▣ KO-FI ▣ DISCORD ▣

Volume 1, Chapter 6: A Date with Koharu

“Yawn~ I’m so sleepy.”

The next morning, I walked downstairs, yawning.

“Ah, Kaga-kun. Good morning.”

Miss Hiyori, already downstairs, was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, a comfortable outfit for moving around.

I should greet her properly.

“Good morning.”

“Although you haven’t been living in the shared house for long, how do you like it? Are you happy?”

“I am. I’ve started to get to know the other residents a bit.”

“That’s great to hear. I was about to make breakfast. Would you like me to make some for you too?”

“That would be great, thanks. Should I pay you something?”

“As a one-time freebie, this one’s on the house.”

“That helps a lot. I was just thinking about saving money, as I’ve been spending a bit too much this month.”

“Oh, excuse me for a moment before I start cooking.”

Miss Hiyori suddenly disappeared from my view.

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you want to know?”

“Yes, please tell me.”

Although a bit shy, Miss Hiyori calmly explained.

“I forgot to wear my underwear. It’s not appropriate to be around Kaga-kun like this. Though, I personally think this T-shirt is quite enough.”

Nonchalantly announcing she wasn’t wearing underwear, she seemed aware of me as a male. Truth be told, my attention was slightly drawn. When she said wearing just a T-shirt was enough, I inadvertently glanced at Miss Hiyori’s chest.

“Ah. You saw, didn’t you?”

“That’s not…”

“If you don’t want to be seen, don’t act in a way that attracts attention. That’s a rule in this shared house. This time it’s my fault, so I won’t say anything. Sorry for teasing you a bit.”

Miss Hiyori smiled gently and then returned to her room.

Since she said she would make breakfast, I decided to wait in the living room and watch TV. During this time, I remembered what Asakura-senpai had said to me.

“Seeking new encounters to forget…”

To dispel my lingering feelings for Mafuyu, there indeed was a way.

I knew the answer myself, and now Asakura-senpai had bluntly stated it. Recognizing this, I should be resolute…

“Ah, Mafuyu? Good morning.”

Noticing Mafuyu coming downstairs, I greeted her.

“About yesterday… I’m really sorry. Truly sorry.”

After making sure no one else was around, Mafuyu quickly bowed her head to me, her face flushing with embarrassment.

“Don’t worry about it. Come on, it’ll be awkward if someone sees you like this. Lift your head, lift your head.”

“Okay… Okay.”

Just as I was thinking about seeking new encounters, she came to me like this, cleverly tying me to her. Watching Mafuyu with indescribable feelings, Miss Hiyori returned.

“Ah, Mafuyu. Good morning.”

“Ah, good morning.”

“I was going to make breakfast for Mafuyu too, but you have work early today, right?”

“I’m off to work now. I don’t have much time, so I’ll pass on breakfast, but thanks for the thought.”

Mafuyu hurriedly prepared to leave for work. With little time to spare, she quickly got ready to go.

Meanwhile, I didn’t have anything pressing, so I could relax in the living room.

No, that’s not right. Miss Hiyori was busy in the kitchen making breakfast. I couldn’t just sit idly by.

“Need any help?”

“No, no, I’ve got it covered.”

Unpretentiously, Miss Hiyori finished preparing breakfast in less than five minutes.

“Kaga-kun, breakfast is ready.”

She served bacon, fried eggs, a simple salad with lettuce and corn, and appealingly toasted potatoes.

“Thanks a lot. I’ll start then.”

“Please do.”

I began to eat the breakfast Miss Hiyori prepared for me.

It’s nice to have a proper breakfast. Ever since I became a university student, it’s been hard to wake up early, so I rarely had a good breakfast.

“Yawn~ Good morning.”

Koharu came downstairs yawning from her room. Last night, I saw her sleeping on the sofa, but she must have returned to her room at some point.

“Good morning, Koharu.”

“Ah, Yuji-senpai. Did Hiyori make you breakfast?”

“Just in time.”

