The Start of Spring Vacation

This is worse than I expected…

Amane stifled a yawn as he watched the distant figure of the school principal up on

the stage, giving a stern address. He didn't really care about closing ceremonies or

whatever speech the principal had prepared for the occasion. Frankly, he would have

rather been napping.

Most of the students around him seemed to share that sentiment. Very few people

were actually paying much attention. Everybody else was obviously zoning out.

Still, it wasn't like the students could flaunt their boredom, so Amane put on a serious

expression and silently wished for a speedy end to the proceedings as he let the

principal's speech flow in one ear and out the other, the minutes slipping past as he

pretended to be a model student.

He might have cared about graduation, but this was just the closing ceremony. It didn't

really matter.

"…Ah, I'm so stiff."

"The principal's speeches are always so long."

That was the general sentiment as the students returned to their classrooms.

Nevertheless, everyone sounded quite lively, probably because two weeks of freedom

awaited them after this final homeroom period.

From his seat, Amane watched his cheerful schoolmates who would soon be liberated

from their boring classes, and he let out a quiet sigh.

Spring vacation started tomorrow, but how would he spend it?

He had pretty much just seen his parents, so considering how much it cost to travel,

he figured he could take a pass on going home. But that left him with an empty schedule.

Even if he thoroughly prepared for next year's classes, he would have a lot of time on

his hands. He had considered getting a short-term job, but he hadn't managed to line

up anything, and now there wasn't enough time. The only friends he had to hang out

with over the break were Itsuki and Chitose.

"Hey, hey, Amaneee—"

Itsuki appeared just as he crossed Amane's mind.

When he turned around, he saw Itsuki wearing an enthusiastic smile… and was

immediately suspicious. Itsuki only smiled like that when he had a favor to ask, or

when he was about to suggest something foolish.

"What is it?"

"Are you free starting tomorrow?"

"I guess I am."

"Right, right, I thought so. That's good, veeery good."

Still grinning, Itsuki patted the bag that was hanging from the side of his desk. Even

though everyone was supposed to have cleared out their lockers and desks the day

before, Itsuki's bag was obviously packed full. They didn't even have any classes that

day, so the most he could have possibly needed to bring to school would be a pen and

maybe a binder, but Itsuki's bag looked like it was about to burst.

"…What's all that?" Amane asked.

"Change of clothes."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm staying at your place…"

Itsuki put on his humblest, most flattering voice and gave Amane an imploring look.

Amane couldn't help but scowl back at his friend.

"Hang on a sec; haven't you ever heard of giving advance notice?"

"Sure I have. Consider yourself notified that I'm coming over, staying several nights,

and bringing the party with me!"

"What, you're gonna keep the whole neighborhood up all night? How well do you think

that's gonna go over, idiot?"

"Geez, dude, I was only joking… But I am serious about you letting me stay with you."

Itsuki rarely failed to let Amane know ahead of time when he was coming over. The

first thing that came to mind was that it was an emergency. Amane struggled to imagine

what it could be about, though.

"I had a fight with my dad this morning."

As if to answer Amane's internal question, Itsuki readily disclosed the reason.

"…About Chitose?"

"Yeah. When my dad gets mad, he won't listen to me unless I leave him alone for a few

days. And I've been staying at Chi's house a lot, so I'd rather not go there. No matter

how accepting her parents are, it doesn't seem right, ya know?"

"But you're okay staying with me?"

"I thought you might let me."

Itsuki probably assumed it would be no big deal. He'd stayed over at Amane's

apartment plenty of times, even before Amane had cleaned up the place.

And it wasn't like Amane didn't want to let his friend stay with him. But there was the

issue of Mahiru. Amane was worried that he would be forcing her to stay in her public

persona during a time when she wanted to relax, since he didn't think she would feel

comfortable acting casually with Itsuki around.

And there was another issue. Recently, he had noticed that Mahiru had been acting

strangely affectionate, and he was afraid that if Itsuki saw her treating a guy that way,

he would immediately get the wrong idea.

"…Let me ask."

Amane sent Mahiru a text message asking her what she thought. She would probably

send him a memo about the shopping before going home, so he expected she would

see it when she did that. It only took a moment for him to send the message, but Itsuki

let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"What—are you two living together or something?"

"I'll leave you on the floor with no heater or futon."

"Just when I start to think you're a nice guy for letting me stay over, you go and

threaten to stand by and do nothing while I freeze to death?"

"Hey, you got yourself into this."

Amane shot a look at Itsuki that essentially said What are you even going on about, and

Itsuki could only shrug in response.

I'm the one who should be shrugging. I don't want you to cause Mahiru any trouble with

your usual antics.

