Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 2 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Do the Winds of Tomorrow Blow Tomorrow?

1 

The next morning found Sakuta standing in the living room, stunned. 

While he waited for his toast to pop up, he’d turned on the TV. Seconds later… 

He’d assumed it would be the results of the Japan soccer match, but instead, it was a charming story about someone finding a bundle of bills worth ten million yen in their garden. 

“Good morning. Today is Saturday, June twenty-eighth. We have a surprising lead story for you today!” 

The regular morning newscaster. A man in his early forties. Calm, smooth voice. Even Sakuta couldn’t object. He made everything easy to follow. 

But as natural as his delivery was, today Sakuta’s mind just refused to process it. 

“…D-did he just say June twenty-eighth?” 

“He did!” 

Kaede was standing next to him in her panda pajamas. She frowned up at him, baffled. 

“He said Saturday?” 

“He did.” 

“……” 

“What about it?” 

“Kaede, pinch my cheek.” 

“Don’t mind if I do!” Kaede reached up and gave him a good twist. 

“That hurts.” 

“S-sorry.” 

“No, it’s fine.” 

It wasn’t fine at all. If this wasn’t a dream, then it was really happening. If it hurt, this was probably real. 

Which meant there was no point thinking about it. June 28 had really come. And not just any June 28. He was supposed to have gotten Mai to say yes. They were supposed to be officially dating. But that whole thing had gone right out the window. Mai had gotten the wrong idea and stormed out. Leaving him on the worst possible version of June 28. 

“This isn’t funny…” 

It was like being dropped from heaven straight to hell. 

Sakuta staggered over to the phone and lifted the receiver. 

“What’s wrong?” Kaede asked. 

“Nothing,” he muttered as he dialed a friend’s cell phone number. 

She answered on the third ring. 

“This is Azusagawa.” 

“Why this early on a Saturday?” Rio asked. From her voice, she was clearly already up. 

“Make me a time machine,” he demanded, getting right to the point. 

“……” 

Without her saying another word, the call ended. 

Bad connection? Cell phones did drop calls sometimes. 

He quickly redialed. 

“……” 

It rang a bunch of times, but she didn’t pick up. 

Apparently, she’d intentionally hung up on him. 

He grimly hung in there, and she finally answered on the tenth ring. 

“If you say anything else stupid, I will hang up again.” 

“I am absolutely serious here.” 

“I’m busy changing!” 

“Be more specific.” 

“All that’s left are socks.” 

“You dress in a very unusual order.” 

“Not really.” 

“I start with socks!” 

“That’s unusual.” 

“Hardly.” 

“So what is it?” 

“You remember what we talked about yesterday? How I was repeating the same day?” 

“Congrats! You’ve escaped yesterday.” 

“In the worst way.” 

“You found Laplace’s demon, then?” 

“I did, but…I think she’s a first-year at Minegahara.” 

Loath as he was to admit it, his only choice was to accept the reality and proceed from here. At the very least, he had to think about why he was able to escape yesterday. 

He couldn’t bear getting stuck in the same day again. 

There were three main differences between the third loop and the first two. 

The first was obviously that Sakuta and Mai were no longer going out. Horrible misunderstandings had left her in no mood for that. 

The second was also romance related; Tomoe Koga had no longer been asked out by Maesawa. 

And the third was the result of the Japan soccer game. They’d won the first two times but lost the third. Sakuta really hoped that wasn’t because he’d watched the match live, but he felt responsible anyway. 

If you looked for Laplace’s demon based on those conditions, there was only one possible conclusion. 

Tomoe Koga was the demon. 

When he told Rio this, she inquired, “Why do you think that?” 

“The culprit is always the one who benefits most.” 

And she was the only other person looping June 27. 

“That makes sense,” Rio admitted. 

Sakuta and the Japan team may have had horrible outcomes, but Tomoe came out ahead. She’d sounded pretty desperate to avoid having Maesawa ask her out. She’d said her friend had a crush on him and that being asked out instead of that friend would be “not reading the air.” 

But since that confession never happened, Tomoe’s problem had fixed itself. That was most likely why they’d escaped June 27 and the twenty-eighth had finally arrived. 

It made sense to him. At least, Sakuta couldn’t think of any other explanation. 

The reason he was still worried was that the core problem hadn’t been resolved. 

Maesawa had misread the situation. But if he found out the truth, he would probably ask Tomoe out again. And if that triggered the loop, they might get stuck in the same day again. 

It wouldn’t take long for Maesawa to work out that Sakuta and Tomoe weren’t a couple. Sakuta had asked Mai out in front of the entire student body a month before, and it wouldn’t take much observation to notice that he and Tomoe were never together. 

The same problem happened if Sakuta talked Mai down and once again got her to agree to date him. That would make it obvious he had nothing to do with Tomoe. 

But at this point, Sakuta’s mind went blank. 

“……” 

He’d realized just what a jam he was really in. 

“Azusagawa, do you know what we call situations like this?” 

“Checkmate…?” 

“Good luck! I’m gonna put my socks on now.” 

She hung up. 

“I rate less than socks, huh?” 

2 

He and Kaede ate breakfast, and he got ready—this meant changing into his Minegahara uniform. There was a tacit understanding that everyone had to participate in special classes—not every Saturday, but about half of them. These were normal classes that lasted all morning. They were largely spent going over content they’d run out of time for during the week. 

What the government considered a doable pace and what the actual teachers on the ground could practically get through didn’t always add up, and sometimes it created these weird extra days. 

“Right, I’m outta here, Kaede!” 

“Have fun!” 

She waved him out the door, and he headed to school, yawning. 

The world seemed peaceful. Nobody seemed surprised that June 28 had come. The only difference from a typical morning was the lack of office workers. That meant the crowds at the station were pretty thin. 

He boarded the Enoden at Fujisawa Station. It was the same. Nobody saying, “Finally it’s the twenty-eighth!” or “I liked the first June twenty-seventh best” or “I wonder if June twenty-ninth will ever happen.” 

Class 2-1 was the same. 

As far as he could tell from his seat by the windows, everyone was acting like they always did. 

There seemed no point in watching them further, so Sakuta turned his attention to the waters by Shichirigahama Beach. 

The sun sparkled on the ocean’s surface. The sky had a lovely gradation from blue to white. And between the sea and the sky was the straight line of the horizon. 

It was a pleasant view. 

“Hey.” 

He would have to apologize to Mai later. Getting her to forgive him wouldn’t be easy, but it was the only way out of this mess. 

“Are you listening?” 

Apparently, someone was talking to him. 

He looked up. There was a girl standing in front of his desk. 

His classmate Saki Kamisato. She had her arms folded and was glaring down at him. Strong-willed eyes. Flawless makeup. She left the top button of her uniform undone. Everyone in class knew her; she was a central figure in the most popular group of girls. And she was Yuuma’s girlfriend. 