“Though she said that, her breakfast is quite uninteresting, right?”

“Koharu. If you have complaints, why don’t you make it yourself?”

“No way~ I just said it’s uninteresting. But I know Hiyori’s breakfast is really great! Thanks for always making it, sis.”

“Even if it’s a casual thanks, it’s better than none.”

A somewhat helpless Miss Hiyori placed a similar breakfast in front of Koharu.

“Then, let’s eat.”

Koharu joined me in our slightly belated breakfast.

Seizing the opportunity of having breakfast together, I started a conversation.

“By the way, weren’t you sleeping on the sofa last night? When did you go back to your room?”

“Ah~ I didn’t sleep on the sofa.”

Koharu tried to play it off casually. Miss Hiyori slightly squinted her eyes and smiled.

“Didn’t I tell you not to sleep in the living room? Koharu?”

“No, no, I’m saying I didn’t sleep there. Yuji-senpai just saw it wrong.”

“Asakura-senpai saw it too. Don’t try to fool us.”

“Ugh, senpai, you meanie. You could’ve just covered for me. Really…”

“As a punishment, you’re going to run errands for me later. Listen and respond properly!”

“Okay~ okay, I~ understand.”

Koharu, although indirect in her response, didn’t seem to resist.

Isn’t she going to argue back? While I thought this, she looked at me surprisingly and began to explain.

“Yuji-senpai, is it strange that I agreed so quickly? Well, you might think so. But I can’t go against my sister! Actually… depending on her mood, I could be forced to go back home. Well, I do resist her when it’s okay to do so! She has gotten angry with me about this before, so if I defy her here, she’ll definitely get mad. It’s best to comply with her here!”

“So, whether or not you have to leave the shared house depends on Miss Hiyori’s decision?”

“That’s right, desu. I don’t want to be kicked out of here~”

“Why are you living in a shared house, though?”

“My parents were just too embarrassing. After getting back together, they reflected on what each wanted the other to change. Even if they argue, they make up right away. It’s so lovey-dovey it’s hard to watch… It’s been 5 years since they remarried.”

Koharu shrugged her shoulders in a helpless manner.

With Miss Hiyori beside her, smiling wryly, her expression seemed to affirm the truth of the matter.

“By the way, how did your parents get back together?”

“My parents had several opportunities to meet because of my sister and me. When they did meet, the two of them, initially cold-faced, gradually rekindled their feelings. Over time, they chose to remarry. All this happened when we weren’t around, so it was a shock when they suddenly told us about their remarriage.”

Regaining my senses, I realized I had been captivated by the story of Koharu’s parents getting back together. I asked them what they thought when they heard about their parents’ remarriage.

“Koharu, did you oppose their getting back together?”

“They both had reflected well, so it was fine… Oh, are you asking all this because you want to get back with your ex-girlfriend, Yuji-senpai?”

Koharu’s face lit up with the intrigue of a discovered secret, and she turned the question back on me.

“Well, it’s not like that…”

“Really? Well, if you wanted to reconcile, you wouldn’t have moved to a shared house to seek new encounters. But it seems like you’re just dragging your feet on the surface. So, let me help you get over that lingering affection!”

“Who was it that thought I couldn’t possibly have a girlfriend? Didn’t you not believe it?”

“Come on, I’m part of the modern crowd. I can tell whether someone like you has had a girlfriend or not. I initially thought it was a lie, but thinking it over, you really seem like someone who’s had a girlfriend. Koharu is a girl who can admit when she’s wrong.”

“So, what exactly do you plan to do to help me cut off my lingering affection?”

“First, let’s go out together. Then, we’ll take a photo together. Send the picture to your ex-girlfriend. Hehehe. How about it? Show off to your ex-girlfriend, ‘Look, I’m a guy who can get a new girlfriend right after breaking up with you. Regret losing me!’ Doesn’t that sound satisfying?”

Koharu, with a sly expression, kept suggesting such ideas to me.

“That’s too disheartening. My character isn’t that bad.”