Itsuki was pretty good at reading the room, so Amane didn't think he would knowingly

bother Mahiru or anything, but he wasn't looking forward to all the teasing he would

have to endure the moment she wasn't around. Amane let out a sigh as Itsuki grinned

at him.

Apparently, Mahiru sometimes checked her phone at school, because Amane had

already gotten a response: "I'll make dinner as usual if you buy enough food for three."

"She said it's all right."

"Yay, I get to eat Mahiru's cooking!"

"That wasn't your goal all along, was it?"

"Let's just say I'm not one to waste an opportunity. Besides, you're always raving about

her cooking. I want to try it at least once."

"…Don't you dare be a nuisance to her."

"I may be a nuisance to you, but never to her."

"Don't annoy me, either."

Itsuki cackled, and Amane flicked him in the forehead. Though his friend yelped in

pain, he still wore a giddy smile, and Amane let out another overdrawn sigh.

"So how long are you planning on staying?"

Amane was looking at Itsuki, who had made himself comfortable the instant they'd

gotten the shopping through the door. Itsuki hadn't been coming over much lately

because Mahiru was always around, but before that, he'd visited Amane's apartment

often, and he obviously still felt right at home.

Itsuki crossed his legs and took a sip from his cup of coffee, staring off in thought. He

looked like a model in a photo shoot. "Hmm… Well, for now, why don't we say… three

days, give or take. Geez, this is a real pain!"

"Your dad's not a bad person, but he does seem to be pretty stuck in his ways."

"The old geezer's a stubborn ass."

"Come on—"

"I mean, what gives him the right to tell me who I can and can't date?! Whatever; I'm

moving out once I'm an adult anyway." Itsuki stuck out his tongue in a show of anger.

Amane knew that Itsuki didn't actually hate his father. His old man was the kind of guy

who had to have everything his way, sure, but once somebody won his affection, he

always treated them well. Amane thought he was a good person at least.

But Chitose had never obtained his approval. Amane thought that it probably had to

do with the fact that Itsuki's family was fairly well-to-do. Itsuki's father probably

wanted his son to date someone from the same social class. At the same time, Amane

wondered if maybe Itsuki's father just couldn't stand Chitose's unique personality.

Either way, it sounded like he had dismissed Itsuki's relationship without listening to

anything Itsuki had to say. So Itsuki had declared that, if that was the case, he was

leaving home.

"You've got it good when it comes to parents, Amane. They let you do whatever you

want."

"My parents are super close, so I guess they want their son to choose a partner he

likes."

"I am seriously jealous of your parents."

Itsuki's upbringing had been really strict, so perhaps it was only natural for him to be

going through a rebellious phase. Bleaching his hair and acting like nothing ever

bothered him were just other parts of his insurrection. Amane didn't think he was

really in a position to criticize.

"You say that, but I'm sure your parents can't be that bad."

"They might be decent people, but they're awful parents. I mean, you can't just try to

control your kids all the time, man. You gotta let 'em run free sometimes, 'cause if you

always try to keep 'em on a leash, they're gonna bite you one day."

"And you think you'd be okay, running wild all the time?"

"Maybe, if they'd let me do my own thing. But instead they slapped a collar on me and

put me in a cage, so all I can do is bare my fangs." Itsuki shrugged. "They've been alive

for how long? You'd think they would have learned better by now." He slurped down

the rest of his coffee in one go.

"Well, you can relax for a few days. I mean, we're on break, so we've got nothing but

time."

"Friends truly are life's greatest treasure…!"

"Don't cling to me like that; it's creepy."

"You wound me! I demand Lady Shiina's cooking as consolation!"

"As if you need an excuse to eat dinner…"

"Tee-hee!"

"Don't act like such a weirdo."

"How cruel, to wound me yet again! Oh, boo-hoo!"

Itsuki pantomimed wiping away tears, but his grin was wider than ever. Amane

watched him with exasperation but also a small sense of relief.

Itsuki had frequent battles with his father, but the fight this morning seemed to have

gotten to him more than usual. It was obvious that he'd been putting on a brave face

at school.

Amane was glad to see that his friend was feeling at least a bit better. Of course, he

didn't want to let on to Itsuki that he was worried about him, so he pretended to be

sour even as he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Mahiru came over to Amane's apartment sometime after sundown.

She arrived empty-handed, presumably because Amane had already acquired all the

ingredients she had requested.

Amane had given her advance warning that his friend would be there, so she didn't

seem put off by the sight of Itsuki making himself at home. In fact, Itsuki was the one

who seemed slightly flustered.

"It's been a while, Akazawa."

