takeshi’s face was suspiciously flushed and Sayaka appeared noticeably awkward as well, but Masachika intentionally chose not to probe further. Put simply, the exact details of how Takeshi had “protected” her and what exactly he had made contact with remained unclear, and Masachika preferred to leave those ambiguities unexplored, since he didn’t know how he would act if his friend did just so happen to get “lucky” (wink wink).

Now, let’s see how Nonoa’s doing…

Looking into the nurse’s office through the open sliding door, he noticed that the curtains on the bed closest to him were drawn.

Oh, is someone sleeping?

Figuring it would be rude to loudly announce himself if someone were resting, Masachika slipped quietly into the nurse’s office. However, after scanning the room silently, there didn’t seem to be a single soul in sight. Even the school nurse was missing.

No one’s here… I guess she already got patched up and left.

But just as Masachika was about to leave the school infirmary—

“Are you feeling better?”

He stopped dead in his tracks at the muffled sound of a man’s voice coming from just beyond the curtains next to him.

Huh? Why is…?

Believing that it had to be someone who just sounded familiar, he strained his ears—only for another voice to cut through the air, sending a chill down his spine.

“Yes… I’m sorry for suddenly crying like that…”

It was a voice etched into his memory, immutable across the years—a voice he sometimes yearned for, sometimes sought to escape. It was his mother’s voice, and the instant Masachika realized this, he also realized the other voice had to have been his father’s, plunging him deeper into confusion.

Why? Why??

Question marks swirled in his head. Why were these two together? Had Tomohisa and Asae lied? But why…?

“It’s okay. Can you tell me what happened?”

“…I don’t know what happened… I was just watching Yuki and Masachika, and…”

“All right. Well, you don’t need to rush yourself. I know you’re still trying to process what happened, but do you think you could tell me what’s on your mind? You can take all the time you need.”

Masachika continued listening, frozen as if he were glued in place. His mind was caught in a whirlwind of confusion and couldn’t comprehend their conversation…yet he distinctly sensed a profound affection between them, and the moment he recognized that fact…

“…!!”

He had unconsciously dashed out of the room.

“Hff! Hff…!”

Gasping for breath as if he had just completed a marathon, Masachika braced himself against the hallway wall, the floor below him blurring.

He knew—he knew that his parents had continued to meet occasionally, even after their divorce. Even though his father, Kyoutarou, had never spoken of it, Masachika had picked up on it long ago. However…

Why are they…? They used to be more…

The image of his parents that was so clearly etched into Masachika’s mind was that of his emotional mother berating his troubled father. But…the voices he had just heard through the curtains seemed like they were from a time before, when the two still got along…

Why? Why…?

Questions whirled through his mind, dragging his thoughts into a deepening vortex. If they still harbored feelings for each other—if they still maintained the will to support one another—then why had they divorced? For what purpose? For whose sake?

“…!”

Hit with a wave of nausea, Masachika instinctively covered his mouth. Then, straightening his unconsciously hunched back, he took a deep breath with trembling lungs.

“Nnngh…”

He pushed down the rising sensation deep within his chest, blinking repeatedly to clear his blurred vision…when out of nowhere, Ayano rounded the corner of the hallway ahead with an unexpected figure right behind her, startling Masachika.

“…!”

They seemed to have noticed him, too. Ayano paused momentarily, but when the man behind her continued forward, she resumed her path, albeit while blinking with uncertainty.

Why…?

Masachika was utterly stunned to see his maternal grandfather, Gensei Suou, walking behind Ayano. Though several years had passed since their last encounter, Gensei’s dignified and vigorous figure showed no signs of aging, his cold and piercing eyes as sharp as ever. Dressed in a suit, he had likely snuck out of work to be here or was, at the very least, on his way home from work.

As Masachika processed this unexpected appearance, Gensei closed the distance between them. He stopped only two meters away while fixing his grandson with an intense, downward glare.

“It has been a while.”

“…”

Although he had received something akin to a greeting, Masachika hesitated about how to talk to Gensei. In the past, he had spoken respectfully, as befitted the grandson of a distinguished family…but did it still make sense to be so polite after all these years? Yet, years of adherence to hierarchy made speaking casually to him just as difficult.

“…What brings—why are you here?”

Masachika’s words stumbled between formality and casualness, resulting in a slight narrowing of Gensei’s eyes. That cold and piercing gaze, which seemed to see right through him, left Masachika feeling exposed. A tangled mix of shame and defiance rose within him.

“I heard Yumi wasn’t feeling well, so I came to get her. That’s all,” uttered Gensei, seemingly unconcerned with Masachika’s internal conflict as he walked past him. “Regardless, it has nothing to do with you.”

Those final words as Gensei left stirred up a rebellious feeling in Masachika’s chest, so he spun around to glare at his grandfather’s back…

“…!”

His mouth opened, but no words came out. With no retort in mind, Masachika could only watch Gensei walk away. He did have a point, after all.

Meanwhile, Ayano glanced between Masachika’s face and Gensei’s retreating figure.

“…”

But after hesitating briefly, Ayano bowed and followed Gensei into the school infirmary as Masachika absentmindedly watched them. However, realizing that he might run into his mother if he stayed any longer, he swiftly left the area.

“Haaah…”

Exiting the school building, he gazed at the sky and exhaled deeply, his breath dissipating into the autumn sky that felt more like a scorching summer day.

“…”

The nausea was gone. All that remained was the deep regret that he’d ‘ran away again.’

“Hrrk!”

What had prompted that retching sound if he wasn’t nauseous?

Without any particular self-awareness or self-analysis, Masachika shook his head, then headed toward the student council tent out of a sense of obligation. The tent was still empty, suggesting that the others were most likely still eating or working, but he welcomed the solitude and dropped onto a folding chair with a sigh.

Haaa… Masha’s going to come over and start consoling me again if I keep acting like this…

A few seconds lost in thought passed before something suddenly dawned on Masachika.

…! Where’s Yuki?! Is she okay?!

Realizing he had only just thought of his sister sent a wave of self-hatred through him. Fighting the urge to punch himself, Masachika bolted from the tent and began searching for Yuki, scanning the crowds as he circled the schoolyard. He eventually spotted her near the entrance gate speaking to several students who appeared to be on the organizing committee and immediately rushed to her side.

“Yuki!”

His loud call made not only Yuki but everyone nearby turn around. Sensing the curious stares fixed on him, Masachika hesitated momentarily before realizing why he was receiving odd looks.

Oh, right. We’re…

Just a half hour or so ago, he and Yuki were rivals who’d faced off in the Run, so it was no surprise that people would be interested in their interaction.

“…!”

Masachika, whose mind had been completely preoccupied with everything else going on, gritted his teeth at the unexpected attention. Yuki, however, approached him on her own as if she could sense her older brother’s unease and asked with a ladylike smile:

“Oh, my. What’s the matter, Masachika? You look flustered.”

“…” Masachika mulled over his words, knowing Yuki was merely putting on a show for those around them. “…Is everything all right?”

It ended up being a rather ambiguous question, so Yuki’s head tilted inquisitively.

“Are you referring to what happened at the end of the Run? I am completely fine, thanks to Alya. She made sure to catch me.”

Yuki understood what Masachika was getting at, which was why she kept up the act. She pretended to talk about the Run to assure him she was fine, leaving Masachika with no room to push further.

Back in middle school, when they were campaign partners, he wouldn’t have hesitated to pull her aside—even forcefully—to make sure she was okay. But now, as rivals, any careless move could invite speculation and misunderstandings.

And so, Masachika had no choice but to let it go.

“Thank you for worrying about me, though. Now, I must be off. I have work to do.”

“Oh… Okay.”

All he could do was watch his sister’s retreating back. As the curious stares around him slowly faded, Masachika began to trudge back toward the student council tent with a sense of powerlessness—until a familiar voice caught his ear.

“Master Masachika.”

Lifting his gaze in response to the call, he found Ayano in her gym uniform, likely returning after seeing off Gensei and the others. Masachika, meeting his childhood friend’s intent gaze, managed a feeble smile.

“Sorry, Ayano… Take care of Yuki for me,” he stammered, his voice slightly hoarse.

Ayano bowed as usual toward Masachika, who sounded utterly exhausted.

“You can count on me.”

But it didn’t end there, surprisingly enough.

“However…”

“…?”

Puzzled, he raised an eyebrow. Ayano glanced around before resolutely declaring:

“I believe the one she needs the most right now is you.”

“…!”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

The almost accusatory statement stabbed deep into Masachika’s heart. After Ayano bowed once more to her stunned childhood friend, she walked past him. He trudged back to the empty student council tent, unable to even glance back at her. Then, sinking into a folding chair, he squinted his eyes at the gleaming sunlit grounds before him.

“It’s getting cold…,” he murmured.

A little earlier—in the classroom that Masachika had left, Alisa found herself swept up in a storm of confusion.

Love? I’m in love? With who? With Masachika?!

She’d lost count of how many times she’d interrogated herself.

No, that can’t be right… Me? Fall in love? That’s impossible.

Despite her mind’s desperate, chaotic attempts at denial, her heart hammered with an inexplicable joy. Overwhelmed, Alisa buried her face in her hands and collapsed into her chair.

Pull yourself together, Alisa Kujou! Remember your ideals!

She berated herself harshly.

Her ideal self was perfection incarnate. As both a person and a woman, she craved a life beyond reproach—one that brought shame to no one, especially not herself.

Alisa’s vision of the ideal woman fell into two distinct categories. The first was essentially an iron lady: a path where she could forge herself into a complete, steadfast individual who didn’t need a man. Such women exuded style, so that would undeniably be cool.

And the other was a woman who had found her perfect counterpart. This path meant discovering her ideal, destined partner with whom she would journey through life, each supporting and elevating the other. The mere thought was breathtakingly beautiful—a relationship anyone could acknowledge as exquisite.

Exactly… My life partner has to be perfect! They have to be my ideal man and someone I was destined to be with!

If he was perfect and ideal, then of course, he would have to be someone who matched her in every way. In other words…

He has to be handsome, in good shape, smart, athletic, and he has to be someone who puts effort into everything he does… I’d prefer it if he were nice and a gentleman as well.

Alisa tacked her personal preferences onto her effusive assessment, though in truth, she wasn’t especially fixated on appearances, so it was safe to say that the most important traits were the last few. Whether she was consciously aware of this or not was a different story, but she once again calmly—with utmost composure—evaluated Masachika, beginning with his physical appearance…

“…”

She closed her eyes, imagining Masachika…as she crossed her arms with a sullen expression, pouted, and began to fidget with her hair.

Well, I guess he doesn’t look bad? When I first saw him, he seemed kind of out of it, and he didn’t really stand out much. But after getting a closer look, he’s actually kind of… Very handsome…? I guess he’s in good shape, too?

Alisa thought back to Masachika’s physique from when they were at the beach and cleared her throat. Appearance: check. Next, his skills…

He’s…smart, right? At the very least, he’s a quick thinker…and he seems like he’s pretty athletic, I guess? Hold on. Then…

Just as she began feeling Masachika might be the perfect, ideal partner, she recalled his typical lazy expression—instantly souring the thought and leaving her irritated instead.

Exactly. He has talent, but he lacks the most important thing of all: motivation!

Alisa instantly launched into a mental catalog of Masachika’s flaws, embarrassed she had even briefly considered him an ideal partner.

He’s always daydreaming, he slacks off, and he never takes anything seriously! On top of that, he’s always teasing me, he’s arrogant, and he treats me like a child! Plus, he’s a slob, he always has bedhead, he’s always sneaking glances at my chest and legs, and he’s too friendly with too many girls! There’s nothing gentleman-like about him!!

Alisa ranted internally and exhaled sharply. Yet immediately, a wave of loneliness swallowed her as a single thought surfaced from deep within her heart.

______But he is nice.

That inner voice cooled her heated mind. Opening her eyes, she looked at the desk where a plastic bottle sat wrapped in a handkerchief—a silent testimony to Masachika’s kindness.

Yeah… He has always been nice.

Masachika had shown her kindness on numerous occasions, both before and after they became partners in the student council. Merely recalling these acts filled her heart with a gentle warmth. Alisa smiled on the verge of tears…then she snapped back into reality and vigorously shook her head.

“No… That’s not enough… That’s not enough to decide who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with,” Alisa muttered softly through her clenched teeth. That still wasn’t enough. He had to be perfect, ideal, and bound to her by fate, and fate meant an undeniable connection: the kind where she could see her future intertwined from the very first moment they met. But her first encounter with Masachika was…

…He was asleep.

Alisa recalled the day she first laid eyes on him. It was right after the third-year students’ opening ceremony in middle school when she found Masachika slumped over, fast asleep at his desk beside her.

Her expression instantly went blank. There was no spark, no excitement, and not even a hint of romance. As far as love stories went, their first meeting was a complete dud.

I knew it. It’s not meant to be. It doesn’t feel like destiny at all.

Alisa tucked her hair behind her ear, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips. But just as quickly, a familiar loneliness crept in, her heart quietly whispering:

______But he was there for me.

“So don’t say a word and just take my hand! Alya!”

Looking back, that was the spark that started it all. From that moment on, they had walked side by side as partners, and in a way, couldn’t this be considered destiny?

No! If it’s destiny—if we were to start dating, then that would mean we’d have to get married!

To Alisa, a relationship without a future wasn’t worth pursuing. The refined woman she aspired to be would never engage in something so fleeting. If she were to date someone, it would be with marriage in mind…

Me?! Marry Masachika?! Is that even possible?!

She ruthlessly asked herself, as if dousing her emotions with cold water. Sure, Masachika had improved a little, but at his core, he was still a lazy pain in the butt. Marrying someone like that meant a lifetime of stress and frustration. After all, he’d probably lounge around all day, barely lifting a finger. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even get out of bed unless she dragged him out. That lecherous creep would probably be grinning like an idiot, too, saying something ridiculous like, “I can’t wake up unless you give me a good morning kiss.”

…That might actually not be so bad— What?! No!

Alisa writhed in her chair, upset at her own thoughts.

“Ahhhhhh! Uuugh!!” she groaned, cutting off the endless loop of denial and affirmation spinning in her head. With a deep sigh, she slumped back into her chair, her mind momentarily blank—until a self-disapproving thought surfaced.

What am I doing…?

It was comical. Unable to be honest with herself, she desperately denied her love, telling herself that Masachika wasn’t her ideal partner. At the same time, she refused to accept that he wasn’t her ideal partner—turning her own denial against itself. She was essentially tilting at windmills. The more excuses she piled up, the more she only highlighted the fact that she was hopelessly attracted to Masachika.

He wasn’t ideal? They weren’t destined to be together? So what? A feeling this strong wasn’t something so easily dismissed with such weak justifications. These were nothing more than pathetic excuses.

Pathetic excuses? What happened to living by your ideals, no matter what? Are you saying that was a mistake?

The calmer, perhaps more rational part of her inwardly began to raise its voice.

Did the excitement of finding your first love turn your brain into mush? There’s still a chance you’ll meet someone closer to your ideal man one day. You’ve only gotten to know a handful of guys, and yet you’re already deciding that this one is your life partner? You have lost your mind.

The voice in her head was probably right—she knew that. Even in her current state, she could admit it was being perfectly reasonable. Maybe she really wasn’t thinking clearly. Maybe she really was crazy in love.

Whatever the case, she had to accept the truth, and she was fine with that.

“I really have lost my mind,” she muttered.

Alisa used to scoff at women who regretted dating awful men, quietly looking down on them for not choosing more carefully, and she was baffled by how they couldn’t see the red flags.

But oh, how naive she had been. That was merely the arrogance of a girl who had never been in love.

Because once you truly fall for someone, it doesn’t matter how clearly you see their flaws—you find yourself wanting to turn a blind eye to them all.

“I like him…” she whispered quietly. She then whispered once more, cautiously and preciously as if she had to double check.

“I really like Masachika…”

The genuine words were given life with each breath as they slipped into her ears and settled deep in her mind. That alone was enough to fill her heart with joy. Embarrassed yet elated, she immediately got the urge to roll around, to dance, to do anything to release the overwhelming giddiness rushing through her.

“Giggle.♡”

Alisa cupped her cheeks, unable to stop the smile spreading across her face, her legs swinging in her seat. Ah, how could she possibly resist this? Reason and logic didn’t stand a chance against joy this overwhelming. In fact, the very thought of denying these feelings with cold rationality made her almost unbearably depressed.

Then suddenly…

“Good afternoon, everyone. This is an announcement from the Lost and Found. If anyone has lost a phone with a red cat charm—”

The announcement startled Alisa as she leaned back. She jolted upright, instinctively glancing at the clock in the classroom.

“Huh?! How long have I been sitting here?!”

How much time had gone by? She had to hurry and eat, or she would be late for the afternoon events.

“Oh, gosh…!”

After rushing out of the classroom, she glanced at her own face reflected in the window.

“…!”

She gave her cheeks a quick slap, tightening her expression. Though her heart still brimmed with a giddy warmth, she knew better than to let it show, since her sister and mother would relentlessly question her until she gave in.

“All right!”

Regaining her composure, Alisa made her way to the schoolyard. With practiced ease, she brushed off her family’s concerned questions about her tardiness while managing to finish lunch just as the break came to an end.

“All right, Alya. I need to go help the others, so I’ll see you later.”

“Do you want me to help, too?”

“No, I’m fine. Thanks, though.”

After parting aways with her sister who was shaking her head with a smile, Alisa made her way to the student council tent alone. Then, she saw him—Masachika, sitting there by himself. Her heart skipped a beat. The happiness she had tried so hard to suppress surged up once more, bubbling from deep within her chest. She decided to act as nonchalant as possible, furrowing her brow as she stepped inside.

“Hey.”

“Oh, hey. You okay now?”

Alisa genuinely didn’t understand what he was talking about for a moment. She froze for a few seconds, before finally realizing he was talking about their defeat at the Run.

“Y-yes, I’m fine. I apologize for worrying you.”

“It’s no big deal.” Masachika shrugged. In that moment, Alisa found his effortless kindness almost unbearably endearing, to the point that a smile threatened to break free, but she quickly took a seat onto a folding chair to conceal it from him.

“So… What afternoon events are you doing, again?”

“I’ve actually got nothing to do until the dance. Same with you, right?”

“Right.”

It was a conversation just like any other, but even that was so much fun for some reason, and before she knew it, she was facing Masachika with a smile.

“By the way…”

That was when she finally noticed that something was off about him. At a glance, he seemed normal, but there was an emptiness in his expression. His eyes were locked onto something, as if lost in a trance.

“…?”

Her eyes followed his gaze, landing on the figure before him—and in an instant, it felt like she had been doused with cold water.

Yuki…

There, in the distance, Yuki was speaking with a member of the planning committee. Masachika’s gaze was fixed on her, his eyes clouded with a depth of emotion Alisa couldn’t ignore. And in that moment, a harsh truth settled deep in her chest: the person you love won’t always love you back.

Ah…

The image of Masachika playing the piano, lost in thought over someone else, flashed through her mind, and the warmth that had been steadily rising in her chest instantly froze.

Ah! No. I can’t cry. I—

A wave of emotions crashed over her, threatening to break through her heart’s unfortified flood defenses. Alisa immediately hopped to her feet, spurred by a strong sense of danger.

“I’m going to go help the others,” she muttered, desperately suppressing her emotions while she turned on her heel.

“Hmm? Oh… Okay,” replied Masachika in befuddlement, but he neither stopped Alisa nor chased after her as she quickly left on the verge of tears.

“…What is this? Why…?”

Just moments ago, she had been soaring—elated, lost in joy. Yet, now, all she felt was resentment, as though she despised every single thing in the world.

“Why…?”

As Alisa bit her lip, Masachika remained oblivious, his quiet gaze still fixed on Yuki while the announcement signaling the start of the afternoon session echoed.

Chapter 2. A Lie

“I’m really sorry about today. I heard you did great.”

“Nah, it’s cool…”

After successfully concluding field day and arriving home, Masachika shared dinner with his long-absent father, Kyoutarou, who seemed apologetic. However, Masachika shrugged before turning his attention back to the meal before him.

“More importantly, can we talk about the fact that you brought back fish and chips from England for dinner?”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

“Before we even talk about the taste, I think we need to talk about how much time has gone by since this was cooked. I mean, the fries have gone limp, and the fish is a soggy, oily mess.”

“That’s half the fun.”

“I have no idea how you can enjoy this…”

It wasn’t new for his father to have questionable taste in souvenirs, but his peculiar preferences became glaringly apparent when it came to food. Years ago, someone had convinced Masachika that his father possessed a sophisticated international palate—capable of appreciating cuisines from around the world with genuine discernment. Masachika, however, had a sneaking suspicion that perhaps his father didn’t actually have diverse taste at all, but merely an undiscriminating tongue that found satisfaction in virtually anything served on a plate.

I should have reheated it in the oven instead of microwaving it…

Eyeing the half-devoured fish and chips, Masachika felt a pang of belated regret that Kyoutarou immediately picked up on, furrowing his brow.

“A lot of people in Japan talk about how bad the food in England is, so I wanted you to try the real thing out for yourself to show you that it’s actually good.”

“I’m pretty sure even the British would be mad if you served it to them like this.”

Though he grumbled about his father not choosing something that would have held up a bit better, Masachika dutifully consumed every last morsel—it was, after all, a gift from his father. Afterward, he cleansed his palate with several sips of tea—another English souvenir—and exhaled a grateful breath as the oiliness finally dissipated.

“All right, the tea is excellent,” Masachika admitted with evident satisfaction, taken aback that his father actually picked a good souvenir for once.

“I’d hope so, since the royal family apparently drinks it, too,” Kyoutarou replied while enjoying the aroma of the tea.

“Really? That’s pretty cool.”

Masachika recognized just how special the tea was, lifting the cup to his nostrils to appreciate its delicate fragrance… It reminded him of his mother, with her deep passion for fine teas.

…I wonder if he gave her the same souvenir?

He recalled the voices he’d overheard in the school infirmary but instinctively attempted to brush these thoughts aside just like he always had…when something inside him made him hesitate.

“…Dad.”

“…?”

“…How was Mom? She okay?”

Kyoutarou had likely been avoiding any mention of her for countless reasons, so when his son himself brought her up he looked shocked. He glanced at Masachika, who was silently staring at his mug, then smiled gently and assured him.

“Yeah, she’s fine. She was just a little under the weather.”

“…”

That was a lie.

The way they were talking at school made it sound serious. Still, Masachika recognized the futility of interrogating Kyoutarou further, since his father would likely remain tight-lipped regardless of his persistence. Additionally, the mere act of discussing his mother already inflicted considerable emotional distress, so Masachika decided that it would be better if he simply dropped it altogether.

And yet, there was one question burning within him that simply couldn’t remain unasked.

“…Dad.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you still…love Mom?”

Kyoutarou’s eyes widened behind his glasses…and then, he chuckled.

“Yeah… I’ve always loved her.”

“…!”

Masachika’s breath caught in his throat. Ever since overhearing that conversation in the nurse’s office, one thought had been smoldering deep inside him. It appeared that the only reason the two of them broke up was because—

“But…we needed space and time apart,” Kyoutarou revealed, swiftly shattering the conviction forming in Masachika’s head as if he could read his mind. Then, meeting Masachika’s gaze with a gentle yet firm look, he imparted some words of wisdom.

“I wasn’t there for Yumi when she needed me. I couldn’t help her, and I knew that if I stayed, then I would only end up hurting her…so we decided it was best for us to be apart.”

Kyoutarou’s voice was gentle yet tinged with sorrow as he claimed that, in the end, the fault for their divorce lay with him.

That’s also a lie.

Masachika’s gut refused to accept that he bore no part in his parents’ divorce. But…but even then, Kyoutarou’s words brought him a sense of relief he couldn’t deny. And that was why…

“…Oh.”

Masachika nodded back with a smile…since he knew it was a lie born of love. His father, in turn, also smiled, accepting the unspoken falsehood as well. Two matching smiles, gentle yet tinged with sorrow—like father, like son.

The following morning, father and son shared a late breakfast in the Kuze family living room, enveloped in a subdued atmosphere that seemed to linger from the night before. Masachika ate in contemplative silence, his thoughts elsewhere, while Kyoutarou watched his son with tender eyes.

However, the quiet space, punctuated only by the gentle clink of dishes and silverware, was disrupted by the abrupt sound of the front door flying open. Immediately, footsteps thundered down the hallway before the living room door connecting to the entrance hall burst open with unexpected force.

“HEY! I’m here, my dear brother! I’m here, my dear father!”

Yuki burst in with her ponytail swinging wildly, greeting her father and brother with an exuberant “Good morning!” Though a bit startled by his daughter’s unbridled enthusiasm, Kyoutarou rose from his chair and extended his arms in an exaggerated, dramatic gesture.

“Oh, my dear, sweet daughter!”

“Papa!”

She flew toward her father, essentially tackling him with a hug, and yet, he caught her effortlessly, returning her embrace with equal affection. But as they simultaneously released each other from their hold, they turned their gazes toward Masachika in perfect unison for some reason.

“…What? I’m in the middle of eating.”

“What’s more important: me or breakfast?”

“At this moment, breakfast.”

“So if I dispose of that, I’ll be the most important thing in your life, right?”

“Stop acting like a yandere.”

“Oh, my dear son. Don’t be so cold to your sister.”

“What is wrong with my family?” replied Masachika, standing up with a sigh as he spread his arms.

“Yay!”

Yuki, as though she’d been anticipating precisely this moment, darted toward her brother, then launched herself into the air, wrapping both her arms and legs around him to hug…or rather, latch onto him.

“There, there.”

With a somewhat wry expression, Masachika patted his younger sister’s back soothingly, then sat back down in his chair and calmly resumed his meal…even though Yuki was still latched on to him.

“Yuki, your hair’s in the way.”

“Aye.”

Yuki deftly repositioned herself on Masachika’s lap, pivoting sideways so her legs stretched across his thighs while she nestled into the cradle of his arms. She then plucked the half-eaten toast from her brother’s plate and raised it to his lips.

“Here comes the airplane.”

“Ahhhn.”

“I didn’t say you had to do all this?!” Kyoutarou interjected, only to receive skeptical glares from his children.

“Wait. What are you looking at me like that for? And Yuki, is it just me, or are you being a lot more affectionate toward your brother than me?” he added with a frown, but Yuki didn’t display even a hint of guilt as she replied.

“It’s not just you, Papa. I am more affectionate toward him.”

“How can you say something so cold with such an innocent look in your eyes?”

“You still need to raise your affection level more before you can unlock the ‘Here Comes the Airplane’ event.”

“Life just isn’t fair…”

Kyoutarou’s shoulders drooped with obvious disappointment. Instantly struck by guilt, Yuki’s expression clouded as she slid from Masachika’s lap and placed a consoling hand upon her father’s slumped shoulder.

“But, well, you do work hard every day, which prevents you from spending as much time with your daughter as you should, so I’ve prepared a little shortcut to the event for you.”

“And what exactly is that?”

Relieved, Kyoutarou lifted his head and met Yuki’s gentle gaze. Then she made a circle with her thumb and index finger.

“Money. ♡”

“Stop trying to scam old people like a free-to-play game.”

“…!”

“Stop looking for your wallet! Paying for affection will only make you feel empty in the long run!”

“Paying for affection makes people feel empty? What about all the men in the world addicted to hostess bars? Would you, in good conscious, say the same thing to them?”

“Yes! If anything, they need to hear it the most!”

“Dear travelers, the ‘Here Comes the Airplane’ event is now available with a pull-rate of thirty percent. Ten rolls for ten-thousand yen. One hundred rolls guarantees the event.”

“A thousand yen per roll with a minimum of ten rolls?! What kind of monster are you? And what’s up with the pull-rate where you can guarantee an event after a hundred rolls?”

“There are five color variations of the event.”

“What in the world are event color variations?”

“Elements.”

“‘Elements’??”

“Blue means you get a cool airplane, red means you get a passionate one, green means you get a comforting one, yellow means you get a bratty one, and pink means—well, you know what pink means.”

“No, actually I don’t. What does it mean?”

“Well, I know you’re my brother, but you’re gonna have to pull the pink event if you wanna know.”

“You’re going to take money from your own brother? So, where’s the handle I need to turn?”

“It’s my mouth.”

“You’re not even trying to hide the fact that the game’s rigged.”

“Ahem. Ten rolls, please.”

“Dad?! Seriously?!” Masachika interjected as Kyoutarou pulled out a 10,000 yen bill. And just like that, the Kuze living room instantly came to life while Yuki’s smile radiated with pure, unfiltered joy amidst the chaos.

“All right, let’s head out.”

Once Masachika had finished washing the breakfast dishes, Yuki appeared sporting sunglasses like she was ready for a road trip and flashed him an enthusiastic thumbs up. Meanwhile, Masachika, completely unaware that they were even going anywhere, could only blink in confusion.

“What? Where?”

“To the store to buy Alya’s birthday present, of course.”

“Oh, you got the official invite?”

Though Masachika realized that she must have been officially invited to the party sometime yesterday, he tilted his head to the side in a troubled manner.

“…I’ve already decided on what I’m going to get her, though.”

“Then I need to check to make sure it’s good, because there’s no telling what you’re going to buy her.”

His younger sister’s doubt made him purse his lips with obvious irritation.

“Rude. I’ve put a lot of thought into it, you know?”

“Oh? Go on. What do you plan on getting her?” Yuki replied smugly, as if she were doing him a favor.

“I figured it’d be nice to make her something myself, since it’d seem more personal…so I’m going to make her an herbarium,” Masachika answered, voice dripping with confidence.

Herbariums had caught his eye while browsing online for Alisa’s birthday gift. These elegant decorative pieces typically featured flowers preserved in oil within glass bottles, and the instant he saw how beautiful and stylish they were, he thought, This is the perfect gift for a girl. Kyoutarou apparently agreed as well, nodding in approval.

“Oh, that sounds wonderful.”

“Right?”

He proudly stuck his nose in the air after receiving his father’s approval, but…

“That honestly sounds…like a bad idea.”

Masachika and Kyoutarou gasped at Yuki’s ruthless opinion.

“How? It’s not overly romantic like a bouquet of flowers, and you don’t need to water it, either. How is this not the perfect gift?” he defiantly argued, but his sister was clearly not impressed.

“Because herbariums fall under ‘interior decorating,’ right? In other words, you have to make sure it matches her room…and do you know what her room looks like?”

She had a point, leaving her brother briefly speechless as she followed up with another attack.

“Even with flower arrangement, you should choose flowers and vases based on the room’s interior and where you want to put the flowers. I honestly don’t see how you didn’t even consider that.”

“Urgh…”

“I mean, the fact that Dad agreed with you should have told you it was a bad idea.”

“Good point.”

“Hey?!” Kyoutarou cried, seemingly baffled as to why he was being insulted like this, but his children’s stares were cold.

“I was painfully reminded of just how bad Dad is at picking out presents yesterday.”

“Grandma and Grandpa may dress flashy, but that’s their thing. Dad, on the other hand, has no sense of style.”

“Aw, come on, kids…”

Yuki wrapped her arm around Masachika’s while ignoring her father’s dejected expression.

“So let’s leave this clueless gift-giver here while we go shopping.”

“You’re not going to spend time with your father, even after I’ve been gone for so long?”

“You’re going to be in Japan for a while, right? We can do something together another—”

She suddenly paused, her fingers lingering against her pants pocket, before her face illuminated with a radiant smile.

“Hey… Papa, can you do me a favor?”

“Hmm? What is it, sweetie?”

Yuki tilted her head with her endearing charm as she gazed into her father’s hopeful eyes.

“I left my wallet at home. ♡ Can you go get it for me?”

Kyoutarou’s smile instantly faded.

“All right, bro. We’re here. The mall.”

“I can’t believe you made Dad go get your wallet.”

There was something about their father dropping them off, only to depart alone for Yuki’s wallet that didn’t sit right with Masachika…until it hit him. They could have just asked one of the maids to bring her wallet.

“Now that I think about it…where’s Ayano?”

“Hmm? She had some business to take care of today.”

“Oh…”

Masachika felt a flicker of relief. Ayano had confronted him with an uncomfortable truth during field day, and they hadn’t seen each other since, so things would probably still be too awkward between them.

Yuki bashfully placed her fists under her chin, deliberately posing and squirming in an exaggerated display of cuteness.

“S-so it’s just you and me today, Big Brother.”

“That’s not even half as effective as usual with that outfit on.”

He cast a skeptical sidelong glance at Yuki’s signature disguise. Her high twin ponytails were crowned with a jaunty beret while oversized sunglasses concealed her eyes entirely. Though she was likely peeking at him periodically from a downward-angled gaze, the dark lenses completely obscured her eyes and simply made her look like a weirdo.

“Tsk. My puppy-dog eyes aren’t working?! It looks like my perfect disguise actually has a few flaws!”

“You could take off your sunglasses and your puppy-dog eyes still wouldn’t work on me.”

“I guess the only other option is to use my body?”

“Come on. Phrasing.”

After Yuki sprang forward to grasp Masachika’s arm, she snuggled up to him and pointed at one of the street-side establishments. Then, she chirped in a voice dripping with even more sugar-coated entitlement than usual:

“Taiyaki! I bet my dear, sweet brother would looove to buy me one.”

“Why don’t you buy yourself one?”

“Because I forgot my wallet, doofus.”

“Oh, yeah! Wait, what did you just call me?”

“I meant it in a good way.”

“I hope you know just saying that doesn’t turn a negative into a positive.”

“Come on, it’s a term of endearment.”

“All right, doofus.”

“Hi, doofus! I’m doofus.”

After a brief sigh, Masachika headed over to the shop with Yuki still clinging on to his arm.

“Anyway, what do you want?”

“Custard!”

“All right. Excuse me, one red bean and one custard taiyaki, please.”

“Thank you very much. One red bean and one custard coming right up. That’ll be three hundred and sixty yen.”

“Okay… Here’s five hundred and ten yen.”

“Thank you very much. Here’s your change: one hundred and fifty yen.”

As Masachika paid the older, female cashier, her colleague retrieved the taiyaki from the warmer and tucked it into a paper bag while gently smiling at Yuki.

“Are you out shopping with your big brother today? You two must really get along.”

“Yep!”

“Oh, my. What an adorable smile.”

Yuki’s energetic, textbook-perfect reply charmed the lady, and she put two small steamed buns into the bag with the taiyaki.

“Here, I put in some extra buns for you two.”

“Oh, wow. Uh—”

“Thanks!” Yuki bellowed, interrupting Masachika mid-sentence as she accepted the sweets. Yanking insistently on his hand to drag him away, she merrily waved goodbye to the shop workers. They retreated from the storefront as they smiled and waved back, delighted by her childlike enthusiasm.

But once the siblings made it around the corner out of the shop’s line of sight, Masachika—still looking forward with a deadpan expression—declared:

“They probably thought you were in elementary school.”

“Heh! Just another one of the many benefits of this disguise…”

“Again, stop scamming old people.”

“All I’m doing is being positive and happy. How is that a scam?” Yuki replied nonchalantly as she pulled a steamed bun out from the bag and took a bite.

“Mmm! This is really good. That taiyaki shop sure knows how to make a good sweet bun.”

“Oh?”

Masachika took the other steamed bun from the bag that Yuki held out and also took a bite. The delicate, silky crust ruptured with a gentle pop, releasing a flood of dense red bean paste that coated his palate with its perfectly balanced sweetness.

“Oh, wow. You were right. This is good.”

“Right? Now, I’m curious how the red bean taiyaki is…”

“Yeah, yeah. You want to try some of mine? You got to let me try your custard one too, though.”

“Hurray!” Yuki cheered like a child while she took out her taiyaki and carefully bit into its head.

“Oh?! Tash haht! Ahhh! Yummy, though!”

“Don’t burn yourself.”

They paused in a spot where they wouldn’t get in anyone’s way and began enjoying their taiyaki together until Yuki, who had been absently surveying their surroundings, abruptly commented:

“There are so many people wearing masks today.”

“Yeah, they said on TV that the flu’s going around, so maybe that’s why.”

“Oh, yeah. I heard that. Maybe I should have worn a mask instead of sunglasses. Which do you think makes a better disguise?”

“Hmm… Probably sunglasses, I’d bet. People look way different when you can’t see their eyes. Take Elena, for instance. Her disguise ended up not working since you could see her eyes.”

“Oh, you’re talking about her mask? ‘Sexy Mask,’ was it? I mean, that was just way too obvious.”

“It’s a common trope that nobody will know who you are as long as you hide your eyes, though.”

“It’s also a common trope for a single mole to give you away.”

“We’re not talking about comics, are we? I’m not even sure what you’re trying to suggest.”

“…”

“Stop covering your eyes with the back of your hand!”

They continued to chat like this until they finished eating their taiyaki.

“So? What are you going to do about Alya’s present?” asked Yuki, looking up at her brother.

“Yeah… I guess I’ll just look around until I see something that I think she’d like,” Masachika replied, genuinely at a loss ever since his sister had thoroughly demolished what he had believed was the ideal gift. Yuki, however, merely shrugged.

“Sigh… You’re being tested, my dear brother. Are you a true gentleman or not? You wouldn’t be in this mess if you weren’t so oblivious to the needs and wants of the women in your life.”

“…What are you getting her for her birthday, then?”

“Me? Well, Alya’s phone’s screen protector is pretty beat up, so I think I’m going to get her a nice glass one to replace it.”

“…!”

Masachika’s brow furrowed. Though Yuki’s choice lacked the feminine charm and style one might expect in a gift from one girl to another girl, it was still a good choice. Smartphones were something people used daily, yet a screen protector was something that people rarely splurged on, even if their old one got scratched or cracked.

I feel like, if anything, I should be the one buying that for her…

A practical gift would obviously be far less awkward than flowers, but he wasn’t about to steal his sister’s idea.