“How dare you ignore me!” 

“I never imagined you would speak to me again, Kamisato.” 

“You’re such a creep.” 

What did Yuuma see in her? His taste boggled the mind. 

“After school, rooftop, we need to talk.” 

With that unilateral declaration, she went back to her seat. Four other girls from her group gathered around her. 

“What did Azusagawa do?” 

“Saki! You poor thing!” 

A baffling take on the situation. 

He’d done nothing to her, yet he was being treated like the abusive one. Wouldn’t somebody take his side? 

“It’s about Yuuma. Don’t worry.” 

“Oh… Hey, look what I found yesterday.” 

The topic soon moved to a neat phone app. 

“That’s hilarious!” 

“Cool, let’s all play!” 

“I’m in!” 

Their voices echoed through the room. 

Another group of girls was watching this from a distance, looking annoyed. They didn’t say anything, though. Any time it seemed like the two groups might make eye contact, the members of the second quickly looked away and focused on their own conversation. 

Girl cliques seemed a little more intense than the male version. 

As he mulled this over, Sakuta noticed something. 

He felt like the cast assembled around Saki had changed in the last few days. Trying to put a finger on the difference, Sakuta glanced around the room. One girl was sitting alone at the back, not talking to anyone. That girl had been part of Saki’s group a few days before. 

A falling out? You saw this sort of thing happen at schools sometimes. 

Normally, he wouldn’t have paid any attention, but today, it bugged him. 

“……” 

Maybe she just reminded him of Tomoe. 

Once first-period English (a subject he hated) was over, Sakuta popped by Mai’s class, 3-1. But she wasn’t there. Her bag wasn’t at her desk, either. 

After the remaining three classes, it was time to leave. He stopped by her class again, but there was no sign of her. He asked a girl who sat near her. 

“She wasn’t here today,” she snickered, stifling a laugh. Likely a lingering effect of Satuka’s declaration of love in front of the whole school. 

“Thank you,” he said and went back downstairs. As he was changing out of his slippers at the shoe cubbies, he got a nagging feeling he was forgetting something. 

“Oh, right.” 

Saki Kamisato had summoned him to the roof again. 

“You’re late!” 

She was angry before he even arrived. 

“So? What do you want?” 

He ignored her mood, getting right down to business. He had to get to work. Since he didn’t have time to beat around the bush, it was best to get the trouble over with. 

“I told you to stay away from Yuuma.” 

“I’m pretty sure you told me not to talk to him.” 

“Same difference.” 

“Fair. They’re the same thing, and I didn’t forget. I’ll carry it to my grave.” 

It was a memorable event. It wasn’t often he encountered such open hostility. Maybe Yuuma was drawn to this side of Saki. Calling Sakuta to the roof alone with none of her followers in tow could be interpreted as being highly independent. 

“What’s with that one girl?” he asked. 

“Huh?” 

“The one not with your group anymore.” 

“None of your business,” she snarled. 

She seemed genuinely angry now. But not at Sakuta—at someone else. Probably the girl in question. 

“She steal a guy?” 

“Yep.” 

He’d meant it as a joke, but that had backfired. But Saki was dating Yuuma. He wouldn’t be that easily stolen. 

“Not from me,” she clarified. 

So one of the other girls in her clique. 

“She was hanging out with him behind our backs.” 

Sakuta felt like he could guess the rest. 

“More importantly, what’s with the science lab girl?” 

“Huh?” 

“What’s her relationship with Yuuma? They talk a lot.” 

This was obviously Rio. A hornet’s nest best left untouched, but the worst person had picked up on it. How should he answer? 

“Did you ask Kunimi?” 

“You’re friends with her, too.” 

“I dunno if she’d agree.” 

“Just answer the question!” 

“Man, you’re uptight today…” 

He almost asked if it was that time of the month again but stopped himself before it was too late. 

“Are you constipated?” he asked instead. 

“Wha?!” 

“Is it all tight up there, too?” 

“Drop dead! Right now!” 

Saki turned bright red and left the roof, slamming the door behind her. 

“Eat more fiber!” 

Sadly, he didn’t think she’d heard his helpful advice. 

This time, he finished changing into his shoes and left school. 

He headed for the station. When a train bound for Fujisawa came in, he got on board. A fifteen-minute journey down the single rail. 

Fujisawa Station was the end of the line. He got off and bought a curry-filled roll from the shop outside the gates. He ate it on the way to work. 

“Good morning!” he said, stepping into the restaurant. His manager was at the register. 

“Morning. Let’s make it a good one!” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Sakuta managed to avoid yawning in front of the guy and quickly went down the back hall to the break room. There was a row of lockers, and the men’s changing area was behind these. The girls got an actual room, but… The world was hardly fair. 

“’Sup,” Yuuma Kunimi greeted him, emerging from behind the lockers. 

“’Sup,” Sakuta said, taking Yuuma’s place. He started changing. “Kunimi,” he began as he pulled on his waiter uniform’s shirt. 

“Mm?” 

“Could be a pain later, so I’ll say it now. Your girlfriend came after me again.” 

“What a tragedy,” Yuuma laughed, like it was no skin off his nose. 

“It’s time to choose. Me or her!” 

“World’s easiest dilemma. Fine, I’ll give her a call tonight.” 

“Please.” 

Sakuta pulled on the waiter slacks. 

“Oh, also…” 

“There’s more?” 

“There a guy on your team named Maesawa?” 

“Mm? Oh, Yousuke?” 

So his full name was Yousuke Maesawa. 

“What’s he like?” 

“Uh, well…he’s the best player our school has.” 

Sakuta stepped out into the break room, tying his apron on. 

“So he’s pretty popular with the girls,” Kunimi added. 

“Good, good, keep giving me reasons to hate him.” 

“Such a bad attitude,” Yuuma chided, shaking his head but laughing. “You have a fight?” 

“It’s a long story, but…if he’s a good dude, it might weigh on my conscience.” 

It had all been an accident, but he had given the guy the wrong idea about his relationship with Tomoe. And this had prevented him from asking her out like he’d planned. 

He was sure Maesawa would figure out the truth in time, but he did feel a little guilty. Even if the dude had talked shit about Sakuta. 

“I’m not one to talk behind people’s backs,” Yuuma said, but then trailed off. He actually meant it. 

“I see! He’s a real pervert, then?” 

“I dunno about that, but on the way home from practice yesterday, he said he was gonna dump his girlfriend because she wouldn’t sleep with him. He says a lot of mean things about his exes. I always think…I never wanna be like that.” 

If Yuuma was going this far, this guy must’ve been a real dirtbag. Being popular really doomed you as a person. 