"Nice to see you after so long. Sorry to suddenly barge into your love nest… Ow, owww!

I get it; it was only a joke! Sorry to suddenly intrude; it must be awkward for you to

have some unfamiliar guy hanging around."

Amane had wordlessly stomped on Itsuki's foot, but even as he groaned in pain, he

wore an amiable grin.

"No, not at all," Mahiru replied. "It's fun to have such… lively people over."

"Well, don't expect any peace or quiet with this guy around," Amane added.

"You shouldn't say things like that," Mahiru scolded.

Amane held his tongue, but Itsuki was giving him a smug look, so he pinched him on

the side where Mahiru couldn't see. Unfortunately, Itsuki was in very good shape, so

there weren't many places where he could find purchase with his fingers.

"Well then, I'm going to go make dinner, so please relax."

Mahiru ignored the boys' squabbling, flashed her angelic smile, put on her apron, and

departed for the kitchen. She was obviously comfortable leaving their guest in Amane's

hands.

Itsuki stared at Mahiru's back as she went, still smiling smugly. "…You're close enough

to give her a key to your place, huh?"

"Shut up."

Mahiru had let herself in with her key, rather than buzzing over the intercom. Itsuki

had not failed to pick up on this sign of intimacy.

"And she told me 'Please relax' like she runs the place. Honestly, she's acting like she's

already your wife!"

"Do you want me to kick you out?"

"Okay, okay, I'm only kidding… is what I'd normally say, but you gotta understand how

this looks, my man!"

Amane tried to grab him by the scruff of the neck, but Itsuki twisted away. He scuttled

across the carpet and booted up Amane's video game console. Amane slid off the

couch and sat down next to him, making sure to give him a gentle knee in the back on

the way, and the two of them killed some time playing games.

Before too long, Amane started to hear the sound of Mahiru taking the dishes out. He

wasn't going to make her do everything, so he stood up and headed for the kitchen.

"Let me help. Can I take the dishes that are already plated?"

"Yes, thank you."

Amane took several plates piled with food out to the table. When he set them down,

he caught Itsuki staring at him, looking dumbfounded.

"…How should I put this…?"

"What's up?"

"Know what? I'll keep it to myself."

"What the heck…," Amane muttered as Itsuki started packing away the game console.

When it was time for dinner, the three of them sat down, with Mahiru's homemade

dishes between them, and Itsuki wore a truly pleased expression.

"So good…"

"Thank you very much."

Mahiru sat up straight and proper as she ate. She wore her calm, angelic smile, but

since Itsuki already knew their secret, Amane could tell that she was letting herself

relax a little.

Itsuki looked like he was in a trance, bringing bites of food to his mouth.

Amane had warned Mahiru ahead of time that Itsuki would eat more than he would,

so she had prepared large portions for him, but even so, he was putting it away pretty

quickly.

"Wow, you're a lucky man, Amane, to be able to eat food like this every day…"

"I'm all too aware of that. The food is delicious as always, by the way."

"…Thank you very much."

He gave Mahiru his reaction after sipping his miso soup.

Amane's lips curled into a smile as he savored the taste. He couldn't help but grin at

the comforting combination of dashi and miso. It was so good that he never got tired

of it, even having it every day. But the person who cooked it didn't seem to realize just

how sublime it was, so he always made sure to tell her.

The soup had a gentle flavor that reminded Amane of her personality. It warmed him

all the way down into his belly. He didn't find it at all surprising that Itsuki was

entranced.

"Ah, it's so good."

Today Mahiru had made Amane's favorite dish, rolled omelets, so he had an even

bigger appetite than usual. Of course Mahiru's food was so good that Amane always

went back for seconds, but even so, his appetite was an entirely different beast when

eggs were on the menu.

As he was smacking his lips at the rich, comforting dishes, Itsuki kept glancing over at

Amane and Mahiru. "…What a happy couple," he muttered.

"Did you say something?"

"Nope!" Itsuki shook his head. "Not a thing!" He returned his attention to his plate.

Amane decided not to question him any further. He noticed that Mahiru was staring

at him quietly and simply shrugged.

After dinner, Mahiru went home early.

Usually, she would stay at Amane's place until it was time to wind down, typically a bit

after nine o'clock, but because Itsuki was staying over, she had decided it was best to

leave a little sooner. The two of them had been left alone while Amane had done the

washing up, and he wondered if that awkwardness wasn't part of the reason she'd left

so soon.

When Amane asked Itsuki what they had talked about, he'd said that they'd just made

small talk and chatted about Chitose. Amane hadn't questioned his friend any further,

but he had a suspicion that other topics had come up.