“Heh-heh-heh. I even know exactly what kind of phone she uses. This is why you should always do your homework, my dear brother.”

“Hmm…”

Though he desperately wanted to wipe that smug smirk off Yuki’s face, Masachika found himself unable to come up with a single good argument. Nevertheless, it was this stubborn refusal to surrender that ultimately enabled him to muster a response, however pathetic it may have been.

“But getting her a screen protector is like telling her that her current one looks like trash, right?”

“Well, we are rivals, after all. Gotta have some tension, you know?”

“You’ve got it all figured out, huh?”

Masachika’s face contorted into an expression beyond simple description, yet he recognized his critique sprang purely from spite, prompting him to pivot silently on his heel without saying another word. And so, he decided to contemplate gift options while exploring the shopping mall aimlessly…

“Oh, how about a scented candle? That’d be nice, right?” he asked.

“People can have wildly different preferences when it comes to scents. Besides, would you be happy if someone got you a scented candle?”

“Then what about a cool hourglass?”

“You’d have to get something that matches her room, and blah, blah, blah—we’ve talked about this already.”

“What about a calendar of dog pictures?”

“What if she already has a calendar?”

“That pink power bank is kind of cute…”

“Seems like you’re letting my screen protector influence your judgment. Have you no pride, my dear brother?”

“Oh! What about some nice soap?”

“I think most girls would be weirded out if a guy got something for her to use in the bath. You’re basically indirectly telling her, ‘I want ya to smell like purty flowers. Keh-keh.’ Besides, soap’s something the entire family would be using, not just Alya.”

“…Just to be sure, buying her jewelry would be weird too, right?”

“Yep. I really doubt you’d be able to pick out something nice, regardless.”

“You know what? I think I’m just going to get her some sweets…”

“Getting her food is what a coward would do.”

“Fine. I’ll go with a gift catalogue, then. Let her choose.”

“That’s also something a coward would do. Besides, that’s not something people in high school give each other.”

Having every idea that he came up with rejected crushed Masachika’s confidence to the point that all he could manage was a hollow laugh.

“So what are you gonna do?” Yuki pressed, her glare sharp. Masachika, however, responded with a feeble chuckle—the laugh of a man too scared to face reality.

“Ah-ha-ha-haaa. ♪ Big Brother’s down to his last braincell. ☆”

“Tsk. You’re too cute…!”

“Hey, stop.”

“Cuteness overload…!”

“Stop! Come on.”

Yuki took off her sunglasses and looked up at the sky while wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, and for a brief moment, Masachika was genuinely overcome with embarrassment. But the instant he caught her playful grin, clearly milking the moment, he let out a deep sigh.

“…I’m going to bake her something sweet.”

“Oh… I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. Alya doesn’t seem to mind eating food other people have made, and you’re a boy, so that’s a bonus…”

“All right, it’s settled, then.”

They wandered the shops for ages, yet purchased nothing in the end, leaving Masachika overcome with both relief and hopelessness. Yuki, on the other hand, simply shrugged.

“Anyway, I know I said a lot…but what you get her really isn’t that important.”

“Excuse me?”

Yuki clicked her tongue smugly, then wagged her index finger at her eyebrow-raising brother.

“What you’re giving her isn’t actually a physical present, but your heart, my brother!”

“In other words, I should put my heart into it? Yeah, that’s kind of why I’m baking something for her myself.”

Yuki raised both hands, as if she were throwing in the towel, unable to bear her brother’s stupidity any longer.

“That’s part of it, but not everything. I’m telling you to prove to her how you feel with your actions and your words.”

That was when Masachika finally understood what his sister was getting at, and he tensed. Yuki gave him a sly smile, put her index finger to her lips, and mischievously whispered:

“If you do the same thing with her that we do every year…you’re gonna raise Alya’s affinity level exponentially and immediately unlock a new event.”

It was hard to say when it started, but for years now it had been something they did whenever they gave each other a birthday gift.

“…I can’t do that in front of other people,” Masachika protested, his cheek twitching as Yuki wrapped her arm around his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

“Bro, brooo. Don’t worry. I’m gonna help you out. I’ll make sure you and Alya get some time alone at her birthday party.”

“Wow… Neat… I can always count on you, even though I didn’t ask for your help…”

From inches away, Masachika glared at his sister with an expressionless gaze, but Yuki was undeterred, beaming as she jabbed her finger decisively toward the escalator.

“Great. Now, we need to get you some nice clothes to really seal the deal.”

“Clothes?”

“What are ya, stupid or something? You’re goin’ to a party, so you need to wear a jacket, ya ding-dong!” Yuki barked, raising her eyebrows so dramatically they almost began to peek out over her giant sunglasses.

“Tsk! Don’t yell in my ear… Wait. Huh? This is a birthday party, you know? At someone’s home. A real middle-class household.”

“It doesn’t matter what their social standing is, and it doesn’t matter that you’re all students, either. You were invited to a party, so you need to dress up. You’re going to be meeting Alya’s parents, right?”

That was when it hit him. Yuki had a point. While he had briefly met Alisa’s mother at the parent-teacher meeting, he was probably going to be meeting her father for the first time at the party. A favorable impression was crucial, since Masachika was going to be his daughter’s partner in the upcoming election.

“…Good point.”

“Tsk. Pull yourself together. Anyway, come on. Let’s do this.”

“Roger.”

Nudged along by his “all-knowing” younger sister, Masachika ventured to the men’s clothing section and ended up buying whatever she suggested. He then trailed behind his sister as they drifted toward the women’s clothing floor, but a random price tag caught his eye, triggering a sudden revelation.

“Wait. I didn’t bring nearly enough money to buy you new clothes.”

“Hmm?”

After having his pockets unexpectedly lightened by his own shopping, Masachika realized he only had two thousand yen left in his wallet, which was probably nowhere near enough to afford a new outfit for his little sister. Yuki, however, casually waved her phone in the air and replied:

“I’m sure you can use contactless payment at the stores here. I put over one hundred-thousand yen into my account just in case.”

“Seriously? …Hold on. What was the point of sending Dad on that mission to get your wallet, then?”

“…Heh-heh. ☆”

Yuki mischievously poked out her tongue while gently tapping her temple, but Masachika looked back at her with an empty gaze, pausing briefly before timidly asking:

“Is Mom really that sick…?”

The question made Yuki freeze just as she reached out to examine some clothes, revealing everything Masachika needed to know. Yuki’s so-called forgotten wallet was merely an excuse. The truth was that she wanted their father to check up on their mother at the Suou residence…which meant that Yumi needed Kyoutarou right now.

It looks like I was right…

Perhaps he wasn’t simply making bold assumptions when he overheard his parents’ conversation in the school infirmary. Maybe Yumi really was…

“She’s perfectly fine…”

Masachika found himself utterly blindsided by how Yuki completely shot down his assumption. He blinked repeatedly in disbelief at her, and she gazed back with her head cocked sideways, appearing every bit as puzzled as him.

“Why’d you bring her up out of nowhere, anyway? I’m genuinely surprised. It’s not like you to bring her up.”

“Oh… Yeah…”

Yuki’s upward gaze remained concealed behind her dark sunglasses, rendering him unable to gauge her true feelings or thoughts.

“Anyway, I don’t know where you got that idea from, but Mom’s fine. Oh, check out this outfit.”

But the fact that she immediately averted her gaze convinced Masachika that she was lying.

“Excuse me,” she called out to some shop staff. “Can I try this on?”

“Of course. This way, please.”

Before he could press further, Yuki darted toward the changing room, leaving Masachika’s extended hand grasping at empty air.

“Sir, please have a seat here.”

“Oh, thanks…”

A shop assistant directed Masachika to a sitting area beside the changing area where he settled, propping his elbow on his knee while his palm cradled his forehead.

“…”

He knew that Yuki was lying and that she wanted him to drop it.

Mom really is sick…

But even if Masachika was right, what could he do about it? He still resented Yumi and had no intention of lifting a finger for her. Yuki probably knew that, which could have been why she went to her father for help instead of him.

Yeah… Dad’s there with her, so there’s nothing I can do for her now.

Was it right to press Yuki for answers just to satisfy his curiosity, especially when he had no intention of doing anything about it? If she wanted to keep it a secret, shouldn’t he respect that? Perhaps he should simply focus on making sure they enjoyed their time together and accept things as they were…

“…I’m just making pathetic excuses again,” Masachika hissed softly under his breath, swallowing his true feelings as he roughed up his bangs and got out of the chair.

He stepped up to a nearby mirror, smoothing out the self-mockery and loathing from his expression. At the very least, he wanted his sister to be able to enjoy shopping without worrying about him, so he forced on his usual carefree, empty smile.

“Sigh… It is what it is, I guess.”

But just as he sighed and turned to head back to his chair, something on a rotating display stand by the register caught his eye.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered instinctively, drawn to the display as if by some invisible force. Picking up the item, he gave it a quick once-over, then glanced at the changing room to make sure Yuki was still inside before hurrying to the register. Meanwhile…

Phew… That was a close one. My sunglasses saved me… Actually, he probably still saw right through me, Yuki thought.

Inside the changing room, Yuki bit her lip, frustrated at how poorly she’d handled her brother’s sudden question. Masachika’s assumption was right, after all. Yumi had been spacing out more and seemed terribly distracted ever since field day. Even Yuki thought she should see a doctor, but Yumi wouldn’t acknowledge anything was wrong, insisting she was just innocently daydreaming.

I don’t want to believe that Mom’s sick either, but…

Lately, watching Yumi filled her with anxiety, but she couldn’t share her worries with Masachika, since he’d only drown himself in self-loathing and regret.

All I want…is for my brother to smile.

That was Yuki’s wish, and it was the unchanging, fundamental core of who she was now.

“Haaah…”

With a quiet sigh, Yuki resigned herself to changing—she couldn’t dawdle around forever while pretending to try something on, after all. After removing her hat, sunglasses, jacket, shirt, and pants, she glanced at her reflection. Her small, slender frame looked almost fragile, though her chest and hips had developed enough so that she didn’t seem underdeveloped. Still, seeing herself like this, she couldn’t help but think she looked a bit too frail.

Looking at my family, my genes should have allowed me to grow a little more than this…but I guess being bedridden when I was little stunted my growth.

Yuki never had any hang-ups about her body, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty, since her family had worried about her lack of growth over the years—especially her mother.

“…”

She gently placed a hand on her flat lower abdomen, her lips twisting with resentment.

I want to grow up. I want to become an adult already.

She had always wanted to put her family at ease as soon as possible, but her body—as if mocking that wish—hadn’t grown at all, and the heart bound by her youthful frame was still, in part, that of an innocent child’s. Unlike many of her teenage peers, she felt neither shame nor discomfort around her family. She had never known romantic love or even had any sexual desire for the opposite sex.

“…!”

Yuki clenched her teeth as she impulsively raised a fist to strike her own stomach…but she managed to stop herself at the last second and lowered her fist.

“Fff… Hff…”

She took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in her heart. Because no matter how much she resented her body, there was nothing she could do to change it. She couldn’t change her body, her heart, or the fact that she would always be Masachika’s sister.

“…!”

Tormented by the harsh reality, Yuki pressed her forehead to the mirror, staring at her reflection.

“I’m…okay… I’m okay…,” she whispered.

She squeezed her eyes shut, steadying her emotions. Determined not to worry her brother, she forced a smile while she readied herself to play her usual role as Masachika’s carefree little sister.

“Hff…!”

After exhaling a deep breath and smirking slightly, Yuki whispered the magic words:

“Little-sister mode: Activate. ♡”

The soft voice reached her ears and her mind instantly snapped into focus, a mischievous, defiant grin forming as she let go of her worries.

“All right.”

Pleased with her reflection, Yuki nodded to herself before slipping into the light blue dress she had brought. She styled her hair elegantly, embracing a more ladylike look.

“Heh! Look how cute I am.”

After flashing another bold smile in front of the mirror, Yuki cheerfully burst out of the fitting room.

“Ta-da! What do you think!”

Striking a smug pose, she was immediately met with Masachika’s usual smile.

“Yeah, you look good. Like you’re all dressed up for the school play.”

“Ha-ha-ha. I’m gonna take your nose.”

“My nose?!”

The siblings went on to savor the rest of their day together as if nothing had changed, just as they had hoped.

“Ugh… Unbelievable… I cannot believe she only gave us a week’s notice.”

Meanwhile, at a different shopping mall, Sayaka grumbled as she walked around with Nonoa. A little farther behind, Takeshi and Hikaru lingered as well, both looking somewhat uncomfortable.

As Alisa’s former bandmates, the four had been invited to her birthday party and were now shopping for a gift since Takeshi claimed that he had no idea what girls liked and needed help. Of course, his true motive was to spend the day with Sayaka—something Hikaru and Nonoa both saw through. Nonoa, however, wasn’t really someone who would help others, and Sayaka was blissfully unaware of what was really going on. Therefore…

“We need time to prepare, you know? I don’t really know what Alisa likes, so how am I supposed to find her a present?”

“True, true.”

Sayaka, who was grumbling and complaining, and Nonoa, who was giving half-hearted responses, were browsing the women’s clothing floor for gifts, since that seemed like the most obvious place to look. While there were unsurprisingly other guys on this floor, they were chatting with their girlfriends, unlike Takeshi and Hikaru, who felt completely out of place as they were entirely left out of the conversation.

“But, well, I suppose complaining isn’t going to fix anything… This color seems like it would go with almost any outfit, so I think it would be perfect.”

“Yeah, like, you probably shouldn’t get her a bag that costs over one hundred and forty-thousand yen. You’re gonna weird Alisa out,” Nonoa pointed out casually before walking over to Takeshi and Hikaru.

“Sorry, guys. Saya always takes forever when we’re out shopping.”

“No, it’s fine…”

“Yeah… It’s pretty common for girls to take longer.”

“I guess. Aren’t you bored, though?”

“I mean, Sayaka looks like she’s having fun, so I’m happy…”

Takeshi smiled softly, realizing Sayaka was actually excited despite her blank expression. Nonoa, on the other hand, tilted her head in confusion, completely baffled.

“For real? Just seeing the girl that you have a crush on having fun makes you happy?”

“Huh? Oh… I mean, you want to person you like to always be smiling, right? Well, I guess Sayaka isn’t smiling, but still,” Takeshi said timidly.

Nonoa raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously? Like, I’d rather see all their emotions if I liked them.”

Takeshi blinked a few times before nodding…as if he were taken aback by what she said.

“O-oh, you mean you don’t want them to hold back their emotions, right? They can cry when they’re sad… They can be angry when they’re mad… That’s very mature of you…”

“Yes, it is very mature of her…”

Takeshi and Hikaru nodded, genuinely impressed. Nonoa, however, didn’t say another word. She simply stared at Sayaka, observing her as she spoke with one of the shop workers.

Yeah, I don’t just want to see them smile…

It would be a while before Takeshi and Hikaru realized just how wrong their interpretation was and what the significance of Nonoa’s gaze was.

Chapter 3. Purity

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever been here…”

During lunch break, Masachika received a text request to talk in person, so he headed over to the second-floor corridor of the club building and pushed open the door leading to the outside stairs. The unusually weighty metal door groaned on its hinges as a crisp autumn gust swept past him. Squinting against the breeze, he ventured onto the outdoor steps where a listless voice floated up from the first-floor landing below.

“Oh! About time! ‘Sup?”

“Yeah… ‘Sup?” he replied as he descended the stairs, still confused as to what was going on.

“Sorry to keep you waiting… Why did you want to meet here, though?” he asked, gazing down at Nonoa. She was the one who had sent him the text. The metal fire escape provided little shelter from the elements, and it was still a bit chilly this time of year. Put simply, this was Masachika’s way of indirectly asking her why she didn’t ask him to meet in an empty classroom instead, but Nonoa seemed genuinely confused, raising an eyebrow.

“Why? Because we’ll be able to hear if someone’s coming,” she replied, peering up the stairway before casting him a sidelong glance.

“I’m totally looking out for you, you know? Like, you’d be the one who’d be in trouble if someone caught us alone in an empty classroom, right?”

Masachika found himself speechless, confronted with multiple possible interpretations of her statement. The most straightforward interpretation would have been that she was being considerate—helping him avoid any gossip that might erupt if they were spotted alone in an empty classroom, given her middle school reputation. On the other hand, she might have been insinuating that it wouldn’t be good for Masachika if either Maria or Alisa caught them together.

No good would come from asking her to explain herself, though.

After coming to that decision, Masachika immediately pulled himself together and shrugged.

“So? What’d you want to talk about?” He raised his guard again, uncertain of her motives. Nonoa, however, pivoted away, resting her elbows on the railing while her gaze drifted toward the horizon. Several seconds passed until she replied.

“I mean…it’s not really a big deal or anything, but…”

“…?”

Masachika furrowed his brow, since Nonoa was usually straightforward with what she wanted. Intrigued, he positioned himself beside her at the railing, following her gaze across the schoolyard…until she eventually uttered:

“You said you’d listen if I ever wanted to talk, right? So, like, why not now?”

“…Oh, all right.” Masachika nodded after realizing that she was referring to when the band members (and friends) went to the amusement park. Great. What is she gonna ask me to do? he wondered. However…

“It’s not like I want you to say anything, okay? I just want you to listen.”

Masachika found himself transfixed by her profile, thoroughly bewildered by this departure from her usual demeanor. As she gazed into the distance, her silhouette revealed an unexpected vulnerability…tinged with melancholy that stirred guilt within him for having ever doubted her.

“…Yeah, sure. I made you a promise.”

“Thanks.”

Being thanked so sincerely was the nail in the coffin that threw him completely off balance.

What the…? Does she seriously only want to talk?

Masachika scratched his head while Nonoa nonchalantly pressed onward with the conversation, unfazed by his evident confusion.

“So, like, Saya, Take-C, Hikaru, and I went to the mall yesterday to get a president for Alisa’s b-day.”

“…Yeah, I heard.”

They had invited Masachika to the mall as well, but he had to decline, since he was already going shopping with Yuki.

“And when we were eating lunch, like, Saya and Take-C started to talk about some anime and really hit it off.”

“Really?”

“He probably started watching it after he saw Saya get that capsule toy at the amusement park.”

“Ohhh, makes sense.”

Masachika couldn’t help but wonder how Takeshi, who wasn’t much of an anime fan, managed to keep up with Sayaka’s otaku talk…but it seemed he had done his homework behind the scenes. It was one thing to think about getting into someone else’s hobbies for their sake, but actually putting in the effort was a different story.

I’m seriously impressed, Takeshi. Good job, man.

Masachika genuinely felt respect for Takeshi as he figured out what Nonoa was getting at.

“…So you felt left out because they were talking about something without you?”

“Hm…?” Nonoa ambiguously grunted back, then shook her head, much to Masachika’s surprise.

“No, I mean, like, that much is fine.”

“…? Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Nonoa nodded nonchalantly, her expression indifferent, leaving Masachika puzzled. But just as he tried to make sense of it…

“Like, I’m fine with that…but my mom sent me a text when they were talking,” she continued, only adding to his confusion.

“…??”

“So I took out my phone to see what she said.”

Nonoa narrowed her gaze, then continued with a melancholic expression:

“And Saya didn’t even get mad.”

“…?”

“Usually, she’d scold me or whatever if I took out my phone when we eat…but she was having so much fun with Take-C that she didn’t even notice. It made me feel like I was low priority to her…”

Nonoa fell silent as Masachika stared at her profile, struggling to find the right words to comfort her.

What the…? Is she seriously telling me about an actual problem she’s having?

Masachika couldn’t help but be a bit more cautious around Nonoa today, since this was the first time they’d been alone since she tried to seduce (?) him at the amusement park. But this conversation had nothing to do with that. These were just typical high school worries that anyone her age could relate to.

Her expression carried a mix of dissatisfaction, confusion, and loneliness that made Masachika feel both guilty and sympathetic.

“That’s—”

“Oh, you don’t need to say anything. Like, I just want you to listen,” Nonoa interrupted, letting go of the railing and briefly stretching out her arms.

“Hmm… I mean, how are you supposed to respond to stuff like this? Right? Like, I don’t even know how I feel,” she stated with a dismissive air, but Masachika couldn’t simply let it go. He felt shame and regret for having suspected that Nonoa might do something to Takeshi and for continuing to be wary of her when she had only wanted to talk.

…I shouldn’t have been so biased.

There was no doubt that Nonoa was telling the truth. Besides, if she had intended to do something to Takeshi, she wouldn’t have told Masachika about it. She would have done it in secret, just like she always did. In other words, she wouldn’t seek anyone’s approval or opinion.

Which meant…that she really did just want someone to listen. She was confused and tormented by these emotions that she had never experienced before, like loneliness and alienation, so she had turned to Masachika for help…and yet, he hadn’t believed in her when he should have.

But what should I say…?

Masachika knew that offering shallow sympathy or empty comfort wouldn’t help Nonoa. In fact, trying to impose his own interpretation on emotions she herself didn’t understand would be tactless and arrogant.

Therefore, he struggled, wrestling with his thoughts until he could find the right thing to say.

“All right… Well, I’m always here to listen if you want to talk.”

“Ha-ha. Thanks.”

Nonoa’s smile made Masachika’s lips curl as well.

This was probably the right answer. Many people managed to sort out their own feelings by verbalizing them to someone, so that was probably all she needed. In other words, all Masachika had to do was listen, and Nonoa would eventually find her own answers to her emotions.

Yeah… She’s not a bad person either.

From Masachika’s perspective, Nonoa was simply being true to her own heart, pursuing her path without concern for others, and this purity only seemed unorthodox to others because humans were social creatures.

But perhaps, one day, through new relationships and understanding her emotions, Nonoa would begin to laugh and cry like everyone else.

I honestly can’t imagine it, though.

Simply imagining her like that made him shudder.

“Anyway, is that all you wanted to talk about?”

“Hm… Yeah, that’s about it right now. I feel a lot better already.”

“Really? I’m glad,” Masachika exclaimed from the bottom of his heart. The fact that the girl in front of him was having trouble just like any normal high school student and had confided in someone else made him feel strangely happy. But…

“You know what? As a thank you, I’m gonna let you touch my butt.”

The casualness of it made Masachika freeze for a few moments.

Then the irritation hit, making a muscle in his face twitch.

“The one that costs fifty thousand yen for a two-second squeeze? I think I’ll pass. I’d rather not be killed by your fans.”

“Really? I’m wearing a thong today, though.”

“Are you kidding?!”

“Nope. Check it out,” Nonoa said, lifting up her skirt with her right hand, allowing her milky-white skin to peek out. Her thighs were slender and the epitome of beautiful, but just as her round, shapely bottom came into view, Masachika jerked his head away and gazed upward.

“Did you see it?”

“…No.”

He was talking about the thong, not her rear…which said a lot.

“Oh, right. You’re totally a boob-guy, not a butt-guy. Should I have, like, shown you my bra?”

“How’d you know that?” he asked with a serious expression, but Nonoa casually replied:

“Huh? ‘Cause I catch you sneaking peeks at Alisa’s rack all the time.”

“Seriously?!” he squeaked in a reflexive fluster before immediately realizing that she tricked him into admitting it. Or that was what he thought, but Nonoa was clearly dead-serious. “…Really? Wait. Do I actually stare that much?”

“I mean, you’re not staring, but your eyes seem to linger for a second around the goods from time to time.”

“Whaaat? But come on. It’s just a second, right? If someone were wearing a really fancy necklace, your eyes would naturally be drawn to it, right? This is no different.”

“Like, I’m not blaming you for looking.”

“The fact that you’re calmly pointing it out is even worse.”

Nonoa lifted up her skirt again slightly with her right hand while Masachika’s head hung low.

“So what are you gonna do? Wanna cop a feel?”

“Listen, Sayaka’s going to be furious if she catches you doing this.”

“Hmm…”

Nonoa’s gaze wandered upward and she eventually let go of her skirt.

She really does have a soft spot for Sayaka.

Masachika felt a strange mix of amusement and relief as he looked at Nonoa.

“Anyway, you don’t have to do that, okay? I’ll still be here to listen if you ever want to talk… We’re band buddies, right?”

“Don’t you mean ‘we’re friends’?”

“Yeah, sorry… I honestly wasn’t sure if I could call you my friend or not.” Until that moment, Masachika hadn’t been sure he could really call Nonoa a friend or if she even saw him as one…but if she said they were friends, then… “But…yeah. We’re friends.”

“Friends.”

“Y-yeah, friends.”

He took her outstretched hand, engaging in a somewhat awkward handshake while noting the surrealness of sharing this formal gesture with Nonoa of all people.

Obviously, I never expected to get this close to Sayaka either…but this is definitely a surprise.

It was something that he couldn’t have fathomed just a little while ago. After all, in Masachika’s mind, Nonoa had always been an unpredictable, dangerous force. However, their interaction today had made it clear that her experiences in the band, coupled with the blossoming relationship between Takeshi and Sayaka, had gradually transformed her. Therefore…

I need to stop being so wary of her, and I need to start getting to know her better… Because we’re going to be in the student council together next year if Alya becomes the president.

He finally decided to discard the deep-rooted prejudice he had toward Nonoa.

“Anyway, I should get going.”

“A’ight. Thanks a lot. Think I’m gonna stay here and enjoy the breeze a little longer.”

“…Okay.”

Despite her seemingly unchanged and listless demeanor, Masachika sensed a hint of loneliness and anguish still lingering beneath the surface. He narrowed his eyes, but he kept his thoughts to himself as he pivoted and began to ascend the stairs.

“Later.”

“Peace,” she replied, and yet, the fact that she didn’t offer to walk back together was probably because she wanted to be alone.

Should I say something? Is it really okay for me to leave her all alone like this?

That thought crossed his mind, but he could find neither the right words to comfort her nor any excuses to stay. With a heavy heart, Masachika opened the door back to the hallway and left the stairway, trailed by a faint sense of helplessness.

…But because he was so trapped in his own thoughts, Masachika failed to notice something—the silhouette lurking on the stairwell to the third floor…and the fact that Nonoa was watching him leave with lifeless, insect-like eyes, her gaze that of a researcher coldly assessing a test subject.

Sympathy is such a wonderful emotion.

Nonoa calmly observed Masachika’s departure, this thought drifting through her calculating, emotionless mind. Sympathy was merely an exquisite instrument in her arsenal, for eliciting it somehow could make others kind to her. Even enemies would extend a helping hand at times. Nonoa had even heard that murderers had been known to get lighter sentences thanks to garnering sympathy. What a magnificent concept—sympathy. No other emotion offered such convenience and utility for controlling others.

Like, even Kuze of all people was being nice to me.

Nonoa had long known that Masachika was wary of her, but she had never felt the need to do anything about it, since it had never particularly inconvenienced her. Until now.

But…I’m gonna need to make him lower his guard a bit more if I wanna see raw emotion.

Thinking back, her advance toward Masachika on that amusement park bench had been a regrettable mistake, since he had instantly raised his guard again. However, she did learn that showing vulnerability could possibly lower his guard, and their interaction just now seemed to confirm this theory.

Plus…

Masachika apparently wanted Nonoa to become more human-like—to be just like everyone else.

He’s just too sweet.

Nonoa shrugged at Masachika’s naivety. If that was what he wanted, then she could keep up the act around him—pretending that she was trying to become “human.” No matter what Nonoa Miyamae did from now on, she wanted Masachika Kuze to hold onto that tiny, fragile hope that she could change, because he would never abandon her as long as she appeared to be trying to change.

Nice people are so easy to manipulate.

Not a flicker of joy touched her features as that thought crossed her mind, but her gaze abruptly shifted upward to the staircase landing above as she asked flatly:

“Is someone there?”

Nonoa’s loud voice was met with silence…until a foot suddenly appeared on the steps descending from the landing to the second floor. Through the narrow gaps between steps, she tracked a pair of feet moving downward with uncanny silence, and as the figure rounded the railing…Ayano appeared before her.

Nonoa looked up at her blank yet somehow tense expression and asked:

“Kimishima? What are you doing here?”

“…”

Ayano looked away in silence, struggling to answer, but Nonoa pressed her with another question, as though she were trying to overwhelm her.

“Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

This was confirmation in the form of a question. In truth, Nonoa actually noticed Ayano shortly after Masachika’s arrival. More precisely, she’d only caught sight of someone’s feet, but had deduced Ayano’s identity from her distinctive, silent footsteps. In other words, Ayano had no idea that she was being led by the nose and had no way of ever knowing.

Under Nonoa’s accusatory stare, Ayano’s eyes flitted about nervously, but after a brief moment of contemplation, she hastily descended the remaining stairs and gave Nonoa a sharp, formal bow.

“You have my deepest apologies. I was listening to your conversation.”

As Ayano deeply bowed her head, Nonoa softened her gaze a bit while leaning against the railing.

“So? Why were you following Kuze?”

“…”

“Come on, spit it out. I think you owe me that much after eavesdropping on our conversation.”

Although Ayano remained silently bent in her bow for several heartbeats, Nonoa’s probing of her guilt finally extracted a timid response.

“On field day…I said something extremely rude to him…so I was waiting for a chance to apologize…”

“But then, I started talking to him?”

“Yes… I am truly sorry.”

Nonoa closely observed Ayano, who bowed her head again.

“Uh-huh… You’re having trouble apologizing, huh? It’s that bad?”

“Yes…”

Ayano, her eyes still downcast, nodded but didn’t go into details. However, Nonoa had no intention of letting her off the hook that easily.

Not only is she Yuki’s partner, but she’s also Kuze’s childhood friend… I could probably use her for something.

That chilling calculation formed in Nonoa’s mind as she scrutinized Ayano’s expression. Long ago, she asked Sayaka what motivated people to do something, and Sayaka had explained that people were fueled by logic and self-interest. Nevertheless, that alone wouldn’t be enough, since humans were emotional creatures, and emotions often overrode logic and self-interest. Put simply, Nonoa learned that she would be able to control people’s actions, overriding their logic and self-interest, as long as she manipulated them emotionally.

Up until then, Nonoa had merely adjusted her actions based on others’ reactions, doing whatever necessary to earn their approval, but this went a step beyond that. Rather than simply modifying her behavior in response to others’ emotional states, she was deliberately crafting her actions to emotionally manipulate others.

I’m having a hard time reading her…but I’m guessing her loyalty outweighs her guilt? Maybe I should change my approach a little.

After making that judgment, Nonoa crossed her arms and nodded to herself.

“The closer you are to somebody, the harder it is to apologize. I totally know how you feel, so I’m sorry about snapping at you earlier.”

“Oh, no… I still eavesdropped, so…”

Ayano’s eyes fluttered in surprise, caught off guard by Nonoa’s abrupt shift toward friendliness. However, Nonoa merely proceeded with a smile:

“I’ve legit been through something like this before. I wanted to talk to one of my friends, but when I went over to talk to her, she was already talking to someone else. So, like, I waited for her to finish talking? And then, she started telling this guy how much she loved him. It was so awkward. She found out I was eavesdropping later and got mad at me, too, but I totally didn’t really mean to do it. I just didn’t know what else to do.”

Ayano’s wavering eyes, swimming with self-disclosure, empathy, bewilderment, and guilt, were now gazing directly into Nonoa’s.

Got her.

Nonoa smirked confidently while coldly observing her prey.

“I feel like this is fate in a way, so, like, if you wanna talk, I’m here. Don’t worry. I know how to keep a secret. All my friends say that about me. They’re like, ‘Surprisingly, she can keep a secret.’”

She spoke as if this were not her opinion but the opinion of her peers.

“No, it’s fine…”

“Don’t be shy. Kuze listened to me when I needed to talk, so this is like my way of paying him back, since I’m sure he’s in pain too and wants to fix things with you.”

She even gave Ayano a grand cause: do it for Masachika’s sake.

“Besides, other than Yuki and Sayaka, I’m the only one that actually knows the extent of your relationship.”

Reducing her number of choices allowed her to narrow Ayano’s field of vision.

“I mean, I’m not gonna force you to do something you don’t want to, but if you wanna talk, I’m your girl.”

Nonoa had said everything that she needed to say, leaving Ayano with the illusion of choice.

“…”

Ayano’s gaze wandered in the silence…until she timidly replied.

“Please keep this between us, but…”

Hook, line, and sinker.

Concealing her inner satisfaction, Nonoa urged her on with a subtle gaze.

“I essentially scolded him for choosing to run with Alisa.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s Lady Yuki’s—…”

Ayano paused, then shook her head as if she were rejecting her own claim before even making it.

“I had no right to criticize him. If only I had been more supportive of Lady Yuki, then…”

Nonoa silently pondered the fragmented monologue while staring into space.

Mmm… So, like, Yuki needed somebody there for her, but Kuze prioritized Alisa over her? Is that what this is about?

And now she was lamenting her own inadequacy, feeling incapable of providing Yuki the support Masachika could offer. At least, that was how Nonoa felt as she furrowed her brow in concern.

“Oh… Not being able to help those close to you hurts, huh?”

“Yes…”

“I wasn’t really able to help Saya much back when we were running in the election in middle school…so I know how it feels.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

Nonoa nodded, looking back into Ayano’s cautious, upward gaze.

“In the end, she lost to Yuki, but I always wonder how it would have turned out if I had worked just a little bit harder.”

“…”

Nonoa shifted her gaze skyward, yet remained acutely aware of Ayano’s intense stare.

“Saya bawled her eyes out too, crying about how she let her father down, and seeing her like that made me feel—” The emotions resurfaced briefly before Nonoa turned to Ayano with a wistful smile. “It made me feel ways that I had never felt before.”

Nonoa gently wrapped her hands around Ayano’s right hand and continued.

“But I realized something then… The closest people around you are those who always stay by your side and are always on your side, and that’s the best emotional support that you can have. That’s why…” Gazing into Ayano’s eyes, she declared, “All you have to do is continue to be there for Yuki. I legit feel like that would make her the happiest.”

“…”

Ayano promptly looked away, her voice strained with evident distress as she replied.

“But I…”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t believe I can become the perfect partner that she needs.”

It was at that moment Nonoa recognized these heartfelt words as confirmation she had successfully accessed Ayano’s innermost emotions.

Oh?

Hiding her delighted smile under a worried expression, Nonoa dug deeper.

“And why is that?”

“…”

“Don’t worry. I swear to the gods that I won’t tell anyone.”

However, Ayano was still hesitant in spite of the grand gesture.

“My goal…is to eventually have Master Masachika come home to the Suou residence.” The truth slipped off Ayano’s tongue—something that she hadn’t even told Masachika or Yuki. “I want things to be like they used to be…when we all lived together and were happy.”

Yuki used to innocently adore her brother when they were little, and Masachika harbored no guilt toward his sister either… Merely witnessing their harmonious relationship together was enough for Ayano to be happy.

“But that would go against what they want…that is merely my personal desire.”

Nonoa pulled the trembling, downcast girl into a tight embrace, making Ayano stiffen in surprise.

“Oh, my… It must have been so painful keeping this all to yourself all these years,” Nonoa whispered as if she was just barely managing to squeeze the words out of her throat. She continued to tightly hug Ayano for another ten seconds before letting go, placing her hands on her schoolmate’s shoulders.

“All right, I’ve made up my mind! I’m gonna help you!”

“Huh?”

“Like, you know? Saya wants Kuze and Yuki to get along too, right? Besides, there’s no way I could just sit back and watch after hearing your heartfelt story. I want to help,” Nonoa retorted, somewhat defiantly, before her expression softened.

“Plus, I’m sure Kuze totally wants to fix things with his family. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“You really think so?”

Nonoa didn’t know or care, but she knew it would be more convenient for her to say that.

“Of course. That’s why I’m gonna help. Oh! Do you think I could call you Ayanono from now on?”

“Uh… Sure.” Ayano agreed, deepening Nonoa’s grin.

That pivotal moment awakened Nonoa to the disconnect separating her from the world around her. A sudden clarity consumed her, offering glimpses into the minds of those mischievous children who hurled stones at that pond-dwelling frog. Surely, they weren’t really trying to hurt the frog. They simply reveled in the forbidden pleasure of being “bad,” and the very possibility that their rocks might hurt a tiny, innocent life was precisely what fueled their exhilaration.

Yeah… I get it.

She was well aware that this was morally wrong. Maybe she would be scolded. Maybe nothing would happen. Maybe the ripples from her cast stone would disturb something unexpected. Maybe this action lacked meaning and justification.

Nevertheless, she hurled the stone.

This is getting fun.♡

Nonoa smiled, wrapping her hands around Ayano’s once more.

“I’m sooo looking forward to getting to know you better, Ayanono. Now, let’s talk about how we’re gonna apologize to Kuze…”

And somehow, each word dripped with both innocence and malice.

“All right, that does it for homeroom today. Class leader, give the command.”

“Stand. Bow.”

“““Thank you very much.”””

As the final bell rang, Masachika gathered his things, rose from his desk, and turned toward Alisa sitting beside him.

“Sorry, Alya. I have something I need to take care of, so I’m gonna be a little late to the student council meeting,” he mentioned, holding up his smartphone.

“Really? …Wait. Were you using your phone at school again?”

Alisa shot him a disapproving glare, befitting of a model student, but Masachika simply shrugged.

“I wasn’t playing any games. We’re allowed to call people, right? I mean, you’re probably the only person who actually turns her phone off during class.”

“All I’m doing is following the rules.”

“Well, yeah… I guess you’re right, but come on… Cut me some slack,” he replied, shrinking back before hastily exiting the classroom. Alisa narrowed her eyes and let out a soft, exasperated sigh.

Unbelievable. Has he no pride as a member of the student council? But I guess I shouldn’t nag too much, either. I-I wouldn’t want him to start hating me.

Those thoughts drifted through her mind as she absently twirled her hair around her fingertip…until the sudden realization that she was behaving like some lovestruck schoolgirl caused her to vigorously shake her head.