“So he’s got a girl?” 

“Yeah, third-year from another school. She’s pretty cute.” 

“But Kamisato’s cuter?” 

“Well, of course.” 

This was how girls wanted their boyfriends to talk. Rio’s face floated across Sakuta’s mind, and he felt a little sorry for her. 

“Valuable info. Thanks.” 

Seemed like he could safely despise Maesawa. Sakuta couldn’t believe he had the nerve to ask Tomoe out when he had a girlfriend already. 

But it was time to start work, so Sakuta and Yuuma punched their time cards. On the way out to the floor, the manager called out to them. “Kunimi, Azusagawa, over here.” 

“Yeah?” They turned to find him standing next to a girl. On the short side, looking nervous. Not used to the waitress uniform at all. 

“This is Koga. She’ll be starting here today. Show her the ropes, will you?” 

Sakuta had recognized her right away. 

Tomoe seemed surprised to see him, too. 

“You’re from our school, right?” Yuuma asked. 

“Oh, right! Both of you boys go to Minegahara. So she’s a kohai twice over! Look after her!” 

The manager sailed off to his office as if his job was done. They could hear him making work calls soon after. 

“T-Tomoe Koga. Nice to meet you.” 

“I’m Yuuma Kunimi, and this is Sakuta Azusagawa. We’re both second-year…but you two know each other, right?” 

Sakuta glanced at Tomoe. 

“Yeah, I said we’d kicked each other’s butts once, right?” 

Tomoe’s hands snapped to her behind. 

“Why would you tell anyone that?!” she yelped, flustered. Were those tears? 

“I can’t keep quiet about anything that funny.” 

“I can’t believe you!” 

Tomoe glared at him. 

“We may not get on well,” Sakuta announced. “I leave her in your hands, Kunimi!” 

“Uh, wait! Sakuta!” 

Sakuta ignored him, heading out to the floor. 

Having forced Kunimi to train Tomoe, Sakuta had to work that much harder waiting tables. 

He led customers to their seats and took their orders. Once the food was ready, he took it to their tables, and if there were customers trying to leave, he manned the registers. When he had a spare moment, he refilled the glasses and coffee cups at the beverage counter. 

By dinner, every seat was full, and there was a line waiting for tables to open. 

It might have been Tomoe’s first day, but by peak rush time, she was out there pulling her weight. 

She had two jobs. First, clearing the dishes. Second, resetting the empty tables. 

Seeing her stretch to her full height to wipe the back edge of the tables definitely put a grin on Sakuta’s face. But she was still moving a bit slow, and every time he saw her carrying a wobbling pile of dishes, it just made him nervous. Twice, a plate had slipped free, and she’d been saved by Yuuma’s quick grab. If Sakuta had been the one training her, those dishes would have been done for. 

But the dinner rush slowed, and the flow of customers abated. Tables began opening up. It grew dark outside, and the hands on the clock spun past eight. 

Sakuta was in back turning in an order when he found Yuuma and Tomoe at the kitchen counter. He was showing her how to polish the forks and knives. Chatting as they worked. 

“Between my phone and clothes, I just needed a little more money. You?” 

“More or less the same.” 

Even as they talked, their hands kept moving. They dunked the utensil tips in hot water, getting them warm, then polished them with a soft cloth. This made them sparkle. Tomoe seemed surprised by how new the flatware looked. 

As Sakuta watched from a distance, the bell rang—signaling the arrival of a new customer. He hurried back out on the floor. 

Three young girls were waiting. They took one look at Sakuta and yelped with surprise. 

He recognized their uniforms, of course. They were the summer uniforms from his school, Minegahara High. All three of them wore their collar buttons undone—they were Tomoe’s friends from class. He’d seen them with her before. 

The girl in front had long hair and strong-willed eyes. Right behind her was a short girl with big-framed, fake-looking glasses. 

“Tomoe said she was working here!” the glasses girl said. She was talking to the tall girl with short hair at the back of the group. 

“That’s right,” said the girl at the front. 

“Table for three?” 

“Yeah.” 

The girl in front was clearly acting on behalf of the whole group. From this alone, Sakuta figured out she must have been Rena. The way she acted was just like a girl in his class—Yuuma’s girlfriend, Saki Kamisato. That unique, upbeat confidence girls got when they knew they were the cutest in class. 

She wore her skirt short and her collar open, and she had put her tie in a fancy knot. The girls around her were all copying that look. 

Cute was justice. Uncool or unhip things were evil. Those were the classroom rules, and she was the queen of them. 

“Will this do?” he asked, leading them to a four-top booth. 

“Sure.” Rena spoke for the group again. As he watched them sit down, Sakuta remembered why Tomoe had fled from Maesawa’s advances. 

Given how confident Rena seemed, Tomoe might have been right about the outcome. People got kicked out of cliques all the time. Sakuta had seen similar things happen in his own class. 

The other two sat down opposite Rena, after her. They didn’t hesitate. It was like this was how they always sat. They must have had a fixed seating arrangement, Tomoe included. That meant Tomoe’s seat was next to Rena. 

“When you’re ready to order, just press this button.” 

“Oh, wait.” 

“Should I take your order now?” Sakuta pulled out the digital order pad. 

“Are you serious about Tomoe?” 

“I’m sorry, this location doesn’t have anything like that on the menu.” 

“It’s a sincere question.” 

She was using polite grammar, but it didn’t sound at all polite. And yet that failed to rub Sakuta the wrong way. He got a weird vibe from them, curiosity mixed with expectation. 

“You just got dumped by Sakurajima, so I find it hard to trust you here.” 

“What are we talking about?” he asked, not following the conversation. 

“Tomoe’s certainly cute, but what else do you like about her?” interjected the girl with glasses. 

This was equally cryptic. 

“I’m starting to think there’s a misunderstanding here.” 

“Don’t hide it! We already know.” The glasses girl laughed. 

“Oh! Tomoe! There you are!” the tall girl called across the restaurant. 

All four of them turned to look. Tomoe must have sensed this, because she turned and found them staring at her. 

She flinched slightly and then nervously averted her eyes. For a moment, she seemed ready to flee into the back but then thought better of it and came running over. 

“H-hi! You really came?” 

“We promised we would.” 

“That uniform’s cute.” 

“Definitely cute.” 

Within seconds, the whole area became a schoolgirl domain. Once the cute chorus began, Sakuta no longer belonged. Youth, glamor, and the liberty of seeing nothing beyond their own little world—all things that made him want to get the hell out of Dodge. 

“Senpai, you’d better not be toying with Tomoe,” Rena warned, tugging Tomoe’s arm. She was staring right at Sakuta. She seemed to think this was intimidating, but it was hard to see her as any kind of threat. After so much time buffeted by the gale force of Mai’s glare, this felt like a gentle breeze. 