“Come on, don’t be like that. Although you say that, your face clearly shows you want to do what I suggested.”

“Not at all.”

“Come with me, Yuji-senpai~”

Koharu came up to me and playfully shook me.

Just as I thought it was a bit annoying, Miss Hiyori gently smiled and apologized.

“Sorry for Koharu being so bothersome.”

“Is she always like this?”

“I think she’s like this because it’s Kaga-kun. This child, ever since her father and mother got back together, always talked about her brother encouraging her, so she felt she had to work hard. Now that she’s met Kaga-kun again, she’s probably very excited.”

“Sis, you’re lying!”

“Ahh, I see. So you’ve been pestering me about proof of dates with my ex-girlfriend and talking about cutting off my lingering affection, but you just wanted to hang out with me? Sorry for not catching on to your real intention.”

“That’s… that’s not it at all!? I was just being nice to you to help heal the wounds from your ex-girlfriend~~”

“Well, let’s just say that’s the case. Oh, are you saying that instead of showing me how you’ve changed since we last met, you’re actually trying to be close to me like you used to be?”

Koharu’s cute attempts at denial prompted me to tease her a little more.

Having been toyed with by her since our reunion, I thought it was okay to tease her back once in a while.

Koharu, vehemently denying it, threw down a fierce line and disappeared from in front of me.

“You big dummy, Yuji-senpai! Finish your food quickly! I’ll be waiting at the entrance!”

“Looks like she’s assuming I’ll go out with her. Well, I’m free today, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to accompany her…”

“Sorry for the trouble. Koharu is all yours now.”

Miss Hiyori, watching us like a pair of well-connected siblings, entrusted Koharu to my care.

Miss Hiyori, for various reasons, had been a stranger to me until recently. Yet, she trusted me so much, so I asked her if she wasn’t worried. She replied,

“Well~. Like I said earlier, I just wanted to learn more about Kaga-kun.”

“Earlier?”

“The thing about not wearing underwear. Actually, I said that just to see how you’d react.”

“You’re quite strategic, Miss Hiyori.”

“I’m the owner and manager of this shared house; it’s my duty to protect the residents. So, I wanted to find out what kind of person Kaga-kun is, that’s why I deliberately said that, even though there was no need. Normally, if someone really wasn’t wearing underwear, they wouldn’t say anything and would just go back and put some on. I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

Miss Hiyori, so mature in her handling of various situations, told me with a gentle smile,

“I believe Kaga-kun is a good kid, so don’t disappoint my trust, okay? Otherwise, I might have to kick you out of this shared house.”

“I finally started enjoying life in the shared house; I have no intention of letting go of this life on purpose.”

“Hehe, is that so? Then I feel relieved.”

With that, Miss Hiyori began to clean up the breakfast plates.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Today is Sunday, a day off from my part-time job. So, spending time with Koharu isn’t a bad idea. 30 minutes after we agreed to go out together.

Waiting for my cute little sister at the familiar entrance, who wanted to go out with me using the pretext of ‘Sending evidence of our outing to my ex-girlfriend to annoy her.’

Alright, alright, I’ll indulge her like I used to. Oh, here she comes.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Hehehe. I wore my high school uniform just for you, Yuji-senpai!”

Despite not going to school today, Koharu is dressed in her uniform. Ignoring her comment about me liking it, I sincerely compliment her on how well the uniform suits her.

“I thought this the first time I saw you in the changing room, and I still think so now – the uniform really suits you.”

“Right? Let’s go! Let’s show your ex-girlfriend how popular you are now and make her wallow in regret!”

“I’ve already said I won’t do something as nasty as that. By the way, where are we headed?”

“Though it might not look like it, I’m actually a cons blogger. I want to post about the trendy bubble tea on cons, so let’s go have some!”

“You like playing with cons?”

Constagram (a nod to the foreign social media platform Instagram) is a social networking site where people post photos with captions to share and comment on each other’s lives. It’s widely used by everyone from elementary students to the elderly.