Ack! I keep doing this whenever I let my guard down, even just a little.

Her eyes darted vigilantly around the room, checking if anyone saw her. She composed herself and turned on her phone. It had been off for the past several hours. The device searched for a signal for a few seconds, then vibrated with an incoming message notification.

…? I wonder if it’s from Mom?

Raising her eyebrows, she opened the app, checked to see who it was…and was caught off guard.

“Nonoa?”

With a flicker of reluctance, she opened Nonoa’s message. A few seconds later, she messaged the student council members that she and Masachika would be a little late, snatched up her bag, and stood from her seat.

Why does everyone keep asking me to meet them at the strangest places?

Muttering to himself, Masachika ascended the stairs, following Ayano’s directions. His destination was the stairwell leading to the rooftop of the club building—the very spot where he had spoken with Maria during the school festival.

“Oh… Hey.”

Masachika waved when he saw Ayano standing in front of the door to the rooftop. It was a somewhat awkward greeting, however, given how their last conversation had gone. Even Ayano’s typically blank expression appeared more rigid than usual.

“I apologize for suddenly summoning you here, Master Masachika.”

“No, it’s fine… What’s up?”

“First things first…”

No sooner had she prefaced her words than Ayano attempted to drop to her knees in apology, prompting Masachika to dash up the remaining stairs and grasp her shoulders to stop her.

“Wait, wait, wait. What are you doing, trying to get on all fours here? You’re going to get your school uniform and your hair dirty.”

“…? Of course. Isn’t that the best part?”

“Tsk. A gaze so unwavering that it shakes the very foundation of common sense… Just to be sure, you mean that you don’t care if you get dirty because it shows how serious you are, right? You didn’t mean that in any sort of masochistic way, right?”

“Indeed, I meant the former. I am not a masochist.”

“Uh-huh…”

“I don’t derive pleasure from pain. I simply harbor a secret desire to be treated carelessly, like an object.”

“Secret, my butt! You’re the definition of a masochist.”

“Really?!”

Ayano’s expression remained vacant, but her eyes widened dramatically as a bolt of lightning illuminated the world behind her. Noticing her frozen posture, Masachika seized the opportunity, grasping both her arms and lifting her upright with a gentle force. He then repeated: “So, what do you want? You don’t need to grovel or apologize, okay? Just get to the point.”

“Oh, right…” Ayano flinched at the firm order, then lowered her head. “First, I would like to apologize for what I said during field day. I, a mere maid, stepped out of line.”

“…”

Masachika had figured this was what she intended, and that was exactly why he already knew what he wanted to say.

“You don’t need to apologize for anything. You were right, and it only makes sense for you to have these complaints, given the position you’re in. More importantly, you said what you said for Yuki’s sake. If anything…”

After convincing Ayano to lift her chin, Masachika met her gaze directly before deeply bowing.

“I should be the one apologizing for making you say something like that. I’m sorry. I really am.”

“M-Master Masachika, please lift your head!”

He raised his head and gave his clearly flustered friend a wistful smile.

“There is nothing for you to apologize for. After all, I was the one who asked you to always be there for Yuki,” he insisted.

That was the wish that Masachika had entrusted to Ayano on the night of the school festival’s first day.

“So…thank you for always being there for her, more than anyone else,” he added, bowing to Ayano once more. Her eyes widened momentarily before her features gradually softened into a gentler expression.

“I don’t deserve such praise. You are too kind,” Ayano replied, her lips curving into a delicate smile that Masachika happily mirrored. Their shared moment of warmth lingered briefly until Ayano recomposed herself and asked:

“Master Masachika… Do you still feel the same way about Lady Yuki?”

“There is no one that I love more than Yuki, and she is the most important person in the world to me. That has never changed, and it never will.”

After hearing his immediate, definitive response, Ayano closed her eyes for a few moments, then nodded slowly before looking straight into his eyes.

“Then I will not hesitate any longer. I will continue to prioritize Lady Yuki above all else.”

“…Thanks.”

The two exchanged meaningful glances, silently confirming their mutual understanding and strengthening their determination.

But just below them…halfway up the staircase to the landing, Alisa stood motionless. Masachika’s words to Ayano played on repeat in her mind.

No one…that he loves…more than Yuki…

The uneven stairs were terribly unreliable. And the handrails were so wobbly that they were essentially useless. Yes, it was the stair’s fault.

A-ahhhhhh!!

She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw up everything inside her. She wanted to expel it all and stop breathing.

“…! Ngh…!”

A final thread of rationality prevented her from succumbing to that impulse as she practically tumbled down the staircase in her haste. Desperate to escape, she rushed downward, floor after floor until reaching the ground level…where an unexpected voice called out to her.

“Oh! Alisa, hey. Wait. Where are you going? We were supposed to meet at the top of the stairs.”

When she instinctively looked up, she discovered Nonoa standing there, peering inquisitively at the stairwell. She had mentioned wanting to discuss something…but Alisa currently lacked the mental energy she needed to deal with Nonoa right now.

“I’m sorry… Maybe we can talk some other time.”

“Huh? That’s fine… Is everything okay, though?”

“Sorry,” Alisa muttered curtly as she tried to pass by Nonoa. However…

“Hold up.”

Nonoa grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop, but when Alisa glanced back, she found Nonoa staring at her with an unusually serious expression.

“I legit can’t let you go looking like that. What happened?”

Alisa almost impulsively knocked Nonoa’s hand off her to run away, but managed to stop herself, taking in a deep and trembling breath.

“…I can’t tell you what happened.” Because that would mean revealing how she really felt. “But do you think…you could stay with me for a while?”

Nonoa agreed without hesitation to stay by Alisa’s side and watch over her, unwilling to risk what reckless thing her schoolmate might do if left alone.

“Yeah, sure.”

“…Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re friends, right?”

After saying that cheerfully, Nonoa released Alisa’s arm and patted her shoulder. Alisa smiled at Nonoa’s usual carefree attitude, oblivious to the empty and expressionless face uttering those cheerful words.

Chapter 4. Revelation

Ding dong, bing booong…

As Alisa lay on the nurse’s office bed, the school chimes rang, marking the end of cleaning duty.

“If you’re not feelin’ good, maybe you should rest in the nurse’s office until you feel better?” Nonoa had suggested earlier, nearly tossing Alisa onto the bed, where she remained motionless despite the fact that the student council meeting had already begun.

Does this count as playing hooky?

It would be her first time, if that were the case. The thought crossed her mind, laced with self-deprecation. Skipping student council work or class was unthinkable—an unforgivable blemish on her record. Yet, she couldn’t summon the strength to move. Her heart was too heavy, leaving no space for even self-loathing.

“There is no one that I love more than Yuki, and she is the most important person in the world to me. That has never changed, and it never will.”

Masachika’s words were still echoing in her mind. She wanted to believe that she had misheard them. However, the way he looked when he was playing piano at the school festival and how he was staring at Yuki during field day—these facts wouldn’t let Alisa run away from reality.

Oh, maybe they…

Had they been in a relationship all along, only to have it torn apart due to family circumstances? Yuki was the only daughter of a prestigious family, and Masachika came from a middle-class background. If their love was forbidden due to their social divide, then Masachika’s expression toward Yuki’s mother during field day would also make sense.

Is that what Masachika has been hiding from me…?

It would be comical. That would mean that there hadn’t been any room for her to wedge herself between those two from the very beginning. The feelings that Masachika harbored for Alisa were, at most, respect and affection that one human being had for another… There was no love there. Yet, she had gone and fallen for him all on her own, gotten herself all worked up about it, and now here she was—grieving alone.

“…!”

Alisa felt a tightness in her chest and the heat of welling tears, which she quickly choked back. Don’t cry, she told herself. Nonoa was still on the other side of the curtain, and there was no way she was going to let anyone see her like this—weak, pathetic, and crying over a broken heart.

It’s just a broken heart. So what? I should be glad that I figured it out now before I got hurt. I mean, it stings, but it’s not a big deal.

At the very least, she had realized she was in love and immediately learned that it was unrequited before it was too late…

“…! Hff…!”

Alisa curled into the sheets, burying her face in the pillow to stifle her sobs, but her trembling heart couldn’t hold back the flood of emotions.

“<But it does hurt…>”

With her last bit of pride, she whispered quietly in Russian so that no one would hear while she desperately tried to keep her voice from trembling.

“<I like him… I like him so much…>”

Her heart overflowed with emotion, the words spilling uncontrollably. ‘It stings, but it’s not a big deal?’ Ridiculous. It was too late. She was hopelessly in love with Masachika Kuze and couldn’t picture a future without him. Just the thought of him not being there made her chest ache.

“<I like him…>”

Thank you very much, Madam Miyamae. I was able to apologize to Master Masachika thanks to you.

Really? I’m glad. Oh and you can call me Nonoa ok?

Thank you…Nonoa.

No prob. Just hit me up if you ever wanna talk.

While she texted Ayano, Nonoa listened as Alisa’s voice came faintly from the other side of the curtain.

Hmm… It’s pretty boring when they hold back their emotions like this.

Alisa’s true feelings were a mystery, hidden behind a mask of restraint. However, Nonoa craved raw, intense emotion—something that could shake her indifferent heart. She knew from many past attempts that random people’s emotional explosions would not move her heart, but she was hoping that maybe she’d feel something if it was someone she had a certain level of familiarity with…

Eh. Whatever. It’s Kuze that I’m interested in, so I’ve gotta throw as many rocks as I can, even if some turn out to be boring like this.

Covering all her bases was important. Therefore…

Time to deliver the finishing blow.

Exploiting someone’s vulnerability was a fundamental tactic of mind control. Therefore, in an attempt to get closer to Alisa, Nonoa placed her hand on the curtain when—bzzz!— she got a notification on her phone.

Nonoa, are you still cleaning?

It was Hikaru, reminding Nonoa that they had band practice today in the music clubroom.

Hmm… I think I’m gonna pass today.

Just as she was about to text him back and say she wasn’t coming today, she glanced at the bed once more, and her phone vibrated.

Are you coming to band practice or not?

This time it was a text from Sayaka, and as soon as Nonoa saw that, she held her phone with both hands and rapidly started typing a response.

I’m going. Why? You there? Wanna watch?

Yeah.

Ok I’ll be right there.

After sending a flurry of heart emojis, Nonoa shoved her phone back into her pocket and faced the curtains.

“Alisa, I’ve gotta go to band practice.”

Alisa didn’t reply, but Nonoa didn’t mind. She left the nurse’s office, deliberately walking with loud footsteps while pretending to be a considerate friend.

All right, let’s do this.♪

Nonoa broke into a slight jog down the hall toward the music club room, Ayano and Alisa already completely erased from her mind.

“All right, that should do it for today.”

“Great. Sounds good to me.”

“Good work, everyone.”

“Yeah, good work, guys.”

After finishing his student council duties, Masachika left the student council room, then surveyed the completely darkened hallway and frowned.

Alya ended up not coming…

Alisa had sent a text to the student council group chat saying that she’d be a little late, but that was it. She didn’t even pick up when Maria called her. Alisa had known that today was going to be busy, since they had various post-field day tasks to take care of, and she wasn’t the kind of person who would simply skip student council meetings, so everyone was more worried than angry.

Masachika also…

I haven’t really gotten the chance to talk to her since field day.

He had been grappling with numerous family issues recently, and he figured Alisa had noticed and was giving him some space…but her absence from today’s student council meeting seemed to suggest that there was more to her behavior.

Masha said she was going to call her again…but I should probably look for her, too.

He decided to check out everywhere Alisa could possibly be before heading home.

“She’s not here, either,” Masachika muttered to himself after checking the classrooms and the teachers’ room and peeking into the second music room.

I guess it’d be pretty hilarious if she already went home…

But even he knew that wasn’t likely, and that was what worried him more.

…I should check out our classroom one last time.

He turned on his heel and ran into the last person he expected to see.

“Oh, look who we have here,” Yuushou Kiryuuin commented with a theatrical note in his voice. He was the troublemaker who had thrown the entire school into chaos during last month’s festival. His punishment had been severe: his cousin Sumire had shaved his head, and he’d endured a month-long suspension as well. Masachika instantly grimaced at the sight of his old nemesis, which was understandable after their clash at the school festival.

He had never cared for Yuushou’s narcissistic, self-absorbed nature, but the festival incident had unfortunately left Yuushou starring in his own cringe compilation, so there was not much more Masachika could do to the guy. Besides, he was worried about Alisa right now, so…

“Hey. Bye.”

Masachika only glanced at him before quickly passing by. However…

“Come on, what’s the rush?”

Yuushou quickly circled around to get in front of him, leaning against the wall and giving him a sidelong glance for some reason. Masachika cringed noticeably at this dramatic display, wanting to tell him he had clearly consumed too many girly comics and romantic dramas, but he somehow managed to suppress his irritation.

“Listen, I don’t know how close you think we are, but I’m busy right now. What do you want?”

“Hmm? It’s not really anything important.”

“You have no idea how badly I want to smack you right now, Baldy Patches.”

The merciless nickname made Yuushou wince. However, sadly, perhaps realizing that the description was accurate, he was more amused than angry. After all, his head had been shaved by Sumire and then his hair only partially regrew during his suspension. However, his hair seemed to grow unevenly, creating scattered bald spots—thus earning him the title ‘Baldy Patches.’

Nevertheless, Yuushou contained his laughter, flung his arms wide, and shrugged with theatrical flair.

“Good grief. Making fun of someone’s physical appearance? This is why commoners will never be taken seriously.”

“I’d rather not be lectured by someone who refers to others as ‘commoners.’”

Naturally, Masachika wouldn’t mock anyone for congenital traits or conditions resulting from illness or accident, but Yuushou’s current hair situation was the consequence of his own actions. Therefore, Masachika couldn’t help but be a little harsh after putting up with him for so long.

And he’s calling me a commoner? Has he not figured out that Yuki and I are siblings yet?

The thought flitted across Masachika’s mind, resolving his confusion. Despite their shared surname, few would make the jump to conclude that they were siblings. Most would have dismissed it as coincidence or, at most, suspect they were distant relatives. Only Nonoa had immediately pieced it together, but she was the exception.

As Masachika pondered this, Yuushou, having apparently collected himself, nonchalantly remarked:

“It looks like the rumors were true. You’re really playing piano for the brass band, huh?”

“…Who’d you hear that from?” asked Masachika, wondering how he had learned something known only to a select few.

“I’m the president of the piano club, you know? I hear things, especially when it pertains to music clubs,” Yuushou replied casually.

“Uh-huh… Well, unfortunately, I’m looking for someone right now, so I have to go. Later,” Masachika replied, saying only the bare minimum as he tried to pass his schoolmate again. However…

“Alisa Kujou, I presume?”

Masachika stopped in his tracks and stared at Yuushou with a mixture of suspicion and caution.

“Don’t look at me like that. I happened to see her head into the nurse’s office with Nonoa Miyamae, that’s all.”

“She was with Nonoa…?”

That threw Masachika for a loop. Regardless, this was still useful information, so he thanked his schoolmate, albeit reluctantly.

“…Thanks. See you around.”

But just as he was about to walk past Yuushou again—

“Not so fast, Kuze. Are you honestly planning on welcoming Miyamae into the student council with you?”

Shut up already! thought Masachika while he answered, “…Yeah, if we win the election.”

Yuushou openly displayed a mocking smile the instant he heard Masachika’s curt response.

“Really, now? It’s hard to believe that any sane individual would purposely keep someone so dangerous close by.”

Masachika was momentarily at a loss for words…because he knew there was some truth to what the guy was saying.

“Surely, you don’t believe that she’d be a powerful ally, right? Because you would be gravely mistaken if you did.” It was as if Yuushou could read his mind. “She’s nobody’s ally. There are only two types of people in the world in her eyes: the valuables and the disposables. She keeps one group solely for watching, while reserving the other group for the satisfaction she derives from breaking them.”

“…Maybe it looks that way to twisted individuals such as you.”

“Or perhaps you’re simply too naive to realize it?”

Masachika grimaced at the sarcastic retort, but refused to let it slide, let alone admit that Yuushou was right—not after he’d made up his mind that Nonoa was his friend. Therefore, he argued:

“You knew the old her, but new people and new experiences are changing her little by little. She’s not the same person you once knew.”

“She hasn’t changed a bit. If she does seem different, it’s only because that’s what she wants you to think.”

“Tsk…”

Masachika’s anger finally began to show as Yuushou kept condemning Nonoa, as if she were some sort of evil presence. Yet, Yuushou only shrugged—as though there was nothing to be done about it.

“Good grief. Do I have to spell it out for you?” the pianist sighed, pushing off the wall and shaking his head as he passed by Masachika’s side.

“Allow me to give you one last piece of advice, Kuze. Your biggest weakness is this innate desire to believe in the good of all people,” he stated, leaving Masachika with those words.

However, while that advice left Masachika pondering, he refused to let Yuushou have the last word and yelled out:

“And your biggest weakness is that you can’t drop the theatrical cool-kid act, even with that bald head of yours!”

“…!”

Masachika ignored Yuushou staggering from that emotional damage, his schoolmate’s words still echoing in his mind as he headed toward the nurse’s office.

Nonoa’s transformation…is all just an act?

It was absurd—there was no reason to heed the words of such a twisted villain. Between Nonoa and Yuushou, the choice was obvious. Yet, doubt lingered, rooting itself in his mind and creeping through his thoughts like relentless vines.

Nonoa and Alya went to the nurse’s office together? Is Alya feeling sick? But why would Nonoa be with her? She’s not in our class or our club. Don’t tell me she did something to her…

Nonoa’s clingy gaze and what she said on the amusement park bench that day flashed through his mind. He didn’t know how serious she was, and he knew common sense was foreign to Nonoa most of the time. But normally, didn’t girls tend to feel competitive toward other girls who were close to the boy they liked?

If that’s what happened, then—no, she hasn’t tried to mess with me since then. Besides, I already made up my mind that I was going to stop being so prejudiced against her!

Masachika erased his doubt along with his feelings of shame and self-loathing.

“Your biggest weakness is this innate desire to believe in the good of all people.”

Yuushou’s warning resurfaced in his mind, but he pushed it aside, quickening his pace toward the nurse’s office—hoping that talking to Alisa would finally put his doubts to rest.

“Hello?”

Suppressing his impatience, Masachika knocked on the sliding door and stepped into the nurse’s office, immediately drawing the gaze of the nurse seated at her desk.

“Ah, are you here to see Alisa?”

“Oh, uh… Yeah.”

“She’s right over there. Perfect timing, by the way. I was just about to wake her up,” revealed the nurse before opening the curtain and stepping inside.

“Alisa, how do you feel? Your friend Masachika is here to get you.”

Masachika could just barely hear Alisa whispering to the nurse for a moment, and then the nurse emerged with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry, Masachika. But she said that she’s going to rest for a little longer before heading home and that she doesn’t want you to worry about her.”

“What…?”

It was a subtle way of brushing him off. Masachika, caught off guard by her refusal, was left speechless, but…

But I guess if she doesn’t want to see me…then it is what it is…

Prioritizing his own feelings and persisting would simply inconvenience Alisa, and if she didn’t want to see him, then it was his duty as her partner to respect that.

“Oh, okay… I’ll tell her sister to meet her here, then.”

“That would probably be for the best.”

Just as he took out his phone to call Maria, so that at least Alisa could get home safely—

______Are you really going to just run away again?

A voice echoed in his mind, and his hand stalled as the image of Yuki’s fake smile during their shopping trip resurfaced.

“…”

He pretended not to see anything. He pretended not to notice. He knew Yuki was in pain, but he tried to selfishly justify it, telling himself that this was what Yuki wanted and that he should respect it.

And now, was he about to make the same mistake?

Am I really going to back off just because Alya rejected me? Knowing full well that she isn’t acting like herself? I… I made her a promise, didn’t I?!

That day, when he decided to run in the election with Alisa, he’d vowed to be there for her and that she would never be alone. So breaking this promise would be—

“…! Alya!” Masachika shouted, driven by a mix of anger at himself and a sense of duty that exploded in his chest. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he brushed past the stunned nurse, yanked open the curtain, and stormed inside, ignoring her protests.

Alisa was dreaming.

She was crying in bed when suddenly, Masachika appeared.

He came to get her and told her that this was all a misunderstanding—that she was the most important person in the world to him while he gently hugged her.

Oh, what a convenient dream…

“…sa Kujou.”

Alisa slowly opened her eyes as someone gently shook her shoulders. The first thing she noticed was a pillow bathed in soft light filtering through the pristine white sheets.

“Alisa, how do you feel? Your friend Masachika is here to get you.”

“…!”

Her heart skipped a beat and then immediately sank. She knew that even if Masachika had come to get her like in her dream, reality wouldn’t unfold the same way. She understood that it would always be nothing more than a dream, and she wasn’t ready to face the truth yet.

“…Could you ask him to leave? Please tell him that I’m going to go home after resting a little longer.”

“What…? Oh… You want me to get him to leave?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure? Is there anything else you need?”

“I’m fine,” Alisa replied, tightly wrapping her entire body in her sheets as if to protect herself from any further questioning. The turmoil inside her had settled while she was asleep, replaced by an overwhelming emptiness. Everything felt hollow. She couldn’t find meaning in anything—her life, her actions, or even this moment.

It all seemed pointless—a waste of time, and she realized she had been making a fuss over nothing.

“Alya!”

Alisa jumped as he sharply called her name. Immediately, the curtains swung open as his footsteps—Masachika’s footsteps—drew close.

“Alya…? What’s wrong?”

“M-Masachika! She’s sick! You can’t just—”

“Could you please give me a second with her? If Alya insists that I leave, then I’ll leave.”

The nurse didn’t say another word after that.

“Alya… Are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?”

She could hear Masachika’s considerate voice through the sheets. It was a gentle voice with genuine concern for her.

But even that voice sounded hollow and meaningless at the moment.

That kindness doesn’t belong to me alone.

The twisted thought crossed her mind before quickly popping like a bubble. She couldn’t help but wonder what the point of it was if it didn’t belong only to her. It was absurd. It was meaningless. These thoughts—everything—

“Don’t tell me Nonoa did something to you…?”

“…?”

A question mark appeared over Alisa’s head when she heard Masachika’s earnest inquiry, but it was this serious question that served as a catalyst that slowly awakened her foggy, desensitized mind.

“I heard that you two came here together, so…”

“…That’s not it.”

“Hng…?!” Masachika grunted, surprised that she finally responded.

“Nonoa has nothing to do with this. She just helped walk me here because I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Huh? O-oh… It looks like I was just jumping to conclusions then…”

His voice was drenched in regret and shame. Alisa lifted the sheets, peering out with a single eye to find Masachika huddled beside the bed, his face buried in both hands.

“…—die of embarrassment… I can’t believe—…”

A giggle escaped Alisa’s throat, drawing Masachika’s eyes, but she quickly ducked beneath the sheets, concealing herself once more.

…What am I laughing about?

The corners of her mouth curled upward involuntarily, despite the doubt and hollowness weighing on her heart. Masachika sat there, head in his hands, looking utterly pitiful, and this sight alone was irresistibly comical for some reason.

“Alya…?” Masachika muttered skeptically while she trembled beneath the sheets.

“It’s not a big deal. I just heard something that upset me,” Alisa replied in a matter-of-fact voice as she desperately held back her emotions.

“Something that upset you? About how we lost the Run?”

Alisa’s ambiguous response led Masachika to draw the wrong conclusion. It caught even Alisa off guard, leaving her speechless and unsure how to reply. The silence, however, only escalated Masachika’s misconception.

“I mean, yeah, that’s going to hurt us a little, but we have Sumire and Elena on our side now, which obviously is a huge plus, so I don’t think it turned out all that bad overall. There are going to be people who talk bad about us, given the progress we’ve made so far, but we can’t let that bother us…”

He mistakenly concluded that Alisa was depressed because one of Yuki’s fans insulted her, so he earnestly consoled her at length, and once again, Alisa found this extremely amusing for some reason.

He’s completely clueless… Who do you think broke my heart? she thought, coming to the conclusion that maybe he had always been like this. Masachika had always been a step ahead, behaving as though he understood everything about her…yet he had overlooked the most vital detail and she found that extremely amusing. She felt a victorious thrill at having outwitted Masachika for once, that fact secretly bringing her joy…

Giggle… You really are so, so clueless.

She was happy that Masachika was unaware of how she felt, yet simultaneously felt resentful. Buried beneath the sheets, Alisa absorbed his sincerity while dwelling in this emotional contradiction.

Still, she recognized that Masachika was laying bare his heart for her, and a slow-blooming happiness began to fill her own, even if his words were misguided. Because right then, his genuine tenderness belonged…exclusively to her.

It breaks my heart that I’m not the one you were destined to be with.

To Alisa, Masachika was her destined partner, but she was not his, and that crushed her. It was painfully suffocating, but she couldn’t give up—no matter what.

So…I’m going to tuck these feelings away for now.

Masachika felt drawn to and wanted to support Alisa Kujou because she always pushed ahead without dwelling on the past. It wasn’t in her nature to simply curl up in a ball and be depressed all day. Therefore, she needed to continue making progress until the day that Masachika finally noticed her, because such determination embodied the very qualities he likely sought in a partner. And that was why…

“—people that support us. I mean, even I—…”

Alisa held out her right hand from beneath the sheets and beckoned for Masachika, who was still trying to cheer her up.

“…? What?”

He leaned forward, cautiously bringing his face closer. But when Alisa persisted in her silent beckoning, Masachika edged closer to her, assuming she wanted to share something just between them.

“What…?”

Right as Masachika’s puzzled voice tickled Alisa’s ear, she sat up and swiftly spread the sheet over him, making him jump.

“Ah…?!”

As he reflexively closed his eyes with both hands still propped on the bed, Alisa pulled his head firmly to her chest. Then, pressing her lips gently against his unexpectedly soft, black hair, she whispered something in Russian.

It wasn’t like all of those other times when words simply slipped unconsciously off her tongue. It was born from the overflowing love brimming in her heart. After quietly confessing her feelings, Alisa shut her eyes, letting her love nestle deep within her chest. As she gradually loosened her embrace, Masachika looked up, their eyes locking beneath the pristine white sheets. But still disoriented by Alisa’s unexpected embrace, Masachika flinched.

“Uh… What’s going on?”

Alisa flashed her usual provocative smirk at Masachika, his flustered expression befitting a young man his age.

“I’m so lucky that you’re this dense… I’m fine now,” she declared, flinging off the sheets and letting the nurse’s fluorescent office lights flood over them both. However, as her vision adjusted to the light, she spotted the nurse standing behind Masachika, wearing a strained and awkward smile.

“Ahem… What do you two think you’re doing?”

Alisa obviously didn’t have a good excuse, quickly averting her gaze out of guilt and awkwardness. The nurse, however, simply sighed and added:

“Well, I didn’t see anything, so I suppose I’ll let you two off the hook this time. But if you’re feeling better, you should go home.”

“O-okay. Thank you.”

Alisa put on her indoor shoes, grabbed her bag, stood up, then bowed repeatedly before heading toward the door… and then, the nurse added:

“Don’t let me catch you two using these beds for any ‘extra-curricular activities though,’ okay? Because you will be suspended immediately.”

“What the…?! No!”

Only after hearing Masachika’s flustered response did Alisa finally understand what “activities” the nurse was talking about.

“W-we would never do such a thing! No! Absolutely not!” Alisa hissed. The nurse merely narrowed her eyes and dismissively waved them out. Puffing her cheeks in a sulky pout, Alisa bowed before exiting the nurse’s office. As Masachika trailed after her and pulled the sliding door shut behind him, the hallway’s motion-activated lights began to illuminate, one after another.

“Sigh… Ready to go home?”

“…Yeah.”

Alisa followed her seemingly exhausted partner toward the entrance as the nurse’s warning played on repeat in her head.

‘Extra-curricular activities’? Masachika…and me…?

Alisa inadvertently visualized the scenario, her cheeks burning as she clenched her teeth.

“Never!!!”

“Whoa?! What’s wrong?”

Masachika jumped, making Alisa realize what she had just said. Mortified, she averted her face and mumbled in Russian.

“<Yeah… We should wait until we’re married…or engaged, at the very least. We could end up with a baby, after all… I mean, I’ve hardly ever done anything like that anyway…>”

Alisa, her face contorted with anger and shame, continued to argue with herself while by her side…

Oh, wow! That’s a really bright star. I wonder if that’s the evening star? It’s so beautiful.

Masachika was staring into space trying to think of anything but Alisa’s candid monologue in the background.

Chapter 5. Chaos

“See you later.”

“Yeah, later.”

Masachika bid Alisa farewell outside their classroom with a casual wave.

Haaah…

Once he’d turned away from her, Masachika heaved a big sigh. Only yesterday, he had escorted her home from the nurse’s office to make sure she was okay, and now, she was already back to her normal self. She seemed neither distant nor depressed. At any rate, her complete recovery was something that Masachika was genuinely thrilled about, and yet…

I’m not going to be able to keep my cool if she does that again.

The soft, warm sensation of being embraced… The second confession of her feelings whispered as if she were telling him a secret… And her essentially revealing her intimate experiences in Russian…

I mean, I wasn’t trying to listen! I tried to ignore her, but it’s not like I can close my ears!

At any rate, he had become painfully aware of how far Alisa’s fastidiousness went, whether he wanted to or not.

Yeah, I know… I know I have to start thinking about what Alisa really meant when she confessed how she felt…but I honestly can’t focus on that right now.

It didn’t help that Alisa herself seemed so nonchalant about it, to the point that Masachika started to wonder if maybe he should simply forget all about it.

But, well, I guess that’s just me trying to run away from my problems again…

Then again, perhaps this was inevitable. He had vowed not to run away anymore yesterday, only for him to make a fool of himself. The entire situation reminded him of his conversation with Nonoa, so he inwardly apologized to her as well.

I really feel bad. I can’t believe I doubted you when you went out of your way to help Alya. It’s all Baldy Patches’ fault. Yep.

The student council room came into view just as he placed the blame on Yuushou.

“Ahem!” After clearing his throat in front of the door, Masachika adjusted his posture and expression before knocking three times.

“Hey,” Masachika greeted, opening the door to the student council room when… “…What the—?”

Masachika froze with his hand on the doorknob, confronted by an unexpected sight. Paper plates and cups lined the lengthy table, adorned with French delicacies like canelés and madeleines alongside various other snacks and beverages. But the thing that was dominating what appeared to be an impromptu dessert gathering was a massive jack-o’-lantern, positioned deliberately at the table’s center.

“Oh, it’s about time you got here! Trick or treat!”

“It’s November,” Masachika interjected, narrowing his eyes at his schoolmate, who had presumably prepared all this.

“What’s up with the costume, Tragical Girl Elena?”

“At times, I’m the beautiful president of the brass band. Other times, I’m the mysterious Sexy Mask. And right now, I’m—wait. What? Why ‘tragical girl’?”

“Because it’s a tragedy for someone your age to still be dressing up as a magical girl.”

“Stop looking at me with those cold, dead eyes! I came to my senses and realized that myself at least three times while I was waiting for you!”

“Which means you lost your mind at least four times.”

The tragical girl, A.K.A. Elena, shielded herself from Masachika’s gaze with both hands and turned her face away. She was adorned with a frilly and glittering magical girl costume that seemed like it would only be acceptable for someone in middle school at best.

“Come ooon! Give me a break! I asked the handicrafts club for a witch costume, and this is what they gave me!”

“I bet.”

Elena, holding down her too-short and too-wide skirt with one hand, swung what appeared to be a magic wand with the other… It was almost painful to even watch.

I feel like it’d be far less embarrassing if she at least ditched the wand…but she takes her role seriously, it seems.

Masachika sighed, returning his gaze to the desk.

“So…is this like an after-party for field day or something?”

“Y-yeah, nobody but Touya and Chisaki could make it to the official after-party…so I figured we’d all have one here. And I thought, ‘Why not make it Halloween-themed while we’re at it?’”

She delivered the statement so casually, leaving Masachika speechless. As Elena explained, the student council members had initially been invited to the festival committee’s post-field day celebration. However, Yuki and Ayano declined due to the incident involving Yumi, Masachika wasn’t in the mood to party, Alisa abstained, presumably out of concern for her partner, and Maria followed her sister’s lead… Ultimately, only the president and vice president attended the party to represent (?) the student council.

“Oh, I’m not blaming you all for not coming or anything. I know it would have been awkward to pretend like nothing happened after the Run,” Elena blurted nervously, misreading Masachika’s silence.

Though her assumption wasn’t quite right, he couldn’t correct her without revealing what actually happened. So with a pang of guilt, and no other choice, he changed the subject.

“Ohhh. So you went through all this trouble to throw us a party? Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“By the way, are you the only one coming? What about the president of the student festival committee?”

“Huh? Oh… Let’s just say…his girlfriend can be strict.”

She nearly rolled her eyes while talking about her former partner in the student council.

“You mean she doesn’t want her boyfriend going to a party where there’ll be other girls? It’s not like this is some sort of college drinking party…”

“Right? It’s not like anyone’s going to be getting drunk, so nothing bad is gonna happen. But, well, he seems to love how possessive she is, so I guess they’re perfect for each other.”

She shrugged, then pointed at the table.

“He still bought us sweets for our party, though. Check out the desserts on the plate there.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Apparently, he got them at a really high-end sweets shop. He wanted to at least pay for some of the entertainment, since he wasn’t going to be able to come.”

“Who is he—everyone’s favorite boss?” Masachika whispered, joking that he sounded like a middle-aged manager covering the tab for his young employees’ after-work drinking party.

“I do have a little bit of bad news, though.”

“Huh? What?”

“Our dear president and vice president won’t be able to make it today.”

“…!”

“Alya, Yuki, and Ayano will also be late.”

Elena tilted her head and smirked at Masachika.

“…Why?”

“Alumni from the First Light Committee are here today, so the current student council president and the candidates running in the election this year were asked to help out. Meanwhile, Chisaki is at a meeting for the disciplinary committee today, and Ayano’s on cleaning duty.”

“The First Light Committee? Why are they here?”

“Something to do with donating stuff to the school. They’re apparently going to be buying us new tents for field day or something.”

“Oh, a lot of those were getting dirty,” Masachika said with a strained smile.

“Wait. Did I do all this for no reason, then?”

“…Alya and Yuki should be here soon, right? If they’re just greeting the alumni today.”

In any case, this wasn’t the best time for a surprise party.

She should have done her homework before putting this together…

The two exchanged subtle glances, silently acknowledging the harsh lesson they had just learned…when a knock suddenly resonated through the room, drawing their gazes to the door where they saw Maria stepping inside.

“Huh, Elena? Oh, my. What are you doing here?”

Maria tilted her head curiously at Elena before her eyes fell on the array of snacks. After Elena collected herself and explained the situation once more, Maria sank into her familiar chair with a delighted smile, her eyes gleaming at the sight of the appetizing sweets.

“Oh, my. These look so yummy… Hmm?” She lifted a canelé, raising it to her nose to inhale its aroma. “Is there alcohol in this?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s a canelé, so I’m pretty sure it has rum in it.”

“Oh… That’s too bad. I guess I can’t eat it, then.”

“Wait. Really? Not a fan of alcohol?”

Maria, still holding the canelé, shyly smiled back at Masachika.

“It’s not that… It’s just that I get drunk really easily. I used to get lightheaded just by smelling the vodka my grandfather would heat up by the fireplace.”

“Just by smelling it…? Then again, I guess that makes sense. Alcohol evaporates, after all, so I guess you could get drunk off the vaporized alcohol…”

“Right? But…this smells really good. Rum has this unique sweet smell, doesn’t it? Like with rum raisin. Mmm… I really wish I could try a bite.”

With a mournful look, Maria stared at the canelé, its dark, gem-like crust gleaming as she wavered back and forth between “Maybe just a little bite,” and “Hm… But…”

“Color me surprised. I totally thought Russians could hold their liquor better than Japanese people.”

“I mean, she’s half Japanese too, you know? Besides, it’s not like all Russians are heavy drinkers.”

“Good point. I bet Alisa could hold her liquor, though. Know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I can’t even imagine her getting stupid drunk.”

“I know, right? Maria, what’s your sister actually like? Oh, though I guess she probably has never drank before, but…” Elena asked, her voice trailing off until she stopped completely and stared at Maria for some reason. Curious, Masachika followed her gaze, only to immediately be caught off guard as well.

“Hmmm? Whaaat?”

Her voice was more bubbly than usual, and her gaze seemed dreamy and distant. Usually, it was easy to imagine flowers and hearts around her head, but now they’d be bubbles floating into the air…and in her hand was a beautiful canelé without a single bite mark.

“Did you seriously get drunk off the smell?!” Masachika exclaimed, glaring at his tipsy schoolmate.

“Mmm…” Maria mumbled drowsily, her head tilting before she reclined into the chair and raised the canelé in her hand to her lips.

“Nooo, don’t eat it!!”

Elena dove forward, snatching the canelé from Maria’s hand.

“Awww,” Maria whined mournfully as Elena yanked both the sweet and its paper plate beyond her reach. Maria, however, sprawled across the table with her ample chest squished against it, stretching her arms as far as she could while flailing desperately.

But when she realized she wouldn’t be able to reach her dessert, she lunged for the canelé sitting in front of the adjacent seat, prompting Masachika to quickly confiscate that one, too. With all canelés now beyond her grasp, Maria puffed her cheeks out in an immature pout, settling for a nearby box of chocolates instead.

“Uh… Elena? I feel bad for asking this because you spent a lot of time setting the table, but we should probably get these away from her…”

“Y-yeah, she might start eating them at this rate…”

“Yummy. ♡” Maria giggled, drawing their attention, only for them to discover she was already tucking a chocolate from the opened box into her mouth. She wore an expression of pure bliss. Once more, it was easy to imagine bubbles floating up above her head.