“R-Rena! Don’t!” 

Tomoe looked like she was in trouble here. She kept glancing at Sakuta for help. 

By now, he’d largely figured out what was going on. Rena seemed to have jumped to the same conclusion Maesawa had. And not only had Tomoe not tried to clear it up, she didn’t even want to. 

“The start of a relationship is critical! You’ve got to take charge!” 

“R-right.” 

She glanced at him again for help. Just then a new customer arrived. “Koga, could you seat them?” he suggested. Then, he turned back to the table. “When you’re ready to order, just press that button.” 

With that burst of professionalism, Sakuta moved away to take an order at another table. 

Tomoe clasped her hands together apologetically and darted off toward the customer waiting at the front door. 

While Sakuta took orders from a family of four, he could feel three sets of eyes boring into his back. Trying to escape them, he took refuge in the break room. Tomoe showed up shortly after. 

“Uh, I’d better explain?” 

“You’re off at nine?” 

“Huh?” 

“We can talk after work.” 

“But… But if I don’t explain…,” she dithered, wringing her hands. 

“I won’t tell your friends anything until I’ve heard you out.” 

“O-okay.” 

Yuuma called for Tomoe, and she went back to work. Sakuta watched her go, grimly aware that without his knowledge, the situation had taken a turn for the worse. 

3 

Sakuta got off work at 9:20. Lingering customers had prevented him from leaving at nine sharp. 

But that went for Tomoe as well. She’d had a rough first day and looked pretty tired. 

Sakuta changed and went outside, resting on a bicycle parked in the rear lot. It was his. He’d left it here the other day when it started raining during a shift. But at least his trip home tonight would be a quick one. 

Sakuta had planned to wait a minute and leave if Tomoe didn’t show, but she came out less than ten seconds later, staring at her phone. 

When she saw him waiting, she came running over, still clutching her phone. 

“So I have a fav—,” she began. 

“No.” 

“I haven’t even asked yet!” Tomoe cried, annoyed. 

“It’s a no.” 

“At least hear me out!” 

“A big no to that, too.” 

“Whyyyy?” 

“Because you’re obviously gonna try to convince me to let everyone think we’re dating,” he said, sighing. 

If she was struggling with Adolescence Syndrome, he didn’t mind helping, but this was something else entirely. 

“Can ya read minds?!” Her hands flew to her chest in a gesture of shock. Her accent was slipping out again, but he didn’t think she was aware of this. 

“You told me yesterday you’d rather die than have the boy your friend loves come after you.” 

“I didn’t go that far!” 

“Right, you said if he asked you out, that would be ‘not reading the air.’” 

“Yeah…” 

“And that’s why it’s a no.” 

“That don’t make sense!” 

“I think you’ve got bigger fish to fry.” 

Like why had June 27 stopped looping, and why had the twenty-eighth arrived? Why had the twenty-seventh repeated in the first place? Sakuta’s working theory might not have been accurate. 

“Like what?” 

“Adolescence Syndrome.” 

“We made it to today, so who cares?” Tomoe was clearly done with that whole thing. “That doesn’t matter now! I’m in real trouble!” 

Maintaining her friendships was clearly her first priority and took precedence over everything else. To the point where Adolescence Syndrome wasn’t even a factor. 

Which meant discussing the matter further was a waste of time. 

Sakuta was forced to focus on her request. 

“No matter the reason, lying is always wrong.” 

“Urp.” This platitude made Tomoe visibly flinch. 

“Imagine how Maesawa feels!” 

From what Yuuma had said, honestly, it wasn’t clear if Maesawa was actually serious about Tomoe, though. He still hadn’t broken up with his current girlfriend, and there was a strong possibility he just thought Tomoe would be easy. She did seem like a bit of a pushover. 

“Quit being right…” Tomoe moaned, hanging her head. 

“And most of all, I don’t wanna.” 

“That’s just infuriating!” 

“I mean, how long would we have to keep this up? Until the third-years graduate? No way. We’ll get caught. And that would make everything worse.” 

“I have a plan for that!” 

“Huh?” This was unexpected. 

“You don’t believe me!” 

“Even if I did, it doesn’t matter.” 

“Argh, you’re awful!” 

“Well, sorry! If you hate me that much, I’ll get out of your life.” 

He shoved hard on the pedals, but his bike didn’t get far. 

He looked back to find her clutching the back of his seat for dear life. 

“We only need to keep this going for the rest of the term!” 

“I really don’t care about your plan, Koga.” 

“Once summer vacation arrives and we’re not in school, we can just drift apart! Then we can be normal for second term!” 

“So this is a premeditated crime? I didn’t take you for the crafty type.” 

“I’m just desperate!” 

“I can tell.” 

She was physically restraining a bicycle, after all. 

But her plot was full of holes. The biggest one being Sakuta himself. 

“I hate to bring this up, but given my reputation at school, are you sure you want people thinking you’re dating me?” 

“Among the first-years, at least, you’ve looped back around to datable. It’ll be fine.” 

“I— What?” 

Looped back around how? He had to know more! No, that was a lie. 

“No normal person could scream love from the center of the schoolyard.” 

“Yeah, and everyone’s laughing at me for it.” 

Then again, Tomoe’s friends had been pretty okay with it. In the second-year classes, he was still being thoroughly ignored, but Rena and the other two had been talking to him of their own accord. 

Sakuta’s awkward status at school had been caused by rumors that he’d sent classmates to the hospital in junior high, but those had gone around over a year ago. Tomoe and the other first-years hadn’t experienced them firsthand, so maybe the stigma didn’t run as deep. It was just a thing their senpai said. 

And as the first term drew to a close, the first-years had started developing a culture of their own, so perception gaps opened up between the different years. 

“Personally, I think it’s kinda romantic.” 

“I ain’t doing that for you, Koga.” 

“If you did, I’d be super weirded out by it.” 

He really didn’t get how the schoolgirl mind worked. 

“Oh, fine. If dating is too sudden, we can be somewhere on the path.” 

“You’re getting ahead of yourself.” 

“More than a senpai, less than a boyfriend.” 

“A line that fuzzy would be harder to fake than dating. Are you mad?” 

“Mad how?” 

“You want me to pretend to be a sorta boyfriend?” 

He looked her over again. Tomoe was wearing the standard Minegahara summer uniform. A white blouse and short skirt. Navy-blue socks and loafers. Everything small, compact, perfectly balanced. 

“Well, I’m sure you’ve dated somebody before,” he said. 

Girls these days usually had. 

“R-right… Not, you know, for long, but…” Tomoe avoided his gaze. 

“Hmm.” 

“Wh-what?” 

“You’re so grown-up.” 

“Now you’re being creepy. Remember, you’re supposed to act like you’re in love with me!” 