"Hey, Amane?"

Just before going to sleep, Itsuki looked up from where he had spread out a futon on

the floor of the bedroom.

"What is it?" Amane asked from his bed.

"The way you look at Shiina, with those big soft eyes… You definitely have a thing for

her, right?"

"Shut up."

"Anybody can see it, man. You're absolutely lovestruck."

"Don't make me kick you out into the cold."

"Aw, c'mon."

Amane shot his friend a glare that dared him to keep going, but Itsuki did not look the

least bit discouraged. On the other hand, he wasn't wearing his usual cheeky grin,

either. Itsuki's expression looked genuinely happy—and even a little proud.

"Well, fine, I'm not expecting you to admit it. But I want you to know that I'm happy

for you, man. I'm happy that you found somebody who can appreciate you."

"Huh?"

"Geez, you really are dense. Look, most of the folks in our class probably think you're

a weird, gloomy loner."

"I'm perfectly aware of that, thank you very much."

Among his classmates, Amane had always been something of a plain, unsociable

character, the kind of boy who never really stood out or got noticed, despite his high

ranking on almost every exam.

Compared to guys like Itsuki, the sophisticated and cheerful gentleman, or Yuuta, the

fresh-faced prince, Amane might as well have been invisible. Not to mention that,

whether he knew it or not, Amane was always doing his hardest to not stand out or

make waves. Of course he wasn't popular.

"But they're only going by what they can see," Itsuki continued. "They don't know the

real you. And even the people who do get to know you have to look hard to see your

good parts."

Itsuki was staring at Amane without a hint of mockery in his eyes. His sudden

earnestness made Amane a little uncomfortable.

"It's such a waste that you don't know just what an awesome guy you are. That's why

I'm so happy that Shiina sees you for who you really are and gets along with you so

well."

"Itsuki…"

"So hurry up and start dating her, and let's go on a double date!"

"Geez, why does it always come back around to that?"

While he obviously couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease his friend, Amane

noticed that Itsuki wasn't looking directly at him. He was probably trying to hide his

embarrassment after getting all emotional. Amane figured Itsuki could stand to be offbalance for a change.

"Chi would be happy, too, ya know," Itsuki added.

"By all means, you two go have the time of your lives. Just leave us out of it. I mean,

if—and this is entirely hypothetical—but if we did develop that sort of relationship,

would you really want to be seen with a guy who looks like I do?"

"No, we'd obviously get you to transform into the mystery man. Speaking of which,

you still haven't let me see it."

"Nope."

"Is it one of those things you only let Shiina see?"

"Itsuki, you have a choice. Either you can shut up and enjoy my hospitality or freeze to

death beneath the cold winter sky."

"Well, excuuuse me!"

Itsuki knelt on top of his futon and bowed in mock apology.

"Good grief," Amane muttered in an exasperated tone.

Itsuki must have still been scheming up ways to get his buddy a girlfriend to spice up

his life.

But there's no way I have any chance of dating Mahiru… right?

She already did so much for him. If the two of them really did start dating, he would

probably come to rely on her for absolutely everything. Forget how spoiled he was

now, dating Mahiru was a sure path to utter dependency.

And anyway, Mahiru didn't seem interested in guys.

She didn't have much of a problem being around Amane or Itsuki or even Amane's

father, but when it came to the other boys at school, she kept them all at a comfortable

distance, wearing her angel mask like thick armor.

Male classmates were constantly approaching her to confess their love, but he'd never

known Mahiru to date anyone, ever. It was like she didn't want anything to do with

boys.

And since Amane still wasn't sure exactly how he felt about Mahiru, he was in no hurry

to embarrass himself with a halfhearted confession. Plus, he was convinced that

Mahiru didn't have those kinds of feelings for him anyway.

Dating Mahiru would remain a distant fantasy.

"…But look, Shiina obviously really likes you. Step back and take a good look at your

situation before you dismiss it all as impossible." Itsuki spoke as if he had seen straight

through Amane's heart.

Amane just mumbled "…Easy for you to say…" and crawled under his comforter.

"Itsuki is so sneaky! I want to eat Mahirun's cooking, tooooo!"

The following day, Chitose called Amane on the phone at a ridiculously early hour.

Evidently, Itsuki had been in touch with her the night before. He had taken photos of

their dinner, like he had often seen many girls going, apparently for the purpose of

sending it to Chitose.

"Don't tell me. You've gotta ask Shiina."

"Okay, so if I get Mahirun to say it's okay, you'll share with me?"

"Uh, well—"

"Got it!" Chitose answered energetically. "Okay, I'm gonna go ask her!"

Then she hung up.