Description for illustration purposes only. Actual Maria may vary.

“Oh no… That chocolate has alcohol in it…”

“Why are you just now telling me that?!” Masachika shouted, lunging for the chocolate as Maria reached for her second piece.

Though he successfully managed to seize the box…he failed to prevent her from eating the chocolate that was already in her hand. Maria promptly tossed the treat into her mouth, her eyes becoming even more unfocused as she swayed rhythmically from side to side, humming some sort of tune.

“…Uh-oh. This is bad, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, obviously.”

“No, I mean…someone’s going to get the wrong idea if they see her like this.”

Masachika froze, then imagined how this would all look to some random passerby.

Breaking News: Esteemed student council members of Seirei Academy engaging in the unthinkable—drinking in the sacred student council room?!

A sensational headline blazed through his mind, prompting him to dash to the door and quickly lock it. Naturally, most would understand if he explained the situation, but this world was full of individuals who would deliberately attempt to defame those in prominent positions, especially if that person was in a sought-after position of power in the student council. Put simply, they could never be too careful.

There’s no telling when there’s going to be another Yuushou trying to take down the student council.

The troubling notion haunted Masachika as he drew all the curtains, just in case. Then, after ensuring they were shielded from outside view, he turned back around to find Maria bobbing her head while gazing at Elena.

“Huh…? Elena? Did you multiply?”

“What?”

“Mmm…?” Maria slurred as her head drooped forward, continuing to sway from side to side. Masachika rushed over to catch her before she fell.

“Are you okay, Masha? Do you want to lie on the couch?”

“Hmmmm?”

Maria swiftly lifted her head to the sound of his voice and grinned while cheerfully gazing into his eyes.

“Are you going to carry me? Ngh! ♡” asked Maria with her arms spread out.

“No, I can’t pick you up…” Masachika grimaced.

“Whaaat? Carry me.”

“Hey?!”

Caught off guard by her arms suddenly wrapping around his waist, Masachika instinctively stepped back and inadvertently pulled Maria from her chair as her arms slid down his body.

“Ah! Hey?!”

About to have his legs taken out from under him, Masachika placed a hand on the nearby table to catch himself in a fluster.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt your knees?” he asked, glancing down at Maria who had plopped down on the floor while still clinging to his legs.

“Mmm…”

“Is that a yes or no? Uh… Do you think you could hold on to my arm? I need my legs.”

“Come on, Maria. Let’s get you back to your feet.”

Elena rushed over, put her hands under Maria’s arms, and lifted her up…or at least tried to, but Maria didn’t even budge.

“…”

Unamused, Masachika narrowed his eyes at Elena as she stood back up and brushed her forehead with the back of her hand, despite not having even broken a sweat.

“Phew… Well, that should do it for today.”

“Why are you acting like you did something?”

“I did do something. I touched Maria’s side boob. Heh!”

“What are you doing molesting her?! Hmm…?”

A gentle tug on his right arm caught his attention, so Masachika glanced down and found Maria using his body to pull herself up. Once on her feet, she clung tightly to his arm, leaning into him.

“Oh… Are you okay, Masha?”

“What do you meeean?”

“I mean—let’s get you to the couch. Can you walk?”

“Umm… I can…waaalk!”

“Really? I’m so proud of you.”

After Masachika brushed off Maria’s random sharp salute with a shrug, she continued to goofily laugh, nuzzling her head into his shoulder.

“Heh-heh. You’re proud of me?”

“Yep. You’re amazing.”

“Then rub my head.”

“What?”

“Give meee head pats!”

Like a spoiled child, she continued to shake him while continuously rubbing her head against him.

What the…? This is awesome.

Immediately, Masachika mentally slapped himself for even letting the thought pass through his mind.

“Uh… Okay…”

Seeing that she wasn’t about to move anytime soon, Masachika cautiously reached out and gave Maria’s soft, voluminous hair a few gentle strokes. A floral aroma tickled his nostrils as her face lit up with a radiant smile.

“Giggle… I got head pats.”

She rubbed her body against Masachika even more, as though she were begging for more head pats.

Seriously, though. This is awesome.

Masachika mentally gave himself two slaps this time.

“Come on, walk nice and slowly…”

He then began to walk over to the couch while maintaining a composed expression.

“H-her boobs are absorbing your arm.”

“Can you stop being a creep for two seconds, Perv Elena?”

Masachika shot his older schoolmate a cold glare for pointing out something he was trying not to think about, then glanced down at Maria who was still clinging tightly to his arm as they reached the couch.

“We’re here. Can you sit?”

In fact, how about you lie down and take a nap? But he refrained from saying that while he waited for Maria to take a seat on the couch. Maria, however, looked up at him with hazy eyes, tilted her head, and asked:

“Hmm? What are you doing here, S—”

“Hey?!”

He instinctively covered Maria’s mouth with both hands before she could finish that damning sentence.

Crap, crap, crap! This is bad!

Masachika wasn’t sure if Elena even knew Maria’s boyfriend’s name, but it was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Of course, he considered the fact that he could probably pass it off as Maria drunkenly mistaking him for her boyfriend, but even if that fooled Elena, there was almost no way he’d be able to fool Alisa or Yuki if they suddenly walked in.

Plus, there was a chance that Elena would tell them that Maria had accidentally called him “Sah” and that would be problematic as well, since he wasn’t sure enough in his skills to be able to deceive them.

Which means I need to get Elena out of here now!

Masachika suddenly turned to Elena, making her flinch.

“Elena, sorry! But I think Masha’s about to throw up, so do you think you could grab us a bucket and a barf bag?!” he instructed.

“What?! The trash can’s right there—”

“And what if the trash can gets a permanent puke stench?! Come on! Go!”

“Okay!”

Intimidated by Masachika’s intensity, Elena rushed toward the door, fumbling with the lock before practically tumbling out of the student council room.

“…Phew.” Masachika breathed a sigh of relief, having temporarily escaped a crisis. “Oh, sorry about that.”

When he returned his gaze to Maria, he realized that he was still covering her mouth while she gazed up at him with unfocused eyes, so he gently removed his hand.

“Now there are two of you, too?” she asked, her head tilted quizzically.

“No.”

“Whaaat? Which one is mine, and which one is Alya’s?”

“I didn’t split into two.”

“Hmm… I’ll take this one, then!”

Maria hugged his arm tightly once more as though she wasn’t even listening.

“Again, there’s only one me here…”

“Giggle… It looks like I was right.”

“About what??”

Maria was making even less sense than usual, drawing a sigh out of Masachika as he turned around—or at least tried to turn around to lock the door again…

“Hey, Masha? Do you think you could let go of my arm?” he asked Maria, who was still holding firmly on to him, but she pouted and shook her head.

“I don’t wanna.”

“What?”

He looked down at the stubborn, childlike girl. Then with a troubled expression he reluctantly decided to drag her to the door. However…

“No!”

“Whoa?!”

Masachika’s arm was yanked with such surprising force that he stumbled.

“What the…?! Hey!” he shouted as Maria pulled him down onto the couch. Though relieved nobody got hurt during his fall, he shuddered at her unexpected strength.

What the…? Where did this power even come from? Did the alcohol unlock her brain’s full potential or something?

Maria possessed such tremendous physical strength at the moment that it was no surprise he felt that way, as absurd as it was. Naturally, Masachika was being careful so that he wouldn’t hurt her, but even then, her strength far exceeded that of an ordinary girl. Even now, he felt completely unable to free himself from her grip.

“Hey, uh… Masha? Do you think you could please let go of me?” he asked again, perched beside Maria. Nevertheless, she merely whispered “no” with a downcast gaze, leaving Masachika in an awkward position.

“Is there a reason why you’re not letting me go?” he asked, despite not expecting a serious, thought-out reply. Maria then raised her chin, her eyes glistening, and replied:

“Because if I let you go…you’ll just go straight to Alya, right?”

“What?”

“So I’m not letting you go,” she murmured, dropping her gaze and nestling her face against Masachika’s shoulder. Though he knew she was intoxicated…Masachika found it difficult to simply dismiss what she was saying, and he froze.

“…I’m not going anywhere. I’m just going to lock the door. That’s all,” he managed to stutter, conveying only the facts. Maria lifted her gaze to meet his, and their faces were separated by only the slightest distance.

“Hey, Sah…,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Do you like me?”

“…?!”

Masachika was taken aback by the sudden outrageous question, his cheeks twitching as he awkwardly chuckled.

“You must be pretty wasted, huh?” he replied vaguely.

“Do you like me?”

However, such a cowardly attempt at avoidance was utterly demolished when she repeated the question. Masachika’s facial muscles twitched as his awkward smile intensified…but when he saw tears welling in Maria’s amber eyes, his smile immediately vanished and he shifted his gaze toward the heavens.

“…I like you…as a person.” He grinded his teeth at his own noncommittal response as he squeezed out the words. “…And I probably like you…as a woman, too.”

That was how Masachika truly felt. Sure, he was attracted to Maria. He obviously had a crush on his first love; the girl he had a miraculous reunion with after many years of being apart. Or he thought so, at least. However…

“But I still need time…before I can truly acknowledge that.”

Masachika couldn’t accept Maria’s affection—not as the man he was now—not after losing the pride that he once had. Even if he forced himself to do so, he would inevitably feel Maria’s kindness as a burden, push himself into a corner, and end up despising himself even more.

I need to start liking myself first. I need to like the me that Masha likes.

Though he understood what he needed to do to accept Maria’s feelings for him with dignity, he still looked away.

But…I can’t keep running.

It was time to face reality. His gut was telling him that he wasn’t going to be able to run away any longer. Therefore…he had to make a vow right here, right now.

“I promise…” It was like he had to force his jaw open to get the words out from deep within his chest, declaring to both Maria and himself, “…I promise…that I will face the mistakes that I made—the mistakes that made me the person I am today.”

And with those words, Masachika gazed into Maria’s eyes and pleaded:

“So…do you think you could wait for me? I promise I will stop running away and address how you feel for me, if you just give me a little more time.”

After Maria’s eyes wavered as he spoke with utmost sincerity, she quickly looked down and replied:

“Hmm… I didn’t understand any of that. That was way too complicated.”

“Wait. Seriously? You have no idea how much courage it took me to say that.”

Her response transcended mere disappointment. In fact, Maria’s reaction missed the mark so much that Masachika lifelessly slumped into the couch. After all, an intoxicated person remained just that—intoxicated. He wondered whether it was a mistake to take her question seriously as he gazed vacantly into space, while Maria, lips pursed, insistently tugged at his sleeve.

“I just want a yes or no. Do you like me?”

“…Uh, yep. I like you,” he replied to her slightly slurred, childlike question.

“Liar.”

“Interesting. So it doesn’t matter what I say, huh?”

Maria was not having it at all, leaving Masachika at a loss with how he was going to deal with her.

Ugh. I don’t even care anymore. I just want her to be a good drunk and fall asleep already.

That would instantly solve the problem, but as Masachika sat there, feeling somewhat resigned, she pouted.

“You like the old me better, don’t you?”

He hesitated for a moment, caught off guard, before meeting Maria’s gaze—her pouty lips and glistening eyes fixed on him with a hint of frustration.

“You liked it better when I was skinny and had long, blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“…What makes you think that?”

“Because you didn’t even recognize me at first after all these years.”

Those words heavily pierced Masachika’s heart, leaving him speechless. However, Maria, her eyes still glistening, continued with a sorrowful note:

“You don’t like me anymore because I changed.”

That’s not true, he immediately thought, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it for some reason. He wasn’t certain she was wrong. Especially after how confused he was when he learned that Maria was actually Mah—she’d changed so much, it was almost impossible to believe they were the same person.

If Masha grew up, maintaining those features she used to have, then…

If Maria had shown up looking like a more mature version of her old self—long, flowing golden locks, sparkling blue eyes, and that innocent, childlike smile—then Masachika just might have fallen in love with her at first sight all over again. He couldn’t deny the possibility.

“…”

“I knew it.”

Maria immediately took his silence as affirmation, quickly scooting away from him and covering her face with both hands.

“What? No.”

“…Sniffle!”

“…?!”

The sound of her sobbing pierced Masachika’s heart with such an intense feeling of guilt that he completely forgot about locking the door. Instead, he rotated his entire body on the couch to face Maria.

“Uh… I…!”

“Sniffle! It’s not like I wanted to change… My hair and eyes just changed color…and my body…began to fill out…and I kept growing.”

“O-oh? Filled out, huh?”

“But I heard that boys liked girls like that, so I… But Sah likes the old me better…”

N-no, not at all!” he instinctively shouted, taken aback by her unexpected worries. “I…! Think you’re very attractive! And…I really like you the way you are now, too!”

His straightforward confession made Maria’s face light up, and her eyes slightly reddened.

“Really…? You really like me?”

“Y-yeah… I think your hair and eyes are very pretty…and I like them a lot.”

“…Even more than how they used to look?”

“…!”

It was too difficult of a question for him to answer immediately, so he averted his gaze. Maria pouted.

“I knew you were lying…”

“I’m not! It’s not that I like one version of you better than the other. I… I like the old you and the new you…”

Although he knew he was being indecisive, he also knew that this merely sounded like an excuse, despite being how he really felt. Unsurprisingly, Maria turned her head away from him with a pout.

“You’re lying. I don’t believe you.”

“I’m telling you the truth. What do I have to do to make you believe me?”

Possibly due to the alcohol, Maria fixed her unusually intense gaze on Masachika. She then took his right hand, guiding it softly to her face before tilting her head, allowing his hand to graze her hair.

“Then look me in the eye and tell me that you like my hair.”

“I-I like your hair,” he replied, peering into her eyes. The feeling of her hair brushing against his palm and the softness of her cheek left him flustered. Maria closed her eyes and, as if nestling her cheek against his hand, guided his fingers to touch her eyelid. Keeping his hand pressed to her cheek, she opened her eyes and asked:

“Do you like my eyes?”

“I like your—”

But before he could even finish his sentence, he heard two sets of footsteps approaching, followed by a familiar voice. It was Alisa and Yuki, who were supposed to be taking care of the alumni with Touya.

Immediately, a sharp and unsettling chill ran down Masachika’s spine.

They’re done already?! Seriously?! Crap, crap, crap! They’re the last two I want seeing this!!

Masachika stared at the unlocked door as a cold sweat dripped down his back and the girl in front of him worriedly muttered, “Sah…?”

He returned his focus to the girl before him, reminded that Maria was still tightly holding his right hand, and for a moment…he seriously considered giving her a good ol’ karate chop to the neck.

Wait. No. That could do permanent damage—what am I talking about?! You can’t just karate chop innocent people!!

After immediately rejecting the absurd idea, he realized that he had no other choice.

“Yes! I like your eyes! So, so, so much! So I’m sorry, but…!” he shouted.

As the footsteps and voices approached, Masachika yanked Maria’s hand away with his left and bolted to the door. Swiftly yet silently, he turned the lock, and though he was momentarily relieved, he now faced the question of what to do next.

I have to come up with an excuse for why they can’t come inside!

If it were just Alisa, Masachika was confident he could still talk his way out of it. The problem was Yuki. Shaky excuses wouldn’t work on his little sister, and knowing her love for mischief, she would probably force her way inside if she detected even a whiff of intriguing drama.

Come on! You can convince them!

Just as Masachika—having somehow composed himself—quickly moved away from the door, there was a knock followed by the door shaking with a thud.

“Oh, my. Why is the door locked?” came a muffled voice.

Masachika, feigning nonchalance, replied to Yuki from the other side of the door:

“Oh, Yuki? Sorry! Right now’s not really a good time…”

“Masachika? Did something happen?”

“Uh… It’s kind of hard to explain…”

“Could you please just open the door?”

“Sorry, I can’t do that…”

“Why?”

“Uh…”

He created an air of mystery by deliberately giving them vague responses. After all, people often felt a strange sense of satisfaction when they believed they had uncovered a secret, regardless of whether it was actually true. Therefore, Masachika stalled until Alisa was just about to lose her patience.

“To tell you the truth…Elena brought a durian cake to the student council room, so it smells terrible in here,” he reluctantly admitted.

A few seconds of silence went by, as if Alisa were trying to process what he had just said.

“What, Elena? Why? And why durian?” she asked, her faint voice brimming with confusion and doubt.

“Uh… She apparently wanted to throw us a party after a successful field day…but the moment she opened the cake, it legitimately smelled like a stink bomb had just exploded in the room… Why she decided on durian cake—well, you’re going to have to ask her yourself. Unfortunately, she’s not here right now because she went to get some deodorizer,” Masachika lied smoothly while mentally apologizing to Elena. People generally tended to believe stories more when they were a little far-fetched, and Elena did seem like the kind of person who would do something like this as well.

“What kind of weirdo do you think I am?!” protested the imaginary mini-Elena in his mind while he profusely apologized. Masachika then sighed in a whiny, fed-up tone, “At any rate, we’re in the middle of resealing the cake, airing out the room, and deodorizing, so take my advice: you’re better off heading straight home, unless you want your clothes and hair smelling like durian.”

“O-oh… Well, I guess we don’t have much of a choice. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m already getting used to the stink… I mean, it smells awful, but I feel like it’s gradually improving.”

Masachika pumped his fist into the air, relieved that he had managed to convince Alisa for the time being.

“Well, please be careful,” Yuki requested with a concerned tone in her muffled voice.

Oh, it looks like this actually might work, Masachika thought. However…

“By the way, Masachika, I have some concerns regarding past donations, so do you think you could get the files summarizing past donations from the Last Light Committee for me?”

Yuki immediately made him realize just how naive he truly was.

“…I wish I could, but the files probably smell like durian now, and if I open the door, then the smell’s going to get out.”

“You only need to crack the door open for a second. Besides, the room might actually not even smell bad at all.”

The way she spoke made it clear that she knew something was up.

You little…! You know I’m in trouble, and you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?!

The voice on the other side of the door was as elegant and ladylike as always. Yet Masachika could vividly envision his little sister sporting an angelic smile that concealed a devilish grin, with a perplexed Alisa standing beside her.

Just as he began contemplating his escape, another low voice caught his attention.

“Oh! Alisa, Yuki… Are you finished meeting with the alumni already?”

“Elena? What are you wearing? More importantly—”

“Oh, Elena! You’re back! I already resealed the durian cake! Did you find any deodorizer? I don’t know if it’ll even help with how smelly durian is, but it’s better than nothing!” Masachika shouted, cutting off Yuki before she could expose his lies.

He then stared hard at the door, praying that Elena would catch on as a tense three seconds went by…

“Oh, uh… I tried asking my friend in the fitness club if I could borrow some from them, but she already went home…and it’s not like you can use bathroom deodorizer in the student council room, so I brought a plastic bag and a bucket we could stuff the cake in,” Elena replied.

Yesss!

Her perceptiveness and quick thinking was perhaps how she ended up being the vice president of the student council years ago. At any rate, Masachika silently pumped his fist into the air as Alisa only further helped his cause.

“All right, well, we’re going to go home, okay? Yuki, you can check the files tomorrow, right?”

As if even Yuki were surprised by this unexpected turn of events, a few moments of silence went by until she eventually uttered in a disappointed voice:

“…Yes, I suppose I could. Very well. See you tomorrow, Masachika.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

“Bye, Alya.”

Masachika sent a silent thank you to his partner for the, likely unintentional, helping hand.

“<You’re hopeless.>”

The soft Russian he heard coming from the other side of the door stopped him cold.

Wh-what? What did she mean by that? Don’t tell me that Alya…

Their footsteps faded into the distance. And they were oblivious to the almost chilling sensation that overcame Masachika. But before long, he heard Elena’s resentful voice emanating from the other side of the door.

“Hey… Why did it sound like I’m being portrayed as some sort of idiot who stinks up the student council room with durian cake?”

“I’m honestly really sorry about that.”

Since there was no way he could excuse what he did, he apologized and was met with a sigh.

“It’s fine… Anyway, how’s Maria? I brought the bucket and a plastic bag.”

Masachika, still breathing a sigh of relief after narrowly escaping Yuki and Alisa’s surprise attack, realized something.

Hold up… Now that she mentions it, it has been really quiet for the past few minutes. Did Masha fall asleep?

Filled with wishful thinking, he thanked Elena once again, casting a quick glance at Maria—only for his eyes to widen in surprise.

What the…?!

She must have lost her balance while getting up, because Maria now sat gracefully on the floor in front of the couch, knees drawn inward in a delicate, feminine posture.

“Sah… Sniffle! I knew you’d run straight to Alya…”

Maria hung her head low, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Perhaps she’d misunderstood his conversation with Alisa and Yuki beyond the door as a sign that he was neglecting her. But there was something even more concerning right now: her chest! Her bust could hardly be contained! In fact, it wasn’t being contained at all!

Why is she taking off her clothes?!

A blazer lied abandoned on the couch, and scattered across the floor before it were her indoor shoes, socks, and jumper skirt. Maria now wore only a white collared shirt and her underwear…but the white shirt was completely unbuttoned. In essence, only her arms were provided any semblance of coverage.

“Kuze? Is Maria…?”

“…She’s a mess right now.”

“What?! Do you mean…I was too late?”

“Sorry. I’m a little confused too right now, but do you think you could let me handle this? You can go home.”

“O-oh, okay… Yeah… I’m sure Maria doesn’t want people to see her like this either… I’m counting on you, okay? And sorry about all this. I’ll leave the bucket and two plastic bags here.”

Elena’s footsteps faded into the distance, leaving Masachika feeling as if he had created some sort of misunderstanding, but he didn’t have the mental energy to worry about that right now.

“Why are you taking off your clothes, Masha?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

He approached Maria quietly with his gaze deliberately fixed on the couch to avoid looking directly at her. Still, out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but notice her enthusiastically lift her head up with sparkles in her eyes.

“Oh, Sah! You’re here!”

In response to her suddenly cheerful tone, Masachika smiled uneasily and crouched in front of her as if addressing a child.

“Yes, yes. I’m here. Now, how about we put some clothes on?” he suggested.

“Umm…? Mnfoo.”

“No, not ‘Mnfoo’… And you’re going to hurt yourself if you keep moving around like that,” he replied as Maria swayed side to side with a strange laugh.

“Hmm?”

Masachika felt his right arm being yanked, so he glanced over, realizing Maria was gripping his right wrist with her right hand while her left hand cupped the back of his right. Before he even realized it, she was pulling him right into her—

“Hey, wait.”

Realizing he was being pulled directly toward something that he couldn’t even directly look at, Masachika jerked his right arm back.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a grave expression.

“Huh? Continuing where we left off.”

“Continuing…what?”

He remembered that only moments ago, he was in the middle of touching Maria’s hair and eyelids while telling her how much he liked them, and the memory instantly sent blood rushing to his head.

“Wait, wait, wait! What are you trying to make me touch?!” shouted Masachika, turning his face away as he yanked his hand free with all his might, stumbling backward until he landed on his rear.

Immediately, Maria’s eyes filled with tears as her gaze lowered to the floor once more.

“I knew it… You liked me better back when I was skinny… You won’t even look at me right now…”

“What? But that’s not because…”

Guilt, stirred by her voice, sent Masachika’s bewildered gaze her way—only to have his breath catch from seeing her body up close. Her beauty, a blend of youthful innocence and maternal warmth, could soothe anyone who saw her.

Yet, everything below the neck radiated a bewitching charm that would drive a person wild. The two mounds—no—the two orbs, barely contained by her black bra, seemed to defy gravity. Her delicate waist gracefully curved while somehow still appearing both soft and squishy, and her thighs, without a single blemish, were plump yet firm.

Masachika again shifted his gaze toward the heavens.

Hmm… A lot of great shows came out this season, but I’d say that three of them are currently contenders for anime of the year.

But Maria’s sorrowful voice tickled his ears as he desperately tried to escape reality.

“You looked away again! Booo!”

“I mean, it’s not like I can’t stand to look at your body. It’s just that my body wouldn’t be able to handle it,” Masachika mumbled, his eyes fixed on the top of her head. Maria, however, bent forward and slipped out of sight, prompting him to lower his gaze cautiously—only to come face-to-face with a breathtakingly voluptuous rear.

Hnnng?!

His flustered gaze dropped and he locked eyes with Maria, who was staring up at him intently. Before he knew it, he had fallen back onto his rear and she was on all fours.

“Ooo?!”

The memory of what happened with Alisa at the night festival hit Masachika like a truck, instinctively making him try to slide back, but he lost his balance and banged his elbows onto the floor.

“Ouch?!”

A jolt of pain surged through both elbows, sending a tingling rush down his forearms as he fell backward, his arms unable to break the fall.

“Ahhh!”

As Masachika stretched his arms, wincing from the pain…Maria’s head suddenly blocked out the light. Leaning over him with her hands braced beside his shoulders, she gazed down with her hair glowing softly in the light, swaying so closely to him that it was almost tickling his cheeks.

“Hey, Sah…”

“Okay, Masha… Let’s take a deep breath. You’re not thinking straight right now,” Masachika pleaded desperately, focusing only on her glistening eyes while trying to come up with a way out of this situation.

I can do this. Once my arms stop tingling, I can sweep her and escape. Thankfully, she’s still wearing her dress shirt, so I’ll just slip my right leg out, wrap my arm around her back, and…

Shifting his brain into combat mode, Masachika frantically tried to tear his attention away from Maria’s alluring figure.

“Do you hate me? Now that I’ve changed so much?” she asked.

“Absolutely not. If anything, I like you—a lot—a ton.”

“Then…touch me.”

“No, stop that,” he replied immediately with a straight face, but Maria’s tearful eyes…were now filled with determination.

“Wait, wait, wait. Okay. You win. I’ll touch you,” Masachika cried out, a sharp sense of danger flashing through his mind as he gazed into those piercing eyes. Maria blinked a few times, smiling weakly when—

Now!!

He swiftly folded his right leg, pulling it out from beneath Maria’s body. Then, moving his slightly numb arms, he grabbed Maria’s back with his right hand and, with his left hand, cradled her right leg to roll her on her side—or, at least, that was what he tried to do.

Hmm?

His right hand mysteriously found something hard on her back under her shirt.

What is this? It feels like a metal clip of some sort—

That split second was all he needed to figure it out.

“…! Ack?!”

Masachika immediately let go, understanding exactly what he had just touched. Maria, however, glanced down at her motionless schoolmate, tilting her head in curiosity before…

“…! Oh.”

She nodded as if she understood his intent, then smoothly sat up and positioned herself over Masachika, straddling his stomach.

“Wait!”

Masachika was rendered speechless and stock-still by the sensation of her bottom pressing against his lower stomach, and his eyes instinctively flickered downward where Maria’s underwear came into view—all the most important parts visible.

Mesmerized by the tantalizing glimpse of her milky, thick thighs, the stark contrast of her mature black panties against her pale skin, and the alluring shadow of her intimate region, Masachika’s shame and guilt dissolved into a rapt stare, only to be abruptly extinguished as he mustered the last vestiges of his reason and squeezed his eyes shut.

Don’t look, don’t touch, don’t even think about it, you idiot! The girl in front of you is Mah! And she’s not thinking straight! If you do something, you’re going to regret it so much later that you’re going to wish you were dead!!

With his eyes closed tight and teeth gritted, Masachika—clinging to the last shreds of his sanity—heard a snap.

“…?”

The curious sound made him crack open his eyes, revealing Maria with her hands clasped behind her back. As their eyes met, she gave him a coy smile and brought her hands forward—

“Oh, Sah… You should have just told me that you wanted me to take it off,” she commented, letting her shoulder straps slide down. As her white collared shirt followed, the last barrier containing her ample chest succumbed to gravity, leaving her in just her panties as she smiled shyly, yet invitingly.

“Go ahead. This all belongs to you… This body exists for you to love, so it’s okay.”

Only one thought crossed Masachika’s mind as he stared with his eyes now wide as saucers.

Maybe this is worth regretting.

Would Masachika painfully regret this later? Would he want to die? So what? If he really were a man, then shouldn’t he put everything on the line for this very moment?!

I don’t care if I die, if it means getting to touch these glorious treasures!

After making that manly declaration in his mind, Masachika slammed the back of his head hard against the floor. A throbbing pain exploded in his head, forcing his eyes shut, so he seized the moment, fighting through the pain as he mentally chanted:

This is Mah. This is Mah. This is Mah. This is Mah.

A wave of cherished memories surfaced in his mind, and as he relived them, a sense of peace filled his heart, allowing him to reopen his eyes when—

“Guh.”

Maria let out a muffled groan from deep in her throat before suddenly collapsing on top of him.

“Hey, wait?!”

Caught off guard, he instinctively reached for her shoulders…but it was too late as both hands were suddenly full.

“Ooo?! I touched them…?!”

The sheer softness in his palms, coupled with the sight of his fingers pressing against her breasts, made Masachika’s eyes widen more than ever before.

“Burp.”

Then, an ominous sound overhead sent a chill down his spine. Lifting his gaze, he saw Maria’s face, her brow furrowed in discomfort and her eyes tightly shut.

“I feel sick…”

He had jinxed himself. The lie had become reality, and there was no time for regret, for he was about to eat lunch like a baby bird if he didn’t make like a jet.

“Masha, please don’t! Nobody wants to see you turn into some weird fetish—I mean, not even I’m a big enough degenerate to let you throw up on my face—but seriously, why are these so soft?!”

Panic seizing him, Masachika wrestled with the desperate urge to flee, even if it meant being a little rough, but he couldn’t help but worry about shaking Maria in her current state. Therefore, he carefully lowered her onto himself, gently stroking her back in a comforting embrace.

Ultimately, it was Masachika’s frantic, tender care (?) that saved Maria from becoming someone’s unholy fetish as she began to breathe quietly on top of him…leaving him pinned underneath her half-naked body, utterly helpless.

“…Didn’t something like this happen at the beach during summer break, too?” he muttered, as if trying to escape reality while he gazed up at the ceiling. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stay like this for long, since there was no telling when someone might stop by.

Ack! I’ve got to hurry before Ayano gets here!

Immediately, with no footsteps indicating someone’s approach, there was a knock at the door. It sent his heart into his throat.

“Pardon me…?” Outside the room, a new muffled voice asked but then trailed off.

“A-Ayano! Sorry! I’m a little—!”

…Masachika somehow managed to shoo Ayano away after that, and while the near-death experiences left him a mental wreck, he still managed to clean up and put everything back where it belonged.

By the time Maria finally woke up, she had no memory of everything that happened after her second piece of chocolate, leaving Masachika with a burden that would haunt him with regret and self-loathing whenever anything reminded him of that day.

Chapter 6. Cards

The day following Maria’s intoxicated escapade, the entire student council had assembled in their meeting room. Along the left edge of the elongated table—arranged from the doorway inward—sat Ayano, Yuki, Chisaki, then Touya, and across from them were Masachika, Alisa, Maria, and Tragical Girl Elena.

“Trick or treat!”

“Again, it’s November.”

After learning her lesson from yesterday’s debacle, Elena decided to hold the Field Day After-Party (Update 2.0) after making sure there was absolutely no alcohol in any of the food this time. Masachika couldn’t help but comment on her attire, since she was clearly fixated on Halloween for some reason. However, Elena—dressed like a magical girl, formerly just a tragical girl—just waved her wand.

“Give me a break. You’re wearing a costume, too.”

“Not by choice! I was forced to wear this after the handicraft club kidnapped me!”

After school, as Masachika approached the student council room, he was abruptly kidnapped by handicraft club members who forced him to don their creation. Now he sat garbed in clerical attire, which was adorned with some sort of unsettling, eyeball emblem. Clutched in his hand was a tome that looked more like a forbidden or heretical text than any holy scripture.

“And I’m positive you were the one who told them to do this, too, Elena.”

“Because it’s not fair that I have to be the only one feeling embarrassed all day!”

“How about not dragging others down with you every time you decide to embarrass yourself?!” Masachika protested.

“Oh, wow, Kuze… Are you sure you’re really in any kind of position to be saying that?”

Masachika did a complete one-eighty after Elena pierced him with a scathing look, reminding him that he was the one who made her into “the girl who stunk up the student council room with durian cake.” “What are you talking about? I love wearing costumes. Halloween’s awesome!”

“Did something happen between you two?” Maria asked.

“Nope. Nothing happened.”

Masachika hastily responded, keeping his gaze strictly ahead as Maria, who was dressed as a demon, tilted her head curiously. Again, his eyes remained locked forward! Determinedly, unwaveringly forward!

Because, in addition to everything that happened yesterday, Maria’s costume was designed to highlight her devilish figure, accentuating her curves, so Masachika couldn’t even bring himself to glance in her direction.

“Masachika…?”

Alisa also cast a dubious glance at him as he stubbornly faced forward. She was wearing a nun costume, likely chosen to create a matching aesthetic with Masachika, since they were running together, but that did little to ease his discomfort. There was hardly any fabric covering her shoulders and cleavage, and her skirt was so short that he could almost see her underwear. It was hard to tell if the designer was going for some sort of evil nun concept or if they were simply a pervert.

There’s absolutely nothing holy about that costume, thought Masachika, battling the urge to so much as peek.

Therefore, he decided to keep his eyes locked on the seat across from him, exiling his eyes from the paradise to his right.

“Anyway, it looks like they actually had a normal witch costume in the craft club.”

In Masachika’s direct line of sight sat Yuki, dressed in a witch’s costume. Her attire: a black dress, matching robe, and pointed hat—exuded an authentically witchy ambiance. It was difficult to look at Elena after seeing Yuki and not wonder, “How’d Elena end up looking like that?”

Beside Yuki was Ayano, dressed as either the witch’s familiar or perhaps simply a black cat (?). It was genuinely hard to tell, since she was only wearing a black dress with cat ears and a tail as accessories. She seemed more like a black cat that had been transformed into a human with magic, rather than just an ordinary black cat.

“…Yeah, they have witch costumes in that size…but if you want a costume in a size bigger…you start running into trouble,” Elena mumbled with a distant stare.

“What do you mean by ‘trouble’? I mean, you’re saying that they had other options besides your tragical girl costume?” asked Masachika, tilting his head.

“Stop calling this tragical! Besides, I told them that I wanted an ordinary witch costume, but the one in my size…has a slit that goes all the way up to my hips! So excuse me for going with this costume!”

“You sure that was actually a witch costume?”

Sounds more like a ‘bewitching’ costume. Heh, thought Masachika while Maria, who was sitting by Elena, started to nod.

“Oh, that? Yeah, I tried that one, too, but it was very revealing.”

“You tried it on?!”

“Yeah, but the others in the craft club said that it would be too dangerous if I wore it and that people would die, so they made me change into this!”

“…”

Just what kind of outrageous outfit was it? While curiosity nagged at him, had she arrived in such a costume, he would have most likely had flashbacks to yesterday’s events before becoming the costume’s first victim, so maybe it was a good thing she’d changed. Besides, what she was wearing now was provocative enough!

I mean, Elena’s boobs are practically spilling out of her costume right now, and that got a pass?

The fleeting thought flickered through Masachika’s mind, a dangerous distraction as he fought to keep his gaze averted. Though he kept teasing Elena about looking like a tragical girl, her costume was undeniably revealing, arguably showing the most cleavage out of everyone there. In fact, it was impossible not to wonder if her breasts would soon stage a dramatic escape from her costume with even the slightest jump. Regardless, the cringe-factor far outweighed the sexiness of her outfit as a whole (in Masachika’s personal opinion.)

“By the way, can we talk about their costumes while we’re at it?”

Masachika frowned while watching Touya and Chisaki take pictures of each other. After all, their costumes were clearly…different from everyone else’s…

“I don’t mean to be rude, but they’re a little…plain, I guess you could say?”

He deliberately used the word ‘plain’ to be nice, but to put it bluntly, their costumes were clearly lacking effort. Touya was wearing a headband with giant screws attached to both sides, and instead of his school uniform blazer, he was wearing a bulky coat. Meanwhile, Chisaki was simply wearing a bloodstained white coat over her uniform.

“Frankenstein…right?” Alisa observed, staring at the giant screws in Touya’s head and eliciting replies from both Maria and Yuki.

“And seeing that it’s a couples-themed costume…”

“Means that they are dressed like the monster and the scientist who created it.”

“Which makes her Frankenstein, then. This was way more confusing than it needed to be,” commented Masachika while looking at Chisaki.

“…? What do you mean?” asked Alisa, tilting her head.

“It’s a common misconception, but the monster with bolts in its head is actually a nameless creature, while the scientist that created it is Doctor Frankenstein.”

“Wait. Really?”

“By the way, the craft club apparently wasn’t able to kidnap Touya and Chisaki,” Elena chimed in.

“Simply not strong enough, huh?”

“Especially when they’re up against Chisaki. Whenever they get a little too physical, she ends up subduing them.”

“I can imagine that.”

So that was why they just discreetly draped a white coat over Chisaki before making a quick escape. It was almost comical to picture the attackers—who had boldly snatched up everyone else—sneaking around like petty thieves when it came to dealing with Touya and Chisaki.

“Apparently, she ended up taking out two of them for trying to ambush her.”

“You don’t think you could have gone a little easier on them, Vice President?”

Chisaki, who was taking pictures of Touya, raised an eyebrow at Masachika’s straight-faced comment.

“Hmm? No. They tried to sneak up on me from behind. You understand why I had to do it, right?”

“Can’t say I do, since most people can’t even sense people sneaking up on them.”

“At any rate, I can’t control my reflexes.”

“I’m going to make sure to not stand behind you from now on,” Masachika remarked with a shudder, realizing that his vice president was more dangerous than any assassin. Touya, on the other hand, nodded a few times in agreement with an almost nostalgic expression.

“When we first started dating, I tried to cover her eyes from behind because I wanted to be like, ‘Guess who?’ But she uppercut me right on the chin.”