Tomoe had clearly decided to just assume he was on board, even though he had agreed to no such thing. 

“Do you even realize what you’re trying to do here?” 

The main target of this lie might just have been Maesawa, but to keep the truth from getting out, they had to fool everyone around them. Tomoe was already misleading her friends, and it would only spread from there. 

Information about who was dating whom spread rapidly without any help from those involved. Even if it wasn’t true. 

Especially if it involved someone as infamous as Sakuta. 

To make Maesawa believe the story, Sakuta and Tomoe would have to fool the entire school. 

“We’re talking about lying to a thousand kids here.” 

That was not some little fib. 

“I know that!” 

Tomoe was unmoved. 

“Really?” 

“Really.” 

Did she have nerves of steel? Or was she just so pure of heart that even this came off as sincere? He wasn’t sure. 

“Anyway, please!” She put her hands together, bowing. 

“Look…what’s in it for me?” 

He could think of plenty of downsides. Primarily ones involving Mai. The start of their relationship seemed to be getting even further away. In the original timeline, they were already officially a couple, so he should have been happily flirting with her somewhere… 

“If you help, I’ll do anything you want—one time only.” 

“Nah, there’s really nothing I want from you,” Sakuta said. 

“I—I mean anything?” she emphasized, looking up at him. 

She didn’t seem that confident. This really struck a nerve. 

“A girl your age shouldn’t offer that to any guy.” 

It was a little too effective. 

“B-but if I don’t do something, I’ll lose my place in class!” 

Tomoe stared at her hands, deflating. 

“I’ll be alone on breaks, eat lunch alone, go to the bathroom alone—I couldn’t bear that!” 

“That last one should be done alone!” 

No way did they enter the stalls together. Or did they, and Sakuta just didn’t know? Girls boggled the mind. 

“Look, you’ve probably already guessed, so it can’t hurt to tell you. I lived in Fukuoka until last year. The only friends I have here are the ones I’ve made in high school. Rena, Hinako, and Aya.” 

“The three from today?” 

“Mm.” Tomoe nodded, staring at the ground. 

“Being alone can be easier, you know. You don’t have to change yourself to fit in, and once you get used to it, it isn’t as lonely as it looks.” 

In Sakuta’s case, he had Yuuma and Rio, and lately Mai. That helped. 

“I’m not worried about being lonely.” 

“Huh? Then what else?” 

“Being alone is…embarrassing.” 

She whispered the last word. 

But this cleared up a lot for Sakuta. 

“I don’t want anyone pointing at me and going, ‘She’s always alone.’” 

“Ah.” 

This was bizarrely convincing. To the point where he finally got off his bike. 

She wasn’t afraid of isolation. She didn’t want others seeing her as an outcast. She didn’t want everyone gossiping about her. And most of all, she didn’t want to hear their derisive laughter. 

To an immature mind, the wounds of shame ran deeper than those of loneliness. Feeling pathetic, feeling as if your worth is seeping away…and with your confidence torn down, your heart closes itself off for good. 

“……” 

Tomoe stared silently at the ground. Until Sakuta put his hand on her head. 

“Senpai?” She looked up at him anxiously. 

Kaede had said the same thing when she was being bullied. 

“Going to school is…embarrassing.” 

The dread of anyone seeing her being bullied was so great that Kaede could no longer leave the house. She’d grown terrified of people’s stares. 

And Sakuta saw her in Tomoe. 

The reason for the shunning didn’t matter. There was no telling what could set it off. The smallest thing could create that kind of air, but the moment it did, it spread like a disease. By then, it was too late. It was almost impossible to cure. 

Especially in girl group culture, which was clearly not like that of guys. Whatever the official stance was, it was clear from the sidelines that things weren’t healthy. And if things weren’t working out in one group, the odds you could move to another were really low. 

“You’re in the main group, right, Koga?” 

“Huh?” 

“You’re the ‘cutest girls in class.’” 

“That’s…hard to say yes to.” 

She pursed her lips, but this was all the confirmation he needed. 

If the leader of the main group turned on you, it was definitely bad. She had the most clout. No one would go against her. No one could. If you made her mad, you were banished to an island of isolation. So you always agreed with her. If she said it was cute, it was cute. If she said it was gross, it was gross. 

And in this case, it was Rena Kashiba who held that position, and of all people, the boy Rena had a crush on was coming after Tomoe. 

Sakuta finally got why this was such a big problem for her. 

He took a deep breath and let it out. 

“Fine,” he said. 

“Huh?” 

“Let’s lie to a thousand students.” 

“Really?” 

“But I have a condition.” 

“M-my body?” Tomoe stammered, clutching herself. 

“Nobody’s getting turned on by your scrawny ass. Don’t be rude.” 

“You’re being way ruder!” 

“Just listen.” 

“O-okay.” 

She nodded nervously. He could hear her gulp. 

Sakuta let out another long breath. 

“You’ve got to root for the Japan team in the third match of the group stage,” he said grimly. 

“Huh?” Tomoe gaped at him. 

“If they lose, the deal is off.” 

“What does that have to do with anything?!” 

He refused to explain himself. 

“Just do it!” he insisted and hopped back on his bike. 

“Ah! Wait!” 

“We’re done here!” 

“I’ll cheer the soccer game! But I have another request.” 

He turned back to find her fidgeting. 

“A-about tomorrow…” 

“Yes?” 

“You’re working until two, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“A-after that, can we go f-f-for—?” 

“A forehead flick?” 

“No!” Tomoe shrieked, putting her hands protectively on her forehead. 

A grown-up couple passing by laughed at them. “Lovers’ tiff?” one asked. 

Growing even redder, Tomoe finally finished. 

“F-for a date.” 

When they were done talking, Sakuta walked with Tomoe until they were near her home, then rode his bike back to his apartment. Tomoe lived surprisingly close by. 

Late June, with the heat of summer starting to roll in, the humidity rising—riding with the wind on your face wasn’t half-bad. 

White clouds crisscrossed the darkening sky. The stars were starting to show. Even Sakuta knew the Summer Triangle. Vega, from the constellation Lyra. Altair, from Aquila. Aka Orihime and Hikoboshi, lovers in Japanese legend separated by the Milky Way, able to meet only once a year, on July 7—the Star Festival. 

He had to think for a minute before he remembered the third star. Deneb, from the Cygnus constellation. The girl who had told him that was his first love. A high school girl named Shouko Makinohara, whom he’d met in his third year of junior high. 

He had no idea where she was or what she was doing now. No way to get in touch with her. He might never see her again. 

When he tried to remember her face, he found his memories were growing fuzzy. He couldn’t quite picture her. Instead, Mai’s face floated into his mind, looking cross. 

“Now what?” 