Amane had been holding the phone away from his ear because Chitose was so loud.

Now he made an exasperated face. As usual, he wasn't sure whether he should be

impressed or terrified by Chitose's energy.

Itsuki, who'd been watching the whole time, looked awfully pleased.

"Chi sounds pretty excited."

"Can't you do something about your girlfriend?"

"Pretty much impossible, man," Itsuki replied cheerfully. "When she sees something

she wants, Chi doesn't hold back. That's why I love her so much."

Amane figured that Itsuki's opinion was a little biased, on account of being in love and

all. There was a lot to be said for Chitose's abundant energy and the easy way she made

friends with almost everyone, and Amane was ready to admit that he often envied

those strengths that he so clearly lacked.

For the time being, he decided to heat up the leftovers from yesterday's dinner and

have them for breakfast. Silently, he thanked Mahiru for the food and for her future

patience dealing with Chitose's call.

"And so here I am!"

Chitose appeared, along with Mahiru, just before lunch. The two of them were carrying

shopping bags overflowing with food. Chitose was also wearing a backpack that looked

like it might be an overnight bag, and Mahiru was smiling ruefully. They'd obviously

met up earlier and gone shopping together. That explained why they were both

carrying bags and how Chitose had reached Amane's apartment.

"You got here pretty quick…," Amane remarked.

"I got all excited about the idea of staying over at Mahirun's place!"

"…Wait, what?"

"We are on spring vacation, so I figured, why not? And Mahirun said I could, so here I

am!"

Chitose grinned widely and looked at Mahiru for confirmation, and Mahiru nodded

with a smile.

She obviously had no choice.

Chitose must have strong-armed Mahiru into allowing her to stay over. But Mahiru

didn't seem particularly upset or anything, only somewhat bewildered by the sudden

development.

As Mahiru went to put the groceries away in the refrigerator, she leaned close to

Amane. "Don't worry about me. I told her it was okay," she reassured him in a whisper

so quiet that only he could hear.

Amane wore a worried smile as he watched Mahiru put the dinner ingredients in the

fridge.

"I'm looking forward to Mahirun's cooking!" Chitose beamed as she sat down next to

Itsuki and clung tightly to his side. Amane had lost his seat for the moment, so he

headed into the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"…Amane, you know you can't cook."

She kept her voice down so it didn't carry into the living room and called him by his

first name. Amane smiled slightly.

"I could cut up vegetables or something? Actually, if you give me instructions, I could

do something simple. I showed you that I can actually make some things, didn't I?"

"…All right, I'll take the help. You really don't want to stay in the other room, do you?"

"Very perceptive. They're already flirting."

Amane shrugged and moved to the sink to wash his hands.

He knew he couldn't do much, but it wasn't like he was completely useless. He could

at least help Mahiru out with things like measuring and prep work, so he turned his

back on the lovebirds and their flirting for a while and became Mahiru's kitchen

assistant.

"By the way, what are we having for lunch today?"

"Omelets over rice, with green potage soup and a salad. Chitose said that she wanted

to eat the type of omelet that's half cooked inside when you cut it open with a knife."

"Nice."

"You really like egg dishes, don't you?"

"Eggs are great. Plus, yours are the most delicious, so I'm already looking forward to

it."

Mahiru's cooking never disappointed, and Amane was even more excited to hear they

were having eggs, his favorite. He still thought about the beef stew omelets they had

eaten that one time. He would have been happy eating those every day.

Amane silently lauded Chitose for her excellent menu request as he cheerfully

measured and washed four portions of rice. Gradually, he noticed that Mahiru was still

standing there, next to the refrigerator.

"…What's up?"

"…I appreciate the compliment, but don't catch me off guard like that."

"What do you mean?"

"It's fine if you didn't get it."

Mahiru abruptly turned away and began cutting up the ingredients for the soup,

leaving Amane standing there looking bewildered.

"I can't believe they can act like that and still not be dating."

"Seriously."

"Ah, that was sooo goood!"

Chitose finished the last of her lunch and patted her belly in utter satisfaction.

Mahiru smiled, glad that her efforts were so appreciated. Apparently, she rather liked

entertaining. The day's sudden appearances had evidently not been too trying.

"Wow, you really can make anything, huh, Shiina?" Itsuki gushed. "You were able to

prepare half-cooked omelets that kept their shape while still being so soft in the

middle."

"It's all thanks to my cooking teacher," Mahiru replied modestly.

"You studied cooking?" Chitose asked.

"Yes, sort of. Enough to take care of myself and to entertain guests when I need to."

"Whoa!" Chitose marveled. "That must have been one amazing teacher if you learned

to cook like this!"