“I don’t see how you stayed together after that.”

“I ended up knocking him out, so we had to reschedule our first date, too.”

“On your first date, to boot?”

“I’ve been getting her attention the normal way ever since…but I’m going to get her one day.”

“Touya…”

“I wish you the best!” Masachika said, his tone resigned as Chisaki fixed a strangely fervent gaze on her boyfriend, who seemed dead set on playing ‘Guess who?’ with her again.

“Anyway, is everyone about ready to get started?” asked Elena, holding a paper cup of juice in her hand.

After checking to make sure the others picked up their cups as well, Elena raised hers high into the air.

“Let’s toast to the safe and successful end of field day! Cheers!”

“““Cheers!”””

After tapping their cups together, everyone reached for the snacks in front of them when—

“Not so fast!” cried Elena, freezing everyone in their tracks. Everyone turned to her with curious expressions as she grinned and shook her head.

“Tut-tut. Did you honestly believe you were going to dig into these sweets just like that? You kids are so naive. This is like taking candy from a baby—pun intended.”

Elena was gesturing dramatically so…Masachika clapped his hands together and prepared to start eating anyway.

“Thanks for the sweets!”

“Hey! Listen to me when I’m talking!”

“Huh? Oh, I thought you just wanted us to thank you first.”

“I’m not trying to teach you manners like this is a children’s show!”

After making that blunt declaration with a straight face, Elena cleared her throat. A daring smile returned to her face as she stood, scanned the room, and thrust her hand forward with theatrical flair.

“You all will be playing a game where you bet your sweets to win! And you cannot refuse!”

“What kind of children’s show is this?”

“Do you think there’s going to be a clown? I mean, besides Elena.”

It was as if she were trying to make something extremely pleasant sound like a death game. However, Masachika’s deadpan retort and Yuki’s merciless comment crushed the “magical” girl’s heart.

“Yuki?! Am I hearing things, or did you say something really mean just now?!” Elena shrieked, taken aback by the quiet, yet vicious comment. However…

“Hmm, me? Whatever could you mean?”

Yuki faked a puzzled expression so naturally that Elena instinctively began to wonder if she really had been hearing things.

“What? Uh… The clown thing…”

“What clown thing??”

“Oh, um… Never mind.”

Yuki feigned ignorance with captivating finesse, leaving Elena bewildered before she decided to just drop it. Moments later, having collected herself, she dramatically thrust her hand forward once more.

“At any rate, you will be using these sweets as betting chips during our game—a mind game created by yours truly…”

Elena started to chuckle smugly until Masachika piped up.

“We’re not going to play mahjong with you.”

“Touya? What did you tell these young’uns?”

“All I told them was that almost immediately after I joined the student council, you cheated at mahjong and destroyed me. That’s all.”

“That’s everything! You told them everything!”

“Sure, but that’s a student council legend already…”

“And a bald-faced lie!”

“Really? Then why did I get beat so badly?”

“Now, the activity you will all be playing today is…”

“Elena?”

After ignoring Touya, Elena took a deep breath and paused before declaring:

“Trick or Treat Game.”

Everyone began exchanging confused glances.

“Trick or Treat Game? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“That’s because I made it up.”

“Seriously?”

It wasn’t clear if this would even function as a game. Nevertheless, Elena dismissed their concerns while taking out four cards from her bag, each displaying a meticulously crafted jack-o’-lantern on its back. Though they seemed homemade, they were quite well made, and laminated to boot.

Flipping them over, she revealed three cards marked “Treat” adorned with illustrations of sweets, while the fourth bore the word “Trick” alongside the illustration of a menacing demon. Elena then took out another set of the same cards and, holding four cards in each hand, began to explain the rules.

“Each one of you will compete one-on-one using four cards. First, you will decide who goes first by playing rock-paper-scissors. The player who goes first—the attacker—will select one of their four cards, then place it face down on the table, which we’ll call the field,” she explained, placing one of the four cards in her hand face down on the table.

“The defender then has two options: risk a sweet or don’t risk a sweet.”

“Sweets? You mean these…?” asked Masachika, glancing at the individually wrapped muffin, financier cake, and madeleine on the paper plate in front of him. Elena nodded.

“Precisely, my boy. You choose one sweet from these three and either play it or ignore your opponent’s attack. For now, let’s say you choose not to risk one of your sweets. Once you make your choice, your opponent then reveals the card they placed face down.”

Elena turned over the face-down card, revealing the word “Treat.”

“If the card is a Treat card, then you get to claim your opponent’s sweet if they decided to play it. If there is no sweet on the field, then the attack fails, and you have to remove the card you used from the game while your opponent gets a turn.”

Sliding the card with “Treat” written on it to the side, Elena then presented the card with “Trick” written on it.

“On the other hand, if it’s a Trick card, then the attack fails if there is a sweet on the field, and the sweet returns to your opponent’s hand. However, if there’s no sweet on the field, then the attack succeeds. The player who successfully tricks their opponent wins the game and gets to play a trick—or a prank on their opponent.”

“You sure we should be doing ‘pranks’ at school?” Masachika asked, since the word ‘prank’ had a dangerous ring to it.

“I’m sure the president of the disciplinary committee will step in if things get out of hand,” Elena replied, tipping her head toward Chisaki.

“Good point.”

Masachika nodded solemnly while watching Chisaki clench her fist as if to say, “Leave it to me.”

“To summarize, the attacker plays either a Trick card or a Treat card face down on the field. The defender, if they think it’s a Trick card, places a snack on the field. But if they think it’s a Treat card, they do nothing. This process repeats each turn, as the players switch between offense and defense, until both players have used all their cards. This is one round. Now, if there are no winners, both players will get all their cards back, the turn order will switch, and they will proceed on to round two. The players will then continue to repeat this process until someone wins.”

Everyone pondered the rules for a few moments until Yuki raised her hand.

“Is deceiving your opponent with a Trick card the only way to win?”

“Yep. Even if you run out of sweets, you can still win as long as you use a Trick card and fool your opponent.”

“I have another question. What happens to the sweets when someone wins?”

“The sweets stay wherever they are when someone wins, so whatever you have on your side, you keep, regardless of who wins. There’s no winner-takes-all rule here.”

“…Okay.”

Yuki nodded a few times as though she had no further questions, so Masachika asked one of his own.

“Each player only gets one Trick card, right? So once each player uses their Trick card, the remaining turns will essentially be a formality, right?”

“Yeah, so if that happens, we can just skip to the next round.”

“By the way, does the defender still get a turn if the attacker’s Trick card succeeds?”

“No. So there won’t be any draws.”

“All right.”

“H-huh? Hold on. How can I be the only one here still confused?” Maria wailed pitifully, scanning the room with desperate eyes. The rules remained a fog in her mind while everyone else seemed to clearly understand them. Not just Masachika and Yuki, but all the others seemed extremely confident, forcing another miserable cry from Maria’s throat.

“Huuuh?”

Even the expressionless Ayano and Chisaki—who had been nodding throughout the entire explanation—clearly grasped what eluded her. Convinced she alone was being left behind, Maria grew flustered and bizarrely began counting something on her trembling fingers.

“Wait, wait, wait. U-um… Okay. So… You have four cards: one Trick card and three Treat cards. The person who plays the Trick card and fools their opponent wins, right? So you have to block that Trick card with a sweet…but if your opponent plays a Treat card, then you’ll lose your sweet. So you should only place a sweet on the field when you think it’s a Trick card. On the other hand, the attacker needs to play the Trick card when they think their opponent won’t place a sweet on the field. You keep going back and forth like this, and once both players have used up their cards, you get all your cards back and start a new round.”

As if confirming each fact one by one, she folded down one finger at a time until every finger on both hands was curled—

“…?”

Maria tilted her head in bewilderment…as did Chisaki, despite having been confidently nodding the entire time.

Maria still doesn’t get it? And Chisaki was only pretending to understand the rules?!

Elena seemed to wince as she replied, “D-don’t worry. Just watch me play first, and it’ll all make sense. We’ll play in a one-on-one tournament format, and we’ll keep playing until someone wins! By the way, the winner gets…”

Elena grabbed the stem of the jack-o’-lantern positioned at the long table’s center and swiftly pulled it up. The top of the pumpkin sprang open, revealing a bright yellow pudding concealed within.

“This! Two kilograms worth of jumbo pumpkin pudding!”

“Ew. No thanks.”

“What do you mean ‘no thanks’?!”

Though Masachika inadvertently blurted out his honest opinion and got scolded by Elena, that still didn’t change the fact that he didn’t want it. It was simply way too much pudding. Even splitting the dessert eight ways with everyone here would still be pushing it.

Hold up. Actually, I can think of at least two people who could eat all that pudding. These two are unbelievable, thought Masachika, narrowing his gaze after noticing the sparkles in Alisa’s and Maria’s eyes. Even Ayano seemed excited.

Anyway, it all makes sense now. I was wondering why she texted me yesterday to ‘put that jack-o’-lantern in the fridge’.

He had thought the pumpkin was strangely heavy and noticed that the stem part was a lid, but he never imagined that it was packed with pudding. At most, he had expected some sort of assortment of sweets, even though he did wonder why the pumpkin didn’t make any noise when he tilted it.

“All right, let’s do the ladder lottery to decide pairs!”

“You really came prepared, huh?”

Masachika stared with a bitter expression at the ladder lottery already drawn on the whiteboard as they took turns choosing their line—

First preliminary match: Elena, the Tragical Girl vs. Masachika, the Heretical Priest.

“Looks like I’m officially the Tragical Girl now… Whatever.”

Elena looked at the battle pairings written on the whiteboard, her lips twisting into a grimace at Yuki’s choice of nicknames. Then, with a sigh, she composed herself, replacing the discomfort with a defiant smile directed at Masachika.

“Heh-heh-heh… I wasn’t expecting you to be my first opponent, kiddo. I feel bad for ya. I really do. Some people just have bad luck.”

“Yeah, I know. Unfortunately, I’m already one step closer to having to take that enormous pumpkin home.”

While casually exchanging verbal jabs, they moved to the couch seats where they sat down facing each other.

“Oh, and the rest of you need to sit somewhere where you can’t see our cards. It’s to prevent cheating, of course.”

The other six participants positioned chairs along either side of the couch table and settled themselves. Then, with a satisfied nod, Elena shot Masachika a provocative stare.

“Okay, then. You can go first. I did create the game, after all, so this should equal the playing field.”

“Are you sure? Because it sounds like you’re already making excuses to be a sore loser.”

“Ha-ha-ha. If I lose, I will lift up my skirt and admit defeat.”

“…Are you sure? I mean, I have absolutely no interest in seeing your underwear, but I’m going to make you do it if you lose.”

“Can you be any ruder?!”

She could get mad at Masachika as much as she wanted to, but he still wasn’t interested. After all, Elena’s rack looked like it was about to burst out of her costume, and yet, even he was surprised by how little he cared.

It’s strange. She’s really pretty…but I guess her personality just ruins it?

“Why do I get the feeling like you’re thinking something extremely rude right now?”

He scoffed at his mind reading opponent, and the action aggravated her so much, it made her cheek twitch.

“I’m going to make you cry!” she claimed, and smiled eerily.

“I wouldn’t cry even if you absolutely crushed me. Not sure we can say the same about you, though.”

Once they were done taunting each other, Masachika shifted his thinking, preparing himself for the impending battle.

There’s one thing we have to consider before anything else in this game.

What they needed to figure out was whether their opponent’s goal was to win the game or to get more sweets.

If it was the latter, the opponent’s strategy would be obvious. They wouldn’t offer any sweets and would repeatedly play the Treat card, purposefully throwing the match. That was all. And if the opponent intended to do that, then Masachika could easily win with a Trick card on the first move.

But there’s no way she’s going to do that—not after being taunted that much. She’s going to be coming at me with everything she’s got.

In truth, all their prior taunting had served to deduce each other’s strategy. If the opponent was purely intending to win, then using the Trick card on the first turn was quite risky. After all, if it didn’t work, they would be on the defensive for the remaining turns, but even if that weren’t the case, playing the Trick card on the first turn sacrificed the opportunity to get sweets that match.

In this game, sweets were like lives in video games, and they wouldn’t be able to defend against your opponent’s Trick card without any sweets. Therefore, while they could focus on simply winning the match, they also had to consider the fact that there was going to be multiple matches, so having more sweets would clearly help in the long run.

Of course, taking risks was how you could catch your opponent off guard, but I think I’m going to wait and see how things play out first.

After making that calm judgment, Masachika placed a Treat card face down on the table.

“Oh, you made up your mind…? Okay, I’ll risk one of my sweets,” revealed Elena, placing her financier on the paper plate that was in the middle of the table.

“Oh? You’re being quite cautious after talking such a big game. The round’s just started, and you’re already defending.”

“Because I want to study you first. Consider this sweet a sacrificial lamb,” she replied with a fearless grin. Masachika placed a hand on his face-down card, then— “Oh, we have to say ‘Trick or Treat’ while you turn over the card.”

“…”

Masachika jumped, startled by the slightly embarrassing request, yet decided to play along to help liven things up.

““Trick or Treat!””

As all eyes focused on them, the Treat card slammed onto the table, drawing oohs and aahs from the spectators while Masachika reached for Elena’s financier.

“Treat card. I’ll make sure to give your sweet a good home.”

“Enjoy.”

She maintained her composure, a relaxed smile playing across her face and prompting Masachika to raise an eyebrow before launching another verbal jab.

“Are you really sure you’re okay with this? You already lost one of your lives. Even if you win, you’re going to be put at a severe disadvantage during your next match.”

“Ha-ha-ha. Consider it a handicap. You guys’ll need it.”

He mentally narrowed his eyes behind his outward, provocative expression as Elena maintained her confident demeanor.

Now, what’s she going to do next…

She smirked confidently, but that only made Masachika more sure of himself.

“All right, looks like it’s my turn.”

Without a hint of hesitation, Elena slapped a card face down on the table.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to guard?”

“Nope.”

Elena blinked blanky for a few moments, clearly caught off guard by Masachika’s immediately reply.

“…Are you sure? You might lose already if you’re not careful?”

“But I’ll at least lose with four sweets.” Masachika shrugged, leaving Elena with a hint of disappointment as she reached for her overturned card.

“All right, you ready for this?” she taunted, grinning once more.

““Trick or Treat!!””

She flipped over the card—

“Ah!”

“…!”

“Oh!”

“Oh, my.”

With collective gasps from the student council members, the revealed card displayed a demonic symbol alongside the word “Trick.”

“Mwa-ha-ha! Sorry, buddy.” Elena sneered smugly, Trick card in hand—only for Masachika to swiftly snatch it from her grasp.

“Aaah!”

Elena’s jaw fell open in stunned surprise, mirroring the bewildered blinks of everyone but Yuki. As they watched intently, a thin, transparent film, clear except for the demon symbol and the word ‘Trick’ written on it, slipped off the card and fluttered onto the table. Masachika, meanwhile, grinned. He triumphantly clutched the Treat card that had been hidden beneath.

“What’s this?”

“Uh…! Um…”

“Was she cheating…?”

“Unbelievable…”

Shifting uncomfortably, Elena’s eyes darted about, deliberately evading the question until Chisaki and Touya’s penetrating stares pinned her in place. Alisa and Ayano, now grasping the situation, joined with their own frigid glares as well. Unable to bear their collective scrutiny any longer, Elena looked away.

“A-as the oldest one here, it is my duty to teach everyone that adults don’t play fair. Welcome to the real world, kiddos,” she mumbled.

“Stop pretending like you’re a real adult when you’re only eighteen,” Masachika demanded coldly before heaving a sigh.

“Haaah… I knew something was off. You were being way too smug. Looks like you went through a lot of trouble making a Treat card look like a Trick card with some transparent film. If I had risked one of my sweets, you would have slid the card to the edge of the table so that you could fling the film onto the ground while you flipped the card over, right?”

“Errr…”

“I’m sure you could have fooled a beginner, but unfortunately, you were up against me,” he declared, a triumphant grin on his lips as he slid the gimmick card across the table to Elena.

For Masachika, a self-proclaimed nerd who was perpetually prepared for whatever life-threatening death game might someday ensnare him, this level of deception was simply par for the course.

“Now, I think it’s time you kept your end of the deal.”

“Guh!”

Faced with Masachika’s chilling grin, Elena grabbed the hem of her skirt and stood up, despite being clearly nervous.

“Hmm… Do I really have to do it?”

Though Elena cast a pitiful glance up at him through her lashes, Masachika— gripping the eerie symbol hanging from his chest—replied with grave solemnity:

“Repent your sins and seek God’s forgiveness.”

“That’s rich coming from a heretical priest.”

“Excuse me? My god is willing to forgive you in exchange for one glimpse of a pair of panties. I will not tolerate such blasphemy!”

“You’re evil.”

“The Lord has spoken: ‘There are nutrients that can only be derived from the sight of a smug, beautiful girl’s face twisting in humiliation.’”

“You worship the devil!”

But Masachika immediately stopped the charade, instead glaring at Elena reproachfully.

“Yeah, yeah. Now, it’s time for you to honor the deal. Just be glad that we’re not confiscating all of your sweets. Don’t worry, Touya and I will look the other way.”

“Urgh…!!”

After Masachika exchanged a look with Touya, they both promptly turned around. Nevertheless, the prospect of lifting her skirt in front of her younger schoolmates was still utterly mortifying for Elena, putting her on the verge of tears.

“Hey, Elena? You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“Masha, she made a promise. She wants to set an example as the adult in the room, so we need to let her keep her word.”

“Gaaah!”

Maria, frowning and attempting to help, was immediately stopped by Yuki’s resolute, ladylike smile. Meanwhile, Alisa and Chisaki seemed utterly flabbergasted, yet their shared dislike for cheating kept them silent. Touya, despite feeling in debt to Elena for the kindness she’d showed him during his first year of high school, didn’t speak up in her defense. And as usual, Ayano was air.

Abandoned by her peers, Elena eventually sneered defiantly as though reaching some sort of internal resolution.

“Heh… Heh-heh… Sure… I used to be the vice president for a reason. Feast your eyes on my unwavering tenacity!”

With crimson cheeks and a bizarre smile, she swiftly lifted her skirt and declared:

“I-I am a pathetic loser who cheated and still disgracefully lost! Behold! I am human garbage!”

“She’s already been trained like a dog…”

Despite not even glancing in her direction, Masachika couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed by her confession. That was when it hit him.

“Is it okay if I do my prank now?” he muttered.

“You’re a monster…”

Masachika shrank back when his outrageous remark earned him cold, judging stares, not only from Touya but also the others as well.

Winner of the first preliminary match: Masachika, the Heretical Priest (won with four sweets), Prank: cold finger down Elena’s spine.

Second preliminary match: Chisaki, the Mad Scientist vs Maria, the Consecrated Demon.

“Ha-ha-ha! I am a loser… A pathetic loser…”

After casting a pitying glance at Elena, who was smiling vacantly in the corner of the student council room, Masachika shifted his gaze to the whiteboard.

“Why a consecrated demon?” he asked.

“She is sacred like the Holy Mother but dressed as a demon, so I went with Consecrated Demon.”

“Ah, very edgy. Nice.”

After his exchange with Yuki, Masachika fixed his eyes on the next match. Chisaki had the first move, so she took a card out from her pile, then carefully observed Maria’s reaction. However…

“I choose: do nothing.”

“…!”

Masachika was more than a little surprised by the unexpected first move—Maria had left herself completely defenseless. It seemed Masachika wasn’t the only one; Chisaki and the other spectators seemed genuinely caught off guard as well. And then…

““Trick or Treat!””

Chisaki’s flipped card was a Treat card, meaning Maria had successfully dodged her attack.

“All right, my turn!”

Chisaki now seemed a little more wary after Maria’s bold opening strategy, but after hesitating for a moment, she placed her madeleine in front of Maria’s card.

““Trick or Treat!””

Everyone watched with bated breath as Maria flipped over her card, revealing the word Treat and earning her Chisaki’s madeleine.

“Hurray!” the bubbly victor chirped innocently, securing her second consecutive win. Yet Masachika, brows furrowed in bewilderment, was still struggling to comprehend the surprising turn of events.

You’ve got to be kidding me. Could Maria actually be a good strategist…?

Observing Maria’s innocent smile, Masachika reassessed his initial judgment of her as a weak opponent. However, after the same pattern repeated itself for yet another around, a certain realization dawned on him.

Nah, she just wants more sweets!

Maria’s delighted smile over her five sweets sent Masachika’s recently elevated opinion of her crashing back down. Her expression revealed a simple truth: winning the game was secondary to acquiring the treats. This wasn’t about winning to her; it was a sugary heist. Chisaki, mirroring his realization, narrowed her eyes and casually laid down her next card, which Masachika instinctively knew was a Trick card.

I get it, though. If she’s not willing to give up any of her sweets, then you should just play the Trick card to win the round. I mean, you don’t really have any other option.

As he inwardly agreed with Chisaki’s strategy…

“I’ll guard! I’m going to use Chisaki’s muffin that I just got.”

“…?!”

Both Masachika’s and Chisaki’s eyes opened wide in astonishment.

What the…?! So she wasn’t just throwing the match so that she could keep all her sweets?! Was this all just an act to fool Chisaki into using her Trick card?!

Masachika’s heart pounded as Chisaki flipped her card, revealing—predictably—a Trick card, and effectively ending her offensive for the round. And to make matters worse…

This is bad… Not only does she only have one sweet left, but there are two more turns left. Chisaki’s only going to be able to defend against the Trick card once.

It might have seemed like the odds were simply fifty-fifty, but that actually wasn’t the case. Of course, if it was only about winning or losing, then it would be fifty-fifty. However…

There are two ways Chisaki can lose.

Essentially, Chisaki faced two possible outcomes: utter defeat—losing all her sweets—or a defeat with one sweet remaining. Therefore, to avoid total annihilation, her next move was clear: don’t guard. That would guarantee survival this round, which Chisaki likely understood, and yet…

“…I’ll guard!”

She understood all that, yet still chose to fight. That’s Chisaki for you.

She opted for a move that defied the expected—a gamble against playing it safe to avoid total annihilation. In other words, she still hadn’t given up trying to win in spite of the circumstances.

Maria flipped over her card, revealing—

“Treat. Sorry, Chisaki!”

Maria had incredibly pulled off three consecutive Treat cards in a row. Chisaki’s last sweet was passed to Maria, sealing Maria’s decisive victory.

Winner of the second preliminary match: Maria, the Consecrated Demon (won with six sweets), Prank: tickling Chisaki’s sides.

Third preliminary match: Touya, the Monster with a Name vs. Yuki, the Witch.

“Tsk…! Kill me…!”

Touya couldn’t help but find his girlfriend adorable as she gasped for air, her face flushed from laughing so much, before he shifted his focus to the whiteboard.

“Am I in the wrong for not liking my nickname?”

“Does it bother you? It was simply the first thing that came to mind…”

“…Eh, all right.”

After frowning at Yuki’s impenetrable smile, Touya looked down at his own hand.

Watching Chisaki play made me realize just how important these sweets are, Touya thought while keeping an eye on Yuki out of the corner of his eye. Just because I still have all three of mine, that doesn’t mean that I should start guarding willy-nilly. Having fewer sweets than your opponent starts to get to you until you’re mentally cornered, lose your cool, and begin to inch closer to defeat.

He analyzed the situation while staring at the three sweets in his arsenal, and then Yuki suddenly placed a card face-down on the table.

“After you, Mr. President.”

“All right…”

Though Touya hadn’t grasped the game as swiftly as Masachika, observing the previous matches had elevated his understanding nearly to Masachika’s level. He now recognized the two approaches: pursuing victory or accumulating sweets. While opening with a Trick card effectively served the latter strategy, it posed considerable risk for the former. But…

There’s no way she hasn’t realized all this already.

Touya came to realize something over the time he had spent in this student council. Even among this current assembly of exceptional students, Yuki and Masachika, who had been president and vice president of the student council in middle school, possessed razor-sharp intellects that stood out from the rest. Simply put, if Touya had realized something, then surely Yuki would have realized that very same thing sooner, and that was why…

She’s well aware of how risky it would be to use her Trick card first, so I’m not going to guard!

After coming to that decision, Touya shook his head.

“I’m not going to guard.”

“Oh, my. Are you sure? Very well…”

Maintaining her elegant smile, Yuki reached for her face-down card. And then…

““Trick or Treat!””

Yuki immediately flipped over the card…revealing her Trick card.

“Huh?!”

“Giggle. I apologize, but I win.”

Winner of the third round: Yuki, the Witch (won with three sweets), Prank: touching the lenses of Touya’s glasses.

“That’s seriously the most aggravating thing you could do to someone with glasses…”

“Giggle!”

Fourth Match: Alisa, the Apostate Saint vs. Ayano, the Familiar.

“Wow, Alisa’s nickname is really cool!”

“Yet another nickname that I’m sure edgelords would love.”

Alisa sat on the couch and watched Chisaki and Masachika’s exchange out of the corner of her eye.

“Let’s have a fair and fun match, Alisa.”

“Yes, let’s.”

After politely bowing to her opponent on the couch, Ayano took a seat—only to accidentally sit on her own tail, prompting her to lift her rear slightly to free it. Alisa couldn’t help but smile at the scene, but at the same time, she had arrived at a conclusion strikingly similar to Touya’s.

I need to hold onto as many sweets as I can. After all, the fewer sweets you have, the more likely it is that you’ll start to panic. Plus, there’s nothing more pathetic than losing all of your sweets, then losing the entire game. There’s no way I’m going to let that happen.

As an extremely competitive person, Alisa calmly analyzed the situation. But at the very same time…

More importantly, these look so good, and I know I’m not going to sleep well tonight if I don’t get to try all three! Alisa thought.

As someone who possessed an extraordinary weakness for sweets, she couldn’t simply ignore the possibilities. Nevertheless, following a gentle headshake, she sharpened her line of reasoning once more.

That being said, I can’t just throw the game and lose on my first turn. I feel bad for Touya, but that was pretty pathetic…

Combining all of these factors, Alisa came to a single conclusion.

I need to decide in advance what I’m going to do so that I don’t let pressure influence my decisions. I’ll guard during the first turn, then I won’t guard during the second turn!

And based on that decision, Alisa offered her madeleine to counter the card that Ayano had played.

““Trick or Treat!””

And just like that…

“Treat. I’ll be taking this sweet.”

“…! Yes, go ahead.”

Though a hint of regret welled within Alisa, this outcome fell well within her expectations, so she wasn’t shaken. It was her turn next.

Playing the Trick card on your first turn is too risky… Plus, if it works, that means I’ll never get to see my madeleine again.

Glancing at the madeleine that had been passed to Ayano, Alisa placed a Treat card face down.

“Go ahead, Ayano.”

“Okay.”

While masking her nervousness, she fixed her gaze on Ayano’s unchanging, expressionless face. But after several moments passed, Ayano put forward the madeleine she had just claimed from Alisa.

“I’m going to guard.”

“Okay. Then…”

Alisa reached for the card with a smirk.

““Trick or Treat!””

A satisfied smile spread across her face as she revealed the Treat card.

“Treat card. I will be taking my sweet back.”

“Okay.”

But even then, Ayano’s expression remained unchanged, which made Alisa uneasy. Nevertheless, she stuck to her plan.

‘Yesss! I got my sweet back. Now, it’s time to stick to the plan and end this!’—I bet that’s what Alisa’s thinking, Ayano determined.

Ayano calmly assessed the situation across from her fired-up opponent.

Alisa is very competitive, but she also has a sweet tooth, so she’s probably trying to win without losing any sweets. That being said, she doesn’t want to lose during the first turn without even putting up a fight, which is why she guarded. Therefore, if I simply let her have her cake back, then…

“I do nothing,” Alisa announced.

Alisa will take a risk.

Ayano reached for her face-down card with a blank expression as Alisa watched, brimming with confidence.

““Trick or Treat!””

And when Alisa saw the card flipped over…

“Huh?!”

Her expression was overcome with utter astonishment.

“…Trick card. It looks like I win.”

Winner of the fourth preliminary match: Ayano, the Familiar (won with three sweets), Prank: blowing into Alisa’s ear.

First semifinal match: Masachika, the Heretical Priest vs. Maria, the Consecrated Demon.

“Mn…” Alisa grumbled.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m just frustrated… Where did I go wrong?”

“Hmm… Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ll avenge you.”

Masachika braced himself for battle while Alisa cupped her defiled ear, clearly frustrated.

This is where the real fight begins. His opponent was Maria, the victor of the first match who had decisively defeated Chisaki. Whether her victory was calculated or pure luck remained uncertain, but it was that unknown element which undeniably made her a formidable opponent. She has two more sweets than me, too… Even though I’d only have to steal one of hers to close the gap, the fact that she has six feels like a huge threat…

Masachika analyzed the situation as he approached the couch, then leveled a serious gaze at his opponent sitting across from him.

Oh, gosh. I just remembered what happened yesterday.

He swiftly looked away from Maria, focusing on his cards and surveying how many sweets they each had.

I have four sweets, and Masha has…six…? Wait, hmm? Am I seeing things? Masachika wondered, blinking a few times before confirming she truly only had three, not six, sweets remaining, so he looked up at her with a puzzled expression—

“…Giggle.♪ I ate them.”

“You ate them, huh?”

Volume 1: I can’t believe my election partner’s sister actually ate a few of her lives while waiting.

“Masha…”

“I mean, it’s not against the rules, but still…”

“I feel like you can be a little too free-spirited sometimes…”

Alisa pressed her palm against her forehead as though suffering a migraine, Elena wore an expression of disbelief, and Chisaki’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Come on… Can you blame me? They all just looked sooo yummy,” Maria chirped in response to their exasperated stares. In an instant, the room’s tension evaporated, dissolving Masachika’s once intense concentration completely.

I genuinely cannot tell if she’s taking this seriously or not.

Masachika had absolutely no idea if she even intended on playing to win anymore, so he simply grabbed his cards.

“All right, ready? Rock, paper, scissors…”

““Shoot.””

Almost unconsciously realizing that his opponent was going to choose rock, Masachika threw paper, then let out a brief sigh, shifting his eyes to the four cards in his hand.

All right, I’m just going to throw out my Trick guard and see how she reacts. I need to see if she defended against Chisaki’s Trick card on purpose or due to sheer luck. Fortunately, I have enough sweets to just defend for the rest of the round.

Masachika’s drive to devise complex strategies had faded, and instead, he opted for simplicity, laying his Trick card face down on the table.

“You’re up, Masha.”

Masachika prompted Maria to make a move, deliberately keeping his gaze locked on his cards to prevent her from reading his face—and to avoid having to look at her directly.

“Hmm… I’m not going to guard.”

What the…?!

Her play nearly caused his eyebrow to twitch, so he snuck a glance upward, only to see her smiling like her usual self.

Uh…? So all of that was just a coincidence earlier? I’m so confused…

Hiding his puzzlement, Masachika reached for his face-down card.

““Trick or Treat!””

The Trick card worked with surprising ease. Almost instantly, Maria leapt from her seat to Chisaki’s side, wrapping her arms around her for comfort.

“Awww.Chisaki, I lost…”

“Oh, wow. That’s too bad.”

“Yeah… Oh! Here, you can have your sweets back.”

Maria glanced meaningfully toward her three remaining sweets, and Masachika’s eyes widened when he finally realized what was going on.

Don’t tell me this was her plan all along?! Had she never intended to defeat Masachika from the very beginning? Was her decision to leave herself unguarded a deliberate ploy to return Chisaki’s sweets? It was hard to tell how much of this was calculated and how much of it was just her being naturally scatterbrained. I know I won, but I don’t feel like a winner…

Masachika truly felt conflicted as he watched Maria shove her remaining sweets into Chisaki’s hands.

Winner of the first semifinal match: Masachika, the Heretical Priest (won with four sweets), Prank: clapping hands in front of Maria’s face.

“Bro… You look absolutely flustered.”

“Shut up.”

Second semifinal match: Yuki, the Witch vs. Ayano, the Familiar.

“Giggle. No need to go easy on me, Ayano.”

“I will approach this challenge with the hope that I can learn from your expertise.”

Masachika observed with keen interest as the master and her maid squared off, the air electric with anticipation for this long-awaited confrontation between the two girls.

Now, this… This should be interesting, he thought.

In the tense standoff each contender was armed with three sweets. Of course, Yuki held the strategic edge in mental warfare. However, Ayano also possessed an uncanny ability to read her master’s thoughts. Could Yuki devise a plan to fool her maid, or would Ayano see through it?

With bated breath, Masachika watched Yuki win their rock-paper-scissors match before she calmly placed her hand of cards face down, shuffled them haphazardly, and then lined them up in a row on the table. Once she was all set up, she smiled at Ayano.

“Giggle. I have no intention of engaging in mind games with you, Ayano. From here on out, I plan on keeping my cards face down and choosing at random.”

Yuki sounded like she was going to leave everything to chance, since Ayano was going to be able to read her like an open book. But Masachika could tell.

She’s lying.

While it appeared that she had shuffled them randomly at first glance, Masachika guessed that Yuki actually knew the precise location of the Trick card. In other words, she was bluffing—her casual demeanor merely designed to discourage Ayano from trying to read her, allowing Yuki to use the Trick card at the exact moment it would prove most devastating.

Whether this will work on Ayano is a different story.

Even Masachika struggled to decipher his childhood friend’s thoughts behind her impassive facade, yet instinctively he felt that if he managed to figure out Yuki’s strategy, then Ayano must have as well—a suspicion seemingly confirmed when the match extended beyond the first round, with both players guarding twice, perfectly defending against each other’s Trick cards, and thus making this the first match to require a second round.

“Giggle. I am impressed, Ayano. You are reading my every move.”

“Getting to face you in battle is truly an honor.”

As the spectators buzzed with excitement over the heated contest, the second round commenced with Yuki deciding not to defend, allowing her to successfully evade Ayano’s Treat card. Now, it was Yuki’s turn.

However, just when the audience expected her to shuffle and arrange her cards on the table once more…

“I truly wish I did not have to do this…but…”

“…?”

Yuki smirked at her seemingly baffled opponent.

“Hey, Ayano? Do you know what the most effective approach is when facing someone who can essentially read your mind?”

“…No.”

Ayano shook her head, and Yuki’s smirk became more pronounced.

“You come prepared with two minds.”

Each spectator tilted their head as if they couldn’t even comprehend what Yuki was getting at.

Uh-oh…

As a bad feeling twisted in Masachika’s gut and his cheek began to twitch…

______Angel Mode…

Yuki then silently chanted:

“Activate. ☆”

Yuki’s expression went blank for a moment…before transforming into a deceptively sweet, innocent smile.

“All riiight! Looks like it’s my turn next!”

“““—?!”””

Yuki’s abrupt transformation stunned her peers, save Masachika and Ayano, though even the typically expressionless maid couldn’t hide the subtle tremble of her shoulders while Yuki selected a single card from her hand.

“Okay, I’m gonna go with this demon card!”

“Th-that’s not going to work on me,” Ayano stuttered, her eyes wandering for a few moments until she eventually placed her madeleine on the plate in front of her. And just like that…

““Trick or Treat!””

The card was turned over…revealing a Treat card.

“Heh-heh. ♪ Gotcha! Thanks for the sweet.”

Yuki, sticking out her tongue playfully like a mischievous child, snatched Ayano’s madeleine amid the excitement in the student council room. The usually composed maid was clearly rattled, causing her to hastily play her Trick card on her next turn, only to fail miserably. She was helpless against another Treat card after that, and with only one sweet remaining, she ended up blowing her final chance as well, losing the entire match in one fell swoop.

“Hurray, I win. ♪”

Chisaki appeared utterly bewildered as Yuki celebrated like a child in her witch costume.

“Y-Yuki, are you okay? Do you need a reset?”

“She’s fine. She basically hypnotized herself into thinking she was a kid again.”

“Is that…safe…?”

Ignoring the others’ worried gazes, Masachika marched up to Yuki, seized her shoulders, and gave her a good shaking.

“Time to wake up, Yuki.”

“…Oh, thank you, Masachika.”

“““Is she okay??”””

Winner of the second semifinal match: Yuki, the Witch (won with five sweets), Prank: tickling Ayano until she cracked a smile.

“Hff… Hff…”

“These pranks are showing how rotten you truly are.”

“Oh, my. Really? Giggle.”

Final match: Masachika, the Heretical Priest vs. Yuki, the Witch.

“Looks like it’s you and me.”

“Yes, I had a feeling it would end up this way.”

Masachika shrugged while Yuki smiled, confidently holding her hand out as the others watched.

“At any rate, go ahead. You can go first. I do have more sweets, after all.”

“Oh? Are you sure?”

“I am absolutely positive. Otherwise, we would simply reach a stalemate, playing rock-paper-scissors all day to merely determine who goes first,” she said, pausing for a moment before her lips curled provocatively.

“Furthermore, I highly doubt we will be able to finish this in a single round, so there is no time to waste.”

“Ha-ha-ha. Yeah, good point.”

Masachika fearlessly grinned back…commencing the battle of the siblings…

And before long, it was round six.

“Giggle. This feels almost endless.”

“I’m not surprised. You’re free to give up if you’re feeling tired, though.”

“Oh, my. I would never. However, I feel like we should do something to speed things up. How about this? From now on, you are only allowed to guard once per round.”

Yuki’s suggestion caused a ripple of surprise among the audience. Masachika, however, remained unfazed, simply nodding and smiling in agreement.

“You’re on. I was just about to suggest the same thing.”

“Very well, then.”

And so, the game resumed under the self-imposed rules…and before long, it was the tenth round.

“Come on! This is taking waaay too long!” Elena shouted, as if she couldn’t take it any longer.