He remembered what Tomoe had said before they parted. 

“F-for a date.” 

“Why?” Sakuta had asked. A rational question. 

“Rena asked me what our date plans were, so…like that.” 

“Like what?” 

“A weekend date!” 

“You’re really pushing your luck here.” 

“Your eyes went all scary!” 

“A forehead flick is still in the cards.” 

Tomoe hid her forehead again. 

“Can’t you just go, ‘Wow, we did so many things this weekend!’ and avoid specifics?” 

“Just in case, I want photographic evidence.” 

“……You really cover your bases.” 

He could see where she was coming from. “We had a date this weekend!” naturally led to “Any pics?” “Show us!” and then where would she be? It would be downright unnatural to have taken nothing. These days, everyone had a phone in their pocket, and they all had cameras. He hated it. 

So now he was stuck going on a date with Tomoe tomorrow. 

This was going downhill fast. 

How would he explain this to Mai? She was already pissed enough after seeing him with his arms around Tomoe yesterday. If he showed up with even more Tomoe-related news, she’d unleash the full force of her fury. 

She would definitely do something spiteful, as if him upsetting her gave her the right to do so. And since he was partially to blame, he couldn’t very well refuse. And when his squirming reached its peak, she’d grin like she’d never had so much fun. 

And that would be… 

“Crap, I’m starting to look forward to it.” 

The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. Sakuta pedaled the rest of the way home with a huge grin on his face. 

4 

He took a nice long bath to ease the fatigue from the long shift and emerged in his underwear, where he found Kaede on the couch, watching TV. This was unusual. 

It was an animal show…no, a documentary following a zookeeper around. Looking after a newborn baby panda seemed like a lot of work. 

Kaede had their cat, Nasuno, clutched to her chest, all her attention focused on the baby panda’s first steps. 

Only half paying attention, Sakuta got a bottle of sports drink out of the fridge and poured some into a cup. He chugged it. 

His body was still warm from the bath, and the chilled beverage felt amazing. He opened the fridge again to get another glass. 

“Oh!” Kaede said. “L-look, it’s her!” 

She was pointing at the screen frantically. 

“Someone we know?” 

“Yes!” 

“Huh?” 

He’d been joking, so her answer caught him off guard. Confused, he pulled his head out of the fridge, turning his eyes to the screen. 

“……” 

He did know that girl. 

It was a commercial for a sports drink. The same blue-labeled brand he had in his hand right now. She was holding it out toward the screen, grinning mischievously. “You want a sip? Heh-heh. Well, you can’t have any!” Then she ran away from the camera, kicking up white sand behind her. 

It was Mai. 

“Th-this is the girl you brought over, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

That was definitely Mai. Mai Sakurajima, the famous actress. 

But this was the first Sakuta had heard about her being in a commercial. 

Since it was a commercial, it was soon over. 

And the moment it was, the intercom rang. 

“What? At this hour?” 

It was already past ten. 

Puzzled, he picked up the receiver. 

“Yeah?” he said. 

“It’s me.” 

A curt response. The same voice he’d just heard on TV. 

Three minutes later, Sakuta had let Mai in and was on his knees. Still in his underwear. Mai was sitting on the bed in front of him, her legs crossed. Giving him a withering look. 

“Why haven’t you shown up to make excuses?” 

“If I may be so bold, I made multiple attempts to do so, and you were not available.” 

He had actually gone to her class twice that day during break and on his way home, but Mai had been nowhere to be found. 

“You’re blaming me for it?” 

“I clearly didn’t try hard enough.” 

“Then what do you have to say for yourself? 

“Um, Mai, you look really nice.” 

He’d noticed the second he opened the door. She didn’t normally look anything like this. Her makeup was on point, and her hair was clearly professionally done. It curled inward adorably. Not Mai’s usual style at all. 

“I had a shoot for a fashion magazine. I’m doing this for you, you know!” 

That’s why she hadn’t been in school. 

“You look incredibly cute.” 

“I know.” 

“I love you.” 

“If you try and joke about this, I’ll step on you.” 

She lifted a black tight–clad leg and placed her foot on his knee. 

He could feel her warmth through it. And the slick feel of the tights. 

This was a valuable reward. 

He struggled to keep that recognition off his face. 

“Don’t look so happy.” 

He’d clearly failed. Mai removed her foot. Such a pity. 

“I just saw your commercial.” 

“Oh.” 

Mai stared out the window, looking bored. 

“You never mentioned it.” 

“I knew when it would air, so I planned to tell you just before it did and surprise you. But since someone decided to fool around with a first-year… Do you have anything to say for yourself?” 

“I’m very sorry.” 

“Do you really regret it?” 

“I do.” 

“I’m not so sure.” 

“I regret it! But… Well, this isn’t the best timing, but…” 

“But what?” 

“I could use some help with that first-year.” 

Sakuta had to maintain an apparent connection with Tomoe for the remainder of the term. Engaging in a two-front war without a word to Mai would be madness. He’d get caught. So it was best to bring her in now. 

But with Mai in this mood, it was difficult. 

“Sakuta.” 

“Yes? What?” 

“Maybe put some clothes on first.” 

Sakuta was still in his underwear. 

After donning shorts and a T-shirt, Sakuta got back on his knees, watching Mai’s expression closely as he explained Tomoe’s situation. Why Tomoe was in the empty classroom the day before. How she’d ended up in his arms. How a basketball senpai named Yousuke Maesawa had asked her out and placed her in a dicey situation. He explained all of it. And how Tomoe had coincidentally started working at the same restaurant he did and asked him to maintain a “more than a senpai, less than a boyfriend” relationship for the rest of the term. He explained it all, omitting nothing. 

Except the Adolescence Syndrome… Sakuta chose not to say a word about how he and Tomoe had experienced June 27 three times or how Mai had agreed to go out with him twice. 

Mai was back at work, and it was going well. He didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, and telling her what she’d done in a different timeline seemed like breaking the rules. 

When he finished, Mai said, “High school girls have it hard,” like she wasn’t remotely impressed. 

She was a high school girl herself but was seemingly unaware of this. 

“I understand the situation.” 

She sure accepted that easily. He’d expected a good deal more berating. 

“That’s it?” 

“If I yelled at you here, you’d just enjoy it.” 

She sure knew him well. 

“The best way to punish you is to not punish you.” 

“You’ve gotta give me something.” 

“Nope.” 

“Aww.” 

“Don’t sulk.” 

Maybe he should try enjoying this instead? No, he felt like she should be objecting. 

“But it doesn’t make sense to me,” Mai said. 

“What part?” 

“Lying about dating—you hate that sort of thing.” 

“We’re not pretending to date! Just…being more than friends.” 

“Same difference.” 

“I don’t think anyone likes lying about this stuff.” 