Mahiru must have been talking about the maid she had mentioned to Amane before,

the only person in her parents' house who had treated her with any kindness.

"I wonder if I could get this good, if I had a teacher like that."

"Maybe if you were a little less… adventurous in the kitchen, you would have better

results," Itsuki suggested.

"Hey—what's the point if you don't experiment a little?!"

"Well, if you tried following a recipe for once, I'm sure you could make just about

anything."

It was true; Chitose would have made a really good cook if she ever stopped messing

around. But her lack of discipline really undermined her efforts.

Chitose's personality was like a cat's—she did whatever she fancied at the moment and

generally pursued things at her own speed. The problem was that she had basically

no self-control. She could force herself to focus for a while if she had to, but it was

obviously exhausting for her. Chitose just wasn't wired that way.

"And not just in the kitchen, either," Itsuki continued. "You could try bringing a little

composure to your everyday life. You've got a great role model right there, see?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd just love me to become more like Mahirun, but I'm afraid you're

out of luck. Besides, it seems… uncomfortable."

"That's awfully rude to Shiina."

"Maybe. But you have to admit, Mahirun always seems so formal. Or maybe, like,

stifled?" Sometimes Chitose could be surprisingly perceptive. "The Mahirun we see at

school is pretty dull."

"…Is that really how I come off to others?" Mahiru murmured.

"Well… we are in different classes," Chitose answered, "so I'm no authority, but you

seem dull or… sort of like you're looking down on everything, from a distance, you

know? I mean, you're still nice to everyone, but I can tell you never let your guard

down."

Chitose's conjecture was right on target.

Mahiru certainly treated others with kindness and respect, but she also never let

anyone except for a very small number of people see behind her mask. By playing the

part of the gracious and upstanding young woman, she kept her true identity safe and

hidden.

Nobody knew that better than Mahiru, though. Amane watched her expression grow

cloudy. But Chitose threw an arm around her and smiled.

"Mahirun makes a super-cute face whenever I bring up this kinda personal stuff, so

you can tell that she's being honest, right? I like this version best!"

Chitose giggled and squeezed Mahiru tight. Mahiru looked embarrassed for a moment,

but then she hesitantly returned Chitose's embrace.

"You know, Mahirun," Chitose continued, "I think you should open up more. I mean,

you could have Amane totally spoil you, you know? And we know you can be super

sweet to people you like. So if you'd just use that to your advantage, you'd have them

eating out of your palm!"

"I will do no such thing!" Mahiru insisted.

"Ehhh?"

"…I'm not like that at all, Chitose," Mahiru muttered, turning away sharply.

"Oh reaaally?" Chitose replied, staring at Amane.

Of course Amane was not about to get involved in this discussion. Mahiru hadn't asked

him for help or anything, and he knew that she could fight her own battles.

That said, if she ever did happen to ask, Amane was ready and willing to do just about

anything her heart desired. He would help her shoulder any burden and support her

however he could. That would be too embarrassing to admit, though, so he tried to

maintain a neutral expression as he watched Chitose and Mahiru's exchange.

"Oh man, it's a feast for the eyes to watch two beautiful girls getting along, huh?"

"Your words, not mine."

Letting Itsuki's somewhat perverted remark pass by without comment, Amane

realized that Mahiru had found a friend of the same gender. He was glad she had

someone else she could be open with.

Chitose's sleepover naturally took place at Mahiru's place.

Amane had expected her to want to stay with Itsuki, but she had said that since he was

always staying over at her place, she was happy being with Mahiru, and the two of

them headed back to Mahiru's apartment after dinner.

Amane had already known that Itsuki and Chitose were very close, and that Itsuki

often spent the night at Chitose's house. There wasn't anything strange about it, but

for some reason, he suddenly felt embarrassed to be confronted with the fact that

Itsuki often slept at Chitose's place.

Itsuki whispered, "Whatcha imagining over there, gloomy boy?"

Amane stomped on his friend's foot. He was merciful enough not to stomp on his

pinkie toe.

"Listen, man, stomping on my feet isn't gonna hide your shame forever!" Itsuki

grumbled.

"It's your fault for being such a jerk," Amane muttered as he turned away.

It's not like he'd been trying to hurt him or anything—Itsuki obviously knew that.

Neither of them were actually angry over a little playful roughhousing between friends.

"Actually, I've been staying at her place a ton recently. It's started to become kind of

the new normal, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture. You can lay off already."

"I thought that kind of talk was standard between guys."

"It's not, and I can do without it."

Amane had no desire to hear the graphic details of his friend's romance, and he knew

that when the story was over, and he glared at Itsuki, Itsuki would cackle with laughter

and smile back at him cheerfully.