“I’m impressed that they can read each other’s every move…” Chisaki muttered half in admiration, half in exasperation.

After noticing that the once excited audience was starting to get bored, Masachika made a suggestion.

“We’re taking too long. What do you say, Yuki? How about we get rid of the guard restriction and instead speed things up by limiting our turns to five seconds each?”

“Giggle. Sure.”

“They’re starting to talk like professional shogi players now…”

As Elena grew more exhausted, they started the next round with a new set of rules…and before long, it was round thirteen. And then, the game was over.

“Trick card. It looks like I win.”

Winner of the final match: Yuki, the Witch (won the tournament with three sweets).

“Congratulations.”

Masachika, who had managed to steal two sweets but somehow failed to defend, clapped alongside the others.

“Did you lose on purpose?” asked Yuki, wearing a seemingly fake smile.

“No way,” Masachika replied almost unnaturally quickly with a nonchalant expression as he averted his gaze. Yuki’s smile broadened as Masachika handed one sweet that he had won from Elena back to her and offered the other, which he had claimed from Yuki, to Ayano.

“Here, you can have this back.”

“Really?!”

“Why…?”

“I mean, Masha gave Chisaki her sweets back, so if I do this, then we all have three snacks each.”

Elena immediately started to check how many sweets everyone else had.

“Show-off,” Yuki said somewhat sarcastically.

“I’m simply copying someone I respect.” Masachika shrugged as Yuki circled around the table with a smile before taking a seat next to her brother.

“Oh, right. I still need to do my prank.”

She suddenly leaned forward, bringing her lips closer to Masachika’s ear.

“What? Are you going to blow into my—”

“AH!!”

“Whoa?! What the…?!”

The unexpected scream nearly sent Masachika flying off the couch, so he glared up at Yuki, his ear still ringing.

“Tsk. I’m going to hand your butt over to the inquisition, you filthy witch.”

“Ho-ho-ho! I would like to see you try, devil worshipper.”

The siblings exchanged forced smiles, tension crackling in the air, until Elena covered the right side of her face with her right hand and let out a mischievous cackle.

“Heh-heh-heh… So you defied the game master’s intent, sharing the sweets instead of fighting over them. I’m impressed, Kuze.”

“Does anyone know this girl?”

“Isn’t she the one who admitted she was a pathetic loser to everyone earlier?”

“Guh!”

Masachika’s and Chisaki’s sharp words struck Elena like a dagger, making her clutch her chest and stagger, but she almost immediately regained her composure, grinning fearlessly.

“Heh… Heh-heh… It looks like I have to reward you for going above and beyond my expectations… Very well.”

Elena placed the jack-o’-lantern down on the table with a thud and loudly declared:

“The jumbo pumpkin pudding shall be split between Yuki and Kuze!”

As Elena thrust her hands forward to present it, Masachika and Yuki simultaneously replied:

““Ew. No thanks.””

“What do you mean ‘no thanks’?!”

______In the end, the massive pumpkin pudding was evenly shared among all eight of them…with nearly forty percent of it vanishing into the stomachs of the Kujou sisters.

Chapter 7. Music

The day after the Halloween party, Masachika headed to the music room to honor his commitment to Elena, since he had agreed to play piano for her brass band’s concert in return for her support during the Run. Therefore, starting today, he would be joining their practice sessions, whenever he didn’t have student council responsibilities to tend to.

“It’s not like all songs have piano parts, and I’m sure someone with your skills will be fine if you miss out on a few practice sessions.”

Masachika couldn’t help but feel his stomach twist as he reflected on his schoolmate’s puzzling confidence in him.

With my skills? I haven’t really practiced piano in years, so I’m extremely rusty… I don’t even have a piano, so it’s not like I can practice at home, either… I’ve been practicing on my air piano, but that’s about it.

The burden of anticipation bore down on him, each step toward the music room leaden with reluctance. Yet even at this plodding pace, he would still reach his destination eventually. Pausing before the first music room’s entrance, Masachika took in a deep breath, steeling his resolve before opening the door.

“Hey—”

“Welcome to my harem!”

“Is that really how you should be introducing your club?” he jested as Elena welcomed him with open arms. Elena, however, proudly puffed out her chest.

“Heh! It’s not a problem at all! I mean, it’s the truth, after all! Right, guys?” asked Elena as she sharply turned around, making sure every member of the brass band was nodding.

“Hi.”

“So right of you to say that.”

“Oohoohoo.”

Each one wore a beautiful smile with textbook-perfect manners, reminding Masachika of something Elena once told him.

“Everyone at school is either a gentleman or gentlewoman who ignores my jokes, or they’re just really quirky, which forces me to play the straight man. It’s rare for me to find someone that I can freely goof off with like you.”

So these are the gentlemen and women that politely ignore her jokes.

Looking around, Masachika saw that the brass band, which was roughly eighty-percent female, consisted almost entirely of members who looked like they came from wealthy families. Put simply, they were all gentlewomen, much like Yuki’s public persona at school.

Tough audience, to say the least…

Masachika sympathized with Elena, since it must have been difficult for her to have her brilliant attempts at humor always ignored with such grace. However…

“See? I told you I had a harem!”

“Wow, you’re a real man.”

Elena turned around with a big smile and gave Masachika a big thumbs-up, leaving him both dumbfounded and impressed at the same time. Hands planted firmly on her hips, she broke into hearty laughter.

“Ha-ha-ha. Well, you’ve got to be a real man if you want a harem like me. Right, guys?”

“Hi.”

“So right of you to say that.”

“Oohoohoo.”

“I feel like they’re not even listening to what you’re saying. Anyway, this bit’s getting old, so—”

“It’s not a bit!”

“All right, this ‘character’ is getting old, then.”

“Shut up! I have to play a character to get out of bed and out of the house every day!”

“That’s… I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t apologize. I was kidding. I’ve always been a little eccentric and more than a little lewd. ☆”

Elena struck a pose with a dazzling smile, her commitment to the bit impressing even Masachika. It also made him realize that the heavy tension he had felt before arriving had completely vanished as he bowed.

“I get it. You’re trying to lighten the mood so that I can fit in more easily, right? Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me!”

“Why?!”

“Stop being so formal and polite! We talk how we want in this club, and we don’t care about power dynamics. We all treat each other as equals in this club, right?”

“Hi.”

“So right of you to say that.”

“Oohoohoo.”

“Are they bots?”

He shifted his focus toward the club members who had been repeating the same lines since he’d arrived, but all he saw were their impenetrable smiles. It was actually starting to get a little scary.

Then again, they are really quirky in a way…

On closer inspection, Masachika realized that only three members had been doing all the talking while the rest just sat there, smiling in silence. Therefore, for the time being, he decided to mentally refer to these three as “Hi,” “So,” and “Oohoohoo” for the time being.

“Anyway, once again, this is Masachika Kuze, and he will be playing piano for us during our performance in December, so let’s give him a warm round of applause!”

When Elena initiated the applause, every brass band member joined in. There was no trace of suspicion or hostility toward outsiders—only genuine welcome radiated from them. Masachika felt relieved…yet simultaneously, the weight in his stomach grew heavier as he realized just how much they expected from him.

“All right, then! Let’s introduce ourselves. Of course, it would take forever to do everyone, so let’s just have the representatives for each grade for now. The rest of you can find time during break to individually introduce yourselves to him later. Is that okay?”

“Oh yeah. Sure.”

“All righty, then. Get to it, ladies!”

After Masachika nodded, Elena did some sort of bizarre hand gesture, drawing three female students forward—the very same trio that had been parroting the same lines the entire time.

Of course, it’s Hi, So, and Oohoohoo.

Masachika felt a little awkward, since he had just given each one of them nicknames in his head. Nevertheless, the three female students began to introduce themselves, oblivious to his secret.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Haitani. I’m a third-year student, and the vice president of the club. I play the clarinet.”

Her name is literally Hi…

“Nice to meet you. I’m Souma, and I’m a second-year student. I play percussion instruments.”

Her name is literally So…

“Nice to meet you, Masachika Kuze. I’m Arai, and I’m in Class A. I play the flute.”

Ah, so close. She’s not an Oohoohoo. She’s an Ara ara.

Masachika mentally punched himself, expelling the absurd thoughts from his consciousness, then put on a serious expression and bowed.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Masachika Kuze. I know I will only be working with you all for a little over a month, but I hope that we can—”

“Come on! Stop being so formal!” Elena cut in, flinging her arms upward as she positioned herself between Masachika and the trio of girls. She then leveled a penetrating glare at the startled temporary pianist.

“Have you been listening to anything I’ve said?! I told you that we don’t do this polite, formal stuff around here. We say what’s on our mind here as equals.”

“Sure, but it’s my first day here, and everyone is being so polite to me, so—”

“They’re polite to anyone! But this is how they usually are! So I want you to be who you usually are and act around them the same way you act around me!”

“Uh-huh… Your president seems to have a lot of opinions on the subject, but are you guys okay with that?”

“Hi.”

“So right of you to ask us that. We are totally okay with that.”

“Oohoohoo.”

After getting permission (?) from the three girls, Masachika relaxed his shoulders a little while Elena, wearing a satisfied smile, placed her hand on his shoulder.

“All right, then. So…can you play something for us?”

“Huh?”

“Consider it your way of introducing yourself to us. Everyone wants to hear him play, right?”

A chorus of excited nods, not just from the trio but from every expectant gaze in the room, pressured Masachika to agree.

“Okay… Just one piano piece, right?”

Their soft cheers filled the room while Masachika, battling a facial twitch brought on by the sheer innocence of their expectations, settled in front of the piano.

Hmm… I definitely wasn’t expecting to play a solo piece today… What should I play?

The concert’s set list, which Elena had shared with Masachika in advance, included a variety of compositions, from famous orchestral pieces to recently popular J-POP tunes, and even the theme song of a blockbuster animated film. As Masachika mentally went through the list, he decided to start with the anime theme song, figuring it would be good for getting everyone pumped up. After lightly humming the tune and tapping his fingers on his thigh, he placed his hands on the keys—

Huh? Why am I even playing piano? His fingers froze. Why should he play? For whose sake was he playing? That was, of course, for Elena and…for the brass band.

But why?

That was when it hit him.

Oh, right. I have absolutely no personal reason to play the piano.

Masachika lacked any real drive to play for them. Even though he’d promised to perform, that wasn’t enough motivation. Maybe that was why…his fingers refused to move.

Wait, wait, wait. Who cares if I don’t have a personal reason to play. I don’t need motivation. I just need to play…

Yet, his fingers still wouldn’t move. The keys before him seemed to blur, and in the back of his mind, his mother’s hateful glare burned vividly—those piercing, contemptuous eyes.

H-huh? Where is C on the piano again? Where do I even start…?

A ringing filled his ears as his consciousness was slowly dragged into the memories of that day—

“Oh, right.”

Elena’s voice yanked Masachika back to reality, his fingers still frozen on the keys. He looked up to find his schoolmate with a hand on her forehead, gently shaking her head.

“Where are my manners? We should play for you before we can ask you to play for us. We need to show you how we play so that you can match our style.”

“Elena…”

After putting on a show of being forgetful, Elena turned around to face the other brass band members.

“So today, let’s help Kuze get to know us! Kuze, you just sit right over there and watch, okay?”

Masachika hesitantly settled into a chair by the wall while the others, though a bit baffled by the sudden change of plans, obediently followed Elena’s lead and got into position.

“Okay, guys. Don’t worry about him. Just play like you normally do. Now, could we have our lovely instructor come help us? Ahem.”

“Nnng!”

A woman, who had been fast asleep in a chair by the window, jolted awake.

I figured she was the club’s supervisor. Elena didn’t even bring her up once, so I wasn’t paying any attention to her, but…

The club supervisor had been sleeping with her head resting against the wall since Masachika arrived. At first glance, she appeared to be in her thirties. She stood up while rubbing the back of her neck and looking around for her baton.

“Uh… Yeah, I’m ready. I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t sleeping at all.”

“You were obviously sleeping.”

“Nope. Isn’t that right?”

“Hi.”

“So right of you to say that.”

“Oohoohoo.”

“Guys, don’t baby her just because she’s our teacher.”

“Hi.”

“So right of you to say that.”

“Oohoohoo.”

The brass band members smiled as if this were commonplace while Masachika watched the woman suppress a yawn as she rummaged around for her baton.

Wait… Is she really the club supervisor? I mean, I’ve never seen her at school before… Oh, maybe the school hires her part-time to do this?

He continued to rack his brain until the woman, her baton in hand, shot him a quizzical stare.

“Hmm? Do we have a visitor today? During this time of the year?”

“Really? I told you about him. That’s the pianist that I scouted. Remember?”

“Did we talk about that? Hmm…”

The woman’s brow furrowed as she frowned slightly. Masachika nodded his head, but before he could react, she shifted her gaze back to the club members. And the instant her baton rose, the previously tranquil music room crackled with tension.

“…!”

The charged atmosphere made Masachika sit straight up…and then the baton fell, unleashing a wave of sound that crashed over him.

Whoa…!

Listening to a performance with this many musicians, in a room of this size, at this distance—the power was on a completely different level from the performances Masachika had heard in concert halls. It was to the point that it was both otherworldly and overwhelming.

Th-this is incredible… Elena looks so cool right now…

A vivid, bright melody stood out among the perfect harmony. It was the sound of Elena’s trumpet.

Incredible…!

He closed his eyes, immersing himself in the overwhelming sonic brilliance, a dazzling shower of music. When the final note faded, he couldn’t help but applaud. Delighted expressions, including Elena’s, could be seen here and there, only to be replaced by serious focus the instant their teacher raised her baton once more. These were, without a doubt, people who were passionate about music.

Whoa… This is really cool.

He truly felt that way. But at the very same time…

Am I going to be able to fit in? With these people? Me, the guy whose music steals joy from every ear? The guy who doesn’t have an ounce of passion for music? The guy who cannot let go of the past?

“…”

He felt out of place.

That was how he felt while he listened to the brass band’s performance.

“All right, that should do it for today. Go home.”

“““Thank you very much!”””

The instant the bell rang signaling the end of club activities, the woman who had been conducting immediately gathered her belongings and left the room as if she were utterly exhausted. In a way, Masachika couldn’t help but admire her complete lack of interest in unpaid overtime, staying only as long as she was contractually obligated to.

“…She really is something else, huh?”

“Ha-ha-ha. Totally unexpected, right? She’s actually a pretty famous musician, though. Oh, Ms. Susume actually graduated from here too, by the way.”

“That’s not a name you hear often, huh?”

“Right? …So, what’d you think?” asked Elena.

“That was incredible. I’ve never listened to a brass band performance that up close before, and I was blown away,” Masachika replied, giving his unreserved praise.

“Heh. Right? Our club’s pretty stinkin’ good if I do say so myself.”

Masachika bowed to Elena as she proudly puffed out her chest.

“Anyway…I just wanted to say thanks. You saved me.”

“Hmm? Oh…”

After a brief pause, Elena seemed to realize that he was talking about when he froze at the piano.

“I did that because I was worried that I’d done something to bother you. Anyway, I’m glad it helped.”

“You saved me. I mean it.”

“Hmm…” Elena glanced briefly at the club members behind her before asking Masachika in a low voice, “So do you think you’ll be ready to play by our next practice session?”

Masachika nodded back, directing a grateful look her way for not probing him for details.

“I mean…yeah. I think I’ll be fine…but that thing earlier…” Masachika fell silent for a brief moment before continuing. “I just had no idea why I was playing piano… Like, what’s the point?”

He was overcome with embarrassment as soon as the words left his mouth. Elena, however, simply blinked in mild surprise before crouching down in front of Masachika, nodding empathetically.

“Oh, you’re the kind of person who needs a reason to play, huh? Music isn’t a goal to you. It’s a means to an end, huh?”

Elena’s unexpected understanding startled Masachika. He felt as if she’d spoken directly to his soul.

Music was just a means to an end. She was right. For Masachika, the piano had only been a means to make his family—to make the people he loved—happy. He only ever played because it made his mother and sister happy. In fact, he probably had never played piano simply for the sake of making music, not even once.

“…The brass band club obviously doesn’t need someone like me here, right?”

The cynical, self-deprecating words slipped off his tongue. Though he regretted them immediately, Elena merely raised her eyebrows.

“Hmm? I don’t see why you think this is an issue,” she responded.

Elena’s casual reply caught Masachika completely off guard.

“Motivation varies from person to person. I personally think it’s all about having fun, but other people might pour all their passion into winning competitions and whatnot.”

“Yeah…”

After giving her that ambiguous response, a particular question sprang to his mind.

“But…why did you ask me to play piano for your performance? If it’s all about having fun to you, then I feel like you could have asked just about anyone to play for you.”

“Hmm? Because…I felt like I could create something musically unique with you… Sorry, that came out a bit too pretentious. Let me rephrase that.” She immediately corrected herself, tilted her head, and continued, “Put simply, the moment I heard you play piano, I was like, ‘I would love to perform with a piano accompanist like this.’ That’s basically it.”

Elena looked up bashfully at Masachika and added, “So…just be yourself and do whatever feels right, because that’s what I’m going to do. Don’t overthink it and tense up. Just play the way you want to. Though, I guess that’s probably easier said than done.”

She stood up, proudly puffed out her chest, and smugly made a suggestion.

“But it’s called ‘playing’ music for a reason—because it’s meant to be fun.”

“…”

“Uh… You were just thinking how that sounded sooo corny, weren’t you?”

“…Yeah.”

“Oh, shut up! Sorry for not being able to come up with something cooler on the spot!”

Masachika flashed a strained grin as he hurriedly fled from his livid schoolmate, swallowing the one question that had been on his mind: Music is supposed to be fun?

“Anyway, I’ll see you guys later.”

“Yeah, see you next week.”

After exchanging farewells with Elena and the rest of the brass band, Masachika retired from the first music room, but the moment he closed the door, he glanced down the hallway and noticed a male student with his arms crossed leaning against the door. Masachika instantly averted his gaze, feigning obliviousness as he attempted to stride past, but of course, life was never that easy.

“So you really are helping out the brass band club, Kuze.”

“What are you doing here? You have way too much free time,” Masachika complained, side-eyeing Yuushou since he was too uninterested to even face him. Yuushou, however, shrugged in an unnecessarily pretentious manner.

“Yes, because my club lost over half of its members thanks to a certain someone. So while I don’t have too much free time, I do have a little more time than usual.”

“Yeah, thanks to you for what you did. Anyway, unlike you, I’m busy, so bye.”

Just as Masachika was about to leave, Yuushou started to say something when a nearby door swung open, revealing a familiar figure.

“Whoa. Not every day I see you two together.”

“Nonoa…”

Seeing Nonoa coming out of the second music room reminded Masachika that they had band practice today, so he took a peek behind her and spotted Sayaka, who was evidently there to watch.

“Finished with band practice already?”

“Yeah, we’re just gonna clean up and chat for a bit before heading home now.”

“Nice.”

Curious to see how Yuushou was reacting to Nonoa, Masachika spun around, only to find an empty space where his schoolmate had been standing.

“Hmm…?”

“Like, Yuushou left the instant I got here? He hates me, if that wasn’t totally obvious.”

“Oh… I wonder what he wanted,” Masachika muttered, a hint of awkwardness creeping into his voice as he stood before the girl who insisted she was despised.

“No clue. Probably came to listen to you play piano,” she replied.

“What? No way…”

Masachika opened his mouth to refute her claim, but he promptly stopped himself, realizing that maybe she was right, and that scared him for some reason.

Wait. Hold up. Is he obsessed with me now? Because that would be really annoying…

He frowned at the thought of some guy being overly interested in him, especially one that he didn’t particularly like at all. He shook his head, dispelling the thought, when he remembered he had something to tell Nonoa.

“Oh, hey. I heard you brought Alya to the nurse’s office the other day? So I just wanted to say thanks.”

Nonoa tilted her head in bewilderment for a few moments until it hit her.

“Oh, that? Don’t mention it. She wasn’t lookin’ so hot, so I just dropped her off.”

“Really? Well… I appreciate it. By the way…” After looking around cautiously, Masachika lowered his voice and asked, “…do you know why she wasn’t feeling good?”

Though Alisa had kept the exact cause to herself, Masachika deduced from her story that someone had said something unpleasant to her regarding her election campaign. In fact, he had already heard that some of Yuki’s fervent fans had been harshly criticizing Alisa after Yuki bested her during the Run. Fans like that had previously branded Masachika a traitor for not partnering with Yuki anymore, making obnoxious comments about him whenever they could, but he had chosen to ignore them because he understood their perspective. But this…

If someone was so mean to Alya that she couldn’t get out of bed…then they’re going to pay.

He waited for her response, simmering with rage…but Nonoa just shook her head.

“Sorry, but she was already pretty depressed when I found her, so, like, I have no clue what happened to her?”

“Oh… Well, that’s nothing you have to apologize about. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”

“For what?”

“Uh…”

He was apologizing for ever doubting Nonoa for even for a moment, just because Yuushou had said that she should not be trusted…but there was no way he was going to be able to tell her that. Instead, his response emerged clouded in ambiguity—until Elena’s offhand comment from before resurfaced in his mind.

“By the way, is being in a band fun?”

Nonoa readily nodded, although she seemed a bit skeptical as to why he was changing the subject.

“Yeah, it feels good to sing, so I guess it’s fun?”

“O-oh.”

Nonoa also enjoyed music—a fact that, despite the casual nature of his question, genuinely surprised Masachika…and left him a little shocked as well.

Even Nonoa enjoys playing music…and yet, I…

Masachika’s visible hint of depression only deepened her confusion, and she began to fidget slightly.

“Anyway, can I go now? I wanna go to the bathroom.”

“What?! O-oh, right. Sorry for stopping you like this.”

“It’s cool,” she replied, taking a step forward. “…I mean, you can come with me if you want.”

“No!” Masachika retorted immediately, baffled by her casual yet outrageous invitation. With a small sigh, he watched Nonoa laugh her way into the distance, then he started walking toward the school building’s entrance.

At any rate, it looks like Nonoa enjoys music in her own way, too.

It was a sensation unknown to Masachika. With that being said…

I’ve only ever played alone.

Playing music with others was completely foreign to him. The closest he’d come was a few duets with his piano teacher years ago, and even those were a blur—he couldn’t honestly recall if he enjoyed it.

And…

He suddenly had flashbacks of his past—the memory of that day had become a deeply rooted trauma beyond his imagination, forcing him to grit his teeth while he shook his head.

The more I think about it, the more I’m worried that I’m not going to be able to really help them.

A sigh slipped from him as he calmly reflected on himself, his thoughts drifting back to the words he’d shared with Alisa on the day Elena had asked him to play the piano.

“You have a passion for supporting those with passion.”

“That’s why…it’s going to be okay. You’ll be able to make Elena’s dream come true.”

“…”

Masachika knew full well that Alisa had no intention of pressuring him, but the weight of her trust and the brass band members’ expectations settled on his shoulders like an unwelcome burden.

The brass band’s performance was incredible…so I want to be able to help them if I can. But…

Even if he wanted to help, he doubted whether he had the skill and talent to do so anymore. He wasn’t even sure he could play the piano during their next practice session.

“This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought,” he muttered as he turned the corner, but just as the entrance came into sight, he locked eyes with Maria, who was standing by the shoe shelves.

“Oh, Kuze? Are you on your way home, too?”

“Yeah… Are you waiting for Alya?”

“Yep. She said she had to head over to the teachers’ room for a second.”

“Oh.”

Then Maria casually asked, “So how was it? The brass band club.”

“…We just got to know each other a little today. That’s all,” Masachika replied vaguely, knowing she was going to ask.

“Anyway, see you tomorrow,” he added while heading over to grab his shoes—

“Whaaat? Come on, let’s walk home together. Alya will be back here any minute now.”

She stopped him with her innocent smile, though she was frustrated on the inside.

“I can’t today. I—”

“By the way, Chisaki did the funniest thing today during the student council meeting.”

Sh-she’s already talking about something else.

Maria, beaming with joy, eagerly began recounting what happened at the student council. And with that smile of hers shining so brightly, there was no way he could tell her he wanted to go home, so he stood by her side and listened—albeit reluctantly.

“And then, Touya was like, ‘That’s not The Butterfly Dream!’”

“Ha-ha-ha.”

Masachika was laughing at her story, but…

“Anyway… How was the brass band club? Really.”

“Huh?”

The instant Masachika let his guard down, the conversation veered sharply, leaving him utterly blindsided. He froze while Maria gazed at his profile, her smile tinged with sorrow.

“Something happened, right? You look sad.”

“…”

Under Maria’s all-encompassing gaze that seemed to see through everything, Masachika remained silent, staring ahead for what felt like an eternity…until he eventually let out a sigh and gave in.

“I just saw how incredible they were…and I lost all confidence in myself. That’s all.”

He simply stated the facts without getting into the details. Maria, however, gently reached out to place a hand on his head…but after glancing around at the other students passing by, she rested her hand on his shoulder. It was as if she could peer beyond the walls that he had carefully built around himself, seeing straight through his facade of bravery.

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, okay? The people in the brass band have been practicing for a long time. It’s only natural to feel like you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

“…Yeah, I mean, I get that…”

“And Elena understands that as well. Nobody is going to be disappointed or feel let down just because you can’t play everything perfectly right off the bat.”

“…!”

Masachika flinched. The words struck his heart like a revelation, unraveling the pressure he hadn’t even realized was suffocating him—the weight of Alisa’s trust, the brass band’s expectations—the sense of duty to live up to it all.

Oh… I was afraid of being a disappointment…

Looking back, it had always been that way—pushing himself to meet his grandfather’s or his mother’s expectations—unconsciously trapping himself in the fear of letting them down. Masachika found himself smiling, realizing that those unspoken anxieties were now gone. Maria’s own smile softened with relief as well.

“You don’t have to do everything perfectly. All you have to do is work your hardest. And you know what? If you find out it’s too hard or painful to continue, then you can always run away, because I’ll always be there to console you.”

“Ha-ha… That’s reassuring.”

His laugh was genuine, although he did feel like it would be game over for him in more ways than one if it got to that point. Then, just as he began to relax his shoulders…

“By the way, why have you been looking away from me the entire time we’ve been talking?”

Her bewildered question felt like a kick to the groin. With Maria’s eyes fixed on his face, a bead of sweat ran down his cheek.

“I was just checking to see if Alya was coming. That’s all…,” he replied with an air of innocence.

“…Then why won’t you even glance in my direction?”

“What are you talking about?” he replied, his gaze briefly landing on Maria in her school uniform—only to be instantly hit with a vivid memory of her drunken escapade from the day before yesterday. His eyes shot away just as quickly.

“Why did you turn your head away from me like that?”

“I saw a bug fly by…”

“Even though it’s almost winter?”

“Bugs still fly in the winter. If anything, they travel in massive swarms, and it’s really annoying, especially lake flies. Whenever you go anywhere near water—”

“Did something happen the day before yesterday in the student council room?”

Maria’s spot-on remark left Masachika speechless, prompting her to lower her eyebrows.

“I knew it…”

“Uh…”

His account of the previous day’s episode had been deliberately vague, merely mentioning that she had become intoxicated and promptly fallen asleep—an explanation Maria had accepted as truth at the time. Yet now, for some reason, she seemed to have some lingering doubts. What were they? What was she hung up on that made her skeptical? As Masachika mulled over the possibilities, Maria fidgeted with her clasped hands, looking apologetic, and began to explain herself.

“I’m really sorry. I usually avoid sweets with alcohol in them, and up until now, I’ve never lost my memory outside of the house. But I guess I let my guard down the other day because I was with you and Elena…”

While most of what she said was reassuring, one thing continued to gnaw at his mind.

“You’ve lost your memory while you were at home before?”

“…A-a few times, I guess? And every time, Alya gets so mad at me…”

“What did you do to her?”

“I-I don’t remember…but I apparently get really clingy whenever I get drunk…”

While pressing both hands against her cheeks, Maria peeked up at Masachika through her eyelashes.

“So…I’m worried that I did something like that to you, too…”

“…”

Masachika looked up into space for a moment to think.

Would that count as “being clingy”? I mean, she got physically clingy with me, but…

She wrapped her arms around his stomach and legs, pulled him onto the couch, straddled him—

“Ngh!!”

A rush of indecent thoughts flooded his mind, forcing him to clear his throat reflexively. It was a reaction that unsurprisingly made Maria startle and promptly spiral into a flustered panic.

“I-I knew it. I did something to you, didn’t I?!”

“M-Masha, relax. People are staring,” warned Masachika, lowering his voice while gesturing at the students passing by. Maria’s eyes widened, realizing she was getting loud. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands in a flurry of embarrassment. Her anxious gaze darted about while she squirmed uncomfortably, leaving Masachika to contemplate just how much information he ought to share with her.

Then again…maybe I should just be completely honest with her? That would be the sincere thing to do…

The bold thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

Have I lost my mind?! “Oh, by the way, you straddled me while you were half-naked!” There’s no way I could tell her that! She’d be so embarrassed that she’d faint!

Plus, even if he were completely honest with her, that would simply raise the question of how he managed to “put everything back where it belonged.” Besides, simply recalling what he did to cover up the scandal made him feel like he was going to die of stress and guilt as he tightly clenched his teeth.

I mean…what could I have even done? Someone could have walked in on us, and then, who knows what would have happened? I bet if Chisaki caught us, she would have kicked down the door and then given my entire life a hard reset!

But none of the excuses made his guilt go away, and it was one that even surpassed the guilt he felt for lying to Maria, so…

“You, uh… You wrapped your arms around me and dragged me onto the couch. So in a way, you were a bit clingy?”

He decided to downplay what happened with every fiber of his being. She didn’t remember anything, after all.

All I have to do is tell her part of the truth, then I can take the rest to the grave. Mwa-ha-ha!

But Masachika soon realized just how naive he truly was.

“Is that really…all that happened?” Maria asked once more, as if she were certain about something, but even then, Masachika’s answer remained the same.

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“I… It’s just…” Maria mumbled vaguely, her eyes shifting nervously. After a quick glance to ensure no one was around, she stood on tiptoe, leaned in close to Masachika’s ear, cupped her hand to the side of her mouth, and bashfully whispered in Russian:

“<Because…my bra wasn’t all the way on when I woke up…so I thought…that maybe…>”

“…?!”

“<And I felt like there’s no way my bra slid off like that just because I was hugging you…so I thought that maybe…>”

A single piece of evidence led her down a path that Masachika hadn’t been expecting, causing his eyes to wander in that direction.

“Ngh…!”

Maria sank back down from her tiptoes, puffed out her blushing cheeks, then shielded her chest with her arms. By the time Masachika realized he had messed up, it was already too late.

“<Waaah! Now I can’t get married to anyone but you, Sah!>”

“Hey, wait!”

But just when he thought he was going to get slapped, Maria spun around on her heel and dashed down the hallway.

“<You have to marry me, no matter what now!>”

“Who says that while running away?!”

Masachika immediately tried to chase after her…but she ran into the girls’ bathroom.

“She was…surprisingly cool with it,” he observed, having regained his composure thanks to Maria. Usually, people would just continue to run away until they were out of breath, but in terms of simply escaping, this was definitely far more effective that running around frantically. In fact, Masachika couldn’t come up with a better way to tell someone you didn’t want to talk right now. Therefore, he promptly retreated from the front of the girls’ bathroom, even though that partly had to do with the fact that people were giving him awkward stares.

Uh… I probably shouldn’t just leave Masha like this and go home…but I can’t just wait for her here like this, either…

After returning to where he’d been standing earlier, Masachika hesitated, looking back and forth between the shoe shelves and the girls’ bathroom door…when someone suddenly called out to him from behind.

“Masachika…? What’s up?”

He spun around to meet Alisa’s suspicious stare, her piercing blue eyes silently questioning why he was staring at the girls’ bathroom.

“Oh, I just heard a really loud thud coming from the bathroom. That’s all,” Masachika lied with a straight face. Alisa, however, kept her suspicious gaze fixed on his face for a few moments before eventually shifting her eyes around in search of something.

“…Have you seen Masha? She was supposed to be waiting for me here…”

“Oh. Maybe she’s…”

He directed Alisa’s attention to the bathroom with a subtle glance, and her expression became even more frigid before she turned her back to the entrance.

“Well, I suppose she’ll show up eventually if I wait here.”

“Umm…”

“What?”

“Nothing…”

Maria’s probably not going to come as long as I’m here.

But Masachika kept that thought to himself while he headed toward the shoe shelves.

“Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Huh? Let’s go home together. A lot happened during student council today that I want to talk about as well.”

“Déjà vu…”

“…?”

“Nothing.”

He shrugged while returning to Alisa’s side, essentially repeating his actions from mere minutes earlier, except now they were waiting for Maria.

What am I going to do?

Masachika started racking his brain on ways he could get Alisa away from there…when suddenly…

“How was the brass band club?”

Yet another case of déjà vu. Although seeming bitter about being asked the same question, Masachika found himself able to speak from the heart this time, thanks to his conversation with Maria.

“I’m honestly worried that I don’t have what it takes to actually help them…but, well, I’m going to give it a try and not put so much pressure on myself.”

“…Oh.”

As if sensing his sincerity, Alisa dropped her gaze slightly, faced forward, and asked: “How were the brass band members? Make any friends?”

“Yeah… They were very…unique,” replied Masachika, his tone void of any negative emotion. However…

“I’m happy for you. It sounds like you’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Alisa’s casual response made Masachika flinch.

“Masachika?”

She immediately picked up on his behavior, so he looked away.

“…”

He continued to feign ignorance even as her sharp gaze bored into his cheek, until she eventually let out a soft sigh.

“<You really are hopeless.>”

Those words, a blend of disbelief and acceptance, flooded Masachika’s heart with both gratitude and guilt. After his brow creased in contemplation for several seconds, he finally gave in and confessed.

“To tell the truth…I’ve never found music to be fun…” Although he could sense Alisa looking up at him, Masachika kept his eyes forward, vigorously scratched his head, and continued, “Piano was never my hobby. It was just something that I learned…so I’m not sure I can have fun playing. I’ve never played with anyone else, either…”

Masachika, choosing his words with care, laid his anxieties bare, then shrugged…when Alisa suddenly grabbed his right hand.

“…?”

“Come on.”

He looked at her in confusion as she began to drag him away.

“Uh… Wh-where are we going?”

Offering no explanation about their destination, Alisa firmly guided him by the hand, walking at a swift pace down the hallway. They were being subjected to the curious stares of fellow students. However, before long, the pair made their way to the second music room.

“Whoa. Masachika? Alya?”

Takeshi, who just happened to be coming out of the music room, looked puzzled by their unexpected arrival. The members of Luminous nearby, along with their number one fan Sayaka, seemed bewildered as well. Nevertheless, undeterred by their collective scrutiny, Alisa stopped directly in front of the group and, met the eyes of Nonoa, Sayaka, Takeshi, and Hikaru.

“Perfect timing. Do you have a minute?” she asked them.

“Huh? Uh… Yeah, I guess…?” replied Takeshi on everyone’s behalf while observing their reactions.

“Thanks.” Alisa nodded promptly.

“I feel bad for asking you this, since you just finished and cleaned up, but can you take out your instruments again?”

“What? Our instruments?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, but can we borrow your keyboard and bass, too?”

Seemingly overwhelmed by Alisa’s earnest and direct demands, the six bewildered individuals began readying their instruments without protest—too caught up in the serious atmosphere to question what was going on.

“Uh… We’re ready.”

“Thanks.” Alisa glanced at Masachika’s puzzled expression, then confidently declared, “Fortitude is about to do a one-song reunion show, but Nonoa and I are both going to be doing the vocals, and Masachika is going to be playing the keyboard.”

“Ooowhaat?!” Masachika shrieked, drawing the attention of the remaining club members who began to gather around with curiosity.

“Is everyone okay with playing Phantom? All right, let’s do this.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold up!” Masachika shouted, but Alisa just glanced back at him.

“What’s the problem? You can play, right?”

“Sure, I watched you guys play so many times that I think I can probably do it. But that’s not the issue—”

“Then get ready to play.”

Alisa swiftly cut Masachika off and made her way to Nonoa’s side, while Takeshi stood nearby grinning from ear to ear, his guitar in hand and excitement practically radiating off him.

“Man, I never thought the day would ever come. The band is back.”

“Takeshi? I hate to burst your bubble, but I was never Fortitude’s keyboardist.”

“Come on, Masachika. The leader has spoken, so you’re doing this.”

“You too, Hikaru? Why are you so pumped up?”

“Do you honestly have to ask me that? From here on out, we speak with our instruments.”

Masachika couldn’t help but joke about everyone’s sudden burst of enthusiasm, but before he could finish teasing them, Nonoa—having wrapped up her chat with Alisa—gave the microphone a twirl.

“Testing, testing. Come on, if we’re doin’ this, then let’s have some fun.”

Her nonchalant attitude left Masachika momentarily stunned, his eyes widening. Then, just as realization dawned on him, he fixed his gaze on Alisa’s back—and that was when she glanced over her shoulder and asked:

“Are you ready? Here we go.”

Alisa shot a quick glance at Hikaru, prompting him to start clicking his drumsticks together. Although Masachika hesitated briefly, he braced himself for battle, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Huh?! N-no…! Ugh! Whatever! I just hope this works!

In an instant, Masachika recalled the sheet music and Nonoa’s playing from his memories as his fingers struck the keys. The drumbeat surged forward as the guitar and bass lines bounded alongside it while Alisa and Nonoa’s intertwined voices cut through the instrumental chaos.

Masachika pushed his mental faculties and fingertips beyond their limits, racing to keep pace. There was no room to care about why or for whom he was playing, leaving no space for past memories to resurface. What emerged was a raw, unpolished, and a strikingly unrefined performance.

Ah! I’m really mashing the keys. What is this performance? This is terrible.