“That’s why it doesn’t add up. You’re hiding something.” 

Mai leaned forward, glaring at him. 

“I’ve been staring at your feet and getting very turned on.” 

“I—I know that.” 

Holding her skirt in place, Mai recrossed her legs. 

“D-don’t stare like that!” 

“It’s not hurting anything.” 

“Quit distracting me and confess!” 

Her eyes were clear. She meant business. 

“Koga…said the same thing Kaede did.” 

“What?” 

Sakuta spoke carefully, choosing his words. 

“If her friend finds out Maesawa asked her out and kicks her out of the group and she loses her place in class…she’ll be embarrassed by it.” 

Embarrassed. 

If Tomoe hadn’t said that, he would never have agreed to this “more than a senpai, less than a boyfriend” scheme. 

“With Kaede, the nightmare scenario actually happened, so…” 

It brought all those memories back. 

Refusing to go to school, holing up in her room, and ultimately finding herself tormented by Adolescence Syndrome. Bruises and cuts all over her body. 

Unable to accept the reality of it, his mother’s mind had deteriorated, and she’d been hospitalized. They no longer lived together. 

And the root of it had been so trivial. Kaede had simply failed to respond to a message from another girl. 

That little slipup had spiraled out of control, and two years later, the fallout was still impacting Kaede’s and Sakuta’s lives. 

The smallest things could completely disrupt everything. So… 

“I just wanted to do something about it this time.” 

It wasn’t like he thought this was the right decision. It was more like making up for past failures. He might just be using Tomoe’s situation to work through his own issues. The trauma of Kaede’s situation still haunted him. 

“Sakuta.” 

“What?” 

“This is so dull.” 

“That’s what I get for being serious.” 

“If you bring your sister into it, I can’t very well complain, can I?” 

This was clearly a complaint. She was radiating frustration. 

“I know you know this, Sakuta.” 

“Know what?” 

“Clean up the mess this lie causes.” 

“I’ll make sure we don’t get caught and carry it to my grave.” 

“If you know how hard keeping silent is, then fine.” 

“Maesawa has a girlfriend but is after Koga anyway, and he’s threatening to break up with his current girlfriend because she won’t have sex with him. I’m not losing any sleep over someone who’d say that shit.” 

“Ugh, men.” 

Mai’s scorn seemed to include Sakuta for some reason. 

“I am utterly devoted to you, Mai.” 

“You might just fall in love with this first-year while pretending to be more than a senpai.” 

“Have I earned no trust?” 

“I won’t wait a second longer than the end of first term.” 

“Does that mean you’ll definitely go out with me once this mess is over?” 

“Well…” 

Mai avoided his gaze. 

“Depends on how I feel in the moment.” 

“Ew.” 

“Why are you acting disappointed?” 

“If I know you’ll reward me afterward, I’ll have the strength to get through this.” 

“Big talk for a problem you created yourself.” 

Then Mai seemed to remember something. She mouthed an “Oh” and said, “Are you working tomorrow?” 

“Yes.” 

“Till when?” 

“Two.” 

“Hmm.” 

She started swinging her legs cheerily. Her look was clearly expectant. 

“I’ve got the afternoon free tomorrow.” 

Was that an invitation to a date? 

“The hydrangeas in Kamakura are still in bloom.” 

She’d already picked a spot. 

Having this much riding on it made what came next very hard for him. 

“Um,” he said awkwardly. 

Mai picked up on that right away and immediately looked bored. 

“You already promised to take that first-year on a date?” 

“Not a date per se, just…something date-like.” 

“……” 

“Mai?” 

She let out a very unmotivated sigh. “Fine.” 

“……” 

“……” 

He waited for further complaint, but none came. 

“No ‘She matters more than me, then?’” 

“Why should I have to act jealous?” 

“Aw.” 

“I know you’re madly in love with me.” 

“This is true.” 

“That first-year is no competition.” 

“Wow, such confidence.” 

That was Mai Sakurajima for you. This was how Mai should be. 

“So I’ll be generous this time.” 

“Thank you.” 

“But…well…” 

Mai made a show of thinking. Two full seconds later, she flashed a malicious smile. 

“But just forgiving you out of hand would set a bad precedent, so I’ll need a demonstration of your commitment.” 

“Namely?” 

“Figure something out.” 

“Hmm.” 

Sakuta leaned forward, getting on all fours and closing the gap between him and the bed she was sitting on. 

“Wh-what are you doing?” 

Flustered, Mai started backing away but soon ran up against the wall. 

Sakuta kept moving forward. 

“Stay back!” she warned, and her foot planted itself right in his face. 

“Ow!” he said, his nose flattened. He rolled over onto the bed, faceup. 

“What were you doing?” 

“Demonstrating commitment.” 

“That’s just lust!” 

“Well…maybe.” 

“There’s a proper order to these things! We’re not even going out yet!” 

“This is the perfect moment to get past that!” 

“It is not!” 

“So discouraging.” 

“And whose fault is that?” 

She glared down at him. 

“Entirely mine.” 

“Then show remorse!” 

Sakuta got on his knees for the third time. 

“Well, as far as dates go, are you free next Sunday?” 

“The week after tomorrow I’ll be in Kagoshima filming a TV show.” 

“Oh.” 

“……” 

Mai sat back up, giving him a suspicious look. 

“You don’t seem surprised.” 

This was because Mai had already told him about her role in the show. But this had been on his first time through June 27. 

“Well, it is you, Mai. I figured you’d have a TV role in no time.” 

“Naturally,” she said, but it was clearly still bugging her. Her eyes narrowed. 

“Kagoshima sounds nice.” 

“I’m not going for fun.” 

Mai moved back to the edge of the bed, but her foot kicked a paper bag. The one she’d brought with her. She picked it up, said, “Here,” and handed it to Sakuta. 

“Mm?” 

“Take it.” 

He did. 

There was a cute dress inside. Clearly girls’ clothing. 

“Is this supposed to replace you while you’re in Kagoshima?” 

“It’s for your sister,” Mai said, looking disgusted. 

“Huh?” Sakuta had no idea what she meant. 

“I said I did a fashion shoot today, right? They let me keep the outfit.” 

So she’d been wearing this earlier. It did smell good. 

“But it’s a bit too girlie for my tastes.” 

She held it up, and there were frills on the skirt and sleeves. 

“So you thought of Kaede?” 

“She’s only a little shorter than me, so it should fit.” 

“That wasn’t my concern…” 

It just seemed odd to suddenly start giving Kaede clothes. 

“It’s a roundabout way of suggesting you ought to pay more attention to your sister’s look.” 

“So this time you’re trying a direct approach?” 

“If she likes the panda pajamas, that’s fine. But she’s turning fifteen this year, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Maybe if she dresses up a bit, she’ll feel more like going out.” 