"You really are a herbivore, eh, Amane? Or is it just a lack of experience that's holding

you back?"

"I'll knock you on your ass."

"Well, I guess that's exactly why Shiina opened up to you in the first place, huh? She

probably wouldn't have gone anywhere near you if she knew you were on the prowl.

Good thing, too, huh?!"

Itsuki gave him a thumbs-up and a big grin. Amane shot him a bitter glare, the sort of

face he would never have shown Mahiru.

But it didn't seem to have the slightest effect on Itsuki, who merely laughed it off.

Amane was busy furiously scowling at his friend when his anger was interrupted by a

cheerful electronic tone from his smartphone—his text message alert. He stopped

glowering long enough to check the screen. The message was from Chitose.

Amane opened the messaging app, thinking that she must be asking about tomorrow's

plans, and saw that he had one message, and that it included a photograph.

"Look, look, Mahirun is sooo cute! FYI, I got her permission to send this."

There was just that one sentence and an attached photo.

The picture showed Mahiru sitting on top of a bed, holding the teddy bear that Amane

had given her propped up on her knees, with what looked like her bedroom in the

background. That was not what made Amane pause.

In the photo, Mahiru was wearing pajamas—specifically, a flowing, long-sleeved, lightpink gown, otherwise known as a negligee. She looked elegant and refined—and

hypnotically feminine. She had obviously just stepped out of the bath, and the skin

peeking from her sleeves and the open collar of her gown was still faintly flushed.

It was an incredibly suggestive image, even though nothing inappropriate was exposed.

She somehow looked modest and seductive at the same time.

And what drew his eyes more than anything else was Mahiru's expression. She wasn't

looking at the camera. Rather, her head hung slightly, and she kept her eyes downcast—

not enough to hide her face, but enough to give the impression of shyness.

The rosy spots on her cheeks were probably not just from the bath.

Mahiru's expression looked shy, but like she was yearning. It was way more enticing

than any expression he had ever seen before. But the teddy bear sitting in her lap also

made her look even more adorable than usual. It was just a photograph, but Amane

could feel his cheeks burning.

—That jerk!

What was Chitose trying to do, sending him a photo like this? Especially right before

bed? There was no way he was going to be able to sleep after seeing something like

that.

"Why are you blushing?" Itsuki inquired. "You looking at dirty pictures on your phone

or something?"

"Of course not!"

"Okay, then what are you looking at?"

Itsuki quickly peeked over his shoulder, and Amane had no time to hide the image. The

picture displayed on the screen was reflected in Itsuki's eyes, and he smiled knowingly.

"I see, I see. You really are one innocent boy, huh?"

"How about you go to sleep—forever?"

"Are you implying that you want me dead?"

"Should I say it directly?"

"That's awfully unkind of you. I mean, what man wouldn't get excited seeing an angel

like that? Though, I gotta say, Chi's still the cutest…"

"Stop going on about your girlfriend already, stupid."

Amane sighed in exasperation and brushed his hair back with his hand, and when he

did, he heard the clicking sound of a camera shutter.

"…Itsuki?"

"Nothing; just got a message from Chi telling me to take a picture of you to

commemorate the evening. Just a dumb little memento. Should be no problem, right?"

"I guess. As long as you're not planning to do anything with my photo…"

"Relax, it's not like anyone else will ever see it. And besides, there's a good reason for

it, I can assure you."

Amane regarded Itsuki with deep skepticism. He had no idea what that reason could

be. But Itsuki just smiled, looking particularly smug, and Amane let out a big sigh,

grumbling quietly to himself that there was no point in taking his photo.

Listening to his friend complain, Itsuki muttered in an even quieter voice, "This guy

really doesn't get it, does he?"

"…I'm exhausted…"

On the third day, Itsuki and Chitose's stay was finally over. The two of them had gone

back to Chitose's place, where Itsuki would spend another day or two. (Apparently

Chitose's parents would've been perfectly fine if he stayed forever, but all the same, he

didn't want to impose.) They'd eaten Mahiru's homemade lunch and left with big

smiles, but not before encouraging Amane and Mahiru to play nice in their absence.

Amane had figured that quipping back would have been more trouble than it was

worth, so he'd let their teasing slide.

"Aren't you tired, too, Mahiru?"

The two of them were sitting together on Amane's couch.

"…I'm wiped out. That was really hard. But it was also a lot of fun."

"Yeah?"

Mahiru wasn't the type to invite friends over to her apartment, at least for as long as

Amane had known her, so he thought it was great that Chitose had given her the excuse

to do just that.