“Yeah, I love it. Although it seems like everyone is getting addicted to tiktak (a reference to TikTok) these days, I’m still devoted to cons.”

“I’ve heard a lot at university about people who used to post everything on cons but are now obsessed with tiktak.”

“Which SNS do you use, Yuji-senpai?”

“If I tell you, I feel like you’ll go snooping for my account, so let’s not.”

I have accounts on most SNS platforms. Triter, where posts are limited to 140 characters and often feature manga, light novel, and anime news, is one of them.

While I don’t post on cons, I have an account to keep up with my friends. I have an account on tiktak too, though I rarely use it.

“Tell me, let’s get closer~”

“I feel like you would be bothersome about it, so no. And hey, you should watch where you’re going when walking, or you might get hit by a car.”

“I won’t get hit. Yuji-senpai, you worry too much. If you’re really that worried, why don’t you hold my hand?”

Koharu playfully extends her hand towards me.

Though we used to hold hands often when we were younger, doing so now, after all these years, feels a bit odd.

But if I don’t hold her hand, she might start complaining about why I won’t hold it.

She’s like a little sister to me, having always been timid and hiding behind me. It’s hard not to be conscious of her.

“You want to hold hands with me, right?”

I firmly take her outstretched hand.

Koharu is like a little sister, and she’s still just a kid by age, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Wha!?!”

Koharu, startled as I suddenly take her hand, lets out a cute sound.

Despite being part of the modern crowd, she’s still a first-year high school student and acts just like one.

“You’re surprisingly inexperienced.”

“Damn it. I can’t argue because it’s true… If you really don’t want to, then let go of my hand.”

“Because you’ve always been a troublemaker since we were kids, and Hiyori asked me to take care of you and prevent you from getting hurt.”

“Kuh~, I never thought I’d be lectured by Yuji-senpai like an adult…”

Koharu is at an age of adolescence. Somehow, her reaction is strangely cute, making me want to tease her without realizing it.

Walking hand-in-hand with Koharu, we soon arrive at the popular bubble tea shop that has been the talk of the town.

“So many people…”

“It’s Sunday after all. Don’t you like queuing, Yuji-senpai?”

“It’s not that I particularly dislike it. After all, I have this.”

I pull out my phone. It’s the ultimate time-killer, capable of accessing the internet and playing games.

“Strange? You took it out but aren’t playing with it?”

“I’m not so inconsiderate as to ignore the girl accompanying me just to play with my phone. By the way, Koharu, you’ve been a high school student for a while now. You must have heard some interesting stories or topics. Since we’re out, why not share some with me?”

“Kuh—… Even here you act all grown-up. Well, alright. I’ll tell you about an urban legend from our school.”

The high school Koharu attends is technically my alma mater. I didn’t mention it to avoid exposing my past relationship with Mafuyu.

There were urban legends in our high school? I guess there must have been, but my social circle was too narrow to know.

Alright, let’s hear what kind of story she has…

“It’s about a mysterious male student who seemingly exists but doesn’t, like an actor.”

“I see…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Go on.”

“So, a few years back, there was this cool, aloof senior girl at my school. She was quite the head-turner.”

“Her name was…?”

“I can’t reveal her name for privacy reasons. Anyway, the person who told me this legend didn’t know her name either.”

“Right, privacy is important. Super important.”

I breathe a sigh of relief.

“She apparently used to hang out with a boy after school, dressed in the same high school uniform, looking like an actor. ‘Who’s that guy you’re with?’ People would ask her jokingly, trying to find the boy, making countless attempts, but in the end…”

“…They couldn’t find the boy anywhere.”

“Exactly! No matter how much they searched or asked around, no one could find this ‘actor-like boy.’ And since the girl didn’t say anything, to this day, nobody knows who he really was. Creepy, right? Someone who should exist but leaves no trace.”

“Ah…yeah, really creepy~”

“Isn’t it weird? You don’t feel like you’re trembling, do you, senior? Rather than a horror story, it seems more like a mystery. I don’t think it’s the kind of topic that would make someone shiver, right?”