The performance was by far the least polished of any concert he had ever participated in. It was so bad that it almost made him laugh. What was funny, though, was that despite this terrible performance, it somehow didn’t seem so bad as a whole.

Alisa and Nonoa’s harmonies sometimes drifted apart while Takeshi’s fingers stumbled across wrong notes on his fretboard. Hikaru’s drumming tended to be overly assertive while Sayaka’s bass wandered into unexpected territories here and there. Yet somehow, these imperfections blended with the enthusiastic hollers and cheers to create something genuinely unique.

“Ha…! Ha-ha-ha!”

Masachika found himself laughing softly, his voice drowning within the sea of music. And yet, as if tuned to his frequency alone, Alisa’s gaze shifted toward him as if asking, “So? Are you having fun?”

Masachika responded to the questioning look in her eyes with a grateful gaze of his own.

Yeah… I’m having fun.

Whether he was able to convey how he felt wasn’t clear, but Alisa let out a brief snort as she faced forward once more, gearing up for the final chorus.

^{Thanks to you Alya}

“Благодаря тебе, Аля.”

Masachika breathed those words gently behind her as his fingers danced into the final chorus with a glissando. As if inspired by his improv, the other musicians began to loosen up more on their instruments as well. It was like everyone was freely splattering their own color of paint onto a pure white sheet of paper—free, loose, and exhilarating.

Though merely two handfuls of music club members witnessed this impromptu show, this one-song comeback performance concluded with an electricity that matched their legendary performance at the Autumn Heights Festival, despite being nowhere near that level in scale or polish.

…However, about ten minutes later, as Alisa and Masachika were heading home with their still-excited bandmates, they discovered Maria hugging her knees alone in front of the shoe shelves, leading to an extremely awkward conversation…but that was another story.

Chapter 8. Connection

“…Guys, I’m really starting to freak out,” Takeshi squeaked, eyeing Alisa’s apartment building with a jittery gaze.

It was the day of her birthday, so Masachika had met up with Hikaru and Takeshi to head over to her place together. And Takeshi’s anxious fidgeting was already wearing him out.

“Come on, it’s no big deal. It’s not like we’re the only ones she invited.”

“Dude, this is the first time ever I’ve been to a girl’s house…as far as I can remember.”

“Yeah… Me too, now that you mention it,” Masachika replied, tracing his memories. And Takeshi immediately shot him a piercing stare.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you’ve been to Yuki Suou’s house before.”

“Oh, right… That doesn’t count, though.”

“That doesn’t count, my butt! The only girls that don’t count are your relatives!”

Masachika simply shrugged, unable to reveal the truth that they were family, while Takeshi clutched his head as if he nobody could ever understand his struggles.

“Ahhh! What am I gonna do? What if I do something rude? Hey, are boys allowed to use the bathroom at girls’ houses?”

“Yeah, man. Of course. I know how you feel, though.”

“Hmm… Yeah, I’m not gonna be able to use the bathroom at her house, so I’m gonna go run over to the convenience store and use the toilet there now. Can you hold my stuff for me?”

“Uh? Yeah, sure.”

After taking Takeshi’s belongings, he watched his friend quickly disappear into the convenience store.

“…Is he really planning on holding it in until the party’s over?”

“Ha-ha. That does sound like something Takeshi would do.”

But right as Masachika exchanged a knowing look with Hikaru, he noticed two familiar figures in the distance heading their way.

“Hm…? Oh, is that Touya and Chisaki?”

“Oh? Yes, it looks that way.”

Squinting at the approaching figures, Masachika saw the larger one—presumably Touya—wave. He returned the greeting, and as they drew closer, it became clear that it was indeed Touya and Chisaki, holding hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Once they were within speaking distance, Touya waved again.

“Hey, Kuze. You got here quick. What are you doing just standing out here, though?”

“Hey. Yeah, we’re just waiting for our friend.”

The four of them began exchanging greetings until Takeshi eventually left the convenience store…and froze the instant he saw Touya and Chisaki.

“Oh, hey. Takeshi Maruyama, was it? I guess this is the first time we’ve actually met.”

“Yeah, hey…”

Takeshi shrank back, lowered his head, then scurried over to Masachika and Hikaru’s side, casting the couple a timid glance.

“We haven’t gone inside, and you’re already nervous?”

“I can’t help it. I really look up to them.”

“Because they’re both taller than you?”

“I’m not talking about their height!” Takeshi whispered angrily, making Touya burst into laughter.

“Ha-ha-ha! That’s funny. But Kuze used to be the vice president in the student council when he was in middle school, and you’re fine with him, right?”

“Sure, but…”

“I’m basically no different than him, so don’t be so nervous. It’s not like I’m going to eat you. Chisaki might.”

“I’m not going to eat anybody! I might delete someone, though.”

“What is that supposed to mean? On second thought, don’t answer that,” Masachika remarked before immediately shaking his head. Their lighthearted banter continued until they reached the apartment building entrance. But after stepping through the automatic doors, they paused in front of the intercom panel and exchanged glances for some reason.

“…Do you want to do the honors, Mr. President?”

“No, I think you should do it. You know Little Kujou best, after all.”

The other three seemed to agree as well, so Masachika, as their representative, pressed the call button. After two rings, a click sounded, followed by Alisa’s voice.

“Hey. Come on up.”

The entrance unlocked with a buzz, prompting everyone to step inside.

“Takeshi, you’re way too nervous.”

While waiting for the elevator, Masachika turned at the sound of the voice to find Hikaru smirking at Takeshi, who was clearly restless. However, Touya, who appeared somewhat troubled as well, gave Takeshi’s shoulder a reassuring pat.

“Yeah, loosen up a bit.”

“I wish I could, but…Alya’s dad is Russian, right? So, like, what if something considered good manners in Japan is actually bad manners in Russia?”

“You’re overthinking this. Alya already said that her dad understands these things.”

“Sure, she might think her dad is understanding…but Alya’s his daughter, and they say fathers are usually harsh on their daughters’ male friends, right?”

Masachika instantly froze at the possibility, yet as the elevator arrived with a soft chime, he had no choice but to feign calmness.

“Wait. You have to know more about her dad than that, right? You said you met Alya’s mom before, right?”

“Yeah, during the parent-teacher meetings, but I’ve never met her dad before, and she hasn’t really told me much about him either… I only know his name.”

“Hold on. Why do you know his name?”

“That’s because…”

Just as Masachika was about to respond to Hikaru, the elevator reached its destination, so he let the others off first before following them.

“Uh… Which way is it?”

“This is room number one, so it has to be that way.

Masachika continued his conversation with Hikaru while following Touya and Chisaki as they led the way.

“Russian middle names are based on the father’s first name. So basically, you take the father’s name and add -vich for a son or -vna for a daughter to create a middle name. Technically, the suffixes can vary depending on the name, though. Like, you have -evitch or -ovich for sons, and -evna or -ovna for daughters…”

“Ohhh, cool. So Alya’s middle name is Mikhailovna…which means her father’s name would be Mikhail?”

“Most likely.”

“Interesting.”

“Anyway, that’s how I know his name.”

Just then, Touya and Chisaki abruptly stopped and glanced back at Masachika, drawing his attention to a nameplate that bore the Kujou family name.

“…Oh, I’m supposed to open the door, right?”

After being stared into submission, Masachika headed toward the door while Chisaki turned to Takeshi, who was still fidgeting nervously.

“Are you still nervous, Maruyama? Don’t worry about it. If you really can’t control your anxiety, then just imagine that everyone’s a tomato,” she suggested.

“I thought you were supposed to imagine everyone as a potato…? I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good. Because it doesn’t matter if the person is homeless, the president, or even an evil villain. They’re all filled with the same red liquid and can be squished all the same. It’s not so scary when you think of it that way, right?”

“Yeah, now I’m only afraid of you.”

“Listen. Absolute confidence in your fighting skills—and the certainty that you could kill anyone at any moment if you wanted to—these are the keys to finding inner peace.”

“I’m not a fighter…”

Hmm… The fact that it only says ‘Kujou’ on their doorplate must mean that they don’t have separate last names. Interesting…

Doing his best to ignore the unsettling conversation happening behind him, Masachika rang the doorbell, and almost immediately, the door opened, revealing Alisa.

“Hey, thanks for coming.”

“Thanks for inviting us. Happy birthday, Alya.”

“Thanks.”

Alisa stepped aside, giving them room to enter. As they walked inside, Masachika spotted a familiar, gentle face—Alisa’s mother, Akemi…and…

He’s freaking massive?!

Masachika barely managed to stop himself from staring wide-eyed at the large man standing next to her.

“…”

The man’s blue eyes, matching Alisa’s in color yet carrying a steely edge, bore into Masachika as he tilted his head back to meet that towering gaze. The man was enormous—standing well over 190 centimeters, possibly approaching two meters—with a frame as broad as it was tall. His neck was thick, and his jawline sharp as chiseled stone. He could have easily been mistaken for an action hero in some Western film…if it weren’t for his intimidating scowl.

Uh… Why isn’t he smiling? We’re welcome here, right?

The question inadvertently reminded him of what Takeshi had said earlier.

“They say fathers are usually harsh on their daughters’ male friends, right?”

A bead of sweat trickled down his back…when out of nowhere, a tiny Tomohisa, clad in a white robe like a god, appeared in his mind.

“Ho-ho-ho. Don’t sweat it, Masachika. Russians normally don’t smile, so don’t mistake his sullen look for anger, kiddo.”

Seriously, Gramps? Wait, since when did he start calling me ‘kiddo’?

After doing a bit with god-version Tomohisa (?), Masachika decided to put his faith into those words, allowing himself to recover from his almost one-second-long panic attack.

“It’s nice to see you again,” he smiled, greeting Akemi.

“Welcome to our home. It’s so wonderful to see you, too. Oh, do you think you could hang your jacket right there?”

“Oh, sure.”

Wait. What was the point of even buying a nice jacket if I’m just going to take it off now? Masachika wondered as he hung the jacket on the coat rack. He then slipped into the slippers he was given while Alisa closed the door and took her place beside Akemi.

“Let me introduce you. This is my mom, and this is my dad.”

“I’m Akemi. Nice to meet you all. Please make yourselves at home. Oh, allow me to introduce you all to him, too. This is my husband, Mikhail.”

Only after being introduced did Alisa’s father—who had been silent with a stoic expression until then—finally speak.

“Welcome…”

His voice was low and deep, his Japanese tinged with a bit of awkwardness. His expression, unsurprisingly, remained stern as well.

Is he seriously not mad…? Looking like that?

Masachika wasn’t the only one caught off guard by how curt and stern Alisa’s father was compared to her sweet mother—everyone’s greeting was timid, clearly intimidated by his imposing presence.

“Don’t worry. I can take him out if I have to,” Chisaki whispered.

Masachika couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just heard her mutter something downright chilling behind him, but he quickly brushed it off as a misunderstanding. Surely, she just meant she could take him out for dinner as a gesture of gratitude for his hospitality.

“Let me introduce you. This is Masachika Kuze. He sits next to me in class and is my partner in the election.”

“Hey.”

Reintroduced by Alisa, Masachika greeted Akemi once more, then braced himself before standing before Mikhail’s silent scrutiny.

“…”

I honestly just wet myself!

Alisa introducing him as her partner seemed to intensify Mikhail’s imposing presence…or so Masachika thought. Nevertheless, maintaining a veneer of cheerfulness, he greeted them courteously, prompting Mikhail to silently extend his right hand to him.

Ah, he wants to shake hands.

He grasped Mikhail’s extended hand—

Whoa?!

Masachika’s hand was caught in a surprisingly powerful grip, making his eyebrows rise instinctively.

Wh-what the…? Don’t tell me this is one of those smiling handshakes you see in anime where the characters try to crush each other’s hand?!

Just as he braced himself, imagining his bones snapping into fragments, god Tomohisa reappeared in his mind.

“Ho-ho-ho. You’re way overthinking this, kiddo. Russians generally have firmer handshakes than Japanese.”

Really? Is there no deep meaning to this? Seriously?

Masachika remained doubtful, unsure how much of Tomohisa’s explanation was true. Yet, to his surprise, Mikhail promptly eased his grip, almost as if to validate the claim.

“Could you go on ahead and wait for us in the living room? Masha, Sayaka, and Nonoa are already waiting.”

“Oh, okay.”

Masachika bowed before following Alisa’s direction down the hallway. Then, opening the door to a spacious living room, he found the three girls lounging on the couch.

“Oh, hey. Welcome to our home.”

“Good evening.”

“Yo, Kuze.”

“Hey… You two got here early.”

As Masachika approached them, he glanced at Sayaka’s and Nonoa’s belongings, confirming they hadn’t given Alisa her presents yet. But just to be sure, he leaned in to confirm.

“When do you plan on giving her your gifts? Because I want to give her mine then, too…,” he whispered.

But it wasn’t Sayaka or Nonoa who answered him. It was Maria.

“We’re going to be giving Alya her presents after dinner when the cake comes out.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

The others gradually started to trickle in, so he discreetly shared the information with them as well.

“Looks like Yuki and Ayano are the only two left…”

The clock’s hands crept toward six PM, leaving just ten minutes before the official start of the party. Masachika tilted his head in puzzlement—Yuki’s absence was a curious anomaly, since she was usually punctual.

Then again, they’re driving here, so they might have gotten stuck in traffic or lost…

But after another five minutes slipped by, they were still absent. Only when the clock hit three minutes shy of six did the doorbell finally ring.

“It’s not like them to arrive this late,” Chisaki remarked while watching Alisa and her parents head to the door. As the others agreed, the sound of the front door opening and closing echoed down the hallway, quickly followed by the door to the living room opening.

“…?”

However, only Ayano entered the room, with Alisa and her parents just behind her. As Masachika began to wonder what was going on, Ayano gave a polite bow.

“I apologize for my tardiness.”

“It’s no problem. You’re still—oh, it’s exactly six PM, so good timing.”

“Thank you for your kindness. In regard to Lady Yuki—she had an urgent matter come up that she absolutely couldn’t avoid, so while she is extremely sorry, she will not be able to make it today.”

“Huh…?”

Masachika grunted at Yuki’s completely uncharacteristic last-minute cancellation—especially on her friend’s birthday. Without missing a beat, Maria placed a hand on her cheek.

“Oh, my. It must have been extremely urgent for Yuki to cancel,” she exclaimed.

Maria’s comment immediately pressured Masachika to jump in to excuse Yuki as well.

“Yeah, she must have tried really hard to come, which is why she waited until the last minute to tell us.”

“…Yes, exactly.”

“I feel bad for her. She was really looking forward to this.”

After subtly emphasizing that Yuki surely didn’t want to cancel, Nonoa, understanding the intention, nodded and chimed in too.

“Well, Yuki’s family situation is pretty unique, after all. So, like, I’m totally sure there are emergencies that we couldn’t even begin to imagine.”

The others began to chime in with comments to the effect of “It’s too bad, but it is what it is.” Thankfully, it was a sentiment echoed even by Alisa, so it didn’t sour the mood in the least. Therefore, while breathing a sigh of relief, Masachika quietly checked in with Ayano.

“So? What happened?”

That question was based on the assumption that Ayano would be able to give details about this so-called emergency, since they were family…but to his surprise, she lowered her head with a slightly apologetic gaze.

“I apologize, but I cannot tell you that,” she mumbled.

“Uh…? Oh.”

Although he was a bit taken aback, Masachika reluctantly gave up.

“All right, is everyone ready to get started?” Alisa asked, drawing everyone’s attention. Alisa bowed gracefully, her gaze sweeping over the group with a heartfelt, almost sentimental expression. Then, her lips curved into a smile as delicate as a flower and she exclaimed:

“Thank you all for coming to my birthday party. I really hope everyone has a wonderful night.”

Masachika immediately applauded.

“Happy Birthday, Alya!”

“Happy birthday!”

“Happy b-day!”

Alisa’s birthday party kicked off as cheers and applause filled the room, her shy, sweet smile tinged with warmth.

Ah, yeah. This is the taste. It’s almost nostalgic…

Half an hour into the party, the table was laden with dishes Alisa had prepared with Akemi’s help. Among them, Masachika found himself staring at the borscht Alisa had made, caught in a strange reverie as memories surfaced of the borscht that she had cooked for him when he was bedridden with a cold before summer vacation.

Though this version featured beef along with a few other ingredients, its distinctive sweet-sour essence remained unchanged.

It’s really good.

Just as he emptied his bowl of borscht, another plate—heaped with food—was swiftly set down beside him.

“Thank you…”

He bowed, then peered at the silent man by his side—still as intimidating and expressionless as ever. Not a single word had left his lips, yet his hands had been steadily filling Masachika’s plate since they’d started eating.

What is going on?! Is he welcoming me?! Or is he testing me?! Is this one of those “What?! Is the food I’m giving ya not good enough for ya?!” kind of things?!

Masachika’s eyes darted around for help, but Maria and Akemi were deep in conversation at the same table while Ayano was focused on her pasta.

Why me?

Masachika lamented his fate while casting a sidelong glance at the lively adjacent table.

The divided seating arrangement was to blame; since there wasn’t enough room for twelve people to sit at the main table, there was an improvised tatami-style area with a folding table and cushions to accommodate more people.

Alisa, being the birthday girl, sat at the head of the main table while her parents sat on either side. Ayano then sat beside Akemi with Masachika next to Mikhail, while the seven others sat in the tatami-style area. Although Masachika was initially not so excited about having to sit next to Alisa’s father, he soon resigned himself to his fate. The real issue began a few minutes ago…when Alisa switched places with Maria to go talk to the others.

I mean, she is the birthday girl, so I get it. It’s only natural for her to mingle with her guests.

Masachika understood the logic behind it, and seeing Alisa surrounded by her friends and smiling happily should have filled his heart with joy…but sitting next to her father left him feeling nervous. To make matters worse, her father kept piling more food onto his plate, even though his stomach was already about to burst.

Uh… I believe they call this beef stroganoff? I know the name, but this is the first time I’ve ever tried it…

Masachika scooped up some mushrooms and beef from the light brown cream soup with his spoon and took a bite, and his eyebrows went up in astonishment at how tender it actually was.

Hmm? The name made it sound like it was going to be tough, but this tastes more like the inside of a beef cutlet…or a braised hamburger steak?

Regardless, he knew one thing for sure—this was going to be filling. Even if he managed to finish what was in front of him now, the next helping would be a challenge, especially with cake still in their future.

Which means I’m going to have to start turning down some food.

But refusing food frightened him, especially since he couldn’t figure out what Mikhail was thinking.

As a child, Masachika’s communication skills had been trained with the expectation that he would one day become a diplomat. Through practical exercises, he learned the value of having a conversation and how most people in the world could get along, as long as they put an effort into getting to know one another. He’d also discovered that he could make a meaningful connection with most people, whether they were powerful politicians, charismatic CEOs, or even well-known celebrities.

Whether he actually wanted to converse was another matter, and just because he could act like he was enjoying himself didn’t mean he wasn’t actually intimidated. Despite having a wide network of acquaintances at school, his narrow personal circle was proof that he wasn’t one to actively seek deeper connections. In short, he was reluctant to bond with strangers and, if possible, avoided engaging with people who intimidated him.

But now’s not the time to keep to myself.

Sensing that Mikhail was about to give him more food, Masachika mustered up all his courage.

“Oh, I’m full. Thank you, though.”

Mikhail stared down at Masachika from high above, making the boy inwardly yelp. However, determined not to let his intimidation show, Masachika quickly asked, “By the way…would it be okay to ask you for your full name?”

Mikhail tilted his head slightly before answering.

“Mikhail Makarovich Kujou.”

His Russian accent was so thick that anyone other than Masachika probably would have had to ask him to repeat his name a few times. Masachika, however, showed absolutely no sign of being flustered.

“Thank you, Mikhail Makarovich.”

Seeing Mikhail’s eyes widen in surprise filled Masachika with a surge of triumph.

Yesss! I did it! I remembered! You don’t call people ‘mister’ in Russia to show respect. You call them by their first and middle name!

He decided to carry on the conversation with a feeling that he was off to a good start.

“You have the same last name as your wife, right? Does that mean you changed your last name when you got married?”

Mikhail nodded.

“Interesting. I heard that many people keep their last names when it comes to international marriages, but is there a reason you decided to change yours?”

However…Mikhail remained silent, his gaze shifting elsewhere, making Masachika wince.

Ack!! I must have picked the wrong topic!!

He had simply asked a question about something he was curious about, but perhaps it was a sensitive topic, so he decided to go for a rebound and come up with another subject instead when—

“A—”

Mikhail suddenly spoke, making Masachika flinch and look up. Then, in awkward Japanese, Mikhail muttered:

“Alisa… How’s school?”

“…Are you asking me how she’s doing at school?”

Mikhail’s nod gave Masachika a quiet sense of relief, sparing him from the pressure of having to come up with a topic on his own, so he shifted his gaze to Alisa.

“Hmm… Well, she is well-known as a model student who takes her schoolwork seriously. She’s hardworking and puts a hundred-percent into everything she does, and I think those qualities earn her a ton of respect from everyone around her.”

Masachika found himself genuinely relieved that Mikhail didn’t ask him this when Alisa was still sitting with them.

“But because of that, she used to come across as a bit too perfect and that made her somewhat unapproachable. But lately, she’s been warming up to her peers, and it seems like she’s a lot more social.”

Mikhail remained silent the entire time Masachika was speaking, staring intently at him, causing him to grimace inwardly.

Why isn’t he saying anything? Why is he being quiet when he’s the one who asked?!

Masachika, panicking internally, started to wonder if this was really what Mikhail was asking about, but before a full-blown meltdown could set in, god Tomohisa swooped in to save him once again.

“Ho-ho-ho. Do not worry so much, kiddo. Unlike Japanese, Russians don’t nod or give verbal acknowledges while someone is speaking—they simply listen in silence.”

Are you sure?! Are you really telling me the truth, or are you just telling me what I want to hear?!

By now, it seemed like he was just making things up to make Masachika feel better, prompting him to mentally grab the mini Tomohisa in his mind and shake him like there was no tomorrow.

“Uh… Last semester, she seemed to struggle speaking in front of others, but she was able to speak in front of the school at the school festival with remarkable confidence. In other words, she seems to have overcome her fear of public speaking, making her an even more promising candidate for the next student council president. Plus, she has a surprisingly open mind. She respects and accepts people who are different than her, and that’s something I genuinely admire about her.”

The longer Mikhail remained silent, the more Masachika continued to ramble, desperately racking his brain to avoid running out of things to say, but his voice unconsciously grew louder and louder until it wasn’t only Mikhail listening to what he had to say.

“Oh, my. I had no idea you felt that way about Alya.”

As Masachika passionately extolled Alisa’s virtues, Akemi’s voice interrupted him, halting his praise mid-sentence. He froze, awkwardly glancing at her, only to find her in the seat diagonally opposite with her cheek resting on her hand, smiling warmly. Maria and Ayano were also listening intently…which was when the silence finally registered. He timidly turned to face the others in the tatami-style area to find a crowd of curious and amused faces watching him. There was at least one person in particular who was blushing with a downcast gaze.

Oh, gosh. Someone, please kill me.

As negative thoughts swirled in his now completely blank mind, a chuckling Akemi turned her gaze to Mikhail.

“Giggle. You have no idea how happy that makes me. You too, right, darling?” After Mikhail nodded in agreement, she gently narrowed her gaze at Masachika and continued, “I have to apologize for him, Masachika. He can only speak basic Japanese, and he’s not much of a talker, either, so it must have been hard having a conversation with him. This is the first time Alya’s brought all of her friends over like this, too, so he seems to be more nervous than usual.”

“O-oh… Uh…”

“But thank you for trying to talk with him. You must be thrilled, right, honey?” Akemi asked, prompting Mikhail to look down at Masachika with his usual blank expression.

“Yes… Very happy,” he confirmed.

“Oh… Um…”

But beneath Masachika’s strained smile was a young man screaming internally with all his might.

So he’s just shy+he can’t speak that much Japanese?! That’s it?!

Masachika immediately seized god Tomohisa—who was attempting to flutter away with a dismissive laugh—and violently slam-dunked him onto the concrete. In the same mental sweep, he exiled the snickering devil Yuki to the furthest recesses of his consciousness for good measure, too.

While glancing sideways at Masachika—who was enduring an embarrassment the likes of which he’d never experienced before—Alisa kept her gaze lowered and bashfully whispered:

“<Dummy.>”

Chapter 9. Celebration

“Okay, everybody. The cake’s here!”

About an hour and a half into the party, just as the table had been cleared, Mikhail emerged from the kitchen carrying the cake, with Akemi leading him to the table. Incidentally, though Alisa still hadn’t returned to the table since the incident, Masachika—perhaps thanks to Maria’s help—had been chatting nonstop with Akemi and Mikhail, getting to know them well enough to exchange jokes.

“I thought you’d have to go to America—or at least a buffet—to see a cake like this!”

Therefore, Masachika didn’t even hesitate to comment on the massive square cake, which easily measured thirty centimeters on each side. The group in the tatami-style seating area even began to look at him with newfound respect.

I’m impressed, Kuze… You’re already friends with her dad…

Masachika’s incredible.

He can really get along with anybody, huh? It’s really impressive.

Each one of the guys couldn’t help but feel that way while watching Akemi cheerfully arranging the candles on the cake.

“It’s better to have leftover cake than not enough cake, after all.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Okay, we’re all set! Alya, come on over.”

Mikhail lit the sixteen candles, Maria turned off the lights, and Akemi got into position with her smartphone, leading everyone around the table, other than Alisa, to start clapping and singing.

“Happy Birthday to Alya! Happy Birthday to Alya! Happy Birthday to Alyaaa. ♪ Happy Birthday to Alya!”

As the song ended, cheers and applause filled the room, wrapping Alisa in the warmth of those who cared for her. She tried to blow out the candles, but the cake was so massive that it took two more tries to blow them all out. The applause only grew louder, and when the lights flickered back on, Masachika squinted against the sudden brightness—until his gaze fell upon Alisa’s tear-filled eyes, making his own widen with astonishment.

“Oh, my. Alya, are you okay?”

While dabbing at her eyes with a tissue that Akemi had quickly handed her, Alisa replied:

“I’m sorry…but having so many people wish me happy birthday like this…just makes me so happy…”

Alisa buried her face in her hands while Masachika’s chest tightened, memories of her tearful voice—which he’d overheard outside the classroom on field day—resurfacing in his mind.

Alya… I’m happy for you. I really am.

He truly felt that way from the depths of his heart. As Masachika watched her with gentle eyes, Akemi and Maria wrapped their arms around Alisa from both sides, comforting her. Though the guys couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward witnessing the heartfelt family moment…Chisaki, for some reason, decided to join in, too.

“Oh! Ayano, Sayaka, come on. The more the merrier,” Chisaki claimed, slipping her arms around both Maria and Alisa, while Ayano, after a moment’s hesitation, gently patted Alisa’s back. Not wanting to be left out, Sayaka and Nonoa stepped forward to join the huddle, too.

“Huh? Oh, uh… I guess we’re doing this,” Takeshi muttered, darting his gaze around, but the instant he took one step forward—

“No filthy guys allowed! Sit back down!!”

“Sorry!”

After a brief pause following Chisaki’s warning and Takeshi’s apology, the living room exploded with laughter. Even Alisa, who had been looking down, couldn’t help but smile, her eyes still a little red. As she lifted her face, Akemi and Maria leaned in from both sides, planting gentle kisses on her cheeks, making Alisa pout. Masachika watched the scene unfold with a warmth in his heart, but…

“All right, everyone. Let’s give Alya her birthday presents while we cut the cake.”

Maria’s sudden suggestion sent a ripple through the room, the air instantly becoming thick enough to slice. It wasn’t just Masachika who felt it either—nervous glances were exchanged as everyone wondered who should go first and what kind of gifts the others had brought. But as the unease lingered, Maria returned from the other room, holding a square package wrapped neatly in paper and a ribbon.

“Here, Alya. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks…”

“Go on. Open it.”

After being urged on by Maria, Alisa opened the package, revealing a pink scarf.

“What do you think? It’s cute, right?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Here, let me help you try it on.”

“I’m fine. I’m about to eat cake—”

Maria ignored Alisa’s complaint, draping the scarf around her neck, prompting a squeal of delight from both her and Akemi. Although Alisa frowned uncomfortably for a few moments, she eventually surrendered with a resigned shrug.

“And this is from your father and me.”

While Alisa was opening the present Akemi had given her, the others quickly exchanged glances, creating an unspoken agreement. The gifts would be given in the following order: Masachika, Ayano, the president and vice president, and then the band members.

Seriously? I’m batting first again?

He promptly took the lead, since deep down inside, he’d always had a feeling that it would turn out this way. Under the watchful eyes of the remaining members, Masachika grabbed his tote bag and made his way toward Alisa.

“Happy birthday, Alya.”

“Thanks, Masachika.”

Alisa set aside the wallet from her parents, her gaze locking onto Masachika, who—feeling nervous under her stare—swiftly handed her the tote bag.

“…I baked you this.”

“What? You made this yourself?”

“Whoa.”

“Incredible.”

As Alisa’s eyes widened in surprise, the others echoed her reaction with startled exclamations, while Masachika, feeling a bit awkward, fumbled for an excuse.

“Yeah, sorry. I don’t really bake much, so while I’m sure it tastes fine, it doesn’t really look as good as I was hoping it would.”

“Don’t worry about it…” Alisa assured as she opened the paper bag and pulled out a plastic bag from inside, prompting Masachika to scratch his cheek awkwardly and say:

“It’s homemade…baumkuchen.”

“““How??”””

“By doing my best.”

“““Is that really something you can make just by doing your best??”””

Confusion swept across everyone’s faces as they stared at the completely unexpected homemade treat. Masachika had used a square frying pan meant for Japanese-style omelets to make it, and to his surprise, it was surprisingly not too difficult.

“Th-thank you… I’ll make sure to enjoy it later.”

Alisa blinked repeatedly, her confusion seemingly outweighing her delight, as she quickly stuffed the baumkuchen back into the paper bag. Masachika, however, felt a quiet sense of accomplishment as he turned to walk away. He could feel the others staring at him in disbelief, as if they couldn’t fathom why he would give something so ‘unique’ right off the bat, but it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He had done his part, and that was all that mattered to him.

But, well, I still have one thing left to do…

Masachika briefly glanced down at his bag while Ayano approached Alisa.

“Next, I would like to give you two presents: one from Lady Yuki, and one from me. Happy birthday, Alya.”

“Thanks.”

As Masachika already knew, Yuki’s gift was a screen protector for Alisa’s smartphone. And Ayano’s gift was…

“A book?”

“Yes, it is one of my favorites.”

“Thank you… It’s a collection of short stories? I’m looking forward to reading it.”

Ohhh! A book! Why didn’t I think of that!

Just as Masachika was silently praising Ayano’s gift, Touya exclaimed, “Oh! What a coincidence. I got you a book, too.”

Touya presented Alisa with a book titled…Twenty Ways to Move a Person’s Heart.

Did he use that to win the election or to win over Chisaki? That’s definitely something I can imagine him using.

Chisaki, on the other hand, handed Alisa…

“…A charm?”

A small white cloth bag, neatly tied with a golden cord, sat in her hands. At a glance, it resembled a traditional charm, yet what puzzled Alisa was the fact that nothing was written on the bag—no inscriptions or symbols.

“Yep. It’s a miracle-working charm from our shrine.”

“Thank…you… What does it do?”

“Huh? It does a lot of things.”

“A lot of things?”

“Yeah, it should take a hit for you at least once.”

“A hit from what?”

“Oh, don’t open it. It’ll come out.”

“What will come out?”

Alisa stared at the charm, utterly perplexed, as it emitted an ominous rumbling. Meanwhile, Chisaki—looking thoroughly pleased with herself—took a step back, effectively cutting off any chance for Alisa to question her. Nevertheless, the only ones left in an awkward position because of this were the remaining four gift-givers.

Who’s going next?!

What? Not me. Not after that.

Really? So you don’t mind going last?

In an instant, silent glances communicating strategy flickered between them—only for Nonoa to disregard it all and step forward without hesitation.

“Happy birthday. Gotcha this.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s a compact mirror. Like, I know you usually don’t wear makeup, but I figured it’d still be good to have around.”

“Definitely. I could use it when I want to fix my hair. Thanks.”

“And this is from me.”

Sayaka got up next as Takeshi and Hikaru watched in astonishment.

“I had a lot of trouble deciding, but I ended up going with a hat.”

“It’s so cute.”

Alisa unwrapped the package, revealing black beret which she promptly tried on while using the mirror that Nonoa had given her.

“That looks really cute on you.”

“Thanks, Sayaka.”

Alisa’s smile was contagious, quickly mirrored by Sayaka. Yet, amidst this heartwarming moment…two unfortunate souls were left in a troubling position.

Ah, poor guys.

After Alisa received the tasteful gifts from the two girls, Masachika silently prayed for his two best friends who were up next. Takeshi presented her with a pricey rice tea set while Hikaru gifted her a rather stylish ballpoint pen. But as Masachika watched, completely detached from the situation, he nearly choked on his drink…because the top part of the ballpoint pen was a full-on mini herbarium of all things.

Oh, gosh! That was close! Thanks, Yuki!

Masachika had been dangerously close to giving her the same gift, so he couldn’t help but silently thank his sister for steering him away from disaster.

As the gift exchange concluded, a collective sigh of relief rippled through the room, and attention turned to the neatly sliced cake… Suddenly, there was a small explosion outside. Without a word, every gaze pivoted toward the window, where fireworks now blossomed against the distant sky.

“Oh, my. Are those fireworks to celebrate Alya’s birthday?”

“Mom, stop,” Alisa cut in immediately, unsure if her mother was joking or not, before quickly explaining the real situation to her friends. “There’s a wedding hall nearby, so you’ll see fireworks from time to time.”

Everyone nodded, seemingly content with Alisa’s explanation, but Akemi, unfazed by the mundane truth, poured drinks for everyone and raised her glass toward Alisa.

“Now that the firework show has started, let’s all wish Alya a happy birthday one last time! Happy birthday!”

“Quit it.”

Alisa pouted shyly, but as Maria and the others followed Akemi’s lead, she let out a small sigh, shrugged, and raised her glass along with them.

“Happy birthdaaay!”

“Happy birthday!”

“…Thanks.”

But as Alisa shyly expressed her gratitude amid the flood of well-wishes, Maria raised her phone and aimed the camera straight at her sister.

“Okay, Alya. Say cheese.”

“Come on. You already have enough pictures of me…”

“I don’t see why we can’t have more to celebrate this special day. Come on.”

“You took a bunch a second ago.”

Alisa protested bashfully, shielding her face with her hands, but when Akemi joined in on the prodding, escape became her only option as she darted out onto the balcony, fleeing from having her picture taken.

“Alya, where are you going?”

“Fireworks,” she murmured, pushing open the glass door and slipping into sandals before stepping outside. Maria, however, merely smiled, easily catching the hint of crimson warming her sister’s ears.

“Alya’s so cute.”

“Giggle. She’s never had this many friends over for her birthday, so she’s probably embarrassed,” Akemi suggested from the bottom of her heart before smiling at everyone in the room.

“Again, I would like to thank everyone for coming today. I know she has trouble expressing herself sometimes, but I am so happy that she has friends like you all.”

“…Thank you.”

As Akemi bowed gracefully, Mikhail reinforced it with a subtle nod, and their unexpected show of gratitude left everyone exchanging bashful smiles. However, amidst the lively scene, Masachika’s gaze drifted to Alisa, standing on the balcony, lost in the glow of the fireworks—and in that moment, a certain thought took root in his mind.

Oh, this is my chance.

With that in mind, Masachika, noticing that the other guests were focused on Akemi and Mikhail, quietly gathered his belongings and slipped away from his seat. Keeping close to the wall, he made careful not to draw any attention, his destination a secret. He had to blend in, become air. He had to become like…

Become like Ayano!

Masachika moved like a shadow, as though he were channeling the techniques of his fallen comrades before the final battle.

Ah!

But just as he neared the window, victory within reach, his eyes locked with Nonoa’s. She arched an eyebrow, poised to speak—only to be interrupted by Ayano.

Oh, thank goodness. Nice save, Ayano!

He inwardly expressed his gratitude to his childhood friend for distracting Nonoa at just the right moment, even though it likely wasn’t on purpose.

Wait. Since when were they friends?

The lingering question nagged at the back of Masachika’s mind, but he pushed it aside as he eased the door open, careful not to make a sound as he stepped out onto the balcony.

“…?”

But no matter how quietly or stealthily he moved, the sound from inside would inevitably be amplified, drawing Alisa’s attention.

“H-hey.”

Unsure of what to say to Alisa as she gazed back at him over her shoulder, Masachika raised his left hand. She briefly glanced at the bag in his right hand before returning her attention to the view, so Masachika quietly joined her by the railing, albeit hesitantly.

“…What?” she asked, her gaze remaining forward.

“Oh, uh… Is the fireworks show over?”

Masachika stumbled over his words, unsure how he should broach the subject. However…

“Looks that way. The last firework was really big, so I’m assuming that was the finale,” replied Alisa in a matter-of-fact tone, perhaps not even noticing how flustered he was.

“Oh.”

The only sounds were the distant chirps of insects and the hum of passing cars. Masachika scratched his head, frustrated with his own indecisiveness. He had already blurted out something pointless in his nervousness, and now, he couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

“…”

Glancing back toward the room, he saw everyone enjoying themselves, completely unaware of his absence for the time being. Still, he couldn’t let his guard down. The longer he and Alisa were left alone, the higher the chance of being caught, especially since Nonoa seemed to have already noticed something was up.

Ugh! I’ve come this far! It’s time to man up!