It sounded like she sometimes hung out with Chitose when Amane wasn't around, so

if she had made a close friend, that couldn't be a bad thing.

"…Well, you know, I was really surprised when that photo was sent…"

"Ah, ah, oh that?"

When Mahiru said the word photo, Amane couldn't help but recall her elegant yet

risque getup from the night before. His cheeks were burning.

It wasn't like she had bared a lot of skin, but Amane could still remember the way her

nightgown had accentuated her soft curves. If anything, her modesty had only made

her more enticing. He'd already filed the image away in his mind for later, though he

felt surprisingly guilty about it.

"Y-yesterday," Mahiru explained, "yesterday, Chitose said 'You're so cute!' and took a

lot of photos. S-so, I'm not exactly sure which one she sent you. She was really insistent,

so I gave her my permission, but… I hope it wasn't anything too embarrassing…"

Apparently, Chitose hadn't shown Mahiru which photo she had sent. Amane figured

she'd sent him the best shot, but he wondered whether Mahiru was aware how she'd

looked—or even that Chitose had photographed that particular moment at all. He

wasn't sure how Mahiru would react if he showed her the picture. The photo wasn't

obscene or anything, and Mahiru definitely hadn't looked bad, but still, it could cause

a lot of trouble.

"Uh, ummm, well, it was… it was a picture of you with the teddy bear on your knees."

"…Th-the teddy bear…?"

"I guess you're taking good care of it, huh?"

Well, that part was true, at least.

Amane, still feeling guilty, decided the best thing to do was shove the image deep down

into the recesses of his memory. If he couldn't forget it, he could at least seal it away.

When Mahiru heard the word bear, she seemed to more or less recall the moment the

photo had been taken, and she smiled slightly.

"…I told you I was going to cherish it," she said, "because it's a precious gift."

Confronted with her warm gaze and soft, welcoming smile, Amane's breath caught in

his throat.

This smile was different from her usual angelic smile—it was honest and affectionate.

Amane felt hypnotized by her delicate beauty, like her soft sweetness was beckoning

him to wrap his arms around her and pull her close.

"…Uh, y-yeah, I guess you did," Amane stammered. "You must really like it, huh?"

"Of course I do," Mahiru replied. "You picked it out for me, after all." She smiled

earnestly. "You don't have to worry; I treat him well. Why, every day I pat him on the

head, and I hold him tight when I fall asleep, and—ummm… never mind. Forget I said

anything."

Amane could hardly believe he'd heard her right.

A beautiful girl like Mahiru sleeps with a stuffed teddy bear. That's unspeakably cute.

He recalled how angelic Mahiru looked when she was asleep. Just imagining the scene

made him blush.

Wearing that angelic sleeping face, she cuddles a stuffed bear while she slumbers.

Mahiru, this beautiful girl, goes to bed holding the teddy bear I gave her.

Mahiru had already turned bright red, all the way out to her ears. She grabbed him by

the arm. "P-please forget about that last part."

"Th-that's literally impossible."

"Ugh, I'm so embarrassed!"

Mahiru looked at him with tears forming in the corners of her eyes. This expression

was even more devastatingly cute than the last, but it was obvious that Mahiru didn't

realize it.

"Is it really that big a deal? I don't see what the problem is."

"It makes me seem like a little kid, doesn't it? Sleeping with a stuffed animal, I mean."

"N-no, I think it's really cute."

Mahiru turned away from Amane and buried her face in her favorite cushion. "You're

not helping…"

Amane felt awfully guilty for thinking that Mahiru looked cute when she was pouting,

but he couldn't help himself—he found it endearing.

What he wanted to do right then was reach out and stroke Mahiru's head, but he knew

that was a terrible idea, especially now, so he kept his hands to himself and only looked

over at Mahiru.

After a few moments had passed, she peeked out from behind the cushion. Her eyes

shimmered, and her face was flushed, but she composed herself enough to give him a

reproachful look.

"…Amane, you need to tell me something embarrassing, too. It's not fair if I'm the only

one."

"What…?"

Mahiru had done this to herself. Amane felt no responsibility to put himself in a similar

position. But he knew better than to say that.

On the other hand, he was having a hard time coming up with anything embarrassing

that she didn't already know.

"If you won't tell me something," Mahiru said sternly, "I'll just have to message

Akazawa and ask him."

"When did you exchange contact info with Itsuki…?"

"Actually, Chitose gave me his information, and we messaged back and forth…

yesterday, I think. But it wasn't about anything in particular… nothing you need to

worry about anyway…"

Mahiru trailed off and buried her face in the cushion again.

At this point, Amane really had no idea what was going on.