Koharu Saotome looked at me incredulously as I trembled beside her.

A mix of emotions surged through me, causing me to shake uncontrollably.

“Oh, by the way, that non-existent boy and the actor who looks similar to him, that’s the guy Mafuyu-senpai said was her type of man, and she showed us his photo, right?”

“Is that so? Ah, what a coincidence.”

“Speaking of which, eh? You look quite similar to that actor we talked about just now, senior. Could it be that you are the real person from that urban legend?”

“No, no, that can’t be right. We just look somewhat alike.”

“Ahahaha, indeed. How could Yuji-senpai be that mysterious male student in the urban legend!”

While Koharu laughed heartily, I couldn’t muster a smile.

“How could I possibly be that mysterious male student from the urban legend?”

Caught in the web of rumors and becoming the subject of an urban legend.

The true identity of that man was – me, Yuji Kaga.

I knew my affairs had been talked about by others for some time. Little did I expect that after my graduation, those stories would morph into an urban legend circulating around the school.

It was too embarrassing. For someone like me who shuns the limelight, it was a harsh blow.

I must not reveal it’s me.

Lost in these thoughts, Koharu, who had been queuing for bubble tea, turned her attention to my clothes.

“By the way, you’ve become quite fashionable, haven’t you, Yuji-senpai? Tell me the reason. I’m so curious about what happened to make you look this stylish. I’ve already told you why I’ve changed, so you should tell me too.”

“I definitely won’t tell you.”

“Ah, by the way, could the reason no one could find that boy be because he usually dressed very plain and only dressed like a handsome actor after school? Wow, Koharu-chan might be a genius! I might have uncovered the truth.”

“No… It’s not likely like that.”

There was once a cold beauty from the in-crowd and a reclusive otaku. These two, brought together by a light novel, grew closer, and eventually started an annoying love affair.

Sadly, the girl’s social circle was composed of girls who had nothing to do with otakus. If she dated an otaku, it was easy to guess how they would react.

So, the cold beauty and the otaku decided to keep their relationship a secret and only hung out discreetly. Wanting to spend time together freely without anyone knowing, the cold beauty came up with an idea.

“Just hide your true appearance.”

She wanted the otaku to keep his geeky appearance at school and only dress up when they went out together.

After he tried dressing up, to her surprise, he looked incredibly handsome, exceeding her expectations.

“You look really handsome, you know. I’ve fallen for you even more. How about living like this after you become a university student?”

“Why not start now?” he asked.

“No. Our relationship would be exposed,” she replied.

Of course.

The whole point of the disguise was to be able to walk together without arousing suspicion. Doing so would defeat the purpose.

As he agreed, he heard the cold beauty, Mafuyu… no, the girl, mutter under her breath.

“Besides, you might get stolen away if you’re too handsome…”

Her unassuming nature was charming.

Perhaps embarrassed by her own words, Mafuyu… no, the cold beauty turned her face away.

Only the cold beauty and I… no, the otaku, knew about these things.

“Here you go~ Your order is ready.”

After a long wait in line for bubble tea, it was finally our turn. We had waited for twelve minutes just to see the menu.

“You’re getting a classic milk tea, right, Yuji-senpai?”

“Yeah, it’s my favorite. Just order that.”

“Hello, I’d like a milk tea and a coconut milk tea! And make both straws pink, please.”

“Got it. That’ll be 1600 yen for both.”

Whoa, that’s pricey. 800 yen each?

I wonder how much it actually costs to make these… but better not to dwell on that.

“Here.”

I handed over 2000 yen to the cashier.

“Ah, I was planning to pay… I’ll pay you back later.”

“No need for that.”

“Yuji-senpai is so kind. Feel free to pamper me more, okay?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Ow! That tap on the head was mean, even if it was light. Jeez! But thanks for the drink.”

Koharu quickly thanked me, and we waited for about two more minutes.

Taking our drinks from the cashier, we were lucky to find a spot at the outdoor seating of the shop, as most customers prefer to walk around with their drinks.