Drawing in a deep breath to steady himself, Masachika held out both hands as if he were pushing something, all the while keeping an eye on the others inside.

“Sorry. Could you stand over there for me?”

“…? Why?”

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Alisa glanced at Masachika who held his palms out to her. He then moved to a spot where he was hidden from view behind the curtains, checked to make sure no one was watching, then turned back to face her. Alisa turned toward him as well, as if she sensed something was coming.

“Uh… I actually have one more thing I want to give you…”

“…?”

As he mustered his resolve and spoke up, Alisa blinked a few times before shifting her gaze to the bag in his right hand.

“It’s this…”

Feeling a hint of self-consciousness, Masachika reached into his bag and pulled out the gift, Yuki’s words echoing in his mind.

“I’m telling you to prove to her how you feel with your actions and your words.”

“If you do the same thing with her that we do every year…you’re gonna raise Alya’s affinity level exponentially and immediately unlock a new event.”

The words resurfacing in his mind made his body immediately catch fire as a tingling inferno erupted in his chest, cascading through every nerve. Even doing this with Yuki was embarrassing enough, and simply the idea of doing it in front of Alisa unleashed a tsunami of mortification so intense that he just wanted to curl up in a ball on the ground and roll around in shame.

Hhhnnng! The embarrassment…! It burns…! But you’ve got to be a man, Masachika! Even Yuki is telling you to do it! Birthdays only come once a year! Show some affection!!

Twisting his lips and gritting his teeth, Masachika thrust the gift toward Alisa, catching her off guard.

“Here. This is for you.”

“Thank…you…”

Alisa accepted the gift, looking a bit confused, but Masachika didn’t let go of it. He held it firmly, meeting her gaze, and with a deep breath, he gathered every ounce of courage he had.

“Thank you for being born, Alya.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. Feeling her intense blue gaze fixed upon him, Masachika continued…suppressing the urge to scream and roll around on the floor by sheer force of will.

“Happy birthday, Alya. I’m glad you were born, and I’m glad that we met each other.”

After finally getting the words out, he snapped his mouth shut. Devil Yuki burst into his thoughts, shouting.

“Now’s your chance! Kiss her! Wrap your arms around that broad and give her a smooch! Then, slowly stick your tongue—”

No! Idiot.

After shaking off the intrusive thought, Masachika released the gift into Alisa’s waiting hands. She drew it to her chest, stunned into silence, but after a few seconds, a tender smile blossomed softly across her lips.

“<Thank you, too.>”

She blinked a few seconds, as if coming back to her senses after whispering to herself in Russian, then smiled and switched back into Japanese.

“I’m also…glad that we met.”

The words, delivered with a straightforward sincerity that left no room for doubt, swept away Masachika’s shame like a cleansing tide, and now pure, radiant joy filled his heart in its place. That they had found each other, that this moment existed—it was nothing short of a profound miracle. And from the depths of his heart, he knew this with absolute, unwavering certainty.

Oh, man. I want to hug her so bad right now.

The surge of emotion welling up inside him alarmed Masachika. If this were Yuki, he would have gladly hugged her or maybe even planted a kiss on her cheek or forehead, but that would be entirely inappropriate with Alisa.

“Go for it!! Do it!!” the little devil on his shoulder screamed into a megaphone, but he knew better.

I know I probably shouldn’t…but…

Alisa’s tender smile and her soft blue eyes locked with his, slowly silencing the rational voice in his mind. And then, almost as if by magic, the distance between them began to vanish until… Boom!

A thunderous bang shuddered through Masachika’s body, instantly eclipsed by a burst of incandescent light blooming in the corner of his eye. A magnificent firework unfurled, painting the darkness before dissolving into a cascade of sparks. After staring at it blankly for a moment, he snapped back to reality and turned to Alisa.

She blinked as if waking from a dream, then met his gaze, immediately prompting them to take a half-step back away from each other as if they had just realized how close they actually were.

“Oh! It looks like the fireworks show wasn’t over, after all.”

“Yeah, it looks that way. Maybe that was the last one? Oh, can I open my present?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Hmm? Where’s the tape…”

“Here, let me get you some light.”

Both of them, trying to mask their embarrassment, spoke rapidly, their smiles clearly forced. As Masachika used the light from his phone to illuminate the gift, Alisa gently peeled off the tape from the wrapping paper and opened it, revealing a pair of white gloves.

“It’s going to be getting cold, so I thought you could use a pair.” Masachika smiled sheepishly. Alisa’s eyes lingered on the delicate, embroidered blue snowflake on the gloves, and her gaze then drifted to the red tassel with its white pom-pom attached to the wrist.

Yeah, she definitely noticed.

He knew what she wanted to say, but there was nothing he could do about it. When he saw those gloves at the store, he just had to buy them. As for why he didn’t give them to her earlier in front of everyone…well, the gift seemed too try-hard—too romantic—and that embarrassed him. Honestly, he was still pretty embarrassed right now as well, but…

Why isn’t she saying anything?! Masachika wondered.

Masachika felt a mix of impatience and anxiety as Alisa seemed to take forever to react, but she was busy fighting her own battle, trying to suppress the fluttering in her chest.

Why…? Why would he do something like this for me? Alisa asked, confused.

His words, coupled with the gift he had prepared just for her, stirred up the long-buried feelings she had for him.

Why…? He likes Yuki. She’s more important than anyone else in the world to him…so why is he leading me on like this?! she lamented.

A mix of joy and resentment warred within her. She couldn’t believe he could be so cruel. These thoughts raced through her mind as she glared up at him. But the moment their eyes met, something inside her came crumbling down.

Oh, no… I can’t… I’m going to…

The fleeting sense of crisis was quickly drowned by a surge of emotion so strong it left her breathless, and before she could think, she took a step forward—

“Yo, Alisaaa!”

The soft creak of the door opening tickled Alisa’s ears, followed by a familiar voice calling her name. She froze, her heart skipping a beat. Pivoting toward the noise, she caught sight of Nonoa’s face peeking out from behind the door while gesturing Alisa to come over with a playful wave.

“You should, like, probably get back in here?”

“…? Why…?”

“‘Why?’ Uh…” Nonoa grunted, glancing back inside before facing Alisa once more.

“Yeah, it’s already too late.”

“What’s too late?”

“Well, uh…”

Nonoa ducked back inside without giving a clear answer, leaving Alisa tilting her head in confusion. Her body moved a step forward on its own before she caught herself and quickly took a step back.

Th-that was a close one… That was really close…

Taking a deep breath, Alisa steadied herself, regaining her composure. She then quietly glanced up at Masachika, who was scanning the area where Nonoa had just been with a puzzled look. A wave of discomfort stirred in her chest once more, but she kept it hidden, warmly smiling in its place.

“Thank you for the gloves. I love them.”

“O-oh, I’m glad.”

“Anyway, shall we head back inside?”

Avoiding Masachika’s gaze, Alisa stuffed the gloves into the bag and quickly turned to head back inside. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer alone with him, she might say or do something she’d regret.

My heart… It hurts so much…

Clasping Masachika’s gift against her chest, Alisa pressed her lips into a thin line as her heart overflowed with a tangle of emotions. She was happy, yet in pain.

Ugh! What is wrong with him?!

And so, like a child having a fit, she stomped back inside—

“And this is a picture of Alya when she was four years old!”

““She’s so cute!””

“Whoa, she had blonde hair?”

“She looks like an angel…”

“H-hey?! Where did you get that album?!”

It was only then that Masachika fully understood Nonoa’s warning and that they couldn’t leave Alisa’s mother alone with her friends.

Chapter 10. Confession

…What kind of reaction was that?

By the time the last crumb of cake was gone and the clock had already slipped past eight PM, Nonoa suggested that they play the werewolf game, which was met with unanimous enthusiasm. But as the others prepared for the game, Masachika found himself in the bathroom, lost in thought, replaying Alisa’s reaction from earlier.

I feel like she gave me the death stare for a second there… Did she not like the gift I got her? But she told me that she liked it… Hm…

Doubt lingered in his mind—was this really the right gift for her? With no clear answer in sight, he let out a quiet sigh and exited the bathroom, stepping into the hallway where a voice called out to him.

“Master Masachika.”

“Hmm? Oh.”

Standing in the dim hallway was Ayano.

Looks like she has to use the bathroom, too.

Masachika stepped aside to make room for her, but Ayano continued to stare at him without moving.

“It’s about time I head home.”

“Wait. Really? I don’t remember you having a curfew.”

While it was November and already pitch-black outside, she had someone picking her up, so Masachika couldn’t quite understand why she was leaving so soon. Ayano, however, averted her gaze, lost in thought for a moment, before finally muttering:

“Actually…I lied when I said that Lady Yuki had an emergency that she needed to take care of.”

Masachika could only stare, rendered speechless, as she met his gaze with unwavering determination.

“She actually got the flu and is extremely sick right now,” she announced.

“Huh?!”

“I didn’t want to worry anyone or ruin the party, so I lied…”

“…”

Masachika only half-listened to Ayano’s explanation, his mind racing with other thoughts. Yuki had the flu. Yuki—the one who hadn’t gotten sick since middle school and had perfect attendance—had the flu.

Why…?

Staring blankly into space, Masachika recalled the fake smile Yuki had plastered on her face at the clothing store.

Yeah…

He realized that deep down inside he knew Yuki must have been under a lot of stress with their mother being sick.

I noticed, and yet…

He pretended not to, and now Yuki was…

“Wh-what are her symptoms?” Masachika asked, unable to suppress his agitation.

“They called the doctor, so she’s being treated…but she still has a high fever. Plus, she has a sore throat and is coughing a lot,” Ayano replied, painfully furrowing her brow.

“She’s coughing…”

Memories of Yuki resurfaced from the back of his mind. His little sister, who had seemed perfectly fine just moments before, had begun coughing uncontrollably. She had collapsed onto the bed, clutching her throat, her lips pale as she gasped desperately for air, but all that escaped her throat were wheezes. All Masachika had been able to do was call for an adult to help.

As he had gently stroked her back, hoping to provide some comfort, he was startled by how fragile she felt—her flesh so thin that he could easily feel her bones.

“—chika. Master Masachika!”

“…!”

Ayano’s calls brought Masachika back to his senses. As he awkwardly looked down at her, she frowned with discomfort.

“I understand that you don’t want to go back to the Suou household…but do you think you could be there for Lady Yuki, just this one time?”

“…!”

“I believe she needs you right now, more than anyone else.”

It was essentially the same thing she had said to him on field day…but what reflexively slipped off Masachika’s tongue was—

“I…can’t.”

A grating, dismissive reply.

“Master Masachika…!”

Ayano, rarely one to show emotion, raised her voice slightly. The sharp, accusatory look from this childhood friend, who had always been like a sister to him, cut deep into Masachika’s heart. Yet, his mouth refused to move. Those simple words, “I’ll go with you,” were stuck in his throat. In Masachika’s mind, the Suou mansion had become a symbol of pain and regret. Yumi’s sorrowful expression and Gensei’s cold, piercing gaze haunted him, choking his words. Cowardly thoughts like What difference would it make if I went? and What will people think if we leave together now? swirled endlessly in his mind, trapping him in silence.

Ker-chk!

The door connecting to the living room opened as Chisaki poked her head inside.

“Uh…? Everything okay? We’re about to start the game.”

Chisaki looked puzzled as she called out to the two standing in the hallway, but it was Ayano who reacted first.

“Everything is fine.”

She then turned on her heel and whispered to Masachika.

“I will wait for you outside. You have ten minutes to decide.”

The weight of having a time limit for his decision pressed heavily on Masachika’s stomach, triggering a sudden wave of nausea as his limbs turned into lead.

Decide what? I—

He was cold, in pain, and nauseous. Beyond the doorway was a bright, cheerful living room—a stark contrast he wanted to avoid. Yet Chisaki’s bewildered eyes left him no room to escape, so he followed Ayano back into the light, dragging his leaden limbs every step of the way.

Once inside, Ayano bowed respectfully toward Alisa first, then once more at Touya and the others.

“I am terribly sorry, but it’s about time I start heading home.”

Masachika couldn’t bear to look directly at her. His composure shattered, he took advantage of everyone’s attention being on Ayano to slip away to the wall while haunted by the illusion of her reproachful stare. Only when she left was he finally able to exhale, but all that was left after that was intense self-loathing for his own cowardice.

“What’s wrong, Kuze?”

Masachika had been standing quietly by the wall, hoping to stay out of sight, when a voice called his name—almost as if it had been waiting for him. He glanced up, and there she was. Nonoa, appeared out of nowhere with her trademark heavy-lidded eyes, so he instinctively forced a smile.

“Nothing…”

“For real? You look really gloomy.”

“I do? I was just thinking about something, that’s all.”

With no clever excuse coming to mind, Masachika settled for a flimsy lie. Nonoa’s gaze, however, remained fixed on Masachika…until her expression sharpened as if she were shedding her casual facade.

“For real?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing happened?”

Her uncharacteristically serious question caught him off guard, and what she said next only made him even more confused.

“Like, I know you don’t really trust me? But I pay back the people who help me.”

Perhaps it was because of her uniquely straightforward and unembellished way of speaking, pointing out that she knew how wary he was of her, but it made everything she said after that sound like she meant it.

“You totally listened to me when I wanted to talk, so now, I’ll listen to you. Like, I’m pretty sure I know a lot about you, like with Yuki and Yuushou, that nobody else does, so I think I could give you the least biased opinion here.”

“…”

He was honestly surprised how shaken he was—how uncertain he felt—and if no one else had been around, he might have poured his heart out to Nonoa. However…

“…”

Alisa listened closely as Sayaka and Maria outlined the rules of the werewolf game, while Touya, Chisaki, Takeshi, and Hikaru were already lost in laughter and playful banter. Masachika watched them, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Thanks… But I’m fine right now.”

“…You’ll survive?”

Masachika’s eyes widened at Nonoa’s direct question…but after a moment went by, he simply let out a weak laugh.

“Yeah, I can handle it. Thanks.”

“A’ight.”

She nodded, seemingly respecting his wishes, and immediately backed off. She then turned around, her tone shifting back to its usual lazy drawl as she called out to the other seven.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s get this started. There’s nine of us, so I guess we could have two wolves? How does that sound?”

“Sounds good. How about we also have a seer, a medium, and a hunter as well?”

“Oh, sorry. I still don’t completely understand the rules yet…”

“For real? A’ight, well, I still need to check out the app ‘cause I don’t know how to use it yet, so let’s do a practice round.”

While the group eagerly discussed the rules of the Werewolf game, Masachika seamlessly joined in, still smiling tightly as he caught up with the conversation.

Oh… This is a lot more painful than I thought it’d be.

The pessimistic thought instantly flashed through his mind. Just moments ago, he had promised Nonoa that he’d do his best, yet already, Masachika could feel his heart aching. The growing disconnect between his inner turmoil and outward composure deepened with each passing moment.

“What the heck?! We just started, and I’ve already been killed?!”

“All right, Take-C. You’re out.”

“Maaan.”

The overflowing smiles, the laughter—it all felt so distant. Amidst it all, he forced himself to join in while trying not to stand out, but he found himself utterly repulsive. His sister was suffering, and here he was, ignoring her, laughing along with everyone else. It made him feel like scum.

“Oh, I was killed. Come on. Which one of you guys are wolves? Seriously.”

“Whoa. I actually thought you were a wolf…”

“Why?!”

It was unbearable. He felt a wave of nausea rising in his throat as his heart filled with self-loathing. He just wanted to die.

Yeah, I can’t do this anymore.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the werewolf game app chimed, signaling the end of the round as Chisaki and Maria immediately began to celebrate.

“Yay! We won! Good job, Masha!”

“Ah! We won! Hurraaay!”

But as he watched the two of them high-five, Masachika rose to his feet, forcing a smile that was as apologetic as he could manage, and bowed.

“Sorry. I need to start heading home now…”

“What? Really?”

“We were just getting started…”

“Oh, my. That’s too bad.”

“Then let me walk you—”

“No, it’s fine.”

Masachika quickly collected his belongings, putting his hand up as Alisa was about to get out of her chair. Sensing Nonoa’s intense gaze, he deliberately avoided eye contact with her while walking over to Alisa with a smile.

“Anyway, happy birthday, Alya. Have a wonderful rest of the night.”

“Yeah…”

“Don’t forget to lock the door after I leave. Sorry for making you get out of your seat.”

After leaving Alisa with a few parting words, Masachika bid farewell to Akemi and Mikhail, who were tidying up in the kitchen, and swiftly made his way to the entrance. A chilly November breeze swept in as he opened the door and stepped outside, heading toward the elevator while checking the time on his phone.

“I will wait for you outside. You have ten minutes to decide.”

Fifteen minutes had passed since Ayano left. Normally, she would have already left, but if she stayed just a little longer for his sake, then maybe…

Uncertain about whether he hoped she would be waiting or had already left, Masachika stepped into the elevator, his heart racing with a mixture of nervousness and fear. Trying to push his emotions down, he hopped off the elevator, stepped outside—and was relieved to see that Ayano was already gone.

“…You pathetic coward!”

Masachika cursed himself for the way he felt before aimlessly drifting down the empty street, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

I ran away again.

The voice in the back of his mind was filled with scorn, but without even the energy to argue, he simply wandered aimlessly until he noticed a small park nearby. With heavy steps, he made his way over and plopped down on a bench.

“…”

He had run away again. He couldn’t deny that, but he could still turn things around. He knew their address. He could hail a taxi and go after Ayano right now if he wanted to. And if he didn’t want to do that, Kyoutarou was home, so if he hurried back and explained the situation, then they could go to the Suou residence together, and that would be the end of it. He knew that, yet…he was sitting on a park bench all alone like this.

I could still make it if I go now. Do I really want to become an even bigger scumbag than I already am? I’m going to regret it if I don’t go see her!

What could I even do if I went now? I already wasted the chance that Ayano gave me. It would be arrogant of me to go now.

It doesn’t matter what I can do! Yuki is in pain! I don’t need a better reason to be there for her!

Stop being so dramatic. The doctor’s already there taking care of her. They have good flu medicine nowadays. She’ll be better in no time.

That’s not what’s important right now! A brother has to be there for his little sister when she’s hurt, no matter what! Plus, people with asthma can apparently develop severe complications from the flu!

Two conflicting voices clashed violently within his head, but he knew which one he should listen to. He knew, yet his body remained frozen, unresponsive, and as time dragged on, every passing second made it harder to act. Despite his awareness, he continued to waste time, letting the cold bench and the biting wind drain the warmth from his body.

I’m doing it again…

He was back to drowning in regret and self-loathing, finding a twisted satisfaction in sinking deeper into it. He knew he was at fault, and because of that, he convinced himself it was okay. He felt that he had punished himself, so that should be good enough. He chose to escape by using self-punishment as a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Masachika understood that he had to confront the mistake from his past someday and that he couldn’t keep running from it forever. His gut was telling him that he wasn’t going to be able to avoid it much longer, either. He’d even promised Maria that he would face his regret, yet when that time came, he simply tried to escape again…

“Mmmnnng!”

He dug his fingers into his scalp, scratching furiously as if he could claw his way out of his problems. The sharp pain bloomed where his nails sank into his skin, and heat radiated from the pressure. Still, he didn’t stop, biting his lip as he fought against the urge to break. He knew it was pointless, but it was the only thing he could think to do. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—maybe he should just stay here all night, let the cold do its bidding. Maybe if he got gravely sick, then that would make up for all this. But just as this destructive thought crossed his mind…

“Masachika…?”

Masachika froze at the unexpected voice, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him. But when he began to lift his chin, the sight of a boot’s toe in his peripheral vision confirmed his doubt. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, his heart skipping a beat as he met Alisa’s wide, surprised eyes as she stood there while holding his jacket.

“When I went to lock the door, I noticed you forgot your jacket…and you were acting weird, so…”

“…Oh.”

“Did something happen?”

But Masachika hung his head in silence. There was nothing he could say. After all, Alisa didn’t know the truth about his relationship with Yuki, and even if he revealed everything, what would it change? It would only add to the humiliation.

“…Could you just pretend you didn’t see me?” Masachika muttered under his breath.

“What?”

He covered his eyes with both hands and continued with a harsh, stiff tone:

“I don’t want to ruin your birthday…so please, could you just pretend you didn’t see me?”

“Wh-what?! There’s no way I can do that!”

Without warning, she seized him by both shoulders, jerking him upright so he was forced to face her. Then, with a firm grip on his collar, Alisa held his head steady, glaring at him from point-blank range.

“Tell me what happened!”

“…”

Masachika felt a touch of astonishment as he gazed into Alisa’s fiery blue eyes. Clearly frustrated, she clenched her teeth at his dull reaction, then briefly dropped her gaze with a sigh.

“…Do you remember the bet we made before finals last semester?” she asked in a forcibly suppressed voice.

“…?”

“We made a bet before finals on whether you’d make it into the top thirty.”

Masachika suddenly remembered what she was talking about. During the first semester’s final exams, they had made a bet on whether Masachika could score within the top thirty in his grade. The loser would then be forced to do whatever the winner asked.

“…Oh, right. We did make a bet like that,” he muttered, as if it wasn’t important. Alisa, however, raised her lowered gaze and glared sharply back at him.

“Well, I’m going to use my right as the winner right now. Tell me what happened.”

Masachika was at a loss for words, since there was no way that he could have predicted that she would bring up a promise they made months ago out of the blue like this. Yet, as he met Alisa’s sincere gaze…he found himself confessing it all.

“Yuki got the flu…and she’s really sick right now.” Once he started talking, he couldn’t stop as he continued to pour out everything. “She didn’t want to ruin the party…so she made Ayano tell everyone that she had an urgent matter come up…but she’s actually sick. She’s in pain right now, but I—! I just—! I’m not there for her when she needs me…!”

As he spoke, waves of pity and self-doubt surged within him. Masachika bit his lip once more and lowered his gaze. Alisa’s hands slid softly from his shoulders as she stood, moving away from him as her quiet voice brushed against his ear.

“…That’s why?”

Her voice quivered, prompting Masachika to look up at her and notice the tears in her eyes as his own opened wide.

“It’s strange… I wanted to know, and yet, I wish I didn’t ask.” She smiled weakly.

“<It hurts…>” she murmured softly in Russian, her voice trembling.

It instantly became clear to him why she was on the verge of tears.

Oh… That’s why…

It would have been easy to say “This is all just a misunderstanding. I’m not neglecting you or prioritizing Yuki over you,” but that probably wouldn’t have been good enough for Alisa. Masachika did love Yuki…but as his sister. Yet, he had to keep that a secret which meant…

Actually…why don’t I tell her?

That was when it hit him. What was the value of his promise to Gensei if it meant seeing the girl in front of him on the brink of tears? What mattered more: Alisa’s feelings or his commitment to Gensei? The answer was clear.

“…Alya, I told you that my parents were divorced, right?”

“Huh? Yeah…”

Alisa tilted her head in confusion as Masachika changed the conversation abruptly, a bittersweet smile on his lips as he met her gaze and continued.

“My mother’s name…is Yumi Suou. My name used to be Masachika Suou.”

“…!”

He looked up at his speechless partner and confessed:

“Yuki…is my little sister.”

Epilogue: Repentance

I wanted to make her happy. I wanted her to be free. If I couldn’t do that, then at least I wanted to be the reliable older brother that she could always count on.

I had a vague memory of a time when Yuki and I were really young. She had always been a curious and mischievous child, full of life. She loved the outdoors and was fascinated by everything around her, always wanting to try out everything at least once.

“What’s that?” “How does this work?” “I want to try that.” “That looks so fun.” That was the kind of girl she was. Though her frame was small, she was always packed full of energy and curiosity with a sparkle in her eyes.

In contrast, as the eldest son of the Suou family, I was raised with strict discipline, so I felt that I was a far quieter, more obedient child—nothing like my sister. However, I never envied or resented her for her carefree nature.

Everyone had their own role. Some were meant for certain tasks, while others for different ones. As I studied in my room, I would often catch sight of Yuki dragging Ayano around the garden, and somehow, it felt like this was where I was meant to be, and that was where she was meant to be.

But that all changed without warning. One day, Yuki began coughing uncontrollably, her breath heavy and labored. At first, we thought it was just a common cold—something that would pass. But as the days went by, Yuki’s condition only worsened. I could still remember how quiet it felt to be home with her no longer in the garden or the hallways of the mansion.

Even though she could no longer play outdoors, Yuki’s curiosity remained as bright as ever. Lying in bed, her eyes sparkled as she read books, imagining far-off lands while gazing at pictures of deserts and icebergs, dreaming of being a pilot when she saw cool planes and imagining herself as a florist when she admired beautiful flowers. But after seeing her like that day after day, I eventually said something completely absurd to her.

“I’m going to be a doctor when I grow up and find a way to make you feel better!”

“What? But I thought you were gonna be a diplomat?”

“I am, but I’m going to be a doctor, too! I’m a genius, so I can be both!”

“Wow! You’re amazing!”

…It was nothing more than a thoughtless remark from a naive child, but Yuki’s genuine praise made me think I could really do it. I wanted to be that dependable, incredible older brother she saw in me. And one day, I wanted to return her to the world where she truly belonged.

I wanted to see my sister, whose spirit shone brighter and soared freer than anyone else’s, set off toward a world brimming with endless possibilities where she could chase any dream and become anything she desired. That, I believed, was my role. As someone without a destination of his own, I was meant to guide her toward hers.

…At least, that’s what I told myself. But in the end, I was the one who shattered that dream. I betrayed myself.

“I’m sorry. I’m…going to stay here with Mom.”

It took me far too long to realize what truly mattered. Back then, it wasn’t my parents, the family name, or even myself that I should have been thinking about—it was my little sister, the kindest person I knew. But I’d failed her. And without ever making things right, I simply drifted through life, while she found the strength to recover all on her own. Yet, the sister who once spoke so eagerly of her dreams…never mentioned them again.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Yuki Suou, and it is an honor to represent all of the new students this year.”

Her polite, well-behaved demeanor, dedicated to serving the family, mirrored my old self. I finally realized who I had sacrificed to gain this meaningless freedom.

My sister, who was freer than anyone, had to give up on her dreams because I wasn’t strong enough to be there for her.

Afterword

Hey. As usual, it’s time for the useless afterword…or that’s what I’d usually say, but maybe not this time. That’s because, unlike when I just scribble down whatever comes to mind, I actually have something to write about! And not just one thing, but two! Hurray. I’m ready to tackle a nine-page afterword…! So, instead of randomly including a short story at the end, I’m going to write a proper, serious afterword this time… (The following has been omitted for brevity.)

You’ve been completely poiso—trained by me like one of Pavlov’s dogs! Heh! Anyway, as you’ve probably guessed, the topic is none other than the anime adaptation of Feelings in Russian, which will begin airing in April 2024.

Oh, and by the way, my editor told me, “Following industry standards, the newest volume should be released to coincide with the anime, so Volume 8 should be released in April.” But…since I didn’t want to make readers wait an extra two months for no reason, I decided to release Volume 8 in February. Isn’t that thoughtful of me? Heh. A novelist who cares about their readers! But honestly, I just couldn’t handle a sudden two-month gap myself… (The following has been omitted for brevity.)

But, well, my mental state is like shape-memory alloy—no matter how bent out of shape I get, a good night’s sleep fixes everything. Anyway, I seem to have gotten off track. Let’s get back to the main topic of what to write about in the afterword. The first topic is…Anime Festival Asia, or AFA for short, which was held in Singapore!

I can’t believe it, but I, Sunsunsun, the author of Feelings in Russian, was invited to the Anime Festival Asia stage event held back in late November! Ha-ha-ha-ha! I’ve heard stories about authors being sent to hot springs by their publishers to write in seclusion, but I never thought I’d be going on an overseas business trip at the publisher’s expense. Apparently, it’s quite rare for KADOKAWA to hold an event like this before the anime airs, so I’m really grateful for all the effort they’re putting into promoting the anime.

With a deep sense of gratitude, I embarked on my first-ever overseas trip… Yes, it was my first time going abroad. I even had to get a passport for this. When I told the KADOKAWA staff member who accompanied me, he was like, “You wrote Feelings in Russian without ever going abroad?!” But I mean, if you think about it, writers of isekai fantasy (probably) haven’t been to another world either. (The following has been omitted for brevity.) So what’s the big deal if I write Feelings in Russian without ever going abroad! Ha-ha. I’m just trying to justify that I’m just more of an (extremely) indoors-kind-of-guy.

That’s right. I’m super introverted. I basically don’t want to go outside on my days off. For me, it’s not a day off unless I’m at home. Because of this personality, I’ve never much been interested in domestic travel, let alone international travel. But the trip to Singapore was incredibly fun. Even though I can’t speak English at all (basically, all I said was yes, no, thank you, okay, and sorry), the KADOKAWA staff members showed me around and helped me every step of the way, so it was a very comfortable, nice trip. Out of everyone who accompanied me on this trip, I had only met my editor and the producer for the anime before, but the members of the promotion department were also very friendly and kind… I guess people who work in promotions are naturally good at socializing. Also, Sumire Uesaka, her hair stylist, and her manager were all very friendly and easy to talk to.

…Yep. I was already surprised, but on this trip, I was on the same flight from Haneda Airport as Sumire Uesaka, the voice actress for Alya in the anime. She was incredibly beautiful, just like the real Alya. I was really surprised. I knew we were going to appear on stage together at the AFA event, but I thought, “We’ll probably be traveling separately and meet up at the venue on the day of the event.” But no, we were on the same flight. And guess what? I found out later that the person sitting two seats away from me was also a female voice actress who was going to appear at AFA. I only found out about it later from Sumire Uesaka herself.

You know, this was the first time I’ve ever met a celebrity who’d appeared on TV. And a super famous voice actress that I met on my first trip overseas to boot. Total insanity, right? I landed in Singapore while thinking, “You never know what life will throw at you.”

But seriously, Singapore was amazing, especially the architecture. Every building was so avant-garde, and even ordinary apartments had unique colors and shapes, making me think that architects must flat-out refuse to create generic buildings here. And even though the buildings were so full of style, nature was still well-preserved. The street trees were much taller than those in Japan, and the whole city felt like a perfect fusion of nature and technology. It was amazing.

And then, when the AFA stage event started, I found myself surprised yet again. So many of the audience members could understand Japanese. Before the interpreter could translate anything into English, about thirty percent of the people would react. And they were so enthusiastic. My editor had told me, “A shirt and jacket would be too formal for the stage outfit!” So I wore a T-shirt with a big print of Alya (I think it was Taiwanese merchandise), and the Singaporean audience laughed. They were so kind.

And then, after the stage event, I did a signing session with Sumire Uesaka…and I was completely blown away… Her English skill level was about the same as mine, but she was sooo good at engaging with the audience. She’d even notice what the fans were wearing or carrying, and would talk about those shows and about her fellow voice actors, even inserting catchphrases from the characters she’s played while signing autographs. Meanwhile, I was so impressed by her amazing will to please the fans and talent that I just stood there quietly signing autographs as I turned into air. In fact, I’m still wondering if it should even be legal to have my terrible signature right next to Sumire Uesaka’s. So anyway, that’s basically what happened. The event wrapped up as I marveled at the greatness of top-tier voice actors and the kindness of the people in Singapore. And later that night, I even visited a casino. A real casino!

This is what traveling abroad is all about! There weren’t any bunny girls, though! Tsk! Why not?! Where else could you find bunny girls if not a casino? Are they an endangered species? Or is it just a Japanese stereotype that they are standard in casinos? Or maybe you can find them in Las Vegas? Where the heck are all the bunny girls?! What am I supposed to do at a casino without any bunny girls…?! Anyway, that’s what was going through my mind as I lost all my money (about six thousand yen) playing roulette.

The Sunsunsun Desire and Conspiracy Casino Arc, Fin!!

So, all in all, I had a really valuable experience. Thank you again to everyone involved. If the anime becomes a hit, please take me to Las Vegas next time. I want to see a real bunny girl! My adventure is far from over. I—okay, I’ll stop.

Now, for the second topic. It’s about the voice recording for the first episode of the Feelings in Russian anime! If you’re a comic reader, and you read the bonus comics after the afterword, then you know what I’m talking about. Apparently, you’ll see something like this in the Feelings in Russian comics as well with illustrations by Tenamachi, so check it out! There, I’ve fulfilled my stealth advertisement quota…even though no one asked me to.

So, I was thinking of talking about things that Tenamachi couldn’t fully cover…but then, I got the draft for the comic. And, well—it’s way more detailed than I expected, leaving me with basically nothing to add. Also, uh…Tenamachi’s humanoid avatar is seriously creepy. Like, wow.

So, uh… Wh-what do I talk about now? Oh, hey! I actually met Momoco for the first time at the recording studio! Until then, we never even texted or anything. I only sent her a DM once saying hello, and that was it, but after three years of Feelings in Russian, I finally got to meet her in person. It was so exciting. Oh, this was my second time meeting Tenamachi. We met once before the comic serialization began as a kind of meet-and-greet. Since we’re the same age and Tenamachi is so outgoing, I felt like we were friends right away the second time we met.

So, the voice recording finally began…and wow, professional voice actors are amazing, huh? I know everyone says that, and Tenamachi’s comic depicting the events shows that, so I won’t say anything about the main characters’ actual recordings. Instead, what I want to talk about is the background noise and background character chatter. You know, those scenes in classrooms and cafeterias where a bunch of people are talking at once? That! That was incredible! Did you know that they don’t just use pre-recorded crowd noise? The voice actors actually improvise those sounds on the spot.

And they do it in groups of two or three together like they’re having an actual casual conversation. Plus, they recorded three different patterns: a mix of male and female voices, a group of female voice actors, and a group of male voice actors. The fact that they can improvise all that dialogue on command is truly amazing. I’m sure if someone suddenly asked me to do it, I’d be like “N-nice weather we’re having today, huh?” as my voice cracks.

Unfortunately, unlike Prince Shotoku or Masachika, I can’t understand ten conversations at once, so I couldn’t tell who was saying what…but what I could tell was that the cafeteria scene was hilarious, like something out of a comedy sketch. I can’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you have a chance, try to figure listen to what they’re saying. It was a masterpiece.

Anyway, after finishing the main character recordings and the background noise, we finished Part A. It took about two hours. I was told beforehand that the recording would take four to five hours, but contrary to my expectations, Part B ended in about an hour and a half, so I was like, “Wow, that was fast!” …And then, we started recording the extra parts and the Russian dialogue! Almost forgot about that!

We recorded each Russian line with the help of a Russian language teacher, and it was quite a process. Not only were they getting direction from the anime director and sound director (and me) about the acting, like “Be more friendly here” or “Hey, I don’t think that’s how you pronounce ‘nickel,’” but we also had to get feedback on our Russian pronunciation.

Even if the pronunciation was technically correct, if it didn’t match the mood during the scene, we had to redo it. On top of that, since the animation team had only made a rough estimate of how long the Russian dialogue would take, they sometimes found themselves saying, “Oh no, the Russian lines are longer than we expected! Can we extend this part of the animation a bit?” And in the midst of all this, I’d be thinking to myself, “I’m so sorry… I crammed all that Russian dialogue in without even really thinking about it, and now, everyone else has to suffer because of it…” But everyone was truly a pro about it. Of course, Sumire Uesaka, who can already speak Russian, was amazing, but the others had clearly practiced a lot beforehand. It wasn’t uncommon for them to get it right in one take, and we finished this part in about thirty minutes.

It took about four hours in total, which was longer than I expected for just one episode. I was truly amazed at how much work goes into it. Just when I was thinking about how demanding this job must be, Kouhei Amasaki, the voice actor for Masachika, came up to me and asked, “Was my Masachika okay?” He was so humble and a really nice guy. I mean, the whole thing was fantastic, to be honest.

By the time I started writing this afterword, the recording for the second episode has already finished, and I can say that all the voice actors, including Kouhei Amasaki, have done an amazing job. The animation is still in progress, but you can already see how beautiful the artwork is. I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished product. So, everyone, please be sure to watch the Feelings in Russian anime! All right, that’s the end of part two of my unsolicited advertising.

Oh, hey. Check it out. I’ve already written nine pages of afterword. Man, I talk too much. I just realized I had already written more than nine pages for the afterword. I got carried away because I was having so much fun writing. What should I do? I need to cut it down. All right, let’s see… If I cut a few parts from the beginning, I can probably save a page. I feel like I did a sloppy job of omitting parts, but whatever. The uncut version with all the parts I cut out won’t be published anywhere, so it doesn’t matter.

Now, on to the acknowledgements.

Once again, I was a little too slow writing this novel, causing quite a bit of trouble over the New Year holidays for my editor, Miyakawa, so thank you for your patience. Thank you for helping me out during our trip to Singapore and during the recording as well.

Next, I would like to thank Momoco for her wonderful illustrations again. I’m so sorry for asking you to draw more illustrations at the end of the year when you must have been busy. In addition to the amazing illustrations in this volume, she also drew an amazing cover for the artbook. Oh no! I forgot to mention the artbook! The first-ever Feelings in Russian artbook will be released in July 2024 along with the ninth volume of the novel. Please look forward to it! There will also be some exclusive illustrations, so don’t miss it! Oh no, I’m running out of space.

Uh… Next, I’d like to thank Tenamachi for her meticulous and high-quality comic adaptation. The comic adaptation has finally reached the second volume of the novels. I’m really looking forward to seeing Ayano, Sayaka, and Nonoa appear!

And last but not least, I would like to thank Suzuki, the editor in charge of the comic adaptation, Iwata, the editor in charge of the artbook, the promotion team, the staff at Doga Kobo, Inc., all the cast members, and all the readers of Feelings in Russian. Thank you so much! I hope to see you again in 2024! And let’s meet again in the afterwords for the next volume and the artbook, shall we? See ya!