“Ohhh…” 

That explained it. Mai was worried about Kaede. She didn’t think it was right for her to stay trapped inside like this. 

Not just feeling sympathy, not just saying “Poor thing”—no, she was trying to take productive steps. 

“……” 

Before he knew it, he was staring up at her. 

“Wh-what’s with that look?” 

“I’m just happy you’re looking out for her.” 

“Of course I am!” 

Mai acted like it was nothing. As childish as she could be when she was teasing him, at times like this, she would suddenly act super mature. He couldn’t get enough of it. And it always made him feel like he didn’t deserve her. 

“I’ll go get her,” he said, standing up. 

“You’re sure?” 

“Just don’t look scary.” 

“I won’t!” she snapped, looking hurt. 

His gaze bored into her. “Like, say, that face right now.” 

“What about it?” she said with a flash of irritation. Then, she let that fade and smiled pleasantly. 

The sheer speed of this transformation was sort of frightening in its own right. But if he said that, she might get genuinely angry, so he let it go. 

He grabbed the door and flung it open, but it bumped into something and got stuck. It had only opened about two inches. 

“Ugh…” came a muffled groan from outside. 

He slowly pushed the door again, and this time, it opened all the way. 

Kaede was outside, rubbing her forehead. 

“What are you doing?” 

Kaede looked up, and their eyes met. She winced and then yelped, “I wasn’t!” 

He hadn’t even said anything yet. 

“I wasn’t playing ninja or anything!” 

“I…just figured you were eavesdropping.” 

But apparently, she was playing on a much higher plane. She’d been reading some historical novels lately; maybe they were rubbing off. 

“Well, nice timing.” 

“What do you mean?” Kaede asked, surprised. 

He pulled her into the room. 

She took one look at Mai and hid behind him. 

“Hello,” Mai said. 

Kaede poked her face out just a bit. “H-hello,” she whispered, just loud enough for Mai to hear. 

“Kaede, this is a present from Mai.” Sakuta handed her the cute, frilly dress. Hesitant, Kaede took it and finally peeled away from him. 

“It is?” she asked, holding it up. Her eyes bored into it. It was clearly a source of fascination. “It’s so cute!” 

“Wanna try it on?” Mai suggested. 

Kaede looked at Sakuta, as if asking his permission. 

He nodded, and Kaede darted out of the room as if she couldn’t wait. 

He’d never seen his sister act like this before. 

Guess it took a girl to know a girl. 

After a few minutes, Kaede came back but only poked her head around the door, looking embarrassed. 

“You have to promise not to laugh,” she said, glaring at Sakuta. 

“I’ll laugh if it’s funny.” 

She disappeared. 

“Don’t worry,” Mai called after her. “I promise it’ll look perfect.” 

With this encouragement, Kaede finally stepped inside. 

“W-well?” 

An elegant, summery white dress came down to her knees. A perfect fit for Kaede’s slim build. 

“Yes! It’s totally cute.” 

“I’ve never worn anything like this! It feels so awkward.” 

Kaede was turning red. She kept stealing glances at herself in the window, clearly enjoying this. She turned left and right, even turned her back and looked over her shoulder. 

“What do you think?” she asked, glancing at Sakuta. 

“Not at all funny.” 

“Why not just admit it’s cute?” Mai wore an impish grin. 

He’d better change the topic fast. 

“Make sure you thank Mai,” prompted Sakuta. 

Kaede’s eyes met Mai’s, and she immediately hid behind her brother again but managed to stammer out a “Th-thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

“Er, um…” Kaede gave Mai a searching look. 

“What?” Mai asked gently. 

“Can I call you Mai, too?” 

“Go right ahead. If I can call you Kaede.” 

“S-sure.” 

“Then, um…” 

“Mm?” 

“Mai, what’s your relationship with my brother?” 

“Well…” Mai thought about this, then gave Sakuta a look. Clearly up to no good. “More than a senpai, less than a girlfriend,” she proclaimed with a definite note of spite. 

“A-are you going to be his girlfriend?” 

“That’s up to Sakuta. It seems he’s close to other girls, too.” 

“Y-you are?!” 

“Mai, don’t feed her misinformation.” 

He was about to correct this, but an electronic beeping filled the room. An alarm set for eleven PM. 

“Well, it’s late, so I’d better go,” Mai said, standing up. “No telling what Sakuta will do if I stay any later.” 

“Wh-what would you do?” Kaede asked as she looked up at him. 

“Something sexy,” he said. It was the plain truth. 

Then, he followed Mai out. “I’ll walk you down,” he said. 

They put shoes on in the doorway. 

“Oh? Well, I’ll allow it. See you later, Kaede.” 

“R-right!” 

Still too scared to get close, Kaede just poked her head out of the doorway to Sakuta’s room, waving. 

Sakuta and Mai stepped onto the waiting elevator in silence. 

The doors closed, and the elevator started moving. It felt like their feet were off the ground. 

“Thank you for today.” 

“So formal.” 

“It’s been a long time since Kaede talked to anyone but me. I’m really glad she got the chance today.” 

“When you’re being sincere like this, I can’t even tease you for it.” 

The elevator reached the first floor as she spoke. 

They opened the self-locking glass door at the entrance and stepped outside. The sultry summer heat enveloped them. 

“Guess summer’s officially here.” 

Even with the sun down, it didn’t cool off at all. It was going to be hard to sleep for a while. 

“You not a summer fan, Mai?” 

“It’s so hard to avoid getting a tan,” she grumbled. But it was clear she was used to it by now. 

“That explains the black tights.” 

“W-well, I do get modeling work, so… What about you?” 

“Mm?” 

“Do you like summer?” 

“A summer where I can’t admire your bare legs isn’t worth having.” 

It was hot and sticky, and he had to expose the scars on his chest in swim class. Nothing good about it. 

As they talked, they reached their destination. This was the apartment across the street, so it didn’t take long. 

“Just don’t let the pretense get real,” Mai warned after a moment’s silence. 

“Mm?” 

“With the first-year girl.” 

“My heart belongs to you, Mai. Like I said before.” 

“……” 

She looked at him like she wanted to say something, but instead, she just parted with “Well, I’m glad you understand,” and went inside. 

“Mai?” 

“Good night!” she said. She’d turned back toward him in the doorway, giving him a wave. 

“Good night,” he said, raising a hand in return. 

The door closed behind her, and he watched until she was out of sight. 

Sakuta turned around then, heading back to the waiting Kaede. 

He had to be at work early tomorrow. Better get to bed. With any luck, he could sleep. But as the day drew to a close, there was one thing on his mind. 

“Will tomorrow really come?” he muttered as he rode the elevator up. 

But no one could tell him the answer.