“Phew~ Finally got them, and we even got a place to sit. Lucky us.”

“Yeah, the timing for the seats was perfect.”

Just as I was about to sip my bubble tea, Koharu extended her hand toward me.

“Take a photo for my cons post, will you? Oh, and one for your ex-girlfriend too!”

“One for cons is fine, but I’m not doing the annoying one.”

“Aw~ Even though we finally got here. Well, okay then. I’ll just move a bit closer to Yuji-senpai. Then, hold it like this…”

After instructing me on how to hold the bubble tea, Koharu came beside me. She then took a selfie with both of us using her phone’s front camera.

“Yay!”

“Hey, taking a photo of the bubble tea is fine, but who said you could include me?”

“Hehehe~ Rarely do I get such a chance to show off having a boyfriend to my friends, make them see how mature I am. Don’t worry, I didn’t capture your face.”

“Only this time, okay?”

“Not really, if it gets good feedback, I’ll ask you again. I’m a cons blogger, and I’m at the age where I want popularity.”

Koharu posed as if she was delivering a famous line.

Curious about what she posts on Constagram, she showed me her phone.

“Aren’t you in danger of being recognized if your face gets caught?”

Koharu’s account has 300,000 followers, making her a famous and popular blogger.

I thought she was just posting for fun, not realizing her popularity was so high. Quite astonishing.

“Ahahaha. So I did a good job of covering your face, right? Protecting oneself on the internet is very important, you know?”

“You seem to be quite cautious about that.”

“There are good people on cons, but also many super~scary ones. With this kind of popularity, weirdos tend to cling, so safety first.”

“Does this cautiousness come from Saotome Hiyori?”

Just like sisters.

Where it matters, they are conscientious.

Koharu Saotome has the aspect of being a popular internet blogger, but also that of being my sister.

I had a very enjoyable time chatting and drinking bubble tea with her.

Then, she said she wanted to buy summer clothes, so I accompanied her to a youth-oriented clothing store. And before I knew it, we were on our way home.

Koharu swung the bag containing the clothes she had just bought.

“Thanks for today!”

“Going out with someone is always nice. And, isn’t a shared house about doing various things together harmoniously?”

“That’s true~. A shared house is a place where people living together get along. Well, I just ran away because I couldn’t stand to see my parents being all lovey-dovey.”

“But now, interacting with others isn’t something you dislike anymore, right?”

“I used to dislike it, but now I enjoy spending time with others.”

“By the way, is it okay that you took my advice when buying clothes?”

“It’s fine. Ah~, I had so much fun today. No wonder you’ve had a girlfriend. With how accustomed you are to outings like today, I’m very~ clear on that now.”

“Going out like today is pretty normal…”

“Hoho. Speaking of which, I haven’t asked why you broke up with your girlfriend. If it’s okay, can you tell me?”

As soon as she asked about the reason for the breakup, my face naturally turned awkward.

Seeing my reaction, Koharu seemed to understand and retracted her question.

“Looks like the topic makes you uncomfortable, so let’s drop it. Then, how about changing the topic? What do you think about going on a date with someone as cute as me?”

“Koharu is like a sister to me, so it’s not really a date.”

“Saying that, but you must be secretly smitten with me.”

“No, I’d say it’s more like you’re the one with a racing heart.”

“Hah, Hah!? No way~! I’ve never thought there’s anything appealing about Yuji-senpai~!”

We teased each other back and forth, and after our playful banter, Koharu looked at me with a peculiar expression and asked.

“Hey, Yuji-senpai. Do you still like your ex-girlfriend?”

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“It just feels like you’re comparing me to someone else.”

“Ah~, sorry. I guess I made the atmosphere weird when I invited you out.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just something I was curious about and asked directly. If you still like your ex-girlfriend, why not just tell her straightforwardly? Of course, I mean if you really still have feelings for her.”

I still like Mafuyu, can’t forget about her, and can’t forget how things didn’t work out with her.

The longing that I can’t forget, and the failed relationship I want to forget, clash and intertwine, causing my recent turmoil.

But I can’t stay downhearted forever. One day, I need to make a decision.

Thinking, worrying, and eventually, I’ll find an answer… one that I can accept.

“Koharu. Thanks for your concern.”

“Don’t mention it. Now let’s head home!”

“Yeah, the sun has set. Let’s go home.”

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Mafuyu’s Side

As darkness fully set in, I finished my part-time job and started my way home.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back, Mafuyu-chan.”

Entering the living room, I saw Asakura Ryuga eating cup noodles.

Since moving in, Asakura has often shown concern whether I was facing any problems or difficulties, which helped us grow closer. Now, our relationship has reached a point where we can say anything to each other.

Even today, I casually started a conversation with her.

“Is that your dinner?”

“I thought I’d just eat something simple today. It’s quite good, and… well, no matter how much money you have, it’s never enough if you don’t save.”

“That’s true. Then I’ll also have something simple, like frozen food or cup noodles…”

I looked in the fridge for frozen food but couldn’t find any, so I grabbed a cup of noodles from the kitchen shelf.

I opened the cup, poured hot water from the thermal pot, and waited for three minutes.

While waiting for the noodles, I casually browsed SNS to kill time.

Scrolling through friends’ updates, liking, and commenting where appropriate, I suddenly noticed a post that caught my eye.

“Hmm?”

On my phone screen, there was a man holding bubble tea, his face not shown, and a girl in uniform.

The man looked a bit like Yuji, and the girl seemed to be Koharu.

Koharu had previously asked me, “Are you on Constagram? If you are, tell me your account! By the way, here’s mine.” The photo I saw was from the account she gave me.

So, the people with the bubble teas were “Yuji” and “Koharu.”

“They do seem close. Liar.”

Yuji had said he wasn’t in that sort of relationship with Koharu.

Despite saying that, he was doing things with her that were just like a couple.

It wasn’t me beside him, but Koharu. Thinking about it made my chest ache, almost bringing tears to my eyes.

To hold back the tears, I spoke to Asakura in the living room.

“They seem pretty close.”

“Who and who?”

“Koharu-chan and Yu… I mean, Yuji Kaga, right? You see,”

“Yeah, I thought they looked like they just came back from somewhere together. They do seem to be getting along well.”

“Is that so?”

“So, Mafuyu-chan, why do you look so unhappy?”

“Noth… Nothing’s wrong…”

“I get it. Mafuyu-chan is still a bit away from getting along well with Kaga-kun. That’s natural, after all, you’re both tenants in the same shared house. Wanting to get along well is understandable.”

I took the opportunity to agree with Asakura Ryuga’s misunderstanding, using this flimsy excuse to cover up.

“I see… Oh, right. Speaking of which, I remember Mafuyu-chan is quite skilled at makeup, very handy.”

“Though that’s about the only thing I’m good at.”

“Recently, I had a chat with Kaga-kun, and he mentioned his ex-girlfriend used to trim his eyebrows. He said his own skills are so bad that now he’s hesitant to do it himself.”

“Is that so. You mean, asking me to do it?”

“You want to get along better with Kaga-kun, like Koharu-chan, right? In that case, I think taking the initiative to approach him is a good idea.”

“Well, if you say so, Asakura-san, I guess I’ll help him when I feel like it…”

Even though I said ‘when I feel like it,’ that night —

I nervously visited Yuji’s room.

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“That… You’re looking a bit unkempt lately?”

“Did you come here just to say that?”

Yuji seemed a bit unhappy with my awkward phrasing.

My ex-boyfriend, whom I still love.

Realizing he’s getting close to someone else, I also want a better relationship.

Unable to control my emotions, I couldn’t stop myself.

“I’m just saying your eyebrows have gotten a bit off. It’s a waste, considering how good-looking you are. Let me fix them for you.”

No matter what, I just want to spend time with you.

I know it’s bothersome, I know it, but…

Before I knew it, any excuse to be with Yuji brought me closer.